Women Today.....

In the 1970’s The Women’s Liberation movement came in full force, it is stated that “The Stepford Wives” was made in direct protest against this change in society.  Even Elvis thought women should stay home. 

Well haven’t we come along way, or have we?.  We as women can and do, anything and everything, but now instead of being defined by our husbands, as we were in the past, we seem to be defined by “what we do” not who we are!  I was at a party recently and women were being introduced by their name and job description, ie:- “this is Tanya and she owns a dive shop”.    

As there were only women at this party, this comment was the catalyst for a lively discussion.   We as people seem to put so much pressure on ourselves to do EVERYTHING and BE everything and to be made to feel inadequate if we cannot achieve it all and have it all and be it all.  We also agreed that the biggest supporter’s of women were women,  yet also the biggest criticizers of women were in fact women. 

Women’s Liberation was not about women going to work, it was about the CHOICE of women to either work or stay home.  We individually put the barriers up, we come up with the negatives, and we convince ourselves that we have limits and can only achieve or be so much.   We define ourselves by others and define success in monetary value.

Therefore, we wanted to share with you the general resolution of our debate:-

·                     Success is defined in happiness, genuine friendship, and unconditional love, either by giving it or receiving it.  Success is a complete state of your own mind.

·                     SELF – CONFIDENCE is the most empowering and attractive aspect of a person, and is so easy to obtain, in your own mind instead of thinking negatively, turn around and make your thoughts a positive.  

·                     No matter how successful you are at business or in the home, if you have children, how much they feel loved, respected and appreciated IS your GREATEST achievement NO MATTER WHAT, this is the most important job of all.

·                     Never say I cannot do it, say if it is important to me then I will get it done.    MAKE A LIST of all your jobs/goals, do one daily, one for a week and make a list of your year’s goal, make this list achievable.  Once you have a list do the jobs, then cross them off, by crossing them off you can SEE that you have reached your goal and this in itself is empowering to make sure the rest of the list is done.

·                     Reward yourself, go to the movies, meet a friend for lunch, and put YOU first on occasions.  Learn to nurture YOU as you nurture others, make the decision,  that your dreams will come true.

·                     Take your partner out for dinner or lunch, woo them and see how much they appreciate this, if they know you appreciate them then together you can and will achieve anything.  DON’T take your partner for granted, remind them often how special they are.  After all is said and done and you are in retirement, your partner is often the main constant still in your life.  Your job is over, your business is sold and your children have grown, nurture your companion, because if you don’t someone else may.

·                     NEVER worry about what other people say or think about you, as rarely do they give you any thought at all.

·                     NEVER worry about what might happen, what we worry about usually doesn’t come to fruition. Other aspects of life come at left field and we are unprepared, yet we always deal with them accordingly.

·                     If in doubt throw it out!

·                     It is better to beg forgiveness than ask for permission,  so if you want to do something DO IT, make a decision ourselves and be confident with your choices.   Take a deep breath and go for it.  What is the worse thing that can happen - they cannot take your birthdays away.   Make a choice and stick to it, after all people prefer people who can think for themselves. The only barrier to you making a choice is YOU.

·                     Never think you don’t have the time, MAKE the time.  We agreed that when you said to someone, “I don’t have the time” what you are really saying is, you are not important enough for me to make the time. Rest assured that if your favorite singer/idol/mentor wanted to meet you for lunch, you would FIND the time.

·                     If you cannot change the situation then change your attitude.

·                     It is better to have tried and failed than never tried at all.

·                     Have you ever had a person say “I’m only a wife, or I’m only a mother”, the reason people say that is because they want you to say “oh mothers are important or a wife is important”.  They want YOU to empower and validate them.   People who are negative from the start do NOT attract people continuing to talk to them.  SO say “hi my name is Sharyn and I am a house wife and mother of four great boys”  - Speak with pride and smile.  Never apologize for who or what you are….

·                     We have all heard about that glass ceiling,  I love it as it lets the sun it. 

·                     Always compliment a associate or friend, it is just as easy to pick up the positive as it is to focus on the negative. Your friendships, both in quality and quantity will grow if you are wonderful to be around.

·                     YOU ARE IN CONTROL, YOU HAVE THE POWER,  YOU ARE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO DO.  Remember that some people want to be the manager of a big business, some people want to be a stay at home wife and mum, some people want to have a small home based business, what that persons decides for them is what is right for them. That is the essence of women’s liberation.

SMS Marketing – The Pitfalls of this Marketing Strategy

SMS or short message service marketing became increasingly popular in the early 2000s.

This marketing strategy had a lot of benefits and advantages that soon it became a legitimate advertising channel especially for those who run small business firms and companies. But slowly the pitfalls and negative aspects of this marketing strategy came to the front and today; its popularity is rapidly diminishing.

Since there is very less cost and investment in this type of marketing, companies send out thousands of advertisements via SMS to the mass market. This has led to strong disapproval from most of the people as they get irritated and annoyed at being disturbed so often with random and useless messages. Most companies tend to overlook the personal details and send messages to a large group of people without stopping to think if the advertisement is going to be useful to them. And the result; constant buzzing of the phone which irritates the mass and makes them develop a strong dislike to this kind of marketing.

SMS marketing, if not carried out effectively, can cause serious damage to a company or brand as it elicits different kinds of negative responses in customers. Most often, customers are not given the information on how they can stop receiving these advertisements if they are irrelevant to them. This makes the recipients think that no one is controlling the process inculcating negative feelings.

SMS providers often provide business owners the ability to import their customers’ numbers without their permission. This has led to the misuse of this marketing strategy where spam messages have become the order of the day. The irritation of the recipients has risen to the point where no one even bothers to read the messages even though some of them might be relevant and beneficial. SMS marketing has only advocated and popularized the use of the ‘delete’ button among consumers today.

