OZtralia.tv Blog

Franklin River Saved: 25th Anniversary

By: Phoenix Arrien

Some years ago I rafted the mighty Franklin River, a wild waterway that plunges through pristine wilderness on the island of Tasmania.

The only reason I could do this was because 25 years ago a determined group of protestors and much of the Australian population saved this river from damming.

The 25th anniversary of the High Court decision which saved the Franklin River is on at the Federation Ballroom of Hobart’s Grand Chancellor Hotel.

Among the people attending tomorrow are Senator Bob Brown, former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, David Bellamy, Senator Peg Putt, entrepreneur Dick Smith, ABC TV’s Peter
Thompson, Premier David Bartlett and actress Lorraine Bayly.
Songsters will include Lisa Yeates, Ian Paulin and (Goanna’s) Shane Howard who is flying in from Ireland to sing the campaign anthem ‘Let the Franklin Flow’ while author Richard Flanagan will reflect on the Franklin victory. Further details are at www.franklin25th.com

Tomorrow I will take you down that river into the great Tasmanian wilderness and over the waterfalls and into swirling foaming waters…put on your life vest and see you tomorrow.

Sailing in Australia

By: Phoenix Arrien

A half-naked waiter delicately hands me another Martini as I lounge on the sun deck, another is massaging my feet and there is a queue of them holding platters of tropical fruits until….

“Git that sail furled on the T’Gallant,” comes the roar from the Bosun below.

Shiver me tinnies, it’s just some stress-induced daydream. I am actually standing on a thin rope 25 metres above a heaving ocean with three others attempting to tuck a gigantic piece of heavy canvas the size of 20 King size beds around the highest beam jutting out from the foremast. That, um, very piece of wood around which I had wrapped my body and clutching for me life, while the ship rocked and rolled like an enthusiastic belly dancer.

Mother Mary save me, instead of being a pampered aristo’ on a cruise ship, I am actually a wretch on the Leeuwin, an Australian 16^th Century replica sailing ship and my stomach is about to cover the deck in glorious colour…will I embarrass myself? Will I fall into the sea? Join me next Friday and have a seadog of a weekend!

Snow Me Kangaroo Down, Sport!

By: Phoenix Arrien

Snow, beauuuutiful snow! Yes the white cold stuff is beginning to fall on the mountains of southern Australia.

Cross-country skiing is my favourite type of snow play: out there in the bush, all that exercise, those gnarled snow gums frosted with ice, the sharp clear skies and invigorating cold air…I love it. However most visitors seem to go for downhill skiing so here is a wrap of the most popular resorts:

Falls Creek (upmarket, fabulous location)  www.fallscreek.com.au

Mt Hotham (own airport, something for all ages and abilities) www.hotham.com.au

Mt Buller (close to Melbourne, value for money) www.mtbuller.com.au

Thredbo (more remote than most other ski fields, serious runs) www.thredbo.com.au

Don’t forget if driving you need to use snow chains. Fuel is expensive but there are plenty of other options including public transport, groups and tours.

Airlines: The New and the Old

By: Phoenix Arrien

Airlines: The New and the Old

Currently there are some major restructuring involving domestic flights around Australia. Rising fuel prices are either the reason or the excuse for some airlines to cut services on some non-profitable routes.

Not that cut routes will matter too much, as other airlines eye the cut routes and often pick them up using different times or days of the week to see if they can make them work. It’s a little tweaking of this and nudging of that as the airways landscape ripples then settles into the next phase.

And while we are on the subject of flying, Australia is about to welcome several newlines:

Indonesian airline, Lion Air which will begin Australian operations later this year.  The airline is expected to operate international routes, however have not ruled out the possibility of “some” domestic routes.

The newest international airline to emerge is managed by the formidable Virgin Blue group. ‘V Australia’ is a new premium, three class airline based in Sydney and flying the trans-Pacific route.

