A mountainous island, half of which is a designated national park, Magnetic Island owes its name to Captain Cook, who believed that his navigation compass had been caused to malfunction while approaching the island. Its steep granite hills and valleys, covered with a forest of eucalyptus and Hoop pines, are home to an abundance of wildlife, not least the bush stone-curlew (nocturnal birds), koalas and black-flanked rock wallabies. Numerous hiking trails take you into the bush.