Published in By Road & Track·Jan 18A nomadic tribe destined to disappear?IT WAS IN Laurieton that I learned of their coming disappearance. I had seen them, many of them. Passing them on the highways, stopping near them at campsites. I felt thankful that to travel I didn’t need a big and expensive rig like theirs. They are the grey nomads. The…Travel7 min readTravel7 min read
Published in PacificEdge·Jan 16From the US Greens, a lesson in communicationsMore than anyone, politicians should know that miscommunication attracts unwanted attention. Choosing the right words for your audience to avoid misinterpretation of what you say are lessons for both professional and citizen journalists as well as politicians. — Are green electoral candidates the champions of democracy they say they are? That is the question recently being asked in the US about 2012 and 2016 Green Party presidential candidate, Dr Jill Stein.Journalism8 min readJournalism8 min read
Published in PacificEdge·Jan 16Police killings bring refocus on far-right conspiracy fantasistsMILD MANNERS can conceal a violet personality and conspiracy theories can lead to murder. That is the realisation following media investigation of the three killers of two young police officers and the wounding of another in rural Queensland on December 12. …Crime9 min readCrime9 min read
Published in PacificEdge·Dec 18, 2022New but old: the disinformation pandemic resurrectedFew of those spreading disinformation about the Covid-19 pandemic and government attempts to stem it knew what they were resurrecting tactics going back to the Cold War and before. — First published: Februrary 2021. Updated December 2022. I WAS AMAZED. How could otherwise intelligent, seemingly sensible people spread these myths? Most have the benefit of a tertiary education. Yet here they were spreading ideas debunked by people knowledgable in what they commented on. Not only that, they denigrated the expertise…Disinformation36 min readDisinformation36 min read
Published in By Road & Track·Dec 16, 2022Ghosts of former times — the Bonnie Vale shack settlementI’ve long had an interest in the Australian tradition of hut building and the people who live in them. Over the years I’ve made more than a few visits to what remains of the once-larger shack settlement at Bonnie Vale in Royal National Park. This brief story originates with those visits. — WHEN DID I first come to Bonnie Vale? I don’t remember. I do remember that it was quite some time ago. I also remember that there were more shacks here then. …Roadtrips And Adventures8 min readRoadtrips And Adventures8 min read
Published in PacificEdge·Dec 15, 2022Putting down rootsI KNOW THAT I am not alone in feeling this way. What I am talking about is this pull between living-in-place and life as movement, between putting down roots, as the cliche goes, and wandering. My dilemma is that I like living both ways. Once, I lived the wandering life…Journalism7 min readJournalism7 min read
Published in PERMACULTURE journal·Dec 10, 2022Weedy notes: capeweedBOTANIC NAME Arctotheca calendula FAMILY Asteraceae GROWTH FORM annual stemless or short-stemmed herb to 30cm high, 80cm wide growing in rosette shape grows as whorl of leaves close to the ground leaves 5–25cm long, 2–6cm wide on 6cm stalks taproot flowers — 1.5–2.5mm long yellow daisy-like petals to 15mm diameter radiating from central dark core…Permaculture3 min readPermaculture3 min read
Published in By Road & Track·Dec 8, 2022Travelling BrunyIT WILL COST YOU around AU$45 return to take your vehicle on the ferry from Kettering to Bruny Island (pensioner fare about $10 less). Once there, stay a couple days or more. …Travel7 min readTravel7 min read
Published in PERMACULTURE journal·Dec 4, 2022Plant notes: Midyim berry — an Australian wild food ready to eatMidyim berry is an Australian wild food suitable for garden cultivation. — Common name Midyim berry. Botanic name Austromyrtus dulcis. Family Myrtaceae. Growth form Low perennial shrub to around 80cm in width and around 60cm in height with pointed leaves around one to three centimetres in length. Taller specimens to two metres may be found. New leaf growth can be reddish-pink in colour. …Permaculture Stories2 min readPermaculture Stories2 min read
Published in PacificEdge·Dec 3, 2022How a brochure risked alienating votersA lesson about messaging from Tasmania’s 2021 state election stresses the importance of avoiding polarisation in your campaign communications… — CONSIDER THIS. You work for an influential environmental advocacy organisation. An election is coming up. You produce a brochure to convince people to vote for the party you support. You think it offers a stark choice but what it does is position undecided electors as part of the problem. …Communication5 min readCommunication5 min read
