OUTRAGED EYE CANDY AUSTRALIAN TURNS UGLY

Thespian Curlew in Little Darwin's neck of the  woods , angry at the  poll to  find  Australia's Bird of the Year  which described  Bush-stone Curlews  as  odd   critters  out  of a  Halloween  Parade , puffed herself  up  and  projected  a  mock   Halloween  weirdo , a pop-eyed person , a kind of feathered    Marty Feldman  ,  Son of Frankenstein .   Offers  from   Hollywood talent  scouts   for starring roles  in  horror movies as  a result of  this  fine act  should be  directed   through  the  Little  Darwin  cluttered  den  or  to the S(h)ipping  Reporter , who can usually be  found  in Molly Malone's  Irish Pub , Townsville .     

RUSSIAN INVASION RUFFLES FEATHERS IN QUEENSLAND

There are so many transient birds  flying into Cairns , some thought to be all the way from  Siberia, that it is hard to  find  standing room  ,  the local Pelicans  forced  to  bunch  up  down one  end  of  the  beach  to  pose  for  photographs .

These snaps by Abra  who also  captured   the  early morning  waterfront  shapes  below. 

 

PRIME MINISTER'S SHOCK RESIGNATION

Libs bring back the biff 

CANBERRA: In a surprise move that will stun the punch drunk nation, our cauliflower-eared Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has taken the long count and  announced his departure  from  the political ring.

In doing so , he named his  replacement , Auntie  Jack, pictured , who will be given  the incredibly  tough  task of knocking the  shambolic  Coalition  into some kind of shape before the  Chinese  New Year.
 

In an exclusive interview with Little Darwin , Auntie Jack  first  loosened her whalebone corsets,  then   took  us for a wild  ride  on  her  Harley. The pugnacious damsel said that after  Malcolm Turnbull  did the astonishing  backflip  on the bank royal commission, he decided that politics is not for  him.

Instead, he intends to compete in a new event, the Cayman Island  high dive  with  tuck  away ,   at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast , confident that he will take out gold  and be acclaimed by the sports  drugged  nation . He has borrowed a  pair of pre-loved  budgie smugglers  from tag team wrestler  Tony Abbott and will go into  solid training in a low dive after Boxing Day .

After  first  ripping the bloody arms  off  all  those  National Party misfits and  and  goose stepping    Liberals  , Auntie Jack  said she will  call on  old  boyfriends   in  the   Painters and Dockers   who  owe her  a favour  to deal with the  deputy premier of  NSW for  saying nasty things about Malcolm on the eve of  Christmas .  

 Then she  will shape the  next election's  campaign  which will have   the sure winning slogan : Don't Talk Back To  Auntie  Jack. Finally, Auntie Jack  said there  is no truth in the rumour that she and  Employment Minister Senator  Michaelia  Cash who,   like  Sergeant  Shultz,  knew absolutely  nothing  about tipping off the media   re  the  AFP raid on  AWU offices,  are identical  twin sisters . "She throws a  lot of  verbal  punches and karate  chops in the Senate  and elsewhere    ," said  Ms Jack . "But that is the only slight  link  between us... as far as I know ."

NATIONAL POLL DEFAMES FINE FEATHERED NORTH QUEENSLANDERS

"Bird  Brained " Criticism

Little Darwin  and  many other  fair  minded  Queensland  residents  are  outraged   at  the  poll  to  find  the  Australian   Bird of  Year for  2017, voting for which closes December 9.  A report in The Guardian  contains  a short list of  51 birds in the running for the title, with a description of each  one , provided by someone with an Irish  sounding name ,  Sean Dooley , and   Bird  Life Australia .

When it comes to the Bush-stone Curlew , it is cruelly described  thus : An eerie wail, bulging, googling eyes and  propped up on ridiculous  long legs, these nocturnal birds look like something out  of a  Halloween parade (!!!). It continues...Hammered  by foxes and cats in the south , they are still thriving in the north.

Highly intelligent, politically   active   Curlew, above ,  on Magnetic Island, strongly supports the ALP renewables  policy .   He is furious  with  Dooley's  disparaging description .  Readers of   this blog  know  we  have    a close affinity with   Bush-stone Curlews .

