September–October 2015 67tracking them. It’s hard to know their fate. The ani-
mals that have disappeared seem to be absolutely
fi ne one day and gone the next.”
Just two people live permanently on St Bees and
the island’s isolation and pristine nature have made
it attractive for a wide range of other scientifi c work.
This includes a project funded by conservation body
Earthwatch. The group is about to begin teasing out
the reasons behind what Alistair calls “big biome
shifts” which are taking place across these islands.
Grasslands are being replaced by woodlands and
woodlands are being replaced by rainforests.
“There are climate shifts occurring,” Alistair says,
adding that there are also changes to historical graz-
ing and fi re regimes. Using altitudinal plots, weather
sensors and historical data, he hopes that St Bees will
become the case study for understanding ecosystem
changes across the islands for the entire region.T
ROPICAL ISLANDS HAVE long been the stuff
of fantasies, and Keswick has a smattering of
permanent residents who have settled in to
live the dream. Among them are Rodger Murry, who
came in 2001 on what he jokingly describes as“a life sentence with no parole”, and Ron and Marion
Brooks, who settled here permanently in 2008. The
island is just 530ha and only 20 or so houses line
Keswick’s streets. But there have been plots sold for
dozens more. The seasonal visitors begin arriving
after Easter and leave in November with the last of
the whales, and, in the off -season, Keswick’s popu-
lation comprises about a dozen people.
A much more abundant population of another
kind exists on the island’s northern side. On the high
section of the track that runs north from Keswick’s
settlement to Connie Bay sits an installation of mis-
cellaneous containers. Some look like letterboxes or
archive containers. Others are like drawers from
filing cabinets. But they’re none of those things.
They’re beehives, the fi rst few of which were brought
to Keswick from Innisfail, south of Cairns, in 1985.
The hives were – and still are – free from any
major diseases. The man charged with obtaining
these bees in 1986 was Clive Covey, an apiarist from
Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. His sons, Des and
John, maintain the hives today, and it’s hard to
over-estimate the importance of these disease-
free stocks.The island’s isolation and pristine nature
have attracted a wide range of scientific work.
High point. The view from
above Kingwell Point on Keswick
Island encompasses the Coral
Gardens, and both Homestead and
Honeymoon bays on St Bees.