Tuesday, 6 April 1948. Shortly after finishing yesterday's entry here, a boy came up from the village to say that somebody wanted to "see" me on the telephone; having been house-bound all day on account of my infected hand, I was disgusted at being caught half-way in a roaring rain storm but it was worth it, if the news I received is true. First of all, the strike is finished in all departments, coal, rail, sea and wharfies. All are to return to work today. Secondly S.S. Time is supposed to leave Townsville tonight and reach Cairns early Thursday. It was Dupain who gave me that information and I had myself switched over to Cutmore and arranged for Woodward to call for us at 2.30 PM on Thursday and transport us back to Cairns. The remainder of last evening continued the downpour in which I was caught and at times the rain beat so heavily on our tin roof that Van and I had to shout to make ourselves heard across the width of the table. Bellenden Kerr was invisible practically all of the evening and there was no possibility of signals being seen between George and me. Van and I have one dry pair of pants and one dry sport shirt each, with no chance of getting anything else dry but our plight must be luxurious compared with the chaps up the mountain. It is not likely that they will be able to make fires as everything will be completely soaked, and the only shelter they will have will be under overhanging rocks unless they can contrive something from banana leaves and other foliage. The rain this morning was not so incessent but there has been no sign of the sun and if anything is hung outside, one must rush out in a few minutes and bring it back in again. I have to go to the village again this afternoon and Dupain was to telephone again, after communication with his Townsville branch. To go, I shall put my wet clothes on again and save my dry stuff for my return. Shall cease this until I have the latest word, but it will be good to have our equipment. Even boots cannot be greased until we get it and mine certainly need that; I am afraid they will fall apart unless they are treated pretty soon. Later, same day. Found a message waiting for me when I went down to the place where our telephone messages were received, stating that S.S. Time is due to start unloading at Cairns at 9 A.M. on Friday. Mist over Bellenden Kerr in the evening prevented me [illegible] seeing any sign of George's light but, in case he was able to see mine, I sent the following message. "Strike over - Time unloading Cairns Friday morning - cannot see your light." I sent the message twice so if he could see my light, he and Len know the late developments. It seems that we shall soon have a constructively busy time, though as yet we know nothing of ships to the north other than Yalata, which is supposed to depart from Cairns tomorrow. Wednesday, 7 April 1948. This is our last full day at Bellenden Kerr and as with the last several, it has rained on and off all day. Van had average luck with his traps on his round this morning early but I did very little for myself. Reptiles are scarce so I have been putting most of my time on bugs, wandering around with net and killing bottle. I had a few specimens in the bottle this morning and was after another; it escaped through a hole in the net and somehow the bottle was overturned, the lid came off and those in it went floating down the stream.