By Phil Jarratt
When you read this I will have just completed one of the great train journeys of the world, on the luxurious Indian Pacific from Perth to Sydney, a three-and-a-half day marathon across the harsh country of the western wheatfields and the Nullabor Plain. But right now I’m in a hotel in Perth, about to board in an hour.
Not that I’ll be doing it tough, as I have on previous journeys across this stark landscape. I’ll be watching it roll by from the air-conditioned lounge of Australia’s best tourist train, in between gourmet meals paired with the wine of the land. But none of this has happened yet, so we’ll get back to the future next week.
For now let’s focus on current realities, which include (as I write) the strong likelihood that Sandy Bolton will become the independent member for Noosa. While I couldn’t support Sandy for mayor against Tony Wellington, her campaign then, and now, showed a lot of common sense and a feisty spirit with Noosa’s best interests at heart. She’s a can-do gal and I’m sure she’ll make a great representative for us, with considerable clout on the cross benches in a precarious parliament.
Regardless of your political persuasion, I think it’s important to recognize the contributions of a good local member, some one who walks the walk while talking the talk. And in my experience Glen Elmes was just that, a good man who worked tirelessly for his community and with distinction as a minister. I don’t know if he’ll draw the curtains on politics, maybe a reprise of his great career in radio beckons? But whatever is next, Glen, thanks for your support and for your hard work over many years.
Go Sally, go!
The women’s world title decider is on this week at Honolua Bay on Maui, and as much as I’m a huge Tyler Wright fan, I’m hoping this is Sally Fitzgibbons’ year. Sal’s been such a great ambassador for women’s surfing, and is such a great competitor that it feel like it’s got to be her time.
But in order to win, she has to perform really well and hope that Courtney Conlogue and Tyler Wright can be held at bay. Sally comes into the event in first place on the Jeep Leaderboard after a season of consistently good results, reaching the quarterfinals or better at every event and winning the second stop on tour, the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro. The 26-year-old started her CT career with three straight runner-up finishes (2010, 2011, 2012) and is chasing down her maiden WSL title. Sally has made the final once in Maui in 2015 and needs a win this year to be sure of clinching the title.
She said pre-event: “I’m feeling super comfortable right now with the Jeep Leader Jersey on my back,” Fitzgibbons said. “Whatever the result, it’s a great feeling to know that I put myself in this position by elevating my surfing. To have the title on the line here and be in the company of these contenders is a humbling and amazing experience. Whoever wins will be really deserving.”
Summer ice cream disaster averted
With summer arriving tomorrow, it is with great relief that I can report here that we seem to have avoided the catastrophic consequences of a summer-long boycott of Street’s Ice Cream. You heard me right. No Magnums, no Gaytimes, no Paddle Pops! That was the very real threat as the AMWU threatened a national ban at the Sydney Street’s plant unless their current enterprise agreement with multi-national Unilever (which owns Street’s) was extended.
Fortunately, common sense prevailed and the ban was lifted.
I take this very personally, since I grew up within earshot of the knock-off whistle of the first Street’s factory at Corrimal on the south coast of NSW. We grew up on a diet of banana Paddle Pops and tubs of Street’s vanilla for tea if we were good. Dad was a mate of old Ted Street, who founded the company back in 1924 and started churning ice cream in his back shed, just a few blocks from where my father would set up his business 20 years later. Dad and Old Ted worked together in community groups and for various charities, including the annual Corrimal Parade, in which floats for Street’s Ice Cream were considerably bigger and fancier than the ones for Jarratt Electrics.
By the time I came along, Old Ted Street had long since stopped pulling his ice cream cart along the main street behind a one-horse motorbike. Streets had become a mega-brand, but for me it will always be “the cream of the coast”.
