How do I get to the start of the tour?
Our tours depart at 10:05am from the Nelly Bay Ferry Terminal, Magnetic Island.
If you are in Townsville, you will need to catch the Sealink ferry departing Townsville at 9.30am (latest), or the Magnetic Island Ferries service departing at 9am.
If you are on Magnetic Island, we can collect you from Arcadia, Picnic, or Nelly Bay.
Please look for the white bus with Magnetic Island Best Bus Tours on the side. DO NOT board the Sunbus public buses.
Where can I buy Ferry tickets?
We can provide Sealink ferry tickets if you book online via our website. They will need to be collected from the Sealink ticket desk prior to boarding.
SeaLink and Magnetic Island Ferry tickets are available from their website, alternatively, you can purchase prior to boarding at either Sealink or Magnetic Island Ferry terminals & on board should the booking office be closed. Please allow extra time to purchase the tickets during busy periods.
How much do Ferry tickets cost?
Sealink:
Ticket Prices are available on the Sealink Queensland Website
Magnetic Island Ferries:
Ticket Prices are available on the Magnetic Island Ferries Website
What should I bring?
A smile, a camera, a hat, money for lunch (cash and card), and in the warmer months some drinking water.
Where and when is lunch?
From about 1pm until 2pm at the most popular spot, beautiful Horseshoe Bay, where you can choose your food from several of the quality eateries. (Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes are available.)
The tour is self-catered so you have a choice of venue, or you can bring your own and sit in the shade of the palm trees and take in the glorious views.
Do you provide lunch?
Our tour is self-catered. We stop for about an hour at Horseshoe bay where there are a wide varieties of restaurants and cafes for you to choose from, or you may bring your own.[/faq][faq title=”Can I swim on the tour?” icon=”icon-help-circled-1″]Yes at the lunch stop at Horseshoe Bay. During the stinger season a safe swimming enclosure is in place to provide protection from marine jellyfish (stingers). The bay is family friendly and rarely rough. There is also council lifeguard on duty.
Watersports are also on offer during the peak season – but please make sure you leave plenty of time to get back to the bus ready for the 2pm departure.
Can I snorkel one of the Snorkel Trails?
If you bring your snorkel gear we will happily drop you at either trail post-tour for free.
Do you supply child seats / restraints?
Not as standard. In Queensland child restraints are not required on buses and trains. A bus is a motor vehicle that can carry 13 or more people (including the driver).
If you would feel more comfortable with your child in a restraint, you can supply and fit your own. The bus does have anchor points fitted.
We can arrange to supply a child for you from one of the hire services on the island, but this will be at an additional cost. Please contact us if you would like a child restraint organised for your tour.
Will I see a Koala?
Usually, but we can never guarantee it. No-one can predict the movements of animals in nature.
Is there much walking on the tour?
The majority of our Bus Tour is conducted from within the bus, but we do get out occasionally. We will never walk more than a few hundred meters, on reasonably flat ground.
Will we visit the Forts?
Our standard bus tour does not visit the Forts. The Forts walk is 4km return (1.5 hours) and is graded moderate. We are happy to drop you off at the start of the Forts walk after our tour, but you will need to make your own back to the Ferry.
Do we visit West Point?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. West Point road is a fairly rough unsealed road, and is not suitable for our bus. But there are plenty of other spectacular sites on the island that we visit.
Do we visit Arthur, Florence and Radical Bays?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. Radical Bay Road is an extremely rough 4WD only, and is not suitable for our bus. But there are plenty of other sites on the island that we visit.
There is a walking track into Radical Bay from Horseshoe Bay, or you can follow the road down from the Forts Car Park.
Can I bring my pets?
Unfortunately we are unable to allow animals on-board unless they are an assistance animal.
Under National Park rules domestic animals are not permitted in Magnetic Island National Park or on tidal land, including sand dunes, beaches, mangroves and rocky headlands, within the Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park adjacent to Magnetic Island National Park.
Additionally should we encounter any Koala’s, they can become stressed by the scent of dogs. A stressed female with a joey is likely to abandon the baby, and it would require rehabilitation of the joey. This is something we would like to avoid.
Do you do private tours?
Yes we’d love to. Please contact us to discuss your needs further.
Can I hire your bus to transport my wedding guests?
Most definitely! Please contact us for availability and pricing.
Do you offer discounts for group bookings?
Yes, we offer discounts for bookings of five or more people. Please contact us for more details.
Do you require minimum numbers to run your tour?
No! If we have a booking we will run the tour. We love showing our island off, and don’t believe you should have to miss out. Check out our bookings page for real-time tour availability.
https://magneticislandtours.rezdy.com/
Are you licensed to provide your tours?
We operate under the following licences and permits:
- Queensland Government Bus Operator Accreditation: 900516515
- Our bus drivers all have relevant passenger transport driver authorisations. A driver authorisation is a qualification required by drivers of motor vehicles used to provide a particular public passenger service. The purpose of driver authorisation is to maximise public confidence in relation to the drivers of public passenger vehicles. This purpose includes ensuring drivers of public passenger vehicles are suitable persons, having regard to the safety of children and other vulnerable members of the community, the personal safety of passengers and their property, public safety and the reputation of public passenger transport.