Seaforth McKenzie the KING of Penguin Island

Rockingham a town 45 minutes south of Perth. Amongst the beautiful award winning sandy beaches, the many restaurants, including three Gold Plate award winners, situated in a row on the foreshore.  The wineries, the events, the dolphins frolicking in the ocean, Penguin Island, Seal Island and Garden Island, and the many splendid things to do either as a resident, holiday maker or day tripper.

Few people are aware that if you went for a visit to Penguin Island that you were walking into a palace, a royal palace at that.   Let me introduce you, “His Royal Highness, The king of Penguin Island, King Seaforth McKenzie”, an eccentric Canadian, who lived on the Island, from 1914 to 1926.

Paul Seaforth McKenzie was born in Novia Scotia, Canada, in 1853, he left home at 18 and traveled extensively, landing in Australia to recuperate from a fever he contracted in China.    In Sydney 1876 he married Sarah Stanner. Seaforth took his family and moved them to New Zealand, by that time he and Sarah had five children, in 1886 their youngest, Mildred, was seriously injured when Mt Tarawera erupted.

In 1890 Seaforth went to work one day and just simply “forgot” to go home again, effectively abandoning his family, he stated when asked four decades later, “that he simply had a lapse of memory at the time”.   

His nomadic lifestyle continued and it is unsure of when he arrived in WA, but we are aware that he worked in places such as Muchea, and other regional areas, he also was a builder having built several three-roomed villas in Osborne Park.

Seaforth squatted on Penguin Island about 1914 and traveled back and forth between Safety Bay, Garden Island and Penguin Island.   Penguin Island was gazetted as a reserve for the public to use in 1918, a annual lease was granted to Seaforth, he wanted to build a holiday resort on the island and place himself in the role of host and caretaker.

Being a builder and dreamer he started to build “rooms” in the limestone caves, he extended some of the caves and just built some new ones.  The rooms were made for campers, with shelves, fireplaces and rock ledges that were turned into beds.   Being safety aware he placed hessian sheets under the ceilings to catch falling sand and rocks.    He named these rooms himself, Fairhaven, Tudor Hall, The Palace and The Library and for himself he built a iron and timber room and called it Manor House. Some of the “rooms” are still visible today

When arriving at Penguin Island visitors were expected to follow the etiquette of the day and seek the permission of Seaforth prior to landing on the island, but once ashore he treated people with the up-most respect and ceremony.  His best performance was kept for the ladies, though often the women hoped he would forgo this event, he would as each lady arrived on shore, walk to her, bend down in front of her and kiss her hand.

Some of the activities planned on the island may have included penguin races or public speeches on good conduct.    Visitors were on a honesty system and any supplies needed were available in a cave made especially for stores, one just had to go and help themselves and run their own accounts and payment.

Some say he was a gentleman others say he was argumentative and could threaten violence.   One person who used to row with him for supplies remembers his temper quite vividly, whilst a note in the visitors book at Penguin Island states “An island cool at all times, but the same cannot be said our host, who always extends a most warm welcome”.    Maybe it had something to do with the sex you were, as Seaforth had no problem “escorting” women over to the Island after hours for some one on one entertainment.   Considering the reputation that this would leave a woman of that day, he still had many women willing for the adventure, such was the way of an eccentric charmer.

What was started as a joke amongst the regular visitors to Penguin Island soon became the “event” that was to be the crowning of “Seaforth The First”, king of Penguin Island.   He considered this a huge compliment and a most happy and auspicious occasion, one of, which is family of whom he forgot in 1890, did not share with him.

Paul Seaforth McKenzie was crowned in a grand ceremony, conducted in Manor House. Seaforth wore a cape around his shoulder and was seated in a throne.  Ivy in the shape of a crown was carried on a cushion by eight year old Isobel Warne, who wore a simple white nightgown.   Isobel knelt in front of the “archbishop” who raised the crown and placed it on Seaforths head and then tapped three times with his staff and proclaimed “Paul Seaforth McKenzie the King of Penguin Island”.  

A celebration was held to acknowledge the event, with food and wine and a toast to the new king, of which promptly made His Royal Highness King Seaforth, burst into tears. 

He was born into this role and promptly went about utilizing it in his everyday life on Penguin Island, he would look after his guests or as he stated his subjects wholeheartedly.   McKenzie was a wonderful king who watched over the island and insured at all times that his guests were behaving themselves.  He commanded his guests to attend functions, such as concerts, poetry readings, dances and sing a longs around the campfire, one would receive a invitation “by royal command”, guests stated that these were fun and romantic evenings, all by starlight and campfires.    At dances he would command his “princesses” of which he called all women guests, to dance with him.   These functions would start only after the national anthem was sung, God Save the King.

Seaforth’s reign ended for unknown reasons in 1926, when his lease on Penguin Island was terminated. He brought land at Mersey Point and built a home and shop there.   In 1932 he went back to New Zealand and reunited with his family, his forty five year absence explained away to his family by stating “he just regained his memory’”.    Two of his daughters were living in poverty so he went and purchased each of them a home of their own.  He continued to live with his family until his death in 1939.

Today Penguin Island is a tourist destination of which no one lives on, is protected by Calm and is visited by many thousands of people every year.  Penguin Island houses a wonderful and informative penguin enclosure, which conducts feeding displays a number of times a day, lovely bush walks, caves, fantastic diving and snorkeling locations and so much more for the family to do and entertain themselves.   

