Steve’s Blog

2015 Blog

See also:

NEW MOBILE FRIENDLY SITE: THE ULTRALIGHT HIKER

Ultralight Hiking

Ultralight Hiking Advice

The Upper Yarra Walking Track

2012 and earlier blog

This many people have visited this site:

Kintail Burn, Dusky Track,Fiordland, NZ 2012 Six Moon Designs ‘Swift’ pack @ 450 grams

30/12/2015: Fire watch: Fire season again and we are once again endangered by two kinds of maniacs: second: those poor benighted imbeciles who light fires on total fire ban days (and who are not permanently locked up or executed for their misguided efforts); and firstly: the crazy leftist bureaucrats and eco-nuts who (in a misguided attempt to ‘save’ all our native bush) lock it away beyond all rational use or management, ban any controlled fuel reduction burns, then blame ‘global warming’ when it all disappears in a gigantic puff of smoke on the first really hot, windy day. What else was Wye River really expecting? Why, Wye? You just can’t build houses in the forest like that without their all being destroyed betimes. What a pity the rest of us have to subsidise their replacement through our bloated insurance levies! We await such days (the next is this Friday), here at Jeeralang Junction with more than a little trepidation; there have already been two unsuccessful attempts to burn us out this summer: http://quadrant.org.au/opinion/doomed-planet/2015/12/green-burnt-red/ & http://quadrant.org.au/opinion/doomed-planet/2015/12/academias-flaming-nincompoops/ & http://quadrant.org.au/opinion/doomed-planet/2015/12/old-firefighters-sorry-saga/

30/12/2015: H.L. Mencken, ‘The government can not only evoke fear in its victims; it can also evoke a sort of superstitious reverence. It is thus both an army and a church, and with sharp weapons in both hands it is virtually irresistible. Its personnel, true enough, may be changed, and so may the external forms of the fraud it practices, but its inner nature is immutable.’

29/12/2015: The Battle of the Bulge, Xmas 1944: the Japanese battalion was sent there especially for a ‘rest’ after their devastating endeavours in the Vosges mountains (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Battalion_%28Europe,_World_War_II%29) rescuing the ‘Lost Battalion’. If you think your Xmas was a bit ordinary give a thought to this generation who gave us so much: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbIaI15Mio4 We have been watching Ken Burns’ amazing Documentary, ‘The War’ (about WW2). What an astonishing programme, available here: https://kat.cr/ken-burns-all-historical-documentaries-t5683701.html

25/12/2015: Up Into the Singing Mountains:

Our family celebrate Xmas tomorrow (due to work commitments), so what better day to continue our exploration of the ‘closed track’ which used to link Downey (North of Tanjil Bren) with Newlands Rd (Baw Baw Plateau)? We are hoping that this track will complete our ‘Winter Route’ of The Upper Yarra Track (http://www.finnsheep.com/THE%20UPPER%20YARRA%20WALKING%20TRACK.htm) . It has been very hard going, so we might have to find an alternative track up the ridge from Strahan (North West of Tanjil Bren) to the Block 10 Road.This track crosses the West Tanjil River just below Downey, follows it upstream on the true right bank for a couple of kms then heads up a ridge towards the plateau.

Spot is an expert at these river crossings, well practiced in keeping his paws dry. These huge iron pipes used to form an immense culvert.

He loves to lead the way; having a good time, I'd say! We are marking the track with tape as we go.

Sometimes it is hard going for the dogs (as well as the people)! This herringbone fern is particularly awkward to navigate.

Sometimes you come across the ruins of a forest giant. Who knows how tall this one was before its top broke off? Remember, these were the world's largest trees - up to 120 metres tall!

This younger tree is vying for the record.

It has come up right next to the stump of its parent tree. The younger tree is more than 3 metres diameter at its base; The stump larger still.

It was quite a substantial road once. This cutting is over 5 metres deep. 2-3 semis could easily pass on it. Such a pity such tracks were not retained for land management and recreational purposes.

Tiny just can't help but drink from every deer wallow! There was plenty of good deer sign, but the area must be well-nigh impossible to hunt.

Everywhere along the way are scenes of great beauty.

And interesting wildlife: this pigeon was almost as tame as Della's! Gippsland is wonderful!

Unfortunately we made it only about half way to the top. We may try coming down from Newlands Rd next time to see how far you can get that way. Hope you all had just as wonderful a Xmas day!

Even though the forecast was for 35C yesterday, at Mt Baw Baw and Tanjil Bren it only reached 21C! 14 degrees difference! We are so lucky to have these mountain areas (relatively) so close by. Wonderful for cool summer hikes. The Upper Yarra Track traverses the outstanding Baw Baw Plateau with many camping and scenic attractions. The Mt Darling- Snowy Bluff wilderness is also only a couple of hours away and (also) being around 1.5km in elevation is much cooler in the summer months. Of course, check the weather outlook. It can snow at any time of the year at these elevations - and there is always the risk of bushfire in very dry conditions. After rain is always nice, as everything will be cool and freshened up.

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/not-quite-alone-in-the-wilderness/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/camping-by-the-moroka-river/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/snowy-bluff-mt-darling-wilderness/

http://www.finnsheep.com/THE%20UPPER%20YARRA%20WALKING%20TRACK.htm

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-update-section-one-moe-yallourn-rail-trail/

23/12/2015: Early Visits to Yarra Falls:

The Argus Melbourne Wednesday 21 December 1904:

UPPER YARRA FALLS,

A.J.Campbell Junction of Yarra and Falls Creek (1905)

Interesting but rarelv visited scenes are to be found at the upper sources of the Yarra between Mount Baw Baw and the main Dividing Range The locality has never been completely surveyed and many of the contour lines shown on the map of Victoria are guesswork. Within the last few weeks Yarra Falls, as they are termed, were visited by an exploring party consisting of Mr. J. Walker and Mr.J.Fawkner, of the Lands department and Mr. A. J. Campbell and Mr. A. G. Campbell, field naturalists. They found the mountainous country above Walsh's Creek very difficult to traverse. Their packhorse twice lost its footing on the track and tumbled down the slope below it. Yarra Falls are situated, not on the main stream, but on a tributary to be henceforth known as Falls Creek. The height of the falls, which descend in a series of 6 leaps, was ascertained to be between 600ft. and 700ft. or 300ft. less than was reported according to previous rcports. An old mining track starting from Walsh's Creek passes the junction of the Upper Yarra and Falls Creek but it will have to be reformed for about 11 miles before any use can be made of it by ordinary tourists. The going is heavy, the gradients are difficult, and the timber obstructive. The exploring party had the assistance of a local guide.

The Argus Melbourne, Saturday 29 April 1905:

THE FAR UPPER YARRA. By A. J. CAMPBELL.

REMARKABLE FALLS.

Except to a few surveyors, occasional prospectors, tourists, or opossum hunters the region of the Upper Yarra is unknown. Hoddle surveyed the locality in 1843, and in 1890 the Mining department cut a track from Walsh's Creek along the river to Mount Baw Baw. Possibly that is all that has been done officially.

For years I had desired to ascend to the fountain-head of the Yarra, and the chance came recently, when a party of four consisting of a surveyor, a Gippsland bushman, a field naturalist, and a photographer, undertook the trip.

The junction of Walsh Creek with the Yarra, 67 miles from town, is easily reached by rail and coach in one day. We put up at McVeigh's Upper Yarra Hotel, on the direct road to Wood's Point, where it commands a view of a fine flat in the fork of the two streams, at an elevation of 1,000 ft. above sea level.

At 7 a.m. next day we leave McVeigh's, with an addition of two to our party- a pack-horse and his owner. We need the horse to carry a tent and provisions for a week, and the owner to look after it. The track leads along the South side of the river, and is high enough to enable us to look down on the stream, bordered with fine ferns, and running swiftly over a rocky bed. Heavily timbered ranges rise from the opposite side. On our side, on a narrow flat, are some whitegums, 200ft., by actual measurement, in height. At half-past 9, several miles from Walsh Creek we reach Contention Creek. Why so-called we could not ascertain. We unpack our camera to photograph "the highest habitation on the Yarra." There is a gold-mining claim, yielding payable gold.

The occupant of the hut welcomes us with bush hospitality, and the billy is soon on the fire. After an hours spell, we dive in single file into the forest. At first the way, although overgrown, is tolerably good, but when we descend into the gullies, and get enveloped in thick scrub, we find the going difficult. Our packhorse, save when bumping his load against a tree, or when grunting loudly on the steep pinches, be- haves splendidly, and mile by mile we move along the mountain sidelings, while the river is heard below, though lost to sight in thickets. Not only are we getting smothered in timber, but the mountains appear to be converging. On the opposite side occasionally a valley densely timbered, opens, denoting that some tributary comes down to join the main stream.

It is refreshing to descend, when we get a little warm, into the beds of rivulets, to rest under ferns, protected by groves of sassafras and beech. We slowly but surely forge our way along through the forest, enlivened by the voices of a few birds-lyre birds, cockatoos, and parrots. Three snakes are seen but only one is dispatched. We sight a blazed tree on a steep sideling. "Ah", says the pack horse owner, "this must be where the last party lost their packhorse. They said they blazed the place." We shudder when we gaze down and wonder what we should do should our horse topple over with tent and tucker, and disappear among the vegetation far below. Our experience came on the return journey, when our horse fell twice, and nearly rolled into the river.

Abut 4 o'clock, when getting weary, we break suddenly upon a splendid stream. It is Falls Creek, where we pitch our camp. We indulge in mutual congratulations over our safe arrival. A circular flat is selected for the camp - a most charming and picturesque spot, enclosed by tree ferns, presided over by stout stemmed beeches. Between tent and stream is just space for a table and a fireplace. Ferny beds are made, and we feel exceedingly happy and snug when enjoying our evening meal. High ranges, clothed with vegetation, wall us in completely. The world is shut out, and we are alone, with the silence broken only by the sound of the running waters, and the rustling of the leaves when they are stirred by wandering airs.

The business of next day is to explore the creek from its junction with the Yarra to the top of the falls. Where the junction occurs, a hundred yards below our camp, the Yarra comes in seven paces wide, from the eastward, and the Falls Creek, with one third less volume, from the southeast. Crystalline waters meet on a shingly bed, ferns lending charm to the scene, and we get a lovely picture for the camera. The height above sea level is approximately 1,770ft. Keeping to the rocky bed of the stream, which is choked with logs, we gradually ascend.

We arrive at a pretty vista, opened up by the fall of trees which have cleared an opening along the creek bed. On our left is a wall of vegetation, chiefly beech, gilded on top with sunshine. At 11 a.m., after rounding a bend, and brushing aside overhanging fronds, we catch a sight of the lowest fall. The water descends in a leap of about 70ft. and spray from it is wafted upon us like "scotch mist". It needs no small effort on our part to climb over friable earth and large flat stones to the head of the fall.

Shortly afterwards we catch sight of a second fall. Before we attempt to renew the climbing process we sit down in full view of an interesting scene to lunch. When again on the move upwards, we find the climbing harder work than ever. It may even be said to be dangerous. As soon as the second fall is conquered, a third appears, and beyond it a fourth. Perspiring freely, we climb on, laying hold of rocks, tree stems, and tufts of grass to pull our selves up. As we rise, we notice that the scrub is thinning, and that the big trees are eucalypts, sure signs that we are passing from the region of moisture on to comparably dry levels.

Near the top we encounter an outcrop of silurian rock, with all the slate-like strata vertical. Where the falling stream meets the rock it is diverted at right angles and drops50ft. down a gulch. We surmounted six falls in all, and were not sorry when we came to the uppermost for we found ourselves almost "played out". Though we started early in the morning, we did not reach the summit till late in the afternoon. At the sixth, or top fall the stream is divided by rocks. It descends for a little distance in two branches which eventually meet in the sasaffras below. Our aneroids indicate that we have seen 1,000ft. since the morning. Between the first fall and the last we jump 700ft. in about one-fifth of a mile, their length being all told.

Our surveyor picks up the old Baw Baw track, by which we descend the sharp spur dividing the Yarra proper from Falls Creek, and we arrive in camp in an hour. When the track from Contention Creek to Falls Creek, a distance of about 11 miles, is reopened, a new and interesting route will be available for tourists to one of the most romantic regions in Victoria, only two days traveling from Melbourne under present conditions.

AN UPLAND RAMBLE

On a subsequent day we explored the range above our camp. Starting early we ascended 1,000ft. by the track which had brought us down from the summit of the falls. The upper levels, above the scrub, were covered with big eucalypts and tall grass. We headed easterly, and soon got into beech timber, mixed with sassafras. The "forest floors" are carpeted with stiff Cape lomaria ferns, knee high, with fronds of sepia tint, very striking when seen against the sunlight streaming through the trees. We come to a huge dead eucalypt, with a hollow stem. The temptation to set it on fire is too great for the bushman, who puts a lighted match to a handful of dry ferns. With so much moisture and green vegetation everywhere there is no danger of starting a bush fire. The chimney immediately began to smoke and roar.

Our path is very scrubby and obscure in places, but the surveyor and bushman, who take the lead in turns, keep to it instinctively. Our traveling is slow-about a mile and a half an hour- through our having to step high over logs. Sometimes we brush through scrub bearing white star flowers, and the vegetable dust shaken off as we pass sets up irritating coughs. In a sunbeam we could distinctly see the dust when the scrub was shaken. The plant is called "choke" bush (Aster stellulatus). When we are fairly in the beech forest avenues of magnificent trees open up in every direction. Their stems are bedecked with moss and lichen, and they bear masses of dark green foliage. The track we are on cuts the line from Noojee to Aberfeldy, one of Whitelaw's early tracks; but we keep our own, passing a signboard on a tree marked "To the Yarra Head".

We come to a gumtree ridge, occupied with immense trees, and observe one or two black cockatoos, some gang-gang cockatoos, and a family of handsome King parrots. The scrub chiefly consists of a dwarf "Christmas" tree, or Prostanthera. Both flowers and foliage diffuse around a heavy perfume. Then we arrive at a tiny hill and an outcrop of granite, at an altitude of 2,000ft. above sea level. After that we pass through acres upon acres of fine, tall eucalypts, standing as close together as they can grow, straight stemmed, shooting skyward from 100ft. to 150ft. This wealth of timber is known to extend along the ridge for 10 or 11 miles. Once we are properly in the granite country the vegetation changes to acacias (silver wattle, &c.), pittosporum, native hazel, leatherwood, &c.

"Penny" Creek we so name because we drove a nail through a coin to fasten it to a hazel tree. At midday, about seven miles from camp, we strike the Yarra again. It is now only five paces wide, and eighteen inches deep, and it runs leisurely over a sandy bottom sparkling with specks of mica. The source of the stream is only five miles higher up, in a plateau. We are astonished to find a bridge, a tolerably substantial structure, too. Therefore we take a photograph, entitling it the "Highest Bridge Over The Yarra". At this Altitude (3,120ft. above the sea), our naturalist finds many interesting plants, including a white oxalis and a small Alpine lomaria.

While photographing and botanising were proceeding, the surveyor pushed along the "T" track, encountering much fallen timber, and reached the Tanjil track at over 4,000ft. Turning south-west along it, and passing the "14-mile tree", he struck the Yarra for the last time. Here at 3,160ft., it is only two paces wide, descending by a depression from the base of Mount Baw Baw, whose rounded crest could be plainly discerned three or four miles away, backed by a great billowy cloud, while above all was the ethereal blue. Following the stream down with difficulty for about two miles, the surveyor reached the bridge where we were, and we all returned to camp, which was reached about 6 o'clock.

The fewness of the birds surprised us. We neither heard nor saw magpies above Walsh Creek, and very few laughing jackasses. In the beech forest we heard the pretty rose-breasted and pink-breasted robins. We saw a few pairs of flame-breasted robins on the saddles of the range. A lyre-bird entertained us there, whistling near our camp. We noticed many lyre- bird dancing-grounds in the gullies and in the open scrub among the tall gums. There appear to be no fish in the streams.

Of plants we made an interesting collection, some 300 specimens, representing about half that number of species. A yellow flowering tree, Daviesia, attracted us much on the ridges. Near Walsh Creek we came across a patch of about five acres of boronia (B. pinnata), with small but sweetly-scented foliage and tiny pinkish flowers. Subsequently, on our submitting a sample of the shrub to a perfumory chemist, he reported that it yielded enough essential oil to have a commercial value.

We tried to find Hoddle's marked tree, "1843", near our camp, but failed. Wear and tear for well-nigh threescore years had no doubt obliterated it.

22/12/2015: Upper Yarra Track 1912 Victorian Railways Brochure: Picturesque Victoria and How to Get There: ‘Click on ‘The Warburton-Walhalla Trip Via the Yarra Falls and Mount Baw Baw’: PS: It is in Pdf. I have tried and tried to convert this to Word so I can post it whole, but I have failed…There is an absolutely beautiful [c 1900] photo by A.J. Campbell of the junction of the Yarra and Falls Creek which I hope soon to emulate. The Upper yarra falls were originally called ‘Campbell’s Falls’. This man left a treasury of beautiful photos, many of which are in the Museum of Victoria collection. Here is one of them: http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/299535

22/12/2015: Hydrology trumps alarmism: It’s obvious really but only 1/4 of rain makes it to the sea: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150709141308.htm

22/12/2015: How many on the Left remember that the full name for the Nazi Party was the ‘National Socialist German Workers' Party’?

21/12/2015: Upper Yarra Track Winter Route: Downey to Newlands: Last Monday we spent ‘beating around the bush’ near Downey (Tanjil Bren area). Downey is another one of those ‘lost’ towns of the Victorian mountains. Pretty much all that remains is this huge sawdust heap in the forest: how many woodland giants went to make it up I wonder? Mostly the trees milled here were fire killed mountain ash from the vast ‘Black Friday’ fires of 1939

We were looking for a ‘closed road’ which shows on the map Noojee North T8122—3-N. The GPS claimed it crossed the river around about here, but there was no sign of it.

West Tanjil River.

Turns out the GPS and map are seriously ‘out of kilter’ in this small area of map. I have found this before, eg on my walk to Mt Darling last year (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/snowy-bluff-mt-darling-wilderness/) I guess up to a km wrong! This meant I did a fair amount of bush bashing no doubt along what had once been old snig tracks etc, finding nothing but photo ops.

Finally we managed to locate the spot where the ‘road’ had crossed the river. Several huge pipes still lying in the river bed over which we were able to clamber without even getting our feet wet. This was on the way back actually. On the way across we took off our shoes and waded in our Crocs, as it did not appear we could make it dry-footed across the pipes. The water was so chill Della practically had a seizure. Sissy!

After we had crossed the old road was easy to see and we followed it a couple of kms up the mountain, but not quite as far as Newlands Rd. In places the way was unclear as it was very overgrown, whilst in others three semi-trailers could have passed easily. There were huge cuttings where there roar would have echoed mightily long ago.

Disease can sometimes look beautiful: observe this amazing gall.

Della has not quite recovered from her (second) eye operation, so we turned back without having found our way to Frangipani Saddle where this route meets the ‘Upper Yarra Walking Track’ thus completing our ‘Winter Route’. There is always room for another adventure. It will most likely be a couple of weeks before we get back as we are working in the kids’ store Xmas-New Year. We have cleared and marked the path (with blue tape) from the end of the driveable section of Saxtons Rd (which begins in Tanjil Bren), so you may have a chance to finish our exploration before we do. Be sure to also check out the ‘Tramway Falls http://www.theultralighthiker.com/kirchubel-if-you-go-nowhere-else-in-the-world-at-least-go-here/ on the left fork (this one is the right fork: PS: the map is more or less correct; it is the GPS location which is wrong).

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/western-tyers-river-great-for-crays/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-western-tyers/

http://www.finnsheep.com/THE%20UPPER%20YARRA%20WALKING%20TRACK.htm

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-update-section-one-moe-yallourn-rail-trail/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-update-section-three-wirilda-to-moondarra/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-section-four-moondarra-to-erica/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-summary-cumulative-distancestimes/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-osheas-mill/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-beautiful-world/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-winter-route-caringal-scout-camp-tyers-junction/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-winter-route-western-tyers-morgans-mill-skinners-camp/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-winter-route-western-tyers-to-tanjil-bren/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/kirchubel-if-you-go-nowhere-else-in-the-world-at-least-go-here/

16/12/2015: Blossoms at last: Eight days have passed since I observed these in full flower in Melbourne (07/12/2015). Ours were just coming out here on Tuesday 15/12/2015 Agapanthus and Jacaranda. So much of ‘global warming’ is simply the ‘Urban Heat Island’ effect/local variations. I have many times observed that AGW is not present in the satellite records or in the more remote surface station records such as Cape Otway’s http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/weatherData/av?p_nccObsCode=36&p_display_type=dataFile&p_startYear=&p_stn_num=090015 ):

16/12/2015: Water: Hiking Desalinator or Survival Still @10 grams that may save your life: I am just working on this idea. Here I have epoxied a copper flange to an old can of powdered milk and attached 1 metre of old silicone tube. I was catching the water in a Vargo 450 ml (cool lips) titanium mug. I was just cooling the steam with wetted down tea towels. I collected nearly 400 mls in an hour. I need to improve the steam condensation. I will purchase a Platypus hydration tube (as that is what I figure folks will carry (which is a much lighter weight 102 cm PU tubing) which will hopefully shed heat better.

I will also make up a trough so I can cool nearly all its length with water. I expect I will more than double its output. If you needed to do this in the wild (presumably by the sea) you could make a trough in the sand, line it with your raincoat and fill it with water. You could also bury the collection cup in wet sand and perhaps cover it with something else to prevent steam escaping. Doubling output would produce more than 2 litres in 3 hours – enough for a day of low activity – so certainly enough to save your life.

I am imagining adding the flange to your existing billy lid or placing it in an extension ring which sits between billy and lid. Such an extension ring, if I can figure out how to make it adjustable (and fit) would weigh only 15 grams or so and fit with your other cooking things in your billy or pot.

PS: I just made the flange from a piece of copper water pipe using a plumbing flaring tool. You could cut the flared end from a car's brake line obtained from an auto wreckers. I used a small piece of 'Dynasteel Epoxy Putty' [250C] to attach it.

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dehydrated-water/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/water-filter/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/rivers-in-the-sky-never-die-of-thirst/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/survival-still/

16/12/2015: The 40,000 climate activists presumably pedaled home from Paris? Right?

16/12/2015: A Child’s Christmas in Wales, the Movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrLDaAG7j_o

16/12/2015: Girl feeds crows; in return, they bring her gifts: ‘This amazing story caught my attention, having little girls of my own that love animals and birds, it is always nice to read little stories like these were reciprocity exists between different species on earth. In this case a little girls that feeds crows and the crows show their appreciation by bringing back little tokens. She's been collecting them’: http://www.offgridquest.com/life-stories/little-girl-feeds-crows-in-return-they-b

14/12/2015: Differences: King Canute’s people came to believe that he was omnipotent; ie that he could make rules which would change even the natural world. To demonstrate to them that they were wrong, he had his throne set up by the sea and ordered the tide to go back. Climate campaigners cannot be as easily convinced that we cannot alter the sun’s output by making whatever rules here on earth. What we can do is destroy the economy. Working hard at that!

14/12/2015: Here’s a treat for Xmas: Dylan Thomas reading ‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xfpf66_dylan-thomas-a-child-s-christmas-in-wales_creation

14/12/2015: Super AAA Torch: You really could spotlight a fox with one of these beauties: 175 grams, 4 AAA batteries, 320 lumens. Approx $70: http://www.ledlenserusa.com/p7-2-348.html#start=1

13/12/2015: Some people are just tired of living: http://imgur.com/NbdNuql

13/12/2015: 40,000 modern Canutes defy reason and evidence (the world has not warmed for 19 years despite a considerable increase in CO2, ergo CO2 is not a cause) to vote themselves an enormous bash and the world an enormous bill which will do nothing about climate (that is hubris), but will drag down economic development everywhere, and mean that several million more poor people needlessly suffer and die – just like the 100+ million people who needlessly died from malaria due to the wrongful DDT ban, or the hundreds of thousands who die every year because the West burns alcohol (food) as fuel, etc. I do so hate such pompous twats and statists of every hue. I see our own Svengali, Julie has signed us up to a new carbon trading deal we explicitely voted against. We need to get out of this mess: bring back Tony – and soon.

13/12/2015: If only Governments would pay a little more attention to folks like this, we could save a lot of money and inconvenience: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/12/04/cfact-presents-four-inconvenient-facts-about-global-warming-at-cop21-display/ They also have a new movie you should look out for: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/12/03/some-first-clips-of-new-film-climate-hustle-air-on-fox-news/

13/12/2015: Leeches: In Australia (and elsewhere) it is quite common to encounter these beasties in the wetter areas. They avoid sunny patches. They do you no harm, though many (like me) have an allergic reaction to their ‘bites’, so it is good to avoid them as much as you can. I have already recommended ‘Anthisan’ antihistamine ointment to treat allergic reactions to bites http://www.theultralighthiker.com/insects-can-ruin-a-camping-trip/ (you will have to order it over from a NZ pharmacy) and the practice of using surface spray (eg on your calves), tucking your trousers into your socks and wearing long-sleeve shirts in ‘leechy’ spots such as rainforest areas http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-personal-hygiene/ .

When you put up your tent for the night you don’t want to erect it on a hundred leeches and have them wriggling all over you all night. I have seen shady areas where when you wave your warm hand over the ground a hundred leeches will stand up and wave at you! You need to carry a small atomiser containing surface spray such as ‘Baygon’ (which can be bought from some supermarkets in bulk - ie not in spray cans) to suit such decanting. Atomisers of various sizes are available all over (try eBay). You will need to match the size to your need. You need to be able to spray the entire footprint of your tent plus an area say a metre around it. If/when you do have a leech attach to you, remember it will do you no harm (indeed they have been used for centuries for their supposed health benefits) and will eventually drop off. If you want to hurry that along a bit, a lighted cigarette or some salt will move them on mighty quickly.

If (like my wife) you don’t like the idea of sleeping on surface spray, carry enough salt in a snap lock bag to sprinkle the same area. This will kill and keep leeches at bay too.

13/12/2015: Just suppose you are a middle aged man who identifies as being a six year old girl…should you be allowed to keep your driving licence? http://moonbattery.com/?p=66265 Then again, if you are a teacher who refuses to call a biological girl a boy, should you be fired? Of course you should, you mad, evil monster! http://abc13.com/news/daycare-worker-claims-she-was-fired-in-dispute-over-transgender-child/1077575/ The world is becoming seriously, serially MAD!

12/12/2015: Leadbeater’s Possums: Victoria’s faunal emblem; a truly ancient relict marsupial. I love this snap of a pair carrying nesting materials in their prehensile tails. If you are vigilant you may see some of these as you walk the Upper Yarra Track, particularly along Newlands Rd, Toorongo Road and Forty Mile Break Road (if you go for a walk at night, anyway – always a worthwhile exploration). ‘Several clusters of records were developed, particularly in the Toorongo Plateau/Noojee area…Leadbeater’s Possums (were) detected across all age-classes of forest surveyed, with a similar proportion of records from 1939 and 1983 fire regrowth (25% and 27% of cameras, respectively) and a higher proportion of detections in regrowth forest from timber harvesting between 1978-2000 (38% of cameras). I notice that there were more of them where there had been recent timber harvesting - hardly an argument for a new National Park! Thanks to Tom Osburg for the snap and link, http://www.delwp.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/316060/Targeted-survey-report-2015_final-7Oct15r.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadbeater's_possum Petition here: https://www.change.org/p/victorian-enviroment-minister-lisa-neville-victorian-premier-daniel-andrews-say-no-to-the-proposed-great-forest-national-park?recruiter=47734711&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=mob-xs-share_petition-reason_msg&fb_ref=Default

12/12/2015: When I was young the word ‘discrimination’ meant exactly the same as ‘discernment’ ie the ability to tell the difference, yet according to President Obama, this is a woman, but these are not Muslims.

Embedded image permalink

Donald Trump says the US should completely ban Moslem immigration. He would get my vote. I’m sure many US citizens will agree. This policy joins Japan’s and Saudi Arabia’s – the Saudis won’t take a single Syrian refugee! Why should we?

12/12/2015: Fanciful: ‘Just suppose it were possible to shoot people in the name of a religion and have the leader of the Free World, together with his media sycophants, deplore gun ownership among potential victims. Just suppose it were possible to shoot people in the name of a religion and have the leader of the Free World, together with his media sycophants, refuse to blame and name the religion. Just suppose it were possible to shoot people in the name of a religion and have the leader of the Free World, together with his media sycophants, mainly fret about a potential backlash against followers of the religion. Peter Smith, Quadrant: http://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2015/12/terror-incognita/

11/12/2015: Kirchubel: If you go nowhere else in the world, at least go here. Just a few kms walk outside the small township of Tanjil Bren in Gippsland Victoria is the most beautiful place in the whole world! You go out along Saxtons Road beginning in the heart of Tanjil Bren.

Many beautiful wildflowers carpet the verges: buttercups,

And Alstromoerias.

Just before Downey you turn west onto the old tramway. Parts of it are Antarctic beech forest.

It is so like Fiordland, New Zealand. Why travel?

The dogs enjoy the rich, earthy smells of the deep forest litter beneath the majestic gums.

An old (closed) bridge begins Kirchubel‘s Tramway, its exploration to be saved for another day. Maybe some of the 18 old timber bridges yet survive?

The first of the Tramway Falls is magnificent.

There is a cast iron pipe at the top of the falls. Water supply to the lost township of Kirchubel, perhaps.

Some recollections of this township (lost over 50 year ago) yet survive: Colin Bigwood writes, ‘In the early 40's my dad Roley Bigwood, my mum Elsie, and my younger Brother David and myself Colin went to Kirchubel's sawmill to live. My Dad worked mainly on the breaking down saw, and had a scar on his right upper-arm to show until he died where the saw grabbed his thumb while fitting a packing block to the leading edge of the bottom blade. He also was a leader in on one of the benches. When we first got there Mr. and Mrs. Ireland operated the boarding house (it was more of a mess house, because the single men’s huts were a bit away from the boarding house) The men only came to have their meals. We lived in a newly built house next to Gill and Lorna Cooper south of the boarding house and north behind the single men huts. When Mrs. Ireland left ,my Mum Elsie Bigwood took over the running of the Boarding house and we moved from our house to live in the back of the B/house. We stayed until I was seven (1945) when the war ended and (we) returned to Tasmania. I can still remember the layout of Kirchubel's sawmill and little village, even down to where the Dug out in case of bush fires was. Later on this year I hope to revisit Tanjil Bren and to explore the remains.’

11/12/2015: This morning Commissar Turnbull is apparently backing a proposal to gaol ‘terrorists’ for life. At the same time a 15 year old schoolboy from Bass Hill (where I used to teach back in 1974) has been arrested for planning a terrorist attack! Back in the 1970s I taught at Punchbowl, Bass Hill, Picnic Point & Revesby and my uncle Leo Richards was the postmaster at Lakemba (which was then a middle class leafy suburb somewhat like Camberwell or Hawthorn). I doubt there was a single Moslem there then. Yet 40 years later a vast area of Western Sydney is a sea of Islam. What will the country be like in another 40 years if this is allowed to continue? It has to stop, and be reversed. It will take concerted action, first to ban all Moslem immigration (as Donald Trump recently announced - long policy in Japan, for example), then to return as many such folk to their Moslem homelands as possible, as quickly as possible – whilst preserving as much as possible of our democratic traditions; traditions which are (almost) as much threatened by our response to Islamic terrorism as the threat itself. Lock a 15 year old boy up for the term of his natural life for what is essentially a (wicked) political opinion?

11/12/2015: Levitation brace gives users spring-loaded knees Whether they're playing sports or suffering from joint injuries, some people could definitely benefit from using a wearable assistive device. That's where Levitation comes in. It's a spring-loaded knee brace that augments the user's quadriceps. I may soon need a pair of these: http://www.gizmag.com/levitation-spring-loaded-knee-brace/40709/

The Levitation brace helps bend the user's knees back forward when walking or running

10/12/2015: Upper Yarra Track Winter Route: Western Tyers to Tanjil Bren: After you have camped the night, cooked and eaten your trout &/or crayfish, walk West along the Tyers. The Western Tyers Road follows the course of the old timber tramline which carried the forest’s products via Caringal to Collins Siding (Erica) and onwards to a wider market where they were used to construct houses and buildings elsewhere in Victoria – amnd sometimes much farther afield. In April Della and I walked the South Coast Track in Fiordland New Zealand. A feature of part of the track were huge trestle bridges which had been constructed from logs imported from Australia in the 1920s!

Percy Burn Viaduct, South Coast Track, Fiordland New Zealand.

There are a number of pleasant spots to camp along the way. I can’t tell you how many times my kids played on this old log as they grew. The oldest is now 34: she first went there when she was two! I have caught a couple of lovely crays or three underneath it. up

There are two campsites at Palmers. This is the first.

The second one where the bridge used to cross the river is where the tramline carried on to Growlers. It is still possible to walk along it – and the more who do, the easier it will be. You can continue on along the road, but the views of the river and forest are better from the tramway. nowadays.

A refreshing dip on a hot day will surprise you how very cold the water is on the South Face of the Baw Baw Plateau.

There are some wonderful rapids in this section of the river I used to enjoy when I was suicidally young and ebullient! There is also great fishing. The 2-3 km of the old railway is quite flat – a serene & peaceful camp could be made here and there along it. There is also a single pleasant camp where it rejoins the road just below Growlers, and multiple sites a little over a km further at Growlers itself.

The old railway is easy going in places at least.

With great views of the river.

And some amazing rapids.

You never tire of watching water flow over stone.

Spot enjoys the view too.

The road carries on up the river to Growlers.

There are many wonderful stands of ash regrowth.

Growlers is a pleasant camp.

A quarter century ago I used to walk across the bridge at Growlers and follow the road which has now disappeared into the forest a couple of kms downstream to where there were immense sawdust piles over 20 metres high scattered along the river flats. Who knows how many forest giants they represented? Their insulative ability and I guess decomposition in their depths made them magically warm spots in the forest where no frost or snow would linger. They were a favourite bedding spot for deer, for that reason. I often put up a fine stag here. The forest is probably far too thick for hunting.

After you come out on to the Tanjil Bren Rd it is only a few kms to the turn off to Christmas Creek, a very pretty camping spot where you may wish to spend a night a couple of kms off your main route.

You can imagine camping by the bridge at Christmas Creek for a couple of days.

You continue along the Tanjil Bren Road at least as far as Young’s Track. Here you can choose to continue, or divert to the Tanjil River (campsites) which you cross, follow the Long Spur track until it joins Rowley’s Hill Road. And then it until you finally come to Tanjil Bren. There are toilets, a shelter house, water, accommodation – even some supplies in the ski season, though this is not certain. If you instead continue along the Tanjil Bren Rd (there is water from flowing streams every 2-3 kms), you will eventually come to the Baw Baw Rd. Turn West towards Tanjil Bren and continue on the tar road for about three kilometres until you come to the Big Tree Track. You can follow this to Saxton’s Road where you can either turn to Tanjil Bren or go on to Downey to camp on the West Tanjil River.

After Tanjil Bren, a really beautiful side trip is to walk west along the West Tanjil River along the old tramline until you come to Tramway falls. The forest along the way is spectacular. There are vast stands of Antarctic Beech which will make you think you are in Fiordland, New Zealand. It is quite the most beautiful spot in the world. The falls too are quite lovely.

09/12/2015: Baw Baw Plateau: has to be THE most beautiful area in the world. We spent yesterday afternoon driving and walking around parts of its South Face working out possible winter routes for our Upper Yarra Track project, discovering mainly that we need to go back there for many awe-struck days yet. More pics and posts to follow but feast your eyes on these two gems: Sunset view towards the Strezeleckis from the South Face Rd; Alstroemerias in Saxtons Rd, Tanjil Bren.

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/western-tyers-river-great-for-crays/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-western-tyers/

http://www.finnsheep.com/THE%20UPPER%20YARRA%20WALKING%20TRACK.htm

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-update-section-one-moe-yallourn-rail-trail/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-update-section-three-wirilda-to-moondarra/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-section-four-moondarra-to-erica/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-summary-cumulative-distancestimes/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-osheas-mill/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-beautiful-world/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-winter-route-caringal-scout-camp-tyers-junction/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-winter-route-western-tyers-morgans-mill-skinners-camp/

09/12/2015: We went for a fantastic afternoon walk on the Baw Baw plateau near Tanjil Bren yesterday. Wonderful waterfall and inspiring beech forest were just two of the photoworthy features! Steve and I have concluded that we are so lucky to live in Gippsland with boundless magical beauty surrounding us! Anywhere else in the world, these features would be crowded with tourists and hemmed in by fences and explanatory signs!

07/12/2015: Kershaw Ken Onion Speedsafe Folders: If you need to get your knife open with one hand quickly, this range of knives may be right for you. The smallest (The Chive) weighs only 2 ounces, so may even fit with your ultralight hiking kit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRZNUioNPC4

07/12/2015: Melbourne agapanthus/jacaranda. We went to Melbourne last Tuesday to see about getting me new hands (Answer: I can and I will! – cobalt-chromium-titanium knuckles no less – how fashionable – and ultralight! Starting January). Everywhere (eg in Hawthorn) these beauties were blooming spectacularly. It would/will be two more weeks before they are out here at Jeeralang Junction without the Urban Heat Island Effect (as you feel it when you hit Packenham – now!) to spur them on. Temperatures in remote (?) areas such as we live have shown NO WARMING over the period of the record (eg since the 1860s for Cape Otway). Sydney has some records going back to 1790 which are of course excluded from all the AGW stuff which always start with WW1 for some mystery reason (perhaps this). Indeed c1914 there was a pronounced drop in temperature (about 2C – explain THAT!) which has never come back up again. See for yourself: If you look at the historical station records you will see that all the warmest records were set in the C19th. The Sydney temperature highs of the 1790s have never again even been approached! Back in the 1970s various temperature data used to be used to predict an imminent ICE AGE. Gough Whitlam used to be fond of this prediction back then, I remember. Perhaps it is just WEATHER though? Cape Otway Station records here (Highlight ‘Highest’): http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/weatherData/av?p_nccObsCode=36&p_display_type=dataFile&p_startYear=&p_stn_num=090015 Gough’s scientists here: eg: ‘In the 1960s some scientists extrapolated from the warming trend evident between 1895 and 1940 and predicted the melting of the ice caps and the consequent flooding of the world’s seaports. There was then thought to be some rational justification for their warnings, namely the warming effect associated with the global increase of CO2 caused by the burning of fossil fuels (Matthews et al, 1971). However, since 1940 the temperature curve has reversed its direction [despite significant increase in CO2 emissions – TT]. It is just as precipitate now for scientists to postulate that the present downturn presages an imminent glaciation as it was for their collegues (sic) to forecast the melting of the ice caps 20 years ago [1955]…Nevertheless the historical record…does not preclude a change lasting for some decades or even centuries to a regime colder than what is called by some northern hemisphere climatologists the ‘climatic optimum’ of the 1940s-50s. (page 14)’ http://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2015/12/scientists-still-science/

Agapanthus = ‘Lily of the Nile.’ Gotta love that name! Our agapanthus are just coming into bud. In Melbourne some were practically finished! ‘The times (seasons at least), they are a-changin’!

07/12/2015: Even in Death, the Left hates Margaret Thatcher: the snooty decision of the Victoria and Albert Museum to reject the offer of the clothes of the country’s first female Prime Minister - and one of the greatest has led to this: ‘In a newspaper article in January 1975, Margaret Thatcher described private property as “one of the main bulwarks of individual freedom”. So it seems appropriate that her handbags, suits and necklaces will be sold for cold, hard cash to the highest bidder, rather than being saved for the nation.’ http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2015/nov/03/no-style-icon-but-an-image-maker-why-margaret-thatcher-was-the-wrong-fit-for-the-va

07/12/2015: Remember when the sisterhood all dropped ‘Miss’ or ‘Mrs’ and insisterd on ‘Ms’ – though I’m not sure whether they were ever as angry as happily married women misidentified by PC people as ‘Ms’ when they were proud to be “Mrs’. Now, the latest trend is to rid ourselves of the gender tyrannical ‘Mr’ as well, so that everyone henceforth will be ‘Mx’ (or ‘mixed up). Surely ‘Esquire’ or ‘Knave’ would be more suitable? http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2015/12/01/anti-science-new-york-times-uses-gender-neutral-mx/

05/12/2015: Some of Merrin’s trees (which we planted just before this time last year) are doing well. Here her quince fruiting:

06/12/2015: Jeeralang Sights: Right behind our home there are lots of forestry tracks where we usually go for a walk with the dogs of a late afternoon. This one (No 4 Road) is about 400 metres further up the mountain so it is much cooler on a 30C day like yesterday. Some shady spots we wondered whether we should have brought a jumper. Spot is always keen to lead the way:

Amid majestic blue gums and mountain ash. It is 50” rainfall country up here, just a couple of km behind us.

He can get a long way ahead. He loves to flush the swamp wallabies. Fetch ‘em up, Spot. There are lots of tree ferns…Tiny is becoming thirsty.

Fortunately there are beautiful cool springs and runnels for the dogs (and us) to quench our thirst. Della leads the way.

There are some really beautiful sticks of timber. A couple of houses here.

Lots of wildflowers: daisies,

And more daisies. These ones are so shiny, like they’ve just been painted.

Even common vetch has a beauty all its own.

Perhaps we will go for another walk this afternoon. It’s very hard to decide…

06/12/2015: North Sydney: a swing of 13%, Twice what would have befallen Tony in Canning! Another Bishop rorting the parliamentary travel scheme with a $30,000 air fair to a ‘charity fund raiser’ – better to just make a donation, surely? Where are the calls for Malcolm to stand aside?

06/12/2015: Why Zuckerberg will be RICHER after he gives 99% of his money away (Don’t try this at home!): http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/04/business/dealbook/how-mark-zuckerbergs-altruism-helps-himself.html?_r=1

05/12/2015: Some of Merrin’s trees (which we planted just before this time last year) are doing well. Here her quince fruiting:

05/12/2015: DEMOCIDE: Socialism, Tyranny, Guns And Freedom: An apposite video. It is easy to understand why folks are buying more guns following (mainly) Islamist tragedies all over, and a vast increase in crimes of violence against innocent individuals (Thousand of percent since the beginning of the C20th! The State does not protect us. In too many cases the State is the problem. We need to protect ourselves. In this regard the State is the impediment to our protecting ourselves – and our loved ones. I certainly support changes to the law to remove bans on ‘concealed carry’ of firearms for self-protection. Such restrictions to our liberty should never have occurred: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVK0yZAhBKM https://www.change.org/p/fishing-hunting-australia-allow-australians-concealed-carry-for-self-defense?recruiter=91790719&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=mob-sm-share_petition-reason_msg&fb_ref=Default

05/12/2015: More of this please: ISIS terrorist blows himself up with rocket launcher: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRRVyA7w2Wg Youtube may have taken this down. Try http://www.indiatimes.com/videocafe/oops-an-isis-terrorist-accidentally-blows-himself-up-while-launching-a-rocket-at-his-enemies-247950.html or the Wayback Machine.

03/12/2015: Shiftwear: E-ink sneakers: These people will make a fortune: Play the video, I dare you. It will soon move to clothes I’m sure. I am planning to have my entire skin replaced with E-ink so that I can display all manner of interesting perspectives of myself instantaneously, even in video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5XhzmjUVnk http://www.shiftwear.com/

03/12/2015: Force, Sharing the Load vs Sharing the Wealth: Government IS force: Few if any of us get a choice to opt in or opt out; save a handful of token opportunities such as elections we needs must but ‘grin and bear it’. For most (Federally) this represents at most 20-30 opportunities in a long lifetime – merely to elect woefully misnamed ‘representatives’ who almost universally do the opposite of what the public wants...In (probably all) representative ‘democracies’ a two-party system ultimately operates with each party simply taking turns and colluding at least in assuring that no-one else gets a turn. Such a system is more like fascism than anything else.Ultimately anyway government is force applied by some people to others. Over time who is in which group has changed – as has what the ‘enslaved’ group is obliged to do by the ‘ruling’ group. Marxists (for example) used to see ‘capitalists’ (the Rich) in one group and the workers or proletariat (the Poor) in the other. If such a dichotomy was ever the case, it has changed utterly. As has what each group obliges the other group to do. Now for example, the ‘Advantaged’ must work to support the ‘Disadvantaged’ so that what once was the ‘working class’ is now the aristocracy – or the leisured class…Plus ca change!

03/12/2015: Moroka Gorge Falls: A friend sent me a digital copy of this C19th Von Guerard painting (below). I have lurked in the Mount darling-Snowy Bluff Wilderness quite a lot…I though we had been to the Moroka Falls (twice - eg http://www.theultralighthiker.com/camping-by-the-moroka-river/) but we had only been to the UPPER Falls - as the clip from Vicmap Moroka South T8223-2-S shows. This map plus the Avenza Pdf Maps App I have frequently mentioned (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/gps-phone-apps-25k-vicmaps/) should get us there (probably with a bit of bush bashing). Last time we were there we noticed no sign of the closed road or hiking trail to the lower falls. As well, if we wanted to stand in the same spot as Von Guerard it looks like we would have to come down from the Shanty Hollow track. As it is 1,000 metres higher than where we live (thus @ 8C cooler) we should find a day this summer to explore the area. Our friend will also want to be in on it! Of course the painting probably shows winter river flows: http://www.australianmountains.com/morokagorge/

02/12/2015: Civilisation and climate: What an interesting chart: View approx 50%: https://andymaypetrophysicist.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/younger_dryas_to_present_time_line_updated2.pdf

02/12/2015: Australian Liberty Alliance’s Leader Bernard Gaynor’s excellent speech; http://pickeringpost.com/story/-ala-senate-candidate-struts-his-stuff/5620

02/12/2015: Upper Yarra Track: Winter Route: Western Tyers: Morgans Mill & Skinners Camp:

From Caringal you can journey to Western Tyers via Morgans Mill Rd (open forest) or Buckle Spur, cool wet forest tree ferns and mountain ash. Probably 2-3 hours either way. There used to be a walking track along the river which followed the old railway line all the way to Growlers, but it has grown over (we checked). It was really beautiful. A job of clearing for someone, but maybe not me.

Pitmans Creek Track.

If you come down the Pitmans Creek Track from Buckle Spur you will first encounter Skinners camp just before you get to the river. It used to be a beautiful well-maintained camping area with toilets, barbecue facilities, shelter, information boards, etc. The Government seems to have abandoned it. You can still camp there though, or you can carefully cross the bridge and camp on the South side of the river. There are lots of blackberries and a few old fruit trees about, so you might get a feed – apart from the abundant trout and freshwater crays in the river. There are rabbits about in the blackberries too, so if you have brought your sling (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/how-to-make-a-sling/ - plenty of stones in the river) , you might be in luck!

Skinners camp.

The dogs managed the bridge - surely you can?

Camp South side.

As you cross the river to the South bank there is a river heights gauge on your left. It was just below .2 metres yesterday and the river quite canoeable. If you walk East along the riverbank reserve about 200 metres, after crossing a small rivulet you will come to the abandoned chimney of Morgan’s Mill which is on private land. There are two or three cottages about. It is worth a photo. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Tyers,_Victoria I believe there is a road easement through the two locked gates (you can step around them) on Morgan’s Mill Road linking it to Western Tyers Road if you came that way, also a steel government footbridge across the rivulet. The remaining cottages and ruins are what remain of the timber-getting settlement of Morgans Mill. After it was abandoned as forestry it became a strata-title commune for many years, something like the ‘New Australia’ in Paraguay. Shares might still be available. The remaining members (who must be in their 70s and 80s) clearly still visit infrequently.

Mill Chimney ruins.

Creates some interesting perspectives...

There are a number of other pleasant spots to camp every km or so as you make your way to the West along the Western Tyers Road towards the Christmas Creek campsite. Our family has spent many pleasant holidays camped along this stretch of river. We have canoed it many times from Palmers to Skinners, even all the way down from Growlers, just below which there is a Grade 4 rapid, so check it out first. I have continued down it as far as Delpretes Rd. It needs a lot of clearing, but would make a wonderful little wilderness river for canoeing all the way to Wirilda, perhaps nearly a week (by water) away.

Upstream from the bridge.

Downstream from the bridge. Note gauge.

A Note on Crays: These guys are not yabbies. As you can see they are as big as lobsters, and just as delicious! They are easily caught especially if you have some string and bait. Some spoiled meat or fish-heads perhaps. I would usually put out a number of baits along the river in likely spots (near logs, bank overhangs, deep holes, etc) tied to @ 2 metres of string (I find the coloured builder’s line easiest to spot). As you come back to check them you will notice you ‘have’ a cray if the string is taut. Slowly pull it towards you, being sure not to jerk it and frighten HIM off. (Lady crays with babies are always out of season). A trout landing net is handy for scooping him up, or you can pin him with a forked stick, then step into the river and pick him up behind the claws. Don’t let those claws bite: it is as bad as getting on the wrong side of a ferret! If you don’t have any bait or string you can still pin them with a forked stick. A pair of polarised sunglasses will help you spot them on the river bottom where they are greenish rather than the red which is their cooked colour. When you cook them, you only need to wait until they change colour. A couple of minutes at most. If you haven’t a billy large enough, you might need to kill them by plunging a knife through their brains, then breaking them into cookpot-sized pieces - or throw them on the hot coals for a couple of minutes. They are Della's favourite food!

Typical Mountain Ash and Beech forest.

Much less typical, but strikingly beautiful plantation trees: Norfolks?

http://www.finnsheep.com/THE%20UPPER%20YARRA%20WALKING%20TRACK.htm

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-update-section-one-moe-yallourn-rail-trail/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-update-section-three-wirilda-to-moondarra/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-section-four-moondarra-to-erica/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-summary-cumulative-distancestimes/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-osheas-mill/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-beautiful-world/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-winter-route-caringal-scout-camp-tyers-junction/

01/12/2015: Upper Yarra Track: Winter Route: Caringal Scout Camp: Tyers Junction

You might reach here by walking down the rail trail from Collins Siding (10 km – 2-3 hours), where the cottages are on the main Erica-Moe Rd at the Caringal turnoff. The trail runs along behind the cottage on the West side starting to the North of them. Or, you might came down the East Tyers Walking Track (I will check whether this is still open). We came along Finns Track from O’Shea’s Mill via the South Face Rd, a pretty quiet forest path. All three routes are a similar distance (and time).

See: Tyers Junction Rail Trail: http://www.railtrails.org.au/component/railtrails/?view=trail&id=49&layout=print&tmpl=component

Della, Spot, old railway cutting.

Caringal Webpage: http://www.vicscouts.com.au/caringal.html

There are both powered and unpowered campsites at the Scout camp. I notice other folk camp at the picnic area outside too, or on the roadside across the river. I imagine though a hot shower, proper toilet facilities, undercover cooking, maybe some company etc are worth the $12.

They also have more motel-style accommodation for less intrepid, better-heeled adventurers. Of course there is similar paid lodging elsewhere on the trail, for example: Yallourn North, Erica, Rawson, Walhalla, Mushroom Rocks, Baw Baw, Tanjil Bren, Noojee…

It is a really beautiful spot where the waters of the East and West Tyers meet. The managed gardens meld into the natural forest of mountain ash and antarctic beech wonderfully. Lots of soft mown lawns to pitch your tent on. Crystal clear water (trout and crays) in the pristine streams.

From Caringal you can journey to Western Tyers via Morgans Mill Rd (open forest) or Buckle Spur, cool wet forest tree ferns and mountain ash. It will be no more than a further 2-3 hours. There used to be a walking track along the river which followed the old railway line all the way to Growlers, but it has grown over (we checked).

It was really beautiful. A job of clearing for someone, but maybe not me. It is worth walking along it as far as the old washed out bridge. You might pick it up on the other side (and if you have your machete with you http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-worlds-greatest-machete/ ) journey on to Western Tyers along it. There can be nothing unlawful about helping to keep a designated waling track clear, after all!

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-update-section-one-moe-yallourn-rail-trail/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-update-section-three-wirilda-to-moondarra/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-section-four-moondarra-to-erica/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-summary-cumulative-distancestimes/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-osheas-mill/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-beautiful-world/

01/12/2015: The Most Astonishing Thing to come out of the recent Paris tragedies was that as people were forced to flee suddenly from their beds at 4;00am ‘many were dressed only in their underwear’ as the press had it…Really? The only clothes we have ever had on in bed are or bedclothes. Indeed my footwear has ever formed the majority of my clothes at all times of the day or night. How alien the great mass of humanity is. What? Are people seriously going to bed dressed? Prepared for what bizarre eventuality other than propinquity and sleep? What elese happens in bed? They are having to undress in bed if they just happen to have sex after they have gone to bed? All this is just too much for me!

01/12/2015: It is legal to marry your first cousin, niece or nephew, uncle or aunt – but it should not be. The increased risk of miscarriage (50-100%) and/or of the expression of defective recessive genes (13-18 times) means that the consequences for children are so just so dreadful (and the economic consequences to society of having to support them so great) that we should outlaw this practice. Certainly we should save these children, as we should save aboriginal children (and others) from the vastly greater risk of abuse they suffer. Incest is much more common in some ethnicities than others; where it has been practiced for centuries its ill effects are no doubt more magnified: http://pickeringpost.com/story/the-cost-of-islamic-incest/1316

30/11/2015: Upper Yarra Track: O’Shea’s Mill: Now (also) called East Tyers Campground I see. This is the first major stop after you leave Walhalla (12.5km away), some of them fairly steep. As you can see it is where the Alpine Walking Track crosses the East Tyers River. Campsites, Water, Toilet available. You could have dropped by Rawson on the way here for supplies. It is also where you would turn off for the Winter Route to avoid snow/cold dangers on the Baw Baw Plateau. Several possible routes allow you to walk to Caringal (Tyers Junction) or Western Tyers. We chose Finns Track today, a very pleasant quiet bush track on a good grade through mostly peppermint gums. I have not yet checked out the East Tyers Walking Track. The Caringal caretaker ‘thought’ it was open still, but he was less well-informed about the Western Tyers Walking Track (which we found is NOT). It would descend along the river through beautiful fern gullies and mountain ash. It certainly exists at Caringal, but whether it still goes all the way to Monettes is not yet known. At Caringal Scout Camp there is camping for $12/night (with hot showers! And some other facilities eg Mess Hut, toilets, phone etc). It is a very beautiful spot amid giant mountain ash where the two branches of the Tyers River join.

O'Shea's Mill Camp Site.

Even a picnic table in a sunny clearing.

Lots of grassy flat spots to pitch a tent.

Mountain Ash grow quickly. This one easily 2-2.5 metres diameter at the base is likely younger than me!

Pristine water from the East Tyers River.

Or a waterfall.

30/11/2015: White ribbons demonise men; ‘The May 2015 research report details homicides from 2002 to 2012. In that ten-year period, 186 people killed one or more of their children. Ninety-six, or 52%, were women; 90, or 48%, were men. And of the 654 homicide victims categorised as “intimate partners”, 166 or 25% were men.’ https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2015/11/blindfolded-white-ribbon/

30/11/2015: A Beautiful World: We did a little afternoon excursion today to check on the existence of some old walking tracks around Erica. The first pic is of Steve Jones with Spot where the walking track disappears at Tyers Junction near the Caringal Scout Camp. It seems to be one of the 'roads less traveled' judging by the overgrowth of blackberries and abundance of fallen timber. I am sure that not too many feet have trodden that path since we walked along it a couple of years ago. This is notwithstanding the numerous scouts in the camp ground who obviously do other things than 'scout', it seems! The second pic is a quick shot as we drove home through Moe. If sunsets are beautiful, then the cooling tower of Yallourn Power Station in the sun's afterglow is nothing less than splendid! Lots to love less than an hour from home!

29/11/2015: Jurassic Update: The Culprit: Caught in the act! You would think this blue tongue lizard would have a red tongue the number of strawberries he has eaten. He is trying to hurriedly make off, but in his haste he has tangled himself temporarily in the netting. He knows the way around it though. I just weeded that bed this morning. There were a few beauties I was drooling to devour myself tomorrow, but this little fella seems able to consume his own weight in srawbs daily. What to do? As you can see, the bed is netted against birds, but this bloke has an awesome network of tunnels extending more than twenty feet from the strawberry bed to the compost bins to a further system of tunnels underneath the greenhouse and old dairy nearby…Spot barks at him but he has been forbidden to bite him as anti-snake training; besides he might bite back. He can put on a fairly impressive open-mouth display. I am beginning to regret my many acts of kindness towards blue tongues over the years: rescuing them from roadways, removing ticks from their ears, etc. I could plant more strawberries but this little guy is no doubt working on planting more blue tongue lizards!

29/11/2015: Damn you Gaia; you are a bitch: ‘And guess what, beautiful planet – you’re not that beautiful. A couple of mountain ranges, a Grand Canyon and maybe a few waterfalls ... but the rest of you is plain Jane or unattractive. I’d give you a six or six and a half, so get over yourself’: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/commentisfree/2015/nov/24/our-evil-planet-kills-countless-humans-every-year-why-bother-to-save-it

29/11/2015: In England The Sun’s headline on Monday read ‘1 in 5 Brit Muslims’ sympathy for militants’, (the results of a poll they conducted). Various Moslem Lord Haw Haws and Leftist fellow travelers are attempting to spin this, arguing folks may have misunderstood the question (Do you sympathise with young Muslims who leave the UK to join fighters in Syria?) Balderdash! We need to deal with this millennial threat right now! All Australians need to be required to take an ‘oath of allegiance’ stating that they give their primary fealty to Australia above all other nations/creeds. If they will not, they can/should be immediately deported – at least lose their citizenship. If they later break their oath, the same penalty ought to apply. We need to rid ourselves of treasonous scum post haste!

28/11/2015: Anguish: Spotted at the National Gallery last week: What a moving painting: August Friedrich Albrecht Schenck: ‘Anguish’. As a ‘sheephusband’ for over thirty years, how many times have I seen this? Sheep have a (measured) IQ of over 60 - more than many folks who are allowed to vote (for the Greens/Labor, I suspect)) – and crows too, I have no doubt are pretty smart. They have been recorded making TOOLS, for example. Yet we eat the former, and shoot the latter…The day they acquire guns will be our last!

28/11/2015: Murry Salby, prominent climate scientist, sacked because he doubts AGW: ‘In Salby’s view, the evidence actually suggests that the causality underlying AGW should be reversed. Rather than increased levels of CO2 in the atmosphere triggering global temperatures to rise, rising global temperatures come first—and account for the great majority of changes in net emissions of CO2, with changes in soil-moisture conditions explaining most of the rest.’ The upshot is (of course) that we can expect very little (if any) warming from further increases in anthropogenic CO2. Read : http://joannenova.com.au/2014/08/its-an-unsettling-climate-for-skeptical-scientists-like-murry-salby/ & watch: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/04/13/new-video-dr-murry-salby-control-of-atmospheric-co2/

28/11/2015: The Stranger, Rudyard Kipling (1912)

The Stranger within my gate,
He may be true or kind,
But he does not talk my talk—
I cannot feel his mind.
I see the face and the eyes and the mouth,
But not the soul behind.

The men of my own stock,
They may do ill or well,
But they tell the lies I am wonted to,
They are used to the lies I tell;
And we do not need interpreters
When we go to buy or sell.

The Stranger within my gates,
He may be evil or good,
But I cannot tell what powers control—
What reasons sway his mood;
Nor when the Gods of his far-off land
Shall repossess his blood.

The men of my own stock,
Bitter bad they may be,
But, at least, they hear the things I hear,
And see the things I see;
And whatever I think of them and their likes
They think of the likes of me.

This was my father's belief
And this is also mine:
Let the corn be all one sheaf—
And the grapes be all one vine,
Ere our children's teeth are set on edge
By bitter bread and wine.

27/11/2015: It IS that time of year again (and of course we have another enormous delusional self-seeking power hungry talk feste in Paris), but since the Vic Govt spent over $100 million on LAWYERS having a Royal Commission into the blindingly obvious (the THIRD such!), there has been almost zero fuel reduction burning (just like before) as the greens and other crazy luvvies are agin them. That same money spent on track repairs (instead of closures), fire breaks and fuel reduction burns would have SAVED our forests and all the critters which inhabit them in a way that misguided National Parks NEVER will. Oh No, it could not be excess fuel which leads to destructive bushfires; it has to be global warming – such as caused the terrible fires in the 1850s and so on. Roger Underwood has an excellent article here: https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/doomed-planet/2015/11/bushfires-global-warming/

27/11/2015: The Buggy Shed: An icon of our farm since 1924 has finally died. Strangely it did not happen in one of those big winds we have had. It just slowly grew older and tireder, settling ever closer to the ground, giving up its many years of faithful service with barely a sigh! We will replace it with a new vehicle shed (with a hoist for working on cars!) I wonder will IT last 91 years? I doubt I will be around to see!

27/11/2015: ‘Life will find a way’…we have a blue tongue lizard (@30 cm) living in one of our compost bins (he has lots of tunnels) who lives on the strawberries in our vegie garden, it seems. At least something other than us is eating them - and we have not yet caught the mystery thief. They are netted. Who says the dinosaurs are extinct?

24/11/2015: goTenna: 52 grams which keeps you in touch with other members of your party by texting with your phone, eg if they become separated. Works up to 6 kilometres even when there is no phone service. I think this would be a good option for Della and me when hiking just in case. We carry whistles, but whilst Della can here mine, I can't hear hers. It is much lighter also than carrying 2-way radios and messages are less garbled by text (when you are deaf like me)! Many have an epirb or satellite phone for emergencies, but this lightweight device would be useful if you just become separated where it is not an emergency. It would also be great for contacting each other (eg to save money, or if your are in a foreign city where you might not have a plan). Hunters (and others) might also find the device useful because it doesn't make any noise. Two for US$199: http://www.gotenna.com/index

23/11/2015: Upper Yarra Track: Section Four: Moondarra to Erica: 20 km - 5.5 hours

Lake Moondarra

When you come to the end of the walking track, our walk continues on East along the W18 through beautiful serene forest. The first suitable campsite, a really beautiful spot with water is when the trail crosses Jacob’s Creek on the Old Traralgon ‘Road’.

It is about 11 km and 3 hours easy walking away. Follow the W 18 East 1.5 kms. You will see an old (closed) bush track exiting North. This loops back onto the W18 about 1km further along. It can be taken to provide scenic views of the dam, and a quieter walk (though the W18 track is never busy). It adds about 1.5 km to the trip. You could possibly camp along it and scramble down to the lake for water, but it is a fair way.

Gardens at Lake Moondarra.

Otherwise you walk along the W18 for approx 3.5 km to just before the tar road (1-200 metres). You will see a motorcycle track join the W18 from the South and exit it to the North where it has more the appearance of a dirt road. This motorcycle track parallels the main road (about 100 metres inside the bush) all the way to the Old Traralgon Road and should be taken for a shorter, quieter walk. There are a number of spots where it crosses dirt tracks running roughly East-West.

If you are short of water you can take one of these and go out on to the main road (also not busy) as there are fire dams along it (at least ten of them!) every .5 km or so; the last being just after your turn-off at ‘Conference Corner’, where you would turn to go to Cowwarr Weir and Brunton’s Bridge if you were heading that way. Each of these dams is set back 20-30 metres from the main road and surrounded by a grassy flat. I imagine you could find somewhere along here to camp if you needed to.

It is approximately 5 km to the W2 Track or ‘Old Traralgon Road’ which runs to the West. Following the W2 2.5 km to the West you will come to the delightful campsite at Jacob’s Creek amid majestic gums where you may catch a trout or a cray during you stay.

Jacob’s Creek to Erica: 9 km (2.5 hours) No water until you get to Erica.

Jacob's Creek.

Leaving this camp continue West on the Old Traralgon Road 1.5 km until you come to the Old Coach Rd then turn North. Follow it 1.5 km until you come to Bluff (or Jacob’s Creek Rd) and turn West. If you are thirsty you can walk east on Bluff Rd about 200 metres for a drink to where it crosses Jacob’s Creek. A further 2 km West brings you out on to the main Moe-Erica Rd. You can walk along the power line track (North) just before it. The gravel road (an old railway easement) which parallels the main Rd criss-crosses it, (eg at Collins Siding - where the houses are at the Carringal or Tyers Junction turn-off (1.5 km) It is about 2.5 km from this turnoff in to Erica.

Jacob’s Creek Rd

As you come in to Erica there is a Hotel (which serves excellent meals) on the West side of the street and a Caravan Park/ camp ground opposite on the East side, just behind the recreation grounds (public toilets, water). The General Store is about .5 km further North up the street. The Erica-Walhalla Rail Trail begins at the end of the laneway (.5 km) on the North side of the caravan park. It is well signposted and marked. You can easily follow it all the way in to Walhalla (approx 12 km – 4 hours). You could drive a vehicle along it, but you may not.

Remnants of the old railway line in Erica.

The Erica Walhalla Rail Trail Begins: Only `12 km to go!

The Vicmaps for this section are Moe North T8121-1-N and Walhalla South T8122-2-S

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-update-section-one-moe-yallourn-rail-trail/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-update-section-two-yallourn-north-to-wirilda-park/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-update-section-three-wirilda-to-moondarra/

23/11/2015: Upper Yarra Track: Cumulative distances/Times:

NB: These are ‘retiree’ walking speeds. The distances are approximate. You may do the trip much faster, but what’s the hurry? Moe-Walhalla will take 2-4 days. If you are young and fit you should be able to ride it on a mountain bike in about a day (approx 70km).

Moe – Yallourn North: 10 km – 2.5 hours

Yallourn North-Wirilda: 15 km 3.5-4 hours ( 25 km -5 hours)

Wirilda – W3: 7 km 2.5 hours (32 km - 7.5 hours)

W3 – Moondarra – 7 km 3 hours (39 km - 10 hours)

Moondarra – Jacob’s Creek: 11 km - 3 hours (50 km - 13 hours)

Jacob’s creek – Erica: 9 km – 2.5 hours (59 km - 15.5 hours)

Erica – Thomson Station 8 km – 2 hours (67 km - 17.5 hours)

Thomson Station – Walhalla: 4 km – 1 hour (71 km - 18.5 hours)

Walhalla – Poverty Point: 7-8 km – 2-3 hours (79 km - 21 hours)

Poverty Point – O’Shea’s Mill: 6 km – 2-3 hours (85 km - 24 hours)

O’Shea’s Mill to Mushroom Rocks Car Park: 6-7 km- 2-3 hours (92 km - 27 hours) Walhalla South Map

Mushroom Rocks Car Park to Talbot Peak: 3 km – 1.5-2 hours (95 km - 29 hours) Walhalla South to Walhalla North map

Talbot Peak – Talhousie Glen (Below Mt St Gwinear Track Junction): 7 km- 2-3 hours (102 km - 32 hours)

Talhousie Glen - Whitelaw’s Hut Site: 9 km- 3-4 hours (111 km - 36 hours)

Whitelaw’s Hut – Frangipani Saddle: 7 km - 2 hours (118 km - 38 hours) Add .5 hours to water

Frangipani saddle - Newlands Rd camp: 7 km – 2 hours (125 km - 40 hours)

Newlands Rd Camp to Toorongo (Link Junction - Water): 9 km – 2-3 hours (134 km - 43 hours)

Toorongo (Link Junction) – Hill 956 (Falls): 7 km – 2 hours (141 km - 45 hours)

(Falls Return: 4 km – 4 hours)

Hill 956 – Fire Suppression Stream (3 x Water) : 3 km - 1 hour (144 km - 46 hours)

(Fire Suppression Stream to Noojee @ 24 km – 6-8 hours = 54 hours =toMoe/30.5 =to Warburton)

Suppression Stream - Mt Horsefall: 6 km - 2 hours (150 km - 48 hours)

(Mt Horesfall- Penny falls (Water) 1 km - .5 hour each way)

Mt Horsefall - Davis No 2 Mill Site (Water): 4.5 – 1.5 hours ( 154.5 km - 49.5 hours)

Davis No 2 Mill Site - 7.5 North Loch Rd – 2 hours (162 km - 51.5 hours) (+1 km each way to Water)

North Loch Rd – Fire Dam (1 Km North of Track 14 near Hill 697) 9.5 km – 2.5 – 3 hours (171.5 km - 54.5 hours)

Fire dam –Mc Carthy Spur Track 8 km – 2 hours (179.5 km - 56.5 hours)

McCarthy Spur - Lashos Corner (Water.5 km South) : 6 km - 2 hours (185.5 km - 58.5 hours)

Lashos Corner - Ada Tree: 5 km -1.5 hours (193.5 km - 60 hours)

Ada Tree – Starlings Gap: 8 km – 3 hours (201.5 km - 63 hours)

Starlings Gap to Big Pats Picnic Area: 9 km – 3.5 hours (210.5 km - 66.5 hours)

Big Pats Picnic Area – Warburton: 6-7 km – 2 hours (217.5 km - 68.5 hours)

Warburton – Lilydale 40 km – 10 hours (247.5 km 2 80 hours) See: http://www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Lists/Parks-Facilities/Lilydale-to-Warburton-Rail-Trail

23/11/2015: Upper Yarra Track Update: Section Three: Wirilda to Moondarra

(@15 km – 6 hours) The track follows the true right bank (ie facing downstream) of the Tyers river until it crosses on an old pipeline. There are numerous spots where you could stop for a picnic, overnight or for a fish.

There are many beautiful wildflowers.

I usually don't like dogwood, but it has its beauties...

The impressive cliffs below Peterson’s lookout are a feature. Birdlife, wildlife and wild flowers abound. There are a number of side tracks which can be explored. Keep your eye out for signs of the old pipelines one of which was made of wood!

Old wooden water supply pipe.

Parks Victoria reckon this section to be 18 km and to take 5-7 hours (see brochure) http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/315766/Park-note-Tyers-Park.pdf

Giant Tor along the way: wouldn't have want to be around when the Titans were playing marbles with these guys!

Pipeline crossing just South of w3 track.

Park notes: ‘The open forests are dominated by Yertchuk and Silvertop, with an understorey of wattles, tea trees, sedges and grasses. Along the ridges, an open forest of Silvertop and an understorey of Variable Sallow Wattle, Prickly Tea-tree, Bushy Needlewood and Common Heath flourish. Red Box and Apple Box thrive on the steep rocky slopes neighbouring Tyers Gorge. The park hosts over 30 species of orchid and a number of rare plants. Colourful wildflowers in spring feature Correas, Bush peas, Guineaflowers and wattles. Birdlife is found in abundance including Superb Lyrebirds, Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters, Rose Robins, Thornbills, Boobook Owls and Peregrine Falcons. Gippsland Water Dragons can often be seen basking in the sun on rocks along the Tyers River. The park is also home to the Common Wombat, Swamp Wallaby, Common Ringtail Possum, Sugar Glider, Short-beaked Echidna and Brown Antechinus.’

Figure 1Old lime kilns on W3 track.

Frequent glimpses of the river.

Rock face just right for climbing.

It is approximately 2- 2.5 hours to two splendid camps on the W3 track. The first may need you to carry water 15 minutes from the pipeline crossing point (sometimes just under water) just below the W3. At the second camp where the old limestone kilns and some ancient apple trees can still be seen, water can easily be obtained from the river (100 metres). The cliff face opposite the kilns is popular for rock climbing practice. Don’t! An alternative more private camp can be found earlier by turning towards and passing through the locked gate when you hit the W3 track, approx a further 1km along past it. Water is available from the river. There are many miles of locked roads in the Tyers State Park which you can walk along. This one will take you across a bridge over the Tyers, past Connan Scout camp (water) and link up again with the W12 track.

It is a lovely little river.

So many pretty stretches.

The track descends from the W3 to Whites creek (water) then contours through fern groves until it meets a 4WD track which joins the W12. You follow the W12 downhill to the river. There is a camp 45 minutes along the track from the W3 just off the W12 track .5 km South of the bridge Just before you get to it you may notice another old picturesque water supply weir in the river. From the W12 track it is approx 2 hours to the W18 track (Moondarra).

The river is canoeable, but some places you can get stuck.

The river is canoeable for a very long way…You can probably start at Christmas Creek on the Western Tyers (certainly just below Growler’s Track - I have) and canoe all the way to Wirilda. Many days. Unfortunately there are many logs and other obstacles you will have to contend with. If these were cleared it would be a wonderful trip. Clearly you can put in at the W3 track (4-5 hours paddling) or the W12 track (better to take two days) exiting at Wirilda. The river is suitable for packrafting due to the many walking/cycling tracks which give access.

A diverse range of different trees.

Camping on the many sandbars is an option.

The trout were rising here: fresh fish for supper!

After you leave the W12 the track crosses a minor stream (water) then zig zags upwards away from the river until it meets a 4WD track (the W18.2) which it follows for about a km, then it descends fairly steeply to the river once more. The track follows the river for the last kilometre or so and is mostly only 10-20 metres from it. You can be looking out for a spot along here to put up a small tent (even in the middle of the track would be fine); lots of spots. You can camp just before the Moondarra end of the track., just before the spillway viewing area (keep an eye out for it) , or near the bridge over the small stream about 200 metres from the W18 Track. The next good camp with water is about 3 hours further on…

Spillway from viewing area approx 300 metres from the end of this section.

View downstream from spillway.

When you come out onto the W18 track (which crosses the dam wall .5 km to your West – great views of the lake) you can also walk up to the gardens and recreation grounds a further 1 km beyond the dam viewing area where there is water and toilets and lot of mown grassy flats, as there is below the dam wall as well.

Moondarra end of the track within site of the railing of the bridge across the spillway.

This lovely stream: Last chance to camp.

The Vic map for this section is Moe North: T8121-1-N

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-update-section-one-moe-yallourn-rail-trail/

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-update-section-two-yallourn-north-to-wirilda-park/

23/11/2015: Upper Yarra Track Update: Section Two: Yallourn North to Wirilda Park

(@15 km – 3.5-4 hours)

Latrobe River flats; Yallourn Power Station beyond.

Yallourn North nestled in its hills.

Latrobe Valley Bus Lines run regularly to Yallourn North and Tyers townships: http://ptv.vic.gov.au/route/view/8366 This can save you nearly a day’s walk if you are pressed for time. Enquire if the bus will stop at Wirilda Park.

Murray Rd

This section is easy going along quiet country lanes with lovely vistas and ample shady spots if you need a roadside rest to enjoy the view. You look out Southwards over the verdant Latrobe Valley towards the beautiful Strzelecki Ranges, a tongue of forest which extends all the way down to Wilsons Promontory.

Looking Back at Yallourn Power Station

Australian Paper refinery Maryvale; Strzelecki Ranges Beyond.

(There are also many great walks at Wilsons Prom http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/wilsons-promontory-national-park/things-to-do/southern-prom-overnight-hikes and just across the valley is the Grand Strzelecki Track with over 100 kms of trails: http://www.tourismwellington.com.au/balook-tarra-bulga/attractions/item/grand-strzelecki-walking-track .)

Loy Yang Power station, Strzelecki Ranges Beyond

Once you leave the licenced Foodworks Supermarket, walk up the hill to your West (3/4km) and turn North down Baillie Street. Follow Baillie Street ¾ km till it joins Murray Rd. Turn East. Murray Rd become Saviges Rd.

Anderson Creek.

¾ km along Murray Rd you cross the very pretty Anderson Creek which is your last water for the next 12.5 km (3 hours) except for numerous beautiful dams in farmer’s paddocks (beware bulls if you need to jump a fence on a hot day!)

When you reach Saviges Rd’s intersection with Quarry Rd after 2.5 km, turn North and follow it (1.5 km) to Manuels Rd where you head East.

Follow Manuels Rd (ignoring three turns to the North) to Barbour Rd (2.5 km) which (after 3.5 km) becomes Clarkes Rd. Follow this 1.75 km until you see the turn North to Wirilda Park just before you get to the Tyers River.

From there it is about ¾ km to lovely shady flat campsites along the river near the weir (great swimming hole in hot weather). Toilets, seats and water available. The Wirilda Track begins here and is clearly signposted next to the Morwell Pumping Station building.

Above & Below: Wirilda park - a lovely spot to camp.

You may happen to stay a few days at Wirilda: there are innumerable bush tracks and swimming holes to explore. The river abounds with trout, blackfish, spinyback crays (and unfortunately European carp) so a fishing licence is recommended.

Above & Below: Tyers River at Wirilda.

It is 4.5 km walk East in to the township of Tyers along the main tar road (Brown Coalmine Rd on the map - follow the river downstream 3/4 km till you reach it). Tyers has toilets, water, a licenced general store with hot food and yummy cakes! You can replenish your supplies here. It is approx 1 ½ - 2 days to Erica where you can again purchase food, liquor etc in the main street. After Erica supplies (and liquor) can be bought at Rawson and Walhalla. The Rawson General Store is in the shopping centre in the main street. The hotel however is in the caravan park. All the shops in Walhalla are in the main street. The Coopers Creek Hotel closed unfortunately in 2007. It was a great ‘watering hole’ between Erica and Walhalla on a hot day!

Weir at Wirilda - a great swimming hole.

http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-update-section-one-moe-yallourn-rail-trail/

23/11/2015: Tony Abbott is clearly positioning himself to lead the conservative forces in Australia. He is already the leader of the conservative majority in the federal parliament (including the Nationals and members of the cross-bench), NOT Malcolm Turnbull who is increasingly showing himself to be a duplicitous quisling. There is already an enormous wellspring of support forming for such groups as the: Liberty Alliance, One Nation, etc – anyone who understand that the fundamental DANGER facing civilisation is ISLAM. Tony weakened himself enormously as PM by attempting to pander to leftists (a group he could never win) instead of articulating the conservative, libertarian and free market philosophy, not with slogans, but with great speeches such as Menzies’. I believe he will have a second chance. Turnbull’s response to the Paris massacre and his treachery to the Syrian Christian refugees cries that out! Get ready to back him with everything you have got. In these times it is doubtful in the extreme anyone else can SAVE OUR COUNTRY!

23/11/2015: Greg Sheridan in The Australian: ‘Have we become too morally and culturally weak to resist even the claims of Islamic fascists? Can a civilisation really sustain itself on the basis of an ideology of self-realisation and entitlement liberalism? If so, it will be the first time in history. Not only that, even if the model was internally sustainable, can it really produce a society vigorous enough to defend itself against these multiplying security challenges…Every soldier, every police officer, is ultimately prepared to sacrifice their life for an idea, a set of principles, a set of values, that they believe transcends their own experience and even their own mortality. Western society is moving ever further away from the idea that anything beyond the individual can demand such sacrifice. The internal liberalism has never been more oppressive, while the ability to stand seriously against enemies is very much in question. Straws in the wind even in Australia demonstrate grotesque elements to our civilisation. The Catholic Archbishop of Hobart is to be hauled before a thought police tribunal for the crime of propounding traditional Catholic sexual morality. Meanwhile, we rejoice in televised cage fights between women, which even our parents, much less our grandparents, would have regarded as the essence of barbarism. At the same time demonstrators can march through the streets calling death to Israel, or even denouncing the evil of the Jews, without attracting legal penalty. If a society has lost strong beliefs, can it really excite the transcendent loyalty of its own citizens, or of people who join it through migration?’

22/11/2015: Save Our Own Side: Turnbull is turning his back on the plight of Christians (and Jews) who are being systematically persecuted or annihilated in the Middle East. They are even refugees from the Moslem/terrorist dominated UN refugee camps! They really have nowhere to go, and will be destroyed. NONE of the 12,000 Syrians (or other refugees) can be Moslems until all our own people are SAFE. This IS the Fifth Crusade. The Moslem terrorists tell us that DAILY, describing our security forces and armies as ‘Crusader Armies’ in all their propaganda. If they can understand whose side is whose, why can’t we: http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/turnbull_must_promise_those_12000_refugees_from_syria_and_iraq_will_be_chri/

21/11/2015: He Hiked With a Falafel in His Hand: I already mentioned cooking falafel in the leftover fat from Chinese Sausages http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-food-protein/ (the first for dinner, the second for breakfast), but you can carry a pack of falafel mix and approx 60 ml of eg olive oil in a small plastic bottle. A fry up will make about a dozen falafels from a 200 mg packet. . You could form the balls and place them on a tissue so that you would have your billy free to put them in as they came off the pan – or you could just place them in your mouth. You can manage to cook them with only your hiking spoon. You have to add 200ml of water to the dry mix at the start and leave it to stand for ten minutes. I have found you can just eat the prepared mix cold and uncooked too, but it is better cooked. The 200 grams of falafel mix is 1580 kj and the 60 ml of oil about 300 kj, making1880 kj or over 450 calories – quite an acceptable meal for a carry weight of 260 grams – and for an interesting change.

Pictured Brasslite Turbo 1D Stove (47 grams) http://brasslite.com/ , Toaks Titanium 1100 ml pot lid – (156 grams pot+lid) https://www.traildesigns.com/

PS: For more like posts try a search (top right corner) for eg ‘stove’ as above, ‘alcohol’ ‘food’, etc…

21/11/2015: Holy Cow: Big Brother is now listening to You: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/11/beware-of-ads-that-use-inaudible-sound-to-link-your-phone-tv-tablet-and-pc/?

21/11/2015: Climate refugees: BBC http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34674374: ‘But there hasn’t been a dramatic exodus just yet. The New Zealand immigration department sets aside 75 places a year in a lottery for migrants from Kiribati, and at the moment it can’t fill them.’ This may be because Pacific island are RISING, rather than sinking: http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/media_failing_shortens_climate_test/

20/11/2015:

Ultralight Personal Hygiene: Some of these issues are a bit of a ‘No No’, but someone needs to bring them up. Personally I am particularly disgusted by folks who scatter personal hygiene products (and worse!) around in the bush. Please: bury, burn or carry out!

BATHING: Another Sea to Summit product: an ultrasil camp shower which weighs about 120 grams (without its silly stuff sack), and gives a lovely shower with two billies of boiling water plus two of cold – obviously add the cold FIRST! http://www.seatosummit.com.au/products/leave-no-trace/pocket-shower/ Della usually favours a sponge bath from the billy – a strategy which weighs nearly nothing – and gives a quite satisfactory result. Of course a quick dip in an icy stream whilst very bracing will still get you quite adequately clean. Weight: 0 gram! For a neat way to hang your shower see this: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/bush-shower-mechanical-advantage/ this would also work well if you are hanging heavy game overnight & etc. We find these lightload towels great for drying off, as washable handkerchiefs, as sweat bands, etc: http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/towel.shtml Most hiking towels do not dry and cannot be squeezed out except the ones which feel a little like cardboard when dry.

TOILET rolls should be BANNED. I wonder really that our emerald agitators have not hit on this particular remedy for the woes of our troubled forests. Why, when we are hiking we manage to get by with (at most) 2-3 Kleenex tissues a day (Fold & fold & fold), which saves a lot on pack weight – and the handy purse-sized dispensers prevent the tissues from becoming saturated and unusable in the rain (which would happen to a toilet roll). But, think of the vast forests to be saved if everyone was FORCED to do this EVERY day. Why, we should never resile from the ability to use force on the citizenry – to make them better, of course!

I always carry a sachet of Kleenex anti-bacterial wipes too, though I have now reprised their weight http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dettol-hand-sanitising-wipes/ Just one of these will give a satisfactory APC (armpits & crutch) clean-up, eg after you have been to the toilet or at the end of the trail day (if you aren’t going to bathe). Cleanliness in such areas may prevent some nasty (eg fungal) infections which will seriously slow you down.

CHAFING: Prevent chafing by applying some moisturizer to the area each day before the day’s hike. Likewise, heel balm all over the feet as an aid to preventing blisters or feet drying out and cracking. You can use a variety of strategies to prepare your feet in the couple of weeks leading up to a hike. Special attention to getting those toenails really short, & softening up the skin. Some recommend hardening the feet for a couple of weeks with alcohol. I have not tried this – seems like the wrong end to be putting the alcohol!

I can usually manage to dig a hole with the heel of my boot, but this tool may be useful if the ground is hard (or for collecting fishing bait, etc): Ultralight titanium ‘potty’ trowels (15 grams): http://www.suluk46.com/products%20%20-%20P11%20Titanium%20Trowel.html or http://gossamergear.com/deuce-of-spades.html at 17 grams. If you ever need to dig for water one of these might be a lifesaver. A sturdy metal tool would be preferable to a plastic pone which would not stand up to heavy use at need.

Microdripper bottles: http://gossamergear.com/mini-dropper-bottles.html These can be useful for storing small quantities (eg of wilderness wash, iodine, deodorant, insect repellent, etc – TIP: if you take the ‘roller’ off a roll-on, you will find it is a liquid which can be decanted into one of these). Drinking straws http://www.theultralighthiker.com/single-use-antibiotic-packs/ can also be made into useful containers.

For protection from insects and treatment of their bites, see: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/insects-can-ruin-a-camping-trip/ Leeches can be a problem too. Their bites can also be treated effectively with the antihistamine cream. For prevention of leech bites, make sure you tuck your trousers into your socks and your shirt into your trousers and wear long sleeves shirts in leech country. And keep an eye out for them. Some salt or a lighted cigarette will make them drop off. Spraying a surface spray such as Baygon is good for keeping them ‘at bay’ too. You might want to think about this for your whole tent footprint in heavily infested areas. Unlike ticks which usually brush off trees, leeches usually climb up from the ground, but can brush onto you in fern gullies, etc. A smaller quantity of surface spray for this purpose could be decanted into a small plastic atomiser bottle such as is used for perfume etc to save weight.

20/11/2015: Doug Keenan is putting his money where his mouth is. He is convinced enough that there is no trend in temperature records to offer $100,000 of his own money to anyone who can prove there is. What? You thought ‘the science was setteled’. Think again: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/11/18/spot-the-trend-10000-usd-prizes-to-show-climate-temperature-data-is-not-random/

20/11/2015: September 11 1683, ‘The Day of the Siege’. A 2012 film about the day the Poles under Jan Sobieski destroyed the Ottomans before the walls of Vienna and saved Europe from Moslem invasion. Maybe this gives you a hint as to the timing of the attack on the Twin Towers? Poland in its recent election has once more taken the lead in repudiating Moslem immigration. Australia, indeed all the tatters that remain of the free world needs to follow suit! Full movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lADliGAHVMQ

19/11/2015: The Baw Baw Frog: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-18/endangered-baw-baw-frog-to-be-celebrated-on-november-18/6951016?section=vic

19/11/2015: We should feel sorry for these people? MSNBC’s Chris Matthews ended his show Tuesday night with two numbers — the number of Syrians the U.S. has recruited to help fight against the Islamic State and the number of total Syrian refugees. “Let me finish tonight with two numbers that don’t make sense,” Matthews said on his show before starkly contrasting the number of Syrian refugees — 4 million — and the number of Syrians recruited by the U.S. to fight the Islamic State — four. “Is there just one in a million Syrians willing to fight for Syria? Is that the deal? Is it?” Matthews asked. “Would just one in a million Americans be willing to fight for our country?” implying that the Islamic State could be taking Syria “from people who would rather leave for the West.” http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/11/18/chris-matthews-briefly-breaks-with-left-highlights-two-numbers-on-syrian-refugee-crisis-that-dont-make-sense/ This is the main problem with taking people in from ‘failed states’: from failed states you get failed people.

19/11/2015: Desalination: As if it wasn’t bad enough to waste billions on a reverse osmosis desalination plant (when weirs on Vic rivers or pipelines from existing dams in Tas could have been added at a fraction of the cost), even when it was being built it was old technology having been superseded by forward osmosis…now along comes this: Shockwave Desalination: http://news.mit.edu/2015/shockwave-process-desalination-water-1112

19/11/2015: Dual sim adapter for mobile phones http://www.magic-sim.com/ You can have a separate dedicated data account to your call account, or services with two different carriers for approx $37. Or have two sims active at the same time with this $84 device: http://www.magic-sim.com/product/id/44/GoodTalk_DUAL_SIM_DEVICE_-_2_SIMS_ACTIVE_AT_THE_SAME_TIME!.html Add one of these to this: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/cheapest-mobile-phone-service/

19/11/2015: Everyone is posting pics of sunsets, already. It's the decline of the West! Don't these folks ever go anywhere, do anything? Try the Upper Yarra Track folks: http://www.finnsheep.com/THE%20UPPER%20YARRA%20WALKING%20TRACK.htm

18/11/2015: Upper Yarra Track Update:

The trail begins...

Section One: Moe-Yallourn Rail Trail:

This lovely @ 8km (2 hour) trail starts @ 200 metres East of Moe Railway Station (just past the two railway bridges you can see from the station) at the corner of Narracan Drive & Bennett St.

Wiltshire Horn ewes and lambs no more than 200 metres from Moe Railway Station.

Within 100 metres you are in another world. On the right are the beautiful Moe Botanic Gardens; on the left a small paddock full of sheep – which is extraordinary.

Moe is a large country town (pop 15,000) a little over 1 hour by train with services approx hourly. You will be able to see a large Woolworths Supermarket on your left as you come up to the railway bridges. The shopping centre has at least one other supermarket and many other shops. The Botanic Gardens nestled along pretty Narracan Creek are worthy of a little exploration before you head off towards Walhalla. Then, on to the rail trail.

Being an old railway line it is obviously dead flat all the way to the Yallourn Power Station on the beautiful Latrobe River. So very easy, pleasant walking. Two retirees can (& did) easily make it to Yallourn North in 2 ½ hours.

Obviously there are toilets and water at the Railway Station before you set out, again in Sullivans Rd halfway to Yallourn PS (signposted), then at the picnic area behind it (signposted on the Yallourn North Rd Bridge crossing), and finally in the main street of Yallourn North.

The sights are varied. Surprisingly for almost the entire length of the walk to the power station you are enclosed in a curtain of native vegetation (of varying width) with abundant wildlife (birdlife especially). There are always some beautiful wildflowers in bloom.

Wattle Bird

Currawong

The concrete foundations of the old railway telegraph poles make excellent seats every 50 metres or so. Just great for a picnic lunch – perhaps a sandwich and a glass of wine bought back before leaving Moe. Here and there park benches are thoughtfully provided as well. The track has distance markers (which can be used as references for making emergency calls). Telstra NextG works fine the full length of this section.

In places the trail is fringed with forest.

Often there are glimpses of distant paddocks or beautiful Lake Narracan.

I see no reason you could not camp along the sides of the track (there are little flat spots here and there a tent could be erected), or along the banks of the Latrobe or in Sir John Monash Reserve. You would have to carry any water needed to them.

After Petits Lane (above) there is the opportunity to divert to the left and walk along the banks of the Latrobe River to Sir John Monash Reserve opposite the awesomely beautiful cooling towers.

The cooling towers are great works of art.

The diversion is worth it, what you are seeing is the lower reaches of Lake Narracan sometimes glimpsed earlier through the trees to the North, but it is also worth backtracking along the ‘proper’ route when you get there a bit and viewing the wonderful towers through the frame of the underneath of the Yallourn North Road Bridge.

Sir John Monash Reserve

From the ancient pines of Sir John Monash Reserve you can continue along 3-400 metres of riverbank track to the Latrobe River bridge. Thence it is an easy 2 km on grassy verges till you come into the township of Yalourn North (Reserve Rd on your left). The town has a café (pm), a small Foodworks supermarket (open every day from @8-9am till 7pm) visible at the end of the street, and a hotel with counter meals about 100 metres up the hill past the supermarket.

Next stop: Wirilda Wildlife Park at the delightful Tyers River Weir…

Announcing The Upper Yarra Cycling Track: Watch this space. As I noticed you could cycle the Moe-Yallourn Rail Trail, the idea also occurred to me that I could complement the Upper Yarra Walking Track with a cycling route which would share much of its route - except perhaps the Wirilda Track and the path along the Baw Baw Plateau and along the Ada and Little Ada valleys. I will give this some more thought, and will indicate it on the maps I will prepare shortly (I promise!) It will be able to share the same camping sites and water points, for example, but would take only 3-4 lovely days, I imagine – or one for the super-fit, I have no doubt!

I will also be doing a post soon about public transport to the track. For example, there is a regular weekday bus service to Noojee (about halfway), http://www.warragulbuslines.com.au/Timetables.htm#4 and obviously there are almost hourly trains/trams to Moe, Warburton and Lilydale. Mountain Top Experience provides a bus service from (eg Moe) to eg Walhalla/Mushroom Rocks Car Park etc, for those who might wish to shorten the trip a bit: http://www.mountaintopexperience.com/tours/

18/11/2015: Halal Defeated: It’s beginning to look like Kirralie Smith has WON and that the Federal Government will soon abolish the Halal certification racket which has so filled the coffers of Islamic terrorists worldwide: http://pickeringpost.com/story/the-end-of-private-halal-certification-in-australia/5559

18/11/2015: Why have a mobile phone plan when you can have a telephone number (with lots of calls for $5/month via Voip and can buy data for as little as $50/year for 5Gb? Add: Acrobits Softphone App (Play Store = Free); Plus: eg https://www.pennytel.com.au/personal-voip/plans/talk-till-you-drop $5/month includes DID phone number; Plus: https://www.telstra.com.au/tablets/prepaid-for-tablets $50/year for 5Gb. $140 for two years for 16Gb; Sim starter kit $2. All up less than $10/month. Compare that to your present plan! And did you know you could have a Telstra pre-paid mobile service for $70 per year? https://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-phones/prepaid-mobiles/offers-and-rates

17/11/2015: How to make a Sling: What a useful instructable: http://www.instructables.com/id/how-to-make-a-sling/ A little more information on ‘How To Use a Sling’ (Numerous Youtubes available) and I would be on my way, but I will certainly give it a go! Should only weigh a few grams (and like a fishing line) could provide some useful protein (and a change of diet) on the trail: plenty of bunnies, birdies and beasties small enough to be tackled with a well-thrown stone. Do NOT try this with BEARS! See also: http://slinging.org/index.php?page=how-to-build-and-use-a-traditional-apache-sling---l-w-forsyth & etc…

Picture of how to make a sling

17/11/2015: Understanding the Macbeth mentality:

‘There is nor flying hence nor tarrying here.

I 'gin to be aweary of the sun,

And wish th' estate o' th' world were now undone.—

Ring the alarum-bell!—Blow, wind! Come, wrack!

At least we’ll die with harness on our back.’ (Act5 Ccene 5 Lines 48-52)

Today, (due to climate change/inter-glacial factors?) ‘Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane’: the Taiga has been steadily advancing into the Arctic creating a new forest much larger than Australia! And we are confronted with/by innumerable ‘Macbeths’ who entertain not only their own end but seek to take as many as possible with them in a veritable Götterdämmerung. What strikes me (with more than a frisson of fear) about the ‘activities’ of the young men in Paris is how cheaply most have ‘sold their lives,’ (an achieved ratio of <20:1). With a little more wit they might achieve the sort of ratios achieved by the 9/11 crowd (nearly 1,000:1) or better! Surely Better! We have had three successful terror attacks in Oz in the last year and Asio has foiled a further 6 – but they are investigating close to 500! YES, 500! There are more than 500 Macbeth’s out there on our suburban streets who ‘wish th' estate o' th' world were now undone’ THAT is terror!

17/11/2015: Eschatology seems to me to get effect before cause. Remember the bumper sticker: ‘Don't Immanentize the Eschaton’: Immanentize means to make part of the here and now. Eschaton, like eschatology, relates to the branch of theology which deals with humanity's destiny. You know, the end times, when all of that wacky, end-timey, Seventh-Seal stuff happens (oceans boil, the righteous ascend to heaven, Carrot Top is funny, etc). Hence 'immanentizing the eschaton' means, in effect, trying to make what is reserved for the next life part of the here and now,’ (Jonah Goldberg). It seems utterly illogical to think of the future affecting the present and being used as the well-springs of action (such as suicide bombings for example). But ALL planning involves the future (icon?) causing the present action. The religious mentality is a sub-set of such phenomena. Meanwhile (in defence of religion…What? Really?) you get some interesting articles when you Google ‘an atheist’s defence of religion’, such as this one: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/an-atheists-defence-of-religion/article552347/

16/11/2015: Boojums: I mostly think there ARE no ghosts, aliens, bigfeet, nessies, pixies, fairies, dragons, panthers, bunyips etc because now that everyone has a camera on their phone, still nonetheless no-one has a photo of one. Howsomever, I spent a good hour trying to get a good snap of one of these little fellas in the graden (I often see them). They just about glow like neon actually and are around an inch long. I came inside with dozens of snaps taken no more then 6” away from this lovely lady, yet every time she had managed to hide. Obviously gremlins, trolls, firebraces etc are even more camera-shy. PS: I was surprised to learn that they were actually wasps and dined exclusively on mole crickets, which is no doubt why one often finds the latter scurrying along the verandah, fleeing them no doubt. I had always thought them ants. I CAN be wrong, you see!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_ant

Bluebottle

16/11/2015: ‘Oppressing everyone to avoid oppressing anyone is the egalitarian ethos gone mad’. This guy’s take on the failure of both Left and Right is just great: http://sultanknish.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/our-state-of-police.html Short version: http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/23835-Social-problems-without-solutions,-and-the-police-state.html

16/11/2015: NOW, be honest, does this sound like your class reunion:

‘Jan, Sue and Mary haven't seen each other since High School. They rediscover each other via a reunion website and arrange to meet for lunch in a wine bar. Jan arrives first, wearing beige Versace. She orders a bottle of Pinot Grigio. Sue arrives shortly afterward, in gray Chanel. After the required ritualized kisses she joins Jan in a glass of wine. Then Mary walks in, wearing a faded old tee-shirt, blue jeans and boots. She too shares the wine. Jan explains that after leaving high school and graduating from Princeton in Classics, she met and married Timothy, with whom she has a beautiful daughter. Timothy is a partner in one of New York's leading law firms. They live in a 4000 sq ft co-op on Fifth Avenue, where Susanna, the daughter, attends drama school. They have a second home in Phoenix . Sue relates that she graduated from Harvard Med School and became a surgeon. Her husband, Clive, is a leading Wall Street investment banker. They summer in Southampton on Long Island and have a third home in Naples, Florida. Mary explains that she left school at 17 and ran off with her boyfriend, Jim. They run a tropical bird park in Colorado and grow their own vegetables. Jim can stand five parrots, side by side, on his dick. Halfway down the third bottle of wine and several hours later, Jan blurts out that her husband is really a cashier at WalMart. They live in a small apartment in Brooklyn and have a travel trailer parked at a nearby storage facility. Sue, chastened and encouraged by her old friend's honesty, explains that she and Clive are both nurses' aides in a retirement home. They live in Jersey City and take vacation trips to Alabama and Virginia, usually camping. Mary admits that the fifth parrot has to stand on one leg.’

http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/27252-High-school-reunion.html

15/11/2015: Vive la France: I am one-eighth French, my great-grandfather Marius Sanlaville having fought in the Franco-Prussian War; another ancestor being awarded the Legion D'Honneur. I could sing the Marseillaise en Francaise before I began primary school, taught at my father's knee, as he by his beloved grandfather. Je parle francais (I can speak French). I have more right to call myself French than most so-called ‘aborigines’ have the right to identify as indigenous. I do not (on this solemn occasion) choose to post the Tricolore, nor bastardised versions of the Eiffel Tower as it would only identify myself with those to whom SEEMING is more important than DOING. That great French hero, Charles Martel (‘The Hammer’) drove the evil Moslems from France hundreds of years ago (Battle of Poitiers 732 AD). The idiot Left have invited millions of this ancient eternal enemy into our bosom once more. Not even the BLIND could fail to see the consequences of this quisling folly. Again I say, this IS the FIFTH CRUSADE, and Islam IS the ENEMY. Failure to recognise this overwhelming fact will only lead to our enslavement and/or DEATH!

15/11/2015: Weasel Words: Turnbull called it ‘an attack on all humanity’, Obama struggled to remember the core phrase, ‘Life, Liberty and the…’ and seemed to think it was French credo. Trendies on social media are posting yet new ‘Je Suis Charlie’ homilies and bizarre symbols (eg a weird conflation of the Eiffel Tower, Le Croix and the ND semaphore!) Still too much shying away from reality: THIS IS THE FIFTH CRUSADE! Islam is the ENEMY!

15/11/2015: Bananas, Australian Pygmies etc: Hundreds of these guys were measured at 4’6”-5’ (men) and 6”-1’ less (women) which IS tiny. You can clearly see that they were a negroid people not unlike the African pygmies with their short, curly hair, and quite unlike the ‘typical aboriginal’ found most other places on the mainland. Truganini (Tasmanians generally) had similar hair and shorter stature too. This is quite a remarkable revelation, as I said in my earlier post (8/11), and their stature was suggested by the size of the banana leaves. Bananas? Aren’t they introduced? Not so. They originated in New Guinea and Cape York. On the high plateau which stretches for 150 km along the Cape, and is 1.5 km high, there probably are many cool season types of wild bananas which might be attractive additions to our southern gardens. This plateau contains vast cloud forests, home to over 50% of many Australian birds, reptiles, amphibians etc. A ‘must-see’ for me. I will be going back, perhaps next winter. Back to the pygmies: the folks in this photo appear to diplay an interesting fat build-up on their tummies (probably also on their derrieres – a feature also of the African pygmies). Such a pity that they were ‘allowed’ to die out, (or were ‘bred out’), interestingly enough not as a result of ‘European Australia’s’ policies, but rather ‘black Australia’s’! There you go! https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/history-wars/2002/06/the-extinction-of-the-australian-pygmies/

Aboriginal encampment in rainforest behind Cairns, 1890. This is the photograph (attributed to A. Atkinson) found by Norman Tindale in 1938, which sent him and Joseph Birdsell in search of the people depicted. He identified the location by the wild banana leaves on the roof.

15/11/2015: Instant Archways: I just love star posts and weldmesh. There are so many things you can do with them. These arches are soon going to be festooned with pumpkins and melons.

Meanwhile, we have our first zucchinis already, started in the $60 Mitre 10 greenhouse:

These tomatoes though, seem to have gotten away from me somewhat!

14/11/2015: Living within your means and paying your way: Personally I was brought up with this duo pretty much as creeds. To many they seem quaint now, if people have even heard of them. Debt always involves printing funny money ahead of its being earned/created, hence it is the chief cause of inflation. It robs the future to pay for present excess, and always robs savers and rewards spendthrifts – so is unwise (as policy) at best. It can only be justified in times of national crises (such as imminent invasion). Unfortunately people come to believe in it, that it is normal/desirable even – and keep voting for it. The popularity of a proposition has no connection with its truth (or otherwise) – else there would not be so many billions of folk wedded yet to various religions, each believing their own to be the font of all truth, yet failing to grasp the obvious fact that whilst they cannot all be true, they can all be false - and almost certainly are. Imagine believing the ridiculous proposition that there is something after death. As if road kill was going to bound back to life. And such after-lives are still so woeful geographically, being associated still with well explored ups and downs. What? Will Voyager eventually encounter God? We cannot keep on racking up debt (either personally or nationally) as if there will be no tomorrow. The piper will eventually have to be paid. Unfortunately (as the fate of Hamelin reminds us) it will be our children who have to pay that price!

