Townsville Hike and Explore mind message in a bottle from California girls

A group of North Queensland hikers are hailing the ‘find of a lifetime’ after discovering a message in a bottle set adrift by three California girls on holiday in Fiji eight years ago. See what it said.

The message contained in the Schweppes bottle set adrift from Navini Island Resort in Fiji by three girls from Sunnyvale, California, eight years ago. Picture: Supplied

A group of North Queensland hikers are hailing the “find of a lifetime” after discovering a message-in-a-bottle set adrift by three California girls on holiday in Fiji eight years ago.

Townsville sales manager Susie Bidgood said the discovery by members of Townsville Hike and Explore on Friday evening was “just mind-blowing” that the note had been adrift for eight years before its washed ashore in Chunda Bay near the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences.

Ms Bidgood said about 20 members of the Townsville-based group were making their way through the mangroves to the beach collecting rubbish when a member discovered the bottle containing the message.

The weathered message in a bottle was written in pencil by three young girls and set adrift from Navini Island Resort in Fiji by three girls from Sunnyvale, California, eight years ago. Picture: Supplied

She said they waited till they returned to their vehicles before opening the bottle and reading the note, which was dated July 31, 2016 and signed by Savannah, Kate and Janice from Yorktown Drive, Sunnyvale, California.

“Dear Reader, we wrote this note because we heard so many stories about doing this,” it read.

“We are leaving Navini (Island Resort) today at 5 (Fijian time) so please write back to 1002 Yorktown Drive, Sunnyvale, California.”

The message contained in the Schweppes bottle set adrift from Navini Island Resort in Fiji by three girls from Sunnyvale, California, eight years ago. Picture: Supplied

Townsville Hike and Explore members Syl and Deb Gravener holding the message contained in the Schweppes bottle set adrift from Navini Island Resort in Fiji by three girls from Sunnyvale, California, eight years ago. Picture: Supplied

Ms Bidgood said the illustrated note was written in pencil, presumably by the three young girls, who would be eight years older.

“Eight years ago, that’s just amazing, we all sort of had goose bumps, it’s the find of a lifetime almost – it’s been floating around the ocean and washes ashore here in North Queensland.”

The avid hiker said the aim was now to track down the authors with Townsville internet sleuths already on the case.

Originally published as Townsville Hike and Explore mind message in a bottle from California girls