[BITList] More on Gympie

[Tom Gardiner]

Salaams Fred , John D and others readers
 

I find the sneering about ten pound Poms hard to understand .
I have had my fares paid by companies so I could work in certain places .
In principle what is the difference .
However the winging Pom is another  matter .
These cannot accept they have left one culture and live in another.
Nothing suits and  they won't let life be pleasant  or try to adapt .
Their equivalent were the same in Canada .

Nicely surprised to see your research into Gympie.
We are east of A1  . The byepass will be built about a Klm west  of our  
house near the rail line.
Not that it is a problem because  we will both be dead before it starts.
The southern sections are  to be built first .
If you used google earth to see Gympie you can zoom closer and find us .
Locate Tamaree road  ,  post code 4570 , and follow it to a T intersection .
Our 5 acre block it at the T    North Deep Creek road
If you reach Old Maryborough road you went the wrong way .

Gympie Gympie leaves act like nettles .
When I used " up there " I was using the convention of up meaning north 
of Brisbane
not as in reaching a higher elevation.

Our climate is controlled by different factors than northern Europe
Sea water temperatures is one major factor , our weather readers are 
always quoting
some Index and getting happy if it stays above a certain level.
Having told you that I shall have to open my ears next time and remember 
the name .
Back of my mind says general southern oscillation index
Sounds like a random collection of buzz words <grin>


It is hard to generalise about Drought . We had a bad  water shortage in 
late 1980''s.
I managed to keep the plants alive  with about a third of a litre a day  
each but had little produce .
As soon as the air dampened  out popped the shoots. .
I applied  hydroponic techniques which allows close control of water and 
nutrition .
The major  drought does not affect us locally , Rain shortage affects 
the cities water supply .
Those city people have no idea of conserving water . We handle 6 people 
with water collected from our roof .
We ran the greenhouses with rain run off collected on ponds
Strangely called dams  here in Oz.
Must confess I did "borrow" water from the creek during that bad spell I 
mentioned

Pineapples have much ground cover which helps retain moisture .
The broad acre farming relies on contour irrigation to spread the water .

The only money in broad acre farming here is with specialised crops .
Pineapples are one if one has the allocation from the cannery . Only 
when the government haven't allowed imports as a political favour along 
with a cash disbursement  to whichever country .
Sugar cane was viable until a certain UK company bought the local mill 
and stripped all assets . If the farmer had no shares then he had 
nothing but  land  suited to only one crop. Transport cost to the next 
mill are not economic .
Ginger is another good crop but again relies on buying a contract . 
Small acreage farmers  gain by selling outside the contract when the big 
ones can't supply .
Market garden produce are viable with more small growers selling at  
local outlets .
I buy my veg at a local petrol station. or travel 45 minutes to  market 
stalls
 Produce quality in the chain stores is un believable . Some good some 
not .
One has contracts which stipulate top quality but are written to force 
the grower to ship unripe and late picked stuff.

Reckon I should end this and get it away .

TTFN
Tom

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