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Author Topic: Australia by Tibrogargan January 2007 - present and 155216+ views later!  (Read 657577 times)
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Tibrogargan
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« Reply #880 on: January 26, 2010, 12:48:14 AM »

Aussie charity The Grey Man rescues girls from child-smuggling ring

Article from: AAP

January 26, 2010 01:47pm

AN Australian organisation that rescues child sex workers in south-east Asia has cracked its first Cambodian syndicate, saving two girls aged 10 and 14.

The rescue was carried out by the Brisbane-based charity The Grey Man, comprising former Australian special forces soldiers, former police and civilians.

A spokesman said the group's director of operations - a former Sydney policeman who uses only the name Tony to protect his identity - was in Cambodia on a fact-finding tour when a motorbike driver offered to arrange some young girls for him.

"Tony contacted our partner agency International Justice Mission who in turn engaged with the police," the spokesman said.

The motorbike driver took Tony to a hotel late yesterday where a pimp showed him two Vietnamese girls, aged 10 and 14, the spokesman said.

"He (Tony) asked for both girls and on the pretext of going to an ATM to get the $US600 ($665) to pay for them, he briefed police," he said.

Police and an IJM investigator then accompanied The Grey Man director back to the room to arrest the pimp and the motorbike driver.

The girls, who'd been trafficked from Vietnam, have been placed in the care of a British aid agency.

The Grey Man will assist in supporting the children.

It is understood The Grey Man representatives are working with Cambodian police to arrest others involved.

The Grey Man's president, a former special forces soldier who uses the pseudonym John Curtis, said it was the organisation's first official operation in Cambodia, having previously rescued more than 100 children and women in Thailand and Laos.

"Without our intervention these girls would have been tossed onto the street in a few short years with AIDS," he said.

"I commend the Cambodian Police and IJM for their assistance.

"It is particularly apt that on Australia Day, Australians from The Grey Man charity are putting themselves in harm's way to rescue children in south-east Asia."
 
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26637153-954,00.html
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« Reply #881 on: January 27, 2010, 07:59:02 PM »

Thanks Tib 
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« Reply #882 on: April 11, 2010, 06:32:24 AM »

  Hi Muffy and Monkeys  I have been MIA for a while but have been extremely busy and also had my DH on vacation.  Now we are heading into autumn I hope to spend more time finding items you may find interesting.

Starting with the final stages of this young ladies epic voyage.  I remember reading some time ago that she suffers from dyslexia and this is her way of making a statement about overcoming hardships in life.



Jessica Watson sails safely into Australian waters

    * From: The Sunday Mail (Qld)
    * April 11, 2010 12:00AM
 
Jessica Watson's proud parents spot their daughter sailing solo in the ocean

"YOU'RE back!" This was the joyous moment Jessica Watson's parents had prayed for, seeing their ocean-conquering daughter in Australian waters.

Julie and Roger Watson yesterday shared an emotion-charged reunion with the teen sailor off the West Australian coast, flying over her 10m yacht, Ella's Pink Lady, as it sliced through a heaving, ink blue Indian Ocean.

"Welcome to Australia," her ecstatic mum said via satellite phone. "It's pretty cool to be home," the Sunshine Coast 16-year-old replied.

The previous time her parents saw Jessica was during a flight off the South American coast after she rounded Cape Horn in January.

"It's one thing to see her in the middle of the ocean halfway into the trip but it's another thing to see her back home," Mrs Watson said.

However, it's not over yet.

Jessica faces a dramatic final leg to accomplish her goal of becoming the youngest person to sail solo around the world. She next tackles the Great Australian Bight, an area notorious for difficult conditions.

Latest predictions are for strong winds and rough seas tonight.

Jessica is expected to make it back to Sydney in about three weeks – in plenty of time for her 17th birthday on May 18.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/jessica-watson-sails-safely-into-australian-waters/story-e6freon6-1225852209861
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« Reply #883 on: April 11, 2010, 06:40:10 AM »


Sunday 11th 6:30 pm

On top of the World

Full transcript

Reporter: Sonia Kruger Producer: Angus Llewellyn

Tom Smitheringale: I have to risk death everyday just to have a chance. Face polar bears and the ice, the cold - that is the biggest danger of them all that exceeds everything else, that’s a killer.

