stubbed out

Have a look at this magnificent birthday present given to Rotto Bloggo.

It's a superb ashtray from yesteryear, showing a Thomson Bay scene from days past.

Fortunately, this gift will be as unspoilt as the bucolic spot it portrays, as we've given up smoking.

An associate of Rotto Bloggo, when standing on Armstrong Point in the bracing winter breeze, is fond of remarking: "This is the cleanest air in the world".

(The theory being that it's travelled all the way from Africa and been refreshed for thousands of miles by nothing but sea spray).

We look forward to our first smoke-free stay on Rotto.

Rotto snaps

A pic of some pics: these are photos taken recently by a young gel on the beautiful island.

Quokkas, Thomson Bay units, the beach.

What could be nicer?

The only thing missing is Scrabble and fishing.

Rotto Bloggo believes kingfish and dolphinfish are biting off Rotto lately.

'beach break'

A reasonable piece of writing in The Weekend Australian Magazine: Susan Maushart on "Rottnest Island, 19 Pellegrino-perfect kilometres of Indian Ocean due west of my kitchen sink..."

She mentions the dugites, the Aboriginal history, the ballot, and how a crate is usually devoted to the transport of booze.

This is good, about the quest for a booking: "...I am a master of the cancellation booking, for which one must trawl tirelessly all summer long, like a retiree with a metal detector".

It's all good on Rotto. But you have to be careful: did you see that West story a few weeks ago, about a 29-year-old Heathridge man charged with stealing passengers' bags from North Freo?

"A search of the area located the alleged offender hiding between vehicles in the North Mole terminus car park and he was detained with the help of the public," The West said.

"As the officers tried to arrest the man he allegedly became aggressive and refused to follow their directions and police were required to use pepper spray to handcuff him."

no swim

If everything had gone to plan, there'd still be knackered people staggering up the beach at Rotto right now.

Alas the Rottnest Channel Swim was cancelled and didn't happen today.

Perth Now says there could be a "surprise lifeline", though: the swim could be held on March 17.

'Rottnest Channel Swim Association president Shelley Hatton said she had not discussed an offer by Freo to Rotto Big Splash race organiser John Guilfoyle to hand over that date to the channel swim.'

At http://www.rottnestchannelswim.com.au/ there was no more on that, but there were posts debating the merit of the cancellation.

"I can't believe what a chickenshit society we have become", gottabejoking howled.

He was in turn howled down, with this being a reasonable response: "I was to be a paddler and if the race had started I would probably have been spewing up by now and I would have been watching many other support crews in boats doing likewise".

memories

An associate reminisced to Rotto Bloggo today about his happy days on the island.

"I long to soak in Little Parakeet Bay, nibble a cream bun and doze on my stretcher bed reading books and listening to the wind in the pine trees," he said, after we told him we were angling to book for seven days anytime during the next few weeks.

"I used to sleep on the verandah of bungalow 5, which we rented for two weeks every year for the first 14 years of my life, and could look through the open slats and hear the hiss of bike tyres long into the night.

"A few memories that I'm sure you'll share - grey RIB* supplied blankets, wire fronted bread safes in the kitchen, rigging up illegal showers in the back courtyard, getting caught in the pay showers mid-lather, constantly stubbed toes, endless card games at night, House of the Rising Sun and Rock 'n' Roll all Nite on the Milk Bar juke box, pub pong at the Quokka Arms, foam blowing across the road from the salt baths and the wind in the powerlines... ahhhh, what a place.

"As far as Maccas** goes, I'd hate to think it would ever happen - the RR*** outlet has changed the face of retail in the main square - I used to think the general store was a magical place.

"I'm so anti-change I'd be mortified even if they fixed up the lumpy road that runs along Thomson Bay!"

* Rottnest Island Board
** MacDonalds
*** Red Rooster

going, going...

There was an ad for Rotto in The West Australian yesterday.

It reminded Rotto Bloggo of a recent excellent article in The Sunday Times' outstanding supplement Prestige Property.

The article looked at rising sea levels, and how premium property in WA will be affected...

Mr Rosser says if everything goes as expected, there will be a one-metre rise in sea levels by 2100.

A one-metre rise means islands off WA will be affected, as will our coast.

“Rottnest? We’re losing it now,” Mr Rosser said.

“But even with a six-metre rise, when Greenland goes, there will still be bits of it left. I don’t know about the bakery, but the quokkas will be huddled together in the centre of the island.”

(Matthew Rosser is from the WA Sustainable Energy Association).

Substitute quokkas for the seagull in the ad and you've got a good idea of what we can expect in 93 years time...

on the (bacterial) beach

The admirable Post Newspapers has a story today about Rotto beaches getting the health tick.

"Local river spots and beaches have been given the thumbs-up for summer following the first comprehensive survey of bacterial levels in Perth waterways," the Post reports.

The Dep't of Health's Environmental Health Directorate surveyed 11 Rotto beaches (and 34 on the coast, but who cares about those?).

"At Rottnest, the concentration of organisms in the water was consistently less than 10 per 100ml," says the Post.

"But one sample taken in Geordie Bay on April 25 last year was 2100 per 100ml."

