Wednesday, October 11, 2017

UFO SPOTTED OFF TOWNSVILLE / SMACKS GALORE/ SEASIDE EYE CANDY / RED BARON MYSTERY

S(h)ipping  Reporter   Continues   to   Scoop   waterfront  allergic  Townsville   Media  

In  just one day's sculling  about  the busy  Townsville waterfront  the usually  thirsty  S(h)ipping  Reporter ,  the only one  north  of  Nunawading , came across a  mess of  nautical  activity unnoticed by the local scribes .  One was  the above unidentified  floating object   seen  near the   Townsville  shipping channel  by  the  skipper of the Sealink  ferry on  an afternoon  Townsville   to  Magnetic Island  run .
 
At first, many passengers   thought the boat  had changed course because of a whale sighting . It  was  , however, an  upturned  navigation buoy , left  in that state .  
On  the  same  trip  another   line of  fishing  dories, above , being towed,   provided another  photo opportunity, different to the Townsville Bulletin regularly sending a photographer down to The Strand to  get a shot of  young  girls , usually backpackers,  to  go with a filler   about the weather.   Who cares if  Rupert Murdoch said  P3  girls were  a   thing of  the  past, his wise words have obviously  not  reached  his  Townsville  paper where they can appear on pages one , three , five  and  so on , making it look  like a mushy  Bananaland  Ralph .   
 
Tied up near the ferry terminal in Townsville was  the Sunbird   getting a  bit of a touch up  inside and  out .  Just  across  the  way  there  was  some kind of  activity at  the spot where the  police launch Brett Irwin  is  usually   moored, sporting various  fake  owls  and a bird  of  prey or  two  to frighten off recidivist messy real birds. Presumably  the police launch  has not  sunk , but then the Titanic could go down in Townsville  and  would not be noticed .   Other patrol vessels use the facilities .
  
 No  trip to the waterfront  is made without  checking on the  Red Baron seaplane mooring . Our  S(h)ipping  Reporter   has  pointed out several times that the unusual  plane has been  missing   for months without   the local  media twigging and asking when it will return .    He  even suggested  that it has  been converted   into a  nuclear  powered and armed  yellow submarine  , now   cruising  about , unnoticed  , in   the  port .   
Red Baron with fake owl on top before it disappeared .

To back up his  dubious  claim that  the Red Baron has been nuked and turned into an underwaterboten, he  has produced the  following latest   puzzling  photograph    from  the  plane's  mooring which suggests , it is indeed  down the gurgler,  being secretly  loaded with  state  of  the  art  deadly black  torpedoes .  
Our S(h)ipping Reporter  does not mind if  local reporters  take up these  stories  as  long as  they  donate  to  his  Christmas  sinking   fund , which takes a  dive like the Red Baron  each time he calls into Molly  Malone's  Irish  Pub  in  the  nightclub precinct.    
  
He has been gloating over the fact  that in a media  broadside  he recently reported  there was   another  large  vehicle carrier in port   and suggested  somebody  in the media should ask  basic  questions  about  the nature of  its cargo  and lo and behold the  Townsville  Bulletin came up with a  story about the number of  vehicle   carriers   that  have  unloaded   in recent  times  .
 
 
 The S(h)ipping  Reporter    likes  to   point out that he  stirred up  the  Darwin media about the lack of shipping  coverage  and the  ABC  started to take a regular interest in maritime  matters.  In the case of   the Murdoch Northern Territory News  they are  probably too busy  chasing  crocodile stories , UFOs , randy ghosts ,  soy milk  latte  drinking  southerners  to  worry about   shipping activities .  
And another episode  which indicates how the local media  are  not really in   touch with  their own small fish bowl  is this stunning notice   from the entrepreneurial  pirates who  converted  an empty  house on Magnetic Island into a  thriving, innovative   café , Scallywags . It informs   customers , who are many , that they will be closing  down  soon  to  take part in  catering  for   shows  and festivals in the south   of  the nation, which they have been doing for years , but  will  be  back. It would make an interesting story if anybody  in the media cared to  follow  this  surging   lead . The eye catching  graphic  incorporates part of  the Scallywags  café .   
 
Our nautical reporter  also   said  a  heavy lift cargo vessel , which once had a different  name ( is  there a story here ?)  , had  managed   to  find its way  into Townsville , despite  the  upturned   navigation  buoy . Did the port authority know  about  the upside down navigation buoy, when , how could it have happened , how  was  it  righted ,or  replaced , any danger to shipping  notice issued ,  etc?