The local Anglican church is named in memory of a shipwreck which killed all 133 people on board. I arrived at the church in time to take communion and hear the beautiful harmony when the congregation sang.
This small island, a little over 1 square mile, has the distinction of having the farthest north pub in Australia. I skipped a visit to it in favor of a frozen lemonade on a stick from the local supermarket. We visited Grass Hill Fort which was built to defend against a Russian invasion in 1891. All that is left are 3 guns and the underground supply storage area. Each room is labeled with what was stored there and contains lots of pictures and explanation of the use of the fort up until the 1930's when it was abandoned..It was put back in service during WWII. The one fact that stuck out was that native soldiers were paid 1/3 of what a British soldier was paid, but they were some of the best soldiers.
Since it was Sunday the museum was closed, but a lot of people were out in the park, enjoying the shade of a tent while a group of local children performed traditional dancers. At the end of the last dance, the youngest dancer wandered out among the dancers and followed them off the field.
They say that swimming was not a good idea because of the sharks. That is no longer a problem. The crocodiles have eaten all the sharks, so it is still, as our cruise director says, "not a beach day today."
Crocodiles, sharks and guns - OH MY! :)
ReplyDelete