My sixth week on Heron Island began with a day off, which I used to go to Gladstone. I got the helicopter in the morning, which we get discounted rates for, so I had a full day in the town before having to return the next day on the boat. The flight over was pretty cool, although apart from the first five minutes all you could look at was the Coral Sea around you. It was definitely worth doing once though.
After checking into the backpackers, I went to the library and applied for membership. It seems like a good money-saving idea, considering the extortionate book prices over here. Anyway, I loaned out George Orwell's '1984' and 'A History of Britain' by Simon Schama.
After a rough crossing back over to the island on Tuesday, I worked in the afternoon and then did a split shift on Wednesday. Thursday saw the first real rain since I'd been on the island, bringing out the trousers and jumpers in people's wardrobes; a rare sight on the island!
Over the weekend I worked 7.30 shifts, and also finished the book '1984'. It may be nearly 60 years old, but it's just as relevant now as it was when it was written in 1949. It's one of the deepest and most powerful books I've read and it's one that you won't forget. Classics like these aren't the top of many people's lists because they're, well, classics, but they're also some of the best.
