Parks & Wildlife

Magnetic Island parks and wildlife gives you a great chance to head out and go bush. With two thirds of the island as National Park combined with it's Marine Park areas, 23 bays and beaches, it has a truely unique combination of flora and fauna.

The island is home to over 186 types of birds including kookaburras, sulphur crested cockatoos, brahminy kites and the island's iconic bush-stone curlew.

This world heritage island is nestled in the Great Barrier Reef and is surrounded by fringing reefs. Magnetic Island also has an abundance of fish, turtles and gems of the sea.

5184 hectares of the island's protected National Park includes thick bushland, ranging from dry wattles and the beautiful bark of eucalypts to pockets of rainforest, as well as hoop pine rocky outcrops.

The Forts walk is one of the best areas to spot koalas and 360 degree views of the coast and the Coral Sea, including Cleveland Bay.

Just down the road in Horseshoe Bay, there is a large lagoon with walkways which comes to life especially through wet season.

Alternatively hop aboard and discover it's 23 hidden beaches and bays which are some of the best in North Queensland.

The island is also home to a large colony of rock wallabies. The world class bush walks on the island allow you to get up close and personal with the local fauna in their natural habitats.

Magnetic Island is definitely a unique tropical island destination surrounded by abundant wildlife and exotic flora.

Magnetic Island - the dry tropics nestled between the northern and southern wet tropics
The area from Ingham (1 hour north of Townsville) to approximately half an hour's drive before Airlie Beach, has an unusual climate. With wet tropics on either side of it, this area is the North Queensland Dry Tropics. The region is primarily defined by the catchment area of the Burdekin River and extends into marine waters and includes Magnetic Island and the Palm Islands.

Walk the Arcadia Nature Walk and learn more about the wildlife, birds, significant trees and landscape.
Download the map.

Cuddle a koala or kiss a croc!
Head to Bungalow Bay Koala Village to get up close and personal and cuddle a koala or kiss a croc on their interactive wildlife tours (three times daily).

For more information on the Bush Stone Curlew, Whale Watching, Coral Spawning and Turtle Breeding, click here.

Feeding rock wallabies and the local wildlife
Although feeding wallabies is often advertised, we would prefer the wallabies and other wildlife on the island to forage for their own food.

Human interference causes over population and an ecological imbalance.

If you have the 'need to feed', we ask that you feed rock wallabies ONLY the proper food which includes:

• Carrots
• Sweet potatoes
• Rock melon
• Apples
• Paw paw, or
• Wallaby pellets which are available from most retail outlets.

Please DON'T feed them:
x Avocado - the seed and skin are toxic
x Bread - can cause improper chewing leading to soft gums and bacteria in the gums.
x Cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts or cauliflower - causes gastroenteriits, pain, salivation, diarrhoea and upper digestive tract disturbances.
x Guava - leaves and seedlings cause intestinal blockage.
x Lettuce - being 96% water it holds more residual pesticide spray.
x Meats - can cause blockage
x Potato - can cause stomach ache, nausea and vomiting, incoordination, breathing problems and coma, (sweet potato is not from the family of the ordinary potato).

Become a Magnetic Island National Parks Volunteer
All sorts of people are weeders—people who want to learn more about the environment and Magnetic Island, locals and people from interstate and overseas, retired people, people with jobs and families, or students. People in their teens and people in their seventies; people who are physically fit and people who would like to be. For more information download the Magnetic Island National Park
Volunteer brochure.

Visit the Magnetic Island Parks and Wildlife Office
Opening hours
The national park is open all year round. The park office is open 7.30 am to 4 pm Monday to Friday, park duties permitting.

QPWS Magnetic Island
22 Hurst Street, Picnic Bay, Magnetic Island QLD 4819
Call: (07) 4778 5378

Helping injured, trapped or orphaned wildlife
If you have sick, injured or orphaned wildlife please call the Magnetic Island Veterinary Surgery in Nelly Bay on 4778 5977. They will deal with emergency injury cases during business hours. Please call the Vet Surgery prior to arrival.

Or contact:

• Magnetic Island Fauna Care Organization (MIFCO) on 0457 634 732.

• For injured and orphaned wallabies call the Wallaby Refuge on Magnetic Island on 4758 1457 or 0400 243 842.

• Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service on 4778 5378 (Monday to Friday).

Plants & Weeds of Magnetic Island
Download the 2018 edition of Magnetic Island Weeds Guide

This edition was produced as part of a Magnetic Island National Park Volunteers project funded by NQ Dry Tropics. It was prepared in collaboration with MINCA, MICDA, Geoffrey Bay/Olympus Crescent Coastcare and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service - Second Edition March 2018.

Professor Betsy Jackes has created the definitive list of Plants of Magnetic Island.

You'll find another handy online reference for all plants that grown on Magnetic Island (including exotic garden plants) at Some Magnetic Island Plants.

Download Jan Wegner's Some Weeds of Magnetic Island and Townsville.

Handy Contact Phone Numbers
General Park Enquiries: 13 QGOV (13 74 68)
Marine Strandings / Injured Marine Life: 1300 ANIMAL (264 625)
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority: (07) 4750 0700
Eye on the Reef (GBRMPA): (07) 4750 0863
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF): 13 25 23
Pollution Sightings (Commercial Source / Fish Kills): 1300 130 372
Maritime Safety Queensland: 13 74 68

(Photos courtesy of Claudia Gaber).