I've spent quite a bit of time recently writing about Thursday Island and the Torres Strait for my second Annette Mollison novel, which I'm increasingly convinced will be called Gone for Now.
It's been an interesting experience, partly because Thursday Island is a place that holds some very special memories for me.
You see, it's where I met my wife.
Back in 1987, I was working at the Royal Hotel on Thursday Island when a young English backpacker arrived on the scene. She'd come to Australia on a working holiday and somehow found herself working at the Federal Hotel, just down the road.
Both pubs were owned by the same people, so naturally our paths crossed.
Thirty-eight years later, we're still together. She even agreed to marry me, although I suspect there have been occasions over the years when she's questioned the wisdom of that decision.
A very special place
I have some wonderful memories of my time in the Torres Strait.
The fishing, the people, the community and the extraordinary collection of islands scattered across that beautiful stretch of water.
I remember spending time on Horn Island, Entrance Island and Prince of Wales Island, as well as visiting some of the outer islands where I later worked building houses for the Education Department.
There were weddings, celebrations, friendships and experiences that have stayed with me all these years.
It was a remarkable place to live and work, and meeting my future wife made it all the more special.
Trying to remember what happened nearly forty years ago
One of the interesting things about writing a novel set somewhere you've actually lived is discovering just how much you've forgotten.
I've found myself trying to remember the layout of Thursday Island, particular buildings, roads and places we used to visit.
Some memories are crystal clear. Others are decidedly sketchy.
Fortunately, I've got someone else who was there at the time, so my wife and I have been comparing memories. It's been great fun, although we don't always remember things quite the same way.
I've also been doing plenty of research, checking details and trying to make sure that the Thursday Island I'm writing about is recognisable as the place we knew in the 1980s.
Of course, it's a work of fiction, so not everything has to be exactly as it was. But I do enjoy getting the historical details right wherever I can.
Annette is on her way
And that brings me to where things stand with the new novel.
I'm approaching the point where Annette Mollison is about to arrive on Thursday Island, and things are going to get rather interesting.
There are still plenty of questions to be answered, a few people with some explaining to do and more than a few secrets that have yet to come out.
I'm not going to give anything away, but I think it's fair to say that the pace is about to pick up considerably as we head towards the conclusion.
I'm really looking forward to writing these final chapters and finding out exactly how everything comes together.
And then, of course, comes the really enjoyable part.
Going all the way back to page one and working through the entire manuscript again, editing, rewriting, checking details and trying to turn the whole thing into something worth reading.
I suspect that's going to keep me occupied for a while.
But for now, I'm enjoying being back on Thursday Island, even if it's only in my imagination.
And every now and then, while I'm writing, I find myself remembering a young English backpacker who turned up there in 1987.
That turned out to be a pretty good year.
Image credit: Approaching Thursday Island, 1964. Photograph by Jack Bain, Queensland University of Technology Digital Collections. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Original image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Approaching_Thursday_Island_QUT-7168.jpg