Yuk. The Dep't said it was because of school holidays...but no conclusive link between boats and high bacterial presence had been found".

Of course not! It's just a coincidence!

"Samples also indicate regular changes in bacteria levels at Thomson Bay, the Thomson bay jetty, Parker Point and the hotel jetty and fule jetty areas," the Post posted.

Have a squizz at the report (long columns of numbers) at the above link.

Rottnest rumpus

We've been scanning the MSM (mainstream media) today for news about a court appearance, but no joy so far.

A 13-year-old Claremont boy was due to be in Fremantle Childrens' Court , charged with GBH.

The Thin Blue Line had these details in a media release on their site:

"A dispute between two schoolboys that started on the internet and developed into a fight at
Rottnest on 6 December 2006 has resulted in police charging one of the teenagers with assault.

"Fremantle Detectives in charge of the case say the two 13 year olds were holidaying on the
island when the Claremont boy and a large group of students approached the Fremantle boy
outside his chalet.

"The offender allegedly grabbed the other boy in a bear hug, pulled him over his shoulders and
spear-tackled him head first into the concrete floor.

"The victim lay unconscious and was taken to the Rottnest Nursing Post for treatment and the
next day admitted to the Princess Margaret Hospital Perth with life threatening bleeding on the
brain.

"He underwent successful surgery and is expected to make a full recovery."

Which chalet? What was the Internet dispute about? I guess we could've gone to Freo and sat in court, but Rotto Bloggo was busy in Perth and Mount Lawley all day.

mooning

Yet another fabulous Flickr photo of the magnificent island.

This is by LozzaWA, and was taken at nine in the evening, six days ago.

"Full moon rising after a lovely balmy day at Rotto," Lozza says.

"We went for the day to snorkel and decided to stay overnight. Magic day, took my partner who hadn't been to Rotto before (he's from South Africa) and had some special swims at Cape York bay and of course the Basin, the jewel of Rotto."

Quite right. There's nothing like chasing fish underwater at the Basin. They nearly let you catch them.

Another fabbo Flickr photo coming soon.

“doesn’t get much better than this”

That’s the caption above this Flickr photo.

Flickr user and local blogger manthatcooks (a.k.a. Anthony) was in Stark Bay on Australia Day weekend and snapped this beauty.

“It’s like a scene from a Rick Stein tv show” someone commented on Flickr.

Except Mr Stein has never (to our knowledge) been to Rotto.

Inspired by manthatcooks’ good-looking grilling?

Recipe here: www.manthatcooks.com/2007/02/in-which-we-enjoy-recently-caught.html

more sea strife

Another Rotto rescue: four blokes motored out in Thomson Bay at around 1am this morning.

Their motor went kaput, the dinghy drifted towards the deep, so two of them sawm back to Rotto.

"The police helicopter was called in to search for the missing men using its infra-red camera and eventually found the pair on Phillip Rock, at the east end of Thompson Bay", ABC Online reports (and, as usual, spells Thomson with a p).

"Police say the men were tired and apparently suffering exposure but otherwise okay", Aunty concludes.

"save Rotto"

Wonder how many people were at the Swan Yacht Club today?

It was stinking hot, but the Rottnest Society planned to have a Rally for Rottnest at the Club at 4pm.

We'll drop them an email to find out how they did.

Man In Suit Laurie O'Meara (RIA chairman) said he's be there.

The Post quoted the Society's Sue Folks thus today: "Key questions like the length and terms of the lease agreement with developers Broadwater Hotels have not been answered".

Our pic today is of a photo in the Rotto film shed: it shows more Men In Suits (an early Rottnest Island Board, which was created in 1917) meeting on the island.

They knew how to wear hats in those days.

moody jetty

A lovely photo from Flickr user Dean Bradshaw.

He was practicing with his new cable release: this photo is a two-minute exposure.

He has some other good Rotto photos too - see link above.

Is Senator Ian Campbell taking photos of the jetty? He spoke to The Australian this week from Rotto, after being demoted from Environment to Human Services.

If you're going to be demoted, Rottnest is the perfect place to hear the news.

congrats

Rotto Bloggo salutes Sascha Baron Cohen, who's won a Golden Globe.

'Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan' is unquestionably the finest film to be screened on Rotto.

"I was faced with a choice — death or to breathe in the air that had been trapped in a small pocket between his buttocks for 30 years," Cohen remarked about that wrestling scene.

No doubt about it: Rotto is a place for winners.

Rotto in the headlines

What a huge week it’s been for Rotto news.

Details on the new development on Mt Herschel, news on the demolition of Dome and its new location, and even a new manager for the pub.

It was all topped off by a marvelous Alston cartoon on the weekend.

Readers of this blog have been exhorting Rotto Bloggo for our views on these matters of import.

* The new development: if we were in charge of Rotto we wouldn’t do it, but from what we know so far it seems OK.
* Dome: good news – it needs more room.
* Alston: a cartooning treasure.

As The West reported, the 4.5-star hotel will cost $50 million and have 120 rooms – some of which will cost $300 per night.

