The last holiday I had was before the world went mad. It was to the deep south of New Zealand to places like Queenstown, The Catlins and Bluff.The highlight was a day trip to Stewart Island , right at the bottom of the South Island of New Zealand.
Read more: I remember when..... New Zealand was 100% pure.
The ONLY Australian manufacturer of frozen Australian grown vegetables (Simplot Australia) is not far from closing because a number of the other well-known Australian brands have moved their plants to New Zealand in order to capture the Chinese vegetable market where they market via New Zealand to Australian tables (without the food being labelled specifically as Chinese) and Simplot is finding it hard to compete.
It's the end of another week Downunder and all we have is, as Shirley Bassey sang so well, " history repeating itself. "
The jerry can revolt in Canada has spurred people on throughout the world to gather together and unite and say " enough is enough. "
I have friends and acquaintances travelling to Canberra to join the 2022 equivalent of the Eureka Stockade.
'So we marched into the sea and when we got out to about waist level they then machine gunned from behind."
The words of the sole survivor of the horrific massacre of Radji Beach on Banka Island off the coast of Sumatra.
On 16 February 1942, Japanese soldiers machine-gunned 22 Australian World War II Army nurses and killed 60 soldiers and crew members from 2 sunken ships. From the 22 Nurses shot on that day, there was only one sole survivor, Sister Vivian Bullwinkel.
Read more: The Massacre at Rajdi Beach - February 1942 - Lest We Forget
If from this maelstrom I survive, By pen and prose and poetry
I'll keep your sacrifice alive, I spoke to you of legacy
For when this hellish time is through, all those who hauled or charged or carried
Will be regarded heroes too
Read more: We speak in whispers these days yet our voices are triumphant.
Is Australia ripe for the plucking?
Read more: Australia - about to be plucked? Or is it already plucked?
Today marks the normal eve of the start of the 4 day Burt Munro Challenge in the deep south of New Zealand. Motorbike enthusiasts usually congregate to race and gather with fellow enthusiasts to honour the memory of The Worlds Fastest Indian. Also known as Burt Munro.
This year it has been cancelled. Covid strikes again.
So while the event may have been cancelled, I think it is still worth celebrating the amazing man who dared to dream big and dream fast.
Read more: The World's Fastest Indian - brought to a standstill by red tape
Prince Andrew has been stripped of his honours and shunned by his family. Only his ex wife stands by his side. Andrew, or as I still choose to call him, Prince Andrew, is a war hero in my book.
The media, the public and seemingly everyone have abandoned this man because he did something that many men have probably been guilty of: he had dubious mates and had a few bedtime romps with young women.
As a woman, I actually defend him. And I believe that he is a target of a political campaign and the bureaucracy have thrown him under the bus.
Read more: A Prince who fell from grace because of the sea? Or was it about politics?
The British didn’t stand a chance when confronted with a United States of America - and the brave diggers at Gallipoli created a fighting Spirit that will endure forever. Throughout history, we mark special days of unity and courage. We mark things like Australia Day, Thanksgiving, Waitangi Day, ANZAC Day and Armistice Day.
Kiwis and Australians have stood side by side, brother with brother... until it comes down to a cake. Then it is a Tasman Sea pillow fight. Intrigued? Then read on.
Here we are on the doorstep of the 2022 Winter Olympics. Personally, I find them to be lacking in joy, expectation, or anticipation. For some reason I am more concerned about seeing someone keel over from a stroke or myocarditis than falling on the slopes from a bad ski jump.
Hosted in the country that gives " gifts that keep giving " like covid , I wonder if the games will be more opening a Pandora's Box or a very large and unpleasant can of worms.
Read more: I remember..... when the winter Olympics were about soaring like an eagle
Over the last few weeks I have noticed that people are losing their sense of…
184 hits
By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Ratty News Bureau Chief There’s panic, pandemonium, and political puffery in…
256 hits
Try herding cats sometime. You’ll crouch, whistle, wave treats, and for one delusional moment, think…
267 hits
From Network to today, the prophecy is clear: truth has been turned into a commodity,…
457 hits
I am personally horrified by what has happened since October 2023. This wasn’t just a…
309 hits
Much of Australia’s early slang comes from the convict culture of the late 18th and…
355 hits
In 1925, a small courtroom in Dayton, Tennessee, became the stage for a battle over…
508 hits
Ratty News Exclusive By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Special Correspondent (aisle seat, back row) Reporting from…
334 hits
Back in 2002, an anonymous person sent an email from a disposable email address to…
266 hits
“We are perishing for want of wonder, not for want of wonders.” G. K. Chesterton Leonard…
318 hits
Albert Facey’s A Fortunate Life is more than a memoir. It is the voice of…
697 hits
A Journey Through Time: From the Suez Canal to the Speculative Ben Gurion Canal Let’s…
402 hits
I recently watched the film " Captain Philips " on Netflix. I had resisted for…
540 hits
By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Special Correspondent (aisle seat, back row) The Prime Minister has officially…
349 hits
Those who are not familiar with this title may be excused for thinking that it…
377 hits
It was back in the early 80's that Redhead and her late husband bought their…
377 hits
During the early years of World War II, the British Army faced many obstacles. Chief…
417 hits
When people think of World War II, they often picture D-Day, the Blitz, or the…
422 hits
I asked the question " What makes good government? " on a forum I belong…
463 hits
Imagine the joy of discussing life's great mysteries or the simple art of cooking a…
434 hits
Dusty Gulch Dispatch: Whiskers Remembered – A Follicle-Fueled Fightback Against Feather-Brained Folly By Roderick (Whiskers)…
421 hits
Between the mid-19th and early 20th centuries, more than a hundred thousand British children were…
641 hits
The Battle of Britain ended on 15th September, 1940 but the Blitz continued long after that. Following…
483 hits
In an age of glowing screens and fleeting texts, something precious has quietly slipped away:…
646 hits
As young folk, didn't some of us feel like rebels without a cause? I am…
599 hits
As our countries are collapsing under the weight of wokeism, social and communist ideology, who…
582 hits
Crack Up or Crack Apart When the world gets grim, you’ve only got two choices:…
606 hits
Dusty Gulch Dispatch: The Croc Cavalry & the Great Duckening By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Special…
695 hits
The Warning of Gareth Jones: Who Owns Our Land, Our Water, Our Future? When we…
594 hits
"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice,…
588 hits