In 1921, Australia’s Willis Island was established as a weather station tasked with providing an early-warning service of potential tropical cyclones that could threaten the mainland. The tiny island (1,600 feet by 490 feet) is located in the Coral Sea, sitting approximately 280 miles east of Cairns, Queensland in a region ideal for detection and monitoring. It is relatively flat, with its highest point rising a mere 30 feet above sea level.

The environment is one warm enough to be classified as tropical, but there are distinct wet and dry seasons that each last half the year. From November through April, the island is characterized by high humidity, heavy rain, and the occasional cyclone. In contrast, the dry season runs from May until October, and is defined by relatively cooler weather and trade winds that originate in the southeast.

As the seasons change, so does the wildlife. Migratory and resident birds rest, roost, and lay eggs at different points throughout the year. Temporary resident Matt Dunn said when someone arrives on the island, oftentimes the first thing they notice is the noise put out by the birds. The noise is constant even at night, but you do get used to it after a while, he said. Though the island is small, its span is not limited to the birds, as marine life such as green sea turtles come ashore to build nests and lay their eggs.

Four years ago, Sydney native Dunn was one of the weather observers assigned to the Willis Island Meteorological Office. In October 2013, he returned for a second tour. Along with several others, he is responsible for obtaining and disseminating meteorological information to the mainland. Accompanying the weather observers is an engineering technician charged with maintaining the equipment and additional life support systems such as power, water generation, and sewage treatment.

“As a weather observer our job involves taking measurements throughout the day of real-time atmospheric conditions,” explained Dunn, 31. “This includes ground surface observations (recording rainfall totals, inspecting and checking the tolerances and function of automatic equipment, providing visual observations in terms of visibility, cloud type and amount, and significant weather in sight e.g. showers of rain, thunderstorms).”

Dunn and the others are also responsible for releasing a weather balloon three times each day, which takes a measurement of conditions directly above Willis Island—wind speed, direction, temperature, and humidity at a range of heights.

“This information provides a snapshot of conditions for our region and is used by forecasters on the mainland and around the world to see real-time conditions for our location, which helps them with the forecasting process,” he continued.

The island’s meteorological office is one of 55 in Australia. Dunn explained the necessity of the remote office by referencing a “dot-to-dot” picture of the world. “Each dot is a location providing weather observations, [and] we make up one of those dots,” he said. “The more dots you have, the clearer the picture will be.”

During his six-month stay that is scheduled to end next month, Dunn decided early on that he wanted to do more than what was required of him by his job description.

“I always intended to donate some money to a few different charities before applying to come out to the island, but then decided I’d make use of the unique situation to try and spread the message to a bigger audience,” he recalled.

What he settled on was a walking challenge. Considering the size of the island, it was one of the few activities that could be done outside of work duties and on his own. Dunn said walking along the beach was an activity he would normally carry out, so turning it into something that could raise money for charity was feasible.

“Some people do yoga or meditate or go swimming, but walking works for me,” he said. “It’s a way to exercise and stay healthy, which is particularly important in our location, as well as a way to clear the mind and think things through.”

The goal was to walk 500 laps before the tour was complete, as it was a distance that was challenging and achievable at the same time. The plan was to do it bit by bit. While Dunn decided not to ask others to donate to his charities of choice, he put the money that would have gone toward his rent back home in Sydney directly to charities whose missions he supports. To accompany the challenge, Dunn created a blog, Willis Island Walking, that shares his story, photographs, and includes information about the charities in case others were interested in donating.

He decided to disperse his funds across five charities: The Garvan Research Foundation, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT, The Kolling Foundation, The Royal Flying Doctors Service, and the last, Learning Links, which was chosen by the readers of his blog. For each charity, 100 laps were dedicated.

“There are some days where if the weather was good and all my duties had been done, and I felt it was possible, I’d walk 10 to 15 laps,” he said. “Other days I might only walk one or two laps and on some days where the work duties took precedence or weather conditions weren’t appropriate, I didn’t walk at all. It actually made me plan my days and weeks with more structure, so there was a side benefit of being more organized throughout the day.”

He said he walked about five to six laps each day for three months, which is about 1.5 hours of walking each day at his pace. Early on, he realized it was more of a mental challenge than a physical one. Dunn said he kept a simple strategy of “slow and steady” in mind. At the time of the interview, he had about 40 laps remaining to complete.

Images courtesy of Matt Dunn/Willis Island Walking