Shock horror! A premium view Geordie Bay cottage goes for around $240 a night in summer…but of course it sleeps six people.

(With that being $40 per person, is Rotto really an expensive holiday? We think not).

“Construction of the hotel is set to begin mid-year and the proponents are hoping to begin operation in the summer of 2008-09,” according to The West.

One of the Broadwater images in The West showed a nice bath. Why would you want to have a bath on Rotto?

We were wondering: with the extra 350 people and the 65 staff the Broadwater place means, will Rotto’s water resources be stretched?

Will these extra people spoil the ambiance of the gorgeous island? We can’t see it happening. Even in high summer, at times Rotto seems deserted. What’s a few more?

(We’ve searched for images of the Broadwater development, but have failed miserably. We’ve emailed the company asking for pics).

It would be nice to have a good squizz at the plans…the Rottnest Society says: “The government has let us all down in not keeping a written commitment to allow the Western Australian public to comment via a properly constituted public comment process on the concept plans for the proposed new hotel at Mt Herschel”.

The Dome building…we see the people in charge of Rotto, the Rottnest Island Authority, have to pay to have the old site demolished.

Cast your minds back to 2005, in Parliament…
“836. Hon NORMAN MOORE to the minister representing the Minister for Tourism: What will be the cost of…the demolition of the existing building?
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: The Rottnest Island Authority will be responsible for the demolition of the existing building. This work will be subject to a tender process.”

At least we have a pic of the Dome building to show you. But keep in mind it’s an early draft – this could change, says Dome.

We were brunching at Dome on Jan 30, and someone at our table marveled at the packed crowd and suggested it was a licence to print money.

Keep in mind they’re open in winter, too. At times Rotto Bloggo has been the only punter in the place.

'Hard and fast with the Wild Bunch'

The hardy souls that do the Rotto swim are on a par with participants in the Marathon des Sables, the Yukon Arctic Ultra race and the La Ruta de los Conquistadores.

(That last one, as any fule kno, is an epic mountain bike race held in November in the jungles of Costa Rica.)

The Ruta is "widely acknowledged as one of the most brutal in the world", says a story in the Belfast Telegraph.

"In the modern era, finding a true off-the-beaten-track adventure can be difficult," the BT says.

"Comparing the relative dangers of proposed expeditions is the adventurer's equivalent of comparing City bonuses; bigger is better and sheer bravado is best. The less likely you are to return from distant shores with all your limbs, the greater the credibility of the challenge ahead. Should you wish to enhance your reputation beyond measure, best not to return at all."

And from Cottesloe, Rotto is a distant shore. The BT talks about the adventure of swimming the English Channel, and then segues to our own local event...

"Although only half as wide as its English counterpart, the Rottnest Channel is an ocean swim that presents a rather different set of challenges. The 19.2km stretch of water separates Rottnest Island from Perth, in Western Australia. Like the English Channel, it can get bloody cold; unlike the English Channel, it is patrol-led by Great White Sharks. At least one swimmer has been killed in the area.

"The first person to swim it was Gerd von Dincklage-Schulenburg in 1956. He completed the swim in 9hr 45min, and his feat caught the imagination of a local newspaper editor. Later that year the first race was held, won, appropriately enough, by a Mr Seaborn.

"Known to aficionados as "the Rotto", the modern race attracts around 2,500 entries (places for 2007 are still available), the first wave of which sets off from Perth's Cottesloe beach at dawn.

"Once at sea, competitors swim either solo or in teams, and must contend with notorious rip currents plus, in between the sharks, squadrons of stingrays. Almost as dangerous as the marine life are the support boats. With each entry requiring a designated pilot vessel, swimmers must pick their way through a huge flotilla of craft.

"The effect, some swimmers report, is like participating in the Normandy landings having swum there in the first place."

news in brief

A spurt of Rotto news in The West Australian: toilets and fish in Inside Cover, and fears tentland is on Aboriginal graves.

Fish: a bloke is selling fish from his boat at the refueling jetty in Thomson on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 10am and noon.

(Rotto Bloggo thinks: why not catch your own fish?)

Toilets: a Parker Point pissoir has had its solar panel pilfered. The authorities are trucking water to the toilet to keep it going.

Graves: the tent area “...WA’s favourite camping ground, will close for up to six months from May and may be moved next summer after revelations that it could sit partially on a traditional Aboriginal burial ground”, says the West.

Toilets pictured are not the solar-powered variety.

New Year on Rotto

We’re back from four fabulous days on Rotto.

Two of them were New Year’s Eve and the next day.

NYE was marvelous. The balcony of our premium view Geordie Bay bunker was already decorated with tinsel and baubles when we arrived.

In the morning we stuffed our faces at the bakery and then snorkeled and swum at the Basin.

Later the first sparkling of the day: refreshing after chasing fish underwater and never catching them.

But no beach drinking: a big no-no. We know this because from our balcony we saw two rent-a-cops amble onto the beach. The obese one had a chocolate bar in one hand and a packet of chips in the other. They saw a woman in her 40s drinking something out of a stubbie, charged over to her and had words.

