FLYING INTO SNAKY LOOKING CAIRNS

There  appears to be  a snake carved into the ridge  in  the  foreground , like  the  famous   ancient   chalk  horses  cut   into  hills  in  England. 

 

Flight of  fancy  by  Aeronautical Correspondent, Abra . 

MELBOURNE CUP SPECIAL WITH RELIGIOUS ADVICE FOR SINFUL PUNTERS

 On the  eve of  the  Melbourne Cup,  Douglas Stewart Fine Books , Melbourne , is  offering   this original photograph of  Phar Lap taken  at Bacchus Marsh ,Melbourne, in  March  1931 , before  departing  for  America , priced at  $1800. The  boy in  the  snap  on  the   famous horse, which came to grief in the USA , is  Gerald Telford,  son of  trainer , Harry Telford . 

Another offering , at $300, is   the  idiosyncratic  religious  anti-gambling tract, published in Sydney in 1928, written by Reverend Wyndham Selfe  Heathcote , said to come complete with an extraordinary dream of The Cosmic  Mystery  Cup  run  at   Randwick . 

Hands up how many people  know  Phar  Lap,winner of the l930 Melbourne Cup , with a lot of lead in the saddle ,   was  a Kiwi horse  sired by  Night  Raid   out  of  the Winkie  mare  Entreaty ?   

SWEATY NATURE NOTES

 It has been so hot and   humid  of  late  that   Crows, beaks agape,  have been  seen  plunging  into  the   Curlew   baby  bath  for   relief . 

Of  course,   this upsets  the  male  Curlew  in  particular  , who charges  at  them , causing  this  blogger  to  join   in ,   bark  like a  dog , wave  a  broom  ,  to scare them off   as  they  eat  small  birds ,including  young  Curlews  .  

 On inspection ,the bird bath, above ,   did not  look  like  anything Cleopatra would   splash about  in , showing  signs  of   green  slime , fallen  leaves  and   sticks   floating  about, so it was   tipped out , scrubbed , refilled  .

All this sloshing about of water  attracted   a wide variety of   flying  insects, expecially  butterflies . 

It was  so  hot , the  workaholic  Sunbirds ,   usually seen darting backwards and forwards to the new nest under construction  on  the back verandah ,  seemed to  have   packed up  and   departed  for  a  cooler  clime.   Leaves cascading   down   from   trees .  

JEWEL IN THE CROWN WITH PEARL

Distant Magnetic Island. Another photographic gem by Aeronautical Correspondent , Abra .

BIG WET COMING ?

 Born  during  the  current  heatwave , the latest  Curlew chicks  are  bracing  for  wet  weather  , nearby Rain Orchids   covered  in  a  mass of  white  flowers , an indication of  a downpour within  days .  Already there have been two weather alerts   accompanied  by  strong  winds and  little  rain . Chick  takes shelter  under mother's  wing  below .

FRIARBIRD TUCKS INTO BOTANICAL SCULPTURE

 Artistic   Noisy  Friarbird  caught  turning   tasty  foliage  into  it's  own   image  

 

Also known as  Leatherheads , these  noisy and pugnacious  birds   have been known to damage orchards, according to Nevillle W. Cayley ,who wrote  What Bird Is That ? guide to Australian  birds.  

Travelling about in groups, they utter " an extraordinary jumble of notes " , one of  which   interpreted as  "Four -o'-clock". 

This  blogger  attests to the veracity of this observation  in the book as  their  raucous calls  start  about  daybreak and  get  louder as  the  day progresses. There  are at least two of  their nests on  the  property .   

CASTLE HILL ABLAZE

 

Pyrotechnics  by  Abbra .

SUNRISE NEAR MAGNETIC ISLAND

Abra photo.

 

SHIMMERING SHAPES

Vallis.

 

CAIRNS : MUDFLATS , CLOUDS , VIKINGS

 

Abra   pix .

BUDGET BABES IN THE WOODS

 While Dr Jim Chalmers   was delivering    his  bread  and butter   budget  and   a ghastly breech birth was   witnessed   on   Call  The   Midwife ,  our  resident    Curlews  produced  two  more  chicks . Here  they  are   close   to  mother's   protective   tail  and  wing  .

