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551m or Balls to you


shmalec

12-Feb-2005
6:43:48 AM

On 11/02/2005 tony harris wrote:
>Dried Rat can honestly say that if WE could be
>convinced by sound, unbiased scientific information that the reason the ban is in place
>is because climbers would definitely do iritrievable damage to a fragile
>eco-system then we would not go, end of story.
>
So OUR policy here is until
>WE are convinced that previous expeditions have done grievous harm and
>that WE would with our trip contribute to that harm, its.......

I think that a better approach would be to be convinced with unbiased scientific information that your expedition could not possibly damage this ecosystem.

Without the ban, every man and his dog would be going out there and the probability of killing off this phasmid with a pest would increase.

Your logic is like saying that until someone convinces me that driving while drunk this weekend will definately cause someone serious injury or death then its balls you.

Sounds like a great adventure and many of the points you make are valid. However, you cannot expect to get support for it and should keep your reasons for breaking the ban or possibly endangering this phasmid to yourself. Because they are purely selfish reasons.


Phil Box

14-Feb-2005
8:19:22 AM

You could always hook up with an entomologist and do a further survey of the Phasmids to establish whether more specimens exist than has been reported in the past. I am sure that experienced rock climbers would get to more inaccessible places than some fat lazy unskilled on rock parks service employee. For that matter it may even be prudent to suggest that perhaps there may even be specimens existing on the sheer sides of the mountain on Lord Howe Island. Wouldn`t that be a coup.

climberman

14-Feb-2005
1:43:02 PM

You may find that some of the folks involved are/were climbers.

Certainly the guuy who did much of the early flora/fauna work for Lord Howe used to climb, and I think has the odd FA in the blueys and the Bungles up his sleeve. Plus he's a mad, and funny, bugger. Now working in the semi-arid / western zone I think.

dried rat

22-Feb-2005
1:27:45 PM

It looks like the phasmid has stopped us , but only for a few years , the breeding programme at present is only producing females , so until a male is successfully hatched and begins mating it still is a no go zone , the breeding cycle of this jurasic insect is fascinating ! , thanks for all your views good and bad its been a learning curve to say the least .... this forum is not closed... when I get replys back from the various govenment bodies I will post them ... it just might give the next generation of climbers an idea of what #$@%^&* one has to wade through to get an answer .... and Im still waiting .


IdratherbeclimbingM9

22-Feb-2005
1:39:31 PM

Thanks for the update d r.
Do you have any links to the latest you have found out about the phasmid breeding cycle?

dried rat

22-Mar-2005
4:22:53 PM

Sorry its taken so long in replying but Uni started and its back to the books and dirt [studying archaeology] , more info on the little blighters can be found at the Melbourne zoo the contact there is Patrick Honan he is the keeper of the phasmid harem , www.zoo.org.au , all attempts to contact himm have failed so far ...busy man I suppose feeding ,changeing phasmid nappies ,burping etc....an article in one of the Sydney papers last Sunday had a story on the Phasmids and other beasties , another contact is the Lord Howe Island Admin Board on 02 65632066


Phil Box

6-Apr-2005
10:55:52 AM

Apparently next Tuesday night on the ABCs Australian Story will be about Balls Pyramid. It was reported by someone who saw the promo in a fleeting sort of way that there was talk about some fortieth anniversary or something so it could possibly be about the first ascent.

Worth keeping an eye out on this one.

6-Apr-2005
11:20:14 AM

I saw that promo as well. It involves Dick Smith who did a bit of rock climbing a long time ago with John Worral (I think) in the Bluies. It will be interesting to see how he got approval, maybe being 'famous' is part of the crietria for a permit.

dalai

6-Apr-2005
11:41:08 AM

On 6/04/2005 BA wrote:
>It involves Dick Smith ... It will
>be interesting to see how he got approval, maybe being 'famous' is part
>of the criteria for a permit.

or money?

James

6-Apr-2005
7:35:32 PM

have you all made an ignorant assumption here?? I gathered from Phil's post that the doco to be about the first ascent (given its been 40 yrs) - is there any talk of a anniversery repeat ascent??


tnd

7-Apr-2005
8:56:09 AM

FTI Australia Story program is next Monday 11 April 8.00pm, not Tuesday as stated. The ABC promo mentioned something about Balls Pyramid and Dick Smith, with no detail. I suspect they're using Dick's name as he is well known (he's put a lot of effort into getting that way). No doubt he'll be talking up his own involvement at the expense of Bryden and Co. who actually did it first.

I spoke to Bryden Allen last night and he had not even heard of the program. So he hasn't been consulted or interviewed, and therefore I'm not sure how much of its content will involve the actual first ascent. However, John Davies, who was also on the first ascent, is a filmaker of some sort, so perhaps he has had input.


Phil Box

7-Apr-2005
9:10:30 AM

James if there is any ignorance it is on my part as I brought this up from second hand info.


nmonteith

12-Apr-2005
8:40:47 AM

I thought the Australian Story last night was excellent. No - Dick didn't go and climb the route again. The doco stressed that it was now banned - and Dick lamented the fact that youngsters of our generation don't get the chance ot have the adventure these guys did. The oriignal 1960's footage of the climbing (and swimming to shore) was fantatsic. Even the fabled Phasmid got quite a mention. It was well worth watching. And for history buffs - Dick and crew attempted the first ascent and got quite high but didn't actually summit. Bryden ect climbed the entire mountain shortly afterwards.

dalai

12-Apr-2005
9:18:31 AM

For those of you like me who missed this (watching the Myth Busters on SBS), Australia Story is repeating this Saturday at 12:30pm.


Phil Box

12-Apr-2005
11:12:17 AM

Damn, I missed it too cos my wife and I got invited out to one of the best seafood buffet restaurants in Queensland. Ya can`t pass up a feed of prawns now can ya. I`m gunna be at Frog this weekend so I`ll miss it then too ;(( Love to see it, if anyone taped it I`d be happy to pay for a copy.

dalai

12-Apr-2005
11:19:47 AM

Just set the VCR and tape the repeat Phil...


Phil Box

12-Apr-2005
12:18:33 PM

But that would require me to have an understanding of modern technology. No kids at home anymore to work these things out for me. ;))


LittleJames

12-Apr-2005
5:21:39 PM

On 12/04/2005 Phil Box wrote:
>But that would require me to have an understanding of modern technology.
>No kids at home anymore to work these things out for me. ;))

Modern? Huh? What's a VCR?

:D

kable

15-Apr-2005
5:28:45 PM

Dear Dried Rat
Not to sure about the "Balls to you" but you can contact me directly on jkbell@homemail.com.au or 0262822142. Is probably not the phasmids that you have to worry about. If you go to the Pyramid you certainly won't retain your dried state for very long.
Regards,
Keith bell

kable

15-Apr-2005
5:36:25 PM

Dick Smith on his 1980 expedition claimed the Pyramid as part of NSW as a bet with Neville Wran, then Premier of NSW. Prior to this it was an unclaimed rock. Soon after it became part of NSW it was taken over by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife and everybody knows what happened after this. Thank you Dick!!!!!

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