SONIA KRUGER: It’s not where you’d expect to find an Aussie but here on the frozen sea of Frobisher Bay in Canada, Tom Smitheringale is training in the toughest conditions imaginable. We’re sixteen and a half thousand kilometres from Perth and right now it’s 25 degrees below zero. And in just a couple of days, Tom will be heading that way to the North Pole into temperatures of minus 50 and he’ll be all alone.

SONIA KRUGER: So Tom, why are you doing this?

Tom Smitheringale: This is the final frontier and the pinnacle of human endurance. I have an opportunity to be the first Australian and only the third person on the planet to achieve a milestone like this, so I’m very lucky.

SONIA KRUGER: And why is it important to you to be the first Australian to do it?

Tom Smitheringale: As a kid I’ve always been fascinated by the old black and white photos of polar explorers and the tales of daring do and they continue to fascinate me. I wouldn’t call it an obsession.

SONIA KRUGER: A love.

Tom’s adventure begins months earlier in Perth. Sand instead of snow is helping him build strength for the long months ahead. Tom works as a personal trainer and according to his English mum Jackie, he’s always had big dreams. A year ago he told her he was heading north.

Jackie Smitheringale: Tom and I were having coffee and he simply came out with. He said, what do you think if I were to go to the North Pole? I said, well that’s a new idea.

SONIA KRUGER: And he’s already had an adventurous life. Joining the British army, serving with the Queen’s company. For months on end he’s pulled a makeshift sled through the night when it’s cooler to reduce the risk of losing body fat.

And this, drinking a glass a day of olive oil to keep his weight up.

Tom Smitheringale: I think the weight loss will be extreme. I will lose up to 20 kilos.

SONIA KRUGER: In the 40 degree heat of a summer’s day, he heads to the coldest place in Perth, a dress rehearsal for one of the coldest places on earth.

Weeks ago, Tom left for this….a frontier town called Iqaluit, on the edge of the polar wilderness. Moe than halfway around the world it’s his final training base.

Matty what do you locals here in Iqaluit think of adventurers?

Matty McNair: Basically they have a term for all these crazy people that come up- polar madness.

SONIA KRUGER: Matty McNair has a touch of polar madness. She’s an explorer- an arctic legend who’s twice been to the North Pole by dog sled. But even Matty hasn’t done it single handedly.

We do keep asking Tom why he wants to do this, what are your thoughts?

Matty McNair: I think it was Malorey that I’m quoting and he said if you ask the question, you would not understand the answer.

SONIA KRUGER: But Matty, didn’t Malorey die on Everest?

Matty McNair: Yeah but we’re all gonna die.

SONIA KRUGER: Across this frozen wasteland Matty takes us to see Tom who has spent days and nights getting used to the extreme weather.

Matty McNair: It’s short window of time and it’s extremely cold, the challenges are much greater going to the North Pole than to the South Pole so I think that’s why Tom chose it.

SONIA KRUGER: As Tom prepares to head into the deep freeze, in spirit at least, he’s not alone. His epic journey is being followed every step of the way by Aussie school kids.

Oh, cute all of your skis have been decorated.

Tom Smitheringale: Yeah so these have been done by the girls from MLC.

SONIA KRUGER: Because they’ve asked you some interesting questions haven’t they? What’s the one thing everybody wants to know apart from why are you doing this?

Tom Smitheringale: The one thing everyone wants to know, one of my favourite questions that I get asked by the kids is do you get to win anything? I think that’s a great one.

SONIA KRUGER: Surely a medal or something!

Tom Smitheringale: Yeah but they love talking about what polar bears look like, can I bring one home. When I gave the kids these skis, I gave them the brief that they had to be decorated with things that reminded me of home.

