The main protagonists of the James Prices Point debarcle

The main protagonists in the whole debarcle that has become the fight for James Prices Point are:

On the side of taking the land:

The Western Australian government under Premier Colin Barnett.

Woodside

Chevron

Shell

KLC (Kimberley Land Council under Wayne Bergman)

Against:

The community of Broome

Joseph Roe (Goolabooroo Law Man and tribal elder)

Senator Bob Brown (Greens Party Federal)

John Butler Trio (musician)

Xavier Rudd (musician)

Environs Kimberley

Some of the more salient words from each

Premier Barnett "James Prices Point is an unremarkable piece of land"

Senator Bob Brown "Premier Barnett is an unremarkable premier"

Joseph Roe "I will fight this till my last breath" "With the whole community standing beside me we can win this fight but I will fight until the end"

Wayne Bergman (KLC) and a bloke named Perriman "Its a done deal this gas hub is inevitable the government has said it is so we may as well get as much as we can"

Senator Bob Brown, Martin (Environs Kimberley) Joseph Roe "This is NOT a done deal, it is NOT inevitable, it cannot and will not be allowed to happen"

Other comments from others involved:

Kree Eyre: "Whale bubs not gas hubs"

Placard at march: "Fossil Fool" with a depiction of Premier Barnett

Contrary to some comments and commentaries this gas hub IS NOT INEVITABLE it can be changed, alternatives are there. To sell out heritage, culture, history and country for a few shackels of money is a short term copout that will return far more pain and destruction of culture and heritage than anything else is utter foolishness of nieve fools.

Like the fight for the Franklin River in Tasmania, like the fight to stop Gunns from decimating forests in the southwest and over east, like the fight for Noonkenbah in the 70s... THIS FIGHT CAN AND MUST BE WON!!

In our world today pristine wilderness's are becoming scarcer with each passing day, areas of unique beauty are being raped and forever decimated by multi national companies, we the communities of the world MUST take a stand UNITED against such events.

The BP Gulf of Mexico disaster, MUST be a united world wide response IT SCREAMS FOR IT!!! The decimation of the Niger Basin in Nigeria SCREAMS FOR IT!!! The destruction of the Amazon Rainforest SCREAMS FOR IT... The Kimberley SCREAMS FOR IT!!

IT is our voice... IT is our locking arms together and united standing against further decimation and destruction of the planets unique wilderness areas.

Shane ala the wayward walkabout

James Prices Point in pictures

When PEOPLE POWER hits town things change

Broome... ah Broome, usually a quiet, relaxed town with a resident population of around 13,000 people of all different cultures, backgrounds, colors and creeds, a hodgepodge of inter mixing of cultures and people. Broome is a small country town on the far north west coast of Western Australia, a harsh landscape rich in Aboriginal culture and law, a beautiful stunning place where the deep rich red of the pindan soil reaches to the soft white sands of the Indian Ocean, a stunningly beautiful area of the Kimberley area of the state. Pristine wilderness, full of wonderous animals, mammals and birds, its incredible azure blue coast hosts an incredible array of wildlife.

Humpback whales migrate from the far icy waters of the Antarctic every year to birth their calves, spending months in the warm waters they are often seen breaching, frolicing and gently rolling as they move along the coast, dugongs strange creatures of the sea move and live on the sea grasses of the shores, turtles 7 species in all come ashore from Cable Beach to James Prices Point to lay their eggs every year, as each has done for millinium.

A place rich in the mineral wealth that man so craves, a land full of copper, uranium, silver, diamonds and all manner of minerals, minerals the huge conglomerates of multi national business clamber and slobber for.

And governments in their greed, polititians in their ever self absorbed manner seek to garner financial wealth and allay their ever growing egos from the companies. Nievity reigns supreme in the communities these governments and companies seek to exploit.

In Broomes case the nievity goes beyond government and multi national companies to the bodies acting on behalf of the indiginous peoples of the area, signing "deals" without approval or acceptance from the local law makers of the tribes, without consultation with either those directly concerned or the local community itself.

It is this that has the community of Broome up in arms. Its the lies, innuendo and complete falacies that have been perpetrated upon all the people of the community.

The local shire giving approval for the company Woodside and its joint venture partners Chevron and Shell tacit approval for them to begin ripping up the land clearing sites installing accomodation drilling and creating large dams, approval given tacitly without any consultation with either the indiginous or local broader community.

On the 16th October 2010... over 2000 members of this small community of just 13000 people turned up to march from the Male Oval in the middle of town to Town Beach roughly 3 miles away, a peaceful demonstration to show solidarity and objection to this government under the present Premier Colin Barnett's intention to "resume the land at James Prices Point" this entails forcibly taking the land and offering it directly to Woodside and its joint venture partners.

The whole thing revolves around the offshore area known as the Browse Gas Basin, an area rich in gas among other things these companies crave, the intention is to pipe the gas to James Prices Point and set up a huge industrial area, said to be the largest ever created in Western Australia surpassing areas south such as Karratha, a well established mining and industrial area. An area readily accessable to the joint venture partners, an area that the prevailing shire councils have come out and said they want to use for the gas industrial area ear marked for JPP. An area with all necessary infrastructure INCLUDING a disused gas plant in place.

This government under Colin Barnett has not only refused to consult with the local communities, but has also refused to seriously consider areas such as Karratha, but has firmly set its sights on Broome and JPP.

The message the local community continues to send to Colin Barnett, Woodside and its joint venture partners AND the wider community is not that we dont want development not that we are against all development and not that this Browse Gas Basin should not be given the go ahead... for until man decides to stop being reliant upon oil and gas products this sort of exploitation of the land and sea will take place... but that it is as viable to the companies involved to pipe it the extra few hundred miles to the south to an area already an industrial wasteland and not destroy one of the last natural wilderness in Australia.

The lies? First there was the initial quote of the size of the required land of 50 sq hectares and 500 meters of the seabed for a jetty, then that grew until at the signing of the so called "heads of agreement" between the government, Woodside and the KLC (Kimberley Land Council) when that land amount had grown to over 5000 sq hectres and almost 1 and a half kilometers of seabed, now some month later the last estimates given were for OVER 10,000 sq hectres and over 3klms of seabed!!! One of the joint venture partners recently made public their present building of a super tanker of over 400meters in length for use at this site!

The fact that IF the land is resumed and given to the joint venture partners, they will fence it in its entirety thus locking out the local indiginous community from burial grounds, sacred sites and tribal lands for hundreds of kilometers of pristine coastline, but will fly in fly out their workforce and truck in from other areas the machinery and equipment needed and also their required goods and services.

The fact that several years ago in the town of Karratha Woodside on requiring extra land to extend their operations there, informed the local indiginious community in Roebourne that they would move any sacred sites, tribal paintings and rock paintings thousands of years old and part of the culture of the people to an area that would enable them to visit and utilize them for their culture and law, but when they moved said items they simply broke them up and put them behind a 10ft high fence and padlocked it shut! effectively destroying part of that tribal culture forever and disallowing the tribal elders or anyone else other than Woodside employees access to sacred objects, paintings and culture.

Woodside along with its joint venture partners Chevron and Shell are world renown for their lack of ecological practices, their lack of respect for cultures of the local indiginous communities, their lack any form of respect for the land, the sea, the underground water tables, and a total lack of conscience for the waste they create. Shell in particular with the Niger Basin oil spill that continues to this day to lay waste to the entire Niger Basin area of Nigeria an area that is now and forever unable to sustain life or be utilized to grow food due to the amount of waste oil under ground and over the surface. Chevron has an equally bad record as has Woodside itself.

