Phillip Island

We recently joined a group of friends who had organized a week’s bushwalking at Phillip Island located 140 kilometers south-east of Melbourne. The island formed part of those lands inhabitated by the coastal aborigines called the Bunurong people and was discovered by George Bass in 1798 in his whaleboat measuring only 28 feet in length.

It now has a permanent population of 7500 residents and a large variety of migartory birds and native animals.

The pictures were taken during a number of beautiful walks across and along the shores and include pictures of 2 Cape Baron Geese. The Island has abundant wild life including Wombats, Kangaroos, Koalas and many migrating birds such as the Shearwater. These reamakable birds fly north along the western part of the Pacific Ocean to the Arctic region and return southwards through the centre of the ocean, travelling 15 000 kilometres in each direction annually. They have been known to fly this distance in just six weeks.

Our walks were across interesting bushland and on the coastal routes you viewed the roaring surf from steep cliff tops and then to descend to the relative tranquility of more sheltered bays. There was also seals and the penguin parade which is a popular tourist attraction.

We returned earlier than expected as my wife (who had not joined in the walks due to recurrent hip and back irritation) suffered a particually acute attack and has now been hospitalized and will probably undergo surgery very soon.

Rain drops kept falling on our house

The steady drumming of an army of torrential rain on our tin roof abated bringing a welcome respite, but the night sky remained dark and menacing as faint moon beams cast a deathly shadow through the clouds to shimmer over murky brown waters below. My world had magically turned into a raging sea of swirling brown mud and debris captive to its fast flowing current. There was nothing else in front of me.

Day’s earlier under an endless blue sky , cattle peacefully grazed on pastures beside a tranquil river which meandered behind our home in Kyogle. It was a time in my life of certainty and endless childhood joy as I rushed home from school each day into the paddocks with my companions to play imaginative games by the river. Armed with our swords fashioned from left over wooden crates the grazing cattle became imagined ferocious wild animals, trees our only refuge, our pet dog and cat our faithful protectors. Each day our activities were interrupted by my mother calling from the porch ‘The Search’, an abbreviation for our favourite radio show. ‘The Search for the Golden Boomerang” was due to commence. We listened intently and with such excitement as is only possible when the unseen is allowed to expand from word descriptions alone to such grand proportions within a child’s imagination.

The family home built on high stilts was purchased as flood free and consequently despite the cyclonic rain of that fateful day we believed would be safe. As the floodwaters entered our backyard I imagined myself as a fisherman and dangled my line in the brown waters. But as my excitement increased as the rising waters inched up the back steps, my parents decided it was prudent to evacuate across the road to a neighbour located on much higher ground. My father told me not to worry as he was staying on to protect our furniture and effects by storing it upstairs and on the roof.
My mother, clutching a hurriedly packed small suitcase and I walked through torrential rain down the front steps up on to the road then across the steep grassy slope leading up to the steep steps of our neighbours house. Once I had changed from wet clothes I was able to join my neighbours son who was one of my companions. One of his favourite games was to act as a pretend priest (as he had already determined this was to be his adult vocation). He took great delight in donning whatever colorful garb he could lay his hands on and with added silverware proceeded to administer his own version of holybread and water to cheer us up. Even so I felt less than reassured and soon wandered out on to the front verandah to see what was happening.

The rain had abated for a temporary reprise and I could see my father swimming around in our flooded home, attempting to place objects onto a higher vantage point in what was a futile attempt to avoid the ever raising floodwaters. Mother was becoming increasingly concerned as the floodwaters became stronger and lapped over the window sills. She watched intently, her small frame rigid like a mousetrap ready to snap at the slightest surface disturbance. I sensed her growing fear but to our relief my father apparently realized the futility of any further endeavors and struck out with slow measured strokes through the half submerged bedroom window for the safety of dry land.

It was a long swim through raging waters. I observed his usual slow unhurried but rhythmic style that characterized everything he did in life and it was with mild relief I saw him reach dry land. Still fully clothed, cold, and exhausted yet determined, he manfully hauled himself up onto the bank. Eventually he joined us on the verandah as we all watched in silence our house disappear under the mighty waters of the Richmond River. I remembered thinking that this adventure had reached its final climax and wondered what had befallen others. I stood observing and saw a new world in front of me, one that had been transformed unto a raging sea of swirling brown mud and debris.