SONIA KRUGER: As night falls, we set-up camp. In his two sleds is everything Tom needs to survive for two months.

Tom Smitheringale: Ok Sonia this is my home for the next 60 days.

SONIA KRUGER: Wow, cozy! What’s al the writing on the wall?

Tom Smitheringale: This is Dr Zeus.

SONIA KRUGER: Is it?

Tom Smitheringale: Yes.

SONIA KRUGER: Which one?

Tom Smitheringale: ‘Oh the places you will go’, it’s about how life is for the living and the day belongs to those who seize it.

SONIA KRUGER: At night, the temperature drops another 10 degrees. The heat from the camp stove warms the tent. Dinner is freeze-dried beef stroganoff.

That’s good. Here you have some, you need it. I guess what follows naturally after that is that you have to go to the bathroom after that, we haven’t spoken about it. So how do you do that?

Tom Smitheringale: You know that pot we cooked with? That has a dual purpose.

SONIA KRUGER: Don’t, don’t even joke about it!

Tom’s training is brutal, it has to be. The terrain is constantly shifting.

Matty McNair: In the North Pole there’s no land up there. You’re travelling on pack ice, this is ice that’s moving and shifting all the time. In fact it’s a bit of a race between the time the lake first hits northern Canada when the plates can bring us in, to the time that the ice is breaking up all around you and the plates can’t get you out.

Tom Smitheringale: Many people have attempted this and have been unsuccessful. People crack or they die.

SONIA KRUGER: And only two people have made it.

Tom Smitheringale: In the history of polar exploration, that’s correct.

SONIA KRUGER: Those odds are pretty….

Tom Smitheringale: Slim. Yeah I like those odds.

SONIA KRUGER: You like those odds?

Tom Smitheringale: Yeah. I think for me fear is a great motivator. I need to be afraid, I need to be intimidated. Nobody gives their best effort if they’re not asked for it and nothing challenges more than the fear of death.

SONIA KRUGER: And one of the biggest challenges will be crossing the parts of the Pole where the ice has cracked.

When there’s no way around, Tom will have to swim for it.

Can you imagine how cold that would be? He could have to do this up to ten times a day. The closer he gets to the North Pole the greater the likelihood he’s going to do this every day, ten times a day.

Is there ever any danger Tom that the sled could fill up with water and drag you down?

Tom Smitheringale: If the sled is tipped over, that’s a possibility but the sled is very buoyant.

SONIA KRUGER: And if they did fill up with water?

Tom Smitheringale: Then it’s curtains, that’s the end of the expedition.

SONIA KRUGER: What are the odds of Tom making it?

Matty McNair: His chances- maybe 50/50.

SONIA KRUGER: As others have found before, the polar ice is not the only killer. There are also polar bears. Tom is carrying a gun to frighten them off, that’s if he sees them first.

Polar bears, we need to talk about them. Can they really smell you?

Tom Smitheringale: Yeah of course. They have a very acute sense of smell so they can probably smell me up to two kilometers away.

SONIA KRUGER: I’m be scared right now about my eyelashes snapping off because you’ve got icicles all over your eyelashes.

Tom Smitheringale: Is it a good look? Well I can feel them when I’m on the ice because you blink and your eyes don’t open and that’s when you know they’re there.

SONIA KRUGER: They actually stick together.

Tom Smitheringale: Yeah they stick shut so.

SONIA KRUGER: And in your nose, you’ve got a few nostril icicles!

Tom Smitheringale: Oh really? Thanks for pointing that out.

SONIA KRUGER: And so into the wild Tom goes. Two months on ice- pain and danger await and so does the moment when he can stand alone on top of the world.

Tom Smitheringale: Giving up is not living, giving up is death.

SONIA KRUGER: With all the things that we’ve talked about- polar bears, ice, how would you least like to die?

Tom Smitheringale: How would I least like to die? That’s a good question. In a dressing gown in a reclined chair with the blinds pulled, that’s how I’d least like to die.

SONIA KRUGER: So better to go as an adventurer.

