THE “GRAND CANAL”

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20389, 4 January 1938, Page 9

THE “GRAND CANAL”

AUSTRALIA'S BEAUTY INSIDE THE GREAT BARRIER TROPI CA L PL AYGRO UN D In the Great Barrier Reef, Australia possesses one of the most unique and interesting' geographical features on the globe, says a writer in the Adelaide Chronicle. The Reef is the world’s largest coral wall; it stretches for approximately twelve hundred and sixty miles along the eastern coast of Queensland, is miles wide in many places, and is of an average height of 180 feet. The full extent of this amazing coral formation is approximately 100 square miles, and it varies from 10 miles to 00 miles distance from the mainland, enclosing a beautiful sea—a sea that has been well named “Australia’s Grand Canal." On a recent cruise by motor launch through this canal, we voyaged for two months over transparently blue, sunkissed waters that had scarcely a ripple. Yet a few miles to the east one could always see and hear the mighty breakers of the vast Pacific Ocean, crashing down with unceasing thunder on the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef. The water in the canal is of remarkable clearness, and looking over Ihe side of a boat one can see marvellous coral gardens. To anyone whose ideas of coral have been gained solely from the dead and artificially-

coloured pieces to be seen in museums, th’e sight of the real living cbral beneath these northern waters is a wonder almost beyond belief. Here are to be seen billions and billions of tiny coral polyps, all living animals, fringed with delicate tentacles, that wave to and from, together making a veritable feast of colour —blue, green, white, rose, red, sapphire and dull gold and every other shade imaginable. And with this marvellous colour scheme is a beauty of form which Is not less entrancing. In these coral gardens dwell some of the weirdest creatures the imagination could devise, strange fish and crabs which provide a truly astonishing pageant. There are fish and crabs of all shapes, sizes and colours. With every few seconds some strange new sight, some splash of lovely colour, swims into perception.

Holiday Islands

A thousand ideal holiday islands are scattered about the canal. Some of them are of volcanic formation and originally formed part of the mainland of Queensland, but the majority are of coral, and have never had any connection with the mainland. During the centuries they have been slowly built up from the floor of the sea, and there is no particle of them that is hot pure coral or coral sand. The very rocks that are to be seen along the dazzling white beaches have been made of coral powdered Into the sand, and then turned into limestone by the' action of the wind and sea. Yet all the islands nourish a luxuriant and varied jungle of palms, ferns, shrubs and creepers, and wild flowers —a jungle teeming with remarkable bird life; birds of many species—nutmeg pigeons, noddies, mutton-birds, sea curlews, gannets, reef herons, land rails and others.

On some of the islands hardly a square inch is not honeycombed with burrows running down to a depth of 18 inches or so, wherein the muttonbirds lay their eggs and conduct their noisy domestic affairs; while in the trees nests are so thickly clustered that they bear down the branches like a heavy crop of fruit. There are birds everywhere. They present a truly wonderful sight. Day after day, from morning to night, the sky is ‘full of their wheeling battalions. Many of the islands, too, are overrun with goats. In the early days a few goats were placed on the islands by the authorities to provide food for any shipwrecked seamen who might happen to land there. Fortunately the animals were never used for this purpose. They have multiplied and are a constant source of surprise to visitors, for, ludicrous though it may seem, they have all developed treeclimbing tendencies! There is a scarcity of food on most of the islands, and as their numbers increased the goats were forced to resort to the foliage of the trees for an existence, and it is by no means an uncommon sight to see them p*erched on branches 15 feet and 20 feet above the ground, contentedly munching the leaves. A Rush to the Scene

Many of the islands are inhabited by white people; in fact, within the last year or so there has been such a great rush for these islands that it is now difficult to find a suitable one that is uninhabited. Many have been transformed into tourist resorts; on others families run small fruit, sheep and dairy farms; and on others are living retired people (many from England and elsewhere), who have gone to the islands to escape from the noise and bustle of the outside world v A number of well-known writers, too, have settled on the islands, finding that tile peace and solitude and tile pleasant surroundings are conducive to good! work. In most cases these island dwellers live on fruit and vegetables they grow, fish, oysters, crabs, and turtle meat, and goat's milk, and rarely doe. It costs them more Ulan 10s a week to live. Pome of them have boats and occasionally visit Ihe mainland for mails and oilier necessities. while others rely solely on passing fishermen. The bathing in the waters around die islands is without compare, while these same waters will grant the fisherman even ihe Angler's Prayer: “l.ord, suffer me to catch Po large Inal even I, " lien telling of it afterwards, Will have no need to tell 'a lie.” The variety of game fish in these caters is inlinite: big cod, sainson-flsh, kiiig-lisli, tunas, mackerel, sword:ish. gropers, and others are there in abundance. Mysterious Tragedy Some of these beautiful islands have Iso known tragedy. Some years ago n attempt was made by a Frenchman •'* fouiirl a settlement on Aurlad Island. i p ar the far northern end of the (iront ’harrier Reef. Taking his wife and 'hree children with nim. the Frenchnan. whose name was Harri.i. built a home on Ihe island ami established a •oeoanut plantation there, hut five years later a mysterious tragedy occurred. (hit' day a fisherman happened to (Continued In next column)

call at the island to see whether the Frenchman wanted any supplies from the mainland. He found Garcia lying dead not far from the beach, while in front of the home were a number of newly-made graves—presumably those of the Frenchman's wife And children. The man had been dead for several days, and how lie and his l'amilv met their deaths remains a mystery, r.nrcia was buried alongside the other graves, and bis resting-plare is the only one that is marked.

The runs of Ilie home still stand ami behind are the neat rows of cocoanut palms planted by the Frenchman The palms are flourishing, but no natives will go near the island.