I swam the Daintree River at high tide in 1976.

You could walk across where I was, just up from the town of Daintree, at low tide but I decided to cross when it was on the full and ended up having to swim.

Certainly a silly thing to do, there's all sorts in those tidal rivers... sharks, stingrays...

I've crossed on the car ferry to go up the Cape Tribulation Road and I've done the tourist cruise boat down the river. Saw Many large crocs. I wouldn't swim there for anything, you're mad! Maybe it's a bit different further up river near the town.

The cruise boat guy told us he had once waded in a few metres to get his boat off a mooring, but beat a hasty retreat when the crocs on the other bank dived in and headed his way!

On that same trip I hired a little tinnie from the Cairns marina and headed for a little cruise up the inlet next to the city.

Saw a reasonable size croc in a little creek about 1 km from the CBD!

I swam the Daintree River at high tide in 1976.

You could walk across where I was, just up from the town of Daintree, at low tide but I decided to cross when it was on the full and ended up having to swim.

Certainly a silly thing to do, there's all sorts in those tidal rivers... sharks, stingrays...

definately an example of darwinism of course I've come to expect these things from some people at TV forum but not you scead

truely, crocs scare the living shit out of me.

Man-eating reptiles, even "Bugger" doesn't cover that............

Yeah, I remember clapping my eyes on one of those babies when I was in the water with it once & it was a life changing moment. They scare the living shit out of me.

Even if a Salty is full of food & can't eat another whatever, he will still attack you and take you away to store for a later snack. There is a reason they have lived for so long & I reakon that it would have to rate fairly highly as a method of death, being slowly drowned whilst teeth pierced your body and crushed your bones - feekkk that!

Need I post those photos again of the huge Aussie "salty" that devoured some poor unfortunate fellow?

Man-eating reptiles, even "Bugger" doesn't cover that............

Yeah, I remember clapping my eyes on one of those babies when I was in the water with it once & it was a life changing moment. They scare the living shit out of me.

Even if a Salty is full of food & can't eat another whatever, he will still attack you and take you away to store for a later snack. There is a reason they have lived for so long & I reakon that it would have to rate fairly highly as a method of death, being slowly drowned whilst teeth pierced your body and crushed your bones - feekkk that!

Need I post those photos again of the huge Aussie "salty" that devoured some poor unfortunate fellow?

No thanks Ian, perhaps you could post that photo of that little croc you were riding on the back of though, ive only seen that one 768 times.

Yeah, I remember clapping my eyes on one of those babies when I was in the water with it once & it was a life changing moment. They scare the living shit out of me.

Even if a Salty is full of food & can't eat another whatever, he will still attack you and take you away to store for a later snack. There is a reason they have lived for so long & I reakon that it would have to rate fairly highly as a method of death, being slowly drowned whilst teeth pierced your body and crushed your bones - feekkk that!

Need I post those photos again of the huge Aussie "salty" that devoured some poor unfortunate fellow?

No thanks Ian, perhaps you could post that photo of that little croc you were riding on the back of though, ive only seen that one 768 times.

dam_n, I've only seen it 767 times, I must have been ill.

^ ^ ohhh don't fret, ive got a feeling it will rear its head shortly. Ian's been around 156 years & he's got the photos to prove it but please don't get me wrong, im a fan of his work (mostly)

That would be like the girls mostly appreciate yeast infections................

We've not had the tiger on the sofa for a while!

That would be like the girls mostly appreciate yeast infections................

We've not had the tiger on the sofa for a while!

Come on you blokes, turnitfukkingup!

oops double post

The latest footwear fashion in Qld.

It ain't just the crocs yah got to worry about. The big whites are moving inland.

A little bit of magic from the 2009 comedy festival

Some good may come of floods.

Some good may come of floods.

I think that is what you call "Black" humor, Zpete.

Actually, for environmental issues, the floods DO have some good points. It's just that man has to suffer a bit because of them.

The thing that upsets me, is what state the country's native fauna will be in.

Australia has some of the most interesting and unique animals anyplace.

I mentioned elsewhere that the blotty cane toads will be loving it.

The snakes and crocs seem to be managing.

Saw on a newsreel, a couple of horses seemingly hanging on to a house guttering by their teeth.

I feel for all the livestock, poor cows which want a milking relef.

It goes on, but NO mention anywhere, news, papers...... where eva.

The thing that upsets me, is what state the country's native fauna will be in.

Australia has some of the most interesting and unique animals anyplace.

I mentioned elsewhere that the blotty cane toads will be loving it.

The snakes and crocs seem to be managing.

Saw on a newsreel, a couple of horses seemingly hanging on to a house guttering by their teeth.

I feel for all the livestock, poor cows which want a milking relef.

It goes on, but NO mention anywhere, news, papers...... where eva.

It has been discussed on ABC News, but that was very brief. (Included the two horses bit).

Sadly most domestic farm animals are probably adding to the stink and disposal problems. Pets are probably OK. Lots of people were taking in other peoples pets.

When I was flooded in Iran, many, many snakes were drowned. Our Korean work-force spent two or three days collecting and feasting. Thought the same would happen in Oz - most snakes will seek a hole to hide in, then drown. You'll see some swimming, but many more will probably drown.

Some people came back to check on their flooded house in Ipswich and found this:

How small minded some Ockors are.

