During her time in tropical Queensland, author Erica Bell frequently sailed around Moreton Bay, and it was during such a journey that she discovered the inspiration for Hilda and the Ship's Doctor. The idea came to her one day when she anchored in a coral gutter just off uninhabited Peel Island after her boat was caught in a storm. She went ashore and came across the ruins of the lazaret, which ultimately led her to unearth the historical facts cleverly...