WRECKAGE HOOK-UP - Prawn trawler's net loss

The last thing a prawn trawler needs is to lose gear on a shipwreck, sunken aircraft or a reef.

But it does happen. Sometimes the 'snag' combined with the speed and power of the vessel is sufficent to pull the craft down at the stern, thus sinking it.

With GPS the bad snags are pin-pointed. Ben Cropp and crew have been investigating such marks on the marine charts. Eventually somthing substantial is certain to show up.

See archives: 22/07/2004: "SALVAGED MACHINE GUN ....... from WW2 aircraft."

JH on 30.04.05 @ 10:42 AM AEST [link]

VIEW FROM ABOVE .......self portraits

Air-borne with Ben Cropp at the controls above the coast of Port Douglas, Queensland. Sugar cane fields below. Only a single steel pin, as thick as a ballpoint pen held the wing to the frame. Not very comforting.


JH on 29.04.05 @ 04:33 PM AEST [link]

ULTRA-LITE CRASH SITE

While BC was elsewhere in the air, this ultra-lite attempted take-off but clipped a mound of earth then sommersaulted into tall grass. Expecting to see blood and broken bones, I was not disappointed to find the two occupants able to walk away with just bruises. This pic snapped as I walked/ran towards the mess seconds after it happened at Port Douglas.

JH on 29.04.05 @ 04:27 PM AEST [link]

TASMANIAN SKY ........unusual smoke and cloud formation.

Tasmanians are all talking about tsunami's and the east coast of the Australian mainland being a prime site for a big wave. People are taking it seriously, some moving inland to model cities like Toowoomba in Queensland, others simply scaring themselves listening to Margret Throsby - ABC Classic FM April 28 with Windows Media Player listen at: www.abc.net.au/classic/throsby/audio/throsby_28042005.asx

What have waves got to do with clouds in the sky? They both look very similar from below.


JH on 29.04.05 @ 03:35 PM AEST [link]

DEDICATED to the Memory of ALBY ZIEBELL

Alby Zeibell purchased the famed charter boat Coralita from our other good friend Captain Wally G Muller.

Alby was a former Tasmanian abalone diver who excelled at most things he set his mind to. He began exploring The Coral Sea aboard his new vessel and soon turned it into the best international boat of it's kind, catering to leading divers. He was able to concentrate his extra time on underwater photography and was soon achieving the very top quality results from macro to very wide angle, including the first schooling hamerhead sharks at Osprey Reef.

Coralita was not so fortunate. The first mishap occured when a giant US warship accidently squashed the tied-up vessel against Cairns wharf while attempting a difficult turn around. After months of repairs Coralita later caught fire on her first voyage, electrical wiring short-circuting at sea. But worse was yet to come.

Just days before departure for months of pre-paid dive charter work in New Guinea, a mysterious explosion in the sealed engine room sent Coralita to the bottom of Cairns Harbour in seconds.

Alby was cleared of involvement in the accident - although waterfront rumours always blame any maritime accident on the owners desiring an insurance payout.

Construction for a newer and bigger vessel were 90% complete but another financial disaster occured when the builder was declared bankrupt and everything was lost in the legal mine-field which followed.

Alby then turned his talents to angling and soon became a recognised authority and with a weekly radio slot and many fishing friends. Anglers comprised 95% of the vast crowd who attended his funeral. Alby died from heart complications while returning from a fishing trip up the coast with his mates.


JH on 28.04.05 @ 08:26 PM AEST [link]

ORIGINAL ALUMINIUM Dive Boat

Built to take the latest and largest 100 HP outboards, the Tempest 803 was the strongest aluminium boat ever built for divers - who still managed to push the sharp corners of the front seats through the floor. An insane desire to run everywhere at full speed in any sea condition. Not so bad with a 40 HP motor though. THE CREW HERE: John Michael Harding, Tanya Binning, John Allen. Near the Royal National Park about 1965 returning from a scuba dive at Marley Beach.



JH on 28.04.05 @ 07:13 PM AEST [link]

DREAM MACHINE

Maybe there is a legal firm next door - which is the modern trend, especially in medicine. On the Gold Coast there is a funeral parlour next to a medical centre, next to a chemist.