Tom Smitheringale: Absolutely.

http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunday-night/investigator/article/-/article/6911344/on-top-of-the-world-full-transcript/


More on Tom's adventure with updates at this site :

http://www.onemanepic.com/
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« Reply #884 on: April 12, 2010, 09:36:25 AM »

Hi Tib, it's good to see you again    When you posted you were "heading into fall", I had to glance back up at your posting date again to be sure LOL  I knew it had been a while since we'd heard from you, but I didn't think it had been all that long.  Then I realized again since you're down under, I guess it would be the start of fall for you, and it's the start of summer for us.    

Thanks for the updates and hope to hear from you again soon.   
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« Reply #885 on: April 28, 2010, 02:15:41 AM »

lol Muffy - yes we are upside down here.  We are well into autumn (fall) with winter right ahead. We can expect snow on our highlands but we do not get completely snow covered like some of your northern states, even this far south.  I guess being surrounded by ocean also helps moderate our land temperatures.  But the wind that blows up from Antarctica can get very cold.  Already looking forward to Spring which is a lovely time of year here.   


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« Reply #886 on: April 28, 2010, 02:17:59 AM »

Monster waves smash Jessica Watson

The Mercury

April 28, 2010 3:44pm

WAVES the size of four-storey buildings are belting solo-sailor Jessica Watson off Tasmania.

A trio of low pressure systems off Tasmania threaten her record bid, The Mercury reports.

Home waters have offered little comfort to the 16-year-old, serving up seas that she described as the worst she had encountered on her journey.

The wild weather has forced the teen to sail off course, seeking shelter in northern waters from the harrowing winds and swell.

The detour will add several extra days to Jessica's bid to become the youngest person to sail solo and unassisted around the globe, which she was expected to complete by her 17th birthday on May 18.

While she has been forced off a southern course, Jessica remains committed to sailing around Tasmania to avoid the treacherous Bass Strait.

Jessica's land team said her safety, not the record, came first.

They expect Jessica to head south by the end of the week, when the brunt of the gale force winds are expected to have passed.

In her last blog entry, on April 24, Jessica said she was being extra conservative because of the waves, sailing only with her storm jib up.

"The big seas were from a nasty low pressure system passing to the south and although we missed most of its wind, we sure copped some big seas," she wrote.

"Probably the biggest I've seen so far, the sea during that storm in the Atlantic was nastier though because it was steeper and more closely spaced.

"These swells were 10-metre liquid mountains, rolling past with tumbling white tops.

Ella's Pink Lady was handling it all beautifully though and when we were knocked down just after it got light this morning; I'd actually started relaxing because the wind and sea had already started easing."
 
http://tools.themercury.com.au/stories/41727651-national-news.php
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« Reply #887 on: April 28, 2010, 02:26:13 AM »

You have to wonder how much money it cost to have these Kiwi so-called experts confirm what any good dog owner could tell them.

NZ study finds dogs really do care

    * From: AAP
    * April 27, 2010 2:52PM

OUR canine companions can understand human emotions, a New Zealand study has found.

Researchers at the University of Otago, in the South Island, put 90 Dunedin dogs through their paces - showing some recorded images of babies laughing, crying and babbling and giving others verbal instructions from human's displaying happy or stern expressions.

Associate Professor Ted Ruffman said the dogs' responses indicated they could tell the difference between a happy and an angry person and a laugh from a cry.

"We know dogs are very good at picking up human gestures," Prof Ruffman told the Otago Daily Times.

"And it seems they are very good at picking up on human emotions, too."

He said dogs who saw the crying baby searched behind the television screen to "find" the baby, cocked their head and expressed concern.

The aim of the study was to discover if dogs have a natural empathetic response to human emotion or if their reaction is based on positive reinforcements.
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« Reply #888 on: April 28, 2010, 02:30:22 AM »

oops - I got so carried away with that item I forgot the link.  Sorry, Muffy....


http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/nz-study-finds-dogs-really-do-care/story-e6freon6-1225858893444
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« Reply #889 on: April 30, 2010, 08:53:02 AM »

Jessica Watson's rough ride continues

    * Jason Tin
    * From: The Courier-Mail
    * April 30, 2010 6:27PM

IT'S been a tough week for Jessica Watson but she won't be getting the break she's hoping for.

