AUSTRALIA
2 January 2002 to April 2002
MAGNETIC ISLAND
16 March 2002
From Townsville we crossed to Magnetic Island. Captain Cook, in 1770
named it Magnetical Island, erroneously thinking his instruments went
out of whack. Today just twenty minutes by ferry from Townsville it is
a backpacker’s delight, offering cheap bunker bed accomodation
and watersports. We went over to hike and chose a 6 km hike over a
mountain peak. It was a hot sunny day, but from experience we expected
clouds to form and rain to fall. Even though much of the path was in
the dappled shade of trees, after an hour uphill walk I was seriously
overheated. Fortunately we came across a little creek and Eitan soaked
my clothes in water, making me smell slightly swampish but definitely
feel cooler. The island was beautiful with granite bolders and lush
vegetation right down to the sea. In the late afternoon I went on
another walk, Forts Walk, looking for koalas, but it was still too hot
for them. In WWII Magnetic Island served as a front line against a
Japanese invasion and the remains of the fort were signposted. We ended
our day at a restaurant on the Townsville Strand, where the breeze was
cool and the food excellent . 
