A BAD CASE OF ERUPTUS

The blurred  above photograph  of  part of    Townsville's neglected   Victory in the  Pacific   Memorial Fountain   erupting like a  sperm  whale  was taken   from  a  bus by  our  Shipping Reporter on his  way to the Townsville  Hospital . He was  booked  for  an ultra  sound  test  to see if  he  should have  his  right leg  removed  and replaced with  a whalebone  stump like  Captain  Ahab   after  his encounter  with   stroppy Moby  Dick. The  unusual  eruption  had   ceased   when  the  limp falling  waterfront  roundsman  later  passed  by .

CANADIAN CURLEW HUNT

Breaking  noir  news 

The Queen of the Jungle caused another  flutter  in  the cluttered  Little Darwin den when she phoned  in to report having seen a  black Bush-stone Curlew at 6pm  the night before . On  her  describing it as having  a completely black  face , we  facetiously suggested  it was a  Canadian  (Trudeau)   Curlew, which  caused her to  giggle . Seriously, though , we  said there were Curlews in Canada  , as  a  schoolteacher we  knew  in   Adelaide  had once lived in  Canada  and  would never forget the  wailing of Curlews there  as  a  member of  her  family lay  dying.    The  book  ,  Cry of the Curlew  ,  which she had read , was  discussed .

 

The  Germanic  Queen  said   the  dark stranger   had just appeared in a group of  birds  she   feeds .   Several years ago , she had  seen a  completely  black  Curlew   which had also been  sighted  by Parks and Wildlife  officers and  photographed .

She  rang off after  saying  she would   delve into her  archives  to try and find the  photograph  and  inviting   Little  Darwin to stumble about in the undergrowth  after   sunset  in  a  bid  to  snap  the  rare   Canuck. 

Pair of  Aussie  Curlews  near  Curlew  birdbath  in  grounds of  royal residence , like an overgrown  Palace  of  Versailles  garden .

 Since  the burn off  on Magnetic   Island increasing  numbers  of  wallabies and  birds  have been turning up at  the royal  domain  seeking   food .  

ISLAND SALE OF THE CENTURY

At first   glance  this  whopper garage  sale gives the impression  it  is none other  than the Wallace   and  Gromit   World of  Invention  set  or the start of   Australia's  Mars   rocket  launching   pad .   Held  on  Magnetic Island ,  it   has  been running  for weeks .  Downstairs there  is  enough  gear  to  start your own    Bunnings  warehouse ,  built up  in almost   50 years by  a handyman  who was  into  earthmoving  and other  ventures , including  a   long  gone    tourist   attraction  with  an   unexpected   Darwin connection , more later .

Upstairs  there is  a  different offering : two rocking horses  ,  one  $500, the other  $400  ;  a Huon Pine  chest of drawers  for   $1000  ; musical instruments ;  an  old  milliner's  adjustable   hat block ;  a  striking  piece of   furniture   with ornate  carved  doors  and long  sliding , narrow drawers , with brass handles , which   could  have been used in  a   church  vestry to  hold   vestments  and sacred objects  ; a   very large   cane lounge ,etc.

 

 

 

The  sheer  volume   and  variety of tools , nuts, bolts, screws ,  anchors,  washers ,  lengths  of  shim , grinders, oars ,  hammers , tool boxes ,  ladders ,  handy lengths of  timber and  metal,   block  and tackle sets  , spanners ,   work benches,   rope , chains   is   impressive.      

Interesting  Huon Pine  , lockable  drawers

VALE MARTIN WESLEY-SMITH ,ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S THREE DASHING MUSKETEERS

Longtime   East Timor   supporter, Martin  Wesley-Smith  ,  74,  died  last Thursday  at  Kangaroo  Valley , NSW  .  He  and his twin brother , Peter, a  former  Hong Kong  University professor,   and   older  sibling,  Robert , a  Darwin agronomist,   had   all   been  awarded   medals  by  the   Timor-Leste   government  for  their  extensive  help  in  the  long and  bloody  struggle  for   freedom  and  continuing  help  in  the  years  after.

