Walking on Hamilton Island

Things changed incredibly fast today. One minute we were creeping up on a Kookaburra and the next we were scrambling down the hill. An Irish couple with us was pointed to the Kookaburra and said they were quite brave birds so it was possible to get close for a photo. The sun was shining and there was a pleasant breeze on Prospect Point at the northern end of Hamilton Island in the Whitsunday Islands.

The Kookaburras had been laughing at us the whole time we clambered up the 3 KM to the lookout and on the way down we head another bird, a fat, large, black and white bird with no neck but a throaty gobble or cackle. This bird pumped his heavy wings and sailed over to the Kookaburras where he caused quite an uproar.

We waited for the Irish folk we had visited at the peak to see if they could tell us about the bird we sighted and they suggested that it was an Australian turkey but they found a Kookaburra in the tree so that’s why I went off the trail to get a photo but just before I could take the photo a drop of water fell on my nose and the bird took off. In the next moment the sun was gone and buckets of rain were pouring over us.

I put my camera and iPod in the backpack and we headed down the trail. The nearest shelter was nearly 3 KM down the hill so that’s where we headed. The trail went from awkward to slippery. The 18 inch tall steps were more of a challenge than they had been on the way up.

The rain lasted only a few minutes but long enough to soak us. We stopped to wipe our glasses and faces and felt pleased that the storm was over but shortly it started to rain again and again after a second false stop so we were pretty soaked by the time we made it down the hill.

There was no shelter from the sidewalk to the Volendam’s tender but a little more rain didn’t matter by then and the whole walk was worth it.