Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Hello From Hamilton Island

By

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.

CockatooHamilton.JPG

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hasbeen says

    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.

  2. Schiller Thurkettle says

    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.

  3. Libby says

    Jennifer,

    Thank you for the unassuming, non-controversial and definitive fence-sitter. Now if only they all could be so cute and cuddly.