Things that are not much fun while travelling:
- Having a cold
- Being unable to sleep due to said cold
- Keeping dormmates awake due to coughing during the night
- Being completely covered in mosquito bites that itch like crazy
Okay, I guess you can tell that I’m still a bit under the weather. I’m currently on Magnetic Island, a small island just offshore from Townsville. It’s not really magnetic at all; the story goes that when Captain James Cook came exploring through here a couple hundred years ago, his compass was malfunctioning around this spot so he falsely assumed that it’s magnetic, when in fact it wouldn’t even attract so much as a paperclip. Despite this obvious shortcoming, Magnetic Island is truly a beautiful spot, with mountains sloping dramatically into the ocean, lots of great walks, koalas, and beautiful beaches. Townsville and Magnetic Island were also prominent as battle staging points during WWII for the war in the Pacific, and there is still a large military presence in Townsville today.
We caught the ferry from Townsville at midday yesterday, after first taking a drive up to Castle Hill to view the island from the mainland. After arriving at the hostel, we went on the Forts Walk, which is a short loop up to the top of the island to see forts and WWII installations, as well as wildlife. Along the way, spotted a koala hanging out in the trees, munching on eucalyptus leaves. The views from the top were quite spectacular.
Today, it’s off to Mission Beach, as I continue to work my way up the coast. Not much further to go now.
I like it, the Magnetic non-magnetic island. :)
Get well soon!!
–Jon