We have an area that is not only pristine wilderness, but has one of the most diverse eco systems in the world, its beauty is breathtaking, some of its flora and fauna is found nowhere else in the world.

Yet in a speech in support of his governments intention to resume the land at JPP Premier Barnett made the comment that JPP is an "unremarkable" area of the Kimberley.

I show you how "unremarkable" JPP is... YOU BE THE JUDGE!! Is James Prices Point worth saving? Worth fighting for? Worth standing up and saying ENOUGH!

Shane ala the wayward walkabout

When suddenly your heart stops and the world tilts!!

Now Im not one to have delusions or see things... I keep myself pretty together so dont do drugs or drink very much and hallucinations haven't occurred in well over 35 years so the events Im about to unfold justifiably threw me for a double 6

There I was enjoying my arvo sorting bills and such, and so there I was in the telephone company shop just waiting as I paid my bill, you know pretty happy with life and everything being universally content I was smiling to myself as I waited for the bloke to take my money and give me a receipt havin a yack with him about this and that as he got the computer thing working. Every things goin great guns with my life.

So there I am smiling as I waited and turned to see what my eldest son was up to and looked directly into the blue eyes of... MY EX!!! "HOLEY SHIT WHATS SHE DOING HERE?" my mind screamed as I took in the small woman in front of me... same height, same weight, shame body shape, same hair color and length, same look of martyrdom on her dial, right down to the mean glare of righteous anger!!! IT WAS INCREDIBLE!!!... scarey as hell but incredible!!... I tell you what my head almost spun as I turned back to the bloke handed him the cash and took the receipt and left the store! As I passed her I was tempted to ask her "what the hell are you doing here you hate the heat up here!" but something made me stop and pause and I simply grabbed my son and left.

We went and sat at the cafe along the way while I sorted my brain packet out one part of me was saying "No way in hell would she come all this way" another part thinking "it would be just her style" and while my son got us a iced coffee frappe I quickly messaged one of my daughters and asked her "Is mum still down there or what?" quick response "Why?" "Just answer the question honey is she still down there?" "yes I just left her place shes down here" "Then she has a bloody twin!! Cause Ive just seen her!" "you couldnt have silly head shes here still I just saw her" I was about to respond again when the woman came out of the telephone shop and walked in a direct line toward me so as my son sat down I held the phone up to him and made as if I was showing him a photo and quickly snapped of one of the woman and then sent it down to my daughter "NOW tell me again your mums down there!" "WOW! no shes here that must have spun you out dad" TOO RIGHT IT BLOODY DID!!! Then the reassurance came again "Its not her dad mums still down here and Id tell you if she was coming up that way dont worry about it go have a swim or somefink" whew

But brother this woman could easily have been the ex's twin!!!

Now really, I dont have any issue with my ex, the past is the past and Im now living in my own future and am pretty confident with that, as I live over 2500klms from her I havent seen her for about 6 months now and we havent spoken since then and wont see her until at least Christmas, only one text message has been exchanged between us and that was very quick, I rarely think of her other than in passing conversation nowadays... so this coming so unexpectedly was something totally out of the blue, and blew me away the woman was almost identical!! SERIOUSLY!!!

BUT... I got over it and moved on less than 3 minutes after the last message came through, as a beautiful woman I knew here waltzed past and distracted me something shocking! Aaahhh life it does throw the occasional curve ball dont it! ;o)

Now thinking back over that occurance I recall over the years hearing that each of us have a twin somewhere in the world someone born to other parents who is our identical likeness... but man in the same country??? hows the odds on that!!!

Shane ala the wayward walkabout

Gidday!!!

Yep life turns corners as the journey continues into the adventure called life. Some may think your life is not a brilliant life, not an overly exerted life, to some not a terribly exciting life but for you it should definantly not be a mediocre life... but rather life should be an adventure with each day giving birth to meetings of new people from far flung places to new laughter and smiles enveloped in sunshine.

Life can be whatever you choose it to be!! Your lifes not dictated by your age, you can recreate your life at any age, and with a spark of joy from deep within stir your mind enrich your heart and find the sun that shines deep and bright within. As long as you have the ability to breathe, to see the new and appreciate the wealth of life itself that abounds around you it will become within you that sparkle that shines to make your life far better than you dreamed possible.

There will always be things, events, people and places that you will hold onto as you move onward into new adventures and journeys, its simply a matter of adjusting your mind and attitude to appreciate that things change, most often for the better, but it does take daring, it does take courage and it does take force of will to take the challenge to force change in your life.

Sometimes people and situations force us to remain in a life we desire to change, but that also is a part of life and often we must do what we must for those we love. But at some point we must make decisions for our life without overly being concerned by how others may feel or react to those decisions.

Always remember it is your life, no one else's life but yours and yours alone. So only you can live it.

So take hold of your own life and choose it to be whatever you wish it to be, be bold in your choice don't hold back for in holding back you deny yourself the most wonderful of lives.

Remember also that all life is made up of choices, we choose the way we are, we choose what we do and how we do it, we choose the attitudes and actions we relay to others in our sphere of life, the impact of what we say or do we must realize will have an impact and impression along with a reaction from those we care about and those around us, so be careful in what you choose to say and do.

In life as in any adventure or journey, its not the destination that really matters but the journey itself. So make your journey of the adventure of life the absolute best you can! Along the byways and sidetracks of the journey there will be hurts, disappointments, losses and pains, try not to focus upon them for long for they will pass, and always there will be joys, happiness, gains and tenderness in the future, IF you allow yourself the pleasure of feeling them, the joy of allowing them to be and the ability to open yourself to accepting them.

Wealth and material things can feel that they are giving you a better lifestyle choice, but in reality wealth and material things are unnecessary to happiness, joy and love. Its whats inside that matters most to achieving a successful enjoyable life.

Take care of yourself, and above all be true to you, smile, laugh and let your inner sparkle reach out and touch those you come in contact with.

Shane the wayward walkabout

Sympathy where for art thou sympathy?

Has humanity gotten so woe betide that a simple act of sympathy for another human has gone by the way side? Do we not care for the animals of the earth with many facebook and other sites asking for our sympathy, care and of course not to mentin $$$$??... BUT when a fellow human being is in dire agony albeit even if that agony is self inflicted do we offer gentle words of sympathy care or words of compassion??? NO most dont!!!

We get what instead?... Laughter!! Indeed giggles and fits of almost maniacal hysteria!!!

Now I like to think Im a pretty nice bloke and heck today at work even though I was suffering greatly from seriously scorched nither regions I offered sympathy and words of care and even compassion to the younguns at work who were suffering mightily the after effects of a night on the booze... many of whom were suffering so badly they ended up going home early!!... totally and utterly self inflicted pain and suffering... But still I commisserated with them their pain.

BUT!!! The moment someone asked me why I was walking strangely or why I had this decided FLURO GLOW about me when I told them the cause of me agony did I get one single beam of sympathy??? NOT LIKELY!!

Id tell them of my scorched earth policy related to me fluro pink nither regions bought on the over imbibing in the suns glorious rays and what do I gets??? LAUGHTER!!!! GIGGLES and comments from one previously thought to be a kindly, gentle young woman "oooh god you have no idea what that made me think of" followed by this comment from her equally previously thought to be caring ,compassionate cohort "Burnt sausage on a bar-b-que?"... and so on ALL DAY!!! ooh its a cruel world we live in!!!

