[Steve.]

Down the bottom... no pun intended 

[AshSimmonds]

Tourist faeces 'killed off rare Uluru shrimp'

TOURISTS may have killed off a rare species of shrimp by relieving themselves on Australia's iconic Uluru, or Ayers Rock, according to a report.

Biologist Brian Timms said his research had showed one species of small inland shrimp living in pools atop the monolith had become extinct while another had thrived.

”The people going up the rock somehow have affected the animals which live in the pools, possibly by peeing on the rock and pooing on the rock,” Timms told state radio.

The Branchinella latzi species had not been seen on Uluru since the 1970s, and would have been susceptible to “enrichment” of the pool's water, he added.

”Certainly if (tourists) go up, they should be behaving themselves, not pooing on the rock,” Timms said.

However, a species of fairy shrimp had survived, probably because it was “widespread and tough”, according to Timms.

Australia is mulling a ban on tourists climbing the rock, which is a sacred part of Aboriginal tribes' creation mythology.

Tour operators claim visitors are often caught short on the arduous climb, and most had a “toilet roll tucked away” in case of emergency.

Park officials in July announced plans to end the popular climb on cultural and safety grounds, a stance endorsed by Peter Garrett, Australia's environment minister and former frontman of rock band Midnight Oil.

Signs at the site ask people not to climb the rock, out of respect for the Aboriginal community, but one-third of the 350,000 annual visitors still do so.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has said it would be “very sad” if tourists were kept off the desert icon, which was handed back to Aborigines in 1985 and is one of the nation's most recognisable landmarks.

http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,28318,26145547-5014090,00.html

[AshSimmonds]

Welcome to a town dyke Alice
DANIEL BOURCHIER

BLOKES and sheilas looking for a friendly lesbian town have been encouraged to come on down to Alice Springs.

It comes after reports that Swedish tourism bodies have been swamped with inquiries from tourists captivated by a mythical town rumoured to be home to 25,000 sex-mad lesbians.

The town of Chako Paul City has again come up on tourism radars following a call for the whereabouts in the Chinese press.

"I've no idea where this came from but it's not true," Swedish local authorities' spokesman Claes Bertilson said.

While cold water has been thrown on the fictitious city, the same cannot be said for Alice Springs.

And Gay and Lesbian Tourism Australia NT regional director Phil Walcott said that Alice is the lesbian capital of Australia because of the high per-capita residency.

He said it was the undiscovered lesbian gem of the country.

"Alice is a wonderland," he said.

A recent television documentary took a satirical and light-hearted look at the town's culture of same-sex love.

Destiny in Alice, a 25-minute co-production by the ABC and CAAMA, says the town became a "haven" for lesbians after several hundred women marched on the Pine Gap intelligence base in 1983.

"Many of the participants in the protests were lesbians who came, saw and decided to stay," the ABC said.

"Since then, the town of Alice Springs has become a haven for lesbians."

http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2009/10/09/91281_travel.html

[AshSimmonds]

Uluru climb ban takes a tumble

A CONTROVERSIAL Federal Government plan to bam climbing on Uluru appears to have been dropped.
About 100,000 make the pilgrimage up the World Heritage-listed rock each year.

National Parks wanted to close the climb to respect the indigenous owners and for safety reasons.

There were also concerns about visitors using the rock as a toilet and leaving rubbish.

Now Peter Cochrane, director of National Parks, has told a Senate estimates hearing the plan to close the climb has been "revised".

Mr Cochrane would not reveal what the change was, but said he had paid close attention to complaints by the tourism industry about the impact on them if the climb was closed.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who came out and opposed the plan to close the climb earlier this year, appears to have made his mark too.

"The board noted that those comments were made," Mr Cochrane said of Mr Rudd's intervention.

Liberal senator Simon Birmingham, who led the questioning in the hearing, welcomed the step-down on the rock climb.

"It seems madness that we would shut down one of our own premier experiences," Senator Birmingham said.

The board expects to finalise its recommendation and pass it on to Environment Minister Peter Garrett for approval by the end of this year.

Mr Cochrane said more consultation would take place with the indigenous owners before then and more changes could be made to the draft recommendation.

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,26235605-5006301,00.html

[app]

Uluru climb ban dumped
Article from: news.com.au

January 08, 2010 01:10pm

TOURISTS will continue to climb Uluru, but the Federal Government says the climb will close if its popularity dwindles or new visitor experiences are developed.

About 100,000 people make the ascent each year but the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park board of management last year called for an end to the practice.

National Parks had wanted to close the climb out of respect for the indigenous owners and safety reasons, but there were also concerns about visitors using the World Heritage-listed rock as a toilet and leaving litter behind.

However, under a new management plan prepared by the board and approved by federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett today, one of three preconditions must be met before the climb is shut down.

These are:

That the number of people climbing Uluru must drop from the current 38 per cent of visitors to fewer than 20 per cent;

That the attraction of the climb must no longer be the primary reason visitors travel to the monolith; or

That a range of new experiences be in place for visitors.

"The key thing here is to deepen and broaden the visitor experience to Uluru," Mr Garrett said.

"This is one of our great international icons. It is where the indigenous culture, the environment and the desert landscape go hand in hand.

"There's plenty of advice and information from the tourism industry that visitors want a deeper and broader experience and we believe that this is the ongoing best path to take at the rock."

Mr Garrett said he supported the board's decision to work towards closing the climb only after clear preconditions are met.