14/11/2015: Emergency, Dial: 112. This is good advice. You will connect through whatever carrier is available, even if your own is not. You will also bump others users off the cell as emergency numbers have priority. So you will be much more likely to get through. You will NOT get through if there is no coverage though. For this you need a satellite phone, a UHF radio or an epirb. http://www.theultralighthiker.com/emergency-cb-radios/ See Snopes: ‘Calling 112 on your cell phone will (in some parts of the world, primarily Europe) connect you to local emergency services, even if you are outside your provider's service area (i.e., even if you are not authorized to relay signals through the cell tower that handles your call), and many cell phones allow the user to place 112 calls even if the phone lacks a SIM card or its keypad is locked. However, the 112 number does not have (as is sometimes claimed) special properties that enable callers to use it in areas where all cellular signals are blocked (or otherwise unavailable).’ http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/cellphones.asp You may be able to extend battery life as an an option available on some brands of cell phone (such as Nokia) for Half Rate Codec, which provides about 30% more talk time on a battery charge at the expense of lower sound quality. This option is enabled by pressing the sequence *#4720#. A far better plan to conserve battery life is to put your phone on Flight Mode, or switch it off! It will last for MANY days.

14/11/2015: Left-wing journalism and ‘free speech’ at its best: This Prof of Journalism’s ‘research interests’ center on popular culture texts and audiences, particularly texts and audiences disdained in mainstream culture. Her work in this area is guided by audience studies, theories of gender and sexuality, and media literacy.’ What does she SAY to the Press? ‘Get Out!’ http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/timblair/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/melissa_needs_muscle/

13/11/2015: If this man’s incredible voyage proves true, he will have smashed the records of those other great survivors: Poon Lim, Louis Zamperini (‘Unbroken’), the USS ‘Indianapolis’ (http://www.ussindianapolis.org/story.htm) etc: http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/jose-salvador-alvarenga-recounts-438-days-drifting-at-sea-and-the-day-he-was-saved/story-fnq2o7dd-1227606015987 See also: http://listverse.com/2012/02/16/top-10-sea-survivors/

13/11/2015: Should being one eighth ‘aboriginal’ (or having a murkily defined ‘religious belief’) exempt one from obeying the law everyone else must obey? I hardly think so: http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/timblair/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/discount_for_callum/

13/11/2015: First this: ‘If the wave of migrants keeps coming, in 10-15 years, Swedes will be a minority in their own country.’ Do we want THIS for our country? http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/6697/sweden-collapse Then this: Just weeks after the little boy on the beach and two weeks after Tony Abbott’s Thatcher speech, Europe begins slamming the door. Why did it ever think it wise to open it in the first place? http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/sweden_tells_illegal_immigrants_its_full/

13/11/2015: Cyclone Chair: https://www.bigagnes.com/Products/Detail/Accessory/CycloneSLChairKit I thought I had posted about this wonder long ago, but apparently not. I always carry one of these. You can make a comfy chair with it out of just about any pad. (I use the Thermarest Neoair X-lite Womens myself). The specs say it weighs 180 grams but I’m sure mine is about 15 grams less than that. It helps to give structure to a frameless pack such as Gossamer Gear’s G4 (along with an Airbeam pad http://www.theultralighthiker.com/klymit-air-beam-inflatable-pack-frame-update/), it provides a dry seat which supports your (tired) back at the end of a long day and gets you 5-6” off the ground. I have spent many hours sitting on mine eg in front of a cheery fire in my Tyvek shelter: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tyvek-solo-fire-shelter/

12/11/2015: Thrilling Tales: Lewis & Clark, A Film by Ken Burns 1997. About the first crossing of the American continent (by Europeans) in 1804-6. We have spent the last two nights simply mesmerised by this amazing documentary. Ken Burns is always such a treat! The scenery and photography were superb. It has hard to credit that there are/remain places of such astounding beauty in the world/America. That is aside from the gripping tale of achievement and heroism incredibly well told by compelling narrators/commentators. If you love the wilderness, do acquire a copy of it; I’m sure you will find it as much a treat as we did. It can be downloaded here: https://kat.cr/pbs-lewis-and-clark-a-film-by-ken-burns-1997-1x1-720p-mvgroup-t7654424.html & https://kat.cr/pbs-lewis-and-clark-a-film-by-ken-burns-1997-2of2-720p-x264-aac-t7662036.html Other lessons from the film: early on in their journey (within the first month), Lewis had cause to have a small number of the party (which numbered three dozen men including one African American, and later one woman!) punished by lashing. One man, guilty of a capital crime (lying down and falling asleep on watch ie endangering the lives of the entire expedition) lashed 100 times! No other punishments were needed throughout the ensuing three years. Indeed the group was enormously cohesive and successful. Only one died (a victim of a disease which could not be treated in Washington either). Many (like the famous John Colter – the first ‘mountain man’) returned to the wilderness afterwards. Today we expend huge funds and manpower on the ‘justice system’ without any such positive results. See also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/john-colter/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-far-horizons-1955/

12/11/2015: The new ‘Je Suis Charlie’, Robert Ménard. Let’s hope he fares better than the last with the ‘religion of love’ brothers: http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/timblair/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/let_new_york_becoime_majority_muslim_and_then_you_can_talk/

11/11/2015: Emergency CB Radios: Lots of folk carry an Epirb. Some (like me) carry a Satellite Phone. Big bucks, but when your life/safety are the issue…If you are on a budget you might consider a Dual-band CB radio such as the Baofeng which can be bought for less than A$50 including a battery pack, which takes 6 x AAs – in addition to its lithium battery (or you might power/charge it with something else you already carry). Around 200 grams, I know but you get (receive only) FM radio (For weather forecasts etc), a UHF radio with duplex which can access the Channel 5 emergency frequency (you can be pretty sure someone will be listening anywhere in Victoria at least - http://uhfcb.com.au/40-Channel-UHF-Infomation.php), and HF (ham radio) as well (for which you should have a licence) but which propagates wonderfully from more remote locations. It would be a good tool also for keeping in touch with other users on the trail. You can also buy a higher gain antenna for a few dollars more. A car kit is also available. Available for example: http://www.amazon.com/BaoFeng-UV-5R-Dual-Radio-Black/dp/B007H4VT7A or http://www.ebay.com/itm/BAOFENG-UV-5R-CTCSS-Dual-Band-Radio-Walkie-Talkies-Original-AA-Battery-Case-pack-/391219854780?hash=item5b16853dbc (NB: I have been advised that this radio might not be Australian compliant, so it is your risk to use (many do). I use a (legal) GME (the last Australian produced radio) which handles the 40 legal Australian UHF channels (includes duplex), but costs a lot more.)

11/11/2015: Paris would (at best) reduce temperature in 2100 AD by C1/100^th of a degree: ‘Everyone knows that as you go up a mountain, the air gets cooler. The rate at which non-condensing air cools with increasing altitude is called the “dry adiabatic lapse rate”. The rule of thumb states that for every hundred metres higher that you climb, the temperature drops by 1°C. Now, a human being is typically around 1.7 metres tall, plus or minus. This means that other things being equal, the air at your head is about 0.017°C cooler than the air at your feet. And recall from above that the “impact of the US Clean Power Plan (USCPP) is a reduction in temperature rise by 0.013°C by 2100” …Which means that after spending billions of dollars and destroying valuable power plants and reducing our energy options and making us more dependent on Middle East oil, all we will do is make the air around our feet as cool as the air around our heads … I am overcome with gratitude for such a stupendous accomplishment.’ http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/11/10/the-height-of-temperature-folly/

11/11/2015: Remembrance Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRqMMaCZfHI

10/11/2015: Perennial Vegetables: You could buy the book, or use his lists and Wikipedia as a guide. Some interesting suggestions here. We are always thinking about adding new useful plants to our farm/garden. The American Groundnut (Apios Americana) is a case in point (with yields of 30 tonnes/hectare growing as a weed! As is Udo (Aralia cordata). It is easy to see how one can add 100 perennial vegetables to the garden, and at least that many unusual fruits: http://perennialvegetables.org/ Udo can grow to 9' - seen here growing in Scotland.

10/11/2015: Exactly: ‘Islamist extremism is not part of a contemporary Japan. The difference lies largely in the decisions made by politicians who to let in their country, and what to expect from those few admitted...the total is just 0.1% or so of Japan’s population. In the U.S., the figure is less than 0.8%, and in France, 7.5%, according to the Pew Research Center. In Australia it’s 2.2 per cent.’ http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/contemporary_australia_described/

10/11/2015: Interesting wet weather fire starter: Permanganate and Glycerine http://survive-prepare.com/2013/01/04/hyper-golic-fire/

A500777-Glycerin_and_Potassium_Permanganate-SPL

09/11/2015: Is there something wrong with this or with me? ‘Singing the Australian national anthem or pledging support for democratic values in the citizenship oath was part of a state campaign of oppression and “forced assimilation” directed at Australian Muslims, Hizb ut-Tahrir leaders declared. According to media spokesman, Uthman Badar, the federal government “claims to afford freedom, but seeks to impose values and beliefs” on Muslims, specifically in the citizenship oath when new citizens were required to pledge allegiance to the democratic values upon which Australian society is based. “It’s not enough that you obey the law, no, you have to adopt [Australian] values” as well,’ & ‘The contrasting treatment of Hizb ut-Tahrir and the Australian Liberty Alliance is a measure not only of a major political shift but also of the disaffection among voters caused by ill-considered government policies — a disaffection that could well shape the politics of the next federal parliament.’ https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2015/11/tolerating-intolerance-denouncing-democracy/

09/11/2015: Handy DIY Greenhouse: https://thinmac.wordpress.com/2008/11/06/hello-world/

I like it!

09/11/2015: What a useful article: http://preppingfortheworst.blogspot.com/2012/10/personal-defense-how-to-make-stun-gun.html

08/11/2015: Mind-boggling! For a whole variety of reasons: 'The story of human habitation of this continent is not the exclusive property of anyone. It should be the concern of all of us, black and white, to ensure it is told as openly and as truthfully as possible.' https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/history-wars/2002/06/the-extinction-of-the-australian-pygmies/

08/11/2015: Fluffernutter: Australians are SO deprived: WE cannot enjoy this early C20th American delight here, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluffernutter or its many variants, eg with banana. (Update: All is not lost: you can buy marshmallow creme at places like the Reject shop most of the time): http://neighborfoodblog.com/2014/09/grilled-banana-fluffernutter-sandwiches.html

These Grilled Banana Fluffernutters are easy to make and dangerously easy to eat!

08/11/2015: If your caravan won’t quite make it there, you can bring it with you: http://www.rvshadeandcovers.com.au/

08/11/2015: Dettol Hand Sanitising Wipes vs Kleenex Anti-Bacterial Wipes: Dettol are 20cmx15cm. Kleenex are 20cm x 13.9cm. Dettol come in a 10 pack = 48 grams (4.8 grams/wipe) ; Kleenex in a 15 pack = 79 grams (5.2 grams/wipe). The pack is more compact too. If you are only going to use say 2 wipes/day, you save 39 grams in your pack for a five day trip. It all adds up! This is about a muesli bar’s worth of food. Ten savings like this and you have an extra day’s food!

07/11/2015: Yet another sentence you never thought would be uttered: http://beforeitsnews.com/libertarian/2015/11/equating-genitalia-to-a-persons-gender-is-and-always-will-be-transphobic-darleen-click-2622968.html

07/11/2015: Thomson River Canoe Trip: Here (as promised: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoeing-the-thomson-river-gippsland-victoria/) is the video I shot of Steve Cleaver and I canoeing the Thomson River Gippsland Victoria Australia circa 2006. What a great trip! Click to open and play. Got to Youtube for full screen. This is the raw, unedited footage and soundtrack just as I shot it. These are 12′ Nylex ‘Pioneer’ Canadian canoes which Della has made some press-studded covers for supported by 3/8″ fibreglass electric fence posts. They have worked quite well enough for thirty years now! See also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoeing-the-thomson-river-gippsland-victoria/

Gorge: Steve Cleaver

07/11/2015: How to open a can without a can opener, (and lots of other neat tricks): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH2NahLjx-Y

07/11/2015: Things you didn’t know: ‘agriculture is capitalist, racialized patriarchy.’ (yet we desex male animals only!) http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/2015/11/battle-axe-pote.html

07/11/2015: If I self-identified as a dog would I have the right to cock my leg on the dining room table: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/03/us/illinois-district-violated-transgender-students-rights-us-says.html?smid=pl-share&_r=0

06/11/2015: How to treat a Gunshot Wound: I found this article (and its forerunner) very helpful. It certainly had me downloading a First Aid App for one thing (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cube.gdpc.aus) and reassessing my First Aid kit…PLEASE NOTE that this article contains graphic and disturbing images: http://guncarrier.com/how-to-treat-a-gunshot-wound-2/ Such an injury (which can cause catastrophic blood loss) need not be caused by weapons, whether accidentally discharged or not. One can imagine similar horrid events being precipitated by car accidents, chainsaws, agricultural and DIY machinery, etc. Being able to stabilise the catastrophic blood loss, deal with ruptured organs, and most important call for assistance is so important. This is when a satellite phone, epirb, UHF radio or external antennae for your mobile is so important, but two-way communication will more likely save a life as compared the passive epirb: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/mobile-phone-antennae/

06/11/2015: Ban the imported people, NOT the guns. The rest of us need them to protect ourselves against the former: ‘The shootings are not at random and are usually drug related and at the current time we believe they are associated around gang activity, middle eastern organised crime figures and their links into the outlaw motorcycle gangs’ http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/man-shot-in-leg-in-shepherds-grove-kings-park/news-story/477ee2bb9a67b13a0d08f2a7b01786fd

06/11/2015: Albanese & Plibersek Gone: ‘The Greens could win the Labor strongholds of Grayndler and Sydney if the party received Liberal preferences at the next election, according to a Parliamentary Library analysis of proposed new federal electoral boundaries.’ The Liberals must hold firm against such vandals! http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/timblair/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/trouble_for_tony_and_tanya/

05/11/2015: Canoeing the Thomson River, Gippsland, Victoria:

Mini Gorge: Della Jones

I have canoed this wonderful river so many times over more than thirty years, from the Thomson Dam to Cowwarr Weir. Much of the water in the section from the dam to the Walhalla Rd Bridge was stolen by Melbourne Water nearly twenty years ago, so it is rare nowadays to be able to canoe it – and if you find enough water you will likely find it rather choked with logs. You can put in at the Narrows Gauge if you just want a short trip on a hot day; this also avoids the chute and 3 metre waterfall immediately below the Low Saddle Track which many find somewhat intimidating. I have seen others come to grief there. One would certainly have died had I not been there. And I dropped and spilled my beer when rescuing him. Damn it! I doubt his life was worth one cold beer. Is anyone’s? It is about five hours from the dam, about two from the Narrows Gauge. Best height this section is above .5 metres at the Narrows Gauge. From the Walhalla Rd Bridge to Coopers Creek the river diverts through a tunnel so there is a long portage - meaning most folks avoid this section.

Fun below the Gorge, Bryn Jones

The best section today is a two day trip from Bruntons Bridge to Cowwarr Weir. You can convert this into a very leisurely three day trip in hot weather by putting in at Coopers Creek, which adds about three hours to the trip. When the water level is high, ie .3-.5 metres as measured at the Coopers Creek Gauge - See: http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDV60154.html) it can be canoed in a very hectic single day if you start very early. Typical water levels are more likely .2-.25 metres at Coopers Creek which makes it almost impossible to complete the trip in a single day. Most canoe books recommend a minimum height of .3 metres, but if you waited for that you would likely never canoe the river in the warmer months. I have come down it at a gauge height of .18 metres which required me to drag my boat across about a dozen pebble races, but still a lovely trip and great fun. The river can be quite dangerous over .5 metres. I know intrepid paddlers who would wait until it was .8 or even 1 metre, but it would not be me – or you either, if you want to live through it!

Lovely water: Bryn Jones

The best thing about the two canoeable sections above Bruntons Bridge (for me) was that I could canoe them alone just using a mountain bike to get back to my canoe at the beginning of the trip – and I often did, back in the 80s and early 90s. Beautiful bike rides and a few hours of great canoeing. The section below Bruntons really needs a motorbike as well as a car (if you are going to canoe it alone) as it is quite a long ride from Cowwarr to Bruntons.

Lots of Grade 2 rapids

Above Bruntons Bridge the river is darker, shadier – and there are many more leeches! Below Bruntons it opens out a lot. It is warmer and sunnier with plenty of opportunities for swimming. In warm weather you can spend many lazy days slowly descending the river which otherwise takes about two 6-7 hour days. You can troll a lure many places and catch a feed of fresh trout for tea every night which taste delicious roasted in some Alfoil in the hot coals with some potatoes. Don’t forget some butter, salt and lemon. Trolling works much better at about .3 metres height as you will snag a lot when it is shallower, but lures are cheap – and can be made from ring-pulls & etc. Otherwise you can bait or fly fish when you camp – or go for a swim with a hand spear. There are seldom many policemen about! There are however many large freshwater crays!

Marble Quarry Chute

Bryn Jones Swimming

There are many spots along the way you can camp, particularly below the Gorge. Be warned, however: there is about a week in summer when they let out a heap of water from the dam as an ‘environmental flow’. This can put the height up overnight eg from .25 metres to .5 metres, so be sure your camp is a bit higher than this and that your canoes are dragged up well clear of the water – otherwise you may be in for a nasty shock. I have asked those in authority to post this as a warning on the BOM River Heights Page, but as is usual with public servants, no-one is responsible, or willing to do any work! Pretty much the only spot you cannot camp is at the ‘designated camp spot just below the end of the T9 track which became overgrown twenty years ago! There is a small spot just upstream of there. There is another spot just before the Gorge. You cannot camp in the Gorge. You can walk out up the T9 track from the camp I mentioned: there is a large tree on the right bank with the number 20 painted on it at the ‘designated camp site’. (It is only 100 metes to the T9 track) and a much easier walk than the ‘designated escape route’ up onto the Marble Quarry Track, a very steep climb of about a km.

Camp at T9 Track

You can put in for a day trip too at the end of the T9 track, now officially closed – but who cares? I had a walking track extending upstream and down from its end but it is no doubt overgrown somewhat now. Feel free to clear it again though. You need a (good) 4WD for the last approx 1 km on the T9 and there is very limited room to perform a six-point turn. Be warned. It is a good place to put in for a day’s pack rafting though, as you can easily walk down. Another good spot to put in for a day trip (before the fire) used to be off the end of the Mitchell Creek No X Track where a walking track to a campsite by the river used to exist, a spot I have always called ‘The Poplars’ as will be obvious to you when you get there. It would be nice to restore this too! You can also enjoy a day’s packrafting by accessing the river from the T6 track off the Stony Creek Rd.

Bryn Jones

From the weir to Marble Quarry Track there are many entertaining Grade 2 rapids which may be somewhat more difficult to negotiate at lower water levels. After Marble Quarry there is a minor gorge section which is very pretty. The first chute rapid after Marble Quarry has a boulder in it near the bottom which can tip you over to your right. Beware of doing so and hitting your head. I usually stop for a cold drink at the base of the ridge off the Marble Quarry Track where there used to be an excellent camp site constructed by some miners who used to drive down the ridge from the B3.1 track. Feel free to clear that track too.

Gorge: Steve Cleaver

It is quite pleasant to walk up some of the beautiful creeks which enter the Thomson in this section, particularly Lammers and Deep Creek. Both can hold excellent blackfish in deep pools. You can walk all the way up Deep Creek, climb the ridge where it splits in two (you will find an old track there) and exit at Binns Junction. It is an excellent day or overnight walk. Very private now too since our ‘masters’ have closed all the access tracks to Deep Creek (T10, D1 & 2 etc). If you are quiet you are likely to see a deer or two. There are some pleasant little flats to camp on bends in the stream. It is an astonishingly beautiful valley! You can walk down the (closed) T10 track from the Stony Creek Rd to gain vehicular access – or feel free to bring the chainsaw and open it again! It is on the West side of the Stony Creek Rd opposite the only fire dam.

Mini Gorge: Brett Irving

The Gorge is the section which most daunts Della now she has lost so much of her eyesight, and I don’t wonder. If I had less than 50% sight it would daunt me too. It is such a shame though that she can no longer canoe the Thomson because of this, as it is an astonishingly beautiful (and varied) river. It takes about an hour to get through the Gorge which begins about a quarter hour below the 20 km Tree. There is not much stopping; it can be difficult to find a spot to empty your boat if it becomes swamped particularly above .3, or .5 metres. Last time I was down the river there was a quite dangerous log jam towards the end – which would be a very dangerous trap for unwary players. Watch out for it. You could stop just before it (on the right) and walk around. There are some wonderful camps starting below the Gorge. You don’t need to stop at the very first one (on the left) which is very nice as there are lots more!

Gorge: Steve Jones

Gorge: Alan Hall.

Below the Gorge (and elsewhere) there are delightful flat, placid sections where you can just about go to sleep in the boat.

Della loves these clear, quiet sections.

Della Jones: asleep?

Della Jones

About a half hour below ‘The Poplars’ you come to ‘The Triple Stager’. It is certainly a Grade Three rapid! You should not be asleep then; I once was – a very dangerous descent of the left hand channel (Don’t!) suddenly sans canoe! Fortunately I was wearing a life jacket else I would not be here to tell the tale! It is on a left hand bend. The river forks. Take the right fork. There are three distinct drops. It may be a good idea to get out on the right bank before the first and reconnoitre. You can carry your boat all the way to the bottom of the third drop (about 100 metres of rock hopping) if you so desire. Or, you can carefully descend each in turn, choosing to portage the third if your courage or foolhardiness is not up to it! The first two are best approached on the right side of the river, and you can finish each in a small still pool. To shoot the third you need to start on the left side of the river, then cross to the right as you enter it. There is a large boulder just left of centre which needs to be passed on the right. It can tip you our very nastily! Here is a photo of Della descending the Third Stage backwards, as it turns out – a very dangerous practice, but we have had lots of practice at being dangerous!

Della Jones: Triple Stager: Third Stage.

Della Jones: Triple Stager: 1st and 2nd stages.

The next Grade Three rapid is the Boulder Rapid which comes after about a half hour of a wonderful downhill section. It is a huge boulder which just about completely blocks the river – but that is not he worst bit of it. You should pull out on the left bank and inspect this rapid. If you have any doubt about it, drag your boat right around it on the left hand side. I have thought about clearing a complete new route around the right hand side of this rapid but I fear it is probably too much hard lifting for my back now. Otherwise there is a very sharp left turn followed very abruptly by a right turn, then you must go down the exact correct (centre) chute or you will be on the rocks and may break your arm. Be warned! That being said, it is a wonderful fun rapid and I have sometimes dragged my boat back up it to have a second go! Some of us are mad! Might not now I am nearly 70. I hope to see again this summer though!

Below the Gorge: Fred Bowman

Strange things the river has wrought: Fred Bowman

Boulder Rapid: Della Jones

Boulder Rapid: Brett Irving

The last Grade 3 rapid is less than another half hour downriver and is called ‘The Chute’. The whole river goes through a narrow cut less than six foot wide. It goes through very fast I can tell you, so you had better be lined up dead square or you will think you have just been through a washing machine. If your boat gets side on to it, it will snap it in two in a trice and plough you straight through it to boot. Lined up straight, it is a doddle. You may not see it coming, (though there is a steel ladder on your left just before it gives access to the gauge there). Keep to the right in the pool above it from where you will be able to spot it OK and line yourself up. You can drive down to it in a decent 4WD. It is the T2 track off the Stony Creek Rd. It is quite a popular swimming hole where suicidal youths jump off the rocks allowing themselves to be deliberately sucked through it. Some will not live long!

Bryn Jones

About a km above ‘The Chute’ there is a much more daunting rapid (I think) which I call ‘Crocodile Falls’ on account of finding once a toy crocodile there. It is on a right hand bend below a substantial still pool. The river runs rapidly downhill for perhaps 200 metres over quite broken rocks. It is much worse at low water levels such as you are liable to find there now. I have spent a number of hours moving large rocks there trying to make the run safer, but it needs more work. Feel free. If you come out near the top (likely) you will tumble over a lot of rocks before you get to the bottom. It can be portaged on the left hand side but there are many blackberries.

Crocodile Falls: Simon Schutte

After the chute there are a number of small entertaining drops, but soon you are in the backwaters of the weir and if the wind is blowing upriver (it almost always is) it can be a substantial paddle the last half hour or so. I usually aim for the point on the far left hand side at the weir where the old (closed) bridge shortcut to Stony Creek Road is to be found. Do not walk barefoot in the weir. Many idiots over the years have smashed glass bottles there!

Nearly there: Della Jones

STAY TUNED: I filmed a one hour video of myself and Steve Cleaver canoeing the Thomson in 2008. I WILL figure out how to post it soon, I promise!

05/11/2015: Refugees? ‘A largely Muslim charity recently reviewed the work its people had been doing to relieve the misery and squalor on the Sangatte refugee camp in Calais. A worker with the Human Relief Foundation visited the notorious ‘Jungle’ encampment and concluded, with some alarm, that 97 per cent were economic migrants rather than refugees. Further, they were almost exclusively fit young men who were not fleeing danger at all and were not in the least desperate. An executive added: ‘I thought they had a valid reason [to be there]. They do not have a valid reason.’ The charity immediately curtailed its relief efforts. But present these facts to those who simply scream ‘Let them in!’ and ‘We must do more!’ and it makes not the slightest difference to their point of view; it washes over them without leaving so much as a trace’ http://new.spectator.co.uk/2015/10/on-migration-simon-schama-doesnt-even-have-an-argument/

05/11/2015: Some things (plants for eg) are very patient (unlike myself). I certainly wouldn’t hang around in the Atacama Desert waiting for this to happen, but I am not a mallow: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/world-driest-desert-breathtaking-bloom-atacama-180957104/?no-ist

Atacama Wildflowers

04/11/2015: Swallows: This pair of swallows has nested in our garage for maybe twenty years. Once again this year they have raised four young. Other descendants nest in other sheds, in the old dog-houses on the hill, under the verandah, in an under-road stream pipe below the house & etc. Every year they go away, maybe all the way to Siberia, and return. They are such welcome visitors despite messing the car up a little.

04/11/2015: Students who could not change a light bulb need this sort of JUNK: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/fighting-school-sexism-feminist-theory-hits-classrooms-20151030-gkn7an.html

04/11/2015: Islamophobia: This is a ‘religion’ which openly advocates my murder (as an atheist), and the murder of my Jewish, Christian and gay friends…yet if I speak out against it, I am inciting hatred under Section 18C of the ‘Racial Discrimination Act’ and can/will be punished – unlike the damned mullahs who daily preach my death!

03/11/2015: Osprey Ultralight Stuff Pack: Great new hiking day pack: 18 litres, three compartments, water bottle pocket, 90 grams assorted colours, available: http://www.backpackinglight.com.au/ I think you could squeeze an overnight trip into it. Worth a try anyway. Add it to the suggestions here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hunting-daypack/

3/11/2015: National Anthem: When I was in Primary School we pledged our allegiance every morning at school assembly, rain or shine! Singing of our National Anthem (‘God Save the Queen’) was routine then, and you were expected to stand when it was played (in cinemas for example). NOW, ‘Moslem’ children can leave the room rather than show any such loyalty; a meeting of Hizb ut-Tahrir (a banned terrorist organisation everywhere else) about this very issue was attended by 800 people: 800 people who should immediately BE MADE to GO LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE! ‘They that sow the wind, shall reap the whirlwind’.

03/11/2015: Discovering private enterprise: ‘Every time I get to feeling sorry about taxi drivers and their Uber-disrupted industry, I take a ride in a Sydney taxi. This instantly cures me of any sadness and instead makes me think that Uber drivers are not only justified in destroying the taxi business, but that Uber drivers should also be allowed to throw taxi drivers out of their houses and sell their children into slavery. A back-to-back comparison this weekend was especially illuminating. City to Lane Cove, via taxi. Car: a grindy old Ford Falcon. Driver: a man who spoke no language known to humankind, and who immediately became lost. No functioning GPS was available. The driver appeared unfamiliar with the concept of “north”. Lane Cove to city, via Uber. Car: a smooth Chrysler 300C. Driver: a well-spoken young man who happily cranked up the radio when a favourite song came on. Directions were not an issue. From now on, it’s Uber all the way.’ http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/timblair/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/uber_first_daylight_second/

02/11/2015: Ice Anyone? ‘A new NASA study found that Antarctica has been adding more ice than it’s been losing, challenging other research, including that of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, that concludes that Earth’s southern continent is losing land ice overall. In a paper published in the Journal of Glaciology on Friday, researchers from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the University of Maryland in College Park, and the engineering firm Sigma Space Corporation offer a new analysis of satellite data that show a net gain of 112 billion tons of ice a year from 1992 to 2001 in the Antarctic ice sheet. That gain slowed to 82 billion tons of ice per year between 2003 and 2008.’ http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/1101/NASA-says-Antarctica-is-actually-gaining-ice.-Does-this-mean-climate-is-fine & http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/10/31/ooops-new-nasa-study-antarctica-isnt-losing-ice-mass-after-all/

02/11/2015: Let There Be Light #2: At last, a replacement for the 100 watt incandescent globe: Phillips 18 watt 2000 lumen (!) That is 130 watt incandescent equivalent, so soon our lounge room will be back to the ‘good old days’ when we could SEE! Bulbs now available at Bunnings. They have smashed the 100 lumens per watt barrier by more than 10%. http://www.philips.com.au/c-p/8718696482926/led-bulb See also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/let-there-be-light/

02/11/2015: Eneloop Pro AAA Battery: Things just keep getting better…This is an improvement to their white 750 mAh battery (Recharge 1,000 times). This one is 950 mAh, is still 85% after one year and recharges 500+ times, but it is nearly one-third more available energy! Available Dick Smith, etc.

01/11/2015: BOM Seasonal Outlook: One bloke has been doing a bit of a study of this since the Bureau first stared issuing them (http://www.warwickhughes.com/blog/?cat=20) Turns out they have zero skill in predicting the season ahead, though they still claim to know what it will be like 100 years hence – yeah, Good Luck with that! But wait! If they are never right, then I can just look at their seasonal outlook to see what it’s NOT going to be like: OK, here goes: http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/outlooks/#/overview/summary So, they reckon it will be substantially drier and hotter than usual here, so we can conclude from that we are in for a cool, wet summer. You Beauty! Oh Look: it’s already started to rain. We’ve just had half an inch in the last half hour. The US Weather Bureau (who are always much more accurate I’ve found - I always used them when I was going to cut hay –or go walking in Fiordland), the GFS claims we will have another 1 ½ inches by the end of this week. That WOULD be nice!

01/11/2015: Orwell: The old socialists were SO different from the modern ones (or as Yeats had it, ‘The best lack all conviction while the worst are full of passionate intensity’) Here’s George: ‘If I had to defend my reasons for supporting the war, I believe I could do so. There is no real alternative between resisting Hitler and surrendering to him, and from a Socialist point of view I should say that it is better to resist; in any case I can see no argument for surrender that does not make nonsense of the Republican resistance in Spain, the Chinese resistance to Japan, etc. etc. But I don’t pretend that that is the emotional basis of my actions. What I knew in my dream that night was that the long drilling patriotism which the middle classes go through had done its work, and that once England was in a serious jam it would be impossible for me to sabotage....

I grew up in an atmosphere tinged with militarism, and afterwards I spent five boring years within the sound of bugles. To this day it gives me a faint feeling of sacrilege not to stand to attention during ‘God save the King’. That is childish, of course, but I would sooner have had that kind of upbringing than be like the left-wing intellectuals who are so ‘enlightened’ that they cannot understand the most ordinary emotions. It is exactly the people whose hearts have never leapt at the sight of a Union Jack who will flinch from revolution when the moment comes....

The young Communist who died heroically in the International Brigade was public school to the core. He had changed his allegiance but not his emotions. What does that prove? Merely the possibility of building a Socialist on the bones of a Blimp, the power of one kind of loyalty to transmute itself into another, the spiritual need for patriotism and the military virtues, for which, however little the boiled rabbits of the Left may like them, no substitute has yet been found.’ http://orwell.ru/library/articles/My_Country/english/e_mcrol

01/11/2015: Can Capital Cities be true/false? Islamabad, Bangkok, Baghdad, Cayenne, Cockburn Town, Dili, Flying Fish Cove, Freetown, Helsinki, Kingstown, Male, Moroni, Muscat, Road Town, Rome, Seoul, Stockholm, The Valley, Warsaw, West Island…I rest my case!

01/11/2015: Pen Fishing Rods: These are tiny: I bought mine from this guy but I see you can get what seems like the same thing on eBay out of China for @ $10, so…My rod weighs 64 grams and the reel (spooled) 142 grams – and you certainly can cast it and catch fish on it (I have), if you are careful. Apparently you can spool the fly reel with a special line too: http://penfishingrods.com/shop/index.php

30/10/2015: Dino Paleo Diet: Supposing that the science of ‘Jurassic Park’ becomes a reality (or time travel, ‘The Lost World’, etc – all this is imminent, surely?) we WILL need to face the important practical and ethical issues of killing and eating dinosaurs. Folk will definitely have to do some hard practice at the Range to ensure their accuracy, as Dino’s vulnerable spots are likely quite hard targets. Your normal .30 calibre hunting rifle (even a .457 magnum really) will just punch pin-prick holes in one of these vast beasties, mostly just drawing its attention to you and making it angry. Though a heart shot might cause it to bleed to death eventually, the fact that its heart is likely larger than a bullock will mean that it will have eaten/trampled you before its demise. A brain shot is best, but its brain is likely about the size of your fist and is WAY up there, surrounded by bone, so shoot carefully. After you have decked it (just supposing) the vital ethical issues arise: Is it halal or kosher? Can you eat it during Lent, Fridays? Dinosaurs lack the necessary cloven hooves to be amongst the kosher herbivores and even if considered as distant relatives of the birds they lack the extra toe. Similarly aquatic plesiosaurs etc would surely be deemed ‘fish without scales’ & etc. That’s surely a lot of meat going to waste, right there. Leviticus might need to be rewritten (well, anyway!), AND you might need to raise the height of your lounge room, as that trophy is going to be really BIG! Anyway, ‘Happy Hunting!’ http://gawker.com/steven-spielberg-exposed-as-inhumane-dinosaur-hunting-1603549847

Steven Spielberg Exposed as Inhumane, Dinosaur-Hunting Prick

30/10/2015: ‘MIDDLE Eastern gangs are to blame for a surge of shootings in Victoria, mainly caused by drugs and territorial disputes, according to police…Victoria Police Crime Command Acting Commander Peter de Santo said ... “these incidences are isolated around Melbourne’s northwest region where we have the main concentration of Middle Eastern groups who conduct their illicit activities.”’ Andrews’ solutions: import more of them, get tough on law-abiding Aussies who might have their grandad’s gun under the bed. I don’t think so. Increasingly, there is every reason for ordinary folk to have a gun (illegal or otherwise) to protect themselves from these alien folk: http://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/fears-guns-are-becoming-the-norm-in-victoria/story-fnj4aog3-1227587354170

30/10/2015: Union membership is NOW down to a mere 10% of the workforce. This is what Shorten’s corrupt thugs have wrought to a once-proud movement: Official ABS figures: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6333.0?OpenDocument

Graph Image for Trade Union Membership in main job, Employees and OMIEs in main job by Sex

29/10/2015: Caught: Thank Goodness police have apprehended the Stoccos and at least one of the evil slime involved in the ‘Baby in a Suitcase’ murders. Meanwhile the news is replete daily with other like ghastly misdeeds. Of course we will no doubt be edified to learn how many times the perps were previously released after committing like offences in the past. Simultaneously our State Government announces it will crack down even further on ‘illegal’ gun ownership – as if most gun ownership (whether declared illegal or not) was not at least partly for self-protection, a necessity when our various Governments refuse to rid us of vile criminals and/or import thousands more. Of course they also only recently increased penalties for fortifying one’s home. Our Green/CFMEU State Government is threatening to steal another huge chunk of our bush from foresters, hunters, fishermen and other recreational users (http://www.firearmscouncil.org.au/index.php/2015/10/27/the-great-forest-national-park-what-it-means-for-shooting-in-victoria/) This is an area where I have peacefully spent most of my adult life hunting. Of course once there is nowhere you can use a firearm for recreational purposes all firearms (except those in the hands of criminals can be banned). It is quite natural for otherwise law-abiding citizens to want to retain (or manufacture) such firearms for self-protection, if nothing else (eg euthanasia). The Nazis made firearm ownership punishable by death, yet millions of folks failed to hand them in. Anyone who studies the history of Leftist Governments will see that they have murdered hundreds of millions of citizens - hence a major reason for gun ownership is self-protection against such governments. It is long since time Governments stopped punishing and criminalising ordinary citizens and instead rid us permanently of evildoers.

29/10/2015: Technology itself is like a Von Neumann Machine (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-replicating_machine ) according to Matt Ridley. It is a sort of unstoppable juggernaut which (like so many things) probably doesn’t require government funding: http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-myth-of-basic-science-1445613954

29/10/2015: Our chief scientist (not to mention the US EPA) says FRACKING IS SAFE but do you think the Left will listen? http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2015/s4340246.htm

28/10/2015: Bacon Sandwich Anyone: Betsy Booren Vice President of Scientific Affairs North American Meat Institute, ‘They tortured the data to ensure a specific outcome…Red and processed meat are among 940 agents reviewed by IARC and found to pose some level of theoretical ‘hazard.’ Only one substance, a chemical in yoga pants, has been declared by IARC not to cause cancer.’ YES, Seriously: YOGA PANTS! I eat a lot of them! 40 out of 50 common foods also pose a cancer ‘risk’ according to this study. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23193004 / What ARE we to eat?

28/10/2015: Little Girl in a Suitcase: as if this ghastly case was not weird enough, NOW it has been revealed that she and her mother were murdered by folks intent mainly on defrauding the Commonwealth of her welfare payments (as was the case with the dreadful “Snowtown’ killers). If welfare is so generous, and so easily come by that folks are being murdered for it, maybe this whole system of ‘entitlements’ and ‘privileges’ really does need serious reform?

28/10/2015: Escape Ring: I am not much into jewellery, but I might make an exception for this piece: this one contains a saw and handcuff shim pick combination tool which is completely hidden from view when worn. http://www.uniquetitanium.com/Titanium-Escape-Ring_p_493.html

28/10/2015: The ‘migrant’ crisis in Europe is taking an ominous turn with clearly hundreds of thousands of people buying firearms and some extreme groups plotting acts of violence…of course eventually this episode of the Fifth Crusade will descend into horrible violence. Last time Europe was invaded by Islam it took 500 years for them to be expelled from Spain, France etc. Shutting the door BEFORE the horse has bolted is the only sound advice: http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/most_invasions_dont_end_peacefully/ & https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oe24.at%2Foesterreich%2Fchronik%2FOesterreicher-decken-sich-mit-Waffen-ein%2F209555400&edit-text= Incidentally Tony Abbott’s lecture shows what a great Prime Minister he is/was/will be: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/we-know-how-to-end-the-europe-crisis/story-fni0cwl5-1227584456277

27/10/2015: Ringworld Anyone? ‘Star’s strange lighting patterns could be caused by aliens

Astronomers can’t explain the bizarre light patterns on a far-away star — leaving some serious scientists thinking it might be aliens.’ I think this one is probably a spoof, but sometime we may indeed discover that an advanced civilisation has created something like a ‘Dyson Sphere’ a structure postulated by famous physicist Freeman Dyson (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyson_sphere ) where folks are able to capture all of the energy emanating from their sun – the Greens would most likely oppose this here!

http://www.techinsider.io/alien-megastructure-explained-oblate-star-2015-10

27/10/2015: Modernized Phonographs: These are nice: http://www.trendhunter.com/slideshow/modernized-phonographs & https://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod2320166

27/10/2015: Segmented: Stuff Sack Organizes Your Gear: The SegSac has internal dividers to keep clothes and gear from floating around in your pack or luggage. http://gearjunkie.com/segsac-stuff-sack See also: http://gobigear.com/products/the-hoboroll-pinyon-pine

SegSac Compress Stuff Sack with Dividers Gobi Gear

26/10/2015: Tyers River: Has so many magical spots. This is Peterson’s Lookout just outside the township of Tyers on the Rawson Road, a popular spot to jump! We started off Sunday afternoon to walk the East Tyers Walking Track from Tyers Junction (Carringal) to O’Shea’s Camp where it links with the Upper Yarra/Alpine Walking Tracks), but experienced car troubles so this is as far as we got. I am thinking of compiling an alternative (Winter Route) for the Upper Yarra Track along the South Face of the Baw Baw Plateau for when snow blocks (or makes dangerous) the route along the tops. There used also to be a walking track from Tyers Junction to Western Tyers (but it has been neglected/overgrown (a project for YOU, perhaps?) so the alternative route along the Buckle Spur jeep track must be taken (still very nice). There is a fine camp at O’Shea’s, then again at Carringal, Skinner’s camp at Western Tyers and many smaller spots further along the river (eg Palmers & Growlers, then Christmas Creek). There used also to be a walking track between these two (following the old tramline) but it would take some bush-bashing now I imagine (but worthwhile no doubt for the views & and the fishing!) You would then continue on towards Tanjil Bren (a very quiet pretty back-road). From the Baw Baw rd Junction you might head back up to Newlands Rd along a closed track, or via Tanjil Bren (store now closed) up the Link Rd to Toorongo where you might either continue on to the Forty Mile Break Rd (thence the Upper Yarra Falls) or drop down Munjic Rd and via a closed track just before the Cone Hill Quarry to the Toorongo Falls and into Noojee - if you needed supplies. From Noojee you can make your way back up to the Ada Tree via quiet 4WD tracks (eg Bennies Creek Rd) , then continue on into Warburton. There are just so many quiet, beautiful tracks in the area. Vicmaps Walhalla South (25K) T8222-1-S and Avenza Pdf maps is the way to go.

It was a hot day, the dogs were thirsty though they appear to be smiling – Tyers State Park is another spot they are forbidden to be; they seem unconcerned.

The Wirilda Track is down there on the other side of the river; some good swimming holes.

Wonderful jumping opportunities.

26/10/2015: Hiking Apps: This review is a good start to exploring Apps which can help with your Outdoors activities. I would certainly agree with their recommendations about Backcountry Navigator for example which is wonderful in NZ (in association with the fre NZ Topo Maps). The First Aid App could come in handy, but I hope it won’t - as could the SAS Survival App. Maybe you can have fun with Star Chart? I also have installed Pdf Maps which is great (in association with Vicmaps) for navigating in the bush in Victoria, Cool Reader which has brought me many hours of pleasure. I also have a Music and Video App for entertainment in the wild: http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/travel/destinations/2014/08/best-hiking-and-camping-apps-of-2014/

26/10/2015: Don’t expect Bruce Willis to always be able to save us, or that AGW will always be our biggest danger: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/10/23/city-busting-earth-grazer-asteroid-imminent-near-miss-just-discovered-2-weeks-ago/

26/10/2015: Iran during the 1970’s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d-IV80SOLg

25/10/2015: Spaz Face Pulling: You will know how much I am in support of freedom of speech (and expression), but surely it is time we banned the pulling of ‘spaz faces’ (like this by Rachel Corbett) particularlay on television. It is just so disrespectful (particulaly now when post natal injections have almost eliminated spasticity itself). After that maybe we should think about banning transmisogyny too…there are just so MANY evils in the world! Meanwhile in Mexico Hurricane Patricia, the ‘greatest storm in history’ has turned into a ‘storm in a teacup’! What is the world becoming?

25/10/2015: Warranties: Some great warranties on Outdoor Gear: For example, Darn Tough Vermont Socks: The brand dares you to wear them out. If you can, you get a new pair. ‘Free of charge. No questions asked. For life.’ And L.L. Bean: If you’re ever unsatisfied, they give your money back: http://gearjunkie.com/warranties-outdoor-gear-brands

Darned Tough Vermont

25/10/2015: Paedophilia: The Tip of the Iceberg: http://pickeringpost.com/story/commission-s-hands-and-tongues-are-tied-/5482 & http://www.news.com.au/national/crime/survivor-of-alleged-elite-paedophile-ring-including-former-prime-minister-speaks-out/story-fns0kb1g-1227579834065

24/10/2015: Klymit Air Beam Inflatable Pack Frame Update: After initially failing to inflate the pad from totally flat by mouth, I staggered to the incorrect conclusion that I needed some artificial means of inflation - hence the post about making an adapter for a Platypus bottle (which would work). Somewhere in there I bought a pack of Pope 4mm Sealing Plugs (possibly .1 grams each!) and decided to have another go. The inflation difficulty is caused by some narrow air channels along the top of the pad. You can easily infate the larger tube on the side. When you do that you can squeeze the air around these narrow channels after which the pad infates easily by mouth. Conclusion: you do not need to carry the pad inflater bulb, a saving of one ounce (28 grams – a Muesli bar or spare phone camera, etc). The pad tapers from 1 ½” (40mm) high to 1” (25mm). I tried lying on it as an extension of my ¾ length Neoair pad (230 grams) and it was fine. I will make an arrangement up so they can be hooked together using these stick on patches from http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/tape.shtml So, a pack frame and 110 gram lighter sleeping arrangement for a weight investment of around 14 grams. Pictured the inflated pad having been plugged overnight, the discarded bulb inflater, the pack of Pope fittings, Zpack patches, etc: 71-2 grams in this format.

24/10/2015: Interesting take: Women ‘were propelled into careers by the mass-produced modern kitchen, which, with all its flaws, remains one of the greatest feminist advances the world has ever seen.’ http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-10-19/kitchen-design-isn-t-sexist-it-liberated-women-

24/10/2015: Why Carry a Gun: ‘Police protection is an oxymoron: Free citizens must protect themselves because police do not protect you from crime; they just investigate the crime after it happens and then call someone in to clean up the mess.’ http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/27062-Why-Carry-a-Gun.html The ongoing Kelly-esque search for the Stoccos underlines this point. Police seem entirely unable to cordon any area where these folk might be lurking (indeed they appear to be easily able to lurk off somewhere 400 kilometres away overnight!) Police have been as inept as they were in the hunt for rapist/killer Malcom Naiden a few years back. Both stories (Stoccos/Naiden) would make awesome blockbuster films incidentally - if you don’t mind films which glorify the ‘baddies’. Whilst this manhunt continues we are in ‘lock-down’ here. A variety of guns (pump actions loaded with SSGs, my trusty .308s etc) are ever to hand. We have no interest at all in becoming victims. Meanwhile, the police’s ‘solution’ to the threat of such scumbags is to further DISARM ordinary citizens. I think not! If a locked gate and a sign which says, ‘Trespassers SHOT!’ does not discourage evil vermin, I expect a volley of 12 gauge solids to the general region of their upper bodies might!

23/10/2015: Air Beam Pad: I have always used Gossamer’ Gear’s ‘Sitlight’ pad as padding and partial load transfer in my GG and Zpacks packs. This new pad beats them hands down for comfort and getting that weight down onto your hips where it belongs. The pad itself (12” x19” x ¾”) weighs 68 grams compared to the ‘Sitlight’ @ 49 grams. Unfortunately the pump weighs 29 grams. The pad is quite difficult to blow up by mouth (but on most trips re-inflation should not be necessary). I am working on plugging the ¼” inflation tube with a ¼” irrigation plug(or similar). I also hope to be able to modify a drinking bottle cap with a 1/4” irrigation fitting and some glue – somethig like my post here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/sawyer-water-filter/) so I can blow the pad up (if necessary) with my Platypus/Sawyer drinking bottle. The pad can also be used to extend the length of a 3/4 length sleeping pad (eg Thermarest Neo – 230 grams), so the extra 12 grams can be seen as a saving of 98 grams as compared with carrying the Thermarest Neo Xlight Womens which I normally use: http://gossamergear.com/gg-airbeam-pack-frame.html See also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-pack/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hunting-daypack/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-ideal-pack/ Image result for gossamer gear air beam

23/10/2015: Why is adoption of this healthy baby in a mere 14 weeks’ time not seen as the sane and humane solution: http://www.smh.com.au/victoria/suicidal-mother-pleads-for-late-term-abortion-at-royal-womens-hospital-20151022-gkfuiy.html

23/10/2015: Virtue Signalling: I see a lot of this: only yesterday we passed (twice) a trio of women essaying to be steamed hippopotami, decked out in all the most fashionable brand-name colourful sports gear, backpacks included (of course) going for a quite short walk along a busy road near Churchill (which has many quite lovely private walks nearby). This is only an example: I can usually tell (even by stance and facial expression) before the first three words are uttered EVERYTHING someone ‘thinks’ and ‘believes’. Most folks are just so desperate to broadcast their ‘goodness’ and conformity to the world. It is a phenomenon I have never understood. I can’t even remember the last time I agreed with someone (what a disagreeable experience THAT would be!) As for uniforms: I have always worn what I like and is comfortable; I am always appalled when my chosen shoes, shorts etc have become completely unavailable – as that fashion (even the fashion of making them in Australia!) passed some twenty years ago… http://assistantvillageidiot.blogspot.com.au/2015/10/virtue-signalling.html

22/10/2015: Hoverboard anyone: Canadian inventor tests new prototype of record-setting hoverboard: http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/hoverboard-duru-1.3270569

Image result for canadian hoverboard

22/10/2015: Heroes of 1948: Why men fight: the entire Arab army was 20 kilometres from Tel Aviv…the ever-present enemy, ‘What Hitler did will be nothing compared to what we’re going to do.’ https://vimeo.com/54400569

22/10/2015: CO2: The Culprit: Some things you might NOT know: Ice core expert Jaworowski states, ‘The basis of most of the IPCC conclusions on anthropogenic causes and on projections of climatic change is the assumption of low level of CO2 in the pre-industrial atmosphere. This assumption, based on glaciological studies, is false.’ http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/10/17/deconstruction-of-the-anthropogenic-global-warming-agw-hypothesis-2/

clip_image007

clip_image011

21/10/2015: Sawyer water Filter: 2 gram back flush for Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter: I imagine this would work with the Sawyer Mini (40 grams) too, only a smaller hole would need to be drilled: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=78861

Locked in place

21/10/2015: Herbie the Hate Bug: Leonardo DiCaprio is to produce a film about the Volkswagen emissions scandal. That should be a real winner!

21/10/2015: Escape: This could come in handy some day: http://www.itstactical.com/skillcom/lock-picking/how-to-escape-from-zip-ties/

20/10/2015: Seeming: Rosie the Riveter: ‘But the woman in the patriotic poster was never named Rosie, nor was she a riveter. All along it was Mrs. Doyle..shortly after the photo was taken left her job at the factory. She barely lasted two weeks. A cellist, Mrs. Doyle was horrified to learn that a previous worker at the factory had badly injured her hands working at the machines. She found safer employment at a soda fountain and bookshop in Ann Arbor, where she wooed a young dental school student and later became his wife.’ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/29/AR2010122905336.html

20/10/2015: Telomeres: Abolishing the diseases that are old age and death: Good Luck with that project Dr Fossell, and don’t take too long: http://www.rationaloptimist.com/blog/curing-old-age/

20/10/2015: Wireless Extension Cords: What a great idea, ‘we've beamed power over 300 feet!’ (100 metres!): http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/wec.shtml

19/10/2015: Self-Defence: You probably saw this video already of a car/cleaver terrorsist in Israel tackled by an armed by-stander: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV2MrXtyjUA . There has been a dramatic increase (thousands of percent!) in crimes against the person since folks have been banned (in this country) from carrying a pistol for self-defence: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/automatic-gate-controllers/ . The film well illustrates that a single-shot or smaller calibre can be inadequate. Dirty Harry was quite right about the stopping power of the .45 magnum pistol round, but the clip reinforces the message that if you want the offender to STAY down when using a smaller calibre, you may just have to keep convincing him. 'Bang, Take THAT. And That,' etc.The Taurus .410 five shot shotgun pistol loaded with SSG/buckshot would have a salutary effect too...

19/10/2015: Clearly this ban should be extended to include ALL outdoor (and indoor) areas: http://www.betootaadvocate.com/uncategorized/surry-hills-residents-demand-official-gluten-free-zone-on-crown-street/

19/10/2015: Useful Gear List, much of which I would have recommended too, particularly Zpacks gear, Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Women's Sleeping Pad, & Trail Designs Caldera Cone Stove Set: http://www.walkingwithwired.com/2015/10/wireds-2015-comprehensive-gear-review.html

18/10/2015: Bush Shower: This is an excellent idea: it would work well with a solar shower or camp shower too such as this one sold by Sea to Summit which weighs about 100 grams (if you ditch the stuff sack). I find two 1300 ml billies of cold water (add FIRST!) + 2 of boiling water gives a perfect shower in the woods: http://www.seatosummit.com/product/?item=Pocket+Shower&o1=0&o2=0&o3=195

Bear Hang Using A Simple Pulley:

18/10/2015: AGW: So, basically, they made it all up! No wonder it doesn’t show AT ALL on the satellite records: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/09/27/approximately-92-or-99-of-ushcn-surface-temperature-data-consists-of-estimated-values/ & http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2015/09/almost-all-us-temperature-data-used-in-global-warming-models-is-estimated-or-altered.php & http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/08/08/climate-change-the-hoax-that-costs-us-4-billion-a-day/

18/10/2015: Robert Menzies’ greatest speech: The Forgotten people: ‘The great vice of democracy - a vice which is exacting a bitter retribution from it at this moment - is that for a generation we have been busy getting ourselves on to the list of beneficiaries and removing ourselves from the list of contributors, as if somewhere there was somebody else's wealth and somebody else's effort on which we could thrive. To discourage ambition, to envy success, to have achieved superiority, to distrust independent thought, to sneer at and impute false motives to public service - these are the maladies of modern democracy, and of Australian democracy in particular. Yet ambition, effort, thinking, and readiness to serve are not only the design and objectives of self-government but are the essential conditions of its success. If this is not so, then we had better put back the clock, and search for a benevolent autocracy once more.’ Take the time to read it: http://www.liberals.net/theforgottenpeople.htm

17/10/2015: Sounds Good: Hillwalking across Scotland: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/from-sea-to-sea-across-scotland-on-foot/2015/09/24/1c712ffe-4aa4-11e5-8ab4-c73967a143d3_story.html

17/10/2015: ‘Only 8 per cent of all respondents thought Muslim immigration has been for the good…’ Graham Young, executive director of the Australian Institute for Progress:

‘What I also know, based on a qualitative survey of 1349 Australians we conducted and the study we have just released, is that if parties are based around concern about Muslim immigration, then a significant segment of the community is likely to welcome them.

I also know that while this concern is strongest on the Right, with 75 per cent of our Liberal and 69 per cent of our non-Greens minor-party respondents saying Muslim immigration is bad for Australia, on the Left 22 per cent of ALP and 18 per cent of Greens respondents thought the same. Even more startling, only 8 per cent of all respondents thought Muslim immigration has been for the good…

It is highly unlikely that resistance to Muslim immigration arises from some broadbased racism in society, as the majority of our respondents (69 per cent) favoured immigration at, or above, current levels....

A number of issues characterise resistance to Muslim immigration and they almost universally stem from a fear that Islamic culture is incompatible with Western culture as practised in Australia… At its strongest this manifested in a concern that Australia is being colonised by Islam.. Another issue was the perceived lack of economic skills of immigrants, so that they became a burden on society rather than adding to its wealth. There was also a human rights concern and this was present across all groups and arose from the perception that Muslim migrants were not just misogynistic but homophobic. So the hijab is seen as symbolising the violation of human rights rather than just a cultural garment. Female genital mutilation was also frequently raised. The idea Islam discriminates against other religions also gives rise to human rights concerns, such how nonbelievers may be treated…

These are perceptions… To successfully settle these new immigrants we need to work out whether these issues are real, and deal with them.

Above all that means acknowledging that these concerns are genuine to those who hold them. The lesson from our recent past is that ignoring them, denigrating them or trying to marginalise them will lead to a political explosion rather than harmony.’

17/10/2015: Pumps Woes: The last several days have been marred by these, as this Indian Summer accelerates our preparations for the advancing summer. Gradually getting on top of them I think …

16/10/2015: Spudzookas: These look like great fun: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spud_gun

16/10/2015: IPVanish: You probably heard the Australian Government started tracking all your internet/phone use yesterday. You need a VPN. We connected with these folk: hasn’t slowed the internet down a bit. Other things you can try: https://www.ipvanish.com/ & https://www.torproject.org/ & https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Web & http://www.flashrouters.com/ddwrt-router-information

16/10/2015: ‘We Have No Right to Happiness’: C.S. Lewis. Read this article to the end; it is well worth it: http://www.generationcedar.com/main/2009/09/we-have-no-right-to-happiness-c-s-lewis.html

15/10/2015: Posterior Vitreous Detachment: Life doesn’t come with a ‘user’s manual’, and likely we wouldn’t read it even if it did – truth is there are just so many (sometimes bizarre) things can befall you. For me, yesterday it was this. The Vitreous section of my eye detached from my retina giving me lots of interesting flashes of light and dark patches something like spiders’ webs floating by the vision in my right eye. Have to admit we are both so caught up in Della’s vision problems (and mine has always been indecently excellent) I did not ‘see’ this coming, even though it apparently happens to the majority of ‘elderly’ men (& women) – and there we have it, the truth at last: old age! No doubt it has other interesting surprises in store apart from wrinkles and arthritis (Do I really want to know?) Old age is clearly NOT for the faint-hearted. And, Oh, in case you were worried: this condition is nothing; it will pass without any fuss, though I admit to a few anxious moments yesterday!

15/10/2015: Internet Speeds: We have been experiencing a variety of strange internet speed phenomena here lately, which our ISP (and electrical stores, even Google) have been quite hopeless about. I have struggled away with it, sometimes doubting my own sanity (a separate issue really!), and had finally come to the conclusion that I had radio interference with my wireless internet connections. This was finally confirmed by recourse to the excellent Adam Broadbent, who should really been my first port of call I realise now, as he knew all about it, and has been able to give me encyclopaedic advice in how to fix it. In brief: we had such strange things as quite intermittent speeds, varying oddly over different devices, including dropouts, and so on. Most modems/routers operate on the 2.4 gigahertz frequency. So do a lot of other gadgets (including Bluetooth devices, including hearing aid controllers) such as microwave ovens and wireless phones. If you have two routers (as we have (one for wireless NBN, the other for a DSL connection) they MUST be separated by preferably at least 5 metres. If some of your wireless computers (etc) are old(ish) they will be unable to connect at some NBN speeds, so the router will throttle back for them, affecting other newer devices. There are a variety of standards here (a,b,g, n etc). ‘N’ is good. Or can get at least 50 megs speed from such devices but NOT if you also have a slower device connected wirelessly. Some computers you can alter the Advanced Configuration settings of the wireless adapters (eg to switch to ‘n’, or ‘tweak’ in other ways); some you will have to switch the wireless card (because they do not even have ‘G’ – and ‘A/B’ will not get you beyond about 10 Megs) or plug in a USB wireless card. If all your devices have ‘N’, then if there is no other interference the router should switch to this mode and send and transmit at NBN speeds (in our case about 50 down and 25 up!) We have had to separate the modems, buy new phones (which run on 1.8/9 Gigs – fortunately these are usually cheaper than the 2.4 models!), and we need to be VERY careful about what other wireless/Bluetooth devices we have. Also important: the channels on the two routers need to be set as far apart as possible: 1&5 or 6&11 as the radio signals can ‘blur’ over from one close channel to another. I hope this info helps. Adam would be able to explain it better, but there doesn’t seem to be much other help out there otherwise. NB: a 5 Gig router might overcome some of these problems but apparently this frequency does not propagate well, so your range will be quite limited – it might not go from your lounge room to your kitchen, for example. Apparently those devices which re-transmit (eg television signals) can also cause internet mayhem. Most important: keep transmitters a goodly distance apart, and on different frequencies – have as little stuff on 2.4 Gigs as possible. You might be chucking quite a lot of electronic stuff!

15/10/2015: New report shows just how GOOD CO2 is: ‘Unlike the claims of future global warming disasters these benefits are firmly established and are being felt now. Yet despite this the media overlook the good news and the public remain in the dark.’ http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/10/12/climate-doomsayers-ignore-benefits-of-carbon-dioxide-emissions-now-compiled-in-a-new-report/

14/10/2015: Inflatable Space Blanket Quilt: I applaud this chap’s ingenuity. I have purchased two space blankets and some ‘Gel Grip’ contact adhesive (works well on mylar) and a baby food juice container for the valve and intend (time permitting) to construct an inflatable space blanket which should weigh about 120 grams and help one survive down to sub-zero temperatures providing you can construct some ground insulation (Neoair or pile of ferns, grass leaves, etc): http://www.instructables.com/id/Survive-without-style-the-ultimate-garbage-bag-she/

14/10/2015: AGW & Theology have oodles of similarities (apart from the vast chunks of the Dewey-decimal system and our GDP devoted to them), but in the simplest undeniable symbolic logic terms they are both nonsense, ie: ‘If PƆQ, but ~PƆ ~Q’. In theology, ‘P’ would be ‘God’. You can substitute anything you like for ‘Q’. If there is no ‘God’ then nothing at all follows (‘Not Q’). In AGW ‘Q equals CO2 and ‘P’ equals ‘Warming’ and multifarious other diabolical nasties. In this case the satellite record shows that though there has been an increase in CO2 over the last (20) years, there has been NO WARMING, ergo CO2 does not have that effect. Case closed. Because theology and global warming are both JUST belief systems, no appeal to logic/facts will make the slightest difference. Scarey, isn’t it?

14/10/2015: It’s their culture: ‘In his last phone call home, Lance Cpl. Gregory Buckley Jr. told his father what was troubling him: From his bunk in southern Afghanistan, he could hear Afghan police officers sexually abusing boys they had brought to the base. “At night we can hear them screaming, but we’re not allowed to do anything about it,” the Marine’s father, Gregory Buckley Sr., recalled his son telling him before he was shot to death at the base in 2012. He urged his son to tell his superiors. “My son said that his officers told him to look the other way because it’s their culture.” http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/21/world/asia/us-soldiers-told-to-ignore-afghan-allies-abuse-of-boys.html?_r=0 In a similar albeit more light-hearted vein: http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/timblair/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/so_you_think_you_can_dance_isis/ ‘I've danced with a man, who's danced with a girl, who's danced with the Prince of Wales’ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I've_danced_with_a_man,_who's_danced_with_a_girl,_who's_danced_with_the_Prince_of_Wales

13/10/2015: Enough already: Dreamed last night I was just starting my first professional job (Trainee Analytical Chemist, BHP 1965). Oh No! Surely fifty years is enough!

13/10/2015: What do suburbanites gain that is half so valuable as the garden they forego? Latte?

13/10/2015: Organic: Personally I think the worst part is where you need up to 50% more land to grow the same amount of food, so that if we ‘returned’ to this outmoded and dangerous methodology we would either have to exterminate a third of the world’s peoples or clear the rest of the world’s wildernesses: http://www.hoover.org/research/dirty-truth-about-organic

12/10/2015: This is my 500th post here on http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ I have still maybe a hundred posts to carry over from my old website, and many more which need editing, photographs etc. Some of you will be pleased to know I also still have many ideas for future posts, and future adventures! So, I hope you keep on coming back, ‘like’ my page on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/theultralighthiker?ref=aymt_homepage_panel) and recommend it to your friends. There are also now nearly 400 pages of Hiking/Camping advice here: http://finnsheep.com/HIKING.htm so maybe you need a quiet afternoon to do a bit of reading! Hope you continue to enjoy.

Seaforth River, Dusky Track, Fiordland, New Zealand, between Loch Marie and Kintail; Tripod Hill in background (2006).

12/10/2015: At 50:50 (this is as good as it gets- and with a 3% margin), does it make any sense to have the gutless, trendy opportunist Turnbull as our leader compared with a courageous, principled man who would take on the important issues of the day? Bring back Tony

12/10/2015: Correction: I recently posted that REAL butter no longer comes in tubs. I was mistaken. A desperate search of our own supermarket’s lugubrious shelves revealed most manufacturers do seem to have suddenly eschewed this most practical of container latterly, but amid the plethora of faux butters laced with who knows what dire concoction of homogenised pigs’ trotters and other nasties, there is this GEM: Mainland Buttersoft. It IS a real butter, quite delicious, and comes spreadable straight from the fridge, so: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

12/10/2015:

11/10/2015: Surprising Discovery: My own inner political correctness: I was just as surprised as you…I was chatting with a friend of Merrin’s at her soiree yesterday afternoon, sticking carefully to uncontentious topics (as you do) in this case gardening, something we have done wince we were married (in 1973) when we dug up the tiny pocket-handkerchief front garden at our first home, 33 Chelmsford St Newtown to grow cabbages, peas & etc. Part of the ‘etc’ were some “lobelia’ as I remember, a favourite food of mountain gorillas, yet we were never troubled by them as I observed at the time…I was drinking a smoothie the friend had made for me from Della’s raspberries (delicious!)…Anyway, I was somewhat taken aback when my observation that we have been feasting on our own seasonal fruits: tamarillos, pepinos etc was greeted with the riposte that it was so ‘good’ to be ‘sustainable’. I have certainly never intended our horticulture to be politically correct. ‘Virtue is its own reward’ I have always thought. Note to self: Need to make more of an effort to shock!

Our beautiful quince I planted a generation ago will give someone a tonne of fruit annually for centuries.

Our avocado (likewise) is laden: must pick some today!

11/10/2015: The beginning of the end, perhaps: Turnbull was jeered and booed by his own party whilst Tony Abbott was (deservedly) given a standing ovation: http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/malcolm-turnbull-booed-by-his-own-party-members-during-speech/story-fn5tas5k-1227564341518

11/10/2015: Very interesting internet security device; add this to your VPN: http://mashable.com/2013/01/08/itwin-connect/#d8rUNq8tsPqq

Itwinconnect

10/10/2015: The Grand Mufti: Eighteen years after arriving here from Egypt and four years after he promised to master English in four years the Mufti still needs an interpreter! Malcolm Turnbull: ‘It’s not compulsory to live in Australia. If you find Australian values unpalatable, then there’s a big wide world out there.’

10/10/2015: Perhaps you don’t need a 3D printed gun, so what about going fishing: http://www.instructables.com/id/3D-Printed-Pocket-Fishing-Rod/

Picture of 3D Printed Pocket Fishing Rod

10/10/2015: An interesting idea: it might just catch on. One thing I recently noticed: We visited the Ikea store in Richmond the other day. On display were numerous small ‘flats’ measuring anywhere between 25-55 square metres yet we GIFT three bedroom ‘millionaire’ dwellings (which most working folks could not afford) to folks on welfare and expect nothing in return…WHY? http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2015/09/maine-mayor-wants-website-to-post-name-and-address-of-welfare-recipients/

09/10/2015: Deporting 500,000 people: It certainly is a formidable task, isn’t it? Using our entire airline fleet it might even take a week! Still, if it was so easy to import them, it should not be any more difficult to deport them. I would imagine that long before the last terrorist outrage, (or the next) the average Aussie has long since decided on the desirability at least of turning off the tap AND removing the most undesirable. Surely we do NOT want citizens who repudiate their oath of loyalty ie that they give their primary allegiance to Australia before any other loyalty or faith! Those undertaking citizenship (I imagine) have been required to take such an oath. If they subsequently repudiate it by word or deed, their citizenship should immediately be revoked. Those who have not yet applied for or been entitled to citizenship can surely be deported immediately (to a country of their choosing, their last destination country, or their country of origin). The first 200,000 or so (those who arrived since Rudd was elected) should be easy enough. Then, there is the horde who have spouted hatred of our society for years and/or committed sundry anti-social acts against it. Thousands more. They too should be easy enough as they have a record. This will still leave us with 100,000+ living on some kind of welfare largesse amongst us whilst still no doubt heartily condemning us at the mosque. Why should folk who reject our society live on its generosity? Some will require a financial incentive such as they employ in Denmark to move on. It will still be cheaper to give them 1-5 years’ welfare as a lump sum incentive to depart for Lebanon etc rather than continuing to pay them, their 3-4 wives and their vast brood of evil children. I doubt whether at the end of the exercise we will be able to find 10-20,000 Moslems who have any loyalty to Australia and/or whom we would want to remain living amongst us. Even if such a worthwhile handful remains, we must nonetheless cease importing more, as we would be most unwise to ever add a single extra to their number…

09/10/2015: Plus ca change: Study Correlates Opposition to Homosexual Agenda With Mental Illness: For thousands of years homosexuality was acknowledged as a form of disease. For example, it was listed as a mental illness in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual until political pressure from the Left resulted in it being removed in 1973… http://moonbattery.com/?p=63668

09/10/2015: Phone case multi-tools: various people are making these, eg: http://www.thetasklab.com/task-one-multi-tool-case

07/10/2015: This is our creek. The trees are Blue Gums (Eucalyptus Globulus) reputed to be a local variant peculiar to the Jeeralangs where we live. Up in the top of the one on the left this morning was this little fellow, again common to this area (and also reputed to be a peculiar local variant of koala. You may not realise that I have always called these critters ‘coal-a’ bears having been taught to do so by an old family friend, Max Saunders when I was very young. I still see his point. They are not so numerous around here that they have eaten out all the gums as happened at Cape Otway. Prior to 1914 they were harvested for their fine skins until they were quite rare. Today they cannot be culled no matter what happens to their populations. They are/were starving alarmingly at Cape Otway last time I was there (2013). You rarely notice them, as they are hard to spot up a tree and usually move around after dark. My attention was drawn to this one this morning when I was checking a pump, as he was roaring: they have a surprisingly loud call which carries for hundreds of yards, sounding something like a camel in rut which no doubt you are more familiar with!

07/10/2015: Parramatta Terrorist’s School: Arthur Phillip High School: Annual School Report 2014: ‘In 2014 1404 students enrolled at Arthur Phillip High School. More than 90% of students are from language backgrounds other than English. There are over forty different cultures represented in the school population…Assimilation is just IMPOSSIBLE at these levels. 10% perhaps. Here’s what Britain’s Home Secretary says, ‘when immigration is too high, when the pace of change is too fast, it’s impossible to build a cohesive society.’ Exactly. The time for action was yesterday: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/theresa-may-s-speech-to-the-conservative-party-conference-in-full-a6681901.html

07/10/2015: Illegal guns #2: After Port Arthur and Howard’s gun buy back I was frequently offered illegal guns to purchase. This was because many of the guns were not destroyed by police, far from it – as I observed when I handed two old firearms in which Howard had made illegal. Some guns went into the press to be ‘destroyed. Typically police crushed either the action, or the end of the barrel (usually the latter), so one gun could later easily be made out of two. The fact that some actions were not being crushed on the day filled me with some dismay, I can assure you. I observed some however were taken immediately to a back room without any damage. Not long after (as I said) I was offered a list of over one hundred illegal guns by a bent policeman (a distant acquaintance), an offer which I did not take up as I would never trust such a person. If you are going to buy an illegal firearm, trust maybe ‘honest’ criminals, but bent cops? You have to be kidding. Around the time I saw nothing odd about someone who simply wished to continue to own a type of firearm which they had owned most of their lives and which they had bought legally prior to there being any permits required. To my memory the 1970s are not so long ago when you could buy a semi-automatic rifle from Kmart! Since then there has been a huge increase in the importation and trade in illegal firearms, particularly pistols. There has also (much more worryingly) been a huge importation of undesirable people! More than any other thing, it is these people who are the problem. You could (unlikely) rid society of every gun, yet these people would still be an immense (and increasing) danger. There are lots of other means of killing people and causing vast destruction other than guns. We need immediately to begin ridding our society of such people. There are plenty of simply awful countries where they can be sent!

07/10/2015: ‘The constitution of the Roman Republic was designed as a corrective to democracy. Specifically, it was hoping to protect against the excesses of Athenian-style direct democracy. About twice a month in Athens, citizens voted into law almost anything they wished. About six to seven thousand citizens would squeeze into a hillside amphitheatre known as the Pnyx and were swayed by demagogues (“people leaders”) into voting for or against whatever the cause de jour was. Our term “democracy” comes from the Greek dêmos-kratos, which means “people-power.”

In furore at a rebellion, for example, Athenians once voted to kill all of the adult male subjects of the island of Lesbos—only to repent the next day and vote again to execute just some, hoping that their second messenger ship rowed fast enough across the Aegean to catch the first bearing the original death sentence. In a fit of pique, the popular court voted to execute the philosopher Socrates, fine the statesman Pericles, and ostracize the general Aristides. Being successful, popular, rich, or controversial always proved to be a career liability in a democracy like the one that ruled Athens.

The Romans knew enough about mercurial ancient Athens to appreciate that they did not want a radical democracy. Instead, they sought to take away absolute power from the people and redistribute it within a “mixed” government. In Rome, power was divided constitutionally between executives (two consuls), legislators (the Senate and assemblies), and judges (Roman magistrates).

The half-millennium success of the stable Roman republican system inspired later French and British Enlightenment thinkers. Their abstract tripartite system of constitutional government stirred the Founding Fathers to concrete action. Americans originally were terrified of what 51 percent of the people in an unchecked democracy might do on any given day—and knew that ancient democracies had always become more not less radical and thus more unstable. For all the squabbles between Adams, Jefferson, Hamilton, and Madison, they agreed that a republic, not a direct democracy, was a far safer and stable choice of governance.’ http://www.dinocrat.com/?p=46298

06/10/2015: Illegal guns: A few year’s ago out hunting a friend brought along his new (legal) Glock pistol to show me. It had cost him over $2,000 not including the necessary licences, memberships etc. What a beauty it was. At about the same time I was offered the identical pistol in a Melbourne bar for way less than a quarter of that - and with no annoying licences, storage requirements, etc…

06/10/2015: Already addled modern medicine has taken the next step after indulging the pathological delusions of men who want to deform themselves into crude parodies of women. Psychologist Pours Drain Cleaner in Woman’s Eyes Because She Thinks She Was Meant to Be Blind - http://moonbattery.com/?p=63680

05/10/2015: Turnbull suggests, ‘The Australian Muslim community will be especially appalled and shocked by this...’ Yet note: Nothing from the Grand Mufti, so quick to publicly damn Tony Abbott. Nothing from the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils. Nothing from leading Islamic clerics… ‘This Parliament is the weakest in living memory. It has no intention to stand and protect its people from Islamic violence. It has no intention to stop the proliferation of mosques which are at the very root of this evil. It refuses to close the Islamic book stores where Muslim youths are trained in the techniques of killing Australians. Our current Parliament will not stop, nor even stem, Muslim immigration which means the problem will only increase.

Abbott was right... Muslims cannot be trusted!’ http://pickeringpost.com/story/bugger-why-didn-t-someone-de-radicalise-me-/5408

05/10/2015: Orthorexia nervosa – Wikipedia: ‘is an eating disorder characterized by an extreme or excessive preoccupation with avoiding foods perceived to be unhealthy.’ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthorexia_nervosa

04/10/2015: Venus Bay No 4 Beach, Gippsland Victoria:

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

(Sea Fever By John Masefield)

Red-billed shearwater.

04/10/2015: Turnbull suggests, ‘The Australian Muslim community will be especially appalled and shocked by this...’ Yet note: Nothing from the Grand Mufti, so quick to publicly damn Tony Abbott. Nothing from the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils. Nothing from leading Islamic clerics… ‘This Parliament is the weakest in living memory. It has no intention to stand and protect its people from Islamic violence. It has no intention to stop the proliferation of mosques which are at the very root of this evil. It refuses to close the Islamic book stores where Muslim youths are trained in the techniques of killing Australians. Our current Parliament will not stop, nor even stem, Muslim immigration which means the problem will only increase.

Abbott was right... Muslims cannot be trusted!’ http://pickeringpost.com/story/bugger-why-didn-t-someone-de-radicalise-me-/5408

04/10/2015: Orthorexia nervosa – Wikipedia: ‘is an eating disorder characterized by an extreme or excessive preoccupation with avoiding foods perceived to be unhealthy.’ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthorexia_nervosa

03/10/2015: Dr David Evans is one of those (90%? of) climate scientists who finds fault with the current orthodoxy of AGW. Instead he finds that CO2’s ‘forcing’ role has been over-estimated by an order of magnitude (READ 10X!), and that the world will be COOLING for some time to come: http://joannenova.com.au/

03/10/2015: On the other hand, turning us into dwarves with night vision will save us from climate change: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/10/01/bizarre-idea-turning-us-into-dwarves-with-night-vision-will-save-us-from-climate-change/

03/10/2015: More terror in Sydney: All the news that’s (un)fit to print…Unsurprisingly the Parramatta gunman was wearing flowing black robes and was ‘of Middle Eastern appearance’. Who knew? ‘The ABC understands the incident is not terror related.’

03/10/2015: Bore Sight: This is just about the best $20 I have ever spent. All my rifles were just a little bit ‘out’. My 22 Magnum was way out. Foxes around here will now have to watch out. Thanks eBay:

Red-Dot-Laser-Bore-Sight-22-50-Boresighter-Rifle-Hunting-Sighter-Boresight

02/10/2015: Turnbull & Bishop show themselves as evil idiots who seek to place us in like company on the UN Human Rights Council with fellow members: China, Congo, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. At the same time they ban an American who stated (15 years ago!) that he believed abortionists were guilty of murder and should suffer the same penalty. His human rights? It is not a specially exceptional view. If someone stabs a pregnant woman in the stomach in Australia today killing her unborn baby, that is exactly the charge they will face! A Tasmanian Archbishop is to be charged with expressing the offensive view that marriage should be between a man and a woman. T & B will cosy up to Moslems, they say. Tony was just too ‘unkind’ for suggesting they should join ‘team Australia’. Who knew? They will have summits and other ‘warm inner glow’ nonsense. They will increase taxes on the rich. They will abandon spending cuts already legislated in the Lower House. The list is already long. We likely already need a new Conservative party – and we have its Leader in waiting in Parliament already – together with around fifty of his likely party members. The Turnbull coup is arguably the worst political decision (other than the welfare class continuing to elect Labor Governments) of the last fifty years.

02/10/2015: Yogi Berra: ‘You should always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise, they won’t come to yours.’ http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/yogi-berra-quotes-funniest-one-liners/2015/09/23/id/692882/

02/10/2015:

02/10/2015: Here is a useful site for installing handy Apps for your new computer/tablet. They are already virus free: https://ninite.com/ I received a new Asus Transformer Book for Fathers’ Day. I thought it would be handy during the interminable doctor’s visits with Della – and just in case we ever get to go caravanning…It cost me about a week of my life setting it up and getting it to work, (Be warned!) Windows 8/10 is a nightmare – but there is no going back, unfortunately. An interesting glitch it came with: the Bluetooth Mouse I need (because of my arthritis) INTERFERED with my home wifi internet system in a chaotic way! This was only one of MANY problems. It came pre-installed with viruses and malware. Yes! Absolutely the first thing you need to do if you should buy one is install and run Norton & Malwarebytes, otherwise it will just get worse and worse. You will almost certainly have to reinstall Windows 8.1. Whatever you do, do NOT upgrade to Windows 10. (It doesn’t work) – and there is no going back to 8 once you have, even though it promises this will not be so. Beware computers bringing promises!

01/10/2015: Rokon Scout, a 2WD motorbike. I like the green colour. If you find muscle power alone won’t get you where you want to go any more. You might try one of these: https://www.rokon.com/bikes/scout Would be a fitting accompaniment to your Mokai: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/?s=mokai

01/10/2015: Swallows nesting here at Jeeralang Junction: ‘We take the fall and spring migrations for granted, but they are in fact miraculous feats and remarkable adaptations to the climate changes of the ice age era (which we are still in today - and have been for 2.6 million years with lulls and expansions of northern hemisphere ice. If you can apply "normal”; this planet normally has no ice).’ (Bird Dog)

01/10/2015:

01/10/2015: So many ‘problems’ arise because many people are ‘orally fixated’ instead of auditorally. Their problems arise from what they CHOOSE to put in their mouths and have come out of them. If they paid more attention to their ears (eg listen to good advice) their problems would disappear. Surely more than enough money has already been spent on brochures and education programmes explaining eg why smoking is bad for you, how to avoid diabetes, drugs are bad, exercise is good, etc? I add advice about not spouting angry vile stupidities out of them, blaming others, one’s own ‘disadvantage, etc. The individual alone is responsible for one’s own situation. No-one else is. No-one else is able to lift you out of a bad situation either. If you don’t ‘pull yourself up by your own bootstraps’ no-one else will or CAN! ‘Victims’ (and perpetrators) of domestic violence, the ‘diabetes epidemic’, aboriginal ‘disadvantage’, poverty, homelessness…they are ALL the individual’s FAULT. The ‘victims’ alone can help themselves. Not a cent of public money should be spent on such ‘social problems’. People MUST take responsibility for themselves. For example, if people are on ‘welfare’, unemployed and unemployable, morbidly obese, diabetic, illiterate, smokers, drinkers, drug addicts, neither grow nor consume fresh fruit/vegetables, attempt to subsist alone on junk food (proven how many times to KILL lab rats?), it is their own fault, their own problem. The sooner they either lift themselves up or are gone from the planet, the better.

30/09/2015: Not Quite Alone in the Wilderness

I faced a week of enforced bachelorhood anyway (as Della is craftily away) so I decided to take the pups for a week’s walk…Four hour’s driving later including a couple on bumpy 4WD tracks we gazed up a river somewhere, wondering…

Who knows what wonders lie around the river's bend? Delightfully there are a number of Victorian wilderness rivers whose entire catchment has only one (or NO) vehicular access point eg the Wellington, Avon, Moroka (none of which THIS is…)

Sometimes I have to get myself and the two dogs across. You need to find a shallower spot (this looks good). Tiny fits in my daypack worn backwards on my chest. Spot has perfected his trick of standing on my shoulders. Away we go:

A few hours’ later we are at one of my old camps:

Against late arrival I always leave a cache of firewood at my campsites.

My first Tyvek bivi design provides luxury accommodation for 2-3 at least. It clearly has the JR’s tick of approval. It is a triangle with base 32’ and height 10’ (the roll width). Pitched thus it forms a triangular shelter approx 8’ deep and 16’ on a side. The two ‘wings’ can be swung inwards to provide more shelter from rain (or smoke) if the wind shifts. I have spent at least 100 dry nights camping thus.

Side view: I like an open shelter, because you have a greater sense of freedom, a better view, and access to the warmth of a cheery fire.

Like this: It’s great to be putting my feet up at day's end.

The modified 200 gram dog beds worked a treat down to 0 C

Tiny agrees. I have ordered materials to make the dogs new beds at approx 100 grams each. I will post the design when they are done. They would scale up for larger dogs, though why you need larger I cannot imagine…

Spot actually prefers my sleeping bag.

Tiny agrees.

Perhaps both could fit?

Next morning, how's this for a kitchen sink?

There are so many beautiful side streams to explore. Another time for this one which rises many miles away…

Forest 'renewal'. The bush is slowly recovering from the wildfires nearly a decade ago now…

Of course it is Spring. The bush is alive with wildflowers. The dreadful prickly Hakea is ablaze with colour. There are always Erica festooned with tiny bells. Many wattle species yet shed their gold along the river…

Traveller's Joy lies ever beneath my feet.

Everywhere clematis clads with snow plants it holds in wild embrace.

The road goes ever on and on...

Secret pioneer pack tracks provide access yet to many wild places.

So much work went into their construction. So much work (by me) too went into (re)discovering them and clearing them twice or three times over the last 10-15 years. This one is nearly 30 km long! Here the Gerber Brush Thinner machete (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/?s=machete) is an excellent tool. Of course where I led others certainly have followed, but when I first ventured here, no-one had journeyed along this river for many years. There were thickets hundreds of yards long along the river not even deer could force their way through. Deer were as tame as sheep. Fortunately the deer have worked alongside me, keeping the path largely open.

Another day over, Tiny remembers this is a fine place for a camp.

Herbivores are wonderful. They maintain so many beautiful park-like clearings along the river flats.

The birds are slowly returning: pallid cuckoo. I tried and tried to get more bird photos, but they are so quick. There are now many warblers, sitellas, wrens, honeyeaters, kingfishers, parrots… By day along the river there is much wondrous birdsong, but yet nowhere near the cacophony of old. The evening chorus is muted yet…

There is beauty everywhere: afternoon white ant flight.

The trout agree they are beautiful as they hunt them down…

Here too there be dragons...

Very warm weather arriving and forecast to continue, worsen even, I decided we might canoe out:

Faux packraft cache, complete with an Aerovest for emergency life jacket: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/home-made-pack-raft/

Duct tape is SO versatile. You can also use polystyrene balls for tie outs. http://www.theultralighthiker.com/worlds-lightest-tarp-clip/

Ready to set sail.

Unfortunately we didn’t get far. Two dogs and a heavy(ish) pack meant that this wasn’t going to be much fun for the dogs, particularly Tiny. One dog is one thing, two quite another. Tiny at 15 ½ is getting a little beyond some of these trips. My intended morning and evening hunts were much curtailed by her indeterminacy. She just could not decide whether to stay in camp or follow, and being partially sighted and deaf, it was quite uncertain whether she would find me if she set out later. I had to be sure to return along exactly the same route, could not cross the river in case I lost her & etc. I guess this must be nearing her last long wilderness trip. Bittersweet. Her balance in a canoe is not what it was either, so that after a couple of spills which she didn’t enjoy, I backtracked, repacked the raft and decided to hike out again.

I had 'picked' a poor time for a hunt (though a good time for a walk). The Spring growth, the warm weather, the full moon all meant that the deer were very seldom down along the river during daylight hours (much moreso in winter when feed is scarcer). Of course they can see excellently in moonlight. Every night they visited us in our camps, honking constantly to keep us wake. I could have shot a number of fine stags by torchlight. http://www.theultralighthiker.com/mini-super-torch-a-weeks-light-weighs-50-grams/ I'm sure others would have. Who, but for conscience is to know?

Drying out: a little warmth from last night's fire yet lingers.

Tiny is such a grub: she loves a wallow, and needed a good wash (which she resented) in the river every time after we passed one.

The bone reminds me: Steve once shot a deer for me right here. It lay here just like this:

And he shot a lovely stag just for me just around that bend past those leaning trees. Ah, memories...

There remain other mementoes of past hunts.

Perhaps after all though they look better here than on the wall?

30/09/2015: As I enjoy my slice of toast and vege this morning I cannot but fail to note that butter in tubs seems to have completely disappeared from our supermarket shelves (Yes, there is an enormous proliferation of faux butters)! We are relegated once more to those paper wrappers of our childhood, which were much handier when mum cooked, but are the devil for spreading…why this deterioration in public standards?

30/09/2015: Feminists have again been banging on that more needs to be done to wipe out domestic violence, which they read as men bashing women rather than the more common violence against men (but, whatever!) Most seem to revel in the awful Rosie Battie (who like Adam Goodes has done so much to denigrate the concept of Australian of the Year); I can only imagine that her sole redeeming feature is that she comes over as ever so slightly middle class (unlike the majority of such ‘victims’). I fail to see in her case however how she can be a ‘victim’ when SHE clearly failed to remove herself and her son from someone she knew was an evil madman – failed to even alert the police of his presence on that fateful day, even though she had a restraining order against him, even allowing her son access to him – then blaming the System and the Police for a tragedy clearly very much of her making, much like a pedestrian who refuses to learn how to cross a road blaming the presence of cars for their death toll - nearly 2/3 of Victoria’s total road carnage…Listen UP, you WILL have more domestic violence, ice addiction, crime (you name it) when you PAY PEOPLE TO BREED! THAT is the problem. And the solution is to stop. Just go completely cold turkey on this squanderous misuse of public money. It is one thing for the productive members to pool their resources for projects of ‘Common Weal’ (the NAME last I looked of our great country) and quite another to have our hard-earned ripped off us by force majeure and shovelled remorselessly into a vast pit of sloth, decadence, depravity etc world without end, without requiring ANYTHING (even ‘common humanity’) from the recipients of our largesse. There will never be a lessening of hands held out whilst ever you keep crossing their palms with silver; those hands which are the Devil’s work and whose days ought be spent in honest toil, not bludgeoning their supposed ‘loved ones’ to some grisly deaths! Where do you suppose the victims of ‘domestic violence’ live do you suppose? Is it in honest working class or middle class suburbs or in the welfare dystopias which proliferate everywhere the handout is king, where the Government is the de facto husband? http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/mirandadevine/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/domestic_violence_miranda_devine_answers_her_critics/

25/09/2015: Tim Blair: ‘Twenty minutes into his ludicrous interview with Satyajit Das, the ABC’s Phillip Adams offers a modern version of an age-old lefty lament: I’ve just been travelling around a communist state. The hammer and sickle is still on display. It’s a remarkably relaxed society compared to the one next door, Cambodia, which has some claims to democracy but is in fact the sleaziest place I’ve ever looked at. And it occurs to me that the other discussion we’ve got to have, whether we like it not, is whether democracy, however you define it, is up to the task. I remember discussions ages ago about the Chinese response to climate change issues where they were actually, because it was authoritarian, they were able to do something significant, where a society like ours finds it terrible hard to make any decision that’s politically tough. Do you have a view on whether democracy is going to last the distance? Das’s response: Well, I think the more time goes on the more I find democracy unsatisfactory in various respects. When lefties wanted global peace, they looked to the murderous Soviet Union. Now, when lefties want a solution to global warming, they look to the greatest contributor of alleged global warming gasses.’

25/09/2015: Four Gram Fishing Handlines: Found these 100mm x 12 mm screw cap aluminium canisters in the shed. Room inside each for a few hooks, sinkers, spinners, a needle etc. So I have ditched the 15 gram dental floss, and my 10 gram BCB fishing kits. This Dyneema line will suit well enough for fishing, repairs, first aid etc. My whole fishing kit is now less than 2 oz (50 grams). I used to figure 150 grams for a fishing kit was justified if I landed the odd 250 gram fish (I frequently did). This is even better. I am heading off soon for a wilderness trip for a week with my two JRs. They deserve to enjoy our wonderful National Parks they pay so much in taxes for! Whilst I was shaving down my fishing kit, I also shaved 834 grams from my pack weight in toto – which I find hard to believe, as I have gone through it so many times before. If I had a little more time (I leave tomorrow) I figure I could find another 200 grams. Soon my pack will be carrying me! I regret that the material I ordered for my new JR beds has not arrived yet, as the new ones will weigh 100 grams each (with a waterproof bottom), as compared with 200 grams for their (remodeled) old ones. I think I have a really good design for a dog bed now. I will let you know what the dogs thought of them when I return. Of course, I have dehydrated a week’s rations for them too!

25/09/2015: OK. This boatload of refugees can come, and then no more…

24/09/2015: Paw Paw: There is a North American variety which should grow in Southern Victoria. You can get seeds here (I have) : http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Annona-Custard-apple-fruit-tree-types-Many-Rare-Yummy-Easy-grow-U-pick-Seeds-/231692684797?var=&hash=item35f1f5cdfd Other sub-tropical fruit which are thriving in our garden: Black Sapote, Mountain Paw Paw, Guavas (Cherry, Coastal, Chilean), cold climate Bananas (eg Lady’s Fingers), Monstera Deliciosa, Avocado…we aim to eventually have representatives of every edible and useful plant that will grow in Southern Victoria – but now, off to the garden!

24/09/2015: Former Labor minister Peter Baldwin on the invasion of Europe by hundreds of thousands of Muslims: ‘In 2004, Bernard Lewis, the distinguished historian of Islam and the Middle East…predicted Europe would be majority Islamic by the turn of the century “at the very latest"…But predictions of gradual change are rendered irrelevant by the dramatic events of the past few months…A realistic debate needs to acknowledge that Islam is not a race but a belief system, with tenets that many of its followers take extremely seriously. Key among those tenets is the requirement Muslims fight to make Islam dominant over other creeds and belief systems…Islam does not recognise separate civil and religious spheres. The modern notion of diversity is utterly foreign to it, at least in the sense of different belief systems coexisting as equals. How many, if any, of the several score Muslim-majority countries grant genuine civil and religious liberty and equality to non-Muslims? …The goal should be to ensure decent living conditions for all the displaced people until they can be resettled safely, preferably in the(ir) region… If Europe is to avert a civilisational catastrophe it must close its borders to irregular flows urgently…’

24/09/2015: Who PAYS for these studies? Scientific studies reveal that most men feel attracted to sexy younger women. Duh! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3243803/Research-shows-men-attracted-women-early-20s-no-matter-old-get.html?ito=social-twitter_mailonline

23/09/2015: Ultralight Pack: It is quite difficult to buy a sub-600 gram pack (@55 litre) ‘off the shelf’ for reasonable money. I have tried a number over the years and would not carry anything else. The ‘list’ below is not exhaustive but intended as a good starting point:

Gossamer Gear’s (now 54 litre http://gossamergear.com/g4-ultralight-backpack-all-bundle.html) ‘tried and true’ G4 lead the field (576 grams inc hip belt) US$150 and was my first ‘ultralight’ pack; (You can sew in some pieces of webbing to enclose carbon fibre arrow shafts for load transfer or, I find Big Agnes’ ‘Cyclone Chair’ underneath the ‘Sitlight’ pad works quite well).

Mountain Laurel Designs have an excellent contender with their Exodus pack (485 grams http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=25&products_id=103) at US$195. Certainly the lightest and most rugged ‘off the shelf’ model. I’m sure Ron will sew in a couple of pad holders or webbing tubes for carbon fibre arrow shafts if needed for a custom charge. I might also option the pockets in solid Dyneema as I have found the netting which many manufacturers use for their pockets to not like blackberries overmuch, but Ron has at least made the critical wear surfaces of these from Dyneema!

3500ci/57L EXODUS Backpacker Magazine Award

Granite Gear’s Virga 2 (54 Litre) 540 grams http://www.granitegear.com/virga-2.html US$139 is another fine option.

Terra Nova’s Quasar 55 is another option at 436 grams http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/packs-rucksacks-poles/all-packs/quasar-55-pack/ and US$320

Zpacks Arc Blast 52 litres (595 grams http://www.zpacks.com/backpacks/arc_blast.shtml) $US315 looks a beauty and is pretty much the only one with load transfer, though I query if you are carrying less than 10 kilograms you need much load transfer. You can upscale to their Arc Haul in Dyneema (680 grams for 60 litres) if you want something completely bulletproof.

undefined

Joe will still make you one of his ‘Blast’ packs (optioned from his ‘Zero’ range) - try the ‘Wayback Machine’ (https://archive.org/web/) to see what these were like. In 1.43oz/yd2 cuben a 58 litre ‘Blast’ weighs 235 grams approx $200 (Yes!); 339 grams in 2.9oz/yd2 ‘Hybrid’ cuben material; & probably around 420 grams in 4.8oz/yd2 Dyneema. I can’t see how you can go past that 339 grams. Della is still using her 235 gram model, but mine needed quite a lot of repair tape: I am rougher on my packs than she is, and mine has had a lot more use. The original Blast in Hybrid/Dyneema with Pad sleeves for my chair and Sitlight pad is my choice. I option an oversize pocket one side for my tent.

23/09/2015: In the US, a male climate alarmist is paid $US750,000 per year. In Australia, a female climate alarmist receives just $A220,000 – or only $US157,000. For equality’s sake, they should both be paid precisely what they are worth. Absolutely nothing.

23/09/2015: Lloyd Marcus: (man who rightly does not want to be known as an ‘African American’), 'In other words, stiff-necked, hateful, and racist blacks are doomed to squander the blessing of having been born in America – the greatest land of opportunity on the planet.' http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2015/09/our_american_paradise_is_not_lost.html

22/09/2015: Spectator columnist Rod Liddle seems a little annoyed by pig-ignorant lefty click activists: ‘Click here to stop the Tories selling off our hospitals to their vile friends in the City. Click here to stop austerity right now. Click here to let everyone into the country and click here to stop us deporting Mohammed Jihadi al-Semtex, a really lovely bloke who somehow got stitched up by Cameron’s fascist goons. Oh, and the bees, the bees. The bees are dropping dead all over the place. Click here to save the bees. If you don’t save the bees your children will be next, etc. So click here. Put your name to the petition and make a bee happy today. It’s always from the maniacally obsessive, relentlessly involved liberal left, this stuff. Always. There is never a right-wing petition to be signed. You never get an offer which says ‘Click here to deport everyone and don’t let anyone else in’. Or ‘Click here to gas a badger’…There are no normal people at all in this online activism: normal people are all at work or down the pub. It is a tiny fraction of the population – I’d say much less than 0.5 per cent – and they are all psychotically furious about everything and think that you are scum. And they are winning…Thank you, the internet.’

22/09/2015: I agree, the Pope is a scientific and economic illiterate hijacked by Leftist trendies, living in a cosy thought bubble: ‘This pope is not equipped for either politics or diplomacy. Those are not his jobs anyway. His special job is ministering to poverty of spirit and not material comforts’: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/424287/pope-francis-economics-poverty-capitalism

21/09/2015: Dyneema Braid: Most fisherman already know this stuff is around and is replacing nylon monofilament, but you may not. I bought this .34mm lineit to make a method of securing my hearing aids against loss. (See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/securing-hearing-aids/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/spots-hunting-adventures-mystery-river-3/) I may well restring my 10 gram handline with it, as its 50 lb breaking strength will make it more suitable for many uses: emergency guylines, repairs etc, and dipped in some Methylated spirits it will no doubt still work well for first aid: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/bcb-fishing-kit-as-good-as-it-gets/

Rovex Air Strike Braid

21/09/2015: W.B.Yeats: We were watching an old episode of 'All Creatures Great and Small': over breakfast Siegfried looked up from his paper to announce that Yeats was dead, 'The best lack all conviction; the worst are full of passionate intensity.' Alas. Many things have declined, not just poetry appreciation!

21/09/2015: Why is Germany, why is Europe, why are We calling THIS down on ourselves: At least I know the solution to rapists: ARM the populace: http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/6527/migrants-rape-germany

20/09/2015: The result in Canning - Liberals 55 to Labor 45, and a seven per cent swing to Labor. This is worse than the 57 to 43 that the Liberal’s polling a week ago said was possible, under Abbott (see yesterday’s post). Remember this is the ‘honeymoon’ period! I believe the Libs could/should have won under Tony. You may be surprised I will not be voting for them under Turnbull. I fear Morrison has damaged himself badly during this fracas. Bishop is toast. It is inconceivable the Libs have jettisoned a man of honour in favour of duplicitous bastards, but they have. We may be looking a long way down the list for help…Josh? Senator David Leyonhjelm damaged the brand, I suspect, by preferencing against the then Abbott-led Liberals: The Liberal Democrats finished last…What a disaster the last week was!

20/09/2015: Woven Dyneema: new fabric for hiking packs etc. This stuff should be ultra tough yet very light. It will be difficult to even cut it with a knife! So far these folks seem to be the first to make it into a pack, but I’m sure more will follow. I am hoping that it will also come in grey or green further down the track. I was going to order a new (Dyneema Ripstop) pack from zpacks for Xmas, but I may hold off until this stuff is available. http://www.cilogear.com/dyneema60.html

Cilo 60L Worksack

19/09/2015: Canning: Remember this: Tony Abbott expected to win that by-election comfortably and use the result to calm the panic in the party. Internal party polling suggested the result would be better than the 53 per cent to 47 recorded by Ipsos, and possibly even the 55 to 45 tipped by pollster William Bowe. Turnbull needs to do much better than that to justify his treachery! Unlikely!

19/09/2015: Elephants in the Room: The Elephant Company: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II: http://www.amazon.com/Elephant-Company-Inspiring-Unlikely-Animals/dp/1400069335 ELEPHANT BANS make no SENSE (but when did the touch-feely crowd EVER make sense?) http://moonbattery.com/?p=55901

19/09/2015: ‘The trouble with retirement is that you never get a day off’: http://www.lifehealthpro.com/2015/09/16/31-of-the-best-retirement-jokes?eNL=55fad770150ba0492d357e0b&utm_source=LHPro_YourPractice&utm_medium=EMC-Email_editorial&utm_campaign=09172015&_LID=139529093&page_all=1

19/09/2015: More Emergency Boats: The Tarp Boat: This demonstration leads me more and more to the inescapable conclusion that it would be possible to make a canoe using a poncho as the skin. More about that later: http://willowhavenoutdoor.com/general-survival/improvised-tarp-boat/

2-35

18/09/2015: Remember this guy? Posing in ISIS photos last year - now he's a ‘refugee’

18/09/2015: Improvised Bow Saw: You can make an improvised bow saw from a bent branch and a couple of large key rings (or similar) I noticed Erin & Hig used small carabiners in Ben Fogle’s New Lives in the Wild Episode 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOUcDt96IrU Since a bow saw blade itself only weighs 50-100 grams, this could be a useful addition to a wilderness camp. Many areas in the Victorian bush are a bit light on short pieces of firewood since the bushfires cleared much of this debris. By the same token those same fires have killed and brought down so many trees, there is an ample supply of longer pieces of firewood. This cooked hardwood burns more like pine though, so be warned you need at least twice as much of it as unburned wood. For other info see: http://willowhavenoutdoor.com/featured-wilderness-survival-blog-entries/fat-guys-in-the-woods-blog-skill-series-make-an-improvised-bow-saw/ & http://rockymountainbushcraft.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/how-to-make-primitive-bow-saw-in.html

18/09/2015: Spooky! Move over Ted Bundy…Scroll to the bottom and read the poems first, then read the story: http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/new-evidence-links-serial-killer-stephen-wayne-anderson-aka-the-bard-of-death-row-to-35-year-old-murder/story-fnq2o7dd-1227502529582

18/09/2015: You may not want to, but you really should read this (and absorb its implications): http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/no_but_yes_green_groups_really_do_want_deindustrialisation/

17/09/2015: Surprising Treasure Hidden Within A Nine Volt Battery: 6 x AAAA batteries: http://survivaltek.com/?p=4535

six AAAA batteries within a 9V battery

17/09/2015: So the Libs have received a 3% boost in the Reachtel Poll (just about the same amount as the poll’s level of error!) Such is the reward for treachery and self-seeking! How long will it last? I seem to remember Turnbull #1 having the Libs polling worse than Abbott ever did. Naively perhaps I believed the public would grant him a second term because he was clearly a man of Principle, something we have pretty much NEVER SEEN in politics in my lifetime! NB: The Gillard and Rudd assassinations in contrast produced a 10% lift in the polls for the traitors!

17/09/2015: Malcolm Turnbull on Labor’s knifing of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd (What a duplicitous humbug!): ‘I will never forget the day that you gave your press conference following your removal as Leader of the Labor Party by your colleagues. It is etched in my memory. It was one of the cruellest moments I have ever witnessed. I had lost the leadership of my own party but, frankly, in a dispute about policy…The betrayal of you as leader of your party was one of the most shocking events I have ever witnessed, and I would think any of us have ever witnessed, in politics—the scale of it. The idea that the man who had won, in this presidential campaign, an election against John Howard was then going to be disposed of, discarded like another course on a lazy Susan in a Vietnamese restaurant—the cruelty of it was extraordinary!’