Elsewhere tragedies were occurring. Some folk lost their lives as homes were washed away in the raging torrent whilst others perished when their rescue boat capsized. Others clung on grimly to trees and were miraculously rescued. Amongst the sadness of stories too deep for a young heart to fully understand were other of great heroism as men with their flimsy boats rushed to continually help those in desperate trouble.When the waters subsided we returned to what was left of our family home. I will never forget the endless mud and that pungent odor, like no other I have ever experienced a reminder of unexpected death and destruction. But I cannot recall feeling frightened or lonely. Even as our meager supplies dwindled word came that help was on its way. Sure enough the faithful drone of a DC 3 aircraft signaled a hope for fresh produce as we watched white parachutes with their heavily laden supplies attached drift earthward into our welcoming hands.In the aftermath the sheets of corrugated iron dislodged from houses were put to good use to make canoes. The iron was simply folded over and both ends sealed with tar, to deliver milk and supplies to stranded townsfolk. Each morning search parties sett out with grim faces to look for bodies. Every organization imaginable rushed in to help including the local Girl Guides Association who were recognized later with an international award for their outstanding service. All of the community shared in its tragedy and no one felt alone.

It was too painful for my parents to stay so they sold the family home for a fraction of its previous value and the financial consequences and hardship lingered on for many years afterwards.
The memories of our beloved home in its delightful setting, transformed into a sea of brown surf, remain with me as clear today as they were so long ago.

Love of Credit

How are you going to pay for a new car and your daughters wedding I asked?

Credit is the obvious answer. The new car can be repaid over the next 5 years with a very hefty residual at the end of the lease period rather than having to find a deposit at the beginning.
The dealers giving me cash for my old car, I can scarcely believe the trade in amount which will more than cover my daughters wedding. It’s the best thing since sliced bread. The future can only be blue sky.

And communities living in sparkling new houses can be created from land and house packages that don’t need a deposit either.
The financiers work with the devolopers to make all those dreams come true with the magic of credit. And all of the new furniture purchased doesn’t require any repayment until 2 years hence. The credit cards they have will look after the honeymoon. It’s incredible. I think they may all be in love, with the credit system I mean.

But that only represents the first blush of this affair. Established home owners who had equity in their homes were chastised for allowing this credit to lay idle, rather to take advantage of the opportunity to make more serious money by becoming a property investor and buying other houses, or maybe to suitably reward themselves with a decent holiday or to buy a more prestigious car or just about anything at all. In fact these equity loans were designed to make people feel good, to do what they liked with the money. Sure enough many fell in love with the idea all over the western world; and so began the golden age of love of credit.

Society itself is also benefitting in this golden age since some governments are also discovering the beauty of credit. They can spend far more than receive and promise a whole lot more than would have been possible, should that have been restricted to that which represented the sum total of all of their receipts less expenditure. If the figures add up to huge amounts in borrowings it wont matter either, since it’s making the world so happy they will always want to keep increasing their lending by increasing credit limits.

Alas sometimes balloons burst but there will always be people willing to chip in few extra dollars to buy some more and blow them up again. Besides the extra spending is creating employment. When the repayment becomes unsustainable you simply sell off your national assets to the creditors.

Credit helps make the world go around only so long as it can be repaid from savings.

At the end of the day the only real wealth ever to exist is that which is sustainable and capable of sustaining us in perpetuity.

Saving a nation from debt

Cart has included a posting about the importance of savings which I agree.
Credit I think will always be a useful means to acquire investments such as houses, belongings and for infrastructure providing such credit is based upon sensible repayments reasonably identifiable as future savings.

Modern day economies have become much more complicated in their dealings with the rest of the world but any nation’s credit standing and rating will always be reflective of its underlying ability to repay its debts and have regard to its sustainability.

In a complicated world I think there is also a tendency for unfounded fear. One such aspect concerns derivatives. Financial derivatives do not represent credit and financial writers have given the impression of looming trillion dollar liabilities which threaten to bankrupt the entire economies of the world. What is not always understood is that this is a zero sum game so that if every transaction was simultaneously collapsed, the net effect is zero. E.g. Losers cancel out those who gained. Any leveraging of these positions by credit will simply multiply their effects. In that case lenders, should they be foolish enough to lend without security in such speculative ventures could experience losses given a bad bet. It is estimated derivatives only represent about 3% of the worlds total transactional values.
Banks and intermediaries should not be involved in such speculative activity, (which represent no more than a sophisticated form of gambling) but rather it’s activities should be confined to the legitimate role to be played in hedging. An example is to purchase currency in advance to ensure a known outcome for its clients for a given premium, akin to an insurance policy in which the bank and its client are not subject to any risk.

In the western world the past decade (what was also evident in periods before) has seen an increase in the real prices of real estate by up to 120% which presided over a period of love for credit as householders leveraged that increased equity in their homes by borrowing for both current consumption and investment. Lending institutions became less concerned about the ability of borrowers to repay their loan, whether it is housing, consumer or commercially related. The idea you should have sufficient deposit to support any loan application and have demonstrated a prior saving ability sufficient to reasonably repay the loan has almost disappeared from view. It is also contended that had their been no subprime lending in the US, (with latest estimated losses of $500 billion) other losses in different areas are now likely to exceed this figure. The sub prime lending was one large mountain on a mountainous range.

