Panorama Photo

Townsville is placed on the Pacific coast of Tropical Northern Queensland, between Cairns north and Brisbane south. "Between" in an Australian sense: count 500 km to Cairns and 1500 to Brisbane.
The main attraction in town is given by the Reef HQ ("headquarters"): a huge aquarium showing and explaining everything about the corals of the Great Barrier Reef. But the top of the Townsville experience must be a boat trip to the Reef itself, which is located nearly 80 km from the coastal line. Two or three hours snorkeling in that unique environment are an unforgettable experience.
Of course, don't ask the casual photographer like me for an underwater panorama; this would have been well beyond my possibilities even if I had hired an appropriate camera! Hence, as a consolation prize I joined the hundreds of runners and/or photographers who use to gather, at sunrise and sunset, on the modest but extremely panoramic summit of Castle Hill, right in the middle of the town. The horizon is dominated by Magnetic Island, a real paradise for trekkers and swimmers. The strange name was given by Captain Cook, because the island had shown some effect on the compass of his vessel, HMB Endeavour. Incidentally, a copy of the latter - copy which is commonly resident in Cockle Bay, Sydney (see N.3642) - at the time was performing a circumnavigation of Australia, and that week was anchored in Townsville's harbour, where it can be seen in the panorama.
18 horizontal photos, f/10, 1/320 sec, ISO 200, zoom 70-300 at 70 (x1.5) mm, FOV=244°
With a width of 30.000 pixel (enough? too many?) on www.panoramio.com/photo/72875086