When the woman poured her beverage onto the sand we booed the fat rent-a-cop loudly from the balcony. The woman’s behaviour was in sharp contrast to a friend of Rotto Bloggo’s, who was in Caroline Thomson and had to be next door to young hoons, whose drinking and fighting was only briefly interrupted by one of them being arrested and hauled off by the real cops.

Anyway…much more champagne was drunk, and we welcomed in 2007 with party poppers, blowing bubbles and paper bugles.

A top night and a great way to start a new year: on Rotto.

off to Rotto!

We're off to the island today.

Time for a few days of Rotto Blisso.

We'll try to stay out of the fetid water at the pub.

Time for reading recent issues of the TLS on the balcony of our premium view Geordie pad, eating and drinking, attempting to break the course record at Brett Heady's Family Fun Park, snorkelling under gin palaces, wetting a line, eating and drinking...

Rotto Bloggo will be back in the New Year.

the sea

Rottnest news: first, death.

The Herald Sun says a 41-year-old man was found floating in a bay around 3pm yesterday; ABC News says he was 47 and found at Thompson (sic) Bay. Both reported the death wasn't suspicious.

Second, fishing: new marine sanctuary zones will be enforced at Green Island, the West End and Armstrong Bay, while existing zones at Parker Point and Kingston Reef will be extended. This applies from July 1 next year.

The ABC says the Wilderness Society is disappointed. Rotto Bloggo can't see the opposite reaction from Recfishwest just yet.

"The sanctuaries are likely to provide for large 'trophy' size examples of several fish species, such as dhufish, that would be prized attractions for high-value tourism experiences like snorkelling and scuba", a boffin is quoted as saying in the Minister's media release.

boat work

This could be worth looking into, if you've got a few weeks free until February...

'Boat person needed to live aboard a 30m luxury power yacht moored at Rottnest for the summer Dec - Feb. Boating experience necessary...'

The above link goes to the Seek.com.au ad, which concludes: 'Boating experience is essential and high regards will be given to presentation and keenness. Excellent pay and conditions are offered in a superb environment.'

Sounds good to Rotto Bloggo. The closest we've ever got to them luxury tubs is snorkelling under them near Geordie.

Not long until we're on Rottnest: four glorious nights from Saturday. The only fly in the ointment: the Rottnest Island Authority hasn't sent the bumf yet. They say it's a busy time. No!!!

beach bum

A Rotto Bloggo reader has been bold enough to provide this pic.

It's more than 30 years old.

No hat! No SPF30! Tight white shorts! No doubt kaftanned women were swooning at the sight of this hirsute hunk of man meat.

It's hard to believe that this fresh-faced youngster is now a leading troublemaker.

cable

Rotto Bloggo was leafing through the incomparable All The News In A Flash: we were re-reading Mr W.E. (Bill) Weaver's account of the second submarine cable being laid.

It was 71 years ago today that this happened, according to Bill:

"Arrangements completed for handling spare cable. Pit dug 20 feet and timbered and floored adjacent to jetty at Woodman's Point. Spear legs erected over pit using 26 ft wrought iron poles and winch fixed in position on jetty."

They worked either side of Christmas Day. The cable was done by 12 February 1936. ATNIAF says 11,662 pounds 2s 8d "to purchase and lay the cable had been notified in the Commonwealth Gazette."

beach outrage

Someone should be sacked.

There's a report in the Sydney Morning Herald that just one Australian beach got the nod for a list of the world's sexiest beaches.

"Byron Bay was the sole Aussie beach to get a nod from Forbes Traveller, which compiled the list based on research by their own journalists, and other industry experts including tour planners, meteorologists, hotel owners and marine biologists," the SMH said.

FT gushed thus about BB: ""chalky-white sands, deliciously temperate weather and occasional visits from dolphins and migrating whales".

Its nudist beach was also highly regarded.

Someone's head must roll: why didn't one of Rotto's beaches make the list? They are far, far superior to any hippie-strewn bit of sand on the east coast.

Would it help if Rotto had a nude beach?

At least none of the Gold Coast's 42 beaches made the cut.

'randy Rotto teens'

We can’t wait.

Rotto Bloggo will be moseying down to Pinky Beach on New Year’s Eve to see the action.

The action is liquored-up young people having sex.

According to last weekend’s Post, kids in Years 8 through 11 behave abominably on Rotto.

“…the worst of them behave like the worst of Year 12 school leavers – drinking, fighting, stealing and having sex…”, the Post reported.

“They crowd on to Pinky’s (sic) Beach every night, up to 200 boys and girls, many of them drunk when they get there.”

Top stuff. Rotto Bloggo hopes it’s happening Jan 31 – the Post said the imbibing/fisticuffs/robbing/boofing happened late last month.

The Post had a lovely front page photo of Pinky, with this stirring caption: ‘…idyllic by day, a boozy teen hotbed at night’.

What's this? A shirt torn off the torso of a randy teen at the start of a carnal frolic at Pinky, washed up on the beach the next day?

Try harder to go backwards

A regular Rotto Bloggo reader was flicking through pages of 'The Architect', the journal of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (WA Chapter) and was thrilled to see an architectural retrospective on the waterfront cottages on Thomson, Geordie and Longreach Bays.

