A sure way to survive a cyclone is to retire to the smallest room in the house , accompanied by a pet duck , taking with you a sturdy windmill , which will enable you to generate your own power when the electricity is cut, an early Coca-Cola bottle , a large chess piece carved out of a coconut tree and a book of poetry by P.K. Beveridge, entitled Billabong. Wearing a wig sent to your wife as a Christmas present by a tattooed grandson gives a surreal atmosphere to the retreat and men in white coats will be gentle with you when they come to take you away. This photo taken on Magnetic Island, in an area of North Queensland known as Cyclone Alley, before a big blow ; patient and faithful duck are now resident in troppo Darwin .
