resurrection

Resurrection

27 April, 2018

I hope to resurrect this blog. It has taken more than three days, more like seven years.

This blog commenced life in conjunction with my/our 4 Corners travels whereby I set out to visit the 4 corners of the mainland of Australia. In order from south, west, north and east - Wilsons Promontory, Steep Point, Cape York and Cape Byron.

In 2011 I/we did visit both Wilsons Promontory in Victoria and Steep Point in Western Australia but then returned home for reasons that defy explanation.
In 2012 on a separate expedition I visited Cape York in Queensland.
We had already visited Cape Byron in NSW many times.

So, "mission accomplished" - but the initial intention of circumnavigating the nation was not achieved.

Now we hope to drive right around the country over a three months period. Initially we will travel clockwise quickly back to the point where the 2011 trip ended, a mere 4,600 kms, to a point near Denham, Western Australia. From there we will be revisiting territory first travelled 45 years ago and we hope to do it in more comfort than we could afford at that time.

Much has happened in seven years, but most importantly, grandsons Toby, Eli & Crusoe have joined us on this Earth.

Toby is seven years old. He is a very clever young man. He can do everything that he tries to do. Now, he is developing a love of reading and this is a wonderful thing.

Eli is five years old and he is a genial smiling little boy. He always wants to know "why?". He will be a scientist one day.

Crusoe is two years old. He is a blue eyed blond haired Viking. He knows what he wants and how to get it.

I hope that the blog of this trip may help the boys learn a little of the geography of this land of theirs.

2000 Books

2000 Books
On 15th January, 1951 I picked up a Quill Exercise Book that had been slightly used as my Busy Book at Kensington School Opportunity Class and compiled a catalogue of -
My Books - listing the books that I owned in alphabetical order from Ben Hall, the Bushranger to Youth Builds a Monument.
Then I started an auxiliary list - Other Books that I have read. I have continued that list since that day - so that I know that I have read 2000 books to this point in my life.
Additionally, since the advent of the personal computer I can compile a catalogue in subject order (using my personal classifications rather than Mr Dewey's dismal subject headings).
I have just printed that catalogue. It runs to 31 pages and it is rewarding to scan that list - so many titles well remembered for the interest of the subject matter and/or the skill of the writer

Reading has given me enormous pleasure during all of my life. I still remember clearly the wondrous day in 1953 when the Randwick Council Mobile Library first pulled up outside the local shops. The van was brand new, the books were brand new, the librarian behind the desk was a pleasant smiling young lady, her pencils and rubber stamp were new. It seemed to me about as close to Heaven as I was ever likely to get - I could borrow any book that I chose.

I have read fairly widely I think, there are probably notable exclusions like science. I believe that I have learnt much because of my reading, hopefully assisting me to think relatively clearly. At any event I am reminded of the saying - the man that does not read has no advantage over the man that cannot read.

BFF-Kai and Salom

Best Friends Forever - Kai and Salom

It was my great good fortune recently to spend some time with two gorgeous young ladies of barely more than twenty summers. For a person of my vintage that is an occurrence that borders on the miraculous. There are reasons that this came to pass but they need not be explained here.

The venue was Siem Reap, Cambodia. Siem Reap is the gateway to the wondrous temples of Angkor, the architectural and religious extravaganza of the ancient Khmer empire of Cambodia. Tourists in their thousands flock to the temples each year.

Let me introduce the young ladies - Kai and Salom. They have been best friends since early childhood in the village of Sra Srang, right by the ancient Buddhist monastery of Banteay Kdei and not far from Siem Reap. Kai still lives in the village and sells guide books to tourists. Salom works in a travel shop in Siem Reap and sleeps in town during the week. For my few days in the region they became my ‘guides’ to the temples.

Salom has the sweetest, gentlest nature that it is possible to imagine. Softly spoken with a slow, shy smile. But there is a quick impish sense of humour that brings a crinkle to her eyes and an accompanying easy grin. When she recalls some humorous incident she will laugh quietly and joyously at some treasured moment. But there is strength behind the sweetness. Beware!, any young man who would try to take advantage of her good nature.