Being an architectural journal, the writing (by Simon Anderson at UWA)
Is, of course, quite…er…analytical.

Let’s have a look at Simon’s work:

The cottages’ purpose “…was to provide affordable and sustainable holiday housing in both historically sensitive (in the case of Thompson Bay) and environmentally delicate (in the case of Geordie and Longreach Bays) location, and it is hard to argue that they have not been outstandingly successful in these respects.”

Quite right. No argument there, apart from having Thompson instead of Thomson.

“They were built en masse, yet they deliver a level of spatial variety rarely achieved in large scale repetitive residential developments.”

Spatial variety? They have different dimensions, we think that means…

Anyway, as Prof Julius Sumner Miller would’ve asked: how is it so?

“As houses, they are everything that houses are now not. They are indestructibly robust. They are very small but very well planned and very well sectioned for privacy and outdoor amenity. They do not have big front doors, and the front door enters the kitchen…they are generous if you want to eat, talk, sleep, read, go fishing or swimming, but do not offer much in the way of domestic ceremony.”

OK. Not sure how they let you go fishing or swimming, but we’ll let it go through. Much better is this next bit:

“They let you live your life rather than ruling your life. They are successful because they look backwards to earlier times. Is not Perth always supposed to be behind the times? Maybe we should try harder to go backwards?”

And the crowd goes wild! Deafening ovation for Simon!

Then there’s a list of what they don’t do. These include: “They do not countenance the curvilinear, continuous form or the monumental. Instead the use a logic of discrete rectilinearity to respond to the infinite and infinitesimal particularities of place at both macro and micro scales.”

Hmm. We read this several times, tried to work it out with a pencil, set a small fire under it, and made it a martini. But we were no closer to comprehension. Our guess: the straight lines work well.

There’s some talk about how they look different form far away and up close, and then:

“They are successful because of this fractional dimensionality (the term given to objects which exist differently at two or more scales of observation) and pixellated viscerality.”

Pixellated viscerality?

Too much for this simple blogger. But the main message you can take from Simon’s monograph is the cottages are first-class.

Will the cottages in the new Mt Herschel development be as good? Don’t bet on it.

A chair admires the discrete rectilinearity of Thomson Bay cottages.

That's ambitious

The Ashes bandwagon has moved to Perth: hordes of Australians - which include Rotto Bloggo - fully expect our glorious team to win back the urn by the end of the Test at the WACA.
If only an Australian Test cricketer had been born on Rotto! Kim Hughes was born in Margaret River, but no wearer of the baggy green took their first breath in a Rottnest bungalow.
Still, there is a link between the looming cricketfest and the wonderful island: The Australian reported on an English fan wandering the Perth streets with a sign that says: Will swap cricket tickets for Rottnest Island Ferry token.
Will he have any takers?

A seagull outside the bakery, before he heads off to the WACA to see Australia win back the Ashes.

east of Eden

Apologies for two weeks of no posts, but Rotto Bloggo has been in Melbourne.
Of course, there are Rotto connections to be found even in Bleak City.
Pink public transport tickets promote Ednafest and Barry Humphries' new show, Back With a Vengeance. It starts in Melbourne on 19 December.
BWaV has been on in Perth, and Rotto Bloggo saw it on Thursday night (taking care not to sit in a very front row).
The Rotto connection? Dame Edna described Perth as being East Rottnest - how right she is.
She also addressed the audience as quokkas.

required Rotto reading

One of Rotto Bloggo's regular readers, Old Salt, has sent us his hot tip for a must-take tome if you're on Rottnest.
Old Salt is a crusty type who is top-notch when it comes to matters maritime and piscine - this tip is gold...

'This is a picture of the cover of my favourite book of all time, The Marine and Estuarine Fishes of Western Australia – A Field Guide for Anglers and Divers by Barry Hutchins and Martin Thompson, published by the WA Museum.

'It's not actually a book about Rottnest, but is required reading if one dives at Rottnest.

'This book has been to Rottnest several times, invariably thrown into the bottom of a backpack with a load of snorkelling gear – as evidenced by its generally rugged and wrinkled appearance. It’s got sand between many of the pages, too. This is because I always reach for it as soon as I emerge from the water while the fish are still fresh in my mind so I can identify them.

'Why The Bazzmeister and Marty haven’t been nominated for the Nobel Prize for literature, I don’t know.'

The book is $16.45 - click the link to order (and check out the Museum's other books too). There are around 20 copies on Bookfinder - the most expensive is $191.09!

More Rotto images for sale

Further to the post about Chris Barry's marvellous Rotto images...
Rotto Bloggo spotted an image of the island near a cafe toilet this week.
Ben Tessler's photo of the Bathurst lighthouse is for sale: we saw it in the Wild Fig Cafe, in Scarborough.
Like Chris' photos, this would be a great Xmas present: a snip at $350...
No sign of Ben Tessler on the www, but the WFC says you can buy it direct from them.
*Phone snap does no justice to actual photo. Why is the water crooked but the lighthouse straight?

Rampaging kids!

Schoolies!

