Mulga Bill Visits Wagga Wagga

If you were to utilise Google Earth and look down on the intersection of Blamey and Heath St, Wagga Wagga, you will see the old surveyors got their plans drastically wrong. Not that i can attribute my near miss to their error rather its an effort to set the scene. Blamey St has a slight dogleg, a traffic islands has been installed to help traffic negotiate this surveying anomaly

I live futher up on a hill on Mitchelmore Street. When I arrived in wagga 2 months ago, I bought a new bike from Big W. Made in China , light framed, hard wheeled, 21 gear, racing bike. Cheap bit of rubbish that I ride carefully around the streets trying to avoid any sharps or culverts. The gear shift is very flimsy and awkward to manage. I commence my ride from the street, point the bike down hill , hit high gear and power off . I was up to full speed as fast as i could peddle as approached the intersection . The road was wet from the recent rain and I was starting to feel water flicked off the front wheel on my face and up my back.

At the intersection I looked to the right right, all clear . I then my gaze to the left and to my horror I spotted a white toyota coming fast. I moved quickly towards my brakes and applied pressure. Nothing seemed to respond, my forward momentum was not slowed one iota. Decision time, do or die . Two options flicked into my mind .. . slow and hit the vehicle or power up and hope I just may get through.

The second option seemed to take effect automatically . The ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ of car tyres on wet tar seal met my ears as I powered towards my escape route . I allowed my peripheral vision to check the cars progress as I kept my focus on my objective. The white bonnet and bumper bar loomed closer and slipped just past my back wheel . The car horn sounded as if to say " You Bastard, I had the right away"

I raised my right hand in salute to the driver and continued at full speed on my way down the hill towards work . I expected him or her , ( I never did see the whites of the drivers eyes ) to come round the block and engage in dialogue.

MULGA BILL'S BICYCLE by A.B. "Banjo" Paterson

'Twas Mulga Bill, from Eaglehawk, that caught the cycling craze;
He turned away the good old horse that served him many days;
He dressed himself in cycling clothes, resplendent to be seen;
He hurried off to town and bought a shining new machine;
And as he wheeled it through the door, with air of lordly pride,
The grinning shop assistant said, "Excuse me, can you ride?"


"See here, young man," said Mulga Bill, "from Walgett to the sea,
From Conroy's Gap to Castlereagh, there's none can ride like me.
I'm good all round at everything as everybody knows,
Although I'm not the one to talk - I hate a man that blows.
But riding is my special gift, my chiefest, sole delight;
Just ask a wild duck can it swim, a wildcat can it fight.
There's nothing clothed in hair or hide, or built of flesh or steel,
There's nothing walks or jumps, or runs, on axle, hoof, or wheel,
But what I'll sit, while hide will hold and girths and straps are tight:
I'll ride this here two-wheeled concern right straight away at sight."


'Twas Mulga Bill, from Eaglehawk, that sought his own abode,
That perched above Dead Man's Creek, beside the mountain road.
He turned the cycle down the hill and mounted for the fray,
But 'ere he'd gone a dozen yards it bolted clean away.
It left the track, and through the trees, just like a silver steak,
It whistled down the awful slope towards the Dead Man's Creek.


It shaved a stump by half an inch, it dodged a big white-box:
The very wallaroos in fright went scrambling up the rocks,
The wombats hiding in their caves dug deeper underground,
As Mulga Bill, as white as chalk, sat tight to every bound.
It struck a stone and gave a spring that cleared a fallen tree,
It raced beside a precipice as close as close could be;
And then as Mulga Bill let out one last despairing shriek
It made a leap of twenty feet into the Dean Man's Creek.


'Twas Mulga Bill, from Eaglehawk, that slowly swam ashore:
He said, "I've had some narrer shaves and lively rides before;
I've rode a wild bull round a yard to win a five-pound bet,
But this was the most awful ride that I've encountered yet.
I'll give that two-wheeled outlaw best; it's shaken all my nerve
To feel it whistle through the air and plunge and buck and swerve.
It's safe at rest in Dead Man's Creek, we'll leave it lying still;
A horse's back is good enough henceforth for Mulga Bill."