17/09/2015: Monsters Amongst Us: This morning I heard that police have eliminated 130 children as suspected victims in trying to identify the little girl in a suitcase in SA. Given that they know she died in the last 8 years (and was a girl), there are clearly a lot of other missing children out there, obviously at least twice as many - just in the last 8 years! I can remember with what horror we greeted the disappearance of Graeme Thorne back in 1960 –so far as we knew this had never happened before in Australia (it was a MUCH happier, better country then!) I find it as hard to believe that there are such people as that there are people who do not believe in the DEATH PENALTY (and WORSE!) for such creatures as child rapists/murderers

16/09/2015: Our Country: we give it up to others at our extreme peril: ‘Giuseppe Mazzini, the ‘father’ of modern Italy: ‘Without Country, you have neither name, token, voice, nor rights, no admission as brothers into the fellowship of the Peoples. You are the bastards of Humanity. Soldiers without a banner, Israelites among the nations, you will find neither faith nor protection… Do not beguile yourselves with the hope of emancipation from unjust social conditions if you do not first conquer a Country for yourselves. Where there is no Country, there is no common agreement to which you can appeal; the egoism of self interest rules alone, and he who has the upper hand keeps it, since there is no common safeguard for the interests of all. Do not be led astray by the idea of improving your material conditions without first solving the national question. You cannot do it…

Before associating ourselves with the Nations which compose Humanity we must exist as a Nation. There can be no association except among equals; and you have no recognized collective existence…

A Country is a fellowship of free and equal men bound together in a brotherly concord of labor towards a single end. You must make it and maintain it such. A Country is not an aggregation; it is an association. There is no true Country without a uniform right. There is no true Country where the uniformity of that right is violated by the existence of caste, privilege, and inequality—where the powers and faculties of a large number of individuals are suppressed or dormant—where there is no common principle accepted, recognized, and developed by all. In such a state of things there can be no Nation, no People, but only a multitude, a fortuitous agglomeration of men whom circumstances have brought together and different circumstances will separate…

A Country is not a mere territory; the particular territory is only its foundation. The Country is the idea that rises upon that foundation; it is the sentiment of love, the sense of fellowship that binds together all the sons of that territory.’

16/09/2015: Cotton Reels: Did you realise the end caps come off Gutermann 100 metre thread reels (7 grams) so you can wrap the end of your thread around it... or that you can store a needle inside the reel? There is quite a wide choice of different threads for various purposes (including a transparent one). If stored in a small snap-lock bag to keep it clean, it could easily be dipped in some methylated spirits to sterilise it for sewing up wounds. Of course it is great for rep[airs to clothing, gear, etc. The stronger threads would be useful in an emergency for catching small fish. You could sharpen a stick and force it on the lid end to make a small caster. (Some hooks etc would also store in the middle- you may want to tape the end a little more securely though. The paper end sticker may come off.)

16/09/2015: War on Weeds: I have been busy spraying weeds: thistles, capeweed, rushes, blackberries…on our farm here at Jeeralang Junction. Evidently so has Moreland Council (more work than most public land managers do). I had not realised the resource I was depriving luvvies like these two of. Perhaps the Council could find a spray that would eradicate Greenie nut-jobs like this. I would be happy to help with their eradication: http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/timblair/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/flowerpot_men/

15/09/2015: Dreadfully, this is all too true – if the Liberal party has become the Labor party, we need a new Liberal Party, and we need it NOW. They must TODAY undo what they did last night, perhaps install Morrison (as I suggested long ago), but NEVER Turnbull. Fortunately for me where I live I can vote National or Liberal Democrat: https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2015/09/wont-get-vote-mr-turnbull/

15/09/2015: Mokai Jet: You are going to want one of these modular jet-powered canoes with a draft of 100mm (4”) powered by a Subaru engine. 8-10 hours cruising at 15-20 knots. US$5,400. That would have to get you effortlessly to some interesting places, up or downriver (over 100 km round trip; some great places await!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=48&v=HfmWzP_FSqk & http://www.mokai.com/the-mokai-es-kape/

P4250472 comparison crop cr.jpg

15/09/2015: Something else new under the sun. Move over sheep: http://www.inspirationgreen.com/suzanne-lee-kombucha-fabric.html

15/09/2015: Outlaw ‘Hizbut Tahrir…who want an Islamic revolution in Australia. The organisation is outlawed all over the world but tolerated in our country even though it’s been a magnet for radicals like terrorist Man Monis’: http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2015/08/once-again-australia-turns-the-other-cheek-to-radical-islam.html

14/09/2015: I awoke this morning to the news that Germany had already decided it has taken too many immigrants! Well, Yes! When will the West wake up to this: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/swedens-ugly-immigration-problem/article26338254/

14/09/2015: On this same night I went to bed having learned that the Liberal party had chosen madness over goodness. What an awful day!

14/09/2015: Sale Common: After we closed the shop at lunchtime we went across to Sale and spent the afternoon walking along some of its dozens of kilometres of amazing wetland walking paths which would take days to fully explore: Gippsland’s ‘Everglades’! What a gem, whose existence is almost certainly a secret to most people. You should give it a try on a couple of beautiful days like today; take a picnic lunch and a bottle of wine…there are innumerable great places to sit and wonder at the area’s delightful natural beauty and astonishing wildlife!

There are miles and miles of beautiful walking paths

Vast wetlands.

Beautiful birdlife

Astonishing colours

Majestic river red gums.

14/09/2015: Some very good advice here, but I must admit to having visited Centrelink in the last year (to enquire about hearing aids). My impression of the other folks there was that they need some much more basic advice than this: http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/if-you-cant-get-past-the-interview-stage-youre-probably-making-one-of-these-mistakes/story-fnkgbb3b-1227504402634

14/09/2015: ‘Dindu Nuffin is a pejorative term that originated on Reddit to mock and criticize black people during the numerous riots throughout 2014 and 2015.’ (Wikipedia)

13/09/2015: Securing Hearing Aids: Having nearly lost one of my Siemens Aquaris Hearing Aids during my recent walk (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/spots-hunting-adventures-mystery-river-3/) I have had some feedback from a reader who has managed over time to lose three of them, all covered by insurance at the time, but he has now been refused insurance, as the bastards do! Given that most Oz audiologists want @A$7000ea for them; these folks http://www.hearingsavers.com.au/ A$4200 and these folk http://www.thehearingcompany.com/ US$1595 (= A$2248!) you wouldn’t want to lose/destroy too many of them, which is why I opted for this model – the world’s only WATERPROOF hearing aid, as I had previously had lots of issues with my older aids getting wet/dying etc. You CAN get a ‘Sports Clip’ for the Aquaris (http://precisehearing.com/hearing-aid-accessories/siemens-aquaris-optional-sports-clip) which has a covered bendable wire which additionally secures the aid below the ear. Also Siemens have a ‘Concha Lock’ for RIC hearing aids (comes standard with Aquaris) which do help a bit. My reader has decided to have his ears pierced and to connect the aids to studs in his ears - which is going a bit far to me (do not like cicatrices anyway!), but reasonable in view of his insurance situation. I notice the ‘Life Tubes’ on the Aquaris, the clear bit that go down into your ear, has a hole drilled in it to which you could attach a split ring or cord. A cord could attach the two together around the back of your head (so that you would lose both at once!) You could continue the cord around your forehead and tighten it with a micro cord lock. You could also slip the arms of your glasses through the split rings then link the arms with one of those neoprene or etc glasses ‘keepers’ so that you don’t lose both. I will be pursuing one/other of these measures to ensure I don’t lose my aids hiking/canoeing etc as I am not, (contrary to rumour) made of money!

Sports Clip: The plastic bit clips over the BTE aid and the wire bends underneath the ear.

13/09/2015: Corbyn will BURY UK Labour. Hopefully Shorten will do the same here…Now, if only we could bury Turnbull!

13/09/2015: Good Point Peter Smith, ‘The plight of “refugees” is emphasised, but no mention made of the plight of taxpayers who will have to feed, clothe and house them.’ https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2015/08/keep-calm-europe-death-knell/ ‘85 per cent of refugees (are) on Centrelink benefits in their first five years here.’ http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/column_boatloads_of_welfare_recipients/

12/09/2015: Spot’s Hunting Adventures: Mystery River #3: Despite having a cold developing, I decided to take a couple of days off from my weed spraying, fencing, tree planting, sheep husbandry etc and head back to the ‘Mystery River’. While I live I can yet journey on, one step after another – unlike my schoolboy friend, news of whose unpleasant death reached me as I was about to set out. The pleasures of my latest hiking adventure were somewhat muted eg as I listened to the Seekers sing ‘The Last Goodbye’ on my smart phone whilst reading Conan Doyle’s ‘the Lost World’ – none of these coincidences planned…I’m sure he would have preferred to be with me.

I spent the afternoon of the first day exploring some country upriver where there are some beautiful flats and clearings – unfortunately they do not join up easily with the flats where we camped. I essayed a riverbank approach but was continually bluffed out till I gave up. There is a lengthy traverse across the top of a promising grassy gully to get there, which would be difficult in fading light, should I take a companion/s with me planning to split the hunting opportunities.

My cold slowed me down somewhat and robbed me of energy so that I did not cover much new country. I continued to observe though that some much less ethical tally hunter had (again) followed my instructions to this spot and had been shooting numerous deer and leaving them quite otherwise untouched to rot mostly along the riverbank: half a dozen at least! Spot was keen to roll in them but was sternly rebuked for his ambitions as I certainly did not want to share a small even open tent with a foul-smelling canine. All the dead deer I found could have been shot with a telescopic sight from the other side of the river, perhaps explaining why they had been left (but not why they had been shot!) Some would have been very long shots.

The quite numerous remaining deer have quite naturally become a little warier! Except perhaps for this youngster stalking Spot and I as I went for water at sunset. So often I see deer whilst about this chore. It is next to impossible to ‘bag’ a decent trophy armed only with a billy and water bottle! She was just crossing the river towards me and was quite taken by Spot’s fetching new Tyvek raincoat which I had just put on him against the descending evening chill. (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tyvek-jack-russell-rain-coat-13-grams/)

She had certainly never seen anything like that and was keen to get a closer look. She approached to less than 3 metres from us before fleeing in alarm. I was keenly snapping away with my new camera, and was so assured of some great shots I failed to snap his mother afterwards honking at us from the opposite shore from amidst some shrubbery as I reckoned (probably correctly) that the light was against me. When I returned to my tent’s glowing firelight I was appalled to find that the control knob on the camera was somewhere between ‘Auto’ and ‘Short Movie’ so all I had except these blurry shots was even worse blur of a deer face to face. Dammit! I will have to decide on a strategy to prevent this in future! Imagine how badly I would feel though if this had been the first NZ moose photo in @ 50 years!

Young deer @ 10 metres crossing river centre just below bank and right of overhanging tree.

Deer (centre) approaching Spot @ 5 metres with ears held upright in a questioning manner.

The same deer ears straight up @ 2.4 metres about to bolt.

The deer’s ear language is interesting. This deer is curious and determined . So many critters with mobile ears and tails express interesting nuances with them. I have spent thirty years observing body language in sheep, which is much the same. Everyone understands the meaning of a ‘hang dog’ look. You can certainly judge whether you have been ‘made’ (out) by a deer by paying attention to its ears. I maintain that looking it straight in the eyes is a dead-set giveaway. For example, a dog will wag his tail to his right side when he is feeling happy, positive or confident about approaching something. On the other hand, the dog will wag his tail to the left if he feels scared or wants to bolt from the situation. When observing deer, keep your attention on their ears and tails.

I just could not believe what my camera had taken!

The same spot next morning - it is a beautiful river!

During the night a very large deer approached quite near our camp (perhaps 3 metres away) before it honked deafeningly and bolted for the river. I caught a glimpse of its derriere in my torchlight before it hit the screen of shrubbery along the river’s margin, which is why I know that this shot is a deer print next to my glasses case – else I would have had to suspect a moose (!) or cattle. There is a small herd of wild cattle about. I saw a mob of approx six (didn’t think to photograph them). None had ear tags, and they were a long way from someone’s farmland, but may be rounded up some time I guess, if anyone suspects they are there. I would guess this print belongs to a resident stag who most like is only out and about at night, as is their wont. If his rack is anything like his feet, he is a monster. Mind you I have shot does with feet near as big as this. Foot shape and size is one of those myths of the tracking world: like people deer have different foot sizes and shapes. There is some correlation between size and gender, but the notion that rounded tips are stags and pointed ones does (or vice versa) is down to someone who has not paid any attention to the feet of the deer they have shot, or they have not shot many. I did once start on a collection of deer’s feet, but they were smelly things to have around and the dogs were apt to find and eat them! Clearly though a long stride bespeaks greater height, and splayed toes indicate flight (or downhilling). They will use their feet as tools betimes: to gouge out a lick or a bedding spot, or when jousting, preaching etc. Likewise their antlers.

There is a VERY large deer FOOT around there somewhere!

This was our comfy little camp for a couple of nights by the river. Amazing that all that gear can fit in such as mall, lightweight pack. As usual I took too much food and came home with it. Exercise diminishes my appetite for some reason. I need urgently to undertake a very long journey…well, I am working on it!

Hard to believe all of this fits in the small grey-green pack right.

Spot likes to help with packing away!

The second day I decided to explore the pack track downriver I had stumbled upon before. I had decided to camp the second night on a river flat I had glimpsed from a hilltop in the distance previously, so I eschewed just taking my daypack (worse luck!) and set out with all my gear. I had a detour of a couple of kms exploring a nice clear double gully system: there is some beautiful grazing around there. Clearly in the past there was a grazing licence or private property which has reverted to the Crown as evidence of this old fence shows:

Historic remnants - hard to believe someone once building a rabbit proof fence in this terrain. A good deer trail Spot found.

Mostly I was marking the pack track (perhaps for a later machete clearing job so I can bring Della with me) by breaking the odd dogwood or manuka branch off along my route. It is very overgrown (mostly due to the fires a few years back), and seriously eroded and hard to follow in places, but altogether worth it on balance. Eventually after a few kms it met an old overgrown vehicular track heading downriver whose gentle gradient made easy walking. I guess I had proceeded along it a couple of kms before I noticed that one of my hearing aids was missing. These (Siemens Aquaris waterproof – highly recommended!) cost upwards of $7,000 each in Oz (though I bought mine from this guy in America for @US1600 each: (http://www.thehearingcompany.com/AQUARIS-Models_c_124.html) I guessed that I had flicked it out on some of the whippy undergrowth I had been pushing through. Even though I was nearing my goal, I had to make an attempt to find it before I forgot exactly where I had been, even though they are made deliberately of a size and colour that makes for easy concealment, and as it was likely it was whipped off my route entirely as happened to one of my hiking poles during my Snowy Bluff walk: (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/snowy-bluff-mt-darling-wilderness/).

So, instead of proceeding forward to a nearby camp and rest (!) I headed back whence I had come thanking my lucky stars I had been breaking trail as I went so that I could be assured I was looking in the right place (except for one enormous detour though mostly over clearish country). I had Spot sniff my remaining hearing aid in the hope he would get the message I was looking for one of them. Unfortunately hearing aids do not have four legs! In the end he walked right over it as I nearly did too. I had been expecting it might be hung up in one of the whippy branches but in the end it was lying on quite a clear patch of ground, still very hard to spot. It must have come off my ear and balanced on my pack for a time before sliding off. It was hard enough to find on clear ground; I would never have found it in a worse situation – though you can be sure I would still be looking!

Spot’s nose (or his training) might have failed him in the hearing aid hunt, but his breed (Jack Russell) really is a scent trailing type. I have noticed many times him ignore the clear sight of some game at distance whilst he proceeded to follow their scent instead. Mind you what passes for ‘clear sight’ to me might be quite different when your eyes are less than a foot off the ground! On the way in on the first day we put up a large animal on a stag’s rub line. These are boundary lines anyway, so it could be that it was a doe, though it no doubt adds a tingle of excitement to imagine it has a large tempting rack! There had been some rain recently, though the bush is becoming surprisingly dry and ‘crunchy’ underfoot, so its tracks were not so hard to follow. I showed his nose the marks and indicated ‘fetch’ (which would be no mean feat!). He led me on its trail a couple of kms downhill, (every now and again accompanied by a distant thump as it struck the ground in warning with its forefoot, or the crack of a distant twig) until it finally crossed the river and eluded us. I am certain that (properly trained – this may never happen to mine!) Jack Russells will make excellent deer dogs – their keenness would be accentuated wonderfully by shooting a few deer off them now and then, if only I had the enthusiasm (or hunger)to do so. They are wonderfully compact dogs who can fit inside your shirt or balance on your shoulders on difficult river crossings; their gear and food weigh so little, yet they are just as great a companion as bigger dogs, and just as useful in the hunt.

Downstream a step or two: Another beautiful river shot!

When I found it, I confess it felt a bit like winning the lottery. I have just become used to hearing ‘properly’ again having found some wonderful people who WILL tune my hearing aids even if I bought them more cheaply overseas (http://www.hearingsavers.com.au/). Most won’t. Audiology is a huge scam costing the Federal Government billions – but I can assure you the pollies don’t want to know! I had been tuning them (poorly) myself these last several years. Only a couple of weeks ago these folk had tuned my aids for me - and I can hear all sorts of things now/again.

The birds, for example. Maybe when I was young I would have heard the very high pitched warblers which abound along this stretch of river. Small dun-coloured sparrow-sized birds they are. I was never able to get a good look at them (or a photo), though I tried, so I don’t know their species. They have clearly been breeding very successfully as there was one every 20 metres or so, but always concealed in dense vegetation. They must be more aggressive to each other than Isis - if the stridency of their singing is any indication. The riverbank also abounds once more with wrens, though in general the birdlife is much diminished especially further away from the river (on the ridges etc) since the fires of a few years ago. If conservationists would only join the Country Fire Authority they would ‘save’ much more of the bush than all their special pleading for National Parks etc ever will! I doubt they will though, as it would require work and effort, risk even, and indeed their presence in the bush they pretend to love so much – for too distant from the nearest latte really!

The search for my hearing aid was the reason I camped again in the same spot as the first night, the deer now giving me a wider berth. I only stayed the two nights as the temperature was warming too much, and I did not look forward to the danger of snakes to Spot or having to haul myself vertically the few hundred metres to my waiting vehicle in temps in the twenties. And of course at home, there are still plenty of weeds to attack & etc. Also my cold was dragging my energy levels down after a longer than anticipated day carrying my full pack. But, I shall return. I daresay come summer we will venture carefully down this river in our canoes. It is a big river with lots of water at the moment, though the rapids I have seen look manageable. We will have to feel it out carefully as my wife’s failing eyesight make negotiating large rapids treacherous for her nowadays. We have canoed much in the past, and expect a few riverine adventures yet. Hopefully the most dangerous rapids can be safely portaged. I may have to do the trip by myself the first time to check it out – or perhaps I can enlist one of my ever-diminishing group of friends to accompany me; though so many folk my age seem to feel they are safer home in their beds – ‘most people die in bed, therefore bed is a dangerous place and should be avoided,’ my grandfather used to say. Give me the safety of wild places any day!

Spot does enjoy his sleeping bag atop my pack! Of course, at night he nestles inside his sleeping bag: this one weighs 200 grams: he is soon to get a new one which will weigh 102 grams! Every little bit helps! This lady is a useful resource for those who enjoy making their own gear: http://www.questoutfitters.com/index.html You might think about making the ‘Bilgy’ tent and G4 pack or insulated clothing pattern, for example.

12/09/2015: You should read this one minute lesson in economics: http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2015/04/materials-i-use-to-teach-my-90-minute-economic-class.html

12/09/2015: The OTHER news: Russia is stepping up its defence of the Assad regime in Syria, just the opposite of Obama’s ‘actions’ which caused Isis and the whole refugee mess in the first place. ‘Arab Spring’? Humph! http://pickeringpost.com/story/putin-steps-into-the-breach/5360

09/09/2015: Birds in our garden: My new camera is allowing me to make a bit of a collection/study of these guys. We are lucky enough to have over a hundred species of birds visit our garden fro time to time, so it will take a while o get a )complete) collection together, but here’s a start:

Grey Thrush 6/09/2015

King Parrot 06/09/2015

Firetail Finches 06/09/2015

White Backed Magpie 08/09/2015

Pee-wit or Mudlark 07/09/2015

Crimson Rosellas 07/09/2015

Kookaburra 07/09/2015

Jenny Wren 07/09/2015

Blue Wren 07/09/2015

09/09/2015: Last night I learned of the death of one of my oldest friends, John Seamer whom I have known since we were in Year 10 (1964), so 51 years! We were very close at University and in our twenties. Having now lived most of our lives half a continent apart with irregular phone calls and even more irregular visits, I am surprised at the depth of feeling of loss I have this morning: You may guess I ‘hear Time’s wing’d chariot hurrying near’ – and it is true. You may well think there is time aplenty to do all those things you dream of, but for John there is no more time at all, so I hope he did not die with many regrets of things left undone. I had planned a three day hike with Spot in my beloved Gippsland mountains starting this morning, so I will waste no time leaving that particular ambition undone…

09/09/2015: More than 350,000 migrants have fled to Europe this year alone, mostly young men – and it is an accelerating trend. This is the largest ARMY to invade Europe in thousands of years. Have no doubt it is exactly that, a vast Fifth Column which will destroy Europe unless it is stopped NOW: http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Our-World-Losing-the-war-of-ideas-413941

08/09/2015: An unmarried couple can score US$75,000 tax free in benefits; I wonder how much here? Anyway, certainly more than they could EARN given their level of skills and energy. I had just been astonished eg that single people were being provided with entire (new) Housing Commission three bedroom houses at ‘peppercorn’ rents whilst eg folks who work around the city (who are paying for this largesse through the tax system) are paying up to $150 pw to SHARE a bedroom in a (private) rental house (ads seen at Readings in Lygon Street). The WELFARE STATE needs to be ABOLISHED! http://americandigest.org/mt-archives/5minute_arguments/the_road_to_moocherville.php

08/09/2015: ‘It was V.I. Lenin who sneered that the last capitalist would sell communists the rope to hang him with. That's what happened in the Soviet Empire, which ran Eastern Europe for half a century. But even in the 1930s most European nations were ready to surrender pre-emptively to the Nazi war machine. Today Europe has suicidally imported more than 50 million Muslims…’ http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2015/09/europe_sells_the_hangmans_rope__again.html

07/09/2015: Another lovely Father’s Day. Thanks to my wonderful family.

07/09/2015: Christopher Monckton: ‘One-third of Man’s entire influence on climate since the Industrial Revolution has occurred since January 1997. Yet for 224 months since then there has been no global warming at all (Fig. 1). With this month’s RSS temperature record, the Pause sets a new record at 18 years 8 months’

clip_image002

07/09/2015: This is an absurd situation. Forget about a Uni degree and get a trade: http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/the-tradies-australia-really-needs-64-ways-to-a-new-career-path-as-young-workers-snub-apprenticeships/story-fnkgbb3b-1227512810982

07/09/2015: Save the Christians: If we must bring in refugees from the Middle East, let’s bring in the Christians: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/operation-rescue-the-christians-of-the-middle-east-face-extinction-20150906-gjg9p2.html After all, there are plenty of Moslem countries their own refugees can go to: http://directorblue.blogspot.com.au/2015/09/why-have-oil-rich-arab-countries.html

06/09/2015: Great Ideas which will not work: ‘The Government should do…’

06/09/2015: Poverty/Disadvantage: This supposed connection is highly spurious: As a child I grew up in what could only be described as a ‘poor’ family. We had no running water or electricity, no heating, no sewerage or septic tank, no ‘family’ car, no television, no ‘made’ road, adequate but (likely) protein poor diet, no ‘holidays’, very few toys, no ‘treats’, second-hand/repaired/home-made clothing, (I personally wore no shoes until I was in High School), haircuts performed at home, we grew most of our own food (so nothing out of season); we all suffered from boils (Vitamin deficiency or inadequate washing facilities?)…the list goes on. We never felt ANY sense of disadvantage. Certainly there was nothing about this situation which prevented us from excelling. Both my parents were quite literate, had beautiful flawless copperplate handwriting and were well informed about world events and the progress of ideas. ‘The Poor’ today are rich beyond my parents’ dreams of avarice (not that they had them anyway), their homes and lives crammed with sci-fi gadgets and robots beyond imagining, their stomachs full of a cornucopia of overly nutritious goodies…their minds and spirits are unbelievably vacuous however, and they are unable to do anything – as the recent SBS programme ‘Struggle Street’ so tellingly illustrated. ‘Disadvantage’ is all in the mind.

06/09/2015: Phosphorus: In the 1960s I was a shift worker for years in a superphosphate plant (Sulphide Corp Cockle Creek Newcastle) and in one of the acid plants, the ‘C” for clean Acid plant, in contrast to the ‘D’ for dirty Acid Plant. REALLY! The 'clean' (battery, etc) acid we made by burning sulphur; the ('industrial') acid used to make 'super' was a by-product of lead smelting. It did contain quite a lot of (radioactive) cadmium. Enough that certain plants (tobacco, for example) concentrate it to dangerous levels if a lot was used on the crop (which is probably why lung cancers are radioactive). That being said, it made the phosphorus soluble and available for plant use. As many Oz soils are seriously depleted of phosphorus (due to centuries of wanton burning) we need to add it to soils to produce a decent crop. Otherwise nothing would grow but inedible grasses (such as poa) and similar 'weeds' such as gums/wattles!

05/09/2015: PLEASE SHARE! Tonight my daughter Merrin's handbag and phone (as well as Matt's wallet) were stolen from our car parked in a friends driveway in Traralgon (Donegal Avenue near Bank Street) between 6:40pm and 7:00pm. One of the car doors hadn't locked properly. The handbag was a special gift and is irreplaceable and the phone was a Christmas present, it is also quite rare and has special photos of Merrin's pregnancy on it. The bag also had a purple wallet in it and some important medical documents inside. We would really appreciate if you could share this photo far and wide and hopefully someone has spotted it in the hands of someone else or has found it dumped somewhere. It is very unlikely that anyone in the Latrobe Valley would own this same bag and phone so if you see them please contact the Traralgon Police Station Ph.51722700. If you have these items in your possession please find it in your heart to hand them into the Traralgon Police Station or return them to Yinnar General Store 44 Main Street Yinnar 3869, we don't care about the cash just the sentimental value of the phone's memory card and the bag. Thank you.

05/09/2015: Tragedy. Of course it is a tragedy. Europe needs to ‘Stop the Boats’ too. Tellingly the father of this poor child is taking him back to his hometown to be buried, something which would not be possible if they were genuine refugees! Hmmm…‘This narcissistic search for outlets for our tenderness has increased a million-fold with the dawn of the internet, when not only can we gawp at more images of destitute, destroyed kids, but we can republish them too, signalling our virtue and emotional sensitivity. But showing dead kids is, in my mind, emotionally insensitive. It can be cruel and unnecessary. It’s the victory of the visceral over the rational. And we really need a rational debate about the migrant crisis, rather than people holding up a dead-child snuff photo and saying: ‘I cried, therefore I’m good.’’ http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/brendan-oneill/2015/09/sharing-a-photo-of-the-dead-syrian-child-isnt-compassionate-its-narcissistic/ & http://pickeringpost.com/story/buffoons-borders-and-a-little-boy/5332

05/09/2015: Medicare billed a million times a day: Medicare cost the taxpayer last year $21 billion. In the last decade, the national population has grown 19% but the demand on Medicare in the same period has climbed 104% : https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/29419991/medicare-billed-a-million-times-a-day/

05/09/2015: Water Anyone? ‘Many people believe that the source of this myth was a 1945 Food and Nutrition Board recommendation that said people need about 2.5 litres of water a day. But they ignored the sentence that followed closely behind. It read, “Most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods.”’: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/25/upshot/no-you-do-not-have-to-drink-8-glasses-of-water-a-day.html?_r=0

04/09/2015: It’s no different here:

http://www.catholiclane.com/the-main-rules-of-the-mainstream-media-herd/

04/09/2015: Exactly:

04/09/2015: New Camera: Thanks to my children I received a new (birthday) pocket camera, a Nikon S7000 with 16 Megapixels and 20X zoom which weighs 162 grams complete with battery, micro sd card and wrist strap. I may now get a chance to take (& post) some snaps of astonishing things I sometimes see in the bush which I could never bring into clear enough resolution before. Here for example, is a pair of Yellow-tailed Black Cockies seen at sunset on our walk last night; (more to follow):

03/09/2015: Will be available free by subscription; apply at your local Centrelink office:

03/09/2015: Upper Yarra Track Mementoes: A Big Tree Nr Mt Horsefall (before the 1939 fires!) Thanks to Thomas Osburg for the wonderful photo. I love the dog. I wonder are there still a few of these hiding in the catchment somewhere? Won’t know unless I take a look!

Note to camping at Mt Horsefall: Mt Horsefall has a beautiful @ 5 acre grassy clearing at its summit with @360 degree views so on still days it is a beautiful spot to camp. Unfortunately there is no water. There is water at the Penny Falls about 1 km South-East (see map) down a closed track obscured by a logging coup. I will try to mark the route when next I’m there. You can also camp at the Falls – space for 1-2 tents on the side of the unused track. I imagine there is also water at the Davis No2 Mill Site approx 2.5 km West if you are coming the other way.

03/09/2015: Kim Beazley Snr in 1970: ‘When I joined the Labor Party, it contained the cream of the working class. But as I look about me now, all I see are the dregs of the middle class. When will you middle-class perverts stop using the Labor Party as a cultural spittoon?’ For many years now this has been my view exactly. I remember a night at an ALP meeting in Bendigo in just such a gentleman’s house when I began to separate myself from it too, perceiving how the new political class who had never worked with their hands (or minds) to make themselves (or others) better disdained his modest achievements, disdained his working for one’s and society’s betterment - and offered simply redistribution and Government control as the only worthwhile goal. Today’s ALP is way Left of where the Communist Party of Australia was as I grew up. The Greens are even more evilly Left of them, perhaps even left of Mao & Pol Pot in that they would see most of humanity gone. Meanwhile the Chinese Communist Party is way to the Right of the ALP – I fear even to the right of today’s Liberal Party! Where can a working class Conservative’s vote go? Perhaps the Liberal Democrats?

03/09/2015: AGW Made easy: You might have to be a pretty smart 8 year old to follow all of this, but it is a pretty good explanation of how the whole farce got started: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/08/31/the-epistemology-of-explaining-climate-forecasting-so-an-8-year-old-can-understand-it/

02/09/2015: Interesting film: Pompeii reconstructed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W30UvakY5p4

02/09/2015: You should read this essay not because it will make you rich but because it will make you rich in wisdom. An example, ‘We all live in a prison house of self. We naturally see the world from our own perspective and see our own point of view as obvious and, if we are not careful, as the only possible one. I have never heard anyone say: “Yes, you only see things from my point of view. Why don’t you consider your own for a change?” The more our culture presumes its own perspective, the more our academic disciplines presume their own rectitude, and the more professors restrict students to their own way of looking at things, the less students will be able to escape from habitual, self-centred, self-reinforcing judgments. We grow wiser, and we understand ourselves better, if we can put ourselves in the position of those who think differently’: https://www.commentarymagazine.com/article/why-college-kids-are-avoiding-the-study-of-literature/

02/09/2015: Food Dehydration: As mentioned before we have a food dehydrator, so Della often dries some of her superb meals for our later delectation on the trail (her Shepherd’s Pie, for example). I know some of you are not so lucky (as to have either a dehydrator or a Della!). You will just have to do without the latter, and if you can’t afford a dehydrator, you can, very carefully - perhaps with the oven slightly open, and on the lowest setting, and checking and stirring very regularly, dry food on a dish/tray in the oven. See: Google. I have just dried some Campbell’s Spaghetti sauce and Edgell’s Aussie Super Kernels. The 410 gram Sauce came down to 85.5 grams, the 420 grams corn to 50! Rice (see: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dellas-coconut-rice-hiking-food/) is about 3.5 calories per gram Probably a bit more with the coconut milk added; the Edgell’s dried corn works out at 3.4 calories per gram and the Campbell’s Spaghetti sauce at 5.32 calories per gram; Maggi’s two minute noodles: 4.6 calories per gram. I figure 20-30 grams of Cambell’s sauce to a pack of noodles would be an adequate meal for me for a meal (ie just under 500 calories). These are all good numbers. With a bit of forethought you can bring your hiking diet to 4+ calories per gram, maybe even 5, meaning in our case that we need less than <500 grams of food per day each. You may need more (or need to lose less weight than me, at least!)

1 can corn left, 2 cans sauce right.

01/09/2015: Housing: Once again some folks are suggesting (as a means of lowering real estate prices) that people be able to use their superannuation to buy homes, and that interest on home mortgages should be subsidised ie be Pre-tax, (No mention of other real estate purchases eg farms and businesses – unimportant to socialists!) Obviously such measures would simply inflate real estate prices further, as you are making more money available to purchase them. Why is it such folks refuse to understand how markets work? If you want prices to go down you must increase supply or make money more expensive. If you do the opposite (as suggested) prices will increase. Transferring retirement income to housing will only create a greater problem in that area down the track too.

01/09/2015: Attributed to Sherlock Holmes, ‘If you put a frog in boiling water, it won’t jump out. It will die. If you put it in cold water, it will jump before it gets hot—they don’t sit still for you.’ https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/doomed-planet/2015/08/adventure-antarctic-anomaly/

01/09/2015: Tick removal: Spot’s First Tick: This is the very first tick either myself or one of my animals has acquired in Southern Victoria – even though I hunted with hounds here for over thirty years and have owned as many as a dozen and a half dogs at a time. I used to see tiny ticks infecting the ears of Bluetongue lizards probably causing the deafness which results in their suffering from so many road casualties. It is possible to tediously remove them – an operation they lizards do not appreciate – but I have long since given up on it: in no time they find some more anyway.

Spot acquired this particular tick West of Yinnar yesterday when he was trying out his handsome new raincoat (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tyvek-jack-russell-rain-coat-13-grams/) . I can report I have discovered yet another reason for preferring methylated spirits as a hiking fuel. After dousing the parasite liberally with it (from a teaspoon), and waiting about a minute, it was easy to pull the dead tick out complete with its head (as you can see) leaving nothing to cause an infection or irritation. I used a fine pair of tweezers gripping it just above its head. Easier than pulling a tooth! I have no idea whether it is a paralysis tick (probably not), but you do have to be careful to check your pets for the blighters as they can cause death!

In the US ticks have been implicated in the spread of Lyme Disease (a real nasty previously mostly an occupational hazard to rat-catchers!), so apart from the fact that they will create a very nasty itchy spot, and maybe an infection, it is important to get them out (particularly of yourself) as quickly and safely as possible. The meths is also a good antiseptic.

31/08/2015: Tyvek Jack Russell (Rain) Coat: 13 grams! My little chaps can get quite wet and cold if we are in the bush for long days in the winter so I thought I would treat them to some waterproofing. Surprisingly, my first effort worked very well - you can see Spot modelling it here. He was quite happy wearing it for all of our 5km walk (run for him!) this afternoon and didn’t want me to take it off when we came home and I wanted to make Marque #2 using it as a pattern. He needed a little more cover at the rump, along the back of his neck and along his sides. I will just keep using the last one as a pattern for the next one until I get it just right, then will post the pattern, so be sure to come back and check, but you can probably figure it out from the pix. I just used stick-on Velcro for the four attachment points: seemed to work OK.

Stand up & show off Spot. OK!

Do you like it Spot? Yes, Sir!

Can you still run fast in it Spot? My Word!

In my Superdog Cape I can really fly!

Tiny: I am not amused. Where's my magic cape?

Left: Marque#1, Right Marque#2.

31/08/2015: Fingers crossed that Dyson will stay the course!

31/08/2015: Are you REALLY in favour of multiculturalism? ‘Indian sisters told they will be repeatedly gang-raped as punishment for their brother's crime launch appeal at Supreme Court’: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/indian-sisters-fleeing-rape-punishment-appeal-to-supreme-court-for-protection-10476581.html & http://www.news.com.au/world/indian-village-council-orders-rape-of-sisters-after-brother-runs-off-with-high-caste-woman/story-fndir2ev-1227504634694

31/08/2015: We have hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants on our streets. Query: How exactly do you establish their status (and deport them) if officials are not allowed to ask them to show their documents? I have always understood I have to provide my identity to any police officer/government official who asks. Have I been mistaken all my life? http://pickeringpost.com/story/70-000-visa-overstays-claim-racism/5309

30/08/2015: Duct Tape Fire Starter:

Fire starters are easily lit and are created to sustain a flame while the tinder placed above it catches fire. In lieu of fire starters, selecting a good material for tinder can be an asset. Small strips of tire inner-tube work well. I have carried one for more years than I can recall. Surprisingly you can use of duct tape for this purpose.

You can take a 2 inch square of tape and drape it over a piece of tinder and place more tinder over it. Then you can light an edge with a match or lighter. Once it catches on fire it burns with a sooty but strong flame. To provide a longer burn time you can create a free-standing candle with it.

You can carry a length eg spooled on your water bottle. If it doesn’t get used for fire starting it may have some other use for repairs. I I imagine other tape (Tyvek, Cuben, etc) burns quite well too.

30/08/2015: Bottom Story of the Day: Lion Kills Man: http://moonbattery.com/?p=62323

Will the touchy-feely crowd bang on forever wanting to save this lion too?

bloody-lion

30/08/2015: Hmmm. Miranda Devine: ‘SO let’s get this straight. The biggest scandal in Australia is that trade unions royal commissioner Dyson Heydon, AC, QC, did not speak at a function that was not a Liberal fundraiser.’

29/08/2015: Fishing with Floss: It comes in a small plastic box that fits comfortably in your pocket. The 50 metres of cordage inside can be completely withdrawn and tied onto a pole for conventional fishing. Alternatively you can tie an overhand knot on the end and slip it onto your finger or wrist.

Take your floss box and have a rummage through your tackle to see what hooks and sinkers will fit inside the container and if possible look for flies or plastic nymphs too. However there is no substitute for live bait such as bugs or worms that you can find under a stone or log. For a float you can use a length of stick or the polystyrene balls I mentioned here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/worlds-lightest-tarp-clip/ .

I usually carry it for emergency use (repairs/first aid) http://www.theultralighthiker.com/rope-dont-leave-home-without-it/ but it would come in handy for a spot of emergency fishing too. You will notice that there are (amazingly) several kinds of self-threading needle you can use for repairs. I know the Clayxeye fits in a floss container as I have had mine there for over twenty years (and effected many repairs with it in that time!)

50 metres o floss weighs @ 10 grams

Spiral eye needle

Calyxeye Needle

Easy needle

29/08/2015: Have things gone too far? Have progressives become authoritarians requiring that none other than their views be implemented, even discussed? I certainly think so. Not so long ago it was unquestioned by almost everyone that heterosexual monogamous marriage was desirable and the norm. Now, those who disagree with this, indeed practically anything, are labelled as extremists, hate speakers, threatened with legal injunctions…whilst all sorts of strange experiments are foisted on society. (PS: I think it should be illegal to tattoo, pierce or otherwise main/scarify children under 18). For example: http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/mirandadevine/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/gayby_baby_imbroglio_denials_fear_and_a_lack_of_tolerance/

29/08/2015: MH370: One Month & Still No News on the Flaperon (save the weighty suspicion really that it is a false lead!): The entire saga of this tragedy has been shambolic in the extreme. To begin: utterly inadequate processes remained in place to prevent one of the crew murdering an entire aircraft (perhaps still do!); inadequate safety installations prevented the aircraft from being tracked or found; radar systems intended to detect, track and intercept such events were inoperational in Malaysia, AUSTRALIA (whose head has rolled over this one?), India…the initial search was inexcusably delayed, then failed to identify that blips from a supposed black box on the aircraft were moving (a fact I noted straightaway, for several days and millions of dollars); experts have consistently & protractedly failed to notice that the absence of a debris field all along signaled that the aeroplane landed intact somewhere – if in the Southern Indian Ocean, then it would have turned, descended slowly and chosen the best place to land. There is where you should look, NOT along a computer generated straight line ‘course’. I know nothing about landing a jet liner, but there are thousands of people who do. ASK them? I would imagine that it is best to land into the wind (more loft, less disturbance), so the aircraft would probably have turned (West?) and glided down from 7km up (putting the landing site clearly what? 50 kilometres? OUTSIDE the $100 million search area. It would have chosen the least choppy piece of sea, and the clearest sky. Satellite and weather data was available to identify such a site. If the plane landed it might have sunk very slowly. No-one was looking down there for nearly TWO WEEKS (except perhaps co-conspirators - if he had any), so it would have drifted with the current most/all that time (at least 50 km PER day: a total of 500 km BEFORE the search began!). The directions of such currents are known (and again nowhere near the current search area). It never ceases to amaze me how IMPORTANT people, paid lots of money to do their jobs, nonetheless continue not to do so yet remain full of their own self-importance. Just going back to the Australian defence authorities for a minute: It was known when the plane flew over Penang, site of a joint Australian-Malaysian Air base (am I wrong?) that the plane was off-course/had been hijacked. This was about 1:00am. Several commercial aircraft pilots had attempted to contact the off-course plane. No-one turned on the radar or scrambled the fighters. The plane flew South for OVER SEVEN HOURS during any of which time it could have been detected by our multi billion over-the-horizon radar if anyone in charge had ordered it to be switched on –just what you would do if a hijacked airliner was heading your way – what is Defence FOR? It could easily have been flown into a building in Perth, say…

28/08/2015: Finding Your Way: You don’t really need a compass (and you may not always have one - though a compass and a self-winding watch are a good idea as they are two of the most reliable aids you can have). In the Southern Hemisphere the sun is always in the Northern (third) of the sky. At mid-day it should be pretty much due North.

You can estimate how far it has to travel (or has travelled) by measuring finger widths to the horizon, each finger representing approximately a quarter hour (at arm’s length). (This is just one of my ‘rules of thumb’). Usually it won’t matter if you are a few degrees off your route: you can’t travel very far in a single day anyway, and if you are lost for more than one day, something is seriously wrong, but if so, think about either heading in one direction (the closest known civilisation and/or following water downstream. If you were paying attention when you set out, and as you travelled along, you should always be able to find your way back to where you started that day. Just keeping in mind where a generally Northerly direction is, by the end of the day you should not be more than a couple of hundred metres from any destination you have chosen for the day. If you are not, you have not been paying attention.

You should note important landmarks on the way out, and turn around as you go out so that you can remember what they will look like on your return trip. This is VERY important and should never be ignored.

When you are walking you don’t need any more directions than (at most) the eight cardinal points of the compass. Usually your direction at any given time is determined by topography anyway, so that if you DO want to generally head in a particular direction, necessity will bend your course away from it either to the right or left. You will need to walk for approximately the same amount of time in the opposite (left or right) tendency to keep to your course anyway.

If you need to think more precisely about direction than that, here is another ‘rule of thumb’: the palm of your hand (at arm’s length) is approximately 15 degrees. The tip of your little finger at arm’s length is approximately 1 degree). Should you really need to know (precisely) where East and West are, shove a stick into the ground and mark the spot where the end of its shadow touches the ground. Mark the same spot say 15 minutes later. Draw a line between the two. That line is precisely East-West. Obviously North-South is precisely perpendicular to it.

If you cannot SEE the sun (because it is cloudy etc) often a stick will still cast a faint shadow on pale ground. If not a very small hole (eg made in a leaf) will ‘project’ the sun’s disc onto the ground. Looking around through such a small hole should enable you to work out where the brightest spot in the sky is.

A thumbdial, when you know the time of day tells you the direction of the sun, thus providing orientation. The secret of the thumbdial is that it reveals the sun’s location by revealing its shadow. Begin by standing in an open area and placing the tip of a knife blade on top of your thumbnail and rotate it slowly, watching for a slight shadow to be revealed on the matte textured surface. The location of the sun of course is on the opposite side of the knife blade from the shadow. The wide and narrow silhouette of the blade helps to accent this. The sun’s brightness is defused in fog but still maintains a brighter presence which is revealed by the very slight shadow.

If all else fails moss/lichen grows on the South side of trees/rocks in the Southern Hemisphere and on the opposite side (the one which gets least sunlight) in the Northern. Really though, if you can’t work out where the sun is, you probably shouldn’t be out there unchaperoned!

I bought these watch bands on eBay for $1.99. I think they are great because you don’t lose the watch if you snag it on some brush or a vine and tear out one of the pins (which happens). I also added a wrist compass ($3.99) which makes this Seiko auto-winder ($49.99) set-up just about perfect:

28/08/2015: Waiting for the Barbarians C.P Cavafy

(Translated by Richmond Lattimore)

Why are we all assembled and waiting in the market place?

It is the barbarians; they will be here today.

Why is there nothing being done in the senate house?

Why are the senators in session but are not passing laws?

Because the barbarians are coming today.

Why should the senators make laws any more?

The barbarians will make the laws when they get here.

Why has our emperor got up so early

and sits there at the biggest gate of the city

high on his throne, in state, and with his crown on?

Because the barbarians are coming today

and the emperor is waiting to receive them

and their general. And he has even made ready

a parchment to present them, and thereon

he has written many names and many titles.

Why have our two consuls and our praetors

Come out today in their red embroidered togas?

Why have they put on their bracelets with all those amethysts

and rings shining with the glitter of emeralds?

Why will they carry their precious staves today

which are decorated with figures of gold and silver?

Because the barbarians are coming today

And things like that impress the barbarians.

Why do our good orators not put in any appearance

and make public speeches, and do what they generally do?

Because the barbarians are coming today

and they get bored with eloquent public speeches.

Why is everybody beginning to be so uneasy?

Why so disordered? (See how grave all the faces have

become!) Why do the streets and the squares empty so quickly,

and they are all anxiously going home to their houses?

Because it is night, and the barbarians have not got here,

and some people have come in from the frontier

and say that there aren’t any more barbarians.

What are we going to do now without the barbarians?

In a way, those people were a solution.

28/08/2015: Ain’t it the truth: ‘The dominant issue in the West is immigration. The ruling elites are obsessed with filling up our lands with people from other lands. It’s nearly impossible to get members of the elite to discuss the matter, much less explain their reasoning. A politician or party that embraces immigration reform, even mild reform, is treated like a Holocaust denier. Even climate change, which is pretty much a religion at this point, is more open to debate than immigration.’ http://thezman.com/wordpress/?p=5228

28/08/2015: Something new under the sun; a new kind of glass: http://news.uchicago.edu/article/2015/08/13/molecular-scientists-unexpectedly-produce-new-type-glass

27/08/2015: ‘Violent crime, and homicide in particular, has been cut by approximately half since the mid-1990s, a time that coincides with liberalized gun laws in many states and more widespread ownership of handguns. Why do gun control advocates never acknowledge these basic facts?’ Time we (re)allowed the carriage of handguns for self-protection, a protection the police and the State fail hopelessly at (if indeed they aren’t the main problem!) http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2015/08/the-facts-dont-matter-the-answer-is-always-gun-control.php

27/08/2015: Farewell to the Three Little Pigs:’ To avoid the risk of potentially offending a Muslim somewhere, [Oxford University Press] has banned the use of the words “pig” and “pork” from children’s books as it might offend Islamic readers.’ http://moonbattery.com/?p=61909

27/08/2015: If Australia has such an outstanding record of building submarines (cf the Collins Class), how come we aren’t a major submarine exporter? Come to think of it, have we built a fighter aircraft since the Boomerang during WW2?

27/08/2015: World’s Lightest Tarp Clip: You can buy these approx 1” polystyrene balls from Spotlight for @ $2.40 for 20. They weigh about .2 gram each. You can carry a few of these in your repair/fishing kit (along with some string, eg 1-2mm Dyneema) for use at need, eg when you need some additional tie-downs for your tent/tarp or when you have torn one out. They also come in handy as fishing floats for use with your http://www.theultralighthiker.com/bcb-fishing-kit/ You could use them to attach the bottom reinforcing tarp to your faux packraft http://www.theultralighthiker.com/home-made-pack-raft/ first tying them to the material as shown below (on the emergency mylar tent http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pitching-the-poncho-warning-this-may-save-your-life/), then tying an overhand knot in the remaining ‘tail’ and joining all the tieouts together with another length of string and pulling it tight so as to secure it to the raft.

World's lightest tarp clips

Make a noose

Tie the slip knot like this:

26/08/2015: Not only is Lockheed Martin right on the track of nuclear fusion but Boeing has just patented a nuclear fusion jet engine http://www.businessinsider.com.au/boeing-just-patented-a-jet-engine-powered-by-lasers-and-nuclear-explosions-2015-7#boeings-new-jet-engine-works-by-firing-high-power-lasers-at-radioactive-material-such-as-deuterium-and-tritium-1

25/08/2015: Other people's money? I really think margin loans should be discouraged. So far today the ASX has been down 100 points and up 220 from that low!

25/08/2015: Who ARE all the people who think they can make a profit out of selling their shares at a loss? Methinks leveraged gamblers have a lot to answer for. Unfortunately their recklessness writes down the assets of careful savers as well!

25/08/2015: This all sounds just too familiar: http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/6379/ikea-murders-sweden Alas that Cassandra should not be believed.

24/08/2015: Merrin: ‘Not a bad day for building a fence! Mum’s garden was looking amazing as usual.’ Steve: We are stealing a patch of flat ground below our driveway from the sheep to increase our orchard. We already have the plumcots, crab apples, fujis, etc ready to go in as soon as I have finished the fence. I have to build a new fence anyway to keep the wayward JRs in (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/spot/) so it is a case of opportunity. We still have over 100 trees to plant before Spring (?) so we will be busy! Those we planted last year have been doing very well.

23/08/2015: If you had dined at the Pratt St Alehouse in Baltimore as a friend of mine Steve Hutcheson recently did, you could have had me for lunch!

23/08/2015: If there were still a few like Martin Ferguson in the Labor Party it might be worth your support: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-24/martin-ferguson-talks-union-influence-over-labor-party/6717642 As it is though, even the Liberal Party has adopted so many Leftist, statist policies, that the only reasonable alternative is the Liberal Democratic Party, eg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yODM_V3HdI

23/08/2015: I’m sick to death of the plethora of anti-hunting hype originating from green groups and like-minded touchy-feely types: what is the alternative they are hyping after all? Uncontrolled animal populations would obviously lead to much greater starvation and misery both of the ‘target’ animals and the human beings impacted by them. Of course if ‘prey’ animals proliferate, one can expect ‘predator’ animals to follow suit. Somehow however predators other than human beings (even when they predate human beings) are ‘good’ whilst the latter are ‘bad’. The ‘green’ alternative to hunting is culling (to extinction is preferred) and poisoning (just so long as no-one enjoys it, and animals suffer more!) These people are just so seriously deluded!

23/08/2015: Cooking the books: http://joannenova.com.au/2015/08/hottest-july-in-4000-years-not-even-the-hottest-july-since-2014-according-to-satellites/#more-44088

23/08/2015: Profit is a price paid for efficiency: ‘While capitalism has a visible cost – profit – that does not exist under socialism, socialism has an invisible cost – inefficiency – that gets weeded out by losses and bankruptcy under capitalism. The fact that most goods are more widely affordable in a capitalist economy implies that profit is less costly than inefficiency. Put differently, profit is a price paid for efficiency’: Thomas Sowell’s Basic Economics (5th Ed, p114, 2015). If you have ever wondered why the unit cost of everything that remains in private enterprise hands continues to fall whilst the cost of everything in Government hands (Think: Education, Health, Welfare, Defence, Public Service, etc) continues to rise, just remember the above. Ergo: Socialism is NOT a good idea; Reject it!

23/08/2015: Della's Coconut Rice. (Hiking Food): People so often ask me this question, ‘But what do you eat…? I hope you will forgive me if I post about it fairly often and repeat myself…We have a home dehydrator, so this gives us a few more options, but you CAN dehydrate things in your home oven (if you are careful). Dehydrating cooked rice which then rehydrates simply by adding boiling water is a case in point - I am really surprised that no-one sells ‘instant’ (dehydrated) rice; maybe that’s a business idea for you.

Here is our recipe for ‘Coconut Rice’ which works well as a lunch mixed eg with a Sweet Chilli Tuna or as an accompaniment to the evening meal. (We add the boiling water at breakfast to a snap lock bag and eat it cold for lunch). As you can see from the picture Della vacuum seals the rice (you need to double bag it eg with a freezer bag to prevent it from piercing the outer bag) and adds her own label for when we take these meals eg to NZ. NB: we need to add country of origin barcodes in future; see: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-food-customs-gestapo/

DELLA’S COCONUT RICE

Ingredients:

Method:

· Rinse the rice in cold water

· Combine stock, coconut milk and salt in a large saucepan and heat over a medium heat until near boiling

· Reduce heat to low

· Add rice and stir for one minute

· Cover pan and simmer over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the rice is almost tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed

· Remove pan from the heat and let the rice stand, covered, for 10 minutes or until it is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed

· Lightly fluff rice with a fork.

Great Tucker: Della's Coconut Rice.

22/08/2015: Victorian Hiking Circuits: The Bundian Way: I have been 'working' on ideas for some other Victorian long distance 'circuits' for some time, eg see my page: http://www.finnsheep.com/THE%20UPPER%20YARRA%20WALKING%20TRACK.htm . Thomas Osburg has drawn my attention to this ‘new’ one, ‘the Bundian Way’ which travels from @ Mt Kosciusko to Eden. This 'new' path would fit in nicely with those ideas. For example, starting eg from Lilydale Railway Station, ityou could begin with part of The Upper Yarra Track then a section of the Australian Alps Walking Track, then the Bundian Way then the Wilderness Coast Walk back from Eden to Bemm River from where you could make your way to Orbost, then join the various rail trails to make a circuit back to public transport again eg at Traralgon Railway Station. The Bundian way has not been completed yet, but I’m sure it could nonetheless be walked by intrepid folk. I have also been giving consideration to the fact that many of the existing tracks go nowhere near resupply points. Some (minor) changes to their routes could correct this. I will post about this more extensively later. Meanwhile check out this excellent book by John Blay: http://www.newsouthpublishing.com/articles/track-and-bundian-way/ & http://www.bundianway.com.au/Bundian_Survey_Public.pdf etc.

22/08/2015: The Greens will get behind this, I don’t think: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/07/29/the-perfect-storm-for-environmentalists-gmo-engineered-rice-reduces-greenhouse-gas-emissions-to-near-zero/

22/08/2015: When the real world won’t fit the data, change the data: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/07/24/impact-of-pause-buster-adjustment-on-giss-monthly-data/

21/08/2015: Pickering is quite right: Dyson Heydon must finish the job: http://pickeringpost.com/story/if-the-commish-stands-down-prepare-for-anarchy/5275

21/08/2015: Gimme, Gimme, Gimme! More GST. So, new taxes are what we need instead of curbs on spending? We need to destroy the competitive advantage others have by imposing draconian taxes on them too! More socialisation instead of more capitalisation. Can you imagine how much a television set would cost of it was produced in a union dominated Government owned factory? We would be still using Tom Toms! It is in just those things which are most socialised (Health, Eduction, Welfare etc) that costs have exploded the most. All need to be privatised or abolished. Putting public servants in charge of ‘cost-cutting’ is like giving opium addicts control of the Pharmacy! Did you realise that at the time of the American Revolution neither side’s army was financed by the State? We need to STARVE the State back into the C18th, not allow it to bloat more and more until there is no room at all for the citizens, for anything vaguely reminiscent of freedom. Taxes and Government spending can and should ALWAYS be cut further. No party whose programme argues otherwise should ever receive our vote!

21/08/2015: And, there is more: You could be paying more than the purchase is worth if the Government implements this new GST proposal. How does doubling the purchase price of a $20 book sound to you? http://www.news.com.au/.../story-fnagkbpv-1227492504597

21/08/2015: Astonishing: Population 232 million and rising: http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/the-most-important-nation-youve-never-heard-of/story-fnkgbb3b-1227489132267

20/08/2015: Go Sambar: https://au.news.yahoo.com/video/watch/29291448/children-hurt-by-wild-deer/#page1

20/08/2015: Sir Henry Ayers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Ayers) and not Edward John Eyre (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_John_Eyre) – as you might think - built Ayer’s Rock, which is quite a feat for one man, given that it is (much) larger than the Great Pyramid of Cheops!

20/08/2015: Interesting read: An Islamist’s view of the Leftist love affair with Islam: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/08/08/the-british-left-s-hypocritical-embrace-of-islamism.html

19/08/2015: Hiking Food: French Onion Soup Plus: Mixing dehydrated ingredients can make an interesting and nutritious meal. You SHOULD try this at home before heading out. Here is an example: McKenzie’s Superblend Fibre ‘Freekah, Lentils & Beans’ (350 grams) plus Continental French Onion Soup (49 grams) plus Continental Classic Tomato CupaSoup (24 grams) . These three ingredients weigh 423 grams and deliver 5873 kj (1468 calories = 3.5 calories per gram!) in a 1 litre billy (@ 15 minutes simmering) probably enough for FOUR people! I found it a little salty for my taste (at home – I might feel differently after a hard day on the trail). This could be adjusted by adding the tomato soup (where most of the salt is) to taste at the end.

19/08/2015: Rethinking the Death Penalty…The Strange Story of Thomas Quick: http://time.com/31497/sture-bergwall-thomas-quick-freed-from-swedish-psychiatric-ward/

19/08/2015: The numbers might not be quite right, (I would have thought MORE) but the obvious truth about science saving millions of lives is indisputable: http://www.scienceheroes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=258&Itemid=27

18/08/2015: Exactly: http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/but_its_fine_if_judges_speak_at_labor_events_of_course/

18/08/2015: The voice of sanity: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/08/17/the-recurrent-problem-of-green-scares-that-dont-live-up-to-the-hype/

18/08/2015: More wonders of our solar system: http://www.gizmag.com/red-arcs-tethys-saturn-moon-cassini-nasa/38709/

18/08/2015: Dorsogna Mild Twiggy Sticks (Safeway & etc). These are very tasty and last exceptionally out of the fridge. I have had one sitting on the kitchen shelf now for a month without any outward sign of spoilage, though of course it has gone hard – but still tasty, and no doubt lighter. They work well for a snack eg with 9 Grains VitaWheat Biscuits and perhaps Babybel Cheese which also lasts well outside the fridge in its red wax wrap. Also cut into tiny pieces they bulk out the protein portion of cooked meals such as Ainsley Harriott’s Lentil Dahl or Continental Four Cheeses Pasta. At this energy density, they are well worth carrying anyway: 1341 Kj/100grams = @3.5 calories/gram.

17/08/2015: World Record Free Solo Slacklining: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzrI8BeOw_0 I can see it saves a long hike, but I think I will stick to the ground myself!

17/08/2015: Dangerous territory we long since entered: https://mises.org/library/unseen-consequences-zero-interest-rate-policy

17/08/2015: Second Air Bead Locks: This robust inner tube allows tyres to be run at low (or even zero) inflation increasing traction by as much as 40%. Also a great safety feature in the event of a blowout, or you could look at them as representing another FOUR spare tyres. So much more convenient than the messy job of fitting and removing wheel chains (though I would always recommend carrying them still). It always seems to be wet, muddy and cold when you need them – I wonder WHY that is? I have tried Diff Locks which have a tendency to smash some other part of the vehicle (eg Prop Shafts) probably marooning you somewhere very difficult for rescue and recovery (as we have found out from bitter experience). Limited Slip Diffs may be a better option. http://www.secondair.com.au/why.htm

The air is pushed passed the SecondAir beadlock with 2 distance tabs, thus allowing the air into the tyre from the regular valve. SecondAir beadlocks perform across all terrain types for your 4WD and 4x4 vehicles

Second Air Bead Lock inner tube allows tyres to be run at low inflation increasing traction by 40%

Stuck on the Butchers Country track 30/03/2013

16/08/2015:

15/08/2015: Highlights of the Outdoor Retailer Summer 2015 Trade Show. There are some wonderful new products here. Katadyn’s new water filter has arrived. Lots of new shoes to try out (under 400 grams), new raincoats, packs sleeping bags, etc. The Thermarest Easy Inflation system gets my vote. http://gearjunkie.com/topic/outdoor-retailer & http://www.outdoorretailer.com/summer-market/show-info/product-showcase.shtml & http://gossamergear.com/wp/coverage-summer-2015-outdoor-retailer-lightweight-and-ultralight-backpackers

thermarest-camp-pad

15/08/2015: Great campaign ad (Who’s voting for Wyatt Scott?): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG6fhub9HDQ

15/08/2015: E.T. Call Home: http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/extragalactic-radio-waves-a-mystery-scientists-say-alien-life-forms-could-be-responsible/story-fnjwlcze-1227484939850

14/08/2015: Religion, the ‘opiate of the masses’: Engels owned a (sweatshop) factory. It was common practice for opium to be given (freely) to the workers in such factories to dull their sensibilities so they could endure the dreadful conditions, the sixteen hour days, etc. THAT is what Marx was referring to in the quote: he opined that religion served the same purpose (which at very best diminishes its significance). What is extraordinary is (that) both ‘gentlemen’ could live happily on the enforced drudgery of the C19th working class, yet advocate their revolution to overthrow their capitalist overlords (themselves!) The Left have ever been hypocrites and crooks! Their admiration or ignorance of the many enforced exterminations eg in the C20th (under the banner of socialism) underlines their dismal failure as human beings.

14/08/2015: In Defence of History (and the Liberal Arts): http://investmentwatchblog.com/scientists-baffled-after-finding-10th-century-medicine-that-kills-antibiotic-resistant-superbug/

14/08/2015: Time: I am unable to keep up with daily posts as I am very busy. This is normal for the time of year: there are lambs to attend, thistles and rushes to spray, trees to plant, vegetable garden to sort. This year I have some dog fencing to complete; a pump has quit and needs fixing and moving as the creek is about to claim it; I need to build a bigger greenhouse (and move the existing one). Della is having eye surgery and follow-up treatment which involves (alternate days) drives to Melbourne (350 kms return) which I now find quite tiring. I have over 100 (new) posts to complete as well as a further 100+ old ones to edit, add photos and links to & etc. I have patterns to draw and designs to work on: for example, I have couple of modifications for my (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tyvek-solo-fire-shelter/) one of which will turn it into a cosy two person shelter which weighs under 800 grams – which I am sure you will want. I am working on a DIY inflatable sleeping bag, as part of my emergency (overnight) day pack. Keep coming back. Soon you will find something new. Don’t forget to ‘Like’ my page here: https://www.facebook.com/theultralighthiker?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

11/08/2015: The coming Saudi crash:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/oilprices/11768136/Saudi-Arabia-may-go-broke-before-the-US-oil-industry-buckles.html

11/08/2015: If raising the GST to 15% would raise $256 billion over 4 years (ie = 64 billion pa http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/increase-gst-to-15-per-cent-and-broaden-to-raise-256-billion-accountants-20150714-gibmk6.html) then since a 50% increase = 64, GST must currently must raise $128 billion). Income tax raises $185 billion apparently (http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/our-taxes-must-be-spent-wisely/story-e6frg6zo-1227476458234) Therefore we only need raise GST to 25% to completely ABOLISH income tax (and almost the entire tax industry!) This way everyone would pay their ‘fair share’ of tax (on their spending) instead of a tiny minority (as at present) having to finance the entire nation’s spending. Also, when it is your own money the Government is spending (instead of someone else’s – & rapidly running out!) then you will have a much greater interest on how it is spent and on whom/what!

10/08/2015: Duct tape Raft: Further to my post here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/diyemergency-watercraft/ I have been thinking, ‘Can one make a raft ENTIRELY from Duct Tape?’ This may be a good team building exercise for your next in-service – or maybe I should just maroon you on an island somewhere with nothing but duct tape and bananas for a time and see what happens? My solution is to form the duct tape into a tube, then lengthen the tube into a doughnut, then tape in a duct tape floor. Throughout I would use double thickness so that the non-sticky side is always on the outside (but also on the inside of the doughnut so it doesn’t stick to itself). You would leave a small inflation hole which you would blow up by mouth, then seal. It might not be good for Grade 3 rapids (though duct tape is surprisingly tough) but it would get you safely across an icy river, for example.

My next (slightly more practical) project is to see whether a ‘standard’ 5’ x 7’ silnylon poncho (without a hole (as I posted about here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hole-less-ponchoshelter/) could be used for the ‘skin’ of a (very) small canoe which would (in an emergency) get you safely across a similar obstacle. You could only make a craft whose internals were (approx) 5’ x 3’ with sides 1’ high. This is very cosy, but surely enough? That’s approx 15 cubic feet to displace. My plastic kayaks are less than 10’ long and average much less than 2’ wide and are less than 1’ high, so comparable: there should be enough flotation in such a craft. I welcome suggestions.

10/08/2015: More interesting facts about Cecil the Lion: Cecil was 13 years old and faced either starvation, injury or disease within the next 12-24 months. That’s how wild animals die. They don’t have hospices or morphine. Left to die of “natural causes” their death is slow and agonising. The professional hunter would have known this all too well. He would also have known that Cecil had served his purpose as the pride male, sired several generations, and, for $36,000, was deserving of the, relatively quick, death of predation.http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/08/06/cecil-the-lion-its-what-nelson-mandela-would-have-wanted/

10/08/2015: The ABC is BROKEN: ‘Public Broadcasters ‘have lost sight of their original purpose and core values. And now the groupthink from which they operate makes returning to the Reithian principles of impartiality and commitment to public service harder to achieve without a drastic reform of the inward-looking provider-culture.

In any event, the demonstrable failure of public broadcasters to govern themselves means external regulation will be imposed. Britain’s communications regulator Ofcom may be given this role for the BBC, while Australia and Canada will probably adopt a similar approach. Public broadcasting charters will be made more contemporary but there is a risk they will also facilitate more political interference, raising suspicions of state propaganda.

All this suggests that the present public broadcasting model is broken. Its place in a modern democracy faces new, possibly terminal, challenges. As it caters to narrowing audiences, increased funding will be hard to justify, especially when respectable private alternatives exist and technology is opening up even more opportunities to be informed, educated and entertained.’ http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/public-broadcasting-is-in-its-death-throes/story-e6frg6zo-1227471637793

09/08/2015: Big Game: ‘For those who actually want to do something other than make noise, there is no shortage of challenges. Chinese-sponsored gangs, well armed with heavy rifles and automatic weapons, are presently killing elephant at an unprecedented rate. Recently, elephant-rich areas of Tanzania, Mozambique, and Zambia have been all but wiped out. The demand for lion and leopard bones from the Far East is at an all-time high, putting a premium on big cats. Meat hunters are wiping out the antelope and buffalo herds throughout Africa. For many of these animals the safari hunters were their only hope.’ http://takimag.com/article/stop_screaming_and_do_something_hannes_wessels/print#axzz3hswUnJi3

09/08/2015: Exactly: ‘Have you noticed when the Conservatives have a moral problem in their ranks like Bronwyn Bishop’s spending? Have you noticed that they admit it, resolve it, show contrition and take steps to ensure it’s not repeated?’ http://pickeringpost.com/glance/have-you-noticed-the-difference-/5207

09/08/2015: Gearboxes: This is pretty neat: a 1936 film showing just how your car’s gearbox works: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a16686/1936-film-perfectly-explains-how-a-manual-transmission-works/

08/08/2015: Should we really ‘eat the rich’? I think not. We should THANK the rich: http://www.luckyculture.com.au/2015/05/30/billionaires-and-why-we-need-more-of-them/ & http://www.businessinsider.com/21-facts-about-the-worlds-youngest-female-billionaire-2015-7?IR=T & http://elitedaily.com/news/business/100-top-entrepreneurs-succeeded-college-degree/

08/08/2015: This Qur’an Competition for Ramadan (http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/isis-ramadan-quran-competition-win-a-young-girl-or-money/2015/06/22/) 1436 / 2015 to Ramadan 1437 / 2016, held to “inspire” ISIS fighters, offers a “beautiful young girl” as the Grand Prize for the top winner. These Yazidi girls don’t really look as if they are getting right into the spirit of the thing. Killjoys! Why can’t they see the benefits of slavery? We need more Islam taught in schools!

isis slaves yazidi

A Yazidi woman told reporters recently after her escape from the Islamic State that her captors beat her one year-old son until she met their sexual demands. Delightful chaps – how can you not love them?

08/08/2015: FOOT CARE

Keen Targhee 2 Sole Keen Targhee 2 Upper

This is from my http://www.finnsheep.com/HIKING.htm page: Looking after your feet in the wilderness is supremely important, as sore feet will make your journey a misery. You should be very confident about your shoes before you set out on an expedition. Hiking footwear is THE most perplexing problem. The expensive hiking boots are almost universally terrible. Don’t go and spend several hundred dollars on a pair and then set out. One of the chiefest problems is ‘How much do they weigh? AND How much do they weigh when they are WET? NOTHING makes for harder work than heavy feet. I have a whole large box of hiking footwear I have worn ONCE! I honestly don’t know what will suit YOU – available free, if you are game – and silly! YOU will have to work that out, but not by spending a fortune.

Sneakers and runners are one of the best choices (for light weight – but bear in mind foot PROTECTION) providing they will not puncture too readily from below (or from the side) and (IF – check!) they are still light when they are wet and they are not too narrow in the toes (because when going downhill, if they are, life will become a MISERY! You MAY need half sizes (wider) as I do, but many stores don’t carry them or pretend they don’t exist. Many shoes will MORE than double in weight when they are wet, and some of the hiking sneakers pump water in and out with each step in such a way that you still have the weight but also a shoefull of very cold water all the time. They may even pinch the nerves at the base of your big toes and create an aching numbness which will last for weeks!)

Shoes MUST GRIP ON WET ROCKS, wet leaves and sticks. Almost nothing does – and you can only find out by trying. If they don’t, you WILL have a nasty fall, often straight on to the back of your neck: Ouch! In my opinion the makers of most hiking shoes should be SHOT! I am yet to find a Vibram sole which will grip on anything in wet bush, and I will never again buy any boots which have them. Some of the light leather (soft toe) work boots are good, practical and economic choices. Blundstones and Redbacks, for example. They HAVE to be lace-ups as you will roll around mercilessly in pull-ons, and your feet will KILL you! The basic models of both brands absorb very little water in my experience (only 50-100 grams per shoe) – but the manufacturers are always working at making their shoes worse! They have decided to fill in the space in front of the heel for example – so you can no longer ‘dig your heels in’ when going downhill; if you do you will notice they have chamfered the back of the heel so they ‘assist’ you in falling hard on your back when you do! I used to wear only Highmark ‘GP’s’ for years when suddenly they became unwearable to me, similarly Rossi hiking boots – but they MAY work well for YOU.

With leather boots it is a good idea to fill them with water for a few days and have them sitting in the sun on the verandah, then when you are about to go on a hike of a couple of hours or so, tip out the water and put them on. This will mould them to your feet like slippers. Old hands use to urinate in their new boots and leave them stand to soften. This may work even better! Afterwards, when they dry out again, you will have to dubbin them up again to resoften the leather. At the moment I have been wearing some nice wide Keen Targhees shoes (which have a good protective rubber toe). They have been quite comfortable for me, but the grip on the sole does not last long. At my weight, the shoes are failing after a few weeks’ walking, at most. Still, I would rather throw away a pair of shoes after a week if that’s how long they gripped well (but I had a good time in them while they lasted) than repeat some other of the footwear disasters I have experienced. I spiked a pair of very light New Balance for example with a tree root as thick as your thumb right in the centre of my foot, and a LONG way from home! Fortunately I was OK, but you don’t want to repeat this ‘experiment’!

Who would have believed a hiking/running shoe which weighs less than 200 grams? http://www.inov-8.com/Products.asp?PG=PG1&L=26 and these people have a river crossing shoe which weighs 53 grams: http://www.sprintaquatics.com/prodinfo.asp?number=901

Foot care is very important: YOUR FEET are what are going to get you there AND out of there, but more importantly are what is going to ensure you have a good time, especially if you are a foot fetishist! Sore feet are NO FUN! You should prepare your feet for a long walk ahead of time. If you suffer from dry feet (and cracking of the heels, etc) you need to copiously apply ‘heel balm’ (there are many brands) at least once a day eg before you put your socks on in the mornings until your feet are just like babies’ feet. I would recommend this anyway. During your hike you should reapply it every morning to ensure that your feet are soft and well lubricated. This will help to prevent blisters (which you should NEVER SUFFER FROM!) You can decant enough into small containers such as are sold by Coughlin’s – useful also for insect repellent, sun screen, hand cream, toothpaste etc. Gossamer Gear also sell micro dripper bottles which are very useful for small quantities of various liquids. A small tube or quantity of anti-fungal cream is a medical essential. If you contract tinea on a long walk it will quickly make your life a misery unless you have something to eradicate it. BEWARE: it can also strike in the crutch region (as can chafing – hand cream here at the beginning of the day is a good idea). Cut your toenails VERY short about ten days before your hike. This will make the flesh under the front of them quite tender for a few days before it toughens up (This is part of the idea!). Then, the day before the hike, file them back again so that the toenails do not protrude more than the flesh of your toes. It is the flesh of your toes which should encounter your shoes, NOT your toenails. BE WARNED! One of the worst problems you will encounter on a long hike (mainly caused by down-hilling) is the toenails striking the fronts of your shoes and being driven back into the roots and quicks. This will quickly cause them to blacken, become very sore and they WILL FALL OUT. It IS AGONY! Avoid this at all costs! It is ONE reason why I look for wider shoes. Blisters are another VERY unpleasant experience. As a preventative wear a pair of lightweight wicking liner socks (such as are sold by Wigwam – makers of some excellent socks!) They WILL help to prevent blisters as they move relative to your shoes and your socks, eliminating some of the friction. Take plenty of Band-Aid ‘Blister Pads’ (two sizes) and apply them the INSTANT you start to get a hot spot. They will stay on for days and really DO prevent blisters. You should have already chosen shoes which do NOT move against your feet and create friction. If you haven’t experimented extensively with your shoes before a multi-day hike you are a goose! A roll of Leucotape is AN ESSENTIAL. About ¾” inch is good. You have NO IDEA how many people I have seen on hikes whose feet resemble some nightmare from Flanders’ Fields. Be Warned! Or be VERY SORRY!

Sandals are well named (if not well-spelled). They certainly DO fill up with sand and grit so that you have to stop frequently to empty them out (a more arduous task for me these days because of my arthritis) but they ARE much cooler for walking in hot weather. My personal choice are these Keen Newport H2s. (Della seems happy with her couple of pairs too): http://www.keenfootwear.com/us/en/product/shoes/men/waterfront/newport%20h2 I have weighed the Newports (422g) and the Arroyo 2 (411g) each (in US size 9). Probably the Arroyo IS a better trail sandal:

SOCKS: I have found Wigwam brand very good over the years, and liner socks are VERY important (especially if wearing boots rather than sneakers) as already mentioned, but they ARE pretty dear: there is nothing wrong with the old-fashioned ‘Holeproof’ brand: Heroes (summer – and as liner socks!) and Explorers (winter). I just bought some online from Harris Scarfe. To protect yourself from leeches, tuck the ends of your trousers into your socks. I NEVER wear gaiters: they will just add unnecessary weight to your feet, and remember: Every pound on your feet equals about TEN pounds on your back!

GAITERS: If you MUST have gaiters, (a mental deficiency I have never understood) get some ultralight ones, eg from Mountain Laurel Designs: Super Light Gaiters @ 50 grams per pair: http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=37&products_id=114 These are great too, waterproof/breathable rain mitts for when it is VERY cold. Surprising how unpleasant frozen hands really are. You really don’t need much insulation: just keep them dry. These weigh 35 grams per pair: http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=24&products_id=51 Zpacks makes something similar out of cuben – and even lighter, (from 27 grams per pair!)

Shoelaces: usually come undone because you are tying a Granny Knot instead of reversing the handedness between the first and second knot of a Double Knot! Flat shoelaces also stay done up better than round ones. There are many other great ways of tying shoelaces, eg: http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/secureknot.htm

Just to lighten up a bit, you might want to bookmark this one. Knots are very handy and this site shows how to tie them easily. There MAY be a hangman’s noose there as well, which could be handy in this political climate: http://www.animatedknots.com/

I KNOW most of us wear pull-on boots (perhaps because we can’t tie our laces), but there have been some advances in shoe laces, eg Aramid Shoe Laces http://www.moontrail.com/accessrs/a-misc/aramid_laces.html and Dyneema: https://www.rhinolaces.com/ And, if you need help tying them: http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/tying.htm

07/08/2015: Vale Robert Conquest:

‘There was an old Marxist called Lenin
Did two or three million men in.
That’s a lot to have done in,
But where he did one in,
That Grand Marxist Stalin did ten in.’

’ Seven ages: first puking and mewling;

Then very pissed off with his schooling;

Then fucks; and then fights;

Then judging men’s rights;

Then sitting in slippers; then drooling.’

https://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2009/10/the-extraordinary-robert-conquest/ & https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2015/08/vale-robert-conquest/

07/08/2015: Great Detective Stories of our Times: Sherlock Holmes on the trail of the missing $80 billion: https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2015/08/baker-street-highly-irregulars/

07/08/2015: More Fun With Sticky Tape: 23 grams Ultralight Mylar Vest: Pattern will follow.

06/08/2015: I have been thinking about this for a long time, but have got only as far as http://www.theultralighthiker.com/home-made-pack-raft/ whilst others have ACTED: This girl is seriously clever: http://www.instructables.com/id/Backyard-Duct-Tape-Kayak/ here is another variation: http://www.instructables.com/id/Duct-Tape-and-PVC-Kayak/ and http://www.shelter-systems.com/kayak.html and a coracle: http://thehomesteadsurvival.com/build-coracle-person-boat-twigs/ or https://books.google.com.au/books?id=RQUETx6ha48C&pg=PA12&lpg=PA12&dq=tarp+coracle&source=bl&ots=tLN_3AyKJU&sig=2Sd_eiIyMaRThg2I3bd0Woj9jWU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CC4Q6AEwA2oVChMI-ObshLuRxwIVJiqmCh3xhgjC#v=onepage&q=tarp%20coracle&f=false This is probably the next step up: http://gaboats.com/ or this: http://www.instructables.com/id/Skin-on-Frame-Canoe/

Picture of Backyard Duct Tape Kayak

06/08/2015: Touché: Neil DeGrasse Tyson, who happens to be an African American (on Q & A, ref Adam Goodes) ‘Yet, I, as an astrophysicist, when I think about race, I think about it as something that unifies us all. I think about it as the human race…Why does anyone think or reference him as a black footballer? He is a footballer, okay? When, why and where does skin colour matter in that sport? So when I think of people talking about race, it’s being invoked here in Australia, as far as I can tell, as a means to figure out who belongs and who does not.’ Take THAT Tony Jones (no relation!)

06/08/2015: Happy 75^th Birthday Bugs Bunny: http://www.steynonline.com/7082/the-bunny-in-winter

05/08/2015: Hidden Doors: http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/26779/hidden-doors-secret-rooms-and-the-hardware-that-makes-it-possible

Click To Enlarge

05/08/2015: First, there really was no ‘stolen generation’. Second, move on. Take control of your own life: http://theblacksteamtrain.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/stolen.html

05/08/2015: Well said Netherlands King Willem-Alexander: You really can run out of other people’s money! Please, can that be a lesson here to those Premiers (and pundits) calling for a lift in taxes rather than a cut in spending? ‘The welfare state of the 20th century is gone. In its place a “participation society” is emerging, in which people must take responsibility for their own future and create their own social and financial safety nets, with less help from the national government.’ http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2015/08/03/dutch-king-the-partys-over/

04/08/2015: A Fair Wage: Here’s a neat idea: why not raise the wages of all employees to US$70,000? Not so many lower paid (or lazy) employees would disagree. Astonishingly someone (who once had money) has actually tried this. As you might guess it’s not working out well (with, for example the best employees quitting in pique) and the company’s coffers rapidly running lower. But, let’s see how it works out over time: http://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace-relations/pay-rise-backfires-on-gravity-payments-ceo-dan-price-20150802-gipmgh.html

04/08/2015: Electrons: Who would have believed a little over 100 years ago that you could charge for something as small as an electron? Even now I find it hard to believe that (under Green Socialism) you can be charged so much for one!

04/08/2015: Thrilling Tales: Sir Samuel Baker: Hunting sambar with spears/knives has been illegal in Victoria for a long time but was once the normal preferred ethical way of hunting them. Of course most such hunters used dogs as well (coursers/hounds), but such a method of hunting comes closest to how the animal evolved to be hunted, or would be hunted in its natural state (eg by other animals), so it surprises me that it is illegal. The closest we get to such a method now are the young fellows who run through the bush after the pack of hounds wanting (often successfully) to be first at a bail-up. They need to be incredibly fit and willing to risk broken bones, but (to me) it is a highly ethical mode of hunting and would be even moreso if the deer was to be dispatched eg with a long knife or short stabbing spear. At various times both Arthur Meyers and myself have attempted such bare-handed antics (and would never do it again!), so I have enormous admiration for those who have perfected such a method. Amongst the most exciting descriptions of such hunting are those of Sir Samuel Baker in eg ‘The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon’ (Available free here: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3231) He managed to kill 400 of these creatures with an 18” (45 cm) knife. Now that is ‘fair chase’.

03/08/2015: MH370: Already a week has passed but we are yet to be shown a photograph of the various identifying numbers on the ‘flaperon’ which would enable us to assess whether it indeed came from a 777 - as readily available exploded diagrams of the part would show. Does no-one on Reunion/in the media have a mobile phone or access to the Internet?

03/08/2015: Fair Chase:

Moose Country, Fiordland NZ: Looking down over the Jane Burn into the Lower Seaforth Valley, the Dusky Sound in the distance. Only about ten moose have ever been taken from this area, probably none in your lifetime. It is at least three days’ hard walk and a two hour boat trip to the nearest road. THIS is hunting!

Seems to me too many hunters long since crossed the boundary between hunting and vermin eradication/culling. In many cases the latter is what is called for (eg with foxes at lambing time) but with game animals we move to such behaviour with the risk that they will thereby lose their status as game animals, resulting in the Government legislating for their extermination.

More importantly still, from an ethical perspective, we lose all respect for them as an animal worthy of our endeavours. The hunter’s prey should have these rights: to be able effectively to employ its senses, intelligence and ability to flee from danger. If we degrade them to the extent that they no longer have these rights then we are not hunting them; we are culling. Sometimes culling may have to be done – but there is no honour in it. It is an (unpleasant) job! Unfortunately much of what many hunters do is simply that.

Long-range shooting with a telescopic sight deprives the animal of any opportunity to see, hear, smell or flee the hunter. It is culling. It is no different from spotlighting, which has the same effect as well as paralysing the prey. Similarly employing trail cameras (a wildlife biologist’s research tool surely?) to locate, monitor and predict an animal, then to await it camouflaged or perched in a tree above it is not hunting. No deer has camouflaged natural predators which it could expect to strike it from a distance from high above. A deer is not camouflaged, yet it is a master of blending into its surrounding and using cover and topography, and moving silently. So should the hunter try to be.

The possession and display of a vast array of clearly ‘unfair’ gadgets and pieces of equipment which inform the passer-by only that you intend to dominate your prey, only advises those who don’t like hunting already that they should act to prevent your hunting. It would be far better for the sport if all hunters wore a tweed jacket and tie (as they used to do in the past), as this would at least indicate you were not rednecks and yobbos!

There are any number of technological means I can imagine of killing animals, but neither would they be hunting. Employing drones, for example. Traps and deadfalls. Poisoned baits and waterholes. Helicopter shooting. Shooting from vehicles or horseback. Why not go ‘whole hog’ as ‘hunters’ and employ helicopter gunships, machine guns, bombs and napalm? People need to wake up to themselves and what they are doing. To be able to hunt is a privilege too easily lost for us to tolerate the macho antics of such a ‘hunting brigade’ with all their showy appurtenances.

Having been evicted from a number of hunting groups for expressing the opinion that hunters need to behave more ethically here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/sambar-deer-stalking-103/, I may put this idea on Kickstarter: I call it the Trophy Acquisition System. It is designed for the time poor but well-heeled, overweight sportsman. The idea is that a trail cam will be connected to a small PC which has a Target Identification System. You will be able to programme it: eg Sambar Stag. When the target comes in view the camera will begin filming, then a .30 calibre rifle will cleanly shoot it through the heart. More photos of the trophy will follow of it in its chosen death pose. Then the system will communicate with the remote hunter, sending him SMS messages, co-ordinates, snapshots, etc.

The system can even be programmed to Photoshop the hunter into the scene, eg with the dead deer. If the absent hunter does not wish to retrieve the trophy, he can purchase the optional Carcass Disposal System which will tow it away into the bushes somewhere, at which point the Trophy Acquisition System will re-set itself to await the next trophy. For the price of a stamped return-addressed envelope I will be offering a ‘hack’ for the system which allows the target ‘trophy’ to be re-set to an image of the person who purchased and deployed the system.

03/08/2015: ‘The “stolen generations” myth is killing Aboriginal children by leaving some in dangers from which they’d be removed were they white.’ – but it may soon be illegal to say so, as it is already illegal to say so much about many things in this ‘free’ country: http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/speech_police_called_gagging_debate_on_the_stolen_generations/02/08/2015: Gary Johns, ‘Indigenous problems endure not because Aborigines lack a race-based national assembly, but because a vocal cadre of leaders cannot look beyond grievance, history and victimhood to embrace the competitive and technical challenges of the twenty-first century,’ (https://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2015/07-08/pearsons-peerage/) an idea which is often echoed by Dallas Scott, a much less shrill ‘indigenous’ voice: http://pickeringpost.com/story/an-aboriginal-voice-of-sanity/5190

02/08/2015: Gary Johns, ‘Indigenous problems endure not because Aborigines lack a race-based national assembly, but because a vocal cadre of leaders cannot look beyond grievance, history and victimhood to embrace the competitive and technical challenges of the twenty-first century,’ (https://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2015/07-08/pearsons-peerage/) an idea which is often echoed by Dallas Scott, a much less shrill ‘indigenous’ voice: http://pickeringpost.com/story/an-aboriginal-voice-of-sanity/5190

02/08/2015: Climate Averages: I notice on this site you can type in your post code to access a wealth of useful weather and climate data for your locale, eg: http://www.weatherzone.com.au/vic/w-and-s-gippsland/jeeralang-junction

02/08/2015: Sambar Deer Stalking #103:

2006: Ten Days by Myself: Moose Hunting Seaforth River Fiordland - 70 kms (& at least 3 days!) from the Nearest Road

I have been a hunter for over 60 years. I still feel much more thought needs to be given to the ethics of the hunt. It never ceases to amaze me (for example) that Rene Descartes, one of the West’s pre-eminent thinkers (and someone I also recognise as an outstandingly bright hombre cf his contribution to the calculus…) could nonetheless conclude that animals were merely automata; that they did not have souls (as they called it then); that pain they might feel and express (during live dissection for example - YES!) was simply the output of an automaton.

To me, you would not have to have much contact (eg) with our two little Jack Russells before you would conclude that they are intelligent beings, though in many ways different in their intelligence than us. By the same token, you would not have to have much contact with many human beings before you concluded that many had rather less intelligence than our Jack Russells! Before I consult the experts (or received opinion) I first assess carefully the evidence of my own eyes and senses. And think hard upon it. You would do well to do likewise!

Deer ARE sentient beings. They are NOT mere playthings for human beings, nor simply trophies. The Minnesota Dentist who is everywhere on the news at present for ‘hunting’ a ‘protected’ lion in Zimbabwe with a bow and arrow, also so POORLY that it had to be tracked for TWO days before it could be dispatched, is a symptom of a sick attitude to our prey. It is one thing to hunt and kill a deer; it would die someday in any case; a quick clean kill of this year’s ‘surplus’ production is very much better for the deer as a whole than pitiful starvation (or cruel poisoning), the alternative consequence of an unmanaged population. Nonetheless, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about this ancient activity (hunting). Respect for the prey animal must be paramount, or else the anti-hunters have the stronger case - and we deserve to have our recreation outlawed! Mind you, I have no sympathy for Mugabe who recently ATE many more ‘protected’ wildlife than the Minnesota dentist, but also some years back murdered one of my dear gentle friends.

There are some elements which have not just crept into hunting practice – they have well nigh overwhelmed it. In hound hunting, for example, there is a near universal use of vehicles, radios, tracking collars, GPS and computers as an ‘aid’ to the ‘hunt’, even though ALL are illegal. Such practice is NOT a hunt. All these electronic aids are just as unfair as spotlights and game finders, and ought not be used. Already you have a GUN: that is surely unfair enough? Stalkers are overwhelmingly using camo, trail cameras, hides, tree stands, scent lures, telescopic sights, etc. ALL these things are just as bad, and ought to be outlawed, in my opinion. It is impossible to police such things, of course. It is just that if people cannot hold to enough ethics to eschew such immoral behaviour, then the anti-hunters (and they are the majority after all) will have a field day with us! It is easy for them to know what we do: folk boast about it in magazines and forums all the time.

Most of my deer hunting has been in horrible inaccessible country pretty much that no-one else would hunt. I mentioned (in a previous post) hunting for many years with the ‘legendary’ Arthur Meyers. Much of this hunting was behind the locked gates (legally) in the Upper Thompson catchment where we had to walk the hounds in on leashes for an average of seven kilometres before we began a hunt. Most of the tracks there then were permanently closed (MVO). ALL our hunting was on foot. We returned to our vehicles (if we were lucky – sometimes we were not) only at the very end of the day (usually after dark) after walking for about twelve hours through very rough, thick, steep country, riddled with mineshafts! We each had a four hour drive each way to get there. At least we had no need of a 4WD! Usually we arrived home over 24 hours after we had left.

Arthur used to call us ‘the last of the hound hunters’ because that was mostly what we did: hunt for the hounds! In that country CB radios worked infrequently and very poorly, so each of us (usually 3-4) was typically on his own from dawn to dusk with nothing but our eyes, ears and native intelligence to guide us. Time enough then to chew the fat and a sausage over a cook-up about your part in the day’s hunt – and everyone else’s. We took deer infrequently, and with great difficulty. We carried the meat out with even more difficulty. We richly earned every deer we took, and the deer had as good a chance as we did; probably better. One stag who used to camp near the Ross Creek Hut ruins I practically knew by name!

Arthur was a very fit man. I can remember talking to him on the radio one afternoon; I had just struggled up out of Blue Jacket and the Dry Creek onto the Mount Victor Spur; I asked him where he was, ‘I’m just running up the Bald Hill Track’ was his answer (he was 65 at the time; AND it was a VERY steep track), ‘The dogs have gone over into the Red Jacket and I am going after them’. (There was a ridge you could follow down.) ‘I’ll meet you at the bottom (junction)’ I said, and off I went too to our rendezvous approx seven km away through the bush. You can have a look at the maps: it is big country: we mostly walked 20-40 kilometres on a day’s hunt.

I remember another day meeting up with him after many hours, miles from camp. Yarning, whilst listening to one of his bloodhounds (Thunder?) working a gully above us, a giant tree just suddenly and silently crashed to the ground right next to us, the tips of its branches whipping our legs as it fell. There would have been nothing we could have done to avoid death had we been standing 20 yards closer. On the other hand most folks die in bed, therefore as my grandfather used to say, ‘Bed is a dangerous place and should be avoided’. Most of my hunting life I have chosen places where I would have a vertical climb of 350-750 metres sometime during the day (sometimes several times!) What virtue is there in an ‘easy deer’?

I notice a lot of people nowadays who expect to stroll out on their first or second hunt and take a sambar. I think it would be just as reasonable if they never took a deer until their second or third YEAR of hunting - if they were giving the deer half a chance! Or if they never even SAW a deer in their first year! What is the hurry? We all eat well in Australia. We are not hunting for survival; we are hunting FOR THE HUNT! Learn to hunt FIRST. If you love hunting, you will not be rapacious about setting tallies. If we are going to abandon the ethics of the hunt, we will not be hunting much longer!

There are all these chaps who must have a big head on the wall, but you and I know that many of them were taken in the lights or from a fixed position informed by their trail cam’s data, or even from a thousand yards away. This is NOT hunting. This is EGO. How many wounded animals are left to suffer and die because of this unethical behaviour? Over the years I have found some horrifically injured deer who survived awfully - for a time! I was once drawn by the awful noise to a moaning, blubbering young stag whose bottom jaw had been blown off and was flyblown! Creatures who do have feelings and souls – even if Descartes did not think so. Descartes was WRONG. He was just as wrong believing that he had invented a proof of the existence of God (the cogito ergo sum’ argument). Or indeed in thinking that there WAS any God at all!

When I see your spotlights, I want to cock my rifle and aim at them: that would give you about the same chance as you were giving the deer. When I see your trail cams I want to do just the same thing. Such wicked devices are much more ‘fair game’ (for me) than a deer is at the end of a telescopic sight, or at a thousand yards. (I realise some people just want the pics). I think everyone should have to use iron sights (except cullers) so that they would have to learn to hunt (and shoot), to get close to where the deer are, to track and identify the deer and take them with great difficulty and skill - in remote locations.

I sometimes see people with whole deer on their vehicles. Who do they think they are kidding that they are hunters? Have you ever TRIED to carry a whole sambar deer (even a small hind) any significant distance – and almost always uphill (a long way) from where you likely would have taken it through rough, thick bush? I have, and I used to be pretty strong.

Many people are proprietorial about their favourite hunting spots. I know I am. Territoriality is common in both deer and men. I have had to go back through the many posts which mentioned locales here, and edit out the most precise clues. I had noticed how people were tracking through my website, opening this post after that, clearly giving away that they wanted a tip on the best spot for them to go. Some even sent emails, or tried to solicit invitations despite my oft repeated homily, ‘No company is better than bad company!’ One place I recently wrote about had received other visitors next time I visited – even though clearly no-one else but me had been there for years!

One thing that separates out the sportsman or the hunter from the wanton slaughterer or trophy seeker: is energy and self-pride. The latter are slovens and want only the easiest way. The true hunter will go out of his way to make the chase difficult, so that there is a sense of achievement in obstacles overcome. A ‘friend’ has decided that he will take a group of eight this weekend for a week’s hunting to a spot I injudiciously mentioned to him – even (as an afterthought) telling me I would be welcome TOO! You wish. What s/he ignores is that where I park my car will be at least a day’s journey, probably more, (in this case 3-4) from where I hunt – so they are not likely to benefit overmuch from my parking spot. Still it does irk, I know.

Of course if it WAS my favourite spot they ought have pretty much cleared it out for some time to come – at least if they had any competency at all. It is clearly what they wish for anyway. And what good is that? Eight! That is a small army! It is too dangerous a number for a small(ish) area. As it happens the forecasts tell me they will have few river crossings, much damp bush and damper, colder clothing. I might have taken ONE person (I often have, in the past), even two perhaps, (my two boys perhaps?) but never eight – and never (others) if I suspected they were planning to return without me!

I used often to take young hunters ‘under my wing’ in this way, first teaching them the essentials: 1. How to light a fire in the rain; 2. Meticulous firearms safety and competency; 3 How to ‘read’ the lie of the ground, 4 How to get ‘unlost’, 5 Tracks and browse; 6 Deer (and other nature) behaviour…etc. I have spent overmuch time hunting for such folks when they become ‘lost’ – and I have experienced more times than I wish to repeat (ever) their ingratitude, so no more.

It seems to me that anyone can study the maps: first (perhaps) the GMA’s maps of where it is lawful to hunt – whether you obey them is your business: there is nothing unlawful (you would think) in hunting with a camera or your eyes only, but unbelievably there IS! Then road and topographical maps, wildfire maps, etc. Work out for yourself where a good spot might be. Go there for a few days. Have a Look-See. You don’t need a ‘serious’ 4WD. You have FEET! There is a lot of bush out there – quite enough that we should not be squabbling over it. I particularly like wilderness areas, mostly because I almost always have them to myself, not because there are more deer there. I love the solitude. There are most deer along the road - or in some farmer’s paddock where it is legal to shoot them with a spotlight and put them on the wall just as if it was some significant achievement! Personally I always regret having killed.

I am always looking first whether there will be a pleasant place to camp, as I like to return to a beautiful spot again and again. Experts will tell you that you should never camp on top of a hill (too cold and windy) or in the bottom of a valley (too cold and wet), but somewhere half way up a ridge. Experts will also tell you that it is impossible for a bumble bee to fly! I like a flat spot (with water) out of the wind with plentiful firewood. It does not have to be very big. The ‘footprint’ of my http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tyvek-solo-fire-shelter/ is less than 6’ x 6’. It will usually be my home again and again, so I probably spend more time hunting IT than hunting deer. It is often harder to find! Fresh fish are also always welcome!

Valleys which are dry where they join the main stream still frequently run much higher up. Sometimes there is a soak right at the top. Deer which inhabit such a valley will have no need to ever visit the river for a drink – particularly the large stags. A small flat in such a position is a gem indeed. Sometimes where a side gully comes in, but there may be a small level bench almost anywhere.

You CAN camp in a hammock (I often have – both my own and Tom Hennessy’s) – it can be very pleasant. I find it hard to stay on my mat in his – Della does not. The hammock’s virtues are comfort plus, and that you can camp on any slope. Wet ground is also no impediment. A hammock also makes a comfy seat. Hammock camping with a fire is more difficult than ground camping, so it may be more pleasant in the warmer months. You would normally pitch the hammock side-on to the wind, so that you would need to lift (and prop) one side of the tarp to be warmed by the fire – and peg it down when you turn in for the night. The hammock will not keep your back so warm as the shelter above. Also, when you sleep in a hammock you MUST have a well-insulated sleeping mat – or you will freeze! It is also much harder finding a spot where two can hang nearby each other, though it IS possible to double-bunk. My wife often accompanies me on these travels – though her failing eyesight is making this increasingly difficult, alas, and alas for many other reasons: she is a much better cook than I for one thing! The lightest hammock camping arrangement I can find/make is 160 grams for the hammock and less than 100 grams for a cuben fly: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hammock-camping/

You need to plan your approach to these wilderness areas: for example, following ridgelines is always easiest but it is dry work. I hate carrying scads of water vast distances. Sometimes you have to. For example, there is little water on the various possible Mt Darling circuits. They are cooler places to walk in the hotter weather though because of their elevation. Badly denuded of game by wildfires though latterly. You might think about moving uphill as the weather warms – but water will be scarcer, so knowing where it IS, is crucial info. You want to minimise your route as much as you can, but also it is pleasant to have a large circuit you can enjoy: one with 3-7 separate camping spots so you are always staying somewhere different – and do not exhaust the wood supply at your camping spots. Of course you only need a fire in the cooler months. Each camp might only be another hour or two’s walk from the last. You can always move on to your next camp if (unlikely) you encounter others. Plan what you are going to do – or what you believe you are going to do. Remember though, everything is subject to change without notice! Also, it is foolish to be in the bush without a sat phone! Dicing with danger is one thing; courting death quite another!

Mostly when I visit such places I am happy just to see the deer (and other creatures). I have no need any more to kill things for egotistical reasons. Knowing that I could have (had I wished) is satisfaction enough of a job well done. I have tried in all these pages to recommend some gear (and other tricks) which might safely get you to such spots (and back again) – and what I hope is some useful advice. I trust you have some time to browse, and maybe recommend them to your friends eg by ‘Liking’ my Facebook page, not just the individual posts! There are over 450 posts now, so you will be reading for a while yet.

01/08/2015: Just imagine the horror on Facebook if Robert Mugabe was a Minnesota Dentist: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/robert-mugabe-eats-a-zoo-for-obscene-91st-birthday-party-10077805.html I still have issues with this guy because I believe his thugs murdered a friend of ours, peaceable, likeable Andrew McEwen Coplans.

01/08/2015: You can see they are going to be opposed to this AND nuclear fusion – and God knows what else until we are forced kicking and shrieking back into the Stone Age: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/07/29/the-perfect-storm-for-environmentalists-gmo-engineered-rice-reduces-greenhouse-gas-emissions-to-near-zero/

01/08/2015: Useful information for folks who don’t cook. NB Calories per oz/gram is everything: http://sectionhiker.com/10-ultralight-backpacking-foods/

01/08/2015: Shorten keeps getting caught with his pants down; first it was his rape of a teenage girl, now it is these unjustifiable expense claims from the whole team! http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/will_wong_and_shorter_repay_us/

31/07/2015: MH370: So far it seems the ‘flaperon’s’ colour, rivet pattern and number appear to be wrong: unbelievably there are lots of other aeroplanes and aeroplane parts (even 777s) bobbing about in the sea: eg A Yemeni Airways Airbus A310 crashed in the ocean not far from Réunion in 2009…

31/07/2015: A further use for drinking straws: emergency fire starter storage: http://www.instructables.com/id/Fire-Tube-Drinking-Straw-Hack/

31/07/2015: AGW proponents are becoming ever more shrill: Prof Wadhams (who predicted an ice free Arctic in 2016) has cried ‘murder’ by ‘Big Oil’ over these three ‘warmist’ deaths, BUT Professor Laxon fell down a flight of stairs at a New Year’s Eve party at a house in Essex while Dr Giles died when she was in collision with a lorry when cycling to work in London. Dr Boyd is thought to have been struck by lightning while walking in Scotland. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/globalwarming/11762680/Three-scientists-investigating-melting-Arctic-ice-may-have-been-assassinated-professor-claims.html/

31/07/2015: Civilisation: Kenneth Clark. We did not have television in 1969 so we missed this wonderful series which we are catching up with at last, now! It is such a series of revelations, wonderfully erudite in a down to earth way, and replete with visual delights. One of my favourites so far is the depiction of Eve (I think) on the Chartres cathedral as a serpent! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilisation_%28TV_series%29 Download here: https://kat.cr/bbc-civilisation-1969-complete-720p-brrip-x264-yify-t5926451.html

31/07/2015: Fun with Sticky Tape: Mylar Poncho: 49 grams and five minutes that may Save your Life: Follow the instructions here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hole-less-ponchoshelter/ As you can see you can sit down against a tree in front of a fire wearing it and be perfectly dry - with a little help from your small dog, Spot!

30/07/2015: Love this guy: In Louisiana, the word of Officer Clay Higgins is law: St. Landry Crime Stoppers are looking for thief who broke into Stelly's Supermarket; I think they will catch him. There ARE good cops; what a difficult job it is! We should be eternally grateful for the men and woman who choose to do it, & keep us safe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz95O1OQCH0

30/07/2015: Great Article: ‘Population, Religion and Immigration’: ‘Why did so many embark on leaky boats, rather than present themselves as ordinary economic migrants? Because they have no marketable skills, little education and no jobs waiting for them upon arrival. What many do boast is a troubling insularity borne of loyalty to fundamentalist Islam… most, of the difficulties and malaise currently being experienced by the West, including Australia, stem in large measure from two factors: the unprecedented increase in population in the Third World, and the replacement of secular, universalistic ideologies, especially Marxism, by religious fundamentalism...We arguably admit far too many migrants. In 2013-14, Australia admitted 190,000 migrants (up from 100,000 in 2003-04) and 13,500 refugees, a number which is due to rise to 20,000. In contrast, the United States, whose population is thirteen times larger than Australia’s, admitted 990,000 legal migrants in 2013 and only 58,000 refugees. If Australia allowed in the same per capita number of immigrants as the United States, it would have let in only about 76,000 migrants and 4400 refugees; both figures appear far more reasonable, given the current state of our economy. The negative impact of high levels of immigration on, for example, the cost and availability of housing here, is discussed all too infrequently…the clear and immediate threat posed by Islamic fundamentalism is one central reason why Third World immigration here, fanned by an ever more astronomical population of the impoverished in the underdeveloped world, should be carefully controlled and curtailed; any would-be immigrant from the Third World who presents the slightest threat to our security ought to be automatically barred from coming.’ https://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2015/07-08/population-religion-immigration/

30/07/2015: Tyvek Bivi, Poncho, Tent Floor: 7’ x 5’ of ‘Tyvek Homewrap’ (and some waterproof zippers (eg here: http://www.zpacks.com/materials.shtml scroll down – 13 grams and US$4.78 per metre) is all you need to make this multi-use piece. Most people who use a tarp use a Tyvek groundsheet/footprint anyway. If it can double as a bivi, before bed you will have a spacious comfy floor, and when you turn in you can be confident that however the rain and wind may blow you are going to be snug and dry, and your sleeping bag will stay clean.

