Search continues from Ken Roberts on Vimeo.
Ken continues in his quest to capture wild crocodiles… on film. Even if it kills him….
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Search continues
February 23rd, 2011South to Sydney
February 22nd, 2011
It was all my fault. Claudia had mentioned on Facebook she’d been busy drawing a kangaroo in wellies. Drew a few wry comments from friends. Admittedly, she does live in Wales. As I used to. Wet there it may be. But not, surprisingly, as much as Queensland. Truth is, a welly wearing marsupial might be a good mascot. Must drop Premier Anna Bligh a line.
Queensland has a lot to offer. There’s been floods and cyclones for starters. Crocodiles a little more elusive. But it only takes one to eat you. Just when this might all get a bit passe – so last season – there’s been an outbreak of Dengue Fever. Worst of all, even the cuddle critters fight like girls. Not the slightest notion of Queensberry Rules. Laugh a minute. I’ve loved it. Apart from the bit with influenza. I mean, in the Tropics?
The plan is to follow the east coast from Cairns to Sydney. But onward to Melbourne is looking very tempting. Reliable sources suggest there may be penguins. And then there’s the Australian Alps. The idea of going from Tropics to Alpine pasture increasingly irresistible. True, never seen an aquatic, flightless bird in Switzerland. But I hope you get the picture.
And, much more adjacently, I hope the Aussies get the map’s humour. For which I’m hugely indebted to Claudia for taking my incoherent scribblings and turning them into something with sharp wit. A professional maritime artist, illustrator and author. The ideal choice for Queensland. Please do take the trouble to visit her website – click here – some great nautical themed cards, books and prints.
Bush tucker
February 21st, 2011Finally. A really close encounter with a crocodile. Rare. Well, medium rare. And an emu. Plus kangaroo. On a plate. Very tasty. And yes. My favourite predator does taste like chicken. Little bit salty. But quite delicious.
I’d Niall to thank for the experience. A fellow cyclist I’d be introduced to through an old friend. We’d met for beer and a feed – nosh or grub – and he’d very generously treated me to a selection of steaks and sausage. Sharing tales of cycling commuting and a love of decent coffee.
Left wondering what wallaby or koala might taste like. Problem is, eat anything cuddly looking and you risk hate mail. Reckon my Skippy steak’s borderline…
Back on dry land
February 20th, 2011
Back on dry land from Ken Roberts on Vimeo.
Simple enough to find crocodiles in captivity. Local zoo. Even a couple of farms where they breed the predators. But a bit too touristy for my liking. Wanted to see them in the wild. After all, that’d be where I’d be camping. Reckon if you know how to find them, you’ll learn how to avoid them. It’s a theory.
Rowan, my very experienced guide with an intimate knowledge of the river, had spotted a croc basking on the bank in the late afternoon sun as we’d headed upstream. But, spooked by the boat’s engine, it’d disappeared before I’d chance to get it on camera.
Returning downstream in the dark, it’d been much easier to hunt down the predators. Emerging to feed. Kneeling in the bow of our metal boat – an inflatable probably not a good idea – I’d a powerful torch to scan the water’s edge. Looking for the very distinctive, unmistakable, red reflective glow of their eyes.
Along a three mile stretch of river found eight sets of eyes. Got within feet of one. Small. Maybe a metre long. Close in to the bank. Alas, its shadowy silhouette far too dark to capture on camera. Scared? Adrenalin flowing certainly. Excited. Very aware these are cunning, crafty creatures. Probably why they’ve been around for so long. To be treated with respect. Fall into the water and you risk serious injury, even death.
If I was a bit nervous it was back at the slipway. For someone has to jump into the water to pull the boat up. And that’d be me. Rowan at the helm. Very careful to scan around with the torch. Looking for red eyes. Water may be shallow but crocs don’t exactly have a deep draft. And they’d know it’d be a place where people inevitably dump old bait into the water. Tempting morsels.
[Author’s note: This was no amateurish river trip. Rather, Ken went with an experienced local guide. And a thanks to Jon for sending me an article about how to try and fend off crocodiles if you do inadvertently fall into the water. Others had suggested I try local nightclubs..]
Gone fishin’
February 19th, 2011Gone fishin’ from Ken Roberts on Vimeo.
Fair to say no animals were harmed in the making of this video. Didn’t catch a thing. Well, apart from the live bait we’d netted earlier in a small creek. But great fun nevertheless. Roughly a quarter of a century since I’d played with rod and line.
