Australia - The Land Down Under

[Condobloke]

An Australian-made rocket will be launched in Queensland in a historic first

The first locally made rocket to be launched into space from Australian soil is scheduled for lift-off from a commercial facility in Queensland early next year.

www.abc.net.au

Historic Australian orbital rocket launch set for early 2024 in remote Queensland​

 

[KGIII]

Historic Australian orbital rocket launch set for early 2024 in remote Queensland

Welcome to the group of countries that can do that!

I kind of want to take a trip into space. I can't possibly justify the expense. Plus they probably won't let me drink wine and smoke cigars.

 

[Condobloke]

How a tiny Aussie outback town became a global true-crime phenomenon

Years after one of its dozen residents vanished without a trace, a Netflix documentary is bringing a global audience of millions to the mystery that looms over the remote Northern Territory town of Larrimah.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Condobloke]

Where is King Island ?

King Island is an island in the Bass Strait, belonging to the Australian state of Tasmania. It is the largest of three islands known as the New Year Group, and the second-largest island in Bass Strait. The island's population at the 2016 census was 1,585 people, up from 1,566 in 2011. The local government area of the island is the King Island Council. Wikipedia

Etymology	Philip Gidley King
Location	Roaring Forties, Great Australian Bight and Bass Strait
Archipelago	New Year Group

One of Australia's smallest football leagues is fighting to survive

On King Island, amid a burgeoning luxury golf and tourism market, one of Australia's smallest football leagues is fighting to survive.

www.abc.net.au

 

[bob466]

Aussie inventions that changed the world...
https://www.9news.com.au/national/g...he-world/84fbe645-2bd6-4991-ac5c-ee71d8649693

 

[Condobloke]

....and on the subject of wifi....

Daily Joke: Digging holes in Australia…

Did you know that Australia beat the US and Britain in going wireless... We have proof! Read on to find out why we're the smartest country!

startsat60.com

 

[KGIII]

I had to go all the way to the end to make sure they included the black box. Well, orange box, I suppose. It's not actually black. Making it black would be a bit silly.

 

[Condobloke]

Roebourne comes from behind to snatch the title of Australia's hottest location in 2023

It’s a very valuable lesson to learn in sport and life in general; “it’s not over till it’s over” and that lesson has absolutely been applied to the race for Australia’s hottest spot of 2023. Image: Observed temperatures over the Pilbara at 2:25pm AWST, around the time Roebourne took the...

www.weatherzone.com.au

 

[Condobloke]

Take note.....Here is a perfect example of what NOT to do

Driver towing trailer through flooded river 'seconds' from disaster as bridge gives way in 530mm NSW deluge

The SES warns motorists about flooding dangers after extraordinary footage emerges of a car towing a trailer through floodwater in NSW before a bridge is swept away by raging torrent.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Condobloke]

Loren caught a fish worth $10,000 as part of a popular NT fishing competition. She says the joy 'can't compare'

Every wet season, anglers flock to the Northern Territory for the popular Million Dollar Fish competition — and this season it's been guaranteed someone will win the top prize for the first time.

www.abc.net.au

 

[KGIII]

Take note.....Here is a perfect example of what NOT to do

Driver towing trailer through flooded river 'seconds' from disaster as bridge gives way in 530mm NSW deluge

The SES warns motorists about flooding dangers after extraordinary footage emerges of a car towing a trailer through floodwater in NSW before a bridge is swept away by raging torrent.

www.abc.net.au

Yup. Never ford a water boundary without knowing the depth of the water and the strength of the current.

I'd definitely not do it while towing, at least not in you average civilian vehicle. (I was a motor vehicle operator in the military which included deep water fording with attached trailers as a part of our training.)

If you're going to ford water in a vehicle, you need to know that your engine breathes. It takes air in and it pushes air out. So, never exceed the depths that will allow this to happen. Generally, your exhaust output will be the lowest part in this chain. You can technically drive with your exhaust under water but you need to ensure there's constant positive engine pressure to avoid water going the opposite direction and ending up in your cylinders. You do not want that as water does not compress. That's known as 'hydrolocking'. That's bad.

We recently had a flood and some of the deaths were caused by a person braving the flood waters. Their vehicle was swept away and only half of them (two out of four) were found alive. Two people needlessly lost their lives.

