SCOOPS : POLICE CALL IN WINGED WARRIOR ; ALIENS DEHYDRATED

Not so long ago , Townsville police rejected the suggestion  that  they  be  provided  with a helicopter to  fight  the upsurge in  crime . Now ,  it  can be exclusively revealed    that  in  Operation  Nil Splat - Pelicans Beware! the  Townsville  Water  Police have  secretly installed  a  high  flying   weapon  with   big  eyes  in  the  sky  to combat   baddies - a  bogus  owl   on   the Brett  Irwin  patrol boat moored  close  to  the  ferry  terminals .  The extremely  hard  to  see   owl  can  be identified  with  a  Sherlock  Holmes  magnifying  glass  in the  dead centre of  the above   photograph .

 

Triffids  Subjected  to Water  Torture 

 

In another  stunning   Walkley  Award  winning  scoop , the  above spooky  Triffids   at  James  Cook University, seen  here  normally emitting  mist,  have had  their  water  supply  cut off  . They  now stand  steamless , a  shining example to the  tasty  Townsville  human population , on  water rationing ,  to conserve  H20.

 

The seven metre high stainless  steel sculptures , by Col Henry, of  Wyong Creek , NSW,   normally  represent  Sun,  Wind and Rain, emitting unpredictable variations in solar powered  lighting, rain  in  the form of  mist  and leaves  that rattle in the wind . 

 

No  drips  visible  in  today's Triffid  family  snapshot, behind  barriers   due to extensive work being carried  out  around  and  near the  Eddie Koiki  Mabo  Memorial Library which  necessitated   cutting  off  the water  supply . Unfortunately , at  one  stage  this  caused   toilets to  shut down  on the ground floor of the library  which resulted in   what was colourfully  described  as  looking  like scenes  from the  horror movie , Day of the Triffids , as   blind humans  dashed  about  as  if   pursued   by killer  GMO  weeds  from  outer  space .     

SCOOTERING ALONG ON THE BOUNDING MAIN

Scooters , helmets , shapes  and  shadows on  way  to school . Vallis photograph

 

 

CURLEW CONCERNS GROW ; MORE SHADES OF GREY SHOWING

Gone. One day the two resident  Curlew chicks were in the relative safety of the backyard , then  they  were  missing the next morning  . Their  parents had been making it  clear to the large  chicks  that  they , like  millennials ,  should   leave   home  and  fend for themselves .  Apart  from giving the chicks  an occasional  strong  pecking , the parents , once more , were  showing  signs of  being  broodie, wanting  to  be  left  alone .

   

Two more  eggs were  laid , and  the male went on the defensive, above , when  the nesting  partner  was  approached . Once  more a  fat possum  had  to  be sent   packing when  it  upset  the nesting  Curlew at night . A large  palm  frond  fell  down  and  narrowly missed  the bird sitting on the eggs, its partner  rushing in with  wings outstretched,  hissing when this blogger  removed the  frond.  Another night   and a  fat possum  and two  young ones  romped about ,  causing more trouble .

Out  the   front  of  the  property up to  10 Curlews , including  Wingy and  Skinny Minnie , now  rush  in at  feed time . The evicted  chicks could be in the throng , but it is hard  to  tell , despite  being asked,  in a squeaky voice ,  if  they are  Little  Darwin's Chicky  Whickys. 

WORRYING   EVENT
 

Soon after two  chicks  hatched  on an  adjoining property , right next to the road , there  was  heavy rain .  A  distressed  chick , above ,  was   found  in the gutter  one night , taken  home by a carer  and  looked  after . Then it was  returned  to  the assumed parents , who  took  it  back , but  it  has  not  been  sighted  since   then . 

Last  sighting  of   chick .

GUTSY AMERICAN WRITER TOOK ON HITLER AND NAZIS

Writer  Frances  Crane , above ,  who   reportedly  thumbed  her nose  at a speech  broadcasted over a loudspeaker  by   Adolf  Hitler    while  she was  living in   Germany in the late  1930s   .  Her  acts  of   defiance  in   Germany  included   going  into  a  café which said no Jews  were allowed entry  and , stating  she  was   Jewish ( which  she  was not  )  ,  demanding  service . She was expelled  after  her Jewish housekeeper and son were  arrested   for supposed  crimes against the  state . In the New Yorker  magazine  she  fiercely  denounced  the  Nazi regime.  Recently divorced , realising that her gentle satires about the  English  way of  life were going out of fashion  during the war, she  began  writing detective stories  in which  Pat Abbott  and  his  smart and  intelligent  wife  Jean  crack   cases .

Next : Lily Waver in White House 

One of  her  Pat Abbott mysteries which was  first published in 1953 by Random House surfaced recently during a sweep of  North Queensland  outposts in the hunt for items of  interest . Boning up  on  the author , one wonders what her attitude would have been to  US President  Donald Trump  if  she  were  alive  today...a Bronx cheer similar to the one  she gave Hitler ?  Still  the massive rallies by women in the US  against  the  (M)adman of Pennsylvania Avenue  speaks  volumes.    

 

Her daughter , Nancy , a sculptor  and writer, married   pulp fiction writer Norbert  Davis  who gassed himself in his car after being diagnosed as suffering from   cancer. In  1949  Nancy was involved in a  near fatal accident in  the same car  which  left  her  facially  mutilated .
 

SOUNDS OF THE HIMALAYAS IN NORTH AUSTRALIA

Chants, mantras and the unique sounds of the Himalayas will be heard   when the  above  Bhutanese Orchestra   holds  another  Kirtan    at the   Cairns Choral Society , North Queensland, on February  18 . The audience will be  invited to relax, sing and  let their hearts  be    filled  in   a  spiritual evening , followed by dessert  and  chai.

