The Ponderosa Holiday House

Photo gallery for The Ponderosa Holiday House

A backyard with a swimming pool, lounge chairs, and a table.
A living room with a television, a sofa, a chair, and a table. There is a sliding glass door leading to an outdoor area.
A kitchen with a stainless steel refrigerator, a microwave, an oven, a sink, and a window with blinds. There are three stools at the island.
A living room with a sofa, armchair, and coffee table, a dining area with chairs, and a kitchen with a refrigerator.
A living room with a gray sofa, a wooden coffee table with books, and a dining area with a table and chairs.

Reviews

9.2 out of 10
Wonderful

Highlights

  • Dive into relaxation
    Unwind in the top-rated pool, your perfect spot for relaxation.
  • Discover nearby landmarks
    Walk to Magnetic Island National Park

Popular amenities

  • Balcony
  • Private pool
  • Barbecue grill
  • Air-conditioning
  • Pet-friendly
  • Refrigerator

Explore the area

View in a map
HORSESHOE BAY, QLD
  • Place, Magnetic Island National Park
    ‪5 min walk‬
  • Place, Horseshoe Bay Lagoon Conservation Park
    ‪11 min walk‬
  • Place, Horseshoe Bay Beach
    ‪16 min walk‬
  • Airport, Townsville, QLD (TSV)
    ‪44 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Main Bedroom

1 Queen Bed

Second Bedroom

1 Queen Bed

Third Bedroom

2 Single Beds

1 bathroom

Main Bathroom

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Spaces

Kitchen
Balcony
Outdoor play area

Add dates for prices

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About the area

Horseshoe Bay

Located in Horseshoe Bay, this holiday home is by the sea. Maritime Museum of Townsville and Perc Tucker Regional Gallery are cultural highlights, and some of the area's landmarks include National Trust Heritage Centre and Jezzine Barracks. Bungalow Bay Koala Village and ReefHQ are also worth visiting.
View more Holiday homes in Horseshoe BayOpens in a new window
Map
HORSESHOE BAY, QLD

What's nearby

  • Magnetic Island National Park - 5 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Horseshoe Bay Lagoon Conservation Park - 11 min walk - 1.0 km
  • Horseshoe Bay Beach - 16 min walk - 1.4 km
  • Magnetic Island National Park - 16 min walk - 1.4 km
  • Horseshoe Bay Markets - 2 min drive - 2.6 km

Getting around

  • Townsville Station - 60 min drive
  • Townsville, QLD (TSV) - 71 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Sandi's on Magnetic Island - ‬14 min walk
  • ‪Marlin Bar Tavern - ‬15 min walk
  • ‪Scallywags Cafe - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪Mamma Roma - ‬10 min drive
  • ‪Barefoot Art Food Wine - ‬17 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is The Ponderosa Holiday House pet-friendly?

Yes, pets are allowed at this property.

How much is parking at The Ponderosa Holiday House?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at The Ponderosa Holiday House?

Check-in begins at 2:00 PM.

What time is check-out at The Ponderosa Holiday House?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is The Ponderosa Holiday House located?

Situated by the sea, this holiday home is within a 10-minute walk of Magnetic Island National Park, Bungalow Bay Koala Village and Horseshoe Bay Lagoon Conservation Park. Horseshoe Bay Beach and Magnetic Island National Park are also within 15 minutes.

Reviews

9.2

Wonderful

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 22 out of 32 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 7 out of 32 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 32 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 32 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 32 reviews

9.0/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Check-in

9.8/10

Communication

9.6/10

Location

9.6/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great island holiday house. Perfect for a family, kids had a fantastic time playing in the pool.

Very efficient service and property had everything we needed for a great family holiday.
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Perfect for what we needed, and we had alot of fun over the weekend.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Beautiful pool area with wildlife just behind the property , beautiful features like the spa and patio at the front of the property
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

First timers

Excellent for our requirements. Perfect for our 4 legged family members.
Stayed 6 nights in Sep 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 2 Oct 2024
Hi Rachael, we hope you enjoyed your stay on our beautiful Island. If you wish to return to Magnetic Island in the future, please contact us direct to "Book & Save". Kind regards Tracey
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Short family vacation

