Monday 23 January 2012

Workingman's Blues #12 & 1. Gasfields roundup

From Taroom in the north to the Bunya mountains in the east, Moonie in the south to the Roma-Condamine road past Dulacca in the west, the Western Downs separates the hustling bustling southeast corner of the state of Queensland from its outback. Between Toowoomba and Roma sits this rich 38,000 square km gasfields region that is a hive of coal seam gas development. For many the Western Downs brings up images of broad acres of wheat and grain farms, rolling green or brown pasturelands, and the dullish dark green of the forests on the hills and the ranges. But already much of this agricultural basin is crisscrossed by hundreds of kilometres of pipelines, with still more pipelines – in the pipeline.

Finding the balance between a sustainable and renewable resources sector and productive agricultural land, is the challenge that governments should deal with - and fast. But one way or other, agricultural land needs to be protected, because in the end we cannot eat coal, drink oil or breathe gas.

And while that is being sorted, I need to eat too.
My first stint in the gasfields was many moons ago. We worked mostly in the vicinity of Kumbarilla in the south of Kogan, on the Moonie highway between the towns of Tara and Dalby. Tara like many of the southern downs, is a quiet wheat country and cattle and sheep grazing area. In March 2011 Tara locals blockaded against coal seam gas development.
Gateway to the Bunya mountains and the gasfields, Dalby is a thriving town at the junction of the Warrego, Bunya and Moonie Highways. This town is a rural enterprise centre in Australia's richest grain and cotton growing area.
Kogan is home to what’s claimed to be the largest solar thermal project in the world. The $105 million Kogan Creek Solar Boost Project was launched in April 2011 by PM Gillard.
Our base was in Chinchilla surrounded by the vast broad-acre farms and forests. Australia’s melon capital takes its name from the Aboriginal word for cypress pine. Chinchilla’s melon festival (a bit of watermelon madness held every two years) was ranked 12th in the 150 must-do things in Queensland. Now a major town, Chinchilla has long been a service centre for the farming, pastoral and timber industries, and recently for power stations and the CSG industry.
Nearing the start of winter, we worked around the west of Wandoan ranging near and far between Miles and Taroom in Banana shire. We stayed in all three towns. Wandoan is surrounded by vast fields of grain and beef cattle properties. The town was built around Juandah station which was settled in 1853. The bustling town Miles (originally named Dogwood Crossing) stands at the crossroads of the Warrego and Leichhardt highways. I paid a brief visit to possum park on the Leichhardt Highway north of Miles where I was hoping to try out some wartime bunker accommodation. They booked us somewhere ‘more comfortable’ instead. Next time I’ll have downgrade to stay there. It is on the list of ‘100 things you can only do in Australia.’ Taroom straddles the Leichhardt Highway-Dawson River crossing in fertile brigalow country. Named after the thorny native lime tree, Taroom is the gateway to Isla gorge, the expedition ranges and other national parks. This serene town was the site of one of the bloodiest killing fields in Australia. The local Aborigines, the Yeeman, fought for their land against the encroachment of European graziers until they were eventually wiped out.

In our travels we skirted around some of the remnant brigalow tree stands especially down in Woleebee. 

We also stumbled on a couple of rare Ooline trees.

We sidestepped some bottle trees of various shapes and sizes. 

We saw some country and guzzled up a bit of fuel along the way. Often a full tank did not last two days. We traversed rivers and creeks, blazed trees and fence lines across many a green pasture of the rolling plains and grasslands in Arthur.
(Ramblin's startin' Martin).
I seen the arrow on the fence post, and the scarred tree, and been ten chains and miles in the south of a graveyard in Portsmouth. We dug holes, looked for shade, thanked trees for the shelter and the shade, jumped a few barbed hurdles, climbed a couple of hills, and baked in the hot sun and scorched earth of Bloodworth.
We held vigil at our post or left them by the gate, gaped at the height of flooding debris, and dodged beasts as we watchfully wove and drove on the byways of Golden Grove. 

Off many a little-travelled country road, we stepped over logs with snakes, and mustered cattle, as under cloud streaked blue skies and along the ridges of the high country we rode and rattled.
In Cameron I sighted a wedge-tailed eagle with prey in its talon, and we disturbed the homes of snakes and pigs long gone. Towards the end of Autumn, I started taking a few shots of blue label to stave off the fast-approaching winter.

