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MAGNETIC ISLAND...continued |
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Magnetic Island has plenty of walking tracks and an excellent bus service that enables you to access them. We started off with the track from Nellie Bay to Arcadia, followed by the track to Hawkings Point Lookout. The whole island is pretty much made up of tangles of granite boulders. The Townsville region is in a rainshadow zone, so in the dry season it is very dry. Yet the Arcadia track still wandered through some enchanting patches of rainforest. |
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We caught the bus to the start of the walking track to The Forts. From 1942, Townsville became a major base for the military. Its harbour, Cleveland Bay, was an important assembly point for shipping. On any day, between 10 and 40 ships sat in the channel, awaiting convoy. This shipping needed to be controlled, and the anchorage defended from the Japanese, who were a mere 1000 miles away by then. In all, there were three air raids on Townsville. |
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Wednesday was not a good day. The algal bloom trapped in Horseshoe Bay began to rot. It gave off a truly unpleasant smell. Several fires started in the region. The atmosphere was choked with a thick smoke haze, and ash rained down on the decks and our sun awnings. The persistent northerly pushed waves into the bay. At times the tide held us side-on so we bounced, bounced, bounced. Then the tide turned and the waves started breaking on the sugar scoop with much noise and splashing.
In the early morning a N-NW wind got up, and so did we. Being pretty persistent ourselves, we decided to go ashore and spend the whole day walking, rather than leave. It was a bit of a challenge getting into the dinghy and away, but a greater challenge awaited us at the beach – sizeable breaking waves. We shut down the motor and put its canvas cover on to help keep any water out. Unshipping the oars, we rowed close to the shore and waited for a lull in the bigger waves. Rowing hard, we surfed into the beach, leapt out into the water and madly dragged the dinghy up the sand before it was pooped. |
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Both from Hawkings Point Lookout. Above: Nellie Bay and Below: Townsville |
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Right: yachts anchored in Florence Bay, seen from The Forts |