But I suffered on through my day... getting in and out of the tour bus having to warn the nice, happy, holidaying touristas that when they noticed me grimacing it wasnt for them but for the sunburn that my face scrunched up in agony. Driving and walking around showing of Broome town and keeping up a running commentary, smiling, grinning, laughing even!! when all I wanted to do was to rush home dive under a cold shower and COOL MY BUNS OFF!!!... either that of fall of a cliff into the beautiful cool azure waters of the Indian Ocean... ANYTHING TO COOL MESELF DOWN!!!!

Did anyone care? Did anyone show sympathy to their struggling workmate or tour guide mmm? who almost came to the point of simply getting out of the tour bus and walking away... okay nix that crawling away!!!... No... oh I must admit though one young lady did give me a nice nurofin tab to "ease your pain"... with a giggle!!!

But I got through the day... pain, suffering, agony and all I made it!!! Finally I managed to get some Aloe Vera cream stuff and bunged on... nearly half of it in the first go round... Can anyone say "BLISS ON A STICK"... oooh thank gawd for Aloe Vera I say!! MAJICK STUFF!!!

Hardest part of it all has been having to drink half the water in the Ord River Dam to try to get myself to sweat again!!! Dehydration is a curse up here and man I think part of the whole thing was getting pretty near dehydrated... so copious amounts of water was sloshed down me gullet until I looked very much like a humpback whale around the midsection!! BUT IT WORKED!!!

Feeling decidedly much better now... But where has mans humanity to humanity gone? where is the sympathy? the care? the compassion??? Instead of "oh you look like your in pain" I gets "hahahhahaha beatrootman!" or "God you sure your not preggers youre sure glowing like a preggers sheila" instead of some fine fettled sheila offering to assist in putting the cream on me nither regions I gets "hahahhahahahahahaha that would be hysterical to see", "betcha have fun with that" etc etc etc... the indignity of it all!!

ooohhhhh Karma is gonna be a right royal bitch!!! ;o)

Smile, laugh and find happiness in your day slash night

Shane ala the wayward walkabout

When man versus sun equals OUCHIES!!!

Now Im a man... not a tough rough nut of a bloke a kinda sorta bit troppo sorta fella who enjoys livin a life in the outback of Western Australia... I can take most things on the chin quite well... enjoy a day on the beach kickin back and livin here in Broome in the far Kimberley of the state I get a LOT of opportunity for doing just that!!

Around town theres 5 beaches near by to choose from even a nudist one just the other side of the iconic Cable Beach... but me when I have a weekend off a couple of days to spare I dont muck around sticking to the nearby stuff... I GO BUSH!!

This weekend was no different, I tossed the swag into the back of the 4x4 bought some tucker stuck that in the car fridge and fueled up and headed north into the wilds of the Kimberley... aahh bliss being behind the wheel and heading off into an adventure unknown till one arrives is the stuff of life.

So Im bashin away up the pindan dirt tracks heading first this away then that then back the other and then sideways up another till finally after 600Klms I finally found myself totally lost!!!... no beach! aaaaahh soooo bein the clever fella I am I turned around and backtracked through the scrub mostly (thank heaven for 4x4s eh!!) then out of the blue I saw it!!... Deep turquoise blue ocean meeting the azure blue of the sky!!! OCEAN!! WATER!!! SWIM!! yeeeeeeha! right? WRONG!! as I was belting through the bush heading in the general direction of the blue stuff I suddenly STOMPED on the brakes!! CLIFF DUDE!!! no not the bloke Cliff a CLIFF you know BIG BLOODY DROP type cliff? Yeah that one!

So grabbing my heart from out on the bonnet I reversed like a demented chook on steroids back far enough that the front wheels had dirt under them again... and stopped took stock and got out started the wee barbie in the back and had a cuppa while my heart tried to find its equalibrium again... scarey shite that nearly going over a bloody great drop at a rate of knots!!

Anyways an hour or so later my heart found me again my body had stopped its shaking and the world was back to being all good again and so we heading off again a wee bit slower this time... I mean after all the big blue wasnt goin anywhere in a hurry and well I still had a few hours till dark came a calling so... off we went awandering looking searching for a way down to the big blue to camp the night

Suddenly theres this road!! A road... like a bit bigger than a goat track but its got tyre tracks on it so its a road! Whahooooo!!! so I picked up speed as we all know these goat track type roads MUST lead to the big blue sooner or later right? RIGHT!! Now I honestly thought me an baby (thats me 4x4) had gotten seriously bushed you know as in lost well there I am belting along the track that turned into a road that turned into Manari Road!!! Can we say Id just done a MAJOR CIRCLE??? geeeeez talk about getting to a place the long way round... if it was anyone else theyd be seriously embarressed but me I dont do embarressed I just go forth!!

So I had a fair idea where I was now... a few clicks on and there it is the turnoff I had been expecting a rough sign post saying "NO GAS" yep James Prices Point!! WHAHOOOO!!! no wukkers he smiles as he makes the turn sideways and whips around a few quick bends to find himself face to face with some dopey sheila wandering the track!! I mean its a track girl!! CARS you know? strewth tourists you'd think they dont have cars wherever they come from eh? Anyway she was kinda cute so I stopped and let her pass smiling and sayin me usual charming "Gidday" she smiled nodded her pretty noggin and walked by... I let the car cool down... I mean it was a hot day!!! and casually watched her walk or rather sashay along the path in her tiny string bikini... sighed and kept on for the lookout to check what that mongrel company Woodside petrolium was up to this week... yep still 2 offshore rigs out there and still the cruise ship parked between them along with a couple of tender vessels... damn! nope I couldnt stay there it just makes me want to puke

So I arc up and do a bit of a quick flash type turn... me heart lurched me mind spin and I gripped the wheel... whew missed the cliff!! I breathe again and head for the road that I came in on passed the little string bikini again (note must find out if the girl was still in them or if that was just the sun taking affect) and belted up the track about 5klms the way Id already come!

Finally there it was the turn off down to the beach... oooh bliss and a couple of hours to spare before dark set in!... so I quickly offload the dry tender and branches Id managed to toss on the roofrack on my way through the scrub... I try to be prepared you know!!! anyways I toss them on the old fireplace and bolt for the sea!!

Whew... so cooling and refreshing... I wander up and kick start the fire and have a good look around... mmmm no one... miles and miles and miles of beautiful white pristine beach and not another soul in sight... nuddie time!!! off when the boardshorts and hello sunshine!!! ;o)

Now I havent been nuddie swimmin or sunbakin for oooohhh bout 30 odd years so that lower part of me anatomy is kinda sorta milky white by now... the rest of me? Nice and bronzed... but who am I to argue the nitty gritty eh? nuddie it was for the duration!

