Hamilton Island revisited

Ragged palms are the only real sign of March's cyclone

I'm back to work again now and my sister's visit last month seems like an age ago. Once again we headed up north for a cracking week on Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays. The island copped the full brunt of Cyclone Debbie at the end of March and there's still a bit of damage about the place but really it just meant that the palm trees were looking a bit ragged on top. Otherwise it was the same old cocktails by the pool, turtles swimming by in the sea, and wallabies and Bush Stone-curlews running around on the pristine hotel lawns. I also saw a couple of Yellow-bellied Sunbirds in the gardens this time which was a real treat. It's a very long time since I last saw them up in Cairns.

Views from Passage Peak

I also managed to haul myself up to the highest point on the island this time which was a bit of a hot slog interrupted by vicious horseflies but the views are worth it and we even spotted an enormous Leatherback Turtle cruising past in the channel.