We arrived to Townsville and as much as I hate writing about the negative things, sometimes they are unavoidable. The aftermaths of the Covid19 lockdown are evident. It is a demure sight to see how many shops have the “CLOSED” sign on their doors, quite often accompanied by the name of the real estate’s number who is handling the re-letting or sale.
We went for a walk around the town, and our spirits were quite deflated afterwards. Such a lovely town otherwise. We particularly liked the park along the riviera. We are hopeful the tides will turn soon and the hustle and bustle will return to these areas.
We therefore amended our plans – again, as you do when travelling – and decided to visit Magnetic Island. We heard so much about it!
A quick ferry ride and there we were. My leg is still not 100% but boy, we do enjoy hikes and Magnetic Island is laced with trails. We went on Fort Trail and reserved the visit to Horseshoe Bay for the afternoon.
A two hour – leisurely pace – hike to the top of the hill awarded us with not only gobsmacking views of the bay but also all the wonderful wildlife. Koalas, lizards, birds and wallabies all around.
After that we descended to Horseshoe Bay – it is a wonder to see how many beaches bear the same name – and went for lunch at a nearby café. Then we just had to go for a dip in the gorgeous bay.
The pinnacle of our visit was the Butterfly Trail. Every year, during June and July, the blue butterflies nest in the grove just around the corner from Horseshoe Bay and we simply HAD to see it.
It was surreal! Walking around the path and thousands upon thousands of butterflies fluttering all around you. Somebody pinch me please.
I can easily pen this trip as one of my absolute favourite since we started our lap. I mean, … butterflies everywhere!!! Who doesn’t like that?!
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