swamped

Fine reporting from Nicole Cox at The Sunday Times on a dinghy being dumped off the beautiful island.

Two blokes were collected about 500m off Marjorie Bay late this morning.

At least they were there: this story earlier this week by ace reporter Geoffrey Thomas said locals were eschewing Rottnest for Asian destinations.

Rottnest has borne the brunt of the changing travel patterns and in the eight months to the end of February attracted 32,330 fewer people - a 13 per cent drop - than the 247,249 in the same period the previous year, Geoff reported.

But Rottnest Island Authority chief executive Paolo Amaranti said June visitor numbers were in line with previous years and last-minute bookings were up last month.

"The number of winter packages sold to date far outstrips those sold for the same period last year," Mr Amaranti said.

"Demand for RIA accommodation units continues to far outstrip supply during the peak summer period, with 4500 applications received for the summer ballot 2010 for a total of 1300 available units."

poor line

We loved this letter in last week's POST about idiot boxes on the beautiful island.

The correspondent, of course, wrote one of the great Rottnest books: respec'.

'Your report, “Tellies are off at Rotto” (POST, 24/7), outlined how Rottnest authorities were considering scrapping TVs.

'George Williams, a regular visitor to the island, summed up the feeling of many, saying "if I wanted to watch TV I'd stay at home".

'Mr Williams' comment brought back memories of an item in The West Australian of February 1967 which told of the poor telephone access to Rottnest after 5pm.

It concluded with the laconic footnote: "Many people visit Rottnest to escape telephones".'

tee off

Rottnest Swim authorities are offering $500 or free entry to the epic event to the winner of a T-shirt competition.

The winning design will be on the 4500 garments produced for the swim and the artist will be in the race book.

Rottnest Channel Swim Association President Raymond Yong said a different long-sleeve shirt has been created for the event each year since 1994.

Only four colours can be used the design, it must be provided in high-resolution PDF or JPEG format, and the Association will own the copyright.

More design details are at www.rottnestchannelswim.com.au.

Entries to admin@rottnestchannelswim.com.au or PO Box 2004, Claremont WA 6010 by September 3.

The Swim is on February 26.

trees please

There is still time to do good works on the beautiful island.

The Rottnest Society says there are still several places available for their tree planting weekend this weekend (August 13-15).

"If any of you would like to take up the places at such please contact me as soon as possible," Soc Prez Sue Folks says.

"It will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. The latest you could get there would be on the 7.30am ferry Saturday and the earliest you could return would be on the 2pm ferry."

Some of the fine print...

$20 person for accommodation on the Friday night (even if you do not arrive until Saturday morning). Payable to a Rottnest Society person once on the island...

Depending on the forecast closer to the weekend you will need to make sure you take wet weather gear, sturdy sneakers or shoes, hat, gardening gloves (they always have extras), long pants (better than shorts if the midgies are about), insect repellant, sunscreen, water and generally enough warm clothes...

in a galaxy far, far away...

Uh-oh: someone call the Rottnest Island Authority.

A magnificent image created especially for Rotto Bloggo by outstanding blogging documenter of Fremantle, Love Freo.

A speeder would be handy for getting out to the West End...and a purple light sabre would be just the ticket for beheading and scaling herring at Pinky's.

May the Force be with you, on and off the beautiful island.

rotto chopper ride

Barich? Subiaco? A church?

Read on - there is a mention of the beautiful island in this report from last week's POST...

Subiaco Primary School dad and Channel 7 personality Adrian Barich will host a cocktail party for the P&C on August 20.

The major fundraiser will be on Friday, August 20, at the Subiaco Church of Christ in Bagot Road.

Organisers Marina Hogan and Justine Oxley said the night would include fantastic food and wine donated by a variety of local businesses and eateries, great music, entertainment, a silent and a main auction, a raffle and much more.

"We've been really overwhelmed by the generosity of the Subiaco business community," Justine said.

Donated prizes include a pearl pendant and South-West getaways at Yelverton Lodge, Chandeliers on Abbey, Smith's Beach Resort and Loose Goose Farm Stay.

There will also be a helicopter ride to Rottnest, a VIP family pass to the Channel 7 Christmas Pageant, a signed pair of Danny Green's boxing gloves, Dockers and Eagles merchandise, a purple bra signed by Russell Crowe and a bedroom suite.

Restaurants Perugino and Third Avenue will provide the cocktail food for the party.

Tickets cost $45 and include a welcoming champagne cocktail, a selection of hot and cold food, music, entertainment, the opportunity to bid for auction items, door prizes and other spot prizes on the night.

