Better and brighter at Bungalow Bay

DAY 5
Location: Townsville/Magnetic Island
Temp: 27 C
Activities: Ferry to Magnetic Island, walking Horseshoe Bay, bush walk to Radical Bay

Accommodation: Bungalow Bay

A map of Magnetic Island borrowed from Magnetic Island Informer.

Having gotten stuck with the top bunk at Reef Lodge, I didn't feel too bad about waking up my bunk mate. I'm an early riser on this trip and the hostel demanded I strip the linens off my bed since I was checking out before regular hours--my ferry was due to leave at 7:45! I ate breakfast first though and was greeted by a much friendlier hosteler ironing his clothes. Where were you last night, guy? Packed and dressed, I picked up all my things and gratefully left the Reef Lodge. I'm sad to have had a sorry experience there, because it looked like a fun place otherwise.

The SeaLink Ferry takes us early risers on its first trip to Magnetic Island for a $33 fee. 

I headed back to where the bus had dropped me off last night and got my ticket to board the SeaLink passenger ferry to Magnetic Island. Twenty minutes later, I was on the island, found my bus to take me to the northern shore, and walked the main street back to the Bungalow Bay Hostel.

This was the lushest and by far most interesting hostel I stayed at during my entire trip through Australia. This path leads to more A frame rooms, camping, laundry facilities, and kitchen area.

Now THIS place was awesome! A-frame bungalows, pool with hammocks, glitzy bar, all situated in the bush. I mean, we had wallaby's hopping around everywhere. I startled a few and the took off. It was awesome! Much homelier feel. And the bungalows are so nice! Clean, comfortable beds, toilet and shower. It's the first night I slept through.

The awesome A-frame bungalow I stayed in. It doesn't look all that spacious...

...but it actually was. There were six beds, a set of deep lockable cubbies to the right, a toilet AND shower in this place. The bed was very comfortable and the sheets were just enough to stay warm. This place was awesome and well worth the stay!

Anyway, I got in a little too early to check in, but the hostess said I could leave my backpack along the wall, which I did, and I went out to explore the little town front. I walked a short, 15-minute bush walk to a freshwater lagoon hoping to see some native birds and walking into nth spider webs instead, then I crashed out of the bush swiping my face and arms free of invisible threads (and spiders) and toured Horseshoe Bay a bit in my tennis shoes and pants, quickly overheated and went to sit watching the water.

My tranquil 'bush' walk punctuated by feisty wallabies crashing through the brush, croaking frogs, and a plethora of spider webs. Oh and mosquitoes. Lots and lots of mosquitoes.

Horseshoe Bay in the early morning. The largest bay on the northern end of Magnetic Island.

 No swimming here with the jellyfish signs everywhere. I ran into those two French girls again from Cairns and said 'Hello'. I got a couple groceries from the corner store and cooked myself up a pasta for lunch because I was starving, checked in, and finally did some much needed laundry. Then I ran into Thomas, Sarah, and Toma from Tropic Days again! It really is a small world. We chatted about the latest conquests and I asked if anyone was willing to hike the 2k to Radical Bay with me. They declined but invited me to join them at their tent later to catch up.

Now dressed in proper tropic attire--shorts and slippers--I hiked the steep gully's stone stairs over the mountain to Radical Bay.

The hike to Radical Bay consisted of a long climb and a long descent. Stairs. Stairs everywhere.

The hike took me about 45 minutes to an hour allowing for the climb over the gully at 3.4 km. Needless to say, I was very excited to see this sign.

The bay was mostly empty when I got there and I enjoyed some bouldering.

Radical Bay stretches on the northeastern side of Magnetic Island. It was mostly empty when I arrived so I got to splash and climb to my heart's content.

I hunted about a bit for some coconuts to sup on and came across one washed behind some rocks. Ripping off the husk, I saw something tannish-brown disappear back into a hole in the coconut. Coconut water is clear and this murk was brown. I smashed the coconut on the rocks and the thing was rotted inside! Sick! And I got some of the fetid meat on my clothes so now I smelled like rotted coconut. It was disgusting. I went to rinse in the sea and had to walk back sopping wet, but it didn't bother me too much; the crickets gave me a little private serenade on the way back to Horseshoe as I hiked back into the sunset.

I hoofed it back to Horseshoe Bay in time for sunset and a dinner off the beach.

I was starving by the time I finally got back, broke, and decided to purchase a meal at the Marlin Tavern and Bar. Their chicken Caesar salad was $21! It was a decent size, but definitely not $20+ quality. I got full halfway through, just goes to show how much my stomach has shrunk, but ate the whole things because of the cost and it was the only 'real' meal I've had in a few days. I got to watch the sunset over Horseshoe while I ate and it was that beautiful orange and blood-red! 

My clothes and laundry were still wet when I got back, but I swung around to catch up with Thomas and his crew, who've been doing well. We chatted until well into the evening and they invited me to dine on some 'soupy bits,' soup with bits of meat, potatoes, and carrots, which I scarfed down. It was a lovely evening after such a rude culture shock the day previous. We agreed to meet up again in Noosa, but Airlie Beach and its secretive Whitsundays Islands are on my itinerary next!