Intention of course as it always is when I get a couple of days off work is to stay bushed for the entire time... like 2 days... so anyways I enjoyed the evening and had a great sleep as I always do in the bush in me swag got up in the morning at sparrow fart and had a cuppa while checking the neighbors... did I say neighbors? NOT A ONE!!... so nuddie it is! ;o)

ooh what a bottler of a day!!! Sun was up and warmin the world by 5.30am and Im in the sea by 5.45!! sunbaking by 6am and getting toasty by 8 when I decided Id better have a cookup of bacon toast and tommyattas... can I cook? YES I CAN!!! scoffed me heart out on the finest bacon and tommyattas out there then a couple of cups of coffee do the dishes and the days mine... to do what you ask

SUNBAKE!! oooh yes indeedydoody I do take advantage of every moment to get into the sun up here... every day seems to just want to hover around the 35 or up (thats 95F and up) and today was no different in fact it got to 42C where I was (yep I checked it!!) 107F!!! Can we say HOT? oooh it was hot alright... I knew that as I sat in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean watching the sea hawks and seagulls dropping from the sky taking turns to do swallow dives with double pikes into the water next to me! Flamin hot? you could fry an egg on the water it was so hot... anyways... so Im sunbakin and swimmin me hearts content really enjoyin it I was

Come bout 1pm I start thinkin mmmm its gettin a tad warmish in the sun and so get under the shade Id put up mmmm still a tad warmish... I started wondering why the ONLY part of me that was searing like a new rib eye steak on a barbie was from me hips to the middle of me thighs... look down... SCREECH!!! good god above Ive turned not whitefella not blackfella but PINKMAN!!! geeeeeeeezzzzzzz holey hanna dude that not only LOOKED painful but WAS!!

Time to go methinks... but my brain went "but the water dude its gonna be flamin hot on the track back go have another swim go on dares yer double triple dares yer" and not to be out dared by me wayward mind I head in for another swim... just to cool down mind... finally feeling like a prune I wandered out of the water at 1.30 and headed for the car refusing to hear the muttered words of me mind wheedling me to "have just one more go on" nope this time I was strong!! I was TUFF!!! and I quickly found my board shorts in the backseat where Id thrown them the day before and slid them on... OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHSHITE!!! now thats gonna hurt dude laughed my mind as the material rubbed my hips bum and other parts previously untouched by the searing rays of the Aussie sun for over 30 years... nah she'll be right no wukkers! he says to allay me mind... yeah bloody right sunshine! YOUR GONNA PAY!!!

I head for home and a cold shower out in the jungle... an hour later Im standing under the COLD shower watching the steam broil up from my loins!!! oooh can we ever say OUCHIES!!

Thing is Im a tour bus driver... yep I drive for a living... the talkings easy its the driving thats gonna be HELL ON WHEELS tomorrow!!! ooh the pain...

Now Ive been thinking... its damned lucky Im alone nowadays... no wife no partner no shiela in me life... as I can just hear the screams of complete agony "DONT TOUCH ME THERE WOMAN!!!" be the first time in MY life to hear my voice scream that... so its lucky Im a single free man without a sheila to cause me bod such agony eh!

There yer go another day in the life and times, adventures and misadventures of me!!!

Smile life IS good!!!! ;o)

Shane the wayward walkabout

Another day in Paradise!

So the day has ended, night has come and with it the cooling breeze from off the Indian Ocean and darkness has descended calm and quiet.

The morning came bright and new at 5.15am this morning... the great yellow ball rising above the blue azure of the cool waters of Roebuck Bay, splashing the world with brilliance and freshness. Colors bright and gentle covered the landscape of the bay, the brilliant reds of the pindan cliffs shining brightly above the lush green of the mangrove swamp at the edge of the bay, the flowers of the frangipani clear and white against the rich deep green of the foliage. Dew formed on everything laying around, cooling and fresh the day offers up a hint of things to come.

By mid morning work had gotten full under way, driving around Broome town with my captive audience, I see a myriad of different things that they fail to see, the scuttling of the perenti monitor lizard as it races across the road to hide in the bush, the quick sideways movement of the king brown snake as it made its way across a footpath, the slow gliding of the large sea eagle above Gantheume Point as the Osprey watch him from their vantage point in the lighthouse as it cruises looking for prey. The rocks of the point wet and glistening from the waters of the ocean at high tide the rich colors of differing hues, deep rich terricotta red of the pindan, the deep yellows and oranges of the rich sandstone cliffs.

The tourists listening to my dulcet toned voice as I talk them through the amazingly rich history of our small Kimberley town, laughing at the jokes and smiling at the yarns I spin as we wander around, a short walk here and there they slowly learn that there is far more to this wild town than they first thought possible, so much to learn and given only a small glimpse, promising to pursue more of the rich tapestry of life here in the amazing north of Western Australia, weather they do or not is a matter for them, each one and all.

By the end of the tour the day had heated up nicely to a fine and clear 40C (100+F) and so began the afternoon, an afternoon spent lazing happily and contentedly upon the pristine white sands of Gantheume Point beach, a slow walk to the water, a swim and then a quiet lay upon the towel soon one becomes the "typical bronzed Aussie", skin turning a fine toning of bronze, while the tourists around turn from milky white to beetroot red their fair skin unused to the heat and relentless burn of the fierce Kimberley sun, but for me the suns relentlessness is a pleasure, and with each passing hour the more I feel alive, refreshed and content with life!

So finally the day comes to a gentle close, another fine day in paradise

Shane ala the wayward walkabout ;o)

Hope springs eternal

As the suns rays start to falter and darkness begins to fall, I continue to hold onto hope.

Hope of a brighter, happier, more content future. One without loneliness, solitude or silence but one filled with warmth, laughter, joy, smiles and togetherness.

Life is great dont get me wrong! A corner has been turned and so I face the open door of the future without trepidation or fear but with excitement and enthusiasm, for through the door is the brightness of a new shining life full of love, friendships and new adventures. The journey of life has begun anew!!!

Where once each morning was a chore to face, each day another recurring dullness, and each night a dreaded silent loneliness... now each new morning is greeted with a grin, each day is a circle of laughter, smiles and friendships, while each night is a pleasant surprise.

When things in ones life take a turn for the absolute worse one fails to see beauty, fails to see a future, fails to see another chance to have a full, happy, loving and bright future, only endless years of loneliness and darkness. But hope, that small spark of hope, given often by a simple smile, a twinkling eye, from someone new in your life. If you see it. If you are open to see that life hasnt ended until it is ended and that the changes that have come are a chance to create and find a better life than ever.

Many people have helped me walk the long lonely road to where I now stand on the precipice of a new future, full of life, energy, enthusiasm, excitement and a willingness to be loved again. People like the lovely Christina who wasnt even aware of what she had given me when we met on my journey out of Australia, but she gave me the ability to see that I didnt have to be alone that there were other women in this world who did care, could care and the sparkle in her eyes as she faced her own new future inspired in me the desire to keep going forward, a beautiful wonderful spirit I thank the universe every day for having met.

Along the road Ive travelled Ive met several like Christina beautiful in mind, body and spirit who willingly albeit sometimes unknowingly gave me a small piece of themselves to carry me on, to inspire, encourage, and in some instances gave me the belief in myself as a man again... to all those beautiful ladies I have undying love for.

Coming along this hard road, it was often despaired that Id make it out the other end, and to be honest I didnt think I would. BUT thankfully I have walked the road, fallen over, stood up again, crashed down again, picked myself, again and again, often with the help of my children and friends around the world, until now I am walking into my new journey... alone still but confident and reassured in who I am and trusting in life to find a way though with a smile, a laugh and a song on my lips.

Life is a journey, an adventure, its not a destination! its an adventure to enjoy, partake of and taste every day it continues.