Entertainment will feature renowned local improvisation comedians including Sam Longley from The Big Hoo Haa.

The organisers' 100% donation goal for the party has almost been achieved, apart from dressing up the venue.

"Perhaps there are one or two businesses out there that could help us with the costs of theme-ing the venue and in return get some inexpensive advertising and promotion," Justine said.

For more information on sponsoring and tickets, call Justine on 0411 257 691 or Marina on 0414 825 463.

big house

REFORMATORY PRISON. PROPOSED ESTABLISHMENT AT ROTTNEST. A TEMPORARY
PROVISION.

They were not very punny with their headlines at The West in 1919: here is a report from the paper on the beautiful island.

The third par is an epic by itself, too.

We are mildly confused and not as full bottle as we should be on the Rotto reformatory.

Perhaps our senior fellow bloggers - namely Fremantlebiz - can help us out.

Cabinet decided yesterday to establish a reformatory prison at
Rottnest for the accommodation of selected good conduct prisoners under the
indeterminate sentences system.

The establishment of the prison on the island is only temporary and the buildings to be erected are to be suitable for handing over subsequently to the Rottnest Board of Control.

In making the announcement yesterday, the Colonial Secretary (Mr. Broun) said that a reserve for a reformatory prison had been selected sometime back and
the idea of the Government in view of the necessity for the provision of
that institution was to make use of the reserve on Rottnest temporarily and
to erect buildings which could be readily convertible into bungalows and
handed over to the Board of Control should the necessity arise through any
decision to set the island apart exclusively as a tourists' reserve.

It was imperative that the work should be started at once as there were a number of good conduct prisoners, awaiting transfer to a reformatory prison under the indeterminate sentence system.

The men who would be sent to the prison on the island, would not be a menace to the public on the island or the tourists: they would be men of good moral character apart from the lapse which brought them within the grasp of the law and would not be men who had committed murder or offences against the person.

The erection of the necessary buildings would be carried out by the prisoners themselves under the direction of officers from the Public Works Department. This would be the most economical way of erecting them and would provide necessary work for the prisoners in connection with their training under the new Act.

rottofest

We wonder if Rottofest were fretting over the date of the election: we are sure there was a big sigh of relief when Julia went for August 21.

After you have voted and spent a week savouring Julia/Tony's success, pop over to the beautiful island for funk and funnies.

Last year sold out in two weeks, so you better get your skates on.

Merrick is emceeing Launch the Comedian, there will be screenings of short films and comedy skits...all on Rottnest!

"Due to holding an absolutely stellar closing party on the Sunday night, we highly recommend you use some of those accrued sick days / holidays and write off Monday the 30th and return that day," the organisers say.

The Scotch of Saint James will be there: "...imagine the groove of Supergrass, mixed with the dark beauty and tones of BRMC, surging with the stoner bliss of QOTSA, all smattered with the rock’n’roll dance ethic of Kasabian."

code closed

The Minister has changed Rottnest Island Primary School into a campus of Beaconsfield Primary School. To reflect this change the Rottnest Island Primary School code in Schools Directory was closed for technical and operational reasons.

Amalgamation Rottnest Island PS & Beaconsfield PS
BEACONSFIELD PS
5034
2009 ROTTNEST ISLAND PS
5406
2010
Closed in
SDR
Open in
SDR
BEACONSFIELD PS –
ROTTNEST ISLAND CAMPUS
5034

mooring mope

A boatie is not happy with an experience they had last Sunday in Thomson Bay.

'landing fee - what a ripp off' is the attention-getting headline.

The intrepid sailors had problems with their designated mooring and decided not to stay at the beautiful island.

"We went to buy a 'subway' takeaway lunch for the trip back, and it was then we saw the RANGER already ON our yacht, he saw us trying to row back in the head wind, and he motored over and hassled us to move our yacht off the mooring IMMEDIATELY, and proceeded to ask us where wevwere, as he tried to call us 3 times (we informed him our mobile was on the yacht and he said I KNOW!)."

Goodness: read the whole story here.

Commenters do not seem to share the outrage.

This seems happier, but we do not understand it.

island beauty captured

More Rottnest art!

Ace reporter Linda Callaghan had this scoop in the POST.

We will be beetling down to Cambridge council post-haste.

Blow the budget and buy, buy, buy!

All hail Linda and other reporters who file reports about the beautiful island...

Glynis Morrison loves Rottnest Island, above the water and below.

Her endless fascination with the effects of light and shadow has led to her latest exhibition of oil paintings.

She is the fourth artist to exhibit at Cambridge council's Boulevard Centre, under the library at Floreat Forum, as part of a community arts program.