JH on 28.04.05 @ 04:48 PM AEST [link]

IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER IS TRUE BEAUTY

Comment:
GOOD GRIEF, it is awful.
Valerie
JH on 28.04.05 @ 02:20 PM AEST [link]

COVER GIRL QUEEN

At one time two of the most beautiful girls in Sydney lived almost next door to each other at Darling Point, Sydney.

One was Valli Kemp, an out-spoken runner-up in the Miss World competition, the other Jackie Hickmott who many thought could have won if she'd entered. Their third friend and dancer was blond Jenny Wallace, pictured at top right.

Jackie was daughter of a showgirl mother, who introduced her to professional dancing from age three and was in her teens a star at the Latin Quarter in Pitt Street, Sydney - a social nightspot for celebrities.

For a time I was a regular patron and possibly the only guy admitted to the girl's dressing room upstairs, it was said. A photographers perk? About 13 dancers worked there - each had a fasinating story and stunning figure. Most married music men and had unhappy lives.

I was always too poor for champagne and instead, like most others, drank bottled beer kept chilled in an ice bucket.

I'd sit up the back in a dark corner with my girlfriend - Jackie was her best friend.

In her late teens and twenties Jackie Hickmott became possibly being the most published cover model in Australia. Then suddenly she gave it all away, left Australia and married an international music man, to live in Ireland and USA. I visited her near San Francisco once when she lived on an apple farm.

In Australia Jackie did not take to the cool (and then) sewage polluted underwater world off Sydney.

The closest she came to marine modeling was in a wetsuit at Taronga Park Zoo, where she and another stunning girl swam with the captive dolphins for us. It was recorded on 16mm for the documentary Aquarius.

Today she is an Australian version of Brigitte Bardot with her love for helping animals on her property dedicated to their welfare.


JH on 28.04.05 @ 01:40 PM AEST [link]

NORTH STRADBROKE ISLAND, Queensland

Near Brisbane, the island is a retreat for wealthy families - but the camping grounds remain affordable. Popular with surfers and divers - despite the presence of many dangerous sharks.

JH on 27.04.05 @ 10:17 PM AEST [link]

FRESHWATER MODELING HAZARD

At North Stradbroke Island's Blue Lake the fresh water is popular with locals, including this aboriginal baby which model Sabine is holding - presenting a contrast between skin colours.

Below, a more serious situation was underway - the log Sabine was positioned on, was a source of leeches, and this is possibly how a leech attached itself to her body beneath her bikini pants.

The leech has a chemical which is secreted into the painless bite site, to prevent blood flow stopping. Consequently Sabine bled profusely for an hour from this bite well within the labia majora (not presented for photographic documentation).

Her medical background prevented hysteria, but a lack of knowledge of leech biology required some reassurance, when a large leech, now blood-filled, emerged on the car seat accompanied with a startled scream during the drive back to the camp ground at Point Lookout.


JH on 27.04.05 @ 12:23 PM AEST [link]

UNDERWATER BALLET

Ballet practice on a log in fresh water, note the lack of buoyancy.

JH on 27.04.05 @ 11:17 AM AEST [link]

JOCELYN and CHRISTINE .......marine models

We only had the one 10-day expedition together, aboard Captain Ron Isbell's former charter boat Tropic Rover out from Gladstone, Qld. Destination: Capricorn and Bunker Group, about 80km offshore. Although called The Great Barrier Reef these islands and reefs are not attached to the Swain Reefs so it could be argued they are a seperate section. The late Robert Endean PhD always spoke of the GBR in plural terms - which is correct......the great barrier REEFS, (not a single wall of unbroken reef as some still wrongly imagine).

Jocelyn Edwards and Christine Danaher are beautiful little diving model-mermaids. This image was constructed south of Heron Island at our favourite secluded coral reef, which gets few visits and has not been 'knocked-about' by summer cyclonic storm waves.

This is the southern and cooler end of the GBR. Corals are quite different to the northern versions, still spectacular in their own way. Motion picture scenes for Australian Seafari (documentary) were also made during this voyage.

