Wait til they hear how much a royal commission costs…

A Royal Commission is both slow and very expensive. But one good thing about them is they often uncover more than expected. Things the people who called for it would prefer remained hidden. In this case, maybe it would highlight how we see #Aussie Jews as different entities to Israel ? Useful !

Libs, are you listening ? #Auspol #Aussie

"We don't chase away darkness with a broomstick, we chase it away with more light." A lot of truth there. You cannot legislate against anti-semanticist, you need to look at why people think like that. They are very wrong to blame our local Jewish friends but .... www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...

#Ashes Ah, England 5 wickets down, half the side, and they have not started building a total for the Aussies to chase yet ? Oh Dear 😀

Ah, Test Cricket. Nothing better. And a great result. Australia in two days ! But a worry, as we have tickets for day three at the MCG ! Davo

Albo in the US ? It seems to me, after the letter we, Australians, received, Albo should find himself too busy to visit the Whitehouse. Anything less is denying Australian independance. #AusPol

OK, we left Indonesian waters late Saturday, steam, on dead flat seas, all day Sunday, will disembark early Monday morning. Been a great trip, meet many great people, saw so many incredible sights. Coral Expeditions, you rock !

Still Saturday at Desa Tumbur. Walk around village with local guides, they seem a very happy bunch, very keen to shows us how they live. Sadly, arguably the worse litter problem we have seen. Catholic church magnificent, homes clean and sound. Chooks, cattle graze in common land around village.

We were chosen to represent the ships company at the welcoming ceremony. Small (!) sip of a very strong spirit distilled from coconut juice, poured from an old Coca-Cola bottle. Hand woven scarves and very sincere speech by village elder. Note the mark on our foreheads, we all come from the soil.

Saturday, 5th April. Land at Palau Yamdena, more bueatiful wooden boats, dry landing. Onto buses to Desa Tumbur, 40 minute ride to Desa Tumbur. Informative guide, insight to bigger town living. Narrow windy road into village off good highway.

Friday morning, early. Up for a walk along the edge if Palau Banda Besar, perhaps a residential "suburb" to the main town. More conservative here, ladies need to cover up a bit. Nice walk until rain came down, heavily. Again, locals lovely, even came out and helped with slippery path. Thanks !

Thursday Evening, drinks at Fort Belgica. Live Music, great fun, weather holding. And, surprisingly, some good old fashioned rock n roll.

Thursday PM. A musical welcome, brass "bells". A quick tour of the small town of Banda Neira itself. Narrow streets very friendly people, museum with a lot of emphasis on the massacre story. Ended up at the Cilu Bintang hotel, a grand old hotel indeed.

Thursday Then an early morning snorkel along the edge of a (geological) recent lava flow. Nothing but black rocks above the water level, beautiful coral below. Profusion of fish in the shallow water.

Thursday (3rd April) we arrived early in the morning to be greeted by two war canoes who raced our ship into the volcanic caldera that forms the very remote Banda Neira group of islands. Truly beautiful. And the original source of the nutmeg the Dutch were so willing to kill for.

I stood reading the story of a terrible massacre by the Dutch East Indies Co. along side a young Indonesian man, we were both affected by what we read, turned to each our and shook hands. No words to exchange but a lot of understanding.

Wednesday . We were escorted to the huge Dutch Duurstede fort that dominates this village. While a magnificent structure, this place has a dark history.

Wednesday - After sailing all night and bit of morning, a warm welcome from the people of Saparua.Firstly a choir of younger kids then you adults dancing. Then the spirited Cakalele war dance with machetes swirling everywhere.

Tuesday April Fools Day. At sea, engine room tour for David, Bridge tour for Liz. Some serious hardware !

Monday, Palau Besar, snorkeling in the morning, visit village of Sawai in the afternoon. But afternoon event changed when word received that Sawai was in a vigorous argument with another near by village. Instead, to a not too far away resort, possibly abandoned or being renovated. I snorkeled.

Sunday, day at sea, Sorong to Palua Besar. Sailed through a channel between two large islands, very steep mountains down to the sea. As we left that channel, an orca swam past on the Port side, apparently showing off. Fabulous.

Saturday, pm. Visit to Sorong township, initially we planned to stay on board but Liz triggered a Batik shopping spree. I now have a nice new shirt, she a lovely wrap around skirt. Interesting passage in and out of the port, wooden boats everywhere !

Saturday, snorkelling at Palau Yefman. About six Km from where our Ship is still moored near Sorong. Spares arrive early tomorrow. Good snorkelling, Liz did the beach combing thing. This island once provided Sorong its only airport.

Friday, afternoon. Palau Tsiof. A larger island, bit further out, much smaller population, all Papuan, Christian. Very excited to have us visit, we walked between two villages with several adult locals and uncountable children. Basic housing but clean, some litter. Everyone seemed happy and healthy

Friday, anchored off Sorong, ship's drive being repaired while we visit nearby islands. Firstly the quaintly named "Palau Doom". Site of the original Sorong, a Dutch admin centre. Busy, many people but very friendly, especially the Papuan.

Still Thusday, bueatiful sunset, amazing to watch it set so quickly. Heading to Sorong tonight for some ship repairs. Specialist flying in from Singapore.

Thursday, evening drinks from the beach we snorkelled from earlier.

Thursday, Raja's Ampat, loose group of small, mostly uninhabited islands. Wow, got to be right up there as most beautiful places. We snorkelled morning and afternoon and it was unbelievable. Water clear, fish and coral in every imaginable colour.

Wednesday. OK, so weather not perfect, ship a bit slow due to drive issues. Bit of sea sickness around. But cruised to Raja Ampat, all night and all day.

Palau Manin, great snorkelling, still flattish seas. Every coloured fish you can imagine.

Visited Kwatisore village. Warm welcome, song and dance, lots of happy kids.

Swam with the whale sharks ! Absolutly unbelievable experience. Xplorer out to local fisherman's platforms in, estimated, 50m deep water. They throw food over the side and in come the whale sharks. We snorkelled in small groups in turn. Very close encounters !

Drinks after a very wet day in a small but welcoming village.

3 nights in Darwin, hot and sticky!

Very dry here at present, locals come in for breakfast.

100 years of Bendigo Rotary. Town Hall.