Africa Trip PART 1 Nov 08

Trip to Africa with my brother Keith and daughter Rachel

From Christchurch it was a 3 hr flight across to Sydney. We were excited as this was the shake down flight for the 14 hrs from Sydney to Johannesburg South Africa. I'm a map reader and had expected to fly across Aussie exiting somewhere over Perth and was a touch confused when in in flight video screen showed our path exiting Aussie to the south over Tasmania . We settled into the flight with a solid meal and made ourselves as comfortable as you can in the confines of cattle class. 7 hrs into the flight i looked out the window and seen ice burgs floating in the sea. My first thoughts were 'I'm on the wrong flight'. On checking the video screen i could reconcile that the shortest line between the two cites is to dip way south taking in the spectacular sights if floating ice

Our destination was Malawi . Why? Well Rachel, my daughter, had spent 7 mths there back in 2004. She had traveled the National Parks of Malawi and was familiar with the culture . She spoke very highly of the country and the network of friends she had developed in the country. Keith my brother had the idea that he would like to see the wild animals of Africa, I love to travel so the seeds of out Safari were born.

Our friends in Malawi has arranged a 'Personal Guide' to help easy our passage in Malawi. Unfortunately he had met with an accident and scaled him self with boiling oil . It was too risky to go traveling with fresh burns . Rachel had the confidence and we decided to venture out into Africa on our own. Our base was Dougals Hostel in Blantyre. A Chalet out the back, a Pool out front and a bar in between . A great place to get over Jet lag.

Blantyre kept us amused for the first few days . Markets , Transport , meeting old friends , relaxing and planning our Northward adventure. The Bus station for the north is nearby. This gave us a false sense of security. Honking and Blaring of the Horns indicated that the Bus was near full and departure was imminent . We strolled over at 0700 only to be told the Bus had gone and no more until tomorrow . This seemed to be bullshit as there was an array of buses with Monkey bay displayed inside the screen . I approached the blokes standing around the Bus who reassured that the bus would be going to our desired destination but had to wait until sufficient numbers were on board before it took off . So began our wait .

Two hours latter our decrepit bus lurched off, The Clutch was stuffed , the battery stuffed the seats stuffed the whole bus was stuffed . I'm sure it had done in excess of a million miles even before being pensioned off to operate in Malawi. Stop overs at the main centres seemed to be an integral part of the Business plan . New Customers were sought . Thios bus line mopped up after the main bus companies had passed through. Livestock i.e Goats and and poultry were common sights in the seats around us . Lounge suits tied to the roof and traders attempting to sell their wares through the windows of the bus to sweltering passengers

Lewis Tuck Playing with the rainbow

Lewis Tuck playing in the Sky

I asked my nephew Lewis Tuck to elaborate on this photo

Well it is me working for Prism Helicopters, a company based out of Pitt Meadows BC, Canada.

We worked all over Canada and Alaska. This particular job was an on going contract for Logan Resources, drilling for gold in the mountains 6000ft above the Yukon river a bit south of the Arctic Circle and slightly north of Dawson City.

The land of the mid night sun, this was late in the evening after a thunder storm had come through . The rainbows had come out spectacularly in the post rain atmosphere.

Another Pilot, who I was relieving, LEGEND Johnny Harrie snapped the picture at the right moment just when I was coming into hook up a load

20th July 07 . Regards Lew....

I wonder what will happen next !!

Hereford Calves, Wagga Wagga, NSW

On Rushdon Farm there is a small herd of Herefords . The farm has been de-stocked over the last year due to the drought. The breeding herd of Herefords have done it hard during the drought and now have turned the corner and putting on weight with new spring growth. They are filling out and ready to calf . Calving has started, the few early calves relish their new environment running around the edge of the dam and sprinting to and from their mothers .

It surprised me how well mother can hide the newborn calves . Her furtive glance across the paddock in the general direction of where she has deposited the calf is the give away. Once we moved towards the hidden calf she would come in hot pursuit.

Cows that are due to calf give several signs of pending birth that are watched out for. Some isolate away from the herd, a definite give away, the udder bulks up,the vulva swells and the tail often hangs out from the body. When the birth is imminent, a pre birth bag filled with amniotic dangles and flaps about from the rear end. Three of the Herefords exhibited these signs during our inspection . Given the cows were 'Proven Breeders' ie have had several calves there was little need to check on their well being until the next day.

The Heifers require extra vigilance. They are generally smaller in statue and there is a higher risk of birthing difficulty. Farmers keep these young breeders seperate as they need to keep a close eye on these animals and are often required to assist. When birthing it is important to ensure the head and feet of the calf is in the correct position. The best position is head first with feet up near the head . Sometimes the head will be back too far or the legs are back. Internal manipulations is required to facilitate the birth. Calving ropes are put onto the calf's legs and gradually pulled with each labour to assist the birth.

Vets are generally called in for more difficult births they may opt for a Cesarean Section to extricate the calf. The Cows generally heal well and can go on to have many more calves into the future having had a C Section

I wonder what will happen Next !!