Date: May 14th 2010

 

Westprint Friday Five May 14, 2010  

Included this week:

·         Desert Parks Flood Update

·         Notes from the West

·         Nhill Anson

 

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Friday Five 14.5.2010

Many of you will know that I have been on leave recently. One of the perks has been that I have been able to read a few books. I now consider myself an expert on Christopher Paolini (dragons), Erin Hunter (Feline Warriors) and John Marsden (very scary Australian suspense – for teenagers, who probably don’t scare as easily as me). In between these I have managed to read a few Westprint titles. Here are a few:

1. The Gallipoli Letter. Hardcover. Keith Murdoch. This book changed my thinking about World War One and the Gallipoli campaign in particular. It is a letter written by Keith Murdoch to the Prime Minister, Andrew Fisher. At the time Australian Politicians were not informed about where Australian troops were being deployed and under what conditions. This letter bypassed the censors and changed the course of the Gallipoli fiasco. At first glance I thought this book was probably overpriced at $26.95 as it only has 98 pages, and 30 of those are a facsimile of the original letter, but it really is a ‘must have’ for any collector of military history. We will not be keeping this book as a regular stock item but will take orders until May 28. Add to Cart

2. Longitude. Dava Sobel. We have had this book for a very long time but I have put off reading it because…well it seemed like a boring science book. Wrong. Dava Sobel has the ability to make difficult scientific ideas easy to understand. John Harrison argued that time would be an accurate measure of longitude. This is the compelling story of his battles with ‘the establishment’ to prove his theories, a battle that lasted for some 40 years. We have two copies in stock. Not sure if we will be able to get more. $25.95 plus post. Add to Cart

3. The Mascot.  Mark Kurzem. As a five-year-old during the Second World War, Alex Kurzem had watched from a tree as his entire village, including his family, were murdered by a German-led execution squad.  He scavenged in the forests of Russia for several months before falling into the hands of a Latvian SS company.  After one soldier discovered this young boy was actually Jewish, Alex was made to promise never to reveal his true identity – to forget his old life, his family, and even his name.  The young boy became the company's mascot and part of the Nazi propaganda machine responsible for killing his own people. After the war Alex was adopted and his new family made a home in Australia , far from the sites of wartime atrocities.  But after fifty years of holding onto this childhood secret, Alex needed to discover and share the astonishing truth about his past. This is an incredible story. $26.95 plus post. Add to Cart 

4. Head over Heels. At the age of 19, a young farmer, Sam Bailey, miscalculated a bend in the road, overturned his ute and became a quadriplegic. After months of struggle, he learned how to resume his life as a farmer, running a sheep and cattle property in northwest New South Wales . Then he met and fell in love with Jenny Black, an ABC Rural journalist, proposed to her on air, and the rest is history. Jenny tells Sam’s story in his own laconic, wry style. By turns romantic, funny and moving, it affirms the strength of iron-willed determination and the power of love. $29.95 plus post. Add to Cart

5. (The) Lost Boy. Robert Wainwright. This is a heart wrenching story. In October 1993, 1200 men and women rolled out swags on the unforgiving ground beside the isolated roadhouse at Dunmarra. With horses, cars, trucks and even helicopters they had come to help. A local son had disappeared without trace. No one knew if he had been abducted or lost in the hostile bush, but all knew it was a search where hours could mean the difference between life and death. They came from all parts  of the Territory; townspeople, stockmen, tourists, police, soldiers and emergency services to help their friends, to forge a community bond and to test themselves, emotionally and physically, in an untamed land. 188pp. $27.95 plus post Add to Cart

Books are allocated on a first-come first serve basis. To reserve your copy of any of the following books please email info@westprint.com.au with the title you are interested in. All emails will be answered during the following week, either with details of how to pay, or a ‘sorry, the item has already sold’ email. Where possible, postage on multiple items will be recalculated to offer you the best price.  

Postage Rates. These items will usually not be found on our website. Orders will be supplied on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis. Westprint normal postage rates are now $8.50 for one book, $11.00 for two books, $13.00 for 3 or more books. Free post applies to orders of more than $150.00. Postage rates apply to Australia only. Airmail postage rates apply to overseas orders.