Denying ourselves the friendship of another, the sharing of a moment, a sparkling grin that reaches the eyes, is to deny ourselves happiness. Even if that happiness doesn't culminate in love. We ALL have the right to happiness no matter what the past has given us our future IS to be happy through our journey called life.

One must take the time to renew and regenerate ones heart, mind and soul, its needed for your future adventures... also one MUST complete the cycle and finish with the past and all its hurts to enable one to move forward with total confidence... for while we hold onto the past in some way we cannot be free enough within to not look back and wonder and therefore hold ourselves back.

There is no returning to what was there is only the future and the now... our past should be left behind us to be looked back on as fondly as possible for it was a part of us but left behind not dwelt on for that only leads to bitterness and pain... let go the past hurts and smile as you face the horizon that is the unknown future journey with the wind in your hair and laughter in your eyes.

The past is gone... the future is unknown... today is the begining you create.

Shane ala the wayward walkabout

A song I love

Desiderata

Sung by Les Crane

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,


and remember what peace there may be in silence.


As far as possible without surrender,


Be on good terms with all persons.


Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others

Even the dull and ignorant, they too have their story.


Avoid loud and aggressive persons - they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,

you may become vain and bitter,


For always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.



Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career

However humble,

it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.


Exercise caution in your business affairs,


for the world is full of trickery.


But let this not blind you to what virtue there is.


Many persons strive for high ideals,


and everywhere life is full of heroism.


Be yourself.


Especially do not feign affection,

neither be cynical about love.


For in the face of all aridity and disenchantment

It is as perenial as the grass.


Take kindly the council of the years,


Gracefully surrendering the things of youth.


Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune,


But do not distress yourself with imaginings

Many fears are borne of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe.


No less than the trees and the stars, you have a right to be here.


And whether or not it is clear to you,


No doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be.

And whatever your labors and aspirations,


in the noisy confusion of life,
Keep peace with your soul.


With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.


Be careful

Strive to be happy.

Thanks mum for your beauty and the treasure you gave us to love, have emotion, passions and joy in life

Pearls in the wild

People often have this vision of pearls as small little gems from the ocean... and they are! BUT!!!

Pearls are more often those precious people who surround us each day, the beautiful, the friendly, the companions, the smiles and the laughter that surrounds them is as precious as any pearl we may find in the seas.

Many dont see that, many see people around them as just other people nothing very special, however they are wrong. Everyone has a beautiful precious pearl within them and some are like a stunning opal, the brilliance and sheer overwhelming colors they project make being near them feel as though the sun shines a bit brighter and no clouds come near.

A smile, a wink, a laugh, a grin, a flash of sparkle from the eyes, a pearl in the flesh will bewitch you, make your heart skip and bring a smile from deep within... nothing compares not even a pearl from the sea.

Ive met many a pearl in my life, but of recent times Ive found myself surrounded by some of the most precious of them, beautiful, bright, shining eyed, some with clear white porcelain skin others with golden hues, short blonde waves, short dark tendrils, long curls and short curls, flowing locks and flashing eyes... pearls of all shapes and sizes.

Surrounded by such beauty how could any ask "how was your day?" surrounded by such as the pearls around me its impossible to not have a wonderful sunshining day, a smile arrives each time one walks by and stays with me until I wander home at the end of the days events.

Yet Im surrounded by many people each day... not just the wonderful pearls I work with but the pearls within the people who I share my day with... over the time we share I seem to find their inner pearls and bring them out to make them shine, what an amazing way to live a life!!

Surrounded by the most precious of gems sparkling, shining, grinning and laughing some with loud laughters that seem to choke them they come burbling so fast from within, others with tinkling giggles that send a shiver up ones spine, all give the feelings likened to a waterfall at days end... one cannot help but feel content when surrounded by such.

Some say they dont have such pearls within their lives, I say they are everywhere, where you live, where you work, where you venture each day, they are there you just have to open up a little smile your own precious pearl and they will return that gift. All would be surprised at where the small precious pearls abide just waiting to be touched by you.

So... open up your mind and allow your perfect pearl to leap out and touch someone... and smile, life is brilliant when you begin to feel your own precious gem free to touch another and see the sparkles of another gem that you have set free!

Shane ala the wayward walkabout

Sometimes...

This is a blog... thats it! An area of the internet wherein I can let myself go, Im a writer I write prolifically sometimes my writings are serious more often though they are simply a humorous bent on life, events and people who happen through the journey of my life.

I take no issue with anyone but so saying I am NOT politically correct AT ALL!! I say what my mind thinks through my fingers... its more often than not unedited and written "on the fly" so no offence is ever intended.

For me to write is a joy the flow and ebb of words the way it reads the laughter and smiles I attempt to prompt from my readers is what matters.

So the BASIS of many of my yarns are in fact reality of my life, BUT within the yarn I move and dance till the story is a smile in the making.

Please do not take offence with my words or consider I am attacking or having a shot at you a particular business or person... its just a yarn and I do attempt not to name specifics, but sometimes just sometimes people will take offence or assume something from my words which is in fact not there but rather in their own minds as they read... for its a reality that each of us come to the table of reading with whatever has gone before in our day/night in the forefront of our minds and subsequently its easy to find offence in words... If you find yourself in this place please take a breathe and sit back for a tick and relax.

The ONLY time I will direct myself to a particular person, business or event is if it has an impact on my community myself or those I care about in life... ie: the story regarding James Prices Point and the activities of the present state premier and the gas company involved... what they are doing is WRONG on so many levels and so I have my say.

The rest? mostly aimed at gaining a smile or laugh from someone who reads my words.

Im not a philosipher nor am I a shakespeare in the making a Kahil Gibram Im not a Jung or Freud I am not a Wordsworth or Hemmingway Im also not.... I am simply an Aussie who enjoys life the places he visits and lives and the people who make up the fabric of life where I live and enjoys putting some of those experiences into words... a slight bit of literary license is often attached to my words and so the story is embellished to raise the level of smiles.

But I am NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT in the slightest!!! I WILL call a spade a spade a sheila a sheila and a beautiful one just that beautiful... it is simply hoped my words are enjoyed even by those I talk about who recognize themselves from within the words.

Enjoy life

Shane ala the wayward walkabout

Ever had one of THOSE days?

Sometimes I wonder... As a tour guide I meet a heck of a lot of people, there's the interesting, the fascinating, the incredible, the beautiful, the snobs and the roughnuts... then theres the days where you just go mmmmmmm today was one of those days.

Day kicked of as it pretty much always does in Broome, nice and warm and sunny a bit of a morning breeze but otherwise pretty much nigh on perfect. So I get into my uniform and head for work, start up the bus and away I go... next stop Chinatown office for the manifest. Now most days the first run has between 6 and 10 people onboard not so today!! Today there were just 3 for the first tour... COOL I think as I head of to start collecting them and kick the day of.

So I head out to the Mecure hotel to pick up number 1 passenger... mmmm old fella sorta a bit you know distant, unsure you know so check his ticket no probs "take a pew mate and we'll go pick up the others and get into it" he sits... empty bus right? Right! So wheres he sit? you would think right up the front right? NOPE!!! WAY DOWN THE BACK he wanders trying out this seat then that one then another till finally hes right down near the rear door as far from me as you could get... off to a good start huh!

I grab the mic and slip it over me noggin an try to arc up a bit of the old convo with the old fella... and I look in the rear vision mirror and see his lips movin but no sound... mmmmm... so I took the headset/mic back off and simply drove out to pick up the other 2 at the Cable Beach Club resort... no probs right!

