The local media went into raptures over Elton John performing in the new Townsville stadium as part of his final journey down the Yellow Brick Road , but failed to notice that the more famous English naturalist Charles Darwin sailed into port on his last voyage aboard the leaky HMS Beagle, above , in search of the missing link .
In an exclusive interview with our alert waterfront roundsman, the only one north of Gabo Island , Charles Darwin , eating Kingaroy roast peanuts throughout , reflected on his earlier life monkeying around in far flung places, including Magnetic Island . He pointed out the Beagle had gone aground many times and undergone numerous major alterations over the years in the relentless scientific search for Tarzan's second best friend after Jane , a chimpanzee, and the vessel was now as big as an oil tanker .
In the early days , he recalled , the Beagle had been so small it was impossible to swing a Galapagos Duck about by its neck in the cramped cabin . Now you could house a large breeding colony of dinosaurs aboard ship and watch The Flintstones on a monster TV screen . Declaration of vested interest: Chas. Darwin is a respected major shareholder in and patron of this fair and balanced swinging blog.