Are they the modern Australian equivalent of Vikings (scrofulous Vikings at that), or just kids having largely harmless fun before they start working for The Man?
And the parents are just as bad! ‘Booze-supplying parents irk police’, was one recent headline.
In fact, police are “dismayed”…“fearing”…“frustrated”…and “worried”.
(Stop me now – I’m starting to sound like Not The West [which is gone but not forgotten].)
Anyway – a Rotto Bloggo reader has written to share his schoolie sojourn on the island of nearly a quarter of a century ago.
This man is now a highly respectable, Rivers-wearing, P&C-involved, tea-drinking public servant and the head of a nuclear family unit.
The moral of the story? Plus ca change…

‘With 'schoolies week' now under way I thought would reminisce about my own end-of-school trip to Rottnest at the end of Year 12, which in my case was in 1982.

‘Today, kids who've just completed school can't get onto the island without booked accommodation. There are activities to keep everyone occupied, and extra police are sent over to keep an eye on things.

‘In 1982, the procedure was as follows:

‘1. Pack. One t-shirt, one pair shorts, boardies, beach towel.

‘2. Ask father to drive you to the East Street Jetty. Spend car trip evading questions like "so where will you be staying over there?"

‘3. Arrive at East Street Jetty and buy ferry ticket. Usually 10 minutes before ferry due to depart. Throw bag into luggage cage to leave both hands free for drinking on the ferry (one hand for the middy, the other to hang on if it gets rough).

‘4. Board ferry. Track down schoolmates. Work out where the hell we're gonna stay over there. Realise nobody's got anywhere to stay.

‘5. Travel to Rottnest.

‘6. Disembark. Collect luggage.

‘7. Go to pub.

‘8. Get drunk.

‘9. Hear that a guy from school's got a mate who's got a mate who's got a girlfriend who's cousin's got a bungalow with space in the sleepout. On the floor.

'10. Depart pub at closing time, make way (as fairly disparate group) to aforementioned bungalow. Collapse on floor.

'11. Wake up next morning to find we crashed out in the wrong bungalow.'

Pic is of the condom machine in the toilet at the pub, which was out of order last time Rotto Bloggo checked it out. Do you think it would've been fixed for Schoolies?

"12,500 miles to Rottnest"

Forgive the dearth of postings in the last few days, but Rotto Bloggo has been in mourning for Paul Rigby.
As the obit in The Australian reported (see link above), Rigby "...won Walkleys in 1960, 61, 63, 66 and 69. Back in those days, there were editors in Australia who thought if a cartoonist didn't draw like Rigby, then they couldn't draw cartoons".
It's been estimated Rigby drew 15,000 cartoons in his 50-year career.
Of course, a few touched on, depicted, or mentioned Rottnest.
And who can forget the booklet he did with Kirwan Ward - Rottnest Island Sketchbook? It's rare, but it's a must for any Rotto bibliophile.
Here's a detail from a 1983 Rigby cartoon that mentioned Rotto: the 12,500 miles to Rotto sign indicates the cartoon was about rhe battle for the America's Cup being waged in New York.

Superb Rotto images

It's tough, deciding what to get the Rotto aficianado in your life for Christmas.
Here's some help: why not present them with a wonderful Rotto image from award-winning photographer Chris Barry?
Chris is the resident ophthalmic photographer at the Lions Eye Institute in Nedlands.
He's won stacks of awards for his images of the eye and the many things that can go wrong with it.
For the last three years Chris has been the Australian Professional Photographer of the Year for Science and Nature.
All up he's won more than 20 APP awards.
But he's just as well-known for his brilliant outdoor shots as well, especially in WA's north-west.
Check out his website (link above) to have a squizz at his four Rotto images (Parker Point, The Basin, Thomson Bay, and Longreach Bay.

Image copyright Chris Barry

More air

More air details, following yesterday's plane crash on Rotto...
We went to the incomparable All The News In A Flash (see the Flash book post) to see what we could learn about Rotto and planes.
"Somerville records that the first aeroplane landed at Rottnest in January 1930," ATNIAF says.
"He goes on to say about night flights: 'However, Captain Baker and later Mr V James made a number of night flights using landing flares which consiusted of kerosene rags in open containers'.
"Did these people realise they were lighting the first kerosene flares as signals from the island since the City of York wreck in 1899?"
ATNIAF notes 1968 was the last MMA flight to Rotto, then a light plane service started.

"An island"

Some hilarious reporting from ABC News today: “Two people have been freed from a light plane which crashed on an island off the coast of Perth”.
An island! Isn’t that like saying planes have crashed into buildings in an American city?
Anyway…ABC says six pax were on the plane, police are investigating; Perth Now says the pax were lucky, the plane came down on a salt lake.
No word on type of plane (Beechcraft? Piper? Cessna?).
But we can reveal the pranged plane is a Partenavia P68B – they’re made in Italia and have fixed undercarriages. The plane was made in 1978. Partenavias are widely used around the world.
The flight was a charter by The Aeroplane Company, based at Jandakot.
A source tells Rotto Bloggo it’s the worst-ever air incident on Rotto.
Of course, as any fule kno, Rotto was serviced by commercial twin-engine aircraft for many years until the ferries became much faster.
* Pax = airline industry argot for passengers

Rotto cards

Rotto Bloggo was at the Subiaco Craft Fair last Sunday, on the prowl for Rottnest-related stuff.
We found some cards ($3.50 each) by Caroline Marinovich, who does "Paintings - Perth Scenes Portraits Still Lives".
Shown is 'Rottnest tavern'; she also has a nice one of the trees providing dappled shade on Somerville Drive, looking towards the tea rooms.
If these are just the thing that bake your cake for this year's Christmas cards, contact Caroline on 9364 2867 or pmarin@iinet.net.au
(Would you believe that the Fair didn't have any soy or decaff coffee options?
We were deep in the western suburbs - but no soy or decaff?
It was an outrage).