Perhaps explore and see if you can locate the rooms/caves or even where manor house once stood.  If you are a gentleman you may wish to copy the ways of gone by years and greet lady visitors on one knee and with a kiss of the hand, but then women today would feel the same as they did in 1890 and perhaps you should not

A day trip to Penguin Island is worth all the joy, the history, the flora and fauna and the FUN that you will encounter at such a fantastic destination. 

Life Perceptions and Attitude – We are NOT alone.

Have you ever dug a hole so deep and then wondered how to get out of it?   You never thought the situation would become so out of hand. Your actions were never meant to cause so much reaction.  You yourself have “changed” or at least acknowledged that there were and always are two sides of the story and that a person’s perception of that story is based on a number of things, including attitude, past issues either involving you or involving others and/or of other peoples opinions be it if they were correct or accurate in the first place.

When we have issues or problems we always look at it from our own point of view, how does it affect ME, why or what is happening to ME, how this dare touch ME.

It is worse still when one or both parties bring in other “supporters”, they usually become part of the problem. The supporters make their minds up on the issue and on that person, based on one side’s belief of the issue.    The “supporters” opinions then become for them FACT and are forever lodged in that persons mind, often creating a negative comprehension of that person.  

From then on anything that happens in the future with that first person that was or can be seen as being a similar problem as previous, is easier to believe and even in some cases have other people even use this situation to manipulate others against that person.  

We vent our problems and our side of the issue to any person who will listen and we think we create allies.   When in fact, most of the time, people just do not care or don’t want to get involved.    We dig ourselves in deeper and deeper and create our world based on our issue of that particular time.    Sometimes the issues are over with in a quick time frame; others come back and bite you on the butt for years.

So how do we make people understand that perhaps we handled things badly or wrong, that if we could do them again we would certainly do them differently.  We have the new understanding but forget that others are NOT in our heads and as such whilst we come about with new and improved attitudes they still know the OLD you, or at least the OLD person who they THINK is you.    You want to move on and start anew, but how do we make others who may have been offended by us also move on with us.

How we see ourselves is often so different to how others see us and it very hard to change a person’s opinion.   Acknowledging and then apologising for past discretions is a great place to start, but the apology has to be genuine and honest.   Also realising that we are able to move on now, but others may still be offended and hurt by the situation and not so happy to say, “Sure lets get over it and build that bridge”.

Every person is going through something all of the time – we are not alone, yet we think during this time we are.  The problems are sometimes personal or work problems or life problems; sometimes we seek shelter or support in others. Sometimes we look at finding someone, anyone who will validate us or make us feel good about ourselves. We need to know only we validate ourselves and only we really know us and our true intentions.

During the writing of this article I have had three people make comments that they have issues today that they are dealing with, and how they have handled those issues have and will effect them in future, but they were grateful to know they were not alone, and that whilst we know others are going through problems, when we are having problems we forget others full stop.   We become paramount in our lives and our problem is the ONLY issue in the world.

So remember, today our feelings are extreme but tomorrow is different, don’t make mountains out of molehills, nip our problems in the butt and try and stay positive in doing so,   we can always say sorry for anything in the past and smile to our enemies to at least start to build that bridge and most importantly know that we are not alone.  Some things can and will never for forgiven or understood but you never know if you don’t ask and if someone is trying to offer a hand in friendship or apology – take it if you can. 

Remember too that people may not see the issue as you see if and they see it as their honest perception of the matter, they say that three people can see one car accident and each can see it quite differently, yet each person’s honesty and feelings are real to that person.

No matter what it is our attitudes that will reflect how we overcome the “hole”, we choose the attitude we have and we choose to either suck it up and just so be it or to get down and be miserable about it. There is always a good way of looking at things and people will always want to be around the happy and positive rather than the miserable and negative.  Ask yourself before you get to involved with your issue, can I sleep on it and see how it effects me tomorrow.  Ask yourself was the problem I had six months ago that was so terrible still effecting me now or can I even remember it. 

A great attitude is learned behaviour and takes time, effort and focusing on what we say or do; BUT it can totally change your life for the better, how we see life is how we are affected by life and its problems.  Make that change and know you are NOT alone, think of the good rather than the bad and if you have done something wrong apologies for it and then get over it.

Welcome to Australia – the Cronshaw’s

G’day Mate and Welcome Cobber were the catch cries at the Cruising Yacht Club last Sunday when Tony and Jennifer Cronshaw along with their daughters, Natalie, 17 and Laura, 14, held an Aussie BBQ and celebrated that in August 2007 they obtained permanent residency.

Arriving from Gloucester, England in June 2004 on a four year executive business migrant’s visa they purchased Rockingham Glass in October 2004, which later merged with Rockingham DBM Glass and relocated to

123 Dixon Road

December 2005. 

Rockingham DBM Glass specialises in the manufacture and supply of Shower Screens, Mirrors, Glass Splashbacks, Sliding Robe Doors and Interiors, Domestic and Commercial Glazing and 24 hour Emergency Glass repairs.   Some of the major clients are the Department of Housing and Works, and Concept Builders.   They have spent the last four years building a very successful business that prides itself on giving back into the community.

Rockingham DBM Glass is an active member of the South Coast Regional Chambers of Commerce and the Cruising Yacht Club and believes in being involved in the community. 

When asked for the reasons for coming to Rockingham Tony responded with “my mother and sister live in the district and when we visited here, we just fell in love with the people and the lifestyle. Since moving here, Rockingham and its people have never disappointed us”.

He concluded that his highlights in Australia have been numerous and he has done things that he could not have done back in England, some of these highlights include that in 2006 Rockingham DMB Glass were finalists in the South Coast Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.  That the family attended their nieces wedding in Hamilton Island which allowed them to go diving on The Great Barrier Reef, and they loved swimming with Dolphins off Garden Island. 

