The Best Time to Visit Magnetic Island

Magnetic Island is warm all year: Townsville’s average daily top is between 25 and 32 °C in every month, by the Bureau of Meteorology’s figures. The months to choose between are about rain and stingers. May to October are the driest, with under 35 mm of rain a month on average, and from June to October you are outside Townsville City Council’s stinger season. November to April are hotter and wetter, with stingers about and cyclone season from 1 November to 30 April, but the tours still run and the netted beaches are open.

The tours that swim lend you a suit in either season. Aquascene’s Discovery Tour runs every day, with UV stinger suits in the warm months and wetsuits from June to September; it is from US$126 on GetYourGuide (checked October 2026) and from US$128 on Viator (checked October 2026):

Month by month

Long-term averages for Townsville Aero, Bureau of Meteorology station 032040 (days with 1 mm or more), and Townsville City Council’s stinger season, both checked October 2026. Magnetic Island is about 8 km offshore from the station.

January to March bring two-thirds of the year’s rain. From June to August the nights drop to about 14 °C; the Discovery Tour’s wetsuit months are June to September.

Stinger season

Townsville City Council’s stinger season runs from 1 November to 31 May. Box jellyfish and Irukandji can turn up at any time of year, but they are more common in the warm months. In season, swim inside the stinger nets at Horseshoe Bay or Picnic Bay; the council takes the nets out only after daily drags have caught no stingers for 14 days. Alma Bay has no net, and a lifeguard every day by Townsville City Council’s roster (the parks service lists weekend and school-holiday patrols; services may change). The parks service says the nets give a high degree of protection but are not stinger-proof, and recommends a full-body lycra suit.

If someone is stung, douse the sting with vinegar for at least 30 seconds, keep them out of the water and get help: Irukandji symptoms can start 5 to 40 minutes later, Surf Life Saving Australia says.

Cyclones and the ferry

The Bureau of Meteorology’s tropical cyclone season is 1 November to 30 April, though cyclones can form outside it. The parks service warns that the island can be cut off when wind or a cyclone stops the ferries. Every tour this site links can be cancelled for a full refund up to 24 hours before on Viator and GetYourGuide, which helps when a storm is forecast.

Whales and the cooler months

Humpback whales pass Magnetic Island in the cooler months. Aquascene’s Circumnavigation includes whale watching from June to September and its Discovery Tour from July to September, and Pilgrim Sailing’s lunchtime cruise lists humpbacks “in season”.

Events and busy dates

• SeaLink Magnetic Island Race Week: a week of yacht racing in late August and early September; in 2026 it ran from 27 August to 2 September. The 2027 dates are not yet published.
• Christmas and New Year: SeaLink runs a reduced timetable on Christmas Day and extra sailings on Boxing Day, 28 December and New Year’s Day; the ferry guide has the times.
• School holidays: Pilgrim Sailing’s sunset sail is generally for adults only outside school holidays, and the vehicle ferry charges peak rates in Queensland school and public holidays.

The short version

• Driest and stinger-free: June to October.
• Hottest and wettest: November to April, swimming in the nets or a suit.
• Whales: June to September.
• Any month: the bus tours, the koala park and the Forts walk do not depend on the water. See koalas on Magnetic Island.