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a-man-for-hire-and-his-archives · 1 year ago

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‘It’s the relationship I knew I wanted’: Scrublands star on learning to commit

Luke Arnold is an actor and writer who is best known for playing Michael Hutchence in Never Tear Us Apart. The 39-year-old discusses the endearing nickname he called his little sister as a child, a silly but romantic Christmas gesture and what he is most proud of in his current relationship.

“It’s interesting to reflect on the actresses I admired before I got into the acting industry who later became colleagues, like Heather Graham.”

My maternal great-great-grandmother thought her name was Jean, but when she was 70 she found her birth certificate, which said Jane. Her mother died when she was young, so I’m not sure what went wrong there, but she was still Jean to us all.

Some of my first memories are getting handwritten and recorded poems on cassettes from her. Looking at them recently, I can see the influence their form and patterns have had on my own writing.

When I was young, my maternal granny, Valerie, lived on a sailing boat with my step granddad. They also travelled around Australia on a motorbike. They were a great example of the freewheeling, bohemian lifestyle that was definitely passed down to me.

My parents, Nola and Colin, met while picking fruit. Mum is not the tallest lady and trained to become a jockey. It was her passion from a young age, but in the late 1970s she found the male-dominant culture of the racing industry too tough to realise her dream.

Mum is an enthusiastic and bubbly person. Before my younger sister, Ashley, and my brother, George, were born, I had her full attention for two years. It was great, as it meant that when I started school, I was on my way to reading and writing.

When I was just a baby myself, I used to call my sister “my little darling”, as we were so close. In the teen years we grew apart a bit, but since 2019 we’ve become close again. Ashley’s a web designer and is living the life of a digital nomad.

My first celebrity crush was Amy Jo Johnson, the actress who played the Pink Power Ranger on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

It’s interesting to reflect on the actresses I admired before I got into the acting industry who later became colleagues, like Heather Graham, star of Boogie Nights, which is one of my favourite films. When Heather enlisted me to act opposite her on her 2018 film Half Magic, it was a “pinch-me” moment. One minute I would be talking to her as a colleague, then the next I’d think, “You’re HEATHER GRAHAM!”

My first serious relationship was with Hayley at Sunshine Beach High School in Queensland. We bonded over acting and performing. It was nice to meet a girl after my teenage years in Sydney, where I’d worked as a clown, doing parties and magic, mostly around dudes.

While at drama school [WAAPA in Perth], I picked up a girlfriend from the airport dressed in wrapping paper. I’d asked her what she wanted for Christmas and she’d replied, “Just you.” I took that literally. It was a silly, ridiculous, romantic gesture. I’m glad camera phones weren’t a big thing back then.

In the 2022 NITV SBS series True Colours, Rarriwuy Hick and I both played detectives. Filming that was a huge education for me. My touchstones on the Northern Territory set were the women – Rurriway and Arrernte/Warlpiri woman Marie Ellis, with whom we consulted daily to follow cultural protocol.

It was nerve-racking to be the white fella who was ignorant of so many things. But the First Nations people had such generosity teaching me about that part of the country, and about the practices that impacted storylines, like men’s business, kinship and payback. There was overwhelming care for us outsiders coming in.

I’ve been with my current partner, Laura, for a year. We met while making a film 16 years ago and I was completely and madly infatuated with her. We were both young and at that time I was ill-equipped to handle such strong feelings.

We had a couple of false starts that left us both feeling tender, but we kept returning to the flame. Something I’m proud of is that we kept showing up, as it would have been easy to just turn it into a story of heartbreak and not deal with it.

We’ve always been great friends throughout it all. Laura is the person I want to call with good news, with a question, or if I’m anxious about something. It’s the relationship I knew I wanted, and I’m very grateful to be in it now.

Luke Arnold stars in Scrublands, premiering November 16 on Stan.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

#black sails #luke arnold #scrublands #stan australia #interview #the sydney morning herald #news

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mike-cooper · 2 years ago

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Revelations, reflections and recollections.

The following are some of stories of the inspiration behind some of my records; there is always a story, plus some other travel tales, revelations, reflections and recollections. RAFT ONE - Willam Willis - Age Unlimited. Basement Books in Melbourne. A treasury of second hand books that I visit regularly whenever I am in that city. I head straight for the Travel - Pacific section. My library is stuffed with volumes that I bought in that ‘beach beneath the street’. This particular day I am drawn to a small volume titled The Seven Sisters by William Willis because it has what looks like a raft embossed in the righthand bottom corner of the cover in gold. I had been assigned to read The Kon Tiki Expedition at school in my last few years there. That and The Tempest by William Shakespeare were my English Literature Exam books. Easy, inspiring and obviously impressive to me. Thor Heyerdahl was all I knew about rafting and the Pacific until William Willis came into my hands. Here was a man who had sailed 2,200 miles further than Heyerdah across the Pacific Ocean so how come no one talked about him and why did he not have a million tourists visiting a museum dedicated to him like Heyerdahl’s in Oslo I wondered. In 1954 just seven years after Heyerdahl had drifted with his crew of five across the Pacific from Peru to the Tuamotu Islands Willis drifted as far as Samoa from Callao single handedly!! He was 61 years old at that time and had suffered a hernia the day he left. He continued to be plagued by this throughout the voyage and at one point even had to hang himself upside down with a rope around one ankle suspended from a sail spar to relieve himself of pain and put his intestine back inside. His diet for almost the whole voyage was 50 pounds of Canihua grain, 70 pounds of Barley, 70 pounds of brown sugar, 50 cans of lemon juice, 2 pounds of tea, 50 cans of instant coffee and 120 gallons of fresh water. He claims that he hardly ever even saw fish let alone caught them and that practically the only ones he did eat were flying fish that happened to land on the deck by mistake and that the cat he had taken with him (as well as a parrot) didn’t get to eat first. The cat incidentally completed the whole trip with Willis but the parrot was killed by the cat a couple of days before completion of the voyage. it had taken Willis 115 days to sail the 6,700 miles. Willis left his raft and bequeathed it to the Samoans who built a small museum around it which it seems burnt down at some point. The raft itself was built from seven balsa wood tree trunks and Willis had named it Seven Little Sisters. Ten year later when Willis was 73 he built another raft based on his first and left Callao in Peru on 5th July 1963 with the intention of a complete crossing to Australia. He arrived in Apia where he made a lengthy repair stop before continuing on towards has final goal. After 204 days of rafting he arrived in Tully in northern Queensland on the east coast of Australia, after a treacherous crossing of the Great Barrier Reef. From Tully his raft was towed, with almost disastrous results, down the coast to Sydney where he made a glorious entry under Sydney Harbour Bridge. Rafts do not take kindly to being towed, preferring to take their time under their own motivation. After all his raft was named Age Unlimited. Willis unfortunately came to an inglorious end attempting to cross the Atlantic in May 1968 in a small sailing boat. It was not the first time he had tried this and his boat was found drifting half submerged 400 miles from the Irish coast, but Willis was never found only his journal with a final entry on July 21st 1968. It had been drifting, presumably without Willis for two months. RAFT TWO - Vital Alsar - La Balsa y Las Balsas. Vital: “necessary for the success or continued existence of something; extremely important” Where to begin. Basement books again? The Maritime Museum in Ballina? A dumpster in the street in Valencia. Where to end …..Vera Cruz maybe..or in reverse perhaps, or both beginning and ending? Vera Cruz is famous for the quality of its hot chocolate best consumed maybe at La Parroquia de Veracruz in the port, which is where we went. Worth it if only for the theatre of pouring. In fact there is nothing special about the place at all and it is almost always crowded and you wait to be seated. Which we did. And the pouring is spectacular and very similar to the pouring of cider, or Sidra or Sagardoa, as it is known in the Asturian, Basque and Galician areas of Spain, or Cantabria which is where Vital Alsar was born. Again searching the arcane Pacific section in Basement books in Melbourne where I had discovered William Willis I pull out a volume that has on its spine “La Balsa To Australia - The Longest Raft Voyage In History” by Vital Alsar. This tells me the story of Vital’s third, and second successful, trip drifting across the Pacific. He was of course familiar with the Non Tiki expedition, having read it in, of all places, Morocco, when doing military service in the Spanish Army and felt the urge to replicate it. In 1966 he made, in the now established tradition of Pacific rafters, a balsa wood raft which sank after 143 days with Vital and crew member and friend Marc Modena being rescued by a passing ship near the Galapagos Islands. That raft was named Pacifica. In 1970 La Balsa is launched in the Rio Guayas with four men on board and was being towed towards the Gulf Of Guayaquil and the open ocean for the start of what would become the longest non stop journey by raft ever made. William Willis had also achieve this remember, but although he was alone he had made a lengthy repair stop in Apia in Samoa. The two had met at the explorers club in Manhattan prior to Vital’s Pacifica raft excursion where Willis had told Vital it was impossible, but then changed his mind later and said that he thought Vital might make it. Vital and his crew took 161 days to navigate the La Balsa Pacific and arrive in Mooloolaba in Queensland on the East Coast of Australia about 97 kilometres north of Brisbane. Ballina - A mostly retirement town 160 kilometres south of Brisbane on the Richmond River which empties into the Pacific Ocean at Ballina. It has two surf beaches the North Wall and the South Wall. The South Wall is a winter surf beach whereas The North Wall is a summer surf beach and has a permanent shark warning, which does not deter most surfers. Its other claim to fame is the worlds biggest prawn model which used to sit atop a restaurant in former years. The restaurant closed and for may years the Big Prawn was deserted but the actual prawn sat there until a hardware chain, Bunnings, bought the site and rescued the prawn which now sits beside its carpark entrance. Unsettled. Ballina normally has a copious 1,817.9 mm (71.6 in) of rainfall annually, but during my 2017 tour of Australia a cyclone crossed the north eastern coast of Australia and travelled slowly south, eventually ending up in New Zealand causing very extreme flooding. I was due to give an audio visual concert with my colleague Grayson Cooke, who lives in Ballina, at Southern Cross University in Lismore where he works. Lismore was inundated with several metres of floodwater; the university was closed, roads impassable, raging river, floating islands of debris from the hinterlands sailing past the window (his apartment is right on the river) and the concert is cancelled. Instead we decided to do a 'live stream' on social media from Grayson's apartment. I had travelled on this tour with no guitar, my usual instrument and was borrowing one from someone wherever I played. But I had my iPhone with a virtual digital steel guitar app installed, hooked up to my mini Kaos Pad, a long delay pedal, and a Samsung tablet with a John Cage prepared piano app. Grayson screened and manipulated video from his Unsettled audio visual installation (for which I did the music) that was at that time being show in Adelaide at the same time. I released the resulting audio on my Bandcamp page. Prior to the cyclone arriving, or maybe on a previous visit to Ballina, I was admiring pelicans nesting on the top of a lamp post alongside the river when I noticed I was outside a building advertising itself as the Ballina Naval and Martime Museum. Why not enter? Totally surprised to see inside a balsa wood raft, but not just any old balsa wood raft it was THE raft. One of three that in 1973 Vital Alsar had sailed across the Pacific Ocean with 12 comrades from Ecuador to Ballina for the second time. Guayaquil to Ballina. This third voyage in 1972 featuring three rafts reached Ballina on the east coast of Australia after 179 days. One of the three rafts began to break up when the Australian navy attempted to tow it ashore. The other two were moored in the Richmond river for some months until they discovered that they were starting to rot. The raft presently in the Ballina Maritime Museum is a composite of the two. While I was writing this in 2020 Vital died on the 15th September aged 87. His life after the epic raft voyages continued to be dedicated to the sea and sailing. In 1977,he built 3 brigs in Guayaquil navigating the Amazon river and the Atlantic Ocean, 11,000 nautical miles, until reaching Santander in Spain. The brigs can be seen in the Magdalena Palace in Santander as can a replica raft as well. His last expedition was “Zamná”, sailing from the island of Cozumel (Mexico) to Greece, stopping at many American, European and North African ports before returning to Mexico. This last voyage between 2009-2010 aboard the trimaran was built in the port of Alvarado and named Zamná after the Mayan god of knowledge. Aboard was a Mayan boy, his father and twelve other crew members carrying an emotional message of peace - “El Niño, La Mar and La Paz”. Sail on, sail on sailor.

