One hell of a bay to give away!

Don't like the Ella Bay property development being approved by the Queensland Government?

Want to let Tony Burke know that you would like the Australian Commonwealth Government to reject this inappropriate and undesirable urban development/resort complex?

Cairns and Far North Environment Centre have made it easy to voice your concerns in an email to Commonwealth Environment Minister Tony Burke.

You can even edit the letter and add your personal thoughts regarding this inappropriate property development before hitting the send button if you wish!

Here is the link http://cafnec.org.au/2012/11/help-protect-ella-bay-sign-here/

Are Coconut Palms Native to Australia?

James Cook, Matthew Flinders, Philip King, Owen Stanley, 1770, 1830, 1848, North Queensland, Chinchilla, the Frankland Islands, Russell Island…Names, dates, places it’s all a bit of a mess and at first glance and it all appears to have very little to do with coconuts!
Relax.

I will explain.

I’m about to introduce you to some amazing Australian history that will hopefully have you examining your ideas about the humble coconut palm on our Australian shores but before we begin this story let me make a couple of points clear.

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Morelia spilota cheynei, the stunning Jungle Carpet Python at Ella Bay

There is no doubt that one of the most beautiful snakes you will find in the rainforests of North Queensland is the Jungle Carpet Python Morelia spilota cheynei.

My friend James Epong (a local Ma:mu aboriginal belonging to the Mandubarra clan group) took this photo and got a few good laughs as it bit me once or twice to thank me for moving it off the road.
James and I had been watching over marine turtle nests near the Ella Bay Road on 12 February 2010 and were returning via the same road when I jammed the brakes on and moved this little beauty off the road.

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The Mole Crab Albunea symmysta at Bramston Beach North Queensland

I put in a lot of hours walking beaches for three very sound reasons.

Firstly beaches are relaxing places to walk and wind down, secondly the exercise is good for me and last but not least ...

... you just never know what you will find on a beach and the creature I am about to introduce you to is proof of the pudding.
Well there it is, Albunea symmysta in all its glory, but let’s rewind and start at the beginning as that is always a good place to start a story!

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Cassowary Chicks Lose Their Father…Reports the Innisfail Advocate

Our local paper, The Innisfail Advocate, has published a story about our latest cassowary road death at Mission Beach over the Queens birthday long weekend

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Four Endangered Cassowaries Slaughtered over the Last Seven Months on Mission Beach Roads

That’s right, yet another endangered southern cassowary has been killed on North Queensland roads by a motor car.
So again I find myself sitting at my computer writing about another cassowary road death at Mission Beach, North Queensland.

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Ella Bay Cassowary Family Visit the Beach

Cassowaries often visit the beach at Ella Bay and I have talked about this before in the story Cassowary Scat/Tracks on the Beach in Front of Proposed Ella Bay Resort Complex/Urban Development
Ella Bay cassowaries use the fresh water contained within the natural lagoons that run parallel to the beach.

Of course they also feed from the native fruit trees that grow within this strip of coastal vegetation; native cassowary fruit trees which the proponent’s “Cassowary Assessment of the Ella Bay Integrated Resort Project” untruthfully insists are not present in this area!

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