1500th Blog Post - can this be real?

I feel totally depressed about something which ought be a cause of satisfaction.

My 1500th Blog post.

I started out with great uncertainty, and little ambition, with a blog on 26 November 2005. It was called "Odd little things which grow around Robertson". I have inadvertently deleted that post tonight (because I have still not got used to Blogger's "New Style" formatting. I hate it, and occasionally I make mistakes with it, as I did tonight).

Oh well, on to happier times, my "Blogging Milestone, or Millstone?" - my 1000th Blogging Post. At least some of my earliest work is stored and remembered there.

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But tonight is my 1500th post, and all I can see around me is chaos and disaster.

Not me personally, (well - a little bit). But the state of the world.

Shooters have just been granted approval to hunt in National Parks.

And the Upper House debate concluded with the Leader of the Shooters and Fishing Party. Mr Brown MLC telling his Greens counterpart Jeremy Buckingham MLC it was unfortunate "I can't take you outside and beat you to death". 

Fan-fu*cking-tastic!

Mr Robert Brown MLC
Has democracy come to death threats in the Upper House?

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The NSW Government Planning Assessment Commission has just approved the expansion of a coal mine at Medway, near Berrima. It is known as the Berrima Colliery. This despite the fact that the PAC has admitted that:

• "It means that the Commission is again faced with a decision as to whether to delay or refuse a Project until the required data are available for consideration, or construct an approval framework that will ensure collection of the required data, proper assessment of the options and retro-fitting of any actions required into the approval."

There is a local paper report in the Southern Highland News.

The press report, and the PAC determination overlook the fact that the Berrima Company has been discharging Nickel and Manganese into the River at levels far in excess of approved standards.

• What is going on?
• Has democracy come to this? 

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My Blogging Colleague, friend and local Robertson resident, David Cooper wrote this blog this morning: "My Faith in Human Beings Has Been Rocked". In a sentence, it is about the fact that a motor Cyclist was killed in a hit and run accident, and the culprit, supposedly a truck driver failed to stop, failed to offer assistance to the injured rider, and failed to report the accident.

David, as a Motor Cycle instructor, is totally stunned. Appalled.

Quite right too.

• What is going on?
• Has Society come to this?
  

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The United Nations is holding a totally sham "conference" to "celebrate" the achievements since the original Rio "Earth Summit", 20 years ago.
It is known as the Rio +20 conference.
 

Personally I still squirm at the memory of our erstwhile Environment Minister Ros Kelly using the "modern" technology of direct video broadcasting to send an embarrassing message to her kids, basically saying everything was OK, now that she and her powerful friends had saved the world.
OK, that's probably a jaundiced version of her message, but in hindsight, given how little has been achieved since, I am prepared to publish my version of events.

• Should we snigger in scorn at "Environment Minister Ros Kelly (having told) the summit that Australia aimed for the stabilisation of greenhouse emissions by 2000, and a 20% reduction by 2005."
• Or should we simple hang our heads in shame, for our failure over the last 20 years? Source.

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Meanwhile, Clive Palmer and Gina Rinehart, BHP Billiton and many other companies are racing eachother to extract ever greater amounts of coal, to sell to China, India and Japan.

• It is as if there is no tomorrow.
• The way they are going, they might be dead right.

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I had intended to post about the recent Fungal 

finds from Robertson Nature Reserve and Comerong Island, 

but I realised I needed to get some other issues off my chest.

I promise I shall return to more regular matters 

tomorrow and the days after.

A lovely small specimen of
Cryptotrama aspratum
as found on Comerong Island
at the mouth of the Shoalhaven River

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Oh, yes, and Happy Winter Solstice to all my fellow Southern Hemisphericals, and Summer Solstice for our northern Colleagues.

Environment Victoria needs support

Dear Blogger readers - there is a lot more than is included in this email from Environment Victoria

• the development of coal seam gas mining in Gippsland, and proposed for the Otways.
• so-called New Generation Methane extraction from Permian Coal seams under the Murray Darling regions of  Victoria, and SA.
• logging in East Gippsland (home of the Victorian Faunal Emblem, the Leadbeaters Possum)
• Horses and cattle in the Alpine National Parks
• etc, etc, etc

Denis Wilson (a.k.a. Peonyden)

*******

Dear Denis,

I hoped the worst was over. 

But the attacks just keep on coming. This is an unprecedented onslaught on Victoria’s environment and clean energy future by the Baillieu Government. The list of destructive actions is now so long, I can’t fit them all in this email! 

Please dig deep and DONATE HERE to help us face one of the biggest environmental challenges in Victoria’s history and check out the full list of destruction > 

I’ve been outraged to see decades of environmental protections systematically dismantled to make way for mining, logging and irrigation. The gutting of our Climate Change Act. Their decision to allocate 41 billion tonnes of brown coal for mining from Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, that will produce five times China’s annual greenhouse emissions. 