Tyvek is breathable so your body ought not saturate your sleeping bag so long as you don’t overheat. The fact that it cuts any cold draughts and ought to reflect some of your body heat back at you should also mean that it will substitute for a sleeping bag thermal liner (taking your bag down probably another 5C), and it WILL keep you dry.

If you configure it as a poncho as well (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hole-less-ponchoshelter/) , it should also cut down your pack weight by replacing at least these three items for an overall weight of approx 200 grams. Given that you would have had an approx 100 gram groundsheet anyway, plus an approx 200 gram thermal liner and at least 150 gram raincoat, you should be saving about 250 grams! In an emergency you could no doubt sleep in it right out in the rain! You might carry it in your daypack along with your lightweight sleeping bag with this eventuality in mind!

You will have to configure the zippers in such a way they do double duty. There will be two 3’6” zips which will become the chest zip of the poncho; the shorter zips will do double duty as the arm closures. When you go to lay it out you will see how many (separating) zips you need and which way/s they have to run.

29/07/2015: Toaks Bail Handle: These folks have re-introduced billies with bail handles (along with side handles): http://toaksoutdoor.com/potwithbailhandle.aspx It adds a little bit of weight but means that you can cook by suspending it over a fire. You have to buy the frypan lids separately unfortunately, eg: http://toaksoutdoor.com/accessories.aspx

29/07/2015: Truly TERRIFYING: http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2015/07/british-opinion-poll-conducted-in-early-july-2015-9-of-british-population-hold-favourable-views-towa.html & http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2015/07/holocaust-survivor-hounded-from-uk-festival-says-it-all-about-the-march-of-islamism.html

29/07/2015: The truth about the ‘Noble Savage’: http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/stone-age-tribe-on-north-sentinel-island-left-to-fend-for-themselves-as-they-should-be/story-fnjwl2dr-1227457943618

28/07/2015: Poncho/Shelter: Here is the pattern for my poncho/shelter which I promised some time ago. When we first made this (back in 2000 – for my first ‘moose hunting’ trip to Supper Cove, Fiordland) there was no such thing as a waterproof zip. As you can see we used 2 oz ripstop and Velcro. Della made three of them in such a way that they two or three could be combined to make a bigger (and bigger) shelter by joining them edge to edge (which I still think is a good idea if you sometimes tramp with friends).

Pitching the Poncho as a Shelter: Just enough room for a man and his dog – an essential on a cold night!

Hoodless Poncho

Now that there ARE waterproof zippers (eg here: http://www.zpacks.com/materials.shtml scroll down – 13 grams and US$4.78 per metre) you can make a far more waterproof poncho using (probably) 1.3 oz/yd2 ‘silnylon’ (eg from here: http://www.questoutfitters.com/coated.html#SILNYLON%201.1%20OZ%20RIPSTOP ) – US$10.49/yd = 2.5 needed) OR .51oz/yd2 cuben fibre from either of the above if you want it ultralight. (NB zpacks have .67 oz/yd2 cuben avail. In camo!) In silnylon it will weigh a little over 150 grams; in cuben it will weigh less than half that – about 65 grams! That is a SERIOUSLY lightweight raincoat AND tent! You would make the tie-outs out of Grosgrain ribbon (available from both of the above).

You can see how to wear it as a hooded/hoodless poncho in the pix, and how to pitch it as a shelter here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pitching-the-poncho-warning-this-may-save-your-life/

Space Blanket Poncho

Hooded Poncho

Instructions: Feel free to make ONE yourself, but (as with my other patterns) if you are going to manufacture them for profit, I would appreciate something in return! Cut the material to size. Hem all around. Sew zippers to close AB to AC, BD to DF & CE to EG (leaving openings of the approximate size shown. You might run a thread around inside the hem of the ‘hood’ with a drawstring/s, having left an approx 1 cm gap in your hem stitching at each side for that purpose, so that it can be closed tight around the face. Sew (approx 1” – 25mm) grosgrain tie outs on all four corners and half way along each of the long sides. NB: If you form the grosgrain loop with one end sewn to one side of the material and the other end to the other side with an 180 degree ‘twist’ in the middle it will be easier to peg out.

If you find these directions a little difficult, try making the poncho out of a space blanket with sticky tape as illustrated here:

28/07/2015: Going soft on illegal immigrants is only ONE of Labor’s MANY follies…seems to me they voted for close to a TRILLION dollars worth of new spending on the weekend of money we will NEVER have, without any regard to paying off the still over half a trillion dollars of debt they left us last time. As the Left move ever closer to Cloud Cuckoo land, Rome BURNS: http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/column_bill_shorten_wont_turn_back_the_boats_hes_actually_opening_the_doors/

28/07/2015: Some good advice on weight control: Dr Joy Bliss: http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/26482-Re-posted,-All-I-have-to-say-on-body-fat,-exercise,-and-diet-A-medical-view.html & http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/26648-Satiety-and-weight.html

28/07/2015: Every child (in us) should own one of these to help eradicate Australia’s ‘national bird’ the blowfly: http://www.ohgizmo.com/2012/07/24/bugasalt-is-a-shotgun-that-kills-flies-with-a-pinch-of-salt/

27/07/2015: Cute Poem: "Worst Day Ever?" By Chanie Gorkin

Today was the absolute worst day ever

And don't try to convince me that

There's something good in every day

Because, when you take a closer look,

This world is a pretty evil place.

Even if

Some goodness does shine through once in a while

Satisfaction and happiness don't last.

And it's not true that

It's all in the mind and heart

Because

True happiness can be obtained

Only if one's surroundings are good

It's not true that good exists

I'm sure you can agree that

The reality

Creates

My attitude

It's all beyond my control

And you'll never in a million years hear me say that

Today was a good day

**Now read from the bottom to top.

28/07/2015: A Good Roundup on the Minimum Wage : http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2015/07/a-good-roundup-on-the-minimum-wage.html

27/07/2015: A Labor Party that damns Martin Ferguson is not worth a damn: Labor’s National Conference has carried a resolution condemning former ACTU boss and former federal frontbencher Martin Ferguson.

27/07/2015: Good News: ‘Karl Marx was wrong about many things but right about one thing: the revolutionary way capitalism attacks and destroys feudalism. As I explain in a new study, in India, the rise of capitalism since the economic reforms of 1991 has also attacked and eroded casteism, a social hierarchy that placed four castes on top with a fifth caste—dalits—like dirt beneath the feet of others. Dalits, once called untouchables, were traditionally denied any livelihood save virtual serfdom to landowners and the filthiest, most disease-ridden tasks, such as cleaning toilets and handling dead humans and animals. Remarkably, the opening up of the Indian economy has enabled dalits to break out of their traditional low occupations and start businesses. The Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI) now boasts over 3,000 millionaire members. This revolution is still in its early stages, but is now unstoppable.’ http://www.cato.org/blog/how-capitalism-undermining-indian-caste-system

27/07/2015: Prediction: Arnulf Baring (German Finance Minister) in 1997 ‘Monetary union, in the end, will result in a gigantic blackmailing operation. They will be subsidizing scroungers, lounging in cafes on the Mediterranean beaches. Monetary union, in the end, will result in a gigantic blackmailing operation. When we Germans demand monetary discipline, other countries will blame their financial woes on that same discipline, and by extension, on us. More they will perceive us as a kind of economic policeman. We risk once again becoming the most hated people in Europe.’

27/07/2015: Water babies: As Charles Kingsley said, ‘No-one can say water babies don’t exist because no-one ever saw one not existing’! BUT look at this BEAUTY come all the way from ‘God Know Where’ to die on our roadside at the back of the farm. I found it yesterday afternoon whilst fixing the back fence. At first I thought it was a dead sambar because of its size and colour. In a life spent in the bush I have only ever seen FOUR of these things (including this one). That is a 120cm (4’) fence dropper approx 50mm x 50mm (2” x 2”) lying along it. You will note its right arm is over 50 cm (2’ long) and thicker than a ‘longneck’ beer bottle. Its tail is thicker than a 2 litre bottle of coke. Its front claws, 30cm (1’) below the right hand end of the dropper are 100mm (4”) long! It is/was a wallaroo, the marsupial version of a Great Ape. Unbelievably, my father Lawrence once (around 1958) managed to kill one of these with his bare hands, as one of the beagles had it bailed – and it would otherwise have killed the dog. You can see that he was a VERY strong man, MUCH moreso than I. Mind you he wore some of its trophies on his body to his grave! Those claws and teeth are sharp – and just look at the rear claw: it is over 75mm (3” long)!

Wallaroo

26/07/2015: About that 50% ‘target’: ACIL-Allen Consulting chief executive Paul Hyslop said: ‘If this were met by wind power it would require 10,000 to 11,000 additional turbines…with capital costs for the turbines alone of $65 billion…the total capital cost would be in the order of $100bn — about three times the cost of the National Broadband Network’. Shorten also ‘promises’ to ‘restore’ Abbott’s $80 billion cuts to the states for health/education…Scott Morrison, Since 2004/05 our welfare and social services bill has increased from around $90 billion to over $150 billion this year. This included a doubling in expenditure on the age and disability pensions and job seeker allowances, a fourfold increase in carer income support and a 350% increase in child care subsidies. Going forward, social services expenditure is projected to rise by 21% to $187 billion by the end of the forward estimates, an increase of $33 billion. In ten years the budget will hit $277 billion, growing at a rate of 5.6% per year. This growth will be fueled by our aging population and indexation of benefits to rising costs of living. However, it is the policy decision to move forward with the National Disability Insurance Scheme that will require the single biggest increase. By 2018/19 this cost will increase from less than $1 billion to almost $20 billion per year, with $5.2 billion unfunded by the NDIS levy. By 2025/26 the total cost is projected to be $32 billion.’ Of course, this is only the beginning of our (Labor’s) reckless spending which will VERY SOON turn us into another Greece. Already, we can see numbers here which (totaled) would completely SWALLOW the BUDGET!

26/07/2015: Statins: Should you be taking them? Includes a self-calculator: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/15/health/broader-statin-use-gets-support-from-2-new-studies.html?ref=health&_r=2

26/07/2015: Making drinking straws into mini containers: Now that is a genius idea: http://briangreen.net/2011/07/diy-single-use-antibiotic-packs.html ‘Place the straw over the opening of the ointment tube and carefully squeeze in a small amount of the ointment that is approximately one quarter of an inch in length. You’ll notice that transparent straws work best for this. Use you fingers to squeeze the end of the straw so that it pushes the ointment further up inside the plastic straw. This will provide a clean area for sealing the end of the straw without having the ointment ooze out while you are holding it with your pliers.

Hold the end of the straw with your needle-nose pliers so that a small amount of the straw is protruding. This will be used to melt and seal the end of the straw. Take your Bic lighter and carefully melt the end of the straw so that it forms a seal. I like to quickly pinch the melted end with my pliers to ensure a good seal. Turn the straw around and find the point where the ointment went up to inside the straw. Pinch just past that with your needle-nose pliers and cut off the excess straw with a pair of scissors making sure to leave a small amount of the straw protruding for sealing with your lighter just as you did in the first step.’

Easy Open Hack for DIY Single Use Antibiotic Packs: ‘I experimented on several small anti biotic pouches that I had recently made, by cutting tiny ‘V’ notches with the tip of a sharp knife into one of the sealed ends. The idea being that these tiny notches would be all that was needed to start the tear if two corners were torn in opposite directions.’ http://briangreen.net/2013/10/easy-open-hack-diy-single-use-antibiotic-packs.html

Easy Open Hack for DIY Single Use Antibiotic Packs

‘How To Make Seasoning Straws A quick and simple way to bring seasoning with you while backpacking or camping without having to bring way more than you will ever need! I bring these with me when I go backpacking, they allow me to season my food without all the extra weight. Directions: Use the lighter and melt one end on each of the straws. Fit the funnel on one of the straws and carefully pour in the seasoning of your choice. Once they are all filled, cut the straws to size and melt the ends’ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/131097039128017714/

25/07/2015: Seriously serially CRAZY: the Emily’s List gals have turned Gillard’s execrable misogyny speech into a TEA TOWEL. I kid you not: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/labor-national-conference-julia-gillard-misogyny-speech-tea-towel-causes-a-stir-20150724-gik0ez.html#ixzz3gqaRt4FQ

Lisa Carey, Emily's List national co-ordinator, holding one of the tea towels, says the group wants everyone to remember the speech "whatever they're doing".

Lisa Carey, Emily's List national co-ordinator, holding one of the tea towels

25/07/2015: Soda Can Stove: easy to Follow Instructions: http://www.ehow.com/how_12340111_turn-soda-cans-portable-camp-stove.html

Soda can stoves

25/07/2015: JE SUIS CHARLIE: Stéphane "Charb" Charbonnier, Charlie editor, ‘It may seem pompous, but I'd rather die standing than live on my knees.’ It's not pompous, but it is lonely. And the slippery, weaselly nature of the post-bloodbath support told Charlie Hebdo it was only going to get lonelier. It's hard standing on your feet when everyone else with the #JeSuisCharlie buttons is on their knees, bottoms in the air, prostrate before the fanatics. And so Charb's successor has opted to live on his knees.…the great thing about living on your knees is how quickly you get used to not noticing anything in front of your eyes’ : http://www.steynonline.com/7062/the-knees-have-it#.Va-07IqVWzM.twitter

25/07/2015: SCAREY STUFF: ‘The budget will never return to surplus if economic growth remains stuck around its current level, with deficits over the next decade at least $170 billion bigger than Treasury’s projections. Reserve Bank governor Glenn Stevens’ warning on Wednesday that Australia’s potential growth rate may have fallen permanently would have profound implications for personal income tax and company tax revenues…The budget assumes growth rises from the current 2.3 per cent to what has always been thought of as its long-term trend rate of 3.25 per cent next year and then rockets ahead to 3.5 per cent for five years to bring down unemployment. The projections have been widely criticised as too optimistic…The PBO modelling shows what would happen to the budget if productivity and economic growth slowed by 0.5 percentage points. Budget deficits would be $10.3bn bigger by 2019-20 and $33.1bn bigger by 2024-25. Across the decade, deficits would be $142bn bigger’ http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/if_growth_doesnt_come_were_cactus/

24/07/2015: Chancellor Merkel regularly reminds Europe that it has 7% of the world’s population, 25% of its GDP and 50% of its social spending and that If the region is to prosper in competition with emerging countries, it cannot continue to be so generous… Just RECONSIDER those numbers again: 7% of the world’s population, 25% of its GDP and 50% of its social spending http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/first_the_berlin_wall_fell_then_greece_scott_morrison_on_the_failure_of_mod/

24/07/2015: Richard Horton, editor of the British medical journal, Lancet, ‘The case against science is straightforward: much of the scientific literature, perhaps half, may simply be untrue. Afflicted by studies with small sample sizes, tiny effects, invalid exploratory analyses, and flagrant conflicts of interest, together with an obsession for pursuing fashionable trends of dubious importance, science has taken a turn towards darkness.’ http://www.davidwarrenonline.com/2015/07/21/on-the-other-hand/

24/07/2015: Making an SUL tarp, pack, and stuff sack out of a single 5-yard piece of spinnaker fabric: What a great project – even lighter in cuben, of course: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/make_your_own_gear_5_yards_to_sul_part_1.html#.Va2ux_nq3ct

Make Your Own Gear: 5 yards to Super Ultra Light – Part 1, Introduction - 2

The finished 6.3 ounce tarp, with protected ends and catenary ridgeline.

23/07/2015: Hiking Food: Mckenzie’s Country Chicken Soup with Lemon & Black Pepper Tuna (which we had for tea tonight) is quite delicious. I added only HALF the water on the directions, making roughly one litre of soup - I have an 1100ml pot – a good quantity for two. You need to simmer for approx 15 minutes, after which I added two sachets of Safcol tuna (as above) stirred it in and waited fro the soup to come back to the boil. Done. Next time I would add only ½ of the Mackenzie’s flavour sachet at the beginning, adding some more near the end if it needed more salt (it was a little saltier than we like with the whole sachet). You could (as usual) add some Surprise Peas and some Deb Mashed Potato to thicken if desired. The soup was quite delicious just as it was though, and would taste even better on a cold night in the backcountry sometime (soon!) 2456 kilojoules in the soup and 1056 in the tuna = 1756 each or roughly 440 calories. I usually have something like 30 grams of Mrs May’s Almond Crunch for an entrée (650 kJ), a cup of Jarrah Hot Choc Frothy Classic (45 kJ) and perhaps a Carman’s Muesli Bar for dessert (698 kJ); Total 3149kJ (787 calories) - plenty enough for a growing boy!

23/07/2015: Best Possible Thing for Low-Skilled Workers: Having Others Get Rich off Their Labor: http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2015/07/best-possible-thing-for-low-skilled-workers-having-others-get-rich-off-their-labor.html

23/07/2015: So, tell me you’re still in favour of abortion after you’ve watched this: http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/07/21/new-video-shows-another-planned-parenthood-doctor-haggling-price-of-baby-body-parts/

22/07/2015: Roman Swiss Army Knife: Category: tool/implement. Name: compound utensil. Date: 201 — 300 AD. Period: Middle Roman. Description: eating implement, folding, with three-pronged fork, spatula, pick, spike and knife. Production Place (legacy): Mediterranean, production, region. Material(s): iron; knife, silver. Dimension(s): height, 88, mm, max width, 155, mm, max http://webapps.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/explorer/index.php?oid=70534

Roman Swiss Army Knife

22/07/2015: ‘It’s the Sun, Stupid’: This is about the best (short) explanation of how the seun effects climate – and whay we should worry about it! David Evans: ‘If Shepard and Scafetta are correct about the upcoming dearth of solar activity by the 2030s, by 2040 it will have cooled significantly, by maybe 0.5C to 1.0C, undoing the global warming since 1800 or even 1700. That cooling could start as early as 2017. This cooling would be counteracted by a mild warming due to rising carbon dioxide, but the net effect would be cooling... the number of sunspots accurately predicts the small changes in temperature here on Earth, such as those associated with global warming, but with a delay of one sunspot cycle (which averages 11 years, but is only half the Sun’s full cycle, which averages about 22 years). There was a largish fall in solar activity in 2004 (in 11 year smoothed TSI), so there will be a significant and sustained fall in global temperature on Earth starting in about 2017.’ http://joannenova.com.au/2015/07/is-a-mini-ice-age-coming-in-2030-and-does-the-sun-have-two-dynamos/

22/07/2015: Of COURSE it is NOT PC, but it is true, and it must be said. Our country too is being RUINED by (too much) immigration. The Labor party is in favour because they ALL vote Labor - as soon as they’re given their ‘quickie’ citizenship which requires NO English and about as much loyalty to this country as bin Laden would have shown! We too have had an entirely different cohort of them post Whitlam/Fraser – and largely it has been a disaster; one which gets worse every single day: http://www.anncoulter.com/columns/2015-05-27.html

21/07/2015: Power from Heat: The Candle Charger can power your phone in a blackout ‘When the power is cut, modern life is thrown into disarray. But thanks to a new project you may not have to worry about your smartphone dying. The Candle Charger is described as an "indoor power plant for smartphones," providing USB charging capabilities with just a candle and five ounces of water.’ http://www.gizmag.com/candle-charger/38461/ Also see: http://www.gizmag.com/flamestower-fire-charger/29290/ I had long ago seen that you could buy the Peltiers here: Peltier + circuit http://www.customthermoelectric.com/powergen.html?gclid=CLTl4JPpxrMCFchbpQodszYAow

plus the circuits to stabilise output voltage and provide USB power. I was speculating about simply attaching one to a platypus bottle (of cold water) and sitting it near the fire so that its two sides had different temperatures. Some current must be created. I can see that a metal tongue which will get one side hotter without warming the other side is an improvement on this, but at 198 grams! My simple set-up would weigh perhaps 50 grams. Still on my –To-Do- list. If there are others out there with a little more electronic nous than me who want to get into this, please message me.

The Candle Charger

The FlameStower – where there's fire, there's electricity

The Flamestower

21/07/2015: Sensible people don't fill their children's head with nonsense like 'fairness'! The universe is completely indifferent to us: to think otherwise is a form of insanity!

21/07/2015: So, you think YOUR rates are too high: ‘Pension payments to Chicago public union employees have become so high that today all the property taxes paid by the households of Chicago go exclusively to pensions.’ We WILL come to this: http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2015/07/public_pensions_prove_zero_sum_economics.html

20/07/2015: UPPER YARRA TRACK UPDATE: HISTORIC PHOTOS: Courtesy of Thomas Osberg, here are some wonderful photos of the track in bygone days. They begin at approx McVeigh’s Hotel (now under the Upper Yarra Reservoir), and finish at Walhalla. The captions are my surmise (and might not be correct). The changes in hiking costume and gear from that day to this are quite interesting!

2. MacVeighs Hotel

2. Looking back towards McVeighs

3. Between McVeighs & Upper Yarra Hut(s)

4. Yarra River between McVeighs & Upper Yarra Hut(s)

5. New (Left) & Old Upper Yarra Huts.

6. Old Upper Yarra Hut

7. Ridge above the Upper Yarra Huts.

8. Main Falls?

9. Top Falls?

10. Top of the ridge above Falls Creek?

11. Toorongo Rd?

12. Toorongo Rd/ Newlands Rd?

13. Toorongo Road?

14. Toorongo Rd?

15. Myhrree area?

16. Prob Newlands Rd.

17. Prob Newlands Rd.

18. Prob. Mt Whitelaw Hut.

19. Prob Talbot Peak Hut.

20. Track Marker Tree.

21. Poverty Point Bridge, Thomson River.

22. Poverty Point Bridge.

20/07/2015: Reclaim Rally: I find it frightening that violent protesters have again attempted to annihilate a demonstration questioning our current immigration policy. The Left will not allow a dissenting voice. If necessary they will mass murder to eliminate them (as Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot - all Leftists – did, collectively murdering over 100 million people!) Ask yourself, do we want this: ‘Dearborn, Michigan is home to just under 100,000 people, about 40 percent of whom are Muslim. In 2013, a leaked government document revealed that more people from Dearborn were on the federal terrorist watch list than from any other city except New York… and 91.4 percent of refugees from the Middle East are on food stamps.’ http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/07/16/immigration-to-swell-u-s-muslim-population-to-6-2-million/ & http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/there_were_two_sets_of_protesters_on_the_street_the_media_savaged_the_more_/

20/07/2015: How Singer Won the Sewing Machine War: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-singer-won-sewing-machine-war-180955919/?no-ist

19/07/2015: This morning’s post from Greenpeace: Even if this were true (unlikely) it shows what a huge cost DEVELOPMENT is and how long it is before a mining investment begins to make a profit. These projects often don't break even for TWENTY years, but are predicated on perhaps a forty years life expectancy! http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/energy-giants-called-to-explain-billions-in-tax-havens-20150715-gid1wj.html It's not spin: it is a simple fact that a mining investment may take many years before its development costs pay off (if ever). I am quite worried that Gina will lose her shirt in her new Roy Hill venture. It is a great credit to her that she believes in the country enough to even try it. Without some serious changes in the labour market, red, black and green tape etc, I would not. Greenpeace is THE most WICKED organisation. It is nothing but lies and evil ideas. You should check out eg Patrick Moore's opinions of them (He Founded it!) After the collapse of the Berlin Wall it was taken over by (ex) communists and others working for an international government and the destruction of capitalism. One of its greatest 'claims to fame' was the banning of DDT which has resulted in the deaths of over 100 million people! It was John d Rockefeller after all who saved the whales back in the 1880's by developing kerosene!

19/07/2015: TURC: This guy may be the first crooked trade unionist to go down, but he won’t be the last. The astonishing thing about the TURC (Trade Union Royal Commission) is how it has revealed what a huge percentage of them ARE crooks (going right up to leading ALP figures now in parliament). We already knew the ALP is wholly dominated by these thugs – and that the Greens are utterly in their PAY as well. WHY does anyone vote for this shambles? http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2015/07/hifi-kivalu-in-the-act-magistrates-court-this-morning-on-two-counts-of-blackmail-14-year-maximum-on-.html

19/07/2015: Automatic Gate Controllers: Prompted by Spot’s near-miss (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/spot/) , I have been working on a JR-Proof fence (I know you will say, Good Luck with THAT!’, but I am an optimist. THIS section has him stymied at least. The electronic gate controller also has the local ‘tea-leaves’ in somewhat of a quandary. We used to have some low-life drive right up to the house about once a week, yet when we opened the door, they would scuttle off – or if we had them trapped, they would give some preposterous story about searching earnestly for someone who never existed. In the 2-3 years since we installed the push-button gate there have been NONE! It will soon have a sign saying, ‘For entry ring this number------‘ and a digital keypad so you can let yourself in with a code if you haven’t got a remote – after you have rung when we are not at home –when we would let you in with a button at the house once we knew who you were. I know old folks feel the need to protect themselves more; but we are increasingly living in more dangerous times. Crimes against the person are up over 17,500% since they outlawed carrying pistols for personal protectionin the early C20th! Read these two articles: http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/02/19/britain-is-getting-more-dangerous-so-give-us-our-guns-back/ & http://www.adamsmith.org/blog/liberty-justice/make-britain-safer-bring-back-handguns/ A number of folk make these gate units. We bought ours from these people. It has been working fine now for quite some time; the batteries need charging once in mid-winter because the solar panel is too shaded by a large blackwood – I should move one of them: http://www.solartronics.com.au//?file=home

19/07/2015: Sascha Baron Cohen's Admiral General Aladeen saw President Obama coming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbBfxREg6fk

18/07/2015: Time to remember Karl Popper, ‘I have insisted that we must be tolerant. But I also believe that this tolerance has its limits. We must not trust those anti-humanitarian religions which not only preach destruction but act accordingly. For if we tolerate them, then we become ourselves responsible for their deeds.’ (1940) https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2015/07/karl-popper-limits-tolerance/ & https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Popper & http://www.the-rathouse.com/2013/AfterOpenSociety.html

18/07/2015: Expect to see more of these (and in the wrong hands!): Prototype Quadrotor with Machine Gun! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNPJMk2fgJU

18/07/2015: The Secret of Domestic Bliss: Two products which will ensure you always have sharp kitchen knives: ‘Smith’s 2-Step Knife Sharpener features two tungsten carbide blades with pre-set angles to ensure the perfect edge every time. Three or four strokes through the carbide sharpening slots will restore the edge on a very dull knife. The two crossed ceramic rods also have pre-set angles and provide a smooth finished edge to already sharp knives. It is lightweight, portable, comes with a lanyard hole, and has non-slip rubber feet for added safety. Excellent for use on all types of knives, especially filet knives.’ Available at a variety of stores from $10: http://www.smithsproducts.com/product/ccks/ 45.5 grams; and Victorinox’s 10cm vegetable/paring knife (24.5 grams) from $6, just the best preparation knife I have ever found – and back to razor sharpness with a couple of quick strops on the Smiths 2-Step: http://www.victorinox.com/ch/product/Cutlery/Category/Household-knives/Paring-knives/SwissClassic-Paring-knife-10-cm/6.7706.L115;jsessionid=316228109C695A50923596CF087DD817

17/07/2015: Ultra-cheap, Ultralight Rain Gear; neat idea: Jacket =149 grams; Chaps = 74 grams: http://gossamergear.com/wp/tip-of-the-week-make-a-hooded-tyvek-rain-jacket-and-chaps-for-under-10 Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39chVyur8Lg

tyvek rain gear

The finished Tyvek hooded rain jacket is extra long and weighs just 5.25 ounces. The chaps weigh 2.6 ounces. You may get some comments about the white color (like “where did you park your space ship?”), but it is actually quite functional because it stays cooler than a darker colour.

17/07/2015: Oh Woe is us; we are all going to DIE: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/07/14/wait-what-i-thought-it-was-co2-that-was-going-to-destroy-civilization-not-lack-of-plant-life/ On the other hand, we may NOT: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/03/24/the-earths-biosphere-is-booming-data-suggests-that-co2-is-the-cause-part-2/

17/07/2015: Dogs are happy creatures: Cats always think the world is laughing at them; dogs think it is laughing with them. This may be the secret to happiness: if you would be happy, smile!

16/07/2015: This is our rig. We have a Landrover Defender – the 1995-99 models with the 300TDI engines are BEST – after that vehicles all became electric and impossible to FIX when things go wrong, especially in the bush. In 2010 the camper cost us under $20,000 delivered.

This vehicle suits the pop-top camper we have which has living space of 8′ by 6′ with a Queen sized bed over the cabin. It folds down to being about the height which any 4WD would be with roof racks and a spare on top, meaning someone has usually already cleared overhanging timber. It is quite big enough for us, has stove, fridge, dinette for four, space heater, water heater, outside shower. Also, once you try to push out dimensions (you could probably go out to 6’6″ wide) you start to not be able to fit down 4WD tracks. Similarly length increases mean you can’t get over steep sections etc.

Our Landie has 2” lift, twin diff locks and winch so it will go most anywhere – and has! (I intend to install http://www.secondair.com.au/why.htm to extend its range even further). I may also add a side awning for socialising and a small rear one for the shower/toilet, etc. I have purchased four under tray boxes which will contain wheel chains, Alpacka rafts https://alpackarafts.com/ etc. These <2 kg rafts (suitable for Grade 3+ rapids) are a great way to access remote country. I have the Fiord Explorer which they also describe as a ‘moose boat’ for obvious reasons! If you have a take-down rifle (as I do) it fits inside my pack liner bag; otherwise Aloksak http://www.loksak.com/products/aloksak make a waterproof rifle bag.

I also intend to build a motorcycle carrier for the rear for my Postie bike http://www.theultralighthiker.com/honda-ct110/ so I can get back to where I started on canoeing/hiking trips http://www.theultralighthiker.com/motorbike-hitch-carrier/ . We often take it into remote mountain country where it make a great base for walks, fishing, hunting, canoeing etc.

We had our camper built by http://www.fourwh.com/ They now offer a variety of tray-tops – basically to my design (which I gifted them). See also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/staircase-for-camper/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/?s=camper I had to modify the suspension and tray to make the rig ride comfortably and safely. I will cover that in a future post.

Horseyard Flat, Moroka River: Spot enjoys camping - as you can see!

16/07/2015: Obama clearly is an Islamist: his ‘new deal’ with Iran just moved the world a terrible quickstep closer to nuclear annihilation and/or Islamic dominance – and what does anyone else get out of it? Cheaper petrol for a while perhaps, fiddling while Rome burns… http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/thanks_to_obama_islamist_iran_now_on_the_path_to_nuclear_weapons/

16/07/2015: You can now rid yourself of some of that lounge room clutter (of large cabinets, multiple devices etc), wall mount your flat screen and attatch one of these to the back of it. You will not only have another chair space, you will be able to stream media from a variety of sources as well as surf the net on your TV. They are surprisingly cheap too (from $50 for the Raspberry Pi for example: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2911098/mini-pc-invasion-10-radically-tiny-computers-that-fit-in-the-palm-of-your-hand.html#slide1 Something like this TV Tuner Stick might be handy too: http://www.zapals.com/usb-2-0-tv-tuner-stick.html?geoip_country=AU&gclid=CNWeku7h3MYCFUxvvAodn8EKBg

15/07/2015: Can Knives get any lighter than this 3 Gram Knife: http://www.traildesigns.com/accessories/ultralight-knife It makes the ‘Dermasafe’ I posted about here (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dermasafe-ultralight-knives-and-saws/) positively cumbersome, as is the Gerber zip-Blade mini knife: http://www.countycomm.com/gdczipblade.html by comparison.

Trail Designs 3 Gram Mini Knife

Screen-Shot-2013-06-27-at-12.181

Gerber Zip Blade.

utility knife folding Derma Safe

Dermasafe 8 Gram Razor Knife

15/07/2015: Donald Trump May Yet Save the West: Maggies Farm: ‘Immigration in the USA, legal and illegal: I am glad the issue has been raised. In my wanderings around New England, I see white trash people with tatts and strange body rings lollygagging around all day, and entire black families getting in the way of the Mexican landscapers trying to mow the "lawns" of welfare housing projects on a sunny weekday. A strange sight. The blacks make fun of the Mexicans for working, and the Mexicans despise the blacks. The Asian (I mean real Asian - Chinese, Koreans, Singaporeans, Vietnamese, etc) legal immigrants are middle-class or more. They tend to arrive with education, skills, and some assets. However, I am not sure that they know much, or care much, about American values or traditions. What's going on? Around here, the illegals work. Not so in many other areas, I know. Gangs, drugs, welfare, etc. Sometimes, this doesn't feel like "my country" anymore, and I know I am not alone in this.’

15/07/2015: Blewitt expects to be charged soon – and if Blewitt is charged, Gillard will (likely) be charged too: http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2015/07/ralph-blewitts-note-published-to-his-facebook-page-he-expects-to-be-charged-in-the-awu-scandal-soon.html

14/07/2015: Just something else for the nanny state to ban: http://www.gizmag.com/bompas-parr-alcoholic-architecture-walk-in-cocktail/38399/

14/07/2015: Uses for Antlers: For many years’ hunting I was completely uninterested in antlers: the bones and antlers were only so much weight to carry out of the bush, so I carried out only the meat; some for the dogs, some for the family. After many years of experimenting with venison I reached the conclusion, ‘there is no such thing as a tough rissole’ so it all went through the mincer; adding some pork fat at this stage made for an acceptable Spag Bol or cottage pie – but venison will never be lamb (which, being sheep farmers we had plenty of), just more fun to hunt! Occasionally someone else would want a nice pair of antlers so I let them have them. Travelling around NZ with my son in 2008 we spotted this excellent Antler Arch near Hokitika; my wife would like one too! It is one thing acquiring enough antlers for such a project by helicopter culling in NZ and quite another putting them together from sambar stalking in Vic – but I will work on it! My wife also admires those antler chandeliers, hat racks etc, and has many crafty projects for them cut into itsy pieces, so I drag one or two back now and again for her amusement. At 66 though, I am more interested in just getting myself to and from some mountain stronghold without being encumbered by unnecessary weight. The Jack Russells appreciate having their efforts rewarded by my knocking over a deer now and again, but they are doing well to eat half a kilo – and live quite well on ‘Smackos’, which are lighter!

Antler driveway arch near Hokitika NZ, Bryn Jones 2008

14/07/2015: The ABC is becoming too left-wing even for some Labor MPs such as Michael Danby: ‘The desire for sensationalism is worry enough. But equally worrying is the political paradigm in which Q&A’s senior staff operate. Their agenda is anti-Labor leftist, anti-Israel, even sometimes anti-democratic...’

13/07/2015: Greece: It's All Bad Luck: ‘Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded—here and there, now and then—are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty. “This is known as ‘bad luck”.’ – Robert A. Heinlein A timely warning for Australians who insist on voting Labor/Greens: You can’t have your cake and eat it too!

13/07/2015: Here’s something you probably haven’t heard: ‘There are more honeybee colonies in the United States today than there were when colony collapse disorder began in 2006. In fact, according to data released in March by the Department of Agriculture, U.S. honeybee-colony numbers are now at a 20-year high. And those colonies are producing plenty of honey. U.S. honey production is also at a 10-year high.’

http://www.perc.org/articles/bee-pocalypse-now & http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/MannUsda/viewDocumentInfo.do?documentID=1191

13/07/2015: Toaks Ultralight Titanium Cook System; US$58. Weight: Total: 4.4 oz (122g) Includes: Pot with lid: 550 ml; 3.0oz (85g) Dimensions: Pot: 3 1/2" (95mm) (external lower part) (D) x 3 1/8" (80mm) (H); Solid alcohol folding stove: 0.5oz (13g); Folding spork: 0.7oz (18g); Windscreen: 16" x 2 7/8" (405mm x 72mm); 0.2oz (6g). The system comes with a mesh storage sack: http://toaksoutdoor.com/titaniumcs01.aspx Add one of http://snowpeak.com/products/hotlips-2-piece-set-mgh-001?variant=671143453 4 grams. Total 126 grams. Just great for daytrips or overnighters.

12/07/2015: Hiking Food: Making (delicious use) of everyday supermarket dehydrated food instead of those awful backpacking meals: Continental Spring Vegetable Simmer Soup + 500 ml water (1/2 quantity) + I Tablespoon (approx) Surprise Garden Peas + 8 Teaspoons Continental Deb Instant Mashed Potato. Try it. After you have done so, start thinking about other dehydrated (eg Continental) products such as their Gravies and Sauces and their meal bases. Cheaper and much tastier.

Spring Vegetable Soup Mix

12/07/2015: And NOW for the good news: We can forget about global warming…a mini-ice age is just around the corner in 2030: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3156594/Is-mini-ICE-AGE-way-Scientists-warn-sun-sleep-2020-cause-temperatures-plummet.html

12/07/2015: It is bizarre: folk are advocating that ‘aborigines’ be included in the constitution, yet Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act forbids discussion of exactly what an ‘aborigine’ IS! This chap, who is rather duskier than I also thinks it strange: http://theblacksteamtrain.blogspot.com.au/

11/07/2015: Rosetta may have to do some interesting deciphering if this pans out: http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/astronomy-community-split-over-claims-comet-is-home-to-alien-life/story-fnjwlcze-1227433433203

11/07/2015: The great Mark Steyn: http://www.steynonline.com/7036/the-stupidity-of-sophisticates Also see Paul Kelly’s article here. Ominous: http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/will_the_same_sex_marriage_push_destroy_the_right_of_churches_to_dissent/

11/07/2015: Hiking 101: If you don’t know that you must NEVER wear COTTON in the bush (if it gets wet, hypothermia and perhaps death will follow soon after!), then these elementary tips ARE for you: http://www.theadventurejunkies.com/backpacking-hiking-tips-for-beginners/

backpacking Essentials: 41 Hiking Tips for Beginners

10/07/2015: You would think Christians would all learn Aramaic (still spoken in Syria) just in case Jesus ever does come back! Would be a problem not being able to understand what your hero had to say! Postscript: The Apostle’s Creed: the core statement of Christian faith: NB Jesus is in Heaven seated on God’s right hand…there is no mention of his having learned English, or ever sending people (telephone) messages in any such language! http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/credo.htm NB2: If Jesus was ‘up-to-date’ he would now send TEXT messages. Oh Wait! A friend of mine just texted me to say, ‘Look; I just received a text message from Jesus…he says, he is alive and well and living in the Bahamas. Don’t worry about him, and pay no attention to all that nonsense about him in the Bible!’ Oh Noes!

10/07/2015: ‘Can do’ and ‘Make do’ are two of my favourite expressions; they deserve a wider popularity!

10/07/2015: Windscreens: If you don’t use one you are likely using twice, maybe three times too much fuel – which you most likely had to carry many hard miles. You can check this out for yourself: 250 ml of water should boil with about 7 ml of methylated spirits. Try it yourself on a home-made ‘Supercat’ stove: http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/SuperCat/ Without a windscreen you may need 15-20 ml. Smarten up. You can make your own, as shown here on my old Snowpeak 1400ml (210 gram) pot http://snowpeak.com/collections/all/products/trek-1400-titanium-cookset?variant=671149753 from a piece of aluminium flashing with just a pair of industrial scissors. Notice it is joined with just a couple of paper clips. I have put bottom air events only on the lee side, which is the best idea, I think. It weighs 40 grams – but I can see how I could have trimmed it a bit and maybe shaved it down to 25! You should bring the windscreen about an inch up the pot and have a gap between it and the pot of less then 1/8”. You want to capture ALL of the heat from whatever stove is underneath the pot. In this case it is a Brasslite 47 gram adjustable stove http://brasslite.com/products/brasslite-turbo-i-d-backpacking-stove/ which is wonderful! For years I used the lightest simple boiler soda can stove I could get which weighed 7 grams from https://www.minibulldesign.com/productcart/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=2 It is still in my overnight camping kit. You can see from its blackening that the pot has had a fair bit of use on my Bushbuddy (145 gram) Stove: http://bushbuddy.ca/indexs.html which is a ‘fuel-less’ stove ie, you burn twigs you find on the way. Sometimes the metho stove is good for a quick cuppa though. Now I have a titanium windscreen which weighs only 7 grams on my Toaks (156 gram) 1100 ml pot: http://www.traildesigns.com/cookware/toaks-titanium-1100ml-pot-ckw1100 You can buy one here: http://www.titaniumgoat.com/windscreens.html You can probably figure the weight saving from switching pot + windscreen 210 + 40 = 250 grams; 156 + 7 = 163 grams. Saving: 87 grams – enough meths saved to boil over 3 litres of water (12 cups of hot soup perhaps!) Some people sell a pot with a heat exchanger on the bottom. You will never save enough fuel to compensate for its extra weight. Indeed, if you had adjusted your windscreen properly (as above) you would not have saved any fuel at all – just be lugging around a clunker! Instructions for making your own windscreen here: http://brasslite.com/instructions-for-making-the-brasslite-windscreen/ Another way to save fuel (instead of simmering) is to use/make a pot cosy. See instructions for making your own here: http://brasslite.com/make-your-own-pot-cozy/, or buy one here: http://www.antigravitygear.com/shop/cozy-collection/antigravitygear-pot-cozy/ Locally (Oz) you can buy Toaks’ windscreen (http://toaksoutdoor.com/search.aspx?find=windscreen) here: http://www.backpackinglight.com.au/ which is just about the only store in Victoria specialising in lightweight hiking gear. DO pay them a visit. Say, ‘Hello’ to Tim from me!

09/07/2015: That crooked Shorten is toast, when senior ALP figure Bob Hogg tells him, ‘Go!’: ‘Let's call a halt to defending the indefensible… Bill, do something for the ALP. It's simple. Just go.’ http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/bill-shorten-should-resign-after-failing-to-properly-disclose-donations-says-former-alp-national-secretary-bob-hogg-20150709-gi895f

09/07/2015: DIY Head Torches: You can save some weight and have fun by making your own head torch with a length of hat elastic, a couple of O-rings (or elastic bands) and a micro cord lock to convert eg any AAA torch into a head torch – or you can sew a couple of pieces of elastic together to create a comfy head band with an elastic sleeve for the torch (as shown) – we could have chosen lighter elastic; this is what we had. Converting the Photon Freedom http://www.theultralighthiker.com/photon-torch/ (as shown) makes a head torch which weighs a mere 9 grams (including battery)! This would be good for a day pack. Other weights: the Fenix HL10 https://www.fenixlighting.com/product/hl10-fenix-headlamp/ (which weighs 19 grams – compared to the Maratac http://www.theultralighthiker.com/mini-super-torch-a-weeks-light-weighs-50-grams/ at 11) comes with its own head band which weighs 27.5 grams. My elastic version weighs 19, my hat elastic one a mere 4 grams.

Top: Photon Freedom + hat elastic + 0-ring +micro cord lock

Centre Fenix HL10 + hat elastic + 2 o-rings + micro cord lock

Below: Fenix HL10 + two pieces of sewn elastic + tensioners

09/07/2015: Do folk who live near freeways think (as I do) that they sound very like the sea. Do they move there for that very reason - so they can be lulled to sleep by the ebb and flow of the surf? Do tyre designers gain special prizes if their tyres sound like famous beaches, Bells or the Pipeline, etc?

09/07/2015: Green Nihilism: Christopher Booker makes the case well: I have made the same claim in the past: not only do the Greens seek to murder countless millions eg by starvation, disease, energy poverty etc (following the example of their DDT ban which resulted in 100+ million dead), but their other policies (eg organic faming, opposition to fossil fuels) denudes the earth; their national parks policies and opposition to sensible management such as hunting & fuel reduction results in wholesale destruction. Their wind/solar ‘biomass’ systems not only fail to work, but kill countless critters. ‘Like so many of the great crimes of history, this one is being perpetrated by people who imagine they are doing something praiseworthy. In this case, possessed by their delusion that they are battling for nature and the future of the planet, they are in fact doing as much as anyone to destroy the very things they kid themselves they are trying to save.’ These folk are vermin: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/11718550/Why-are-greens-so-keen-to-destroy-the-worlds-wildlife.html

08/07/2015: Mini Super Torch: A Week’s Light Weighs 50 Grams: Maratac AAA Torch, 138 lumens, weight 11.5 grams including removable pocket clip. You will not believe how bright this torch is on the highest setting! You could shoot a fox or rabbit with it at 30-50 yards, seriously! The light diffuser (included) at 1.5 grams turns it into a VERY creditable lantern. It also glows in the dark, as does the torch – handy when you need to find it in a dark tent.

It has three light settings quoted as 1.5 (55 hours), 40 (7 hours) and 138 lumens (70 minutes). I did a previous post about ‘Tent Lanterns’ here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tent-lanterns/ and I also mentioned this torch back in February: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/138-lumen-single-aaa-flashlight/ . With a birthday coming up I decided to order one. Now it has arrived I will order several more! I was pretty happy with my old Fenix LD01 at 14 grams and 85 lumens with its three settings 9 (11 hours), 28 (3.5 hours) and 85 lumens (1 hour) . (The LD02 has 8 (15 hours) , 25 (4.25 hours) and 100 lumens 30 minutes). This torch is shorter (67mm compared to 75 mm and looks more compact too. I was astonished actually that a AAA battery fitted in it. The newer Cree Led is obviously pushing out 62% more lumens per watt than the old Fenix’s model and 38% more than the new – which means you will have to carry correspondingly fewer grams in batteries .

You are getting 7 hours at 40 lumens (on the middle setting) compared with about half that at about half the brightness. That’s a lot of light. Your AAA battery will last approx two nights - more if you switch it back to the lowest setting – all you need for sitting in the tent talking or reading an ebook on your Android phone anyway afer you have finished cooking. The Enerloop’s rechargeable 750 mAh AAA batteries I use weigh 11.5 grams each, so you are getting all your light for a carry of 13 grams (torch) and about 6 grams per day (batteries). A week’s light - all up is about 50 grams! It is available from http://www.countycomm.com/aaa.html (US$29.75ea) . He doesn’t usually ship to Australia, but can slip one/a few in a pre-paid envelope for US$12 - if you ask nicely. The website had some glitches when I bought my first one (a lot of US websites do!) but he will come good with your torches. Merry Xmas!

The diffuser works quite well and also fits the Fenix torches (and probably others) and costs only US$2.50! It certainly is an alternative to unlocking the Loktite the head of the torch is screwed on with on the Fenixes – I can’t see whether the Maratac can be unscrewed or not, but with the diffuser it doesn’t need to be! As usual the addition of a bit of elastic and/or a couple of O-rings and a micro cord lock can turn this torch too into a head torch – as I have already observed with the LD01. I will do a post about ‘Home Made Head Torches’ soon.

Above Fenix LD01, Below Maratac AAA, Left Light Diffuser.

08/07/2015: Can we AFFORD to live forever: Rule of thumb: the more cancer treatments cost, the more hopeless they are: http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-06-03/cutting-the-cost-of-cancer

08/07/2015: Warmists clutching at straws: If the data doesn’t fit, change the data: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/06/04/a-first-look-at-possible-artifacts-of-data-biases-in-the-recent-global-surface-warming-hiatus-by-karl-et-al-science-4-june-2015/

07/07/2015: There is NO PLACE for race in our constitution. People who self-identify as belonging to a race (other than the human race) ARE the racists. By so doing they invite others to comment on their own appalling statistics of welfare dependency, crime, family violence, drug and alcohol dependency, rent seeking & etc - but that would be illegal in the 'free speech' regime we 'enjoy' - instead of expecting the rest of us to do something other than continuing to bankroll them, they should do something about improving themselves - just as the rest of us quite rightly can be expected to do. Let's have a referendum to abolish the utterly undemocratic Senate instead - that has been long overdue and would do some good.

07/07/2015: So, Greece voted that they would like people to ‘lend’ them (more) money which they do not have to pay back! How many others would just love the same deal? How many lenders would vote for such a deal? Is it any wonder interest rates in Greece are 36% pa and rising? I doubt anyone would lend them a brass razoo at the moment. Their banks will be insolvent within a week and they will crash. Farewell Greece!

07/07/2015: Spot’s Adventures: Mystery River #2:

Nothing beats a warm fire and a good book - in this case 'the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'.

So, Spot and I headed back to the ‘Mystery River’ for another looksee. I have become more vague about naming such places as I see lazier folk wanting to track me there – someone had visited only the day before, though last time I was there clearly no-one had been there for YEARS. (I will go back over other of my posts to blur the locations somewhat: there ARE trolls!) As a consequence the deer were much ‘spookier’ than previously (no doubt the ‘intruders’ were wearing camo, as it has this effect!) We saw only nine deer - though we heard a lot more; all were either hinds (& fauns) or spikers, though there is much sign of stag activity. I could have taken at least two hinds on the opposite bank of the river but the difficulty of recovering them across an unfordable (winter) river means I can resist temptation – and there was Spot to consider. Two on ‘my’ side were chancy shots: I NEVER want to leave a wounded animal to suffer. Of course, at need I can paddle across a still section on my Neoair pad, and have done so on a number of occasions, lashing my pack onto it to keep it safe and using the whole assembly as a belly board. It is in situations like this that these new packrafts might come in handy (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/lightweight-packrafts/) or if you are shy a bit of the ready you can try making your own ‘faux’ packrafts as I have, see here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/home-made-pack-raft/ These are cheap enough you can stow them in a drum/s at your favourite spot/s against need. Canoe drums can be bought at the factory for a fraction of the store price, from about $10 ea eg Ampi Plastics Dandenong (http://www.ampiplastics.com.au/)

I had made a few minor improvements to my tent (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tyvek-solo-fire-shelter/), which worked well. I think I will alter the positions (upward ~2”) of the two windward outer tie downs as these were preventing the tent from tautening perfectly on slightly uneven ground. It doesn’t matter, but it would look better. I may tape an extra bit onto the floor to make it wider so one can sit up straighter. I will update the post when I have done this. The additional glue-on tie outs about 1’ up on this side certainly held the fabric further away from us. Between laying the fire and lighting it a couple of hours later (after a quiet stalk) the wind altered its (forecast) direction and instead of blowing NNW was blowing from the South (which I failed to note) so that the smoke was inclined to scoot into the shelter annoyingly. I cured this by closing one of the storm flaps so the smoke just sailed on past. It would have been annoying to have had to move the shelter in the night. Note to self: take more care with forecast and wind direction.

You may notice my chair in the bottom photo. This is a Big Agnes Cyclone SL Chair https://www.bigagnes.com/Products/Detail/Accessory/CycloneSLChairKit which weighs about 170 grams. It is just wonderful to have a comfy chair at the end of a hard day. You can imagine the glass of wine to go with it: Myself, I go for Bacardi 151 and water – it is the lightest booze on the trail! You can pretty much use any inflatable hiking mat to form the chair (in this case it is the Thermarest Neoair Xlite Women’s (340 grams R 3.9 ie good down to approx minus 10C). I see Amazon have the chair from $44.95. Another Big Agnes product I highly recommend (if you don’t want to afford the Neoair mat) is their Insulated Air Core range which are much cheaper, probably more durable and have a higher R-rating than Thermarest’s pads, so down to minus 15C: https://www.bigagnes.com/Products/Specs/Pad

Spot is a big help setting up camp!

I use a -1C degree Montbell UL spiral stretch bag http://www.moontrail.com/montbell-ul-spiral-down-hugger-3-reg.php which is enough for most Victorian conditions. You CAN lower its comfort limit by up to 8C with one of these http://www.seatosummit.com.au/products/liners/thermolite-reactor-liner/

but it adds 248 grams to your pack. I carry a UL Montbell insulated down coat and vest (which together weigh about 400 grams, and a pair of these https://goosefeetgear.com/products/1-down-socks which weigh about 60 grams and instead of a down balaclava (also available there) I have an insulated helmet Della made me from a Rayway kit http://www.rayjardine.com/ray-way/Insulated-Hat-Kit/index.htm which weighs 30 grams. As all of these items add nothing to my packweight as I would need them in camp anyway; if I wear them to bed they reduce the comfort level of the bag by a corresponding amount. (Tip: I wear the vest upside down from approx my knees to my waist). Tip Two: To avoid a cold nose I pull the insulated helmet down to the tip of my nose which works wonderfully. NEVER breathe (or sweat!) into your sleeping bag: moisture rapidly reduces its insulative ability, and you WILL freeze!

Time for breakfast, Boss?

I found an old packtrack on this trip, but I have not cleared it yet. They are wonderful things. Another elsewhere which I cleared for a distance of over 30kms (and injudiciously informed various ‘friends’ of) has become somewhat of a magnet for hunters who never before hiked and camped out in their lives: I always leave a pile of wood at each of my camps so that if I arrive in camp late I do not have to collect it before dark. It is just common sense and good manners really. There is always a limited number of places which share all the qualities needed: a level spot, out of the wind, near to water, available firewood. I was annoyed one night to arrive at one of my camps to find two chaps already burning ‘my’ wood quite needlessly (it was a warm enough night no fire was needed). Some people have not understood that one of the chief reasons folk were nomads is that a group quickly depletes the available firewood in an area, requiring that they move on. This situation has become even moreso as a result of the bushfires. I was forced to travel further on to another camp in the twilight. Even though I asked them to replace ‘my’ wood, they did not. They clearly thought I was some sort of public servant whose facilities they could just wantonly make use of. The things you see when you DO have a gun!

This (new) packtrack extends many kilometres along the river (I followed it for at least five) and also it (interestingly) snakes up a large valley I am yet to explore. At the point I turned back I could see some splendid flats opening up further along the river in the distance (to which the packtrack clearly provides access). Another time. These packtracks, built by cattlemen, diggers, etc long ago are such a treasure. They are not marked on any map. As is usual they skirt high above steep-sided sections of the river which would make difficult walking. They are almost always at just the ideal height for deer to bed down near them for the night so that when they are clear enough so you can make your way along them undetected, they make easy hunting opportunities. There is one opposite Huggetts on the Avon, for example. I have not cleared it either. Another I have previously mentioned descends into Blue Jacket from the Southern side where it meets the Woods Point Road. Another can be followed to the Marble Quarry off the eponymous track, just before the lookout where the walking track markers descend to the Thompson…

I intended to stay away two nights, perhaps three, but I am home after one. Such is the penalty for increasing deafness. When I called Della on the sat phone I was surprised she expected me home after only one night, but I thought something must have come up she did not want to mention on the phone, or… anyway her wish is my command – only it wasn’t evidently. I will stay a little longer another time. I have another more remote spot I often go which takes me 3-4 days each way to get to/from & which I haven’t yet visited this year. Winter is the ideal time for camping out; if I appear to disappear for a week or so, you will know I have heard the mountains’ call once more.

05/07/2015: A short foray into the science of statistics by Willis Eschenbach shows that most of what pass for ‘serious studies’ are JUNK. See why: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/06/27/repeated-trials-autocorrelation-and-albedo/

05/07/2015: The question you never thought to ask about Jurassic Park...'Is it SEXIST?'

http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/06/11/jurassic-world-will-its-dinosaur-sexism-violate-your-personal-safe-space/

04/07/2015: Thrilling Tales: ‘The Overlanders’(1946): Set during WW2: ‘Inspired by a true tale, this film follows horseman Dan McAlpine (Chips Rafferty) as he guides a massive herd of cattle across the punishing terrain of northern Australia. At the outset of World War II, Dan is advised to kill the animals, lest they be used to feed Japanese troops. Instead, he and a diverse group of hired hands and volunteers take the cattle over mountains and across rivers, in an attempt to reach what they hope is safety on the furthest reaches of the country's east coast.’ A neglected part of Australia’s history, Australia’s ‘Russian solution scorched earth’ policy saw many stations burned and stock slaughtered so as to deny invading Japanese of supplies. This film is wonderfully heroic, achieving what the insipid ‘Australia’ failed to do. A young woman heroine in the film (for eg) is paid ‘a man’s wage because she does a man’s work’. Aboriginal stockmen perform heroic deeds working alongside the other men and women of the film. Fleeting reference is paid to the astonishing Australian victories at Kokoda and Milne Bay which ought be a part of compulsory school history studies. I am proud to have known one of the heroes (Len Horgan) of Milne Bay in later life. It was an astounding victory. A small force of Australian servicemen were outnumbered several times over by an invading force of battle hardened Japanese veterans (an army which had conquered most of Asia and had never been beaten). The Aussies exterminated them! THIS was the turning point of the war in the Pacific! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Overlanders_%28film%29 & https://kat.cr/usearch/the%20overlanders%201946/

04/07/2015: Skin Cancer PLUS: ‘Richard Weller, an Edinburgh University dermatologist, says that far from being something to be scared of, regular exposure to the sun is good for us. His research suggests it lowers blood pressure – and so cuts the risk of potentially deadly heart attacks and strokes. And with other studies showing people with the most common form of skin cancer actually live longer than the average person, he says that those being diagnosed with the disease should be ‘congratulated’.’ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3119175/Dermatologist-Richard-Weller-Edinburgh-University-claims-sunbathing-good-us.html

04/07/2015: Iowahawk: ‘No one who has ever worn a ‘Rosie the Riveter’ t-shirt actually knows how to rivet.’ http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/rosie-the-riveter

03/07/2015: ‘Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.’ (Ronaldus Magnus)

03/07/2015: Excellent article Viv – and what an outstanding point: http://pickeringpost.com/story/green-energy-steals-from-the-biosphere/5049

02/07/2015: Lightweight packrafts: Some new packrafts and paddles will make it easier to cross rivers and lakes. These two (suitable for flat water/Grade 1 rapids) weigh less than a kilo: Alpacka ‘ghost’: https://alpackarafts.com/product/ghost/ @ 1.5 lb & $595 and Klymit LiteWater Dinghy: http://www.klymit.com/index.php/litewater-dinghy-lwd.html now 35 oz & $199. Note also this ultralight paddle: http://www.packrafting-store.de/Paddle/Special-paddle/Supai-Olo::472.html @ 365 grams!

02/07/2015: Hirsi Ali: ‘I left Islam, and I still think it is the best choice for Muslims who feel trapped between their conscience and the commands of Muhammad.’ A thoughtful review of her latest book, here. The ‘third option’ reformation of Islam seems to me the merest thought bubble. If the West is to SURVIVE, it urgently needs to REVERSE Islamic immigration: https://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2015/06/can-islam-reformed/

02/07/2015: When will the new-found ‘freedoms’ ever end: Italian Schoolboys Forced to Wear Girls’ Clothes: ‘protest against gender ideology being introduced in elementary schools and educational programs aimed to blur children’s sexual identities…Italian parents complain that another sex education program for kindergarteners has the kids touching each other’s genitals.’ See more at: http://moonbattery.com/?p=59936#sthash.DcJCLzzo.dpuf

- See more at: http://moonbattery.com/?p=59936#sthash.DcJCLzzo.dpuf

http://moonbattery.com/?p=59936

01/07/2015: AWKWARD: I notice the Liberal Federal Council, meeting in Melbourne yesterday, passed a motion backing ‘efforts to eliminate any references to race in the Commonwealth Constitution... also called on the federal government to remove the words “offend’’ and “insult’’ from Section 18C of the RDA [Racial Discrimination Act] as grounds…’

01/07/2015: DROWNING WORLD: Turns out (like so much of this IPCC nonsense) the sea is NOT rising, and hasn’t done for at least FIFTY YEARS: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/5067351/Rise-of-sea-levels-is-the-greatest-lie-ever-told.html

01/07/2015: LEVER ACTIONS: Think about this: Colonel Townsend Whelen could reportedly hit man-sized target at 200 yards using the bolt action, open-sighted M1903 Springfield .30/06 service rifle, scoring six hits in ten seconds flat, could do it on command - and trained thousands of soldiers to emulate him: http://artoftherifle.com/the-townsend-whelen-challenge/2011/11/the-townsend-whelen-challenge.html & http://riflemansjournal.blogspot.com.au/2010/07/history-townsend-whelen.html Most shooting groups have already come out in opposition to any ban on lever action firearms; the story is probably mostly a ‘beat-up’: http://ssaavic.com.au/

30/06/2015: BEST QUOTE OF ALL TIME: Tim Blair: ‘Delete Liberal voters from Australia’s tax base and suddenly we’re looking at annual revenue of $4.78’: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/warmist-will-steffens-rail-ruse-light-on-logic/story-fni0cwl5-1227419087611

30/06/2015: Mel Brooks: ‘Tragedy is if I get a paper cut. Comedy is if you fall into an open sewer and die.’

30/06/2015: Hunting in Fiordland:

Head of the Jane Burn near Loch Marie looking towards Dusky Sound.

It is incredibly difficult. Some ‘easier’ areas (eg along the South Coast Track) are flatter and safer. There are both pigs and deer there. In NZ they have these excellent DOC (‘Dept of Conservation’) huts all over the place (roughly a solid day’s walk apart with a pack; all have a helipad) which make good accommodation at mostly $5 a night, eg in ‘the rut’ – which in those latitudes is late March-early April when the bush comes alive with the loud roaring of the red stags, or strange bugling call of the Wapiti. There is also a handful of us who have heard (much earlier in March) the echoing call of the moose – both sexes call, but differently. It is astonishingly loud: it needs to be for them to hear each other even with those huge ears over the vast distances. It is nothing to them to leap into one of the Fiords and swim several kilometres across to join up with a mate on the opposite side. Those vast long legs are excellent for forest travel. They can step over shoulder high logs which I have trouble scrambling over. I have found their thumb-sized droppings on the top of just such logs. They are big critters – nearly as large as a Clydesdale!

There are often clearings along rivers (and on slips, see hillside).

Lighting a fire in the huts is now more difficult as ‘environmentalists’ have mandated that all the old ‘pot belly’ stoves be replaced by these newfangled ‘pollution-free’ models which simply will not take a fire – and certainly will not boil a billy! Such is progress! Mind you the bush is so wet it is hard to get dry wood, which is petty scarce nearby the huts anyway. With the new stoves installed I seldom bother. Some huts are supplied with wood. Usually they cost $10!

Everywhere you point the camera is this beautiful serene forest.

The ‘roar’ is the best time to go as that is when the Kiwis are out in the bush outnumbering the hordes of backpacking tourists, so there is opportunity to make some useful contacts with them, swap hunting stories, perhaps invite them across to Gippsland for reciprocal visits, etc. These guys really know how to hunt deer. High up on the tops in odd spots there remain a few Thar and Chamois, but not many. The best places to take the reds is near the leatherwood fringe of the snowgrass treelines which universally reek of stags, near forest clearings along river bottoms, clearings near the sea, on newish slips etc. In the roar, it is much easier to take stags in forested areas as they will come to your call much like puppies! It IS a good idea to have a blaze orange hat though as fellow hunters also sometimes come to your answering call, as has happened to me a couple of times! Not the sort of contact you necessarily want to make with Kiwi hunters – though I am told an Aussie trophy on the wall is highly valued! So, beware!

As I say, there are morasses.

Many places have astonishing morasses which are something to avoid. It is VERY wet there (over 10 metres of annual rainfall), so if you sink into one of these beauties, you may disappear from sight. The going is rough enough in lowland forest and along river bottoms, but when you head up the ‘Burns’ which fringe the fiords or begin to climb the walls of the fiords themselves it is hard to believe. But this is where the moose are. You need to remember that fiords were carved out during ice ages; ie they are the remains of glaciers, so their sides and bottoms are one vast moraine field. A nightmare jumble of giant boulders which, over the years have more or less filled with soil and debris – but there remain deadly moraine holes you may slip down in to your detriment, or death! I have slipped suddenly down into one which was head high. Now I walk carefully, trying to test whether the ground will take my weight each step; you need to step carefully ever ready to throw yourself forward or backwards if you feel yourself falling.

Above (and below) the treeline, the going can be very steep.

Above the snowline is much easier as you can much better spy out the ‘lay of the land’, but the going is frequently precipitous and the ground loose or shaly and prone to awesome slips. Getting ‘bluffed out’ on forested slopes is far too easy. This happens when your descent is interrupted by a perpendicular fall – if you proceed! You know how much easier it is here to follow a ridge to the top than to follow it to the bottom. How many times have you ended up in the side gully rather than the main stream unless you pay close attention? Over there the ground is much more riven. There are innumerable ‘gullies’ so that you very frequently cannot find your way back down. You OFTEN have to re-ascend and search for another route. You must ALWAYS be prepared for a night (or two) out. The worst thing you can do in such a situation is panic or hurry. Or worse risk a dangerous descent. Much better to camp out. Of course that is not easy on steep slopes. In Fiordland you will only manage to travel a fraction (1/3?) of the distance you would normally make in Gippsland.

Lake Roe Hut right on the leatherwood fringe.

In NZ I always carry a hammock. There are, after all plenty of trees. A hammock swung between any two trees makes a flat spot out of the worst slopes. In Oz a 7’ x 7’ tarp will usually suffice. In silnylon such a tarp weighs less than 250 grams (with tie-outs). In .5oz/sq yd cuben fibre the same tarp weighs less than 100 grams! In NZ I would go for at least an 8’ x 8’. The lightest hammock (the ‘nano’) weighs 160 grams including dyneema suspension cord. Where it rains a lot, I would probably opt for a slightly larger tarp. We have a home-made cuben tarp with ‘storm-doors’ at each end which will keep you dry in the worst downpours and which weighs 200 grams. This is what I usually carry in Fiordland. If there are two of you, it is possible to swing two hammocks under one tarp, but you need to ‘boost’ the lighter person into the upper hammock. My wife is small enough I can manage this. Cuben fibre comes in slightly narrower widths than ‘normal’ cloth (eg silnylon, etc = 5’ wide; cuben = 4’6’), so you can sew/tape two pieces to make a rectangular tarp 9’ wide and long enough to completely shelter your hammock whilst allowing the ends to meet at the bottom (11-12’). You need to learn how (not) to tie a hammock to two trees. If you tie any ordinary knot, after you have lain in the hammock you will NEVER get the cords untied! The TRICK is to pass the cord around the tree, then around itself, then around the tree again (at least three turns); then a simple running hitch or even tucking the end under one of the loops will hold it there, yet it will not lock up and be impossible to untie. If you are really concerned about the cord cutting into the bark you can protect it with a few short lengths of finger-thick twigs.

Cuben tarp pitched as a fire tent with one flap closed.

The other great thing about a hammock and tarp is that being so easy to erect, they make a pleasant dry spot to stop for a break, a cuppa, lunch etc. It is quite delightful to be lying back during a rest stop in the comfort of the hammock while you wait for the billy to boil (on the Brasslite Stove) under the tarp. If you have a cuben tarp which is quite translucent (you can see right through it), the view is just delightful. Night-time thunderstorms viewed through it are quite spectacular. Like Tyvek it makes a pleasant drumming (reminiscent of a corrugated iron roof) in the rain.

The birds are incredibly friendly, though rare.

A satellite phone is a MUST in NZ. Frankly I am astonished by the majority of folk here not having one. Other people squander $50,000+ on a fancy 4WD (frequently one unsuitable for off-road conditions!) and lots of other fancy gear (bizarre unwieldy, impractical camo clothing & etc) but cannot ‘afford’ even a 2^nd hand sat. phone at maybe $600, which could so easily save their lives. Clearly their lives ARE worthless! The helicopter pilots are so good (and the ‘medevac’ so well organised) that half an hour after you call, you can be flying to hospital. I have had to call in a chopper for quite a number of folk over the years, including my wife! Be warned: they fly a few human bodies out of the Seaforth alone every year!

Looking South into the Seaforth from near Centre pass - you can see how difficult some of the going is. Imagine climbing Tripod Hill in the centre.

The SILENCE of the Fiordland bush is astonishing. There is so much moss: it covers every surface in a deep carpet and shrouds the tree-trunks completely; it is also SO wet, all sounds are muted save the ever-present sound of water, flowing, raining, dripping. Here we are used to the cacophony of the evening chorus and to birdsong as so constant a companion we are scarcely aware of it. In Fiordland the stoat and possum has reduced birdlife to a spectral presence, a brooding silence. Less than 1% of 1% remain. They never had anything like the avian richness we are used to (close enough to a thousand species); they never had a hundred. Most are so terribly rare you will never see them. The fantails and robins are the most common; they are even friendlier than they are here. They will alight on your foot or pack, or on a stem within inches of your face. It is so silent, I have been working up one side of a gully while my friend worked the other (as you do!) At one point I caught sight of him less than fifty yards away. Thinking to stop for a yarn, I blew as hard as I could on my Fox 40 whistle (louder than a 747 taking off!), but the moss and the wet just soaked the sound away. He could not hear me. If you hunt with someone else (I usually don’t – which may one day be my undoing, particularly in Fiordland – you only die once!), a radio is a good idea: I would invest in an Aloksak waterproof bag to carry it in.

I spent all day (unsuccessfully) trying to get up past this waterfall.

It is the topography that draws one back there: the utterly superb views (especially in the Fiords), mountains which seem to have just come off some master’s brush…and the wonderful, magical medieval forest; utterly unlike anything we see here.

Regrowth fuschia on a giant slip, Kenneth Burn - a favourite moose food plant. An acre here had been moose trimmed last time I passed.

Of course there are the innumerable sandflies. You simply MUST be prepared for these: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/insects-can-ruin-a-camping-trip/ You will not believe how many there are. If you fly in somewhere (eg to Supper Cove - recommended), and have forgotten to apply the repellent (I specified) before you land, the minute you step out of the plane/chopper every bare piece of skin will turn instantly black with them. People are reputed to have killed themselves to end the torture of them. I can well believe it. They are as large as mosquitoes. My suggested remedies WORK. Many others do not. Be warned.

Regarding flying: if you have $10,000 to spare, spend it on flying around those fiords in a helicopter or float plane. You will never regret it. The views are just mind-blowing. One girl I had flown out with a badly injured knee said afterwards she was glad she had injured it or she would never have had such a flight. There are two main operators at Te Anau: Southern Lakes Helicopters (http://www.southernlakeshelicopters.co.nz/) and Wings and Water http://www.wingsandwater.co.nz/ . Both provide great service – but it is not cheap. The best way to economise is to share a ride. Often if you can wait a couple of days, they can organise to take you in or pick you up as a ‘back load’ - meaning that someone else is paying for the return journey.

Seven Gilled Shark Supper Cove Hut.

The fishing in the Fiords is truly wonderful (and easy), so don’t forget at least a good handline, some basic tackle and some bait (it doesn’t matter what). You will very easily catch a ‘Spotty’ which you can cut up for bait for larger, better fish such as the delectable Blue Cod. There are many others: groper, barracuda, seven finned shark…For your first trip there, I wouldn’t plan to take a gun. It’s just an extra 3.5 kg to carry. Plan to do a lot of walking and looking around. If you still want to hunt there, do so on a subsequent trip – or just buy a better camera. They are much lighter, after all.

Good leatherwood/snowgrass fringes like this are a deer magnet.

I usually fly Melbourne-Queenstown (service not always available) starts some time mid March usually, instead of Christchurch. Similarly Melbourne-Dunedin cuts out about then too. Doing this saves a day’s travel and accommodation each way (if you have already seen the South Island) – otherwise plan a more extended trip. Try the Webjet website as well as the individual airlines for the cheapest flights. There is an optimal time before your trip when the flights are always cheapest, somewhere like about a month out. Earlier or later is dearer. That being said, I always book the day before I go, because I always go when the weather is going to be best. You may not have that luxury. One day you too will be retired! I have found Southern Tasmanian rainfall plus approx two days good enough for Southern NZ that I have not had my raincoat out of my pack there the last four trips! http://www.eldersweather.com.au/raindates.jsp I also find the NOAA's 16 day rainfall forecast excellent: http://ready.arl.noaa.gov/READYcmet.php

I usually stay in the backpackers or the caravan park in Te Anau for the couple of nights I am not in the bush or staying in the DOC huts. There are a couple of quite good supermarkets in Te Anau, a really good hunting/gun shop, hardware, and a number of other businesses catering to hikers and tourists. Naturally I usually have a meal in the Moose Bar! Even so, I usually take my dehydrated food from Australia as I like to know I can eat it: you have to make sure it was made in NZ/Oz and has country of origin labelling and barcodes. I usually use these guys to work out who has the cheapest car hire: http://cheapcarhire.co.nz/ There are two jet-boat operators on the Wairaurahiri River in Tuatapere. You have to book. One also takes passengers up Lake Hauroko for the Dusky Track. A jet-boat ride down that river is absolutely wonderful. As is a stay in the delightful Waitutu Lodge where it joins the sea – a great luxury base for hunting, as is the lodge at Port Craig. Forget about the Shotover! There are approx six boats crossing Lake Manapouri each day (at the other end of the Dusky Track – most are taking people to Doubtful Sound; better than Milford!). You don’t have to book these. Just check when the last one leaves. There is a DOC hut at West Arm if you miss it – but if you have just walked the Duskt Track, you will also miss your first cold beer for nearly ten days!

It is a bit of a fiddle, but you can get a permit to export and import your gun, obtain a NZ shooters’ licence, apply for a balloted area & etc. I have done so in the past, but these days I would just as soon hunt with a camera, or just sightsee.

That is my glasses case in a sandwich bag. Next to it is a very large deer print – for comparison a red deer print on the right!

If you want to learn more, you will notice that I have posted about the Dusky Track and the South Coast Tracks (especially) a number of times over the years. Scroll back through my old posts and you will come across some more information. Have a great trip!

Books to read:

Ken Tustin: Wild Moose Chase

Max Curtis: Beyond the River's bend

Ray Tinsley: Call of the Moose

29/06/2015: I saw this photo on news.com too and (like so many others) thought the worst of the people standing in the background. I admit, I could not have been MORE wrong. Sometimes the worst brings out the best in humanity: http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/hotel-staff-formed-human-shield-to-save-other-tourists-survivor-reveals/story-fnizu68q-1227419476040

29/06/2015: I’m afraid that these days this is TOO me: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/checkout-the-game-where-old-guys-rule/story-fni0cwl5-1227419087643

29/06/2015: MH370: I have to agree with this http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/mh370-only-one-conclusion-makes-sense/story-fni0cx12-1227346739023 (the author is a 777 pilot with many years’ experience); the only questions is, ‘Where is the pilot? If he took the trouble to land (and scuttle) the plane in such a remote spot (where he obviously believed it could never be found), it seems unlikely he was committing suicide. The more likely explanation is he had an accomplice/s who liaised with him there (in a yacht probably) perhaps in order to remove something valuable from the plane. ‘What?’ should be relatively easy to answer (though it may well be a state secret – the fact we are spending $100s of millions looking for the plane tells you something); ‘Who?’ is a possibility (everything leaves a trace). ‘Where (are they)?’ is a more difficult one. I suspect nonetheless the mystery WILL be solved – not necessarily by finding the plane, which could still be in an area other than where we have agreed to look – the plane could have flown a further 500 kilometres after the seventh ‘ping’.

29/06/2015: Point Smyth Coastal Reserve (Venus Bay). Went for a little drive (and walk) with the dogs here after closing the shop yesterday. The dogs really enjoyed their run. It was difficult to get a shot of them where they were not just a blur of movement. Spot is still growling at us this morning for bringing him home. I think he is ready for another trip away – perhaps we will look for a sambar stag later on in the week?

29/06/2015: FOLLOW THE POPE: Before the Left rushes to encourage us to adopt the Pope’s latest encyclical rave, perhaps they should read it first; Eg Section 120 opposes abortion, section 50 contraception. Strange that both the Left and myself might actually find one thing they agree with in what otherwise reads like a half-witted mish-mash of commie propaganda, not to mention the shibboleths and fetishes!

28/06/2015: Things you should not do with a moose. PS This is most unlikely to happen to me in Fiordland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl4kJ9TGhJA

28/06/2015: CONSTITUTIONS: Obviously there is NO WAY the ‘Founding Fathers’ of the American Constitution intended that it should/could or would EVER be interpreted to allow same-sex marriage (or many other things). A that time in the late C18th homosexuality was illegal and even punishable by DEATH in the UK/USA. People then would not have eg viewed anal intercourse, (at that time the ‘consensus’ was that lesbianism did not exist) as the EQUIVALENT of a solemn and binding traditional marriage between a loving man and woman. Many people today still think the same, just as they do not believe that a brief de facto relationship is the same thing as marriage – even though Victorian LAW says it is. There are many things over which we have no say. What has happened with this decision is that a very small number of wholly APPOINTED judges/officials (in this case ONE) has COMPLETELY OVER-RIDDEN the public’s RIGHT to decide basic issues of democracy, and IMPOSED HOMOSEXUAL MARRIAGE – something which a great many people (quite possibly the vast majority) utterly disagree with. HE (for it is ONE MAN – the decision was 5-4) has decided that the term ‘Liberty’ in the Constitution can be given this interpretation, even when many statutes have decided eg that it does not mean the ‘liberty’ to eg own property – else taxation would be struck out. It seems unlikely that the American people would VOTE to change the constitution in this way, so that the right of anyone to marry anyone (the decision would also allow plural marriage, marriage to dogs, lampposts and watermelons!) would become enshrined in it. So what the decision MEANS is that the INTENT of the Constitution (to protect ‘rights) has been completely alienated by the arbitrary decision of ONE MAN – exactly what it was supposed to prevent. A referendum on the issue is one thing; having the issue decided arbitrarily by ONE MAN is utterly undemocratic: this is a VERY SAD DAY for American democracy – and will, I fear have ramifications even further afield. You can read Justice Samuel Alito’s thoughtful dissenting judgement here/: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/576/14-556/dissent7.html Here is another interesting opinion: http://moonbattery.com/?p=59988 The decision certainly creates the deepest doubts that we should alter OUR Constitution (eg to create racial divisions in our society – as currently proposed) or any other thing – indeed whether we should have a constitution at all! I particularly liked this from Justice Alio: ‘And to allow the policy question of same-sex marriage to be considered and resolved by a select, patrician, highly unrepresentative panel of nine is to violate a principle even more fundamental than no taxation without representation: no social transformation without representation… But what really astounds is the hubris reflected in today’s judicial Putsch.’

28/06/2015: In Germany, which inaugurated state welfare in the late nineteenth century, adult children can be required to supplement their parents’ aged pension (http://www.moneymorning.com.au/20140226/demographic-policy-shenanigans.html) Whilst this is a logical extension of the welfarism recently implemented which requires the State to contribute substantially to the cost of child-care (if indeed it does not assume complete in loco parentis), it means that the childless gain a double bonus from what (if it occurs by choice) is essentially a selfish act whereby they impose all the costs of their own aged care on those of us who produce children. Such symptoms as this recent German experiment should surely lead us to desire the dismantling of the welfare state down to its barest bones, which might well be work-houses for the poor. People really do need to learn to stand on their own two feet!

27/06/2015: OZ APARTHEID: Greg Sheridan comes to praise Warren Mundine - and bury Noel Pearson’s radical plan for an Aboriginal Parliament. It’s about time someone buried this disastrous, racist plan once and for all: ‘Warren Mundine has made a magnificent and devastating intervention in the debate on a referendum for indigenous recognition in the Constitution. He has surely destroyed any prospect of the Noel Pearson model of constitutional change getting approved. In describing Pearson’s proposal for a separate declaration on indigenous recognition, as well as the creation within the Constitution of a special indigenous body that must be consulted on all legislation that affects indigenous people, as the most radical ever proposed for a referendum, as very dangerous and as entering bizarre territory, Mundine has surely ensured this option is dead…Mundine has offered a splendid, historic reassertion of basic liberalism in racial and constitutional matters. He did this in a conversation with my colleague Chris Kenny on Sky TV last Sunday night...When asked about the idea of a special constitutional body to advise on legislation affecting Aborigines, Mundine magnificently declared: “I have a legislative body already. It’s called the NSW parliament, it’s called the commonwealth parliament. I get the chance to vote in elections for those parliaments that make decisions. We’ve had more Aborigines going into state and federal parliament than ever before.” Mundine, the chairman of the Prime Minister’s Indigenous Advisory Council, also said: “Either we’re all equal under the Constitution or we’re not."…Mundine argues, incontrovertibly, that the objective has been to get race out of the Constitution and that the Pearson proposal would put race back into the Constitution. He describes the idea not only as radical but very dangerous, weird and unpredictable in its consequences…If you cannot sell this proposal to Warren Mundine, you can’t sell it to middle Australia…And of course, as Mundine argues, the referendum really has nothing to do with the key issues confronting Aborigines. “Everyone’s confusing constitutional change with fixing everything,” he says. The real priorities, he argues, are jobs, education, school attendance rates, business formation, incarceration rates, crimes against women and children. None of these requires constitutional change. The truth is, though Mundine doesn’t go quite this far, the more the agenda of ever greater symbolism is embraced, the more Aboriginal leaders will be convinced advancement for Aborigines lies in ever more symbolism. This is a sterile and dangerous road.’

27/06/2015: BESPOKE SHOES: ‘For women, buying the wrong shoes can be about more than just esthetics. If they end up with shoes that don't fit properly, they can develop foot disorders such as bunions, hammertoes or ingrown toenails. That's where the European Union's DemoShopInstantShoe project comes in. Established a few years ago, the collaborative effort is now about to release a device that instantly adapts off-the-rack shoes to a custom fit.’ http://www.gizmag.com/shopinstantshoe/37680/

27/06/2015: Parrots: This afternoon on our walk (around the forestry plantations West of Yinnar) a huge flock of these beauties came in to roost on some young gums near us. There must have been 200-400 of them, so it was quite a spectacular display with their strange erratic flight and loud complex calls. There was an astonishing variety of vocalisations from them as they settled down for the night. Having read about Alex, the African Grey Parrot who clearly had the ability to form meaningful sentences in English – whilst no member of what we like to call ‘homo sapiens’ has ever learned to speak parrot at all, I began to wonder whether it is possible to ascertain whether their wonderfully varied sounds represent true language. It must be possible to devise a computer algorithm which will enable a computer to identify whether a pattern of sounds represents a language. You would start by playing it a large chunks of individual human languages to see if it can learn to discern a pattern which identifies ‘language’. As you add new languages, the algorithm must become more and more sensitive. If you slip in chunks of nonsense sounds every now and again to test it, eventually after you have fed it enough languages it will be able to identify something else as language: the songs of whales, say – or in this case the songs of the yellow-tailed black cockatoo.

Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoo

26/06/2015: VALE John Steed. We shall not see his like again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0YOlU3SMgs

26/06/2015: FIRE: Police have finally charged a man with lighting the Hazelwood Mine Fire which caused so many millions of dollars. He (or someone else) clearly attempted to light a similar fire on the worst fire day last summer. We hope that we can go off ‘Fire Watch’ this summer. Ever since the Black Saturday fires here in 2009, we have been on high alert for just such a dangerous maniacs criminal acts every summer, and have been unable to go away from home on any hot day.: http://www.trfm.com.au/news-sport/article/150626/man-charged-over-hazelwood-mine-fire/41#.VYzJu0b0k20

26/06/2015: Well DONE Austria: https://agendaeurope.wordpress.com/2015/06/20/austria-national-assembly-votes-110-26-against-same-sex-marriage/ How degraded and sick must our society get that it could possible view anal intercourse, a capital crime in most centuries; still a crime in most states here 20 years ago; a vile, perverted and disgusting immoral act anyway, something which could be ignored if practiced only between consenting adults in privacy, as the EQUIVALENT of a solemn and binding traditional marriage between a loving man and woman?

26/06/2015: Pitching the Poncho: This information may save your life: Some folks did not find my instructions quite clear enough about this (here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/sambar-deer-stalking-102/). These pictures may help. You can pitch a 5’ x 7’ nylon poncho as quite a good dry shelter (with a fire out the front). Tie the centre of one of the 7’ sides to a tree (or stick) about 3’ up, pin out the other 7’ side to the ground taut, bring the remaining two corners in as close as they will come to the tree, again as taut as they will go. Now you have an excellent three-sided waterproof shelter open only on the lee (fire) side and long enough to lie down in. You can heap it with leaf litter for a soft bed & insulation then wrap yourself in a space blanket in it. Some STRING (spectra cord) in your pack is always a good idea. You can even use one of those mylar emergency space blankets in lieu of the poncho. They are surprisingly strong; the wind will not catch and tear them pitched like this. You can roll a teaspoonful of earth into a ball the size of a marble and tie a noose around it, catching the material in the noose in order to guy/tie it out. If you have a knife you can whittle some emergency tent pegs, or tie the guys to rocks. Shown is a ‘standard’ 5’ x 7’ nylon poncho. This one has no hood you will notice. There is a secret about that you will learn from a future post (soon).

Just enough room for a man and his dog – an essential on a cold night!

Side view.

Rear view.

Make a noose

Catch the marble (macadamia) and the mylar in the noose. Tie out.

26/06/2015: Oh Noes: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/06/23/416819751/man-who-created-the-pink-plastic-lawn-flamingo-dies This man’s name was Donald Featherstone. PLEASE remember that!

26/06/2015: Great quote: ‘Bird Dog’: ‘Your energy storage consists mainly of carbs stored as sugar (glycogen…) and carbs converted into sugar and then into fat if the sugar isn't burned right away…It's been calculated that the average Western citizen has enough stored energy to walk 600-1000 miles. A gift of evolution!’ That says it all! Hence my ‘No Booze Diet’! (BD2): ‘Cannibals love your stored fat. It sizzles merrily on the grill. It is difficult to burn off during life. Best to have little of it and maybe the cannibals will leave you alone.’

25/06/2015: Ah, Shotguns…Adler A110: Isn’t THIS nice? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrIEnhWQrH0 Forget the ‘Bucket List’ Bring on the Birthday List - or the Xmas List: From A$749: http://nioa.net.au/news/latest-news/view/38/adler-lever-action-shotgun/latest-news & https://www.cleaverfirearms.com/Products.aspx?Category=Shotguns&Brand=231

25/06/2015: The ABC/SBS really must be reformed, privatised or abolished after this fiasco: http://www.2gb.com/audioplayer/113036 How far away from ‘balance’ can the ABC get than supporting and promoting a terrorist/s? See also: http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/abc_breaks_law_in_plain_sight_coalition_mps_have_had_enough/ NB: The Q & A audience was so far out of Left Field, there was no-one to 'Boo!' Mallah! Instead the audience APPLAUDED! NB(2): http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/timblair/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/team_zaky/

25/06/2015: Pompous Albert, A Beautiful Scowling Curly-Haired Cat with a Sharp Sense of Humor: http://laughingsquid.com/pompous-albert-a-beautiful-scowling-curly-haired-cat-with-a-sharp-sense-of-humor/

25/06/2015: I have the same problem: Trans Class: http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2015/06/12/you-think-being-trans-black-is-bad-rachel-dolezal-wait-till-you-hear-about-my-problem/

24/06/2015: Terriblisation: I think this is the chiefest cause of human misery. Some folks just can’t help but cry, ‘Woe is me’ at the drop of every merest hat! There is no sense to this constant litany that all is terrible. An immense logical fallacy is involved: the external world is WHOLLY indifferent to us (and everyone else). IT is neither good nor bad, and entirely uncaring. Nor should it be. It is INANIMATE. It is not peopled by malevolent spirits or any other sort of boojums. It is the little wo/man riding in your head who is responsible for this mis-identification. It is he (or she) who discerns all as being terrible. It is your RESPONSE, to what is more like than not no calamity at all. Sometimes it IS, though. A young friend of mine posted yesterday on the ‘secret’ of his happiness. Judged by what the external world has ‘done’ to him, you might think he has no ‘right’ to be happy. The love of his life was wrenched terribly from him in her early twenties. He CHOOSES instead to be happy – AS SHE WOULD HAVE WANTED! She LOVED him, you see! Partly because of her, he has a duty to be happy. And so he is. To end the terriblisation, you have to make a choice, to slough off that despond, to pass it by, to not be rapt in it. LET IT PASS. Move on. So many joys await…DO try this: ‘Smile and the world smiles with you’. It may SOUND silly, but smiling MAKES you happy!

24/06/2015: Sambar Deer Stalking #102:

Having mastered the art of lighting a fire in terrible conditions (I hope you have: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/how-to-light-a-fire-in-the-wet/), and making a passable comfy shelter so you can enjoy your time in the bush, the next big step is mastering the art of walking. Too many men take overlong strides and land on their heels. I don’t know whether they seek to avoid seeming effeminate by taking over-small steps or what, but it plays hell with the back, feet, and the knees over time. More importantly it makes too much noise in the bush. There are many hunters I can still hear coming – and I am VERY deaf. Besides, there are many different gaits; you should try out some new ones even if you are mistaken for John Cleese’s ‘silly walks’ sketch. There are many lighter gaits which not only make much less noise, but eat up the miles with much less effort. Scientists have even measured the energy required by those African girls who carry large calabashes of water atop their heads and marvel at their energy efficiency. Watch them walk! Walking should be well-nigh effortless. A gliding. Why not try a rolling gait, a sliding gait? Watch people walk: particularly people who appear to effortlessly glide along: lightly built women and children can make a good study, but occasionally you will notice a very large person who seems to float along. Most people clomp hopelessly. Avoid that. You are probably walking badly. At least let those footfalls quieten. Even at 66 and somewhat overweight, I still sometimes walk 20, even thirty kilometres in a day in the bush (carrying a hiking pack). The further you walk, the more deer you will walk past! Remember that. And remember this: if you want to walk uphill without becoming breathless, breathe OUT longer than you breathe IN. Count, if you need to. Make those outward breaths 50% longer than the inward. You will find you can walk all the way to the top without stopping! I KNOW you find this hard to believe. It has something to do with the CO2/O2 exchange and partial pressures...I am not a scientist. Just try it! You will see that it works. After a while it can become automatic.

Different areas have quite different sambar deer. Long ago I used to hunt a particularly steep locale, one of the many ‘Deep Creeks’ – others eschewed it for the selfsame reason, which suited me fine. As I have remarked before, ‘No company is better than bad company’. For whatever reason, the deer there were built like hogs or Texel sheep. They were exceptionally stocky with snub muzzles and short muscular ‘porky’ legs. Much solider than your usual. Another locality in the Maffra area has deer which might have been crossed with some species of antelope: they were MUCH taller and more gracile: what struck you most was their incredibly long muzzles. I hunted a well-nigh unhuntable area in the Upper Thomson for quite a while with the late legendary Arthur Meyers. What an interesting character he was! This area clearly has/had just the right mixture of genetics, micronutrients, hound hunting along the edges, whatever: that it produced quite the biggest sambar ever taken in Australia. Back in 1962 Arthur decked three large stags in as many minutes there which the hounds drove out of a blackberry tunnel so that they all fell, touching each other at his feet. Arthur was persuaded to display one of the smaller of these heads at the 1984 Antlered Game Exhibition where someone (against his will) ranked it with the Douglas Score as being the largest head ever taken up to then – a status it maintained for nearly another twenty years. What folk don’t know is that this was nowhere near the biggest of the three. I have seen the largest of these heads in his home in Box Hill: it was a thing to marvel at! I wonder what became of it after his death. It would almost certainly be the paramount sambar trophy.

His mate took another monster in the same area around 1990 off my outstanding foxhound, ‘Harpoon’. For one reason or another ‘George’ had to camp in the bush that night with his trophy. You MAY need to do this too, so be prepared (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hunting-daypack/) We found him about 8:00am the next morning sitting huddled by a miniature fire, badly needing a drink: we offered him a choice between water and spirits – you can guess which he took first! As I came over a ridge, I saw him part way up the next sitting near a large log – but no sign of the deer. When I was twenty yards away, still puzzled, I blurted out, ‘Where’s the deer, ‘George’?’ More than laconically he gesticulated at the large log! I was astonished! Lying, it was taller than my thigh! This giant stag had fallen side on to the ridge with its legs facing uphill on an approx 15 degree incline. ‘George’ was only a slight man (and had a twisted ankle) so I maybe figured that was why he had been unable to turn it facing downhill so he could gut it properly. I have always prided myself on being stronger than average. I had a BIG try and could not budge it! It was as much as two of us could manage just to turn it over! It was as large as a Hereford bull! The head was so big it would not fit in the rear of their Nissan Patrol so that they had to tie it on the bonnet facing forward where its antlers overhung the car! I have still a very poor 35mm snap somewhere. The photos taken in the darkness of the bush were/are rubbish.

I have spent more than one night out myself eg at c1300 metres up, the ground frozen, a cold wind blowing, snow lying all around, sitting on a thick piece of bark, wet woolen clothes wrapped in one of those pocket-sized ‘emergency space blankets’ in front of a fire which I had to tend on and off all night. It is not the best of camps, but it is utterly survivable. TIP: Nothing is warmer than long-johns – particularly woolen ones! Another TIP: You can pitch a 5’ x 7’ nylon poncho as quite a good dry shelter (with a fire out the front). Tie the centre of one of the 7’ sides to a tree (or stick) about 3’ up, pin out the other 7’ side to the ground taut, bring the remaining two corners in as close as they will come to the tree, again as taut as they will go. Now you have an excellent three-sided waterproof shelter open only on the lee (fire) side and long enough to lie down in. You can heap it with leaf litter for a soft bed & insulation then wrap yourself in a space blanket in it. Some STRING in your pack is always a good idea. I forgot to mention that here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hunting-daypack/ You can even use one of those mylar emergency space blankets in lieu of the poncho. They are surprisingly strong; the wind will not catch and tear them pitched like this. You can roll a teaspoonful of earth into a ball the size of a marble and tie a noose around it, catching the material in the noose in order to guy/tie it out. I hope that’s clear!

Here and there elsewhere you will come across truly giant sambar…in the head of the Aberfeldy, in the Avon wilderness…all sorts of places. Sometimes you will see them, maybe being too astonished to load the gun. A couple of occasions I have been. More often you will just see where they have been: Huge prints on the ground almost as big as a cow’s and a stride a yard long. They are the kings and queens of sambar. They are there to ensure the herd will improve. It is actually better NOT to take them, tempting as it might be. Sometimes they roar like bulls at each other half the night! That is only one of the rewards of oft camping out far from your vehicle.

Harpoon was an excellent tricolour foxhound. During winter his muzzle was always completely naked. He would fly through blackberries like an eel completely disdaining pain, wearing all the hair off. We hunted sambar on Saturday and foxes on Sunday. You could never leave him home on Sunday even if his pads were worn quite off and he could barely lift his head with exhaustion from the day’s Herculean efforts. If you tried, he would climb a six foot electrified fence to come with you. He was a very keen hunter. I have clocked him at over 40kph on the flat. In an easy day he would run 70km. He had a manifold voice. All who heard it swore that there was a pack of hounds voicing – which was how I knew it was Harpoon. One morning he started a large stag at 7:00 am. He was on it by himself all day until another crew shot it about 3:30pm. A walking bail for several hours, but he would not give up! Quite a run. I knew they had; I heard the shot from atop a mountain miles away, and hied myself back to the car so I could cut them off - to tell the truth in case they decided they might just like to keep him. They too had heard him going up and down the river all day, miles from where I was, or could get to - and thought it was someone else’s pack. Many gullies in this area have blackberry thickets twelve foot high and more than a hundred yards across. The guy who shot the stag was quite loth to give the dog up, truth be told: he had fed it all his own tea, and would have shared his beer with it too only Harpoon was teetotal! He offered me $2,000 for him there and then – but I would not have parted with him for far more than that!

Once he put a deer up in Blue Jacket (a tributary of the Jordan) and bailed it on the Glenmaggie Creek just out of Seaton in the afternoon. Some deer have amazing stamina – and some hounds! One day I was hunting with him by myself near Brunton’s Bridge. I often did this – yet over many years I have met only one other solitary hound hunter. He had run a deer along a track there several kms so fast it had no time to step off. When it came to the main road, it crossed but a car cut Harpoon off and spirited him away. I tried mightily to solve the mystery of his disappearance, you can be assured. I only hope it was not a low-life in the area who was reputed to steal and destroy hounds. However, I suspected another person who used to ‘recollar’ dogs and trade them far away. I found a hound (on foot) in the Upper Thomson roughly during the same period. I was on a track, and along came a guy on a motorcycle (illegally actually) who offered to take it out (I had a walk of about ten km). He met up with another chap in a vehicle after a while who offered to return it to its owner. I had noticed the name of the real owner, and happened to ring him. The dog turned up months later with someone else’s collar on him near Healesville! We figured out who the guy who ‘rebadged’ him was, but with no proof he could only be warned. I suspect the dog’s owner did just that. Someone else I know has had hounds shot and left in the bush. There are some mean sods out there; fortunately they are few and far between. The prevalent use of tracking collars has meant a lot fewer ‘lost’ dogs, but are also used unethically to take more deer. I do not understand what sense of achievement such folks can have: It is one thing to traipse all day after hounds maybe walking 30-40 km uphill and down; an old worn-toothed doe taken in a bail-up after such a chase is a trophy indeed. An old girl who has perhaps beaten the hounds consistently for fourteen years! But to drive around the road, to just drop in on a ping on a computer screen for an easy shot – what skill or determination IS there in that?

I know my great-grandfather William Jones hunted with hounds in the Southern Highlands and Hunter Valleys of NSW in the mid C19th. I was with my grandfather George when he took his last hare off his old hound a week before his death 60 years ago near Morpeth NSW. He used to hang them under the top of his verandah until they went green before he ate them. Despite such unsanitary habits he lived to be just shy of ninety when he caught a nasty pneumonia, maybe from too many days hunting in the rain in just an old woolen coat. My father Lawrence was also a keen hound man, though he, alas, did not live long enough to enjoy much leisure. I grew up near Maitland, Paterson, Dora Creek…NSW hound hunting most weekends – in those days it was wallabies, hare, the occasional fox; sometimes a bush pig would come our way – whatever you could put up; mostly it was a recycling exercise as the hounds were fed the ‘catch’ – we did it for the ‘sport.’ We were shotgunners mainly back then. One day on our farm at Paterson with my grandfather, my dad’s old harrier, Felix, put up a goanna and bailed it on my grandfather’s head! He went to his grave just a couple of years later with some interesting scratches on his old bald pate! He had an old Damascus Twist hammer gun, a double barrel. It was deadly at both ends. The stock was split and wired up tight with copper wire. The barrels were worn tissue thin at the end; I imagine it had been his father’s gun too – and had maybe come out from Cambridgeshire with him in 1854. We always expected the barrel to one day unwind like an exploding corkscrew and take half his head off – but it never did! On his death it went to one of my many cousins, though I would have loved it as a keepsake. In his turn my cousin handed it in in one of those many ‘amnesties’ years ago, so it is lost forever now.

I hunted with hounds in our Victorian mountains for over thirty years until just a few years ago when my really bad back (now ‘fixed’) and increasing deafness (I could no longer hear the beagles we now had to have) meant I hardly ever went - which was unfair on the hounds, so I reluctantly gave the last beagles away to a young local hunter. Now I guess I am a stalker – at least a walker. I am keenest now in just being in the bush, marveling at its beauty and diversity, spying out its secret places, walking all day, making a quiet camp, and then the same next day…for often a week or ten days at a time – if I can get away. Oft times I take no rifle. Such solitude is what I call ‘civilisation’: I have scarce ever met anyone in such a place who was other than ‘civilised’. More often than not (it suits me) I meet no-one. He IS a nice man! And excellent company! None who travel so far have need of laws to bind or control them. They have their own resilience and rules of moral conduct and need no others. The worse the roads and tracks are, the more ‘civilised’ the folks are, I have found. The closer you get to better roads and more people, the more riff-raff there are; the greater a need for police, rules and regulations – this is what I think of as barbarism. You don’t have to agree! But I prefer the wild freedom of the mountains. One day you may stumble over my weathering bones under some tree fern on one of your walks. Leave them there. It will be where I wanted to be.

22/06/2015: FIORDLAND MOOSE: Contrary to popular culture, these monsters are NOT a myth, but alive and well and living in Fiordland. My own observations are that they are quite widely dispersed. This is more than confirmed by Ken Tustin’s Herculean efforts over 40 years to spot just ONE of them. During many trips along the Seaforth River (still probably their ‘headquarters’) I have seen lots of moose sign, a glimpse of one once, another calling once. I also noticed some sign much further East along the South Coast Track: pretty clear (very old) browse between the Francis Burn and the Percy Burn; even some possible sign as far East as the Waikoau River. A moose was seen this far East many years ago. Recent moose sign has been found as far North as Campbell’s Kingdom in Doubtful Sound. If this is so. Moose are dispersed over more than half the Fiordland National Park albeit in very small numbers and low density – but they remain THERE! You will not likely see one (and I hope you don’t essay to shoot one), but I understand there remains a prize of NZ$100,000 for a new authentic snapshot of one! So, it is very worth the trip: the Dusky Track is very beautiful; a truly wonderful hiking adventure – and you MAY just see a moose! Put it on YOUR Bucket List. I will certainly be returning once more. This is what I long to see:

Fred Stewardson (78), of Hikurangi, in Northland, took the photographs on a hunting trip to Wet Jacket Arm in 1953.

22/06/2015: The European Renewable Energy Foundation research at Edinburgh University 'Put bluntly, wind turbines onshore and offshore still cost too much and wear out far too quickly to offer the developing world a realistic alternative to coal.’ Worse still, they have an ‘economic’ life of 12 years! http://pickeringpost.com/story/it-s-more-than-a-quixotic-calamity/5023

22/06/2015: Alas, Yes: ‘The West faces a coordinated attack on a global scale. If its governments are to confront and defeat the external and domestic enemy, the first step must be to recognise that Islamic terror adheres to the same means and methods as those embraced and perfected by earlier generations of revolutionaries… It must confront its international and internal enemies and implement a coordinated and realistic response if civilization is to survive. This demands a robust resistance to Islamist ideological infiltration and its subversion of academia, the judiciary, the media, and the parties of the Left, which have to be denounced for their tolerance of the traitors, fellow travellers, agents of influence, and useful idiots they promote.’ https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2015/06/jihadist-international/

21/06/2015: THE LAST REBELS: If THIS is true http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-06-19/last-rebels-25-things-we-did-kids-would-get-someone-arrested-today (and I suspect it IS) there is MUCH to be done (removing countless Nanny State regulations is only one of them). A world where DIY is a novelty or adventure rather than the NORM is a world gone MAD. Fortunately for them my kids could EASILY DOUBLE this list before taking a breath – but I suspect their childhood was unusual – and we were lucky we were not prosecuted!