Although the above guide book was published years ago, I only saw a copy for the first time last year. The cover picture was made available via GBRMPA who purchased exclusive world rights to this image and others from the same expedition with the two girls.


JH on 26.04.05 @ 12:02 PM AEST [link]

SCUBA GIRL WITH FISH is Dianne Widdowson

Previously published just one time this picture appeared on my 90 minute Sea Safari video rear jacket, without a caption.

According to the very knowledgable and influential Mrs Valerie Taylor, this (pictured) petite underwater model was 'the best in the world', (and the most widely photographed too).

Dianne Widdowson hailed from Yeppoon, Queensland - home base for the then famed Coralita diver charter boat expeditions when owned by Captain Wally Muller. Dianne had a couple of years aboard as a crew member and consequently dived many of the exotic reefs in The Coral Sea - many equalling what then existed in the more easily reached by land of The Red Sea.

North American visitors soon had Coralita fully booked more than a year in advance. The guest book included every leading underwater film cameraman some working with a Hollywood-project budget.

While The Red Sea has since suffered disasterously, The Coral Sea, through it's isolation is not so effected. Also protected by high diesel fuel costs, Australia's The Coral Sea is our last frontier for pristine coral reef life.

Dianne later worked at (the former) Truk Lagoon, diving sunken Japanese fleet of warships from the largest diver boat offering 'cruising accomodation.'

The term 'live-aboard' seems erroneous as such short expeditions are involved. (The term first appeared when promoting Coralita extended trips and has been plaguarised since). Dianne may have lived aboard boats but the rest of us on Coralita trips simply had a short holidays.

The above picture is a 'C' grade copy of a copy. The original Kodachrome is stored in mint condition and may eventually be published as a poster. I clicked it from the duckboard of Coralita while we were anchored in a true one knot current of clear water above a now famous shipwreck. Dianne was swimming strongly to stay in position. The trevally stayed with her for minutes. It was a beautiful scene.



JH on 25.04.05 @ 07:16 AM AEST [link]

SYDNEY YOUTH

Market Street, Sydney - near Pitt Street. STATE theatre sign barely visible. about 1960 - this group from the inner suburbs of Glebe, Annandale were walking to Rushcutters Bay for a Sydney Stadium big show featuring USA rock stars.
You may have encountered the same guys at: Johnny O'Keefe dances, Six O'Clock Rock, Luna Park, Annandale ROYAL cinema on Saturday arvo, North Sydney swimming pool, Bronte Beach.....and later various hotels.
'Joe' became an infamous street fighter who survived the tough life he craved. Most had pregnant girlfriends in the 18 months after this picture was taken by an unknown street photographer. Such was life before we discovered distractions in the sea with spearguns.....and later movie cameras and sharks.


JH on 24.04.05 @ 07:43 AM AEST [link]

RICK NELSON ......USA teen idol at Sydney Stadium 1961

Bottom caption: Blond in front row - Rick Nelson concert, Sydney Stadium, is Lolita's big sister.

JH on 24.04.05 @ 07:21 AM AEST [link]

THREE DEGREES

Three talented girls you may or may not have heard of, after all there is more to life than becoming a media celebrity.

Debbie discovered the world of scuba, and as international cabin crew flew all over the world. Her Australian thrills underwater included diving for the famed Sydney rock oysters on the NSW south coast and steaming the shells open for a feast. Oysters being the risk they are should only be consumed from pristine waters - the Bega River probably being not too bad but far from perfect.

Sophie Ko in her jungle attire attended an A-list party at Sydney's Palm Beach McWilliam Residence and rubbed shoulders with Belinda (Miss World) Green and her companion Rod (This Ole Heart of Mine) Stewart. Plus all the leading models and single men known to frequent the eastern suburbs, Balmoral Beach etc. Tony Flook, Steven (mR sURF) Cooney, Sue Landell-Jones and the ONE AND ONLY David Broad.

Also in attendance Annabel Iliffe perhaps the most inspirational to others of the Sydney ladies - who followed music closely but chose not to be a model, actor or musician and instead married them.