Kai has a smile that lights up the sky. She smiles often, she laughs often. Kai is outgoing, she has presence, she has style, and she knows it. She is prominent in her community of friends, always with some humorous banter that brings forth her easy laugh. But it is not always so. Kai is perhaps most beautiful when she is quiet, when her lovely dark eyes are restful and she is pondering the problems of her present and her future.

For problems there are, for both these young ladies. Cambodia is poor. Only half a lifetime ago a period of madness brought about the total impoverishment of the country with the death of probably two million, including all of the educated and skilled people. Most Cambodians now must eke out a living somehow. Both Kai and Salom work long hours for little pay. As well they attend English language classes and computer classes. They do not find it easy to find time for study. Because of lack of family money, neither was able to fully complete their school education. As they struggle to better their lives and contribute to their family welfare they come up against the barrier of lack of opportunity. There are simply not enough jobs available for intelligent young people like Kai and Salom trying to better their situation in life.

For myself, I found it very confronting to meet and appreciate two lovely intelligent people who face problems that I have never had to face. A solution is far beyond my capacity and so is the ability to assist much in any meaningful way.

For some little comfort I carry away and treasure the experience of sharing one day with them when they drew such joy from each others company.

They declare themselves to be ‘BFF’ - Best Friends Forever. I sincerely hope that comes to pass.

Second Corner: West

Second Corner: West

Somewhat belatedly, it is time that I reported on the accomplishment of visiting the western most point of Australia, the second cardinal point of my 4CornerS,W,N,E expedition. Steep Point is located at 113 degrees east longitude and 26 degrees south latitude. Steep Point is part of the Shark Bay World Heritage Area, a place of unspoiled beauty with abundant marine life in the extensive waters of the bay, a stark arid coastline, and the unique stromatolites of the Hamelin Pool.

The manner of locomotion will be quite different to southernmost Wilsons Promontory which required a three day bushwalk. This time a one hour scenic flight from the nearby township of Denham seems the best option. It is possible to drive to Steep Point with a properly equipped 4 wheel drive vehicle, which I don't have. The road distance from Denham is about 250kms, much of it over rough dirt track, and some of it over sandhills requiring tyres to be deflated. Steep Point is remote and totally natural, the usual visitors are the keenest of fishermen. All of this seems too hard, the attraction of a scenic flight is overwhelming. Additionally, in remote parts of Australia the view from the air is often the most dramatic and visually spectacular.

For much of Western Australia fine weather can be guaranteed and so it was brilliant sunshine at 9am, the time chosen for our flight. Fellow passengers aboad are Margaret, and Oliver of Otterburn the globetrotting sheep from Northumberland. The plane is a small four seater from the Shark Bay Air Charter company.

Words are really totally inferior to pictures to describe this hour. Much of the time is spent looking over the beautiful blue waters of Shark Bay. This bay is unusual in the extent of the sea grass beds. These beds are dark green in colour and contrast magnificently with the stark white sand close to the shore line. As well there is the blindingly white evaporation ponds of the Useless Loop salt processing works with a little 'mountain' of salt piled up at the end of a jetty, awaiting shipment to Japan.

Flying westwards we intersect with the coast line at the spectacularly vertical Zuytdorp Cliffs. So named because of the Dutch East Indies merchant vessel "Zuytdorp" wrecked on these cliffs in 1712. En route to Batavia this ship met the same fate as a number of other Dutch ships which crashed into the land mass of New Holland. Without a method of calculating longitude they were completely vulnerable if blown near land in the course of the dark night hours. The story of the recovery of the Zuytdorp wreck is fascinating, but there is no space here to tell it.