#mikecooper room40 ambientelectronicexotica raft williamwillis vitalalsar

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lindoig8 · 3 years ago

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Friday to Sunday - 9-11 July

Friday

We walked across to the Information Centre in the morning to try to book some tours. Heather had numerous phone calls and emails with a guy from there over several weeks (I think she started in Halls Creek) but had been unable to firm anything up because we couldn’t say exactly when we would arrive and because they don’t run the tours every day unless there is sufficient demand. One of the tours we wanted to do was a 4WD tagalong and they were just starting one as we arrived and there was room for one more car so they waited while I ran back to the caravan park (just across the road) to get our car and off we went.

It was really interesting. We started at the Information Centre and drove down to the Thermal Spring (the Bore). From there, we drove out to the historic Albert River bridge and its modern replacement side by side. Back into town and crawling through the scrub to see the last remaining post from the old port. Burketown was a flourishing port for some years but obviously, that ceased to be a long time ago. But there is a fancy new ‘port’: a large jetty and boat ramp, opened only about 2 years ago according to our guide. (I suspect it might be a little older than that, because it looks just like it did last time we saw it 4 years ago.)

At each stop, we were regaled with a little history, including some aboriginal stories and information about the plants and animals in the area. We learned a little about the medicinal uses of some plants and how to tell if it is safe to eat some of their fruits. At the port, we heard lots of stories about crocodiles – Brenton (our guide) and Patrick (his assistant) had lots of fascinating tales to tell and Brenton said he could talk about crocodiles all day – and I think he really could.

We set off again to see the remains of the abattoir and meatworks that was once a thriving local industry, but which is now just a rusting mouldering collection of defunct tanks and equipment slowly being eaten by the surrounding bush. Looking at the town now, it is hard to imagine it being a significant port, with industrial and commercial importance, servicing the whole of northern Queensland into the Northern Territory, but the evidence is there if you have knowledgeable people to point it out to you.

Then it was a drive out onto Australia’s largest saltpan – and it is huge. It is totally barren and we only drove a few kilometres out to where they do their Storytelling and Stargazing tours that we still hope to see – but it obviously goes many kilometres further and would be irrevocably treacherous with only a small shower of rain. They told us about people getting lost out there with no signage or landmarks to show them which way to go back to Burketown – and of course, this entire part of the country is under water during the wet months. Vehicles that get bogged are essentially lost for ever – so much of the saltpan is boggy that once a vehicle becomes bogged, nobody else can get close enough to help them out again. Even if they did get out of the bog, they would immediately bog again.

It was then a longish drive to Woods Lake, our next stop. We were the last car in the convoy with seven cars in front of us creating a veritable dust-storm but we are used to that by now. The drivers of some of the other shiny clean cars seemed less anxious to drive in anyone else’s wake so we were all strung out over about a kilometre and a half.

Woods Lake is apparently a paradise in the wet, but it is a desolate dry lakebed at present. Again, we heard lots more aboriginal stories and survival hints – our guides were really great. I admit to some reluctance to go on indigenous tours because they are so often ‘poor me, look what the wicked whities have done to us’ diatribes – but this one was really great. We heard about some of the atrocities, but they were related in a pragmatic way with a ‘this is what happened, but let’s just make it better in the future’ attitude. I am not denying history, but every civilisation (and non-civilisation) has dark times in its past and I think it pointless to carp on forever about things that can’t be changed. It was quite refreshing to hear a more positive view of the future without a massive demand for compensation from our guides.

Our final stop was at the Nicholson River Crossing: a ford where half a centimetre of water was washing the road – but which is several metres under water in the Wet. Upstream from the crossing it is freshwater, whilst downstream it is salt. And there are lots of both salt- and fresh-water crocodiles there. We didn't see any but it seems that both species inhabit both sides of the crossing so nobody felt any inclination to have a paddle.

They set up tables and chairs on the edge of the road and provided tea, coffee and muffins and we sat around and chatted for quite a while. Our 3-hour tour lasted almost 5 hours and our guides would perhaps still be chatting with us if some people hadn’t needed to leave and break up the party. Overall, it was an excellent tour with heaps of interesting information and things to see and hear about.

Back at the Information Centre, we managed to book on a Sunset Cruise on the Albert River – out to the mouth of the river on the Gulf. That is on Monday evening, but we are still waiting to see if we can go on the Stargazing one on Tuesday.

By then, it was mid-afternoon and we had only eaten a muffin each, but we decided to share a packet of chips and have a slightly earlier dinner. We roasted some lamb in our double-sided pan and it was delicious – but we were starving by the time it was ready.

Saturday

Most of the day, we just stayed around camp. We did a couple of loads of washing and went out to the shop in the afternoon – only to find that both shops were closed until Monday. Fortunately, nothing on our list was urgent.

At night, we watched the last episode of The Cliff, a short Icelandic police series – quite well done and it reminded us how much we want to spend more time in that beautiful country – but of course, we were relying on the subtitles because neither of us speak a lot of Icelandic! Sometimes it was a little hard to follow when the dialogue sped up beyond our reading ability.

Sunday

We decided to go out for lunch and wanted to check out the Tyrranna Roadhouse, 30-odd kilometres towards Borroloola. We may need to stay there if we can’t extend our stay in Burketown and wanted to have a look at the place – so decided to buy lunch out there. It was an interesting drive out there with lots of raptors picking at numerous roadkill victims along the way. There were the usual 20 or 30 Black and Whistling Kites, but also a White-bellied Sea-Eagle and about 6 or 8 Wedgies – on the way back, we saw absolutely nothing! Very strange……

Unfortunately, it was cleaning day at Tyrranna and their kitchen was closed so we came back to Burketown and went to the pub. Alas, it wasn’t serving lunch either but they directed us to the little restaurant and takeaway shop across the road and suggested we buy something there and bring it back to the pub where we could get a drink to enjoy with our meal. We did this and brought fish and chips back and had a cold one while we sat in the open window of the pub and watched a tiny bit of the world go by.

It was still pretty hot, but it cooled down later in the afternoon and I went out again to see if I could find some more birds in a different part of the wetland created by the Bore. I saw a few birds, but nothing of note. We also caught up with some of the kids by phone late in the day so that was nice too.

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sunsetsafaris · 5 years ago

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Great Barrier Reef Holidays Tours That Depart From Queensland

Between the coastal town of Bundaberg and the northern tip of Cape York in Australia lies one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Considered as one of the seven natural wonders of the world the Great Barrier Reef is one of the must see destinations and both domestic as well as foreign tourists flock here to be a p[art of the amazing water world. Comprising of 3000 individual reef systems, coral cays and hundreds of beautiful islands this is undoubtedly one of the places you cannot miss out if you are planning to visit Australia. This world heritage listed place is synonymous with Australian tourism and the revenue generated from here is a sizable part of the national economy. Those who plan to visit the place look forward a whole bunch of activities promised to them by the tour operators.

Going by the popularity of the place it’s natural to find a lot many travel and tour companies who will offer you a variety of packages but then one should read the fine prints, compare the prices and read the reviews to book the one that would be best from all angle. Sunset Safaris is one of the most popular tour operators in this area and they offer some great packages to visit Moreton Island, Fraser Island and the Great Barrier Reefs. You can book a package to see one of these places or if you have sufficient time in hand then you can take the tour package to see both Fraser Island and Great Barrier Reef Tours.

Your Australian adventure begins from the very moment you book your tour and physically it starts when you start your journey with Sunset Safari. The tour company can pick you up from pre-determined points in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast or Noosa and you will be travelling in their very comfortable 4WD coaches and enjoy the beauty of Queensland on the way. The tour package includes a free visit to an Australian boutique zoo where you will get a chance to cuddle a Koala, feed kangaroos, watch crocodile feeding and see some of the most venomous snakes in the region. The stopover in Mamminos is a welcome break for the visitors where they get to taste some homemade ice creams and farm fresh sugar canes which is a seasonal affair. The other freebies that comes with this package will include guided snorkel school tour, fish feeding tour and a visit to Mon Repos; the turtle conservation centre.

The tourists are taken in the biggest and most luxurious boat in the region for an entire day and this gives them a chance to get acquainted with this amazing creation of nature. If you are lucky enough to be there during the whale season then you will see the mighty Humpback Whales in their home stretch. Through the glass bottom boats you will see the beautiful corals and thousands of reef fishes as they make their way under water. But the best way to see the beauty of this water park is when you go for scuba diving (an optional activity) or snorkel in the clear blue waters. All the snorkelling gears and body suits are provided by the company and in fact you can try out deep sea fishing by paying a nominal amount.

The Great Barrier Reef Packages tour guides will take you to lady Musgrave islands for a guided coral cay walk and you can swim to your heart’s content as it’s a totally sting free zone. There will also a lot of optional activities like tennis lessons, surfing lesson or a visit to the Bundaberg rum factory. All the meals are provided for by the company and by the time you will finish the tour you will have made memories to last you a lifetime.

For more details about Great Barrier Reef Vacation just move on www.sunsetsafaris.com.au

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xxredwineandambiencexx · 8 years ago

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Prompt: It's Klaus birthday in NOLA and Rebekah secretly sent an invitation for Caroline, because the siblings have a secret bet going on about who's present gonna be the best. After 1000 what does one give to someone who can get whatever he wants :D

Kol is sipping a margarita, splayed out on one of the leather couches in their lounge room when she gets back from her shopping expedition in New Orleans.

The radio is on, playing one of those inane pop tunes that Kol for some reason seemed to love, and his foot is swaying lazily to the beat as he stares up at the fan whirring lazily on the ceiling above them.

“What on Earth are you doing?” She asks of Kol, whose eyes flick towards her, a self satisfied smile creeping across his face when he sees her.

“Celebrating.” Kol says with great relish, taking a sip of his margarita. “Can I offer you a drink, sister?”

“Knowing you you’ve probably spiked it with some sort of sleeping potion, so it’ll be a hard pass this time.” She replies with disdain, remembering the last time Elijah had accepted a drink from Kol, and had then promptly broken out in hives that had taken quite a few days to disappear, and only with the assistance of a witch that owed Elijah quite a few favours.