A budget airline on the Australia - USA route will mean more than a just ripple for the current airlines servicing this meaty flight path. Prices are set to start at $1899 which at current prices is competitive, though not hugely so.

However competition is welcome. Bring it on!

“Camels are Creatures of Personality…”

By: Phoenix Arrien

Camels are creatures of personality. They can be loving and affectionate or grumpy and plain mean. So to ride one at a gallop, you would want to get them in a good mood first.

The riders of the Imparja Camel Cup will be stroking necks and massaging humps no doubt while doing everything they can to get these big animals to cooperate whilst in the Australian town of Alice Springs on 12 July.

It is worth seeing this fun, family event in Australia’s Red Centre. This is Australia’s most famous camel race when up to 15 of these comical and moody beasts take off from the start line, however not all are headed for the finish. It wouldn’t be an outback Camel Cup without some camels refusing to budge, or even heading in the wrong direction in search of food!

Lots of other entertainment available as well: local art, crafts, food and stalls amongst lots of people and plenty of colour. This year will also see the return of the ever popular Shimmering Sands group - Alice’s own belly dancers.

The gateway to Central Australia, Alice Springs is also known for its wildlife, outback heritage, rich indigenous culture and its arts, with galleries lining the street.

Come Swim With The Fishes

By: Phoenix Arrien

Ane…Anem…Animo…Anemon..Those Cute Little Wavy Things in Australia’s reefs.

Remember when Nemo tried to say the word ‘anemones’? Never watched the movie ‘Finding Nemo’, eh? Well, try and say anemones twenty times and you will get the picture.

Unfortunately such creatures are having a hard time due to removal of anemones from reefs. This causes problems for both the anemones and their anemone fish, which cannot survive in the wild without their homes.

The Sydney Aquarium has launched a special display on sea anemones as part of a new campaign to save the home of Nemo and his family.

As the number of anemones harvested from ocean waters continues to grow, the Sydney Aquarium Conservation Fund is supporting Australian scientist Dr Anna Scott, from Southern Cross University, in her quest to develop ways to breed anemones in captivity.

The Aquarium has created a special display on Dr Scott’s research and has given a home to more than 30 of her captive bred baby leathery sea anemones in order to raise public awareness about the pressures these species are facing.

While there are more than 1000 types of sea anemones, only 10 are known to provide a home for anemone fish such as Nemo and his family, making them highly prized for the aquarium trade.

Dr Scott is using her findings to develop ways to breed anemones in captivity to provide an alternate source for private aquariums and potentially to restock damaged reefs.

Sydney Aquarium Chief Executive Kevin Bush said the Aquarium was committed to supporting Anna’s research and helping people realise the implications of harvesting anemones.

“After the movie ‘Finding Nemo’, the world fell in love with our beautiful little anemone fish. But it’s important to make people aware that Nemo and his family are under threat from the harvesting of anemones so we need to support the scientific community in their work to find a solution,” Mr Bush said.

There are also other cool critters at the aquarium and it makes a great day out next time you are in Sydney, Australia

Sea Dog Fridays

By: Phoenix Arrien

Tall ships! These two words conjure up high adventure and bold deeds. Square riggers using only wind and human skill, sailed to Australia bringing white settlers - willing and unwilling.

They dominated the oceans, trade and the fortunes of empires. They were lords of the oceans for centuries and in this day of virtual and fast travel, the few that still ride the seas on their own terms, bring lumps to throats when sighted breezing proudly passing under full sail.

So me hearties. For the next few months I am gonna prepare ye for the weekend, by taking ye to sea on Fridays. Aye, I am gonna spin ye such tales of me sea voyages that ye will enter the weekend with the smell of salt in ye nostrils, the whip of the cat o nine tails - no, that shall give ye ideas beyond the pure sort - let us change that to the whip of the ocean gale, the slap (mind yerself) of the waves against the ship’s hull and the freedom of heading out into the wild blue yonder.

