ATTENTION MOTORING BUFFS

Once awash with Mini Mokes, there are not many about now on Magnetic Island and  elsewhere  in the nation . However, the island notice board at FoodWorks  currently has  one ,  owned  for  22 years , up  for  sale  at  $24,950 ono. 

SWEARING COCKIES BLAST DARWIN

 

 One  of  many notices which went  up  in  Darwin  highlighting a display of  tea towels celebrating Australian birds , blasting  the  explosive once a year  cracker night ,"loathed by pets and parrots ".  It  terrifies wildlife, dogs , cats  and  some humans,  the only one  held in the nation. 

One of those who contributed to  the  tea towel display  was  a  real blast from the past - Chips Mackinolty, journalist , activist ,graphic designer   involved in the art scene  in Sydney , Townsville (where he may have been deeply involved  in a South Pacific exhibition)  and  the  Northern Territory  over   many  decades.     

In the lead up to cracker night  vast  amounts of   fireworks were sold from once empty shops, shipping containers, roadside  pop ups .

The  front of  a  former empty  shop  in a major supermarket  was covered with signs, the interior  brandishing  no smoking  warnings and  the  fact that  explosives  were on  the  premises. After the big bang, all  the signs were  removed , the  shop  empty .   

SHIPPING REPORTER'S BORDER WATCH

Unnoticed, impressively named  Jakarta  sailed  into  port  and  tied up in Townsville . Other  marine  vessels of  interest  noticed  in  Cleveland  Bay.

NO FRACKING , NO SNACKING ON LOCALS

 Cute    Darwin  activist  hen  , Ethel,   who set  up  a nest  close to  a kitchen , making it  easy for her eggs to be collected, is strongly opposed  to  fracking for  gas in the Northern Territory. She also  objects to  large snakes ,one below,  invading   the  seven acre  rural  property on  which  she and other chooks free range.

Some of  her  close  feathered friends have   been devoured  by  serpents ,as the  following   ghastly  close  up  photo of  a  huge  python  finishing off  a  succulent  chook , a  wing  visible , graphically  illustrates .

Some time ago , a crocodile  borrowed for a  documentary on saurians   escaped  into a  billabong  on the property , so you have to remain  alert  when scratching  about  in  the   undergrowth  for  worms  and  chewy insects in  Darwin's  rural area. 

THE MERMAID THAT GOT AWAY

 Nonchalant  fisherman walks by Magnetic Island's mutilated and shivering  mysterious   mermaid  in  search  of   marlin. Vallis  snap.  

BIG JIM STORMS BIG APPLE

 The connections  of  the   recently Darwin  launched   book  Big  Jim -about the  crusading editor of the  Northern Territory News- the  late  James  Frederick Bowditch,  are  wondering if they are on a  big seller  due to the  fact that a  New   York  resident  sent  the  following   surprising    email showing  the   book, in  hard  cover , bought online, displayed  out  the  window  of   her   apartment . (More Big Jim surprises  to come. )

 

BE WARNED : WE ARE BACK

Looking somewhat bedraggled , Little Darwin is  back on deck after  a  northern search  and  discovery  flight  with  bags  of  stories, offbeat pix,  mixed  ephemera , Shipping Reporter   exclusives.