TRAVELLING NORTH

Last year I promised to tell you about my travels during 2009 and since then I have been trying to sort out the photos I took on my trip to the northern most tip of Australia.

The Torres Straight is a the sea that lies between Australia and New Guinea and this is where we were headed when we flew out of Brisbane on June 8th.  We spent our first night in tropical Cairns and the following morning boarded a small plane for Horn Island in the Torres Straight.

I have never been afraid of flying but that soon changed when we came into land on Horn Island.  The plane rocked from side to side as we come down due to the same cross winds that had caused a number of planes to crash during WWII.  When the pilot managed to get all the wheels on the tarmac all I wanted to do was get out and kiss the ground I had been so sure we weren't going to get down safely.  When I expressed my fears to a local who flew into Horn Island regularly she laughed and told me that the cross winds were usually much stronger.

We were taken on a tour of  Horn Island before boarding the ferry across to Thursday Island.  Horn Island played a vital role in defending Australia during WWII and we visited  many of the historical sites there.  The hisory of Horn Island and the role it played in WWII can be found at Island Defenders.


We also visited the cemetery.  The Torres Straight Islanders return to the cemetery for a special service 12 months after their loved one was buried.  At this time they  decorate the grave and honour the deceased.  South Sea Islanders also hold this same service.  The Torres Straight Islanders are very much like the South Sea Islanders.  They are not Aboriginals.

After lunch we caught the ferry across to Thursday Islan where we would stay for the next two nights.

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