No ordinary ships, mind ye, for I have sailed the seas around Australia in tall riggers, thems with the sails and wooden hulls, tall masts pointing to heaven and anchors pointing to Davy

Jones Locker.

Most Australian states have their own tall ship based in each capital city and undertaking sails ranging from hourly to multi-year journeys. Let us rejoicing in the power and might of these ocean lords; hear the creaking hull pulled along by large sails, feel the wind blow into the canvas and see the oceans seething with a fantastic world of creatures and currents.

Let us not forget the history. Stories, paintings, records and legends have wrapped themselves around the mighty sailing ships plying the oceans; the masters of transport taking people to far off lands. These vessels changed the destinies of countries and shaped the world.

They are also a bonza way to travel. So next Friday we set off on the Leeuwin around one of the five great capes of the world. See you on board then!

A Using the “C” Word(s) in Australia

By: Phoenix Arrien

‘Ere ya go then. Another lesson in ‘strine (as in short for ‘Australian’)

We bring you the letter C:

Cactus : dead, not functioning (”this bloody barbeque is cactus”)
Cane toad : a person from Queensland
Cark it : to die, kick the bucket
Cat’s piss, as mean as : mean, stingy, uncharitable
Clayton’s : fake, substitute
Cobber : friend
Cockie : cockatoo
Cockie : cockroach
Cockroach : a person from New South Wales
Coldie : a beer
Cooee, not within : figuratively a long way away, far off - England weren’t within cooee of beating Australia at cricket
Cooee, within : nearby - I was within cooee of landing a big fish when the line broke.
Crack onto (someone): to hit on someone, pursue someone romantically
Crow eater: a person from South Australia
Cut snake, mad as a: very angry

We sure are a creative lot ‘aint we?

Charlie and Livingstone

By: Phoenix Arrien

It’s lovely stumbling upon Outback gems. The people and places type of gems - not the rock type though they are fun too.

In the top end of Australia a few hours southeast of Darwin is a station called Annaburro. I visited it and sat down with ‘Rex’ the owner:

“One of the reasons I brought Annaburroo,” he explains, “was to preserve a part of the old Outback. No development here! All the old buildings of the former station have been preserved.”

Nearby, ‘Yellow Charlie’s shed’ still stands, testimony to a local character who acted in the well known Australian outback film ‘Jedda’. Charlie may have been rough and involved in more than one fight, but Rex thinks he was a loving man. “Why he kept his wife’s bones in a suitcase rather than have her out there in a cold grave,” he explains with a twinkle in his eye.

Whilst maintaining the character of the place, Rex cleaned it up and gently transformed Annaburroo into an oasis, where visitors can kick back, swim and take time out. It has one of the only crocodile-free swimming holes in the area so it is well worth the stop.

However it’s not only the fascinating people you meet but also animals. Livingstone the Brahman Steer thinks he is a horse and is a fixture in a small horsey band that wanders around the campsite. A Water Monitor ambles around the trees, looking like a mini-dinosaur. Eagles spread their great wings surfing the wind currents above. Black kites dip and wheel in a day long aerial dance, cockatoos screech and finches dart among the bushes.

Aaah, yes another pleasant day in the Outback.

Richard Branson’s Australian Retreat

By: Phoenix Arrien

On a visit to Noosa on the east coast of Australia, I took a cruise through that region’s waterways and we passed a lovely-looking island with house on it. ‘Richard Branson’s island,’ said the guide.

The billionaire Virgin chief is building a luxury retreat for his staff on this island - called Makepeace Island - it is going be a two million pound, nine-hectare estate. Plans for a country club and helipad have been scrapped after environmental concerns.

The locals are still grumbling about the removal of trees and the 85-year-old timber house built in the classic ‘Queenslander’ style including wraparound porches.

Richard brought it for one million pounds in 2003. Nice to know those cheerful Virgin employees will have a swanky holiday hideout. Mind you, Noosa has plenty of swankiness.

More on that hip little town soon.