Clipper around the World Yacht Race

Adventure; take me out of my comfort zone, a challenge, the excitement of it all, a dream come true and a chance of a lifetime, were all catch phrases echoed by the participants of the Clipper Around the World 2009/2010 Yacht Race.    

Rick Palmer, a financial planner from Rockingham applied for a position of a crew member, when the Clipper Yachts were at Fremantle. They were resting during the New Years break from a leg of the world race.     Rick being a keen sailor and member of The Cruising Yacht Club of Western Australia, organised a meet and greet function recently for other participants, in order to share experiences, ideas and start the team building process, after all it is a race.

Rick stated his reason for applying to join the crew, was the uniqueness of the opportunity and the excitement and peace of seeing the sunset off the coast of Northern WA.   After two interviews Rick was thrilled to be advised that he had successfully obtained a place in the next race.

The Clipper Race was instigated by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, he was the first man to sail solo non-stop around the world. The first around the world race was held in 1996, his dream was to give anyone the ability regardless of their background or level of sailing knowledge, the chance to experience ocean racing. 

For many it is a once in a life time adventure, for others it is the catalyst in changing ones life.  It is said once you have competed in this race, with just you and your crew against and working with nature, your life is never the same again.     This is true for Anne Williams who had just returned from a leg of the race which is still racing now.  She entertained, enthralled and excited both the participants and their families at The Cruising Yacht Club, with stories from her recent experience.     When asked if anyone did not go ahead with the race, she replied “only one gentleman, who expected his chardonnay served to him on the deck every day at 4pm”.

She continued that life on board was always a team effort, from cleaning, cooking, to handing up a made coffee by passing it from other crew members along the galley then up the hatch to go on deck.    The story that had the most impact was of a gentleman who during a storm slipped overboard and was in the ocean for nine minutes before being rescued, it was all agreed this was excellent timing in getting the crew together, the yacht turned around and finding him in meter high waves bobbing up and down, and then rescuing him.   Anne advised that there is a huge team effort and when the race is on, the teams always found more spirit, dug deeper and kept going stronger and further.   

The race is open to any person, young or old, who is relatively fit and healthy and has a zest for life, who does not mind working as part of a team.  It is agreed that no experience is necessary as full training is provided by the company.  The Skipper of each yacht is fully experienced and certified.

The afternoon certainly had the participants wishing their race was now, not in 2010.  David Oliver    stated “that it was the overall challenge of completing in something way outside my comfort zone and the chance to meet and work with a new group of people; I also love the idea of international travel without being on a tour.  My greatest fear is that I may be seasick and not be able to function properly” This fear was repeated by a number of the participants.

Two other Rockingham residents who are competing are John Ross and Megan Thomas, who are both so excited to be learning from others and have always had a dream to take a yacht and travel around the world.   This way they obtain their dream and do so whilst learning team building and individual aspects of life.   

Simon Jodrell, 22, said for him it was going to be a challenge of a lifetime, he jokingly stated “he would miss waking up at 3am and going for a kebab, but felt that if the race grew any bigger he was thinking he may set up his own kebab shop in the middle of the ocean for people like him.”

For whatever reason, this race for any individual who is participating is going to be one of the highlights of that  persons life, the dream, the challenges, the overcoming of obstacles and the sheer joy of it, is worth every second of the trip and more.    Applications are still being considered so if you are up to it, please link up at http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/. 

This is the only organisation to offer to any person, regardless of any experience, the opportunity to compete in a round the world yacht race.  Ages of participants cross many generations, the occupations are different, but the adventure is in their hearts and the dream is on the horizon.   Life is short, live it, experience it and dare to do it, and you will become a better person because of it.

  

The 2005 Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive Experience.

We meet in the airport of a small charter service, seven people, at six in the morning on a cold Adelaide day. All strangers to each other, but by the time we refueled about two hours into the trip we were firm friends and about to embark on the journey of our lifetime.

We arrived at Birdsville airport at 11am, and walked off the plane into thirty nine degree heat and no less than a million flies all finding their way into our faces and mouths, we certainly did the Australian Salute that day and for the next ten days thereafter. Our new boss met and welcomed us, then drove the group to our new home, about twelve kilometers along the Birdsville Track; this is where we would live for the following ten days.

We were given lunch, fresh salmon, ham, corned beef, green and crisp salad and bread rolls; we met our cooks for the journey, three men who are normally the caterers for McLeod’s Daughters.    Their food was to be nothing short of brilliant, tasty and something we would discuss on a daily basis, you would often hear the familiar catch cry “I wonder what is for dinner tonight”.

We sat quietly having lunch and looked over the landscape and saw nothing, the outback is a big land of nothing, only sand, dust and flies. Later we were to discover the outback is so much more, the feel, the warmth, the hidden secrets, such as, at camp two we drove into the station and went over a slight hill and into the most beautiful landscape, green trees, sand and a ninety meter wide river that just went on and on.   We saw horses and cows feeding in open paddocks on stations of over 1.5 million acres.   One day we were coming back to base camp and crossing the road was a seven-meter python, just going for a stroll, needless to say he got right of way.  We saw eagles that had wind spans that took your breath away.

But on the first day I was contemplating what I had done or why was I there. With lunch finished our new boss said, “Right you, you, you and you can please build me that 24 x 20 marquee so that we have somewhere to eat tonight”. I was one of the “you”, I wanted to cry, I thought “Oh my god I am stuck here; no where to run and no where to hide and what was worse I had applied and then begged for the job”. So I cowboy’d up, thought well you better just get into it girl and get to work. After all I wanted desperately to be involved in any way with the 2005 Great Australian Outback

Cattle Drive

.