 

President  Jose Ramos Horta in 2008   said  Martin was   a true creator , activist and  humanitarian ; he and  his  brothers  treasures  of  the country .

 

Martin produced  a  number of  works  about  East Timor, at times  incorporating  Peter's word skills , ideas  from Rob , who had been involved     with  East Timor  from the  very earliest, one time arrested  at gunpoint   in  Darwin Harbour   while  attempting to run medical  supplies to the besieged  country .  Martin's   East Timor  archive ,   ranging    from opera to classical  compositions  and   librettos, is in the National   Film  and Sound   Archives , Canberra .

 One  , Balibo , for flute and tape ,   about  the  Balibo  Five, the Australian  journalists  murdered by  Indonesians   during  the  invasion of the former Portuguese  colony , opened with  a  recording  of  reporter  Greg Shackleton  speaking .

 

In 1988 ,  Martin was awarded the   Australia Medal  for services to music , composition , scriptwriting,  children's  songwriting , lecturing , presentation  of multi-media  concerts  and   being  a  member of   various  Australia Council  boards  and   committees  .

Internationally regarded  , he spent 30 years at  the   Sydney Conservatorium of  Music   where  in  1974  he  created  the   inaugural  electronic   music studio . A keen       banjo player , republican  and     campaigner  for   many causes  , Martin had a  very personal   link   with  a  popular  Australian   children's  television   star  , Humphrey  B. Bear ... he  married   Ann North , a  presenter  of the  Channel Niners   , Adelaide,    who was on  duty   May  24, l965 , the  first day that the  bear  appeared   on screen  ,  going  on to become an international hit , extremely  popular   in  America .

 

It has   even  been suggested that  in the early days of Humphrey's career , Martin  may  actually have  been the person inside  Humphrey 's   suit (highly unlikely ) ,   and  also  wrote  songs  for the  show .   Long  ago , this blog posted the fact that  an  early linotype operator  at   the Northern Territory  News, Timmy  Forday , who became a successful  Darwin businessman ,  had the   Humphrey B. Bear  franchise for   the city , his visit  attracting  large  crowds . 
 

In March  l986  the twins produced the two hour musical  fantasy , Boojum!,inspired by Lewis  Carroll's  poem    The Hunting of the Snark  , which was  premiered at the Adelaide  Festival of  Arts  before  the  Queen   and  the Duke of  Edinburgh.

Martin and  Peter  or  Peter and Martin .

In  a special tribute to   Martin , the  ABC's  Radio National Music Show  recalled the response  of  the  Queen and  the  Duke  to  the  performance .   Both  brothers were dressed in  identical  dark suits  and  the  Duke   supposedly  pointed at  the twins , said  he  got  the  message - which  one  was  Tweedledee and which one  Tweedledum?   Boojum!  got a run in San Diego and Chicago . Recently performed by the   SA State Opera, it was   described in a review as one of the true masterpieces of  the Australian stage . The answer    to  a  choral   piece  by  Martin  - Who Killed Cock Robin ?- was pesticides.
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Cover of  record  cut   by early   Adelaide    musical trio called The  Wesley Three  , showing Wesley-Smith  twins   flanking    Keith Conlon  who became a well  known  broadcaster  in  the  city  of  churches.

Still  Crusading

Rob Wesley-Smith  recently attended  and  spoke  at a  Darwin  demonstration against the  proposed  government  deportation of  the  Sri  Lankan  family   from   Biloela , Queensland .

SCOMO AND TRUMP SIMIAN SCENARIO CAPTURED BY BRILLIANT BRUSHMAN

One of  Australia's  great cartoonists  , almost  certainly  to  be deported to Christmas Island , hooded and  chained up  in  a new   underground , tidal cell, constructed at a cost of  $50million  , managed  to   distil   the mad , mad   , mad   world   situation   in  this   brilliant   illustration , viewed  on  the ABC  Insiders .  The  Big Apple tourist  at the front of the drawing  is believed to be  a  failed   New    Zealand  advertising  man  from  Cronulla , a   town in  the   South Island ,  soon  to  be   inundated  by  rising   sea  levels .