Weather guru Roger Badham said after "another torrid week", Jessica was set to battle more rough conditions at sea.

"There's still more bad weather in store for her over the next seven days," he said.

"She has attempted to minimise the gale-force winds and big seas and swells by keeping further to the north than originally planned – and has ended up not far to the west of Bass Strait."

Mr Badham said the northern push had made it more difficult for Jessica to round Tasmania before heading north to Sydney as more gale-force winds were forecast for this weekend and beyond.

"She can either wait up near western Victoria for a reasonable window to drop down around Tasmania, or surrender to the weather and simply sail through Bass Strait and miss Tasmania altogether."

Jessica would have encountered strengthening northwest winds for most of the day yesterday due to an approaching cold front, according to Mr Badham.

He said Friday night would have seen an average of 30-40 knot winds ahead of the front and forecast west and west-southwest winds on Saturday at 25-35 knots.

"Seas and swell waves will again be big and nasty, up to 5-7 (metres) high," he said.

Blogging on Thursday, Jessica said she had been trying to re-energise for the big push ahead. "I've been catching up on a bit of sleep today, re-charging my batteries while I can," she said.

She was also a little nervous about the bad weather forecast over the next week.

"The bad news is that there's more rubbish weather headed our way," she said in her blog.

"I'm just going to have to toughen up some more and deal with it."

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/features/jessica-watsons-rough-ride-continues/story-fn3ohhvf-1225860781677
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« Reply #890 on: May 02, 2010, 11:46:33 AM »

Hi Tib    It's great to hear from you again, and thank you for bringing the news from Down Under.   
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« Reply #891 on: May 05, 2010, 05:03:08 AM »

Solo sailor Jessica Watson 'won't beat' Jesse Martin's around-the-world record

    * By Kate Rose
    * From: Herald Sun
    * May 05, 2010 11:14AM

JESSICA Watson's team has slammed accusations she won't technically have sailed around the world, calling it "tall poppy syndrome".

Doubts have been raised this morning about the 16-year-old's solo circumnavigation attempt, with suggestions she has not sailed far enough or high enough to take Jesse Martin's title.

But Jessica's spokesman Andrew Fraser said the World Speed Sailing Record Council didn't recognise records held by people aged under 18, so the point was moot and yet another case of Australians lashing out at success stories.

"There's been nothing misleading from us, everything's been on the website from day one," he said on 3AW.

"Everything we said she's going to do she's done.

"I don't think anything will detract from the achievement."

The comments were in response to a piece on Sail-world.com - Nancy Knudsen wrote that Jessica just has not covered the distance needed to hold the record.

"When Jessica Watson sails into Sydney Harbour next weekend, she will have survived a bruising voyage with bravery and skill, and be on her way to fame and fortune, but she will not have taken Jesse Martin's non-stop unassisted round-world record from him," she said.

To qualify for official "around the world" status, a sailor has to cover 21,600 nautical miles, but those are based on point-to-point distances, not the actual distance travelled by the boat.

The Sail-world.com editor told radio station 3AW that Jessica's achievement when she arrives in Sydney on May 16 will still be extraordinary, but will not qualify for official status.

"The way it works with world records is there's generally a body that defines the route, or the track. If you sail around Australia, the requirement is you sail outside the Great Barrier Reef.

"For forty odd years there's been the peak sailing body's speed record division and that speed record division defined the trip around the world you have to sail 21,600 nautical miles, and you have to do other things, and that's the rules.

"According to the World Speed Sailing Record Council, her track doesn't meet the minimum requirements.

"She didn't go far enough into the northern hemisphere, she just jinked above the equator in the middle of the pacific and she actually needed to go up about another 1500km to make the total distance OK, to be in the same ballpark."