Grassboarding Sept 1993

Canoeing our flooded creek Sept 1993

21/06/2015: BIG GIRLS: The average American woman now weighs as mush as the average 1960’s man: That’s 2lb of butter shy of 12 stone (or 75 kilos) - too many pounds of butter, or something. It’s 50% bigger than gals were when I was last dating them. Back then you were expected to sweep a gal off her feet and carry her over the threshold. Not any more! Not with my back, that’s for sure. Time for a slip or two ‘twixt cup and lip, methinks: thttp://pjmedia.com/drhelen/2015/06/14/the-average-american-woman-now-weighs-as-much-as-the-average-1960s-man/

21/06/2015: Tony Abbott is WRONG about wind turbines: The wonderful way they catch on fire (http://www.epaw.org/multimedia.php?article=a11) & fall over (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/energy/windpower/11324119/Wind-turbine-collapses-in-Northern-Ireland.html) is astonishingly BEAUTIFUL! AND, the demise of each saves countless thousands of birds and bat from annihilation!

20/06/2015: One should never be surprised by people who believe in ‘fairies in the garden’ or giant white-bearded gents in the sky, but the Pope’s recent ‘encyclical’ reveal he is indeed QUITE MAD. There is NOT the slightest EVIDENCE for the ‘global warming’ (in the C20th or C21st) which he claims HAS and WILL occur, let alone that it is human caused. Indeed there has now very obviously been a hiatus for just shy of 19 YEARS (!), and solar scientists feel there is every indication this may continue, or indeed that the world may cool for anything up to the next 60 YEARS. His proposed ‘solutions’ to this non-problem are the usual commie stuff: smash capitalism, steal from the rich and give to the poor, pay the indigent to breed recklessly…he ignores or negates all the array of vast improvements which have been brought about by Western technology, business and particularly the immense alleviation from misery which coal-fired power represents. Never stepping far from his hallowed pederastic halls, he seems unaware that there has been an inexorable INCREASE in wilderness and living things generally as a result of all this. Those of you who read my rants relentlessly will know that I have little time for men in skirts anyway…It is little wonder that such folks essay to disappear up their own fundaments.

20/06/2015: MH370: These scientists are really quick. Within a few days of its disappearance I said that either it nose-dived or it landed on the ocean and was subsequently scuttled (only possible explanations for lack of debris). I am still betting on the latter. Question remains: WHERE is the pilot? If he nosedived, he will still be in the cockpit, if he landed, it will be empty. We should KNOW by year’s end. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/16/mh370-nosedive-math-theory_n_7591384.html

20/06/2015: GOLDEN EYE MINI SPOTTING SCOPE: Some people have quizzed me about this. Old hunting friends probably still have one of these from me courtesy of Xmases long ago, but alas they have not been available for a number of years. Keep looking though. They are GREAT! As you can see, it is a high-quality mini monocular which actually fits in a used 35mm film canister (23.5 and 5 grams respectively!) If you don’t already own one, or can’t source a 2^nd hand one from eBay or etc (unlikely), you may just have to console yourself with the much larger, heavier and possibly inferior products from other manufacturers. I usually do very little ‘glassing’ preferring to simply GO where my eyes can SEE. I think it is fairer on the deer too (as are iron sights). A rifle is a BIG advantage enough (but can give a quick and painless kill) without disadvantaging our noble quarry further with a panoply of tricky gadgets (infra-red sensors, high-powered optics, tracking collars, etc). Some places in the US restrict deer hunters to shotguns and solid slugs (mostly to protect other hunters it is true), but also making it impossible to take game which is further than, say fifty yards away. Bow hunters’ inestimable ethics are even fairer on the quarry than this. I think the INTENT of these restrictions are sound. Sometimes, however, my aging eyesight is not as good as it once was, which is when my tiny ‘Golden Eye’ comes out of my pack’s shoulder pouch to confirm what my eyesight is indicating: more usually than not for me it is some unusual bird or plant…http://www.atncorp.com/atn-golden-eye-archived-product

Specialized Optics - ATN Golden Eye

Golden Eye Mini Spottting Scope

19/06/2015: ‘Frequencies’ (2013): This is the only movie I have seen in a great many years that requires you to THINK. Watch it! https://kat.cr/frequencies-2013-720p-brrip-x264-yify-t10793070.html

19/06/2015: This is EVER the problem with ‘targeted welfare’ ie preferentially ‘looking after’ only those who piss everything up against the wall’: https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2015/06/punishing-frugal-pleasuring-greens/

Zpacks Zero Backpack

19/06/2015: Hunting Daypack: Most everyone carries too much gear (whether multi-day hiking, or just as a day pack). After my first solo hike of the Dusky Track Fiordland in 2006 (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dusky-track-adventures-1/), the first thing I did when I came home was THROW OUT my old hunting daypack. I had spent some time working out how to carry enough gear on (what was then) a 57 year old body to last me up to a week in very rugged country where sub-zero conditions, torrential rain, and being flooded in were reasonable likelihoods - whilst at the same time being safe and comfortable. In the end I started out carrying just over 13 kg which diminished by over half a kilo a day as I ate the food and drank the Bacardi 151. The same trip now would see me starting with less than 10kg. I was there last year. This year my wife and I hiked the South Coast Track which I wholly recommend (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fiordland-2014-2/ & following). I had chosen Gossamer Gear’s G4 pack at 454 grams to carry all this. Nine years later I am still using it for longer hunting and canoeing trips. When I weighed my hunting daypack I found it to be 1.25 kg EMPTY. Out it went, and off I went with my scales looking for something MUCH lighter. At the time I could not find anything locally less than about 300 grams, but now I know there are a number of quite serviceable smaller packs which weigh much less than that. My current http://www.zpacks.com/backpacks/zero.shtml 52 litre (!) hiking pack weighs 320 grams and has been with me MANY hundreds of rugged miles (eg across Tasmania, http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tasmanias-south-coast-track-hells-holiday/ etc) As you can see, Joe’s 27 litre Zero pack weighs 113 grams! That’s quite big enough for a day, probably overnight! You could also use it as a stow bag in your main pack, and take it out and use it when you had made camp. Here is another (waterproof) possibility: http://www.seatosummit.com.au/products/outdoor/ultrasil-dry-day-pack/ That taken care of, what should you take with you IN your day pack? Raincoat. I have one from zpacks which weighs 130 grams, is wonderfully waterproof and breathable. Warm Jacket: a synthetic insulated jacket is a MUST in wet bush in the winter months (down is GREAT – what I use hiking) but riskier when it is VERY wet and cold as in Gippsland winter. A Montbell Thermawrap vest (188 grams) and jacket (240 grams) would be hard to beat along with an eg Icebreaker merino wool beanie. Should you be prepared to sleep out? I think so. It happens sometimes to everyone! A very lightweight shelter and emergency space blanket bag is a good idea. You CAN make a mylar space blanket into a temporary shelter if you carry a bit of string - I always carry a small dental floss for 1st aid and repairs: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/rope-dont-leave-home-without-it/) I will cover this in a future post about my Home-made Poncho-Tarp. If you can’t light a fire, something like a Blizzard Bag (http://www.blizzardsurvival.com/product.php/100/blizzard-survival-bag) might live in your daypack, but at approx 385 grams, you might just as well carry your down sleeping bag and hiking mat (See http://www.finnsheep.com/HIKING.htm). Adventure Medical Kits have some great options. The most important thing you will EVER learn is HOW to light a fire when conditions are really dreadful. If you can’t do this, you really shouldn’t be out on the woods alone! You will need (another) mini Bic lighter in a snap lock bag in your daypack with some bicycle inner tube as a fire starter - I assume you already have a mini Bic in your pocket for testing wind direction – but sometimes it drops out of your pocket, so another is just good insurance. I ASSUME you will already have a knife so you can split wood and shave the inner dry wood to make excelsior, the very best fire starter. No doubt it has a secondary purpose for butchering/caping work. About the lightest suitable knife is this Ka-Bar: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/carry-a-knife/ A bone saw can be useful. I usually carry a length of ‘embryo wire’ available from veterinary suppliers. You just need to knot a length to two short pieces of wood (as handles) then you can saw someone’s head in half in a few seconds! You really should have a 1st Aid Kit. I have already mentioned the dental floss! (Always include some spectra string). A needle should accompany it – if only for sewing up your ripped trousers – I have also used it for sewing up ripped dogs,; it would be equally useful for sewing up ripped me! You CAN go overboard here. By the same token, you may carry, eg an elastic bandage or a sling (I have) in your pack for years before you really need them (in this case because my wife had dislocated her shoulder in a really REMOTE place!) Some Panadeine Forte and anti-inflammatories will enable you to keep on moving when otherwise it would be very difficult. I recommend some Imodium: in the event of diarrhoea it is invaluable! Blister pads: also essential. Some bandaging (Band Aids, Elastoplast) and Leucotape. Likewise, Small quantity of iodine (sealed in a drinking tube); likewise anti-fungal cream (Daktarin): a really bad sudden case in the crotch WILL be agony! Food: Probably the best thing to have in your daypack, because they will remain fresh for weeks and need no cooking are a full day’s ration of Carmen’s low GI Muesli bars (or like). If you are going to cook something, this is a great cup: http://www.traildesigns.com/cookware/vargo-450ml-travel-titanium-mug-eca355 Rand will also make you a Caldera Cone to fit it. The lightest cooking system. I will update this later.

18/06/2015: PENSIONERS: What IS the Labor Party THINKING: A couple with a house worth (likely) over $1 million, other assets worth OVER $1 million, tax-free superannuation income of over $70,000 ($84,000 for a Health care Card alone), can STILL get a part-pension. THIS IS TRUE: you can check it out on the Centrelink site. This is quite generous ENOUGH given that it is being paid for by shop assistants, cleaners, farm labourers, etc.

18/06/2015: POLEYS: Tim Blair: ‘Poley bears are eating dolphins, and global warming is to blame: For the first time, scientists have observed polar bears devouring white-beaked dolphins in the Arctic and are crediting global warming for introducing these two species to each other. “This is the first record of this species as polar bear prey,” wrote the authors of a study that was published in the Polar Research Journal. The scientists, who are part of the Norwegian Polar Institute, wrote that this is another instance of how “the warming of the Arctic is significantly changing the ecosystem and relations between species.” Just wait until poleys start eating sparrows and pigeons. Which, given how often they’re airborne, is just a matter of time.’

18/06/2015: ONE POLE TYVEK TIPI: The ‘skin’ of a tipi is very nearly a semicircle. If it is a ‘normal’ 60 degree (cone) tipi, then (apart from a slight overlap for keeping out drafts), that’s exactly what it is. A semicircle with radius ‘R’ (eg 10’ – the width of the widest roll of Tyvek) will make a tipi which is approximately 10’ wide at the base. (C = 2xPixR - divided by 2 for a semicircle; D= C/Pi, so C = 2x3x10 = 60/2=30/3=10 – taking Pi as approx ‘3’). So, any width of fabric will make a tipi which has a diameter the same as its width. You will need a piece that is twice as long as its width to make your tipi. If you cut out a little more of a circle than a semicircle, you will get a tipi which has a less acute angle than 60 degrees (say 45 degrees) and which is correspondingly wider (and shorter). (You would need to stick this piece on with Tyvek tape). You can work out how wide by dividing the piece’s circumferential length by 3. This is close enough. A 10’ wide tipi is quite a handy size, (will obviously sleep at least four people) but is hard to erect unless you tie the ‘skin’ to the pole first (otherwise you can’t reach). If you are using only one pole you will need someone to hold the pole whilst you peg the sides down. That’s why folk normally used 3 or more poles (usually six) tied together at the top where you attached the skin’. You can cut the circular edge into eg six equal straight lines (a hexagon) if you like, and it will still pitch flush to the ground, and give better angles to the wind. You can make such a tipi out of a readily available blue poly tarp for less than $20 if you want (I have). If you are going to have a fire in your tipi, you must beware of carbon monoxide. You need airflow in at the bottom and out at the top. Any open fire is almost IMPOSSSIBLY smoky. A chimney is a great idea. Titanium Goat (http://www.titaniumgoat.com/cstove.html) has lightweight (titanium) stoves and chimneys for just this purpose. The chimney will probably NOT be hot enough to melt the Tyvek at the top, but if you are worried you can wrap that section of pipe with some fibreglass cloth or etc. As you will see at his website, he also makes really lovely tipi tents out of silnylon (pictured). This is something like what your Tyvek tipi will look like, (sans the cost!) Such an arrangement would suit car, motorcycle or horse based camping better than backpacking, but maybe you and your friends are quite strong!

Titanium Goat Vertex Tent

Here it is with a stove:

17/06/2015: ‘Scott Morrison Sells Eskimoes Fridges’: It’s not even news any more. First he stopped the ‘unstoppable’ boats in their tracks (ONE has slipped through since the change of Government, not ONE a DAY! – Good Lords, we had ONE person DROWNING a day under Gillard!) – and, no surprises, he had already done a deal with whoever he needed in the Senate to secure whatever legislation he needed BEFORE he announced it…NOW, he has done the same with Welfare Reform: totally sanely and competently he has gone to Richard de Natale and secured a deal BEFORE he announced it, and left that clown Shorten and his rabble Labor party being the SOLE DEFENDERS OF MILLIONAIRE PENSIONERS – what a good look! He WILL be the next Prime Minister – AND he is likely to be our GREATEST ever!

17/06/2015: Happy Birthday ‘Magna Carta’. Too bad many of our Governments today are keen to repudiate you. Our freedom, particularly our freedom to speak is our most precious freedom. The latter can only be removed by death or cutting out the tongue. We may be close to that. There are so many issues today of which it is dangerous/difficult to speak…Some interesting articles around: https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2015/06/liberty-anxious-800th-birthday/ & https://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2011/03/the-civilising-power-of-english-law/ & http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2015/06/magna_carta_and_the_law_that_governs_government.html

17/06/2015: Tyvek Twin Fire Shelter: I have completed this design today. I know it will make a wonderfully comfy shelter for 2-3 people. The photos are of the prototype. The tent is 6’ (1.8m) high at the front. Some finishing work and bush-testing is needed, but if you are keen to make your own and try it out, here goes: Again, (as with the single: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tyvek-solo-fire-shelter/) it can be cut from a single piece of Tyvek three metres wide, so no sewing is necessary. You will have to attach a floor (if you want one, or ground sheets if you do not. You should have plenty of scraps of Tyvek left by now! If you are not sewing, I recommend the tarp holders pictured (available from ‘Aussie Disposals’ (or elsewhere). There are only about three types of tarp holders which actually WORK (all button type). These are probably the best but not the lightest. The large disc and rubber band ensures the tarp is not damaged. You will also need a roll of 2” Tyvek Tape probably available from the same folk you bought the Tyvek from. You can use it for making a hem (taping completely around a ¾” hem will make a nice strong one). You can also use it for reinforcing the tie out points (eg both sides where you are going to attach the tarp holders. Or, learn to sew (in this case hems, Tyvek reinforcing patches plus webbing tie-outs). Again, the two guys ropes at the front meet the ground about where the wings/flaps do when they are in fully open mode, so there is nothing to trip over. You might want to include a few of Joe Valesko’s stick-on tie outs here and there perhaps to keep a side pulled out, so here is the link again (http://www.zpacks.com/large_image.shtml?accessories/tape/stick_on_loop_clear_l.jpg) The basic pattern will give you the option of making three slightly different configurations: You can make a shelter with a square windward end, or one which tapers to a point, you can make a shelter which is approx 4’ (1.2m) wide at the windward end and 8’ (2.4m) at the open end, or a slightly smaller and lighter one which is approx 3’ (.9m) wide at the windward en and 7’ (2.1) wide at the open end. I found that if I tapered it at the windward end, and again slightly at the sides, I achieved an octagonal shaped tent with just that many tight corners ready to cut the wind. PS: Post will be updated with diagrams and instructions ASAP.

Best tarp holder

Windward South View

Windward North View

North Side View

Partially Closed

South Side View

Fully Closed

Fully Open

Tarp Top View

Tarp Bottom View

16/06/2015: ACROSS THE DIVIDE: Whatever you political persuasion, surely you cannot help but be moved for the poor creatures of the Tbilisi zoo: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/06/15/search-on-for-people-zoo-animals-missing-in-georgia-flood/

16/06/2015: The Ultimate Survival Gun: My first one of these was my Armalite AR-7 .22 calibre. What a beautiful little gun it is: the way it folded up into its own stock with its 8 shot magazine is just excellent. At 1100 grams (2.5 pounds) and 400 mm (16”) long it is ideal for backpacking. Unfortunately as it is a semi-auto, John Howard/Port Arthur has made it unusable, as it is now a Class C ‘weapon’ which I can only use around the farm. How times change! I was down in George St, Sydney one day in 1973, shortly after our marriage, saw it in a gun shop ($100, I think) and just had to have it. No licences or permits then. Just handed over the money for it and a couple of boxes of ammo, and went home (to 33 Chelsford St, Newtown – our first home) along Parramatta Rd, past Sydney Uni (where we both studied – not as much as we should have!) on the bus. Of course I was really chuffed with it and couldn’t help but show it off to all the complete strangers on the bus, who threw it up to their shoulders, pointed it at pedestrians etc out the window & etc, as you would! (It wasn’t loaded – I was never that much of a ninny.) It is just wonderful for knocking down a few conies/possums for the pot, or a wily fox come running to the whistle, and would even essay the odd wild goat, or even something as big as an Old Man Roo. The essential qualities for a ‘survival gun (which this one has) are that it should be lightweight (ie approx under 1 kg), ‘bullet-proof’, take down so that it stows in your pack, and if possible capable of taking a variety of game. Della now has a similar weight neat Rossi .410 single barrel shotgun (which has a ‘spare’ .22 barrel – useful), which CAN fire a solid or SSG – good enough to down the biggest game (Sambar!) even if not strictly legal. A couple of spare shells and you are good for duck, rabbit, pigeon – whatever comes along. Again, it takes down to fit in the pack. But only ONE shot. I love the idea of Rossi’s ‘Circuit Judge’ a five shot .410, which also takes the .45 Colt pistol round, and supports easy loaders. Very handy. I think it too could easily be converted to take-down by modifying the stock screw. And five quick shots would be very handy. Also available in stainless with a synthetic stock. Perfect! Another (very hard to source) gun which I have hankered after since I was a boy is the Springfield M6 ‘Scout’ in .22 Hornet and .410. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield_Armory_M6_Scout The ‘Ultimate Survival Rifle’ might well be this ‘Pack Rifle Kit’ weighing in at a scant 450 grams (in single shot .22 magnum), from Rutalocura: http://rutalocura.com/PRK.html Incidentally, these Aloksak bags make a useful ulralight waterproof bag for your gun, eg if you plan to do some packrafting on your trip: http://www.survival-pax.com/aLOKSAK-Bags-Extra-Large.html Someone has kindly sent me a couple of other recommendations, available locally: http://www.chiappafirearms.com/products/136 & http://www.chiappafirearms.com/products/163

Original AR-7"Explorer" survival rifle, manufactured by Armalite.

AR-7 Assembled

Original AR-7"Explorer" survival rifle, with parts partially inserted into the polymer stock. For compact storage and transportation parts are fully inserted into appropriate compartments in the stock and then closed by detachable rubber buttplate.

AR-7 Take Down

Rutalocura .22 Magnum 'Pack Rifle'

16/06/2015: It makes you wonder whether these things can loop the loop? Hopefully not with THIS 'little black duck' aboard: http://www.news.com.au/travel/watch-this-boeing-dreamliner-in-incredible-near-vertical-takeoff/story-e6frfq7r-1227396679878

16/06/2015: BOYCOTT BALI: As with nearly all Facebook ‘seeming’ campaigns, this one is an abject failure: Tim Blair: ‘Remember the Boycott Bali movement? It was all the rage just a few weeks ago: A campaign to boycott Bali and Indonesia, the most popular overseas holiday destination for Australians, has exploded on social media following the executions for drugs offences of Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. And here’s the result: In the clearest sign yet that the Boycott Bali social media campaign is a major fail, new travel booking data has revealed a big increase in numbers heading to the Indonesian island since the executions of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.’ They died in vanity.

15/06/2015: DIY Hiking Gear: I guess I started doing this before I was 13 (or so). One of my first projects was (what is NOW called – there WAS no name, or THING then) a bivy bag which I sewed out of PU coated 2oz green ripstop nylon as I didn’t have a tent, and my (kapok, Yes! – how many today know what THAT was – or could recognise a kapok tree?) sleeping bag and any available tent would not have both fitted in my A-frame pack! Quite some years I didn’t have a tent. One of my first was a sort of one boy GI ‘PUP Tent’ something like those ex-WW2 affairs, also in PU ripstop mayhap called a ‘Rancho Poncho’. First few times I took Della camping (on my Honda CB175 motorbike!) we just slept under the stars with maybe a nylon poncho over us to ward off heavy dew. I have slept under a poncho many times since then. Finally we bought a two-person hiking tent, the forerunner of many. Now, in old age, we are back to some sort of tarps again such as THIS homemade one: (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tyvek-solo-fire-shelter/) I posted about the other day. Instructions are being updated. Check back. Others 2 + person ones are in preparation. There IS a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction to be gained in MAKING and USING your own gear, so we do. Here and there in these pages you will find other suggestions for homemade gear; I have had a lot of fun making various hiking stoves such as you might find here: http://zenstoves.net/ or in earlier posts. We have made quite a lot of clothing over the years, as well as hammocks, hammock insulators, quilts, tarps (obviously), tents, a variety of bags, pouches, pockets, leashes, belts, harnesses, ponchos, fishing gear…all sorts of things. For example, you can make a pot which weighs a couple of grams from a beer can which you can boil with an esbit on a stand made from some 1 cm mesh. A wide rubber band will prevent you burning your mouth when you drink your coffee. Quest Outfitters (http://www.questoutfitters.com/ http://thru-hiker.com/materials/index.php) have some very good patterns (and kits) and are very helpful and expeditious in sending materials. For example, their ‘Bilgy Tarp Tent’ looks quite interesting. I will adapt some of its features for a new two person ‘fire shelter’. Obviously it would be much lighter in cuben, or more fireproof in Tyvek. Their G4 pack pattern and kit are excellent. The G4 was my first ultralight pack, a brilliant concept (approx 450 grams & 60 litres!) from Gossamer Gear founder Glenn van Peski – one I still use when I am packrafting, as it is a HUGE pack. Della sewed two webbing tubes into it vertically on each side into which we slipped carbon fibre arrow shafts to simulate a pack frame for weight distribution. This added less than 40 grams and worked quite wonderfully. http://gossamergear.com/ have some GREAT ultralight gear (and an interesting website - eg see ‘Tips & Tricks). I have spent quite a few dollars with them over the years. Their featured product this month is an 18 gram trowel. Well, if you need one! Their carbon fibre hiking poles are wonderful! Ray Jardine (http://www.rayjardine.com/) pretty much ‘invented ‘ the ultralight pack (and concept). He is known as the ‘father’ of ultralight. He has a kit for one, and an excellent tarp. I still use his ‘Bomber’ hat (30 grams) every time it’s a really cold night. His quilt kit was an original great idea too. His website details his many amazing adventures, including skiing to the South Pole when he was over 60! He also sells some of his own excellent hiking books. Ray Garlington was one of the first to devise a ‘wood gasification’ stove for backpacking: http://web.archive.org/web/20130820032105/http://www.garlington.biz/Ray/WoodGasStove/ I have spent many hours trying to make this work. Another guy perfected it with his ‘Bushbuddy’ stove: http://bushbuddy.ca/ (well worth the C$120) - or you can make your own, eg http://www.instructables.com/id/Woodgas-Can-Stove/ or http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/build-ultra-efficient-diy-wood-gasifier-backpacking.html A 150 gram stove which does not require any fuel (other than what you find on the trail) is a great idea. This guy has a lighter - 86 grams - (and more expensive) one: http://www.suluk46.com/products.html Here is another site which has some interesting plans and kits: http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html, likewise this one: http://jasonklass.blogspot.com.au/search/label/DIY%20Backpacking%20Gear There are many others, but these will be enough to get you started. Have FUN!

wpe60.jpg (5393 bytes)

G4 Ultralight Backpack

15/06/2015: Eco-modernism: surprisingly some SANITY from the Green side of politics at last, though I doubt it will have much success in converting its own foot-soldiers. However, it may presage a future where there is a coalition between conservatives and these ‘New Greens’. READ about it, DO: http://www.rationaloptimist.com/blog/eco-modernism-and-sustainable-intensification.aspx

15/06/2015: Andrew Bolt was PROSECUTED and BANNED for blowing the whistle on ‘Aboriginal’ fellow travellers here in Oz, where the ‘blackwash’ industry is thriving. There are now so many of them (tens of thousands, that one wonders, Are there any REAL Aborigines at all?’ – Well, Of course there aren’t. And should never be. We are all ONE race. That is all! http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/timblair/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/sista_just_a_sister/

15/06/2015: Alas, Archibald McLeish’s beautiful, haunting poem has a new poignancy, an ominous foreboding today:

You, Andrew Marvell

And here face down beneath the sun

And here upon earth’s noonward height

To feel the always coming on

The always rising of the night:

To feel creep up the curving east

The earthy chill of dusk and slow

Upon those under lands the vast

And ever climbing shadow grow

And strange at Ecbatan the trees

Take leaf by leaf the evening strange

The flooding dark about their knees

The mountains over Persia change

And now at Kermanshah the gate

Dark empty and the withered grass

And through the twilight now the late

Few travelers in the westward pass

And Baghdad darken and the bridge

Across the silent river gone

And through Arabia the edge

Of evening widen and steal on

And deepen on Palmyra’s street

The wheel rut in the ruined stone

And Lebanon fade out and Crete

High through the clouds and overblown

And over Sicily the air

Still flashing with the landward gulls

And loom and slowly disappear

The sails above the shadowy hulls

And Spain go under and the shore

Of Africa the gilded sand

And evening vanish and no more

The low pale light across that land

Nor now the long light on the sea:

And here face downward in the sun

To feel how swift how secretly

The shadow of the night comes on...

14/06/2015: Touche: http://www.afr.com/opinion/columnists/seven-great-jobs-to-make-your-sydney-home-ownership-dream-come-true-20150612-ghm679 OR, Try THIS: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/former-union-boss-michael-williamson-cant-explain-the-missing-millions-20150410-1migrn.html

14/06/2015: Cuben Stuff Sacks: Weigh less than HALF what snap-lock bags do (and beat everything else hands down), eg a camera pouch weighs 1.6 grams! Given that you need to sort your pack gear some way, you probably have a dozen or more bags which could be replaced with these beauties – probably saving you the equivalent of ½ to a day’s food (or three days’ booze if you drink Bacardi 151 when hiking!) You can buy them here: http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/stuff_sacks.shtml or you can make your own having bought the material (and patterns eg) here: http://www.questoutfitters.com/ You don’t need to be able to sew – you can make them just with cuben fibre and cuben tape (see yesterday’s post – available both sites above).

14/06/2015: Time now for ‘Birth Equality’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R79yYo2aOZs

14/06/2015: NDIS? Just maybe at least ONE of these chicks did not require a motorised wheelchair (at least BEFORE the fight started): http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/white-trash-at-its-finest-as-two-women-and-a-child-fight-in-aisle-of-walmart-in-indiana/story-fnq2oad4-1227390574350

13/06/2015: Cuben tape: This stuff is WONDERFUL. First, there is its obvious utility in joining/repairing cuben fibre. There is a single-sided and a double sided version – and it comes in various widths). You normally use it to make joins to create a wider tarp, or to make ‘no-sew’ cuben fibre stuff sacks. Where it really comes into its own is for repairs. This stuff sticks (well nigh invisibly) to all sorts of things and makes excellent waterproof repairs. My house and camping equipment have bits of it stuck in all sorts of unlikely places. It repairs most ripped raincoats and tents very well (Check first). Packrafts too. Where I have found it really wins out is in repairing leaks in Thermarest Neoair pads. These guys are SO light they are fairly easy to puncture. Mostly I get minute thistle holes in mine which take ages to let the pad down (in the middle of the night!). They also suffer from my habit of using them for padded insulated floors in our packrafts. Jumping in and out of them at portages drives all sorts of nasties into their delicate fabric. Spot has excelled himself here too. In his puppyhood he managed to drag one pad out through the doggie door onto the lawn where he had quite a lot of leisure time CHEWING it. THAT pad looks somewhat like Kevin Rudd after a VERY bad morning’s shaving. It doesn’t QUITE have more tape than pad, but you can certainly tell that it has been repaired. The great thing about cuben tape for repairing air mats is that it works INSTANTLY. The proprietary Thermarest repair kits (in my experience) work slowly and poorly at best – be WARNED!

13/06/2015: Winter Fruit Surprises: Kiwano (African Horned Melon). Usually this time of the year, it is citrus & guava in the garden, and not much else. I was quite surprised yesterday when Della found some of these guys lying ripe on the back slope where they had sprung up as weeds from the sugar cane mulch we spread to keep it moist last summer. They have a refreshing taste – something like a sweet cucumber. I WILL be saving some seeds to plant them again next year. Good groundcover too.

13/06/2015: Virgins sold for ‘as little as a pack of cigarettes’! I have long suspected that those heavily burkha’d ladies might have very little value in a fashion parade, and there is certainly MUCH greater value in a long married mature woman – still I would think most virgins would be worth slightly more than a pack of cigarettes (about $20 today, would you believe?), perhaps even as much as $50. I mean they would have to be handy at weeding the garden, cleaning the bathroom, splitting the firewood and other tiresome chores. But there you have it; they’re going cheap. Get them while they last. Just a quick trip to Syria or Iraq. Perhaps clear it with Tony before you go – he is a little suspicious minded and might not believe you if you just turn up at Arrivals with a mayhap hirsute dusky over clad ‘beauty’ in tow: http://www.pressreader.com/australia/herald-sun/20150610/282024735880920/TextView

12/06/2015: Sambar Deer Stalking 101:

Tiny loves deer - she likes them cut up a little smaller though.

I have hunted sambar deer for over 30 years in the Gippsland mountains. Mostly I did it because it was fun and an excuse for a day out in the bush which I love. I still prefer lamb, and having been a sheep farmer for just as long, I always had plenty on hand. These days I rarely shoot the deer I see, and I see many – more than half a dozen a day usually, AND I hardly ever bother any more to hunt the mornings and evenings. If I did, I would see over a dozen a day I guess! I prefer to get where I am going mid afternoon, make camp, enjoy a fire, a good book, perhaps some music, a lie in mornings…Anyway, it is good to make it to camp, get the tent pitched, collect the wood, lay the fire (unless it’s raining - in which case the kindling is IN the tent), perhaps hang your pack out of reach of dingoes, then have the last 1-2 hours of daylight for hunting the river bottoms; that is when the deer will be coming down to feed (and drink). Then hunt the FIRST hour or two of daylight before the deer creep off to bed.

Long before you venture into the bush to hunt or DO anything, first you need to know how to SURVIVE in the bush, how to not STAY lost, how to make a shelter and light a fire in the rain…how to be comfortable there. You might benefit from a perusal of my many thoughts on this here: http://www.finnsheep.com/HIKING.htm I will soon, as often promised, get up a GEAR LIST, but I am sure you an guess at most of it in the above..

First you need to go where there are lots of deer. Deer are lazy just like everyone else, and don't want to travel too far for a feed, so there will be lots of them where the feed is best. The feed is best just where it is best for normal livestock: creek & river flats and improved pasture on private land - or what was once private land (eg the Wonnangatta National Park), the east side of North facing gullies &etc. The bush ABOVE clear paddocks ALWAYS has bedded deer. Often there is a 4WD track in turn above it. Very handy. Deer love areas around water supply catchment dams for the same reason (eg Thomson, Upper Yarra, Moondarra, etc.) When the Thomson was low, you could literally see herds of them (50+) at dusk coming down to graze on the clear dam bottoms. The reek of them at the forest edge was unbelievable. Of course the forest areas surrounding are often too thick to hunt them (even IF legal). They also love to colonise fresh burns and logging coups in larger numbers, and naturally their numbers are highest at the ‘peak’ of their ‘wave’ where they are moving into East Gippsland. The regrowth burns on the Snowy should be great places to observe them this season – though it is not legal to hunt them in that area of the Alpine National Park. You can check Google Earth for suitable spots in conjunction with Victopo maps and the GMA maps showing where you can legally hunt. Usually I prefer more gentle slopes now, but I used to delight in the steepest country because no-one else hunted it! I have found that just over half a day’s walk from where you can park a car the deer become MUCH less timid. Up to that point they will honk and run away. 300 metres beyond that point they will often just stand and look at you. I love to stand/sit and watch hinds and fawns in a family setting. I prefer overnight trips/hunts anyway, or multiple days. It is easy enough to carry a week’s tucker, and everything else you could need in a pack weighing about 10 kilos. You are bound to see more deer on an overnight hunt because you don’t have to leave early to get back to your car before total darkness. You will also likely have only an easy, flat walk to your camp in the twilight. Dusk is a magic time.

Deer will almost invariably come by and make all sorts of noises within a chain of your camp (if you are alone/quiet) during the night. You could easily shoot them even in the light of the Fenix LD01 AAA torch I wrote about the other day, as it is enough to light up their eyes. I never shoot at night. First, you don’t really know what you are shooting at, particularly if you miss. Second, if you take a shot and wound an animal, it will suffer horribly before you can possibly locate it (unlikely). I once found a spiker whose lower jaw had been shot clean off by spotlighters, and which had suffered dreadfully for many days. If you want to drive around at night to OBSERVE deer, that is another matter. The Upper Thompson Rd rarely fails to provide encounters, as do Moroka Glen, the Haunted Stream and many others.

So, go where there are lots of deer. It is best if the bush is not too thick. You can also pick this up from Google Earth. Sometimes there are fire tracks not shown on Victopo maps, or old closed tracks which give access to less frequented country. I prefer NOT to run into other folks when hunting/hiking, so I usually hunt mid-week now, because I can. It is good if you can SEE through the bush. You need to TRAIN yourself to look THROUGH it anyway. Your eyes/brain naturally want to focus on the nearest objects which means you are NOT seeing the deer through the trees; you are just seeing the trees. You can practice looking through the cracks in paling fences as you walk around the town streets, or looking through hedges as you drive along until you are used to focusing on the things that are on the other side of the screen of vegetation. You have to look INTO the distance. It is a trick worth learning. Then too you will be better able to see the lie of the land, which is supremely important in finding your way and assessing a deer’s likely path. I can guarantee you that the critters which live in the bush ALWAYS do this – which is why they (almost) always see you first unless you are moving VERY SLOWLY! Really thick bush is a pain anyway, and it will be harder to shoot a deer in it – unless you are hound hunting perhaps. When a deer honks at you but doesn’t run off is an excellent opportunity to test your ability to see THROUGH the bush. You can guarantee it is watching you, and will respond to your every movement, so its eyes (at least) MUST be visible to you. Practice finding those eyes; maybe an ear: they will be behind vegetation perhaps, but are in clear view. Deer WILL stand for an hour!

Some folks have become ‘ambush predators’. They place camo cameras on trees near game trails, drinking spots and wallows, record the deer’s movements, then lie up in wait for them. Others have high powered scopes and ‘glass’ the opposite sides of valleys (up to a kilometre away) and shoot their deer long distance. I would find both these methods boring and unfair. I prefer to travel past lots of deer (and other things). There is always something new to see and learn in the bush (new things which are blue for example, in a satin bird’s bower). I prefer to be moving. The ‘Theory of Searches’ notwithstanding, (see Robert Sheckley’s ‘Mindswap’), you WILL see more deer (where there are lots of deer), if you walk past more deer. You will also learn where they bed, and especially where they go in really bad weather. Important knowledge for middle of the day hunting and when it is cold and rainy but you still want to be ‘up the bush’. Tip: Learn where there are ‘perched gullies’. In undisturbed areas, they often don’t travel far from where they feed. Often no more than 200 metres UPHILL. They also like to sleep in spots where YOU would - if you had to live in the bush and had no man-made shelter, or protection from (potential) predators. They always have a view of their back trail; they like some cover but not so much they can’t see through it - particularly when they are lying down. Hunt the faces during the day and the bottoms at the ends of the day. Stags particularly can still be about near their thrashing places and wallows in the middle of the day - especially IF they are in rut. This is a smell you need to learn to recognise - as is the difference between stag and hind smell. Smell is VERY important, especially if like me you are very nearly deaf!

Mind you, sambar don’t make a lot of noise. If they are moving along normally, you are unlikely to hear them, save for the very occasional snapped twig or chink of stone, particularly when they are crossing a stream. Rarely you will hear them wallowing, thrashing. VERY rarely fighting. Or the preludes to fighting: howls very like an old hound. Sometime you will be challenged by a stag with such a call. Do NOT think it is a hound. A lost hound SELDOM howls. You can howl and they will howl back. You can spend an entertaining hour at this play. They have their warning honk, not unlike a car horn, and there are many small sounds passed between hinds and fawns which you will only hear when they are at play coming down to graze in the early evening – and if you are VERY close. Being deaf is not so much of a disadvantage in sambar hunting.

Learn to ‘read’ deer sign: droppings, browse, rubs, thrashing, scrapes, preaching trees, combat zones, wallows, towel trees, drinking spots, tracks, paths, bedding spots…You need to learn not only how fresh it is but what it tells you about the deer’s life. Following deer tracks can teach you much, though you are not specially likely to shoot a deer whose tracks you are following (unless it is VERY deep asleep (sometimes) or has little experience (eg of hunters). Concentrating on following the tracks will almost certainly mean you miss seeing the deer which made them (Keep looking THROUGH the bush), but you WILL learn much about its habits, how fast it is travelling, how BIG it is, (I followed a stag - my daughter saw it - on the Ben Cruachan Creek years ago whose STRIDE was MUCH longer than mine), how it travels the terrain, where it beds, where its nursery areas are, what it is doing (browsing, mating, fighting…) This will allow you to later PREDICT where particular (types) of deer are likely to be. During the day you are more likely to get a shot at them by dropping in from the side or above than from below. Learn to walk QUIETLY, but do not stress too much: they are used to things moving about in the bush – and being able to run away from them. Wallows are often found on flats about a chain inside and upstream river bends. Antlers can frequently be ‘fished’ from them. They mostly smell of STAG. Fix the scent in your mind, and pay attention when you next smell it. Scent (that humans can smell) doesn’t carry far – less than 100 metres. Smell THAT: there is a stag in SIGHT, maybe. Unfortunately they DO leave their smell on other things.

Never carry a loaded gun. The breach should always be empty. Forget so-called ‘safety catches’. More people have been shot because of them than triggers! I always use a lever action rifle because I can load it as I swing it to my shoulder. You are much more likely to shoot a running deer than a standing one. I always use iron sights because most shots are close and because they remain accurate just about whatever happens to your gun, and it is EASY to see the deer over them. You ARE likely to drop your gun on rocks some time. Everyone falls over. A dropped loaded gun can easily go off! Make SURE it IS a deer before you shoot. Early days EVERYTHING looks like a deer (stumps, anthills, friends...) A lever action also allows a quick follow-up shot should it be necessary. Theoretically, it should not – but I have put NINE .30-06 rounds through the chest of a sambar stag at close range only to have it still standing there looking at me. I was out of ammo by then, so decided to wrestle it to the ground and cut its throat. I am here: it IS possible to do this – but DON’T! These days I use a .308 because it is lighter but will still make a deer just as satisfactorily dead as say a MUCH heavier .45-70. My current gun is a take-down. This is handy when you don’t want to draw attention to yourself as a hunter, and when you need to put it in your pack because you are tired and want to use your hiking poles (I AM old!), or you want to put it in a dry-bag because you are canoeing: LOTS of good deer country can be accessed by canoe. You can take lots of supplies, stay quite a while in luxury – and it is easy to get the meat out! Oh, and there are fish, which I prefer to eat.

I NEVER wear camo. I can pretty much tell that someone has been (or is at) ‘my’ hunting patch wearing camo from the behaviour of the deer. People wearing camo really SPOOK the deer. They will take days to return to their normal habits. This has NOTHING to do with the camo hunters shooting deer – they seldom do. Other deer do not run away because you have just shot a deer. You can shoot a deer here, then walk 300 metres and shoot another one. I surmise it is the SPOOKINESS to the deer of seeing the forest WALKING. Anyway, they seem always to make themselves a lot scarcer than if you are wearing ordinary clothes so that the deer can figure out what you are, ie some kind of animal like them. Anyway, most of that camo hunting gear is just simply awful. It is (apart from being hideously expensive) typically heavy, sweaty, not at all waterproof, soaks up huge amounts of water, completely impossible to wash and dry in the field, cold, flammable, uncomfortable…Lightweight hiking gear is much better – only avoid blue as the only colour deer are supposed to be able to see is blue which apparently sort of ‘glows’ for them. Deer will NEVER see you when you are standing still. You can stand there all day; they will pass within yards of you – just spook when they whiff you! Most other wild animals are the same. It is laughably easy to creep up on a wallaby and catch it by the tail, for example. Just be still and bent over when they look at you.

Nowadays (it is legal) I always take (at least one of) my Jack Russells. They are better company than most people; they are smart as a whip; they eat little and give much in return. They are easy to carry across rivers on your backpack. They require a VERY small sleeping bag and mat. They know long before you do that a deer is: just there. Deer are not inclined to run from them, but ARE fascinated by them – which means they are ignoring YOU! They enjoy you shooting a WHOLE deer just for them! Once you have done it a few times, you will easily be able to do it a few more. Forget about quietly sitting watching family groups of deer in the late afternoon with them around though. They WILL give the game away so that the deer behave differently. Deer will usually bail instantly for a Jack Russell when they would run from any other dog. Some (this one) snore!

To be continued…

12/06/2015: Warren Meyer, ‘Heisenberg's Theorem on Green Energy Measurement: Theorem: A media article on a wind or solar project will give its installation costs or the value of its energy produced, but never both. Corollary 1: One therefore can never assess the economic reasonableness of any green energy project from a single media article. Corollary 2: For supporters of green energy, there is a good reason for Corollary #1.’

11/06/2015: INTERESTING BEDFELLOWS will emerge on this one: Tony Abbott, ‘When I've been up close to these wind farms, there's no doubt, not only are they visually awful, they make a lot of noise’ http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/awful-and-noisy-tony-abbott-slams-wind-farms-during-interview-with-alan-jones-20150611-ghl7m0

11/06/2015: SMITHSONIAN MULTI-TOOL circa 1880: Even contains a PISTOL! Might be a little hard to lug around though. If you hanker to be a an ultralight hiker, you might decide to trim this down a little but, but the pistol could be handy for scaring bears – and other varmints on the trail, or to harvest some critter for the pot: http://gearjunkie.com/the-mother-of-multitools

Made around 1880 in Germany by John S. Holler

11/06/2015: Shorten is SUCH a scumbag! You can add THIS sell-out to his rape and other misdeeds: http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2015/06/bill-shortens-signature-on-the-2004-cleanevent-enterprise-agreement-that-sold-workers-out.html And THIS: http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/what_did_the_bill_from_shorten_actually_buy_more_votes_for_his_political_ri/

11/06/2015: RENTING is ALWAYS proportionately (and especially long-term) MUCH more expensive than BUYING, so I just cannot SEE how people can afford to rent but not buy. Every financial decision involves a level of SACRIFICE: something foregone for something else. In the early stages of home ownership this is most pronounced, but it diminishes with time, and over the long-term provides a wonderful level of security. During the Hawke/Keating era, we were struggling with interest rates of OVER 20%, but we made it through and are able to live comfortably in retirement now after working for nearly 50 years! Joe is quite right that MORE housing needs to be provided, and especially cheaper style housing, much of which is forbidden by State and Local Government regulations, covenants etc - and by fashion! This would allow people to work their way up. That being said, you have to start with what you can afford, not with some Hollywood dream. One thing is sure: you can't afford NOT to be a home owner, nor can society afford your not being. I am sick to death of people taking 'public housing' HAND-OUTS, sponging on the rest of us after having pissed it all up against the wall! I have ZERO sympathy for the self-made POOR, and would re-introduce the WORKHOUSE! Maybe READ what Joe actually SAID (instead of what the contemptible ABC CLAIMS he said) before you disagree with it: http://www.joehockey.com/media/transcripts/details.aspx?s=826

10/06/2015: Dinner Expedition Planning at Jeeralang: That's a map of the Mitchell on Matt's phone, the (white) Tyvek tent between me and Spot, the Brasslite stove sitting on an upturned plastic bowl (a 19 gram leveling aid I am trying out) next to the box of Kiwifruit, my camo vest on the back of the chair, two magnifying glasses we have been examining a click beetle chrysalis with (under the other upturned orange bowl) - what a rustic scene! It was NOT staged! Update: The plastic bowl wasn’t sufficiently heat-resistant for the metho burner – suggest a titanium Sierra cup (50 grams) instead eg from Trail Designs. Also available with a folding handle (64 grams). (Combine with ‘Hot Lips’ 16/03/2015 for added comfort.) http://www.traildesigns.com/cookware/evernew-titanium-sierra-cup-eby151

Merrin Caption: The three boys planning their next camping / hunting trip around the dining table.

10/06/2015: DEHYDRATED WATER: Short of water: Suck a Pebble. This was my dad’s advice when I was a youngster. I thought at the time it was just a trick to prevent a dry mouth; something like chewing gum, but it has a more important feature: it prevents you breathing out through your mouth, THUS enormously reducing respiration water loss. It ranks with travelling by night and resting by day as prime water conservation strategies. The Fremen of Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’ were entire experts at this, - and at water harvesting and storage. Though it is fiction it is worth a read if only for what it can teach us about the importance of water. The famous Ancient Greek orator Demosthenes (384–322 BC), was also a pebble sucker: according to Plutarch he overcame an initial stammer by training himself to speak with pebbles in his mouth, so there might be more to be gained. Far too few folk speak CLEARLY nowadays.

10/06/2015: Cabbage moth tunnels from Maze Greenhouses (avail Bunnings). What an excellent product: I have NEVER before seen our Brassica flourish like this: http://mazedistribution.com.au/product-category/grow-your-own/

10/06/2015: Deradicalisation? Tosh! Deislamification? YES! The problem with such platitudinous nonsense as ‘deradicalisation’ is that JIHAD is CENTRAL to Islam! If we STOP Moslem IMMIGRATION and DEPORT ALL MOSLEMS, all our terrorist problems will go away; our welfare bill will SHRINK, and we will be able to have our freedom back! Clive Kessler, an expert of 50 years standing of Islam explains: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/deradicalisation-of-militant-muslims-not-a-viable-option/story-e6frg6z6-1227375127489

09/06/2015: HURRY up with this guys; I haven’t got so long to wait: http://www.gizmag.com/reversal-of-aging-human-cell-lines/37721/

09/06/2015: Most Travelled Cat: Matthew Flinders’ cat, Trim circumnavigated the globe, and Australia (several times): http://www.purr-n-fur.org.uk/famous/trim.html

09/06/2015: Rivers in the Sky: NEVER die of thirst: Surprisingly perhaps that’s where the world’s largest rivers are. Extracting this humidity from the atmosphere is not necessarily that difficult. In the Atacama Desert in South America there are whole towns which garner their water supply from dew/fog screens which harvest humidity http://www.windows2universe.org/vocals/water_clouds.html . Pliny the Elder wrote of desert island (Hiero in the Canaries) where the natives were able to catch all their water requirements from dew falling on a ‘fountain tree’ http://chestofbooks.com/reference/A-Library-Of-Wonders-And-Curiosities/Fountain-Trees.html#.VXUS2Ub0ncs . There ARE commercial possibilities. Greenhouses in Oman are watered entirely by condensation systems (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_water_generator) . This chap has a wonderful system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=cXe-4XE2QVI which won the Dyson Award. Keeping yourself alive by harvesting the water from dew therefore, ought not be too hard. Anywhere there is vegetation (at least) and any appreciable humidity (even in deserts) dew forms all night. It can be mopped up with a garment and the results squeezed into a suitable container and later boiled to kill any bacteria accidentally included. It is possible to harvest many litres per night (!) Attaching the garment to a handle, or dragging it with a string will make the work easier.

A man collecting drinking water after tiny droplets of fog condense in the net and run through pipes

08/06/2015: Baker Lake or BUST: Put THIS on your ‘bucket’ list: http://www.thelon.com/thelon.htm Maybe also check out some of Ray Jardine’s adventures in the Canadian Arctic (eg back, Thelon, Kazan, Coppermine, McKenzie Rivers) here: http://www.rayjardine.com/ Maybe Della and I could someday packraft a section of one of these awesome rivers? Meanwhile there is the Wonnangatta/Mitchell to contemplate for this summer. Quite good enough really. Just need to work out how to get around the ‘Surprise’, ‘Slalom’ & ‘Ampitheatre’ rapids first…

08/06/2015: Alabama has taken an interesting twist on the ‘issue’ of (same sex) marriage: its intent is to remove the State from marriage altogether, taking us back to where we were (in English/Australian society) at the beginning of the C19th BEFORE the State decided it had any role in such personal matters. This may be the circuit breaker the issue needs. All those married prior to the date of such a bill’s effect would remain married. After that date, folks could get anyone who wanted to ‘marry’ them, and register the contract with the State. This may get us around one of the most objectionable implications of the current proposals, ie the neutering of marriage: the removal of terms such as ‘husband’ and ‘wife’, for example. Many folk have no objection to same sex couples marrying but DO object to the CHANGES in their OWN (or future) marriage status implied in the proposals, such as the aforementioned. It also neatly sidesteps religious objections to same sex marriage, as no religion will need to adopt the custom if it does not wish to, leaving room for a new religion to do so if it wishes to. It might also be an opportune time to consider that State getting out of other matters it never had a role in (say before the C20th): Welfare perhaps? Education? Money? Defence? Look, why not just go whole hog and ABOLISH the state altogether? In this age it is a pretty silly anachronism really.

08/06/2015: BRAVO Alison Bevege. Surely we really do NOT want this sort of thing in Australia. mhttp://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/hizb-ut-tahrir-leader-says-woman-suing-for-sexual-discrimination-does-not-understand-islam/story-fni0cx4q-1227383633335 Below is a picture of a Labour party meeting for the recent UK election: (FREEDOM & THE LEFT?): http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/steerpike/2015/05/labour-stays-silent-over-gender-segregation-at-party-rally/

segregation9

07/06/2015: CANOEING GIPPSLAND RIVERS: I have had some feedback to my posts about the Tanjil River (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tanjil-river/), Latrobe Rivers & etc. Some people phoned to thank me for an enjoyable trip on this section of the Tanjil. They are WINTER canoeists employing sit-on canoes and wet suits to access the much higher river levels usually available in the cooler months (.65 metres as compared with .45 metres in February). This extra 200mm (8”) of water fair scooted them along so that they finished this section in 2 ½ hours, half my February time! They were kind enough to invite me along on their next expedition - even offering the loan of a canoe (I would also need a wetsuit). I AM more into hiking/hunting in the cooler months and canoeing in the summer, but we will see. I am also not sure how my balance (Menier's) will cope with sit-on-top canoeing. Certainly the winter months give access to MANY more of the smaller streams in Gippsland. Update: They have now completed the section downstream from Costins Rd (bridge) to the Rowleys Hill Rd Bridge in 5 1/2 hours at a gauge height of .6 metres. They said the first half (to the Staircase track) had more than a dozen logs which needed portaging (or chainsawing), and that the second half was more enjoyable. The trip from Costins Rd to Casuarina track therefore takes over 7 hours at these heights (which is probably an overnight trip). In summer (above at .45-.5 metres it is likely to take half as long again, so might be spread out over 2-3 days with some clearing work along the way! They told me they have canoed the Morwell River – a surprise - (downstream from the bridge at the East Branch Confluence) to Monash Way, the Traralgon Creek (from ABOVE Traralgon), & the Tyers from the W12 down to the pumping station. They have also completed two sections on the Latrobe: Hawthorn Creek (Bridge) to Camp Creek (4WD needed for take-out - 4 hours at a gauge height of .95 - Willow Grove), and a section upstream of Lake Narracan. They have also completed a section on the Wellington from one of Tali Karng Track road bridge downstream to Licola. As I have (20 years ago) canoed the Western Tyers from Growlers to Tyers Junction, and from there to Delpretes Road (in summer) on the Tyers, I think we can say that with some work the Tyers CAN be made into an excellent long-distance (local) canoeing adventure – likewise the Latrobe (from the Noojee Bridge just upstream of the Toorongo confluence (perhaps even further upstream!) to Lake Narracan and beyond). Each of these rivers would provide multi-day trips very close to the Latrobe Valley towns. If people would take a small bow saw when they attempt a section, leaving plenty of time for removing small timber, later folk can come along with a chain saw and remove the larger timber. In summer, it is pleasant and easy to stop and move some rocks from pebbles races and chutes to make them more navigable too. There already are some lovely campsites along each river. I’m sure a handful of others will not go astray! The prospect of winter canoe trips invites some exploration of other of the regions smaller waterways, eg the East & Western Tarwin (I have years ago summer canoed from near Meeniyan on the South Gippsland Highway to Tarwin Lower), the Freestone Creek, the Wellington, Wentworth & Dargo, Moroka, Upper Macalister, Barkly, the (upper) Nicholson, the Avon & Turton (perhaps), the Tarra Rivers. It may even be worth looking at the Bunyip, Tarrango, Tarago, Bass…Once you get into East Gippsland, the possibilities are well-nigh endless…PS: I see some others have been exploring the Tyers UPSTREAM of Christmas Creek - so I think we CAN say the river IS canoeable from there to the Latrobe River Confluence (which MAY take close to a WEEK), but MUCH work need to be done on it: https://www.adventurepro.com.au/paddleaustralia/pa.cgi?action=details&id=uppertyersriverwestbranch#.VXN-REb0ncs & https://www.adventurepro.com.au/paddleaustralia/pa.cgi?action=details&id=Tyers_River#.VXN-dUb0ncs

07/06/2015: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO MEL GIBSON: ‘The Bounty’ (1984) is an excellent film, but what happened to the mutineers after they stranded themselves on the tropical paradise, Pitcairn Island? Like so many socialist idylls, this one did NOT end happily. When they were rediscovered approx 20 years later, there was only ONE of the original mutineers still alive. The intervening years had been ones of almost ceaseless MURDER. 14 out of 15 of the adult males had met his end this way. Fletcher was one of the FIRST to go. ASTONISHING! What a (horror) story THIS sequel would make: http://seanmunger.com/2014/04/28/tragic-paradise-the-story-of-the-bounty-mutineers-on-pitcairn-island/

07/06/2015: DID BOWEN REALLY SAY THAT? I was reading Terry McCrann recently and he quoted Shadow Treasurer as saying: ‘Tax concessions don’t just happen – a tax concession for one person is paid for by higher taxes on another.’ I wondered whether Terry had made this up and so I checked the speech (to the Press Club). Nope, he didn’t make it up and Bowen went on to utter this clanger: ‘In the case [of superannuation], the tax concessions for the highest income earners are paid for by the taxes of mums and dads’. Lets not have the loonies running the asylum EVER again: http://catallaxyfiles.com/2015/05/23/did-bowen-really-say-that/

06/06/2015: ‘Supercharging’ LED torches: Single AA or AAA LED torches are impressive enough with their 100/150 lumens output on a single 1.5 volt battery but these Cree LEDs on which they run are usually designed to run on 3 or more volts which means you usually can run them with either the AA (14500) or AAA (10440) sized lithium 3 volt rechargeable batteries. You can look up the specifications of the particular led to check. Doubling the voltage won’t quite double the lumen output but it WILL go close. The torch MAY get very hot. There may not be enough heat-sink to waste that heat and you may burn out the circuit, but I have successfully run my AAA and AA sized Fenix torches on them without causing them any noticeable harm. The result is a pocket torch good enough to spotlight a rabbit! You will need to buy a special charger: http://www.batteryjunction.com/10440.html

06/06/2015: From CNN: ‘Vanya Shivashankar and Gokul Venkatachalam are National Spelling Bee co-champions.’ I kid you NOT!

06/06/2015: Too TRUE to be GOOD: Tesla cars recharging from a DIESEL generator: http://www.bishop-hill.net/blog/2015/5/28/greens-trashing-the-environment-part-527.html

05/06/2015: TENT LANTERNS: I have long used Fenix’s LD01 torch for this purpose, which I now see they have upgraded (the new LD02 model giving approx 20% more light on the brightest setting). It has three settings: 8, 25 and 100 ANSI lumens. The reflector is Loktited on and needs some careful work to unscrew it for the first time. Without the reflector I attach it via a carabiner (1 gram) to the provided keyring and hang the torch from the roof of my tent/shelter with a piece of string where it gives 360 degrees coverage good enough for cooking, conversation etc on the middle setting where one AAA battery will last at least one night. Of course once you are through cooking you can back it off to the lowest setting. It is quite bright enough to light all of a one of the DOC huts in NZ or an circle of over 7 metres radius outdoors if used in this way. You are getting a night’s light (perhaps for a party) for less than 10 grams per night with Eneloops batteries – which is pretty good. You can make a head band for it with a couple of pieces of elastic sewn together or some hat band elastic, two ‘O’ rings and a micro cord lock (2 grams) . I usually use their HL10 for this purpose, preferring to have two separate sources of light for convenience. After all, each of these torches weighs less than 20 grams without any battery: https://fenixlighting.com/product/ld02-fenix-flashlight/ & http://fenixlight.com/ProductMore.aspx?id=75&tid=13&cid=2#.VXDWt0b0ncs

05/06/2015: ICE: It is all over the news that we have the most expensive ICE in the world here in Oz. What IS the Government doing about it? This is a National Scandal. WHERE is Grocery Watch when you really need it? Kevin Rudd, we NEED you to right this awful wrong. Why, I thought you could buy a bag from your local garage for approx $2.50, but apparently it has shot right up to THOUSANDS of dollars a kilo – as if we lived in some vast desert! The Government needs to step right in to price control this essential commodity. Why, people will be killing each other soon just to get a few chunks of it – and to think that just a few klicks down South of us there is a whole Continent of it! What IS the world coming to?

05/06/2015: LONG before the ‘Wizard of Oz’, there was Mervyn O’Gorman: http://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/these-haunting-photos-by-autochrome-pioneer-mervyn-ogorman-are-102-years-old/story-fnjwubd2-1227383534129

04/06/2015: HOVERBOARDS: I still can’t ride a skateboard so I’d be pretty hopeless on one of these, but I guess we’ll be bumping into them everywhere pretty soon: http://www.gizmag.com/hoverboard-farthest-flight-world-record/37692/

04/06/2015: Great CATS of our time: Tiddles who lived for 13 years in the women’s toilets at Paddington Station. May have arrived there with a sign, ‘Please look after this cat’: http://www.purr-n-fur.org.uk/featuring/wk-rail02.html

04/06/2015: SPOT’S ADVENTURES: Mitchell River National Park: I needed to give the ‘Tyvek Solo Fire Shelter’ (I posted about on 24/5) a little practical test. What could be a better opportunity than the coldest night since I was born, I thought. Combining Google Earth and the GMA maps showing where it is lawful to hunt deer, I thought I had spied a perfect place along the Mitchell. Deer are drawn to a patch of cleared ground as to a magnet – and do their best to maintain it so – as do all large herbivores. There in the twilight is the best place that can be found to observe, or to bag one. I also noticed an old fire trail on Google Earth but strangely absent from the current VicTopo map and from its predecessor! I thought it might make a reasonable line of approach anyway. I was delightfully surprised that it was still driveable (legally – who knows?), though barely discernible for most of its length so I was saved a return walk of approx ten kms. A Land Rover WILL go most places! Still, I had a return walk of about that much again, so a nice bit of exercise (taken together with a descent and climb of approx 500 metres to and from the river) which should make for a pleasant overnight sortie. And so it proved. I had only enough time to explore about a third of the available hunting country as I have to take Della to the eye specialist on Thurs, but I will be back – possibly with company next time, but I have ever thought ‘No company is better than bad company’ (NOT meaning Della, of course – the terrain is probably a bit rough for her eyesight anyway). We (Spot and I) saw a number of deer (no promising stags this time, but plenty of sign they ARE about). He briefly bailed a deer which refused to run from him, but which thought better of it when it heard me coming. He put two hinds across the river (separately) either of which I could easily have harvested (if I hadn’t minded a swim on the coldest evening in 66 years!) I guess, counting those who honked at us, close to a dozen deer in the twilight of Tuesday afternoon. I could have spied more in the wee hours this morning, but I have ever thought that those who lie abed might thus avoid their own hanging. After dark we heard ‘the lonely dingo call’, and much toing and froing of cervine denizens too numerous to count, some wallowing just metres from our camp! And, OH! The tent: we were as cosy as could be even with the mercury plummeting like a stone in darkling waters. I have some ideas for improvements (as one always has), but to my mind there is no better than a Tyvek tent because it DOES NOT BURN, therefore you can warm it with an open fire whilst sheltered from the wind and rain. I WILL have a two person model (or models) SOON. Stay tuned!

Our tent home for a night amongst the trees (white triangle right centre). Deer wallowed at the left hand end of this pool during the night.

Lovely campfire, warm tent (shirtsleeves at approx 0C), music (Statler Bros), ebook (Idriess, 'Desert Column'), great company (Spot), the lonely dingo’s call... Who could want for more?

Spot enjoys his sleeping bag.

But sometimes he wants to try mine out too!

View upstream from camp

View downstream from camp

Most of the rapids are quite minor - Della will have no problem with these.

Brachychiton: Quite a few of these relict plants in this area.

Deer have been assiduous gardeners along this stretch of river

02/06/2015: This new greaseless (almost) frictionless bearing is astonishing. How much energy will these guys save. Their savings will clearly exceed the energy PRODUCTION of all 'renewables' in the world almost overnight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=15&v=h9O5QQuFgrc & http://www.gizmag.com/greaseless-ball-bearings-coo-space-adb/37689/

02/06/2015: Mountain goats are amazing climbers – photos you won’t believe. Anyone able to successfully hunt these guys must be suicidal themselves: http://www.earthporm.com/insane-mountain-goat-photos-that-prove-theyre-the-worlds-best-climbers/

02/06/2015: It is at best absurd, but more likely EVIL that climate change is taught as axiomatic (even though he majority of the population disagrees with it), but schools may not teach the Ten Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount (which used to be central moral statements) because a tiny portion of the population has some other sick and aberrant view!

01/06/2015: MARRIAGE ‘EQUALITY’: I agree with Miranda on this one; there have been so many important issues of public policy which ought not have been decided by politicians: eg immigration, abolition of the death penalty, euthanasia, introduction of the metric system & decimal currency, banning fireworks & firearms, national parks…In this digital age it would be very easy (and desirable) to implement referenda on most Government business: ‘Changing the definition of marriage is so contentious it can’t be left to politicians who are vulnerable to threats and intimidation. It’s a decision that must be made by the Australian people at a referendum. If the polls constantly cited by “marriage equality” advocates are correct, they have nothing to fear. Same-sex marriage will be legitimised by a vote of the people as it never will if it is just railroaded through parliament.’ I am particularly concerned that the law will be changed (as I understand it) to BAN the words ‘husband’ and ‘wife’! Having been one of these for the best part of fifty years, I REFUSE to become a ‘partner’ - if I had wanted to be a ‘partner’ I would have entered into a different sort of CONTRACT; indeed contracts might be a BETTER change to implement (replacing marriage altogether). Such a change would allow much greater individual FREEDOM and clarify for the individual just what is being ‘shared’ instead of the State imposing its unjust and unwonted requirements. Of course THIS ‘marriage equality’ still only allows that ‘two people’ can marry, yet you will not be able to marry your father or brother (but not both - unless these words too are to be abolished) or your dog - where ARE the ‘animal Libbers’ when you NEED them? Clearly, if we RUSH into this enormous change without considering ALL its implications it will be difficult to undo it. One thing it will certainly promote is an increase in Church marriages – which will increasingly appear as the only REAL marriage – these odd relationships sanctioned by the State will become trendy, ‘phoney’ hollow things: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/miranda-devine-prime-minister-tony-abbott-cant-have-his-cake-and-eat-it-too/story-fni0cwl5-1227376155922?int_medium=outbrain&int_source=www.dailytelegraph.com.au&int_campaign=Opinion&int_content=AR1 & http://www.nationalreview.com/article/418830/sea-alien-culture-where-normal-defined-deviant-quin-hillyer

01/06/2015: CLIMATE DISPARITY: The gulf between prediction and reality grows ever apace. When will the warmists admit they got it WRONG?

michaels-102-ipcc-models-vs-reality

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/05/29/when-will-climate-scientists-say-they-were-wrong/ Things folk forget about ‘global warming’: satellite obs started at the apogee of a warming phase; nonetheless: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamestaylor/2015/05/19/updated-nasa-data-polar-ice-not-receding-after-all/

01/06/2015: SOYLENT: Emergency (No-Cook) Hiking/Survival food, hopefully NOT such a by-product as in the film ‘Soylent Green’ (Book: “make Room! Make Room! Harry Harrison); 459 gram sachet = 2000 calories: https://faq.soylent.com/hc/en-us/articles/200836809-What-is-Soylent-

31/05/2015: HIKING FOR VOYEURS: Following hot on the heels of ‘Wild’, Bill Bryson’s ‘A Walk in the Woods’ is soon to hit the big screen with Robert Redford in the starring cast. Della will want to see this. I admit I enjoyed the book, though I suspect I would enjoy the walk even more, so long as too many others aren’t enjoying it at the same time! The Appalachian Trail certainly sounds lovely. A friend especially recommends the ‘White Mountains’ section if I can’t do the whole thing – likely. It IS a long while to be away from home; I generally find 7-14 days quite enough, especially if Della can’t accompany me, which owing to her eyesight is increasingly the case - though she should be fine on a well-marked, well-maintained trail such as this. Perhaps next year: http://gearjunkie.com/walk-in-the-woods-movie

poster1

31/05/2015: AND I DOUBTED the NBN; my test results this morning:

31/05/2015: ASSIMILATION: The stats are from the story which begins: ‘The dictionary defines assimilation as the ability of groups to succeed and prosper in societies built on different religious and cultural building blocks. The idea is always controversial and raises fundamental questions about how far people with vastly different belief systems and social practices need to “change” to succeed in the society where they have been implanted…’ http://catallaxyfiles.com/2015/05/23/economic-and-social-disparities/

econmic disparity by religion australia 2011

30/05/2015: THE GREEK REVOLUTION: Forget the Neoloithic, the Industrial, the Information Revolutions; the one that REALLY counts for me was the MIRACLE of Ancient Greece. There has been nothing before it – or since, that anyway compares! The BBC has a wonderful (art) series ‘Treasures of Ancient Greece’ presented by the delightfully named Alistair Sooke (available Kickass) which showcases and explains the artistic phenomenon inspiringly. If you love things of great beauty, it is a MUST WATCH. Much more is raised though than the mere incidentals and ephemera of exquisite objets d’art. How came this amazing societal transformation; how might it be maintained; how replicated? More genii lived in C4-5th BC Athens per capita (by far!) than at any time or place in history. Today, our political issues are all mere trivia compared with the issue: How might we reignite the ‘Glory that was Greece’ everywhere? Alexander was totally right to want to spread this wonder to the four corners of the earth! Everything we do in social policy, education, etc should be bent to this goal.

30/05/2015: Praxiteles. THIS is what I mean: It is awesome that we yet have some of this immaculate sculptor’s greatest works, such as his Aphrodite of Cnidus, of which his model said, "...have no fear; for you have wrought a very beautiful work of art, such as nobody, in fact, has ever seen before among all things fashioned by men's hands: you have set up a statue of your own mistress in the sacred precinct....And do not begrudge me this honour. For it is Praxiteles that people praise when they have gazed at me..." (Alciphron, Letters of the Courtesans: Phrynê to Praxiteles), as well as his Hermes & Dionysus…

Hermes & Dionysus

Aphrodite of Cnidus

30/05/2015: Keychain goodies: Spyderco Bug Knife (1 1/8” blade): add this to your Photon Freedom Micro (torch) and Verbatim Store’n’go Micro USB Drive (now in 32 Gb) on your keychain. There are so many other keychain knives to choose from though, eg: http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_store.html?ttl=key%20ring%20knives&eqpif5datarq=key&a=folder& Of course you CAN have it all-in-one with Victorinox Swiss Flash LED 16GB!

Verbatim Store'n'go 32 Gb

Spyderco Bug, Photon Freedom Micro

Victorinox Swiss Flash LED 16GB

29/05/2015:

Smoothtalker passive pad

It is a delight to venture into the mountains far from ‘civilisation’; when we do however we don’t have to forego the opportunity of all contact. A carefully chosen antenna system will draw in mobile phone and internet connectivity to quite surprisingly remote places. We have two conjoined (with a balanced splitter/joiner) 6.5 Db fibreglass antennae such as these (https://telcoantennas.com.au/site/rfi-cdq2195-quick-removable-65dbi-bullbar-antenna) Joining two together like this increases the gain by about 3 Db (so to approx 9.5 Db). You should remember that each 3Db equals approximately a doubling of the signal, so that this arrangements represents an over eightfold increase in signal strength. We chose these antennae as they are the highest which will allow the vehicle into the garage without damaging them - else we would have chosen two 7.5 Db = 10.5 Db total. However, we CAN stow two 9 Db antennae (like these: (https://telcoantennas.com.au/site/rfi-cdq2199-quick-removable-9dbi-bullbar-antenna) under the tray, giving us 12 Db when we attach them (or four doublings ie sixteen times the signal strength!) It is important the antennae are connected to the splitter thence to the phone with the shortest possible and best co-axial cable. Antennae usually come with 5 metres of RG58U cable which loses .79 Db per metre, a total of 3.95 Db. If you can shorten this to 2.5 metres (you can!) of 1250 coax with a loss of .0675 Db/metre, you can reduce this loss to .16875 Db, or an effective gain of 3.78 Db (more than a doubling of the signal strength which you are likely losing right now!). (See https://telcoantennas.com.au/site/guide-antenna-cables-connectors

& http://www.comnet.com.au/epages/shop.sf/en_AU/?ObjectPath=/Shops/comnet/Categories/Cables/Cables_with_connectors/1250_Ultra_Low_Loss_Antenna_Cables) A patch lead which connects physically to your phone through one of the small connectors on the back (of all Samsung phones anyway if you take the cover off) will mean that you get ALL of this signal. It IS difficult to plug in though, easily broken and CAN damage the phone. Instead, for a loss of only .6Db you can connect with one of these passive pads (http://www.comnet.com.au/epages/shop.sf/en_AU/?ObjectPath=/Shops/comnet/Products/CK589-AMD) which will hold any phone securely. There is a model which powers/charges the phone as you go along too. If you need even more gain, you can purchase a 16 Db ‘Yagi’ antennae (like a television antenna https://telcoantennas.com.au/site/rfi-16dbi-yagi-directional-antenna#) which you can mount on a telescopic pole. This would be a good antenna to use at home if you are in a very poor reception area. If you get the antenna say 3 metres above ground you will effectively get another 3 Db, so approx 19 Db of gain (ie over 6 doublings - or 64 TIIMES the original signal strength!) Of course you can only use the Yagi setup when you are stationery; it will also take a while to FIND the signal if there IS one. There IS a signal strength metre on your phone - apart from the signal strength display on the front. (https://telcoantennas.com.au/site/phone-engineering-menu) It is HIGHLY illegal to use an electronic booster (without a licence) – there is a huge fine for so doing - but a booster won’t get you more gain than this by itself – though it would if you boosted through the array. A booster will knock everyone else off the Network though, and may even lead to someone’s death in an emergency situation – why it IS highly illegal. You CAN buy one here, if you dare (http://www.quantel.co.nz/). If used ONLY in an emergency situation, it may be justified, but a satellite phone would be a better insurance policy.

At home you CAN get a booster licence (we have one) if you are in a poor signal area https://telcoantennas.com.au/site/catalog/home-office/repeater-kits This has been a real boon to us, but obviously only works INSIDE the house.

29/05/2015: Hard Drives in Windows 7 Randomly Appear and Disappear: I have had this problem; maybe if you can understand the answer better than I can, you can fix it too. My only solution has been to go to Disc Management and refresh, or reassign drive letters: http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2015/05/hard-drives-in-windows-7-randomly-appear-and-disappear.html

29/05/2015: More on the Cholesterol controversy: http://www.rationaloptimist.com/blog/cholesterol-is-not-bad-for-you.aspx

29/05/2015: GLOBAL WARMING 1922:

arctic-temperature-zone-adt-1922

https://wattsupwiththat.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/adt-article-1922.pdf

29/05/2015: VANDALS: These Rainbow rogues are enjoying our REALLY delicious apples too:

28/05/2015: Root Vegie Pots: No-Dig No-Weed Growing: Potatoes, Jerusalem Artichokes, Yacon, Yams, Sweet Potatoes in limited space in plastic pots in potting mix with poly dripper/timer irrigation. Descending size Reko pots will stack as shown to create greater height (bottoms cut out). Bunnings also now have black poly garbage bins ($9) which would be most suitable (shown). I grew this many Jerusalem artichokes in the shown pot (about ¼ of a pot) full WITHOUT any irrigation last summer. You likely have a space alongside your driveway or such where you could set up a line of them. The beauty is, you just tip over the pot when you are ready to harvest, take out the food and put the potting mix and one seeder root back in the pot (and some Osmacote). Set and forget!

Bunnings $9 bin (left) Reko stacked pots (right)

Jerusalem Artichokes: 1/4 of a pot last summer without irrigation

28/05/2015: A MUST READ from Alan Carlin: ‘I was actively involved in environmental protection as a Sierra Club activist and senior EPA analyst for over 45 years, but about eight years ago I concluded that I could not support the energy use/CO2 reduction objectives of the environmental movement and many governments in the developed world. These objectives are not just unlikely to be successful; they are genuinely harmful to humans and the environment. What the world needs is not decreased fossil fuel use but increased use’: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/05/20/why-skeptics-should-encourage-energy-use-from-fossil-fuels-where-economically-justified/

28/05/2015: PaPiRus E Ink display for Raspberry Pi: British company Pi Supply has created a low-power, low-cost e-ink display module for the Raspberry Pi do-it-yourself single-board computer. PaPiRus comes in 1.44, 2.0, or 2.7 inch sizes and is intended for data-logging applications and outdoor displays, as well as other low-power projects: http://www.gizmag.com/papirus-e-ink-display-raspberry-pi/37628/

gizmag.com

27/05/2015: SURVIVAL LACES put a fire starting kit on your feet. When out in the wilderness, it can be a good idea to take along a backup fire-maker, just in case your matches get damp or rubbing sticks gets you nowhere. With this in mind, Survival Laces include a small fire starting kit, and some fishing line too, just in case you ever need them. Of course you can also do all the traditional things with them: hang yourself, garotte a companion…EVEN tie your boots: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1268063329/survival-laces

Flint survival shoe laces

27/05/2015: TAXES: LOVE this guy, David Leyonhjelm: ‘Whichever way you look at it, our taxes are high. They are high by historic standards. Fifty years ago, taxes were around $5,000 per person after adjusting for inflation…Today the tax burden is around $19,000 per person, still allowing for inflation….There is no justification for the ever-expanding tax burden. Living standards for all groups of society have risen over the last fifty years, which means the need for government welfare services has declined…The Coalition, Labor and the Greens will tell you again and again that our taxes are low. Every time this lie is repeated, it needs to be refuted…But we shouldn’t be comparing ourselves to the debt-ridden, stagnant basket cases of the old world. If we want to be more prosperous, we should compare ourselves to the richest and most dynamic countries in the world. There are four non-OECD countries that are richer than us — Singapore, Hong Kong, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. We compete with each of these for investment, skilled workers and entrepreneurs, and each country has a markedly lower tax burden than Australia. The tax burden in Singapore and Hong Kong is around 14 per cent of GDP, and even lower in Qatar and the UAE.’ His party (Lib Dems) get MY vote next election! http://catallaxyfiles.com/2015/05/22/david-leyonhjelm-guest-post-on-taxes/

27/05/2015: Tony Abbott (well, the Government) DOES have a sense of humour: they have put someone named MORIARTY in charge of security! Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) and Spike Milligan (Goons) would be delighted!

27/05/2015: BIKERS MORE DISCERNING: The Australian government awarded citizenship to Islamic terrorist Man Monis in 2004. The Rebels bikie gang denied him membership!

26/05/2015: DUSKY TRACK: CANOEING THE SEAFORTH: Some folks are just downright suicidal, and sometimes I am one of them! In 2009 I had conceived a plan to be the first person (I think) to canoe the mighty remote Seaforth River in Fiordland NZ. I had a brand-new Alpacka ‘Fjord Explorer’ packraft (https://alpackarafts.com/product/fjord-explorer/) courtesy of Kevin Rudd’s bushfire compensation scheme following the 2010 fires here which left us trapped at home for weeks with fires burning all around us. That year I walked in from Lake Hauroko to Loch Marie (3 days). On the fourth day I canoed across the lake, then walked down to just past the Bishop Burn and spent the rest of the day canoeing the Seaforth. I had carefully checked out the river from Google Earth which MISSES some BIG rapids -Trust Me! I had also walked around that lower section of the Seaforth quite a lot of times so I THOUGHT it was pretty safe. Well, I knew there were a couple of quite deadly rapids, but I was indecently confident I would hear them coming up and could safely portage them. (Every man has a plan which WILL NOT WORK!) Most of the river is deep and wide and consists of pebble races or Grade 1-2 rapids at most. Unfortunately, there ARE 2-3 rapids which come up on you pretty quickly, which it would be DEATH to attempt, and which are quite difficult to portage. The worst was in the general vicinity of the old Supper Cove Hut. Suddenly on a left-hand bend, there it was: with perpendicular river banks both sides, but no other option but to grasp a tree root on the right bank and hang on for dear life! I DID manage to climb 5 metres up that vertical bank pulling myself up by the tree root, then haul up my pack and the raft (both of which I had tied to a line) after me. There was one other nasty rapid below this - which I had never seen even though I had walked that section near the mouth of the Henry Burn (Moose Creek) extensively. Once I was in the flat water below I THOUGHT I was home safe. By then it was getting pretty cold and daylight was fading. I had realised that there were oodles of sharks in the Fiord but I thought to avoid them by paddling the shallows on the margins of Supper Cove. I had forgotten the 2-3 kilometres of tidal DEEP river above the Fiord, which teemed with them! They were mighty curious too, repeatedly cruising underneath the raft, gently LIFTING it as they rubbed underneath. It WAS a little unnerving! Steve must not have been on their menu THAT day! I had this experience about twenty times before I made Supper Cove where you can be sure I hugged its margins like a drunken sailor! However, as you can see I MADE it – much to the astonishment of the (few) onlookers, including my daughter Irralee, who had been anxiously awaiting me there for three days! The Seaforth River IS a beautiful and exhilarating trip. I somewhat regret I might not paddle it again though!

Thousands of beautiful tarns on the way across from Lake Roe – Seaforth in the background

First view of the Seaforth coming across from Lake Roe

A very steep descent to Loch Marie

Putting in to cross Loch Marie

Putting in below the Bishop Burn: Some beautiful serene stretches of river along the way

Quite a few log jams along the way

Some beautiful views along the river

One of those ‘killer’ rapids I avoided

Some awesome views

One of those vertical banks I had to climb

Supper Cove Hut loomed a welcome sight after such a river journey

My daughter Irralee waiting for me on the Boat Shed beach at Supper Cove

Sunset over Supper Cove Hut

Packraft and Big Agnes mattress/floor inside Supper Cove Hut

Great fishing for Blue Cod at Supper Cove

26/05/2015: FACEBOOK HIKING PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/theultralighthiker?ref=aymt_homepage_panel Apologies to my friends for this popping up in your news feed ten times this morning. Merrin finally got this going for me last night, and I promptly copied approx ten posts across to it (which is NOT how Facebook pages work, apparently) After today, there will just be 1-2 posts which will link to my new – thanks also to Merrin - mobile friendly hiking page (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/) –should you wish to look at it.

26/05/2015: CERES: We have had hard satellite data showing the amount of heat entering/leaving the atmosphere now for some time. Enough that sensible conclusions can now be drawn about IPCC climate sensitivity predictions. Turns out the REAL world’s response to rising CO2 levels is maybe ONE QUARTER what the IPCC claims. This means we can expect warming of a more TRIVIAL (indeed solely BENEFICIAL) nature. Therefore our sensible response to this ‘climate change CRISIS’ is DO NOTHING: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/05/23/climate-insensitivity/

25/05/2015: HIKING FOOD: MCKENZIE QUICK COOK SOUPS (180 grams per packet) : Tried the first of these, Hearty Vegetable tonight. I expected it would need a bit of spicing up but it did not; it was excellent. HIGHLY Recommended. Also discovered that you can thicken a soup (and add nutrition) by stirring in some Continental (Deb) Mashed Potato – about five teaspoonfuls to a cup. I made the soup (as per instructions) with 8 cups of water. Bring water to the boil, add ingredients and simmer 15 minutes. Whilst this would make a fine entree for several people, it would be too much liquid for one (or two) for too few calories (600/8). So I would (in the field for a main) add just four cups and thicken with mash. Two cups for each of us with some mash should come to more like 400 calories each, and half a litre of hot hearty soup each should be enough on a cool night. You could add some more nutrition to it with tiny shell pasta, a can of chicken meat, sliced salami or etc. There are two other flavours to try: Minestrone & Homestyle Country Chicken. Even if you aren’t a hiker, they would be useful additions to your pantry shelves.

25/05/2015: BRING BACK CONCUBINAGE – An interesting idea: http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2015/04/bring-back-concubinage.html

25/05/2015: PELL, TRIAL BY MEDIA: (Miranda) ‘He has testified under oath twice, including before the commission, last August by video link from Rome, and says he is willing to do so again if asked… David Ridsdale told the royal commission last week that he phoned Pell in early 1993 to inform him about the sexual abuse he had suffered at the hands of his uncle, and that Pell said: “I want to know what it will take to keep you quiet.” Ridsdale says he remembers those exact words and his response: “F… you, George, and everything you stand for”… At the time of the alleged phone conversation, Gerald Ridsdale had already been charged and had pleaded guilty to 46 charges involving 21 children. There was no reason to keep anything quiet… Much also is made of the fact that, as a young priest in 1973, Pell lived with Ridsdale in the presbytery at East Ballarat, during the time Ridsdale was raping boys from St Alipius Primary School. Pell says he had no idea what Ridsdale was up to and this is plausible. Paedophiles are devious and delight in their ability to fool those around them.’ http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/mirandadevine/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/its_easy_to_blame_cardinal_george_pell_but_that_misses_target/ PS: Leftist journalist Paul Bongiorno also admits sharing accommodation with Ridsdale, yet none have accused HIM of complicity in the latter's crimes!

24/05/2015: EMPIRE DAY: Again we allowed this important day (Queen Victoria’s Birthday, after all!) to pass without comment. What a day it was when WE were children: http://trove.nla.gov.au/forum/showthread.php?449-Empire-Day-and-Cracker-Night

24/05/2015: HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOB DYLAN: Can you believe he’s 74 today? http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2015/05/not-dark-yet-5.php OR THAT he’s still on the road: As of 2013, 808 Cities, 2,503 Shows, and 1,007,416 Miles: The Staggering Geography of Bob Dylan's 'Never Ending Tour': http://www.citylab.com/design/2013/06/808-cities-2503-shows-and-1007416-miles-staggering-geography-bob-dylans-never-ending-tour/5810/

24/05/2015: TYVEK SOLO FIRE SHELTER: It weighs less than 600 grams. Here is my plan for an excellent one person shelter which will keep you safe from just about everything and can be warmed by a cheery fire out the front. You can cut it in one piece (as shown) from a single sheet of 3 metre wide Tyvek ‘Homewrap’ 3.6 metres long costing about $20. Leave about 2cm more for a hem, which you can tape with Tyvek tape. You can add reinforcing patches to the corners, etc in the same way – or you can learn to sew! If you can’t sew hems & webbing tie outs as shown, you can erect it with tarp clips (eg http://www.shelter-systems.com/gripclips/) You could use these stick on loops (http://www.zpacks.com/large_image.shtml?accessories/tape/stick_on_loop_clear_l.jpg) as bottom tie outs or to erect a bathtub floor, attach your raincoat to close the top half of the opening in bad rain, etc One might be good about 60 cm from the ground to hold out the centre of the windward side in strong winds so the material doesn’t press up against you. These velcro strips might be handy too http://www.zpacks.com/large_image.shtml?materials/velcro_l.jpg & etc. There is clearly plenty of room for one person, lots of gear and a dog or two! I guess two people would fit if you are very good friends. Such a shelter is much better than a tent, or bivy bag especially on wet days. You have somewhere warm and comfortable to retreat to, but with a view. You can cook under cover as Tyvek has a melting point of 800C. It will also withstand 160 Km per hour winds and has an R-rating of approx 1-1.5. You will never have a cold back as it will reflect the heat from the fire right back at you, and keep you warm all around. I have been sitting in mine in shirtsleeves on sleety nights when the mercury dropped below 0C. I have also been out in it in torrential rain and hideous winds. Most places (except the tops of hills - never a good place to camp) the wind blows pretty consistently from one direction (check the forecast before you go). If it does turn around you can close in the storm flaps. If it turns 180 degrees, you may have to re-erect it. You just tie it to a tree, any stick over about 1.2 metres, two hiking poles joined together & etc. You need 8 stakes (including two for the storm flaps). Take 9 – one can always go missing. You can certainly scale this up to suit two people, but you will have to sew the wider floor on if you make it wider eg the top piece might be 2.4 metres high and 4 metres wide and the floor perhaps 1.5 metres wide. In that case you would need 5.5 metres of 3 metre wide Tyvek. Della’s winter garden looks good in the photos too:

Cut from one piece of 3 metre wide Tyvek

The Lee Side: a cheery fire out the front, protected from the weather 270 degrees

Rear View, windward side: the wind and rain will skid right up over it

You can imagine the view of a cheery fire out front (Della might not want her garden scorched!)

Storm Mode: the top half could be further closed with your raincoat

Rolls up a little bigger than my boot, weighs < 600 grams. Costs approx $20

Prototype erected with tarp clips from Aussie Disposals

Approximate Dimensions in metres

24/05/2015: You can see from this just how OUT OF IT the Greens (and Xenophon) are:

24/05/2015: Why don’t we see ‘The Sisterhood’ up in arms about this: http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2015/05/islamic-state-sends-prettiest-yazidi-virgins-to-syrian-slave-markets.html or Christians about this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNQWuA5ZouM Meanwhile ISIS advances into Ramadi & Palmyra…NOW, they plan THIS: http://www.news.com.au/world/middle-east/isis-propaganda-claims-the-group-will-have-nuclear-weapons-within-a-year/story-fnh81ifq-1227366342268 You KNOW how against meliorism I am, but…something MUST be done!

23/05/2015: WIRILDA TRACK: A couple of delightful hours yesterday afternoon. The lower half of the track follows the one of the original Morwell water supply pipelines. There were/are a series of weirs (lowest shown) on the Tyers River long since replaced by the much larger Moondarra Dam. The first pipeline was wooden – you can see the carefully cooped wooden staves and steel hoops in the photo. Some work needs to be done to make this section of the Tyers (more) canoeable. Though there is a bit of hull scraping in places, it is a delightful section which would take 2-3 days with many beautiful campsites. If everyone takes a bow saw with them it will soon be done. The track also makes a lovely overnight hike. Sorry about the quality of the photo: I needed to clean my phone lens.

Spot checks out the lower weir, a popular swimming hole in summer

Old wooden pipeline - you can still see the staves and iron hoops

Wirilda is easier going than the South Coast Track: Della led all the way!

23/05/2015: IS: These folk will give nepotism a bad name; I KNOW it IS irksome when the boss passes you over for a promo in favour of his nephew, BUT: http://www.news.com.au/world/middle-east/is-fighters-claim-nepotism-means-they-unfairly-have-to-wait-longer-on-suicide-bombing-lists/story-fnh81ifq-1227365174799

23/05/2015: Will that be with sauce, sir? http://www.news.com.au/national/ice-addict-gouged-out-eyes-and-ate-them/story-e6frfkp9-1227365119730

23/05/2015: I blame global warming: http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/oregons-lost-lake-disappearing-through-mysterious-hole.html

22/05/2015: Tasmania's South Coast Track - Hell's Holiday

(Feb. 24^th-March 3^rd, 2011)

Della’s account of our March 2011 trip: ‘It is now a full week since we reached Cockle Creek after completing the South Coast Track wilderness walk. After a week, I finally feel a little recovered and therefore equal to the task of recording the experience, so that others contemplating the walk may be better prepared than we were.

First of all, we thought ourselves well enough prepared for the trip. We had read John Chapman’s book, checked out reports and video footage on the web, were experienced lightweight backpackers and were reasonably fit. Most reports of the walk described it as ‘easy’ while some suggested that it might challenge those inexperienced at long hikes. John Chapman’s book recorded the estimated track times as being fairly reasonable: apart from 2 long days (6-9 hours and 5-7 hours respectively) all the track times seemed to suggest a comfortable half-day’s walk. It was our trust in this document that was our undoing!

Day 1 Melaleuca to Freney Lagoon

Having left our warm beds at 2.45 am for the drive to Melbourne Airport, we were already a little groggy by the time our Cessna touched down on the airstrip at Melaleuca. Despite the glowing weather forecast for the whole period of our walk, the cloud had closed in half way between Hobart and Melaleuca, and we disembarked to a light drizzle. Spirits high, we zipped up our jackets, hoisted our packs and set off for what was touted as an easy walk over a well-maintained track across open buttongrass plains. Perhaps it might have been once….

Steve & Della at Melaleuca

The boardwalks were deceptively accommodating, but they began and ended abruptly, frequently tipping us unceremoniously into boggy patches of mud. The worst part was the wetness of the boardwalks which were, in many places, so slimy that they were as slick as ice. Only careful, ponderous steps could ensure that we didn’t break any bones on this first section of the walk. All the while, the rain intensified, and I was thankful that I had invested in a good quality ‘Event’ rain jacket. The wind whipped mercilessly across the swamp, and the eerie lack of any sight or sound of wildlife in this endless wasteland brought to mind some half-forgotten lines of poetry from John Keats: …the grass has withered from the sedge/And no birds sing. Not quite sure of the accuracy of the line, nor of the poem’s title, but I do remember that the line was preceded by: Oh what can ail thee knight at arms/Alone and palely loitering…. The barrenness of this first day’s walk was certainly encapsulated for me in Keats’ words. We gave up looking for a suitable spot to eat our packed lunch, settling for stepping off the track and sitting atop prickly bushes to keep our backsides out of the mud while we gulped down our food before the cold could penetrate our bodies. Shortly before reaching Freney Lagoon campsite, we met a man heading back to Melaleuca. He had walked for 2 days and then decided to return to Melaleuca instead of completing the walk. We should have talked to him further! The Freney Lagoon campsite was reached via a stretch of lovely (though bleakly grey) beach, and it certainly looked as if our traverse of the ugly plains had rewarded us with some better scenery. Our aim had been to push on (perhaps another hour and a half) to reach the third campsite, Buoy Creek; but evening was not far off, and our early start was beginning to take its toll, so we called a halt and set up camp.

Steve & Della en route to Freney Lagoon

Day 2 Freney Lagoon to Louisa River

Steve & Della at Freney Lagoon campsite

By the time we had broken camp, the sun was shining and our walk along the beach to Buoy Creek was lovely.

Freney Lagoon, Day 2

Della & Steve leaving Freney Lagoon

Last view of the beach at Buoy Creek

Sadly, this was over quickly, and from Buoy Creek we headed inland again over kilometres of muddy, wet plains. At first we tried to skirt what we could of the deeper mud, but eventually we had to just wade on through it to avoid the possibility of foot injuries. The track eventually led us to a steep climb (255 metres) over the Red Point Hills: hard going, but drier.

Kerri taking a break going over Red Point Hills

By around 3.00 pm we reached the colourful waters of the Faraway Creek crossing where we stopped for a brief swim to remove the accumulated mud and sweat. Unfortunately we didn’t dally over this, which proved to be our only opportunity to bathe on the walk… The high tanin content of the streams in this region renders the water the colour of strong urine when collected in drinking bottles. In the Faraway Creek, it was a deep orange…kind of attractive, in an odd sort of way! I may never approach Twinings Orange Pekoe tea with the same gusto again, however!

Sadly, we had misread the track guide at this point, and confused Louisa Creek with Louisa River: a small point, however it meant that we still had a good 2- 2.5 hours’ walk ahead of us, according to Chapman’s book. The fact that, despite a solid pace, this section took us 4 hours, created the first stirrings of unease in us…How could we possibly take more that twice the recommended time?

I had been dreading the Louisa River crossing after seeing footage of it on the web. For many walkers it seemed threateningly high and fast. We were in luck, however, and the river was only knee deep, so we struck a grateful camp, just before darkness fell, and left the crossing for the morning.

Crossing the Louisa River

Day 3 Louisa River to Little Deadman’s Bay (well, not quite)

We had always expected this to be the big day, the climb of over 900 metres straight up and over the Ironbound Range. It certainly looked formidable as it towered above us in the morning! The weather forecast before we left home had this day tagged as a hot one in Hobart (high 20’s) so we hoped to accomplish the ascent before it became too warm. The track was well maintained in this section, with much step-work to make the climb safe. We happily completed the ascent in about 3 hours, which buoyed our spirits considerably.

Kerri & Della - the climb begins

Della - nearly to the summit

The traverse of the summit, however, seemed endless, as the cloud engulfed us and a fine sleet set in. The way was cold, blind and windy. We forged doggedly ahead, hoping the descent would begin soon. My mother always warned me about being careful with regard to what I wished for…the descent was horrendous! Steep, plunging, muddy, heavily eroded, laced with treacherous tree roots, the descent had become a deep channel for all the water draining from the summit. And it continued for hours without let-up. The high camp was a possible lunch stop, but the alpine weather was so bleak that we just ate a muesli bar and stumbled on. By late afternoon we were only just passing the mid camp, which was unsuitable for spending the night due to a lack of water. We pushed on further, and I started to go lame in response to the jarring nature of the steep descent on a knee muscle injury I had incurred the previous day. By the time I alerted Steve and Kerri to my pain, and then waited for the pain killer and anti-inflammatory to ease things a little, time had hurried on and we could see that we had no hope of reaching Little Deadman’s Bay before dark. Our only hope was the Low Camp, which had no water. Fortunately, when we reached it half an hour before dark, there was just enough room to pitch our tents (albeit in a low, wet soak) and send Steve off to find the creek further down the track. Blessedly, the rain was not too heavy, but enough, nevertheless, to make tents and sleeping bags damp, so that we craved an earlier and drier camp the next night. Chapman’s book had this section tagged as 6-9 hours. We took 13 hours. As we descended, another poem from my past infiltrated my brain. It was written by Robert Browning, and entitled: Child Rolande to the Dark Tower Came. While I didn’t know all the words off pat, the first 2 lines came back to me strongly after simmering in my long-term memory for the last 40 years or so. The bleak atmosphere of the poem was well remembered too, and stayed with me for the rest of the walk.

My first thought was, he lied in every word,

That hoary cripple, with malicious eye

Askance to watch the working of his lie

On mine, and mouth scarce able to afford

Suppression of the glee that pursed and scored

Its edge at one more victim gained thereby.

What else should he be set for, with his staff?

What, save to waylay with his lies, ensnare

All travellers that might find him posted there,

And ask the road? I guessed what skull-like laugh

Would break, what crutch ‘gin write my epitaph

For pastime in the dusty thoroughfare…

And so on the poem goes. Apart from changing “dusty” in stanza 2 to “muddy”, I think the poem applies perfectly to Chapman, with me as his bitter victim.

Day 4 Ironbound Range Low Camp to Prion Boat Crossing

Chapman had this day tagged as 3.5-4 hours walking from Little Deadman’s Bay. We still hadn’t reached Little Deadman’s Bay, so we had to add on the extra time, however long that would be. Well, the walk to Deadman’s Bay took us a further 3 hours of treacherous, muddy descent, so even without the slight delay of my sore leg the night before, we had had no hope of reaching the camp. Good thing we camped where we did!

And so onward: more boring, buttongrass plains, but no boardwalks now, just mud….vast stretches of it, often thigh-deep, and always unavoidable.

The track

Kerri & Della, descending through mud

Some pretty forest sections on this day which were drier going, but all in all, 9 hours of walking without a break. The Prion Boat crossing was manageable, thanks to Steve’s capable rowing, but by then we were totally exhausted and in need of setting up camp to dry our bedding from the previous night.

Prion Boat Crossing

My favourite pic, snapped sometime before Prion Boat Crossing

Day 5 Prion Boat Crossing to Granite Beach

Chapman estimates this day as 4.5 – 6 hours: we took about 10 hours.

Muddy plains, steep climbs, light forest, some beach views, no time to stop…by now I was well and truly over this walk.

Della & Kerri climbing again

Excuse my backside - this was a climb down to the beach

Surprise Bay had been billed as lovely, but the weather was grey and I was too tired to enjoy anything. Time to heat some real lunch would have been good, but we made do with muesli bars yet again. The final stretch along Granite Beach to the campsite was across huge boulders, so easy to balance on with full packs, cold, numb, wet feet and encroaching exhaustion.

Kerri, Della & the boulders

As we neared the waterfall cliff that marked the campsite, we realised that the tide was rapidly coming in, and the small area of rocks at the base of the cliff was diminishing. Looking for the path upward, we realised that there wasn’t one: we just had to clamber up the cliff face using hand and toe holds where we could. At any other time, I would have baulked at this and said that I could not possibly achieve it. This evening, with the incoming tide pounding threateningly at my back, I shinnied up the cliff without a pause. Marvellous what fear and desperation can do!

Day 6 Granite Beach to South Cape Rivulet

Chapman says 5-7 hours for this day: yesterday we met two separate walkers coming in the opposite direction who said that they took 10 hours, and that the mud was hip- deep. A day to look forward to!

We rose at 5.45 am, in order to hit the track as early as possible, as, in addition to the reported mud, we had to climb up and over the South Cape Range – a mere 715 metres or so!

The day proved to be all it was cracked up to be: unbelievable mud stretches, hard, steep climbs, scrubby forest. We spent hours walking through tunnels in the sword grass or tunnels through the tee tree scrub - like rats in a maze.

Kerri enjoying cheerless muesli bar lunch break

Kerri and Della emerging from a rat tunnel

At the top of the range, the first of 5 hail storms beset us, just as we were pausing for our cheerless jerky and nuts snack. To quote again from Browning’s Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came…

All the day/Had been a dreary one at best/And dim was settling to its close...

…..when, at last, we came in sight of South Cape Rivulet camp. Chapman notes that at the rivulet, a ‘deep wade’ leads to the camp on the other side. He also says, as an aside, that at high tide or after heavy rain it is best to wait for water levels to drop….

We walked the length of the estuary, looking for a safe crossing point in the tanin-brown, opaque water, and found none. The river had a wild current coursing out to sea, with 2 metre high breakers pounding inwards at regular intervals. Nowhere looked shallow enough to cross. We retraced our steps into the forest, but there were no suitable camp sites to be found. We hailed the walkers at the camp, who informed us that they had crossed earlier when the tide was much lower. Should we wait out the tide, with nowhere to camp and the possibility of further rain in the night? It didn’t sound like much of an option, with the sky threatening and dwindling food supplies. It was grim… just like Childe Roland...

A sudden little river crossed my path

As unexpected as a serpent comes.

No sluggish tide congenial to the glooms –

This, as it frothed by, might have been a bath

For the fiend’s glowing hoof – to see the wrath

Of its black eddy bespate with flakes and plumes.

Steve, in his careful preparations, had added to his pack a coil of spectra cord, in case of dangerous river crossings. The lack of any trees on the far side of the estuary was a problem, but he tied one end of the cord metres behind us on the bank, and leaving his pack behind, waded across, waist-deep, between the assault of the waves. Timing was crucial, as it was necessary to wait for the incoming waves to flow and then ebb so that the water was not too deep, still leaving enough time to accomplish the crossing before the next crashing wave. He then anchored the rope while Kerri and I crossed, both losing our footings in the swift current and plunging holes, and here today only as a result of the rope.

Steve finally returned for the packs while Kerri and I anchored the rope, and last of all he reclaimed the precious rope. Without his forethought and strength, I would not have survived that crossing with my limited swimming skills.

All that remained was a shivering run to camp to remove our wet clothes before we were dangerously chilled, pitch the tents, get water, check our bedding for water infiltration (fortunately the dry-bags had held good), cook something hot, and warm up in our sleeping bags. Steve and I managed to get warm by donning padded coats and vests inside the sleeping bags. Kerri spent a colder and largely sleepless night. All of this was played out to a background symphony of wind : the raging roaring 40’s which had become gale-force.

Only half a day to go….

Day 7 South Cape Rivulet to Cockle Creek

“We gotta get outa this place

If it’s the last thing we ever do…”

Chapman says 3-4 hours. We hadn’t matched him before, so why should we today? We sustained our exhausted minds and bodies with images of a day in Hobart before flying home: warm motel rooms, hot showers, restaurants, shopping….we waxed lyrical over these lost delights, to make the hours pass quickly.

Dreaming of Hobart

Della & Kerri - more boulder-hopping

More long stretches of boulder beach staggering, more climbing: wild craggy cliffs towering over the Southern Ocean, with gale-force winds threatening to blow us over the edge.

Our last view of the Southern Ocean before turning inland

More boring, buttongrass swamps: (Childe Roland again – sorry!)

So on I went. I think I never saw

Such starved ignoble nature; nothing throve….

…No! Penury, inertness, and grimace,

In some strange sort, were the land’s portion…

In fact, we heard a frog on this last buttongrass swamp crossing. In the entire walk, we had counted 2 frogs, 4 birds, one paddy melon wallaby, some seagulls, a dying penguin and a dying seal. Not exactly nature’s wonderland!

Della & Kerri - and still more mud

And now for my final quote from Childe Roland…:

As for the grass, it grew as scant as hair

In leprosy – thin dry blades pricked the mud

Which underneath looked kneaded up with blood.

the less than picturesque button grass plains

Despite pushing ourselves to the limit, we took 4.5 hours for this last section. We would argue that it is impossible to do it in less.

We emerged exhausted, bitter, cold, footsore and in need of some creature comforts, which I am pleased to say, Hobart supplied amply. We will return to Hobart, in particular the excellent Mezzethes Greek Restaurant in Salamanca. We will not return to the South Coast Track.’ Steve: Well, next time we might look at some different parts of it…What a wonder! Still she comes with me!

Hobart the lovely!