The funny thing is this was to be the beginning of the most wonderful, rewarding and significant three weeks of my life.    Having grown up on a farm in NSW and remembering the grandparents talk about droving and herding stock I wanted to see for myself was it as romantic and wonderful as the impressions that were left on my mind. 

Whilst I am positive the clients, the staff and myself completed the trip in relative comfort compared to the drovers of 100 years ago, we still had a major taste of adventure, by the time that our contract was up, we had moved the stock, which consisted of 600 head of cattle and 130 horses, over 350 kilometers down the Birdsville track towards Maree, with our section of the trip finishing at Clifton Hills Station. 

Each camp also had its own toilets and shower facilities, with HOT water; these facilities were built on the back of trucks and were second to none, including – ready - hairdryers!!!!!  At the first camp we started to build and had to work around the goannas who were sunning themselves just where we decided to build base camp. 

My job was with the team which made from the ground up each camp, we would in our time, set up this in four separate camps, we had to build per camp an average of seventy tents, the 20 x 24 marquee, we filled each tent with beds, dividers, chairs, lamps, bins and a side table, then we made the beds fully up, sheets, pillows and doona’s and placed towels on them.  BUT most funny of all was that in each client tent we would lay carpet.    So I would suggest we had it softer than the original drovers who just swaged it out, be it rain or shine.   Our job also consisted of so much more, we set up the inside of the marquee and the tables and chairs, we handled any job or task that was assigned to us that was needed to make the camp work and be comfortable.   We all worked an average of ten or eleven hours per day and worked the country way, hard and physical and sooo rewarding.

We started at camp one, then every five or six days, when that particular set of clients left, we would close down that camp, pack it up and shift it a further 100 kilometers or so down the track,  sometimes still operating in back camp, base camp or beginning to make our forward camp.  The logistics of making the event a success were enormous, yet every time we moved it was so much easier and streamlined.  On moving days everyone from the event manager to the toilet cleaners would shift and work together, we did work hard but all I can remember is the constant laughter, chatter and fun that surrounded the day.  I also took these removals as a learning experience in event management and came away with some valuable hands on knowledge.

I heard wonderful stories about Tom Kruse, the original mailman along the Birdsville track and the Leitchfield family and many other families, drovers, women and workman from that district, who before radio, cars and some of today’s items we take for granted made the track there home. Through floods, droughts and hard times, they built businesses, had families and lived life as a community, they remember those times with smiles still on their faces, and they are in my mind the true heroes.

Night at the camp was well:- work hard, play hard, this is after all the country way,  we had a camp fire and a bar, after a few drinks the stories from the drovers and station hands, would just be a little bit more stretched, for example, “If you see a goanna lying on its back with its hands up, well it is just praying for rain” so leave it be.   Some of the best stories were from the aborigines, two blokes, were in our team and flew up with us in the plane and four others were in the camp, they won many a heart on this trip.  They would stand at night with us in the flats and show us stories about the stars, where we read the stars to make a picture such as the Southern Cross, they see the picture in the darkness, and if you look you can really see eels, emus and people.   We would sit spellbound for ages listening to some story about the time long gone and at the end of it, someone would say, “oh wow really?” and on occasions one of the aboriginal men would say, “no just kidding”.   Much laughter later we would go off to bed and sometimes after all was quite the dingoes would come to camp just to say hello.

Tom Curtain, who presently has the number three and number nine songs on the Australian County Music Charts,  he was a drover on the drive and he would come into the camp and sing every few nights, he had a way or making you feel and live the Northern Territory and the Outback through his songs, and ladies let me tell you he also won a few hearts if you know what I mean.  He was with out a doubt a gentle soul who knew how to work a horse, often referred to as a horse whisperer by clients.

After about ten days I was asked to work as a client hostess, the management liked the rapport I was building with each client group, so this side of the job afforded me more involvement with the whole cattle drive itself and as such I was able to get even more out of the whole experience.  There were many fantastic memories from this trip some I will remember and laugh, such as one day we were riding the horses  (there were no clients at this time as clients could not gallop),  falling back one day when we were horse riding and having to gallop to catch up to the group, and I was wearing the wrong bra, so my breasts kept popping out. Imagine holding the reins with one hand and popping boobs back in with the other, only to have them fall out again on the next gallop, one drover who was with me laughed so much she nearly fell off her horse.   On mothers day we had a church service in the outback, a very surreal day with crew and clients, all holding their horses and listening intently to the priest, communion for the priest was harrowing to say the least,  I was lucky enough to be asked to read a passage from the bible during this service, not normally a church goer, but this touched me.  There were many stories and memories that came from this experience, something happened almost on a daily basis. Not only to me as a individual but as the group itself.   I remember everyday laughing, what was great was the laughing from the belly.

What I want to say is that life is to short, times are going to fast and opportunities that present themselves only often do so once. So grab what is on offer. I wanted to give up on day one, and yet I would have missed so much.  I knew what I could achieve and what I could do,  but often when we are surrounded by people we know so we either let them do for us or we think we don’t want to fail in front of people we know, so we may not try to leave our comfort zone.    I always thought I could do these things,  but now I know for sure, because I DID pitch the marquee, I DID build those hundreds of tents, I DID drive a 4WD over dry creek beds and over miles of very sharp stones (the gibbers), and through the bush ON MY OWN for over two hours, (I was coming back from taking a client to the horses). I laughed, told stories, had fun and lived an adventure. I faced challenges and not only met them I exceed in them. I made friendships and contacts with people that I may never meet again, but who will always be special to me, I rode fast and well, I held my OWN with men who were country fellas, who told me at the end of the trip that “you can certainly ride that horse and work that cattle” or “you worked hard and laughed often a very nice combination” comments of respect from men who are not used to giving compliments as much as their city counterparts are, so in my mind mean more to me.

