Sep 6
2010

THURSDAY ISLAND

Well, I have ‘done’ the lot now! This was my last frontier. Sorry for my long absence but I had to go to the Tip of far North Queensland and that was something for a lady of my age. Why have we both got a fascination for islands?
We could see Prince of Wales Island, a strip of pale blue seen from the cairn of stones with the flag. Across the Albany Passage it looked empty and forsaken having only 100 inhabitants. Our sights were set on a smaller Island.
Seisia, where the boat leaves, was a full-blown settlement which reminded us of the tropical island paradise of fiction – the coconut palms – the smooth early mornings seas – the distant islands on the horizon – wild turkey scurrying on an urgent mission – well organised accommodation a jump away from the beach – we were set up for a beautiful rest cure at Seisia Holiday Park, Bamaga. But we had to leave the wharf and travel across on the ferry for just over an hour to Thursday Island.
This was settled in 1877. Due to a perceived threat to Australia from the North a military fort was built on Green Hill, excellent position for surveillance of the Albany Passage and other Islands. It had no water but some was piped across from Horn Island, an even smaller Island, which now contains an airport. There I was more interested in an account of the Horseshoe Crabs which have a medicinal value. I was surprised to find all amenities here with a well-established hospital and TAFE training for nurses. The Flying Doctor Services were only available to the airstrip on Horn Island so helicopters were used to transfer severe cases.
The Catholic Cathedral for the Torres Strait Islands invited photographs but the Anglican one was under repairs which needed to be done before the paralysis of ‘the wet’ set in.