BEASTS OF BURDEN MUSIC

Asian  bell  collection  in  North  Queensland.

Largest  at  top for elephants , rest   buffalo  and   cow . Vallis photograph .

SPIDER MAN DISAPPEARS

 

Vallis series .

GHOST FLEET LEAVES SKIDMARK

Another Shipping Reporter  Scoop

Our waterfront  roundsman has been so busy in the leaky  office coracle checking on  vessels  that  go unreported  by the Townsville media that he has developed muscles  like Popeye the Sailorman  after downing  a slab of  spinach juice.

 There must be  a human  interest story  in  an  Italian registered bulk carrier     called  Miss  Simona . An  all  girl crew ?  How did  it get its name ?

A short distance away, above,  was  the Chinese livestock  carrier ,  Nine Eagle .  Many years ago, vessels  which called  into Darwin , in the Northern Territory,  were said to   bring  in  Nine Dog , a  Chinese aphrodisiac  . Across the way  was  another  cattle boat ,  the  Gloucester Express, sporting   Singapore. Two cattle boats in port ... could  be a  story for a  cadet  reporter , or  an  unpaid intern.

 

 Also in port  the same day was the interestingly  named  Pos  Oceania,  a   bulk  carrier sailing under the  flag of the Marshall Islands. 

Flying the Norwegian flag  was  the chemical / oil  tanker, Champion Concept . 

But what about the skidmark  mentioned  in the  heading ?  It is a yacht     which was  chugging  out to sea  at the  time . At Horseshoe Bay , Magnetic Island ,  a   Skidmark is fondly  remembered as one of the many yachts which dropped in    from   near   and far  over  the  years .

 

The Shipping Reporter  nearly fell out of the  coracle  and  narrowly  avoided  making  a skidmark  when he was  buzzed by a low flying  RAAF jet  fighter in Cleveland Bay , but  managed  to  jump  up  out of  the bilge  and  snap  the  plane  as  it  roared  in  to  land   at  Townsville .

NEWS TIP : INTERESTING CHINESE TUTOR OFFER AT UNIVERSITY

In a city in which much of the  soggy stuff dished up by the media looks as though it came from the  same  Chinese steam  laundry , this is pinned to the  James Cook University,Townsville  , student union notice board.

NEWSPAPER MARCHES TO A DISTANT DRUM

The  Murdoch  Townsville Bulletin coverage of the School Strike 4  march in  the city on September  20  inexplicably  ran   a  photograph of the  event in   Brisbane . The  Townsville  march, involving hundreds of students,  started   on The Strand    where  the paper  regularly sends a  photographer to take snaps , often  of  visiting  eye  candy , for a   weather  story , so why  did it  not  feature   locals   marching  for a very worthy cause , part  of  a  massive  international  news event  ?

The  paper  often runs   anti  ALP   stories  and  text messages    in which the Queensland   government is  accused  of  only being interested   in  Brisbane  and the  south east of the  state , plus  recent  crazy  calls for   a separate northern state   to  overcome  claimed   neglect  of   the   area .  Yet  locals   gather  for  a   news  event   in Townsville  and  the local paper , with its  we   luv yuz  all  slogan ,  runs  a  pic  from  Brisbane !!!

 

It was stated this week  in the lively  online  Townsville Magpie  that a  team  from Murdoch headquarters, Sydney, recently came to  Townsville to  show the  paper  how to write stories , which   gives the  impression  the local  paper is being run by  an  antipodean  rum corps , part  of  a  large  syndicated  news  machine. Is that why the front page and  news treatment  is starting  to resemble   the Sydney Telegraph ,  the  subject of derision by Shaun Micaleff    in  the ABC's   Mad as Hell ? 

 

Other local   news   stories , mitt   pix, the Bulletin   misses out on  are many . There is Townsville's drunken  former post office tower  clock , now The Brewery building ,   which  has  been malfunctioning   for  aeons  , even  noticed by clock watching  British   television   presenter   Tony  Robinson when he  strolled through  the   Queen City  of  the North   some  years ago .