Come the chill of the first winter moon we had to move base again to worksites closer to the Leichhardt Highway in the north of the great dividing range.
We travelled some miles around Miles, ran outa room in Taroom, and went wanderin’ the river walk and celebration trail in Wandoan.
Up in the county, down by the river, we found where Paradise Downs lay. We tracked a 20-chain road and an old stock route through Alex but met no bullocks.
The prickly pear was brought to Australia by governor Phillip in 1788 to produce red dye for soldiers coats, but quickly became one of the greatest biological invasions of modern times. These cacti spread to Chinchilla in 1843. 
We saw rabbits and wild dogs, rabbit-proof and wild dog barrier fences, croaked back at frogs, ached upon acres of prickly pear, battled cattle on roads and cattle in pens, and survived a mice infestation in camp. In the dusk and in the morn we did not mourn but rued the roadkilled roo or two. We admired the beautiful birds - a rosella or a cockatoo in Cassio.
I wandered. It's a long and a dusty road, it's a hot and a heavy loadI even listened to Tom Paxton in Mt Lawton. Sometimes I also couldn't help but wonder where I'm bound.


The more than 5,600 km dingo fence is the longest fence in the world. It was built to protect sheep flocks. This section is part of the 2,500km barrier fence in southern Queensland.
Guluguba (squatter pigeon) near Wandoan. As a peasant I went back to school there, just to check it out. Many times we travelled on the main roads and highways going from town to town. One day while nursing whiteline fever on the Leichhardt, I ruffled the feathers of a beautiful pleasant brown pheasant as it flew across in front of my car. I braked in time and pheasant survived to fly another day. 
Road train in Condamine.
Most times though we had to give way to the kings of the road, the bigger beasts like road trains and other oversize vehicles that ply these parts.

Off the beaten track, are numerous farmlands with crop and fodder or green pastures. The pretty grasslands can be deceptive. They're often spiky twiggy rocky snakey or holey.

In mid-winter we shifted yet again to sites on the north of Roma. So we did as the Romans do - roamed, but only encountered the Greek-named fields of Mimas-Tethys. Roma is steeped in rich and colourful pioneering history. Among its claim to fame: first gazetted settlement after Queensland separated from NSW in 1859; first natural gas strike in Australia in 1900; the largest cattle sales in the southern hemisphere.
Although sheep and cattle are major resources of this area, natural gas is still piped 480km to Brisbane. Roma is the primary service centre in southwest Queensland, and sits at the junction of the Warrego and Carnarvon highways. The road north passes through Injune on the way to the spectacular Carnarvon Gorge. I should do as the roamers do, and go there via Injune, and soon. Perhaps next winter, in June.
We found the lost city of El Dorado, but I'm not telling where it is.
We encountered echidnas, busted turkeys and many birdlife. The first rainy weather since January restricted our movements to the sealed roads and accessible paddocks only.
The big rig in Roma.
Whilst in Roma we looked around.
With a girth nearly 9m, the Roma bottle tree is the biggest in the world. It is a thousand  hands span. I gave it a big hug.

During the mid-winter stint, I could not go to back to Woleebee but was asked to deploy to Beelbee, back south of Kogan. One early morning as the sun shone, I heard the gum trees a-moaning in Glen Mona Road in Sean. And I looked but there were no hidden poppy fields in the out-of-the-way Poppy hills.
Chinchilla bookshop sign... guide to the world's major religions. I think the 'Ass' means 'assorted', but do give me the benefit - of the sign.
Finally got back to Woleebee in the springtime. Woleebee Creek, Juandah Creek, Mooga Mooga Creek, we came across many a creek that the old legs started to creak.
Should I build a bridge, jump, wade, swim or sink? Thimk.

Gurulmundi wildflowers. Hey Marty, can't you read the sign?

A brushfire in Wandoan one evening, was followed by some low-lying mist come the next morning.


On the forests of Peebs or Pinelands, I ventured near the edge of cliffs of the great dividing range. 

The western downs is rich in industry, agriculture, culture and heritage, and mineral resources. What is not widely known are the hidden fishing spots in the many creeks of the downs. Fish such as yellowbelly, murray cod, jewfish, silver perch etc, may be caught in the waterways. There are fishing locations from Dalby, Chinchilla, Tara, through Condamine, Miles and Yuleba, but alas where’s me rod?
Museums galleries wineries pubs are present in almost every town. Other features are dry type rainforests, national parks, open pastures, water masses, deep yawning gorges, all kinds of recreation and adventure destinations really. Along the wayside you might not know it but you'll be going through the local places of Goongarry Columboola Kowguran Eumamurrin Mooga Bimbadine Euthalla Weranga Wieambilla. Other places with strange foreign-sounding tongue-twisting names are Jackson North, Durham Downs, Peek-a-doo, Dragoncrest or Mt Saltbush. Some of the gas wells are visible from the country roads in Trelinga Trafalgar Wubagul, Burunga Lane, Niella Lacerta Hermitage Navara Pandora Talinga.
On any given Sunday or any other day, you might be in the parish of Cherwondah Malara Cobbareena Dinoun Goongarry Bartsch Ardah Whithu Dilginbilly Roughlie Pamaroo Daandine Braemar Eurombah or Bundi. You might come across my church at the top of the mountain or the highest hill...
You may meet a lineman from the county in Auburn Waldegrave Westgrove or Gubberamunda. 