Now my outrage has turned to disgust with this latest development. As part of the trend toward turning our beautiful green wedges into a suburban wasteland, the Baillieu Government announced six new suburbs worth of urban sprawl for Melbourne. With no plans for new public transport, this means more cars on the road and more pollution. And it’s bad news for the threatened Southern Brown Bandicoot, which depends on the area for a vital habitat corridor.

Victorians love our environment and want clean energy. But they don’t know what’s going on. Once they find out, it will be the people like you and me who hold this government to account and stop the destruction.

If you can please make a donation of $25, $50 or $100 now for our campaign, including newspaper and billboard ads that will expose these destructive attacks on our environment >

There’s no end in sight unless we band together and act now. In these trying times for Victoria’s environment, we are the ones who are going to make a difference.

Thank you so much for any support you can offer. Please share this email with your friends. 

Yours sincerely,

Kelly O’Shanassy
and the Team from Environment Victoria

Acianthella Orchids at Seven Mile Beach National Park

These plants have been known of for at least a year, when they were first reported by Matthew, in charge of a Landcare Group. 

He spoke with Alan Stephenson last year, who inspected the a few of these unusual plants, and concluded that they are a species of Acianthella. Little more is known about these plants, as they have not yet been found in flower.

Today I went with Alan and Matthew to again look for these plants, and we found quite a lot of them - approximately 50 plants in all.

The plants we found today were scattered around on the moist leaf litter of coastal mixed Eucalypt, Banksia and Casuarina forest and rainforest understory species, growing on sand dunes, behind Seven Mile Beach.  

Even for three quite experienced orchid people, they were hard to find.

This was the first of these Acianthella plants I saw today.
The leaf is held well off the ground
above the leaf litter
Growing over moist sand.
The lead surrounds the flower stem,
but it is classed as "sheathing" the stem.

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT.
"Sheathing" is illustrated in Figure g
Source PlantNET Glossary

These plants hold the leaf off the ground, just above the leaf litter. 

A non-flowering plant
showing the lobed leaf shape.

A very young, non-flowering plant.
The leaf has not developed the distinctive lobed margins
but it clearly shows the notch
where the leaf is attached to the leaf stem.

Some of these plants had already flowered, but obviously their flower stems are very small, compared to their nearest relatives, the Acianthus genus. We saw lots of leaves of Corybas and Acianthus and many, many colonies of Pterostylis, but the Acianthella are much smaller in leaf and flower than any of those common Orchids. 

Seed capsules clearly visible
CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE.
There are two separate Acianthella plants growing closely together.

The leaves are very distinctive in texture and shape.
They are more or less club shaped (as in the cards of that name).

Juvenile plants sometimes have lobed leaf margins.
In more mature plants the lobes of the leaves can be quite pointed.

Leaf is 2 cm long,
with noticeable points to the leaves.

Leaf is approx 13mm wide.
There are two Acianthella plants growing side by side
Both have set seed.

As yet, we do not have any diagnostic details to identify the species of these plants.
 
The books report that the Acianthella genus is restricted to two species in Australia, and five species in New Caledonia. The Australian ones are one from north Queensland and Acianthella amplexicaulis is reported to extend only as far south as the littoral rainforest, north from Wyrrabalong National Park (just north from The Entrance, NSW).

So, if and when these plants are identified, then it will at the very least be an extension of the range, if the species is confirmed as Acianthella amplexicaulis.
 
However, it is also possible that these plants might be identified, in due course, as a new species in the genus Acianthella. As no flowering plants have yet been found, and recorded, it cannot be identified beyond the genus level at present.

That's a further challenge for next year.

No Hunting in National Parks - I didn't go, but many of my friends were there

The NSW Parliament has been the scene of a series of protests recently.

The biggest one I know of was the "Our Land, our Water" rally opposed to mining and CSG versus farming and the despoiling of rivers and aquifers. That was back on May 1.

A few days ago, it was opposition to large-scale sackings and redundancies of NSW Public Servants and my mates, the NPWS officers.

And today, many of the same people were there again, to protest the NSW Shooters and Fishing Party's proposal for hunting in National Parks.

Skippy amuses this Boy in Blue.
Good humour is important
when running a Revolution.
Nice work, Skippy.

I didn't make the trip, but I did send off some briefing notes to Cate Faehrmann MLC and her staffers (in response to their requests).
 

In particular, I was fascinated by the honesty of the New Zealand Hunters.