Our  Shipping  Reporter  took  this  recent  arty  shot of  one of  the tipsy   clock faces , showing  the  wrong  time , naturally . A great  advertisement for the city. Warming to the subject of missed  photo opportunities  , the Shipping  Reporter  insisted the  paper's repeated failure to pick up the neglect of  war  memorials  in this  garrison city  should be included  in  the  list  .

 

 In  particular,  he mentioned the Victory in the Pacific Memorial  Fountain , just down the road from the Townsville  Bulletin office .The  truth is that not only the Bulletin but other  media  outfits  , somehow ,   have not  picked  up  these stories

And  then there is poor old Billy Bombax , the Giant  of  Northern Sustainability , in Anderson Park   , whose limbs  and even his face   have   been removed in  ghastly operations , without  the   media  twigging. 

CHRISTMAS CAROL HUMBUG ; SANTA'S HELPERS IN COURT

Christmas  party  bookings   at  a popular  Magnetic Island restaurant  are being refused because  three  members  of   the   family  running   the  business have   received  notices  for   Townsville jury  service  in  the latter part of November .    

POP ART IN AUSTRALIA

A  Chicko    Roll  wrapper  found in Melbourne's General Cemetery   and  miscellaneous  discarded  items picked up   in Alice Springs and Ayers Rock -Uluru - contributed  to  an  unusual  entry in  the October   l978   Lost  and  Found : Objects and  Images  art  exhibition at the  Ewing  and  George  Paton  Galleries ,  Melbourne University Union . A  rare  catalogue for  the event  was  included in  the  collection of  Australian   art  researcher , the late  Margaret  Vine ,  of  Magnetic Island, Queensland . 

 

 Artist John Wolseley, who emigrated to Australia  in l976, obtained inspiration for  the  above  work , entitled  Panel for Diorama of Uluru ( Ayers Rock ) ,said to be  exhibited at the Macchu Pinca Museum  of Religion , Tierra de la Piedro  Oscura ,  from items collected   in  various  places . Apart  from  the Chicko Roll  wrapper   at the  cemetery, there he  also found   a Carlton Football Club passout  and a cardboard  box  for a  Kookaburra  cricket ball .
 

On a run   from Dalgety Street , St. Kilda , Melbourne , to the yacht marina  and back , he collected  empty plastic  cordial containers , an   early  l960s space rocket  and  part of a  ship's rudder.A piece of   cut  up   woman's  tights  had been  rejected .

 

Switching to the  Northern Territory  for additional oddments and inspiration  , he slept on  an outcrop at the Alice Springs  Golf Course  and  found a Dunlop 65  ball ; the dried up  Finke River produced  an  Alectoria  Superba  grasshopper , part of a  cicada  wing ,  five discarded  Polaroid  camera  pieces , a  Ring-tailed Dragon , Amphibolouris  Cardosinctus , a heat twisted  rubber shoe  and a Desert  Goby (fish) ,Chlamydogobius  Eremius  .

 

While walking in Mulga scrub near the Ayers Rock tourist bus  stop  he spotted  five pieces of tourist  brochures, a Dragonfly   nymph skin , a 100g Rocky Road chocolate wrapper, a water dragon , two Riverside Studios Pty. Ltd. postcards , a giant centipede  (seven inches ) and  24 "sloughed " Polaroid bits .

 

In the foreword  Janine Burke  said the exhibition , assisted by Sunday and John Reed , who presented their collection of Australian art, including Sidney Nolan's  first series of Ned Kelly paintings, to the Museum of Modern Art and Design  in l958, explained  the  event . 


The entire  exhibition  was about the transformation  of found objects  , personal memorabilia , magazine  advertisements , newspaper  photographs, labels  and other flotsam and jetsam of a consumer  society  salvaged and  recycled  by    11   artists in a  way that was a comment  on  both  their art   and on the   society that informs  and  influences that  art . 
 

She went on to say the Australian pop art movement had been  a fugitive one during the sixties  , headed  by a small group in Sydney  and  Melbourne . The exhibition began "historically "  with    assemblages  by  Mike  Brown, born Sydney 1938,   and paintings of   Richard   Larter, born in the URK , a deliberate  misprint , who  came to Australia in  the l960s , later producing  art with the  help of  syringes . 