In the air

Another view of Rotto from on high.
A Rotto Blogger reader saw yesterday's post and sent this pic of the wonderful island.
It was taken from a corporate jet at about 10,000 feet.
Yesterday's shot from the SAA jet was taken as the plane was heading east, towards the airport - today's pic is a view of the island as the plane heads west, before it turned north.
In The Kingdom By The Sea, Paul Theroux described Britain as looking like a witch riding a pig.
From this angle, what shape does Rotto resemble?

It's a must

Another gorgeous Rotto image from Flickr.
This was taken a month ago, but it could be what the island looks like today.
The photo was taken from a South African Airways plane by Flickr user aussieroonie.
"A must for anyone coming to visit", aussieroonie notes about Rotto.
No argument there.
Some photos we've seen of Rottnest show how shallow the water is between the island and the mainland, and how the first inhabitants of WA could have walked to it from the mainland before it was cut off.
Rotto Bloggo will try and find one to post.

Not for Rotto

Scooters on Rotto?
Methinks it's a bad idea.
Rottnest is for ambling, or pedalling - not for zooming.
In today's STM there's a feature on things that aren't too bad for the environment, including an electric scooter from Perth company EMC.
"There's almost no noise to them - they're a real buzz," a company dude says.
He hopes they will soon be used on Rotto.
I don't think so!
Too fast, too noisy, not Rotto, no way.

Flash book

Rotto Bloggo knows what the best Rottnest book is.
But the second-best? It's a question that has dogged the finest minds and caused controversy.
Rotto Bloggo has reached a decision, however.
The second-best book ever on or about the island is All The News in a Flash.
The author is John Moynihan, and it was published in 1988.
Put simply, the book is a wonder. It documents communications between Rotto and the mainland from 1829 to 150 years later.
Flags, fire, boats and the heliograph were used before the first underwater phone cable was laid in 1900.
John's book is endlessly interesting, with many fascinating asides and incidental details about the island and people who have been on it.
And John is still with us: he retired in 1992, but spoke to Rotto Bloggo today.
He said when ATNIAF was published, some people said it was quite good up to 1935, but after that wasn't so good.
Rubbish! The book is good all the way through.
As John pointed out, up to 1935 communication was mainly about people - after 1935 it was mainly about technology.
We picked up our copy of John's book from an Elizabeth's for $12.
That was a tremendous bargain, considering how over-priced Elizabeth's can be, and what copies go for on Bookfinder: today the cheapest copy is $37.84.
Hopefully we'll run a few stories from ATNIAF on this blog in future.

Venus rising...

Another stellar (sorry) Rotto photo on Flickr.
This is Venus over Rottnest, from Flickr user Goss.
It was snapped 20 minutes after sunset, in Cottesloe, looking out to the island.
Goss took the photo in September last year.
As the Bangles sing: "The summit of beauty and love/And Venus was her name".

"We want piss!"

A blast from the past: Rotto Bloggo was reminiscing with someone who told us about 6PM Radio Rotto days…
(For the younger, foreign and/or uninitiated, 6PM was a hot commercial AM radio station in Perth in the 1980s).
The station would broadcast from Rotto on Australia Day long weekends - Rotto Bloggo’s pal takes up the story…
“E even if the 26th of January fell on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday back then, we'd go to work on the 26th and there'd still be a Monday holiday…
“All the stars were on the island for 6PM Radio Rotto: Lionel ‘Yorkie’ Yorke, Gary Shannon, Baby John Burgess. It was huge. Loads of people used to get on the ferry, charge across to Rotto and get blotto…
“Accommodation wasn't checked back in those days: if you had nothing booked, you'd get on the ferry, head over and pretty much sleep wherever you fell over. If that was in the sleepout in someone's bungalow... luxury!
“The Rottnest ferries would do several extra runs on a Friday night - all packed with people, so there were invariably far more people coming onto the island than there were beds (of course everything's closely monitored these days so this couldn't happen today).
“Of course there was a bit of drinking. This was back in the days when pubs could only open at about 3pm on a Sunday…by the time three o’clock was approaching, the crowd was restless.
“They’d start queuing at the entrance to the Quokka Arms, and chant ‘WE WANT PISS! WE WANT PISS!’
“I was at Bathurst Point one time when the pub gates opened at three: I could tell it was three, because you heard this almighty cheer as the drunken throng stampeded into the pub to drink even more booze.”
Happy days. All gone now. Enjoy your Johnny Walker responsibly and all that.