Consequently western countries during this decade have collectively reduced their savings to zero and in some cases it has become negative. Worse still some counties have continued to operate their government sectors under massive deficits, spending more than they receive in government taxes and revenue from their citizens and institutions , further exasperating the lack of savings. The other side of the coin is represented by creditor nations who have lent the money to finance this unsustainable spending, particularly from India, China and the oil rich economies.

Savings are not only important in terms of money but also in relation to our materials and resources. Western nations have also been the greatest users and denuders of natural resources, to the extent we are unsustainable and we give a very poor example to the developing nations. Progress in the future will depend upon the ability of western countries to engender a greater saving philosophy and sustainability. Our developing neighbors are much more likely to follow suite by way of good example.

One Proposal I think that has merit is the idea of setting up a National Climate Changer savings Scheme. Instead of paying higher interest rates on loans by borrowers it proposes a deduction from taxable income remitted to this national savings fund. The fund would be available to make repayments back to those individuals when they are able to present future investments in any energy infrastructure that can be demonstrated to result in carbon abatement.
If you’re interested in the full scheme particulars click here

Sub prime fiasco

Who’s to blame for the subprime fiasco.

Not the valuers who inflated their worth
Inflated a bubble that only could burst
Creating a dream for those who have less
Without the checks, to create less mess

Not politicians because the Feds been too lax
Not Banks who approved just the loan facts
Not Brokers who brought in the business
Paid in incentives with super commissions

Not borrowers, who don’t bother with fine print
Or the Wall Street Brokers just part of a link
Or traders who sold them on 4 more times
And were too busy to read between the lines

Or the rating agencies who gave them a tick
It must be okay, just houses and bricks
It must be okay, the world bought our stock
But no one expected those house prices could flop

It’s all happened before, its part of history
The percussions will continue, those guilty found out
Breathe sighs of relief, it’s the end of the route
It wasn’t an axis of evil’s monetary tree
Just old fashioned greed and naivety.

Tenebrae at Eltham

We gathered to meditate on the most sacred day of the year. The focus of our ceremony was the seven sayings of Christ uttered when he was dying on the cross. Through a series of psalms, reflections and sacred music, we were led to the foot of the Cross.

later in the darkened church the lighted candles represented our world about to be plunged into darkness.

The lights were gradually extinguished throughout the ceremony until only one flame remained, symbolising Christ. When the last light disappeared a loud noise (strepitus) was made to remind us of the earthquake on that fateful day on Calvary.

Crazy Whist Card Game

Last evening we conducted a Malawi Crazy Whist fundraiser card night which was enjoyed by everyone, including many who had not previously played and learnt to play for the first time. We had a practice session beforehand. We provided prizes for those with the highest points (although you play in pairs each person keeps a score sheet).

In Crazy Whist winners after each hand is completed move to the nearest adjacent table whilst losers remain. However no one remains in the same position as you’re constantly playing againt different partners. Losers will eventually be dealt an unbeatable hand and become winners; also pairing against other winners of varying abilities ensures it all evens itself out after several hands.

We provided 7 prizes, for the best 5 scores and to add interest for the worst 2 for being such good sports.

For those interested here is how to play the card game.

Players
The classic game of Whist is played with 4 players of 2 partnerships. Partners sit opposite one another and the game is played clockwise.
It is best to sit the fours at separate card tables.

Cards
A standard 52 card pack is used and the cards rank from the highest to the lowest, Ace, King, Queen, Jack ,10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 6, 2. Each player receives 13 cards after removing the Jokers.

Dealer
The cards are cut to determine who deals; the player with the highest of the four cards becomes the dealer. The cards are shuffled and the dealer deals out 13 cards.

Playing
The player to the dealers left leads the first card.

Rules
The game is based upon SUITES, e. g Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades and No Trumps. You must follow that SUITE if you have a card in that SUITE. If Hearts were the nominated SUITE you need to follow on and play a heart whenever you have a heart card.

When playing each hand you and your partner record a win (called a TRICK) when either has the highest card in a particular SUITE (Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades) which are called TRUMPS.

TRUMPS are nominated before the cards are dealt. If Hearts were TRUMPS the Ace of Hearts is the highest TRUMP, then King, Queen Jack 10 9 etc.

1 point for each TRICK taken, which will be the highest card in that SUITE but when there is no TRUMPS left (Hearts) then the highest card will take the TRICK.

Any card (before the trumps are all extinguished) that is not a TRUMP will be beaten by a TRUMP.

If No Trumps is the suite than it is the highest card in any suite that always wins.

After each hand the winning partners move to their right to the next table.

In Crazy Whist you can make the scoring more complicated by adding in different variations before each round , adding 4 to those who have a winning trick with a particular card not in the given SUITE etc. You announce the SUITES before each hand.