Both  he and  Brown  had opted for a freewheeling  response  to society and  sexuality, parodying  through juxtaposition  and choice   of  image  a barrage of media-created  voyeuristic  fantasies.   The  Vietnam  War   and   the  My Lai massacre   were   subjects  for  Larter.    

 

Vicki Varvaresso , from Sydney , described as heir to that city's tradition of  funky, pop influenced   art , acknowledged in Make Your Face   the Focal Point  This Season -below-that  the  power of  advertising  is insidious.  The central figure's face  is  hidden from  view , only her reflection seen -the self image she desired  with its  Maclean's smile and Decore   blonde  hair . 

According to the  dictates of fashion , a woman  was  always a reflection, narcissistic , chameleon-like, changing  hair-cut , make-up  and clothes  for the latest  and  chic-est style . Identity was sacrificed  to  these demands  and each  season  produced  new women to  match .   

 

 Part time lecturer   at the Victorian College of Arts ,   Elizabeth Gower   used  materials such as tissue, newsprint, wax paper , resin, paint and some   found objects . Her exhibition  , Labels, socked home  the  brash , immediate  impact of supermarket   shopping  .  

A lecturer in printmaking at the Canberra  School of Art ,Mandy Martin  provided  the silkscreen Unknown Industrial Prisoner 1977 ,inspired by David Ireland's  Miles Franklin  Award  winning  Australian novel . Showing a  worker being  hauled away in the background , it  could be used to symbolise the  government's  proposed  new  union  bashing  laws.

 

CURLEW MIRACLE BIRTH ; OTHER ROYAL ARRIVALS ; PUZZLING THUMPS ON THE ROOF

A n unexpected  surprise  happened on the way to  the  wheelie bin . A  Bush-stone Curlew hissed  - and  there  was  a  chick . Surprise, surprise . A little more than a   month  ago   two  sittings  of   Curlews  failed  to produce   one   surviving   hatchling. In the past two weeks "our" pair  of  resident  Curlews  have been acting  strangely ,  disappearing , in  recent days not   even turning up for a feed  at  regular times .  They have  been spotted  in an adjoining property where  they  have  laid  eggs in  the  past  .

The  welcome  chick  is  from  a couple which  persist in nesting in a dangerous spot next to the road ,   visible to  winged  predators ,  a  stray cat seen twice nearby ,  chased  down  a  drain . 

 

In other nature  news, the Queen of the Jungle  reports that  she spotted the first  annual   arrival   of   a  Torres  Strait  Pigeon  on  the island and  heard   the distinctive call of the  Storm Cuckoo, which lays its eggs in the  nests of  Currawongs and   Crows . Another small  snake was  seen  in a  rockery  on  our  patch .  

 

Now and  again   the  locked  car  alarm  has been going off for no apparent reason . It raised  the possibility that  the  larger snake   seen   nearby may have taken  up  residence inside  the  warm  interior .  An  under bonnet  check with  a  powerful  torch  failed to  locate  any  such unwelcome  squatter . 

 

While sitting in the Little Darwin  cluttered  den  several  thumps were   heard  on the roof , perhaps  a  possum , a  heavy footed  bird ?   Investigating, walking up the backyard   to  get a   view  of  the  roof, something  black was  seen  curled up on the roofing iron  . It surely could not be a   sunbaking  serpent ?

Standing on a chair , with a   rake , this blogger poked  the mystery object  and    pulled  it down - a rolled up   length of   thin  black  garden  hose !  Not ours . How did it   get up there ? Incidentally , the   white  object in the Curlew photo is a   dry leaf. It is to be hoped that the  Storm Bird   call means that we are going to get   some  rain  pronto .  A Sunbird  suddenly appeared near an abandoned  nest on  the back verandah ,  delivered  a  serenade like a   canary , darted away .   

