Sunday, 21 March 1948. George and Van webt out during the morning and for the day with Mr. and Mrs. Brooks, up to the Tully Falls, a lovely scenic spot. Len and I stayed in the hotel all the morning catching up with mail, etc., and consequently there is little to report just now. Until something happens there is not likely to be much to write about anyway and if only I could tell what dat it was without writing this thing daily, I would cease to do so for the present. Monday, 22 March 1948. Today's news is far from good, in so far as the Time is concerned. Her agents report she is still in Townsville with only a part of her cargo unloaded. Her coal is all consumed and they are no longer able to keep the ship's lighting system working although there are tons of coal on the wharf. Worst of the lot is the fact that three of the crew have been discharged for subversive activities and it is on the cards that when all the other strikers return to work, the seamen will go out. take With Easter coming up, we shall have no particular steps though we are planning a camp for all four of us, either at Bellenden Kerr or at a point north-west of Cairns or both. If, after the Easter period is over, there is nothing new in strike conditions, we must consider the possibility of horrowing or procuring enough equipment somehow for two or three of us to start work in one of the areas which fit our original plans. It will be difficult as so much of the equipment is irreplaceable, by any method whatever; even the matter of food would offer quite a problem, but the whole situation is becoming quite serious. One or two trains ran today and some equipment of George's, which he had left at Rockhampton when he flew up, has arrived. That gives us a little more to work with. The rifle I ordered from Brisbane also came in but the ammunition could not be shipped by air and is following at some date by freight. Tuesday, 23 March 1948. The morning paper came out with the good news that the strikers at Townsville had decided to continue with the unloading of the Time. That, to us, brought us three possibilities, (1) That we leave our gear aboard the ship for the rest of the trip. (2) That we try to have it unloaded at Townsville and sent up by rail. (3) That we have it unloaded at Townsville and have it sent up by road. In the matter of (1) we learn that the ship really is being unloaded and that there will be no delay in rebunkering but that now five men of the crew have been laid off and the remainder of the crew may strike as a result. In any event the unloading cannot finish before Thursday, Easter then intervenes and if they are able to fill the crew, the ship cannot possibly leave before next THURS Tuesday or Wednesday. It is a twenty hour run from Townsville to Cairns. In the matter of (2) the railway people say that if the stuff is set down on the Station platform at Townsville, and if there is a freight train, they will get it up to us, but the railway men are now on the verge of striking and there is no guarantee of any trains at all. In the case of (3), as with (2) also, we have no knowledge of whether the stuff is so loaded that it can be shifted at Townsville anyway, and if it can the freight charges by road would be very high. Burns Philip's man in Townsville was to examine the ship today and ascertain if the stuff was in such a position that it could be unloaded but he telephoned that while he was on board the ship, he did not get below decks and will not be able to do so until Thursday. By that time of course it will be impossible to unload there anyway until next Tuesday. Dupain, of Cairns B-P, likes the idea of road travel and of course would get a fat fee from the transaction. I would hesitate to trust him with a bent nickel anyway.