pinpointing pirates

On Thursday there will be an eye in the sky above the beautiful island: an unmanned aerial vehicle will be droning - ha! - around Rottnest.

It will be patrolling a beach patrol, searching for a man overboard and identifying pirates and people.

Pirates on/around Rotto? You better believe it.

This story in The West a couple of weeks ago had all the details.

The Cyber Eye V1 is a "...fully autonomous craft, which has a 7m wing span and can reach up to 160kmh, is fitted with a day/night video camera capable of reading a car licence plate from a height of 150m and can transmit real-time images back to a hand-held monitor."

Is V1 the happiest name for a flying object?

We look forward to this innovative device being used to detect imperfections in the mini-golf course, identifying naughty beach drinkers, and searching for quokka abuse.

another giant quokka

Details have arrived regarding Waiting for Rotto, the forthcoming production from the Blue Room...

"The play itself is not set on Rottnest," A BR operative said.

"It's more of a liminal, non specific space that the action takes
place in. However, there are a number of influences and references to
Rottnest within the piece including a giant quokka made from stuffed toys."

A stuffed toy giant quokka! This is the greatest drama development since Shakespeare first heard rumours about Romeo and Juliet.

In other creative efforts about the beautiful island, have a look at this: Rottnest Island Story. That mad, bad Henry Vincent has a starring role...

specialness

Readers have pointed out some Rotto moving and still images that are worth a look.

Here's Trixie rhapsodising over the beautiful island. She finds a chair in a tree, marvels at the clear water and fish, and gets to a few bays and Thomson.

Rottnest is "so beautiful", she notes. Trixie isn't bad either: a cute accent (she's from Brazil) and a lovely tattoo.

That water really is clear. We know it, you know it, and Chai knows it. Check out his blog for lots of excellent underwater Rotto images (like the first nudibranch he saw) and some beach extras, like a mass sea hare stranding.

Marvellous! Perhaps it's part of the reason the beautiful island is so special?

island drama

Hold on to your quokka hats: theatre and the beautiful island look like they’re going to be fused.

Coming up at the Blue Room in September: Waiting for Rotto.

‘Bubba and Bubby are on a quest for fulfillment,’ says the BR site.

‘Contemporary avenues of satisfaction such as fast food and Real Estate offer limited consolation. All is overseen by TV. Always there; advertising canning laughter and flattening life, sex and death onto a screen.
“Any on of these people could be a terriblist…”

‘And who is Rotto? Will they ever meet her? Do they even believe in her?

‘Melding art, performance and music (and absurd references to quokkas, Madonna, and Hungry Jacks), Waiting for Rotto heralds the return of eclectic duo Simon Gevers and Luke Murphy (sub:URB), in a collaboration based on Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.

“No, they’re not self-indulgent self-abusers” – Lynn Fisher, The West Australian.

‘Waiting for Rotto is a comedy, tragedy, eulogy, vaudevillogy, Willagee; sure to appeal to anyone who has ever lived in Perth, questioned the meaning of life, or waited for Rotto.’

Well, that’s us. This sounds very promising. There’s been a film on Rotto, it’s had plenty of TV, there’s poetry about the place – but treading the boards! We’ve emailed the BR asking if it’s set in/around Thomson Bay.

There is some more info on the Film & Television Institute site:

‘Individuals sought to film excerpts that will be included in a theatre production staged at the Blue Room 24 September – 10 October 2009…

‘Melding art, performance and music, the premier production of Waiting for Rotto is a play in the ‘absurdist theatre’ genre, and features the characters Bubba and Bubby on a quest of fulfilment.

‘Produced, written and performed by Simon Gevers and Luke Murphy, two artists who are described as having “an authentic voice (and representing) Perth at its best: intelligent, unpretentious…but quirky” (Marcelle Schmitz, Perth theatre Director.) Their script has generated much interest in the local arts community, with Waiting for Rotto heralded as “confronting, familiar, full of local colour and entertaining” (Tos Mahoney, Artistic Director of Tura New Music.)’

There are even plans for a road show! Rotto on the road!

wolves on rotto

Never mind the Tour de Ffance: all the action is at the Tour de Rottnest.

The Wolverhampton Wanderers have been on the beautiful island: bike riding, swimming, kick a ball around and sleeping on the ferry home.

See here for a couple of dozen pics: we are not so familiar with the world game. Are any of the players famous?

More Pommy presence: details of the comedy and short film festival are out. It's 28-30 August, frontman is UK comedian Jeff Green, Tame Impala will be there.

rotto dumbo

"How many metres above sea level is rottnest island in WA? can't find the answer anywhere!"

Is anyone else disconcerted by this question? The Wikipedia entry says the island's elevation is 46 metres. No doubt the main lighthouse?

Someone on that page says "about 12m". I wonder why you'd need to know.

There have been other Rotto questions. Sturm and drang and angst were released last week when the guvmint announced new fishing charges and rules.

Foe example, you'll have to pay $30 if you want to fish from a boat.

A question asked in this story in The West: "“We’ll be talking to the government about operational details, like is the Rottnest ferry a boat? If you go out to Rottnest and fish from the shore and then get back on the boat, do you need a licence?”

Enjoy our pic today. It was plucked from the sea while on rocks near Longreach last month.

George on Rotto

The US Navy is coming to Rotto: WA Today reports the "sailors, flyboys and flygirls" of the nuke-powered aircraft carrier George Washington will be scuba diving at the beautiful island.

Imagine watching the huge warship drift across the horizon as you're sinking a pint at the hotel. We've been avidly scouring the ship's website for details and specs.

This pic shows the mail being sorted in a hanger. Of course you can't get mail if you're on Rotto.

The beautiful island has a windmill, but the GW has "two nuclear reactors that permit the ship to steam for almost 18 years before refueling".

And the 97,000 tonne ship even has a media office - just like Rotto - and it's paper is The Guardian.

Where will the sailors and naval aviators be snorkelling? Tip offs welcome.