Finally, if you do drive through water deeper than the rubber portion of your tires, you will possibly have wet brakes. This is easily solved by driving (slowly) with the brakes engaged. Press on both pedals with enough force to both move and overcome any brake resistance. You should do this as soon as it is safe to do so after fording any water crossing that immersed your brakes.

Brakes are very good at generating heat and you'll dry them within 200 meters or even 200 yards. That will more than dry them and you should be able to feel when they start grabbing again.

Some folks here spent their hard earned tax dollars teaching me how to drive. Thank you!

 

[KGIII]

Loren caught a fish worth $10,000 as part of a popular NT fishing competition. She says the joy 'can't compare'

Every wet season, anglers flock to the Northern Territory for the popular Million Dollar Fish competition — and this season it's been guaranteed someone will win the top prize for the first time.

www.abc.net.au

I have a story for that one too!

I took a few buddies and chartered a boat to fish for tuna. I caught a bluefin that was just over 400 pounds or a bit over 180 kg.

Due to regulations, the captain of the boat sold it at the market in Portland, Maine. I'm not a commercial fisherman and was fishing under their license. That made me ineligible to sell the fish but he could legally do so.

(I have zero realistic need for a fish that large. I could not possibly eat it.)

It paid for the cost of chartering the boat, a meal for three of us that included our drinks, and still put about $100 in my pocket.

It was awesome. I had to be strapped into a chair to reel the fish in. At times, I had to have help reeling the fish in. I'd pull and then reel hard and repeat that over and over again for about an hour. It felt like six hours, but it was not that long.

I have pics somewhere around here. I even digitized them with a scanner. One of these days I'll spot the folder when going through backups and share a pic. It was a bit dark and it was an old film camera. The price of bluefin tuna has gone up considerably since then. It mostly gets exported to Japan, so I'm told.

NOTE: I have no other epic fishing stories. The largest freshwater fish I've caught was only about 30" long. It did not compare to the tuna. Also, you know those bouncy balls that you sat on and hopped around on as a kid? Well, that's basically what you use as a float/bobber when tuna fishing off the coast of Maine. We've got some pretty big tuna, much bigger than what I caught.

 

[KGIII]

Also, I have done no fishing in Australia.

Do they have much in the way of fishing tourism? If so, what are the major species?

 

[Condobloke]

Australian fish species - Tourism Australia

Learn about the fish species you can find in Australia including, the barramundi, giant black marlin, mackerel, swordfish, tuna and yellowtail kingfish.

www.australia.com

The best fun?...Barramundi

 

[KGIII]

...Barramundi

They look interesting. The marlin and mackerel likely bring in some fishing tourism. (I live in an area with fishing tourism.) We have the trout species listed, including a specifically native brook trout. The swordfish and tuna are often commercially fished.

The cod and snapper look positively prehistoric.

 

[Condobloke]

From mullets to beer can boats: 10 uniquely Australian festivals to plan your next holiday

You don't want to miss these festivals, a celebration of Australia's culture and wicked sense of humour.

www.sbs.com.au

above...the Elvis festival

below, the

Sh-tbox Rally, from South Australia to Western Australia​

etc

 

[Condobloke]

Lethal Sydney funnel-web spider 'Hercules' sets record for largest specimen collected in Australia

With fangs that could pierce a human fingernail, the largest male specimen of the world's most venomous arachnid has found a new home at the Australian Reptile Park.

www.abc.net.au

 

[KGIII]

Lethal Sydney funnel-web spider 'Hercules' sets record for largest specimen collected in Australia

With fangs that could pierce a human fingernail, the largest male specimen of the world's most venomous arachnid has found a new home at the Australian Reptile Park.

www.abc.net.au

Oh [redacted] no!

I wouldn't say that I'm scared of spiders, but some spiders are right off the list of things I call friends.

That one is on the list of spiders I'm not okay with.

 

[Condobloke]

 

[Condobloke]

'A recipe for disaster': The camel race that offered adventure — then took a serious turn for the worse

It's a race competitors said would never happen today. But in 1988, over months across the Australian desert, competitors and their camels defied odds to make history.

www.abc.net.au