Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
A skeleton on display contemplating its own mortality.
Kid Mai Death Awareness Cafe
This classic London pub has a surprising history behind it.
John Snow
The beef, Guinness, and oyster pie sports a rich, flaky crust.
The Guinea
Welcome to one of the only floating pubs in the world.
Tamesis Dock
This may be the oldest pie in the world.
St Helens 'Oldest Pie' at The Turks Head
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
10 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
13 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
20 days ago
“There may be a collective sense of a dark loneliness,” Dahl says, referring to Norway’s natural landscape.
In Norway, Easter Means Tucking Into Crime Stories
20 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Australia Magnetic Island Magnetic Island
AO Edited

Magnetic Island

After much poking and prodding, this island is decidedly not a magnetic anomaly, but it sure is pretty.

Magnetic Island, Australia

Added By
Kris Livingston
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Magnetic Island, at Horseshoe Bay.   Reflexio on Wikipedia
Magnetic Island, at Horseshoe Bay.   Reflexio on Wikipedia
The remains of the observation post at the Magnetic Island coastal Battery.   Twistie.man on Wikipedia
Mangroves   shakespeareternal / Atlas Obscura User
Among the mangroves.   shakespeareternal / Atlas Obscura User
One of the many beaches of Magnetic Island.   shakespeareternal / Atlas Obscura User
you can feed the wallabies at Arcadia   Joe Olson / Atlas Obscura User
moon over the rocks   Joe Olson / Atlas Obscura User
Balding Bay   Joe Olson / Atlas Obscura User
sunset at Westpoint   Joe Olson / Atlas Obscura User
backyard koalas   Joe Olson / Atlas Obscura User
Florence Bay January 2019   Kara Davis / Atlas Obscura User
shipwreck in Cockle Bay   Joe Olson / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Only accessible by ferry, this gorgeous island is lacking in development, pollution, and a large human footprint. It's also lacking any sort of magnetic weirdness.

The reason that the island's magnetism was even in question is due to explorer Captain James Cook's assertion that while passing the island on his way up Australia's eastern coast in 1770, his ship's compass suffered some sort of "magnetic effect." This observation led him to dub the island "Magnetical Island". Today the locals refer to it simply as "Maggie." 

Since Cook's slightly weird report of unusual magnetic activity, the island has been tested with various instruments by curious people trying to figure out the mystery, which so far seems to be something out of Cook's imagination. 

Despite its lack of magnetic properties, Magnetic Island is still a lovely and interesting place with pristine beaches, Eucalyptus woodlands, and mangroves. An important defensive position during World War II, the island still has some battered remains of its time served during the war, including an observation deck overlooking Cleveland Bay. Like the rest of the island, it was knocked around and damaged pretty severely during 1971's Cyclone Althea, but Magnetic Island is resilient and made a quick recovery. 

A wildlife haven, the island is a prime fishing spot as well as home to some 800 koalas. There are also several themed tours you can take depending on your interests, from boating to bushwalking to touring the remaining war fortifications. 

Related Tags

Islands Dead Explorers Fauna Flora Animals Plants

Community Contributors

Added By

shakespeareternal

Edited By

Rachel, Blindcolour, katrinamhiggins, Joe Olson...

  • Rachel
  • Blindcolour
  • katrinamhiggins
  • Joe Olson
  • Kara Davis

Published

May 23, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.magnetic-island.com.au/
Magnetic Island
Magnetic Island, 4819
Australia
-19.135865, 146.842356
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Museum of Underwater Art

Townsville, Australia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Australia

Australia

Oceania

Places 610
Stories 94

Nearby Places

Museum of Underwater Art

Townsville, Australia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Australia

Australia

Oceania

Places 610
Stories 94

Related Places

  • Maitara Island and Tidore Island seen from Ternate.

    Ternate, Indonesia

    Ternate Island

    The remote island home of the overlooked explorer who co-discovered the theory of evolution by natural selection.

  • Skomer Island

    Pembrokeshire, Wales

    Skomer Island

    A wildlife paradise, this island is one of the world’s most important habitats for burrow nesting seabirds.

  • The dominance of ferns reveals the fragile mini-ecosystem on the north slope of Fern Ridge.

    Elkader, Iowa

    Fern Ridge Unit

    This tiny site in Iowa, part of a patchwork national wildlife refuge, is home to ancient flora and fauna.

  • Green arch in Fragas do Eume.

    Cabanas, Spain

    Fragas do Eume

    This enchanting natural park is a magical example of a temperate rainforest in Europe.

  • Baby mountain gorilla in Virunga National Park.

    Democratic Republic of the Congo

    Virunga National Park

    The most biologically diverse protected area in Africa is also the most dangerous.

  • Silverback gorilla in Kahuzi-Biega National Park.

    Democratic Republic of the Congo

    Kahuzi-Biéga National Park

    One of the last refuges of the endangered eastern lowland gorilla.

  • Torrey pine grove on Santa Rosa Island.

    Santa Barbara County, California

    Torrey Pines of Santa Rosa Island

    Windswept and remote, this island was once the home of a rare mammoth and today is home to a rare tree.

  • Steinhardt Museum of Natural History.

    Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

    Steinhardt Museum of Natural History

    Israel's first dedicated natural history museum is home to 5 million specimens and still growing.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.