An  adventurous  one  went  for a   dangerous    walk  in the   economic  jungle  ,  killer   Crows  heard   karking    like   the   Coalition .

 

FLOATING DESERT ROSES

 

Vallis.

WHY DID THE COUCAL CROSS THE ROAD ?

 To   escape  screeching  , dive-bombing  Plovers.  

Forced back several times,   under  attack young  Coucal   finally managed to   head   for   the  tall   timber on  Magnetic  Island  . A Darwin correspondent , Bob White, informs us  that there are three  pair of  Plovers  outside the Parap Bottle Shop, another two  pair outside  the  Hearing Clinic  carpark , who give passers- by the hurry  up . He  has  dubbed  them  The  Security Guards.    

DAVID ROWE'S DARING BIRD RUFFLES CIVIC FEATHERS IN THE WETLANDS

 A  stand out  drawing  ,above,  in the  Seventh  Hinchinbrook Birdlife  Art Award Exhibition in  Ingham, North Queensland , demands  attention. The central figure appears to be  an odd  looking  bird, with a  part human torso ,   exposed in the nether region , surrounded by  a  mass of   humanity  engaged  in  startling   activities  .

A  quirky  title  adds  to the puzzlement.  It  reads : Transition Fluff-They Stole Our   Wine   the  Hinchinbrook  Way.

 Clearly  there  is  a  story  here . Who is the artist  ?- David Rowe  !!!! 

Surely not  David Rowe, whose out of this world  cartoons  feature in the Australian Financial Review  and   regularly gets a run   in the Talking Pictures segment conducted by Peter Bowers  in  the  ABC  Insiders  ? No . Another talented  local  artist   with  the  same  dazzling , artistic  DNA , who runs  the  Picture This  Framed   Gallery   and   framing  business  in Ingham.

 

It turns out this unique drawing  , displayed   here  for the first time, is a protest  by  the artist   about  what  is  considered  the civic  take over of   the art  business  by  refusing  permission   for  wine  to  be  served   by  artists at   art   launchings in  the  regional  gallery .

David wisely  pointed out the  famous  Harvard School of Business  Economics  states   that   providing  wine  at  an art  exhibition  helps  loosen  wallets , lubricate the economy .   He  sent   the   following   explanation  of   his  drawing  , the   central  figure  Spoonbill Man . 

Illustration  Description : 

This illustration compounds the very idea how  we  perceive  the immense  

freedom that our  feathered  friends  have .

In an artist's life freedom is paramount to our creativity as well as our existence . With the  growing corrupted political correctiveness   and  stiflisation of  that  existence, the profound  Spoonbill Man , the stirrer of freedom ,  gathers  many  beautiful bottles  in  his right wing  and fills them with his  wonderful  penis  elixir .

With his left wing , he protects  the naked artists with  their  beautiful breasts  who enjoy the content  from  these  vessels.

Unfortunately, the politicians  arrive and realise  the production  and  distribution of the elixir is not being  monitored  and cannot be taxed for revenue. 

Accordingly , the police are called and are ordered  to stop  this insidious activity  and have the creature imprisoned . While this is occurring , the back up police SWAT  team realise how valuable  this freedom is and begin to strip  off  and  join  the  freedom  revolution  revelation . 

This  is  the Hinchinbrook  Waywardness.

" HIGHLY EVOCATIVE AND VIRTUALLY UNIQUE PIECE OF ANZAC EPHEMERA "

 

One of the many great  offerings by Douglas Stewart  Fine Books, Melbourne, at the  revived  Sydney  Rare Book Fair  to be held  at the weekend  will  be   the above  improvised  postcard , made  on Active Service on  Gallipoli    from  a  souvenired Ottoman Turkish soap  packet , passed by the  censor . Sale  price : $1500.

 It was  sent  in  June  l915   by"  Arthur" to  aunt Ada , Mrs S. S. Clarke , in the  Auckland   suburb of   Ponsonby .

In it  he says he received her letters and a parcel , that  they were under fire  but  well ,  he  had not been  able to  find out  about  a  person   called  Robert . 

