Page 89 - Port Douglas Magazine 46

Recently, Low Isles welcomed its
newest caretakers: Don and Lee
Cameron, a Tasmanian couple who

traded the cold winds of the far south
for life on a tropical coral cay.

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Finding people with the right mix of skills isn’t always easy. The wet Guardians of Science and Culture
season brings oppressive heat and humidity, intense sun, and heavy Few places on the Great Barrier Reef carry the scientific and cultural Pure Luxury Sunset Sailing

rain. Equipment breaks, systems need constant attention, and every task significance of Low Isles. Nearly a century ago, Dr. C. M. Yonge and his

demands care and persistence. It’s a dream job, but paradise requires grit. pioneering international research team established a field camp here, Mackay Coral Cay Eco Adventure
gathering data that still underpins modern coral science. Their work created

One of the more unusual responsibilities sits quietly among the trees: one of the longest continuous ecological records for any reef system on Outer Reef
counting pied imperial pigeons. Every year just before the wet season, Earth.
volunteers and researchers tally the birds as they return to roost at dusk, a Recognised as a Commonwealth Heritage place since 2008, Low Island
long-running monitoring project that helps track the health of the species carries important cultural meaning for the Kuku Yalanji and Yirrganydji
and the ecosystem. Watching thousands of pied imperial pigeons sweep Peoples, forming part of their Dreamings and deep connections to Sea
over the lagoon is one of the island’s great natural spectacles.
Country. Today the Reef Authority and Queensland Parks work alongside
Stepping Into a New Chapter Traditional Owners to ensure management respects both natural and

Recently, Low Isles welcomed its newest caretakers: Don and Lee Cameron, cultural heritage. Their guidance is woven into decisions about conservation,
a Tasmanian couple who traded the cold winds of the far south for life on restoration, and visitor stewardship.
a tropical coral cay. Like many caretakers before them, they come from But what truly keeps Low Isles alive is the dedication of the people who
a strong maritime background. The role has traditionally been filled by care for it. From LIPS volunteers restoring buildings and counting birds, to

skippers who understand the sea as intimately as the land. Don and Lee caretakers maintaining infrastructure and welcoming visitors, to Traditional
arrived with years of experience living remotely, monitoring endangered Owners sharing knowledge and guidance, and tour operators helping people

wildlife, spending seasons on offshore islands, and circumnavigating the tread lightly, everyone who steps onto the island becomes part of its story.
globe by yacht.
When I visited recently, I found Don and Lee settling naturally into island Held in the Hands of Its Keepers
life. I loved seeing how comfortably wildlife shares the space with them. As I headed back across the lagoon, the lighthouse shrinking behind me,
At this time of year, bridled terns transform the island into a sprawling I felt the familiar pull this place always seems to have. Low Isles might be
nursery, and pied imperial pigeons also populate the island in large small, but it contains entire worlds of science, culture, history and wild
numbers. One tern even laid an egg on their veranda right on the floor, beauty.

totally unfazed by human presence. That quiet coexistence is part of what What keeps those worlds intact isn’t luck. It’s the quiet, steady work of people

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who choose to care. On this coral cay, surrounded by light and tide, the
Yet beyond the work, there’s a rare intimacy with the island’s rhythms: early caretakers - past, present and future - remain the unseen thread holding sailawayportdouglas.com
morning light over the lagoon, seabirds returning in waves at dusk, the paradise together. Come visit the

quiet hum of wind and reef after the last tour boat has gone. For Don and lips.org.au Sailaway Boathouse 07 4099 4200
Lee, as for those before them, the work is hard but deeply rewarding, a
chance to live inside one of Australia’s most iconic marine environments at the Crystalbrook Sailing and Snorkelling Specialists
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