Palm Cove News
Tropical North Queensland


JUNE 2007


Reef award a major coup

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF has been acknowledged worldwide as the tourist destination most people want to visit.
In Lisbon, Portugal, at a meeting of The World Travel & Tourism Council last month, representatives from 40 countries voted on 130 destinations.
The winner for Most Wanted Destination was the reef.
Queensland Tourism Industry Council Chief Executive Officer David Gschwind said the award was "a major coup."
"The award is considered the foremost accolade for sustainable tourism," he said.
"I think the sheer size and diversity of nature is so spectacular to see and to experience, and that is what makes the reef so special.
"It's an experience that leaves no one untouched. When you stick your head under water on the reef, it is just something that you remember for the rest of your life."

We net a croc!

A three-metre crocodile drifted over the stinger net about 8pm on March 3rd and couldn't get out.
Cove's lifeguards lowered netting and buoyancy devices to let him loose.
North Queensland Services co-ordinator Ebeny Keating said the croc, thought to be a male, cruised inside the net from one end to the other.
"It was about 12.30am when he got out and just swam out to sea," she said.
"The authorities had turned on the floodlights, and about 100 people gave him a cheer as he went."
A Queensland Parks and Wildlife spokesperson said the area was monitored.
"If the animal shows again or remains locally, it will be targeted as a problem crocodile and removed as per the crocodile management program," she said.

Two big tsunamis in past

PROFESSOR JONATHON NOTT of James Cook University told an audience on April 16 that in the past 700 years there had been two suspected tsunamis on the east coast.
"I estimate both of these would have been waves about three metres in height," he said.
This would be a worse case scenario for Far North Queensland, he said.
The professor said he knew his kids, who were at Smithfield High School on April 2 at the time of the latest scare, would be safe and dry; and he left them there.

Hot water for jellyfish stings

A STUDY of jellyfish stings using ice, vinegar, aluminium sulphate and hot water as treatments found hot water was the method that relieved pain the best.
Doctors and medical students at Busselton Hospital in Western Australia stung themselves with jellyfish to compare the treatments.
"Hot water was the only successful treatment, relieving 88 percent of the pain. Other treatments were incomplete and temporary," they said.
With water at 45 degrees C, the pain was relieved in 4-10 minutes. The heat also appeared to stop inflammation.
Study author Dr John Taylor said hot water could even be life-saving in the tropical north of Australia with its more serious stings.
Current advice for treatment of life-threatening Chironex Box and Irukandji jellyfish is to pour undiluted vinegar on the tentacles which prevents them from injecting further venom.
We contacted jellyfish expert Lisa-ann Gershwin who said the authorities were aware of the hot-water treatment and were investigating it.
"Box and irukandji jellyfish could be different," she said.
"Hot water might stimulate not only the tentacles but also the thousands of poison cells they leave on the victim's flesh to inject more venom."
She said it was best to stay with vinegar for the moment.
"Pour on vinegar, do not scratch or rub the area where the victim has been stung, and leave further treatment to the medics," she said.
We will advise when further advice on hot water treatment for box and irukandji jellyfish sting is available.

We were apparently wrong

LAST MONTH we said parking under Villa Paradiso Shopping Centre was free. We have since been told that parking is free for shoppers at the centre only. We take this opportunity of saying hullo to all those people walking the esplanade. It`s good for the soul.

Change of name

THE CLIFTON BEACH COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION INC is now known as Combined Beaches Community Association
The association was formed in Clifton Beach in 2005 following which a group of Palm Cove people became a sub-branch. The sub-branch subsequently amalgamated with Clifton Beach under the CBCA name.
President Pete Johnston said the association changed its name at the AGM last year and now represents residents in the 4879 postal area (Trinity Beach to Ellis Beach.).
It issues a bi-monthly newsletter.
Membership of CBCA is $10 p.a. per household with no joining fee, pensioners $5.

Apply to Joy Sumner-Potts, 50 Cedar Rd, 4055 3806.

Mind over matter

Barry Gommersal, the controversial Queensland State of Origin referee, who died recently, when asked what he thought of people who didn't like his style of referring said: "It's a case of mind over matter. I don't mind and they don't matter."

Letter to Editor

Good to see the stand you are taking on hillslopes development (Mar 07).
You are right : the only people who want them are the developers.

Val Schier, mayor candidate for Cairns City Council for March 2008

PCN NOW EIGHT YEARS OLD

Our first edition was May 1999.
Past editions shown on web page date from Feb 2001

Published by Jerry Dukes
52 Terebra St
Palm Cove 4879 QLD
Ph 4059 1610 Fax 4059 0058
Email: info@palmcovenewsletter.com
On website: http://www.palmcovenewsletter.com

Palm Cove's official website: http://www.palmcove.net