Think outside the circle, take a chance, have an adventure and realize when you are about to take that gamble at work or in your business life, or even in your personal life, and you have second thoughts, think hang on I CAN DO THIS, I have gone outside my comfort zone and not only did I DO IT but LOVED it.   For me in the scheme of the outback,  where you can travel for days and see nothing or no-one only then do we realize that we are only a speck on the world of our OWN existence and in the end it is how we feel about ourselves, what we have done for ourselves and how we have faced our own challenges that is how we should measure ourselves.

SO JUST take a big breath and GO FOR IT,  for me I will be applying again for a job at the 2007 Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive !

Catalpa .. the Irish have escaped from Fremantle Prison

One hundred and thirty years ago, Australia nearly went to war with the United States of America, and it all would have started on our shores.  Right here in our peaceful seaside community of Rockingham.

In 1876 The Georgette pursued a Whaler ship, The Catalpa; eventually they fired a shot across the whaler's bow.  Captain Anthony the master of the Georgette pointed to the stars and stripes and proclaimed:- "That's the American flag. I am on the high seas. As I am in international waters my flag protects me.  If you fire on this ship you fire on the American flag."

To fire on the Catalpa would most likely have created a major diplomatic incident; fresh in the mind of the officer on the Georgette was that Britain had just lost a 3 million pound case involving a similar situation with an American ship.  He was also unsure of whether he was in international waters so he haplessly let the Catalpa sail away into the sunset.

What was on board the Catalpa that was to create such an incident, and today conjures up images of heroism, daring and amazing communication skills? Not what, but whom.  James Darragh, Martin Hogan, Michael Harrington, Thomas Hasset,  Robert Cranston and James Wilson, all inmates of Fremantle Prison, there were supposed to be two more but they were not able to be available on the day of the escape.

So why were these people so important!  They were Fenians who were imprisoned on charges of Treason and sentenced to death. Fenians were the American version of the Irish Republican Brotherhood.  The Fenians had one goal – to ensure a free and independent Irish Republic.

To understand from the beginning, one has to comprehend that at that time in history, many Irishmen were dying of hunger and living in extreme poverty, they had no choice but to join the British Army, about the same time there was a huge uprising from the Irish against the British. In 1865 hundreds of men were arrested on suspicion of complicity. The government took these arrests in two categories, civilians and British Military Serviceman.  Civilian’s were treated as political prisoners and in 1869 were granted clemency and freed. British Military Serviceman, were sentenced to death.  The British Government then commuted many of the death warrants to long term prison sentences.

The last convict ship that brought prisoners to our shores, was the Hougoumont, on board were 62 of these men, they arrived in Fremantle in 1867, one of them was John Boyle O'Reilly.  This ship signaled the end of the convict era.

John Boyle O’Reilly was an NCO in the 10th Hussars when arrested in 1866 for assisting fellow soldiers to join the rebellious Fenian movement. Found guilty at his court martial, his death sentence, like the others were commuted to one of 20 year's penal servitude, which automatically meant transportation (anyone sentenced to seven years or more was transported).    O'Reilly eventually joined a work party near Bunbury. During 1868 he developed a close relationship with the local clergyman, the Rev. Patrick McCabe. He confided in the priest his plans to escape, but McCabe dissuaded him from putting them into effect. In February 1869, through McCabe, O'Reilly met Jim Maguire, an Irish settler in the district working on land clearance. Maguire was able to quickly organise passage on board an American whaler that was replenishing its supplies in the area.

Eventually O'Reilly made his way to Boston in the USA where he became a respected citizen and editor of The Boston Pilot newspaper. He also became a quite well known writer and poet. But he never forgot his fellow fenians still lavishing in Western Australia.

1871 all convicted Fenians had been pardoned except for those who had served in the British military. Of these, ten were still in Fremantle Prison. One wrote a letter, which was smuggled out of Fremantle Prison and posted to America, where it came into the hands of John Devoy and John Boyle O'Reilly. This letter sowed the seeds for a rescue mission which took four years to plan and which was funded by Irish families from all over the world.

In 1875, John Devoy and John Boyle O’Reilly discussed how they might rescue the Fenians still serving time in Western Australia. The initial plan had been to storm Fremantle Prison and rescue the Fenians by force of arms; O'Reilly rejected that plan, and instead suggested that the rescue party pick up the escapees according to a prearranged plan. He also suggested the purchase of a whaling ship, which would be seen to be on legitimate business in Fremantle. O'Reilly's plan was adopted, and ultimately led to the rescue.   The Catalpa was purchased and sailed from New Bedford, Massachusetts. Its cost was $US5,250, a further $US15,000 refitting the vessel as a whaler. It was registered to John T. Richardson's whaling company. On Thursday 29 April 1875 it started on its fateful journey.

John Breslin and Thomas Desmond were given the task of traveling to Fremantle, making contact with the prisoners and preparing for their escape. George Anthony (John Richardson's son-in-law) was captain of the vessel, and at first only he knew what its ultimate mission was to be.

On 29 March 1876, the Catalpa berthed at Bunbury, and Captain Anthony sailed to Fremantle on the coastal steamer the Georgette with the Fenian agent John Breslin.  Breslin's and Thomas Desmond's tale of how they successfully posed as businessmen in Fremantle, so as to gain people's confidence and establish lines of communication, is yet another fascinating sub-plot to the main story, they posed as investment opportunists and as such were welcome into every high class home and military establishment in Perth, where they were treated as kings, this is how they became privy to all the information they needed in order to help rescue the Fenians.

Finally, it was arranged for contact to be made with the eight Fenian prisoners who were to be in work parties outside the Prison, telling them when the escape was to take place, two prisoners were left behind, one for sickness and one in solitary confinement.

