Shiver me timbers and pass the Captain Morgan . Where are the Townsville reporters ? Are they blind ? Based in Mumbai ? Allergic to sunlight and sea air? In drawing attention to marine engineering type work going on at the Water Police landing site , just across from the ferry terminal , I jokingly said the Titanic could sink on the waterfront and the local scribes would not notice . Well , this is the latest major operation going on at the same site , so what gives ? Reporter like questions to be asked here . Thankfully, the police launch Brett Irwin and its cargo of bird frighteners had not sunk.
On the same day, a bit upstream from all this activity which was attracting the attention of people on ferries and other marine craft , there was a strange floating apparition , below , another of the ghost fleet which go unnoticed by scribes .
Again , on the same day , concession and student passengers on Sealink ferries were being asked -"warned" was the expression on one occasion - to produce proof that they were entitled to special rates. Could be a local media story here . While at it, follow up and fully explain why new Fantasea car ferry rates kick in next month .
Floating about the Townsville drone zone , I noticed that the Red Baron seaplane is still missing from its moorings, there are still weeds growing from the base of the Coral Sea Battle memorial and , at long last , the fountain commemorating Queensland breaking away from New South Wales was working , but had rubbish piled up against it , tiles missing in various places .
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Litter: frond, plastic fork and food container, leaves.
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The weirdest situation , however , was at the poor old Victory in the Pacific memorial fountain site. Not far from the Murdoch Townsville Bulletin office , close to the Townsville Travel Centre clock that has not worked in years, where a road works witches hat-a vexatious bloody Halloween stunt ?- was spotted sitting on the memorial brickwork , rubbish visible in the water, empty drink containers nearby, the bus shelter carrying more graffiti .
ANOTHER SCOOP FROM MY KITBAG
The new name of the former Chifley Plaza in the CBD which local media seemed not to notice . Could be a story here if reporters contact the owners , some outfit with a name like Smart / Sharp Needles ?
Needless to say , the giant anchor from the US aircraft carrier Coral Sea , a special gift to the city by America , just across the way from Townsville Enterprise House , is still rusting away, with unreadable metal plaques , the Townsville City Council and Townsville Port Authority unable to get their acts together to remedy the situation . To use a mild nautical expression, it gives the impression that those at the helm in so many places are slow on the uptake . The media, also apparently unaware of what is going on so many fronts , can be absolved for lack of interest because nobody sent them a handout and there clearly ain't no shipping reporters in town .
ANOTHER SCOOP FROM MY KITBAG
