Teaching Torres Strait: Lifestyle

Exercise
Exercise is a popular pass time on Thursday Island...there are always plenty of people out walking with prams, dogs, in little groups or solo early in the mornings or at sundown. It is too hot to exercise outdoors during the middle of the day - especially in wet season when the humidity is oppressive. Joggers get out to do their thing in the evenings and early mornings. Lots of people cycle too, either for exercise or as a mode of transport - but the inner part of T.I is very hilly & challenging - the outskirts are fairly flat & tamable.
The personal trainer employed by the Council runs Boot Camps most months of the year from 5.30-7am. She also runs Pump and sometimes Zumba classes in the evenings. The Sports Complex has a 50m pool that opens weekday mornings and afternoons (not in the middle of the day) & weekend afternoons. The small gymnasium at the Sports Complex has a good range of equipment & is open at the same times as the pool / rest of the complex. Lots of sporting groups hold recreational & competitive comps throughout the year : volleyball, basketball, netball, touch, rugby league...either at the Sports Complex or Ken Brown Oval.
Sept 2014

You can join a church
We decided before we moved here that we would try joining a church to help us meet locals & join in with community life. We tried 3 different churches in our first few months & have settled at the Uniting Church which is on Douglas St & has a service at 10am each Sunday.

It is a short & simple 1 hour service with plenty of singing. There's no Sunday School for the kids, but we have a new pastor this year so perhaps we'll get one up & running...

The Church is a little worn but very quaint and cute inside.

There is always a fellowship time in the hall after the service where everyone brings a plate & shares a cuppa & chat. The hall is pretty decrepit but the girls enjoy running, singing, dancing & playing with the other kids there.

This is the inside of the Catholic church during Our Lady of the Sacred Heart school's Liturgy to open the school year in Feb 2014.

There are lots of denominations to choose from including Catholic, Uniting, Anglican, Pentecostal, Baha'i, Full Gospel, Jehovah's Witness, Latter Day Saints...
March 2014

Have a boat!
We came without one as we've never owned a boat before & wanted to get here, see what we needed, get some local opinions, then decide what to do.
We spent hours on online boat sale sites looking for something with at least :
* a 60hp motor
* 4.5m length
* a canopy for weather protection
* a trailer
* an aluminium or poly hull (our car isn't strong enough to tow a fiberglass boat).
We organised a "second uplift" which means Education Queensland transported one more batch of belongings up here for us & we recieved our boat in June 2013...then our Island Adventures really took off!
July 2013

Photos from around Thursday Island...May 2013

The library used to be in the Shire Council Building...

But has temporarily moved to the IBIS building - the supermarket. It's in a little room to the side of the supermarket entrance & is still run by the lovely Aunty Mavis. It will eventually move back to the Shire Council Building once renovations are complete.

The "Col Jones" store in Douglas Street - a newsagency that also has a 'Betta Electrical' inside, a surf wear shop, a 'Homemaker's furniture' section and toy/bike section at the back!

The PKA (Port Kennedy Association) Hall in Douglas Street - next door to the Shire Council Office. Saturday fortnightly markets are held here as well as community functions.

The Tribal Boutique - a store next door to the PKA hall. It sells some local crafts (woven baskets, hats, mats, brooms), pearl jewellery from the Kazu Pearl Farm on Friday Island & some fashion items.

Here are, from left to right, the "Cellar-brations" bottle-o that has an ATM out the front, the "Green Horizon" store which is currently empty & "Uncle Frankie's Cafe" side-by-side in Douglas St.

Here is Jayne fueling up the car at the Caltex service station next door to & run by the IBIS supermarket. Fuel is $2.09/L almost constantly.

September 2013
Tagai State College - Thursday Island Secondary Campus
Cultural Festival

The teachers spent weeks learning Torres Strait dances to perform at the Cultural Festival.
We are very proud of our Daddy for performing so beautifully!
Well done Dwayne!