SPECTACULAR SKY SHOW

 Well after  sunset on Saturday  there was  a  dramatic and  colourful - red, orange , pink - cloud  display over   Townsville and  Magnetic  Island , extending  far  out  to sea .  

Photos by  Abra  and Vallis 

IS THE PRICE RIGHT ?

 SCOMO'S   SHOPPING   TROLLEY   FOLLY  

Cartoonist  David Rowe of the Australian Financial Review , acting as the thrifty  housewives  friend , points out how  the  PM is running the  shop ,increasingly    catering for  vegans  ,  with   bunches  of  tasty  leaks . Still, he  continues to offer     free  Bunnings-style  recycled  rort  sausages,  almost cooked to a cinder  over  a  coa l fire , for   meat  eaters in  key  electorates.  

TERRITORY INFLUENCES ON AUTHOR

Recently featured  in  Northern Territory Archives    is  this   1886  Baldwin Locomotive  Works , Pennsylvania, USA,  locomotive   called the  Sandfly  that  ran  on  the  North  Australia  Railway  , which  author  Xavier  Herbert  mentioned  in  his great  l938  sesqui-centenary award  winning  novel, Capricornia .

The  Sandfly  first came to his notice  when he  went to Darwin-Port Zodiac in Capricornia -in  1927, picking up ideas for a novel along the way . In 1959,  Sandfly was relocated to South Australia  for restoration and display.It was   later returned to the NT as a gift to commemorate the completion of  the Alice Springs to Darwin Railway  in  2005.

By  Peter  Simon 

In another  Xavier Herbert follow up , in  Darwin , last year ,  agronomist Robert  Wesley- Smith slipped me a brown  paper packet in the Friday Club containing  interesting   newspaper  cuttings  from his  files,  relating  to   Herbert  and  a   close  Territory  friend  ,  Val  (Valentine)  McGinness  .    

  

Val's  treasury of memories ,written  shortly after  his death ,  included  some details about  his  long  relationship  with Herbert. It   said  a  gramophone player  had   been  one  of   his  prized  possessions .

  

As luck would have  it, I  had those  cuttings with me when I went to the  Northern Territory Geneological Society  in Darwin  and  one of the  research volunteers   , related to Val,   said   he   even  made his own   needles  for  the  beloved  wind  up   gramophone .

Xavier Herbert  told  me   that  Val , with whom he had  gone  prospecting  in  the  l930s, was  very  inventive.  In 1950, when  Herbert was  learning to  flying , he met up with Val in Cairns  , and told  him  how  expensive   were  the  flying  lessons.

Val had seriously suggested  building  a plane  to   overcome  this  problem. Herbert  crashed  a  Tiger Moth .

Herbert  also  remarked on  the  fact that  Val  often  addressed  abandoned  machinery  out  in  the bush as being  animate ,  calling  them poor old  things , suggesting  they  could  be  repaired ,  be  brought back  to life.

His undoubted skill with machinery  is evident  by the fact that  he had worked on the Batavia goldfield, been the chief engineer for a pearling company  with three luggers  and  during WWll  the Army made him a mechanic with the  Allied Works Council , Cairns .  

He had also been  a  partner  in   a  motor repair business ,where he wryly reported he  did  all the  hard work and  got very little  financial reward.

Herbert  went  to Mareeba  to  see Val's son, Johnny, the Queensland  light welterweight boxing champion,take  on  a  top Brisbane  fighter, resulting in Xavier  writing    a   short  story ,Come on Murri! , without informing  Val. 

In l981, I drew Val's attention to the story .When he started  to read  it, he began to roar with laughter, slapped his leg , said it  was "Johnny". He provided  further details of   the  fight.

KRAKATOA ERUPTION

Following the recent Tongan eruption and tsunami ,an Indonesia correspondent and seismic  activity  watcher  alerted us to the fact that  Anak Krakatoa erupted on February 3 , captured above  by  the  Copernicus  Sentinel- 2 Mission .  The  massive  Krakatoa  eruption  of   1883  was the most violent recorded  in history, the cloud  fall out  noticed  in   Russia .

THERE IS A HOLE IN THE HOLE - AGAIN

 

Once more,  the  prime  block of land  near   the  Magnetic  Island  ferry terminal , known  as  The Hole  by locals , began to  fill  during  the  high  tide, topped up  by  rain .   From Townsville , clouds  are  visible  banked up  over the island in the  following  snap  by   Abra .  

THE GREENING OF A SAINTED ROCK

 After  the recent heavy rain , Townsville's  Castle Hill, which sports a tattoo-like outline of The Saint , has  many  changing   faces ,  presented   another  image   to   early   morning  track  walkers  when  Abra  took  this   photo .

 If  Magnetic Island is  Townsville's so called jewel in the crown, you would expect  the mainland media to give it reasonable coverage.   During  the  current   pandemic , especially in  recent months, it  has  been  pathetic.   

For example,  we photographed  another  rescue  helicopter , above and below , which lifted   off  from  the island  and  you can  bet your bottom dollar it  did not get  a  run in the  mainland media. Choppers come and  go on  the island, rarely  getting   a   mention  in  the  mainland media.

Several days  ago , a  chopper   took   a  young  child  in  a  serious condition  to  Townsville .   Not  picked  up  by  the  media . 

There are   hearsay reports on the  island  about  up to  200  people  suffering from  the  virus  ; truckies  from   mainland   chain stores  delivering  orders  being  greeted  by  people holding  up  their hands ,warning   that  they  are  in  isolation , not  to  come in . 

It seems nobody in the mainland  media has thought to ask how many people have been vaccinated on the island  in the Queensland  Health clinic, the private medical centre, the chemist  shop ;  a  running tally of how many  have  been  found  to  have  the  virus . 

The  Men's Shed closed , it is said, because  four members  tested  positive . 

A  shop , dealing in  exotic  fashion  items  ,  is  said to have  shut  its  door.. Cafes  are  experiencing  tough trading conditions,   staff shortages, the  one below  advertising  for   staff .

The island pharmacist  has set up  a special antigen testing  table at the front   of  his  shop , which you  would think  is a  news  story for the  local  media .

The  Magnetic Island Care  service to  residents  has been  forced to  scale back  its  operations  due  to the  demands  of  coping with   Covid .

There  are   other  interesting newsworthy   events  on  the  island going  begging .