Do you think the 6PM throng were big Kosovich fans?

Oil rig for Rotto waters

Rotto Bloggo had our feelance hat on yesterday, doping out the story of oil near Rottnest.
The result is in today's edition of the Post - a fine paper...

A Melbourne energy company is optimistic about finding commercial quantities of oil near Rottnest Island, off Perth, and hopes to drill an exploratory well as soon as next year.
Nexus Energy, an ASX-listed company, says there are potential reservoirs of at least 200 million barrels of oil in the Rottnest trough, in its Vlaming Sub Basin permit.
If exploration goes well and the oil is there, production will begin in two to three years.
Company managing director Ian Tchacos said the permit area covers more than 1800 sq km.
“The area we’re going to be drilling in is about 15km from Rottnest and the same from the shoreline,” Mr Tchacos said. “Obviously you’ll notice a rig and a drilling ship there, because it’ll look different to ships that are anchored. But we were shooting seismic surveys for a month and no-one noticed.”
Nexus did its seismic surveys in August, when it thought there would be minimal whale movement off the Perth/Rottnest area.
“But we sighted lots of whales: we had a spotter plane up there and we were continually shutting down our seismic program to enable us to shoot it without disturbing the whales,” Mr Tchacos said.
There would be no impact on tourism, and little risk of pollution. An oil rig off Rottnest and the coast would pose less of a threat to the environment than oil tankers going in and out of Kwinana.
“I’ve got a boat myself and I’m a diver,” Mr Tchacos said.
“I believe the oil industry is so advanced you can do this sort of thing responsibly. New-generation oil developments mean you can do a lot of this sub-sea – you don’t need to do anything above the surface.
“All the ingredients for a significant field are there: it is under-explored.”
There would be “at leats another couple” of exploratory wells before any production begins.
Mr Tchacos said it was too early to say to whom the oil would be sold.
“You wouldn’t know until you’ve made the discovery and you know the product you have,” he said.
“But we’re optimistic: the shortage of light crude oil in the region will be good for us.”
Nexus would work with recreational and commercial fishers, as well as whale-watching firms, during further approval stages.
Rottnest is WA’s most-visited tourist destination, with half a million people setting foot on the island last financial year.
The WA Department for Industry and Resources confirmed Nexus was granted its permit to explore for oil and gas last year.
“There is a commitment to drill a well…by July 2008,” a Department spokesman said.
The spokesman said chances of an oil spill or other environmental damage are “extremely remote”.
“All field activities have to be approved by DoIR before they are conducted and must meet stringent health, safety and environmental standards.
“Field activities are conducted after consultation with relevant parties that might be affected.”
The Rottnest Society said the idea of an oil rig off the island was “alarming”.
“Oh dear,” said the Society’s Sue Folks, when told by The Post about the exploration.
“I can’t imagine people being very happy with drilling in sight of the coast.
“I’ve seen Barrow Island, and I know what that looks like.
“There’s always risk in drilling for oil.”
Chris Burton from Western Whale Research was on the Nexus boat when it was doing its seismic surveys.
He said it was an opportunity for whale researchers to get information about humpbacks they wouldn’t otherwise obtain.
“Nexus abided by the guidelines for seismic shooting: if whales got too close they shut the shooting down.
“I don’t think an oil well would be that invasive for whales: the noise impact from drilling would be less than that from seismic surveys.
Humpback whales migrate from the Antarctic up the WA coast to the Kimberley.
Mr Burton said there had been an increase in humpback numbers off the coast of WA’s north despite the offshore activity of the state’s booming oil and gas industry.Last month the WA Government said petroleum was the state’s largest resource sector, and had jumped by 23 per cent in the last financial year. Mineral and petroleum sales from WA reached more than $43 billion in 2005-06.

How convenience!

"Explore everyone's geotagged photos on a Map."
So says Flickr about its Map feature (see the link above).
A very handy and convenient way of finding Rottnest photos on Flickr. Just want pics of The Basin? Just click and you're there. Quicker than having to use Flickr's search function.
(Wikipedia: Flickr is a photo sharing website and web services suite, and an online community platform, which is generally considered an example of a Web 2.0 application.)
But it's still worthwhile browsing, as not everyone's geotagged their photos.

Rotto ferry saves man

Drama and tragedy off Rottnest yesterday morning...
The West Australian: 'One man drowned and his fishing mate drifted for hours in rough seas before being rescued by the crew of a passing Rottnest ferry after a boat trip off Perth went horribly wrong.'
The men's five-metre boat was swamped at about 7.30am south of Rotto, near Stragglers Reef, about halfway between the island and Fremantle.
The Australian: 'WA Police Sergeant Graham Clifford said the deceased man's companion was spotted three hours later clinging to the upturned boat.'
The rescued man, 60-year-old Joe Favazzo from Coogee, spent last night in Freo Hospital.
This morning ABC Radio News reported he was released from hospital after being treated for hypothermia and trauma.
The West's report today said ferry engineer Craig Marshall jumped off the Star Flyte and rescued Mr Favazzo.