Kol had ended up with a dagger in his chest for a month before Elijah had deigned to make amends with him.

“God you’re all no fun.” Kol mumbles under his breath, sitting up on the couch and planting his booted feet on the floor. “And since you never asked what I was celebrating, I’m going to tell you anyway.”

“Of course you are.” She remarks dryly, tapping her foot against the floor, cursing the humidity that seemed to hang over New Orleans at this time of the year like an unpleasant shroud.

Already she can feel her hair sticking to the back of her neck, her clothes pressing to her skin unpleasantly. Maybe she could go for a swim a little later.

“Well, as you well know Bekah, Nik’s birthday is coming up. And I know that we all try and one up each other when it comes to buying him a gift. God knows why considering how many times he’s daggered us all… If anything he should be buying us presents to make up for it.” Kol is just thinking out loud now, and she can’t help but sigh, massaging her temples.

In fact, Nik had brought her plenty of gifts to make up for the whole daggering thing, knowing that she was materialistic at heart and was far more likely to respond positively to that than murmured platitudes and constant apologies.

She wouldn’t give up her designer wardrobe, villa in Tuscany, and private island for anything.

“Get to the point.” She snarls as Kol continues to mumble under his breath.

“Fine. I just want to tell you and Elijah that you shouldn’t bother trying this year, because I’ve got him the present to end all presents. The perfect gift.”

“You do?” She asks incredulously, because Kol’s idea of a perfect gift is usually a stripper or a gift voucher to some obscure store.

“I do.” Kol says with another smug smile. “So just don’t even go there this year Bekah. You’re not going to beat me!”

With that, Kol drains the rest of his margarita, falling back to lie on the couch once more.

Justin Bieber starts playing on the radio, and as she marches out of the room to escape the stupidity of the song, an idea begins to form in her mind.

Kol wasn’t going to know what hit him.

“I could get used to this.” Caroline Forbes remarks with a laugh, reclining on the pure white sand as the sun beats fiercely down on her skin.

“I’m not sure about the heat.” Enzo has propped himself up on her elbow next to her, Ray Bans covering most of his features as he takes in the crystalline blue water. “Although it is a beautiful corner of the world.”

She’d been dying to come to Australia for some time now, and she and Enzo had spent the last few months wandering the massive island continent. As she very quickly discovered, there was so much more to Australia than the cosmopolitan city of Sydney.

They went dune boarding at Port Stephens, a little coastal town three hours north east of the capital of NSW. They spent a week on the Gold Coast, checking out the bars and clubs that peppered the famous city.

They spent another week on a cattle ranch in the far flung part of Queensland that no one else ever seemed to go to, made friends with the locals as they had to revert back to animal blood momentarily.

The Northern Territory was amazing, as had been Western Australia. The Barossa Valley had been a favourite, rich wine country with vineyards stretching as far as the eye could see.

Enzo had loved Melbourne, loved the coffee culture and all the hip little laneway bars that were only discovered if you stumbled across them by accident. Someone had suggested the Whitsundays for their next destination, and after looking at some pictures online she and Enzo had very quickly booked one of the resorts there.

The past few days had been spent snorkelling on the Great Barrier reef, reclining on the deck of the sailboat they had hired, swimming in clear blue waters, and sampling some of the amazing food at the various restaurants dotted around the island.

She thanked her lucky stars that she technically couldn’t put on weight now that she was dead and all, so had absolutely no guilt about helping herself to a second or third plate of food at dinner time, washing it down with some wine.

“That it is.” She agrees quietly with Enzo, sipping at her bottle of water, watching clouds scud across the cornflower blue sky.

Someone whistles at them from the shore line, and she raises her hand in acknowledgement towards the skipper of their boat, sitting up and beginning to gather her belongings, shoving them back into the canvas beach bag she carried with her.

She dusts the sane off her as she and Enzo make their way over to the boat, ankle deep in the cool water before they're being handed up onto the deck.

When she gets back to their room, she’s surprised to see an envelope addressed to her. She hadn’t given anyone an address while she’d been travelling, and so she approaches the envelope with a healthy dose of caution.

Picking it up between two fingers, she gingerly breaks the wax seal on the back, pulling out the parchment within and unfolding it quickly.

Caroline,

My brother is celebrating his birthday this year. Although I’m not particularly eager to see you anytime soon, I know that Nik would like it. Details are within.

Rebekah

She can’t help but cover her mouth, snorting with laughter as she hands the folded up piece of paper to Enzo to read.

“Rather direct, isn’t she?”

“Yes, that always has been her m.o.” She replies with another soft laugh, eyes scanning the contents of the invitation before tossing it onto the bed.

“So are you going to go?” Enzo questions curiously, leaning over to read the invitation as well.

“I don’t know. Maybe?” She answers it like a question, becuase to be honest she's still not half sure herself.

Enzo raises an eyebrow at that.

“Maybe? That's a complete 180 from last year when it was a flat out no. Could it be that your feelings towards the big bad hybrid have changed?”

She hits Enzo on the arm good naturedly.

“It’s not like that. It’ll just be… good to see him.” She trails off lamely, knowing that it's a pathetic excuse if ever she's heard one.

To be honest, she'd been thinking about Klaus a lot more lately. She hadn't seen him in almost a decade, the last time being quite a memorable weekend they’d spent together in Tuscany, when they hadn’t done much more than have sex and drink wine from teh surrounding vineyards.

Most of the weekend had been spent in bed, Klaus determined to show her just how good they were with each other, which they were. Klaus continued to be the best sex of her lfie, and if the infuriating smile that he wore on his face every time he brought her to climax was anything to go by, he knew it as well.

But they both had other priorities. She was content to continue her nomadic lifestyle, discovering some of the far flung and forgotten corners of the world, Enzo in tow more often than not.

Klaus had settled into his life in New Orleans, ruling the city with an iron fist, his siblings still with him.

She’d never been. Setting foot into his city would be sending a message, that she was willing to entertain the idea of a forever with him. And she hadn’t been ready for that yet. But now…

“I can see that your mind has already been made up.” Enzo replies with a slow smile. “Are you sure?”

She just takes a deep breath, squaring her shoulders.

“I’m going to need a dress.”

The party below them is in full swing, members of the supernatural community mingling in the courtyard below them.

Kol leans on the balcony beside her, hair swept artfully away from his forehead, tuxedo clinging to the firm lines of his body. He sips at his drink, glancing at her for a moment.

“Did you even try to get him something this year?” He asks with a chuckle. “You’ve been surprisingly tight lipped this year sister.”

She smooths down the front of her black party dress, raising her own glass to her lips as she takes a drink.

“I tried something different this year. Apparently it didn’t work out.” She notes with a shrug, downing the rest of her drink and setting the now empty glass on the tray of a passing waiter.

Kol stares at her for a long moment, trying to figure out the meaning behind her words.

“Shame.” He pronounces with a shrug. “You’re usually much better at this. Did you order something online and it didnt’ arrive on time or something?”

She just smiles to herself, phone buzzing in her hand.

“Something like that.”

And then she thumbs into the message, reading the two words displayed across her screen.

She’s here.

The doorman of course, had been under strict instructions to keep an eye out for Caroline. He’d been provided with a picture of the baby vampire, one from her Mystic Falls days where she’d been polished and primped and wearing a ballgown.

All the same, Caroline Forbes was rather hard to miss, even dressed in plain clothes with her hair in disarray. She would know because she’d seen the girl in such a state during one memorable run in at the MIkaelson mansion in Mystic Falls.

It hadn’t taken a genius to know exactly why Caroline was doing the walk of shame at such an infernal hour of the morning. The younger girl had blushed, hair falling into her face as she had whispered a soft goodbye before letting herself out into the weak early morning light.

She had mentioned this as an aside to Kol, who had promptly teased Nik about it. Nik had snapped his neck and they hadn’t mentioned it since.

“Am I boring you?” Kol’s voice abruptly interrupts her train of thought, and she locks her phone, eyes flicking up towards her brother, who’s staring at her like she’s just grown a second head. “Where did you go just now?”

She just draws herself up to her full height, snagging another flute of champagne.

“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch brother.”

The doorman is staring at her strangely. She can’t imagine why, because she most certainly does not have lipstick on her teeth (she checked). The navy blue party dress that she’s wearing makes her tanned legs look a mile long, and accentuates the curves of her body.

Her hair, which she had spent a ridiculous amount of time on, was twisted into an elegant up do, and she was wearing a necklace that Klaus had gifted to her during their time in Tuscany.

The short of it was, she looked a million bucks.

“Caroline Forbes.” A voice drawls as she steps into the entrance of the courtyard.

Rebekah Mikaelson hasn’t changed a bit, that bored expression on her face ever present. She’s wearing a killer pair of Manolos and she can’t help but eye off the striking shoes with a bit of jealousy.

“Rebekah.” She finally answers, swallowing around the lump in her throat as Rebekah just smiles, pressing a drink into her hand.

“I didn’t think you were going to come.” Rebekah sips at her own drink as she turns, moving more towards the crowd of people, a few of whom eye them off with barely concealed curiosity. “You know, since I didn’t receive your RSVP or anything like that.”

“Sorry.” She replies to the older vampire, smoothing a hand over her hair. “I was undecided until quite recently. I did send word but apparently you didn’t get the message in time.”

“No matter.” Rebekah waves a hand dismissively. “You’re here now and that’s all that matters.”

Rebekah tilts her gaze upwards towards the balcony, and she follows the line of the Original’s gaze. Kol Mikaelson has a drink in her hand, and is gaping at her with his mouth hanging open rather unattractively.

Within split seconds his gaze lands on Rebekah, eyes narrowing as he raises his drink towards his sister in a toast for some reason.

“What was that about?” She asks Rebekah, who lifts one shoulder in an elegant shrug as the crowd clears momentarily and she spots Klaus from across the room.

He looks entirely at ease in this particular setting, his tuxedo clinging sharply to the lines of his broad shoulders, pants tailored to within an inch of their life. He’s got his head thrown back in laughter as he talks to another man, drink in hand and looking like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

“What on earth has he done to his hair?” She hisses towards Rebekah in horror. “It looks atrocious.”

She sees Klaus stiffen at that, and curses his superior Hybrid hearing as his gaze suddenly lands on her, eyes dark.

It’s perhaps the first time that she’s seen him truly caught off guard, and she can’t help but raise her glass to her lips, not realising just how much liquid courage she’d need to fortify herself with for this particular encounter.

The crowd seems to part before Klaus as he moves towards her, Rebekah giving her a gentle nudge, encouraging her to meet him halfway.

If that wasn’t a metaphor for their relationship, she didn’t know what was.

Klaus stops before her, gaze indecipherable as he reaches out, traces a gentle hand along her cheekbone.

The weight of the curious gazes around her is heavy, and she can’t help but lean into his touch as he bends, taking her hand in his, pressing a gentle kiss to it.

He straightens, and his smile is like the sun.

“Hello Caroline.”

It feels strange, being on Klaus’ arm. For a moment, she can’t help but think that Klaus is showing her off, demonstrating his power.

