BLAST FROM THE PAST

Some very interesting visitors come to Sweers, not all come for the fishing either...

We recently had a visit from Joy King, whose Great-great-Grandfather, George F. Sandrock, was the Customs Officer on Sweers during the 1860's in the days of the thriving town and port of Carnarvon. Joy has been here before with her mother Dulcie, who couldn't make it this year. They know every leaf and twig on the Investigator Tree and can tell us how much it has grown each year! This year, Joy had her friend Joan and they did some more exploring, and also some cooking -

  That's Lee weighing one of the home-grown giant tomatoes, while Joy and Joan cook up a storm in the background. Later on, Joan got back to her Welsh roots, when the girls went 'down pit' to explore the old Lime Kiln...

Joy also brought us a unique gift - she does cross-stitch embroidery, and she created a magnificent cross-stitch of the ship the 'Victoria' which was here in 1861, while searching for Burke & Wills... (check the History Page for more info)

Click on the Thumbnail above for a closer look at this work of art.

JEFF'S WALK

We also had a visit from someone who went to more trouble than most to get here! He walked all the way from South Australia!

Jeff Johnson left Port Augusta, on the Spencer Gulf, on the 5th of April 2007 and arrived in Karumba, on the Gulf of Carpentaria, on the 2nd of September 2007. Jeff made the journey to raise awareness and funds for the Deaf/Blind. It was a magnificent achievement, and he is currently on his return journey home by car with his brother Bill, whose deaf-blind daughter (sadly deceased) inspired the journey.

Jeff (and Bill) are licensed Ham Radio Operators, and so Lyn VK4SWE was able to make contact with them on HF radio as they made their way north. Local air charter company Aero Tropics kindly donated a couple of seats on the mailplane and thus they were able to get right out into the Gulf and round their journey off with an early morning walk around Sweers Island, joined by half the residents and guests!

Check out Jeff's website: www.jeffswalk.com where you can read all about his travels and donate to a worthy cause.

Jeff made the journey unassisted, though he had excellent backup communications. He slept in a tent and carried everything on his back, including a solar panel to power the batteries for his ham radio and satellite phone. Even his toothbrush was cut in half to save weight!

Jeff on his long trek north...

Finally, strolling the shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria...

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