But Mr Fraser claims Jessica will have covered 23,000 nautical miles by the time she reaches Sydney, and crossed far enough into the northern hemisphere to have qualified for the title of youngest solo circumnavigator.

The World Speed Sailing Record Council - the offical record body of the peak body for World Sailing - defines an around-the-world journey thus:

"To sail around the World, a vessel must start from and return to the same point, must cross all meridians of longitude and must cross the Equator. It may cross some but not all meridians more than once."

Jessica hopes to complete her dream of sailing round the world, solo and unassisted, on May 16 - two days shy of her 17th birthday.

http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/solo-sailor-jessica-watson-wont-beat-jesse-martins-around-the-world-record/story-e6frfq80-1225862482050?from=public_rss
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« Reply #892 on: May 05, 2010, 05:12:30 AM »

Jessica Watson now into home stretch after rounding Tasmania

    * Amanda Lulham
    * From: The Courier-Mail
    * May 04, 2010 12:00AM

SHE'S 16 years old and she hasn't laid eyes on another human being in more than six months.

So, 22,200 solitary nautical miles later, Sunshine Coast teen Jessica Watson's smile and wave told of her delight as she was photographed after just rounding the tip of southern Tasmania.

Yesterday via satellite phone, Jessica said she was close enough to see the pilot and photographer in the helicopter that has come the nearest of all spectators to her little boat.

It was 30 nautical miles from shore and visibility was limited by driving rain and rough seas.

"I could see a big camera lens pointed at me," Jessica said after racing on deck to wave to the helicopter yesterday. "It was quite cool – the first people I have seen for more than six months now."

In the past month the teenage solo sailor has triumphed over the worst that the notoriously dangerous waters surrounding Australia can throw at her.

Her boat has been knocked flat on its side three times in a fortnight and the storms and monster 12m waves presented dire dangers.

But she has coped with an ongoing optimism, dealing with her obstacles first and reflecting on her achievements later.

The teen admits now the trip through the Southern Ocean was a "struggle". "To be honest, I only woke up this morning and started thinking about it all," she said.

"I think the worst of it is always the waiting. You hear a bad forecast and you don't know how bad it is.

"Once you are in the thick of it you just deal with it.

"After it's over you actually get a bit of a kick out of getting through the storm."

Of rounding Tasmania – and having only the length of a Sydney to Hobart race to get through before sailing into Sydney Heads – she feels pride.

"It was pretty special. I didn't think it would be a big deal but when we got there (Tasmania), I thought, 'Wow, I have finally done it'," she said.

Jessica hopes to complete her dream of sailing around the world, non-stop and unassisted, on May 16 – two days shy of her 17th birthday.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/features/jessica-watson-now-into-home-stretch-after-rounding-tasmania/story-fn3ohhvf-1225861769583


http://www.jessicawatson.com.au/the-latest-news


.
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« Reply #893 on: May 06, 2010, 07:49:24 AM »

The Icehouse

About Us

The Icehouse is Australia’s new, world-class ice sports and entertainment venue.

The venue contains two Olympic sized ice rinks, state-of-the-art sound and light systems, stadium seating for up to 1,000 people, specialist winter sports gym and a café, bar and function rooms.

This exciting new development offers something fun for everyone, young or old – whether you’re an ice skating enthusiast or a beginner.

With the best ice in Australia and home some of the biggest events on the ice skating calendar, the Icehouse is the national centre of excellence for ice skating within Australia, and is dedicated to providing a fantastic experience for all its guests.

Conveniently located in the heart of Melbourne’s Waterfront City at Docklands, the Icehouse is easily accessible by car and public transport.


History

The Icehouse has been a long time in the making, with more than ten years of planning behind the complex as it stands today.

Ice Sports Australia (ISA) is the original company behind the development of this world-class facility. ISA founder, Andrew Shelton has worked closely with ING Real Estate Development Australia (ING) to deliver the project.

