Life Has Been

...a beach.

Continuing down the east coast, it becomes apparent that all the backpackers have the same itinerary. There are certain hotspots that everybody wants to hit and it's easy to grab a hostel recommendation or hear about a great tour to join that you repeatedly bump into the same people. It's refreshing to see friendly and familiar faces when you arrive in a new destination and can instantly provide you with a new group of friends if the people you know have already settled.

Our next stop was Mission Beach, renowned for wallabies, cassowarys and sky diving. We did go wallaby spotting (they hang out in the neighbour's garden like cats and dogs) but skipped the skydive as I'm saving that bad boy for my trip to New Zealand. The hostel was a home away from home complete with lounge room and DVD hire (we were missing sofas and films by this point!) and just a short walk to the beach. We spent an evening on the beach sipping red wine and watching the embers of a bonfire while we gazed at shooting stars with a group of people staying at the hostel but before long, we were on the road again. Destination: Magnetic Island.

Maggy Island (as it is affectionately known amongst locals and backpackers alike) was quiet to say the least. We stayed at Base backpackers which was situated on a cliff overlooking the beach and consisted of individual beach huts on stilts raised above the sea. Base also plays host to thousands of people once a month for full moon parties but it seems that outside of this, there weren't many people around. One evening was spent trekking the long walk to the harbour to see what the yacht week celebrations consisted of, and we enjoyed wine and live music from the Godfathers of Funk with the more senior inhabitants of the island.

The ferry to and from Magnetic Island jets off from Townsville, a more typical Australian town, with beige hotels and taverns scattered throughout. We only had a brief wander through Townsville in search of some lunch but it did seem slightly more lively than the island.

Whilst Maggy Island may not have provided substantial memories, we did enjoy the company of new friends who we have continued to spend time with further down the coast.