 The bookshop  supplied   further research about the offering and other   wartime  postcards, which follows.  

While the use of improvised postcards by Anzac soldiers on Gallipoli is well attested – the earliest recorded example is dated 29 May and the latest, 3 August 1915 – it is estimated that only 25 made and sent by New Zealanders have survived. 

Even more significant, however, is the fact that the present example is one of only two known instances of a postcard being created from Turkish packaging “captured” on Gallipoli. (Note: the other such example, previously in the esteemed postal history collections of Gordon Darge and Gary Diffen, was apparently made from the other half of the same soap packet).

The New Zealand Expeditionary Force initially comprised a single infantry brigade of around 4000 men. Each of New Zealand’s four military districts – Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago – contributed a battalion of 1000 men to the brigade, which served in the Gallipoli campaign between April and December 1915. On Gallipoli the New Zealand infantry were frequently deployed to attack Turkish trenches, usually over steep and exposed ground.

Although the sender of this card identifies himself simply as “Arthur”, we do at least know that he was the nephew of Mrs S. S. Clarke of Ponsonby, Auckland. This woman was almost certainly the widow of Stephen S. Clarke, who for years had run a business retailing perambulators on Karangahape Road, in the adjoining suburb of Newton. 

However, if Mrs Clarke was Arthur’s maternal aunt then obviously he would not share the same surname; furthermore, even though he went by the name Arthur it is possible that this was his middle name, not his first. Ironically, a Lance Corporal Arthur Clarke of the Otago Infantry Battalion was killed on 25 April 1915, the day of the first Gallipoli landings.

The bookshop pointed out  an intriguing aspect- the initials LHR -Light Horse Regiment  -  on the top left   corner  of the postcard .  It  was not clear what the  sender  , or  the  postcard  itself  had with the Australian Light Horse .

Anothe Douglas Stewart listing for the book fair ,described as an utmost rarity , is the  watercolour  , shown below,    from   Dumont d' Urville's  1826  -29  expedition to  the South Seas in the  corvette  Astrolabe.   It is  the  work  of  the official voyage artist, the  young  Louis - Auguste  de Sainson (1800-1874 } which  depicts him  in 1827  with  fellow companions  in  the rainforests of  Carteret  Harbour, New  Ireland ,  priced at  $235,000. 

FASHIONPLATE BUTTERFLY WITH MORE ACCESSORIES THAN KARDASHIAN

 

Vallis.

RELAXING RIPPLES

Vallis.

 

A TOUCH OF BALI IN QUEENSLAND

 Gradually taking  shape  on  Magnetic  Island   is  this  Bali  hut . 

SOCK IT TO ME !

 Darwin   footwear  sale  of   the  century .

HENRY KISSINGER'S " SECRETS " DISCOVERED IN STRANGE AUSTRALIAN REPOSITORY

The quaint Little  Free  Library shown  here  in the sugar town of Ingham  ,North Queensland , contained  an unexpected connection with one of the most powerful  and  controversial  men in  global  geo-politics,  Henry  Kissinger, now  99.   

A  Little  Darwin   picker  roaming   about  the   north ,  looking  for  ephemera, books  and  oddities ,  found   a   copy  inside   of  the  following    l976  book  by  American  freelance  author ,Gary Allen ,who  had  wrtiten about  the  uses and  abuses  of  great power and wealth  for  more  than  a   decade .

The dustjacket blurb describes it as one of the most important books of the decade, written by a man with  a  proven record of  ferreting  out  the facts . 

It said KIssinger , the chief architect and apologist for U.S. foreign policy , had been the  most controversial  Secretary of  State  in  America's  history.

Sensational  claims made by the investigative journalist   included  that  KIssinger  plotted to help the  Soviets achieve military superiority over   the United States ; that  Kissinger's highly touted Middle East  " shuttle diplomacy " succeeded in arming both sides  for an even bigger war  to come ... while helping the oil cartel to make  billions from  a  fake  shortage; 

The  difference between  Kissinger's rhetoric and his actions , it  continued, revealed    a  record which   was  quite  appalling .  