22/05/2015: MOSLEM MIGRATION: Even the ABC and Moslems themselves are now calling for some REDUCTION in Moslem immigration: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-19/tighter-australian-immigration-policies-needed-islamic-council/6479942

22/05/2015: Great headline: ‘The Penis Mightier Than the Sword’ http://www.steynonline.com/6765/the-penis-mightier-than-the-sword

21/05/2015: DUSKY TRACK ADVENTURES #1: I have been on this track now EIGHT times, first in March 2000; the last time April 2014. I hope it is NOT the last! Other folk go different places, I know, yet I keep returning to this magical place. (I go SOME other places too!) One reason I guess is I really like the solitude, and have pretty much figured out how to have the track to myself – or near enough, so sometimes I am there a week without seeing another soul, which is great. Another is I really would like to take a photo of a Fiordland moose - though I somewhat doubt that will ever happen, but I keep on trying. I guess I have been off track WAY up every watercourse flowing into the Seaforth Valley over the years looking for them (BEWARE: moraine holes!) I have seen lots of sign (prints, droppings, browse, barking, etc), even a glimpse of one once, so I guess I’ll keep on trying while I’m able. I know the DOC in Te Anau discourages people from venturing onto the Dusky (though practically none of the staff has ever been themselves!), but I am 65+, somewhat overweight and not specially fit, and I have no problem with it, so maybe you can give it a go. SOME ADVICE: Make sure you have the Backcountry Navigator App and appropriate NZtopo map on your phone (and a spare battery). Make sure your phone is in Flight Mode, and that the GPS is OFF unless you are checking your position – and turn it off overnight; it should easily last the trip. TAKE A TENT, or other shelter. It DOES rain awesomely at times and the streams can rise astonishingly, maybe leaving you trapped for days between huts/shelter. I usually carry a Nano Hammock (160 grams with Dyneems suspension) and an 8x8’ zpacks cuben fibre tarp (150 grams) and my Neoair pad (320 grams), so for just under 650 grams I can have a dry safe night in the bush anytime (and I HAVE, lots of times!) You don’t need a flat spot for a hammock – and Fiordland has lots of trees! If the river starts rising, walk up a ridge (paying careful attention to your return route) until you are well clear of the high water, sling your hammock and wait it out. Such an eventuality won’t happen often, but if/when it does you will want to survive it (others before you have NOT!) The hammock & tarp also make for an excellent dry lunch stop on wet days. Take a Sat Phone or Mountain Radio &/or Epirb for emergency communication. NB: an Epirb is only for in extremis: Hauroko Tours tell the tale of a party dropped off at the Hauroko Hut who found they could not venture further up the Burn (high water/walkwire out) so hit the button. They were in a dry hut with a boat returning in THREE days. The Burn would also likely have gone down overnight. This is NOT what Emergency Services are for. I think the new Iridium Extreme is excellent (it also has Epirb and location logging functions) and will be updating my older model when finances suit. Lighten your pack weight as much as possible, but be prepared for a hike of at least TEN DAYS if attempting the whole hike. Mostly I do half the trip (Supper Cove either to/from Hauroko/Manapouri) taking advantage of the brilliant air services into Supper Cove (Wings on Water/Southern lakes Helicopters). I always try to share the flight with someone (eg as a backload) to reduce cost. The flight is so breathtakingly beautiful though, it is WORTH THE COST. Put it on your ‘bucket list’ (maybe stay a few days at the beautiful Supper Cove) even if you don’t walk much of the track. NB: You can walk across Supper Cove from approx half tide. In 2014 I placed some marker tapes and a buoy (just after the Hilda Burn) to aid finding this short-cut. It cuts out nearly an hour of not-so-pleasant root-tripping. A tramper we met on the South Coast Track this year said he had found and used it. Another way to lighten your load I have often used is to see if one of the flight operators is going in soon; ask them (for a fee) to hang a bag of food up for you in the Supper Cove boat-house. This way you can plan to stay even a week lazing and fishing at Supper Cove – don’t forget your hand-line and frypan/Alfoil! More posts soon…

2008: Kea, Centre Pass, Dusky Track Fiordland NZ

2008: With My Son Bryn, Centre Pass, Tripod Hill, Dusky Track Fiordland NZ

21/05/2015: OBSERVED C20TH ‘GLOBAL WARMING’ LESS THAN ONE STANDARD DEVIATION: (Lloyd, Philip J. An estimate of the centennial variability of global temperatures. Energy & Environment, 26(3), pp. 417–424 2015. DOI: 10.1260/0958-305X.26.3.417:

‘There has been widespread investigation of the drivers of changes in global temperatures. However, there has been remarkably little consideration of the magnitude of the changes to be expected over a period of a few decades or even a century. To address this question, the Holocene records from several ice cores up to 8000 years before present were examined. The differences in temperatures between all records which are approximately a century apart were determined, after any trends in the data had been removed. The differences were close to normally distributed. The average standard deviation of temperature over a century was 0.98 ± 0.27 oC. This suggests that while some portion of the temperature change observed in the 20th century was probably caused by greenhouse gases, there is a strong likelihood that the major portion was due to natural variations.’

21/05/2015: OBAMA: You REALLY think he’s a good guy: (John Hinderaker): ‘The “sovereign, stable and self-reliant Iraq” that Barack Obama and Joe Biden hailed as one of Obama’s “great achievements” in 2014 has regressed into chaos as a result of Obama’s premature withdrawal of American troops. But it isn’t just Iraq. Syria is the closest thing to Hell on Earth. Iran is working away on nuclear weapons and delivery systems. Yemen has fallen to Iran’s proxies. Saudi Arabia is looking for nuclear weapons to counter Iran’s. ISIS occupies an area the size of Great Britain. Libya, its dictator having been gratuitously overthrown by feckless Western governments that had no plan for what would follow, is a failed state and terrorist playground.’

20/05/2015: Ultralight spare glasses: http://i4ulenses.com/

20/05/2015: TWO VIEWS ON RETURNING JIHADIS:

Tony Abbott:

We have seen with our own eyes on TV the mass executions, the beheadings, the crucifixions, the sexual slavery. This is a gruesome, ghastly, medieval barbarism which has erupted in the modern world. The last thing any Australian should do is join it.

The Australian people expect their country to be safe and someone who has been a terrorist abroad could very easily become a terrorist here in Australia.

If you go abroad to join a terrorist group and you seek to come back to Australia, you will be arrested, you will be prosecuted and jailed.

Bill Shorten:

SHORTEN: Well first of all let me just state the principle that Australians shouldn’t be going overseas to fight in these causes or these battles. We’ll get an update about the national security and about what’s happened with these people reported in the media in the last couple of hours… Well fundamentally we believe in rehabilitation, there’s the law of the land and we’ll seek a briefing from the Government.

JOURNALIST: What sort of punishment do you think though they should receive if they were to come home? A jail term?

SHORTEN: There are laws in place, I’m not going to play judge and jury and again we’ll ask the Government to update us with what’s happening with these matters that have just been coming through in the last couple of hours.

20/05/2015: THIS is how dangerous (and treasonous) the Labor Party is. As if cozying up to their Moslem ‘brothers’ (as they do and must - they have several marginal seats controlled by the Moslem vote) would EVER make us safe: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/abbott-government-happy-to-pay-billion-dollar-security-price-tag-to-keep-australia-safe/story-fni0cwl5-1227358195544

Tony Abbott is busy restoring much-needed funds to our security agencies.

19/05/2015: UPPER YARRA TRACK WINTER UPDATE: Spot and I planned to finish working on the path to the Mystery Falls on Sunday, but we had to defer as seasonal road closures have come into force. The gates now have all these nice new signs on them. Perhaps someone at DSE has been noting my posts. Now we have dates for the road closures May-Oct inclusive, & lovely new ‘Upper Yarra Track’ signs. These roads (40 Mile Break & Boundary) are VERY quiet (serene & beautiful) anyway, but walking them during those months will be especially delightful (if a little cold). I WILL work out an alternative route to the Baw Baw Plateau for the three winter months when it could be too cold/dangerous. For example, I think one could drop down from O’Shea’s Mill just below Mushroom Rocks to Carringal (Tyers Junction) via the Eastern Tyers Walking Track. From Caringal once there was a walking track to Western Tyers (along the river - now overgrown with blackberries) so one would eg have to walk up Buckle Spur and down Pitmans Creek track to get there. Follow the Western Tyers Road upriver (seasonally closed but well-nigh impassable to vehicles nowadays - but VERY beautiful). Make your way West to Tanjil Bren (via the Tanjil Bren Road or Christmas Creek and the New South Road. From Tanjil Bren go up Saxton Road to Downey and thence along a closed track to Newlands Road. PS: There is a marked track to the Falls from Hill ‘956’ off 40 Mile Break Rd. There is still a bit of bush bashing towards the end. Return trip about 4 hours). See http://www.finnsheep.com/THE%20UPPER%20YARRA%20WALKING%20TRACK.htm & http://www.finnsheep.com/Track%20Instructions.htm

Spot keen to walk the Forty Mile Break behind the locked gate Upper Yarra Track

Many beautiful spots along the way, eg Loch Valley via Noojee

19/05/2015: SATIN BOWER BIRD: Della: And look at this little fellow, snapped from our bedroom window yesterday morning....a satin bower-bird, munching the last of the Royal Gala apples with no less than 18 currawongs for company. Our bird book says that it is either a female or young male. I am not sure if the photo does justice to its amazing blue eyes! This is the second winter we have seen this bird on our back slope, but we couldn't get a clear look at it before for identification. Good to know there won't be any smelly, rotting apples left to attract wasps with all these birds working so hard...

19/05/2015: Dave Canterbury: ‘Good Judgement Comes From Wisdom, Wisdom Comes From Experience, Experience Comes From Poor Judgement’ http://woodlandwisdom.blogspot.com.au/

19/05/2015: 15 MINUTES of fame: http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/does-adrianne-lewis-have-the-worlds-longest-tongue/story-fnq2oad4-1227350291042

18/05/2015: SURVIVAL STILL: NB: On the Kon Tiki they drank a ‘shandy’ (for two months) of 40% seawater 60% fresh water with NO ill effects. As soon as you realise there is a shortage of water, add your own urine to your fresh water supply to extend it. Boil and distil it if you wish. Those who opt for stoveless hiking may one day thirst to death. If you have a lighter, a billy and any garment, (but a hiking towel may work best) you can use the second (simplest) method pictured to DISTIL pure water from even the most brackish (or alkaline). As you can shandy sea water, you only need to distil 600 mls to have a litre to drink. Two litres per day will keep you alive indefinitely if you avoid excessive heat, and breathe outwards only through your NOSE (the Fremen were right!) You only need enough fuel to boil away 1200 mls of water per day. Everyone will have seen the first method below, but it may be slow work for scant reward. You COULD use your cuben fibre tent if you didn’t happen to have any plastic sheeting handy. Your raincoat would also work, and wouldn’t be needed for its normal purpose in the circumstance. BOILING will get you a drink much faster I’m sure. If you have a length of hose (eg from a drinking tube), you could direct the steam from Method 4 into the solar still, Method 1. NB: You do not need water for a still to work: there is always water in SOIL, no matter how dry (dig down a bit and it WILL be damper). Heating it in a billy will drive it out, as above. A titanium billy is a better survival tool for this purpose than a tin one (the solder can melt) or an aluminium one (which will burn away more readily).

Method 1

Method 2

Method 3

Method 4

18/05/2015: VEGIE Gardening again today (and tomorrow):

Hoeing: John Updike (1932-2009)

‘I sometimes fear the younger generation will be deprived

of the pleasures of hoeing;

there is no knowing

how many souls have been formed by this simple exercise.

The dry earth like a great scab breaks, revealing

moist-dark loam—

the pea-root's home,

a fertile wound perpetually healing.

How neatly the green weeds go under!

The blade chops the earth new.

Ignorant the wise boy who

has never rendered thus the world fecunder.’

18/05/2015: AN ALTERNATIVE TO WELFARE: Unsurprisingly, YES there IS: the private sector can do welfare SO much better. Long since PAST time we gave it a go, (before ALL the money runs out!): http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngoodman/2015/05/13/power-to-the-people-can-we-privatize-the-welfare-state/

17/05/2015: BLISTERS: This guy is RIGHT: One way to prevent heel blisters is to learn to tie your shoes differently, eg: http://life.damn.com/the-secret-of-the-extra-shoe-holes/?utm_source=nym&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shoeholesnym

17/05/2015: LEFTIST GRIEVANCE POKER: TOUCHE, Tim: ‘it’s intriguing to consider that somewhere out there is a blind African quadruple amputee AIDS-afflicted lesbian who can win any argument just by walking into the room. You know, if she could walk’ http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/timblair/index.php/dailytelegraph/leftist_grievance_poker/ It has led us to THIS: http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/timblair/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/racism_is_nothing_to_do_with_race/ and THIS: http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/the_closing_of_the_university_mind/

17/05/2015: THOMAS JEFFERSON: a good government is one ‘which shall restrain men from injuring one another (and) shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits.’ Our government today tries to do (TOO) much more: http://reason.com/archives/2015/05/13/disobey-all-but-the-most-useful-regulati

17/05/2015: SWEENEY TODD is alive and well and living in Nigeria: http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/hotel-restaurant-in-nigeria-shut-down-for-serving-human-flesh/story-e6frfq80-1227357315122 Don’t think they should have charged extra – surely human was cheaper than sheep/cows which they would have to buy?

16/05/2015: MATERNITY LEAVE: Scrapping this double dipping does not affect any women NOW pregnant. The change comes in from JULY next year. It is also taking an undeserved ‘entitlement’ from largely well off public servants and spending that same money on largely poorer women’s child care. THIS IS FAIR! Well done Scott! You WILL deservedly become the NEXT Prime Minister.

16/05/2015: JETMEN (in Jetpacks) over Dubai (seriously): https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=114&v=Czy0pXRRZcs

16/05/2015: HORROR BUDGET: NO SURPLUS IN SIGHT: I KNOW that not a single saving CAN pass the Labor crazies (and worse!) in the Senate, but this year’s budget forecasts unending deficits with a slight improvement predicated on unending 3.5%+ growth which did not even happen DURING the ‘Mining Boom’. NO HOPE of THAT NOW! I note that the ONLY savings were brought to us by Scott Morrison (yet to pass, of course) – and have already been decried by Labor – indeed Shorten promises $2 billion pa of new (business killing) taxes plus additional ANNUAL spending increases of TENS of BILLIONS including $2.5 BILLION pa alone in waiving the HECS debt of Science graduates – WHY? (already in oversupply - BUSINESS graduates apparently add NOTHING to the economy, for example!) As I have said before, the Libs needed to bring the Budget back into surplus in their first year with an emergency budget passed by the Lower House within three months of forming Government, then take that necessary medicine to the people as a Double Dissolution (along with a referendum to ABOLISH the SENATE). What we have now is ‘boiling a frog’. (If we raise the heat slowly enough, the frog will not even notice). Neither major party has a defined plan to get us out of this horrid over-taxing debt mess that Labor got us into – what is CERTAIN though is that Labor promises only more of the same. When Shorten was asked (by Leigh Sales) for example, where Labor would find the extra TENS OF BILLIONS promised for the NDIS scheme he had THIS to say: ‘What I believe is that there’s - we can’t afford not to have a National Disability Insurance Scheme…I believe that we will fund it and I know that we can fund it and we will have properly-costed policies at the election.’ NEVERNEVER LAND!

16/05/2015: BACKPACK GEAR TEST: DRY SACKS FOLLOW UP: Folks at this website field test various hiking gear and write a detailed report about it. This is a very useful resource to consult before you launch into parting with some of your hard-earned on the latest new bit of gear For example, here are some reviews of the Sea to Summit Ultra Sil Nano Drysacks I posted about yesterday: http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Stuff%20Sacks/Dry%20Bags/Sea%20to%20Summit%20Ultra%20Sil%20View%20Dry%20Sack/

15/05/2015: ART FOR THE DOLE: Oh Noes, the darlings of the Left have had some of their mad largesse trimmed. My favourite: ‘Oliver Stone and Bob Fosse, Victoria’s Byron Perry scoops up $8,796 for “development of a new work exploring fictitious dance histories and conspiracies.”’ See some more wondrous examples here: http://blogs.news.com.au/…/daily…/comments/art_for_the_dole/ & http://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2015/05/arts-dollar-buys/ especially noteworthy Dale Gorfinkel’s rotating Styrofoam cup. How things really work: https://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2008/10/how-to-rethink-arts-funding/

15/05/2015: BETWEEN PLANETS: PROJECT ORION: Cancelling this was on a par with Europe ‘forgetting’ how to make GLASS (and chimneys!) for a THOUSAND YEARS after the Fall of the Roman Empire: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_%28nuclear_propulsion%29

15/05/2015: ABOLISH THE SENATE: If only this could happen here…Let’s have a referendum: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/generalelection/unshackled-from-coalition-partners-tories-get-ready-to-push-radical-agenda-10237611.html

15/05/2015: DRY BAGS: Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Nano: Your choice with dry bags can save you quite a few grams. Without them, you could have some sadly wet gear and maybe a disastrous trip. You need to check the seam sealing on the inside of the bags before each trip to ensure they remain waterproof. If you have any doubt, pour a few litres of water into the bag, and see if any can find its way out. If it can, (other than at the opening) I KNOW Sea to Summit WILL replace them. I always use one of their pack liners and have had to swim rivers with my pack a number of times without getting anything inside wet! They have just brought out a new product line (the NANO) which promises 30% weight savings. I have not tried them yet, but I see that the four I currently use (pack liner, 13L, 8L and 1L) would save my 58.5grams! It all adds up. Neither have I tried zpacks’ but all their other products are excellent, and I might save slightly more with theirs (as well as better fitting them in my http://www.zpacks.com/ pack!) Here are some for comparison:

Zpacks: Pack Liner Dry Bag
44 L: weight: 1.9 oz. / 54 grams price: $39.95

Dry Bag

2.2 L: weight: .6 oz. / 17 grams price: $16.95
4 L: weight: .7 oz. / 20 grams price: $19.95
5.6 L: weight: .85 oz. / 24 grams price: $22.95

9.5 L: weight: .95 oz. / 27 grams price: $25.95
12.3 L: weight: 1.1 oz. / 31 grams price: $28.95

Roll Top Blast Food Bag
12.3 L : weight: 1.4 oz. / 40 grams price: $29.95

Sea to Summit: Ultra-Sil® Pack Liners

Size	Pack Volume	Oval base x Height	Weight
Small	< 50L	(49 x 16) x 79cm	74g
Medium	< 70L	(51 x 20) x 90cm	98g
Large	< 90L	(55 x 25) x 122cm	126g

Sea to Summit: UltraSil® Dry Sacks

ø11 x 24cm	1L	20g
ø13 x 29cm	2L	23g
ø15 x 33cm	4L	26g
ø17 x 46cm	8L	30g
ø22 x 53cm	13L	40g
ø25 x 61cm	20L	50g
ø30 x 70cm	35L	65g

Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Nano Waterproof Dry Sack: Sizing and Specifications

Volume	Oval Base x Height (cms)	Weight (gms)
1 Litre	(13 x 7.5) x 24	13 g
2 Litre	(15 x 9.5) x 28.5	16 g
4 Litre	(17 x 11.2) x 33	19 g
8 Litre	(20 x 15) x 47	24 g
13 Litre	(22.5 x 16.5) x 52	27.5 g
20 Litre	(26 x 20) x 63	36 g
35 Litre	(31 x 25) x 70	46 g

EXPED FOLD DRYBAG

Size*	Color	Length x Width	Volume	Weight
XXS	lime	16 x 14 x 7 cm	1 l	12 g
XS	orange	21 x 14 cm	3 l	19 g
S	yellow	30 x 16 cm	5 l	24 g
M	red	35 x 18 cm	8 l	28 g
L	blue	42 x 22 cm	13 l	34 g
XL	emerald green	46 x 25 cm	22 l	41 g
XXL	cyan	52 x 30 cm	40 l	61 g

14/05/2015: ZPack Hexamid Solo-Plus Tent: NEW Model: I see Joe and Sheryl have added a cross-over ‘vestibule’ to their new model of ‘our’ tent. I had been thinking of extending the beak on ours down a bit as a storm flap, and to add a bit of vestibule room. This crossover design is clever, and eliminates the need for a zipper. I will probably make mine a little longer, as there are two of us (and two dogs!) I will have to order some more cuben fibre…

undefined

14/05/2015: ARMAGEDDON AVERTED (this time): You think your problems are REAL: a flying mountain which would have KILLED a BILLION people is just barely MISSING the EARTH TODAY: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/05/11/dinosaur-killer-asteroid-near-miss-this-thursday/

asteroid-impact

14/05/2015: MISOGYNY: I’m absolutely certain Leigh Sales did not expect/intend her interview with David Morrison to turn into a defence of Tony Abbott, but it sure did: ‘When the Prime Minister sat with me in his office a year ago and asked me if I would stay on for an additional year as the Chief of Army to conclude a four-year term, the predominant reason he said he wanted me to stay was because of the work that we were doing with our culture and our treatment of women. Now I thought that that was an extraordinary thing for a prime minister to say to a chief of army.’ http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2015/s4233807.htm

14/05/2015: MH370: I thought they would have NO chance of finding it, but now that they have found a VERY OLD shipwreck (probably windjammer) I have to say, ‘If it’s there, they WILL’: http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/mh370-search-discovers-a-shipwreck-not-the-missing-plane/story-fnizu68q-1227353674630

Hopes raised ... The MH370 search discovers a shipwreck Picture: JACC/Australian Governme

13/05/2015: LET THERE BE LIGHT: Our house is currently lit up like day with these beauties: Phillips 14 Watt 1400 Lumen LED cool daylight globes: These are WONDERFUL! Phillips have pretty much ‘cracked’ the replacement for incandescent globes. These beauties seem to me to put out as much light as the old 100 Watt models (I still have some for comparison!) You can also cluster two, three, four, six or seven(!) of them on one fitting to really light up the joint. Globes available Bunnings approx $18.95; fittings Amazon/eBay: Use search term eg ‘b22 adapter splitter.’

Phillips 14 Watt 1400 Lumen Cool Daylight LED Globe

B22 to E27 Adapter

B22 to E27 Double Adapter/Splitter

E27 to E27 Double Adapter/Splitter

E27 to E27 Triple Adapter

E27 to E27 Quadruple Adapter

E27 to E27 Hextuple Adapter/Splitter

E27 to E27 Septuple Adapter/Splitter

13/05/2015: CREATURES of the LEFT: Professor Michele Grossman, a cultural diversity researcher from Victoria University, said it was dangerous to use a term (‘Death Cult’) that only reflected one small part of the reality of Islamic State. ‘It’s too easy to overlook the elements of the IS narrative that focus on building a new world and a new order, promising action, power and engagement…This holds enormous potential appeal, especially for the young.’ Kuranda Seyit, a Muslim youth worker and secretary of the Islamic Council of Victoria… [said:] ‘For mainstream Australians it creates a perception that these people are violent psychopaths...’ Meanwhile the group of young maniacs who planned to BOMB the MOTHER”S DAY RUN in Melbourne remain nameless (and will be dealt with by the JUVENILE courts). Meanwhile Leigh Sales can interrupt Joe Hockey 14 times in 7 MINUTES during her interview trying to extract INFORMATION (!) from him about the Budget (but did not interrupt Shadow Treasurer, Chris Bowen AT ALL!) Need I go on? Our Universities and schools, our ABC and SBS are DOMINATED by FIFTH COLUMNISTS and dangerous TRAITORS of every description. The Budget is the best that can be achieved with a Senate dominated by such CRIMINALS. Meanwhile, we need to begin the process of ridding ourselves FOREVER of these evil Leftists: a referendum to ABOLISH the SENATE is essential; SELL the ABC/SBS; DECIMATE the commies and crazies from our schools and Universities; DEPORT Moslems en masse…There is MUCH WORK TO BE DONE!

13/05/2015: In other interesting news: http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/man-dies-after-sex-with-scarecrow/story-fnixwvgh-1227291248835

12/05/2015: Paraprosdokians: INTERESTING FIGURES OF SPEECH: (Winston Churchill loved them) are figures of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently humorous: https://www.englishforums.com/content/humour/paraprosdokians.htm http://www.economicnoise.com/2011/09/05/182-paraprosdokians/ http://www.alphadictionary.com/fun/paraprosdokian.html

Where there's a will, I want to be in it.

The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on my list.

Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.

We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.

War does not determine who is right - only who is left.

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit . . . Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.

I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

In filling out an application, where it says, 'In case of emergency, Notify:' I put 'DOCTOR'.

Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the
street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy .

You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure.

To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a mechanic.

You're never too old to learn something stupid.

I'm supposed to respect my elders, but its getting harder and harder for me to find one now.

12/05/2015: COL TOWNSEND WHELEN”S FORESTER TENT: (Bradford Angier 1958):

‘If you need to cut weight or cost, the Forester tent is a good solution. It's one of the best tents ever devised for a chronic woods loafer, particularly for one who yearns to live close to nature and who objects to spending any of his or her outdoor hours confined in a closed canvas or nylon cell.

The Forester tent is the cheapest of all wilderness tents, either to make yourself or to buy. It's the easiest and quickest to construct and pitch, too. And considering its scant weight and bulk, it's the most comfortable in which to live and do your few camp chores. Also, with the exception of the Whelen lean-to tent, it's the easiest to warm with a campfire out front.

The one weak point of the Forester, at least at first glance, is that if you try to fly proof it, you'll ruin its inexpensiveness and functional simplicity. In bug time, however, it's an easy matter to buy a mosquito bar to drape over the front opening . . . or to make one yourself, or to hang or stake a net closure over your bed.

The Forester tent is triangular in shape when pitched. The smallest practical dimensions for one person, or for two who don't mind a bit of crowding, is about 7' wide at the open front, 3' wide at the back, and 7' deep from front to rear. The peak should stand about 6' above the ground in front, while the triangular rear will be some 3' high. With the entire tent open to the fire in front, the angles are such that heat and light will be reflected throughout the sheltered area. It is, of course, a tent for the wilderness, where poles and firewood are plentiful. This tent is usually pitched with three poles and eight stakes cut at the campsite. The ridgepole should be long enough to extend from the peak and to pass down and out through the opening at the top of the back wall, at such a tilt that it will rest on the ground about 3' behind the tent. Two shorter poles are arranged in front as a bipod brace and, holding the ridgepole at their crossing, run from the peak to the front corners.

The size illustrated in the Image Gallery is for one or two campers, with beds arranged along the side walls. The model I use is made of closely woven, waterproofed cotton that weighs five ounces per square yard, cut and sewn to the shape and dimensions shown in the Image Gallery, with an extra inch being allowed around the edges for hemming.

Note how the bottoms of the sides are angled back 1' to make the tent sit right on the ground. To do this, cut your pattern from rectangular canvas as shown by the dotted lines (see Image Gallery), then angle the front and back. The piece for the rear wall is cut off square at the top, so that when it's stitched to the main body of the tent at the rear, a hole is left at the top of the back wall through which the ridgepole can extend. Total weight for this size Forester tent is about four pounds.’

NB: This weight assumes 12 oz/sq yd canvas is used. If using 1.75 oz/sq yd Tyvek, 1.3 oz/sq yd silnylon or .51 oz/sq yd cuben fibre the weight will be correspondingly much less. You could easily add two ‘wings’ or storm flaps to the front which could be closed at need, and a sewn in floor of (eg 1.3 oz silnylon waterproofed as described here http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/Silnylon1/index.html) and two overlapping flaps of .7 oz/sq yd insect mesh. You could have an excellent standing room ‘fire tent’ which weighs between 500 grams and 1 kg depending upon materials. PS: I would not leave the gap for a pole. These lighter weight materials don’t need a pole at all but can be simply pegged out – a pole also only creates a drip line.

086-043-03

12/05/2015: TIM SEVERIN: WHAT a guy! Not many in modern times have adventured like this chap, eg: The Brendan Voyage (1976–1977), The Sindbad Voyage (1980–1981), The Jason Voyage (1984), The Ulysses Voyage (1985), The China Voyage (May–November 1993), In Search of Moby Dick: Quest for the White Whale (1999): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Severin

The Brendan at Craggaunowen

11/05/2015: RAILTRAILS: https://www.railtrails.org.au/ Our taxes have been busily at work creating these lately. There are now some really long ones http://www.murraytomountains.com.au/the-rail-trail/ http://www.greatvictorianrailtrail.com.au/ https://www.railtrails.org.au/trail-descriptions/victoria/gippsland?view=trail&id=143 Some could be combined with an existing hiking trail to make an interesting loop walk, eg the George Bass Coastal Walk and the Bass Coast Rail Trail: http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/352803/Park-note-George-Bass-Coastal-Walk.pdf & https://www.railtrails.org.au/index.php?option=com_railtrails&view=trail&id=203&Itemid=244

Trestle Bridge at Kilcunda (Feb 2007)

Trestle Bridge Kilcunda

11/05/2015: CLASSLESS SOCIETY: Maybe YOU remember when we used to describe ourselves thus: because we were ALL willing to put in. Once to be described as WORKING CLASS meant just that: that you would and DID work. Latterly the notion of an ‘underclass’ has crept in as we now have ONE THIRD of Australians who are no longer working class, nor classless; indeed they have NO CLASS AT ALL: they will simply BLUDGE on the rest of us. I STILL remember when we would tell new immigrants/anyone and everyone, WITH PRIDE: ‘There are no bludgers here’! Well that’s one that has certainly gone by the board. We have a veritable PLAGUE of BLUDGERS now. Time for a really big house cleaning! Of course the Libs need to win the Senate (or abolish it!) first.

11/05/2015: MOST IMPORTANT BOOKS: I might have a slightly different list, but Hayward’s recommendations of Orwell, Hayek, Lewis…are worth a look (and there are links to them): http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2015/05/dogmatism-rightly-understood.php

10/05/2015: LOVELY BOOK: Travels in a Donkey Trap by Daisy Baker: http://www.amazon.com/Travels-Donkey-Trap-Coronet-Books/dp/034020303X ‘A charming memoir. She shares memories of her past along with her "adventures" in the donkey cart. She looks back from 1970 to a slower time. We see 1970 as a very different time. What country road would accommodate a donkey cart these days - certainly extremely few in America. This is the tale of a 76 year old woman in Devon, England who felt very housebound because she could no longer make the 2 mile walk to the nearest village. The family's solution (she lived with her daughter and son in law) was to advertise for an inexpensive donkey and cart (also known as a trap). She regularly went to the village and nearby woods just for an outing. Once in the summer she travelled farther to a beach. Along the way she daydreams about old times and philosophizes.’ Also see: Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes by Robert Louis Stevenson: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/535/535-h/535-h.htm

10/05/2015: VIRTUE: Turns out Myuran & Andrew were SUCH good guys - now that they are dead. WOW! If that’s all it takes to make such folk good, we should HANG a heap more of them!

10/05/2015: STRUGGLE STREET: 5.04 million on welfare in 2012. The 2013 budget spent $138 out of $398 BILLION on welfare. DO THE SUM 138/5.04 = $27,380.95 EACH. You could DOUBLE that if you add in all the other spending which is CONCEALED welfare: public ‘education’, public housing, public transport, the justice system, public health…How much money DO we have to throw away on such people before we decide THEY have to DO something to EARN it? Eppisode 1 avail SBS On Demand/Kickass. Episodes 2&3 Wed – a MUST WATCH: http://acoss.org.au/images/uploads/Social_Security_Trends_ACOSS_policy_snapshot_April_2014.pdf & http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-09/interactive-budget-2013-where-will-your-tax-go/4682404

09/05/2015: AMAZING TORCH: Pak-Lite Pilot LED Flashlight: Great emergency/hiking light; 80+ hours on the brightest setting and 1200+ HOURS on the lowest from a 9V battery at 45 grams inc batt plus a 10 year shelf life. White and red LED. Also comes with a headband. Some folk have hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail (2600 miles) on ONE battery: http://www.backwoodssolar.com/super-bright-9v-led-pak-lite & http://www.bestglide.com/pak_light_led_light.html

09/05/2015: HOW THINGS WORK: Commerce 101: You have to DO something for your money. For example, go to school, get a job, pay your own way, raise your own children…don’t bludge on your neighbours or expect that the world (or anyone else) OWES you a living. They Don’t. We all have to DO something for our money, have some OBLIGATION: for most people that means WORK. For some people it means DON"T BREED: use contraception, suffer enforced reversible sterilization and adoption out of your children if your refuse - or pay to raise your children yourselves, like the rest of us! Simple, really!

09/05/2015: So, RAPE is a GIRL thing, right? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2449454/More-men-raped-US-women-including-prison-sexual-abuse.html

08/05/2015: UK ELECTION: Wonderful news: David Cameron has won a stunning victory. Now, If Hockey’s budget and its marketing is as good as what Scott Morisson has already been able to sell so far, Shorten (like Miliband) is TOAST. Plibersek WILL challenge.

08/05/2015: KON TIKI: THOR HEYERDAHL: What an adventure it was: drifting across the entire Pacific Ocean to Polynesia on a balsa wood raft http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kon-Tiki_expedition . The doco Thor made http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kon-Tiki_%281950_film%29 won the Academy Award. We watched it last night and it was GREAT! The book was translated into 70 languages and sold 50 MILLION copies. If you haven’t read it, you should, and its successors, and fellow adventurer Bengt Danielsson’s related books – eg ‘Love in the South Seas’. There is also now a 2012 film about the expedition http://www.kontikidefilm.com/ National Geo has also made a documentary about the making of the 2012 film. All are available as torrents on Kickass/Pirate Bay.

08/05/2015: STRUGGLE STREET: Have you been watching this show on SBS? Paid for with YOUR taxes at a cost of $350,000 per episode. If only to see whether you got value for money, you should. Or maybe catch last night’s 7:30 Report on Brewarrina. You can now watch shows that have already been screened (http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/ & http://iview.abc.net.au/ ) See unemployable folk with ten children and 18 grandchildren (ie a single family with OVER 30 people on welfare), or late teens girls with three children who say, ‘I have three children to raise, how can I work?’, or a pregnant woman attempting to break a door down to steal marijuana…both programmes were HORROR SHOWS. They simply SCREAMED at me: ‘STOP PAYING PEOPLE TO BREED!’

08/05/2015: WOLF HALL: We have just finished watching this gripping television series (available as a torrent) about the life of Thomas Cromwell. It was excellent. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3556920/ It takes us up to the shortening of Ann Boleyn. As you can see from Cromwell’s bio (and Hilary mantel’s second volume), there are more to come: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cromwell http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bring_Up_the_Bodies

07/05/2015: WAITUTU FOREST FIORDLAND: WARM AIR POCKETS: One of the things which most surprised us about this beautiful forest was how warm generally it is – around 3-4C WARMER than nearby Invercargill, so very similar to Southern Victoria. I saw little difference between food growing in our hosts vegie garden at the Waitutu Lodge http://www.waitutu.co.nz/ than you would find here. We lived for a year in Christchurch. The climate of the Waitutu Forest seems MUCH more equable. Some study needs to go into such things: we may lose much when we clear land injudiciously and wantonly. More surprising though were the deliciously warm air pockets you walked into from time to time. I would judge them to have been at least 5C warmer than ambient (else you would not notice them). So there were places (eg going up the ridge from the Wairaurahiri bridge towards the end of the Port Craig tramline) where the temperature must have been close to 23C (when it was 14C in nearby Invercargill. I was in shirtsleeves the whole trip, and if not for the sandflies could have peeled off further (but for the horror!) in such places. I remarked to Peter Baldwin (manager) that such spots would be perfect bedding/nursery areas for deer. He agreed that he had much success in such spots and had shot a fine stag just two days before only 300 yards away. I suspect this warmth is not geothermal, but has something to do with the forest itself. Somehow, like a greenhouse, it is allowing warmth from the sun in, but preventing it from leaving. I believe certain forest types/tree types also improve rainfall/water availability too, not that such ‘super’ powers are needed in Fiordland! The Waitutu Forest IS a gem. It was completely untouched by man, European or Maori. Had it not been so remote, it might have been cleared for agriculture as it is predominately flat with fine productive soil. There are many other such ‘untouched’ (otherwise excellent farming) areas in Fiordland, eg wonderful uncleared river flats along the Seaforth River in Dusky Sound. We have nothing like this in Victoria. However, in a class action before the Privy Council ‘landless Maori’ who had been ignored by the Treaty of Waitangi were granted land here in the 1890s. Because of its remoteness, they were unable to take it up or do much with it. In the mid C20th the value of its Rimu (podocarp) timber meant that they could have made a tidy sum out of it, then used the cleared land for say farming red deer but were prevented from doing so by greens and Government. Eventually they won a compensation action for their confiscation – something I hope to see happen eventually in Australia. They have re-invested a small proportion of that money in the tourist facility at the Waitutu Lodge and plan to improve some walking tracks in the area eg a coastal walk (beginning with the signposted ‘Tiny’s Creek’) to the Crombie stream which would then form a comfortable loop with the existing South Coast track (http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/fiordland/places/fiordland-national-park/things-to-do/tracks/south-coast-track/) , and an accommodation hut there. Hopefully by next year’s walking season. PS: ‘Tiny’s Creek’ is not named after our old JR (as you might have thought), but after ‘Tiny’ Metzger, one of the ‘giants’ of the Waitutu Corporation, the ‘landless’ Maori group who have done so much for this wonderful forest.

Tiny's Creek Track, Waitutu Forest Fiordland NZ

Waitutu Forest South Coast Track Fiordland NZ

Tiny's Creek, Waitutu Forest Fiordland NZ

Old Rimu, Tiny's Creek Track Waitutu Forest Fiordland NZ

07/05/2015: NEPAL: The usual countries are rushing to help Nepal NB 30% of the medical aid is from tiny Israel), but as usual NO MUSLIM COUNTRY HAS DONATED ANYTHING. Of course when there are disasters in Pakistan, Aceh & etc, everyone ELSE rushes to help, but Islam is such a religion of peace and loving kindness, even the richest of their countries pretty much never give a cent, even to their OWN! http://pickeringpost.com/story/nations-clamber-to-assist-nepal/4850

07/05/2015: BUREAUCRACY: THE LEFT IS THE PROBLEM: David Stockman: ‘What’s Really Burning In Baltimore: 50 Years Of Liberal Welfare State Policies’: http://davidstockmanscontracorner.com/whats-really-burning-in-baltimore-50-years-of-liberal-welfare-state-policies/

‘The fine citizens of this metropolis have not elected a Republican as mayor since 1963, before the War on Poverty began. That mayor’s 4 year term is the only interruption in Democrat rule since 1947. They have had Democrat control for 64 of the last 68 years, and sole control for the last 48 years straight.

Their mayor is black. Their previous mayor, Sheila Dixon, was black. She was convicted of embezzlement in 2010 and couldn’t finish her term. They had a white mayor (current Democratic Presidential hopeful Martin O’Malley) for eight years. The mayor before him was black.

Their City Council consists of 15 members. All fifteen are Democrats. The Council President is black. Democrats have had control of legislation in Baltimore for the last 50 years. Every program, policy, initiative, or school curriculum that exists in Baltimore was enacted by liberal Democrats.

The Police Commissioner is black. Approximately 50% of the police force is black.

The School Superintendent is black, along with the School Board. The district has an annual budget of $1.32 billion to teach 84,000 kids. The Baltimore school system ranks second among the nation’s 100 largest school districts in how much it spent per pupil at $15,700 per student. Only NYC spends more. Only two thirds of students graduate high school, despite this high level of spending.

The average SAT scores of Baltimore City public school students are: 379 in Reading; 376 in Math; 381 in Writing. These are the scores of the best of the best in Baltimore schools who actually think they should get into college. The average scores in the country, which still suck, are around 500. Students with these scores have about a 15% chance of graduating college. This is the ROI you get after spending $188,000 per student over their 12 year academic career.

The population of Baltimore is 623,000 and 63% are black. Median household income is $41,000, with 24% living below the poverty line. The home ownership rate is 48%. The percentage of college graduates is 27%.

The population was 950,000 in 1950, so it has fallen by 35% in the last 65 years. The population was 24% black in 1950. Decades of liberal Democrat policies drove most of the white population out of the city.

Baltimore’s violent crime rate is 370% higher than the U.S. rate. They have over 200 murders, 300 rapes, 3,600 robberies, 4,600 assaults, 7,800 burglaries, and 22,000 thefts per year. These are all 2 to 4 times the U.S. averages per 100,000 people.

Over 35% of all Baltimore residents get food stamps. Over 85% of the kids get free breakfasts and lunches at school. More than 60% of Baltimore residents are receiving some form of government assistance.’

Baltimore’s welfare paradise is paid for by outrageously high taxes. It’s income tax rate of 3.2% is on top of the state rate of 4.75%. It’s property tax rate is more than double the other counties in Maryland. The sales tax rate is 6%. Corporations pay an income tax rate of 8.25%.

The percentage of out of wedlock births to black women in Baltimore exceeds 72%. Baltimore and Detroit are the two cities with populations over 600,000 with the highest percentage of single parent households – 59% to 61%.

The reported unemployment rate for Baltimore is 8.2%, one of the highest in the country. In reality, 42% of the working age population is not working. Young black men between the ages of 20 and 24 have a reported unemployment rate of 37%. But in reality, it is north of 60%. The number of employees in 1990 totaled 475,000. Today they total 365,000, down 23%.’

06/05/2015: BUREAUCRACY: ‘The champions of socialism call themselves progressives, but they recommend a system which is characterized by rigid observance of routine and by a resistance to every kind of improvement. They call themselves liberals, but they are intent upon abolishing liberty. They call themselves democrats, but they yearn for dictatorship. They call themselves revolutionaries, but they want to make the government omnipotent. They promise the blessings of the Garden of Eden, but they plan to transform the world into a gigantic post office. Every man but one a subordinate clerk in a bureau.’ Ludwig von Mises, Bureaucracy (1945. YES!) Ebook available here: https://mises.org/sites/default/files/Bureaucracy_3.pdf

06/05/2015: SOLAR FLUX: This (recently discovered phenomenon) is thousands of times bigger than the earth, so it can’t possibly influence climate: http://joannenova.com.au/2015/04/new-telescopes-see-magnetic-flux-ropes-on-sun-which-cant-possibly-affect-earths-climate/

06/05/2015: WESTIES HUT: TOPO MAP ERRORS: I have encountered this once or twice before (also with the Australian series): Westies Hut, at the end of the South Coast Track is marked in the WRONG position in the DOC and Linz topo maps. It is actually located at the WESTERN end of Price’s Harbour, as a number of people have noted in texta on the DOC map in the Waitutu Hut (and in Moir’s Guide South), in other words on the next promontory west of where it is shown on the map. I noticed a similar ‘mistake’ when moose hunting in the Hilda Burn near Supper Cove, Dusky Sound years ago. I followed a moose around for three hours in a large swamp above where the burn splits in two. I guessed the swamp to be a pretty flat 30-50 hectares at least yet it is not shown on the topo maps. Where I grew up in the Hunter Valley (near Paterson) had a similar error sixty years ago: I had a ‘playground’ area of several square kilometres of forest completely missing from the maps at that time. Similarly when they put the first ‘Landsat’ up they discovered an area the size of Victoria ‘missing’ on the borders between Chile, Bolivia and Brazil. There are still many wild places out there which have not felt the foot of man! http://www.linz.govt.nz/land/maps/linz-topographic-maps/map-chooser/map-28 & http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/southland/southern-fiordland-tracks-brochure.pdf

Westies Hut, South Coast Track.

05/05/2015: You beauty: http://i.dawn.com/primary/2014/10/543793bf22cbd.jpg…

05/05/2015: GORGE RIVER Fiordland #2: Further to yesterday’s post about the latter day ‘Wilderness family’, mayhap you have a yen to visit them in their refuge? You CAN walk all the way from the end of the road South of Haast ie Cascade River, down to & along the coast, past Gorge River, then chose to fly out from a number of points (eg Martins Bay), or continue up the Hollyford Track to the Milford Rd where you can be picked up by bus. These folk have (an expensive) guided tour, but I’m sure you could also do it yourself more cheaply: It is sometimes known as ‘The Forgotten Coast’, see video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=45&v=zRsDc1rcfrM & http://www.fiordlandcoastwalks.com/fiordland-guided-walks/haast-hollyford-coastal-walk-10-days

Fiordland Coast Walks Haast to Hollyford

05/05/2015: ECCLESIASTES: More doom and gloom: ‘One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.’

05/05/2015: TESLA BATTERY: This is being touted as our energy ‘salvation’ & etc, at 7 kilowatt hours for $3000, 10 for $3500. It IS cheaper than readily available lead-acid deep cycle batteries: the problem IS NO battery system is CERTAIN in backing up even ONE Day’s demand, yet sometimes the wind doesn’t blow, nor the sun shine for MUCH longer than that. However, at 1,000 recharges per battery the $3500 investment will last you about three years or approx $300 per quarter for 900 kilowatt hours or about $0.33/Kwh, not much more than you pay NOW. Elon Musk has put a ceiling on energy prices. Here where we have SO many blackouts, I would think about installing one and setting it up so it can recharge at the night rate if the sun isn’t shining. It would work out a little more expensive but would be worth it for the pleasure of foregoing the inconvenience of the pumps, fridges, internet, TV, lights etc going out on a regular basis, especially during BUSHFIRES. Of course, such a system COULD also power an eclectic car, such as a Tesla: http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/tesla-powerwall-game-changing-batteries-homes-and-businesses-starting-3k.html

Tesla Powerwall home battery

04/05/2015: THRILLING TALES #6: A Life on Gorge River; New Zealand's Remotest Family: http://www.odt.co.nz/regions/west-coast/109338/life-bush-family-039beansprout039 Kindle edition: http://www.amazon.com.au/Life-On-Gorge-River-Zealands-ebook/dp/B004R1R4ZM Also see (his & hers versions) http://www.amazon.com.au/A-Wife-On-Gorge-River-ebook/dp/B009AL6FMC

The Long family home Gorge River South of Haast in remote Sth Westland Fiordland NZ.

04/05/2015: This son of Clive Sinclair (who bought us the PC) shows there is still some inventiveness in the family yet: http://www.treehugger.com/bikes/bounce-trucks-your-babel-bike-worlds-safest-bicycle.html

04/05/2015: SELECTIVE AMNESIA: http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2015/04/daily-telegraph-front-page-9-years-ago-when-death-sentences-handed-down-no-sympathy.html & http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2869230/Bali-Nine-ringleader-Andrew-Chan-mastermind-international-drug-deal-went-horribly-wrong-threatened-17-year-old-mule-Hong-Kong-jail-mouth-shut.html

02/05/2015: SPOT: Della: We are very lucky to still have our little Spot to cuddle tonight. ..Today, while helping me in the garden, he took a moment to indulge his penchant for car - chasing. Oblivious to my shouts, he accosted the car as it took the bend but didn't count on the huge, old - style caravan it was towing. I heard the sickening thud and high - pitched yelp and ran to find him sprawled semi - conscious on the road. Amazingly, he seems to have come through with only some head and neck pain which is responding to medication. Hopefully he will recover fully, but his outside forays will be restricted to the back garden until the front fence is Jack Russell -proof! (NB the neck wound in the pic is a pre existing skin rash). 03/05/2015: He seems quite normal this morning. TODAY I was to take him on a two day expedition to the 'Mystery Falls' I have been posting about (still a lot of work to do before I can get Della all the way there). I am home playing nursemaid instead. I also have a huge job of work ahead of me to make the house yard JR proof - if that is even possible! I despair of training him not to chase cars - though this misadventure may have had some effect, eg making him even angrier at them! We were both unbelievably distraught when we heard the bump (myself all the way from the house verandah appprox 100 metres away - with my deafness), and really expected him to be dead or else horribly maimed, but this morning there is no outward sign of any injury, and he seems himself, so here's hoping!

03/05/2015: THRILLING TALES #5: SHACKLETON: 99 years ago today Ernest Shackleton was half way between Elephant Island (Antarctica) and South Georgia in a leaky lifeboat. His voyage to Sth Georgia and first crossing of that island is one of the greatest adventure stories of all time. He lies buried in the cemetery there having returned there (to die) in 1922. There is an excellent 2002 telemovie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0272839/ and a 3 Part Discovery Channel Series: ‘Death or Glory’ re-enactment made in 2013 also worth a watch.

03/05/2015: BAN UNIFORMS: Do we REALLY want to live in a society like this, where firemen, policemen, soldiers etc are told NOT to wear their uniforms (of which they should be justly PROUD) because of the threat of ISLAMIC terrorism? Let the DEPORTATIONS BEGIN: http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2015/04/nsw-rfs-worlds-biggest-fire-service-today-74000-members-ordered-not-to-wear-uniform-in-public-aloe-b.html

03/05/2015: May Day, the day we celebrate communism, which killed around 100 MILLION people in the C20th: http://reason.com/blog/2013/03/13/communism-killed-94m-in-20th-century

02/05/2015: JEERALANG DEER: It is now common to encounter deer sign on our evening walks though when we moved here a quarter century ago it was exceeding rare: you could search all day for sign and yet be in doubt. Now FOUR species of deer inhabit the forests behind us: red, sambar, fallow and hog deer. During WW1 sambar were SO common on this (South) side of the Princes Highway that they were declared vermin (along with wombats - which still are). Closer settlement after the war gradually almost eliminated them. Then the UK joined the Common Market (what became the EU) in the mid sixties, and all of the hill farms almost instantly vanished, becoming once more crown land and (later plantation) forest. Deer slowly built up again. A century ago fallow were also common throughout Victoria but they became so rare around the time of WW1 that they were ‘protected’ and could not be hunted at all for over fifty years until about ten years ago. The red deer and hog deer have a seasonal ‘hunt’; the sambar and fallow are currently considered common enough to withstand more widespread hunting. Changes in land management and in game/wildlife management have discernible profound effects over time – as we see now daily with obviously some good stags walking the same tracks we do – NB print between hiking pole baskets:

02/05/2015: THESE are the executions which ought to be lamented: THOUSANDS butchered in the RAPE (by Indo) of West Papua. Indonesia is EVIL, and is not made any better by huge gifts of MILITARY aid by Australia (eg John Howard’s gift of 100,000 .308 SLRs & etc) which will only (ultimately) be used against us – and which side do you think all the lovely Moslems Rudd/Gillard imported (250,000+) will be fighting ON then: http://pickeringpost.com/story/isis-in-our-front-yard/4831

02/05/2015: GILLARD CRIMINAL: It’s not all over: she WILL be charged: http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/slush_fund_scandal_returns_blewitt_to_be_charged_claims_will_subpoena_gilla/ & http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2015/04/the-australian-today-reports-charges-over-awu-slush-fund-to-return-focus-to-julia-gillard.html

01/05/2015: INVISIBLE WORLDS: On Sunday I noticed one of these (a Grey Butcher Bird) killing one of these (an Indian Spotted Dove) as I emerged from my shift at the Yinnar General Store. The former are fearsome predators of small birds and other critters (often impaling their carcasses on branches, etc in order to devour them later, but this one had taken on a young bird (no adult plumage) which was even larger than itself. There is no doubt in my mind he would have succeeded in making it quite dead though, so I quickly slipped it in my pocket and brought it home for Della. It seems to have made a complete recovery and is living happily in her quail cage.

Grey Butcher Bird

Indian Spotted Dove

01/05/2015: TAXING TIME: A timely reminder from Peter Costello” The 20 per cent of Australians on the lowest incomes pay no net income tax. They are entitled to income support through the pension, unemployment benefits, parenting benefits and other allowances. But they don’t pay income tax. The next 25 per cent of Australians pay hardly any income tax, on average, about $1500 a year or $30 a week. These two groups, representing 45 per cent of the population who file tax returns, pay under 4 per cent of the income tax in this country. So who pays income tax? Middle and higher income earners carry the income tax system. Those earning above $80,000 pay two-thirds of the income tax collected in this country. The 2 per cent of Australians on incomes above $180,000 really make up the revenue by paying 26 per cent of the country’s income tax.’ http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/taxation-gouging-the-rich-to-rob-the-poor/story-fni0cwl5-1227323707285

01/05/2015: WARM BLOODED: ‘Life uses information (stored in DNA) to capture energy (which it stores in a chemical called ATP) to create order. Humans burn prodigious amounts of energy — we generate about 10,000 times as much energy per gram as the sun. The sun is hotter only because it is much bigger.’ http://www.rationaloptimist.com/blog/the-vital-question.aspx

30/04/2015: MANY THANKS/NEW SITE: My wonderful daughter Merrin and son Bryn are helping me move my hiking blogs to new, young/mobile friendly ones eg here (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ ) from their current unfashionable addresses/formats, eg here (http://www.finnsheep.com/Ultralight%20Hiking.htm) The work has just begun, but the results look set to be STUNNING.

30/04/2015: TRIAGE originated as a battlefield concept (its origins in the French ‘trier’ = to sort, not necessarily into threes – as in ‘triangle’) where due to scarce resources and time constraints the wounded were sorted into three groups: those who would die anyway, those who were unlikely to, and those whose chances of living would be most helped by immediate assistance. It is an EXAMPLE of the utilitarian principle (later articulated by John Stuart Mill, ‘the greatest happiness of the greatest number’ – though it yet has many critics). In any non-imaginary society resources are ALWAYS limited, and have to be allocated according to budgetary considerations. Accordingly keeping people in prison costs (in Australia) somewhere between $250,000pa and $350,000pa - in the ACT’s new model ‘human rights’ prison which has been much in the news of late. The cost of legal aid can easily run to $1 million per case (or higher), and the cost of ancillaries (eg repatriation of bodies, as in the present case) can be added to that. In the present case, the ‘Bali Nine’ have incurred (in equivalent Australian dollars) costs of say $250k per person for ten years = $22.5 MILLION, to which you can add legal costs of several million, and ancillary costs – let us say (conservatively) $25 million. In 7/9 these costs are continuing. The cost of saving a life (in the Third World) via a vaccination programme against common preventable diseases is perhaps as little as $10 (calculated at .10 cents per vaccination and a mortality of 1% in the unvaccinated) or as many as 2.5 MILLION lives saved for the same outlay. Even in the first world many innocent lives could be saved by medical interventions costing $100,000 per person which have to be forgone due to budgetary constraints, so even here the same outlay could save 250 innocent lives. QUESTION: Why do some people value the lives of the GUILTY many times higher than the lives of the INNOCENT?

30/04/2015: HIKING FOOD/CUSTOMS GESTAPO: We had a bad trip with one of these guys at Queenstown airport. Every other time I have been in NZ, they accepted I knew what I was doing, had cleaned my gear properly, had only proper hiking food (no dangerous, illegal imports etc), but this time we encountered a Pommie import who had not worked out that the colonies were long since independent. He went through all our stuff with a fine-toothed comb such that we nearly missed our hire car (they closed at 5:00 pm, and this guy delayed us for an HOUR!. Eventually he confiscated Della’s delicious home-dried Spag Bol and Cottage Pie (no ‘country of origin labelling and barcode! Even though I told him I was going to EAT it for goodness’ sake!) We will have to fix THAT up in future. Immediately we were free of the nazi (and had a car) we were forced to hie us around all the supermarkets to see what subs we could come up with for FOUR delicious dinners! It really takes the edge off your trip if you have to eat those awful ‘Backcountry Meals’ this Nazi must have had shares in. Mostly even our dogs won’t touch them! I will be posting more about delicious meals which can be made from common supermarket items – with which in mind, NB that delicatessen salami (having been properly smoked/salted) is marked ‘keep in a cool dry place ie does not need REFRIGERATION (eg Tibaldi ‘Felino’ salami : http://www.tibaldi.com.au/products/salami-range/ . It should be included therefore (along with sachet tuna, Chinese sausage and Kraft cheese) as an addition to the ‘meat’ component of otherwise often bland dehydrated meals.

30/04/2015: Delingpole: If Ricky Gervais Really Cared About Giraffes He'd Be Hunting Them: http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/04/17/if-ricky-gervais-really-cared-about-giraffes-hed-be-hunting-them/

29/04/2015: WELL DONE INDOS: What took you so long? I only hope I wasn’t paying for the endless blood-sucking lawyers and notorious ‘family visits’ over the years – but then there must have been plenty of drug money to pay for that, surely! I also hope that I am not paying to bring their bodies home when yesterday’s papers showed that the Indo undertaker had made perfectly good coffins and ‘headstones’ already - which presumably will now go to waste! Anzac Day surely reminded us that 100,000 of our glorious war dead LIE WHERE THEY FELL, but these two SCUM are to be brought home for burial rather than being chopped up and fed to pigs! (They would have pigs in Bali where there are Hindus!) Over 10,000 Indonesians DIE of drug overdoses every year because of the crimes of just such drug dealers, yet the ‘sensitive’ Left never laments THEIR passing, instead reserving their shrieking, gnashing of teeth and crocodile tears for the JUST EXECUTION of a such a pair of sleazy CRIMS!

29/04/2015: EVOLUTIONARY CHALLENGES: Tim Blair: ‘The latest and most advanced bird ever: ‘A Cooper’s hawk discovered near a waste transfer station in greater Vancouver, Canada, is believed to be the most polluted wild bird ever discovered. In fact, it was so contaminated with flame retardant chemicals that it was “flameproof”...This is a stunning evolutionary response to recent North American environmental challenges. While lesser species are turned to ash by massive solar plants, the flameproof hawk will fly serenely on. Soon it will be joined by the Kevlar eagle and the armour-bellied warbler, whose protective coatings make them immune to wind turbines. At the other end of both evolutionary and temperature spectra, the UK Greens have now promised to “keep global temperatures below 2°”, thereby killing everybody on earth.’

29/04/2015: RAIN KILT: This interesting zpacks innovation worked really well for me, keeping me warm (but not too) and dry above the knees, and providing a dry seat whenever I wanted to rest on a log. At 54 grams you are hardly going to notice it in your pack. I don’t CARE if they look silly. Della craves a pair of their ‘Challenger Rain Pants’ as she feels her nylon Mountain Laurel Designs rain chaps have outlived their usefulness. They are VERY hard to keep up. Her wish is my command! http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/cloudkilt.shtml

Men in skirts: ask the Scots; ask William Wallace!

29/04/2015: FIFTH COLUMNISTS: Expect OUR Labor QUISLINGS to follow suit here: British Labour is to make fear of Islam a crime. Ed Miliband : ‘We are going to make it an aggravated crime to root out Islamophobia…We are going to make it an aggravated crime. We are going to make sure it is marked on people’s records with the police to make sure they root out Islamophobia as a hate crime,’ Miliband told the Editor of The Muslim News, Ahmed J Versi. Leo McKinstry: ‘Islamophobia is not an irrational fear or prejudice but an understandable response to the horrors we see all around us perpetrated in the name of Allah, from the savage persecution of Christians in the Middle East to the beheading of Drummer Lee Rigby and the London bombings at home.’

28/04/2015: WILKIN-YOUNG Track: FIORDLAND: Like Westies Hut, this one is on my ‘bucket list’. One of our two ‘rest’ days we enjoyed an hour jetboat ride down the Makarora and up the Wilkin as far as the Kerin Forks hut (NZ$119). The other day was spent doing the laundry and getting there! If we had been a little earlier (or had not had sore knees), for NZ$399 (http://www.wilkinriverjets.co.nz/) you can take a helicopter ride around the Mt Aspiring glaciers, view the icebergs in Crucible Lake (summer is calving season!), land at Siberia Hut, walk back three hours to Kerin Forks and jetboat ride back to Makarora. This would be a GREAT day! Or you can walk the full Gillespie Pass circuit. (http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/otago/places/mount-aspiring-national-park/things-to-do/gillespie-pass-circuit/) Plenty of accommodation/food at Makarora, approx 45 minutes from Wanaka. Lots of other walks around there too. And, it IS the gateway to the fabulous West Coast!

Della LOVES those jetboats...

Crowning glory, Wilkin River.

Makarora River, view upstream.

Granite formation, Wilkin River.

Wilkin River view upstream.

Kerin Forks DOC hut, Wilkin River.

Old deerstalker's hut Kerin Forks, Wilkin River.

Wilkin River, view downstream.

The Wilkin Maid.

Truly VAST waterfalls, Wilkin River.

Farewell to Fiordland for another year...

28/04/2015: ION IDRIESS: When I was a lad I thrilled to the works of Ion Idriess http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_Idriess (and Nevil Shute: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevil_Shute ‘A Town Like Alice’, ‘On the Beach’, etc) I still wonder at his retelling of the Kidman story (‘The Cattle King’) I confess I have not read the wonderful book reviewed so capably here: https://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2011/09/ion-idriess-and-the-desert-column/ regarding his ‘adventures’ at Gallipoli and with the Australian Light Horse in Palestine, but I certainly shall. After you read the review, you probably will too! You can download it here: http://www.nzmr.org/pdf/the_desert_column.pdf

28/04/2015: EPISTEMOLOGY: You have several times heard me prattle on about one of my great teachers, the late Prof David Armstrong of Sydney Uni…Most every science STARTED out as a branch of philosophy (which yet has much to offer). Let’s NOT forget that Einstein also said this: ‘How does it happen that a properly endowed natural scientist comes to concern himself with epistemology? Is there no more valuable work in his specialty? I hear many of my colleagues saying, and I sense it from many more, that they feel this way. I cannot share this sentiment…Concepts that have proven useful in ordering things easily achieve such an authority over us that we forget their earthly origins and accept them as unalterable givens. Thus they come to be stamped as “necessities of thought,” “a priori givens,” etc. The path of scientific advance is often made impassable for a long time through such errors. For that reason, it is by no means an idle game if we become practiced in analyzing the long commonplace concepts and exhibiting those circumstances upon which their justification and usefulness depend, how they have grown up, individually, out of the givens of experience. By this means, their all-too-great authority will be broken.’ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/blogs/physics/2015/04/physics-needs-philosophy/

27/04/2015: BRING ON the ‘English Solution’: ‘The milestones are impressive: an average of a thousand new jobs a day over five years; unemployment down by almost half a million in a year; a jobless rate half the eurozone’s; more jobs created than in the rest of Europe put together; more people in work, more women in work, more disabled people in work than ever; the highest percentage of the population in work since records began. All this while the public sector has been shedding 300 jobs a day.’ http://www.rationaloptimist.com/blog/welfare-reform-and-unemployment.aspx

27/04/2015: Well SAID, Peter Smith: ‘But, there is no getting away from it, a woman dressed from head to toe in black, enveloping robes, without a hint of style or shape, is confronting. Or, at least, to many it is confronting. I suggest two legitimate bases for this reaction. Neither is rooted in bigotry. One is a perception that the clothing is an outward sign of an intolerant and oppressive movement, with designs on expansion. Wearing a brown shirt in Germany in the 1920s and early 1930s is an historical example. The other is a perception that numbers of women are being coerced into dressing in this ‘unflattering’ way…‘When in Rome’ should be a mandatory tutorial for those applying to move from Muslim societies to those based on liberal-democratic values…How about this for a ‘radical’ prescription? Only migrants willing to uphold liberal-democratic values should be admitted. Those who subsequently fail to support them should be deported. The application of religious law to secular matters should be proscribed. Women’s right to absolute equality should be vigorously prosecuted within Muslim enclaves. Promoting liberal-democratic values should be mandatory in all schools receiving public funding. Muslim cultural and religious sensitivities should not be imposed on the way of life of mainstream society.’ https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2015/04/strangers-train-2/

27/04/2015: WAIRAURAHIRI TO RARAKAU: FIORDLAND # 5: Following our gruelling walk to the Waitutu River, we had a rest day at the Waitutu Lodge (http://www.waitutu.co.nz/ on the Wairaurahiri River to pamper Della’s knee and socialise with the delightful caretakers. Well restored we said our farewells to Rose Baldwin who had made us a delicious dinner the night before, and set off to conquer the track to Port Craig school house. Pete accompanied us (half way) as far as the Percy Burn (private – can be booked) Hut (lunch) where he met his son, Daniel who was walking in for a visit. After the first half hour from the Wairurahiri the track follows an old tramway all the way to Port Craig which was an old logging town in the 1920s. It is astonishing how well the 90 year old sleepers have lasted. There are a number of trestle bridges, the most spectacular being that over the Percy Burn (unfortunately closed since the recent earthquakes) at 125 metres long and 36 metres tall (unbelievably vast single eucalypt trunks from NSW). It took us about 8 hours to do what was suggested to be 6-7 but it was easy flat going with many mementoes of the early logging days along the way: wheels, hitch pins, sections of track, old saucepans... The Port Craig Lodge was (unfortunately) closed for the season (16^th April!) Normally you can have hot showers, heated accommodation, booze & etc here. The old school house is lovely though, much like my memories of my old primary school Martins Creek, and is a ‘serviced’ hut meaning eg that wood is supplied (it wasn’t cold enough for a fire though). It costs three hut tickets ($15) unlike the ‘normal’ ‘DOC huts ($5). There are many curios of the old settlement scattered about here, including the framework and winch from a huge log hauler. It would be well worth spending a second day and exploring further. Just after Port Craig you CAN walk along the beach at low(ish) tide cutting off an hour of track time (but there is some rock hopping - unwise with our knees) and the tide was near full anyway. Breakneck Creek bridge is about half way (and is where you would normally enter/exit the alternate beach walk. After that, the track often takes you along interesting beaches which is lovely on a sunny day (it was raining all day – except lunch - for us!) After you pass the weekenders (NZ = ‘bachs’) near the Waikoua Mouth there is a very tall, steep staircase up into the Rowallan Forest and about forty minutes flat walking to the car park (which Della misheard me saying was only a ‘few’ minutes!) We took about 8 ½ hours for the section from Port Craig (I took 6 ½ last year one way, & 5 ½ on the beach the other) In retrospect Della would have been better suited to roughly halving the walks (as her eyesight makes for very slow going). We should have planned to camp half way out to the Waitutu and again to Westies. A night at the Percy Burn hut on the return trip would have been more congenial, and on the next day a camp after the Track Burn (a number of private hut verandahs available) or grassy areas along the Blowholes Beach where we could have pitched our tent. She IS happy to return to the Waitutu Lodge eg next year (via jet boat), stay a little longer and walk out more slowly. I might leave her there for four days and make a break again for Westies! Average temperature (Invercargill) is 17-18C in April (warmer in the forest along the South Coast Track, probably 1-2C warmer in March. You can use Elders 28 day rainfall forecast for SW Tas to give an indication of a High coming. No rain would be welcome: http://www.eldersweather.com.au/raindates.jsp?dc=disableCookies&lt=wzdist&lc=t03 If you want to check where we went, go to this page (http://www.nztopomaps.com./), find your way to Tuatapere (bottom centre South Island), then head West along the coast:

Farewell: Waitutu Lodge caretakers Pete and Rose Baldwin. Great hosts.

The road goes ever on and on...

And is often awesomely beautiful...

The wooden sleepers have weathered well their ninety years...

We can still hobble on a little further yet...

Edwin Burn Trestle Bridge.

Railway embankment inscription; I can make out 'Don't', but I don't know WHAT!

Percy Burn trestle and hut; you can even get a hot shower here!

Percy Burn Wooden Trestle bridge, the largest in the world : 125 x 36 metres.

Port Craig schoolhouse, our warm, dry home for a night. On the wall are photos of 1920’s students – see last year’s post 9&10/04 2104.

Mussel Beach, Port Craig.

A reminder of yesteryear at Port Craig.

Blowholes Beach.

26/04/2015: OCA (Yams = Oxalis Tuberosa): Pete & Rose Baldwin at the Waitutu Lodge (http://www.waitutu.co.nz/) were growing these prolifically in their vegie garden. I had never seen them before, but obviously they would grow equally well in Southern Vic. I will be planting some this year: http://greenharvest.com.au/Plants/Information/Oca.html

26/04/2015: GO, Matt Ridley: ‘innovation holds by far the best chance to keep pushing down the cost and pushing up the quality of public services, so lifting the burden of taxes and liberating people from dependence on government. Imagine if bureaucrats could be replaced by robots that worked 24 hours a day, did not need pensions and did not vote Labour. . . In the 1940s, Joseph Schumpeter said that the point of commerce consists “not in providing more silk stocking for queens, but in bringing them within reach of factory girls”.’ DO read the whole article: http://www.rationaloptimist.com/blog/only-innovation-can-save-us.aspx

26/04/2015: WAIRAURAHIRI TO WAITUTU: FIORDLAND 2014 #4: After a delightful night at the Waitutu Lodge (http://www.waitutu.co.nz/) we headed out towards the Waitutu River at 9:30, plenty of time for the 5 hours the sign at the Wairaurahiri Hut (and the DOC brochure opined), we thought. Little did we know that the signs at the Waitutu River pointing back where we were coming from would say 7 hours. It would be a VERY good idea if these hiking tracks could have signs at the 1/3rd and ½ way points – ¼ each way would be even better (counted as duration), so that folks would KNOW how well they were doing. They would know at the 1/3 point, for example whether they had already used ½ of their time, and should turn back (or camp) rather than risk walking in the dark! An hour and a half in we encountered a French scoundrel who claimed he had left Westies Hut that morning 5 ½ hours before, (TWICE the distance we were intending to walk!) We did not suss that he was a liar and a blackguard until later when we discovered he had not been paying the $5 for his hut accommodation, instead pretending not to have stayed in ANY of them. Three out of four folk who were also on the track were doing this (even though an annual hut pass is only NZ$120!) SCUM! We kept expecting our speed and the track to improve, to account for his astonishing rapidity. As darkness rapidly approached we tried to speed up and Della twisted her knee, so that we just limped in to the Waitutu as darkness fell after just shy nine hours’ walking! Della’s knee was not much improved next morning so we decided not to press on the (signed) further six hours to Westies Hut (Alas!) I thought she should rest it a day at the Waitutu River but she was keen to get back to the Lodge and rest there, so we headed out around 8:00 am. The return trip was even slower, 11 ¾ hours (two in the dark!) I think in normal circumstances (uninjured walkers who are not partially sighted) it would take approx 7 ½ hours. It is quite a pleasant walk through beautiful, untouched forest following the old Puysegur Point Lighthouse telegraph line (some mementoes of which yet remain – insulators, wire). A little muddy in places but generally a good grade and easy to follow. A couple of scrambles up and down steep gullies, on one of which Della twisted her knee. We should have planned to camp half way, which is approx the Angus Burn (swing bridge).

Frequent stops to photograph interesting moss might have slowed us down too!

Telegraph Line remnant: tree stump with insulator atop.

NZ birds are very friendly: this guy wanted to share our lunch (both ways)!

Some steep scrambles up and down through gullies.

Typical track scene, often muddier.

Crossing the Waitutu.

DOC hut Waitutu River.

View East Waitutu River mouth.

Waitutu River: View out to sea: the Solander Islands.

Waitutu River: View West towards Price's Harbour and Westies Hut.

25/04/2015: (VICTOR FRANK) LAWRENCE JONES (25/04/2015 – 28/07/1963). My beloved dad would have been 100 years old today (having been born on the first Anzac Day), if he had not been stolen from us just days before my fourteenth birthday (brain cancer) fifty two years ago. Tomorrow I will be able for the first time to apply for his birth certificate, so I can at last discover his true birth name (which I have never definitively known). His brother, Basil believed he was named after ‘Lawrence of Arabia’, but this is certainly an anachronism! He could not serve in WW2 (unlike Basil who served in North Africa, New Guinea, etc) though he applied many times, as he was in ‘essential industry’: beekeeping (500 hives) and steel-making. Here he is pictured on a crane he used to operate in the 1940s at ‘Commonwealth Steel’, Newcastle. I worked there myself for a time in the 1960s. We only have a handful of photographs of him, none of them clearer than this. He too (like his father and his son) was a keen hunter.

25/04/2015: THRILLING TALES #4: ‘The Far Horizons’ 1955 is a retelling of Lewis and Clark’s famous expedition1of 1804-6. Boy those old guys (I was minded of ‘our’ Bass & Flinders for comparison) could really travel the country. (get your copy here: https://kickasstorrents.im/the-far-horizons-1955-dual-audio-eng-spa-gem-share-t4907276.html) : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Far_Horizons

The Far Horizons - 1955 - Poster.png

25/04/2015: FIORDLAND 2014 #2: There was a huge dump of early snow the night before we arrived in Queenstown. Snow lay right down to the road along Lake Wakatipu and even across the road (having been cleared with snow ploughs making one metre high drifts on the side of the road in places eg on the road down from Te Anau to Tuatapere – see photo.) It was fortuitous for us that this occurred (though we WERE trepidatious unnecessarily about the temp) as it spilled enough water into the river (which had been too low) to allow us a thrilling jet-boat ride down the Wairaurahiri River from Lake Hauroko to the sea. Put THAT one on YOUR ‘bucket lists’ too! It is a wild and magnificent river through awe inspiring forest with many Grade 3 drops which will get your heart going. Nestled near where the river meets the sea is the wonderful Waitutu Lodge, owned by a collective of Maori descended folk and offered for $30 per night per person - hot showers, heating, clothes drying, cooking facilities, lovely walks, fishing in the sea/river, wild pig & deer stalking in the adjacent forest…the caretaker, Pete Baldwin bagged a magnificent nine (eighteen) point red stag while we were there. You only need to bring your own food, booze, gun, rods, clothes and sleeping bags. The Lodge gives access to the South Coast Track in both directions, the Hump Ridge track, the Slaughter Burn - Lake Poteriteri -Teal Bay Route, the Route to Big River and Cromarty, many rough coastal walks eg to the Crombie Stream and (the) Long Point (hut), etc. http://www.waitutu.co.nz/ email: waitutulodge@hotmail.co.nz With Della Jones

Snow, Lake Wakatipu Queenstown NZ

Snowdrift between Te Anau & Tuatapere

Lake Hauroko

Teal Bay, Lake Hauroko

Jetboating: Wairaurahiri River

Wairaurahiri River mouth looking West

Wairaurahiri River mouth looking upstream

Riverbank detail Wairaurahiri River

Wairaurahiri River walkwire & possum gate

DOC hut: Wairaurahiri River

Sunny afternoon at the Waitutu Lodge

Waitutu Lodge Wairaurahiri River

Cuppa time: Waitutu Lodge Wairaurahiri River

Waitutu Lodge Wairaurahiri River

24/04/2015: A WALK IN FIORDLAND: Home from the Waitutu Forest! More posts to follow. In brief, the South Coast Track is a ‘HIGHLY RECOMMENDED’! Though we did not achieve all our goals there, we did make most of them, and walked out on our own four legs without the aid of Medevac, so, ‘All good’! The Waitutu Forest is the only virgin podocarp forest in NZ (the world) untouched even by Maori. It is beautiful and serene beyond belief! It is also surprisingly easy walking, if a couple of fogies such as us can hobble through it, at least. There are many lovely warm huts. The temperature there is about 3C above Invercargill’s, so not much less than home in Central Gippsland. We encountered very few other people. Most nights we had the huts entirely to ourselves. There are many sections where you can (alternatively) walk along beautiful isolated beaches. Some ‘teaser’ pix:

Lake Wakatipu Sunset via Queenstown NZ

Lake Hauroko Morning Fiordland NZ

Crombie Stream Walkwire South Coast Track Fiordland NZ

Waitutu River Looking West South Coast Track Fiordland NZ

Percy Burn Viaduct South Coast Track Fiordland NZ

Kerin Forks Hut Wilkin-Young Track Fiordland NZ

24/04/2015: ABOLISH THE SENATE, indeed ALL our ‘upper’ houses. Every other Westminster-style democracy in the world either has - or has removed their ability to vote on LEGISLATION. Our ‘upper houses’ are horrifyingly undemocratic. Tasmanian voters have nearly FIFTY votes for every ONE from NSW, for example. Chrissie Milne (and her evil minions) simply would not be there, doing the harm they do, if it were not for these archaic ‘upper houses’. An elected Government DESERVES to be able to DO THE JOB it was elected to do instead of having most of the policies the majority of people voted for rejected by (eg) an undemocratic Senate! Long PAST time for a REFERENDUM on this issue – BEFORE the next election! THIS is the kind of RUBBISH we get NOW: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/off-the-wall-nutcase-peter-jones-set-to-take-last-seat-in-nsw-upper-house-for-the-no-land-tax-party/story-fni0cx12-1227300790535

24/04/2015: The nanny State gone MAD: This Week’s Consumer Product Safety Recall is…YARN: http://www.freerangekids.com/this-weeks-consumer-product-safety-recall-is-yarn/

13/04/2015: Della: The next hiking adventure begins! Heading off today to conquer the South Coast Track of New Zealand for 6 days with only our backpacks and stamina. Stay tuned for pics and reports when we return to civilization. (NB this pic is an old one of Steve and I attempting to conquer the south coast track in Tasmania (same name, different island!) a few years ago; now we are older and wiser, ...will that help??? smile emoticon ) The weather forecast is not particularly auspicious, with a reasonable dose of rain expected, but what are raincoats for?! Wish us luck! http://www.doc.govt.nz/…/things-t…/tracks/south-coast-track/

13/04/2015: MOTORBIKE HITCH CARRIER: I have been looking at getting one of these for my motorcycle. Unfortunately all those available are either too low, weak or unstable. Some stick out horizontally at least 750mm (some even drop DOWN). Even the rear tie-outs are horizontal instead of angling up 45 deg. They would BOTTOM dreadfully. Nearly all depend on the one central Hayman Reese receiver point when it would be a simple matter to weld two more of these on each side to give greater strength and prevent sway. (In either case you will have to refer to your towbar’s weight capacity and may have to modify shocks etc to compensate). One of my first jobs when I come home will be to build one. The steel has cost well UNDER $100 whereas folks are wanting to charge sometimes OVER $1,000 for these items, so a bit of handyman stuff WILL save money. These folks have some useful bits if you are not so handy: http://www.hitchmate.com.au/ & https://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Accessories_and_Parts-pc-Hitch_Adapter.aspx

13/04/2015: We are off to NZ (but only for 10 days!) Maybe when we return we could bring some NZ politics with us? Seems to me they have been doing the right thing this past decade whilst we have been making ourselves a basket case. ‘The New Zealand dollar is set to hit parity with ours, for the first time in 30 years. Its economy is growing 20 per cent faster. Its GDP per capita is rising while ours is falling. Its competitiveness rankings have outstripped ours. Its unemployment rate is 5.7 per cent compared with our 6.3 per cent, and that’s with a higher participation rate… The NZ budget is heading towards a surplus while ours spirals further into deficit…Key increased the GST in NZ to 15 per cent without a blip to his popularity. He did it by reducing the top marginal rate of tax to 33 per cent — compared with Australia’s uncompetitive 49 per cent… he reintroduced knighthoods and gave Prince Philip a top honour but, unlike Tony Abbott, he only became more popular…He’s privatised just about everything, and has cut billions out of the welfare system, not by being punitive but by encouraging people on welfare back into the workforce.’ Learn more here: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/miranda-devine-how-new-zealand-pm-john-key-unlocked-the-kiwi-potential/story-fni0cwl5-1227299873145

13/04/2015: Here are some very cogent reasons why having a labour market programme dominated by union thugs will do nothing to reduce unemployment: http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2015/04/why-minimum-wage-increases-are-a-terrible-anti-poverty-program.html

12/04/2015: TRICK KNEE: Things have been conspiring against our upcoming Fiordland hike. We survived the dreaded Lurgi only last week. Yesterday my trick knee decided it would show me a couple of new tricks (just after I had booked the flights!) and is still having conniptions this morning. Still I have completed a number of long walks with it before…hoping the exercise will gradually smooth it out. Can’t be as bad as dragging myself through the Dusky in 2012 with (effectively) a severed spine! Well, I hope not anyway. Nearly all packed and ready to go. You can expect a bit of a break from us for a week or so…

12/04/2015: MEANINGLESS UNIVERSE: Far too many young folks think so – but they are wrong! I woke in the night having a philosophical dream, the result of a mis-spent youth at Sydney Uni perhaps. Its motto, ‘Sidere Mens Eadem Mutato’ (Horace = 'the stars change, the mind remains the same’) has a deep resonance with me still. What a privilege it was for Della and I to attend that great institution (in its heyday!) courtesy perhaps of our and Menzies ‘Commonwealth Scholarship’?) I yet remember many night-time conversations (I was a night student all my University studies) with our greatest philosopher the (late) David Armstrong outside his rooms underneath ‘the tree in the quad’, the tree which was planted (as was the quad - to mirror Bishop Berkeley’s tree & Oxford Uni). The tree which remained, as it was ever perceived by God. David was the C20th greatest Empiricist. A privilege also to have been his student. Certainly he would not have found the universe meaningless; indeed (as my dream concluded) such a concept is IMPOSSIBLE. Only a hypothetical universe WITHOUT an observer would (necessarily) BE; ours could not! It may even be ‘the best of all possible worlds’ as Leibniz maintained. Certainly, despite even this trick knee, the prospect of a week’s walking (hobbling) in the wondrous enriching forests of Fiordland leads me to conclude, it IS!

12/04/2015: FAULTY BRAKE LIGHTS: I have opined lots of times that spitting on the pavement or pushing in at the supermarket queue should carry the death penalty and that it should be administered immediately by any suitably armed passer-by. Such a policy would do so much to improve public manners and rid the world of scum; however even to me shooting people dead over faulty brake lights as in the current US case seems just a tad over the top (even though the perp. WAS an African American - folks who have been increasingly ‘on the nose’ I know on account of having a quisling Pres – but you can’t blame all of them for that, surely?) if the officer concerned claims that it was a fiscal measure – an attempt to reduce the budget deficit, he may get off with a caution, I suppose…but I suspect HE may be listed as eligible for the death penalty!

11/04/2015: Just repeat this over and over to yourself until you GET it: ‘any means-tested welfare payment provides an incentive to be poor’. Nick Cater. Our Governments WASTE most of our money. Mostly they waste it on bludgers whom WE would not give the time of day to, let alone a helping hand. A helping boot up the arse, maybe! And they throw the money at these wastrels without expecting a sou in return! Wickedly poor investment strategy. Disastrous moral policy. Government should be about ensuring that people become their best selves, not reinforce folks in being their worst selves. If you keep on REWARDING bad behaviour, which is what almost all ‘welfare’ is, you will be repaid with plenty more of it. Apart from our money being thrown away on welfare per se (35% of the Budget!), most of the remainder also goes to ‘service’ these same folks; other big ticket items include: Public transport (2%), Justice (?%), Education (8%), Health (16%), the Public Service (6%), public Media ($2 billion!), Recreation (seriously, 1%) Housing 2% Interest 5% (and rising!) Some of these items are even more (mis) represented in State Government Budgets (particularly, Justice, Education, Public Transport. Less than 5% is spent on Defence or other worthwhile projects. Over TWO THIRDS is spent on welfare with no meaningful return, not even gratitude. This is CHARITY GONE MAD! We need to DECREASE spending AND TAXES! THIS is the shit they give us in return: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/flinders-street-protest-causing-traffic-commuter-chaos/story-fni0fit3-1227298912615 Here’s a graphic indicating totals and percentages from the 2013 Budget: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-09/interactive-budget-2013-where-will-your-tax-go/4682404

11/04/2015: Peter Walsh’s Death: He was Finance Minister in the Hawke Government. He was possibly the last economically literate Labor leader. Comparing him to the commie rabble running the party now evokes the cry, ‘Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.’(Dante)‘Walsh was not selective in his hatred of rent-seekers and protectionists: He despised trade union leaders as much as he despised farm and business leaders for their special interest pleading. And he was just as withering in his critiques of the environmental movement’s anti-growth agenda….He abhorred the rising influence of the environmental movement on the Labor Party and wrote that “since the 1980s Australian Labor Party policy has been incrementally hijacked by well-heeled, self-indulgent, morally vain and would-be authoritarian activists whom the media often describes as the intelligentsia”.’ From his obit in the Australian.

11/04/2015: Peter Smith: ‘We live in a topsy-turvy world, a place where the income people earn is widely thought to belong to the government. So, if you are taxed less than you otherwise might be and succeed in retaining more of your wealth, deem yourself to have received from Canberra a gift unfairly bestowed’: https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2015/04/grab-granny-shake/

10/04/2015: GREAT QUOTE: Kerry Packer, "I'm not evading tax in any way shape or form. Of course I'm minimising my tax. If anybody in this country doesn't minimise their tax they want their head read. As a government I can tell you you're not spending it that well that we should be paying you extra."

10/04/2015: BUCKET LIST#2: Crucible lake (with its icebergs) Gillespie Pass/Wilkin-Young Circuit via Makarora Fiordland, New Zealand. A future trip: http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/otago/places/mount-aspiring-national-park/things-to-do/gillespie-pass-circuit/

10/04/2015: BUCKET LIST#1: Westie’s Hut: built in a sea-cave at Price's Harbour on the South Coast Walk Fiordland New Zealand. Stunning views. Approx six hours up the ‘marked trail’ from the Waitutu River, four days in from Tuatapere; this is our goal for our current hiking ‘project’: http://www.doc.govt.nz/…/things-t…/tracks/south-coast-track/

09/04/2015: CHURCH IMMOLATION: FOUR Melbourne churches were deliberately burned down last week. Has the persecution of Christians (and Jews) world-wide now arrived here? You can have ONE guess as to who/what might be behind it all!

09/04/2015: THRILLING TALES #3: John (Jeremiah, ‘liver eating’) Johnson: If you love Robert Redford (as Della does) you will love this old film (‘Jeremiah Johnson’ 1972, a classic!) Also see ‘Mountain Man’ by Vardis Fisher and ‘The Avenging Fury of the Plains’ Dennis J McLelland (both avail Amazon). ‘In 1847, his wife, a member of the Flathead American Indian tribe, was killed by a young Crow brave and his fellow hunters, which prompted Johnson to embark on a vendetta against the tribe. The legend says that he would cut out and eat the liver of each man killed.’ I particularly like this tale: ‘of being ambushed by a group of Blackfoot warriors in the dead of winter on a foray to sell whiskey to his Flathead kin, a trip that would have been over five hundred miles (805 kilometers). The Blackfoot planned to sell him to the Crow, his mortal enemies, for a handsome price. He was stripped to the waist, tied with leather thongs and put in a tepee with only one, very inexperienced guard. Johnson managed to break through the straps, then knocked out his young guard with a kick, took his knife and scalped him, then quickly cut off one of his legs (as you WOULD!) He made his escape into the woods, surviving by eating the Blackfoot's leg, until he reached the cabin of Del Que, his trapping partner, a journey of about two hundred miles (322 Kilometers)’ WELL DONE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver-Eating_Johnson

09/04/2015: OBAMA, THE TRAITOR: Daniel Pipes: ‘Count the mistakes: Helping overthrow Muammar Qaddafi in Libya, leading to anarchy and civil war. Pressuring Husni Mubarak of Egypt to resign, then backing the Muslim Brotherhood, leading now-president Sisi to turn toward Moscow. Alienating Washington’s most stalwart ally in the region, the Government of Israel. Dismissing ISIS as “junior varsity” just before it seized major cities. Hailing Yemen as a counterterrorism success just before its government was overthrown. Alarming the Saudi authorities to the point that they put together a military alliance against Iran. Coddling Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey, encouraging his dictatorial tendencies. Leaving Iraq and Afghanistan prematurely, dooming the vast American investment in those two countries. And, most of all: Making dangerously flawed deals with the nuclear-ambitious mullahs of Iran.’ http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2015/04/daniel-pipes-the-obama-doctrine-serves-up-one-disaster-after-another.php NB Dick Cheney, ‘If you had somebody who, as president — who wanted to take America down. Who wanted to fundamentally weaken our position in the world, reduce our capacity to influence events. Turn our back on our allies and encourage our enemies, it would look exactly like what Barack Obama is doing. I think his actions are constituted in my mind are those of the worst president we’ve ever had.’

08/04/2015: HOW TO DISAGREE: The most convincing form of disagreement is refutation. It’s also the rarest, because it’s the most work. Indeed, the disagreement hierarchy forms a kind of pyramid, in the sense that the higher you go the fewer instances you find. To refute someone you probably have to quote them. You have to find a “smoking gun,” a passage in whatever you disagree with that you feel is mistaken, and then explain why it’s mistaken. If you can’t find an actual quote to disagree with, you may be arguing with a straw man. http://www.paulgraham.com/disagree.html

grahams hierarchy of disagreement

08/04/2015: STAND AND DELIVER: Day after day I hear pundits banging on about solving our economic woes by finding even more ways to TAX us – as if SPENDING wasn’t the real problem; as if you just can’t kill the golden goose; as if all taxation is not theft; as if the Government can spend my money better than I can; as if Government had not already long ago lost its entitlement to our money by having consistently failed in its prime duty (to protect us) and had not long ago gone even further and outlawed our ability to protect ourselves…What underlies all such calls is that somehow spenders are more deserving than savers; that those of us who have saved should be hit yet again to fund yet another handout to those who have already (again and again) just pissed it all up against the wall! What everyone is forgetting here is the moral duty of Government to make the people better. We all understand that with the system of punishment which is the law. Very little exists as a system of REWARD (save the very rare eg Australia Day ‘Honour’), and save that handing people MONEY FOR NOTHING is a HUGE REWARD, and clearly teaches people to do it all over again. Instead of hitting SAVERS yet again, it is long since time we began to PUNISH the spenders. Instead of attempting to extract yet a little more from the SAVERS (eg by DECREASING interest rates, hitting superannuation RIGHTS, means testing & etc) the Government needs to hit the SPENDERS; YES, actually PUNISHING the wastrels and indigent who have bludged for years (in too many cases GENERATIONS!) off us. I DO mean those on welfare. Let us return to the concept of welfare as a safety net which you MUST EARN, ie you must pay for YOURSELF!

08/04/2015: If you thought the Poms were a conservative lot, you were right: http://neveryetmelted.com/2015/03/19/dna-shows-that-tribal-identities-persist-in-britain-1400-years-later/

07/04/2015: QUOTE of the week: Mark Latham: ‘In a major public inquiry into CSG in 2013-14, the NSW chief scientist looked at 2.5 million wells around the world and couldn’t identify a single case of contamination…The campaign against the industry is one of the most fraudulent, misinformed and irrational pieces of politics I have ever seen…In the United States ... most environmentalists support fracking for its success in cutting greenhouse emissions – succeeding where the American political system has failed.’

07/04/2015: FREE WILL: Every ex-smoker KNOWS you CAN choose to change your life. Why, my ‘no booze’ diet has already scythed 10Kg from my avoirdupois, 25% of my target, since 21 Feb! Indeed much of (every Easter’s) Christian message is surely about the dichotomy between ‘free will’ and determinism’. Contrary to the Left’s cant that we are all merely VICTIMS of immutable historical forces (curable only by handing over every control lever to THEM!), Christ’s message was that we can CHOOSE our own salvation. Now I wholly disagree with him on the details of that. Anyone who harbours the slightest notion that there exists a single God and an afterlife or that ANY prophet can foretell the future is clearly an unscientific fruitcake. HOWEVER, we CAN choose to change our lives. ANY of us can. We can, for example, decide to repudiate all this victimhood and remediation gobbledegook, and declare that it IS in the individual’s power to change the world; that it is in the free market of free individuals that prosperity and freedom lie, not in socialism’s deadly state controls…we can also act together to bring an end to the TYRANNY of BELIEFS, and to the dangers of NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST – and MUCH MORE!

07/04/2015: VETWRAP Review: A 2 metre (x100mm) roll of this colourful elastic bandaging (available at horse supplies etc) is 15 grams lighter then the more traditional elastic bandage, and since it sticks to itself stays in place better. It is good for an emergency bandage, but it is almost impossible to RE-USE it, so if you are likely to need it for several days (likely) it is probably better to stick with the old one. Shown here is my old elastic bandage which has been in (& out) of my pack for thirty years (still with my firstborn’s nappy pin I see!) which still after many uses rolls up in ten seconds. I have been trying to re-roll the pink one for ten minutes, and this is as far as I got!

06/04/2015: POVERTY: ‘The home on the left was owned by Mark Hopkins Jr (1813-78) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Hopkins,_Jr.), railroad millionaire and one of the most powerful men of his age in California. Hopkins had a mansion with zillions of rooms and servants to cook and clean for him, but he never saw a movie, never listened to music except when it was live, never crossed the country in less than a week. And while he could afford numerous servants around the house, Hopkins (like his business associates) tended to work 6 and 7 day weeks of 70 hours or more, in part due to the total lack of business productivity tools (telephone, computer, air travel, etc.) we take for granted. Hopkins likely never read after dark by any light other than a flame. If Mark Hopkins or any of his family contracted cancer, TB, polio, heart disease, or even appendicitis, they would probably die. All the rage today is to moan about people's access to health care, but Hopkins had less access to health care than the poorest resident of East St. Louis. Hopkins died at 64, an old man in an era where the average life span was in the early forties. He saw at least one of his children die young, as most others of his age did. In fact, Stanford University owes its founding to the early death (at 15) of the son of Leland Stanford, Hopkin's business partner and neighbor. The richest men of his age had more than a ten times greater chance of seeing at least one of their kids die young than the poorest person in the US does today.’ http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2015/03/we-still-havent-figured-out-how-to-measure-prosperity.html

06/04/2015: NUCLEAR WAR: WHEN? Greg Sheridan is right. That evil ‘fifth columnist’ Obama has ensured that Iran WILL have the BOMB http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/obama_paves_way_for_iranian_nulcear_bomb/ Just in case you thought accusations against Obama of disloyalty, treason even were spurious, THINK AGAIN. He has astonishing fundamentalist Moslem connections. If the USA can be ‘turned’ like this what hope does the free world have that it will win the Fifth Crusade: https://pickeringpost.com/story/get-this-guy-s-brother-in-gitmo/4524 The world is now a more terrifying place than at any time in my life since the Cuban missile crisis. Yet the ‘deal’ negotiated with Iran is CELEBRATED in the media (by the Left!) as ‘Peace in Our Time’ once again! There is NO DOUBT Israel will HAVE to go after Iran’s ‘hardened’ (bunker) sites else risk its own annihilation – risk it in either case. The threat of nuclear war has been for 70 YEARS the greatest threat the world faces, yet NOTHING at all has been done to mitigate that threat since Ronald Reagan’s Presidency. Obama has just brought the threat much CLOSER! Forget about all the pet hobby-horses of the Left: global warming, species loss, environment, pollution, etc, etc. ‘We’re on the Eve of Destruction’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfZVu0alU0I Perhaps you have forgotten the original version by Dave Campbell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsjmuvCN3q4

06/04/2015: You might also remember THIS one: Donovan’s ‘The Universal Soldier’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A50lVLtSQik You MAY have forgotten it was written by Buffy Saint Marie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6imjvgJFvM You MUST remember her lyrics from the great film “Soldier Blue’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxXtaj051LA Where WERE you in the 70’s anyway?

06/04/2015: On a lighter note, you might enjoy this short Canadian film based on Les Voyageurs, (French-Canadians who ‘conquered’ the West with their giant canoes from the C16th onwards. What a great time to have been alive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-RNt4wNxb4

05/04/2015: http://laughingsquid.com/a-healthy-breakfast-of-yogurt-peach-and-apple-disguised-as-an-egg-and-fries/

Yogurt Peach and Apple Disguised as an Egg and Fries

05/04/2015: THRILLING TALES #2: John Colter who was famous for his adventures with Lewis and Clark (see the 1955 movie 'The Far Horizon'), for discovering Yellowstone, and for his famous 'run' of 240 kms pursued by murderous Blackfeet (used as the script for the movie 'The Naked Prey' 1966). His tale and that of the astonishing Hugh Glass (left for dead with horrific injuries after a bear attack and who crawled 320 kms with a broken leg to survive are both to be read in Zelazny's excellent book 'Wilderness' available (Kindle) from Amazon. NB: You CAN download this from Amazon's cloud, remove Amazon's copy protection so you can read it on your own ebook reader, even convert it from .mobi to .epub (I did so yesterday). A great yarn. Glass's story has also been made into an excellent film, 'Man in the Wilderness' 1971.

05/04/2015: LURGI: This weekend I begin to know something of the man's suffering as a misspent youth hanging around The Cross (like too many others today!) Della brought home the dreadful Lurgi from some crafty misadventure or another. She suffered with it most of last week taking to her bed until she finally (generously) imparted it to me too which has put paid to all my necessary farm preparations for our NZ hiking trip which may well be postponed for this autumn at least: at present neither of us would make a couple of kms let alone the nearly 100 we planned to walk!

05/04/2015: I am NOT so confident. I would have BOOKED this weekend. The rainfall forecast seems auspicious enough, but I still have a major job of work to do, then there is being well enough to walk 100km! I have found Southern Tasmanian rainfall plus approx two days good enough for Southern NZ that I have not had my raincoat out of my pack there the last four trips! http://www.eldersweather.com.au/raindates.jsp I also find the NOAA's 16 day rainfall forecase excellent: http://ready.arl.noaa.gov/READYcmet.php

05/04/2015: THRILLING TALES: The Wreck of the Commerce (1815) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufferings_in_Africa You can read Riley's complete account here: https://archive.org/details/authenticnarrati00rile

04/04/2015: Rube Goldberg’s Passover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baQfqoZrEvI#t=115

04/04/2015: ‘Extinct’ polies devour ‘extinct’ Fin Whale:

04/04/2015: GREAT INVENTIONS: THE LAW: http://fortnightlyreview.co.uk/2012/09/invention-11/

03/04/2015: Mark Perry has a list of the price per gallon of other liquids you buy. Think about the complexity of, say, orange juice as opposed to gasoline; petrol may NOT be as dear as we think. (NB: Petrol is certainly cheaper in the US!):

Product	Cost Per Gallon
HP Printer Ink	$4,500
Nyquil	$107.52
Premium Vodka	$76.80
Honey	$46.72
Hair Gel	$44.80
Pancake Syrup	$32.26
Red Bull	$28.00
Windex	$23.81
Real Lemon Juice	$22.91
Soy Sauce	$22.66
Chicken Noodle Soup	$21.25
Mouthwash	$19.65
Tide Laundry Detergent	$18.18
Dawn Dish Detergent	$17.92
Craft Beer	$17.78
Mustard	$17.41
Mayonnaise	$17.02
409 Cleaner	$16.64
Ranch Dressing	$16.00
Half and Half Cream	$15.87
Shampoo	$15.36
Spaghetti Sauce	$14.59
Ketchup	$13.95
Vegetable Oil	$13.44
Orange Juice	$11.69
V-8	$10.37
Tomato Juice	$9.47
Juicy Juice	$8.83
Cranberry Juice	$7.94
Soy Milk	$6.66
Gatorade	$6.53
Apple Juice	$6.00
Iced Tea	$5.89
Ammonia	$4.10
Milk	$4.00
Pepsi	$3.71
Vinegar	$3.07
Sparkling Water	$2.94
Gasoline	$2.05

03/04/2015: Many great hiking food recipes: http://www.trailcooking.com/

03/04/2015: Extraordinary: http://laughingsquid.com/burning-man-artist-david-bests-newly-completed-wooden-temple-in-northern-ireland-to-be-burned-tomorrow/

02/04/2015: GOOD NEWS doesn’t get much better than this: Israeli Company's Vaccine Blocks 90% of Cancer Types: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/189429#.VRvV2-FnPcu

02/04/2015: FUSION: I guess everyone who has read any sci-fi knows the term ‘Bussard Ramjet’. You may be more surprised to learn that it is REAL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_W._Bussard I would guess that in the future Robert Bussard WILL be remembered as one of the C20th GIANTS (and pygmies like Obama BEST forgotten). I confess I did not know he had claimed to have ‘cracked’ nuclear fusion, but it seems he might have (http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/03/31/the-lost-nuclear-fusion-reactor-design/) which would certainly add weight to Lockheed’s recent claim that they will be SHIPPING (portable) nuclear fusion reactors in 2017, and that they will have completely replaced all other sources of energy by 2050! Maybe instead of contemplating a career in some wishy-washy touchy-feely TAFE crap, you should think about Nuclear Engineering; Oh, but we closed our last such Uni course in Australia over 20 years ago!

02/04/2015: New Zpacks ultralight TENT with sewn in bathtub floor and insect screen: What a beauty, for 1.5 hikers at 536 grams including stakes: http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/altaplex.shtml

If the large image does not appear, it is either missing, or you need to enable javascript in your internet browser.

01/04/2015: Multiculturalism hasn’t worked out so well for Swedish WOMEN: ‘In 1975, the Swedish parliament unanimously decided to change the former homogeneous Sweden into a multicultural country. Forty years later the dramatic consequences of this experiment emerge: violent crime has increased by 300%. If one looks at the number of rapes, however, the increase is even worse. In 1975, 421 rapes were reported to the police; in 2014, it was 6,620. That is an increase of 1,472%. Sweden is now number two on the global list of rape countries. According to a survey from 2010, Sweden, with 53.2 rapes per 100,000 inhabitants, is surpassed only by tiny Lesotho in Southern Africa, with 91.6 rapes per 100,000 inhabitants.’ Once, a desire to protect women was seen as a virtue. http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/5195/sweden-rape?anid=7

01/04/2015: VERMIN-PROOF FENCE: Electrified Ringlock! I fenced a previous farm like this (and it worked a treat). Now I intend to re-fence our home property similarly. I will pin 30cm rabbit-proof netting to the bottom earth wires and to the ground inside. The grass will grow through it and anchor it. After that nothing will come through (or under) this fence, neither animal nor human vermin. Birds can clearly fly over it to a safe refuge. Eventually I will place nest boxes on all my strainer assemblies. Similarly small animals (possums, antechinus etc) will fit through or climb over the weldmesh gates. The gates need to be quite tight-fitting and have a pipe or pole buried under them. Our sheep will be unmolested and raise their lambs without fox predation. It WILL take a while. I have quite a few kilometres of fence to replace over the years; this was just the first. The plastic elements are from DM Plastics. I think you could just use a number of Pinlock insulators (three?) instead of the triangular sleeve – it may also be cheaper.

01/04/2015: ENELOOPS: If you haven’t discovered these wonderful rechargeable batteries, you are in for a TREAT. Unlike conventional’ rechargeables they maintain their charge almost indefinitely. The batteries are low self-discharge NiMH, which lose their charge much more slowly than ordinary NiMH batteries; 10% in the first year, compared to about 4% of their charge per day of storage (for conventionals). Some of these little guys can be recharged up to 3000 times! Sanyo also have a nifty fast charger which recharges four AA/AAAs in a few minutes. All avail Dick Smith stores: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eneloop

31/03/2015: A GREAT OBIT: ‘Captain Donald Alexander Malcolm Jr., 60, died Feb. 28, 2015, nestled in the bosom of his family, while smoking, drinking whiskey and telling lies. He died from complications resulting from being stubborn, refusing to go to the doctor, and raising hell for six decades…’ http://americandigest.org/mt-archives/citizens/captain_donald_alexander.php

31/03/2015: CARNIVORES: As a red-blooded Aussie I enjoy a plate of bleeding meat as well as the next bloke, but just when you thought you could trust CARNIVOROUS plants to show the way, we find this one which like so many of our limp-wristed left-wing brethren has gone VEGETARIAN! Where WILL it all end: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141219104027.htm

31/03/2015: CLOUDKILT: If you get too hot in rain pants (I certainly do) this might be the solution for you at only 54 grams and $59 – if you can put up with looking a little silly! (Still girls wear them all the time)! http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/cloudkilt.shtml

30/03/2015: FORESTRY TRACKS: Everywhere just behind where we live at Jeeralang Junction there are endless miles of forestry tracks. Some are very beautiful making anything you might find on those famous hikes in Tasmania fade into insignificance. For us, it is only a matter of a few minutes’ drive to be somewhere we can let the dogs run free and walk for miles without any disturbance. Like our road system, authorities have taken to numbering them (so that this one is now Road #2 replacing the much more evocative title, ‘The Blowfly’. It was extensively burned out in the (deliberately lit) 2009 fires but is beginning to recover: the dogs had plenty of bower and lyre birds to put up, for example. We try to manage an hour a day (for the benefit f the JRs):

30/03/2015: Photon Torch: At 7 grams this keychain light has to be about the lightest (adjustable beam) torch (4.5 lumens). Some models are also waterproof. The Maxell CR 2106 batteries for it can be bought from eBay for approx $5 for 10. Each pair lasts 12 hours, so that would be enough light for at least a ten days’ trip (at 6 hours per day) giving a total weight of approx 27 grams! You can use one CR2032 instead which last approx 2 ½ times longer. ($7 for 10 = 37 grams for 50 days!). The CR 2032 are 20mm in diameter and 3.2 mm thick – that’s how it works! The ‘necklace’ arrangement can double as a head torch. I often use it for this purpose, or you could make your own with a piece of very light cord and a micro cord lock. You can attach it eg to your hat with a Velcro dot. I always carry one as an emergency torch (in case my main one gives out, or I lose it!) http://www.photonlight.com/led-flashlights/photon-freedom-micro-led-keychain-flashlight/

Image result for photon torch

30/03/2015: Martin Ferguson on the thugs behind Dan Andrews (Remember folks, these are Shorten’s mates too): http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2015/03/martin-ferguson-the-cfmeu-needs-to-be-brought-to-heel.html

29/03/2015: WELL DONE NSW! Loved the chanting of 'Tony, Tony!' during Mike's speech! Now it is Shorten who needs to WATCH OUT!