House was nice and clean, The pool was great, a hit with the teenagers. The only downside to our trip was the rain but that cant be helped. Was still a lovely getaway. Will definitely book again in the future
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2024
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Property clean and comfortable. Good size rooms.This is not a criticism but advice to future travellers. I am 78 and I was unable to get into the pool as there are no rails to assist. The family reported it was really nice. If you have a car larger than an xtrail it will be difficult as the driveway is quite narrow. The ac in the main bedroom does not work properly and takes forever to cool the room. Also be aware that the shower ( great pressure by the way) is over the spar bath, quite an exercise getting in and out. There is a hand rail to assist for which I was grateful . We were happy with the house and will consider having another holiday there next year.
Stayed 6 nights in Feb 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 26 Feb 2026
Thank you for your review Kaye, A wonderful new bathroom will be installed in May 2026 with a walk-in shower.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Returning family

We have been staying at Ponderosa for many years. The house is very pleasant and roomy for our family of five. Our dog comes along with us. The yard is a good size for him to explore. The house is well looked after and always very clean upon arrival. Cindy has always been fantastic to deal with and very helpful. Thank you once again.
Stayed 6 nights in Apr 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great simple beach house, dog friendly.

Great house for a family with a dog looking for a beach getaway. Tiled, easy to keep clean and good services with everything stated in the advertisment working well. Yard is fenced and it is ideal for dogs.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2022
Verified review

4/10 Poor

Liked: Communication, location
Disliked: Cleanliness, check-in

Dirty pool, aircon broken, and one roll of toilet paper

Very disappointed that the pool was dirty, was full of dirt and the water had white floated throughout, was clearly not cleaned. Had one roll of toilet paper and ran out first 12 hours at night without a shop close by, the aircon in one room was broken which made sleeping very hard, there was an ant nest in the bathroom, and the property managers sent us to the incorrect address and we knocked at a private residence house. Overall, not impressed and would like partial refund for not being able to use the pool.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2021
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Excellent

Great house and super fabulous property manager. Made our stay enjoyable. Will definitely return!!
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2021
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy

great spot

We where happy with this little getaway would go back again.
Stayed 5 nights in Nov 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Nov 2020
Hi Rodney, Thank you for the review, we hope you enjoyed your stay and would love to accommodate you again in the future.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect family accommodation and pet friendly

So easy to book!!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2020
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Thoroughly enjoyable

Clean, tidy and a good location. Our dogs loved it also.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Our 4th stay - we love this property

Ponderosa is a perfect holiday house - comfortable, close to Horseshoe Beach and bus stop, great pool and simply an easy home to relax in.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Most enjoyable stay at Ponderosa.

Our family of 5 (plus dog) have stayed in this house a couple of times. It is a very pleasant house with plenty of room for our 3 boys and a great yard for our dog. Cindy is the most helpful Property Manager and it is a pleasure to deal with Cindy. We will definitely return.
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2019
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy

Ponderosa family holiday

The Ponderosa is a relaxed easy care house to stay in. Being pet friendly is fantastic, with a secure fence. The house is walking distance from the beach, and the skate park. No dishwasher does make it a little extra work for families, and a better shower and new mattresses would be great. However, as always, we appreciate being able to take our dogs, and to have a pool to swim in for the kids.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Location!

The house is in a beautiful location, short walk to Horseshoe Bay! We loved pool and fantastic out door furniture. Would definitely book this house again
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Loved it my husband is in a wheelchair so was a bit difficult but over all we loved it

Very nice well kept
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great

Great place, nice and comfy for a stay on the island.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great little family get away

Great property excellent location clean full amenities great weekend away with the family
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Good location

Nice simple stay easy walking distance from horse shoe bay, koala village horse range(next door) and even fort walks.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2019
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Great location and all the facilities you need for an enjoyable stay. Just a few “rough edges”.

First trip to Magnetic Island and loved it. What a fantastic location and so happy to be able to take our dogs on holiday with us.
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2019
Verified review

8/10 Good

Great

Pet friendly
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2018
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Great pet-friendly property within walking distance of everything

Aside from a few minor issues addressed promptly and enthusiastically by the property managers our stay was faultless and enjoyable. Had a great time with the pooch and would not hesitate to recommend this property for a fun and easy holiday.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2018
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Love this house!

This is our second time staying at the Ponderosa, for a good reason. The location is stunning in Horseshoe Bay, not too close that you can hear all the backpackers but close enough to walk to the beach. The house itself has everything you need for a getaway - decent kitchen (although a better stove/pans would be great!), laundry facilities, spacious bedrooms, a verandah to watch the sunrise and a clean pool area. The best part for us - they accept dogs! The yard is fully enclosed so we could take him with us with a decent amount of space for him to play, can't get much better than that for canine lovers.
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