The beginning of my Torres Strait adventures

[Nikkit]

I thought some of you may want to have a laugh at my expense, so here's another story of me...

In the early 90’s I ended up in the Torres Straits. I had a few adventures and mis-adventures prior to getting there, and many once I was there, but they’re laughs (at my expense) for another time!

I had headed east as my folks wanted me to come home, I was on a pay phone doing the weekly “phone home” to Mum and she was begging me to head south. I was not ready to “settle down and be sensible” so dug my heels in, she asked me “Well where are you going then?” There was a small black board outside the phone box and on it was written Broome, Townsville, Cairns and the cost of the bus tickets. So thinking quick I said “I bought a ticket to Cairns yesterday, heading off in an hour, will call you next week when I get there, love you Mum, got no more change, my moneys about to run...”

I exited the phone box and went and bought that ticket to Cairns and the bus did leave in an hour! I arrived in Cairns exhausted from too many days stuck in that bus from Darwin vowing to never travel that way again.  (I had done plenty of bus travel before, Perth to Carnarvon and return many times, Perth to Fitzroy Crossing, Derby to Darwin...never ever again!)

I found a backpackers, got my own room (I was not sharing with other backpackers and their rustling plastic bags at midnight, them trying to get into my bed as they were toddling through the door after 17 too many refreshments at the local, and the not so quite activities in a squeaky bed) and slept for a day or so. After a good feed that didn’t include bad roadhouse coffee and deep fried food I needed a job, so bought the local paper and started reading.

Barmaid wanted on Thursday Island, experience essential, over 20 years old, accom and flights supplied. Bonus! That was the job for me. I had experience, well, I did a bar course in Darwin, spent more on the paying side of the bar than the earning side, but gee, I knew the difference between beer and rum, I was 19 – that’s pretty close to 20, flights and accom supplied and it was an island! Yay – I was heading for the Whitsundays...oh yeah.

This is where I should have gotten a good map and had a bit of a gander!

So I ring and do the old phone interview, yep I’ve had experience, no I’m not 20, yep I can be there on the next flight, yep I can cook if I have to, no probs mate. Yep I can be at the airport tomorrow, easy. It’s in the bag, the job is mine. I’m thinking... Palm trees, beautiful beaches, Great Barrier Reef. Island life here I come.

Should have had a look at that map again...

I am on the plane and not worrying too much (courtesy of a couple of coldies on the flight) until the Captain does the “we are about to start descent into Horn Island, the weather is 25 degrees,  blah blah blah” spiel. I’ve stopped breathing. Horn Island, no-one mentioned Horn Island, what about Thursday Island. Breath. Then the hosty says something about a bus and a ferry and other island transfers and I’m starting to panic, where on earth am I? I’ve gotten on the wrong plane. I frantically press the hosty attention button and she comes down to me. I ask her where the heck am I? She raises one perfectly groomed eyebrow and pulls out the in-flight magazine, flips casually to the page with the map on it, smiles and points to the very tippy tippy top of Queensland. I got the feeling she had done this a few times before!

Uh oh. I pointed to the Whitsundays and asked “are you sure we aren’t here somewhere?” She smiled again and shook her head, tapping a tiny dot off Cape York. This was in no way where I expected to be going, but hey, she’ll be right mate, I’m still in Queensland (just) still on the reef (not quite) still on an island ... but not the Whitsundays that’s for sure! She kindly reassured me that I would be taken to Thursday Island and I had nothing to worry about. I am sure she smirked and mumbled something along the lines of “fresh meat for the pub” as she walked away.

As it turns out there were 4 new girls with me heading to the same pub. They all had the same thoughts as me when it came to “where are we?”, so I wasn’t the only dopey blonde on the plane that day! I was the only dopey Aussie though – they had an excuse – they were all Poms.

And we were fresh meat for the pub! Life really got interesting for me once I hit the Straits. 

[Cuilidh]

Brilliant story, Nikkit.  You obviously survived and had a wonderful story to tell over the years ... I can't wait for the next episode "What happened next!!!".  Hope we get the embellishments.

[cookie1]

Ink kit when do we get the next episode please? I can't wait to read about your adventures. How did your Mum feel about you being up there?

[Cornish Cream]

Eagerly waiting for the next chapter Nikkit 

[trudy]

Looking forward to reading more!!!

[Kimmyh]

Thanks Nikkit for another great story. Looking forward to next chapter.

[Nikkit]

Far out ladies - I spent about 4 years up there, there is gonna be more than one chapter!! Survive I did, but only just a couple of times! Some days I wonder how am I still here when I think back to what happened up there!

Mum was not overly impressed Cookie - but what could she do from down here when I was way up there! Mum and Dad did get up to TI a couple of times while I was there, I had a more respectable job by the time they came up though!

[judydawn]

I'm sure you wouldn't swap your life for anyone else's Nikkit.  Just think, one day when you are much older, your grandkids will think they have one very cool Grandma when you relate some of these stories to them.  Never stop telling your stories, you write them so well.

[gertbysea]

Great story Nikkit. You  will be pleased to know the pubs are exactly the same and  fresh meat go up there frequently.  There is a cultural centre  there now so your mum would be pleased. The last time I flew up there I flew on to  several other islands in the  strait. The small aircraft was  stuck together with wire and masking tape. Interesting.

Beautiful place with abundant seafood for the taking by walking out and picking up a huge crayfish by hand and spearing some glorious fish in clear clean water. No cyclones ever up there . You should come back.

Gert

[Nikkit]

Oh Gert, is the "Spear Chuckers Arms" still going...I can't even remember the real name of that pub.
The Royal...that was it. A good place to drink if you had a death wish back then!

The planes haven't changed then....that is a chapter I'll tell later.

I do have many stories of my time up there.
And no Judy I won't swap! There's been a few things in my life I should not have done, but I have no regrets, no time for that. I am who I am...I've done more gravel roads than bitumen, and I think some of the time on the gravel roads was spent a bit side ways!

I'd love to go back, take my kids and show them where we used to live. Would be a huge trip down memory lane that's for sure!

More chapters coming

[gertbysea]

Pretty sure it is still there as is Jardines"Resort" , The not so grand Grand and The Federal.  And the Gateway on Horn. Lots of watering holes for a small place. Such a beautiful part of Australia and sadly neglected.

Gert

[astarra]

Yay Nikkit - a story!! 
And a great one at that! 

Reminds me of reading comics in the paper tho - have to wait til the next one to get the next bit of the story!!! 

[mab19]

Thanks for a great story Nikkit.  Keep the chapters coming.

[obbie]

Jardines still there.
I have a friend that just did 3 years on Horn island..

[Yvette]

Great story Nikkit keep them coming