Everything now depended on when the ship could sail. Captain Anthony had a shock in store for him: when he came to send the crucial coded telegram containing the date of his departure, he found Bunbury telegraph office closed for Good Friday (something they had not accounted for in their original planning). Luckily he was able to locate the telegraph operator and persuade him to send the message. Fortunately the Fremantle telegraph office was open for business at the other end to deliver it. The plan to bring the Fenian prisoners, who had escaped from Fremantle Prison work parties, to Rockingham, then by longboat to the Catalpa was set to be put into effect on 17 April, Easter Monday.

On Easter Sunday, 16 April 1876, the Catalpa lay at anchor between Rottnest and Garden Islands, 48km south west of Rottnest Island lighthouse. Early on Easter Monday the Catalpa weighed anchor and began sailing a course that kept it in an area between Rottnest and Garden Islands.

The escape of the Fenian prisoners involved good organization, good communication and good planning.  Basically, the six of them affected their getaway using two horse drawn buggies, driving them to Rockingham where James Bell, a worker with the Jarrah Timber Company, saw them arrive at around 10 am. He asked them what should be done with the horses and carts they abandoned on the beach. When they replied that they did not much care what he did, he decided to ride to Fremantle and alert the authorities, arriving there at 1 pm.

For the Fenians a whaleboat was waiting to row them out to the Catalpa. Upon hearing the news in Fremantle the water police sent their fast police cutter to Rockingham. They arrived just in time to observe the Catalpa's whaleboat heading towards the horizon. The coastal steamer Georgette, still in port, was then commissioned to help in attempts to recapture the escapees.  The men were pursued by the police in the coastal steamer Georgette and had to battle rough seas. They took 12 hours to reach and board the Catalpa

The mobility of the Catalpa, designed to maximise its chances of avoiding apprehension, made it difficult for the whaleboat to rendezvous with it easily. As a consequence the longboat sighted the mother ship in the distance at 5.30pm, but by 7pm a squall caused them to lose contact in the gathering darkness. This meant that the crew and passengers of the open boat were forced to spend an unwelcome, uncomfortable and unscheduled night at sea.

The next day both the cutter and the coastal steamer returned to the Rockingham area. The Georgette carried a force of Pensioner Guards commanded by Major Finnerty. But the Superintendent of Water Police, J. F. Stone, was in charge of the whole operation.

The Georgette pursued the Catalpa and eventually fired a shot across the whaler's bows, demanding that the prisoners be handed over. Captain Anthony denied having any prisoners on board and, pointing to the stars and stripes, and shouted the words that if not taken seriously could have changed the course of history, he stated "That's the American flag. I am on the high seas. As I am in international waters my flag protects me.  If you fire on this ship you fire on the American flag."

Due to the bad weather, the poor Fenians were still at sea on the whale boat and had not at that time reach the Catalpa.  About 2pm the Georgette, spotted the whaleboat fast approaching the mother ship, and gave chase. The escapees eluded them and were hauled on board the Catalpa which set sail immediately, heading for the open waters of the Indian Ocean with the Georgette following in close pursuit.

After a short time, the Georgette steamed slowly across the stern of the Catalpa, but did not fire any more shots. She kept the whaler company for an hour, then slowly swung off, steaming back to Fremantle empty-handed.

News of the escape of the Fenians spread around Perth and Fremantle and was a complete embarrassment to the establishment and authority of the day.  The people on the other hand thought it marvelous and created songs about the event and sung these songs in pubs and the town; it soon became a criminal offence to sing such songs.

It took four months for the Catalpa to reach the destination of New York, where she arrived to a hero’s welcome on 19^th August 1876

 

Mecure Welcome Hotel ... Trip to Melbourne

Melbourne – Mecure Welcome Hotel

and other places of interest.

Sharyn McCaskey

15^th September 2011.

Melbourne never ceases to fascinate, inspire and amaze me, for one who hates to shop and lives in jeans and boots I certainly brought back a bag load of girly clothes and to everyone’s surprise even worn them.

Tops that would cost in WA $45.00 I was paying on average $8.00 in Melbourne, most definitely the fashion capital of Australia.  The shops on the main street of Melbourne were full of specials and all different styles, There were great buys at The Queen Victoria Markets but in some cases the prices were higher than shops, perhaps because they a ready market in the tourist trade. 

The Queen Victoria Markets is a great day out, the food hall smells divine, I could have stayed there wafting in the cheese and ethnic smells for hours, but I think security would be concerned as to why a lady who is so obviously not “hooty tooty” had her nose in the air sniffing. 

I had a desire to go and sit and watch people “lost in time”, I am passionate about history and I had a real need to eat food that had a taste to it, something Italian. I also wanted to be alone but be in a crowd at the same time.  The answer was MELBOURNE everything on my list and more.

Travelling alone at 48 can be daunting, you have your good points and bad; you want to be free to make your choices of where you are going but when you get there you want to share it with someone. Oh the conundrum do I go alone or with a friend, so I was alone for a few days and then a friend joined me from Tasmania.    

Being budget minded but expecting loads for my dollar, I searched for reasonably priced accommodation in the heart of Melbourne City, close to all transport and restaurants.   It had to be clean, friendly and offer a full breakfast service.  Mecure Welcome Hotel…ummm I think I will be the judge of how welcoming you are…

Well blow me down and push me over, 3.5 star rating with a 5 star and above attitude and service. Picture this I arrived late in the evening, tired and ragged after the long trip from WA, not a pretty sight I can assure you, yet the man behind the counter was either blind or extremely customer focused, he smiled warmly, booked me in, showed me to the breakfast area, the internet room, the gym facilities and something I was not expecting in a 3.5 star hotel, The Concierge Service!. 

