Roma Queensland cattle yards.
Fight for bovine freedom
Any darn fool thing is undertaken if there is a quid in it. Live export of cattle is an extreme cruel process. 
Instead of the export of butchered fresh or frozen meat we have been blackmailed into live export.
Forget value adding.  Forget decent animal husbandry. Turn a blind eye to the sick conditions on the ships and at the destinations, the barbaric slaughtering methods and the hugh distances the cattle are moved within Australia.
Any way, vegetarianism is beneficial for our world.
Lower, can't say grass was plentiful north of Hughenden.

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Not only transports, big and strange things emerge in deep north Queensland.
 Firstly, regular hamburger and chip potatoes, also comes in large and extra large, when the cook is working who that day was Irish on a working holiday. 

 The Tree of Knowledge, Barcaldene

 Cattle

Anomaly in Longreach. Qantas began in the area as a small rural air service.

 Driver climbs up on rig to quickly peer in at the cattle on each level in the three trailers before he has a spell in the roadhouse.
  If an animal is found 'sitting'' then there are means of getting it on its feet again.  If an animal is lying down it is a worse problem.
  The rump of one beast had rubbed raw against the side of the trailer. Noses or rumps, either seem jammed into a position and the cattle are transported hundreds of kilometers. Was said, for example, the cost is $37 per head from north west Qld to Roma sale yards.

Roma, in Queensland, has cattle sale yards.

 Phone Booth Project, Installation. Moree NSW Gallery.
  The pay phones are a happening place in the Western desert. They're always ringing out and there's often someone hanging around waiting... people had terrific tales, achievements, business, of keeping family together and of love and friendship, of loss and difficulty and the ongoing struggle to sustain their way of life.
  Western desert phone booths are part of a continuous history of communication for Martu people in the region, from waru (fire) to UHF and CB to the telephone line, and maybe one day mobile phone reception to bridge the distances.
  A video installation reveals this. Take a seat.
 

 Corfield, central Queensland, to the east.  Corfield sports club.  Communications.

On the edge of the ''one horse'' settlement of Corfield Queensland.
Telstra provides good connectivity in most place names, just out of town it fades away. A public phone is often found installed. Also the correct mobile hand set or correct settings seem essential.

Australians all let us rejoice... Our flag is flown by some people. During protests for example.
 Is it about patriotism?
 What their flag stands for is that a real Aussie is an Anglo just like them. It is used for division not inclusion.  Anglo, macho, loud mouthed often sums it up.
 Similar to Gran Torino on TV at this time of trouble. A tough insensitive man who changed somewhat towards his neighbours.  In a similar manner, would our so called mateship be extended to all people in any challenge?
 At the same time, true, our society can be confronting.  It is a matter of accepting and liking change and taking efforts to make it work well.
 At the least, every resident submits to the laws of the land without the expectation of giving up their heritage.  It is normal that there are degrees of love of ones country. Wider unity reaching beyond boundaries is a positive aim while keeping diversity.

Stop the coal mine on Liverpool plains.

 Its an ill wind that blows nobody any good.  Its the perfect excuse to wear vintage fake fur during this week of extra chilly weather.

 Cotton bales - thats my description - grown on Liverpool plains.  Many other crops are grown on the broadacres part of which is threatened by a coal mine of an overseas company.
In the present episode of cold weather more heat and energy is in demand and development of renewable energy remains vital. A new coal mine is destructive. This day seems as cold as it ever gets in Newcastle.

Farmers of the Liverpool Plains along with others are trying to prevent development of a new coal mine on the prime agricultural land.
A coal train from another district is seen passing through that area on its way to the port of Newcastle.
Renewable energy has a very low priority with the current government.

Patches of road are renewed and bridges are replaced in Gloucester area.  To the south the road is second rate. Forty or fifty years ago it was the highway to the north coast.
 

 

 It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good.  Yesterday, the drive from Gloucester was wonderful as the strong westerly cleared the air giving the country side a special quality.
One SUV had loaded a heap of snow onto the roof rack, probably from Barrington.  Just as well Barrington was not on our agenda as  National Parks had closed the road into the park as well as the road to Scone due to snow incidents. As well Thunderbolts Way was closed due to ice etc.
The road surface round Gloucester has been given a caning and is no way smooth at all. 

Roo prepares to lie in the sun on a chilly morning.

 Karlamilyi  ...blending figurative and abstract imagery to present an energised landscape that is filled with elements of the seen and unseen world...painted by Amy French and Lily Long. From the exhibition We don't need a map: a Martu experience of the Western Desert shown at Moree Plains Gallery. Next seen at Gold coast City gallery then Araluen Arts Centre NT.

This week is one of special recognition of the Aborigines - our first nation.
They peopled the whole continent.  Their ecological footprint was small never the less, things changed drastically, recently I travelled about 6000ks and saw very few Aborigines. Most towns have institutions that give the impression in the main that history began a few hundred years ago with the Europeans.
I am unable to note the artist's name due to my blurry photo and other difficulties due to the internet connectivity.

On the banks of the Endeavour river, Cooktown.

Endeavour River just inside the entrance. Cooktown. 

The barque, Endeavour, was repaired on the shores of this side, below Grassy hill in 1770.

Where were the planets in July 1770? The transit of Venus was specially observed by the expedition.
At dusk to the NW in Newcastle, Venus and Jupiter are seen close together and to the east a splendid full moon is rising for all humanity see. Here, the planets will set in several hours time.  

 Cooktown, far north Queensland, with the Endeavour River just in view, where explorer Captain Cook stayed June to August 1770 to repair his ship.
From the museum balcony.  The anchor and other items have been salvaged after their jettison in an attempt to refloat the good but troubled ship Endeavour