The long trip from Darwin to Thursday Island continued through the morning, but as usual, there was plenty to keep us occupied.
Two lectures took up most of the morning. Dr. Paul Scully-Power, the first Australian astronaut and an oceanographer by training, traced the evolution of the study of the oceans from plotting currents by dropping instruments from research vessels (time-consuming) to viewing the oceans from space via satellites or manned spacecraft. Since something like 90 percent of the world is covered by water, his recurring mantra was that a thorough understanding of the oceans is needed before knowing the future of our environment.
Dr. Alan Wright, the Resident Astronomer, gave a fun lecture entitled "Facts, Fallacies and Fakes in Astronomy". He explained the difference between astrology and astronomy, the nature of gravity and "black holes", and the possibility of faster-than-light travel. This got a little gnarly as it involved Einstein's General Theory of Relativity and the speed at which the universe is expanding.
We finally reached Thursday Island about noon and anchored at some distance from the little settlement there. The photo is of one of the islands, along with Thursday Island, that make up the northern-most region of Australia. Those who chose to go ashore to explore were taken by the ship's tenders. We took a pass on this opportunity and instead spent the afternoon walking on the running track, reading, knitting, and swimming in the outdoor infinity pool on Deck 7. Shortly after our swim, a major thunderstorm passed through and confirmed the wisdom of our decision to stay on the ship.
Tonight, as I write this, we are beginning our cruise of the Coral Sea, heading southward toward our next stop, the port of Cairns. More to come...
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