The collection is 60cm square oils on board.

"These paintings were inspired by annual visits to Rottnest," Ms Morrison said.

"Staying at Longreach or Geordie Bay, one is constantly aware of the huge vista of ocean beyond the little settlement of holiday villas."

Ms Morrison, who lives in Wembley Downs, said she had always painted, and completed her formal training in the early 1990s, as a mature-aged student at Claremont School of Art and Edith Cowan University.

She has previously shown work in Fremantle, Perth, Geraldton and at Chas Sturt University, New South Wales.

In 2002 Ms Morrison was first prize winner at the Broomehill Aquafest set up to promote Great Southern aquaculture.

The exhibition at Floreat runs until the end of August and the work is for sale.

meeting

We have to go to Sydney on union business in a week or two.

Taxi, crammed into a seat on a plane, taxi, a functional hotel room, meetings - and then a taxi, flight, taxi.

Sydney has its attractions but there is not much time for seeing the sights or spotting ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS walking out of a backpackers hostel and going to their cash-in-hand cafe/restaurant job.

How different it would be if our confab was on the beautiful island: we saw this poster in West Perth on Friday afternoon.

The main options seem to be the Country Club, which has the Des Sullivan Room and the ground-floor Club Room.

Quanta costa? If you go the whole hog and get the platinum deal, it's $423 a head:

Platinum Package (2 night/3 day)
• Bus transfers from the jetty to the conference venue
• Off site lunch options at one of the Island’s restaurants to the value of $30 per day
• Bus travel to and from lunch venue
• 2 Island tours of your choice
• 2 Bedroom Unit – sleeps 1-2 people

We will suggest the next union love-in be held on Rottnest but we are not holding our breath.

tellies off?

We apologise for the break in transmission.

Thank goodness for the POST, which is stuffed with news of the beautiful island...

ROTTNEST AUTHORITIES ARE considering scrapping televisions.

The advent of digital TV, which happens in Perth in June 2013, is behind the move.

Island holidaymakers are being asked to complete Rottnest Island Authority (RIA) questionnaires on whether there should be TVs in units and bungalows.

"As the analogue system is phased out, the RIA is reviewing its provision of televisions," the flyer says.

"In order to maintain the current service all existing televisions will need to be replaced with digital sets.

"External antennae may also need to be installed to ensure reliable reception."

Visitors are asked to choose yes or no to the statement 'Televisions should be provided to all RIA accommodation'.

The RIA would not answer questions about the survey, how much it would cost to switch to digital TVs or how many televisions are in its units.

Regular Rottnest sojourner George Williams said he welcomed the end of TVs on the island.

"If I wanted to watch TV I'd stay at home," the Mosman Park resident said. "Rottnest is a place for fishing, walking, talking to people - not staring at a screen."

Mr Williams denied watching MasterChef every night during a recent week-long stint in north Thomson Bay.

la hermosa isla

We are hoping Spain's World Cup triumph is a shot in the arm for Rottnest.

How so? The Spanish/English translation firm of choice is in Melbourne - and is called Rottnest Spanish Translations.

"We take pride in our professionalism, reliability and accuracy in every translation," says principal Glenda Lowry.

"We provide fast turnaround and meet the tightest deadline."

People who understand deadlines! Muy bien. That is what Rotto Bloggo likes to hear.

to the lighthouse

We didn't see any members of the Ramsay family, but otherwise the trip up the Wadjemup lighthouse was amazing.

We saw the rope the keeper had to pull up every three hours to keep it turning, the curved cupboards, the lens and wondered where they kept the cocnut oil.

A bloke operated it until as late as 1990.


There are binoculars so you can have a good squizz from 80m up: we stared, agog, at a Collins submarine chugging past, cyclists and cloud shadows drifting across Narrow Neck.

green island

No, not the delightful spot on the mainland side of the beautiful island - although we would not be surprised if some of this group made it out there.

Yet again this story is another in today's POST. How much Rottnest news can you fit into a 92-page paper?

ROTTNEST ISLAND WAS a sea of green this week as it became Kelly country.

Dozens from the extended family celebrated their 40th anniversary of getting together on the holiday paradise.

“There are 38 in-laws and out-laws here and we've been coming to Rottnest since 1970,” Brendon Kelly told the POST last weekend.

A family member even flew in from Washington DC for this year's nine-day sojourn, which also saw the celebration of two engagements.

The tradition began when Brendon's father Lou chose the island as his family's vacation destination.

“He was born in Bunbury, was a great fan of the coast and decided Rottnest was appropriate,” Brendon said.

The first idyllic holiday with wife Marie and five kids was spent in what was then called Cottage X in north Thomson Bay.

