Days 55-60 - Metallic island continued
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Townsville,
Australia
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
After feeding the fish, we got back in the jeep and went off road which was very bumpy but great fun. Mal explained that in this area the people that live here from this point on (of which there are quite a few, including his GP) have no mains electricity or water supply. They have to be completely self-sufficient and catch their own rain water. This side of the island is really wild and the jeep had to drive through some small creeks. I can't imagine anyone wanting to live way out here - they must be true nature lovers. There are mangrove swamps and all different kinds of habitats were pointed out to us as we drove through. Mal also explained the different noises we could hear as all the nocturnal birds were winding up and this was interesting to us as we have heard these birds before and didn't know what they were - now we do. We heard the Kookaburra's laughing and the Kite's make a miaow-ing sound, like a cat.
We were driven to West Point to see the sunset and parked up on a lovely beach. Apparantly, the turtles are nesting here at this time and Mal was annoyed to see motorbike tracks on the beach made by a fisherman. We could see him further up with his motorbike, the git. I must admit, Dean and I were annoyed to see it too - there were signs on the fences explaining about the turtle nests but Mal says that imbiciles just tear them down. There is a hefty fine of $40,000 for people that drive on the beach at this time, but only imposed if the park ranger catches them. I suggested we go and put sand in his engine and Dean said sugar works better. Mal seemed up for that but of course we didn't, although the fisherman would have deserved it - it's not as if the road is miles away.
Dean and I relaxed and took in the view while Mal got the table back out with some beach chairs and fixed us up each a cocktail. Then he got out some food and we nibbled on Ritz crackers with Tzatziki and Humous dips and sipped our cocktails, chatting as we watched the sun set over the sea. Unfortunately the sunset was not that great for the photo's as it was cloudy but it was still lovely.
We didn't want to leave but we had a ferry to catch back to Townsville so it was over all too soon. For our journey back , we were amused when Mal produced a Karaoke machine and a box of percussion instruments: Drums, bells, a triangle and tambourines. We turned our noses up at the Karaoke and instead enjoyed a noisy journey back while jangling tambourines and bells, singing along to hit music from the 60's (not our choice) and it was fab. We were both laughing at each other like a couple of kids in the back of that jeep. As we drove (it was dark now) we could see the huge flying foxes (big bats) all setting off for their evening dinner, they are beautiful.
We got back to the ferry with ten minutes to spare, just enough time to write in the visitors book where I put my travelpod adress so Mal (and his boss) could see what I wrote about him. It has been an absolutely fantastic day, Maggie Island is wild and stunningly beautiful and we couldn't have had a better guide. Not only is he very knowledgable and full of information, he is also a really nice bloke who is fun and interesting in his own personality. I love the fact that he absolutely adores the place he lives and all the animals and plants in it (even the biting ones), his love of nature and animals is infectious. If more people were like him, our world would be a more peaceful place with more creatures in it.
As I said earlier, I am naturally very curious and ask a lot of questions, some of which Mal couldn't answer. He never tried to make himself look clever (like some might have done) by making something up and giving us duff information. He just admitted that he didn't know and I respect that. I gave him a kiss and a cuddle (much to Dean's amusement) before we left, to thank him for a great day If anyone reading this is in Townsville, I highly reccommed the Tropicana tour.
Mal, if you ever read this blog - we think you are a top bloke and a great teacher. You gave us an unforgettable experience and memories to treasure for the rest of our lives. We have never considered ourselves "Greenies" in any respect but you made us think hard about our planet and the impact that we, as humans have on it. Seeing Piglet has made my year and your friend is very lucky to have such a cute resident in her garden. Please thank her for allowing us onto her property.
Today has to be (for me) the best day we have had in Australia so far and we finished it off with an evening in the bar across from the hotel. Townsville has been well worth the journey for our trip to Maggie Island but sadly, we never did go to the Billabong sanctuary. Hopefully, I will get to hold a Koala futher down the road. We will be heading back now towards Brisbane (where we catch our flight to New Zealand on Feb 10th). It would have been nice to have made it all the way to Cairns and Cape Tribulation but we would have to spend too much time travelling and not enough enjoying it, so heading back is the right decision for us now, we have a long way to travel back. If we'd thought more about it, we should have flown from Cairns to New Zealand but hindsight is a wonderful thing.
