Rund um Townsville

We have finally made the first kilometers towards the south. Our target destination was Townsville, which is 350 kilometers away. On the way there, we followed recommendations and visited Cardwell Spa Pool. It must be admitted that the name already sounds good and it was indeed a great place. The water was crystal clear and beautifully blue. It even looked like a small pool. A good decision for a short stop and to cool off!

We actually only planned to make Townsville a brief stopover before heading to Airlie Beach, but 800 kilometers were too much for one day. Our hostel was really nice, so we spontaneously decided to stay there for another night. Most people start their trip to Magnetic Island from Townsville. We actually wanted to skip the island, but the hostel owner convinced us to go to the ferry terminal and we ended up spending a day on Magnetic Island. It was a pretty cheap option without booking one of the expensive tours. On site, we bought a bus ticket for the whole day. There are many accommodations on the island and most people stay there for a longer period of time. We decided to do the Forts Walk, as there are free-roaming koalas to see and the view of the island is also great. However, since we decided on the island quite late, we hiked during the midday heat at around 34 degrees Celsius. We even saw a little koala sitting in a tree. After that, we took the bus to a bay and bought a way too expensive, but delicious ice cream.

Another item on our list were the rock wallabies that can be seen in the rocks along the coast. The bus driver pointed out that we could buy food for them, which we of course did. Unfortunately, it was also too hot for them, so they preferred to hide in the shade.

It was a great and spontaneous day that we experienced. Next day we will continue to Airlie Beach.