Until he begins introducing her to people, a hand resting dangerously on her lower back, thumb rubbing circles into where her dress does not cover up the skin of her back.

He seems content to take a backseat in their conversation, instead observing silently as she exchanges greetings with various witches and werewolves and vampires.

She sips at her drink as someone else comes to greet Klaus, and it takes a moment for her to realise why this time is so different. Klaus isn’t treating her like an object. He never has, a byproduct of his thousand or so years of existence.

No. Klaus is treating her like an equal, and the thought of that sends a thrill down her spine. So when there’s a break in the conversation she twines an arm around his waist, pressing a quick kiss to his neck.

In response Klaus pulls her closer to him but doesn’t comment, carrying on his conversation effortlessly.

Hours later as the guests begin to filter out into the street, Klaus pulls her in close to her chest.

“What are you doing here Caroline?” He asks in a low voice, tone dangerous. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, of course I am.”

She meets his gaze confidently, hand drifting up his chest to fix the lapel of his dinner jacket.

“I’m here for you Klaus.” She tells him with a smile. “You remember that weekend in Tuscany, when you let me go without a word of protest?”

Klaus’ lips curl into a smirk.

“How could I forget Tuscany?”

“You didn’t push me. And I was grateful for that, even though I did know that you wouldn’t wait around forever for me. And when you kept your distance in the following years, I was grateful. But I also missed not having you around.”

Her eyes drop to the crisp lines of his shirt as her hands drift down towards his waist. His breath is hot against her cheek, and he’s gone unnaturally still as he waits to hear the next words out of her mouth.

“You offered me forever and I wasn’t ready then. But I am now.” She says softly, hands sliding up his chest, twining around his neck as his gaze darkens, mouth hanging open in surprise. “If you’ll still have me of course.

Klaus’ lips against hers is the only answer he provides, the only answer she needs. Klaus kisses her like he’s a starving man, like he’s been deprived of something for so long.

She’s scarcely less eager to return his embrace, missing the feeling of him, the familiar smell of him.

She doesn’t protest when Klaus picks her up in his arms, using his vamp speed to get the from the courtyard to what is undoubtedly his bedroom.

He’s got her pressed up against the closed door before she can even think about it, lips hot against the skin of her neck as he nips at her with a content sigh.

His jacket drops to the floor, and she helps him unbutton his shirt, no doubt in her mind as to the direction that this is heading.

Her hands roam over the skin of his chest, catalouging all the new scars that he’s acquired since she saw him last, hand pausing over a particularly nasty looking scar, no doubt caused by some sort of stabbing.

“You’ll have to tell me that story later.” She murmurs, tipping a finger under his chin and kissing him gently.

“Later.” Klaus agrees in a low voice, hands pausing at the seams of her dress.

She’s reversed their positions in an instant, Klaus pressed up against the door with a surprised look on his face.

“Don’t you dare rip this dress.” She hisses at him, knowing his proclivity for destroying her clothes when he’s in this sort of mood. “I like this one.”

His low chuckle curls around her, a warm feeling in the bottom of her stomach as he turns her gently by the shoulders, a hot open mouthed kiss pressed to the side of her neck.

His hands on the zipper are like fire as he pulls it down slowly, fingers brushing over the exposed skin of her back as he pushes the dress from her shoulders.

It pools at her feet, and she hears his breath hitch in his throat as he runs a gentle hand down her back.

“I’ve missed this.” Klaus murmurs to her, walking her backwards towards his bed, both of them kicking off their shoes, Klaus shucking his socks as they go.

He grips her by the hips, easily lifting her up and tossing her onto the mattress, a giggle escaping her lips as Klaus’s gaze darkens.

“Come here.” She beckons to him as Klaus crawls between her knees, covering her body with his as he takes her into his arms.

The feeling is unfamiliar and familiar all at once, Klaus’ erection pressing into her core as she tangles her lips with his.

A soft moan escapes her as Klaus’ lips scorch a hot trail down her throat, face nuzzling between the valley of her breasts, stubble scratching against her sensitive skin.

“Pants off.” She orders after a momentary pause, Klaus chuckling as he does her bidding.

“A little eager aren’t we?” He asks her with an infuriating smile as he hooks long fingers into the waistband of her panties.

“We’ve got ten years to make up for.” She just breathes, watching as his face softens, hand coming up to cup her cheek delicately as he lines up his body with hers, cock nudging gently at her entrance.

She can’t help but gasp at the feeling, heel nudging at his arse as he smiles down at her.

“We’ve got all the time in the world sweetheart.” He replies before pushing into her heat with one, smooth stroke.

She’s missed this, the feeling of being filled by him, and her eyes roll back into her head at just how good it is, at how good he is.

Klaus had learnt to read her body with an almost eerie sixth sense, and he puts all of his learned knowledge into practice as he sets a rhythm that has her unable to do much more than gasp and hold on for the ride.

Klaus rolls suddenly, reversing their positions as she sways above him, a little startled. Klaus just smiles, still hard inside her as he guides her arms around his broad shoulders, hands hot around her waist as he helps to lift her, guide her up and down.

She’s always loved this position with him, loved the power and the look of awe that always creeped across his face when he saw her like this.

She bends down to kiss him, rolling her hips in a gentle rhythm against his. Klaus’ hand traces down the front of her body, thumb pinpointing her clit with an unerring accuracy.

She shudders a little when he presses there, rhythm broken momentarily as she opens her mouth in a silent moan.

She can feel the tell tale build in her core, the ache becoming almost unbearable as she increases her rhythm, anchoring her hands on his shoulders as he begins to thrust up into her with a look of concentration on his face.

She falls apart in his arms, Klaus catching her, turning and pressing her down into the mattress as he continues to drive into her, the pleasure edging into pain at the sensitivity.

Klaus knows this though, gentles the movement of his hips until it curls low in her belly once more, building impossibly fast to her peak.

They come together this time, her name on his lips as he buries his face into her neck, feels the heat of him inside her.

She runs a hand through his sweat dampened hair, breathing slowly returning to normal as he pulls out and heads for the bathroom, returning in the next few moments with a damp cloth to wipe themselves down with.

When he’s done he pulls her into the circle of his arms, a content exhale as he props one arm under his head, staring up at the ceiling.

They don’t have to say much. They never do in moments like this. But she feels like she has to say this.

“I love you.” She whispers into the skin of his chest, Klaus stiffening momentarily around her before he’s pressing a gentle kiss to the back of her hand, eyes brimming with emotion.

He doesn’t say it back but that’s okay. She knows that he’s felt this way about her for a long time, and she’s not going to get hung up on her insecurities like she used to when it came to him.

The moment is perfect, and she wouldn’t change it for the world.

“I hope you’ve got space in your wardrobe for all my clothes.” She voices out loud suddenly, propping herself up on her elbow to face him.

Klaus’ burst of startled laughter is like music to her hears.

On the lower levels of the house, Rebekah Mikaelson pours herself a victory drink, Kol glowering on the lounge opposite her as the fire crackles merrily away in the hearth.

“Do you concede?” She asks of Kol, who just glares at her, cracking his knuckles a little threateningly.

“I concede.”

#klaroline #klaroline drabbles #Anonymous

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thatsnotcanonpodcasts · 5 years ago

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Second Galaxy, Space Hotel & Creative Emmys

I’m a Nerd and I’m okay, I play all night and I sleep all day, I read science journals, I eat my lunch I ride on the hover train (I wish). Welcome back to another exciting and fun filled episode from those whacky Nerds. First up this week we have a story about China influencing game studios to block any references to protests in Hong Kong. Obviously we weren’t approached, probably because of Buck’s rants. But this is kind of bad as it is enforcing the propaganda of a military regime. So please listen in and then go forth and show support for Hong Kong in its bid for democratic freedom from oppression. Viva la revolution!

Next up we look at news of resorts and hotels being planned for space. That’s right, hotels in orbit! You will be able to play basketball in one if you are so inclined. There is even mention of accommodation available on the ISS for a price, but no airport transfers, sorry. So if you know anyone expecting a return visit from aliens and wanting to avoid those pesky immigration queues then this might be just the ticket.

Then we look at the Emmy awards, particularly the creative side. They took place recently and there are some interesting winners to take a look at. There are the usual suspects that are to be expected, such as Game of Thrones, but also others such as “Age of Sail.” So take a look through the list and see who you like and also if there is something you like and we over looked it.

As always we have the shout outs, remembrances, birthdays, and special events from this week in history. We are planning on being at Supanova again this year, if you are let us know and we will be happy to see you. Until next time stay safe, take care of each other and stay hydrated.

EPISODE NOTES:

Hong Kong protest references removed in game - https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/d4brd7/mobile_game_second_galaxy_removing_guilds_with/

A Space hotel experience - https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/fake-gravity-and-supersized-basketball-a-look-inside-the-space-hotel-experience/ar-AAHhTCr

2019 Creative Emmy Awards and the winners - https://deadline.com/2019/09/creative-arts-emmy-awards-2019-winners-list-1202734630/

Games currently playing

Buck

– The Orville Fan experience - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1096200/The_Orville__Interactive_Fan_Experience/

Professor

– Creeper World : Anniversary Edition - https://store.steampowered.com/app/422910/Creeper_World_Anniversary_Edition/

– Warframe - https://store.steampowered.com/app/230410/Warframe/

Other topics discussed

White Chicks (2004 American comedy film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Chicks

Forensic Firearm exam (forensic process of examining the characteristics of firearms as well as any cartridges or bullets left behind at a crime scene.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forensic_firearm_examination

Steam removes Devotion game

- https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/25/18239937/taiwanese-horror-game-devotion-gone-steam-removed-winnie-the-pooh-meme-china

University of Queensland as students clashed over their views on China and pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.

- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-24/uq-student-protest-anger-over-hong-kong-chinese-minorities/11343130

Shenmue 3 undergoing slight changes

- https://www.oneangrygamer.net/2019/09/shenmue-3-reportedly-undergoes-slight-alterations-for-chinese-localization/93134/?fbclid=IwAR3icI-5tQESFeT0-2G4i7Zgr_jhh89E8eJvjBQKaoA6eoGajwU7rIM1svM

Sony’s strict content censorship

- https://boundingintocomics.com/2019/04/23/sony-confirms-existence-of-strict-content-censorship-policy-regarding-playstation-4-releases/

AC/DC (Australian Band)

- https://www.sonymusic.co.uk/artists/acdc

Von Braun Station also known as Rotating wheel space station

- https://gatewayspaceport.com/von-braun-station/

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotating_wheel_space_station

Fly in Fly out (method of employing people in remote areas by flying them temporarily to the work site instead of relocating employees and their families permanently.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly-in_fly-out

Launchbat (Bat hanging onto space shuttle)

- https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts119/launchbat.html

Space Elevator (proposed type of planet-to-space transportation system.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevator

Space Station V (Largest orbital structure ever built. It featured an orbital hotel, run by Hilton Hotels; a Howard Johnson's restaurant; lounge areas; and picture phone booths. It was featured in 2001 : A Space Odyssey)

- https://2001.fandom.com/wiki/Space_Station_V

Age of Sails (2018 animated movie)

- IMDB page - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8908420/

- Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH3HOcRayC8

Love, Death & Robots stylized as LOVE DEATH + ROBOTS (American adult animated science fiction anthology web television series on Netflix)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love,_Death_%26_Robots

If Memory Serves (Star Trek Discovery episode)

- https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/If_Memory_Serves_(episode)

It’s My Birthday (Thor Ragnarok scene)

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z8BBBJRxMk

Cutscene Saga (TNC Podcast)

- https://thatsnotcanon.com/cutscenesagapodcast

Imogen and Harrison Predict the Future (New TNC Podcast)

- https://thatsnotcanon.com/iahptfpodcast

Shoutouts

16 Sept 1959 - The first successful photocopier, the Xerox 914, is introduced in a demonstration at the Sherry-Netherland Hotel in New York, on live television from New York City. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerox_914

16 Sept 1976 – Armenian champion swimmer Shavarsh Karapetyan saves 20 people from a trolleybus that had fallen into a Yerevan reservoir. While jogging alongside Yerevan Lake with his brother Kamo, also a finswimmer, Karapetyan had just completed his usual distance of 20 km when he heard the sound of a crash and saw a sinking trolleybus which had gone out of control and fallen from a dam wall. The combined effect of cold water and the multiple lacerations from glass shards led to Karapetyan's hospitalization for 45 days, as he developed pneumonia and sepsis. Subsequent lung complications prevented Karapetyan from continuing his sports career. He was awarded the Medal "For the Salvation of the Drowning" and the Order of the Badge of Honor. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shavarsh_Karapetyan

16 Sept 2019 - Fisherman catches ‘alien’ fish with huge bulbous eyes off Norwegian island and ate it. Mr Oscar Lundahl, 19, was fishing for the blue halibut of Andoya in northern Norway, He nearly jumped out of his fishing boat when he saw the bizarre-looking species with bulbous eyes on the end of his line. The specimen is a ratfish, whose Latin name Chimeras Monstrosa Linnaeus is aptly derived from a Greek mythical monster that had the head of a lion and tail of a dragon. The fish — a relative of the shark that dates back 300 million years — live in deep water and are very rarely caught. Not wanting to waste it, he said he took the fish home and fried it up. Despite its ugly appearance, it was delicious. “It is a bit like cod but tastier,” he said. - https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/animals/fisherman-catches-alien-fish-with-huge-bulbous-eyes-off-norwegian-island/news-story/7bee99e9f22dd336031d40692636c008

Remembrances

16 Sept 1736 - Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, a physicist,inventor, and scientific instrument maker. Fahrenheit was born in Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland), then a predominantly German-speaking Hanseatic city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, but lived most of his life in the Dutch Republic (1701–1736) and was one of the notable figures in the Golden Age of Dutch science and technology. A pioneer of exact thermometry, he helped lay the foundations for the era of precision thermometry by inventing the mercury-in-glass thermometer (first practical, accurate thermometer) and Fahrenheit scale (first standardized temperature scale to be widely used). In other words, Fahrenheit's inventions ushered in the first revolution in the history of thermometry (branch of physics concerned with methods of temperature measurement). From the early 1710s until the beginnings of the electronic era, mercury-in-glass thermometers were among the most reliable and accurate thermometers ever invented. He died from mercury poisoning at the age of 50 in The Hague - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Gabriel_Fahrenheit

16 Sept 2005 - Gordon Gould, American physicist who is widely, but not universally, credited with the invention of the laser (Others attribute the invention to Theodore Maiman). Gould is best known for his thirty-year fight with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to obtain patents for the laser and related technologies. He also fought with laser manufacturers in court battles to enforce the patents he subsequently did obtain. He died from natural causes at the age of 85 in New York City - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Gould

15 Sept 2019 - Richard Theodore Otcasek known as Ric Ocasek, was an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer and painter. He was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and songwriter for the rock band the Cars . In 2018, Ocasek was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Cars. That same year, he exhibited several his paintings in a national tour. He died from heart disease at the age of 75 in New York City - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ric_Ocasek

Famous Birthdays

16 Sept 1875 - James Cash "J. C." Penney Jr., American businessman and entrepreneur who founded the J. C. Penney stores in 1902. In 1898, James Cash Penney began working for a small chain of stores in the western United States called the Golden Rule stores. In 1902, owners Guy Johnson and Thomas Callahan, impressed by his work ethic and salesmanship, offered him one-third partnership in a new store he would open. Penney invested $2,000 and moved to Kemmerer, Wyoming, to open a store there. He participated in opening two more stores, and when Callahan and Johnson dissolved their partnership in 1907, he purchased full interest in all three stores. By 1912, there were 34 stores in the Rocky Mountain States. In 1913, he moved the company to the Kearns Building in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. The company was incorporated under the new name, J. C. Penney Company. By 1924, Penneys' reported income of more than $1 million annually. The number of stores reached 1,400 by 1929. He remained as chairman of the board until 1946, and after that as honorary chairman until his death in 1971. Until the end of his life, he continued to go to his offices. He was born in Hamilton, Missouri. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cash_Penney

16 Sept 1925 - Riley B. King, known professionally as B.B. King, was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. King introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending and shimmering vibrato that influenced many later electric blues guitarists. King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and is one of the most influential blues musicians of all time, earning the nickname "The King of the Blues", and is considered one of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar" (along with Albert and Freddie King). King performed tirelessly throughout his musical career, appearing on average at more than 200 concerts per year into his 70s. In 1956 alone, he appeared at 342 shows. He was born in Itta Bena, Mississippi - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B.B._King

16 Sept 1956 - David Seth Kotkin, known professionally as David Copperfield, American magician, described by Forbes as the most commercially successful magician in history. Copperfield's television specials have won 21 Emmy Awards of a total 38 nominations. Best known for his combination of storytelling and illusion, Copperfield's career of over 40 years has earned him 11 Guinness World Records, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a knighthood by the French government, and he has been named a Living Legend by the US Library of Congress. Copperfield has so far sold 33 million tickets and grossed over $4 billion, more than any other solo entertainer in history. In 2015, Forbes listed his earnings at $63 million for the previous 12 months and ranked him the 20th highest-earning celebrity in the world. When not performing, he manages his chain of eleven resort islands in the Bahamas, which he calls "Musha Cay and the Islands of Copperfield Bay". He was born in Metuchen, New Jersey - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Copperfield_(illusionist)

16 Sept 1960 – Danny John Jules, British actor, singer and dancer. He played Cat in the sci-fi comedy series Red Dwarf and policeman Dwayne Myers in the crime drama Death in Paradise. He was also a protagonist in the hit CBBC children's spy drama M.I. High, in which he portrayed Lenny Bicknall, the caretaker. On 13 August 2018 he was announced as one of the celebrity contestants on the 2018 series of Strictly Come Dancing. He was eliminated from the show on 11 November 2018. He was born in Paddington,London - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_John-Jules

Events of interest

16 Sept 1963 – The Outer Limits first aired on ABC, the series is often compared to The Twilight Zone, but with a greater emphasis on science fiction stories (rather than stories of fantasy or the supernatural matters). The Outer Limits is an anthology of self-contained episodes, sometimes with a plot twist at the end. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Outer_Limits_(1963_TV_series)

16 Sept 1979 - Eight people escaped from East Germany to the west in a homemade hot air balloon. The plot to accomplish this was carried out over a period of one and a half years, including an unsuccessful attempt, three different balloons, and various modifications until the successful escape occurred. One failed crossing alerted the government to the plot, but the police were not able to identify the suspects before their flight to the west. The escape has been portrayed in two films: Night Crossing and Der Ballon. The former, also called With the Wind to the West - the English translation of the German title, was an English-language film produced by Disney. The latter was a German-language production which "both families welcomed [Director] Herbig’s desire to, as he put it, 'make a German film for an international audience. In 2017, the balloon was put on permanent exhibition at the Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte (Museum of Bavarian History). - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_German_balloon_escape

17 Sept 1978 – Battlestar Galactica first aired its 148 minute pilot on ABC, starring Lorne Greene,Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict, it ran for the 1978–1979 season before being canceled. In 1980, a write-in campaign revived the show as Galactica 1980 with 10 episodes. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlestar_Galactica_(1978_TV_series)

Intro

Artist – Goblins from Mars

Song Title – Super Mario - Overworld Theme (GFM Trap Remix)

Song Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNMe6kF0j0&index=4&list=PLHmTsVREU3Ar1AJWkimkl6Pux3R5PB-QJ

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NerdsAmalgamated/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/NAmalgamated

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6Nux69rftdBeeEXwD8GXrS

iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/top-shelf-nerds/id1347661094

RSS - http://www.thatsnotcanonproductions.com/topshelfnerdspodcast?format=rss

General Enquiries

Email - [email protected]

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pozziefish-blog · 6 years ago

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We traveled on a three week adventure from Townsville to the tip of Australia and back with two other couples, the Drabbles and the Greens. We set off very early one Saturday morning in convoy, all very excited. We reached the breakfast stop (in Cardwell) and all popped into the servo for hot bacon and egg sangas, well all except one team member, Linda Green, who was fast asleep in the car (maybe the excitement was too much for her).

So, now I take writers licence and skip to the bit where we have finally reached the top of Australia and roll into Seisia. I will fill you all in on the bits in between (like the old telegraph track etc.) but that will be a different blog (too much to cover in one). We had decided that we would spend the first few days at Loyalty Beach camp ground, so we could use it as a base to explore the top. So we rolled in, found our spots and pitched our tents. This was a lovely ground with adequate facilities, good sized pitches and a view to die for.

Loyalty Beach

Sunset at Loyalty Beach Camp Ground

The campground covers about 13 acres of beachfront prime site. It also has an abundance of wildlife in and around the campground including palm cockatoos, green tree frogs, dingoes, kangaroos, green tree snakes, pythons, wild horses, crocodiles and the beautiful Ulysses Butterfly. We saw quite a few wild horses, that would come into the campground of an evening and search for food in the bins and peoples tents etc. We had a couple of restless nights where we were awoken by horses rummaging around bins and walking through people campsites looking for food.

After settling in with a few cold beers we began to plan our next couple of days. Obviously we wanted to drive to the tip, we also wanted to do a bit of fishing and just generally unwind and chill out after a hectic few days getting here. Admin needed to be done (such as washing and general camp cleaning) and we all needed to recharge and Linda needed to catch up on her sleep.

The beach went for miles and miles and Mike and I took off to explore. After walking a long way down the beach we eventually came across what I liked to call “my new reef boat”! Upon closer inspection we did decide that it probably needed a little bit of work so I decided to stick with the tinny.

The Greens also went exploring from the campground and, true to form, found a pub just down the beach. This was lovely place to spend the afternoon (and the Greens spent many afternoons there). One evening we decided to all go down as they had traditional dancers from Thursday Island putting on an amazing performance, showcasing their traditional dancing and costumes.