29/03/2015: TRAINING WALK: Yesterday afternoon on the Wirilda Track. We spent a couple of hours or so walking downstream (& back) along the Tyers River from the W3 Track. I should have taken more photos. Forgot my camera, and forgot that my phone has a camera. Wirilda is a well-made and pleasant track with many lovely views of the river (though often through vegetation limiting photo ops!). It begins at the old Morwell Pumping Station just off the Tyers-Yallourn North Rd (about 10 km North of Morwell) where it crosses the Tyers River and continues for about six hours to the Mondarra Reservoir. There are some fine campsites at the end of the W3 (though you will have to remember to carry water up from the river there), on the W12 & etc. There are numerous mementoes of the early water supply history such as this pipe crossing of the river below the W3 Track and in one spot about a km above the pumping station the remains of an early WOODEN water supply pipe. The river IS canoeable, and has some entertaining small rapids. Years ago I had it cleared pretty well from the W3 down (about a four-five hour trip), but I imagine it would now need a little more work (so take a bow saw!) You will scrape the boat a little but it is a lovely river and abundant in fish and crays. It is almost always canoeable as there is a requirement of 3 megalitres of ‘environmental flow’ out of Moondarra (which is JUST enough). Note to self: A lot more work would create a 2-3 day trip downstream from Moondarra.

29/03/2015: YOGHURT: This from a CDT thru-hiker: Yoghurt can be made on the trail in a zip lock or a more durable plastic jar. It’s very simple to make:

Bring a small amount of store-bought yogurt to get it started. Mix powdered milk, water and the store-bought yogurt starter in the container. Shake it up.
Keep fairly warm either by sleeping with it at night or by keeping it somewhere dark yet warmed by body heat or the sun. Inside your shirt works well or at the top of your pack in a place that would get warmed in the sun. It makes yogurt even if the temperature of the liquid only reaches 20-25 degrees or so.
If you sleep with it remove it from your sleeping bag a few hours before eating so it will be cold for breakfast.
Eat but save a little for starter for the next batch. Repeat.

29/03/2015: Della Jones: I don't think I need yoghurt this much on the trail....some people are nuts...

29/03/2015: I admit I am; and that I can probably get by with just powdered milk and instant porridge or (Carmen's) muesli for breakfast, with occasionally scrambled powdered eggs or falafel fried in the fat from last night's Chinese sausages (or a fresh-caught fish) & etc. However, I am thinking about stoveless hiking - more about that later - and trail-made yoghurt might fit in with that. I DO like a hot meal at the end of the day usually though.

29/03/2015: WOOD retains many possibilities (move OVER IKEA): http://laughingsquid.com/a-clever-portable-wooden-picnic-table-that-unfolds-in-seconds/

Folding Wooden Picnic Table

28/03/2015: GO Mike!

28/03/2015: Grant Thompson, the ‘King of Random’ is an astonishing human being: http://www.instructables.com/member/The+King+of+Random/?show=INSTRUCTABLES

28/03/2015: Did higher ed suddenly begin to sell a more valuable service in 1980, or is it just another debt-fuelled and government-subsidized bubble: Those Uni folks have sure jacked up their entitlements since I was there; given that they continue to preach utterly vacuous fetishes such as communism, feminism, environmentalism & etc. Methinks a college degree is VERY MUCH overpriced. Better to get your hands dirty, get a trade, a start in business etc than to waste your hard-earned on such froth and nonsense! http://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2015/03/degrees-failure/

28/03/2015: In Venezuela they have just introduced fingerprint scanners in supermarkets (before you are allowed to buy food)! Ah, these great socialist paradises (which nonetheless so many film stars and other nutjobs admire): http://www.nationalreview.com/article/415126/lefts-mess-venezuela-kevin-d-williamson

27/03/2015: How to Mount a Honda XR250 Tank on a Ct110 Postie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Bdu98bBVEA XR Tank = 7.9 litres + CT110 Tank = 4.8 litres + CT110 Auxiliary Tank = 2.3 litres; Total = 15 litres x 62 Km/L = 930 km! Melbourne-Sydney on one refill ought to be ENOUGH!

27/03/2015: The execution of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert-Fran%C3%A7ois_Damiens Should we reintroduce such punishments for crimes which are just too awful? Well, that choice has been STOLEN from us by our parliamentary representatives who have adopted a UN convention which overrides our wishes.

27/03/2015: ‘What we're all about is creating meat-based soy substitutes to help save plant life’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyc_MnHX8FI

26/03/2015: If your spouse ever questions your desire to spend a day hunting (UNLIKELY!), you could show her this wonderful EVIDENCE: ‘Study: Hunting Increases Levels of Love Hormones in Men’: http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/203867/

26/03/2015: EQUALITY: Even JC admitted it, ‘for the poor ye always have with you, but ye shall not always have me’. We will NEVER have an equal society. People are not born equal and will not stay that way even if they are. Neither is it the Government’s or anyone else’s job to make it so. Some societal effort towards an ‘equality of opportunity’; ‘equality before the law;’ Yes. But transformations such as Harrison Bergeron are just as absurdist as Vonnegut elucidates (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4-hEfqpxIg) … ‘It’s important to keep in mind the distinction between inequality and poverty. To confuse the two (as is common today) risks addressing the wrong malady. Just as we do not blame a cancer victim’s suffering on an unequal distribution of good health - that is, just as we recognize that a cancer victim’s illness is not caused by the good health of others and cannot be cured by making healthy people less healthy - we should recognize that a poor person’s poverty is not caused by the prosperity of others and cannot be cured by making wealthy people less wealthy.’ http://cafehayek.com/2015/03/why-is-this-distinction-so-difficult-to-grasp.html &: ‘I recently read that there are only 1 million Americans with net worth of $5-25 million, and only 142,000 Americans with over $25 million in net worth. There are so many millionaires in NYC, you would think it's normal and end up with a distorted view of life. All inequality statistics could be solved by confiscating all of these wealthy assets. However, it would not even put a dent in American's debt to China. Another problem is that those people would go out and do it again, so best just to take their money and houses and stuff and then kill them, and kill their kids too just to be on the safe side. Kill the kulaks. Maybe better just to confiscate the wealth of old people who lack the energy to make money again. Hey - there's a policy to campaign on.’ http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/25934-Eat-the-rich.html

26/03/2015: 5 MILLION more people over the last 15 YEARS. Nearly ¾ of that under Labor. 1 in 5 people living here now is a new arrival during that period. Far too many are SPONGING off taxpayers. They have driven up house prices to levels that AUSTRALIANS cannot afford to BUY a home. Our roads, schools and hospitals are overcrowded near to bursting. Huge chunks of these folk have no LOYALTY to Australia, or are openly OPPOSED and hostile to everything we stand for. We must TURN THIE TAP OFF on immigration NOW, before we lose our country. A return to Labor will also, always spell a return to mass immigration (of unsuitable people). Warren Meyer: ‘I also worry that Obama is taking these actions for all the wrong reasons, seeking to add 5 million Democratic voters rather than trying to help 5 million people who are seeking prosperity. The reason I suspect this is that he is also seeking higher minimum wages that will likely make it harder for these folks to find work, likely something he has promised to his union allies so they won't freak out. I have always said that Republicans want immigrants to work but not vote and Democrats want immigrants to vote but not work.’ Also interesting, (and in the same vein): http://www.rationaloptimist.com/blog/political-institutions-evolve-slower-than-social-ones.aspx

25/03/2015: BELIEFS AND MYTHS: From a speech by the late novelist Michael Crichton to the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco, 2003:

‘Today, one of the most powerful religions in the Western World is environmentalism. Environmentalism seems to be the religion of choice for urban atheists. Why do I say it’s a religion? Well, just look at the beliefs. If you look carefully, you see that environmentalism is in fact a perfect 21st century remapping of traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs and myths.

There’s an initial Eden, a paradise, a state of grace and unity with nature, there’s a fall from grace into a state of pollution as a result of eating from the tree of knowledge, and as a result of our actions there is a judgment day coming for us all. We are all energy sinners, doomed to die, unless we seek salvation, which is now called sustainability. Sustainability is salvation in the church of the environment. Just as organic food is its communion, that pesticide-free wafer that the right people with the right beliefs, imbibe. . . .

There is no Eden. There never was. What was that Eden of the wonderful mythic past? Is it the time when infant mortality was 80%, when four children in five died of disease before the age of five? When one woman in six died in childbirth? When the average lifespan was 40, as it was in America a century ago. When plagues swept across the planet, killing millions in a stroke. Was it when millions starved to death? Is that when it was Eden?’ http://www.wsj.com/article_email/notable-quotable-environmental-religion-1426456555-lMyQjAxMTA1OTEzNjcxMzYwWj

25/03/2015: Gang of 20 Men Attack Synagogue in Stamford Hill - Saturday Night 3-22-2015. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPhFLwsF_Aw ) Della’s mother lived in Stamford Hill (as did her part Jewish mother). Their house there was blown to smithereens by the Nazis during the blitz. Just across the road hundreds of neighbours drowned in a basement while onlookers wondered at the singing coming from that basement as one of the doomed, a famous tenor sang mightily to cheer those unfortunates - whilst boosting a child on his shoulders in an unsuccessful attempt to save her. Stamford Hill was a different place in my mother-in-law (Dorothy’s) time, a better place despite the horror of the blitz through which the residents triumphed. Now Nazi-style anti-semitism has arrived full-blown there. All over Europe Jews are under attack: both from the Left and feral Moslems. No-one champions them, even though no doubt Della’s Jewish ancestors lived peacefully in the UK for more than a thousand years!

25/03/2015: Jim Bridger, the Greatest Plainsman: http://donsurber.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/jim-bridger-greatest-plainsman.html

24/03/2015: NZ TOPO: This is a great App for hiking in NZ: BackCountry Navigator TOPO GPS at $12.99: http://backcountrynavigator.com/new-zealand-topographic-maps/ You can go to the map page (http://www.nztopomaps.com./) on the App and colour in the (eg contiguous) bits of map you want to download. Afterwards it works offline with your GPS. IT WAS SO EASY AND WILL SAVE LIVES! Why doesn’t someone do this (as easily and economically) for Victoria? I have downloaded most of Fiordland in preparation for a foray soon on the South Coast Track which runs West around the coast at the bottom of the South Island from approx Tuatapere. We MAY get as far as Westies Hut at Big River (which is in a sea cave!), but anyway we WILL have fun! You can zoom on the area yourself: just come across the bottom of the South Island (westerly on the nztopomap above) until you run out of roads (Tuatapere will be the nearest town a little to the North-East of there). You will pick up the South Coast track as it wends its way around Te Waewae Bay, past Port Craig, the Percy Burn (world’s largest timber viaduct made from NSW spotted gum!), the Wairaurahiri River, the Waitutu River, to the Big River (Westies Hut) at the mouth of Lake Hakapoua. If you are a little lazy (maybe us) you can catch a jet-boat down (or up!) the Wairaurahiri River. Bookings for this, the Waitutu Lodge, Port Craig Lodge & etc, eg here: http://www.wildernessjet.co.nz/

24/03/2015: Our desktop computer is having conniptions and is with our Punjabi repairer. Hopefully we will know its fate tomorrow (and will have the problem fixed by week’s end), but ‘Oh, the HORRORS’! We have been forced to watch LIVE TV. Oh WOES, it is AWFUL. We had forgotten; it is SO long since we have been punished thus! Thankfully we have each other and our ebooks. Even in this extremis we would not be forced to watch Q&A!

24/03/2015: Tony Abbott eats a raw onion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc07UoEWYAA So what? So do I. Labor leaders have weirder tastes: Rudd eats his own ear wax: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0B23RgyhkI Shorten eats his own nose dirt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgqJ1Wp-AoU

23/03/2015: Photos you wish you had taken yourself: UK-based photographer Amy Shore was photographing a total solar eclipse from her backyard in Leicestershire when she happened to capture this remarkable photograph of a bird flying right in front of the overshadowed sun:

Eclipse Bird Photo by Amy Shore

23/03/2015: INSTALLING DIGITAL LOCKS: I installed the first of these on our front door when the kids were in primary school so that they could let themselves into the house without a key. (I KNOW that it was probably ILLEGAL for them to maybe be home without an adult carer! Get OVER it! So much Nanny State nonsense is ABSURD – I was ever about somewhere on my mobile). Then (as now) you had to buy TWO complete locksets so that you had a keyed deadlock on the inside and a digital lock on the outside. I have complained to Lockwood several times that this is ABSURD. Currently no-one produces digital locks for SECURITY DOORS. Even more absurd. It is not hard to understand why folk might want their security door locked to the outside whenever it is closed. I include some photos showing two different ways to fit them (using Whitco products). Again, you have to buy TWO complete locksets for each door! I have just finished fitting a Whitco Tasman Mark 3 one side and an Ikonic (Bunnings) digital lock to the other side. As you can see you need an extra steel plate. I will now be purchasing the Whitco Tasman Mark 2 locks for my security doors with the two (triple lock) accessory kits needed to make the door lock in THREE places, and will add a third hinge. When I am done with that I will start on Security Screens for all our windows.

Original Lockwood configuration

Ikonic front Lockwood back.

Ikonic front Whitco Safety Lock back.

Plate detail for Whitco Tasman mark 3.

Ikonic front Whitco tasman Mark 3 back.

Ikonic front view showing plate needing some Heritage Green paint.

23/03/2015: This is just SUCH a great essay. Two samples: ‘The right-left divide in politics is between those who value individual rights above collective rights and those who do not. The only person who ever correctly thought of Hitler as to his right politically was Joseph Stalin who introduced this notion into our political direction finder… Same with the word “conservative” who are people, again like ourselves, who find the open and tolerant society in which we live one we would like to see preserved, and therefore are very careful about the nature of change, and are never in any great hurry to see things radically altered. I am at one with Edmund Burke in believing in “the general bank and capital of nations and of ages”* as the great repository of common sense and social morality. It is being worn away as the left has continued its march through the institutions, but it has a powerful hold even still.’ Read it in ull, AND REMEMBER: http://catallaxyfiles.com/2015/03/19/islamists-are-not-on-the-far-right-and-they-are-not-extremists/

23/03/2015: MORE HIKING FOOD: Low GI and cooks in seven minutes, and VERY tasty: http://www.barilla.com/content/product/whole-grain-spaghetti

22/03/2015: My brand new Honda 2010 CT110 Dual Range has just arrived from Sydney thanks to Uship (20.7 km on the clock!) Many hiking/canoeing adventures await us thanks to this marvellous machine. Honda Australia (in its wisdom?) no longer imports this model (though every so often they weaken and let a few in) even though it is the most commonly produced motorcycle in the world, and now available everywhere else in a new model with fuel injection and an increase of approx 20% in horsepower and fuel economy – what wonderful technology!) You can see that the large cargo racks (and low range) allow you to take a lot of gear practically anywhere. The air intake is up under the main back rack; the sparkplug is well protected from water, so even river crossings can be attempted. It weighs in at a little over 80 kg, so if you have to push or lift it, you can. I am going to make a (Hayman Reese) hitch carrier for mine (none of the production ones are at all suitable – there will be a later post about that). It will fit on the back of the Discovery or the long wheel base Defender even with the camper attached. The older models had foldable handlebars (which could be turned 90 degrees to the wheel for transportation). I don’t know why they dropped that feature or whether it can be retrofitted. If the latter, the bike would sit less than a foot out from the hitch point.

22/03/2015: HOMER: I agree with Socrates on this one, (‘the best and most divine of the poets.’) as on so many things, but I very much doubt Milman Parry. To me each book (Iliad, Odyssey) reads as a complete work by a single author (RE-READ THEM - I recently DID with great enjoyment); you should ALSO (re?) read Aeschylus for comparison (and to get the feel of a unitary composition), eg the ‘Oresteia’ – I maintain that his ‘Agamemnon’ is the finest tragedy ever written; it makes Shakespeare’s wonderful ‘Macbeth’ into a lame thing by comparison http://m.weeklystandard.com/articles/no-place-homer_876681.html?page=1

22/03/2015: SEAN CHRISTIAN PRICE: another infamous name you can add to the awful list: Adrian Bayley, Peter Keogh, Paul Miller, Leigh Robinson, Peter Dupas, Leslie Camilleri, Julian Knight, etc, etc. Can folks REALLY believe that society is best served by leaving such people alive in prisons able to TRAIN the next generation of crooks encarcerated for lesser offences? Such people richly deserve to be executed, their bodies maybe used to save others’ lives (by organ transplantation, medical experimentation etc): Enough of this pussy-footing around: BRING BACK THE DEATH SENTENCE. LET’S HAVE A REFERENDUM ON IT: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/special-report-who-is-sean-christian-price-man-accused-of-masa-vukotic-murder/story-fni0fee2-1227272712105

21/03/2015: Fury 325, the world’s fastest and tallest roller coaster: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NCBgxlUVuE#t=103

21/03/2015: You MIGHT not like Abbott (you don’t have to) but Pickering is right; THIS is the terrifying (EVIL) alternative – and we can do NOTHING to prevent it: Either we choose another perhaps 20 years of Conservative Government – or, the country IS ruined: https://pickeringpost.com/story/meet-your-future-pm-and-first-lady/4656

21/03/2015: I used to love stuff like this. Now I am wiser! However, I can really recommend a vid of a guy who went to Alaska and did it all: (Dick Proenneke: Alone in the Wilderness: http://www.dickproenneke.com/ )http://www.nysun.com/national/the-10-barn/89085/

20/03/2015: Hvalsey Church (Danish: Hvalsø Kirke) was a church in the abandoned Greenlandic Norse settlement of Hvalsey (now modern-day Qaqortoq). The best preserved Norse ruins in Greenland, the Church was also the location of the last written record of the Greenlandic Norse, a wedding in September 1408. You will notice that the building had a simple gable roof construction which required large timbers. You will notice (see background) that no such trees grow in Greenland today (yet they DID during the Medieval Viking occupation – their remains have been found!) Likewise it was warm enough THEN to grow their (necessary) crops and to farm sheep and kine. Global Warming? Humph!

norsechurch

20/03/2015: COUNTRY PEOPLE: I realise that I know practically NO other people. Almost everyone of my acquaintance either grew up in the country (like me) or lives/lived in the country for a substantial part of their lives (or spends large amounts of recreation time there. Everyone else is (almost) ALIEN to me. Is it any wonder I do not understand THEM and that they do not UNDERSTAND the natural world? Urbanisation has produced a curious ALIENATION from the ‘real’ world. I do not think that urban folk should be allowed to VOTE on issues which affect country people. It would be far better if we had entirely separate Governments!

20/03/2015: Great QUOTE, Art Laffer: “Why”, he was asked, “didn’t the stimulus work?” His answer: “if you want production, you must reward production.” His six point plan (to build a strong economy): http://catallaxyfiles.com/2015/03/18/art-laffer-in-australia/

introduce a low-rate broad-based flat tax
bring in genuine spending restraint
base monetary policy on a sound-money imperative
ensure free trade is the basis for international trade
keep regulation of industry to an absolute minimum
leave the market to itself to solve the problems businesses find themselves in.

19/03/2015: TUNISIA: How nihilistic is this Islamist barbarism that tourists are murdered as they admire Islamic civilisation?

19/03/2015: ‘AG GAG’ LAW: I would SUPPORT this bill: you have NO IDEA how much time I have had wasted over the years by people who THOUGHT they saw a sheep in trouble on our property or in our trailer. I have even been visited by officious RSPCA officers because a sheep was LYING DOWN in the straw in the back of our trailer (it was suffering so much it was nodding off!) There would be no profit to farmers from being cruel to their livestock. That being said, there is a (hobby) chap down the road who is currently STARVING a small mob of sheep. Soon they WILL begin to die - unless I do something about it, and I WILL before they do. I AM checking them every day as I go past. I know his address and telephone number, and will be in contact with him before that happens. By the same token, I do not know his full circumstances, so I am not likely to ring the RSPCA (which would only ensure the animals would be KILLED). They would RECOVER from much worse than they are enduring now. I once saw a group of sheep which went entirely without food OR water, for three weeks in the summer heat (accidentally). The moment they were released, one of the rams ran right past the water trough to join a ewe!

19/03/2015: Answer to a reply: I do not consider ANY of the modes of 'farming' you enumerate CRUEL. Most I have practiced: pigs, sheep, goats, guinea pigs, poultry, dogs...I also stand by my statement that there is no profit in farmers being cruel to their stock: they generally want the best out of them, and the best FOR them. I would rather see an OPEN SEASON on the do-gooders, and particularly the greens/animal libbers & what-nots. We have so much regulation already: the so-called 'puppy farmers' supplied a worthwhile product (sound dogs) which the registered breeders do not. For example, they ever sold Westies as a cross (about 75%) so that the awful PAINFUL skin ailments 'pure' Westies are PLAGUED by would be eliminated. Governments have now made it illegal for me to breed my own WORKING dogs (hounds, stock dogs, den dogs etc). This is intolerable and absurd. When I was a kid everyone had a few pigs: one of my neighbours had a 1/3 ton boar which slept on their lounge; another had a small child EATEN by their pigs - all part of the rich tapestry of life! Della & I have been the victims of such whistle-blower trouble-maker types. We had neighbours who complained loudly about our farming activities to the extent that we were in court for years (and lost a FARM & several hundreds of thousands of dollars - even though we won!) - whilst it cost these bastards NOTHING: it should have cost them their LIVES! We know other farmers who are going through the same Hell right now: people like Peter Spencer - of whom I have written before, and the Giles brothers from Traf (whom we used to trade with - and from whom I got food for my now illegal hound pack) who lost their prosperous abattoir business because of FALSE accusations by just such PETA people. These folks MUST be stopped!

19/03/2015: Two lovely fat bronzewings enjoying autumn under the Fuji yesterday…Was also visited by a pipit on the verandah outside my (computer) window – the first I have seen here, though I have been hearing him/them and wondering, ‘What Bird Is That?’ – you remember? There were many on the Hazelwood Flats farm. ‘I cannot tell If truly never anything but fair The days were when he sang, as now they seem’…One of many things I 'lost' with increasing deafness was birdsong (and batsong!) currently much improved with my new hearing aid adjustment, but I still can't pick who it is sings in our garden!

19/03/2015: The pipit ‘minds me of THIS lovely poem: The Unknown Bird - Edward Thomas

Three lovely notes he whistled, too soft to be heard

If others sang; but others never sang

In the great beech-wood all that May and June.

No one saw him: I alone could hear him

Though many listened. Was it but four years

Ago? or five? He never came again.

Oftenest when I heard him I was alone,

Nor could I ever make another hear.

La-la-la! he called, seeming far-off—

As if a cock crowed past the edge of the world,

As if the bird or I were in a dream.

Yet that he travelled through the trees and sometimes

Neared me, was plain, though somehow distant still

He sounded. All the proof is—I told men

What I had heard.

I never knew a voice,

Man, beast, or bird, better than this. I told

The naturalists; but neither had they heard

Anything like the notes that did so haunt me,

I had them clear by heart and have them still.

Four years, or five, have made no difference. Then

As now that La-la-la! was bodiless sweet:

Sad more than joyful it was, if I must say

That it was one or other, but if sad

'Twas sad only with joy too, too far off

For me to taste it. But I cannot tell

If truly never anything but fair

The days were when he sang, as now they seem.

This surely I know, that I who listened then,

Happy sometimes, sometimes suffering

A heavy body and a heavy heart,

Now straightway, if I think of it, become

Light as that bird wandering beyond my shore.

18/03/2015: UPPER YARRA TRACK MEMENTOES: I returned from yesterday’s foray with these two. This afternoon Merrin was alarmed at what she saw as injuries to my right arm, what to me were just scratches, or badges of pride. Swinging my machete, the blasted ‘lawyer’ or ‘wait a while’ vine (so named ‘cause it won’t let go!) cut like a wire saw into my arm, but I needed to get through it and the dreadful prostrate shrubbery underlying it, and I did. I also brought back this interesting potshard. I imagine it forms a relic of the crockery supplied (by the C19th Government) at one of the Upper Yarra Track wayside huts. On a future visit I will try to find some more to confirm this:

18/03/2015: GUNS AND RACES: Here are two exemplary issues with which I part company with Tony Abbott: I generally DO support the Government’s overall position, but that does NOT mean one has to become utterly SUPINE. For example, I am not in favour of a referendum on ‘recognition’ of ‘aborigines’ in our Constitution. So far as I am concerned, this is a racist step; it is thinly disguised apartheid (against everyone else) on the supposed basis of ‘race’ – a C19th concept which is utterly meaningless. I do not believe there ARE such things as ‘aborigines’ so I am hardly wont to fix them in concrete in our founding document. There are simply fellow Australians. An issue nearer to my heart is Mr Abbott’s intention to criminalise gun ownership so forcefully that the ‘trafficking’ of an ‘illegal’ gun would bring a mandatory five year sentence of imprisonment. The Nazis too sought to demonise and outlaw gun ownership – in their case on penalty of DEATH. Yet very few guns were ever relinquished: so deeply held in the German people was their belief in the sanctity of gun ownership that they were willing to risk DEATH to defend it. MILLIONS of Germans held onto their illegal firearms throughout the Nazi era. The same has happened here since gun registration became compulsory (in Vic) in 1983. Abbott’s admission that there are hundreds of thousands of illegal guns (I would think MORE) shows that people would RATHER DEFY such onerous restrictions. This belief is well stated in the American Constitution where the right (nay DUTY) to bear arms is ENSHRINED, a voluntary militia so armed being seen as a necessary Defence of free people against the TYRANNY of Government. Mr Abbott (and his cronies) argue for this measure as a response to the risks that (particularly Islamist) terrorists represent. They would do much better to so correctly identify and eradicate this risk eg by deporting its supporters. I have no problem with criminals and terrorists being executed – indeed I passionately advocate it! What I object to is the criminalisation of ordinary law abiding citizens because they wish to make or own guns, or exchange them with each other. I would much rather see gun ownership being made COMPULSORY than that it be forbidden. Such a step would certainly improve public manners and public SAFETY! It is an absurdity that there are people who believe that the only possessors of guns should be Governments, when it is clearly Governments who are the single biggest ABUSERS of firearms (and especially against their own citizens). It seems reasonable to me that everyone should be armed so that they can DEFEND themselves AGAINST wicked Governments - their own or someone else’s!

18/03/2015: I remember when I was ‘working class’ and that meant I WORKED in a factory, as a shop assistant cleaner, farm labourer, fruit picker, taxi driver, etc. Now that phrase means ‘welfare class’. Immigrants eagerly flock here to take up that sort of work, but many ‘native born’ and ‘natives’ too often DISDAIN it – or anything else that MEANS work. The raw data shrieks at us that we cannot continue on this course: ‘40 per cent of children from jobless households are on welfare by age 20; 39 per cent of children follow their parents’ footsteps and live off the taxpayer; 12 per cent of children under 14 are growing up in jobless families’. Amongst those identifying as ‘aborigines’ the figures are even worse! Here is an instructive tale of two families, one which works and one which WILL NOT: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/a-tale-of-two-families-sydneys-work-and-welfare-divide/story-fni0cx12-1227265405123

17/03/2015: UPPER YARRA TRACK: MYSTERY FALLS: Spent another seven hours yesterday pushing ever closer to this ‘lost’ treasure. From the top fall, the prostrate scrub was unbelievably thick for the next kilometre or so. I was wondering whether I should give up. I guess I spent three hours hacking my way through it, then after about another kilometre of ‘hill-siding’ I was on a relatively clear ridge. I advanced to about 250 metres of the position of the old hut at the junction of the two streams. I needed to return at that point if I was to get out before dark. The return took two hours! It took seven hours (over two days) to get to that point, so I AM making progress. Any who chose to follow will have a delightful trip. From just above my turn-back point there was a view through the trees of (what I took to be) the last two falls. Unfortunately I only had my mobile, so the photo IS trash, but you can perhaps make out something in the middle of the snap. It is a tantalising glimpse: these falls DO promise to be quite spectacular, tumbling down the valley around 250 metres (vertical). The largest in Victoria. No wonder in times past they were a major tourist attraction (to rival Phillip Island, Wilson’s Prom, the Grampians, etc). On my next trip I hope to rediscover the ‘Falls Viewing Track’ (which crossed this ridge just below where I was) and wound along on the true right bank about 50-100 metres above the stream past the ‘major’ falls to the base of the ‘minor’ falls – and CLEAR it!). As well I would like to rediscover the ruins of the Falls Hut, which should be discernible in the thick forest because of its concrete floor and chimney. As well, I would like to discover a suitable camping spot down there somewhere… http://www.finnsheep.com/THE%20UPPER%20YARRA%20WALKING%20TRACK.htm

Major Fall centre.

Falls Stream crossing.

Ridge above the Falls Hut ruins.

17/03/2015: ‘UNITED’ NATIONS: The UN is in NO WAY 'an independent umpire': the UN is an extremely left-wing organisation run by unelected bureaucrats accountable to no-one. It has also been utterly unsuccessful in achieving ANY of the goals it was set up to address, costs huge volumes of money, and SHOULD BE ABOLISHED! Certainly we should not surrender OUR sovereignty to it, any of its organisations, bureaucrats or 'conventions'! http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/mirandadevine/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/united_nations_attacks_us_while_ignoring_the_real_problems/

17/03/2015: Great idea: http://www.defencejobs.gov.au/education/GapYear/

16/03/2015: HOT LIPS: Useful product: http://www.rei.com/product/800044/snow-peak-hotlips-package-of-2 & http://snowpeak.com/products/single-600-cup-hotlips-set-mgh-044?variant=671143709

16/03/2015: First Rotherham, now Oxford. Where else? Yet here in Oz not one complaint or investigation of Moslem child sex offence investigated by our Royal Commission! Do you too sense COVER UP? http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/03/05/how-oxfords-police-and-social-services-allowed-370-underage-girls-to-be-raped/ & http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/dgreenfield/uk-police-arrested-parents-trying-to-stop-muslims-from-raping-their-children/

16/03/2015: The news the ABC etc did not see fit to publish: the South Gippsland by-election on the weekend represented an approx 15% swing AGAINST the Andrews Government after only 100 days in office. Too little, in my opinion: has there ever been a worse, more disfunctional Government in Vic? http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/by_election_whack_to_andrews_government/

15/03/2015: WELFARE REFORM: ‘Since state welfare provision is, in essence, the socialisation of risk, moral hazard is unavoidable. Put bluntly, any means-tested welfare payment provides an incentive to be poor. Charles Murray called it the law of unintended rewards: “Any social transfer increases the net value of being in the condition that prompted the transfer.”’ http://www.luckyculture.com.au/2015/03/03/why-governments-fail-so-often/ I noticed this phenomenon many years ago. Some relatives of ours could have downsized their home to one which (was nicer! and) cost 10% of the one they insisted on living in (in ‘poverty’ on the pension). The other 90% of its value could have been invested in such a way as to provide them with SEVERAL TIMES the income they insisted on living within! I did not understand the mindset then, and I do not understand it now! But clearly the above IS the reason. Exclusion of the family home from the assets test is only increasing real estate prices in our cities (making things harder for the next generation) whilst also imposing a welfare burden on that same generation. People ought surely to be expected to PROVIDE FOR THEMSELVES, and to move on and get out of the way once the necessity of living in millionaires’ row is passed. By the same token it is equally bizarre for State ‘Housing Commissions’ to be OWNING ‘millionaires mansions’ and ‘renting’ them out to the ‘poor’ for a pittance – or providing NOTHING BUT 3 bedroom accommodation (even to SINGLES) whilst the workers have to shell out over a third of their hard-earned income just to rent a room (sometimes a SHARED room!) Yes, I would see a return to something much more like the Workhouse (ie a true ‘safety net’, not a REWARD) for those on welfare where they were provided with much more modest accommodation better matched to their contribution to society (a contribution which they would be REQUIRED to make - by WORK!) This would encourage a move (on the part of the recipients) AWAY from welfare, bringing an enormous net benefit to society.

15/03/2015: UNLIMITED VPN! This sounds good: https://store.gizmag.com/sales/vpn-unlimited-lifetime-subscription

15/03/2015: Best tarp clips: http://www.shelter-systems.com/gripclips/products.html

14/03/2015: Bill Shorten in 2013, saying almost exactly the same thing as Abbott: ‘I don’t want to stop people living where they want to live. On the other hand, do you ask every other taxpayer to subsidise people’s lifestyle choices? I think that’s really hard …This is the dilemma about living in some areas which are highly risky. I mean, do you stop people living there altogether? Or do you say, okay, but you need to be aware of the risks of where you build and live.’ Perhaps the same rues don’t apply if you CLAIM to be aboriginal, that is you are PROUD to be a racist (What else IS someone who claims membership of a RACE?): http://ministers.treasury.gov.au/DisplayDocs.aspx?doc=transcripts/2013/001.htm&pageID=004&min=brs&Year=&DocType

14/03/2015: THE WORLD’S GREAT RELIGIONS: you must have heard this phrase. AS IF there was anything great about ANY religion! What’s s great about DELUSION, self-deception, the diversion of immense assets and effort to fantastic goals, the subjugation of billions to falsity and HATRED? ‘Good manners should deter us from insulting other people over their faiths on most occasions…But these are not normal times. And the one occasion when good manners should not determine our actions is when others threaten us with death or maiming if our speech offends their faith. We are then under an obligation to defend free speech, if not by blaspheming ourselves, then at least by protecting the right to blaspheme expressed in the speech of fellow citizens. Not only does the right to free speech include the right to offend, moreover; it is largely meaningless without that right. Speech that offends no one requires no protection. Indeed… the right to be offended is also an important right because, even if we are reluctant to admit the fact, it frees us from the prison of unconsidered opinion and the prejudices of our own religious-cum-ideological community’: http://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2015/03/pieties-perils/

14/03/2015: This is COOL: Four-Hour Grip Clip Kayak! You can build a kayak of green willow shoots, plus a blue tarp in just four hours! http://www.shelter-systems.com/kayak.html

13/03/2015: APARTHEID: Ask yourself this, ‘Is it ever appropriate that Government policy targets people according to their RACE?’ I emphatically think NOT! ‘Total direct expenditure on services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in 2012-13 was estimated to be $30.3 billion, (MORE than we spend on DEFENCE!) accounting for 6.1 per cent of total direct general government expenditure. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians made up 3.0 per cent of the population in 2013…Estimated expenditure per person in 2012-13 was $43,449 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, compared with $20 900 for other Australians (a ratio of 2.08 to 1 - an increase from a ratio of 1.93 to 1 in 2008-09).’ http://www.pc.gov.au/research/recurring/indigenous-expenditure-report/indigenous-expenditure-report-2014 yet by most measures in the latest ‘Closing the Gap’ report went backwards http://www.dpmc.gov.au/pmc-indigenous-affairs/publication/closing-gap-prime-ministers-report-2015#targets Of course those dusky denizens ALSO benefited from the expenditure of $20,900 on such trivialities as Defence, Public Works, Health, Education and suchlike trivialities. You might also ask yourself, ‘What proportion of tax did those folks pay?’ Being ‘disadvantaged’: It’s a great job if you can stand the pace!

13/03/2015: Conservation: Have you noticed that PLOVERS love ROUNDABOUTS? These spur-winged daredevils really like to stick it up our emerald brethren by deserting the sacred swamps and National Parks and heading for the safety of the suburbs. Have you thought, ‘WHY?’ Out in touchy-feely land there are innumerable foxes and cats who eat them when it’s dark. In the middle of the roundabout there are lots of bright lights, as well as lots of cars to run over and KILL those moggies and foxies – so it is a delightfully safe place to be if your are a plover. QED.

13/03/2015: BRILLIANT: The Islamic State wins prestigious Turner Prize for modern art: http://www.panarabiaenquirer.com/wordpress/islamic-state-wins-prestigious-turner-prize-modern-art/

13/03/2015: ISLAMAPHOBE OF THE YEAR: For contrast, those evil (murdered) Charlie Hedbo folk have won the prestigious ‘Islamaphobe of the Year’ award for their services in demonising the wonderful prophet – I kid you NOT: http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/03/09/murdered-charlie-hebdo-staff-named-international-islamophobe-of-the-year/

12/03/2015: PRISTINE BEACHES: It would be nice to see a lot more of these (and the same goes for eg riverbanks). I am sick to death of people being allowed to blot out the landscape with their monstrous tasteless, flashy holiday homes, condos, restaurants etc. I am all for banning of ALL permanent buildings, towns, cities, villages along our shores and rivers. I realise it would take a while to buy them all back, bulldoze these monstrosities and revegetate, but it should be done. Otherwise we will soon have paved it all over with urban monstrosities till we have really deprived future generations of their earthly inheritance. Surely people can just visit such places eg on foot or via canoe without feeling they have to own them, to leave their indelible mark?

12/03/2015: Another great metho stove, the ‘Super Cat’: http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/SuperCat/

12/03/2015: INTERNET: One of our friends has already lost their NBN connection (and it won’t be restored for YEARS!) I feared this WOULD happen which is why we ‘preserved our ADSL2+ connection as well (just scaled back a bit) and hopefully our phone line! Be WARNED!

12/03/2015: Sir Richard Branston’s observations on the Portuguese ‘experiment’ in drug law reform this morning ARE interesting: he claims that heroin addiction is down 90% and infections from Hep/Aids are down 93%! If there ARE no downsides, then it is well past time WE followed suit.

11/03/2015: Tony has been described as a ‘racist’ by Labor & the Greens this morning for saying the Govt cannot afford to keep on ‘funding lifestyle choices’ referring to people who live in remote communities. Instead, it would be racist to continue to fund such folk on the BASIS of RACE. As I have observed before, the rest of us (of whatever colour or creed) have always had to MOVE with the times (or changing circumstances). My ancestors were evicted from their traditional; (English) village lands during the ‘enclosures’ movement and the Industrial Revolution (as I’m sure was the case with most of you). No recompense for such ‘dispossession’ (which occurred SIMULTANEOUSLY with the colonisation of Australia) is possible or called for. Della and I came to Victoria for work (rather than be dependent on anyone's support - government or otherwise) in 1975 when due to the Whitlam (Labor) Govt debacle there was very little work in NSW or elsewhere. I'm sure many of you have had similar experiences. One needs must shift for oneself. One must cut one's coat according to one's cloth. This ought not be a society where some people are permanent ‘dependents’ eg based on some (supposed) historic slight.

11/03/2015: NO BEER DIET: I have decided that I am just a bit too like this picture. I would hike a lot faster and further if this was not so. Expect to be seeing a lot less of me SOON:

elephant

11/03/2015: USHIP: I have just discovered this amazing service. I needed another (!) Honda CT110 motorbike I bought online in Sydney delivered. The best quote I could get otherwise was $532, with others at $650-750. These folks operate like eBay. They AUCTION the service. First two bids came in at $350, which I though was great – until I accepted one at $239! You can have ANYTHING shipped this way. BOOKMARK them: https://www.uship.com/au/

11/03/2015: CHARGING: This little guy weighs approx 85 grams and includes a 2200 Mah battery so should have enough grunt to recharge your phone/ebook reader without itself needing recharging from the sun which takes about a day: http://www.bushnell.com/hunting/outdoor-technology/powersync/solarwrap-mini You can also use it to recharge a couple of AAA batteries for your Fenix HL10 torch or similar with a USB AA/AAA battery charger weighing another 20 grams or so: http://premium.aliexpress.com/au/item/Ni-MH-AA-AAA-Rechargeable-Battery-USB-Charger-Best-Selling/32264862894.html?currencyType=AUD&af=ppc&isdl=y&src=Google&albch=Google&aff_short_key=UneMJZVf&cv=1020800000008006&ptsid=1020000000012141&crea=56546947201&plac=&netw=g&device=c&aff_short_key=UneMJZVf&cv=1020000000012141&gclid=COLTyPnancQCFdckvQodkqMAqA

Image result for usb aa battery charger

10/03/2015: QUOTE of the YEAR: Tony Abbott, ‘Australians are sick of being lectured to by the United Nations’! We HAVE a Prime Minister!

10/03/2015: IS DAVID LEYONHJELM the only SANE voice in the Federal Parliament? See his speech on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Recognition (Sunset Extension) Bill 2015, ‘I rise to oppose the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Recognition (Sunset Extension) Bill 2015. This Bill seeks to re-affirm three statements in legislation. I oppose the Bill because I believe that these three statements should not be in legislation.

The first statement is as follows:

The Parliament, on behalf of the people of Australia, recognises that the continent and the islands now known as Australia were first occupied by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

This is conjecture. Archaeologists make extraordinary discoveries all the time, and one of those discoveries could be that someone made it to Australia before the Aborigines. Statements like this belong in scholarly research, not legislation. Ever since the Enlightenment we have accepted that q

The second statement is as follows:

The Parliament, on behalf of the people of Australia, acknowledges the continuing relationship of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with their traditional lands and waters.

This is stereotyping. It is likely that some Aboriginal people do not have a relationship with traditional lands and waters. What is the Parliament doing to these people when it asserts that Aboriginal peoples have such a relationship? It is denying their Aboriginality.

The third statement is as follows:

The Parliament, on behalf of the people of Australia, acknowledges and respects the continuing cultures, languages and heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

This is divisive. It is likely that some Australians do not respect the cultures, languages or heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. What is the Parliament doing to these people when it asserts that the people of Australia respect Aboriginal cultures? It is casting them as ‘un-Australian’.

This Bill also seeks to reaffirm a commitment to a referendum on constitutional recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Amongst other reasons, I oppose the Bill because I oppose such a referendum and I oppose such constitutional recognition.

Each of us can feel that our ancestry is important, and each of us can celebrate this ancestry in our own way. Some celebrate ancestors who were here millennia ago, some celebrate ancestors who were on the First Fleet, and some celebrate ancestors who came on a more recent leaky boat. But no one person’s ancestry is more important than another person’s.

The Liberal Democrats, and our sister party in the New South Wales election — the Outdoor Recreation Party — have policies on many issues, but we have no policies specific to Australia’s Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. This is as it should be.

Every human being in Australia is a person, equal before the law. Giving legal recognition to characteristics held by certain persons – particularly when those characteristics are inherent, like ancestry – represents a perverse sort of racism.

Although it appears positive, it still singles some people out on the basis of race.

This bill offends on many levels. It should not be approved.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPYnvLCmdPw

10/03/2015: The WISDOM OF AGE: until recently I did not know that (either Gideon was left-handed or) he did not have the arthritis I have which has (by now) so twisted some of the fingers particularly on my right hand that I find it difficult to hold water in my cupped hand to drink (so you can see I would not have been given ‘The Jericho Demolition Job’!) Annoyingly I am forever spilling moisturiser, heel balm etc on the floor as it slips between my fingers, then I have the arduous job (with my stiff back) of getting WAY down there to clean it up! They should make such cosmetics more appetising to dogs so they would clean it up, and I would have nothing to complain about! Having lived 65 years (over 50% more than the average human being who has ever lived), I have little to complain about, really. Many young hikers I have met would not know the Gideon story (cultural education is getting very sloppy!) and would be afraid to drink from a stream anyway. There is this excellent lightweight water filter (if you worry about such things or go paces where lots of folks have shit in the streams): https://sawyer.com/products/sawyer-mini-filter/ which weighs under 60 grams (probably worthwhile to have in your pack). If you are walking ‘The Wilderness Coast’ (19 days along the beaches of East Gippsland) or a month or so along the Tasmanian West Coast South of Strachan, you might consider this Katadyn desalinator http://www.katadyn.com/usen/katadyn-products/products/katadynshopconnect/katadyn-desalinators-manual-survivors/katadyn-survivor-06/ though it weighs 1130 grams (OK split between two people – and preferable to dying of thirst!

Sawyer MINI Water Filter

09/03/2015: DIY SIDE BURNER METHO STOVE: The Ray Garlington Yet Another Coke Can (YACC) Stove

Got 5 minutes, a coke can, and a pair of scissors? If so give this little stove a try. It is easy to make, and uses only one can. Also, the pot sits right on top, so it doesn't need a pot stand. Just add a piece of aluminum foil for the wind screen & you are good to go. The YACC stove can raise a pint of 65*F water to 135*F using 1/4 oz of alcohol when air temperature is around 65*F. I have found this sufficient for my lightweight 'cooking' needs. A 4oz supply of alcohol lasts me for 16 stove firings, which equates to 4 gallons of 'hot' water. Of course, if you need more heat, you can add more fuel.

The stove was inspired by the Antigravity Gear stove (uses two cans) and "The One Can K.I.S.S. Soda Can Stove" by DeoreDX on the TLB Forum. I liked the idea of using just one can, and wanted construction to be as easy as possible. The YACC stove can be made quickly with just a pair of scissors.

Here's how to make it: Obtain an aluminium soda can. Remove the opening tab from the top, and tear the top out with a pair of pliers, or cut out with can opener..

Mark the side of the can 3/4" up from the bottom. Flip the can over and mark the side of the can 1 1/2" from the top.

Using a pair of scissors, cut the can in half

Now, carefully cut along the marked lines. If your marked lines are on the 'thick' side, cut the bottom along the outside of the line (thus making the bottom slightly larger).

Take the top section and cut slits every 1/2" from the cut edge to just below the shoulder of the can top.

Push the tabs slightly toward the center and slide the top section into the bottom section. Push the top (carefully) all the way down into the bottom. The tabs of the top will follow the can bottom until they jam up against the domed part of the bottom. As the shoulder of the top starts to go under the cut edge of the bottom, look for bulges that might tear the bottom and push them inward with the flat side of the scissor's blade. When fully seated, the top's shoulder should be slightly under the bottom lip. None of your slits should be visible from the top. (If they are, you will need to cut another top.) Hold the can together and roll the cut edge of the bottom slightly inward over the top's shoulder to hold the stove together.

If the details above sound too tedious, just push your two stove halves together. At first, your stove will spring up so that the top slits are exposed. Don't worry, because after you light the stove, you put the pot on, which will compress the stove anyhow. After using the stove a few times it will stay compressed (particularly if there was a little soda left in the bottom).

Theory of Operation

OK. Now that you see how it goes together, how does it work without any gas jets? Well actually, the jets are there, but hidden under the cut-edge of the stove bottom. All those cuts in the top allow gas to pass through which find their way out the small gap between the can top and bottom. So, in the end you have a two wall (well sort of) stove that is pressurized (again, sort of).

Operating Instructions

This stove requires preheating to the point where flame comes out the seam. Details: Pour the metho into the stove body. 1/4 oz of fuel will burn for about 3 minutes. Position the wind screen and light the stove by holding a flame above the large hole. Watch out because the stove lights easily and the flames are nearly invisible at first. Hold your pot about an inch above the stove until flames exit the side of the stove (about 15 seconds). When that happens, immediately position the pot on the stove: http://web.archive.org/web/20130827200008/http://www.garlington.biz/Ray/YACCS/

09/03/2015: Opinion Polls are a nonsense: I completed one today. They always ask questions such as, ‘How satisfied are you eg ‘With Bill Shorten as Leader of the Labor Party?’ Now, as I consider him to be a complete commie, rapist fool I am VERY satisfied that he is the leader of the Labor Party because I think that makes it more likely that people WON’T vote Labor - and I sincerely don’t want them to win. This is exactly the opposite answer/reasoning to the one they want/expect, so MY answer distorts the poll utterly – and how many others ARE there like me? Don’t answer that! I have always found the expected answers to intelligence tests to be equally silly. Complex issues cannot be answered in any simple way! That being said, I am more than happy that Tony and the Conservatives have picked up in the polls, and I would be devastated if they chose to make Turnbull leader as I would definitely NOT vote Lib/Nat in that event – and would be hoping that an equivalent of UKIP emerged before the next poll to give me some other choice!

09/03/2015: This has to get the prize for the silliest election poster I have seen in a LONG while. As if CATS PROTECT National Parks, where it is FORBIDDEN to even SHOOT cats OR foxes, or vermin of any sort, eg Greenies – but you would not find them there anyway – too far from the inner city!

08/03/2015: Unbelievable barbarism: Archaelogical site of Nimrod before its destruction by ISIS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEem9CIkMX8

08/03/2015: HIKING FOOD: Two new recommendations: Breakfast/Trail: Carmen’s Cranberry Apple & Nut Crunchy Clusters (needs no milk) & Snack: Carmen’s Classic Fruit & Nut Muesli Bar. Both these have the ‘Low GI’ tick meaning (both) that they are suitable for folks with diabetes (or helping PREVENT it) and that they will keep you going for a LONG time without feeling hungry. Sometime (on the trail) you MIGHT need a quick energy boost (where maybe eg a square of chocolate is appropriate – I never do), but mostly you want food which will keep on delivering energy all day long. In this context, you might consider wholemeal angel hair pasta instead of the regular two minute noodles, or a mixture perhaps of basmati and brown rice (pre-cooked and dried of course to save fuel when reconstituting) or lentils etc. Obviously fresh fruit and vegetables are an impossibility on the trail, so maybe it is doubly important then to consider the effect on your pancreas of what you put in your mouth. Diabetes is NOT a disease; it is a DIET!

08/03/2015: How MANY kilometres do folks have to TOW a horse around with their SUV before they REALISE that a horse is a MEANS of TRANSPORT?

08/03/2015: There IS hope that Jews (Israel) might be saved, after all: http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/netanyahu_conquers_congress_warns_obamas_plan_will_give_militant_islam_nucl/ ‘It says something about how Obama has outraged even Muslim allies by his Iran policies that the official Saudi press runs articles backing Netanyahu. In the Saudi daily Al-Jazirah, columnist Dr. Ahmad Al-Faraj says Obama, “one of the worst American presidents”, is working to sign a deal with Iran at the expense of America’s long-time allies in the Gulf, and Netanyahu’s campaign against it is justified.’

07/03/2015: ELASTIC BANDAGES: There is now a veterinary elastic bandage which should (perhaps) replace the elastic bandage you have carried in your pack the last twenty years without using it. It is VERY MUCH lighter, and sticks to itself, so you don’t need a safety pin (though this might come in handy for some other use, and I always carry a couple in my ‘repair’ kit) Pretty, isn’t it? http://www.globalmedivet.com.au/order-online.html?page=shop.product_details&category_id=1&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=17

07/03/2015: This is SO typical of these idiotic folks. They are SO deeply committed to ‘saving’ wildlife they cannot even correctly identify it. (These are NOT kangaroos, folks!) In the past you must have seen countless similar poster of eg terrible destruction of ‘pristine native forest’ backed by a photo which is clearly a logging coup, or a pic of a fern gully stating ‘Don’t’ log our forests’ as if wood came from tree ferns! I had THIS to say about one such silly photo not so long ago: ‘This is clearly a logging coup in a plantation forest: those are radiata pines in the background. The human figure is superimposed to exaggerate the size of the trees. If the tree really was this big (ie over 3 metres in diameter) it would not fit on the largest semi-trailer! Clearly none of the background trees are anywhere near the size the stump would indicate. Even so, timber is a renewable resource which there is a constant need for. Tasmania has 'locked up' far more of its forest area than is desirable for its own economic good so that now it barely HAS an economy - and would be bankrupt if the rest of the country was not constantly bailing it out. I love forests and have spent a great deal of my life in them - and have walked right across this very Tasmanian wilderness. We CAN have forests AND human activities. Frankly, Tasmania DESPERATELY needs its forest industry. Also, I notice the tree was cut down by chainsaw, but the cuts have to be at least THREE METRES (closer to FIVE!) above the ground. What sort of giant Paul Bunyan loggers do they have in Tas?’ These ‘Greens’ are mad, as well as quite bad!

07/03/2015: Quote of the week: Andrew Bolt: ‘Global warming causes the complete disintegration of English prose. The latest tragic victim - British sociologist Lynn Jamieson, showing her scars to the University of South Australia: “In this lecture, Professor Jamieson will refer to evidence about the future of intimacy in projected practices of intimacy in couple relationships, parent-child relationship, kinship, friendship and sexual relationships. She looks for evidence of possibilities of environmentally-positive future directions for social change in discussions that largely focus more directly on issues of gender equality and balances of power in intergenerational relationships.” The poor woman. Shattered friends recall those blessed days when the breeze was cool and Jamieson made sense.’

06/03/2015: MATHOMS IN YOUR PACK: We are all always trying to lighten our load, searching for those unnecessary items which would best be left at home, but it would be unwise to jeopardise safety for lightness. A case in point: for over twenty years I carried an elastic bandage and a cotton sling in my pack, the first in case of snakebite sprains etc (I also carried Panadine Forte and Diclofenec anti-inflammatories for the same reason), the second for a broken arm from a fall, etc. Now, after all that time it might have been sensible to reconsider the weight they were adding. Then, in 2011 I took Della to Supper Cove, Dusky Sound, Fiordland NZ. She had not been there better than an hour when she slipped on a rock and dislocated her shoulder, so that I needed all these ‘mathoms’ at once! PS: the ‘Helimed’ evacuation (called ‘Medivac’ in NZ - and FREE!) was a spectacular ride – just a pity Della didn’t enjoy it much despite all the morphine they were giving her! NB: Satellite phones DO come in handy!

06/03/2015: DEATH PENALTY: Back around 2011 Federal Parliament voted to overrule our sovereignty again endorsing yet another UN ‘Convention’ this time outlawing the death penalty in Australia in the pious belief that by so doing they would prevent any future generation from re-implementing it. This is the very ANTITHESIS of democracy. Not only are the people to be refused what the majority of them believe is right by the current Government, but by all future Governments AS WELL, however they may vote in the future! I believe there are crimes so heinous that most right thinking people believe the perpetrator deserves death, swiftly and dispassionately. It is not hard to imagine terrible acts of barbarism, treason or terrorism which ought to earn the ultimate price. Personally, I extend the range of crimes which ought to be punishable by death (perhaps) further than most: I think there are many instances of deliberate wickedness and recklessness which mean the perpetrator no longer deserves to live. If for example, in a drunken rage you dangle your infant child from a balcony by the heels then carelessly let them slip, crash to the ground & dashing their brains out all over the pavement, or when fuelled by a desire to become even more intoxicated or drug stupefied you leave you children locked in a car on a hot day where they will hideously cook to death whilst you go off partying…you can, I’m sure think of many similar instances, but here is another: Say you deliberately, persistently and wilfully (for personal profit and aggrandisement) continue to traffic hard drugs knowing that every kilo of heroin you sell WILL result in the deaths of X people – is that NOT a crime deserving that you too face death for performing it? The only regret I have over the deaths of the ‘Bali Two’ is that their organs (which could save many other innocent lives) will be WASTED along with them. THAT is a grave wrong!

06/03/2015: Some things never change: an end to the mining boom c1899: http://www.warwickhughes.com/blog/?p=3485

06/03/2015: If Egypt can close 27,000 mosques, why can’t we? http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2015/03/egyptian-el-sisi-government-closes-27000-mosques-in-move-to-fight-terrorism/

05/03/2015: HONDA CT 110: In Australia this motorcycle is best known colloquially as the ‘Postie Bike’ (for obvious reasons). It is the most common motorcycle in Australia. Elsewhere known as the ‘Cub’ it is the most produced vehicle in history with over 60 MILLION having been made by 2008. A brief history here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Super_Cub I picked up my ‘latest’ one this afternoon (Thanks eBay) for $450. It is a 1981 CT90 in dual range format. It had been ‘buried’ in a shed for over twenty years, and is in almost ‘mint’ condition (with only 5K on the ‘clock’). Just poured some fresh petrol in the tank and it started first kick and ran like a watch! It will take me many tens of thousands of kilometres yet. It needs only a new seat cover, battery & mirrors to make it registerable. ‘Club’ registration is available for such older vehicles (in this case for about $70 per year). In low range it will creep up the steepest hill (and go many places a 4WD will not). Indeed if you own one of these (known in Australia as the CT110 AG – for ‘Agricultural’) you won’t need a 4WD. I believe it was originally released (in Japan) as the Honda Hunter Cub, an appropriate name! The ‘Australia Post’ models are only single range. If you want a dual range, you have to look out for the oval transfer case on the left hand side of the transmission just aft of the footpeg. The front rack is also usually a good indication, though this one doesn’t have one (it will soon!) Nice big rack on the back to carry your pack, gun or whatever; another smaller one on the front. This one has a spare petrol tank underneath the rear rack which together with the main tank should give me a range of 300 kms or more. It has pillion footpegs too (though one’s passenger might want a cushion). These ones are home made: I will replace them with the OEM ones which flip up. It will take me into the Wonnangatta after the gates are locked (Queens B’Day) and the river is uncrossable by a 4WD (there is a pedestrian ‘swing’ bridge). I have a ‘bike tow’ gadget that slips into the Hayman Reece coupling. The front wheel of the bike sits up on it and the bike just tags along. It will also mean we can undertake many canoeing expeditions taking only one car – the bike will get me back to the car. The same applies to long walks. Many adventures await us and my ‘new’ bike!

05/03/2015: ABSOLUTELY, the very WORST thing the Abbott Government has done (or in this case has NOT DONE) is PROTECT our FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Without this freedom, all others are meaningless. We MUST be able to freely speak out against the evils of the world, chiefest amongst which today is ISLAM: http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/do_not_ban_hizb_ut_tahrir_rather_protect_the_free_speech_of_its_critics/

05/03/2015: Abu Bakar Bashir: The Indos are keen to execute minor druggies but seem strangely forgiving of this terrorist bastard who was largely responsible for the Bali bombing (and other atrocities) including the murders of many Aussies. Yet still we shower them with AID – not to mention the 100,000 .308 SLRs and one BILLION rounds of ammo Howard gifted them after Port Arthur (to MAKE US SAFER!) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Bakar_Bashir

04/03/2015: INSECTS can RUIN a camping trip. You need a Repellent which WORKS. There has been a move by the touchy-feely crowd to bombard us with ‘natural’ ones which will see you eaten alive. Be warned. The product MUST have DEET (not so much it melts your raincoat, but lots). And if you are going somewhere which you know is seriously infested (eg with murderous giant sandflies – like the West Coast and Fiordland NZ) then it should also contain ANOTHER repellent as well, eg DIMP. I usually use ULTRAGUARD which has 30% of each! If you are allergic to either of these products, STAY HOME! Even so, you DO get bitten occasionally (and those NZ sandflies can turn me into something which resembles the surface of the moon - only monstrously ITCHY!) Unexpectedly unprotected spots need to be considered. The part of your hair. Most caps, for example, have a gap where they adjust at the back. Some hiking shirts are (thoughtfully?) provided with (non insect screened) vents. Some materials are too open-woven so that those nasty probosci can punch right through them. I choose close woven lightweight nylon in those circumstances, even though you end up smelling like a horse! The very best thing when you DO get bitten and are itching to DEATH is an antihistamine cream (BANNED in Australia – what a weird nanny-state we live in!) called ANTISTAN. You can buy it from the Ta Anau Pharmacy. I’m sure they would be only too happy to send you some if you rang. If you are going to sleep in a tent, make sure that it has the FINEST nano no-see-um bug mesh which excludes all the nasties (including leeches). I might even consider sleeping in such a tent if I was camping in the Canadian Arctic (eg canoeing the Kazan River) as the blackflies are simply murderous there. ‘Warmies’ also seem to be unaware that the chiefest ‘problem’ facing Arctic explorers (save cold and polies) were MOZZIES AND (in the past) malaria! I generally only take a 16 gram Sea to Summit head net to ward off biting insects. Unless you are going to retreat permanently to a bug-sprayed tent, you’re going to be out and about with the little guys most times. At least a head net gives you all-over cover at nights when the rest of you is in your sleeping bag.

04/03/2015: CUT TAXES: Costello is right and Shorten is (unsurprisingly) utterly wrong. Government in Australia is AT LEAST 5% more of the national economy than it ought to be. It is nudging 25% when it ought to be less than 20%. We ought not be talking about how to INCREASE taxes to cover increasing deficits. That will just DRIVE OUT even more investment, as Labor’s attacks on the mining industry show: all mining stocks and ancillary services are STILL at rock bottom (some have fallen 80%!) and will remain there whilst they stare at the prospect of having their investments CONFISCATED (essentially the Labor way). It is little wonder they have taken their dollars overseas to such risky countries as Mongolia, Guinea, Chile, etc. There is NOT a world-wide slump in mining investment; just in Oz! We need to be talking about how to reduce future deficits by DECREASING SPENDING. There is plenty of fat out there to cut, but we need to find approx $65 BILLION annually for the next TEN YEARS just to pay off Labor’s reckless deficits! To put this in perspective, we spent a MERE $29.3 billion on DEFENCE in the 2014 budget. The time is rapidly coming when we won’t have A SINGLE CENT to spend on DEFENCE. When that day comes, WE won’t HAVE a country, but Indonesia WILL: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/once-we-led-the-world-now-we-follow/story-fni0ffsx-1227245377838

04/03/2015: GUN LAW REFORM: gone wrong: What explains the drastic decline in violent crime, specifically between 1500 and 1900? And its increase SINCE 1900? ‘That’s a 17,544% increase in England’s assault crime over the past 100 years.’ The decline in gun ownership by law abiding citizens would have to be ONE explanation. (Another might be the decline in capital punishment). Interestingly, ‘most criminals are more worried about meeting an armed victim than they are about running into the police’ Bear that in mind when you are making your NEXT gun purchase. Read the two articles: http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/02/19/britain-is-getting-more-dangerous-so-give-us-our-guns-back/ & http://www.adamsmith.org/blog/liberty-justice/make-britain-safer-bring-back-handguns/

03/03/2015: SLEEP WALKING: I had not noticed this either, but the child abuse Royal Commission has not ‘found’ a single case of a MOSLEM abusing a child (despite all their child brides, genital mutilations, etc). Do YOU also find this just a little bit TOO extraordinary: http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2015/02/child-abuse-royal-commission-ignores-abused-little-girls-if-theyre-muslim.html

03/03/2015: INSTANT TRELLIS/FENCE Bunnings have these wonderful brackets which attach to standard ‘star’ posts/pickets which enable wooden fence rails to be joined to them (there are also corner ones): http://www.bunnings.com.au/post-accessory-post-bracket-flat-12215_p3040743 Also see: http://whitesgroup.com.au/Products/WhitesSpecialistRuralcatalogue/tabid/126/ProdID/174/categoryId/39/Post-Caps.aspx?sid=[PARENTID] & http://www.waratahfencing.com.au/Product/Tools-and-Accessories/Fencing-Accessories/GalStar-Post-Caps.aspx There also exists a plate to prevent star posts from sinking: http://www.waratahfencing.com.au/Product/Tools-and-Accessories/Fencing-Accessories/Anti-sink-Plates.aspx available elsewhere.

03/03/2015: SOLAR power (and wind) are the answer – if you want to kill a lot of birds! Here’s what happened when they switched on the new solar plant at Tonopah, Nevada last month, ‘Unfortunately, about two hours into the test, engineers and biologists on site started noticing “streamers” – trails of smoke and steam caused by birds flying directly into the field of solar radiation. What moisture was on them instantly vaporized, and some instantly burst into flames – at least, until they began to frantically flap away. An estimated 130 birds were injured or killed during the test.’ Now there’s a great idea! http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/03/02/test-at-tonopah-solar-project-ignites-hundreds-of-birds-in-mid-air/

2/03/2015: LEADERSHIP: The ALP ‘shot itself in the foot’ with its changes to its ‘leadership’ rules back when the reincarnated Rudd was THE MAN. Now, it takes several months for them to decide on a leadership change whereas the Liberals can change overnight. In the lead-up to a poll (which THEY can call anytime) the Liberals can INSTANTLY change to a squeaky clean new leader leaving the ALP floundering with the imbecilic, corrupt, rapist commie thug Shorten whom they can tear to pieces during a SWIFT and sudden election campaign! When the time COMES, it will be Morisson as Abbott explained way back in 2010: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/in-this-game-of-thrones-scott-morrison-is-now-key-20150301-13rwdj.html

02/03/2015: LAZARUS RISING: I see Tony IS back this morning having lifted the Coalition vote to very near a winning 49:51. Three cheers for an honest, decent, principled leader. A little more help from key Communications Minster Turnbull who is frankly floundering hopelessly in requiring ABC/SBS to report in a balanced way would improve things further. It is extraordinary that anyone would think that this Minister should be elevated when he is a failure in his own portfolio. If the media scrutiny was more reasonably focussed on what the 'other team’ has to offer: economic illiteracy, filling the country with blujahadeen’,a leader who is a rapist commie thug, etc would help lift the Coalition’s support further and redirect the public’s attention to the quite real economic issues which HAVE to be faced.

02/03/2015: This guy is the Treasury Secretary (so NOT a politician). He doesn’t have an axe to grind or an agenda other than the economic situation Australia has spent itself into. His conclusion is that Government spending and indebtedness MUST be reduced (and quickly) or we will be heading for a dire situation. You should sit yourself down and read it, try to understand it, then ask yourself, ‘Why isn’t there bipartisan agreement to deal with the problem?’ The Labor party urgently needs to get itself on side; its previous Government is largely what has brought about the situation, but Howard era wasting mining boom revenue on tax cuts and middle class welfare also contributed. Whoever may have been to blame, both major parties need to unite to control and eradicate the problem. The time for wishful thinking and grandiose schemes is long past. There is no sense in even ASKING the Greens; they are financial illiterates &/or naïve Marxists insofar as economics is concerned: http://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2015/02/grave-ills-dubious-prognosis/

02/03/2015: HIKING: I have been doing some work on my Hiking (instructables) page, here: http://www.finnsheep.com/HIKING.htm It is now 130 pages long, & I believe full of useful information and interest, even though still incomplete. Worth a fresh look anyway if you haven’t been there lately.

01/03/2015: MORE good news: Food production worldwide is speeding up: http://www.drroyspencer.com/2015/01/now-its-peak-food-give-me-a-break/

01/03/2015: Have ‘aborigines’ ALREADY been PAID for ‘THEIR’ land? Or, to put it another way, have THEY paid for the upkeep of ‘their’ land which would support their continuing claim to it – instead of its being auctioned off to recover unpaid rates and maintenance costs, as would happen to ANYONE else? It seems to me that if (collectively) you have been on Government welfare for over 200 years (this started as early as 1803 in Tasmania, for example), then the supposed value of ‘your’ land (& its upkeep) ought to have been deducted from the benefits you have received. The ‘debt’ was long since repaid. It is not as if undeveloped land has any dollar value anyway, when ALL its economic value surely comes from the work and investment ADDED to it to develop it – which I wholly agreed ought to be repaid; that is why land does have a dollar value (but it is not ‘they’ who have invested in this development). It is not as if they ‘cared’ for ‘their’ land anyway, having turned it from once fertile country (when they arrived) into one vast desert over-run by invasive weeds - gums and wattles and inedible grasses, the only things which COULD survive disastrous fire regimes which saw all the most valuable nutrients swept into the sea long ago. Phosphorus levels in such lands have typically fallen to 3ppm. It is a wonder that such land sustained ANY life at all. Which is why, on European settlement there were so few aborigines, maybe 300,000. (There are many more now than there were then!) As Europeans developed this despoiled land it became able to support over 100 million people (as it does now, three quarters of our produce is exported). QED. Don’t get me started on recognising ‘them’ in the constitution! The ‘dispossession’ motif is just SO much hype. First you would have to post facto PROVE that Terra Nullius was invalid, then specify titles and descendents involved (Impossible after 200+ years)…but then even if we accept the principle that restitution is desirable or possible, we could not adopt it as a principle exclusively for one ‘racial’ group. If you have been ‘doing’ your family history (as so many of us have – so MUCH time on our hands; so little to DO!) you will have noticed how eg your English ancestors lived in this little village (in my case Stuntney, Ely, Cambridgeshire) for CENTURIES (a veritable PLAGUE of Joneses!) only to all suddenly vanish thence in the twinkling of an eye in the early C19th! WHY? The Enclosure Movement, which dispossessed ALL the English yeomanry at that time, turning them instead into industrial labourers in the bourgeoning ‘Babel’ cities, or displacing them to the far-flung colonies. When am I going to be compensated for my ancestors’ dispossession of our favourite patch of eel swamp in Cambridgeshire? I want MY share too! So, the aborigines think THEY had it tough? My ancestors were sent IN CHAINS to slave in NSW! And so on…The whole ‘entitlements’ industry is a vile creature of shibboleths and fetishes, as so much IS!

01/03/2015: Heart attack or cancer? YOU choose: http://www.rationaloptimist.com/blog/the-inevitability-of-cancer.aspx & http://donsurber.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/doctor-death-from-cancer-is-best.html#more

28/02/2015: RIVER CROSSINGS: This is one of the most fraught parts of hiking. I have seen so many people come to grief doing this (and have had to arrange emergency air rescue for a number who foolishly injured themselves). For example, many folks will spend lots of time trying to find a LOG to cross on. Please, DON”T. If you fall off the log you will certainly NOT be in the best place to cross and may be swept to your death; if you needed a log it probably wasn’t safe to cross anyway, and you may be injured by the fall. Logs are round and slippery; you will need perfect balance – difficult wearing a heavy pack anyway. FORGET it! Secondly, don’t remove your shoes and cross barefoot. A badly injured foot miles from safety/your vehicle etc is a recipe for disaster. Many river bottoms (also) conceal broken glass even in the most remote places; anyway there are always sharp stones/sticks. Either put up with wet shoes or carry purpose river crossing (or camp) shoes, or just a pair of seal skin socks - 80 grams -so that you can have dry feet at night even with wet shoes: I recommend Crocs (300 grams/pair) as you CAN hike many kilometres in them if your hiking shoes give out or you happen to lose one eg down a hole, in the fire etc – or you could try making a pair of my ultralight thongs – 58 grams/pair; see ROPE 24/02/2015. Before you cross carefully choose your spot. Calm water is best. A long ‘still’ patch of river (even if you have to swim) is safer than a fast moving section with lots of rocks (even if shallower). If you have to swim, swim diagonally downstream having carefully worked out that the speed of the current will allow you to get across in the section chosen. Obviously a long, slow shallow section is best of all (eg as pictured). You should have your gear in a waterproof pack liner, your sleeping bag, clothes sat phone etc inside another waterproof bag inside the liner. I use THREE nested waterproof bags for my sat phone! It is your most important survival aid – apart from what is/isn’t between your ears! It is a good idea to ensure there is plenty of AIR inside your pack liner so you can use your pack as a kick board if you have to swim (I have, many times!) I use the Sea to Summit Ultrasil bags. Check them from time to time for waterproofness (when you’re home!) by filling them with water to see if they leak. If they do the supplier WILL replace them, or they can be seam sealed again. You can even blow up your inflatable mat either (partially) inside your pack or tie your pack to it for extra buoyancy. If you can safely wade, obtain a stout stick to make for a third leg, so you always have two points of purchase on the river bottom. Cross (at least slightly) facing INTO the current which is the most stable stance. Thirdly, if you are wearing your pack rather than using it as a flotation device, ALWAYS UNDO the pack straps. You don’t want to be bowled along in fast water with the pack strapped to your back! That’s an excellent way to drown! If you have a rope USE it (see post about ROPE 24/02/2015). Lastly, if it isn’t safe to cross, DON”T: wait for the water to go down or find an alternative route - either upstream (smaller) or downstream (flatter) – topography will decide your choice. You can live for a month without food; you can live for about a MINUTE underwater!

Crossing the Moroka 2012

28/02/2015: Quote of the week; Warren Meyer: ‘How Do I Get To Qualify for Tolerance from the Left? The Left has absolutely bent over backwards to make sure we understand that Islamic terrorists are not representative of the Muslim religion or Islam in general. Further, they seem really quick to excuse or at least ignore a lot of really awful illiberal behaviour by Islamic nations, including systematic abuse and near-enslavement of women, execution of gays, harassment of any non-Muslims, or even of Muslims from competing sects, etc. We need to be tolerant, dontcha know? So why is it that all this absolute cascade of bad behaviour by various Muslims is not representative of true Islam but a tiny tiny few American males who are violent sex offenders are somehow totally representative of the entire gender, such that all men have to constantly humble ourselves, avoid speaking certain facts, apologize and bear guilt, go to college re-education programs, etc?’

28/02/2015: I am still waiting to see someone say, ‘Wow, I won the’ car, trip, computer, etc by posting on Facebook!

27/02/2015: PRICELESS TREASURES: I think ISIS’s destruction of these incomparable ancient treasures is (almost) more upsetting to me than their murder of innumerable innocents. Even the Nazis understood the inestimable value of antiquities to humanity – how astonishing is it that that thought (‘The Nazis were BETTER than…’) could EVER even spring to mind. These Islamist monsters MUST be stopped and brought to account. Islam MUST be destroyed! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0GYd-rmr2Y#t=12

27/02/2015: MARCIA: Perhaps you MISSED the point: Marcia was a Cat 3 storm, NOT a CAT 5 storm as REPORTED by the BOM & etc. So sick of our public institutions (Think: ABC, BOM, CSIRO etc) LYING to us: http://joannenova.com.au/2015/02/category-five-storms-arent-what-they-used-to-be/

27/02/2015: PEANUT BUTTER TOAST SOLDIERS: I must say that when our kids were tiny they ate lashings of PB with no thought (from us) that it might be bad for them. Indeed I was astonished to learn there WAS such a thing as PB allergy (Is there?) AND that Statists insisted that PB be banned from kids’ lunches etc. Now, we find that it was the nervous nellies (ever worried that their little preciouses might come into contact with earth, earwigs, evil MEN & etc) who CAUSED the problem. Maybe THEY should be banned from HAVING children. Anyway, fortunately the problem (PB allergy) can be cured, and we can all get on with eating this excellent (hiking) food which has in excess of 6 CALORIES PER GRAM. Even better if you mix it with butter and honey: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/is-it-really-safe-to-give-babies-peanut-butter/385892/

27/02/2015: FOOD FADDISTS BEWARE: So what food IS good for you/ Maybe try the red meat, eggs, fat and salt diet: http://reason.com/blog/2015/02/24/the-red-meat-eggs-fat-and-salt-diet-nutr

26/02/2015: So, ADVOCACY for MURDERERS is ‘HUMAN RIGHTS’! What a PIECE OF WORK is Gillian Triggs! What a lying scumbag! Unfit to hold ANY public office: eg, ‘Last year, Dr Triggs recommended that John Basikbasik, who entered the country illegally in 1985, later murdered his pregnant partner, and was involved in a revolving door of violent incidents, be removed from detention and paid $350,000 in compensation for his long-term incarceration. The government rejected her recommendation.’ http://www.smh.com.au/comment/gillian-triggs-set-on-a-course-of-selfmartyrdom-20150225-13oook.html

26/02/2015: British schoolgirls can DO it! Time for a new hashtag campaign. Get onto this one frightbats: #illbridewithyou

26/02/2015: A timely warning: Phil Bowen Parliamentary Budget Officer: ‘We still believe that the medium-term budget outlook is quite vulnerable to a range of risks on both the receipts and the payment side of the budget…The medium-term outlook provides little or no fiscal buffer. So the government's ability to make use of accommodative fiscal policy in the case of a significant negative economic shock is therefore quite constrained…This is not a situation that we can continue to live with over the longer term…it is a fact that…increasing debt risks crowding out private investment and negatively impacting economic growth.’ The Labor Party MUST simply come to the party; we MUST LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS. I expect nothing but LUNACY and outright EVIL from the Greens: http://www.afr.com/p/national/politics/pbo_head_phil_bowen_warns_budget_y3X9LlO1Lw0JGsFck2ispI

26/02/2015: MY .308s: I own TWO of these beauties, both presents from Della. Both are Browning (‘Lightning’) Lever Action models (BLRs). She bought me the first as a silver wedding anniversary present back in 1998 (and I should have shot a MOOSE with it in the Hilda Burn, Fiordland NZ in 2000…Oh Well!) The second (a take-down model) she bought for my 60^th birthday in 2009. You can’t get a better wife than THAT! A ‘take-down’ model is one which ‘breaks’ in half so it will fit in your pack (a very handy feature) or under the seat in the camper. I now have two carbon fibre hiking poles (thanks AGAIN TO Della this Xmas) which are short enough (they also are two-piece) to fit in my pack when not in use. This means I can use them after I have stowed my gun. Each weighs about 100 grams, while the rifle weighs 2900 grams. This is a great boon if my back is playing up (often, unfortunately) or if I am very tired and/or the going is quite rough: you have MANY fewer falls when using hiking poles and they make walking 40% easier. She ordered the two shortened poles (each section is 2’ long) at no extra cost as a special from http://www.rutalocura.com/ which seems to be an offshoot of the excellent http://titaniumgoat.com/ (Recommend you view website AND especially LINKS!) Some ‘Big Game’ hunters claim you need a much bigger gun than the .308 (which was the lightest of the ‘short-action’ high-powered rifles until the new Winchester Magnum round came along, and excluding the .30-30 and .375 Winchester Magnum rounds - it gets confusing). Anyway, to use a .30-06 (or larger, ‘long-action’) you need to carry maybe a kilo more of steel, which gets tiresome as you get older! Some of the ‘big guns’ such as the .457 Magnum are just TOO big for me at least. The ‘little’ .308 (which used to be the ‘standard’ NATO round - and was the one used in the 100,000 SLRs John Howard ‘gifted’ to Indonesia after Port Arthur, along with a BILLION rounds of ammo in order to make us SAFE!) will ‘spit out’ a nearly half oz. of lead at over 3,000 feet per second. (Imagine those in the hands of 100,000 INVADING troops, if you please!) In my experience this is quite sufficient to seriously discommode even the largest sambar stag (but may not work so well on an elephant! Though it WOULD on a moose!) Carrying those extra kilos is fine for the young and gung-ho, but the .308 is enough gun for me. Both of mine are already pretty seriously scratched up from rough use, which is as it should be. Neither has a scope as I have never ‘learned’ how to use one – and anyway iron sights are much more stable (against knocks and falls etc) so long as you learned how to shoot straight as a whipper-snapper (which we all did, once – alas for the defence of the realm and other things that those days are gone!) Open sights can also be ‘brought to bear’ much more quickly and are better at ‘tracking’ a running shot – often the case in ‘snap’ shooting of (rapidly departing) sambar deer in the thick forests of Gippsland they typically inhabit. This is also an advantage of the lever action: it can be carried unloaded (which is much safer than relying on safety catches etc) and can be quickly loaded as you swing it to your shoulder. A follow-up shot is also easily taken without the gun swinging off the target. I find it much superior to the bolt action or the pump in these regards. http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/detail.asp?fid=003B&cid=034&tid=009

25/02/2015: HAMMOCK CAMPING: I have spent months of my life sleeping in them. A plain nylon hammock with the addition of a rectangular inflatable mattress (such as a Thermarest Neoair) is all you need for wonderful comfort. (You need the RECTANGULAR mat to keep the hammock from squashing your sleeping bag at the shoulders which will otherwise make a cold spot.) A quilt is more convenient than a sleeping bag for getting in and out. You can easily make one out of a sleeping bag – just leave the zip done up a little at the bottom to create a foot box. A (fixed) or adjustable centre line (now PATENTED by Tom Hennessy, though a feature which many folks used for a long time before that) tying one end of the hammock to the other does add to comfort and give one something to hang things on (glasses, water bottles ditty bags, etc). Tom’s hammocks are wonderfully comfy and cosy (so long as claustrophobia is not a problem for you), and certainly keep insects out. It is a little difficult for me to get onto a mat in one, but Della has no trouble. I would recommend the Ultralite Backpackers (http://hennessyhammock.com/catalog/#hammock) though he used to make a lighter one named the ‘Hyperlite’ which Della has. The tarp really is adequate to keep the rain off, but make sure it is securely pegged down and taut. You can save a fair bit of weight though with just a lightweight nylon hammock (eg http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Trunk-Nano-7-Hammock/dp/B009M5QRUG) some Spectra cord for suspension and an 8’ x 8’ cuben tarp (LIKE THIS http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/tarps.shtml) - which can do double service as a tent if you want to/have to sleep on the ground (and the hammock can do double service as a ground sheet!) We have sewn a couple of short ‘wings’ on it since Joe first made it using about a metre of .5 oz/yd2 cuben so that we can close it up a bit more )as shown) if the weather turns a bit. It makes an excellent shelter – and you can have a fire out the front, something which is much more uncertain when hammock camping. Hennessy (and others) use these webbing tree protectors instead of tying straight to the tree. I suppose in areas where the same trees are used again and again this might make sense, but otherwise using spectra cord as a suspension system is fine – if you want to add a little protection to the tree’s bark you can always place some finger thick twigs under your rope. You NEVER tie the hammock to a tree. You will never get the rope untied again. There is a special way. You pass the rope around the tree, then around the line going back to the hammock, then around the tree again, repeat about three times, then secure it loosely with a running hitch which comes undone when you pull the end. The friction against the tree ensures the rope does not tighten on itself. Have slept out in a hammock in the most awful thunderstorms where the night was lit like day for hours at a time and bolts were falling all around me so close there was no thunder delay, yet felt perfectly safe as the electricity could not pass through me in the hammock to the ground, but must pass down the tree/s. The translucent cuben tarp is great for such pyrotechnic displays! I have been out in torrential rain when people in tents were flooded, soaked, yet I slumbered dry. And in awesome winds. I have slept in my hammock with four inches of water streaming underneath. One advantage of a hammock is that you need no level spot; only two suitably sized trees (approx 6” diameter) about the right distance (approx 12’) apart, so they are great for camping out eg in Fiordland where it is all ups and downs and lots of trees, and unbelievably wet. There I sometimes pitch it and the tarp for lunch. Two can sit convivially side by side and break their fast, even boil the billy under the tarp! You can even both lie back and have a siesta! It is also possible to pitch one hammock above another under the same tarp. This is a lot easier if one is much smaller and lighter (as Della) whom I can boost into her hammock before I go to bed. Usually we just make our own from some 2oz/yd2 ripstop eg from Spotlight which Della double or triple hems, then thread the suspension rope through the hems and tie off. This material is 60” wide which is comfy. The hammock needs to be about 2’ longer than you are. You need about 12’ of 3+mm spectra ‘rope’ on each end. These home-made hammocks weigh about 350 grams including rope, but last well. My Nano hammock weighs less than 200 grams including suspension ropes. My cuben tarp weighs about the same. If you don’t sew, you can simply tie an overhand knot at each end of the fabric itself and tie the suspension ropes on the inner side of the knot. It WILL not come undone. You can make your own cuben tarp without sewing also as (eg) zpacks have stick on tie-outs and cuben tape for joining etc.

8' x 8' cuben tarp with wings can be pitched as a 'fire' shelter (as shown) or used as a hammock tarp (one end closed as storm shelter) 200 grams Hernes Spur Wonnangatta River 2011-11-18.

Hammock camp Mt Darling Creek 2008/09/21: Large storm tarp shown (unnecessary even for Fiordland, but VERY dry)

25/02/2015: SMASH CAPITALISM: Top UN Climate Commie Confirms: Global Warming Is About Imposing New Economic Order: http://moonbattery.com/?p=55301 The visibly evil Christiana Figueres, picking up where Stalin left off:

Christiana_Figueres

25/02/2015: This is definitely for me: http://www.gizmag.com/flow-frame-honey-tap-beehive/36117/

The Honeyflow allows honey to be siphoned straight from a beehive without opening the lid ...

24/02/2015: Moose cascades:

24/02/2015: Marcia: http://joannenova.com.au/2015/02/category-five-storms-arent-what-they-used-to-be/

24/02/2015: I have figured a new way to lose a kilo from my pack on a long trip: don’t take any rum! I may also have lost my mind!

24/02/2015: Hearing aids: today I managed to have my hearing aids professionally adjusted correctly! I can hear the radio AND Della in the car – and I can hear most everything she says elsewhere. Oh Bliss! Even better, I purchased two RC double adapters and managed to get the Minitec and transmitter for my Siemens hearing aids working so I can hear the TV: I can even hear the actors and journos BREATHING as they talk. This IS nice!

24/02/2015: ROPE: Sam Gamgee was right, ‘What about a bit of rope? You'll want it, if you haven't got it,’ he opined, and you would be foolish if you didn’t agree. Some cordage is an essential on the trail: You need thread and needle for those torn trousers or wounds. I always have dental floss (a self-threading needle fits in the container with it – and it is sterile). It has enabled numerous essential repairs over the years, even though I am certainly not the seamstress Della is. For heavier cordage ALWAYS choose (UV resistant) dyneema or spectra cord which are stronger and lighter than any other kind. You will want a lighter length of this (1-1.5mm diameter) for replacing guys, clotheslines, hanging bags out of reach of predators, snares, or making a spare pair of SHOES (See Below) etc. On our trip across the bottom of Tasmania I had 80-100 metres of 2-3mm Spectra cord (nearly 100 grams!) which became a life-saver on the penultimate day. Finally at the end of the sixth day we came to a stream (the South Cape Rivulet – hah! What a cheating name!) This stream is tidal and the tide was high, as was the stream! It was chest deep already and swept by episodic nearly metre high waves. There was a neat sign enjoining people to study it carefully for at least 15 minutes before attempting to cross. There was nowhere to camp on the departing side and only (!) six days back (to an unmanned aerodrome!) if we could not (and ONE onwards to a bus stop at Cockle Creek if we could!) No helicopter would come to rescue us (I called). So out from the pack came the trusty Spectra. I tied one end to a tree (there was none on the far side) and with Della and Kerri playing out rope I was able to get across without a pack between waves. Then I was able to make a large enough bight to stand in and tension it whilst Della and Kerri crossed holding onto it. Even then Della was nearly swept away. With Della and Kerri standing in the bight I was able to cross back over a number of times to retrieve the packs AND THE ROPE! It was a COLD camp that night as we were all utterly soaked and chilled by the frigid water, believe me. ROPE, DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT!

The importance of that piece of string: in this case it is for making ultralight thongs/sandals from shoe inserts (these are ‘Redbacks’): 58 grams the pair in Size 8. Great for camp shoes, river crossings, etc. Also: the Gossamer Gear Sitlight Pad @ 30 grams (apart from keeping your bum dry for trail lunches on wet days) will make two pairs of same with the addition of a bit of string if your shoes let you down – and may get you out of trouble. See: http://www.trailquest.net/sandals.html My knots are different from Brawny’s : I pass a (doubled) loop up through the gap between the big toes and have an overhand knot under the thong. The two ends come up through each side of the thong towards the rear (as with normal thongs) and are joined to the loop with two overhand knots. To make them into sandals a bit of elastic (or a ‘clam cleat’ micro cord lock and string – as shown) either over the top of the foot or around the heel and joined to the strings at the rear where they emerge on the top side of the thong works well and will ensure they stay on during river crossings.

23/02/2015: If you have ever wondered about collateral damage, or whether folks can shoot you underwater, here’s the answer: How many balloons does it take to stop a bullet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlZRnpyZjBE

23/02/2015: The news you will NEVER hear: Grand Mufti declares jihad against Islamic extremists!

23/02/2015: Miso soup: Is it possible to like this stuff if you force yourself to eat it often enough or does it forever taste like (I Imagine) cocky cack? Only persistence will tell. I wonder IS it like olives (an acquired taste)…Perhaps another cup again soon? Argh!

22/02/2015: Time to admit it; the West has a problem: http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/hundreds_of_danish_muslims_mourn_islamist_killer/

22/02/2015: A fond farewell from (to?) Oliver Sacks: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/19/opinion/oliver-sacks-on-learning-he-has-terminal-cancer.html?_r=0

22/02/2015: And another for Philip Levine (1928-2015): The Simple Truth (1994):

I bought a dollar and a half's worth of small red potatoes,
took them home, boiled them in their jackets
and ate them for dinner with a little butter and salt.
Then I walked through the dried fields
on the edge of town. In middle June the light
hung on in the dark furrows at my feet,
and in the mountain oaks overhead the birds
were gathering for the night, the jays and mockers
squawking back and forth, the finches still darting
into the dusty light. The woman who sold me
the potatoes was from Poland; she was someone
out of my childhood in a pink spangled sweater and sunglasses
praising the perfection of all her fruits and vegetables
at the road-side stand and urging me to taste
even the pale, raw sweet corn trucked all the way,
she swore, from New Jersey. "Eat," she said,
"even if you don't I'll say you did."
Some things
you know all your life. They are so simple and true
they must be said without elegance, meter and rhyme,
they must be laid on the table beside the salt shaker,
the glass of water, the absence of light gathering
in the shadows of picture frames, they must be
naked and alone, they must stand for themselves.
My friend Henri and I arrived at this together in 1965
before I went away, before he began to kill himself,
and the two of us to betray our love. Can you taste
what I'm saying? It is onions or potatoes, a pinch
of simple salt, the wealth of melting butter, it is obvious,
it stays in the back of your throat like a truth
you never uttered because the time was always wrong,
it stays there for the rest of your life, unspoken,
made of that dirt we call earth, the metal we call salt,
in a form we have no words for, and you live on it.

21/02/2015: Astonishing follies of our times: I give you the belief that you can VOTE yourself out of debt!

21/02/2015: PARADISE ON EARTH: So many leftie/greenie do-gooders have about as much common sense as this bloke, Dylan Evans. His ‘experiment’ in alternative living is a good laugh, but DO remember folks, these people would have us ALL living like this. Perhaps the locked ward of a psychiatric hospital IS a more appropriate place for ALL of them – but It would have to be a mighty big hospital, about the size of Tasmania to fit all the loony tunes who infest Oz…Oh, YES, that IS Tasmania. My mistake: http://www.spectator.co.uk/books/9435652/they-sought-paradise-in-a-scottish-field-and-found-hunger-boredom-and-mosquitoes/

21/02/2015: MOOSE HUNTING: Watched Ken Tustin’s new doco http://www.stealthfilms.co.nz/dvds/dvd005-bundle.html which I mentioned the other day. If you are interested in great scenery, Fiordland, the origin of the moose herd there or just hunting generally you will find something to captivate you here (for a mere $10). On every ‘expedition’ there I have found ‘moose sign’ whilst hunting about in the Seaforth Valley: tracks, droppings, browse, barking for example. I also caught a glimpse of one in the Hilda Burn years ago, heard a bull moose calling from the Waterfall Burn, in 2006 I just missed seeing one crossing the Seaforth out of the Roa Stream (I could still HEAR splashing back then); I was about a week behind one which chewed down all the vegetation around the Supper Cove Hut in 2009. In 2012 I was about as far behind one which had been living amongst the fuschia and had devastated about an acre of it above the Kenneth Burn – these are cherished experiences. Ken’s careful explanations makes these observations a lot clearer. For example, I had been mystified by a number of saplings laid on the ground and partially barked. Ken explains the moose technique of walking trees down. I am now also a lot more focussed on the differences between red/wapiti sign and moose sign – not that I had any doubt that most of what I had (correctly) identified as moose sign WAS just that. I am ever hopeful that I CAN get myself fit enough for an expedition from Supper Cove up the Henry Burn, then down Herrick Creek to Wet Jacket Arm Dusky Sound (and back, maybe via the Hilda Burn). Age is (unfortunately) catching up with me. You would not BELIEVE just how hard the going IS there. It is little wonder that very few moose have ever been taken/seen. I continue to believe that the best chance of ‘putting one up’ is by following streams (as quietly as one can!) in the warmer months - as I believe they spend a lot of time lying in the water, cooling off. The one I put up in the Hilda Burn had been doing this, and just about every one taken in the past was shot very close to a stream too. It would be SO great to get a pic of one! For your delectation, here are a couple more snaps of the great Eddie Herrick’s 1934 (Herrick Creek) bull moose (You WILL notice that he was nearly my age):

20/02/2015: ORIGINS:

1. WHY: Why do men's clothes have buttons on the right while women's clothes have buttons on the left?
BECAUSE: When buttons were invented, they were very expensive and worn primarily by the rich. Since most people are right-handed, it is easier to push buttons on the right through holes on the left. Because wealthy women were dressed by maids, dressmakers put the buttons on the maid's right! And that's where women's buttons have remained since. (I've also heard some claim that it's to make it easier for guys to unbutton ladies)

2. WHY: Why do ships and aircraft use 'mayday' as their call for help?
BECAUSE: This comes from the French word m'aidez - meaning 'help me' - and is pronounced, approximately, 'mayday.'

3. WHY: Why are zero scores in tennis called 'love'?
BECAUSE: In France, where tennis became popular, the round zero on the scoreboard looked like an egg and was called 'l'oeuf,' which is French for 'the egg.' When tennis was introduced in the English-speaking world, it was pronounced 'love.'

4. WHY: Why do X's at the end of a letter signify kisses?
BECAUSE: In the Middle Ages, when many people were unable to read or write, documents were often signed using an X. Kissing the X represented an oath to fulfill obligations specified in the document. The X and the kiss eventually became synonymous.

5. WHY: Why is shifting responsibility to someone else called 'passing the buck'?
BECAUSE: In card games, it was once customary to pass an item, called a buck, from player to player to indicate whose turn it was to deal. If a player did not wish to assume the responsibility of dealing, he would 'pass the buck' to the next player.

6. WHY: Why do people clink their glasses before drinking a toast
BECAUSE: In earlier times it used to be common for someone to try to kill an enemy by offering him a poisoned drink. To prove to a guest that a drink was safe, it became customary for a guest to pour a small amount of his drink into the glass of the host. Both men would drink it simultaneously. When a guest trusted his host, he would only touch or clink the host's glass with his own.

7. WHY: Why are people in the public eye said to be 'in the limelight'
BECAUSE: Invented in 1825, limelight was used in lighthouses and theatres by burning a cylinder of lime which produced a brilliant light. In the theatre, a performer 'in the limelight' was the centre of attention.

8. WHY: Why is someone who is feeling great 'on cloud nine'?
BECAUSE: Types of clouds are numbered according to the altitudes they attain, with nine being the highest cloud. If someone is said to be on cloud nine, that person is floating well above worldly cares.

9. WHY: In golf, where did the term 'Caddie' come from?
BECAUSE: When Mary Queen of Scots went to France as a young girl, Louis, King of France, learned that she loved the Scots game 'golf.' He had the first course outside of Scotland built for her enjoyment. To make sure she was properly chaperoned (and guarded) while she played, Louis hired cadets from a military school to accompany her. Mary liked this a lot and when she returned to Scotland (not a very good idea in the long run), she took the practice with her. In French, the word cadet is pronounced ‘ca-day' and the Scots changed it into caddie.

10. WHY: Why are many coin collection jar banks shaped like pigs?
BECAUSE: Long ago, dishes and cookware in Europe were made of dense orange clay called 'pygg'. When people saved coins in jars made of this clay, the jars became known as 'pygg banks.' When an English potter misunderstood the word, he made a container that resembled a pig. And it caught on.

20/02/2015: Chan and Sukumaran WILL die. Get OVER it. It has NOTHING to do with Tony Abbott. Here’s Widodo in January: ‘Imagine, every day we have 50 people die because of narcotics, because of drugs,’ he said. ‘In one year, it’s 18,000 people who die because of narcotics. We are not going to compromise for drug dealers. No compromise. No compromise.’ Mr Joko said it was the courts that determined death sentences, and the condemned could ask him for clemency. ‘But I tell you, there will be no amnesty for drug dealers.’

20/02/2015: We have our own fair share of these quisling nutters here too (some of them in important public positions) – I give you the Hon (?) Bill Shorten for example! People who naively think, ‘Violence never solves anything’. No doubt they were elsewhere when our heroes were at Kokoda, Tubruk, Milne Bay & etc: http://freebeacon.com/blog/general-marie-harf-through-history/

19/02/2015: ANTI-AGING: There IS some good news: RAPAMYCIN & METFORMIN: ‘Diabetes typically shaves about five years off a person’s life. But a large retrospective analysis found that diabetics on metformin had a 15 percent lower mortality rate than non-diabetic patients in the same doctors’ offices.’ http://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2015-02-12/does-a-real-anti-aging-pill-already-exist-

19/02/2015: I hope the execution of twenty Copts in Libya draws attention to Obama/Rudd’s folly of siding with the Islamic Spring in the toppling of Gaddafi; then choosing to side against Asad in Syria is what brought us Isis! Often in the Middle East it is ‘the baddies versus the baddies’! I think the Israelis HAVE the right idea: build a bloody big fence; buy nothing from them; sell nothing to them; if they lob a rock (or bomb) over the fence, respond with overwhelming force; let THEM return to the Middle (or Stone) Ages: ‘…those two are not the real news…the real news is the millions of Muslims all around the world who remain silent, support, or applaud their war on Western civilization. Not to mention their apologists and the scaredy-cats in the West…This idiotic war has been going on for a long time, since around 600 AD. We are on the side of the crusaders, defending the foundations of Judeo-Christian civ. It ain't perfect, but it's OK. The French may need a Charles Martel, but most of the West just needs a St. Patrick to eliminate the snakes. Send them packing back to whence they came along with their loony cult and their hopeless, ignorant, pedophile, goat-f-ing, wife-beating, bloody, desert culture where their fun was in killing each other.’ http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/25507-Just-two-Muslims.html

19/02/2015: THIS happened all over Australia. Those who HATE nature (ie the Greens) succeeded in DESTROYING our forests: http://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2015/02/burning-issues-voices-past/ People have similarly been reposting (Wilderness Soc propaganda) that ‘industrial logging’ has endangered eg the Leadbeater’s Possum, but it is logging which has ‘saved’ it, whilst National Parks (and their uncontrolled wildfires) HAVE nearly destroyed it! There even remain some idiots who are unaware that forest area has been INCREASING for nearly EIGHTY years!

18/02/2015: Nick Cater IS GREAT: ‘TROUBLE is brewing in the entitlement industry. Public servants at the Department of Human Services are so angry at the government’s derisory pay offer that they have taken off for lunch. The 1.15 per cent rise on the table falls somewhat short of the 12 per cent the Community and Public Sector Union thinks its members are worth…Just how productive are the 30,000 DHS workers who administer the nation’s biggest welfare programs? Arguably a little too productive. Last year they redistributed $159 billion of other people’s money, about 10 per cent of Australia’s gross domestic product. That means each staff member doled out about $5.3 million in welfare in 2013-14, or 62 times what they are paid…Medicare costs $19bn a year and costs are rising at 7.1 per cent a year…The aged pension costs us $40bn and is rising at 6.2 per cent a year. We spend $14bn on hospitals and the cost is rising by 10.4 per cent a year. On and on it goes. Schools: $13bn, rising at 9.2 per cent a year. Higher education: $7.1bn, rising at 5.8 per cent…Labor is no longer the party of the workers, those who eke out a living in the productive economy and dutifully pay their taxes. Labor has become the party of the public sector, harvesting the grievances of those who spend other people’s money in ever larger amounts…Shepherd, meanwhile, writes that achieving a modest surplus of 1 per cent within 10 years requires annual savings of $65bn. That’s 40 per cent of the DHS’s budget. Do Shorten and Bowen have any idea where savings of that magnitude could come from?’ http://www.luckyculture.com.au/the-wages-of-entitlement/

18/02/2015: Teddy Roosevelt carried a big stick. Barack Obama carries a selfie stick. For those who can’t resist a selfie but who also carry as stick, there is this: The StickPic Camera Holder for Trekking Poles: http://blicard.com/products/the-stick-pic

18/02/2015: ‘Six sex fiends on the loose’ said the Herald Sun headline. It all sounded like so much FUN. Now I know some of these folks MAY have just been 17 year olds having consensual with 16 year olds way back, yet languishing on the register (and THAT is another matter which needs addressing), but if they were instead chaps who get their jollies eg by raping/murdering small children (likely) or some other kind of evil bastards, why is it NOT the case that Government cannot change PRIVACY Laws so that police can access Centrelink and Taxation files for example, so that they can NAIL these sods - preferably to the nearest TREE?

17/02/2015: VENERY: This is one of my all-time favourite photos. This was Eddie Herrick circa 1934 in his eponymous creek in Wet Jacket Arm, Dusky Sound, Fiordland NZ with his bull moose. In a moose hunting career in Fiordland which involved Eddie hunting there for nearly three months a year for thirty years (that’s TEN YEARS) of his life, Eddie bagged three of these beasties out of less than ten shot altogether by anyone, Such is dedication. For fifteen years I have been travelling back to this area myself for stays of about a week-ten days just to totally ignore the astonishing scenery and wondrous sense of remoteness, the wilderness challenges etc in the hope that I might catch another glimpse of a Fiordland moose, maybe even capture a photograph of one. The greatest (live) moose hunter is Ken Tustin who has searched endlessly for them since approx 1970! You can see a preview of his most recent documentary here: https://vimeo.com/55687840 or you can download it all (for a mere $10) here: http://www.stealthfilms.co.nz/dvds/dvd005-bundle.html

17/02/2015: In Troy, Achilles delivers this line, ‘I’ll tell you a secret, something they don’t teach you in your temple. The gods envy us. They envy us because we’re mortal, because any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we’re doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now, and we will never be here again.’ http://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/2012/09/19/5-reasons-why-being-immortal-would-suck/?singlepage=true

17/02/2015: 177! WHAT a good ole gal: ‘When Judith Somerby married Tristram Coffin in March of 1653, she was a widow with three children: Sarah, who was eight, Elizabeth, who was six, and Daniel, almost three. (Another son had died in infancy.) In the next sixteen years Judith gave birth to ten Coffin children, all of whom, remarkably, survived infancy. There is an almost saucy irony in the family name, as though some wind of Yankee humor had swept Puritan Newbury. Death seldom visited the Coffins. By the time Judith's last baby was born in March 1669 she already had six grandchildren. From 1667 until her death in 1705 - twenty-eight years - at least one grandchild was born each year. In the most prolific period from 1686 to 1696, thirty eight infants were born, almost four a year. Judith's gravestone should probably be taken literally when its says she lived to see 177 descendants...’ ‘Good Wives: Image and Reality in the Lives of Women in Northern New England, 1650-1750’, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

16/02/2015: Dermasafe ultralight knives and saws (from 8 grams): http://www.derma-safe.com/product/the-derma-safe-folding-utility-knife

16/02/2015: Well DONE Greg Hunt: statisticians are to examine the methodology adopted by the BOM and CSIRO to ensure they have not been up to any skulduggery on ‘global warming. Good LUCK with that: http://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2015/02/case-statistics-squad/

16/02/2015: This news item says it all: tolerance is a one-way street. Forget it: http://news.artnet.com/art-world/street-artist-combo-brutally-attacked-for-pacifist-tag-post-charlie-hebdo-244569

15/02/2015: WEATHER: The GFS (US Weather Bureau ‘Global Forecasting Service) forecast for Jeeralang Junction has had yesterday at Jeeralang Junction involving 44mm of rain for the past FORTNIGHT! Yesterday we received 44mm of rain. Our own BOM had us has having none until approx 7:00pm the day before and then suggested 1-10mm. The difference is almost universal and sufficient to seriously question their competence. Certainly if they can’t get tomorrow anywhere near right they should stop banging on about their forecasts for 100 YEARS hence! I usually take the average of the three models shown here (http://ozforecast.com.au/cgi-bin/weather.cgi?station=Jeeralang+Junction.VIC&radar). If I am thinking of cutting hay/journeying to Fiordland etc, I have a closer look here (http://ready.arl.noaa.gov/READYcmet.php). It is a little difficult to use, but if it predicts a long-term high, you can be pretty sure of staying dry: I have not needed to take my raincoat out of my pack on my last FOUR visits to Fiordland, one of the wettest places on earth! Elders 28 Day Rainfall is very good too for forward planning (http://www.eldersweather.com.au/raindates.jsp?dc=disableCookies&lt=wzdist&lc=v17) Incidentally, the GFS has another inch or more on the way before the end of the month. I think we can conclude that here (at least) the bushfire season is OVER and the autumn break is ON THE WAY!

