July 1967 School Magazine

Brisbane Girls' Grammar School Magazine

July, 1967

Brisbane Girls' Grammar School Magazine

Jsly, 1967

little creatures sheltering there. Low tide provided us with another opportunity to look at the reef, but on these occasions we waded out in football socks and sandshoes, armed with long "reefing sticks", and buckets in vrhich to collect specimens which rve later drev/. Starfish, clams, sea urchins, feather-tube worms, beautiful shells and many other colourful animals became very {amiliar to us during our stay there.

This included combined Grammar-Churchie dances, a fancy-dress ball, and a concert in which we entertained the island more than they enteftained us! A{ter this we retired to our cabins and dormitories but, despite the untiring efforts of our guardians, bed did not immediaiely follow!

V'lain rSlreet-Heron Island Typical accommodation - here we talked.

On the beach

On lhe reef, Oops! The soral is brittle

We were taught to snorkle by an able instructor.

- here we slept,

Finally, the time to leave the island arrived, and we were regretfully awakened at 3.30 a.m., on Monday morning. After an early breakfast, \Me trooped in datkness to the beach and were soon undet way in the "Capre II", silently and sadly lookine back at the sun dawning over the island and remembering our past happy week there. The journey back to Gladstone, in direct conffast with our preceding one, was perfectly calm, and we slept most of the way, At Gladstone vre climbed into buses and after a quick change at the Heron Island waiting rooms, were taken on a most com- prehensive tour of Gladstone, including the alumina plant. \7e had lunch at the railway station and then drove to the airport which shocked any pte-conceived ideas we night have had of its size and layoutl Eventually the planes arrived and v/e spent an enjoyable hour and a half flying home above a glorious sunset. \7e touched down over the lights of Brisbane and at the airport we rendered a final hearty moment of togetherness, an apprecia- tion of the fun and friendship of our holiday, vrhich shall never be forgotten.

Other day-time activities included walking around the island ( one and a half miles around and covered with dark-green pisonia trees), playing tennis, and being taken out in a glass-bottomed boat. \When rain kept us indoors, we gathered in the recreation hall to play table tennis, darts, the piano or juke box, and even do a little Zoology! One of the highlights of our stay was a picnic at nearby Wilson Island, an uninhabited coral cay. This gave some people an opportunity to try their hand at fishing, one member-of-staff successfully landing a small sharkl In the evenings, the atmosphere was different. ( Perhaps the party of Churchie boys shadng the island with us had some- thing to do with this!) After a refreshing, but often salt-water, shower, we made ourselves more respectable and headed for the dining room whete we always enjoyed a delicious meal, very vrelcome after a strenuous day! After our nightly court session, in which the wrongdoers of the day were tied and duly fined, there followed entertainment organized by the island management.

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