CAIT AROUND THE WORLD

April 9, 2023 — In a twist of events that I’m not sure of the impetus for (could have been my alarm, could have been the heat of the room, could have been my own internal clock), I was up to see the sunrise. It was beautiful, although I did wish the clouds had cleared. The best part, though, was that it was so incredibly nice and cool outside. After the night left everything cold, the sun had yet to hit the Earth, and I found absolute bliss.

After getting up so early, I was half tempted to go back to bed. But the sleeping arrangement just wasn’t as happily conducive to it as it might have been in other circumstances. Instead, I went for a (very, very) very long hike.

One of the major things to do on Magnetic Island is the Forts Walk. It’s a moderate-grade, 4km return walk that takes about an hour and half. I was planning on doing some hiking around the island as it seemed like one of the best ways — and most beautiful ways — to see it. Plus, the island is so small that you definitely could walk its circumference if there were enough trails and roads present — and you had the stamina. I’d been talking with a girl in my dorm room who told me that the walk was excellent so I’d made up my mind to go early-ish the next morning before the heat really rolled over the island.

My original plan was to take the bus to the trailhead, but I would have had to wait over twenty minutes for it to come, and I had a lot of pent-up energy from my lazy day yesterday. So, I decided to walk instead. I walked into town, up the coast, and on to a trail beside the highway, then finally emerged to see the trailhead.

The Forts Walk was definitely worth it — the koalas that live there as part of the rest of the population on the island are so close to the trail and so easy to see. I got some amazing pictures without needing to use the zoom at all!

Aside from the wildlife, the walk itself is quite incredible in that it leads you up to the old forts the military installed on the island during World War II, following Japan’s entry into the war. One fort was built for communications purposes, watching shipping traffic in and around the island and Townsville. Its signals could be seen as far as 50km away. The other fort acted as the artillery command post, controlling all battery operations and communicating orders to battery command on Castle Hill in Townsville. Both of these forts were built to be hidden by the natural landscape. Artists, photographers, and scientists worked together to design them.

The forts aren’t the only wonders on this walk. The boulders that make up a lot of the top of the island existed as molten granite 275 million years ago and thrust up to the surface with volcanic activity. Surface erosion and Ice Ages have shaped the granite into what is seen today. Magnetic Island actually used to be part of the mainland, but after the ice from the last Ice Age melted and the sea level rose, new islands like Magnetic Island were created and separated by shallow bays.

After the walk, my plan was to catch the bus heading back into town. Because I’m a glutton for punishment, I decided to hike back to the hostel as well. I took the trail that leads back to Nelly Bay (the town closest to the hostel where I stayed) which was signposted at 4km. What a trek! Up and down and around switchbacks and back up again. Just crazy. Although it definitely made me question my sanity, I must say that it had some gorgeous views. It was a relief when I finally made it out of the woods and to solid pavement. Then it was almost another hour walking along the roads to get back to the hostel, with a quick pit stop to get some pepperoni, a Gatorade, and chocolate (because it was Easter Sunday) at the IGA.

When I got back to the hostel, after downing the Gatorade while I walked, I took a rinse off in the pool and then curled up in the room and got it started cooling off while I was reading. I munched on my pepperoni with the crackers and cheese that I already had in the fridge. Full and cooled down some, I napped a little and woke up close to dinner time.

I was going to make dinner but I wasn’t hungry after lunch so I didn’t worry about it. Instead, I brushed my teeth and drifted off shortly after ten. What a crazy day! For those interested, my hike that day was 19.93km in total and took me 4 hours and 35 minutes.

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