Magnetic Island Tour

(This is the last of four posts that I have accumulated over the last few days when we could not upload.)

4 May
Magnetic Island
Sunny and very warm

It is now the first evening of our stay on Magnetic Island. After an uneventful transfer from the mainland to the island, we got a bus transfer to our apartments, found some lunch nearby, took an afternoon tour of the island, and bought cooking provisions.

Our ferry ride across the channel had a few fun moments. Though it's a large ferry, we hit some waves that were big enough to send some water splashing over the front and sides and soaking those passengers who were exposed, including a few of the students. But no one was hurt, and everyone was in good spirits when we arrived.

I was a little annoyed about the coach for our transfer to the apartments. I did tell them ahead of time that we are arriving with a month's worth of luggage in the hope that they might provide a coach with luggage bays, but to no avail. We had to put our luggage on board with us. What a pain! Well, if it's the worst thing that happens, then we've done alright. The apartment manager met us and distributed keys, and as we had about a hour before our tour of the island, we went to a nearby bistro for lunch. I had a Thai beef wrap that was only okay, though the students seemed to enjoy their meals.

We spent the afternoon touring the island by coach. Our driver Harold kept up a commentary on the history of the island, its flora and fauna, and some of the current events. Magnetic Island is poised to undergo some extensive development, and it seems that there are mixed feelings about this among the locals. I know that should the island become too commercialized, it would be a reason for us to skip it -- apart from the Forts, there's little here that we could not do elsewhere.

Having said that, there were many unique moments on the tour. Our students got to feed rock wallabies, timid creatures that live in the tumble-down rocks off Alma Bay. We also saw a wild koala resting in a tree, as well as many kangaroos that have been released onto the island. Evidently, they've become a problem, as they are not native, but their population is expanding.
We concluded the day with a shopping visit to the island's IGA. Since we have kitchen units, it made sense to buy provisions for meals for the next few days. The students also want to do a brunch on Wednesday -- I am to bring the coffee, tea, and juices.

Tomorrow, we go to the koala sanctuary.