'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.