ADRIFT WITH UNATTACHED MERMAID AND WHITE HORSES IN CYCLONIC WEATHER : SHIPPING REPORTER PHOTOGRAPHS

 

WORLD SCOOP : FIRST FLEET FLYING ABORIGINAL FLAG PHOTOGRAPHED DOCKING IN CHARCOALBURGER LAND

BRISVEGAS: Photo by Catnapper

 

DRAGONFLY'S LAST FLIGHT

 

THE ADVENTURES OF DRIPALONG HOPITY AND AMIGO IN THE WILD WET SHOOT OUT

 

JUNGLE JUICE ,LILLY PILLY OR MANNA FROM HEAVEN DURING MONSOON ?

 

TIMOR LESTE SEARCH FOR TRUTH FILM

 

Dili Film Works and FairTrade Films have started a new cloudfunding campaign to complete The Circle of  Silence (aka Age of Living Dangerously).The film is the cold case investigation based on Shirley Shackleton's Walkley Award winning book  on the   Balibo Five murders, Greg Shackleton  one of the five Australian based journalists murdered in Balibo, Portuguese Timor, by Indonesian  soldiers.

MARS ROVER PICKS UP PASSENGER

 

ALMA FISH AND FLOTSAM

 

CAPE YORK AFTER DELUGE : ABRA AERIALS

 

POTTED SNAPDRAGON

 

To meet the requirement to muzzle all dogs travelling on the ferry service between Townsville and Magnetic Island , Bubbles  wore a   flowerplot  and  attracted  much attention .Vallis snap .

MARINE SCENE: CAIRNS TO TOWNSVILLE WITH MAST OF STAYPUT SUNKEN YACHT

BATH HOUSES FOR ROAMIN' CURLEWS

 

In  top  photo  an  adult  Curlew  watches  over  a  fluffy chick . Vallis photos. 

ISLAND BUILDING ACTIVITY

 While the normally busy Scallywags cafe (above )  on  Magnetic  Island  has closed down for its annual  break ,  new  ventures  are  underway . In  a few  weeks , a prefabricated  building is expected to  arrive from  Brisbane  to  provide two  commercial  offices on  a  location at  the corner of  Kelly and  Sooning  Streets , where  trees  were recently cleared . It  is  near the  Nelly Bay Foodworks   shopping centre ,  across  the  road  from  the  medical  centre . 

There is  also talk  that a  Melbourne developer has plans for  the  Picnic  Bay  arcade  which  includes adding  another  floor  to the  building and a boutique brewery  . The  mini  golf course  at  Nelly Bay  and  associated  shop  is   nearing   completion .

The former bakery at Nelly Bay  is being  fitted  out  for the much bigger  Vinnies  op shop and should be open in a week or so. 

BIRD ON CORAL SHINGLE BEACH /SAVE THE QUOLLS / TURTLES IN THE SWIM

On the subject of  wildlife , the  ABC has to be congratulated for its superb series  Australia Remastered, 50 years of natural history unit films ,  presented  and  narrated  by  Aaron Pedersen . Very informative 

Another great  ABC television  show   was   the   international  co-production,  Quoll Farm , by  filmmaker Simon Plowright , resulting from  living with the endearing   critters   for  a  year  in  an  abandoned  farm  in Tasmania 

Word  has  just come through  that  32 turtles  hatched   from a  nest  at  Nelly Bay,  Magnetic Island .

EXPLORING FITZROY ISLAND ON FOOT

 

Jane's  shipping  and   transport .

TERRITORY  CONNECTION : Fitzroy Island Resort,12 hectares , was bought by  Darwin property developer Doug Gamble for about $9million  in 2010, on the market in 2016  for  an  estimated  $30million , for  sale   again  in   2019.  

MERMAID AND DEADLY SNAKE WATCH

Magnetic Island's mysterious  fibreglass  mermaid  ,who subsequently had  her  arms  and  head ripped off by unknown persons , is looking  even  more worn  after  being  buffeted  by  the  recent violent electrical storm ,says our Shipping Reporter , the only one north of Curl Curl .Risking life and limb ,he recently hopped about  on his wonky leg  with   the  nearby rock wallabies  to  get  the  above  photograph of  the poor mermaid . Even in her mutilated shape  the mermaid  is  still  luring  lusty , unsuspecting mariners to  their  doom  on the rocks .

 

You might wonder why the Townville media did not cover the mermaid in depth (fathoms ) . I mean , it is not every day that a  mermaid  turns up at the entrance of a  major tourist attraction ,without  getting  a big run  and   follow ups, especially when  mutilated .

But then , our Shipping Reporter  can't  believe  that today he  was told   a man  had  been  bitten  by  a  highly venomous  eastern  brown  snake  in  the  palliative  care  hospital  and the  Townsville   media   has   not  picked  up   the  amazing   story !!!. More later .

Shipping Reporter snap  of  dangerous  mermaid  spot.

RAIN BRINGS OUT BLOSSOMS , BIRDS , BUTTERFLIES , BEES AND BEETLES

 

ESCAPE TO FITZROY ISLAND

 

On  Great Barrier Reef , 45 minutes by boat from Cairns. Photos by  Jane, Leeanne  

FISHERMAN'S PARADISE

 Perched  on  foreshore  rocks  so  close  to  the sea  that   king-tides  lap  at   the   lounge   is   the  so  called "Blue  House " at   Cockle  Bay  , Magnetic  Island  , with  spectacular   marine   and  mainland  views .. 

The above early  painting shows the building in its prime location on the water's edge , before it became  blue . The   following illustration is from  a  newspaper cutting  stating  fisherman  A. J.  "Berg " Morris   had  built  the  hut  by 1942. Following  its sale in 1958 , a lease was obtained over  three perches , there  being additions  and  improvements .

The lounge (below ),fishing rods visible outside  on the deck plus  filleting facilities ,  provides    panoramic  views   night  and  day  of    Townville ,  passing  yachts,  small  boats  and  ferries .

  

Townsville by  night . Simone photograph. 

 It   made  an  ideal  location  for  Yvonne Carlos ,of  Melbourne , to celebrate her  80th birthday  with   family  members   from  Tasmania  and  the  island, plus the Queen of the Jungle .Plans to  fly in a  Mexican mariachi band for  the birthday bash , naturally , had  to  be  cancelled .

 . 

Tide out .

High tide . Simone.