Day 42 - February 14, 2025 - Friday - Thursday Island, Australia

Nestled in the sparkling Torres Strait, Thursday Island (affectionately known as TI) is a true gem of the archipelago. 

Long before European settlers arrived, the Torres Strait Islanders called this region home for thousands of years. Archaeological evidence on nearby Badu Island suggests that human habitation dates back to the end of the last Ice Age, making Thursday Island a living testament to an ancient and enduring culture.

With a population of 2,805 (as of the 2021 census), Thursday Island is a vibrant melting pot of cultures. The indigenous Torres Strait Islanders, with their unique traditions and way of life, coexist harmoniously with residents of diverse backgrounds. 

Although Thursday Island is one of the smaller islands in the Torres Strait, it is the administration center for all of the islands.

Tuesday Island is located between Australia and Papua New Guinea

Tuesday Island an island of the Torres Strait Islands

Although it is an important international sea lane, The Torres Strait is very shallow (water depth of  23 to 49 ft), and the maze of reefs and islands can make it hazardous to navigate.  Strong tidal currents occur in the narrow channels between islands and reefs, and large submarine sand dunes migrate across the seafloor.  Some 580 coral reefs, including the Warrior Reefs and Eastern Patch Reefs, cover a total area of 930 sq mi in the region.  Several clusters of islands lie in the Strait, collectively called the Torres Strait Islands. There are at least 274 of these islands, of which 17 have present-day permanent settlements.  Passage thru the Strait requires a special Torres Strait Pilot to be onboard all large vessels.  We had to circumnavigate several islands and approach Thursday Island from the west and still had to anchor about a 30 minute tender ride away from the island.

Daybreak again looks ominous.

The tenders begin to be lowered into the sea.

We arrived in the Star Theater about 5 minutes before our assigned time of 9:15 and were pleasantly surprised to begin boarding at 9:15.  It took just under 30 minutes to make the pier in calm waters.

There really isn't much "to do" on Thursday Island, but that's ok.  We just wanted to experience the local life and hopefully walk the trail around the island's circumference, about 6 miles.  But first, we were invited to the town's cultural center to enjoy a program by the students of the inland's school.

Cultural Center

One of the town's leaders giving us a heartfelt welcome and thanking us for visiting their island.  Like many small islands, they are struggling to remain viable.  One thing they are trying to do is encourage more tourism.  They were thrilled to be able to present some of the cultural heritage by their young people.

We were offered "refreshments", not quite what we are accustomed to, but they were offered with the best intentions.   I wasn't sure about Lemon-Barley Cordial...

After the program, we set out on our walk around the island.  The weather was looking pretty good.  We decided we would walk clockwise, and visit the Green Hill Fort first.  It is located on the highest point of the island, at about 250 feet.

The water along the beaches is absolutely beautiful...but absolutely deadly.  No Swimming Allowed.  There are saltwater crocodiles and box jellyfish in abundance.

In an earlier post, I mentioned the cane toad and it's threat to the native water monitor of Queensland.  This is a reminder of the islander's effort to try and contain this invasive species.  Originally imported from Hawaii and released in Queensland as a biological control for beetle pests of sugar cane, the cane toad is now a well-established pest itself. 

As we continued on our walk, I spotted two unusual birds.  I grabbed some photos and was able to do an identification using my Merlin Bird app.

This strange looking fellow is a Masked Lapwing

This guy was difficult to spot, but we could hear his call.  I wouldn't describe him as cute but he is a  Helmeted Friarbird

After a brief uphill climb, we reach the Green Hill Fort.  The fort was built between 1891 – 1893 as part of Australia's defense against a possible Russian invasion following the 1885 confrontation between Britain and Russia.  It was eventually decommissioned some time in 1927 and the buildings were demolished and the guns were spiked.  It was used as wireless station and ammunition store during WWII.  It was later used as a weather station from 1954 until 1993.

Kay on Green Hill Fort 

The view was good from the hill.

But it looks like a storm might be coming our way.

Our ship about 5 miles distance.

Well, the rain did come, and come.  Although we had umbrellas and rain gear, we got soaked to the bone.  We abandoned our plans to hike the island and instead just hiked back to the pier to board the next tender.

Some street art.

This pretty much sums up our day, rain pelting the veranda and our rain soaked clothes hanging to dry.

Despite the rain, I really enjoyed the day.  These out of the way places are my favorite.  Anyone can go to Sydney, but not too many people are privileged to visit Thursday Island.

Today was Valentine's Day for us.  Here our server, Aqil, is presenting Kay with a rose in honor of the day.

We now have two more sea days in the Indian Ocean to reach Darwin.  Also today approximately marks the first third of our voyage.  I am looking forward to what the next two-thirds brings.