So we arrive and theres two people hot foot it over and straight onto the bus... "gidday" says I in me bestest Aussie voice "you must be the (((insert weird French sounding name))) the woman just hobbles onboard and looks around and of course being disabled she heads for... THE BACK OF THE RUDDY BUS!!!... strewth... the bloke gets on nods hands me the ticket and mutters something in what I think was French but since I cant talk anything other than flamin Aussie it was all gobbledegook to me so I simply smile nod my head and wait for him to park his arse on a pew... and were off... yep all 3 were down the BACK of the bus... so I tell them that they are it there are no more to get on... absolute silence and blank looks... mmmmm

So I think okay theyre all havin a bad hair morning and head for Cable Beach itself to start the tour... I tell them its cool to leave their gear on the bus as I will lock it and we will only be up the slight hill so no probs... get out lift first me left arm have a wiff mmm smells as it should Patchuli... lift the right arm have a wiff yep Patchuli again... okay so it cant be me I check me manic locks yep all in the right sorta place... check shirt yep done up as it should be checked me fly yep zipped up and nothing out of place... okay so Im reassured its NOT me!!

We head up the hill and... one heads north one heads south and the other one just sorta drifted around the bus!!! geeeeeezzzzzzzz was this ever gonna be one of THOSE days!!

I round em up and herd em up the slight hill and spread me arms akimbo "Welcome to Cable Beach" says I and starts me speil waffling about where it got its name and the tides and all the interesting stuff... then as I turn to start the speil about the Cable Beach Club and Lord Allistair McAlpine who in many ways put Broome on the tourist map... stuff that is USUALLY very interesting to the touristas.... I look around... mmmmm

The woman had wandered off and was heading rapidly down the stairs toward the beach!!! The bloke was off with his camera taking photos like a demented Japanese tourist on steroids while the other bloke had wandered back to the bus and was just walking back and forth muttering to himself... so can anyone say "mmmmmm"

So I round em up again like a fanbloodytastic Kelpie sheep dog and finally get them together and gently tell them that it would help A LOT if they would just stay together... a couple of blank nods were received and a few muttered grunts... okay they got the message Shane no probs on with the show!! So I arc up again an give em both barrels!!! Oh man when I gets me dander up I gets it up!!! Info was flyin like a mass of F111 jets on a mission... oh Ive never let fly so well ;o)

I get to the end look around and notice that the woman and bloke that I picked up last were waffling along rather insanely in the French sounding sounds that emitted from their rapidly moving lips while the other bloke stood rocking back an forth a troubled look on his head... mmmmmm so first things first I checked the front of the rocking blokes strides... whew!! no wet patch! okay so hes just plainly not quite with me "one of the special ones" no probs... I look at the two jabbering ones and the woman had gone silent while the bloke was going 100 t0 1 with his lips man was he going OFF!!! seriously I thought he was gonna whack her one... but she looked at him with a smile and jammered quietly back then he arced up the camera again flash flash flashitty flash taking pics of everything and anything that moved!!

So... can we say "mmmmmm" yet?!! TO BLOODY RIGHT WE CAN!!!

So rounding them up again proved pretty quick and easy and into the bus I herded them... tell them its OKAY to sit up the front IF they wanted... mmmm straight down the back they headed!!! strewth! I mean strike me roan I dont smell THAT BLOODY BAD!!!

I get back in muttering to myself before I opened the door and jumped into the drivers seat... shutting the door I bunged on the headset/mic... I can play that game too I thinks to meself... and arced up the sound!! Ooooh yeah I sounded like an Aussie Elvis I did!!! No wukkers... so we head out again tourin around Cable Beach estate me yammering away as I always do the price of houses the price of rents why theres no gutters no mail boxes and so forth... look up and back at the threesome... distant looks on all three faces!!!

Seriously I was begining to worry by now!! I mean so far in me new ubeaut career change as a tour guide Id been congratulated and feted as a pretty good guide and told a fairly good yarn "interesting" you know? Hell even the ex had said "with your gift of the gab you should do well" and heck I HAD BEEN... So what the blazes had happened had I lost my mojo???

Im feelin a tad wierded out by now but like they say in the theatre and stage "on with the show" so I carried on... we drove down Gubinge Rd toward the newest area of Broome "6 seasons" and stopped and did the speil there and didnt look back just kept going... then we set off for Gantheume point... no spark no looks of interest just a small muttering from the bloke way down the back in the corner... mmmmmm

Now the stories that surround Gantheume Point are pretty INTERESTING... normally... today they all went down like the proverbial LEAD BALLOON!!! nothing seemed to work to spark them... as the comedian said as his jokes flopped "hard crowd this one" but I stuck to it!! walked them down the long track to the dinosaur footprints gave them the talk about the massive Ospreys nest on the lighthouse then down to Annistasias pool... still NOTHING!! Dead pan as a mob of sheep being led to the slaughter they were... I was fair sweating here!!!

But I carried on regardless... and we made our way to the Golf Club... WHOA!!! Sudden commotion down the back the couple had jumped out of their seats and over to the right hand side yelling SOMETHING at the top of their lungs that made the other bloke cringe in his corner holding his hands over his ears muttering loudly... I took a quick glance to the right mmmm only the bloody wallaby's over there... but the bloke was on the move to the door banging on it holding his camera in the air with his missus yelling and hitting the glass of the window... good bloody grief!!! I pulled over to the shoulder and the blokes banging on the door looking angrily at me his camera in hand... flamin heck the buggars gone troppo and its not even the bloody wet yet! I thought and quickly opened the door... yep if some wierd sod is gonna go troppo it AINT gonna be on MY BUS!!!

Door was only half open and whooooosh he was gone! I checked the rear vision and there he was hunched down in the middle of the road snappin away with the camera and the sheilas going ballistic yelling at him from inside the bus... my mind was screamin 'just get of the bloody bus woman!!" but nope she was staying well inside and the bloke was creeping across the road taking photos every second!! Then he was gone from view behind the bush... the bus went silent... I looked back and the womans got her face hard up against the window tears started from her eyes and shes muttering something that sorta sounded like "Micheal Micheal" I shrugged must be the blokes name and had a gander at the other bloke who had lowered his arms again and was just staring at the sheila like a roo in the spotlights... I checked for the bloke outside and spotted him crawling toward a wallaby why was standing on his haunches staring at the thing crawling toward him... then it off!!! Bushed it he did!! the bloke stood and started running after it... geeeezflamincheeeeeeerist I though and hit the horn opened the door and headed after him calling him back... but I heard a manic screaming from behind me and had a quick glance changed course and raced back to the bus just in time I opened the door and ripped out the keys!! The sheila had raced up the front of the bus as soon as I left and got into the drivers seat! God knows where she was planning on taking of in my bus but lucky for me I made it back in time to reach in and rip the keys out... DAMN!! This day had turned out a flamin nightmare and it had only just begun!