Do say hello to these hardworking men and women pipeliners. They're helping build the economy and infrastructure, of Queensland and Australia.
Many times I witnessed a beautiful rainbow. Here comes that rainbow again. In the orange glow of sunset to the indigo gloom of night. In the misty sprays of violets of dawn, to the blazing rising yellow sun reborn. On the red dirt road in the rain, to the earthen fields of gold in the sun. On the shady green grass, I yearned for home - and hummed a little bit of the workingman's blues...
that open roads starts callin' again...
for i was born a ramblin' man.

Monday 16 January 2012

What I'm reading in January

Books blog January 2012
I started reading this set in November. And I’m still reading. I wonder how much I have accrued in library fees for overdue items?

Tariq Ali is a writer and filmmaker. His literary output includes more than two dozen books on world history and politics, and seven novels. Ali was born in Lahore and was educated in Pakistan and later at Oxford. His outspokenness against Pakistan’s military dictatorships made him an unwilling exile in Britain. 
Shadows of the pomegranate tree is Ali's first book in his five-volume series of historical novels, The Islam Quintet
Protocols of the elders of Sodom and other essays. Provocative essays on the giants of world literature. This a collection of writings that explore the links between literature, history and politics. Ali casts a critical eye, always looking for the political and historical context of a work, resulting in enjoyable sharing of the pleasures of world literature.


AnonymousA Presidential Novel. Published 12 months ago, this is a fictional future projection of the final months of Obama’s first term. Read about the 2012 US presidential race here first.




Noam Chomsky. Power and Terror. Essays and analyses of US foreign policy in the Middle East 2001-2011.
The ten years of US foreign policy since 9/11 have been characterised by war, torture and rendition. In Power and Terror, Noam Chomsky places these developments in the context of America's long history of aggression and imperialism. Arguing that the US is responsible for much of the terror that it claims to be fighting, Chomsky elegantly explains US actions abroad and their deadly consequences. Including talks, question and answer sessions and unpublished essays, this collection offers the perfect introduction to Chomsky for those unfamiliar with his work... ...a timely reminder of why it is so important to insist that the United States lives up to the moral standards it demands of others.

Selected Essays. Gore Vidal dabbled in politics, writes novels, non-fiction and memoirs, but it is his essays I enjoy reading the most. He is ever insightful, witty, informative sometimes outrageous, but never boring.

John Banville. Kepler. About the life and drive of one of the world’s greatest mathematicians and astronomers.

Philip Pullman. The Good Man Jesus and the scoundrel Christ. Various writers have looked at religion very critically such as Nikos Kazantzakis “The Last Temptation of Christ”, Bertrand Russel  “Why I am Not a Christian”, Norman Mailer “the gospel according to the son”, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, etc. And this genre is not new, vide “Da Vinci Code”. Pullman narrates: “This is the story of Jesus and his brother Christ, of how they were born, of how they lived and of how one of them died.” The narrative mixes imaginative story-telling and biblical history and challenges the events of the gospels. Pullman puts forward his own version of the life of Jesus, and prompts the reader to ask questions. 
For less controversy you might like to try Northern Lights on Good against Evil.

Born in Australia Michael Robotham first worked as a journalist for newspapers and magazines in Australia, Britain and America. He later quit journalism to become a ghostwriter, collaborating with celebrities and personalities to write autobiographies.
The Wreckage follows a formulaic international conspiracy angle with secret agents and their powerful political masters. Maybe I should read it first.

Nadeem Aslam. The Wasted Vigil is recommended for readers interested in the Middle East, the current conflict in Afghanistan, and heartbreak.

The Duel: Pakistan on the Flight Path of American Power
Exhibiting his deep understanding of Pakistan’s history with extensive research and unsparing political acumen,  Tariq Ali considers the prospects of those contending for power today. With politicians apparently as corrupt as the regime they seek to replace, the chances of sustained stability in Pakistan look slim.

