Magnetic North

For centuries people have been drawn to Magnetic Island, Ben just didn’t know
he was one of them!

In search of a new life and a fresh start, a young couple swop their mundane
existence in England, for a tropical island paradise off the coast of North
Queensland, Australia.

At first luck seems to be on their side, and within weeks they secure much needed
employment and forge new friendships with a colorful group of backpackers, but
paradise is not quite what it seems.

The arrival of an escaped prisoner and rumors of an ancient aboriginal burial site
are the catalyst for a chain of events that become ever more sinister, and they
must decide before it’s too late who they can trust……

FULL SYNOPSIS

According to Aboriginal folklore the earliest inhabitants of Magnetic Island were the Wulgurukaba tribe (the canoe people). Ten Thousand years ago they were hunted for their heads by the indigenous tribes of Papua New Guinea. It is rumored there are still ancient undiscovered aboriginal burial sites on the island.

When Captain Cook navigated his way along the North Eastern Australian coast in
1770 he found a magnetic pull interfering with his ships compass which appeared
to emanate from a small island. The island was subsequently named Magnetic Island. Many people have explored the general area with various instruments to discover what may have caused this phenomenon but nothing has ever been uncovered. Perhaps it was the souls of the dead?

From a young age Ben dreamt of visiting Australia. In the summer of 1985, following his parent’s divorce he gets his chance. In search of a new life and a fresh start Ben uses a small inheritance to travel overseas to the land of sun, sand, and new opportunity.

At first he is reluctant to take his long suffering college girl friend Rosie, but
eventually agrees to lend her the money to purchase her return ticket. They
land in Sydney on a chilly winters day, but soon head North to Townsville to stay with a flamboyant family friend, called Ken Staunton. Ken introduces them to a plastic surgeon, who owns a run down property on nearby Magnetic Island. Following a meeting at his surgery they agree to help his wife re- open ‘ The Bay Garden Restaurant.’ The island is located mid way between the mainland and the Great Barrier Reef. It is a tropical paradise, 70% National park, with a plethora of exotic wildlife. It has one policeman and is a popular destination for Japanese tourists, travelers and a few undesirables, far removed from their mundane suburban lives in England.

At first things go well. Ben reinvents himself as a promising and ultimately flourishing restaurateur, and for a while he banishes the ghosts of his past as he makes new friendships with a colorful group of young backpackers. But paradise is not quite what it seems. Ben and Rosie encounter crooked real estate agents, ‘dole bludgers’, a sleazy plumber and Ben is pursued by an infatuated Dutch hairdresser called Lady Di. Then out of the blue two strangers sail into one of the rocky bays. Dale and Fish arrive on a beautiful hand built catamarran..Who are they and what do they want? Dale has a dubious past and as they are both drawn deeper into the islands hedonistic lifestyle Ben soon realizes people are not quite what they seem.

Finally the islands tranquil exterior is turned upside down by the arrival of an escaped convict hiding in the bush at Horseshoe bay, a catalyst for a chain of events that become ever more sinister. With the restaurants success dependent on Ben keeping his relationship intact he must decide before it’s too late who he can trust.

Before the year is out his overseas dream has turned into a nightmare. His relationship in tatters, he is reported to the immigration authorities forcing the restaurant to close. Very soon afterwards, following a tip off, the Queensland Police come looking for him and his girlfriend……
Ben’s journey is at times both moving and shocking until eventually the island destroys not only himself but the only people he really cares about.