Shelton formed ISA in 1997 to promote the development of an international standard ice sports facility for Melbourne in response to the lack of facilities available at the time. Shelton thought that Melbournians would embrace ice skating and the four ice sports if they were properly presented in a world-class facility.

Drawing on international examples, ISA developed a concept for a world-class training and competition facility for elite athletes, which would also be a high quality venue for public recreational skating. The inclusion of two Olympic size rinks meant that ice sports and recreational skating could both be flexibly catered for.

These activities were to be supported by facilities such as a café, bar, gymnasium, specialist sports medicine clinic, and a 1,000 seat spectator grandstand, allowing hosting of top-level competitions and, potentially, world–championship events. This has been acheived with the Icehouse.

VicUrban, the development authority for Docklands, supported the idea of an ice sports centre and worked with ISA to identify a suitable site.

After extensive evaluation by the Government, and a formal competitive process, ISA secured a $10 million contribution towards the project from the Victorian Government. ING agreed to develop the $58 million project as part of the development of the Waterfront City precinct.

The Olympic Winter Institute of Australia (OWIA), which is an official Olympic Training Centre, agreed to relocate its programs and administration to the Icehouse, ensuring the Icehouse’s position as the national centre for ice sports in Australia.

Geoff Henke, the Chairman of the OWIA and a former Vice President of the Australian Olympic Committee, was a key supporter throughout the long journey, sharing a vision for a world-class ice sports centre for Melbourne. He was instrumental in assisting ISA to obtain government contribution.

An outstanding and dedicated team of consultants has worked on this project, in many cases for more than 10 years.

The Icehouse was designed by Melbourne based Cox Architects in collaboration with Canadian ice-sports specialist architects, Brisbin Brook Beynon, and international engineers ARUP.

http://www.icehouse.com.au/
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....And at night the wond’rous glory of the everlasting stars..  A.B (Banjo) Paterson
Mere
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« Reply #894 on: May 06, 2010, 09:21:37 AM »

Thanks Tib.....love your articles....they expand our world.   
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« Reply #895 on: May 11, 2010, 09:35:49 PM »

Hi Tib, 

Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy reading your posts.  I'm looking forward to Jessica's arrival this weekend, and hope you will share a good article about it.

Thanks.   

Chi-M
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« Reply #896 on: May 13, 2010, 05:55:15 AM »

Thanks Tib.....love your articles....they expand our world.   


Thank you Mere.  I enjoy sharing with my monkey friends   
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« Reply #897 on: May 13, 2010, 06:08:48 AM »

Hi Tib, 

Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy reading your posts.  I'm looking forward to Jessica's arrival this weekend, and hope you will share a good article about it.

Thanks.   

Chi-M

Chi-M thank you for those kind words and I am so glad you enjoy spending time in this thread.  I do love hearing from the monkeys with their comments and any requests for items about their favourite subjects.

I am looking forward to watching Jessica arrive in Sydney Harbour on TV.  There will be many there to greet her and it is such a beautiful setting.  The telecast begins about 11 am Saturday (our time) which I think will be 9 pm Friday your EDT.

The local folk from her home town on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, which is about 16 hours driving or 700 land miles north of Sydney, are also planning a welcome for her.  I wonder how she will adapt back to day to day life. 

I will update here with stories and hopefully pictures as they become available.
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« Reply #898 on: May 13, 2010, 06:11:58 AM »

Jess and soulmate to meet in Sydney

    * Amanda Lulham and Lucy Carne
    * From: Sunday Herald Sun
    * May 09, 2010 12:00AM

SHE left as a knockabout teenager and will return a celebrity but Jessica Watson has revealed she just wants to enjoy the party when she sails into Sydney Harbour next Saturday.

Watson said she was excited by the prospect of finally stepping on to solid land for the first time in seven months - and into the arms of family and friends.

There is one friend who has proved invaluable during her  epic journey - Mike Perham, the 18-year-old sailor who holds the record for the youngest person to sail around the globe assisted.

From his home in Hertfordshire, north of London, Perham has been in weekly contact by phone with Watson as she sailed the seas. He said: "I'm just one of her friends and we chat.