Canorion Cymreig Victoria Welsh Choir

After prompting from a Welsh member of our parish I finally attended rehearsals with this choir and recently successfully auditioned to join as a Second Tenor. The choir was formed in 1980 by 7 expatriate Welshmen, and performs at least 25% of its repertoire in the Welsh language. It is quite a large male choir with 80 members made up of Bass’s, Baritones, Second Tenors and Tenors with a good sprinkling of those originally from Wales. Choir recitals are challenging since the choir sings without the aid of written music and consequently it takes a long time to learn the harmony sufficiently well from the music and to memorize all the words, before you’re competent to participate in concerts.

Nevertheless I intend to persevere with this rather full commitment (2 nights a week rehearsals and extensive touring to give concerts) and see what transpires. To date I have found the choir to be a grand group of very committed people with extensive talent covering a large repertoire of traditional choral, contemporary and operatic music.

I attended their recent St David’ s Day Concert at Monash University which was very good and featured a number of well known artists including their guest Welsh conductor who is in great demand overseas.

Apart from the choir the concert also featured a prominant harpist and a Welsh folk group called Pendragon Dreaming (Pendragon was the name given to King Arthur of the ancient Britons) with a didgeridoo, harp, guitar, flute, bass guitar and vocals. The Concert began with Welsh dancers demonstrating their traditional dances including jigs, reels, and hornpipes.

Click here if you would like to read about the recent St David’s Day Concert, or about the choir.

Ntandire Church/ hall inside

You may recall we held our final fundraiser and Christmas break-up party last year for the Malawi Support Group which is a small volunteer group within our local parish. At that time we sang Carols and were entertained and danced to the wonderful music of the "The Degenerates" who donated their services for the evening.

The funds raised was to be used to complete the flooring. walls and chairs for the new church and hall building in Ntdandire, Malawi. The above pictures indicate some excellant progress to date as a consequence of our last remittance. Funds assisted work undertaken to install flooring and plastering. We were overjoyed to hear the community were very happy in their new church. Work remaining is to paint the walls, install windows, seating and outside tiolets.

Dyson informs us the rainy season for Malawi has brought good falls this year and the crops are doing fine but in some cases the rains have washed away fertilizers and no yield is expected.

Sorry

Today was a very emotional time for Australia for if not an overwhelming than a very substantial majority of its citizens.

In parliament, to a capacity gallery audience spilling over into the grassy surrounds amid sprinklings of indigenous colors proudly waving, to school children listening intently, to News Bulletins, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd addressed the opening of the new parliament to deliver a formal apology to the indigenous peoples of Australia.

This historic moment, a first for an Australian parliament since federation, was to say sorry, for the stolen generation of children separated from families, and for the wrongs and injustices of the past. The occasion was a first in many respects , a gallery normally subdued was encouraged by the speaker to freely show their feelings of great joy in loud warm hearted acclamation , the parliament united in a bipartisan approach, the speech heard in a deafening silence but sincere of tone, by an appreciative audience that included all previous prime Ministers with the one notable exception of John Howard. The apology was emotionally accepted amid grateful tears in spirituall atmoshere that united Australia. The apology meant an awful lot to the aboriginal community who have graciously accepted it and who spoke emotionally of the enormous burden finally lifted from their shoulders, to allow healing to take place.

And the message has really taken root with our schoolchildren throughout the nation. Teachers have encouraged the students in the lead up to talk about what is means to say sorry and engendered philosophical questions along with many in the community who have asked those same questions. How do you say sorry? Why would you say sorry? Is it okay just to be just well-meaning? Is it a good idea to say sorry even if it’s a long time ago and you were not directly responsible? How will it be recorded in history?

To day they all listened intently.

So in essence this is one of those rare times when the words mean far more than the actions, words like spirituality, sorrow, healing, peace and pride start to seem very normal parts of every day news broadcast. People were not afraid to show their emotions including many notable public figures which contributed to this collective overwhelming feeling of goodwill. And for the first time for many indigenous people, they say they are proud to be Australians, teaching us what remarkably generous people they are, beyond our imagination. We are one but many, and thankfully now we can all move forward as one.

But unless theses words are translated into measurable progress to build a comparable future for all of us as one, to eliminate any divide in Housing, Heath and Education outcomes and general wellbeing we risk tragically returning in another 50 years to reconsider it all over again.

What are the prospects? One encouraging aspect is the bipartisan Commission already set upon to work with the leaders of aboriginal communities to provide more resources for housing and pre school resources with an additional 1400 teachers, and other initiates to hopefully quickly follow.

Has Rudd the ticker to make it all work? He’s certainly aware of the need to move forward, citing St Paul words as a reminder that without action words are like clashing symbols.

Cart is a fellow Australia blogger who has also posted comprehensibly on the topic, included he has refernced the full transcript of Rudd’s delivery of the apology which you can read by visiting his blog by clicking here.