• HUNTING ACCIDENTS         INVESTIGATE: JUL 03 They act before they think, almost pre-programmed to shoot on reflex
• HAMISH CARNACHAN investigates the campaign to stop hunters killing each other in the bush
• An important factor, according to Green, is a little-known phenomenon he refers to as "buck fever", which he describes as "a psychological state whereby the hunter’s desire to shoot their quarry is so strong that it overrides all rational thinking".
  Speak to any hunter and they will invariably detail the concentration, often required for hours on end or even days, which goes into stalking a deer. Nerves are taut, the atmosphere intense, it’s all part of the primal thrill of the hunt. Green says when a hunter is "wound up" during the chase any unnatural distraction can draw a snapshot, in some cases with tragic consequences.
• Source: http://www.investigatemagazine.com/jul03hunt.htm

And those are not my words, but the words of New Zealand hunters.

And then there is a very powerful article entitled: "How to avoid shooting your Mate".

• In the Oct-Nov 2003 addition of “NZ Outdoor” Murray Dench wrote an excellent article titled “How to Avoid Shooting Your Mate”. If you read this article you would know that the hunter in my story acted questionably on at least two occasions. Finally, when considering the disturbing circumstance of the recent fatal shootings, I draw your attention to the title of this article. Title: "Shooting your mate"
• NZ Hunting Information
  http://www.nzhuntinginfo.com/printPage.php?pageName=./articles/could

If you wish to sign the petition or write to the relevant politicians about Hunting in National Parks you can go to this site: http://nohunting.wildwalks.com/

If you are on Facebook, you can view many photos in Cate Faehrmann's Photo Gallery here.

Sometimes I feel like Christopher Columbus

We all know the story that Columbus had to persuade his crew that they were not about to fall off the edge of the world. It might be a myth, but that doesn't matter, for my purposes, tonight.

My yard, and down to Belmore Falls.
Beyond that - "There be Dragons"

 This is the view I have had for nearly three days, gazing out over the Kangaroo Valley, towards the southern end of the mighty Shoalhaven Valley.

It looks for all intents and purposes as if the world stops beyond Belmore Falls, the edge of the escarpment below Robertson. 

A closer view - showing "the edge of the world"

I know that Kangaroo Valley and the
 Shoalhaven Valley (all the way to Sassafras)
  is there - but can I see it?

Nope.
There is just a wall of cloud and nothing beyond.

Hence my Christopher Columbus fantasy.

An Open Letter to Mr Gareth Ward MLA re Hunting in National Parks

This is an open letter to Mr Gareth Ward MLA, my Local Member.

It is  a copy of an email I have sent to him directly.
This matter will be debated in the NSW Upper House on Thursday.

There will be a rally against Hunting in National Parks in Sydney on Thursday

• RALLY: No hunting in NSW National Parks, 11am Thurs 14 June, Parliament House, Sydney

*****

Mr Gareth Ward MLA
Member for Kiama.

Dear Gareth

It will come as no surprise to you that I am vehemently opposed to the proposal to permit hunting in National Parks.

I have written to the Premier, pointing out that Hunting is the complete antithesis of what National Parks are supposed to be about.
I have heard nothing back from him .

I have written to Minister Parker, and received a routine acknowledgement, but no substantive reply.

You may be aware that in New Zealand, where deer hunting is very popular, as many as 8 people have been killed in hunting accidents in the last 10 years.

• 8 deaths and 3 serious injuries have been recorded in NZ  during the deer  hunting season over the last ten years. In the same time 25 people in Oz have been killed in hunting accidents. 11 accidentally shot themselves, 5 shot their companions,  8 were killed in vehicle accidents whilst hunting. One managed to stab himself. In one case, in Victoria a  man died after his companion mistook him for a deer  and fired twice, shooting him in the back of the head.

The claim by the Game Council that the hunters will be trained, expert hunters is not enough to persuade me that it is no risk to the public, let alone to the native fauna. Furthermore, the hunters pose an unwitting threat to the many endangered species of plants which are found within Morton National Park, which might be damaged by accidental trampling by people who have no idea of the value of many of these seemingly "insignificant-looking plants" (which are precious, of course).

You will be well aware that between Kiama and Robertson, the Morton National Park covers a vast area of pristine forest and escarpment terrain. I regularly access that Park, from Belmore Falls, or Manning Lookout, close to Robertson, or from further afield, near Badgery's Lookout (via Tallong). But I also can enter that Park from Kangaroo Valley, or via Budgong Road (from Nowra side, via Illaroo Road and Budgong Rd, or Budgong Fire Trail). See linked map.

So, my question is how can the National Parks and Wildlife Service or the Game Council of NSW ensure that I, as a casual user of the Park, can be protected when Hunters are given permission to hunt with high-powered rifles, in any area of this vast and remote Park?