In an earlier statement he said: "This decision allows the board to protect visitor safety, to respect the culture and wishes of Uluru's Aboriginal owners and to safeguard the outstanding environment at this World Heritage national park.

"Like the board, I am also very conscious of the need to support tourism and to better integrate local culture with the economy."

National Parks director Peter Cochrane told a Senate estimates hearing last year that the plan to close the climb had been "revised" after close attention was paid to tourism industry complaints.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd also opposed the plan to close the climb.

More than 20 years ago, in his former career as lead singer of rock band Midnight Oil, Mr Garrett sang about Aboriginal land rights at the base of Uluru.

He has never climbed it and has said he never intends to.

Mr Garrett said independent surveys would measure climber numbers and assess the achievement of the other preconditions.

The criteria for the pre-conditions are to be finalised by 2010.

"Realistically I would expect the climb to remain open for at least a number of years," Mr Garrett said.

"The industry is guaranteed at least 18 months' notice before the eventual closure so they have enough time to adjust their tour planning and marketing."

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,26565155-5006301,00.html

[AshSimmonds]

Uluru death fuels call to close Rock climb
Nigel Adlam

A 54-year-old Victorian collapsed and died near the base on his way down the 340m-high Rock. He had just told friends he felt ill, the Northern Territory News reports.

Parks Australia said the climb was closed for the rest of the day on Saturday “out of respect'' for the man and again on Sunday “because of high winds''. He is the first climber to die at Uluru since 2000 and the 36th to die since 1958. Traditional owners and Parks Australia want the climb closed in a few years.

Tourist operators fear this will harm business.

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett is studying a new national park management plan that contains a recommendation to close the Rock. He said last year three conditions would have to be met before he sanctioned closing the climb:

- The number of people climbing The Rock dropped from 38 per cent of visitors now to less than 20 per cent.

- Other things be provided for visitors to do were set up at Uluru-Kata Tjuta.

- Survey showed that the climb was no longer the major reason why people visited.

Mr Garrett said he expected the climb to remain open for “at least a number of years''.

But the death has provided ammunition for the close-the-climb lobby. The Rock climb is often off limits because of heat, rain, wind or indigenous ceremonies. It was open for only 55 whole days last year and 36 in 2008.

Parks Australia denied accusations by the tourism industry that it is closing the climb by stealth.

Mr Garrett said the eventual permanent closure would end the “daily uncertainty'' about its availability.

"We know from public feedback that many in the tourism industry find it difficult to organise their tours when the climb may need to be closed,'' he said.

More than 150 of the 172 comments received about the new park management plan related to the climb - 78 supported closure and 75 were against.

http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/uluru-death-fuels-call-to-close-rock-climb/story-e6frfq80-1225858629276

[dodger]

I've been up close and seen it, wouldn't catch me on there. looks about 45 degrees from where I was.

Was told a party of Japaese went up there once in bare feet, they had to be air lifted off with severe burns.

[Doctor]

I've been up close and seen it, wouldn't catch me on there. looks about 45 degrees from where I was.

Was told a party of Japaese went up there once in bare feet, they had to be air lifted off with severe burns.

Well, climbing the thing barefoot is just retarded....

[AshSimmonds]

http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/calls-to-close-uluru-rock-climb-after-disrespectful-behaviour-on-sacred-rock/story-e6frfq80-1225885990978

Calls to close Uluru rock climb after 'disrespectful' behaviour on sacred rock
By Daniel Bourchier and Padraic Murphy

THERE are renewed calls for the immediate closure of the Uluru rock climb after more photos emerged of controversial behaviour at the sacred site.

Football personality Sam Newman has been pictured hitting a golf ball off the rock, while another man was photographed naked on top of the monolith. See the picture here.

Aboriginal leaders are outraged and have called for the rock climb to be stopped immediately, the NT News reports.

Newman revealed he played golf at the site while discussing French exotic dancer Alizee Sery's controversial striptease on the Australian wonder.

The photo was posted on to the website of Melbourne Talk Radio.

Should the Uluru rock climb be closed? Tell us below.

Prominent Aboriginal activist Mick Mundine said it was deeply "disrespectful".

"It's appalling," he said. "It tears your heart apart.

"It's our culture up there ... they're making a mockery of it. Maybe they are just so ignorant (but) it affects the Aboriginal people of this land."

Mr Mundine called for the climb to be banned, and for Environment Minister Peter Garrett to take leadership on the matter.

"(Garrett) says he's all for Aboriginal culture, he's just all the same as the other people who are making a mockery," he said.

NT Aboriginal leader and Central Land Council member Maurie Ryan said the behaviour on top of the spiritual centre was "racist".

"That is an insult to the people of Mutitjulu, and Australia," he said. "That is a very sacred site. This is racist."

Aboriginal footy legends have slammed Newman, branding his conduct "disrespectful".

"As an Aboriginal man I respect the views of the local Aboriginal people. Uluru is a sacred site for the people out there, but also for all Aboriginal people," said former Geelong and Adelaide player Ronnie Burns.

"I won't climb the rock because I know it's against the wishes of the traditional owners. I think he should show a bit more respect."

Former St Kilda player Gilbert McAdam, who hails from Alice Springs, said Newman's actions showed he didn't respect Aboriginal culture.

"If he respected Aboriginal culture, then he wouldn't have done it," Mr McAdam said.

Mr Newman did not return calls last night.

[S4Simon]

I do believe Caveman 'Org'  owned the rock long before the aboriginals.

And let the records show that Mr. Org doesn't give a Flying F*ck what happens on or around the rock.