Just to the north is Steep Point itself. Again, there are rugged cliffs at the end of a long northward pointing promontory separating the rough waters of the Indian Ocean from the placid waters of Shark Bay. The terrain itself is largely scrubby and featureless with a few vehicular tracks meandering along. Its one outstanding characteristic is its westness, there is no other spot in the continent quite like it.

A short distance across a channel is Dirk Hartog Island and we fly along and across this sandy island. It is a place of some significance to me. I recall it from the first lesson in my fourth class History text book, in particular I recall the picture of Dirk Hartog's Pewter Dish. Dirk Hartog was the master of the Dutch East Indies vessel "Eendracht", en route to Batavia for a cargo of spices to take back to the Netherlands. In 1616 he decided to land on this part of the coastline of New Holland, he was the first of the Dutch navigators to do so. He spent three days exploring in the vicinity but found little that was of interest to the Dutch East India Company. To record his visit, he flattened a pewter dish, inscribed some details of his voyage, and nailed it to a tree. It was the first European object placed on the Australian continent. It remained for eighty years until removed (and replaced by another) by a later Dutch navigator, Willem de Vlamingh. The pewter dish is now in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and I have seen it there. So I derive quite some pleasure from seeing this scrubby place which I can think of as the first spark of a lifelong interest in the history of Australia.

From this point our flight takes us in an easterly direction across the waters of Shark Bay and back to the airstrip at Denham. It is visually beautiful - the varying patterns of the sea grass beds, the meandering deeper channels through the shallow areas of white sand, the clear blue waters, the occasional small boat - a scene to remain in the memory for a long time.

We find ourselves back on Terra Firma. The western "corner" can be ticked. It is at this point, for a variety of reasons, that I decide to suspend my expedition. Hopefully, next year, I will resume the journey and set about getting myself to the northern and eastern points of the continent. We shall see what we shall see.

Kojonup & Kokoda

Kojonup & Kokoda

One of the good things about travelling in Australia is the opportunity to poke about in the country towns. Each of them, big or small, has a story to tell. For the most part there is a local museum where there will be photos, documents and implements that trace the path from initial settlement, then gradually increasing agricultural and civic progress. There will be stories of influential citizens, the ordinary life of the ordinary people, the impact on the landscape, the way of life of the prior aboriginal inhabitants.

The small country town of Kojonup is south of Perth in WA, on the road to Albany. Here you will find the Kodja Place Visitors Centre. It tells in a vital, vivid, human and sometimes confronting manner the Kojonup story and the influences, cultural, economic and geographic, that formed the Kojonup of today. This is one of the better regional displays that I have come across.

However it is the memorial in the adjacent park that catches my eye. It is a memorial to Brigadier Arnold Potts and to the Kokoda Track campaign of World War II. I don't know where to place the blame but it is a sad fact that national recognition of the Kokoda story has only occurred in the past few years. There has been an excellent film, and there has been published at least three books on the campaign - by Patrick Lindsay, Paul Ham, Peter Fitzsimons - each is good, Paul Ham's is probably the best. A mini travel industry has started to assist people to 'walk the Kokoda Track' and these people must be super fit to cope with the physical hardship involved. But why has it taken so long for this recognition? There are many veterans of that campaign who have died in the meantime. Why have we spent our time at the cinema 'Saving Private Ryan' when we have our own military heroes to honour?   

I would like to think that every Australian becomes well acquainted with the details of the Kokoda story. It is not for nothing that ex-PM Paul Keating considers that it should be rated above Gallipoli in its significance to the history of the nation. The courage and fortitude of the troops was the same in each case but Kokoda was a victory not a defeat, and the cause was the defence of the homeland not the invasion of another land in  a byway of an imperial conflict.