 

Friday Forum

Jo’s comments are in green.

Disclaimer.

Please note that the opinions and articles included in the Friday Five are not necessarily those of the Westprint mob. Nor do we endorse any products (other than our own), or tours listed in contributed articles.  

National Parks and Wildlife South Australia

DESERT PARKS BULLETIN. NO. 361. 10th May 2010

Full Bulletin is on the Westprint website. 

Be aware that entry to Desert Parks requires a day/overnight permit or a Desert Parks Pass that must be displayed on the vehicle windscreen.

LAKE EYRE NATIONAL PARK

Water is entering Lake Eyre from the Warburton Groove to the north.  Water from Cooper Creek may enter Lake Eyre later in the year.  At this stage it is believed that the lake will not fill unless follow up rains in the catchment.  The best way to see water in Lake Eyre will be from the air.  Local charters are available at William Creek and Marree.

Halligan Bay Track, Level Post Bay Track – Both Open to 4WD with caution.  

INNAMINCKA REGIONAL RESERVE

General Vehicle Access.

The Innamincka causeway may be out until mid to late May/early June.  All campgrounds are closed and may not open until June. The Coongie Lakes area may be closed until at least September.  

Coongie Track, Walkers Crossing Track, 15 Mile Track and Access to Cooper Creek , Cullyamurra Track, Bore Track – All Closed due to recent rains. 

WITJIRA NATIONAL PARK and the SIMPSON DESERT RESERVES

Witjira National Park – Open 4WD with caution. Please note Pedirka Public Access Route closed until further notice. Access to Dalhousie via Bloods Creek.

The Dalhousie airstrip is currently closed to public use until further notice.

Simpson Desert – Open to 4WD.  Access and exit to the Simpson Desert is via Dalhousie.  Flooding of the Eyre and Warburton Creeks has closed through access/exit to Birdsville and Clifton Hills, potentially well into 2010.  

The first few sand dunes west of the K1/Rig Road intersection along the Rig Road are difficult to traverse and may cause problems for drivers. 

Due to sand drifts and green growth from recent rains, some of the tracks are hard to locate, such as the WAA and south of the Knolls.  Use a GPS and travel in convoy.  Due to sand drift, some dunes may require 2 – 3 attempts to get over so sand can be dragged down and reduce the chance of vehicles becoming bogged due to ‘bellying out’.  Some salt lakes have water in them so please drive around these to reduce the risk of becoming bogged.  Carry extra fuel reserves as up to 50% more fuel may be used currently than a normal desert crossing.

Warburton Crossing – Closed until further notice. Water from the Birdsville/Bedourie area will keep the Warburton Crossing closed for an unknown time.

The Nhill Anson

1919-2019: Nhill’s Aviation Century

Community Consultation

Invitation

Monday 17th May, 7pm – Uniting Church Hall, Nhill  

The Nhill Aviation Heritage Centre Inc (NAHC) and Shire of Hindmarsh invites all members of the public to discuss the future development of the Nhill Aerodrome and of Nhill’s Aviation Heritage.

NAHC President, Rob Lynch, will introduce the Committee’s recently endorsed paper titled 1919-2019: Nhill’s Aviation Century:

·         In The Beginning:  from 1919 to 2008

·         The Establishment of Nhill Aviation Heritage Centre Inc. in 2008

·         Looking forward:  the aerodrome in 2019 - Nhill’s Aviation Century.

David Mark from the Lake Boga Air Museum has been invited to address the meeting. Lake Boga has a new hangar that houses a World War II Catalina aircraft and an excellent display relating to the RAAF Flying Boat Base active during WW II.

Your participation is vital to the success of this meeting. Please join us on Monday evening. This is a worthwhile community project and everyone should have a say in its direction.

Membership of the Nhill Aviation heritage Centre.

