Exploring Townsville & Magnetic Island

My first impression of Reef Lodge as a clean, well-run placed was confirmed when I wandered around the premises in the morning. It had a nice garden courtyard. Rules are on the tough side of fair but it keeps the riff-raff in check.

I needed breakfast and wandered out. Nothing much was open. The supermarket was a little far so I got some fruit and muesli from a convenience store which cost about 50% more than the supermarket pricing. I guess it’s still cheaper than eating in a cafe.

After breakfast I decided to go to Magnetic Island, about 20 mins from Townsville. I got to the station just as the ferry had finished boarding and was able to hop on straight away.

I bused to the northern end of the road at Horseshoe Bay, passing Arcadia Bay which I also intended to stop at. I realised that this place was more rural that I had expected. There wasn’t much I could do on a “visit” if I didn’t want to go swimming, surfing, hiking, or spend money on horse-riding or visit an animal sanctuary. It is more a place for activities; but with Australia being expensive I try to limit myself to spending money on new experiences.

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Magnetic Island is still very beautiful though for a quick visit, except for the costly ferry ride. It has a lovely atmosphere. The thought of retiring here was very appealing but I’d need to check out the summer temperature first!

I headed back to the ferry terminal area without stopping at Arcadia or exploring the other stops. I grabbed lunch at the small supermarket and ate it at the terminal before sailing back to Townsville.

After a rest, I walked along Townsville’s lovely promenade called The Strand. All along, it was a lovely combination of parks, pools, paved walkway, kiosks and brown sandy beaches. Again, the thought of a good retirement place came up in my head. The problem is that the Kiwi dollar converts to less Aussie dollar and things are expensive in this country.

With the 2h time difference from NZ, I was hungry at all the wrong times. I grabbed a light dinner before heading back to the backpackers.