The stage was set for the performers with an amazing sunset in the background. The dancers ranged in ages from very young kids of four or five to older teenagers and they were amazing. They were all in traditional costume and performed several different dances with spears and headdresses. At the end of the evening they invited the audience to come and join in with one of their dances. Well, when they invited the audience to join in guess who got up and into the spirit of the evening? No, not me! Drabs of course. He could not help himself and I must admit he did bring a certain “je ne sais quoi” to the proceedings.

Fishing (of course, you surely knew there would be fishing!)

My fishing husband (Drabs) had brought his roof top tinny along on the trip so he very kindly offered to take me out for a mornings fish in the beautiful waters just off Seisia. We got up early and trundled down to the boat ramp. I was very excited to get my fishing fishing trip in the far north of Queensland and was looking forward to bringing home dinner.

The waters around Seisia are full of small reefs and islands which hold hundreds of fish of all different species. The weather wasn’t too great (little windy for the small boat), but we battled on and had a beautiful morning out on the water. We also landed a few fish, but nothing of note and definitely nothing that would feed the six of us for dinner!

Happy Girl

Cute coral

It’s a cuda

As a side note I guess I should be totally transparent with my readers and let you know that if I had to survive on the fish I caught I would be a size zero and very hungry. I start every fishing trip with a pure excitable optimism, which, if truth be told, is only occasionally warranted. But, in saying that, I am forever the optimist and some times I do bring home dinner (like the beautiful Barra I caught in the Jardine).

We went for a fish off the famous Seisia Jetty a couple of times (while the Greens went to the pub). This place was amazing, you can look over the edge and see the fish all swimming around in schools, absolutely amazing. Of course that does not mean that you can catch them even when you dangling an enticing lure in front of their noses.

Some great catches have been had from the jetty, including huge mackerel, giant trevally and others, but we had to just satisfy ourselves with some small, but cute ones.

Sight Seeing

Just in case fishing is not your thing, there are plenty of other things to do whilst staying at Loyalty beach. One day we decided to explore the famous Five Beaches loop track which starts at Somerset ruins and goes through to Vallack Point on the eastern side of Cape York. The track does go further than Vallack and actually encompasses about seven or eight beaches before it rejoins Somerset Road, but we just stuck to the five. The track itself takes you across rugged headland with coffee rock and down onto beaches with beautiful white sand and pristine waters.

Start of the Five Beaches Loop Track

The track conditions change depending on the weather and wet seasons, but we did not find any of the area too rough and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. The coastline is spectacular and rugged. Beautiful stretches of sandy beaches with hardly another soul in sight.

On our way back we decided to explore the World War II wrecks that are scattered around the area. The area is full of history. In Bamaga there is a monument that commemorates the local Torres Strait Islanders (TSI) who enlisted in the Northern Peninsula Area Light Infantry. By 1944, almost every able-bodied TSI man had joined up, ready to repulse the Japanese from the Cape should they invade.

The area is dotted with wrecks of planes and abandoned radar installations and buildings. Seeing how many plane wrecks there were around the area surrounded by tropical jungle was a surreal experience. It was very thought provoking end to another wonderful day in Cape York.

If you want to read more about our trip to Cape York, including the beautiful Jardine River and our mechanical failures along the way, check out my other blogs

From the Banks of the Jardine

Jump, Snatch, Blow and Winch

The sights and adventures form Cape York We traveled on a three week adventure from Townsville to the tip of Australia and back with two other couples, the Drabbles and the Greens.

#4wd #Cape York #holiday #offroad

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blogparadiseisland · 6 years ago

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Nature Briton killed by sea snake in Australia

Nature Briton killed by sea snake in Australia Nature Briton killed by sea snake in Australia http://www.nature-business.com/nature-briton-killed-by-sea-snake-in-australia/

Nature

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The waters around northern Australia are a hotspot for sea snakes

A British man has died after being bitten by a sea snake on a fishing trawler in Australia, police have said.The man, 23, had just pulled up a net off the coast of the Northern Territory when he was bitten about 09:00 local time on Thursday (23:00 GMT Wednesday).Emergency crews were called to the boat, near island Groote Eylandt, but were unable to save the man.It may be the first recorded death from a sea snake in Australia, according to researchers. The man’s body was taken to the mainland town of Borroloola on Thursday. Northern Territory Police said a post-mortem would be conducted.A British High Commission spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in the Northern Territory and are in contact with the Australian authorities.”

Authorities have not said which species may have caused the death.’Tragically unlucky’Sea snakes are highly venomous, but because of their limited contact with humans, bites are relatively rare.Australia is home to 30 of 70 known species, according to the Australian Institute of Marine Science.Blanche D’Anastasi, who researches the animal at James Cook University, said she believed Australia had no previously recorded deaths from sea snakes.Associate Prof Bryan Fry, from University of Queensland, described it as a “tragically unlucky accident”.”By and large they are very gentle animals, and people do go scuba diving with them all the time,” he told the BBC.”But in a fishing trawler situation, where they’ve been potentially dragged through the water in a net, they will come up injured and perhaps looking to lash out.”Sea snakes are often encountered by fishing crews in the region, Ms D’Anastasi said.According to research published last year, snakes were responsible for 27 deaths in Australia between 2000 and 2013.

Read More | BBC News

Nature Briton killed by sea snake in Australia, in 2018-10-05 04:43:39

#Nature of Business in the Current Market

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blogcompetnetall · 6 years ago

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Nature Briton killed by sea snake in Australia

Nature Briton killed by sea snake in Australia Nature Briton killed by sea snake in Australia http://www.nature-business.com/nature-briton-killed-by-sea-snake-in-australia/

Nature

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption

The waters around northern Australia are a hotspot for sea snakes

Read More | BBC News

Nature Briton killed by sea snake in Australia, in 2018-10-05 04:43:39

#Nature of Business in the Current Market

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computacionalblog · 6 years ago

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Nature Briton killed by sea snake in Australia

Nature Briton killed by sea snake in Australia Nature Briton killed by sea snake in Australia http://www.nature-business.com/nature-briton-killed-by-sea-snake-in-australia/

Nature

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption

The waters around northern Australia are a hotspot for sea snakes

Read More | BBC News

Nature Briton killed by sea snake in Australia, in 2018-10-05 04:43:39

#Nature of Business in the Current Market

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internetbasic9 · 6 years ago

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Nature Briton killed by sea snake in Australia

Nature Briton killed by sea snake in Australia Nature Briton killed by sea snake in Australia https://ift.tt/2xZ4mzi

Nature

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption

The waters around northern Australia are a hotspot for sea snakes

Read More | BBC News

Nature Briton killed by sea snake in Australia, in 2018-10-05 04:43:39

#Nature of Business in the Current Market

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magicwebsitesnet · 6 years ago

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Nature Briton killed by sea snake in Australia

Nature Briton killed by sea snake in Australia Nature Briton killed by sea snake in Australia http://www.nature-business.com/nature-briton-killed-by-sea-snake-in-australia/

Nature

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption

The waters around northern Australia are a hotspot for sea snakes

Read More | BBC News

Nature Briton killed by sea snake in Australia, in 2018-10-05 04:43:39

#Nature of Business in the Current Market

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theupsidedownunderblog-blog · 7 years ago

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FRASER ISLAND - THE LARGEST SAND ISLAND IN THE WORLD

Fraser Island is a World Heritage listing and ranks with Australia's Uluru, Kakadu and the Great Barrier Reef. Fraser Island is a precious part of Australia's natural and cultural heritage, it is protected for all to appreciate and enjoy.. Fraser Island, off Australia’s eastern Queensland coast, is the world's largest sand island, stretching over 120 kilometres (75 miles). It covers an area of 1840 sq kilometers (710 sq miles).

Map of Fraser Island The island has rainforests, eucalyptus woodland, mangrove forests, wallum and peat swamps, sand dunes and coastal heaths. It is made up of sand that has been accumulating for approximately 750,000 years on volcanic bedrock that provides a natural catchment for the sediment which is carried on a strong offshore current northwards along the coast. Unlike on many sand dunes, plant life is abundant due to the naturally occurring mycorrhizal fungi present in the sand, which release nutrients in a form that can be absorbed by the plants. Fraser Island is home to a small number of mammal species, as well as a diverse range of birds, reptiles and amphibians, including the occasional saltwater crocodile. The island is protected in the Great Sandy National Park.

Cooloola, Great Sandy National Park Panoramic viewpoints include Indian Head, a rocky outcrop on the island's easternmost tip, and the Cathedrals, a cliff famous for sculpted ribbons of coloured sand. The island is a camping and ecotourism destination, with beaches and swimming sites at Lake McKenzie, Lake Wabby and other freshwater pools. Ocean swimming is inadvisable due to strong currents and sharks, but it's possible to splash around in the Champagne Pools, pockets of sandy beach protected from the surf by rocks.

Lake McKenzie, Fraser Island Boardwalks along eastern Eli Creek and Wanggoolba Creek invite short strolls, while the 90km Fraser Island Great Walk winds through rainforest, eucalyptus stands and mangrove habitat. Saltwater fishing is the draw along 75 Mile Beach, where 4WD Jeeps cruise between prime spots. Whale-watching boats offer outings in sheltered Hervey Bay.

Fraser Island's 75 mile beach Fraser Island's Sandmass formation? The total volume of sand above sea level on Fraser Island is directly proportional to the mass of 113 cubic kilometres (27 cubic miles). All of the sand, which originated in the Hawkesbury, Hunter and Clarence River catchments in New South Wales has been transported north by longshore transport. Along the eastern coast of the island the process is removing more sand than it is depositing, resulting in the slow erosion of beaches which may accelerate with sea level rises attributed to climate change. The sand consists of 98% quartz. All hills on the island have been formed by sandblowing. Sandblows are parabolic dunes which move across the island via the wind and are devoid of vegetation. In 2004, there was an estimated total of 36 sandblows on the island. With year-round south-easterly wind, the sand dunes on the island move at the rate of 1 to 2 metres a year and grow to a height of 244 metres. The dune movement creates overlapping dunes and sometimes intersects waterways and covers forests. Dune-building has occurred in episodes as the sea levels have changed and once extended much further to the east. The oldest dune system has been dated at 700,000 years, which is the world's oldest recorded sequence.

The Pinnacles, Fraser Island The coloured sands found at Rainbow Gorge, The Cathedrals, The Pinnacles and Red Canyon are examples of where the sand has been stained over thousands of years due to the sand conglomerating with clay. Hematite, the mineral pigment responsible for the staining acts like cement. This allows the steeper cliffs of coloured sand to form. Coffee rock, so-called because when it is dissolved in water it turns the colour of coffee, is found in outcrops along the beaches on both sides of the island.

The coloured sands of the Cathredrals Strictly 4WD territory Fraser Island is strictly four-wheel-driving territory. Seventy-Five Mile Beach is an actual highway that runs up the surf side of the island. Four-wheel-drives share the highway with Air Fraser planes making joy flights. Sand tracks cross the island linking lakes and rainforests.

4 Wheel Driving on Fraser Island Driving conditions vary with weather and tides. Speed limits are 35 km per hour on inland roads and 80 km per hour the Seventy-Five Mile Beach. Normal road rules apply. Carry essential spares as well as a towrope, spade, water and first aid kit. Vehicle access permits are required for all vehicles entering the island. Permits may be obtained from River Head Barge landing, at Kingfisher Bay Resort reception and at Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service offices including Brisbane, Hervey Bay, Maryborough, Bundaberg and Rainbow Beach.