Next morning, after breakfast and looking a bit more human I went to the concierge desk, I found that this information source was all I needed in Melbourne.

They were so different, all were cute, all well mannered, all immaculately dressed and each made me wish that were my son. As I watched them over the week and used their services, I was proud and chuffed to see each had a real genuine desire to please their clients. I noted they really enjoyed their job and each excelled in customer service.

What impressed me was their knowledge of the city, from prices of tours, feedback on places and tours, suggestions and ideas; nothing was too much trouble for these men and in fact for the whole staff of the Hotel.

Based on what I was interested in they suggested I go to Sovereign Hill, do a day tour of Melbourne and take a trip on the Puffing Billy.   They contacted AAT Kings and APT Tours for the trips and handled all the bookings for me.

The coach trip down was so warm, did I say I went to Melbourne in winter… brrrr, you can tell the Melbourneites they were the ones with only one jumper on.  

Each driver was different on each tour; each was friendly, knowledgeable, entertaining and made the day thoroughly enjoyable.

My favourite place was Sovereign Hill, I love the old ways and our history, my dream was to go to the village, sit in the restaurant, have few people around, watch the people go past in their old style clothes and immerse myself in the history. 

Imagine then when I got there I find all my wishes adhered to and my favourite meal as the special for the day, potato and bacon soup. Oh my, I was in heaven.

The next day was a tour around Melbourne on the free city tram system, I spent hours in the Immigration Museum, went to the docklands district and found Melbourne Goal.  Arriving only one hour before closing time I knew a trip back to the Goal was a must, during my time I stalked the place and visited it four times, did I tell you I love history.

If you can, take a few hours to walk around Melbourne, I loved finding the alley ways which were full of shops, galleries, history and the quaintest restaurants all huddled up side alleys and laneways.  I can assure you the food at these places does not disappoint.

Visiting Puffing Billy was cute, a must for a day of something different, I had scones jam and coffee and visited three or four lovely old towns, again with thanks to AAPT – AAT Kings, the guide was friendly and made the day memorable, you actually feel like you are part of their family on these trips, even if you are on your own, you somehow feel “included”.

Recently I attended a dinner party with some contestants of Master Chef, I was told go to a restaurant and order something you have never eaten before, this was my goal at

Lygon Street

.    Before you even sit down the journey begins, so much fun bantering with the spruikers at the front of each restaurant, “come and eat here”, “I will give you wine”, “we will shout you bread”  

We arrived at one place and the spruiker said “we can offer you knives, forks, a seat under the heater and great food”. No gimmicks and I love I was getting to eat with utensils so I was sold on La Notte Restaurant. 

At this time, Carolyn from Tassie, who was used to the weather and wore the one jumper, had joined me, we ordered wine, she ordered her meal and I said to the waiter… Surprise me!    We discussed my desire; off he went to the kitchen, knowing I wanted anything as long as it had taste and no mussels.  

Three meals ended up on my table after each bite I was making such appreciative noises that the lady at the other table said “Ill have what she’s having”.

Pasta with Chicken, Lamb in red sauce with potatoes, and a slice of pizza, the staff and food was so delightful I visited or should I say stalked that restaurant a few times as well…. Lucky it was in walking distance to the Melbourne Goal.  

If you love history Melbourne Goal is it. I spent hours in their on my own, reading all the storyboards, looking at all the exhibitions and imagining what the prisoners must have felt.  Such an interesting and fascinating place, having worked at Fremantle Prison being a guide on the night and tunnel tours for years I wondered what it would be like being the tourist instead, off I went to a night tour, funny after doing my job for so long I was chuffed to be reminded of the build up and excitement that waiting for the tour can bring.  

Before the tour we were asked if we wanted to use the facilities if so they were at the other end of the building, “oh no” and “in the dark not me ill hold” were the cry’s of some of the patrons, me I walked many nights on my own in Freo Prison, one of the most allegedly haunted sites in Australia, so going through the dark of Melbourne Goal on my own was not an issue for me, or so I thought.

With my little torch I walked straight threw the dark foreboding prison up the stairs, my footsteps moving faster, my heart beating wilder, I was just about to enter the toilets when I stopped, for all along the corridor I could hear someone following me.  Here I was so brave.

Suddenly a hand grabbed my arm and a voice said “are you lost do you know where the toilet is”  … it seems whilst I was brave to go on my own some of the women had followed me… ghosts I think not but a good scare to start with.

The guide, Damien was great, a 45 minute tour where he shared stories of past prisoners, of the gallows, of the flagellators and the whipping post and of course of Melbourne’s most infamous prisoner Ned Kelly. 

After the tour, they turn the lights on and you are able to wander the prison at your own pace, as this was my third visit back and knowing that a guide knows more than what is on the wall, I proceeded to ask Damien and his associate a series of questions.

Such lively discussion followed of which I completely monopolised their time. Bless them they welcome every question and shared in their knowledge of such a beautiful place, yes I do see the beauty in it and shared with me many stories of inmates, the building and its history, I was the last one out, I was hoping they allow me the privilege of being locked in their but apparently I had to commit a crime to do so and don’t think I did not seriously think about doing that.

Mecure Welcome Hotel, Melbourneites, the tour guides, the bus drivers, the concierge, the atmosphere, the food, the clothes, the galleries, the art, the history, the trams everything was fabulous. Going to Melbourne is so cosmopolitan, especially compared to WA.   It is like visiting another country but not needing to exchange your money or get a passport.

Melbourne and Mecure Welcome Hotel most certainly lives up to the name, you are very inviting and welcoming and I can assure you I will be back… after all I need more time at the Melbourne Goal.