Magnetic Island - Horse Riding On The Beach

Our fourth day on Magnetic Island brought the much anticipated horse riding adventure.

We walked up to the ranch about 1km from our beach house where the kids and Jeni and Gerry were fitted out with helmets and horses relevant to their experience. I decided to keep my feet on the ground and photograph the event.

Caitie got Cougar, a well ridden Palomino who likes his own space sometimes snapping when another horse invade it. 

After a long ride through the bush, the group rode along the beach and through the lagoon.

James, Caitie and Gerry

Patrick's turn

Patrick looks very comfortable!

Patrick looked so comfortable on Cookie you would think he had been riding him for years. Apparently he didn't much like following the other horses on the trail, wandering off from time to time to eat grass and other tasty treats!

Jeni, Caitie and Gerry heading bareback to the beach

Caitie looks like a true horse girl...

The kids were SO enthralled with their adventure that they wanted to do it again the next day!

Magnetic Island - Day Three Brings Wildlife!

Around 4km in and out on The Fort walk afforded us many a sight! Vistas, wildlife and ruins abound.

  

Magnetic Island - One Perfect Day!

After some intense beach combing (Caitie has quite the collection of shells and Coral now), we enjoyed a lovely cooked breakfast whilst watching the moored yachts reflect the warm suns glow as it rose over the horizon.


Whilst the kids played beach cricket with a baseball bat (whatever, we're on holidays), Gerry, Kevin and I walked the length of the beach and back (about 8km) chatting, collecting unusual coral pieces and watching the horses take a dip in the sea.


The Coral Sea, that is. Loads of coral washes up on to the sand then crushes beneath the feet of frolicking beach visitors so that the crunchy sand tickles and massages your feet as you walk.

With the "NO electronics whilst the sun is up" rule, the kids were raring to go so Gerry and I took them tubing. What a blast!

Back at the beach house, a kookaburra came to visit and snack on some chicken cut-offs whilst Caitie took a dip in the pool. The boys got out the card games and the adults took a nap!

End to a perfect day!

Magnetic Island - A Long Trip To Paradise

Arriving at Magnetic Island

So far we have driven to the airport, parked in LTP and caught the bus to the terminal where we boarded an Airbus A320. 3 hours on we arrive in Townsville, northern Queensland (north of Rockhamption, south of Cairns). 


Just missing our connection off the mainland, we had to wait a further 45 minutes for our ferry where we were to meet our mini cab. There was some confusion and we had to wait another hour until we finally met our ride to the other side of the island. 


We were on a tight schedule because we had to beat the tide. Alas, we were a little late and the tide was in, blocking us from our beach house destination...


Enter....THE GATOR...

As the sun set and the tide rose, the gator crawled across the sand and then through the lagoon to our destination. The rest of the family were brought around in a dingy. Finally we arrived to our magnificent house in the most spectacular setting...more tomorrow!