I convinced the woman to get out of my seat and back down the bus somehow and clambered back in obviously she couldnt be trusted so I sat and hit the horn again... watching both out the side window and the rear vision mirror at the captive twosome down the back one sitting hunched up muttering away to himself and the other with her face glued to the window yammering something or other in that strange lingo... FINALLY!!! The bloke wandered out of the scrub with a massive smile on his face waving his camera around his head like some returning hero... mmmmmmm sigh

So I open up the door again and he gets in and comes up to me holding the camera pointing to the LED screen yammering whatever the blazes he was yammering so I take a look and see a picture of... a roo? I mean ALL THAT for a flamin pic of a flamin roo??? strewth this was turnin out to be a right royal day! I smile nod and put both thumbs up "Beauty mate no worries" I says and he nods scrunches up his eyebrows and goes "U boody maaaaite" and smiles hoists his thumb and grins like a maniac I nod "yeah thats it mate you beauty mate now please take yer seat eh" and nod down toward his missus whos frantically wiping tears from her face a huge smile on her face as she stared lovingly at him... down he walks chest out and hands his camera to her "boody maaaite" he laughs as he watches her looking at the picture she grins up at him and to be honest I dont think for her that there was anyone else on the planet at that moment just her hero... sigh so my romantic streak is still fully functional

We head off again the blokes trying to show the picture to the muttering fellow in the corner to no avail he was simply on another plane to us... so he turned back to his fawning missus and blew his chest out further "boody maaaite" he laughed again... I got back into me spiel again as we turned on the top of the slight hill over looking Roebuck Bay leaving them to their laughter kissing and strange lingo... we moved along and into town and turned up REALLY EARLY to the Chinatown office where we were to have morning tea provided in HALF AN HOURS TIME!!! ;o) ahhh to hell with it we went in anyway! So I settled them in yakked to the French Canadian girl and we got over my being so early and got them sorted... I went and parked up the bus and on my return Valerie the FC girl called me over "what did you do?" "ME???" she nodded her head "yes they say you are funny do you tell jokes on your tour?" "ME??? JOKES???" she looked a tad worried "well that is what Micheal said and Eveline laughed saying you were very nice" I looked from her to them and back several times shaking my head "ME? JOKES? ME???? I just do the tour as always" She grinned "well they like it... a lot" "REALLY??? SHYTE!!! I didnt think they could understand me!" she grinned "well Eveline cannot speak English and Micheal only speaks a little they are French" I shook my head again this day was turning into one heck of a "mmmmmmm" day!

So I left them to their morning tea and went and talked to the crew upstairs who would take them for the next part of the tour... the pearl divers part and the pearl sales part... I told them this was a bit of a hard group did they believe me? NOPE!!! not a bit so I simply smiled and told them Id bring them up in a few minutes "no worries" laughs little Racheal the little English pearl... I grinned to myself just wait smartynickers are you in for one hell of a shock girl!

After they had finished their morning tea I walked them up to the pearl luggars... only took 15 minutes to walk the 20 yards... sigh wanderers... I go in and get young Racheal and she comes out all full of confidence and cheeky swagger I smile as I introduce her to my threesome and promptly leave them to her!

Wandered down and sat to have a coffee and watch the upcoming fun and giggles... the mutterer had Racheal rather baffled especially when he put his head down and his hands to his ears and muttering started wandering away around the luggars she looked down at me sitting back sipping my coffee with a quizical look I shrugged and nodded... then I noticed the woman had wandered away and was heading toward the pearl shop while the hubby had started clicking away with the camera... Rach was LOST!!! totally confused and utterly baffled by the turn of events now completely out of her small hands... I grinned... got up and started rounding them up and leading them back to the little pearl "here you go better get them inside and get into it before they start wandering again Racheal" I say and shoo them inside she glanced at me with a strange look while I just winked and walked back to my coffee a smile on my dial... the day had just IMPROVED!!! ;o)

20 minutes later I looked up toward the luggars and the shop where I had sent Racheal to face the demons of my threesome and they started coming out the door... Rach glanced down at me sitting there looking at her and SMILED!!!.... what tha!!! She kept on hand on the womans back and the other on the mutterers back and lead them peacably out and into the pearl shop smiling and winking at me as she led them... initial thought was "sheep to the slaughter" and then shaking my head I grinned she really was a gem that little English pearl... I got another cuppa and waited

Eventually I had to get up and get the bus and arc up the aircon so we would be right to take off again... I wandered up to the pearl shop and there was the little English pearl grinning as she made a sale to the French bloke who was looking adoringly at his bride with a GIBLOODYNORMUS loop of pearls around her neck while smilin up at him... aahh aint love grand?... the mutterer? was simply wandering around looking at the pearls... QUIETLY! I mean his lips were moving but now there was nothing coming out of him!! I got worried what the heck had she done to them? then I grinned at her smiling face whatever she had done I just wish she had done it AT THE BEGINING of the tour!!!

With a wink to the English pearl and a quick nod to the wanderer we headed to the bus... all aboard? NO PROBS!!... and we off to the next step the Japanese Cemetary... and silence again... I looked back and the mutterer was silently looking out the window pointing at god alone knows what (he definantly was one of the special people) while the French couple were cuddling and whispering together... so I simply drove... went right past the cemetary and kept going down to the harbor and Entrance Point swung around checked the time drove back through town to Matsos and led them in for a beer tasting... Micheal and Eveline had a "Mango bier" while the mutterer had a "hit the toad" beer... pleasant ending to a SERIOUSLY WIERD tour!!

I took the mutterer back to his hotel first and he came almost running to the front of the bus handed me a note and smiled as he raised his hands to his ears and nodded quickly as he got of and moved into the hotel... I shook my head and put the note in my pocket and took the happy couple back to Cable Beach and their resort... When we arrived I opened the door and Eveline came up to me so I held my hand out and she leant forward and kissed both my cheeks a massive smile on her face and moved toward the door as Micheal came up to me shook my hand and reached out holding my face between his hands "boody maaaite" he said and kissed both my cheeks!!! FLAMIN ECK!!! A man hug I can take but a bloke kissin me??? STRIKE ME ROAN!!! he smiled and shook my hand again nodded and got of the bus muttering the strange French words and cheerily waved me goodbye then turning toward Eveline wrapped his arms around her and they kissed each other right there in the entranceway in front of about 30 people! I hit the horn and drove of to the sound of clapping and cheering from those watching the happy couple.

sigh... I headed back to Chinatown to get the manifest for the next tour... Rach and Valerie both caught up with me when I got there apparently the couple were a divorced couple who had decided to "try again" by having a holiday somewhere unique and totally different... and seemingly thanks to the three of us we had helped them well judging by the way they were when I left them I reckon theyre off to a great start!!... then I remembered the note the mutterer had given me and opened it... sat down and read it several times... his name was Brian and he had several disabilities and in his words he had never enjoyed himself as much as he had with us!!! he reckoned that not one of us nor the French couple had judged him or kept him out of any of what we did which is what he says generally happens and he thanked us all... INCREDIBLE!! he also said that he had had "the most wonderful tour" REALLY!!! WOW!!! I mean seriously I didnt think he was with me!! He also thought Racheal was the most beautiful woman he had seen (no disagreement here) and if someone didnt snatch her up soon he would come back and marry her which caused Racheal immense hysteria

The day got a LOT better after that!!!

Authors note... The names have been changed to protect the guilty... this is a yarn created by my mind encouraged by my imagination and enhanced by events and people in my life who enjoys creating yarns from moments of madness and mayhem in my life... is it true? is it false? only the author knows for sure and he will never tell for it would spoil the story lets just say its a yarn of great moment and leave it at that eh!! ENJOY YOUR DAY/NIGHT!!!

