Hamilton Island is part of the magnificent Great Barrier Reef.
I’m here to speak at a conference. There are lots of sulfur crested cockatoos about the hotel. The one in this photograph was sitting on my balcony yesterday afternoon.
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Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD has worked in industry and government. She is currently researching a novel technique for long-range weather forecasting funded by the B. Macfie Family Foundation.
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Jen, just to the right of your cockatoo is the entrance to an inlet in Whitsunday Island. Its called Gullenaire, or some such, its been a long time.
While your there, beg, borrow, or steal a tinny, jet sky, or hollow log, & have a look up there.
Very few people ever go up there, as its far from pretty. No sandy beaches, & it takes a bit of planning. Most of it is only accessible for an hour or so, either side of high tide.
At the head of the first arm to the north [left] is a small creek, coming from 3/4 of the way up Whitsunday Peak. It’ll be mostly dry this time of year, & its hard going through bolders half the size of a house, in places, but I’m sure there’s at least a dozed new orchids, etc, to be found up there.
The main inlet goes in for over 2 miles, & towards the end its a primeval place. I found it fascinating, & believe you would also. I have only seen its like a couple of times, in very out of the way places, that require a large, boat, & a small boat, to get to.
Towards the head it only half a mile overland to Hill Inlet, comming in a similar distance from the eastern, [White Haven Beach], side, of the island. I tried to walk from one to the other on one occasion, but gave up after making only 200 yards in an hour. This was when Hamilton was still a cattle lease.
If you do get the chance, be very careful. The mud in the channel is very deep, [10 Ft boat hook will not find bottom], & soft. If you got stuck, on a falling tide, you’d be there 12 hours, waiting for water to get out. Thats if the sand flies & mossies didn’t carry you into the bush to eat at their leisure.
Jennifer,
You folks sure have a lovely country down there. I was in Melbourne all too briefly for a FIS/ASSINSEL conference and found that even the bush has its splendors.
I was amazed at the sheer size of your continent. On most maps up north, it appears as a “significant island,” so I was unprepared for the vistas that unfolded, hours on end, as the flight crossed from New Zealand.
I have to wonder if ‘frontierism’ has affected the Australian mentality as much is it has in North America; here, even in the confining canyons of our largest cities, there is a pervasive sense of vastness, opportunity, and reward for hard work.
I believe I saw that attitude in Melbourne, which is reflected in a mutual respect between those in rough attire and those in suits.
Jennifer,
Thank you for the unassuming, non-controversial and definitive fence-sitter. Now if only they all could be so cute and cuddly.