Like a lot of people during The Covid Times, we watched a heap of YouTube to pass some time. In particular, we binged a lot of local camping / caravanning / 4×4 / boating content. Inspired – and with no nautical skills whatsoever – we decided to get some boat licences, buy a Sea-Doo, and have some fun. By and large, it was a good decision, which is not to say we haven’t made a few mistakes along the way. Allow me to mention some of the things that have helped during our first 54 hours on the water.
Wow – what an awesome week! How good’s Tasssie? (Very.)
Boat trip to Bruny Island. Bus ride to Port Arthur. MONA. Iron Pot. Mount Wellington. Bonorong Sanctuary with a lovely wombat encounter. Wineglass Bay. And, of course: The Hobart Book Shop, Salamanca.
Tasmania can’t be faulted. Excellent food and service. No traffic. Low humidity. Spectacular scenery – great mix of bushland and fractal-like coastline.
I am, like many other people, strongly drawn to islands. I don’t quite know for certain why this is. As a kid, I was lucky enough to have annual coastal holidays with extended family – destinations with patrolled beaches, RSLs, and walking-distance cinemas. Awesome summer breaks, but probably not where the addiction began.
In my teenage years, the high school I attended took us to St Helena for a day to augment our local history studies; this not an uncommon excursion for kids in Brisbane. The same school had us camp on Peel Island a couple of times. Despite the unique beauty and fascinating recent history of Peel, these trips were not especially fun – more like chapters from Lord of the Flies. (Paul Dever, I am sorry I didn’t have more courage to stop the bullies. I owe you amends.)
I think I became an island junkie in my early 20s after spending a few months on Norfolk Island. Peaceful memories of night swims as coral spawned and walks through old pines looking for owls. It’s on Norfolk that I learned about the existence of Pitcairn and Lord Howe Islands. This was when the internet was an infant, when you still found most things out by talking to other humans or reading a book made of paper.
After Norfolk, I got real serious about my studies (academic and spiritual), and didn’t really travel much for a decade, save for some quick study-related trips to Europe, Israel and Japan. It wasn’t until I met Nicole in my early 30s that I re-engaged with islands. One of our first trips away together was to North Stradbroke Island, a place that holds ongoing significance to our family.
Since Jorja arrived in 2008 our island jaunts have become a dominant feature of our lives. Aside from frequenting the many beautiful places in our own backyard (Moreton, Stradbroke, and the Southern Moreton Bay Islands), we’ve been lucky enough to visit many gorgeous spots in the Pacific: Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Hawaii. We have plenty more places on the to-do list.
Being a geek, I can’t help but occasionally research why I am so enamoured. I read a lot of history books and have made islands the basis of my half-written novel. But, as yet, I have no definitive answer to the question of why? It would be derivative to conclude that I am a simple bloke and I find appeal in small, uncomplicated environments. It’s that, and a bit more. Islands bring me joy and a sense of calm. Maybe just because.
Anthony Rasmussen 