Shane... the wayward walkabout

The sadness of arrogance and egomaniacs in government

Its quite interesting really when you look at it in the quiet calmness... history does have a habit of repeating itself.

Years ago here in Australia we had a government (actually many governments) that took what they wanted without concern for the people of the country, the Aboriginal, the natives of this great land were dispossessed, marginalized and treated as though they didnt exist other than to be slaves for the white man. Then as time wore on so society changed as did governments, as it did the "white Australia policy" was enacted, this had a massive impact on the Aboriginals, with a policy of taking little children from their natural parents into christian run missions to be raised as white children only without the same rights to become maids servants and station hands on the sprawling cattle and sheep stations around the country, most often the little ones were taken completely to a new distant part of the country where they had no ties, either to country or tribal, it was also the time of the "dog act" whereby the Aboriginal had to get a legal document to allow free movement around the country, alcohol was not allowed and most worked for rations of food, flour, tea and hopefully hand me down clothing.

Time again moved on and governments changed and finally came the day when one Prime Minister gave land taken from Aboriginal people back to them, this was Mabo and the start of whats been termed Native Title here whereby Aboriginal people with continuous ties to their land had the right to claim title and it was hoped of a great change in Aboriginal rights in Australia.

Time moved on again and so did governments, with this came the day when the Australian government said "sorry" to the Aboriginal people of Australia for past wrongs and again it was hoped that this was the start of something better for the Aboriginals.

A few short years later and time had moved on to all intents into a brighter future for all people of Australia, but in Western Australia the government under Premier Colin Barnett decided that Aboriginal people had no right to Native Title and decided to resume the land of the Goolarbooloo people of the Dampier Peninsula known as James Prices Point.

Why would they do this and take Australian Aboriginal interaction BACK 100 years? One reason and one reason only... Money.

The government under Colin Barnett or as hes become known in the Kimberley as Coal Burnitt has made an agreement with the multinational conglomerate known as Woodside Petrolium along with Shell and others to create a massive gas industrial hub area directly over the Goolarbooloo peoples tribal lands, in the process destroying cultural song lines going back millenia, destroying burial grounds, and areas of cultural sygnificance to the tribe, sadly the area is also a migration point for humpback whales who come to the area to breed and calf, its also a breeding ground for up to 7 species of turtles, along with a true awe inspiring wildreness untouched and unmatched by humanity.

Pristine turquoise waters lap the red pindan cliffs, the white sands of the small inlets and beaches often have tracks of the many crabs and birdlife that live on the shoreline, often its simple to see dolphins, manta rays, sharks, whales and other sea life right near the shore, while in the air are many breeds of migratory birds making their long trek from Siberia to Roebuck Bay in nearby Broome, on land are many endangered specie of flora and fauna, its one of the true last frontiers.

Yet... Woodside and the government under Colin Barnett want to destroy it. TOTALLY.

But that is not enough for this Premier!! He has his sights on the iconic Horizontal Falls just further north from James Prices Point, these are one of the wonders of the world albeit little known. Sadly for the Horizontal Falls area its also rich in copper and uranium and so a target for the mining companies and the government.

BUT! Even that is not enough for this Premier! He intends to create a massive coal mine just inland from the area in the southwest of the state known as Margret River, known for its wineries and surfing beaches, but he is not satisfied.

It beggers belief that a man we voted into power just a year ago would first attempt to take Aboriginal realtions back to the dark days of the last century, to destroy not one but two unique parts of Australia in the Kimberley region but that he also has intentions of destroying the major vineyard area of the southwest of the state. How can he be allowed to govern this state?

It is one thing to support big business but at the least make them use facilities and areas ALREADY in use for the same purposes!! Karratha to the south of Broome is a Woodside town! A mining town with EVERYTHING in place for gas production and refining! There is NO NEED to come to the Dampier Penininsula! NONE

Things that WILL happen when and if this new gas hub goes ahead, first the Goolarbooloo people WILL BE displaced, second the entire area (at last count some 10,000 sq hectares and growing) will be fenced off from access to anyone other than those in the employ or under contract to Woodside Petrolium, then the road out there will be widened and bitumined so that the semi loads of equipment materials and machinery can be transported to the site. Third, the company WILL build an airstrip to bring in their fly in fly out workers and finally the fence will have ONE gate in and out this will be guarded night and day allowing NO ACCESS.

Meanwhile they will dredge the area in front of the refinery (hub) then they will drill into the pristine coral reef just offshore and put in a massive jetty so the ships can dock then they will build the massive hub itself... the plans presently show massive swathes of land earmarked for "future development" in other words Woodside has every intention of building a massive industrial area in a wilderness area of the Kimberley many miles from anywhere other than the tourist town of Broome and the small town of Derby to the north.

What will this do to Broome and its present industry of Pearl farming (the south sea pearl being its second only to tourism industry) first the silting of the pristine waters from Willie Creek through to Cable Beach will be forever ruined as the massive amounts of silt from the drilling of the reef move on the tides, this will cause the south sea pearl industry here to collapse for the pearl oyster cannot produce pearls in silted water. The tourism industry will see a major collapse from the tourists NOT wanting to come to see cloudy murky waters where once were beautiful pristine turquoise waters.

Horizontal falls? Is in an area that is extremely remote the only way in being by water or by air, that gives you an idea of how pristine the Horizontal Falls area is! You cannot drive in there by road. But once the mining starts the whole area including the falls themselves will be mined and destroyed.

The Margaret River area? Will loose its wineries due to the dust and heavy industry that follows coal or any sort of mining, the surf beaches of the region will be destroyed as they build bigger ports to cater for the massive coal ships that will be required, along with the massive industry that will be needed.

So presently we are looking at loosing not one nor two but THREE areas of major importance to this state and its people.

Benefits? NONE.

Jobs? NONE for Woodside along with ALL mining and oil companies that work here fly in fly out their workers!

To the town? NONE for the fly in fly out nature of the workforce means little money is spent in the town by the companies or its employees or contractors

I heard a person say today that "its progress" NO ITS NOT!!! Progress is when something occurs to IMPROVE the lives of those living in the area, its when something happens that improves and benefits the region, mining, gas and oil DO NOT BENEFIT any local community.

So what can we do? Write to Premier Barnett speak your objections to his proposals, write to the local state and national newspapers, email the state and federal ministers for the environment, be PRO-ACTIVE in your objections!

The many varied action groups NEED to join hands and make this a united stand, together we can achieve anything alone we achieve very little. Whether Aboriginal or White Australian, European, Asian, American, Brazillian, or Antarctican/Arctican wherever in this small little planet you live please DO SOMETHING to stop this atrocity from eventuating.

International people can email the Premier, Prime Minister and Ministers

I will get the links to their emails and post them shortly, but for now a simple google search for the following will get you started... please dont think its too hard make the small simple effort and take the few seconds it takes to make your voice heard

Contact;

Environs Kimberley

Getup

Save the Kimberley

Love and kindness to all

Shane the wayward walkabout wanderer

James Prices Point... the begining of the end the story is coming but first some photos of this amazing area of pure untouched wilderness in the Kimberley

A lonely grave of a young man lost in the area a few years ago

Saying goodnight across the pindan shore the sun a glorious ball in the sky on the far horizon

Across the pindan cliffs to the horizon, the turquoise sea clear to the ends of the world

Theres something purely mystical about the crispness, the clarity, the purity of James Prices Point that Ive not found anywhere else Ive been