Dog Island

I anchored one evening in the lee of a small island in the Baie du Prony. I had been told there is a disused hotel here and, the next morning, was keen to check it out. I could see no life on shore from where I was anchored, but heading ashore in the dinghy, I became aware of a pack of dogs eying me keenly, following my progress as I approached. Not keen to add a dog attack to my list of experiences here, I approached cautiously, landing with enough distance between me and those beasts that I could beat a retreat if necessary. The dogs, four of them, ran straight towards me. However they seemed not to be aggressive, so I stood my ground. Arriving, they bowled me to the ground; four of the friendliest dogs I’ve ever met! After satisfying their desire to be cuddled, I headed inland to explore the island. The abandoned hotel, a sweet collection of weatherboard shacks, seemed once have been a lively spot but, without another soul on the island, had gone, well, to the dogs.

A number of walking tracks had been cut through the forest. Off I headed on one, and along with me came the four dogs. One, the largest, took the lead and trotted off ahead. Each time the path branched off, he would sit and wait for me to catch up then would head off again, leading me in this fashion right around the island. I figured he knew the place better than I did, so was happy to leave him lead the way. The other three would catch up or go off ahead as they wished, always leaving the largest to guide me. If I dropped behind or hadn’t seen him for a while on the path, I’d whistle. He’d stop and wait for me to catch up, giving me a paternal, slightly exasperated look, before trotting on again. I felt as though we’d known each other for years.

We walked for perhaps an hour like this, arriving in the end back where we begun. I said a sad goodbye to my guides, of whom I had grown very fond, and rowed back to the sloop. As I passed a jetty, the four ran out and began to howl like dingoes. The kept this up until I was back aboard, heading off then to lie back under the coconut palms where they were when I first arrived.