AMA VICDOC Autumn 2024 - Magazine - Page 8
S ECOND OP INION
SENSE OF PLACE
+
MEDICINE
—
What place holds
fond or special
memories for you?
Would you like to take part
in Second Opinion?
vicdoc@amavic.com.au
—
10
AMA VI C TO RIA
DR KEVIN MACDONALD
Retired Occupational Physician
AMAV Retired Doctors
Committee
Far North Australia
––
To the West: the ancient
Kimberley with breathtaking
views of our galaxy and moon,
the inevitable questions arise
of just how did the universe
and galaxies form and evolve,
how old, how big and what
is the finale.
To the East: the ancient
Daintree Rainforest and Barrier
Reef with an incredible biological
diversity which also begs the
question of life: how it started,
evolved and prospered.
Lizard island is 250Km north
of Cairns by light plane, a granite
island surrounded by reefs. Cook
walked to the top of the hill to
try and find a passage out
of the reefs. The excellent
marine research centre is a
fascinating visit.
Snorkelling off the beaches
over massive clams and corals
and tropical fish is easy in a
wetsuit for buoyancy and U-V
protection although not without
difficulty getting on and off for
older bodies. The variety, colour
and huge number of fish species
is always amazing and we must
never forget that this is a whole
ecosystem dependent on
healthy coral.
First Nations people have
inhabited these areas for
millennia. Our obligation to
maintain and preserve these
unique natural monuments
is pressing.
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