 Kissinger is regarded as a  war criminal by  many of those   involved in the  East Timor struggle .  It was said that Kissinger and  US President  Gerald Ford   gave the green light   for  Indonesia to invade East Timor  during  their visit  to  Jakarta  in l975. 

SUNBIRDS STAR IN HOME AND AWAY , THE BLOCK , AUSTRALIA'S GOT TALENT

 In  a  home  building   frenzy  , flights of   Sunbirds    have   been  sighted  both   searching  for  new  nest    sites and   busily  getting  on  with  the  job of   constructing    dwellings .  Some former   nest   locations  are   popular. One  bird  was   photographed  sizing  up a  televisian  aerial  atop a house  as  a  potential  nest  location  with  a   view .

A   former   nest  site , at  the end of a  clothesline , under a   back verandah , is  once  more  the  scene of   much  activity . 

Birds are  flying in with   bits  of  sticky cobweb , pieces  of   dry  grass , string   and  enegetically  weaving  it  into  the  growing, hanging    structure .   They are  not  distracted   by   humans   nearby.  Often  two at a time  , the birds   descend   on   frayed   rope  tied  about  a  shrub  and  tug out   fluffy threads  ,  possibly   good  for   soft  lining , see   below .  

The  metal  hook at  the  end   of  the   rope   below   has  been  examined  several  times ,  but  seems  not  to  fill  the  bill   for a   nest   site  .

MAGDA'S BIG HEALTH AND BIG CLOUD BUILD UP ON MAGNETIC ISLAND

Vallis .

 

NELLY'S ARTISTIC GROYNE

 On a  visit to  Magnetic Island , a  Darwin man  , whose identity shall not  be revealed  for  obvious reasons,  was  shown  the  wonders of   the  place  by our  hospitable Shipping Reporter .  Readers of  this  blog  know  Magnetic Island   is   frequently    described  as  Townsville's  jewel  in  the crown .

 One  of  the island gems  is  undoubtedly  Nelly's  Groyne ,  below, in Nelly Bay ,   a trial   structure  built  to  stop  the   harbour from  being  silted  up , in   which  the  Darwinite  was  most  interested 

As  the   Top End  visitor,  a   man of   many, many    letters , was   about to leave the  island  by  ferry , with a  leer,  waved  to the waterfront  roundsman   from  the  stern , hollered  :  "Check  out  Nelly's  Groyne , on  the  way   back !"

 A few people within  cooee   looked  askance   upon  hearing  this seemingly   lewd   instruction -  Nelly's  groin !!!!   

Anyway,   a   lot  of  sand  and  marine growth has   accumulated on  Nelly's    slippery  vital   feature  since   the  Territorian   shouted  his  uncouth  ,  double  entendre .

 So  the  Shipping   Reporter   decided  to  check out Nelly's groyne  , run  his  camera   over   her  profile  and   came  up  with an unexpected   series , some of  which  are  run  here .

 

OUT ON A LIMB STREET ART

Ingham, North Queensland .

 

A PECK OF PECKINGS

The juvenile   Curlew  which  has been strongly  told  to   leave   home  because  mother  is sitting on two  eggs   just refuses to   go  and  is   receiving   rough   treatment .  Several  times it  has been seen trying  to  once  more  get  back into  the  bossom  of   the family by   moving   ever  closer   to   mum.

However, pater , who  lurks  nearby  on  guard  ,  glares at  the  youngster and from  time to  time rushes in and  gives it  a sound pecking, causing it to run about  the   yard  squawking, father  towed  along  by  the  tail feathers .

The   ruffled  stayput  juvenile  above   had   just   been roughed  up  and  its  parent   was  snapped  below  with  a  piece of   feather in  its  beak . 

     

The  poor  kid  has  taken to  making  monotonous , sad little   cries  at  night and at times  taps on the   door of this blog  as if wanting shelter  and  another  feed.   A similar situation  is  developing with  another  Curlew  family  nearby where the  mother seems to be  showing signs of going broody.  

No sooner  had this been posted than it was discovered the Curlew had moved  nextdoor  during  last  night's  storm  and  was now finding it hard to find  its  way back home for a  feed.