K’gari (pronounced Gurri) is the largest sand island in the world. Located in Queensland, Australia, the island comprises long, sandy beaches, coastal heaths, woodland and freshwater lakes. K’gari is part of the traditional lands of the Butchulla people.

You can read the K’gari creation story, as told by the Butchulla people, here. Essentially, Princess K’gari was a spirit who was helping Yendingie to create the sea and the land. The Princess found the world so beautiful she wished to stay, so Yendingie changed her into an island and she is still there today, looking up at the sky.

My haiku about this lovely island was published in the Fourth Australian Haiku Anthology: under the same moon:

dingo tracks
in the moonlight
K’gari sleeps

Of course, this haiku can be read simply as a matter of fact – where dingo tracks are lit by the moon while the island life is asleep. However, with an awareness of the Butchulla people’s creation story, we are reminded that the Princess and the island are one and the same. Hence, the last line can be seen to refer to both the Princess sleeping and the island sleeping.

For those who are familiar with K’gari, the reference in the poem to dingoes adds a slightly ‘darker’ mood which contrasts with the notion of a picturesque island at rest. Dingo packs on the island appear to have become more aggressive in recent years, with numerous accounts of dingoes stealing food and even attacking humans. Hence, while K’gari is beautiful and attracts many tourists each year, visitors need to be aware of the potential dangers.

You can read my earlier post about the Fourth Australian Haiku Anthology here.