“He always preferred to stay in a north Thomson unit or villa – never a bungalow – so we always have,” Brendon said.

The Kellys usually holiday in May, although sometimes they cross Gage Roads in June or July.

Marie now has great-grandchildren: her youngest grandson aged six months was with her on the island this week.

“We used to bring our own televisions in the early days,” she said.

Marie has been an active worshipper at the Holy Rosary Catholic parish in Doubleview for 55 years.

“We painted the ceiling of the Rottnest church when it was first built, and polished the brass – before that we used to worship in the picture hall,” she said.

Brendon said organising the annual event was easy.

“The women prepare lots of food and the men handle the beer and fishing,” he said.

“Our favourite fishing spots are the basin, Pinky's and the Thomson Bay jetty.”

Marie's son Kieran he did not know why some people complained about Rottnest.

“How many kids have got off their training wheels here?” he asked.

The Kellys all wore emerald green T-shirts made for the anniversary.

“Please don't make us look like a cult,” a younger female Kelly pleaded.

The family came to WA from Ireland's west coast.

emergency landing

'Chopper in Rotto landing drama'

As you know, we were on the beautiful island all of last week - and saw (and heard) Collins submarines churning through the cerulean waters and noted planes and choppers zipping about.

So imagine our surprise/delight when we saw the POST this morning and saw the attention-getting headline above.

It all happens on (or over, or nearby) Rottnest.

A ROYAL AUSTRALIAN Navy helicopter made an emergency landing on Rottnest Island last week after the crew thought the machine was on fire.

The Seahawk chopper, from 816 Squadron in NSW, was part of a big training exercise around the island that finishes this week.

The four men on board the helicopter got a fright last Thursday morning when the fire indication light started flashing.

“The helicopter transmitted an urgency message which was subsequently proven to be a false alarm,” a Defence spokesman said.

“The helicopter landed at Rottnest Island airport as a precaution.

“Despite no indications of fire being found, the circumstances surrounding the precautionary landing will be fully investigated.”

The spokesman said there was no threat to holidaymakers from the landing.

“Navy personnel are well practised to conduct these emergency procedures
as part of their training,” the spokesman said.

The exercise – which does not have a code name – involves three RAN
Collins Class submarines, RAN Frigate HMAS Anzac, three RAN Seahawks from the Nowra-based 816 Squadron and a Royal New Zealand Air Force P3 Orion.

“The exercise is being conducted to expose all participants to a variety
of challenging and complex anti-submarine warfare scenarios,” the spokesman said.

Photo courtesy Dept of Defence and sexy image of Seahawk is the copyright of the Commonwealth of Australia.

help! kelp?

"Wind gusts won't reach the forecast peak of 90km until later tonight but Rottnest Island is being battered with 50km winds, gusting up to 59kmh."

So it goes on WA Today: we hope the island will still be there in the morning.

It would be much more restful - although not dryer - where this important boffin activity is happening.

An autonomous underwater vehicle is being used to examine a kelp forest on a reef near the beautiful island.

"A focus of the study will be on how kelp forests influence biodiversity and productivity by generating food for valuable resources such as fisheries," CSIRO research scientist Dr Mat Vanderklift said at Sailworld.com.

"Our observations will enable us to monitor and adapt to processes such as changes to major currents or climate change."

julia

We were not surprised to see traces of Julia on the beautiful island last week.

As we ambled past the school we saw a sign...even Rottnest is being stimulated.

The official figures to date, from the website:

Total Projects: 3
Total Amount: $300,000.

Rotto kids are getting a covered outdoor learning area, a "refurbishment" (building plumbing, flyscreens, paving, windows, painting, flooring, court resurfacing) - and new walls!

Three Word Chant! We are turning the corner! Full Dinner Pail

back to reality

We have been back from the beautiful island for more than 48 hours but can only now blog about it - such has been the wrench back into reality.

Seven glorious nights in north Thomson and eight glorious days of fishing, reading, walking, Scrabble-playing, eating, drinking, cycling and touring.

Most of our images are not to hand: these show Mrs Rotto Bloggo greeting a curious creature and a spelling error made by an IGA shop as they parcelled up goodies for Rottnest delivery.

We would have blogged from the island but there were IT issues.

We bought $60 mobile broadband access but could not use it: once on Rotto Tesltra said the SIM card in our dongle was out-of-date, as it had not been used in six months.

"Look at your contract," the helpline wage slave advised.

We thought of trying our mobile card in the dongle but by then there were only two days to go, and the break from the screen had been restful.

We appreciated the T-Life store in Claremont refunding our money.