HER TRIBUTE film "The Party at Shark Island" - (that ended all hope of future parties on this harbour island) is yet to be completed despite it's 25th anniversary loooming.

A time-capsule of fashion and fun held in sunny Sydney, attended by 500 city singles loosely celebrating a birthday for Warren 'piggie' Morgan (keyboards John Paul Young All Stars).

Filmed pre-video cameras on motion picture movie stock, with sound, it may yet be released on 35mm but who knows? People were also less camera conscious in that past era.

JH on 23.04.05 @ 01:31 PM AEST [link]

Sister of Lolita ...........Miss K1

Inspired by the book and a Hollywood movie, here is Lolita's big sister.
The most celebrated story of teen passion turned 50 this year. Nabokov's career making novel beame the Stanley Kubrick movie which introduced blonde actor Sue Lyon - every young Australian mans pin-up. The eighteen-year-old 'Sister of Sue' (above photo) was snapped in Sydney in the era pre mini skirts, and was therefore a quite revealing picture that has never been published before.

JH on 22.04.05 @ 12:54 AM AEST [link]

HAZARDS OF SPEARING A FISH

JH on 12.04.05 @ 01:11 PM AEST [link]

SWIM WITH FISH.....AND EAT THEM

JH on 12.04.05 @ 01:08 PM AEST [link]

CYBER DIVERS

Spotted at www.groups.yahoo.com about 32 spearfishing, scuba and even scuba spearfishing groups, (apparently scuba spearing is still legal in Florida)! All clubs welcome new input and members. Another club specialising in spearing within murky waters of New York!

Mentioned was new spearfishing book with an intriguing title: Encounters with Sharks, Dolphins and Big Fish (Len Jones) a 240 page effort covering adventures over 30 years. A South African publication.

South Africa is now the home base of David Doubilet - the much published leading uw photog of National Geographic fame and fortune, who has moved from New York City after his divorce. Doubilet has roamed the planet for decades, so SA must have something very special in the marine department, in addition to the sardine run which attracts many big things to feed, and a school of whale sharks sighted off Kenya, but never publicised.

Another potentially interesting cyber club is at silicone valley California which states:


The Diving Singles Club is a dynamic group of men and women centered in the Silicon Valley area of California who are single (unmarried) and who love to SCUBA dive.

We do several dives in the Monterey area each month, varying from beginner to advanced. While we have a number of good photographers, and possibly a spearfisherman or two, we don't have a particular focus to our diving such as photography or spearfishing, we just go diving and enjoy the scenery. We also do many other interesting nondiving activities: hikes, bike rides, wine tasting, houseboat trips, potlucks, white water rafting, parties, and more. For more information, see our calendar.

Instead of publishing a newsletter, we handle those sorts of things on the net. After all, this is Silicon Valley. Events are published on our calendar web page and we have an e-mail list for member-to-member communication. Since we don't have the expense of publishing a newsletter, we don't have any dues. Without any expenses either, that guarantees a balanced budget. ;-)

We meet, in general, on the third Sunday of the month, at Round Table Pizza, 101 Town and Country Village, Sunnyvale, CA. Social hour starts at 6:30 p.m., the meeting at 7:00 p.m., and we often have a speaker, slide show, or videos afterward. We're almost always in their meeting room all the way in the back past the bar.

To join, just show up for a meeting. We want to meet you, have you sign a waiver, and get your name, e-mail address, etc. before we put you on the mailing list. If, before the next meeting, there's an event listed on the calendar that you would like to attend, contact the coordinator so they know you are coming, and either print yourself a copy of the our waiver, or arrange with the coordinator to bring a copy.

For more information about our activities, see http://www.garlic.com/~triblet/singles

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The above spearfishing picture is from a group in Eastern Europe. The fish look interesting and good eating quality too.

Did anyone catch THALASSA on SBS TV Sunday night? Pro anglers working for bass in the roughest sea conditions (around a tiny lighthouse built on rocks off the coast of France). Single fishermen in 7 meter boats with tiller (rear) steering and waves threatening to roll them over. Lots of white water in 3 to 5 meter swells. Australian fisho's have it easy.


