26/10/2020
Today, Rory guided us to explore a ruin on the island. There is a deserted holiday resort, built in the 70’s, in its prime in the 90’s. People used to say “Get Wrecked on Great Keppel”, now it is a real wreckage. The whole area is surrounded by wire fence, which has a few holes to get in. Inside the ruin, junk scattered everywhere, plants growing among them, walking through them is like walking in a Chernobyl neighbourhood that has been re-invaded by vegetation. In 2018, the resort was re-purchased for redevelopment, and some old buildings were demolished before the project came to a halt and was abandoned again. Recently, the government seems planning to rebuild the resort again. We saw a grumpy old guy cleaning up the rubbish inside little by little. Throughout the scattered furnitures, facilities and metal parts, everything could be stripped down by the boaties to bring back to their boats for recycling, they call this place Bunnings. Rory picked up a piece of thick aluminium sheet, which was just what he needed for his boat. Yesterday afternoon two sheds in the resort were deliberately set on fire and we saw police come by dinghy to investigate. It is said that there is a hermit in his 80s, hiding from everyone, living in the deserted resort on the hill. I wonder if he know anything about the fires…
Rory treated us double sized burgers after the tour, and I was so hungry that I gobbled up the whole burger into my stomach. I also had an icecream after that. I surprised Rory. Indeed the contrast between my appetite and my size has shocked a lot of people.
It stormed again in the evening. La Nina did return.
Sea Journal 