Memberships run for a financial year and are $20 per person. Payment can be made by cheque or money order. Confirmation of payment will only be made if an email address is included with payment or if a notice of payment is made by email to Joan Bennett: nariel@internode.on.net

To Give Away

·         I have a Nissan x-trail cargo barrier, as new, which I’m looking to give away. I’m in Sydney NSW. Don

If you are interested please send us an email with ‘cargo barrier’ in the subject line. We will forward your emails on. 

Simpson Desert Book  

·          In response to an enquiry for an out of print book. I have a copy of "The Simpson Desert" Natural History and Human Endeavour by Mark Shephard in very good condition which I would be will to sell if anyone likes to make me an offer. Charlotte .

If interested please send us an email and we will forward it on to Charlotte .

Pestilence

·         The last story of hanging foodstuffs from the ceiling reminded me of one of our camps on Fraser Is a few years ago.  The dingoes were their usual nuisance so one night we strung our garbage off the ground out of reach (we thought) in the nearby pandanus tree with a rope.  Middle of the night I heard my mate making a racket but as that wasn't unusual went back to sleep.  In the morning he berated me for not getting out to help. Seems the large goanna which had been hanging around the camp for a few days had shimmied down the rope in the night and was having a good feed from our rubbish!  My mate took a fishing rod and tried to deter him with the sinker; the goanna promptly p.....ed on him from a great height and he got a good dousing of stinking yellow stuff! David  

·         Moths are attracted to bright lights; just hang a brighter one away from you.  A big success we had (several homes backing on to each other) with flying insects was to buy a neighbour one of those bug-zappers. They all went over to his place to get zapped and left the rest of us alone.  

·         Sorry to read of a potential mice problem. I have visions of those horrific mice plagues that have occurred in the past. Hopefully rat-kill will get rid of the pesky critters. A .22 rifle is more fun though. Especially in old farm homestead kitchens. But try to get 'em while they're scuttling along hugging those cupboard skirting boards. The .22 bullet holes aren't quite so noticeable that way. This piece of wisdom was given by a young bloke who trained his Blue healer with a .22 rifle. He'd fire off a round to hit the ground a few feet in front of the dog, when it didn't immediately follow a command. Do you think they might like Clorox? Noel  

·         Moth problem-if you have kids, buy a box of long necks and a couple of badminton rackets and sit back have a few beers while the kids practice their backhand and forehand on the moths in the house. You will be surprised how quick they get rid of them. You will need a vacuum though!! Tony

Queensland Basin Bullet

The latest edition of the Basin Bullet is now available. Email info@dcq.org.au for more information. If you want to subscribe to their (free) newsletter just type subscribe in the subject line.

Included in this issue is a very disturbing story of toxic mine discharges into the Lake Eyre basin. I would urge everyone to have a read of this article. Also in this issue is Pajingo bola. You’ll have to read the newsletter to find out what that means – but it doesn’t really matter, I just like the way it rolls off the tongue!  

Notes from the West – Lancelin Area  

·         An Australian Navy live firing exercise will be conducted on the Lancelin Defence Training Area on the following dates:

19 May 2010 to 20 May 2010
24 May 2010 to 28 May 2010

It should be noted that the handling of unexploded ammunition is extremely dangerous. Should any unexploded ammunition be found, it must not be disturbed or handled and its location reported to the nearest Police Station or the Lancelin Training Area Caretaker.

Any enquiries regarding this particular serial or unexploded ordnance should be directed to the Exercise Liaison Officer on (08) 9655 1659 or the Lancelin Range Caretaker can be contacted on (08) 9655 1118.  

Canning Stock Route  

·         The owners of Cunya Station (Well 3 to 4B) have notified us that a number of changes have been made to the Canning Stock Route in this area for safety and land

 management reasons. 

These changes are not yet on the Westprint CSR map. If you are travelling in the area please call into the Wiluna Shire for more information.

 

Beadell Tracks  

·         Thankyou Mick Hutton and Friday 5 for raising the issue of restrictions to access to Australia’s European heritage sites, i.e. the Beadell and oil search tracks of western Sth Australia and Western

 Australia . 

Mick certainly pushed a few of my buttons and hopefully those of many others too.  