JH on 11.04.05 @ 11:13 AM AEST [link]

SHARKS AND SURFING

text available by request.
JH on 07.04.05 @ 01:02 PM AEST [link]

SHARK POSTER ..........inspired by Chinese Taiwan

At this time of year our northernTaiwanese neighbours celebrate ghost month where stage money is burned and food offerings are made to the ghosts or spirits of their ancestors.

Taiwanese are strangely fearful of the sea, believing spirits of drowned people will rise from the depths and pull new victims (swimming) to their doom. This small island off mainland China operates a huge far seas fleet of fishing factory ships and developes methods of processing every form of sea creature into edible food - even jellyfish. (Crown-of-Thorns starfish would be a challenge).

For any westerner, with more than a shallow interest in the sea curiosity of this culture is a window of opportunity, but not easily opened as little English language is in use - but that's changing fast.

Scuba diving and surfing are not a popular sports, yet, but that's changing with Japanese inspiration being such a strong influenece. The future of Taiwan effects Australian's more than most realise.

JH on 06.04.05 @ 10:39 AM AEST [link]

BATFISH nibble toes

Above the shipwreck SS Yongala hovers this school of Batfish.
Lynn Roberts had her toes tickled by the fish, probably thinking toes were food. It's a calm day and the ocean in clear.....the dive was a good one, off Cape Bowling Green near Townsville. It's now possible to make a single day trip dive to the wreck, but a long journey from land just the same.

TIP: Avoid (predicted) sea breeze above 15 knots; 5 to 10 knots is good, even less is perfect.



JH on 05.04.05 @ 07:31 AM AEST [link]

SHELL COLLECTION ........Gloria maris Wally Gibbins - A world expert.

Wally Gibbins discovered the habit of the rarest and most valueable sea shell in the world, in the Solomon Islands. (Also see Archives January 2005 - more Wal Gibbins own pictures).

Soon after he had a price list circulated to museums around the world. Of the dozens, maybe hundreds of gloria maris Wal collected, he kept this pair of extremities in size, which has become the real prize discoveries (with an incalcuable monetary value which might only be realised at auction).

Australian diver industries could well use a function (if they can meet without fighting over ego) which may include an auction of their marine memorabilia. A fantastic op for shops and collectors to increase their profile.

Sea Rocket spearguns, Tarzan wetsuits, original flipper/fins and masks, 27 cu. ft. scuba cylinders, knives, cameras, brass hard hats, and of course collections of marine molluscs. Inspiration for the young. A reminder of where it all came from too. These cyber versions won't last so long.

JH on 04.04.05 @ 09:19 AM AEST [Gloria maris Wally Gibbins - A world expert.">link]

FLUKE PHOTO

JH on 03.04.05 @ 04:48 PM AEST [link]

CAT SHARKS are comfortable above a sleepy WOBBEGONG

A rare scene to say the least. Published for the first time today.
At North Stradbroke Island. Queensland.

ClickArchives on 02.04.05 @ 08:20 AM AEST [link]

BAIT........it squirts seawater

At low tide around the rocks, fishermen cut open the tough but soft top of cunjevoi and remove the red meat of the animal inside for fish hook bait. An empty shell is to the left of this live specimen. When touched firmly the cunjevoi squirt seawater - but they'll do this anyway, at times.

This picture was at North Stradbroke Island, Queensland. The model is a European backpacker from Switzerland who was enjoying the autumn sunshine at this pristine location off Brisbane.

ClickArchives on 02.04.05 @ 07:55 AM AEST [link]

CRUEL SEA

The Cruel Sea was a British book about WWII and the navy. The cover inspired me to buy it, even although I was just a little kid. I never read much of the book, I was still into Enid Blyton stories. But I always liked the cover - an overcast sky with Atlantic sea swells as seen from a big ship.

This location (pictured) is a tropical coral lagoon on the Great Barrier Reef as a rain squal passes through. It reminds me of that book cover many years ago. The sea is cruel, but that's the way it is. Everything in the sea eats something else.

A watery hell says Keith Adams in Northern Safari the famous outback and coastal documentary.


JH on 01.04.05 @ 09:47 PM AEST [link]