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23/09/2004: "PEOPLE OF THE SEA Louie Komsic"
The fishing boat parked next to us at Stanley Island contained a lone fisherman. He looked like an interesting bloke. Ben Cropp knew his brother. Later I learned the solo fisherman and I had several mutual mates and in typical Aussie fashion this struck up an instant friendship.
Later I was lucky to have a few hours with Louie aboard his boat. This was sparked when he mentioned his former hotel at Palmer River.
"Do you know the artist James Baines" I had enquired, adding that "I brought James' Broome Odyssey painting from Broome W.A. home to James' studio at Malanda, near Cairns; along with a black and white kitten".
Both had death threats upon them. The cat was doomed if it stayed and so was anyone who removed the artwork from town, it had been painted in Broome and depicted the history of pearl diving. I took the risk. The cat was the more trouble. More about that - eventually.
James Baines had previously painted his famous gold rush history mural at the Louie's roadhouse. It was a huge success and led to the Broome commission.
Other mutual mates we shared were Paul Kamsler Snr. of the Cairns Pacific International hotels fame ("Paul kick-started my 14 year career as a croc shooter") and charter boat owner-skippper Peter Bristow (See our archives 06/29/2004).
So we had at least three good mutual friends, and probably more if we talked long enough. Louie has many interesting stories of his life in the tropics of Australia.
But he was sad about possibly losing his wildlife property, a huge 68 square kilometer property with boundaries on two rivers (The Kennedy and Annie Rivers of Princess Charlotte Bay area). Here several documentaries featuring Louie careing for the land and animals were filmed. He'd made many friends in the process.
Hollywood actor (the late) Lee Marvin of action movie and Cairns fishing excursions fame told Louie he sold the best hamburgers in Australia. (The secret was the home-made coleslaw).
Lee Marvin desired an adventure on land with Louie and John F Kennedy, i.e. pig hunting on the big property. Louie wasn't keen on all the necessary security.
Louie's accent was Croatian, not Hungarian as I'd thought. He was from Sarajevo so I mentioned the unique Brian Eno produced "Miss Sarajevo" by U2. "Well worth a listen."
The stories continued, as we talked aboard Louie's boat, a cabin cruiser that serves as his home for months each year. Here he was in the remote north, fishing alone for barramundi and spanish makerel and doing OK but not 100% happy with his bank or the state government.
He may lose his land for a proposed national park. Nineteen years in the courts seeking adequate compensation and a million bucks to the lawyers have left with limited funds.
But this is fate. Maybe Louie is happier than he realises doing what he does so well now,rather than running a huge property and tourist facility?
Owning 'the world' isn't what it's all about. Becoming the richest man in the cemetary. Life is a jig-saw. Gradually the pieces fit together with each new experience. The finished picture may be quite different to the one which began years ago. In fact the picture is always changing yet never completed.
Follow the ethical paths in life and the completed picture of life will be a potential materpiece. Too much fame, especially too soon, can be a curse, as is excessive wealth in the wrong hands.