AN ABUNDANCE OF STORIES

Little Darwin is  experiencing  a  veritable  avalanche  of  material - interesting books and  ephemera, nautical  yarns and  photographs  collected by our Shipping Reporter , pictorial   studies  by  Abra  and  Vallis , reports from   roaming  correspondents , the Queen of the Jungle phoning in nature  notes .

A researcher friend added to the pile  by  producing   seven magazines from a  series of  12   about  the  early days of North Queensland  produced by the  Cairns Post in 2009 to mark Queensland's 150th anniversary. Making great use of early photographs , information supplied by  descendants  of   settlers  and  the   Cairns Historical  Society , the publications make   a good read . The fabulous Palmer River goldrush ,  cane cutters of  Babinda  and  Gordonvale ,  tin mining  and  the first  charter boat service to Green Island  feature in the  magazines along  with a wealth  of  other  information.

The editor, designer and series researcher was   Cal Lindsay ; additional  research provided  by  longtime  Cairns   journalist Alan Hudson . One of the contributors , Alec  Martin, almost certainly was a  former  Northern Territory News, Darwin, reporter .      

PARIS MARKET SPECIALS

Our roving  correspondents  visited  the famous  whopper  market at the weekend and  photographed   various  items of interest  , one   this  grand chair  , price   a mere  1200Euros , 800 Euros delivery . 

 For the  struggling   artist  living in  a dark and  dank   attic , the  following  items  would ease   the strain . Apart from  a  nice lamp ,  the  "table mecanique " , translated  into English,  a trolley ,  comes  with   two  decanters , one possibly a ship's decanter ,  in  which  to  store  the  absinthe  and  cheap  plonk .  

 

SIGMUND FREUD IN THE TROPICS

The   strange   case  of   the   fire  eating  grandma

 

It was a  special event : taken on a trip to see  the new  raven -haired  great granddaughter  and  attend  a party  for  her  two year old  lively brother . After viewing the baby  and  waiting   for others to arrive , and   the  party  to start , this  blogger decided to  slip  away  on  foot   for a short time  to  peruse  nearby op  shops in the  hunt  for offbeat books  and oddities  to  feed  his   obsession .

 

 Excuse  the pun,  it  proved to be a  Freudian slip in more ways than one  . Plucked  from  a large array of  books, magazines and   DVDs    in  a Vinnies  store  was     none other  than   Sigmund  Freud's own autobiographical study, published by Leonard and  Virginia Woolf, at the Hogarth Press , London , and the  Institute of Psycho-Analysis , in l936. It bore the trade sticker  of  Dymock's   Book  Arcade , Sydney , and the name of  a  previous owner , O. Lansley .   

 

The Penguin Century of Australian Stories , edited by Carmel Bird , with an introduction by Kerryn Goldsworthy ,733pp, dustjacket , Viking Press ,   2000 , full of interesting yarns  and author  info  , including  an  old friend , the late  Xavier Herbert , was bought .  Surprisingly ,  it  included  a story  entitled 'LIFE PROBABLY SAVED BY IMBECILE DWARF',  by novelist and academic  Gail Jones ,the scenario   Sigmund  Freud   in hospital in  Vienna  suffering  from  cancer . Jones  had  won  the  Steele  Rudd  Award.

 

With  these  , and  a  few other finds, shuffled  back to the  house   for the birthday  party, which included a  barbecue .  Grandmother  was given some powerful  North Queensland  chilli sauce , named Scorpion Sting ,  and  warned  that it was extremely hot . To demonstrate its potency,  grandson  ate  a  tiny amount  and immediately his  face went red , his eyes  and  nose watered .  Regardless  of    repeated   verbal  warning  and   the evidence of its  effect  on   the grandson , she downed her spoonful  in  one hit ,without any fiery reaction .    Freud would probably have diagnosed  it  as  a  case  of    mind  over  matter . She did, however, mix it with a piece of  sausage  and  some sauerkraut .             

PRESIDENT TRUMP KINDLY OFFERS TO NUKE GREAT BARRIER REEF

In another brain storm , Donald Trump raised the possibility of using nuclear bombs to  weaken  hurricanes . --- News reports.  