"When you're out there sailing across the ocean, you don't want to get the same questions: how's the weather and what did you have for dinner?

"You want to know what's happening on land.

"We talk about anything and everything non-related to sailing. We've had some really great conversations."

Perham, who will arrive in Australia this week, spent a week living with Watson and her family at Mooloolaba, on the Sunshine Coast, before she set off on her voyage last October.

"We just spent time together talking about things before she left ... sailing is a tight-knit little community," he said.

After seeing her off, Perham said he was in talks with Watson's parents to be one of the first people to sail out and escort her into Sydney Harbour.

"It would be really good to see her and speak to her in person again," he said.

"When I came into the UK, the first thing I saw were lines and lines of people waiting for me.

"I remember being so overwhelmed and happy and I was worried about hitting a boat.

"But it was one of the best days of my life."

At the age of 17, Perham set the world record for the youngest person to sail assisted around the world.

He had set off to sail without stops but boat troubles forced him to land briefly.

The recent refusal to acknowledge Jessica's world record was a moot point, he said.

"There are lots of question about whether it will be ratified, but in my eyes she's definitely gone around the world and she's 16," he said.

"Everyone should be really proud of what she has achieved.

"On trips like this there has been a huge unknown, but she's looked after her boat and looked after herself.

"I'm chuffed for her."

While she may be out at sea and well out of sight of land, Watson made sure her No.1 fan, mother Julie, was remembered on Mother's Day.

She contacted a friend to organise a gift of chocolates to be delivered to Mrs Watson at her home this morning.

Watson has rounded the southern tip of Tasmania and is due to sail into Sydney Harbour on Saturday.

Channel 10 and One HD will broadcast her arrival between 11am and 2pm.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/jess-and-soulmate-to-meet-in-sydney/story-e6frf7l6-1225864043770

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« Reply #899 on: May 13, 2010, 06:16:10 AM »

Worries over Watson's legacy

NICOLE SOSNOWSKI
May 13, 2010 - 6:06AM

There are fears "Jessica says" may become the new "Simon says" for teenage adventurers, as round-the-world solo sailor Jessica Watson prepares to arrive in Sydney this weekend.

While the young sailor has captured the imagination of the Australian public, several critics who spoke out against her adventure when she disembarked have maintained their disapproval.

Leading Child and Adolescent Psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg believes her decision to travel could set a bad example by encouraging teenagers to put themselves in harm's way.

"I worry this may encourage even younger children to emulate her feat ... and I do not believe that the average teenager has the cognitive or emotional maturity to embark on such an adventure," he said.

In October, Dr Carr-Gregg said he didn't think the 16-year-old had "sufficient maturity" to do such a trip, and that he didn't "care how skilled she is".

A few days before her scheduled weekend finish and Dr Carr-Gregg was singing the same tune.

"Her achievement is without doubt truly remarkable and I offer her and her family my warm congratulations, however I still maintain that her epic adventure does have a down side," he said.

But nearing the eve of her return, many other vocal critics seemed to have lost their voices.

Last year, Barry Tyler of Pacific Motor Yacht magazine wrote: "Like the majority of the seafaring world I consider it irresponsible, cavalier and indeed ignorant to attempt such a feat, at such a tender age and with so little trans-ocean experience".

Similarly, social commentator Karen Brooks said: "Whether she succeeds or not, I'll say it: Jessica is too young to embark on this great adventure. The world's not going anywhere. The journey to adulthood should be enough for now".

In the lead-up to Jessica's return to Australian shores, neither was willing to offer brisbanetimes.com.au a comment.

But Deputy Premier Paul Lucas, another critic who last year suggested Jessica should have abandoned her attempt, last week stuck by his guns.

"I am delighted that it would appear that Jessica is almost home, but look I haven't changed my view on the wisdom of young people doing it," Mr Lucas said.

Jessica is scheduled to sail into Sydney Harbour on Saturday.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/worries-over-watsons-legacy-20100512-uxu7.html
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