Originally Posted by
scarry
We were there a lot between '68 and '74.My father worked on the island, doing research for QIT,as it was called in those days, and for the QLd museum, and the ANU,Australian National University.Students came over as well, learning about whatever.He also did some of the very first of the environmental impact statements, for Dilinghams(spelling),who were doing the sand mining. A lot of bird research was also done with Don Vernon,who was the curator of birds at the Qld Museum,and bird lists were published.Trapping for native rats was also done as was recording of plants in many areas.Reptile research also done with Janette Covachovich,curater of reptiles,Qld Museum.We used to also set up mist nets for bats, which were also recorded. Many Brumbies were on the island in those days, and dingos, but they stayed well away, although they came around the camp after dark,as we could see their tracks in the sand in the morning. We generally stayed at the forestry huts, at Coomboo lake.That was the base camp, with trips made all over the island from there,generally working with Ariel photographs as there were no maps.Supplies came in by air, there was a landing strip near the camp.Hard going as well,tracks were very rough, there was no one around if we needed help while away from camp.Dragging trailers was tuff going, for the Land Rovers.Even getting around, say, middle rocks was a hard slog, winching,etc.Trips to the top of the island were impossible some years due to the state of the tracks.I remember some days, being bogged most of the day.The LWB vehicles were not much fun in the sand, the SWB ones being much better.Mechanical repairs and servicing was done on the vehicles, at the camp, parts flown in. Many loggers on the island as well, most of the logs went to the Puthoo logging dump, on the Western side of the island, from memory.They used huge all wheel drive prime movers pulling trailers to move the logs around. We used to go to quite a few beautiful lakes that are now in accessible to the public.Yankee Jack lake comes to mind, crystal clear water, and very deep.We used to snorkel in them and catch the turtles for fun,just let them go again. One year the young ones were hatching at Coomboo lake, hundreds of them making their way down to the water.We caught lots of them and took them to the water,as the crows and dingos were after them. Fishing in the surf on the eastern beach was fantastic, used pipis as bait, were easily found in those days.They were also good eating in fried rice.Worralee Ck estuary was another great fishing area we used to go to a lotion the western beach. We used to catch lobby's as we called them around some of the lakes, nice eating.We used to get a stick,tie a pice of string on the end, then a bit of meat on it as bait, dangle it over a lobby hole, and out they would come.Then into the billy of boiling water. In those days, we often didnt see a tourists vehicle for two or three weeks,unlike today. Anyway,enough rambling about a great place.We have a few pics, i will try to find them and post them up.