Deliverance
February 18th, 2011
Deliverance from Ken Roberts on Vimeo.
Ken heads up the Barron river. In search of crocodiles. In the wild. And a spot of fishing.
[Author’s note: With especial thanks to Rowan – at the helm – my very experienced guide]
Little and large
February 17th, 2011E-mail from an old family friend. He’d visited northern Queensland some years ago. Birdwatching. Sharper eye than mine. Noticing a certain statue of Captain Cook had something of a dubious salute. Had it inspired Adolf Hitler, he joked? A grain of truth? Well, the swastika is based on a Buddhist symbol.
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Controversial? Seems Captain Cook is a bit like the proverbial yeast extract. Loved or hated in roughly equal measure. His arrival in Australia oft described by indigenous people as invasion. And the statue in Cairns? A well-known, if unofficial, landmark or any eye-sore beside the main north-south highway? The community split.
He’s been re-sited at least once. And has had a change of clothes. Used to sport a blue jacket with yellow buttons. Advised he’s also had some repairs in the trouser department.
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Cairns isn’t alone in displaying "art" some find distasteful. Even controversial. Back along the river Danube, in the small German town of Straubing, there were Nazi saluting black Bavarian gnomes. Ironic art, I hasten to add, rather than any resurgence of Fascist ideology.
[Author’s note: With especial thanks to Mike for his sharp eye and dry wit]
Tipped off
February 16th, 2011I’d been tipped off. Another British long-haul cyclist in Cairns. Ridden up north from Melbourne. Chris. Who’d just received word there was another rider in town. That’d be me.
Pavement cafe. Coffee. Much to chat about. Identical cameras. Similar politics. Even shared a Serbian contact. Chris was a lifelong environmentalist. Much of it spent seeking change from within the system. Through engagement. Informing and influencing. Sustainable solutions rather than simple protest.
Admired his dedication, and that of his riding partner Roland. The outcomes they sought. Even if, I suspected, our respective rationales might be very different. Catch up with Chris and Roland’s venture at www.biketheearth.net
Worst jobs…
February 15th, 2011Don’t decry the difficult task the emergency services face in the midst of a cyclone. Not for a moment. But, for many, their role probably has more appeal than the one a fellow hostel resident undertook. A lot more. Local shopping centre. Hastily turned into an evacuation centre. Couple of thousand people. Nervous. One set of toilets. One cleaner. Stewart. Think you get the picture. No. Worse. Much worse.
Trouble with telephones
February 14th, 2011What’s easiest in Australia? Hunt down wild crocodiles at night or find a landline so you can take a call from BBC Somerset’s The Morning Show with Emma Britton? Found eight of the predators the previous evening. Eventually secured one line with a few hours to go. Not easy when you’re a traveller in a nation of mobiles. Key, I’d discovered, is to find a friendly international hotel chain and ask nicely. Explain your predicament.
I’d been quite determined to chat once more to Emma. Refused to believe I couldn’t secure a landline and make it happen. Not in Australia. Besides, rather look forward to the interviews. Feel rather honoured to be allowed to do them live. Trusted, presumably, not to say naughty words or commit other embarrassing faux pax. Not too many ums and arhs. I hope.
And, just in case you’re wondering, I’ve no idea what exactly I’ll be asked on air. Might have a few guesses, but nothing more. All part of the fun. Another challenge on the road. This time intrigued – and absolutely delighted – to hear my own voice in the introduction. Taken from a video clip shot during the height of Cyclone Yasi and posted on the website.
You can listen to the interview courtesy of the BBC iPlayer – just click here – the segment airs about one hour into the St Valentines Day show. Ends with a great Crowded House track.
Right. That’s the easy bit done. Waiting – with anticipation and trepidation in equal measure – for some honest, constructive feedback from an online audience close to my heart. Suffice to say, it might have been my forty #*^ birthday on the day of Cyclone Yasi. But what my parents think still matters as much to me as it ever did!
[Author’s note: Especial thanks of course to Emma Britton and the team at BBC Somerset. And to duty managers Ben, Valentine and Wiremu at Mercure Cairns Harbourside hotel for being so helpful to a perfect stranger and letting me use their landline. Even finding a quiet room to hide away in. The interview with Emma airs between 1hr 03 mins 20 secs and 1hr 11 mins 30 secs into the show. Available on the iPlayer until 21 Feb 11. Please note Ken isn’t responsible for the content of external websites]
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