Vehicle access permits are required for all vehicles entering the island. Fishing on Fraser Island Fraser Island's famous 75-Five Mile Beach is right on the action for some of the best beach fishing in the world. Surf gutters along the ocean beaches provide all-season angling. Whiting and bream are plentiful in the gutters in warmer months and swallowtail can be caught all year round.

Lyn Jones with a fabulous 16lb snapper caught on a 50g Caprice Kid jig The tailor season in winter sees dozens of fishing groups along the beach. All the usual rock species can be caught off the headlands from Indian Head to Waddy Point.

Fishing on Fraser Island Trailer boats can be launched in the calm water behind Indian Head and Waddy Point. Off shore, both northern coral and southern reef species can be found. History of Fraser Island Captain Cook first sighted the Fraser Island Butchulla people during 1770 and named Indian Head on the eastern beach after them. Captain Matthew Flinders was one of the first white men to have contact with the islanders and had peaceful meetings with them in 1799 and 1802. Colonization by Europeans caused great conflicts with the Aboriginal people as the European settlers did not understand or respect their tribal boundaries, their social structure or the importance to them of their environment. Land was cleared and agricultural practices established which in turn disturbed the natural supply of food cycles of the native people. Traditions and hunting methods had to be altered for survival. Logging was started on Fraser Island in 1863 by Yankee Jack' Piggott and continued until December 1991 when the island was nominated for World Heritage listing.

Logging on Fraser Island Day-to-day management of the island today is primarily the responsibility of the Department of Environment and Heritage through the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. Indigenous Significance of Fraser Island The Butchulla people are the indigenous people of Fraser Island. There were six clans in the Butchulla Nation and the territory extended through Fraser Island, Double Island Point, Tin Can Bay, Bauple Mountain and north to a point at Burrum Heads in Queensland.

Aboriginal dancers perform on Fraser Island. The Butchulla people's traditional name for Fraser Island was K'gari which means paradise. According to Butchulla legend, Fraser Island was named K'gari after the beautiful spirit who helped Yindingie, messenger of the great god Beeral, create the land. As a reward to K'gari for her help Beeral changed her into an idyllic island with trees, flowers and lakes. He put birds, animals and people on the island to keep her company. It is uncertain how long Fraser Island had been occupied by the Butchulla people. Evidence suggests that it was more than 5,500 years and maybe 20,000. Population numbers are unknown though it has been said that during times of plentiful resources up to 2,000 people lived on the island with the stable number around 300 to 400. Sources: https://www.google.com.au/destination?q=fraser+island&rlz=1C1PRFE_enAU701AU701&site=search&output=search&dest_mid=/m/01gx26&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi3tt_l0IDXAhVGa7wKHYuCBFgQri4IrwEwGA http://www.fraserisland.net/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraser_Island http://jonestackle.com.au/cool-fishing-at-fraser-island/ Read the full article

#fraser island #tourism #travel

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robertmcangusgroup · 7 years ago

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The Daily Tulip

The Daily Tulip – International News From Around The World

Wednesday 2nd August 2017

Good Morning Gentle Reader…. We have just arrived at the First Quarter of the New Moon… If you were born during a first quarter Moon, you are an impulsive person who is always looking for new opportunities to express ideas. You tend to react to people and situations from your own personal perspective. You enjoy starting new projects although you may leave others to finish them…This is the bit I like…You will probably possess an underlying sense of youthful enthusiasm and optimism; there is a touch of the zodiac sign Aries in your nature. You will probably prefer to take the initiative, especially in romance, and will be ready to look for new interests in life, new people and new ideas. You will see how things can be improved and can spur others to action. You will probably get off to an early start in life and be quite successful when young, though other factors in the chart will indicate whether this success is lasting. You need to guard against selfishness and taking others by surprise with over quick and hasty reactions. Way more than you ever wanted to know over the first cup of coffee for the day… but it’s always good to read something a little different than usual….

MOUNTIE IN RED SERGE UNIFORM CHASES BEAR OUT OF A NATIONAL PARK…. A Mountie, wearing a formal uniform, was spotted chasing a bear out of a national park in a "very Canadian" moment. Damian Gillis shared video of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer in his red serge uniform attempting to shoo a black bear away from Waterton Lakes National Park townsite in Southern Alberta. "Nothing more Canadian than an RCMP officer in red serge and a black bear," Gillis said. "Truly Canadian image to celebrate Canada 150." The officer featured in the video, Sgt. Clayton Wilbern, told the CBC he was trying to find the owner of a lost wallet when a paramedic told him there a bear had been spotted in the area. "It was heading towards a playground where there was a whole bunch of kids playing," Wilbern said. "So we tried to get it to go around the playground, which luckily we did...Hundreds of people were watching us as we were trying to get the poor little guy out." Wilbern added he was dressed in the special red serge as part of an initiative by the RCMP to wear the uniform as often as possible while interacting with the public in celebration of Canada's 150th anniversary. "It was very Canadian," he said. Gillis was one of many tourists who couldn't pass up the opportunity to capture the "once-in-a-lifetime" sight. "You never see a police officer in red serge with a black bear in the background," Gillis told Global News. "Sort of the old image of the police officer going through the wilderness in his red serge uniform and there's a wild bear in the background." The spectacle eventually came to an end, as Wilbern managed to chase the bear back into the woods. "This was the closest I've ever been, and this was just a baby bear, so it was pretty cool," he said. https://youtu.be/xly2a_hgKnM

FINALISTS TO GATHER FOR MISS MERMAID UNITED KINGDOM PAGEANT…. The top mermaids in Great Britain will gather this weekend to determine who will earn the title of Miss Mermaid U.K. Women from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were invited to compete in regional pageants and the finalists will gather at Billing Aquadrome in Northampton on Saturday. The winner will be adorned with a special crown and receive the opportunity to compete in the Miss Mermaid International final in Egypt in November. Participants in the pageant are required to be females between 18 and 32-years-old who live in the U.K. and have strong swimming skills. Grace Page, the 25-year-old reigning Miss Mermaid, explained to the BBC about the skills she thinks are necessary to do well in the competition. "If you want to be a professional mermaid it is essential that you train as a free diver and hold a free diving qualification," Page said. "This will allow you to be able to hold your breath for longer periods of time and, more importantly, you will be able to do so safely." Page said entering the pageant fulfilled a childhood dream. "Like most young girls growing up, I always wanted to be a mermaid," she said. ""I've always had a passion for singing, and, since a young age I've loved having long naturally blonde hair, and the sea fascinates me - so creating a career around actually performing as a mermaid just made so much sense." Page added that the international pageant differs from the traditional perception of pageants by focusing on community service. "Whilst in Egypt [where the international finals are held] a huge focus of what we did was giving back to the community and raising awareness for marine conservation," she said. "We visited local schools, did litter picks at the beaches and removed litter from the sea and reefs and even put together some awareness videos." https://www.facebook.com/808087879302366/videos/1268332739944542/

WORLD-RECORD 456 HOT AIR BALLOONS TAKE FLIGHT AT FRENCH FESTIVAL…. Hundreds of hot air balloons took to the skies in pursuit of two world records at a biannual festival in France. A total of 456 balloons simultaneously floated in a line during the Mondial Air Balloons festival at an airbase in Chambley-Bussieres on Friday. Poor weather in the area postponed the record attempt twice throughout the week until the colorful balloons representing pilots from 45 different nations successfully launched at about 9 a.m., the Local reported. It took about 45 minutes for all of the balloons to rise into the formation as they attempted to set records for number of balloons aligned and number of Cloudhoppers, or one-person hot air balloons. The team successfully broke the record they set at the festival two years ago, when they launched 433 balloons. "We are constantly progressing; it is of great pride, because we've held this record many times," event organizer Philippe Buron-Pilatre said. https://youtu.be/FRO1Gc9X6d4

ELEPHANT CHASES LIONS AWAY FROM WATERHOLE…. A tourist in South Africa captured video of an elephant chasing a group of lions away from its waterhole. The video, captured in Kempton Park, shows the elephant slowly approaching a group of lions at the side of a waterhole. The elephant charges when it gets close and lets loose with a trumpet call, scaring the big cats away from the hole. The elephant, victorious, watches the lions leave before walking along the shore.

MASSIVE SHARK JUMPS ONTO BOAT OFF LONG ISLAND, GETS STUCK…. Passengers on a charter boat off the coast of New York state captured video of a mako shark that jumped onto the boat and became stuck. The video, filmed off Long Island on July 6, shows the mako stuck in the rails at the front of Capt. Don Law's Outlaw Fishing Charters boat. Law and his crew are eventually able to free the shark from its situation and cut some rope wrapped around its tail so it can plunge back into the water. Law said the blood in the shark's mouth resulted from the predator's attempts to bite through a metal rail.

MAN HOLDS UP CAT TO SCARE MASSIVE AUSTRALIAN SPIDER…. An Australian couple found themselves trapped on opposite sides of a glass door when a massive spider the size of a human head blocked their paths. Lauren Ansell of Mount Coolum, Queensland, said her boyfriend was barbecuing Sunday night and she was inside when they discovered the gigantic huntsman spider on their sliding glass door. A video captured by Ansell shows her boyfriend holding up a cat in an apparent attempt to scare the spider -- or possibly feed the feline to it as tribute. "My boyfriend tried to squish it in the door but the spider was smart," Ansell told the Sunshine Coast Daily. "The door only claimed two of its legs and it dropped and ran into the garden." She said she gave the arachnid a literary nickname. "We nicknamed the spider 'Aragog' from Harry Potter, and feel the spider has run into the forbidden forest," she said.

Well Gentle Reader I hope you enjoyed our look at the news from around the world this, Wednesday morning… …

Our Tulips today are Hot Air and Tulips… sums up what I write …..

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Wednesday 2nd August 2017 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus

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lindoig · 7 years ago

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Days 68 to 74

Just to orient ourselves, Day 68 was Monday, 3 July! (And I am posting this on Sunday, 9 July.)

It started with me taking the car in for its 70,000Km service and walking back the 200 metres to the van for breakfast. We did a load of washing in preparation for moving on again on Tuesday (at last – starting to get a little stir-crazy after 9 days propped in Katherine with not a lot of things to do apart from working around the van). I went birding and photographing along the river in the afternoon and the first thing I saw was a small red-bellied black snake crossing the path a metre ahead of me. I took a pic of it, but it was hiding its head in the grass so it just looks like a shiny black rope. We saw a somewhat larger one on Thursday when we were driving so I tossed out the anchor, but it (the snake, not the anchor) also seemed more anxious to slither away than getting its photo taken.

We had had a looooong phone call with Deanne on Sunday, mainly chatting about our overseas travel plans for 2018 – 3 weeks around Ireland in a campervan, a 10-day eco-cruise in the Scottish Isles, 3 weeks campervanning in Scotland, by train to London and on to Istanbul (retracing the Orient Express), then some time in Turkey, a little driving, but mainly training to Beijing (with some stopovers), a mini-tour of China and home again – but everything after Scotland is still subject to negotiation. Deanne and Rob may be in Asia about the same time as us and we hope to cross paths if that happens. It got us quite excited!

