Franklin News and Views

In mid October i managed to get a 4 day spell of fine weather to do the Pelion Circuit. A photo album is on the web. Click the image below to view Pelion Circuit

24 June 2010 Photo on summit plateau The weather was fine and sunny with very little wind.  We wondered along the old vehicle track and did note that there were no signs of the joining tracks marked on maps; they appear to have overgrown. Following morning tea at the turnoff point for the ascent of Mother Browns Bonnet we took the right hand leading old but faint vehicle track and ascended over mostly open country to the large summit area for lunch. On return the tapes of the marked route were followed for a while, but it was not as clear going this way.  On reaching the turning point where the vehicle track back should be, we must have walked right over it and had to do a little searching to locate it.  On return we collected out car from Sorell where we left it to have a puncture repaired and ended the day with coffee at a local bakery. Track notes are are available

An item from the Australian Wildlife Conservancy ------------------------------------------------ AWC secures Bowra for conservation A world-famous bird watching property in Queensland was today announced as Australian Wildlife Conservancy's 21st sanctuary, ensuring the habitat for more than 200 species of birds and other native species will be protected for future generations. AWC purchased the 14,000 hectare Bowra Station near Cunnamulla with $1.2 million from the Australian Government, Birds Queensland and Birds Australia and the help of generous AWC supporters. Environment Minister Peter Garrett joined AWC Chairman Martin Copley and other locals and VIP guests to celebrate at the new Bowra Sanctuary today. “This remarkable bird refuge is one of a kind and I’m delighted we could help protect it for future generations,” Mr Garrett said. “The diversity of Bowra’s bird life is staggering – more than 200 different species, ranging from the pink Major Mitchell’s cockato...

Here are a couple of photos of the inverter and another showing the switch in the meter box

We have had our solar panels installed and are now waiting on the connection to the electricity grid The system is 1kw

13-16 April 2010 Our latest bushwalk was to Artillery Knob and  a report and photos is at the link attached to image below.  

When I came home late in the afternoon last Saturday I noticed a big gap in the bushes along our driveway. I tackled our neighbour about it  to tell her that i was very annoyed and she had no right to cut our bushes down.  At first she pretended not no know anything about it, then when I pointed out the stump (which had been covered up by bits of vegetation) some 80 cm our side of the boundary she said I would have to take it up with her gardener.     The gap through to the neighbours garden shed on the boundary . She reckoned she wasn’t home at the time, however a moment later she said our bush was dead  and unsightly on her side.  Now because of her bushes pressed right up against our bush, she would not have been able to see what it looked like until her bushes were removed.  I tackled her gardener next day and he told me he had been informed of my anger and apologised saying that he thought the bush was on our neighbours property....

Here is an extract from an article by Charles Berger who is the Director of Strategic Ideas to the Australian Conservation Foundation .   The Intergenerational Report discusses just two examples: Italy and Japan. Both nations have experienced very low fertility levels, rapidly ageing populations, and slow economic growth in recent decades. On the basis of these two countries, the Intergenerational Report concludes that “A key lesson from the international experience is that countries with low population growth or declining populations such as Japan and Italy face lower potential rates of economic growth than countries with relatively healthier population growth.” But why focus on those two countries? A broader look across the OECD (see figure 1) shows that rapid population growth is neither necessary nor sufficient to achieve solid per capita GDP growth. (I leave aside here the question of whether per capita GDP growth is a useful goal to strive for, except to say that Jose...

I have been reading the latest Choice magazine (Feb 2010) and feel concern about some plastics that are used with food. In particular two types of plastic should be avoided as there is sufficient scientific opinion that they pose a risk.  These are plastics with the symbol 3 (PVC) or 7 (a catch-all category that includes polycarbonate).  Avoid  foods or beverages that have been in contact with them.  Some cling wrap placed on food that is used by retailers uses the cheap PVC instead of the safer type 4 wrap (polyethylene). Look for the codes 1 (PET), 2 (HDPE), 4 (LDPE), 5 (PP) and 6 (PS) for the safer type of plastics for food. I checked our cupboards and found that Sun Rice was in a PVC (3)container (now transferred to a glass  one and I will complain to that company).  A bushwalking drink bottle from Kathmandu was marked 7 and that is going in the bin and I will write to them too.