There is a very active   Bhutanese   community in Cairns , three members  of which  were mentioned  on  Australia Day : Prahlad  Dahal for his leadership of the local Bhutanese community and  support for the education of thousands of young refugees as a founding member of the Bhutanese   Refugee Education  Program ; Radhika  Dahal for her tireless role as  chief organiser  of women and children's activities , contributing to  the  Cairns  Bhutanese   Weaving Exhibition  and  the  2017 soccer  carnival ;Tulsa Gautum , leader of  Cairns Bhutanese youth  and her  role in promoting cultural awareness  and education ,  settlement assistance  and   involvement in the  Bhutanese radio program .

MONSOON OVER CAIRNS

Abra photographs

JAPANESE SALVAGE OF WARTIME WRECKS FROM DARWIN HARBOUR

As part of the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Darwin -February 19- the removal of the wartime wrecks   by  Japanese  from  the  harbour  is  being  highlighted . The  above  photographs were taken by this  blogger  who was  in Darwin at the time  when  the Fujita Salvage Company , with 120 men,  arrived in  July 1959  to commence salvage. The mother ship was  the Seizan Maru , there was a  huge floating  crane capable of lifting 100tons  at a time , special oxygen  making plant , diver tender vessels .  

 

 By  Peter  Simon

 

The photograph on the left  shows  the stern of Australian coastal trader    MV  Zealandia , on which 45  died , its name visible , being lowered onto  another  coastal trader,  MV Neptuna , on  which three died ,   by the   crane to be  cut  into  smaller scrapmetal . Visible in  the other photograph  are  the portholes  in a  large  piece of a  wreck  hauled   from the  bottom . 

 

 

Darwin's most colourful character , Carl Atkinson ,  a  marine diver ,  seen here  holding a deadly box jellyfish , owned the  wartime wrecks . A mystery man in many ways , it was claimed he had beaten up  Errol Flynn   in New Guinea ; introduced waterskiing to  Australia ; carried out diving operations in Sydney Harbour ;  was the arm wrestling champion of Alice Springs ; blew up floating mines when he first came to Darwin . When  two standover men arrived   from Melbourne by car  intent on taking   away possession of  the  wartime wrecks   from Atkinson because it was believed there were many valuables in safes  aboard the   vessels , they were  bailed  up at the point of a  shotgun   and  Carl  beat them up, their car  flooded by the incoming tide . 

He lived in a collection of   tin sheds at Doctor's Gully , where he had his own recompression chamber , which he used on himself , but also to save the lives of  pearl divers hit by the bends.    At one stage , during the  salvage operations there  was a dispute over ownership of  the  USS Peary, the destroyer on which 80 died  .  Atkinson issued a writ to stop the salvage operations .  During  a break in court proceedings, lawyer  John " Tiger " Lyons , appearing    for  Mr Fujita , placed his  gown and wig on  his client   who  was photographed   beaming at the onlookers.  

 

A  tense   meeting  was  held in the  Hotel  Darwin  between  Mr Fujita, attended by his nervous , young  translator,  and large  Carl Atkinson , accompanied by his close friend , Northern Territory News  editor  Jim Bowditch. Mr Fujita indicated  he could get the  wreck  of the USS Peary for  nothing from the  Australian government . Infuriated, feeling he was being dudded , Atkinson roared , rose to his feet. Mr Fujita  took to his heels , began running , Carl in pursuit.

 

Bowditch personally  described the  event to  me,  in vivid detail.  Carl had eventually  returned , laughing ; Fujita  also  reappeared, with his interpreter , negotiations  resumed .  Bowditch was  given  the job then and there to  type up an agreement . He borrowed a typewriter  from the hotel  office and in a  small cubicle  used for  taking  telephone messages , belted  out the document  using his rapid  two finger style . As  the  carriage kept on  hitting the  cubicle wall , it was not a very professional looking deal, yet served the purpose, and Carl gave Jim   a   " sling "  for  his  services.   

 

In a remarkable  feat, the Japanese righted  a tanker, British Motorist , on its  port side  since the day of the attack in l942 , and turned it into  a  new mother ship , complete with a  chef and   four  cooks ;  the Seizan Maru  allowed to depart  .  One of the many people  who  went  aboard  the  British Motorist   was   Dame Pattie Menzies, wife of  the PM .There  is  footage of Dame Pattie  going aboard and drinks being consumed , Mr  Fujita , sporting   a bowtie, holding a  can of what appears to be  Japanese beer . I also went aboard  the vessel, took photographs  and  wrote  an  article  for  a   national magazine .  

  

Available in Darwin today  is movie  footage of the   salvage operations  which includes Mr Fujita walking about  Darwin , Carl Atkinson at  Doctor's Gully , hamming it up with a large  crocodile  skull ,  a    fishing trip   which seems  to have  been organised  by  the  Haritos   brothers , panoramic views of the harbour . Also in the archives is a letter  from NT Administrator Roger  Nott thanking  the  company  for   removing   the  wrecks  and  railway  metal . 

 

A  diver was  killed  during the  salvage  operations .   The  salvors  had a mascot  when a cook, Tsutomu Watanabe, bought a  pedigree Collie   and it won prizes in the  North Australian  Canine Association  Championships ; there were  plans to take the  dog back to  Japan after the work ended.   Mr  Fujita     said he wanted to remove the scars of the Pacific War  and  presented the United  Church in Darwin with crosses  made  from salvaged  metal .

 

Editor Bowditch   said he  believed one wreck should  have been left as a reminder of the war,   like  Pearl Harbour , as   the bombing of Darwin was  described  as  Australia's  Pearl Harbour , indeed the title of  the book by  Douglas Lockwood .