The Northern Myth

26/12/2024

Adventures of a laundry Lizard, part 1.

I was just now taking a load of washing out of the machine after being away from home for a few days and noticed this beautiful juvenile Spotted Tree Monitor (Varanus scalaris) skidding about in the laundry sink.

Thankfully the machine runs straight into the drain rather than the sink, otherwise I'd have a drowned monitor, rather than one desperate to get out of its slippery prison.

As the first photo attests his specimen was very feisty and drew blood at each of the several chomps it took onto the back of my hand in the few seconds between grabbing it out of the sink and taking these hurried phone pictures.

In the four or so years I've lived at the Bagot Road end of the Darwin suburb of Millner I've been lucky to enough receive semi-regular visits - in my tiny backyard and elsewhere in the small complex of units I live in - from adult V. scalaris specimens, usually sunning themselves on the backyard pavers in the early afternoon.

I wasn't too familiar with this species before moving here - Millner/Coconut Grove and Nightcliff are one of the few Darwin areas that for some reason have resisted/avoided an influx of the dreaded Cane Toad (Rhinella marina) - such that a variety of native reptiles are relatively common.

Skinks, dragons and geckoes are common and I have a resident Slaty-grey Snake (Stegonotus cucullatus) and occasional visits from the drop-dead gorgeous Golden Tree Snakes (Dendrelaphis punctulata).

My little sink Monitor friend - aka "Spotty" - was only about 13-15cm long and adults don't usually get much bigger than about 45-50cm.

If you are interested in learning more about our local wildlife - or sharing your own stories - I suggest getting in touch with the NT Field Naturalists' Club - Field Nat club members know more than I'll ever forget about the Top End of the NT and beyond - and welcome any new information on local wildlife.

Anyway, back to the festivities!

My little friend Spotty made my day folks!!

Send me your own local lizard tales ...

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ntfieldnaturalistsclub









Bob Gosford

The Northern Myth

18/12/2024

Red Kenny. Desert Marbles Hotel, NT.

06/11/2024

Nthwenharre (Kaytetye) - Word of the Day

This Word of the Day is another from the Kaytetye to English Dictionary - from Australia's Northern Territory.

Nthwenharre n. [Kaytetye]

Arntwe akwerrkepe re etntyaytenke nthwenharrepe rartepe nhartepe re ahenelkarrenke nhartepe re atnthenkelke re arntwepe.

Small white fluffy clouds that gather together before it rains. Usually seen in winter. Also referred to as mataye nthwenharre.

Little clouds gather, they get bigger and better, then it starts raining.

The Northern Myth Cloud Appreciation Society

05/11/2024

Dia de los mu***os shrine at the house I'm staying at, Tyrone PA - and my contribution

05/11/2024

Democrats are 'nauseously optimistic' their kick-ass ground game will get them home.

Jen O’Malley Dillon, Chair of the Harris for President campaign reckons it will be extremely close, but 'we are going to win ... Our team on the ground is kicking ass reaching the undecided voters and we have to keep it up in the days to come."

Read more The Northern Myth: https://www.thenorthernmyth.com/2024/11/04/democrats-our-team-on-the-ground-is-kicking-ass/

Democratic Party The Northern Myth Kamala Harris Kamala HQ Tim Walz U.S. Election Assistance Commission

04/11/2024

"Evidence that was “qualitatively and quantitively inadequate.”
Munkara v Santos NA Barossa Pty Ltd (No 3)
Part One: Why Alderson v Northern Land Council (still) rules after forty years.

One month on, Justice Charlesworth’s decision in Munkara v Santos NA Barossa Pty Ltd (No 3) (Munkara) has fundamentally challenged many previously accepted presumptions surrounding environmental litigation involving Aboriginal cultural and heritage issues.

In particular, Munkara has changed how both sides in future litigation—Aboriginal individuals, communities, their legal advisors and litigation funders on one side and large resource project proponents on the other—will approach challenges to resource and major land use projects, especially where Aboriginal interests in land and sea are affected.

Munkara also gives cause for a sceptical eye to be cast upon the motives and actions of the few organisations that fund, sponsor or support litigation on behalf of Aboriginal clients, with political interests of both persuasions examining their positions on future government funding of environmental litigators and advocates.

More here: https://www.thenorthernmyth.com/2024/02/18/munkara-v-santos-3/

Santos Ltd Environment Centre NT Environmental Defenders Office Tiwi Land Council The Northern Myth

Part One: Why Alderson v Northern Land Council (still) rules after forty years. Tiwi lead applicant Simon Munkara By Bob Gosford After two weeks of hearings in late December, in mid-January 2024 Justice

04/11/2024

“We’re working through those processes … “
Munkara v Santos NA Barossa Pty Ltd (No 3) Part Two

On the first day of February Santos Chief Executive Officer Kevin Gallagher held a press conference in Darwin in advance of his speech to an NT Energy Club lunch the following day.