Not all, but statements such as these about NZ produce........

"I'll go without before I buy NZ apples."

"I only eat Australian produce. Starve firat,"

"NZ can get stuffed, they're not making a profit out of Australians."

<deleted>, Ockors, where are ya coming from........?

This is the ANZAC spirit they are knocking.

How small minded some Ockors are.

Not all, but statements such as these about NZ produce........

"I'll go without before I buy NZ apples."

"I only eat Australian produce. Starve firat,"

"NZ can get stuffed, they're not making a profit out of Australians."

<deleted>, Ockors, where are ya coming from........?

This is the ANZAC spirit they are knocking.

Pete - on the subject of apples it is probably the long fight the Oz orchard owners have waged to prevent fire blight. It is only in the past few weeks that NZ apples have been allowed into Australia and yu know the customs checks about importing any plants, crops and so on into Oz. Probably the strictest in the world.

In UK, when we joined the Common Market, we lost our Cox's Orange Pippin - the best-tasting apple ever. (We had a few trees in our garden). It was carrying a disease that would have affected those big, juicy tasteless French apples - so it had to go. All ripped up - not even allowed to graft onto root-stock.

Don't buy apples these days - in VN there are loads in the market, but although they look good they are tasteless. I think Japanese, but maybe from Oz/NZ. You see them a lot in Thailand too.

With regard to the ANZAC spirit - there are Kiwi volunteers in Queensland for the floods and clean-up - acknowledged quite fulsomely on Australian Network/ABC. So I don't think it's a nation-thing so much as a foodstuff thing.

Anyway, you can get your revenge in the WC. Beat the buggers, don't let Aussie passport holders into the grounds. (Sell 'em tickets, take their money, but close the turnstiles)

My family would never buy French apples.

It was largely due to our meat exports though, the Frenchies didn't want us selling our stuff there and even set up blockades so we physically couldn't get our stuff in the country. Many Brits just boycotted French goods because of it. They wanted to have their cake and eat it.

Something similar came about after the mad cow disease scare. Once it was all clear the EU lifted the ban on British Beef but the French government decided, illegally, that they would uphold the ban. Again there was a boycott and French goods and the French government even complained about the boycott.

I remember the mad cow disease scare well. British Beef was so cheap because of BSE that we were eating loads of it, and British Beef really is very good. Happy days.

How small minded some Ockors are.

Not all, but statements such as these about NZ produce........

"I'll go without before I buy NZ apples."

"I only eat Australian produce. Starve firat,"

"NZ can get stuffed, they're not making a profit out of Australians."

<deleted>, Ockors, where are ya coming from........?

This is the ANZAC spirit they are knocking.

The barstewerds !!! .....................................What's that poor bloke firat done to deserve starvation !!!!!

Any major disaster of this proportion is terrible. Unfortunately, there will always be people who exploit it at the sake of the poor.

I understand what you are saying about the taste of apples. I used to love the taste of a Cox's Orange Pippen. I haven't tasted an apple in Thailand yet that I thought was worth buying. Our BC apples are great if picked at the proper time. We have just the right climate and soil for growing sweet apples. It's true of the whole Pacific North West and much of our fruit comes from the Okanogan Valley stretching from British Columbia and down into the state of Washington. By contrast, the apples from California are terrible.

AUSTRALIAN PROTECTIONISM.

I weel recall the fruit fly problem in Victoria, back in the '50s.

Well the effort to stem the proliforation.

Any hope of crossing the NSW / VIC border with fruit in ya car was, no go.

Queues of frustrated families at Wodonga.

Qld has bad fruit fly problem, but NZ still imported tomatoes, capsicums and stuff fro0m OZ.

Fire blight is just a paranoid Ockor orchardists protectionist raving, it is established in Victoria.

You can be fined up to $5500 if you are found carrying banned fruit and vegetables.... or more...

Border control and detction is paramount.

You should not take any fruit or vegetables over the state border into South Australia. Fines of up to $100,000 may apply.

Get a life Ockorland

The absence of economically important fruit flies in New Zealand allows for fresh export produce to be certified as free of infestation and exported to areas where economically important fruit flies do not occur. It also allows for fruit fly susceptible crops to be produced in New Zealand without a need for the management of fruit fly damage, which results in savings in terms of pest management inputs.

SpeciesLocationDateOutcome3 Bactrocera passifloraeAucklandMarch 1990Increased surveillance, no further finds1

Bactrocera tryoniWhangareiMay 1995Increased surveillance, no further finds.

Bactrocera tryoniAuckland, North ShoreApril 1996Increased surveillance, no further finds.

Bactrocera papayaeAuckland, Mt EdenApril 1996Increased surveillance, no further finds.

Ceratitis capitataAuckland, Mt RoskillMay 1996Eradication programme. Eradication successful

The above is from a 2009 report.

The latest fruit fly find was in 1996,

NEW ZEALAND IS CLEAR OF ECONOMICALLY DAMAGING FRUIT FLY INFESTATIONS,

Say "fruit fly free" very quickly ten times... go on, I challenge you...

I never did like those gay flies, but I often wondered how you could tell them apart from the straight ones.

A gay fly is always down...................(anticipation or hope)

advertising?

or air-conditioning..........

I never did like those gay flies, but I often wondered how you could tell them apart from the straight ones.

They're free, ducky - they are free.