It is now almost a week later and I haven’t written anything in all that time – just too busy relaxing I think. It is not always easy finding a block of time to update my blog and it is too hard to do it a couple of sentences at a time.

We are now in Kununurra – and that means that in the last 3 months, we have caravanned in all Australian States and the Northern Territory. That is certainly a first for us. Even when travelling for work, I probably never visited all the States in 3 months and only ever went to the NT on business once or maybe twice. It wasn’t on my Bucket List, but I am happy to tick it nonetheless.

The week has zipped past. Tuesday, we hit the road again and it was a great feeling. Everything seemed brighter and sharper away from Katherine’s ‘Big Smoke’ – the senses seemed more acute and the colours were brighter and the sounds clearer. Love this country! It was the hottest day we have had since leaving home (mid-30s, and the sun burns fiercely when directly overhead so far north) and they have all seemed much the same since then.

We were hassled out of the caravan park in the morning. They had someone parked at the gate early in the morning waiting for our site and the manager sat on his motor-bike almost beside our van to geeing us along while we were packing up. Even though we were off the site by about 10:10am (normal checkout is 10am but many parks won’t let new bookings in until after 2pm), it was a little confronting to have him sitting there for half an hour hurrying us up.

At last, Katherine was behind us and we were on our way to Timber Creek, stopping at the Victoria River Roadhouse at lunchtime. We drove down to the river and walked around the rocks, but it was very hot so we didn’t linger long. Interestingly, we got quite a good view of a grey falcon when driving down to the river and on the way back, it perched and posed beautifully for us in a tree close to the side of the road for us – Sean Dooley, eat your heart out! (For those who don’t know, Sean is a well-known birder, but he has never seen a grey falcon – so frequently asserts that there is no such bird. This was our 7th confirmed sighting, 6 of them really good views!!)

We started a walk at Joe Creek in the Judbarra National Park and saw some spectacular rocky cliffs, but it was simply too hot to do the uphill stretch so we retraced our steps back to the car. Strangely, it seemed at least twice as far back to the car as when heading out – maybe we were dehydrated or something, but it was hard work – but worth it for the spectacle.

An interesting aspect of the day’s drive was the absence of ‘dressed’ anthills. We have seen three varieties of anthills in our travels: more-or-less conical ones, often no more than a metre high (but some are quite high); the ‘magnetic’ ones that align north-south to control the heat in parts of the nest; and some larger dome-shaped blobs, as if a kid had thrown them together by chucking handfuls of mud at them, all lumpy and unsymmetrical. The main ones, and there must be many millions of them, are the first type and all the way up the Stuart Highway and east into Queensland, there are thousands that have been dressed up in shirts, hats, bras, coats, you name it. Some even have pants draped across them (difficult to get the legs in as you may have guessed). Every conceivable outfit and variation seems to be represented – hi-vis vests, hard-hats, crash helmets, uniforms of all sorts, fatigues, bikinis, with sashes, pipes, broom handles for arms, it goes on – and on and on – thousands of them in all states of disrepair. But I saw only one dressed anthill (with just a bra and panties so maybe she was almost undressed) all the way from Katherine to Kununurra.

We arrived at the Timber Creek Caravan Park, just in time to see the croc-feeding they do three times a week. Boooooring…… they dangled some scraps of meat in front of a couple of small freshwater crocs that seemed to have little interest in it, but one had a bit of a go just to keep the crowd happy. What was more interesting was the kite feeding. They tossed small pieces of meat up and the black kites and whistlers dived and lunged to catch them on the wing – before they hit the ground where a hungry dog was enthusiastically lapping up the leftovers. The kids got into the act and enjoyed it and I got a few pics – and gave a little lesson to some of them about how to recognise the various kites. A really interesting thing happened as everyone was heading back to their vans. A barking owl appeared from nowhere and attacked two kites that were perched where it wanted to sit. It won – easily – and then sat and posed for me to take several photos. Remember what I said about how hard it is to see and identify nocturnal birds – that was our third in about a week!

The caravan park was inhabited a large colony of bats with their distinctive odour (and their incessant rowdy bickering) permeating the air throughout the day – but mercifully not at night when they all took off to feed in someone else’s backyard. At night, it was the road-trains that parked immediately outside the park with their motors and freezer units blaring away all night. Most inconsiderate for the tourists trying to get some sleep after a tiring day reading and knitting and chatting and maybe fishing……! We are in a somewhat similar situation at Kununurra, surrounded by screaming bats all day, but fortunately no trucks at night.

We booked a cruise on the Victoria River (NT’s largest and even in the Dry, it is huge). We explored the area during the heat of the day, including a drive to a few river access points and up along the escarpment to some great scenic lookouts and one over the town. Then we boarded an old bus to take us out to where the boat was waiting. We cruised 70km downstream, checking out the crocs and their hundreds of wallabies prey – and some birds – and had a finger-food dinner on a pontoon in the middle of the river before returning just after dark. It was a good cruise and wonderfully cool on the water, but I felt the cruise-captain could have taken a little more time creeping up on some of the wildlife instead of roaring in on it and scaring them away before we got close enough for really good photos. On return to camp, we were still a little peckish to bought some greasies from the pub before watching another DVD.

The next day, we set ourselves a challenge and we are so glad we did. We have numerous 4WD and adventure travelling DVDs with us and we watched one about the Binns Track that runs for over 1000 km over some pretty extreme terrain. We weren’t about to do that, but we did the first 150km of it, including our own bit of extreme terrain. We drove out and down the Bullita Access Track and had lunch at the old Bullita Homestead – a quaint and very interesting old place, amazingly small for what was a working station for over a hundred years, nestled on a beautiful river with a mammoth boab outside. We saw hundreds of boabs that day, from mere saplings to 3000-year-old monsters. The trunks come in an amazing variety of shapes: round, square, bifurcated, trifurcated, quadfurcated, conical, inverted conical, smooth, gnarled, branched, symmetrical and asymmetrical – a most unusual tree and the older ones are quite awe-inspiring. I just love them. They call them the upside-down tree because when they have no leaves (now – in the Dry), their branches look like roots running in all directions and at all angles.

We also called in to Limestone Gorge. It is a limestone gorge (yes, really) that is quite a few kilometres long and the end is accessed by driving down a ‘track’ that is simply large rough river boulders. It is a very dramatic gorge, mainly in blacks and greys with a bit of yellowish-cream in recently broken and unweathered places, but we just took some pics and headed back to the real objective of the day – the Tuwakam Track. It is only 20km long and joins the Bullita road with the Buchanan ‘Highway’, but the guide says to allow 3 hours in good conditions – strictly high clearance 4WDs only. It was a lot of fun and we really only took a bit over 2 hours. Some parts were reasonably good going – I got up to about 20 kph a couple of times – but a lot of it was ungraded rock and I was frequently walking the car over boulders twice the size of watermelons for 100 metres at a time. We crossed a few creeks and creek-beds and some of the entry and exit angles were daunting. Several times, I thought the car would simply not climb such steep exits, but in 4WD low and with a heavy foot, it just ploughed ahead wherever I pointed it. It truly is an amazing vehicle. We saw a few wild donkeys and a snake along the track, but at the time, my focus was more on the track than the wildlife. We met up with a young couple with two little kids doing the Track too – she is a travel writer and writes about travelling in extreme places with kids. We chatted with them for quite a while when we reached the Buchanan – and they headed back to Timber Creek, but we still wanted to go further to Jasper Gorge. That was about 30km further south on the Buchanan and it was VERY different from the Limestone Gorge of the morning. Similar structure with huge rocks and dramatic cliffs, but all in darker, richer reds, maroons and oranges. We walked around exploring for a while, but we had 150km or so, mainly on rough roads, to get back in time for dinner so we set off into the dusk. There was another couple setting up to camp overnight at the Gorge and we thought they would enjoy a nice quiet night on their own under the stars – but we saw quite a lot of cars, including a few hoons, heading down to join them as we headed north again. It was a great day, a real adventure for us, certainly more extreme than anything we have attempted before and we came through without a scratch. The round trip was exactly 300km, well over 200 on dirt roads and despite the Tuwakam Track only being 20km, it was a standout adventure for both of us. Certainly a confidence booster for next time, whatever, wherever and whenever that may be.

Next day, we moved on west again and had planned to stay in the Keep River National Park, touted as a good birdwatching place. We stopped at the Ranger station, ate our lunch and looked at the display there, and I cruised the lagoon at the back, photographing birds and water-lilies – it was quite lovely, but very hot. I also noticed that our caravan was leaking – one of our water tanks was dribbling water. We will have to get it fixed, but it looks like a cracked hose in a very difficult place to reach so I think I will get someone else to do the hard part. One tyre has scrubbed out very badly and we have a couple of other small things to get fixed so hopefully, we can find someone with time to do these things while we are in Kununurra.

We drove through the rest of the National Park looking for a place to camp, but unfortunately, both camp-grounds were fully occupied. The Park was a bit disappointing, not at all what we expected (in our ignorance), hot and dusty with long walks to get to any of the places we wanted to see so with a leaky water tank, we deemed it better to head across the border and stay at Kununurra instead.

We arrived here late afternoon on Friday only to find our first-choice van park full. So was our second choice so we let our fingers do the walking and we eventually managed to get the last site available in a Big Four Discovery Park. Big 4s are my least favourite parks – over $50 a night, jam-packed against everyone else and with more draconian regimentation than anywhere else. They are usually manicured to within an inch of destruction - so don’t dare walk on the grass or do anything much else. As luck would have it, this one doesn’t seem so bad and it certainly hasn’t seen a manicurist for some time. The design is less than optimal, but we are on a good site, a little separated from our neighbours – even if it was almost impossible to reverse into the allocated space. We are not much more than 50 metres from the lake and the facilities are close-by too so we don’t have much to complain about. We have booked some great adventures for during the week so managed to extend our stay until Friday – I just hope we can get our maintenance jobs done before then, because we are heading for the Gibb River Road after that – one of the most iconic trips in outback Aussie travelling folklore.

Yesterday (Saturday) we needed some down-time so we took it very easy, hiding out under the air conditioner for most of the day. We did a couple of small maintenance jobs and a bit of cleaning – and the ‘weekly shopping’ at Coles in the late arvo, but not much else. I did a big review of our birding log – currently 230 for the trip and 41 newies for us – and caught up with several days’ email from when we had no service at all.

Today, we have done the washing and updated our blogs a bit, but very soon, we have to get up to Reception because we are going on a Sunset cruise on Lake Kununurra – with a BBQ dinner at dusk. Incidentally, keeping up with time is a bit difficult. We crossed the border and picked up 90 minutes, but going from the extreme west of one time zone to the extreme east of another means that the difference in ‘solar time’ is more like 3 hours – we are awake by about 5.30, but it is dark again by just after 5 in the afternoon – seems very weird, especially with such short twilights in these latitudes.

I will post this now before our cruise and add some relevant pics in the next day or two.

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