No  Halloween uglies here .

It is outrageous  to say  Curlews  look like something out of a bloody Halloween parade.    Halloween ,  with its idiotic   massive  commercialism  and brainwashing of  kids, teaching them to go about knocking on strangers' doors at night , is  a  blot  on  the  nation . 

 Although , a  witch riding  a broomstick shown  smashing into a  pillar in  a large shopping  centre was  an unexpected  treat  and   reminded me  of  one of  the  mad  with  the   power  locals  . In addition , my dislike of Halloween is such  that  I  sool  a  ravenous  dinosaur onto anybody who comes knocking  at  the door  demanding  trick   or  treat .

 I allow Curlews  to walk into my den , feed them ,  have long , meaningful conversations with them in  assorted  childish   voices .   They  are wonderful , intelligent , fabulous   creatures .They should  call on Sean Dooley and  River Dance  all  over  him .

 As for the suggestion that they are  thriving up  north -not on Magnetic Island , where  most of the  chicks that  hatched this year have  soon  quickly disappeared ... Barking Owls, dogs, cats,  snakes .

EXCLUSIVE : MASSIVE LEGAL CASE AGAINST COUNCIL ?

A proposed   class  action  court  case  against   the  Townsville City Council(TCC)  over  the  large scale  reduction  of  staff   is  being  considered .  A  recent  demonstration on Magnetic Island    by   former  council employees   called  for the TCC  CEO  to be dismissed  and  frontline services   to be restored . Townsville's  mainstream media , once again,  failed to report this.   Further  demonstrations   are   planned .

The  TCC  is   also  under attack  by ratepayers and  others   over  its  proposal to give  $18.5million  for  an   airport way outside the  council   area  to serve   the  proposed  Adani   coalmine . It was recently pointed out that  the pro Adani mine  Murdoch Townsville  Bulletin   did not  run a letter  to the editor   from former  District Court Judge John Baulch  QC, in favour of coal mining , nevertheless  raising  balanced  questions about the  TCC's  decision  to give Adani  $18.5million , and the right of  ratepayers   to know  the grounds  and  any advice on  which  this decision  was made

TOWNSVILLE GHOST FLEET VESSELS OF INTEREST

A large  tanker  with  an unusual  name, above,   attracted  the  attention  of our snooping  S(h)ipping Reporter , the only one north of  Bondi , as well as ferry passengers . Also emblazoned along the 184.95metre  hull of the vessel, built in 2007,  sailing under the Singapore  flag,  was  the name of the largest logistics  company of  China .

Another part of the port , on the same day , produced  a scene like  a  secret  North Korean missile launching base . Media tip : could be a story here as  a number of  white pipes were  being shifted about , what  are  they  for ?

 

Another interesting  vessel  spotted  by  our eagle-eyed  S(h)ipping  Reporter , seen below ,  could  be  an omen for  the outcome of  the vital  clay court  match  in  the Sydney  Bennelong byelection in which  incumbent  Liberal  John   Alexander  is  up  against   feisty  Kristina  Keneally , ALP. This   fierce campaign, which could see Liberal votes  fall   way  below  the Plimsoll Line ,  has seen more  high profile federal cabinet members repeatedly  visit  the  electorate  to  back  up  the ex-tennis  champ  Alexander  than  the  total  number  of  strawberries  consumed  at  Wimbledon .  



MAN'S BEST FRIEND IS HIS DOGGONE PLOVER

A dish of water provided   for  dogs by  the popular  pop up coffee shop  at  the Magnetic Island  ferry terminal  is  much appreciated  by several   strolling  plovers which  have   become  tourist attractions.    The   birds  are  often photographed by overseas backpackers who spot them  when they step off a  ferry , two  German girls  recently seen  snapping the posing  birds  .  An island   dog   who  regularly  drinks  from the dish is called Nora ; she howls  if  left home alone or is not taken on the regular  walk to the coffee shop .   It is  not uncommon   for a stray  Koala  to  turn up  in  the  parking  area .  And  just  today  a python  was seen  on  the move  in  shrubbery near  the  French restaurant, Le Paradis.