 

 

WASHINGTON: In  a  special friendly  gesture  to Australia's Prime Minister, Scott  Morrison, US President  Donald  Trump  has  offered  to  drop  an H-bomb on  the  Coral Sea  during  the first cyclone of  the season .  

 

The president confidently predicts  a  megaton  bomb  would  turn a devastating  Aussie cyclone  into a  mere  zephyr. While  playing   with  his Twitter  button , President   Trump exclusively   told  Little Darwin   another benefit of a   nuclear   blast in the Pacific  would  be the  extermination  of  the   crown  of   thorns  which  are   chomping  the   daylights  out of  the  reef .

As a  special privilege , President Trump  showed  this  blog the  above   top secret and classified  photograph of  a   rusty  H-bomb , way past its use by date , with attached Chinese chopsticks for the post-big bang  15 course  banquet in the Taiping Café,  which  he  proposes  dropping  on  his closest ally-us- at the first opportunity . It will carry his special  message  to the Land Down Under : From Donald , With Love and  Gropes   . It is similar to   nuclear devices  which  Australian  mining magnate Lang Hancock  wanted  to use  to free up ore deposits  and  blast  out  new  export  ports  in   Western Australian. 

 President Trump  admits  that  there   could be unfortunate   collateral  damage amongst Queensland   cane farmers  when a  bomb  goes  off .  He  strongly suggests  they should  stop taking  part in the  highly organised and over-blown   campaign  against the   Queensland  ALP   government   , which  has passed a  new  law  to further  improve the  quality   of   runoff   into the   Barrier Reef , instead   run  for  the  hills , take refuge under a kitchen  table ,  or  jump  into  a  lead lined  deep bunker . 

SHE'S APPLES IN BOWERBIRD'S PLASTIC WONDERLAND

It seems  Australia has an answer to  America's   Johnny Appleseed who wondered about the countryside  establishing   nurseries  in which  apple trees   were  planted  to  provide  income   and   tucker   for  early  settlers.

 

In the  Townsville  area   is  a  Bowerbird  nest  which now sports  two  green apples  in  its  huge  array of  collected   plastic   scattered about  its territory  . The apples are visible in this  exclusive photograph  , along with a Coca-Cola bottle top and  numerous  other objects ; the nest below.   

 

ASSORTED SNORKELS

 

Vallis  photographs.Queensland waters.

EAGLE BOYS SHOCK HORROR TROPICAL HOME DELIVERY

A Sydney  woman  will  never forget her  visit    to  Magnetic Island , North Queensland . At  Picnic Bay,  a large eagle swooped down ,  grabbed  her  small pet  dog  , and flew off   with  the unfortunate  animal . There are several  large  raptor nests on the island , one  spotted  , below,  with a    hungry looking   eaglet  peeping over  the  side, waiting  for  parents to  bring  home  the  bacon ,  piglet  or  some  other  four  legged morsel .

   

LONG RUNNING ACCIDENT SCENE ; FLINTSTONE WRECK

One of the unexpected sights of Magnetic Island  is this  badly  damaged car down the side of the road  near  Olympus Crescent , Alma Bay . It has been there for about two months . Use your imagination and , not far away , you can  spot another  damaged   vehicle  at   the  Fred Flintstone  car  wrecking   yard and gravel pit.

A VISIT FROM NORFOLK

Our alert  Shipping Reporter , the only one north of  the  Mason- Dixon Line , photographed  the  latest arrival in Townsville's Ghost Fleet  , the many vessels not   noticed by the local media , the  hydrographic  survey craft, Norfolk . It was  spotted steaming in and out of the Magnetic Island  harbour . Tip for mainland media : could be  an interesting  story .  

UNUSUAL TRAVELLING ROAD SHOW

A  car plastered with  signs  that  mention  Jesus,   Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton    and  Barack Obama   is   attracting  much attention on Magnetic Island .  The  Titanic   also features in the messages , along with  a former island resident , Julian Assange, of  Wikileaks  fame  , who seems to be described  on  the   car  as  a  hero . Is  it  possible that Trump is  presented  as   a  genius ?