Guided days in Townsville and on Yunbenun
Townsville is a compact base with an unusual amount within reach: a national park island twenty minutes offshore, one of the world's great wreck dives, an underwater sculpture museum on the reef, and rainforest an hour north. Our guided days cover the parts that reward having someone who knows the timetables and the tides.
Our Townsville tours
Magnetic Island tour
The island in a day — the Forts Walk, the bays, the koalas and the wallabies at Geoffrey Bay.
Townsville & Magnetic Island
City and island together: Castle Hill, The Strand, the ferry across, and the reef beyond.
Private charter
Your pace, your stops. The strongest option for wildlife, which does not run to a timetable.
Why guided, on this coast
Two reasons, both practical. The ferry timetable shapes the entire day and a missed connection is an hour gone. And the koalas, the wallabies and the birdlife are found by people who know which trees to look at — most visitors walk straight past them.
What a Townsville day covers
Magnetic Island
Twenty to twenty-five minutes by ferry from the Breakwater terminal to Nelly Bay. Four residential bays, twenty-three beaches, roughly three-quarters national park, and the Forts Walk climbing to WWII defences with 360-degree views over Cleveland Bay.
The city
Castle Hill for orientation — a pink granite monolith rising out of the middle of town with the whole bay laid out below. The Strand along the foreshore. The reef aquarium and the museum for a wet afternoon.
On the water
The SS Yongala for qualified divers, the Museum of Underwater Art for snorkellers and divers both, and fringing reef straight off the island's beaches for anyone who would rather not book a boat at all.
What we do not run ourselves
Anything on the water. We work with licensed local operators, because crews out there daily read the conditions in a way a touring company cannot.
Planning your day
How long to allow
A full day for the island: the ferry each way, the Forts Walk, a beach and lunch. A half day covers one bay and a swim, and little else. If you can give it an overnight, do — the island after the last ferry has taken the day visitors off is a different place.
When to come
May to October is the dry season and the easy choice: warm, clear and low-humidity. November to April is hot and humid with afternoon storms, and marine stingers mean netted enclosures or a stinger suit.
What to bring
- Closed walking shoes — the Forts Walk is rock and formed track, not sand
- More water than feels necessary, and a hat. There is no shade at the summit
- Swimmers, a towel, and a stinger suit in season
- Insect repellent for dawn and dusk
Accessibility
The ferry and the island bus are both workable, and the bays are flat. The Forts Walk is not. Tell us your requirements when you enquire and we will build the day around them.
Read before you book
The Townsville travel guide covers logistics, the Magnetic Island guide goes into the bays and the national park, and the journal is where we write about what is actually worth your time.
Frequently asked
How do you get to Magnetic Island?
By ferry from the Breakwater terminal in Townsville to Nelly Bay, around twenty to twenty-five minutes, with services through the day. A separate vehicle ferry operates if you want a car on the island. The island is eight kilometres offshore and visible from the mainland foreshore.
Do I need a full day for Magnetic Island?
For a proper visit, yes. A full day covers the ferry each way, the Forts Walk, a beach and lunch. A half day gets you one bay and a swim. An overnight is better again — the island empties when the last ferries leave and the wildlife is most active at both ends of the light.
What is the Forts Walk?
A track climbing from Forts Junction through open forest to a chain of WWII coastal defence positions built after Townsville was bombed in 1942. Around ninety minutes return, steadily uphill, with 360-degree views from the top. It is also the best koala spotting on the island.
Will we see koalas?
Often, but never guaranteed. Magnetic Island holds the largest wild koala colony in northern Australia and the Forts Walk is the place to look. They sit high in the eucalypts and are easy to walk straight past — walk slowly, look up, and watch for other walkers who have stopped.
Can we dive the SS Yongala?
If you are appropriately qualified. It is a demanding dive with strong currents and significant depth, and operators apply experience requirements. It is also a protected historic shipwreck and a grave site, so penetration is not permitted. If you do not dive, the Museum of Underwater Art and the island's fringing reefs are the alternatives.
Is it suitable for children?
The island is, very much — the bus, the beaches, the wallabies at Geoffrey Bay and the sheltered bays all work well. The Forts Walk is a real climb in the heat, so judge that one on the day and the age.
Do you run tours from Cairns?
Magnetic Island is 300 to 350 kilometres south of Cairns, which makes it a poor day trip and a good overnight. Our Cairns tours cover the reef and rainforest north; this is a separate region and a separate trip.
Can you arrange transfers and ferries?
Yes. On a guided day the ferry timing, the transfers and the island logistics are handled, which is most of what the day is buying you — a missed connection here costs an hour.
Sources and currency. Ferry times, walk durations and dive site information checked against operator and Queensland Parks sources in August 2026. Ferry timetables change seasonally — confirm before you travel. Cooee Tours has been running family-owned Australian touring since 1974.