Magnetic Island

1. View from Base hostel room
2. base hostel room (squeezed in 4 bunks!)
3. the look out at the Forts walk
4. my koala
5. the gunnery in the Forts walk

So today's lesson is again about Captain Cook and how even when he was being brilliant sometimes he was way off the mark! JK..
I had the day off in Airlie after returning from sailing, so I wandered around and walked off the headache from the cheap free wine the night before and found myself buying a personalized didgeridoo and getting a lesson. Just the noise one wants to hear with a headache... all is well now.
Island was named by the I arrived in Magnetic Island via Townsville and a ferry ride for a quick 20 hours or so. Magnetic Island was so named by Captain Cook because as he was sailing by his compass and navigation tools were freaking out. He believed that there was some magnetic field on the island and ergo "Magnetic Island". Later it was discovered he had faulty equipment (just what you want sailing the seas) and there is nothing magnetic on the Island. We stayed at the Base X hostel home to the world famous "full moon parties", though missed it by a day... and was told this one was a bust anyway..
I headed off for a hike to the area known as the Forts Walk- so called because it was built during WWII (?) when there was a threat of the Japanese invading Australia. Their first attack spot would have been Magnetic Island. Though the guns are gone, the remnants of the gunnery's (2) , the lookout, the weapons storage spaces and the fake rocks (for covering foliage or something) is still very visible. Great 360 degree views, but unfortunately it was rather cloudy (and still is today).
very exciting thing though, that during my walk I got to see a koala in the wild! It was even awake (they sleep more than I like to! 18-20 hours a day!) he was having a meal and sitting perched on a branch, but didn't want to look at my camera. Very neat to see. If I had more time I would have done a few other island walks. It is a pretty place.
So that was a quiet evening, after drinks during happy hour.. Everyone is starting to head into Cairns already to catch their flights home, but I am in Mission Beach and rafting tomorrow and also preparing myself for jumping out of a plane... perhaps... (I think I'll do it Dix, if the weather clears.. then if I love it I can always do it again...)
Later guys...