Cervantes. Don Quixote. About the sidekick to a certain Sancho Panza.


Edith Grossman translated Cervantes' Don Quixote, and writes on Why translation matters.

Juan Goytisolo. State of siege.
  ...postmodern storytelling... and an indictment of Western indifference.

Mohsin Hamid. The reluctant fundamentalist. The story of a Pakistani immigrant in America, told as a monologue to a suspicious nervous American at a cafe table in Lahore. The romantic angle in the book nods openly to Murakami’s Norwegian Wood.

Quantum Man is on one of the greatest physicists of the twentieth century, Richard Feynman.  Lawrence M Krauss’s book salutes the man who was willing to break all the rules to tame a theory that broke all the rules.



Sunday 15 January 2012

Hares and hounds trail run 2012

Hares and hounds 10km fun run. Woodford, Queensland. 8th January 2012.

Woodford is a quiet country town on the D’Aguilar highway, about 75 km north by northwest of Brisbane. It is the home of the Woodford international folk festival which this year saw visits by ex-PM Bob Hawke, singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie, and artists from all around the world. In previous years many others including Bibak and foreign minister Kevin Rudd (Queenslander ex-PM) have attended. My friends from Bibak-Queensland appeared at the festival two or three years in a row before going on a hiatus. This year’s event had a bit of controversy about some sponsorship money from a mining company. The festival starts on the 27th of December and proceeds through to new year’s day, culminating with the New Year’s eve fireworks. I went there a couple of times before and loved every minute.This time I am a few days late to attend the festival, though I did not come for that.

Early Sunday morning, I put on my best Sunday running clothes (shorts, singlet and worn-out shoes) to take part in the ‘hares and hounds’ 10km trail funrun. The course takes in forestry tracks and fire roads which are sometimes used by trail bikes and 4WD car enthusiasts.
The race venue is at the Woodford pool at the edge of a forest.
I greeted the morning up the Bruce Highway to Caboolture and soon got to the verdant hills of Wamuran, D’Aguilar and Woodford. I’ve been through these parts many times before but I never get tired of seeing the pleasing green forests and rolling meadows of the landscape. If it was a mere 10 times steeper here, it would almost be like my other home in the mountains of the Philippine Cordillera. But this is not the time for sentimental reminiscing. This is serious business. I’ve got to run 10 kilometres of winding and undulating trails.
See the Glasshouse mountains over there? One day I'm gonna run them trails. When I grow up.

At the Woodford pool, I registered and signed the race waiver. The girl at the desk said she liked my name. Thinking I misheard, I asked her to repeat herself. The cat must have got my tongue - I did not know what to say. But there’s just something about the name ‘Martin.’ It just rolls off your tongue. Or maybe she was meaning someone special. But I always knew my name was unreal. I came to my senses when I pricked my chest while pinning on my race bib. The pricking prick of a pin is a-hurtin’ Martin.
There was a good turnout for the run (the field was restricted to 200 runners and many thousands missed out). I met some running mates from Bunyaville trail runners and others from the coolrunning forums.
Photo from Dreamsport Photography.

Soon we were asked to get ready.
Got set.
And then ‘Go’. 
So off we hared.
Photos from Dreamsport Photography.
It was good to see the mix of runners there. There were kids from very young to teens. Mums and dads have turned up too. It wasn’t just the veteran trail runners. People from all walks of life joined up and everyone was having a blast participating in this fun activity of trail running. Like me, some were aiming simply to finish. Or was it just me?
Photos from Dreamsport Photography.
We snaked along the trails of this forest in Woodford. The course itself is in the midst of the Beerburrum State forest which stretches up to 27km east past the Glasshouse Mountains and beyond to Beerburrum. The trail changes constantly from dirt to soft sand, and then from loose gravel and sharp-edged rock, to muddy soft-edged water holes. The protruding rocks are often sharp and took some negotiating. It was cloudy at the start but soon the breeze blew the clouds off as the sun rose higher. In the midst of the forests, the thick stands of tall plantation pines and eucalypts stood as if impenetrable walls blocking out the breeze. I laboured up the hills, rested down dales, turned the corners and then repeated the drill a hundred times. At 2km the speedy runners have disappeared from sight. At 6km my mother called, my other mother that is. I answered her call and lost precious time. Mother nature sure knows to call at a good time. At 7km I had finished my water and limped to the finish.
An ultra runner at the finish. Well done mate. Top finish!

