Sunday, March 27, 2016

Willis Island (an external territory of Australia)

Willis Island (an external territory of Australia)

After leaving Cairns our ship sailed 280 miles east of Cairns in International Waters to pass by Willis Island , a total of 4 people make that island their home. These scientists study and report weather conditions, in particular, cyclones. Our ship did not stop there, but the captain, slowly rotated the ship 180 degrees so everyone on board could see this beautiful spot of land so far away from Australia.
That special pilot that boarded our ship and did commentary,  contacted one of the scientists living there on Willis Island as we passed, and their conversation was broadcast on all the decks and common areas on the ship. It was very interesting to hear of living and working there.
This tiny island measures just 1,600 feet long by 490 feet wide, though it is the only permanently inhabited island in the Coral Sea Islands Territory.
You won't find any neighborhoods, schools or homes here, however. The only structures on Willis Island is a weather monitoring station hosted by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, where just a handful of weather observers reside at any given time.
They get provisions delivered every 6 months. The person answering the questions said they were looking forward to getting fresh food, they are in their 5th month of food. I bet they’re looking forward to it.

Willis Island is one of several tropical islands sitting beyond the Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea Islands Territory, and is surrounded by thriving reefs where many creatures make their homes. Numbering into the thousands, Willis Island itself caters to many species of seabirds, including Masked, Brown and Red-footed Boobies that cry out nearly 24 hours a day. It is also an important nesting ground for turtles.

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