Why the memorial in Kojonup? For only one reason, Brigadier Arnold Potts was a local farmer. It is right and proper that he is honoured in his local community, it is disgraceful that he and his soldiers are not more widely honoured throughout the nation. There were other outstanding commanders at Kokoda but it was Brigadier Potts who lead the fighting withdrawal that slowed the initial advances of the Japanese army. This action was crucial in buying sufficient time for reinforcing troops to be brought in. His action was all the more credit worthy because he blatantly defied the orders of his deskbound superiors to attack! attack! because he knew that such a course would lead to the annihilation of his troops. For this he was recalled to Port Moresby and dismissed from his command by General Sir Thomas Blamey, the Australian army commander. It was this same General Blamey that addressed the troops of the 21st Brigade on  the parade ground at Koitaki near Port Moresby. Infamously he accused these brave men of 'running like rabbits' - the men who had fought and died in the desperate actions to delay the Japanese. So both Brigadier Arnold Potts and his men were the victims of a gross injustice. Blamey was forever after detested by the ordinary soldier and his name attracts no credit worthy mention these days.

At any rate I was surprised and pleased to see this Kokoda Memorial in Kojonup. I  wish that more people would stop to see it and to recognise its significance. Closer to my home, I wish that more people would visit the excellent Kokoda Memorial Track at Bray's Bay near Rhodes in Sydney.

The men of Kokoda will forever deserve the gratitude and veneration of the nation.
 
LEST WE FORGET!

Double-ewe-ay and alphabet reform

Double-ewe-ay and alphabet reform
Over here in the great state of double-ewe-ay I wonder why hardly anybody can bring themselves to say western australia. But the truth of the matter is that, ninety five times out of a hundred, double-ewe-ay is what you will hear. Perhaps it is a syllable too far because their stately neighbours have no problem saying south australia and absolutely never say ess-ay.

So my ears are having to cope with hearing double-ewe far more often than normally and I find it an ugly sound. Many millions of man hours are lost each day across the planet by people who are forced to say double-ewe double-ewe double-ewe dot. Three syllables is a lot for the name of one letter of the alphabet.

So we need some alphabet reform. Not difficult stuff like catering for each of the forty different sounds of the English language with forty different letters. Or eliminating the letter c which is used for two sounds while these sounds are already available from letters s and k.

But reform of the names of the letters is easier, quite easy really.

Double-ewe has to go. For a start it is visually a double-vee and it has no relationship with its associated sound. The letter aitch also has no sound association and the people who say haitch should probably be congratulated.

If a couple of ridiculous names of letters are to be changed why not tidy up the names of all the letters.

For all the consonants why not follow the example of the letter b - the sound associated with the letter followed by ee. There is a difficulty with the letters c j and s and we will just have to live with that.

So, lets look at the new names of the letters of the alphabet

ay
bee
see
dee
eee
fee
gee - soft g as in generous
hee
i
jay
kee
lee
mee
nee
o
pee
queue
ree
ess
tee
u
vee
wee
exx
yee
zee

There you are - say them through out loud a few times - it will just roll off your tongue.

Kits will be sent to all schools across the land and the official changeover will be sometime next month.



Just a thought - but Westralia would be a much better name for the state of Double-ewe Ay.

the WAussies

Coming to you from Perth in Western Australia.


Over here the WAussies live in Paradise. It is fine and sunny every day, it never rains. WAussies all live in big houses, they all have fine cars, they all have a boat. The public amenities are first class - good transport - good parks - nice and clean - work going on everywhere. It must come from the royalties that they derive from the mining boom.

I remember that Kevvie though that it would be a good idea if all Australians, not just the WAussies shared in these benefits and he proposed a tax on mining profits. But the BigMiningBoys whinged and moaned and said that this would cut the dividends to their overseas shareholders and anyway they would take their buckets and spades and go and dig up another country. Then BigEars said 'I OPPOSE the mining profits tax because I OPPOSE EVERYTHING' and his radio mates yelled and shouted and the people became very confused. Then Kevvie got shot down in flames and RedJulie said to the BigMiningBoys 'if you let me keep the mining profits tax I will make it only a small one'.

And so it was done.

So the WAussies are smiling in their Paradise.

As for the rest of the Aussies,,,, thank you BigEars,,, thanks for everything.