HOW WE SEE IT! Saturday Snapshot
With Bryan Littlely and Shaun Hollis
We’re being encouraged once again to catch and destroy cane toads in bust events in a bid to “humanely reduce cane toad and tadpole numbers’’.
Having never permanently lived in cane toad country before, I’ve only heard of the non-humane practices of destruction that should be avoided.
My golf game is pretty rusty in any case!
I did, however, play my part in trying to reduce cane toad numbers, or at least in the practice of seeing some caught which could have been humanely destroyed, by this week attending cane toad racing at Chilly’s.
While highly entertaining and great family fun, I wonder how effective in reduction it would be (even if the toads were not “catch and release” as promised to the crowd).
The jockeys this Wednesday were described as “the worst ever seen” with half the field in one race disappearing off the track never to be seen again.
Slinky’s a small screen star
Slinky the sausage dog has a story that keeps on giving… and also made my day this week after having to depart home on the farm with my own pooch in the wars.
Slinky survived 13 days lost in the rainforest, grappled with a goanna and was pretty knocked around. But the 10-year-old Dachshund shook off his trauma pretty quickly to return as sassy as ever to the streets of Port Douglas this week and for a video update of his recovery, complete with bright ‘gold’ bling as his collar.
I’m hopeful my daughter’s 12-week-old kelpie x border collie boy, Joey, is recovering just as readily from his ordeal last week when under my watch. He found an unknown rat bait in a farm house and ate half of it.
My days of fast driving finished when I stopped motoring writing… except for family (fur included) emergencies.
I was assured by the vet the quick action means Joey will be fine.
Giovanni’s casual advice hits the target
I love a straight shooter, and Giovanni Favaro could probably rise to club champ at the Mossman Districts Rifle Club if he picked up a gun, if his advice to people struggling with the cost of living is anything to go by.
“Don’t be lazy”.
He is absolutely spot on. If you want to save money on food costs, are prepared to get creative and adventurous with meal preparations and seek to support your local farmers and producers, there’s no better place to get up and out of the house to than a local market.
Not only can you save some coin on the produce, just by being at your local market you’re helping to create an atmosphere a tourist town like Port Douglas strives for and thrives on.
It can even be free entertainment… start with a chat to the bloke at the entrance with a big grin and cracking, colourful produce.
Feel for the farmers
I find it pretty disappointing to see pot shots taken at a cane grower like Peter Verri as a couple chose to do in comments this week.
Sure, I could simply delete them but I have published them because I reckon they tell more of a story about the commentator than the farmer facing the end of a lifetime of work, and still holding hope for the next generation.
I’m a farmer’s son, and trying to meet the challenge of raising and providing for a family and mapping a way to carry on the farming tradition… while following on from the worst winter season on record for our property.
Peter Verri already has worked a decade past the retirement age and continues to take immense pride in his property, despite the challenges thrust upon him. One commentator on social media struck a chord with me: “Well, what would you do as a farmer?”
Not sure many could answer “leave it in a good state” with the honesty and action like Peter showed when we arrived unannounced at his property.
He was mowing around his cane fields to near Sheraton Mirage fairway standard. And his final years on the property will be spent clearing, controlling weeds and cleaning it.
Hope you get the results, followed by the rest, you deserve Peter. Thanks for putting food on the table.
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