15/02/2015: Some great new hiking gear HERE: I particularly like the Berghaus VapourLight HyperSmock 2.0, Adidas Boost Technology, the Bungee laces, & the Cubic Tech breathable 50,000 JIS laminate: http://gossamergear.com/wp/gear-love/winter-2015-outdoor-retailer-trade-show-gear-interest-lightweight-backpackers-new-technologies-new-products

15/02/2015: Do you suppose Jesus had it right for once: ‘beware of the false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves…by their fruits shall ye know them’?

14/02/2015: DEPORT this bastard (and all his followers): https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/26289591/australia-s-grand-mufti-slams-government-ban/

14/02/2015: Ms Triggs, a champion of ‘human rights’, but NOT her own daughter’s: 'JUST LEAVE HER IN A CORNER AND SHE”LL DIE!’ ‘Perhaps Ms Triggs might reflect on the care she afforded her own child, Victoria, who she describes as, "being profoundly retarded as anyone who is still alive can be". Triggs told the Melbourne Age, "Her condition usually results in death shortly after birth. In fact, the doctors kept saying to me, 'just leave her in the corner and she'll die.’ I know it sounds terrible, but I'd look at Victoria and think, 'Well, you're going to die, so I'm not going to invest too much in you.’ But Victoria didn't die so, at six months of age, an impatient Triggs, found a family prepared to look after her. The family gave her the primary care she so desperately needed before she died seven years ago at the age of 21. Now there’s a CV befitting a Commissioner for Human Rights’. http://pickeringpost.com/story/the-flagrant-fibs-of-gillian-triggs-/3706

14/02/2015: Cosmology still holds many thrills; mind you I have always wondered that the reductio ad absurdum of a beginning (or a cause) did not lead all cosmologists to the eternal conclusion. As the lady said, ‘It’s turtles ALL the way down’: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/02/10/another-settled-science-topic-is-not-so-settled-after-all-big-bang-theory-questioned/

14/02/2015: Soon perhaps we can move on from the fate of the ventilated Bali Nine duo. Two obvious points surely: 1. If you visit a country where you KNOW tiddlywinks is punishable by death, eschew the game. 2. If you want to save such scum from the death penalty (when they have participated in an activity ie heroin trafficking which takes SO many lives – so why?), you PAY THE BRIBES, as Islamic countries do, for example. The Saudis have had no difficulty in having their nationals released from Indonesia’s ‘death row’ by applying the appropriate baksheesh, yet we have fronted Indonesia with vast fist-fulls of money ($1 billion this week alone! And $200 million during the recent ‘climate conference’ for example) without requiring (asking?) anything in return! What! Because we don’t believe in bribery and corruption! Tell THAT to the Indos!

14/02/2015: ANTI HUNTING HYPE: Animals shot with a bow don't suffer. This has been assessed objectively: there is a nearly complete lack of stress hormones in their blood. It is QUITE normal for people to post photos/stories about their hunting/fishing exploits - just as other people post about their recreational activities (canoeing, motor bike riding, etc). People have been ‘up in arms’ about this photo, for example. It was clearly posted on a bow hunter's forum where it would not have been regarded as objectionable. I imagine he ATE it too. Likely the guy has tried to clean up the blood for the photo, but the lack of water around the Limestone area, etc would make this difficult. It would have required enormous skill to harvest this PEST animal, and the guy should be rightly proud of his achievement. Stalking to within 20 metres of an animal with a visual acuity several times a human being’s in order to take the shot is remarkable. The shot was well placed from below (this is the exit wound) and would have intercepted major organs and blood vessels (heart, lungs) leading to a speedy and certain death. It would also have been a lot of effort to lift the animal up against the log for the photo shoot. The only predators for such 'out of control' bush creatures (game, pests, vermin…) are cars (not many thereabouts), pathogens, hunters... Perhaps baiting with 10:80 poison, or rounding them up and trucking them to an abattoir for slaughter strikes you as more humane? I know which is the 'kindest' solution.

Numerous studies have been done on other game animals (deer etc). The results surprised me too, but when I saw film as well I became grudgingly convinced. The animals are obviously startled (and have some pain) from an arrow passing quickly though their entire body, but quickly settle down again, (eg resume feeding), then mostly simply lie down and pass out from blood loss. Bleeding to death quickly from a silent arrow IS evidently less stressful than being shot with a high-powered rifle - even a one-shot kill, which we would all prefer to be the case. You have to understand that the alternative in the case of brumbies is starvation, parasites, poisoning, capture and slaughter etc. This horse was in quite good condition - indicating their numbers are being kept to a humane level by this and other methods. People might be better to focus on the environmental damage such pests CAUSE rather than on its being a 'beautiful horse'. THIS horse is not 'Black Beauty'! It is a PEST ANIMAL!

13/02/2015: No BOATS for 200 days (+ sack Triggs!)

13/02/2015: SOCKS: I have always liked the Holeproof Heroes as a summer weight sock. PBs is at least still an Aussie company and the wool at least comes from Australian sheep. I have tried all my life to buy Australian products and am probably the last man standing to wear clothing and footwear either made in Australia (THAT is history, unfortunately) or at least made by an Australian company &/or with Australian materials. These socks have dropped off all the big local retailers’ lists, so I was pleasantly surprised to be able to buy them online from Harris Scarfe for approx $5 a pair!

13/02/2015: The Bowdler and Mrs Grundy Societies have joined with the Inappropriate Metaphor Elimination Group to castigate Mr Abbott for his use of the word ‘holocaust’ in Parliament. Other terms now deemed ‘Unparliamentary’ on the same basis include, ‘crucify’ ‘jihad’, ‘nirvana’, ‘ragnarok’…In further news the names of the days of the week and the months of the year (as well as the planets) will be changed as they cause offence to various religious groups; ‘Easter and Christmas will also be banned… http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/hanged_hanged_for_what_the_gallery_forgave_keating_and_bob_brown/

13/02/2015: Invisible worlds: this morning when I opened my laptop I found this beauty hiding there. I have now returned it gently to the garden:

12/02/2015: The blujahadeen hard at ‘work’ here too. WHY did LABOR FLOOD the country with Islamic SCUM like this: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/soldiers-of-the-islamic-state-death-cult-the-plot-to-behead-on-our-streets/story-fni0fit3-1227216631882

12/02/2015: Sheep jams (in Italy):

12/02/2015: KOOKABURRAS: I wish folks would stop feeding these guys. They are a powerful carnivore, and have bred up to nearly plague proportions around here thanks to ‘Rural Living’ blocks, and this practice. There were an even half dozen in the Blackwood tree at the front gate last night. As I watched one killed and ate one of ‘my’ wagtails (despite my, and her mate’s protestations). They have pretty much eradicated the Indian Mynahs around here. I fear for our wrens, thornbills, honeyeaters, etc. A pity they can’t kill galahs and sulphur crested cockies (nothing else seems to). It is a constant competition to see who will get the first/last apple, them or us! This may have been same the wagtail I suspected (on 3/08 last year of being slightly AC?DC: http://www.finnsheep.com/Steve%27s%20Blog.htm) He must have found a mate over Spring though, as Della found and collected his used nest recently.

12/02/2015: Maybe time to plant some milkweed? By the same token since WW2 farmers in the West have been called upon to feed more and more people on a diminishing percentage of land; likewise loggers to produce more cordage…primary industry generally has lifted its per hectare productivity and vastly larger percentages of land has been returned to wilderness (National Parks, etc) At the same time house blocks have become smaller and much more ‘tidily’ managed. One might have thought that the professional managers of public lands would have seen this problem coming and acted long ago. Problem is that it is well nigh impossible to entice such folks to do ANY real WORK, so now we have this : http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/02/09/the-monarch-massacre-nearly-a-billion-butterflies-have-vanished/?tid=pm_pop I think it is an easy enough problem to get around. Cleared coupes could be seeded at a minimal cost (from the Conservation budget), for example. Here, the problem arises because the Council has taken to spraying our roadsides with glyphosate because practically all the adjoining except ourselves (in a road 34 kilometres long) have failed to maintain their roadsides. The change from slashing to spraying roadsides have deprived many critters of useful and beautiful plants: Queen Anne’s Lace (one of Della’s favourites), wild chicory, yarrow, vervain, fennel…there are many victims of this thoughtless policy.

12/02/2015: Now THIS is a GREAT IDEA:

11/02/2015: TANJIL RIVER: Wonderful wedding anniversary: first a pioneering canoe trip on the Tanjil River followed by a lovely meal at Morwell’s Gaztronomy Restaurant. Many happy returns Della Jones. The Tanjil IS canoeable from Rowley’s Ridge Rd (bridge/gauging station) to Blue Rock Dam (Steve’s Track/Casuarina Track – off Rowley’s Ridge Rd via Hill End) just as I suspected. There are almost no trees across it, and I had to get out of the boat only once or twice. That is an Alpaca Fiord Explorer packraft you see in the pictures which Della purchased for me so I could become the first person to canoe the mighty Seaforth River in Fiordland NZ in 2009. It is a great boat for this type of river. Many of the rapids/pebble races could use some time spent clearing rocks out of them to make a clear passage, which we will do. There is one Grade 3+(?) rapid about two-thirds of the way down which I cleared a portage around on the right bank. It is a long bumpy chute in a gorge section and has a rock in the middle which might turn one out with disastrous consequences. I will examine it more carefully on a future expedition. It would make an exhilarating rapid if it can be made safer. Surprisingly the trip took 4 ¾ hours. I also accidentally left my lifejacket in the car, so Della was doubly worried when I had predicted approx two hours! There are some excellent camps along the way on each bank, most with car access. There is an intermediate access about half way down off Rowleys Ridge Rd which would allow the trip to be broken in two (must investigate this). The put in and take out points would be accessible to a Subaru (or similar) though snow chains might be a good idea in Casuarina Track if it is at all wet as there is a steepish section at the end. The Tanjil River at Tanjil Junction Gauge (http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDV60154.html) read .45 visually and on the website so I would suggest this be used as a guide to the canoeable height. Car shuttle takes about a quarter of an hour (each way). The bridge/river height gauge is approx one hour from Churchill. It is a BEAUTIFUL little river travelling through a majestic serene forest replete with birdlife. There are innumerable trout/spinyback crays, so an overnight trip is recommended.

12/02/2015: Sheep jams (in Italy):

12/02/2015: Now THIS is a GREAT IDEA:

11/02/2015: Biggest SWINDLE in history, eg: ‘Jonsson was amazed to see how the new version completely “disappears” Iceland’s “sea ice years” around 1970, when a period of extreme cooling almost devastated his country’s economy.’ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/globalwarming/11395516/The-fiddling-with-temperature-data-is-the-biggest-science-scandal-ever.html

11/02/2015: SILLY IDEAS continue to be our greatest danger. Economically, scientifically and logically challenged folk just love to harbour these. For example: (and in no particular order - PLEASE, NB all of the following are FALSE): We don’t need to pay our way; capitalism hasn’t produced the highest standards of living which have ever existed and lifted the great mass of humanity out of dire poverty; voting for a living is better than working for a living; scientists and engineers are more ignorant than those who can’t pass college entry level maths; government is the answer; someone needs to do something; popular ideas are better than having to do some hard thinking; the world is warming dangerously, becoming increasingly polluted, wildlife is shrinking and mass extinction is happening; religion should be tolerated; you are what you eat; free lunches tomorrow; you should give a sucker an even break; all wildlife is soft and cuddly; things are getting worse; violence never solved anything; there are fairies at the end of the garden, National Parks SAVE wildlife…

10/02/2015: Checking whether you knew the (current) PM's name used to be a standard test for SANITY!

10/02/2015: Della: What is the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything? Being married to Steve Jones for 42 years, of course! Happy wedding anniversary to my life, my universe and my everything! And the same goes to you, doubled.

10/02/2015: GINGER: BACK FROM THE DEAD; we have had a fair bit of experience with resurrection over the years (maybe one of the reasons I don’t buy the Christian hype). We had a chook do it, a sheep…and now a CAT. ‘Ginger’ disappeared about 15 years ago (when the kids bought dogs which he didn’t like) though from time to time someone would claim to have seen him. His twin brother died about five years back of EXTREME old age and kidney failure. All but one of the dogs are gone too. I was surprised therefore this morning when I saw a ginger cat lying in the grass near our mail box. When I called to him, he looked up then just sidled off slowly, so I followed him carefully to see whether he had the characteristic break about two inches up from the tip of his tail which Ginger had. Given that he was raised by Merrin LONG before she started kinder, I didn’t really expect that he would – BUT, IT WAS HIM! He must be pushing 23 I guess. He was always a good rabbiter, and I have been lamenting his disappearance now that rabbits are breeding up again. He was in pretty fair condition which suggests he HAS been catching a few. The guy across the road admits he has always been hanging around his place for years!

10/02/2015: While on the subject of rabbits: There are some people who espouse to LOVE these giant rabbits (mostly they haven’t had to live with them), but I HATE wombats. ABSOLUTELY; the only good wombat IS a dead wombat. Greenies have ensured there are countless millions of useless acres of bush where these awful pests CAN live, SO STAY OUT OF MY GARDEN you hairy bastards! STOP digging everything over and shitting on it! BE WARNED: you WILL die! (PS: Where we live wombats are declared native VERMIN and it is perfectly legal to eradicate them on sight). No further correspondence will be entered into.

10/02/2015: CS Lewis: ‘The safest road to hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.’ Meanwhile, beware ‘good intentions’!

09/02/2015: Liberal MPs are being INUNDATED this morning with emails/messages running 20:1 this way: if you vote down Abbott, we will NEVER vote Liberal AGAIN. This could be the beginning of the AIP (Australian Independence party) the need for which I have long discussed.

09/02/2015: What a wonderful country it is where the most important political failing is awarding a Knighthood to our Head of State’s husband and this terrible decision is enough to destroy our Prime Minister, our Government, our chance of ever paying our way out of the debt crisis we inherited from the previous lunatic commie/greenie Government who unleashed 30-50,000 Islamic crazies amongst us, created a debt of hundreds of billions, drowned 1200 people trying to get here, etc, etc. Poor fellow my country indeed!

09/02/2015: FAIRNESS: Ah, the evils that can be perpetrated using this tiny word as your banner: Nazism, communism, socialism, environmentalism, (all the EVILS of the world)...ALL love it. Now, tell me, what is the DIFFERENCE between 'fairness' and 'equality' (or 'justice'), etc, etc? For example, I think it would be 'fair' if everyone paid the same proportion (eg of their income) in tax (and perhaps received the same proportion back)! Is that what YOU mean by 'fairness'? Look, eg this guy Ludlum who spouts so much about it – and is SO attractive (and his ilk) have MURDERED millions (eg 100 million alone - and counting) with their ban on DDT (which has ever been proven to be SAFE), and would murder BILLIONS: THEY believe the world is horridly OVER populated and would REMOVE the majority of humanity. All their policies are AIMED at doing just that. These people are JUST PURE EVIL! YOU have to learn to RECOGNISE evil! Evil will ALWAYS MASQUERADE as good. That is its nature: it is why (in the Christian tradition, for example) LUCIFER is/was the most BEAUTIFUL of the angels.

09/02/2015: When academics write like this, it is little wonder if undergraduates can’t write at all: ‘The move from a structuralist account in which capital is understood to structure social relations in relatively homologous ways to a view of hegemony in which power relations are subject to repetition, convergence, and rearticulation brought the question of temporality into the thinking of structure, and marked a shift from a form of Althusserian theory that takes structural totalities as theoretical objects to one in which the insights into the contingent possibility of structure inaugurate a renewed conception of hegemony as bound up with the contingent sites and strategies of the rearticulation of power.’ http://stuartschneiderman.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/why-academics-cant-write.html

08/02/2015: FIFTH COLUMN: Wikipedia: ‘Undercover Mosque is a documentary programme produced by the independent television company Hardcash Productions for the Channel 4 series Dispatches which first aired on 15 January 2007 in the UK. The documentary presents film footage gathered from 12 months of secret investigation into mosques throughout Britain. The film caused a furore in Britain and the world press due to the extremist content of the released footage. West Midlands Police investigated whether criminal offences had been committed by those teaching or preaching at the Mosques and other establishments.’ Undercover Mosque: http://vimeo.com/19598947 & Undercover Mosque The Return: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njRKaX0ORuI

08/02/2015: I have NO DOUBT that if the Coalition shifts to Turnbull/Bishop there will be a new Conservative Party long before the next election - And that it will garner at least one third of all votes - Mine, CERTAINLY! NB what UKIP has already achieved in the UK. Tony needs to move much further to the RIGHT. So many of us are sick to death of Left Wing politics (no sense in the Liberals joining it). Time long since that we understood the key issues are: the Defence of the Realm, the removal of traitors, the REDUCTION of Government, the promotion of freedom and private enterprise…need I go on? Please note that Pauline looks like winning a seat FROM the CLP at an election where there was a HUGE away from the CLP. Doesn’t that tell you something? Remember that after Port Arthur One Nation attracted 27% of the vote and would have won a swag of seats if it had not been preferenced against by a coalition of Labor AND Liberal. Such a coalition has always represented FASCISM, not democracy. They insisted that ON win by ‘first past the post’ but THEY could achieve victory on the preferences. Why did ON gain such a large share of the vote at that time? Well, just for a start Howard used Port Arthur as an excuse to gift 100,000 SLRs and a billion rounds of .308 ammunition to the INDONESIANS! That made me feel a lot safer, particularly as he simultaneously confiscated hundreds of thousands of privately owned citizen firearms, some of them MINE. Just WHO do we think the Indos will be helping US defend AGAINST? Au contraire, THEY will be the enemy! Further, the ‘massacre’ simply could NOT have been carried out by any retarded imbecile acting ALONE. The Federal and Tas Govts forbade a coronial inquest to ascertain WHO was responsible, kept Bryant in solitary confinement for months without benefit of a lawyer until he was FORCED to confess, (under threat of the deaths of his mother and sister - as HE stated) AND confiscated all his property BEFORE the outcome of the trial was known so that he could not afford or mount a defence. And to CONCEAL THEIR involvement. This tyrannous action was so antithetical to all our traditions of freedom and due process of law it should scream out to everyone that a vast wrong was being done. You can still READ the entire police case online: I was at first incredulous that police were alleging that an individual with an IQ of 60 and almost zero experience with firearms could have shot nearly two dozen people through the head in fewer seconds, shooting from the hip and with the opposite hand to Bryant! NO misses. I KNOW only an extraordinary SAS marksman could have done this. I could not (and obviously WOULD not), yet I have been a pretty fair shot and have owned and used firearms all my life. No-one I know (even Olympic class shooters) can. There can be only a handful (or so) of people in the whole WORLD capable of this feat, and Government leaders know who they are. Howard certainly does. But it gets worse: the police case contained NO evidence that Bryant was even AT Port Arthur on that day. On the contrary: witness statements (taken on the day) clearly identified the perpetrator as someone other than Martin, disguised as Martin – one statement was from a man who viewed the criminal from less than 3 metres away, who had known Martin ALL HIS LIFE yet swore in his Stat Dec that the Perp was NOT Martin. Another who sat opposite the perp at the café table for nearly half an hour (and talked to him) describes him as someone who COULD NOT HAVE BEEN Martin. The Perp left no DNA/forensic evidence at the scene despite his partly consumed drink, meal, plates, utensils still being visible outside the café the next day! First attending local police (who were clearly not in on whatever evil was going on at Seascape – evil which clearly involved at least some Government chicanery) gave statements that there were TWO shooters (one outside on a roof) when they arrived. They had to hide in a ditch FOR HOURS whilst these two banged away at them. Police tapes of Martin talking on the phone from inside Seascape clearly reveal someone (else) shooting from another room while HE was talking on the phone. The police ballistics report revealed that the two guns found at Seascape (one outside on a roof) had both had their breeches professionally destroyed so as to obviate forensic identification, something no ‘idiot’ could have achieved. The Tasman Peninsula was NOT closed on the day to prevent the perpetrators from escaping, something which could have been achieved using just ONE police car. Hundreds of people were allowed to simply leave without identification BEFORE any perpetrator had been identified or caught. Police failed to attend at Port Arthur for OVER SIX HOURS after the massacre, even though other shots were fired after the perp had driven away (to Seascape)! Obviously this would not have happened if the authorities had not already KNOWN what was going on. For these and many other reasons, Port Arthur was the end of democracy in Australia as we knew it. Perhaps I am wrong? I believe there should still BE a coronial enquiry if only to identify how best to PREVENT such a tragedy from recurring. PS: A friend has just reminded me of the approx 40 berth hearse purchased just before (by the Tas Govt, used once) and sold just after Port Arthur – Oh Yes, THEY knew! Another unprecedented injustice was that AFTER Bryant had confessed, no attempt was made to assess whether this was due to duress, (or contrived) and the essential step which is always undertaken to ascertain the TRUTH of a confession, a video walk through of the crime scene with the accused so they can explain just how and where the crime/s were committed was omitted. This was a grave breach of due process. The incomplete and doctored (Why? THIS is illegal) tape recorded interviews with Bryant (taken whilst he was in hospital awaiting charges) indicate he had NO knowledge of the events at Port Arthur. They also indicate that he was of quite unsound mind. The fact that he was an invalid pensioner whose financial affairs were managed by the State Trustee reveals that the Tasmanian Government already knew he was UNFIT TO PLEAD. Therefore, after (if) his responsibility for the crimes was established he should have been held indefinitely in an institution for the criminally insane, not a public prison. In interview Brant was able to identify one of the two firearms (allegedly found at Seascape and ‘linked’ to Port Arthur) , and ‘confessed’ that he owned one just like one of the two, but that he had handed it in for repair to a Hobart gun dealer some time earlier (where it remained!) The other firearm which allegedly was found at Seascape had been handed in to POLICE in Victoria previously in a firearms amnesty. This has never been explained or investigated. A number of the people who were present at Port Arthur that terrible day or who were witnesses/victims of the atrocity have continued to call for an official coronal enquiry for over fifteen years now in the belief that Bryant was innocent. One of these people was shot at point blank range by the gunman, nearly lost his life, (the gueman killed his WIFE) but he insists that it was NOT Bryant.

07/02/2015: Theatre of the absurd: a Liberal voter last night watching the 7:30 report in an attempt to obtain information about the current ‘crisis’ in the Liberal Party. Watching four Leftist journos (some MARRIED to Labor MPs), three/four of them women talking about the LIBERAL Party. This is BALANCE! The ABC/SBS need to be either reformed and held to their charters or ABOLISHED!

07/02/2015: If you want to find a truly GOOD man, forget Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, etc – all these shamans and frauds; try Socrates. I would recommend the 'Socratic Dialogues' ie Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo, Euthyphro. You can get it for free here: https://archive.org/details/trialanddeathso00platgoog

07/02/2015: Intimations of mortality: ‘Disease is historically normal and natural, and absence of disease is abnormal…We live in an abnormal golden age of artificial health thanks to modern medicine, and have thus tended to be fooled into thinking of health as the normal and natural state…We are in a frenzy of labelling things as diseases these days which would have been viewed as expectable misfortunes, the risks of life…Roughly half of us would have been dead already, in 1800. Childhood infectious disease, childbirth complications, cholera, birth defects, tetanus, influenza, pneumonia, TB, polio, diabetes, war, mental illness, mental retardation, accidents, cancers, animal bites, bug bites - you name it. All normal and natural thanks to a harsh and indifferent Mother Nature who seems to want to disable and kill you - and she will. God may love you, but Nature - no…Try to remember how many old folks, and even middle-aged hobbled around on canes, or sat in wheelchairs and rocking chairs, maybe gasping for breath, or were half-blind, in our youth when they are now playing tennis and skiing. ..Life expectancy has changed very little in the past 200 years - if you exclude the childhood and youth infectious deaths, and the trauma injuries which would have resulted in death - which distort the stats…Wild animals always seem healthy. Why? Because the instant they have the slightest problem, something catches and eats them and they are gone. Sooner or later, they all get killed and eaten because something always goes wrong.’ (Maggie’s Farm)

06/02/2015: I want to reconsider my hasty opinion from last week that Abbott is finished. If the alternatives are Bishop &/or Turnbull, we would be better to ‘go down fighting’ with Tony. Both Turnbull and Bishop are quasi-Leftists. Both are so keen on the whole climate change nonsense it makes one doubt their sanity. Turnbull was/is all for carbon abatement programmes and remember Bishop insanely gave Indonesia $200 million (we did not have) at the climate confab a few weeks ago – without getting our two Aussie boys off death row in Bali. Indeed, NOTHING in exchange. She is a Leftie cream puff. Turnbull is a supercilious opinionated mouth running over disaster. Mark my words Have folk forgotten what he was like last time? Couldn’t even make a dent against a disastrous Labor Govt in the polls. Then there was the dreadful Grech/Utegate affair. The economic situation for Australia is getting worse, so we must HAVE the budget savings or become another Greece. Under Turnbull/Bishop/Shorten that’s just where we’d be heading, just as we were under Rudd/Gillard. Morrison may be quite another matter.

06/02/2015: Well, ‘Hello Possums!’ – May be time to start making ‘delightful’ garments (and pet food) out of the cuddly sweeties who devour everything in suburban gardens? Of course such laws (as against possum reduction - which no-one can practically obey) undermine the stability of ‘the rule of law’ generally. Once there are numerous laws which it is impossible to obey, sensibly folk begin to pick and choose somewhat about which ones they WILL obey (leaving aside those which it is distasteful to obey – such as refraining from making comment about things which are patently evil to avoid the ‘crime’ of ‘hate speech’). Thence it is a short slide into chaos. Another example from our farm: it is now IMPOSSIBLE to legally dispose of a dead sheep. Either sheep will have to become immortal (unlikely) or we will be ‘criminals’. QED. It is why I no longer concern myself with the invisible lines on public land where eg I may hunt or walk with my dogs. No-one except myself is there. No-one (and nothing) is harmed (save the odd tasty deer), so I proceed with my ‘criminal’ intent: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/andrew-rule-inside-the-secret-nocturnal-world-of-possum-control/story-fni0ffyu-1227203143108 Of course, a few more of these guys in suburbia might help; might help clean up some of those pesky toddlers too!

06/02/2015: ‘Sur La Pont d’Avignon’: Must’t let Della SEE this or I may NEVER get out of Europe: http://www.breakaway-adventures.com/walking/france/landscapes-of-the-luberon-walk.html

05/02/2015: Now that Isis has descended (?) to the ultimate (?) barbarity of immolation, just as the good Nelson Mandela did to approx 20,000 folks with his wondrous ‘invention’, ie ‘necklacing’ (perhaps you had forgotten?) surely we can soon expect their leaders also to be awarded Nobel ‘Peace’ prizes and other bizarre ‘honours’ http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/jordanian-pilot-reportedly-burned-death-new-isis-video-article-1.2101691 I found this image of these ‘peace champs’ captured at the ignition point against a background of the ruins of Syrian CIVILISATION incredibly poignant: Ah, ‘Apres Moi Le Deluge’!

The horrific video shows men lighting a trail of accelerant into the cage.

05/02/2015: Multiculturalism at work:

05/02/2015: While on the subject of cages: People often surmise that a cage full of birds weighs less if they suddenly (all) take off. On the upstroke they are clearly effectively weightless, but on the downstroke the cage may weigh more than when the birds are at rest. My own efforts over the years to lose weight by jumping whilst on the scales has resulted in no decrease in avoirdupois but several broken scales! Man was not designed to fly! Nor scales to assist him!

04/02/2015: There are folks who are posting pix of nice stags (on MY home page) underlined by this obvious drivel by E O Wilson, ‘Each species is a masterpiece a creation assembled with extreme care and genius,’ AND asking that I NOT comment. Well, I have the good manners NOT to comment THERE, but HERE is a different matter. MY homepage shows me sitting on just such a dead ‘masterpiece’ which I shot (with some pride in MY genius at having done so) on the Wonnangatta River some time back. Wilson is a nit-wit. There are just as many ‘bad designs’ as ‘good designs’ in nature (the lower back which haunts me again this morning being one such). But as always, a ‘design’ implies a ‘designer’, and as the lady said, ‘It's turtles ALL THE WAY DOWN’. I refer you to Khayyam’s thoughts on this matter: https://www.library.cornell.edu/colldev/mideast/okhym.htm

04/02/2015: ‘Jurassic City’. Fans of Guy N Smith (well nigh eponymous for his astonishing novel) ‘The Slime Beast’ (a must read!) will find this movie to be very nearly its cinematic equivalent. It is a movie of such awful quality that it is almost certain to become a legend. I expect hordes of velociraptor worshippers able to quote vast slabs of its appalling dialogue. The good news is that the makers of this film (who have no sense of plot, theme, verisimilitude, etc) have made an array of equally dreadful ones, so the fun does not end here. (It is the same with Guy; he has a wealth of incredible publications – and an devoted fan club!) Here is the official trailer just to whet your appetite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMZt0YMw9O0

04/02/2015: GUIDE TO SHORT WALKS IN VICTORIA: Yarra State Forest: A useful resource: http://bpadula.tripod.com/walksdiary/id36.html

04/02/2015: ‘Uncontrollable, irresponsible incidents could result’ – Well, of course, women’s shoes after all: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/world/article/islamic-prayer-rug-art-installation-removed-from-paris-show-citing-uncontro Meanwhile two weeks after Zuckerberg said ‘Je suis Charlie’ Facebook has begun censoring images of the ‘prophet’ Mohammed.

03/02/2015: GREAT work Pauline – hope you make a come back. Australia NEEDS you: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland-state-election-2015/pauline-hanson-leads-in-race-for-seat-of-lockyer/story-fnr8vuu5-1227205469082?nk=8674b20ac365d6102d3a4d1412d01633

03/02/2015: Auschwitz: 70 years after its ‘liberation’, the ‘new’ anti-semitism: ‘It took Nazi Germany seven years to kill 6 million Jews. It would take a nuclear Iran one day.’ http://www.steynonline.com/6750/exodus & http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/charles-krauthammer-do-we-really-mean-never-again/2015/01/29/25447c92-a7f4-11e4-a06b-9df2002b86a0_story.html

03/02/2015: The joys of tupping: it might be fun for ovine folk, BUT…I was catching a ram for the delectation of some winsome (hopefully to him) ewes, as I have done a thousand times before. He lurched one way and my hip dislocated with a very loud click, and I guess went back in again…It SURE hurt then, and it hurts yet!

02/02/2015: First Past the Post: Of course if we rid ourselves of the dreadful undemocratic ‘proportional’ and ‘preferential’ systems of voting, Campbell Newman would STILL be Premier:

02/02/2015: Some good news: targeting certain immune cell halts type 1 diabetes in mice: http://www.gizmag.com/immune-cell-type-1-diabetes/35716/

02/02/2015: This guy has been EVERWHERE: http://www.thehikinglife.com/

02/02/2015: Wonderful SUBMISSION to the Senate’s enquiry into the RET scheme by David Archibald: Some highlights: ‘No electric power producer would take power from a wind turbine operation if they had the choice...The greenhouse gasses keep the planet 30°C warmer than it would otherwise be if they weren’t in the atmosphere. So the average temperature of the planet’s surface is 15°C instead of -15°C. Of that effect, 80% is provided by water vapour, 10% by carbon dioxide and methane. By the time we get to the current level in the atmosphere of 400 parts per million, the heating effect is only 0.1°C per one hundred parts per million...The total atmospheric heating from carbon dioxide to date is of the order of 0.1°C. By the time humanity has dug up all the rocks we can economically burn, and burnt them, the total heating effect from carbon dioxide might be of the order of 0.4°C. This would take a couple of centuries...The carbon dioxide level of the atmosphere is actually dangerously low, not dangerously high. During the glacial periods of our current ice age, the level got as low as 180 parts per million. Plant growth shuts down at 150 parts per million. Several times in the last three million years, life above sea level came within 30 parts per million of extinction due to a lack of carbon dioxide. The more humanity can increase the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide, the safer life on Earth will be…Some estimates of the heating effect of atmospheric carbon dioxide are as high as 6.0°C for a doubling of the concentration from the pre-industrial level. For this to be true, atmospheric heating of at least 2.0°C should have been seen to date. In the real world, there has been a temperature rise of 0.3°C in the last 35 years as measured by satellites…As shown in Figure 4, the reduction in solar activity now being observed will result in temperatures returning to the levels of the mid-19^th century at best, with the possibility of revisiting the lows of the 17^th and 18^th centuries…Wind turbines are made using energy from coal at about 4 cents per kWh and provide energy thought to cost of the order of 10 cents per kWh. In effect, they are machines for taking cheap, stable and reliable energy from coal and giving it back in the form of an intermittent and unpredictable dribble at more than twice the price…If power from wind turbines costing 10 cents per kWh was used to make more wind turbines, then the wind turbines so produced would make power at something like 25 cents per kWh. The cost would compound away and any society that attempted to run itself on wind energy would collapse…The wind turbines scattered around the Australian countryside are a physical manifestation of the infestation of the body politic by the self-loathing, millenarian cult of global warming…the optimum nuclear technology for society to adopt is the thorium molten salt reactor. Any middle-ranking industrial power, such as Australia, could develop this technology, and should do so…’ http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/01/29/a-sin-of-commission/

clip_image002

01/02/2014: Great news for gear junkies (like me). I am particularly interested in Sea to Summit’s new pad and NWAlpine’s new cuben rain jacket, but they will have to be VERY good indeed to beat Thermarest’s Neoair or Zpacks rain jacket: http://www.eathomas.com/2015/01/27/or2015gearreport/?utm_source=feedly&utm_reader=feedly&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=or2015gearreport

01/02/2014: An educational triumph: Joseph Sobran: ‘In a hundred years, we’ve gone from teaching Latin and Greek in high school to teaching remedial English in college.’

01/02/2014: I thought it was awful news back in July when Campbell lost the Stafford by-election with an 18% swing; alas: too many people voting for a living whose only purpose is to spend others’ or our children’s money. Since then we have had Andrews in Vic, and now this awful result in Qld. Clearly Abbott IS finished. If the electorate hates you, they WILL punish you like they have Newman no matter you are a fine man and/or doing what MUST be done. Julie’s turn now. Surely. Hope she can become another Thatcher!

31/01/2015: Yarra Falls (1928). Further efforts to uncover this ‘lost’ treasure are needed:

31/01/2015: UN October: ‘The number of people infected with Ebola is doubling every 20 to 30 days, and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention has forecast that there could be as many as 1.4m cases of Ebola by January’ Actual January figures = 99! WHY do we HAVE this USELESS organisation? They also have ‘targets’ for reducing global POVERTY – as if this was EVER achieved by Governments (the reverse is true), rather than private industry. Then they have the IPCC – and the US and Europe have SNOW, SNOW, SNOW – and yesterday Hobart had a max of 15C!

31/01/2015: Sussan Ley (sic) our new Health Minister notes in her first day on the job that health costs have more than doubled in the last little while (Read: ‘Under Labor’) and that ‘something must be done.’ Frankly I (or Scott Morrison) would have got this right the first time. Clearly in such a short time there has been NO EPIDEMIC ie there has been NO INCREASE IN SICK PEOPLE (or well people for that matter!) So who is causing this? Well DOCTORS, obviously. The constant need for a new BMW, condominiums in the South of France etc doesn’t come cheap. Just ask the Australian tax-payer. However the cost would not rise if people went to the doctor fewer times, so the Government is quite RIGHT that a price signal WILL constrain demand. They were only completely WRONG about how to create it. A co-payment is necessary to constrain demand, but you need to do this without ‘disadvantaging’ the ‘most vulnerable’ (ie those who mooch on the health system most to NO net beneficial effect – as I have observed before .22 bullets are very CHEAP, but that is another matter). If you bring in say a $5 co-payment but you give ‘vulnerable’ folks a credit on say the first twenty such visits and make subsequent ones ‘free’ then even though they have NOT been disadvantaged (you have already GIVEN them the money to pay the doctor), because they have to physically TAKE IT out of THEIR pocket, they will think twice about visiting the doc for trivial reasons. So you achieve the effect in such a way that the only folk who could complain would be the docs whose over-servicing has caused the problem in the first place. So saving achieved without ANY electoral back-lash! Tony (& Sussan) should ring me for advice more often!

30/01/2015:

''As a young Greek sailor, Prince Philip risked his life for Australians when he volunteered in wartime to join the Royal Navy, protecting convoys of the Australian Expeditionary Force in the Indian Ocean,'' writes Professor David Flint in the Daily Telegraph on 30 January, 2015.

'' He served with Aussies at the Battles of Crete Cape Matapan and then with Aussies, Kiwis and Canadians in the British Pacific Fleet.

''And where was the Fleet's home base?

''Sydney, Australia with the forward base at Manus.

''Mentioned in dispatches and awarded the Greek War Cross of Valour, he risked his life to defend us.

''As consort he's done what we asked, attracting international media attention to our events.

''He even joined in fighting a bushfire.

''And all without our paying anything or putting him on pollie style super - he's still working at 93.

''So how could this gracious gesture, which costs us nothing , ''Dishonour our heroes'' (23/10)?''

30/01/2015: Top Gadget: http://www.gizmag.com/leatherman-tread-bracelet/35731/

The manly-lookin' Leatherman Tread

30/01/2015: Australia Day reflections: We Are a young country: I have lived nearly a third of our country’s history (65/227 years). My grandfather George (b 1872) used to claim he had met someone who was on the First Fleet which MAY have been true (but he was a notorious story-teller). Certainly Della’s mother, Dorothy who recently passed away could rightly say that HER grandmother had. Her grandmother, Fannie was born in Tiverton Devon in 1844. She lived next door to her grandmother Mary (Madge) Richards (d1855) who was not only ON the First Fleet (as a soldier’s wife) but gave birth to a son, William on the voyage out!

30/01/2015: Clementine Ford, that awful Fairfax frightbat and COMPLEAT IDIOT: ‘Over cold cocktails, where the twizzle sticks are actually dehydrated penises’…Men? ‘Well, we'd just kill them.’ THIS is her vision of the sisterhood’s paradise – of course there would be abortion on demand and equal pay for women, but – this works HOW, with NO men? Why does Fairfax pay these nit-wits; where does it get the sales revenue to do so? http://www.dailylife.com.au/news-and-views/dl-opinion/misandry-island-this-is-what-a-feminist-utopia-would-look-like-20150126-12yk8a.html

29/01/2015: I see Tony Abbott has won an award MANY would have liked to win ie Islamophobe of the Year: http://ihrc.org.uk/activities/press-releases/11344-press-release-nominees-announced-for-islamophobia-awards-2015

29/01/2015: Banjo for the C21st: courtesy of Joe Wolfe:

Clancy@theoverflow
I had written him a text
Which I'd sent, hoping the next
Time he came in mobile coverage
He'd have time to say hello.
But I'd heard he'd lost his iPhone,
So I emailed him from my phone,
Just addressed, on spec, as follows:
clancy@theoverflow
And the answer redirected
Wasn't quite what I'd expected
And it wasn't from the shearing mate
Who'd answered once before.
His ISP provider wrote it
And verbatim I will quote it:
'This account has been suspended:
You won't hear from him no more.'
In my wild erratic fancy
Visions come to me of Clancy:
Out of reach of mobile coverage
Where the Western rivers flow.
Instead of tapping on the small screen,
He'd be camping by the tall green
River gums a pleasure
That the town folk never know.
Well, the bush has friends to meet him
But the rest of us can't greet him:
Out there, even Telstra's network
Doesn't give you any bars.
He can't blog the vision splendid
Of the sunlit plains extended
Or tweet the wondrous glory
Of the everlasting stars.
I am sitting at the keyboard
And I'm too stressed out to be bored
As I answer all the emails
By the deadlines they contain
While my screen fills with promotions
For 'Viagra' and strange potions
And announcements of the million-dollar
Prizes I can claim.
But the looming deadlines haunt me
And their harrying senders taunt me
That they need response this evening
For tomorrow is too late!
But their texts, too quickly ended,
Often can't be comprehended
For their writers have no time to think
They have no time to wait.
And I sometimes rather fancy
That I'd like to trade with Clancy:
Just set up an email bouncer
Saying 'Sorry, had to go.'
While he faced in an inbox jamming
Up with deadlines and with spamming
As he signed off every message:
clancy@theoverflow

29/01/2015: I am as opposed to the idea of targeted welfare as I am to the idea that there should be a zero rate of income tax at a threshold level. If we are to HAVE Government (a questionable idea anyway, but let’s take it as a ‘given’), then Government needs some finance. Why? # NUMERO UNO: Defence of the Realm; without that you don’t have a country. It is hard to imagine how you would work that with just private enterprise (today at any rate) even though it is easy to see how you could do it with other ‘essential’ services: police, fire, ambulance, etc - & ‘let the Devil take the hindmost’. Is this a good thing? Well, what IS? Curiously even defence used to be provided by the magnanimity of the ‘high and mighty’, (part of ‘noblesse oblige’) but that might not work so well today – might work a lot better though if they weren’t being bled to death to pay for waste and frivolities such as ‘welfare,’ what PASSES for ‘education,’ multiculturalism, vast ‘health’ rorts, over-blown public ‘service,’ & etc…When you bring in a ‘means’ (or asset) test which eg precludes paying income tax or eligibility for Government assistance (think eg Aged Pension Youth Allowance, etc), you exclude large percentages of the population from a sense of BELONGING to our country. On the one hand you create dependency without responsibility, on the other taxation without representation, in effect. The former group feel free to trash the country; the latter to leave. Both are undesirable outcomes. It is NOT such a problem if the ‘wealthy’ are eligible for aged pensions or assistance with their children’s education (it is a trifle): on the one hand it is they who have contributed the vast majority of taxation revenue so it will be no problem if they receive a pittance back; indeed they are MORE deserving than those who have contributed little or nothing! Whence came this bizarre (Christian?) notion that charity should be made compulsory by the state? The rich have little chance of getting anywhere in our country (let alone Heaven) – we should worry that they are just heading post-haste for the exit gate (as mining investment shows they are!) – when it is only the top 20% of income earners who pay ANY net tax! Where in this nationalised ‘Christianity’ is the parable of the ‘widow’s mite’? Socialism has lost sight of the important truth that the poor should contribute to our common wealth (Commonwealth).

28/01/2015: Eponymous? Well not quite…but we DID have a lovely visit on Monday from a delightful (Kyabram) ex-student (NOW Sylvie Jones having decided to take OUR name as a mark of respect, perhaps!), and her excellent husband, Andy. Just great to be catching up with such fine people after SUCH a long time. Can’t wait for all you others out there who threaten to descend on us betimes with beer and skittles etc. It sure beats attending the funerals of friends we seem to have been losing with such maudlin regularity these last few years. I have been saying to Della we need to make some younger friends – the old ones just aren’t LASTING long enough – we have been able to make up a ranking system for funerals we attend - there have been so many! It’s not just quiet around here because I’m now stone deaf, though that adds to it, I guess. Well, it’s not SO bad as that, (I just delight in hyperbole)…we DID have the pleasure of attending the excellent Paul Artufel’s birthday celebrations just last week…Anyway, many happy returns Sylvie and Andy, I hope.

28/01/2015: Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz is dead and ‘everyone in the West bemoans the fact that he died peacefully under an anaesthetic rather than having his head brutally hacked off in a public square!...So who was this dictator King Abdulaziz? Well he was well known for his insatiable sexual appetite. In addition to his innumerable concubines, the “pious” Wahhabi Imam married about 300 wives…while his princely sons are estimated to number 125…also encouraged the practice of slavery by personally owning hundreds of slaves for himself as well as for his family members. However…was finally forced to reluctantly abolish slavery as late as 1962…The pleasures of the House of Saud are all about drunken orgies, the denigration and legal raping of women and children, betting on camel races, the public slaughter of foreign nationals after Friday prayers, gold plated Mercedes, countless A380s, each with half billion dollar personal fit-outs and poisonings of those within the family who dare challenge you...’ God Bless Him! I see Obama is to attend his funeral even though he could not attend the Paris rally for the victims HIS jihadi thugs killed! https://pickeringpost.com/story/no-wonder-we-go-easy-on-islam/4445

28/01/2015: ‘It isn’t a culture anymore. It is a freak show: Two men who fell in love and had sex change now getting married as lesbians’ (For more ‘entertaining photos, click on the ‘freak show’ link): http://moonbattery.com/?p=54169, and then there is THIS: http://cnsnews.com/blog/melanie-hunter/transgender-parents-will-explain-their-kids-sometimes-men-have-babies

26/01/2015: ALL IS NOT LOST: Sydney is having a BACON FESTIVAL. That’s the way to stick it to depraved vegetarians, jihadists, etc. A couple of the dishes: ‘Don’t Go Bacon My Heart’ beer-candied bacon and popcorn chicken burger and the ‘What a Croque of Bacon’ (bacon, basil and vintage cheddar croquettes): http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/inner-west/bacon-lovers-brace-yourself-for-a-pork-coma-australias-first-bacon-festival-is-coming-to-sydney/story-fngr8h4f-1227192939820?nk=8674b20ac365d6102d3a4d1412d01633

26/01/2015: Quote of the evening from Sufyan Badar at last night’s ‘Yay for Mo’ rally in Lakemba: ’We rejected freedom yesterday, we reject freedom today and we reject your freedom tomorrow’. NB: Just POSSIBLY, the word ‘YOUR’ should be stressed?

26/01/2015: It just keeps getting better: 138 lumen single AAA flashlight with light diffuser $29.75: http://www.countycomm.com/aaa.html

25/01/2015: Why I hate the Greens – a continuing saga: You might have noticed that we are hunting for canoeable rivers nearby where we might enjoy a warm day paddling, swimming etc. In the past (indeed the average for the hundred previous years) we had always been able to paddle the Macalister and Wonnangatta all summer. The lowest the Macalister used to get on average (in April ) was approx 20 cm HIGHER than its summer level since we had those disastrous bushfires (again and again) a few years back – likewise the Wonnangatta. It seems unlikely that the recovery from those fires will restore summer flows within the next ten years (or my useful lifetime as a white water canoeist anyway!) This is just a fillip to the massive destruction, loss of (wild) life & etc, ALL BECAUSE of these dreadful people and their absurd ‘conservationist’ demands.

25/01/2015: So, we don’t all have to be Sitzpinklers (YET!): ‘A court in Germany has ruled in favour of a man's right to urinate while standing up after his landlord demanded money for damage to the bathroom floor.’ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30937492

24/01/2015: Tanjil River canoe trip: I was forgetting it was a long weekend...the next hot day will be more suitable for us: fewer people about! Some beautiful campsites on the Tanjil off Rowley's Hill Road via Hill End (a lovely 2WD drive), eg near the gauging station (launch here) just below the bridge, (or for those with a 4WD - though the track is good enough for eg Subarus) off ‘Steve’s Track’ (Yes!) which runs off Rowley’s Hill Rd just after it diverges from Russell Creek Rd (which is the turn-off you should look for just before Hill End). This is where you would get out. I’d say 1 ½-2 hour trip. Maps: Noojee South T8122-3-S and Trafalgar North T8121-4-N and Avenza PDF Maps App. Looks canoeable to me:

Tanjil River Rowleys Ridge Bridge Gauging Station Downstream view.

24/01/2015: The ‘PROBLEM’ is NOT Tony Abbott (who is no different now than he ever was – a decent, honest hard working Australian); the problem is Turnbull hasn’t sorted out the ABC/SBS propaganda machines! THAT being said, I suspect Morrison will be PM before the next election…

24/01/2015: Water straight from the tap becomes cloudy when frozen. To make ice cubes crystal clear, allow a kettle of boiled water to cool slightly and use this to fill your ice cube trays because boiling the water drives all the trapped air out, making the cubes clear. Ah, here is the basis for a new FAD: ‘De-oxygenated’ water: does boiling water (for tea/coffee) reduce oxidation reactions in the body and so prevent ‘corrosion’ and promote long life? Is THIS why tea/coffee are so good for you? Time WILL tell!

24/01/2015: Upper Yarra Track: Here’s a little TREASURE: ‘The Open Road in Victoria Being The Ways of Many Walkers’ (1928) by Robert Henderson Croll Vice-President of the Melbourne Walking Club With Eight Illustrations http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks14/1402821h.html It has a whole chapter on ‘The Baw Baws.’ Also see: http://gutenberg.net.au/walking.html for more old Australian hiking books. An excerpt: ‘With the commencement of the bridle track at McVeigh's the way is truly the walker's. For nearly 16 miles it is a sidling pad winding just above and always within sight, or at least sound, of the Yarra, here a babbling stream running at the foot of a steadily deepening valley. Higher and higher grow the hills, well clothed, particularly on the right bank, with tall timber and luxuriant shrubs. The slopes above the river look primeval and un-trodden. But the trail is an old one, as old as the early mining rushes, and doubtless those resolute pioneers, the diggers, left little even of this hilly country unexplored in their search for gold. A reminder of the period is the unusual blaze on the timber—a T, to signify the Tanjil track. Just before the 15-mile post, shown in red on a tree, two huts come into the picture. Each is of iron, and each is well constructed to meet the needs of tourists, it being understood that these bring their own food and bedding. The newer structure has a cement chimney and cement floor, a couple of large windows, a table, a form, and some boxes for seats, half a dozen billies, a frying-pan, a bucket, an axe, a broom, four stretchers, with spring mattresses (and there are as many more in the neighbouring hut) and about a dozen mugs and plates. There are two rooms available for visitors, the space over all being about 50 feet by 15 feet. The old hut is much smaller, but is weatherproof, and at least a shelter in rough weather. On Falls Creek, which joins the main stream at this point, six picturesque waterfalls occur within a mile and a half of the camping ground. They are readily accessible, the track to the main fall (the first) being in good order and of an easy grade. The other five take a little more climbing to see.’ You will see that the hut I already posted a photo of was clearly the old hut. The concrete floor of the new hut (plus chimney) if cleared might make a useful leech-proof campsite.

23/01/2014: 1925 Sketch map of Yarra Falls:

Converted distances taken from 1925 Baw Baw Tourist Maps:

Falls Hut to Falls Creek (4 Chains) = 80 metres

Falls Creek to Main Falls Track (8 Chains) = 160 metres

Thence to View of Upper Falls (81 Chains) = 1629 metres

Thence to Upper Falls Track (7 Chains) = 543 metres

This ‘Sketch map’ is better quality then the one I found before and reveals details I had not been able to see. For example, I now see that there was a path down alongside the ‘Minor’ Falls from top to bottom on the true right bank. Then there was a path from the bottom to just below the main Falls, (from there a zig-zag path to the bottom of the Main Falls, and again on to the Falls Hut. The converted measurements above should enable me to superimpose these features on to a ‘current’ Victopo map to show the easiest path to all these features should there be anyone wishing to commit the peccadillo of visiting them. Something like this:

I noticed that ‘Big Ben’ has already been there, and that there is a campsite at the junction of Falls Creek and the Yarra River! (http://archive.bigben.id.au/victoria/melb/yarra_falls.html) He offers some useful instructions such as,

‘I drove along the dirt track to the south of the river and slowed down to look for the thinnest section of undergrowth to start my walk. There wasn't one really, so I reversed up and picked the "thinnest" undergrowth to walk through. After a short distance the undergrowth became much clearer and the going was much easier. Another 100m or so and I found a piece of yellow electrical tape hanging from a twig. I guessed that someone else had marked a track to the first waterfall at the top of the Falls Creek valley (since there was really nowhere else to go) and sure enough I found another piece on the same bearing that I was walking. Enough people had walked this "track" that you could just make out a trail on the ground. The trail continued along tree trunks wherever possible to avoid walking through the bush.’

(NB: ‘Ben would be referring to beginning in the vicinity of Hill 968 between Toorongo No 3 Rd to the South and Rd 12 to the North off the Forty Mile Break Rd eg on 25K Vicmap Noojee North T8122-3-N)

‘In no time at all I reached the top of the first waterfall. There used to be a track cut down the north side of the valley that went down to the other 4 waterfalls just below and then on to Yarra Falls further down the valley. From the gradient and the thickness of the bush I decided that I was not going to try to find any trace of it and would instead aim for the next ridge and follow that down to the Yarra River. I stopped here for lunch and to take a few photographs of the first fall.

The forest had been reasonably open until this point. It then changed and became hopelessly tangled. The steep slope combined with the almost impenetrable undergrowth and countless slippery branches lying on the ground made the going very hard. I eventually reached the top of the ridge and was disheartened to find that it didn't get any clearer. After struggling through another 100m or so of thick undergrowth it all suddenly disappeared.

The forest opened up completely with only leaves and logs on the ground. And what logs they were. It's not often that I have to climb over a log but the trees here had been saved from logging and the fallen trees were huge. I found no sign of any blazed trees marking the old trail but occasionally I thought I could see a levelled overgrown track about 1.5m wide.

I made fairly quick time down the ridge which became steeper and steeper towards the end and as suddenly as the forest had opened up it became a dense tangle once more. The last 100m down the ridge was soul destroying. It required so much effort just to take one step that at one stage I just turned around and pushed through the undergrowth with my back pack. The undergrowth was so thick that I ended up walking on bent, intertwined branches and would occasionally find myself about a metre above the ground.

I eventually made it down to the beautiful junction of Falls Creek and the Yarra River, a broad fern gully, at sunset. I set up camp on a sand bank at the junction of the two streams and hoped that it wouldn't rain too much that night.

The walk up Falls reek turned out to be a relatively simple one. The entire walk was in amongst a wonderful fern gully. I had to keep swapping from one side to the other as the bank became to steep but there was always somewhere to walk, even if it was on top of a 1.5m wide tree trunk. The only really annoying part was the leeches, but considering the length of the walk I didn't fair that badly.

Eventually I reached it, 'the black hole' as it was sometimes known. The sides of the valley are so steep that from above, you could hear the waterfall but not see it. The falls were a little shorter than I expected and the gorge into which it fell a little wider. This was certainly not, though, a black hole. After emerging from the darkness of the tree ferns this was quite the opposite and I spent most of my time waiting for the sun to go behind a cloud.

The original photograph that I had seen of these falls was taken from a small ledge about 5m higher than the viewpoint for the photographs above. A tree fern obscured the view from this ledge so I didn't bother attempting the tricky climb to it.

I stayed there for lunch before heading back down along the creek. While I made 'good' progress it must have been slower than I thought as I returned to the tent in fading light. After evicting the leeches from my tent I settled down for a good nights sleep in preparation for the walk back through those two stretches of thick undergrowth and a few unexpected finds.

A few light showers overnight had made everything dripping with water but it wasn't really very cold. I decided against putting my waterproof pants on as they would probably make me too hot. This turned out to be a good move. After packing up my campsite I tried to find a break through the undergrowth for my return journey. There were none. It was going to be a couple of hours of take one step, part the branches, put the camera bag on the ground ahead, part more branches, take one small step, part the branches..... over and over.

When I reached the clearer forest again I found a piece of green electrical tape on a small tree. It was on what appeared to be another remnant of the old track, a level section cut across the slope about 1.5m wide. The track went left across the ridge and another piece of tape made me guess that someone had tried to retrace the old track. That's all very nice but I just wanted to go home and I headed straight up the ridge.

The old tourist map of Yarra Falls marks a lookout where you can see the upper five falls. I had looked for it briefly on the way down without success but found it on the way up. I could only hear them at first but found the spot after wandering down the side of the ridge a little. And then it was back into the thick undergrowth. By now I had developed a technique for getting through the bushes, and knew which trees to avoid. It was still tough going and I reached Falls Creek again slightly above the first fall.

This part of the creek was typical of the difference between this forest and any other that I had walked through. Normal fire prevention management reduces the amount of dead timber and leaf litter on the ground. Here, in the absence of such practices there were logs everywhere... not just across the creek but everywhere down the slope. This made walking quite tricky with the occasional slide down a slippery log to get the adrenaline going.

While heading back towards the first fall I came across a beautiful patch of forest. Three giant tree trunks crossed a small creek at different angles, providing a perfect bridge and an excellent 'aerial' view of the forest floor. From here I followed the yellow tape back to the road and emerged from the forest a short distance from my car. What else lies hidden in these Yarra Ranges?’

23/01/2015: For over 1500 years it has been a complete non sequitur to recognise that Islam is THE ENEMY. Yet now that we are locked in this epic struggle which is the Fifth Crusade - and which the West appears currently to be LOSING, to point out the blindingly obvious has become a HATE CRIME in Australia (and many other places) – as if pointing out that Nazism was THE ENEMY during WW2 or that Communism was during the Cold War was a hate crime too! ‘The best lack all conviction and the worst are full of passionate intensity’ Yeats, ‘An Irish Airman Foresees His Death’.

23/01/2015: When students need EDUCATION, what PAP ARE we giving them? Most ARE able to opt out of Maths/Science at a sub-literate level. Their literacy is often poorer than our parents’ was in primary school. They generally have NO historical or geographic knowledge. There is a dearth of practical skills. The situation is DIRE: http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/25503-Correcting-Grammar-and-Spelling-Is-Regarded-as-Racist-at-UCLA.html

23/01/2015: Upper Yarra Track: A couple of GEMS: 1925 Tourist Brochure and Map. Even better quality copy

available here: http://digital.slv.vic.gov.au/view/action/nmets.do?DOCCHOICE=1466844.xml&dvs=1421880875305~848&locale=en_GB&search_terms=&adjacency=&divType=&usePid1=true&usePid2=true

22/01/2015: From Labor Party ad (for Qld election) ‘The only reason someone buys a business is to make money from it’ – THIS is a REASON for NOT voting Conservative? Duh! These (Labor/Greens) commies are NUTS! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWfWaUWqpfs

22/01/2015: Another Innings: Strange how people harbour THIS odd delusion. You’ve heard the excuses: ‘I’m too old/fat/unfit, don’t have a decent pair of boots, 4WD, time, wife/husband might not like it…have to mow the lawn, feed the cat, put the garbage out, etc, bloody etc…so I can’t POSSIBLY join you today on yet another madcap canoeing, hunting, hiking etc adventure – as if they were going to have another innings where all these things were possible! Just the other day a guy said to me, ‘You can’t possibly canoe a THOUSAND KM on the Kazan River in the Canadian Arctic, not at YOUR age’! Just have to wait around for the Resurrection I guess – or…JUST GET OUT AN DO IT!

22/01/2015: ‘Carthago delenda est’ : Cameron IS doing it: ie cancelling folks’ citizenship/passports (eg for travelling to Syria to butcher people (like this: http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/timblair/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/he_got_shahaded/). So the UN Convention on the Rights of the Stateless is a limp haddock! LONG since time YOU seized the nettle, Tony! You would have a 70%+ approval rating if you did! Enough ‘pious gibberish’ that these folks are NOT the problem. Enough ‘Don’t mention the Islam,’ people. We have to settle these people’s hash before they settle ours. After all, the world’s greatest HOLOCAUST was not that BOYSCOUT Adolph’s piffling murder of around 10 million Jews, gypsies & etc, it was Islam’s genocide of HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of folks throughout the Middle East, Asia and Africa, interminably over the centuries. Vast PYRAMIDS OF HUMAN HEADS! This ‘religion’ PLANS TO MURDER EVERY ONE OF US! GET IT? To plagiarise Cato the Elder, (Carthago delenda est): ‘Islam MUST be destroyed!’

21/01/2014: Oil at $46 A Barrel 160 litres) = .2875 cents/litre. When oil was this ‘dear’ back about 1974 after the second big ‘Oil Shock’ I seem to remember petrol was about 50 cents a litre. Governments have been having a big lend of us since then!

21/01/2014: The ‘Ultimate Resource’ is running out in East Asia; population is plummeting: where WILL the world find another China or India? http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/blog/gordon-g-chang/east-asias-population-death-spiral

21/01/2014: Mystery Falls: Thwarted on our overnight trip to Mt Whitelaw we decided to use the day gained searching for the lost ‘Mystery’ Falls. Quite a lot of bush bashing (nearly three hours IN, one and a quarter out) brought us to the top of the first cascade, No #1 of SIX (!) which plummet hundreds of metres down the valley!) Perhaps Victoria’s greatest treasure! Rather a lot more bush bashing may be needed on a future day to view the other four ‘minor’ falls, followed by the Main Falls…

Mystery Falls First Cascade

Mystery Falls Creek

Thick going in places

Beautiful Forty Mile Break Road

Emergency First Aid from Spot

The ever-faithful companions enjoyed the jungle

Mystery Falls creek

Mystery Falls First Cascade (1 of 6). This minor fall plunges approx 20 metres.

20/01/2014: Upper Yarra Track Update: After camping the night in the Block 10 Rd (Toorongo), we headed off along Newlands Rd towards Mt Whitelaw Hut (ruins) to investigate the section of the Upper Yarra Track which we wanted to ascertain was ‘clear’. This road is pretty much the most beautiful road in Victoria: an easy and pleasant walk (turn back when you feel like it, or camp out in a sunny spot somewhere on the many crossings of the diminutive Thomson River, or at the trout-filled dam just off it to the North about two km in). We lunched at the spot where the track diverges from the road, Frangipani Saddle under the excellent shelter of a giant myrtle beech. It is approx an 8 km walk from the gate to this spot. It is another 3km (according to the signpost) to the intersection with the Alpine Walking Track along the top of the Baw Baws, and a further approx 2 km (East) to the Whitelaw Hut ruins (chimney and foundation), a good camping spot with water. The track leading from the Saddle is a little overgrown but easy enough to follow as there is a gap between the trees – and others have clearly walked it (albeit irregularly). Unfortunately some distance up the ridge above the Frangipani Saddle we encountered blizzard-like conditions. Della started to become very cold (and wet) so we decided to turn back and returned to the car, somewhat wearied after an approx 18-20 km walk!

Diminutive Thomson River

Tiny was cold and tired

Start Newlands Rd: Off we Go!

Diminutive Thomson River: numerous small trout abound.

Many large granite tors are a feature of the Baw Baws. This is a small one.

Newlands Rd

Lunch: Frangipani Saddle

Frangipani Saddle. Sign reads AWT 3km thataway! Skull of lost walker...

Diminutive Thomson River

20/01/2014: OUR LARGEST TREES: You may not know that the tallest trees ever measured on earth were NOT Californian Redwoods, but Victorian Mountain Ash. The greatest of them was (maybe) the Cornthwaite Tree (near Thorpdale) which measured 114 metres -375’ (on the ground!). There is a 1/10 scale model on the site! Think of THAT! ‘The world’s tallest tree ever recorded was a fallen Eucalyptus regnans tree measured at 133m at Watts River, Victoria, in 1872 (Carder 1995). The tree, reported by William Ferguson, had a broken top and the entire tree was estimated to have once been over 500 feet (152 m) tall’. (http://www.forestrytas.com.au/uploads/File/tasfor/tasforests_12/tasfor_12_09.pdf) Locally (Latrobe Valley) these trees are worth a visit: the Ada Tree above Noojee (follow the signs on the New Turkey Spur Rd) and the Whitelaw Tree off the Upper Thomson Rd behind (North face) the Baw Baw Plateau. There are some very ‘nice’ specimens (of mountain ash) especially to be seen from the swing-bridge in (Tarra) Bulga National Park at the other end (34 km) of our street! Some beautiful Antarctic Beech there too. Interesting pages about living tall Australian trees: http://victoriasgianttrees.weebly.com/tall-and-big-tree-news.html & http://www.landmarktrees.net/largest%20eucalyptus.html & http://www.nationalregisterofbigtrees.com.au/listing_view.php?listing_id=205

20/01/2014: Great ideas... http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/kiwi-couple-trapped-in-keyless-entry-car/story-fnq2o7dd-1227159245130

17/01/2015: The Voyage of the Space Beagle (with apologies to A. E. van Vogt) comes to an end: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30784886

17/01/2015: The Upper Yarra Track: The_Baw Baws A Short History: This Latrobe Valley Scouting group maintains the hut at the Mushroom Rocks (which can be rented out, incidentally). More relevant to us is the link which they have to a history of the Baw Baws at the bottom of their page, here: http://www.vicrovers.com.au/bawbaw/about-us/history

17/01/2015: WHENCE human goodness: ‘We are not inclined to demand an explanation of other people’s goodness, either. For every such enquiry, we ask a thousand times about the origins of other people’s malignity. Our enquiries about the origins of our own malignity are perhaps less frequent, but they are incomparably more frequent, even infinitely more so, than our enquiries about the origins of our own goodness…like the policeman who lamented the passing of the good old days of British policing, when, he said, “we was nice to the nice people and we was nasty to the nasty people.” Nowadays, however, they have to be nice to everyone, which means that in practice that they are nice to no one.’ http://takimag.com/article/credit_for_character_theodore_dalrymple/print#axzz3O4uRQRue

17/01/2015: I agree, ‘meaning’ is bunkum: ‘The search for meaning is an empty enterprise. It teaches people to ignore the structures, standards and discipline that define actions in the world, the better to replace them with a bath in one’s “own sense of meaningfulness.”’ http://stuartschneiderman.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/a-meaningful-life.html

16/01/2015: These magnificent mountain ash recently fell victim to the Marysville fires, trees nearly 100 metres tall! The greenies who were responsible for those fires (and over 150 human deaths!) are ever poor conservationists:

16/01/2015: Many ‘moral issues’ are a matter of FACT and arithmetic - rather than opinion. A case in point: lots of folks seem to get their jollies out of posting condemnatory photos of (usually wealthy American) trophy hunters with the animal s/he has paid (handsomely) to HARVEST, (as if it were a complete non sequitur that such conduct is universally EVIL). Every creature lives, and dies. This is a universal truth. The quality of that life and the time and type of death varies. In the case of trophy (as farm) animals, considerable financial & other resources (land, etc) are diverted to ensure they have a (healthy) life. Yet nothing is done to control ‘wild’ reproduction. In such a circumstance any creature will quickly breed itself to the limit of its available resources when its population will be controlled by (the dread Horsemen) disease and starvation. Each year in Australia, for example, over 90% of ducklings would (normally?) fall to such crueller deaths, so it is in fact kinder to allow this excess population to be humanely harvested for human use, and (dare I say it?), pleasure. It is NO different with elephants, rhinoceroses or polar bears etc. If (indeed) their survival as a species (factually and economically) relies on their having a commercial value, eg as trophies - the alternative being that the PEOPLE on whose land they live starve - or they cease to exist, this is GOOD wildlife management, and in no way morally evil, as the bleeding hearts would have us BELIEVE. I do SO abhor BELIEF: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/01/15/faux-polar-bear-figures/

16/01/2015: Have to get some of this: Whale’s testicle BEER: Yes, really…After all, John D Rockefeller (Standard Oil) long ago (c1880) saved the whales, perhaps for just this: http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-30777516

15/01/2014: Upper Yarra Track: Thomas Osburg has some wonderful resources about this track and other Yarra Ranges matters at his excellent website here: http://www.yarrarangesbushcamp.com/ (see also under ‘More’), such as this photo from http://www.yarrarangesbushcamp.com/yarra-track-1895.html :

There you will also find reports of a 1928 expedition (with lots of interesting photos): http://www.yarrarangesbushcamp.com/warburton-to-walhalla-1928-easter-expedition.html

Also see some interesting photos of the “O’Shannassy Aqueduct Trail which (I believe) forms an alternative walk to part of the Warburton-Lilydale Rail Trail (to Millgrove at least) : http://www.yarrarangesbushcamp.com/oshannassy-aqueduct.html (& also see: http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/yarra-ranges-national-park/things-to-do/oshannessy-aqueduct-trail)

He has HUNDREDS of enchanting historical photographs, eg here: http://www.yarrarangesbushcamp.com/historic-photographs-yarra-ranges-national-park.html

also this excellent sketch map of the Yarra Falls vicinity (which should be viewed in conjunction with 25K Vicmaps: Matlock South 8122-4-S and Noojee North 8122-3-N):

It is approx .8 km from the Yarra Junction to the Main Falls, so this gives some perspective. The old track which parallels Falls Creek on the true right bank (facing downstream) is between 100-200 metres from the stream. You can see there used to be a viewing track dropping down from it to 200 metres below the Main Falls. It is less than .5km from the Main Falls to the bottom of the Minor Falls, then about .25km from there to the top of the Minor Falls and about .5km back to the Forty Mile Break Rd (in the vicinity of hill 968). They ARE Spectacular falls:

As well there is an excellent facsimile (mentioned elsewhere) of Dr Annie Hoffa’s account of her 1928 walk along the track (‘The Real Thing’): http://www.yarrarangesbushcamp.com/dr-annie-yoffas-1928-walk-from-warburton-to-walhalla.html

15/01/2015: BBC News - UK Suicide Bombers go on Strike: Muslim suicide bombers in Britain are set to begin a three-day strike on Monday in a dispute over the number of virgins they are entitled to in the afterlife. Emergency talks with Al Qaeda have so far failed to produce an agreement. The unrest began last Tuesday when Al Qaeda announced that the number of virgins a suicide bomber would receive after his death would be cut by 25% this February from 72 to 54. A spokesman said increases in recent years in the number of suicide bombings has resulted in a shortage of virgins in the afterlife. The suicide bombers' union, the British Organization of Occupational Martyrs (or B.O.O.M.) responded with a statement saying the move was unacceptable to its members and called for a strike vote. General Secretary Abdullah Amir told the press, "Our members are literally working themselves to death in the cause of Jihad. We don't ask for much in return but to be treated like this is like a kick in the teeth" Speaking from his shed in Tipton in the West Midlands, Al Qaeda chief executive Haisheet Mapants explained, "I sympathize with our workers concerns but Al Qaeda is simply not in a position to meet their demands. They are simply not accepting the realities of modern-day Jihad in a competitive marketplace. Thanks to Western depravity, there is now a chronic shortage of virgins in the afterlife. It's a straight choice between reducing expenditures or laying people off. I don't like cutting benefits but I'd hate to have to tell 3,000 of my staff that they won't be able to blow themselves up. Spokespersons for the union in the North East of England, Ireland, Wales and the entire Australian continent stated that the change would not hurt their membership as there are so few virgins in their areas anyway. According to some industry sources, the recent drop in the number of suicide bombings has been attributed to the emergence of Scottish singing star, Susan Boyle. Many Muslim Jihadists now know what a virgin looks like and have reconsidered their benefit packages.

15/01/2015: Sinatra WAS GREAT. THIS year is ‘A VERY good year’ for…Remembering the 100 years since his birth: http://www.steynonline.com/6737/it-was-a-very-good-year

15/01/2015: It is SO alluring…Can it possibly be TRUE: http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-07/31/nasa-validates-impossible-space-drive & more here: http://www.examiner.com/article/nasa-successfully-tests-engine-that-uses-no-fuel-violates-the-laws-of-physics

15/01/2015: Listen up folks; UKIP (Nigel Farage’s) response to Charlie Hedbo: ‘The first thing we have to do is recognise the mistakes of the past, let’s be absolutely frank and honest about this. We now have, within many European countries, and dare I say it within the USA too, a fifth column living within our own countries, people mercifully few in numbers, but people who are out to destroy our whole civilisation and our way of life… The implications on free speech and our democracy are very serious, so let’s recognise the mistakes we’ve made: uncontrolled immigration, just not knowing in many cases who the people were, that were coming into our country…We’ve allowed, and I’m certainly speaking for Britain here, within our Mosques, people coming in, heavily funded by some Middle Eastern states, pushing a deeply unpleasant and anti-Christian heritage culture…And we’ve also – and here’s the biggest mistake that governments have made – we have promoted multi-culturalism. We have promoted division within our societies. We have said to large numbers of people: ‘you can come here from any part of the world. By the way please don’t bother to learn our language, don’t integrate in any way at all. You can take over whole parts of our towns and cities and we will say it has made us a wonderful diverse nation.’ That hasn’t worked…We’ve got to start being a bit more assertive about who we are and what our values are… We come from countries with Christian culture and Christian constitutions and we’ve got to start standing up for that.’ We need an AIP HERE. NOW: http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/01/08/watch-5th-column-out-to-destroy-our-whole-civilisation-says-farage/

14/01/2014: UPPER YARRA TRACK: Old DSE Brochure (Courtesy Thomas Osburg)

14/01/2014: Oh, SURE:

14/01/2014: Whatever happened to ORGAN GRINDERS (and their monkeys?): https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2015/01/05/the-sudden-demise-of-new-yorks-organ-grinders/

Organgrinder1935samuelgottschowashhts

14/01/2014: SELF DEFENCE: I am NOT fearful. I just want to BE PREPARED. I have just come back from the gun shop with a few packs of 12 gauge 00 (buckshot, purchased for hunting deer). What WILL kill a moose, will certainly kill a man - if the need arises, and I certainly hope it does not. If it does though, I want the intruder dead, not Della or myself. I believe that you CAN in Victoria still use this defence (at law) or plead to justifiable homicide, should the occasion ever arise. You would need to wait until the offender was actually breaking in and had removed/destroyed enough of a door or window so that it is reasonable to assume his body is going to soon be inside your house. Best if s/he is in the act of climbing through the hole. You cannot pot people in the garden from inside your house. That would be an unreasonable use of force however delightful it might sound as sport! I understand the Government has stopped the importation of the Rossi Circuit Judge (so snap one up while they are still available – be aware though that they are likely to move to have them available only on a Class C licence). Two other nice choices: for full-size people are the Chiappa 1887 lever-action shotgun, a Winchester knock-off (http://www.chiappafirearms.com/product/831) in 12 gauge; for smaller folks: the Rossi Grande in 410 (http://www.cabelas.com/product/Rossi-Rio-Grande-Lever-Action-Shotgun/1397852.uts) . Both hold five shots, surely enough to settle any ‘minor’ dispute with an unwanted intruder at close range.

13/01/2015: Voila: The New Door! Some progress may yet occur after 25 years living in this house…We can NOW close off our hallway and make it a little easier to heat/cool the living room at need.

13/01/2015: Home security: As I noted yesterday, peaceful country ‘retreats’ are no longer ‘safe’. An elderly couple a few kilometres away were invaded and attacked on Saturday night. One may not survive. We have been looking into improving our security. The cheapest alternative is security doors on all our doorways (two to add) and rectangular hollow section verticals at approx 1’ spacing on all windows. These can be screwed directly into the horizontal structural timbers above and below each window and will still allow the windows to be cleaned, but will transform the place to the appearance of a prison (Della doesn’t want!) and indicate to potential malefactors we maybe have something to guard (apart from pretty much just our selves!). We prefer the #316 stainless steel security screens/doors now available which are pretty impregnable without detracting from appearance. The cheapest supplier of these we have found so far is this guy (http://www.seconline.com.au/) who has a ‘ready reckoner online = $8’500. As to security shutters Bunnings DIY range seem cheaper than local suppliers at least = $12,000. Anyone out there with experience in this field who can offer some useful (budgetary) advice?

13/01/2015: ‘Chatter’ about threats to AUSTRALIAN CARTTOONIST Larry Pickering has resulted in his house NOW being on ‘security watch’. In Australia our ‘security’ budget has now blown out to over a billion dollars, yet how MANY people CAN we watch? We have for a long time had a collection of commie nutters, nihilists, IRA sympathisers, neo Nazis, Croatian separatists, Tamil ‘Tigers’, etc – but they were ever ‘small beer compared to the Islamist threat. ‘Our’ Moslem population blew out from around 200,000 to 500,000 under Rudd/Gillard, and have been increasingly ‘radicalised’ by Saudi (and halal) money and ‘private’ schools. With their ‘ability’ to increase that population by a breeding rate vastly greater than the ‘Australian’ average (see 10%), with a huge percentage of them on ‘welfare’ (90% of Moslem refugees are still so ‘dependent’ after five years!), with the cost of needing to monitor perhaps 50,000 of them for ‘security’ issues - how affordable IS this ‘cultural’ enclave? Does it really have ANY desirable ‘cultural diversity’ to offer? There really IS nothing like a good TLA (three letter acronym) is there? What the West needs now is RID: ‘Recognise, Intern, Deport’ all Islamists until the West is SAFE!

13/01/2015:

12/1/2014: In another very disturbing development another elderly farming couple suffered a home invasion/aggravated burglary a few kms from here night before last. Scum broke in during the wee small hours, tied them up and bashed them to within an inch of their lives. There will be more spending on security (screens/doors/gates etc) around here, and on firearms! Once I thought the CORE purpose of Government was to PROTECT the citizenry. This is no longer the case. All Govt are interested in now is ripping off the citizenry, imposing ever more restrictions on our freedom of movement and expression, and handing over large chunks of our cash to the sort of scum who do this (paying them to breed) instead of hanging the bastards on hooks from the nearest lamp-post, ‘pour encourager les autres’!

11/1/2014: Ada Tree Loop Walk (approx four days). I notice you can walk out of Warburton on the Upper Yarra Track (aka Walk into History). Take approx two days to reach the Ada Tree Reserve. You can walk back via Short Cut Rd, Oat Patch Track, Platts Creek Rd and the Richards Tramway Walking Track (a similar distance). See Rooftops Adventure map Yarra Valley-West Gippsland. This should make for a most enjoyable 3-4 days in the near Gippsland forest.

12/1/2014: The RELIGION OF PEACE: adding it up I get that, in 2014, they killed 32,004 people, or 88 a day in approx 3,000 incidents…Thank Goodness they aren’t the RELIGION OF WAR: http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/attacks-2014.htm

12/1/2014: Andrew is right: our political leaders (especially the ‘tolerant’ Left) refuse to identify the problem AS Islam - or condemn this horrible fetish. Abbott’s greatest BROKEN PROMISE has nothing to do with money/taxes: it is the back-down on repealing the restrictions on our freedom of speech, so that what I write here is ILLEGAL. All the pious ‘Je suis Charlie’ folks are humbugs UNLESS they come out and condemn Islam as THE problem, and its DESTRUCTION as the solution. I have long been warning here that this IS the Fifth Crusade. Islamists STARTED it. George W Bush warned that (what he coyly described) as ‘The War on Terror’ might last 100 years. We MUST identify the enemy: ISLAM. And we must FIGHT against it. If we do not, we WILL be destroyed UTTERLY. It IS five minutes to midnight: DARKNESS threatens to descend over the whole world…FOREVER! HERE, Ayaan Hirsi Ali (and she should know) calls for the West to ‘finally put away its legion of useless tropes trying to deny the relationship between violence and radical Islam…If there is a lesson to be drawn from such a grisly episode, it is that what we believe about Islam truly doesn’t matter. This type of violence, jihad, is what they, the Islamists, believe.’ http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/are-we-really-all-charlie-no-no-and-shamefully-no/story-fni0ffxg-1227180871950

11/01/2015: MEANWHILE... http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2015/01/boko_haram_massacres_2000_in_nigeria.html

11/01/2015: You may soon want some of these. Go out and do it: http://qz.com/311013/cool-things-you-can-3d-print-right-now/

11/01/2015: ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ (Merrin’s recommendation) – what a ripper movie! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3416742/

11/01/2015: Great Motto: “Work hard, live well, enjoy good stuff.” Well SAID Kevin Williamson; (Isn’t THIS so bloody SPOT ON): ‘In the 1960s, the Western world got it into its collective head that traditional social arrangements, especially family arrangements, were an instrument of oppression that needed to be torn down. And we set about tearing them down, without giving any thought to what would replace them. We were confident that whatever came next inevitably would be better, and about 80 percent of our current domestic-policy initiatives are in one way or another aimed at dealing with the fact that what came after wasn’t better — that it was brutish and frequently cruel’ AND: ‘The New Royals…As in the case of the princess in Hans Christian Andersen’s 1835 story, so sensitive that she could feel the pea under 20 mattresses and 20 featherbeds, acute dissatisfaction with the tiniest, most ridiculous little details of life is how 21st-century progressives communicate to the world that they are indeed the new royalty, with sensibilities finer than those known to mere commoners. No normal, mentally healthy adult human being actually gives a good and sincere goddamn about the “emotional needs of chickens.” But that sort of posing, along with such daft enthusiasms as foie-gras horror, wetting oneself liberally over the fact that Bradley Manning’s Wikipedia page identified him as “Bradley Manning” for a full eleven minutes after he declared that he wants to be called “Chelsea,” sneering at SUVs and roomy suburban homes, insisting that Melissa McCarthy is a comic genius, using the word “mansplaining,” being terrorized by “thigh gaps” in advertisements, fretting about “micro-aggressions” — all of it is a way of saying, “Look at me! I went to a good school! (Or am truly at heart the sort of person who might have!)” There is a term for this that is uncharitable but cannot be improved upon: STATUS WHORING. The old status symbols may have been shallow; the new ones are shallow, destructive, and a great deal less fun to drive. And they don’t even require you to work particularly hard in school.’ http://www.nationalreview.com/article/395996/new-royals-kevin-d-williamson

10/01/2015: Question: If it weren't for the existence of Canberra, what the hell would Bill Shorten do for a living?

10/01/2015: The Dreamtime: How little of our time is actually spent DOING anything. Most of our time is spent in what maybe aborigines used to call ‘The Dreamtime’, ie not actually DOING anything, but maybe planning, recalling…consuming the dreams of others (entertainment)…we typically do this in various sized (mostly opaque) boxes (grouped tightly together) which exclude us from what used to be called ‘Nature’ as much as is possible, spending precious little of our time walking through it, (mayhap betimes sitting in our gunyah), or‘smelling the roses’ or indeed noticing them at all…

10/01/2015: Mixed news this morning: three Islamic terrorists dead in France (but approx 17 murdered by them); Allende states that these terrorists had ‘nothing to do with the Moslem religion;’ Campbell Newman surges in the latest Galaxy Poll…

10/01/2015: The FIFTH COLUMN: ‘So, do “moderate” Muslims practise the rule of taqiyya (lying to non-believers in the pursuit of victory) when confronted by atrocities committed in the name of Islam? You bet your socks they do… Quran (8:12) - "I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them" ’: http://pickeringpost.com/story/the-sword-of-islam/4381

09/01/2015: Dangerous people: http://www.news.com.au/national/paris-terror-at-charlie-hebdo-newspaper-aussies-justify-attack/story-fncynjr2-1227178984136

09/01/2015: Upper Yarra Track. I am creating a webpage about this, bringing together all my previous posts, including some useful links, track instructions, maps etc. ‘The Upper Yarra Walking Track, Australia’s oldest (& best), an approx. ten day walk with numerous resupply points, plentiful water and camping spots now extending from Moe railway Station @ 150 kilometres up the Latrobe, Tyers & Thomson River valleys, via Yallourn North, Erica & Walhalla, across the Baw Baw Plateau, along the Upper Thomson River, past the Yarra Falls & Mt Horsefall, along the Little Ada, Ada and Yarra valleys via Warburton to Lilydale Railway Station.’ More to come, here: http://finnsheep.com/THE%20UPPER%20YARRA%20WALKING%20TRACK.htm

09/01/2015: QUOTE of the day: SALMAN RUSHDIE: ‘Religion, a mediaeval form of unreason, when combined with modern weaponry becomes a real threat to our freedoms. This religious totalitarianism has caused a deadly mutation in the heart of Islam and we see the tragic consequences in Paris today. I stand with Charlie Hebdo, as we all must, to defend the art of satire, which has always been a force for liberty and against tyranny, dishonesty and stupidity. ‘Respect for religion’ has become a code phrase meaning ‘fear of religion.’ Religions, like all other ideas, deserve criticism, satire, and, yes, our fearless disrespect.’

09/01/2015: Quote of the century: Stéphane "Charb" Charbonnier, the editor of Charlie Hebdo, a great cartoonist in the French style: ‘It may seem pompous, but I'd rather die standing than live on my knees.’ He paid for it with his life, murdered by Islamist bastards in Paris yesterday. We must emulate him: Islam & totalitarianism generally are the enemies of freedom. Those who preach ‘tolerance’ are but Fifth Columnists or Quislings. Islam MUST be DESTROYED! Where is Charles Martel when you need him? http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/battleswarsto1000/p/tours.htm

08/01/2015: Yesterday in the heat we took a break to explore the Upper Latrobe again during the afternoon - it THAT close! There is a wonderful campsite down a ferny 4WD track off McKenzies Rd near Noojee (shown). There is plenty of water for canoeing and you can put in under the bridge downstream of Noojee. The river becomes bigger still just around the corner after the Toorongo joins it. (Remember, these photos were taken when the Macalister and Wonnangatta were uncanoeable due to low water levels.) We also checked out the Tanjil River in Costins Rd near Fumina South. It is clearly canoeable from there down to Blue Rock. I know both rivers will have many portages over logs, but if more people canoed them these logs would slowly disappear. They both have lots of beautiful campsites and innumerable trout and crays. Enjoy!

Ferny Track near the end of McKenzies Rd Near Noojee — with Della Jones.

Fantail: Ferny Track near the end of McKenzies Rd Near Noojee — with Della Jones.

Under the Noojee Bridge — with Della Jones.

Tanjil River, Costins Rd near Fumina South looking upstream. — with Della Jones.

Tanjil River, Costins Rd near Fumina South looking downstream. — with Della Jones.

08/01/2015: I don’t know how well this applies to our current rifles, but my hunch is that the .303 system worked well (as did the Owen gun). The same may not be true of the ordinance we expect our soldiers to use today: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/01/gun-trouble/383508/

08/01/2015: It’s happened in France and it will happen here #1: http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/timblair/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/paris_attacked/

08/01/2015: It’s happened in France and it will happen here #2: http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2014/12/31/france-finally-runs-out-of-other-peoples-money/

07/01/2015: Macalister again: When the kids were VERY little on a hot day we used to cool off by spending the afternoon canoeing/swimming from Cheynes Bridge down to 20 Acre Creek (@ 1.5 hours paddling which we stretched to 4-5!) Even at the current seriously low water levels this stretch should still be OK so long as you don’t mind dragging the boats here and there, or a little bottom scraping. There are only pebble races in this stretch, and one small rocky ‘drop’ which you can see from the road on your way up. We used to call this spot ‘The Willows’ and used to lunch in the cool beneath them, but our emerald brethren have spoken – and removed them, for our good no doubt! The great thing about this stretch of river is that you only need one car. Drop the kids, boats and wife/husband at the bridge, drive back to 20 Acre Creek, (taking ONE kid with you for a sympathy vote) stick out the thumb and five minutes later someone will have you back at the bridge. This way, when you have finished the trip you simply (re) load the boats and go home! Our kids seemed to always want to eat roast quail at the Wan Loy restaurant in Traralgon on the way home (which made the trip expensive)! YOU may have better alternatives! Another trip we used to do then was on the Tarwin River from the Buffalo Rd to Tarwin Lower boat ramp. You needed two cars for that, but as we lived @ 1 Ellen Grove Tarwin Lower then, this was no problem!

07/01/2015: BOTTLE ROCKETS: (It’s never too late to learn something new…) Della read that these little guys might be used to scare hawks away from her pigeons, so I Googled it. First thing I got was a young chap who (very foolishly) shoved a skyrocket up his bottom AND LIT IT! (link follows). MORE interestingly is the many wonderful things you can do with used soft drink bottles and compressed air. You REALLY can make bottle rockets, and the world record for multi-stage bottle rockets is hundreds of feet, nearly 300 metres! This is excellent innocent fun you can try out with your kids (eg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R625vwA4jpQ & http://www.tclauset.org/21_BtlRockets/BTL.html ) – or you can go to the youtube of the rather sorry young man with the deep fried eggs, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FOAEWURcw0

07/01/2015: Like the BEATLES? Check out this movie: it weaves all their songs into a single story: ‘Across the Universe’ (2007).

06/01/2015: Canoeing: Where DID all our water GO? When the kids were young we used to be able to canoe the Macalister or Wonnangatta pretty much all summer. We used to love the trip from Basin Flat to Cheyne’s Bridge on the Macalister, and Kingwell Bridge to Scorpion Creek on the Wonnangatta. The last (ten!) years there hasn’t been enough water. Today for example, the Macalister has 1.54 @ Licola (min 1.63); the Wonnangatta 1.65 @ Waterford (min 1.8); the Thomson has .25 @ Coopers Creek (.3 is best, but I have canoed it down to .19!)…Trouble is, Della won’t ‘do’ the Gorge any more because of her eyesight – and that she always falls out (WARNING: last time I canoed it there was a dangerous log-jam near the end of the Gorge: it WOULD kill you in high water eg above .5 @ Coopers if you were unable to portage!). I WILL cut a walking track from the Mitchell Creek Track so those with packrafts (us!) can have a day trip from below the Gorge and above the Triple Stager (walk around on true right bank – walk around Boulder rapid on true left bank; take CARE to be lined up for the Chute). I did clear (and create a walking track to the river) the T9 (off the Stoney Creek Rd) for single day trips a few years ago but it needs more work now (and as it is ABOVE the Gorge, this may be someone else’s job!) So that’s why I am looking to making some canoeing opportunities on the Tyers (below Moondarra ‘environmental flows’ keep it canoeable though some bottom scraping – and it WILL need reclearing) and on the upper Latrobe: I’ll keep you posted on that! River heights here: http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDV60154.html

06/01/2015: THE LABOR PARTY & VOTING FOR A LIVING: Here are two interesting documents: the first shows the number of UNEMPLOYED welfare recipients per electorate, the second can be used to ascertain which party represents any particular electorate. The darkest BLUE (What the?) shows electorates with more than c8,000 unemployed per electorate. (Remember a Federal electorate has @ 50,000 voters.) All the darkest blue c15%+ of voters unemployed have Labor MPs. Nearly all the second darkest blue c8%+ voters unemployed have Labor members, and so on… Yet elections are WON by margins of 1-2%! Should we really allow people to VOTE for a LIVING or allow the Labor Party to BUY their votes with OUR taxes? http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-08/social-security-welfare-payments-by-electorate/5657288 & http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Members

06/01/2015: MORE ‘education’ is the ANSWER(?): ‘the children emerging after eleven years of compulsory education from schools in the poorer areas appeared to have learned nothing. They could not read properly, spell, or do the simplest arithmetic, and their general knowledge was non-existent. What, then, did they know? “They know the words of pop songs.”’ http://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2014/12/celebrity-culture-decline-literacy/ Strangely enough I don’t remember the words of a single pop song (in fact I dislike ‘music’) but I can tell you something about the contents of @ 20,000 BOOKS!

05/01/2015: PREVENTION is better than cure: when there are floods we begin to think dykes might be a good idea, yet even though the Dutch waterproofed their country 800 years ago most NSW & Qld towns are still not protected in this way. In a similar vein, I notice that when there is a fire burning efforts are made to create a fireproof perimeter 60 metres wide to stop the blaze. Such measures should be permanent and taken place long before the fire season, yet it is still ILLEGAL to perform such clearing oneself. All those dogs which everyone was sad to see immolated in Adelaide a couple of days ago would be alive if the ‘shelter’ had not been built in thick bushland. Any pet owner who left theirs in a car on a hot day (unable to escape) would be prosecuted for cruelty, yet the Councils concerned allow such a dangerous shelters (and innumerable houses) to BE built - and indeed prosecute anyone clearing vegetation to prevent such tragedies. To continue the lesson: at this time of year lots of people drown (largely because they are non- or poor swimmers, even though babies CAN swim and should not be forced to UNLEARN this important survival skill: http://pickeringpost.com/story/waterproof-your-babies/4356

05/01/2015: CANOEING: There are some MAJOR river trips which can be had wholly in Gippsland. For instance…Someday it is my intention to clear the Tyers River from Christmas Creek down to Wirilda Park (near the junction with the Latrobe). In the past I cleared some sections of this, (eg from Growlers down to Western Tyers (3-4 hours) and from the end of the W3 track (off the Tyers-Walhalla Rd) to Wirilda (3-4 hours). I figure a week’s lovely canoeing could be had along the quite pristine Tyers. There are many long trips which can already be undertaken. (Of course, they CAN be broken up into shorter trips). For example, the Wonnangatta-Mitchell is canoeable from the Humffray River confluence (at the bottom of the Wombat Spur) all the way to Lake King (12-13 days). I particularly like the couple of days coming down to Eaglevale through serene, remote forested country. The Macalister can be canoed (easily) from the Glencairn Bridge (on the Barkly off the Jamieson Rd above Licola – GREAT camping spot!). It takes @ 3 days to reach Lake Glenmaggie, from where you can continue on for a few days to Sale, if you wish. The Snowy is a huge trip: 5-7 days from Delegate to McKillops Bridge; a further 8 ½ to Marlo = @ 15 days! I have already mentioned in a previous post @ 10 days on the Latrobe from Noojee to Batts Landing on Lake Wellington. Canoeing is such a CHEAP recreation. A quite serviceable polyethylene canoe can be bought from @ $500. For many years we worked hard at wearing out a pair of Nylex Pioneers (@35kg each) which in our old age we have now replaced with a pair of Old Town Pack Angler 12’ Canadians @13kg each as we are getting too lazy (?) to carry the old ones!

05/01/2015: Swallows and Amazons (1974): Yifi has made this classic available (on Kickass) in Blue Ray format. A poor quality recorded video of this movie was one of our children’s favourites. I watched a GOOD copy of ir for the first time last night. It was lovely to watch children BEING children. WHAT a delight. So much modern’ ‘literature’ insists on distressing precocity, moulding children into quite frightening quasi adults. Do grab a copy and watch it; it will quite REVIVE you. It ALSO caused me to add the Lake District to our UK itinerary!

Swallows and Amazons (1974) Poster

04/01/2015: To statin, or not to statin: https://cosmosmagazine.com/society/will-statin-day-really-keep-doctor-away

04/01/2015: Yesterday we continued our reconnaissance of Trafalgar/Noojee’s ‘Little India’, a peninsula of forest which hangs down from the mountains into the lush Gippsland farmland along the upper Latrobe River. Though the Hawthorn Creek Bridge campsite has been closed (too many idiots apparently), there are many beautiful bush camps sprinkled about. We spent a couple of pleasant hours at one at the end of Camp Rd via Hill End (recommended). You can clearly put in/take out at Connection Rd (via Willow Grove) if you are planning to canoe the Upper Latrobe. I figure it will take (at least) two days down from Noojee. We will try a couple of short sections first (in the pack rafts - see http://www.alpackaraft.com/ ) to establish the degree of difficulty, duration, etc before launching in to an expedition. I am imagining 4-5 days from Noojee to the park opposite Yallourn PS’s cooling towers. It is a further 5 days from Tom’s Bridge to Longford (bridge), and a further 2 to Batts Landing on Lake Wellington. I don’t know whether you can canoe from Yallourn PS to Tom’s Bridge. It looks like a fortnight’s canoeing anyway can be had on one of Victoria’s ‘neglected’ rivers, the Latrobe. (I cannot find any information anywhere on the canoeability of this river (or many others), though THIS is a useful site for some: https://www.adventurepro.com.au/paddleaustralia/#.VKSPWnspoac I would NOT recommend canoeing the Moroka (as these guys did) though – if you value your life! There is a photograph of them coming over the Moroka Falls. Has to be a 30’ drop!

04/01/2015: The Moe-Yallourn Rail Trail is a great intro to Gippsland hiking. There are no signs at either of its ends! We spent some time yesterday exploring…300 metres East of Moe Railway Station you start on this trail (a little gravel track at the corner of Bennet St & Narracan Drive (50 metres east of that awful roundabout/railway bridge). Why the trail has been allowed to overgrow UNDER that bridge IS a mystery: the old line clearly continues to the station car park, but…Latrobe Shire!). You set foot on it, and suddenly you are in the country. 8.5 km later you exit it amid a park full of ancient pine trees right on the Latrobe River bank (campsites) right beneath Yallourn PS’s majestic cooling towers. Cross the river on the bridge, turn East onto the Yallourn-Tyers Rd for a couple of kms, then turn North onto the first gravel road, into the bush! Great views of the valley from the top of the hill. East at the next intersection, then North at the next and you are at Wirilda Park (swimming, camping, toilets) ready to begin the Wirilda Track, five hours along the lazy Tyers River (campsites) - and onwards to Lilydale in @ 10 days time! Next (resupply) stop Erica/Walhalla. If you are not going to (quite) make it to Wirilda, on the first day, you can (alternatively) camp at Tom’s Bridge (on the Latrobe). The same would be true if you had begun your journey by walking out of Morwell on Latrobe Rd. The shortest route from the Gippsland Rail Line to Wirilda is out of Traralgon. There is a beautiful park (camping not allowed – good luck with that!) on the banks of the Latrobe River just after you cross it (on the West side of the road) called Sandbanks Reserve (ACRES of beautiful mature oaks, no toilets). You can avoid the township of Tyers if you wish (and get off the busier main road) cutting off a couple of kms, by turning West into Archbolds Rd, thence North into Littles Lane, then West again into the Tyers-Yallourn North Rd…Again, See Rooftop’s ‘Adventure’ Maps: Yarra Valley-West Gippsland & Walhalla – Woods Point. PS Yallourn North & Tyers both sell alcohol, groceries and take-away food.

Tom's Bridge, Latrobe River

Sandbanks Reserve, Latrobe River

03/01/2015: Definitely a day for the rooftop sprinklers again. If you have a water tank and pressure pump, you should try this. It will drop the temperature in the house 5-10C at very little cost or loss of water. Many people have/could have a water tank. The gutters run the water back into the tank so only a little is lost to evaporation. A pressure pump to do this costs only @ $100 on eBay. When you first turn it on the water running into the gutter is nearly BOILING, so it really drags down the temp in the house. It is 40C out there and 23C in here today. It makes a significant saving to electricity bills/demand. I have also set up micro sprinklers (separate tap) all around the outside underneath of the verandah (facing inwards) so that in the event of a fire I can keep the outside of the house saturated.

03/01/2015: Quote of the week: Fairfax’s Clementine Ford: ‘I’ll symbolically ride with anyone targeted by bigotry and oppression.’ Symbolically!

03/01/2015: How long before THIS happens here: ‘Last week the news arrived that the most popular name given to boys in the UK in 2014 was Mohammed.’ http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4949/mohammed-boy-name

03/01/2015: Other great places in Gippsland. Get OUT there: http://gippslandinpicture.com/camping/index.htm

McKillops Bridge in the Snowy River National Park

McKillops Bridge, Snowy River

02/01/2015: Upper Yarra Walking Track UPDATE: I now see we are going to be able to make this great track (Australia’s FIRST long-distance walking track) even more accessible and more comprehensive. At the Warburton end you can link to the Lilydale-Warburton Rail-Trail (adding a further 38 km) and join the trail to Melbourne’s electric train network (http://www.experienceyarravalley.com.au/?eyv_activity=lilydale-warburton-rail-trail). At the Walhalla end, we can extend the trail to any of Moe, Morwell or Traralgon (where there are regular V-Line train services). Walkers would head for Wirilda Park (just North of the intersection of the Latrobe and Tyers Rivers) where the Wirilda Walking Track extends to the Moondarrra Dam. From there walkers would walk East on W18 until they find a motorcycle trail which they would follow North) parallelling the Tyers-Walhalla Rd. They would continue on to either Bluff Rd, which they would follow through Jacobs Creek to Collins Siding and on to Erica, or they would take the Coopers Creek Rd and follow it through Coopers Creek (hotel) exiting it onto the old Erica-Walhalla Railway line which they could follow into Walhalla. If they choose to visit Erica (hotel, general store, caravan park, etc) they would pick up the Erica-Walhalla railway line at the back of the caravan park and follow it to Erica. If they get off the train at Moe, they can immediately access the Moe-Yallourn Rail Trail which takes them out to the Yallourn Power Station where there is a bridge over the Latrobe River. Then they would head East on the Yallourn-North-Tyers Rd until they reach the Tyers River where they would turn North to Wirilda Park. These additions will make the trail over 150km long (accessible by train from both ends) and take about ten days to complete. Supply/Resupply at Moe/Morwell/Traralgon (7 day supermarkets), thence Yallourn North, Tyers (detour) Erica, Walhalla, possible overnight stop at Baw Baw Alpine Resort - restaurant/accommodation (http://mountbawbaw.com.au/ ), thence (taking in the Yarra Falls and Ada Tree on the way) Warburton, Seville, etc. See Rooftop’s ‘Adventure’ Maps: Yarra Valley-West Gippsland & Walhalla – Woods Point (and my previous posts, here: http://www.finnsheep.com/Ultralight%20Hiking.htm) for further details. You can search for my previous posts here by typing 'Control F, then 'Upper Yarra' Enter, then following the up/down arrrows).

02/01/2015: I can see many uses for this little beauty ( a much improved, faster, lighter mountain bike moped for example): http://www.gizmag.com/liquidpiston-x-mini-engine/34747/

Two views of the X Mini

02/01/2015: Climate change again? http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-02/melbourne-man-finds-dead-freshwater-croc-in-suburban-park/5934428

A dead freshwater crocodile found in a Doncaster park

01/01/2015: A treat for history lovers (& MANY more interesting snippets): http://www.historyconfidential.com/2014/02/fat-big-boobs-propriety-gave-us-great-medical-invention/

01/01/2015: STRANGE how folks feel compelled to ‘follow the leader’…most travel all the way to the Murray for house boating ‘adventures’ when here in Gippsland we have all the thousands of kilometres of wonderful inter-connected Gippsland’s lakes and hundreds of kilometres also of navigable rivers in a much more pleasant climate…

01/01/2015: I am wondering where to go in Blighty. Great walks and such…Thinking about some favourite poems might provide some peripatetic inspiration: eg Poems about Places - Poetry Atlas: http://www.poetryatlas.com/

2014 Blog

http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/watl/rainfall/pme.jsp

http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDV60154.html

http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/forecasts/latrobevalley.shtml

http://ready.arl.noaa.gov/READYcmet.php

http://www.eldersweather.com.au/raindates.jsp?lc=v17&dc=disableCookies

http://cheapcarhire.co.nz/

http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/93805.html?&MR=1

http://www.metservice.com/national/home?alias=farmsouthland

http://www.zoover.co.uk/new-zealand/southern-island/te-anau/weather