Among other matters—railing against “misguided activism,” Santos’ $100 million Aboriginal “future fund” supporting coastal communities and the opening of a Santos shopfront in the Darwin CBD—Gallagher told the media that Santos wouldn’t be pursuing the individual Tiwi applicants for costs.

When asked if Santos would seek costs from the Environmental Defenders Office (the EDO), (who represented the Tiwi applicants) Gallagher responded: “That will become evident in time. We’re working through those processes just now with the court“.

More here: https://www.thenorthernmyth.com/2024/02/18/munkara-v-santos-no-3/

Santos Ltd Environmental Defenders Office The Northern Myth

Part Two: … and a crocodile called Elvis. Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher. Darwin, February 2024 By Bob Gosford In the first part of this seriesI looked at the recent Federal Court decision

04/11/2024

A crocodile called Elvis - Part 3
Munkara v Santos NA Barossa Pty Ltd (No 3)

At paragraph 312 of Justice Natalie Charlesworth’s decision in Munkara v Santos NA Barossa Pty Ltd (No 3) witness Tony Pilakui said in his statement that he disputed the truth of evidence given by Brian Tipungwuti about a crocodile named Wiarpralia, who some people called Elvis.

Brian Tipungwuti stated he’d heard about a crocodile man songline at ceremonies.

“I have seen this crocodile. He doesn’t live in the ocean, he lives in the swamp and has oysters on his head. This is just a crocodile and we have [a] name for him which is Wiarpralia. Some people call him Elvis because of the oysters on his head.”

Read the rest here: https://www.thenorthernmyth.com/2024/02/19/a-crocodile-named-elvis/

Environmental Defenders Office The Northern Myth

Part 3: Munkara v Santos NA Barossa Pty Ltd (No 3) Not the Tiwi Island Crocodile called "Elvis". But a nice one nonetheless ... At paragraph 312 of Justice Natalie Charlesworth’s decision in Munkara v Santos NA

04/11/2024

Vernacular architecture of the Santa Teresa racecourse, NT.

Recently I was going through some old photo files and came across another set of shots I took on that fine—extremely dusty—day out bush.

These photos are of a selection of informal—architects would call them vernacular—shade structures scattered around the fringes of the racecourse.

These shade structures at Santa Teresa (Ltyentye Apurte) however are informal and of a variety of shapes and sizes and incorporate a range of found and repurposed materials.

They are not meant for more than occasional, mainly daytime, use.

More pix & story here: https://www.thenorthernmyth.com/2024/06/04/vernacular-shade-structures-at-ltyentye-apurte/

LtyentyeVision Central Land Council

A few years back I was lucky enough to get out to the (semi) annual horse races at Ltyentye Apurte (also known as Santa Teresa), a small community east of Alice Springs. You can see a selection of my photos

04/11/2024

A few hours ago I received an email from Jen O'Malley Dillon, Campaign Chair for Harris for President.

Unlike earlier emails—and these past few days there've been more than a few—this latest was upbeat and has shrugged off the underdog tag the Harris campaign has worn to date.

O'Malley Dillon says the Democrat team 'is kicking ass,' reaching the undecided & uncommitted voters and, 'we have to keep it up in the days to come.'

Democrats warn that Trump and the Republicans are 'spinning a web of misinformation about the way this election was held' and will challenge the results when he loses again.

Who will win? Watch this space.

Read more here TThe Northern Myth: https://www.thenorthernmyth.com/2024/11/04/democrats-our-team-on-the-ground-is-kicking-ass/

03/11/2024

I recently flew into San Francisco International Airport and had a 5 hour layover before my onward flight to Newark Liberty airport.

I pulled out my camera and took some shots, the graphics on the opposite wall providing a useful framing device for my photos.

A slow shutter speed and the speeds of some of the passing walkers and runners provided a pleasing—to my eye at least—distortion and blurring of at least parts of the quicker passers by, with other parts still sharp.

See the rest here: https://www.thenorthernmyth.com/2024/11/04/runners-san-francisco-international-airport-october-2024/

United The Northern Myth

03/11/2024

Hotel window No. 4. Washington, DC.

03/11/2024

Through a dirty window on Amtrak's Pennsylvanian service, Philadelphia to Pittsburgh on a fine Thursday in Fall.

01/11/2024

Halloween, Tyrone, PA

30/10/2024

Currently ... Union Stage Presents

30/10/2024

30/10/2024

- as an Australian with a keen interest in democracy, that anyone could tolerate Trump as a candidate, let alone for a major party, beggars belief. With Katty Kay's shared interest as a Westminster-ish polity, has she any insights into how Trump prevails here or is she as mystified as I am?

30/10/2024

My kinda MAGA merchandise! Kamala Harris rally, Washington DC, 29 October 2024.