Friday, September 26, 2014

World war 2 history

Another later start this morning , so a short walk after breakfast, to photograph this amazing tree...the barringtonia.







I'm most impressed with the variety of these beautiful Frangipanni
They are growing everywhere. There was actually a deep red one as well, but I was unable to photograph it.




Another boat trip took us over to Horn Island, our boat pilot looked about 12, and may have been 14. Later, I was told he was texting all the way!! An older man, perhaps his father, took over for the landing at the wharf.

We were taken on a guided tour around Horn Island, by Vanessa SeeKee, an author and historian who lives on the island.
This was an amazing tour, this young woman has almost singlehanded lay put together a museum dedicated to the history of the 2nd world war on Horn Island.

Did you know, for instance, that Horn Island was the second most attacked location in Australia next to Darwin? There were approximately 500 bombs dropped here in 1942 and 1943.
There were 5000 Australian and American Air Force and army servicemen on the island, defending the country. There were just nine nurses here, at the 1ACH....Australian camp hospital. There is a web site dedicated to the history.
Here

After our tour, watching an ABC show about veterans returning to Horn Island, and our museum visit we were served a delicious Chinese lunch, and then taken off to the airport for transfer back to Cairns. A good flight, but sadly, 6 of us had our suitcases bumped at Horn Island, so could not freshen up and change into nice clothes for our farewell dinner.





It was good to improvise though. Peter had a delightful sense of humour and had us all in stitches!!!

Our farewell dinner saw Gerald winning the ongoing contest of guess the kilometers was had travelled, it was 1600, and he was one out. His prize was the billy Arn had been making tea in, and we had all signed.




- Posted from another day in Paradise

Location:Australia

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