As local member, you will be aware that there is no single media source which covers the entire area - so public announcements would be limited in effectiveness.

There are several main roads (Nowra-Moss Vale Road and Main Road 92) which cross the Morton National Park. Surely, from an economic perspective, those roads cannot be closed to suit the whim of the Hunters?

I would be grateful of your support in opposing this proposal.

Please pass my representations to the Premier and to the Minister for the Environment.

Incidentally, I find the photo provided by Mr Robert Borsak MLC to the Sydney Morning Herald and the Daily Telegraph to be truly depraved. Yet, he is sufficiently insensitive to send the media those offensive images (in a manner which can only be described as "bragging" about killing a magnificent animal).

I would anticipate that from a purely aesthetic point of view you would find this issue abhorrent. I know I do.

See the linked Daily Telegraph story.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/angry-mps-email-voter-stampede/story-e6freuy9-1226254554203

• Robert Borsak in Bulawayo.
• Picture: Supplied

Are you happy to be associated with the values that photograph demonstrates?
 

Effectively, if you support this Hunting in National Parks issue, you would be supporting Mr Borsak and his values (or lack of them) as demonstrated by him providing (to the media) this photograph of himself with his "kill".

Denis Wilson
Robertson NSW 2577

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Dear Blog Readers:

If you agree with the view in this email, you might like to follow up by signing the on-line petition:
http://nohunting.wildwalks.com/

If you wish to write to your local member, you may check the addresses on the NSW Parliament site.

One final query: Why have the Animal Rights activists in Australia remained silent (or seemingly so) on this issue?

Denis Wilson

*****

My previous postings on this issue may be found below:

• http://www.peonyden.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/for-this-update-on-nsw-hunting.html
• http://www.peonyden.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/hunting-in-national-parks-press-links.html
• http://www.peonyden.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/hunting-in-national-parks-will-you-be.html

Sometimes one needs to escape from Robertson

Sometimes one needs to escape from Robertson, and especially from the Computer.
So it was yesterday afternoon.

Fortunately the weather was pleasant for an afternoon drive, and Kiama is just a short (albeit slow) drive down Jamberoo Mountain Road. So I decided to go and check out the famous Kiama Blowhole, which there was still some residue of the heavy swell from the East Coast Low and the recent King Tide (remember the Full Moon?).

The heavy swell had been running for a few days, and I knew from previous trips to the Blowhole that it works best with south-easterly running swells. So I figured it was worth a look.
Besides, it is always a pleasant afternoon drive from Robertson.

The very first pulse I saw.

about the 4th one

Then a nice loud "whomp" produced this

Sometimes the noise
does not always produce a large "Blow".

That's more like it.

And finally a Big One
Unfortunately, the spray went so high it got
over-exposed by the late afternoon light.
But by comparison with previous shots
you can see how high this one was.
The rocky headland beyond is obliterated.

 For the academically minded, here are some notes on the Geology of the Kiama district from C A Süssmilch: An introduction to the geology of New South Wales

• Blowhole Flow. This outcrops at sea-level at Kiama, and
  extends southwards as far as Gerringong. This flow is a typical
  basalt, and is about 140 feet in thickness. 
•  Kiama Tuffs. These overly the Blowhole flow, and have a
  thickness of 120 feet. They are basic in composition, are fine-
  grained and well stratified. Bands of lapilli*** occur at intervals.
  Their basic composition results in a rich reddish-brown colour on
  weathering
• ***Lapilli are spheroid, teardrop, dumbbell or button-shaped droplets of molten or semi-molten lava ejected from a volcanic eruption that fall to earth while still at least partially molten.

 There was just enough light left for a few scenic shots.

Looking south from the Blowhole point

Looking west, Kiama is dominated by Saddleback Mountain

 

Sunset over Kiama harbour, with the township on the far side.

Sea Gulls (Silver Gulls) on the roof of the take-away fish shop
at the Kiama Harbour.

A Pelican waiting for yummy "Fish heads" and "frames"
Most likely waiting for a fishing boat
to come to the harbour and
for the fishermen*** to clean their catch.
For the Gender Specific Linguists amongst you, I double-checked!
"The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen
and may be used to describe both men and women."

Shot taken, more for the Norfolk Island Pines
than the Palm Tree, or the Sea Gulls.

The wire devices on top of the lights are
to keep the Pelicans and Sea Gulls
from landing on the lights.
Seems to work.

I can also report that the local Take-away Fish Shop at the Kiama Harbour (there is another one which sells only fresh fish, not cooked fish) sold me a very acceptable serve of Snapper and Chips. Coming from Canberra (originally) a visit to the seaside is not complete without a feed of freshly cooked fish and chips (with lemon).
However, my Victorian origins still reveal themselves in my desire to spell it "Schnapper".