After the race I walked around the very inviting Woodford pool where kids were splashing around and some of the runners were warming down - by cooling down. I would have jumped in, if only I could swim. The barbeque had lots of food and fruit and drinks and everything. Thanks to the volunteers there and at the course and everywhere. Also to the organisers for a wonderful event.
The route went anti-clockwise forming like a wonky figure 8.

On the way back, I went past the junction to Mt Mee in D’Aguilar, a fresh fruit stall on the roadside, a cafe in Wamuran, and then the turnoff to Campbells Pocket. And from the bypass overpass I sighted the bustling Caboolture markets. Another day I could have easily stopped at any of these, or went for a Sunday drive to Mt Mee. Back home I rested for a bit but got roused from my kip, roasted when the heat of summer hit. Awsh*t.
This was the  5th edition  of this run. The annual Hares and Hounds Trail Run has a 5km or 10km fun run option, as well as team relays of two to four (hounds) chasing down the solo runners (hares) on a 55km ultra-run to Beerburrum and back. The event is part of the Glasshouse Trail runs conducted by the Trail Running Association Of Queensland.
The winners are all the participants of course. But making up the numbers are the following (results extracted from HARES and HOUNDS -2012 results):
50km Males                                                                   
Place                          Name                                            Time
1                                 RICHTER, Adam                            4:43:21
2                                 McKAY, Keith                                4:46:09
3                                 ANDREWS, Robbie                       4:53:04
4                                 WRIGHT, Daniel                             4:55:34
5                                 BANFIELD, Antony                        5:05:51
50km Females                                                               
1                                 BANAGHAN, Glenda                      5:12:54
2                                 GAGE, Danielle                             5:54:56
3                                 AYERS, Natalie                             5:59:15
4                                 WILLIAMSON, Kerrie                      6:05:05
5                                 RIEMER-SORENSON, Signe          6:08:00                                                               
5km                                                                               
1 M                             ABREY, Dave                               0:21:34
2 M                             PATIENCE, Stuart                          0:25:04
3 M                             SCOTT, Martin                               0:25:05
1 F                              ANDRONOWICH, Patty                  0:29:10
2 F                              EGLANTALS, Robyn                      0:30:29
3 F                              TELFORD, Tamara                         0:35:47
10km                                                                             
1 M                             McKEE, Ian                                   0:42:36
2 M                             CLAUSON, Michael                        0:44:57
3 M                             VAN DER MAAT, Nic                     0:45:34
4M                              O'ROURKE, Dan                           0:45:41
1 F                              BLABER, Lucy                              0:46:57
5M                              HANDYSIDE, Andrew                    0:47:17
2F                               SCHROEDER, Sarah                     0:50:40
3F                               RAYNOR, Danielle                         0:51:45
4F                               WARD, Belinda                             0:52:23
5F                               SMITH, Wendy                              0:54:39
6F                               JACKSON, Kate                            0:55:43
2-Person RELAY                                 
1T         SCROOPE, David/ MULLAN, Allan               3:59:27    Alex Runners - 1
2T         BAMBER, James/ HARRINGTON, Benson    4:25:42    (Bamber, Harrington)
3T         BLAKEY, Dave/ CROOK, Dave                    4:57:09    The League of Daves
4T         BARALLON, Marc/ HOBLEY, Christy           4:59:15    Greyhounds
5T         KELLY, Stephen/ KELLY, Vince                  5:01:28    Sesagoya Bros
6T         REDMOND, Andrew/ HENDERSON, Sean   5:06:34     Kelvin Grove Kelpies
Other 2-person teams are: Porn Stars, Linde M H, XTC, River City Runners, Thunder Chickens, Team Tomlins, Yogi and Bobo, Wynnum Wombles, Toowoomba Road Runners, Lisa &Kylee, Shadazzle, Fast and Furious
3 or 4-Person RELAY              
1T         LEGGATE, Lauren/ RONEY, Ken/ GRAYLING, Alistair/ JOHNSON, David 4:16:40 Sons of Bitches
2T         BRADFORD, Dean/ COGLAN, Paul/ MARTON, Steve                             4:33:49 Three Bean Mix
3T         ALDOUS, Matt/ GOONAN, James/ MILLER, Anne/ BOYLE, Sean           4:39:18 Lady and the Tramps
4T         PAGE, Adam/ PAGE, Amy/ KEMP, Lee                                               5:50:28 Rush Hour Personal Training
5T         RUSSELL, Carol/ LEWIS, Glenn/ SMYTH, Andrew                                 5:14:33 Active Stride
Other 3 or 4-person teams are: When Drop Bears, PCYC Girls, Run Inn, No Rush Up Front and Alex Runners – 2.