I cannot understand how the people, who are only able to live in those areas because of the very tracks they wish to restrict access to, can be permitted to have so much say in the matter. Surely freedom of access into Aboriginal lands and communities will benefit those communities by bringing in revenue and contributing to better understanding. Unfortunately the various governments concerned have no tourism interest in the area and will only act under pressure.  

This is what I believe is needed to protect our tracks:

·         Create an incorporated body charged with the authority to pressure and initiate control on behalf of the legitimate needs of travellers

·         Needs to be incorporated to enable access to heritage and environmental grants and provide public liability protection

·         Partial funding by donations and membership subscription

·         Have a profile to be able to lobby authorities, aboriginal and political (same thing?)

·         Seek National Heritage status for the Beadell tracks

·         Should help prevent unauthorised removal and desecration of plaques etc

·         Restoration of machinery (if there is any left)

·         Create a legal right-of-access without permit on all tracks in a similar manner to the South Australian Public Access Routes with reasonable deviation to gain 

access to certain sites and secluded camping. South Australia’s Friends of Parks organisation is a model organisation that could demonstrate what can be achieved 

with volunteers, nominal membership fees and enthusiastic leadership. 

 

Now is the time to take some positive action to ensure these tracks are kept open for ALL Australians and its visitors. Action needs to be taken now while some of us 

still remember who Len was.  

I believe with the correct organisation, most people who travel in outback Australia will support the initiative. I hope someone will take up the challenge! I will be a supporter. 

Alan  

Next week. Trip Notes from the Beadell Tracks.  

Information wanted – Ernest Henry

·         Go the National Library of Australia website, follow links to Australian Newspapers and search for Ernest Henry Cloncurry - there are heaps of references to him. John. Orroroo.  

Friday Funnies

·         Dad and Dave were looking at a Mail order catalogue and admiring the models.

Dave 'Have you seen the beautiful girls in this catalogue 

Dad 'Yes, they are very beautiful. And look at the price!'

Dave 'Wow, they aren't very expensive... At this price, I'm buying one.'

Dad 'Good idea son! Order one and if she's as beautiful as she is in the catalogue, I will get one too.'

Three weeks later,

Dad 'Did you ever receive the girl you ordered from the catalogue?'

Dave 'No, but it shouldn't be long now. She sent all her clothes yesterday!  

·         A husband had just finished reading a new book entitled, 'You Can Be THE Man of Your House.' He stormed to his wife in the kitchen and announced, 'From now on, you need to know that I am the man of this house and my word is Law. You will prepare me a gourmet meal tonight, and when I'm finished eating my meal, you will serve me a sumptuous dessert. After dinner, you are going to go upstairs with me to draw me a bath so I can relax. You will wash my back and towel me dry and bring me my robe. Then, you will massage my feet and hands. Then tomorrow, guess who's going to dress me and comb my hair?'

The wife replied, 'The funeral director would be my first guess.'  

·         After joining the Navy, my husband underwent a physical. During the exam, it was discovered that, due to a bad shoulder, he couldn't fully extend his arms above his head. Perplexed, the doctor conferred with another physician. "Let him pass," said the second doctor. "I don't see any problems unless he has to surrender."  

·         From Sylvia  

An "older" gentleman works for a Bunnings store, helping direct customers at the entrance. He's a great success with customers and staff and everyone loves him. He has an easy  way with people, but has one fault. He is always late arriving for work in the morning. When it was time for the manager to call him in for a review of his work, he was full of praise, affirming the staff member, telling him about all the good reports he'd heard about him.  

He gently tries to bring up the matter of his lack of punctuality. You used to be in the Navy, I believe? What did they say to you when you arrived late then?

They would say: Good morning, Admiral, may I get you a coffee?

To all of our Faithful Friday Five readers.

Please be aware that there are numerous reasons why your email address may be deleted from our system. One of the main difficulties is that many spam companies also use the program we use for publishing and this means the Friday Five may be rejected as spam. If you do not regularly continue to get the Friday Five please check with Graeme at info@westprint.com.au Remember to include a phone number or other alternative contact.

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Cheers for now,

Jo

 

 

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