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The Lighthouse

The Eluanbi Lighthouse was originally built by the British with the consent of China as a result of frequent wrecks off the coast and had to be fortified against Aboriginal raids.  During the war with Japan in 1898, that resulted in Taiwan becoming a Japanese colony, it was damaged then rebuilt by the Japanese. During the Formosa Air Battle in 1944 it was again seriously damaged by US bombing before being rebuilt in 1962 as a conical concrete structure and is now among the brightest on the coast: ‘The Light of East Asia’.

 

 

Nearby there is a beach and a bizarre bridge to a small island frequented by local tourists and holiday makers.

 

 

 

The scenery coastal in this area is quite spectacular and for much of the remainder of our tour we were to travel along the eastern shore with one spectacular view after another.

 

 

Continuing up the east coast in the morning we encountered some limestone caves that in eastern style had been usurped by religion as places of significance.  I mistook the name of one for Yoni – it was something similar - that I presume had something to do with its appearance.

 

 

But the complex provided a much needed ‘rest stop’, so it was appropriate. 

Close by there was a beach adjoing a giant fish farm, nevertheless enjoyed by the locals, and a bit further on we stopped at a 'marble carving factory' near the river below to see if we would like to buy very heavy Disney characters.

 

More beaches were to be visited along the coast.  

 

 

All very stony and some quite dangerous.

 

Going to the beach Taiwan style - we were told that many people can't swim

 

We had only one remaining overnight stay before returning to Taipei.   

 

 

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Travel

Denmark

 

 

  

 

 

In the seventies I spent some time travelling around Denmark visiting geographically diverse relatives but in a couple of days there was no time to repeat that, so this was to be a quick trip to two places that I remembered as standing out in 1970's: Copenhagen and Roskilde.

An increasing number of Danes are my progressively distant cousins by virtue of my great aunt marrying a Dane, thus contributing my mother's grandparent's DNA to the extended family in Denmark.  As a result, these Danes are my children's cousins too.

Denmark is a relatively small but wealthy country in which people share a common language and thus similar values, like an enthusiasm for subsidising wind power and shunning nuclear energy, except as an import from Germany, Sweden and France. 

They also like all things cultural and historical and to judge by the museums and cultural activities many take pride in the Danish Vikings who were amongst those who contributed to my aforementioned DNA, way back.  My Danish great uncle liked to listen to Geordies on the buses in Newcastle speaking Tyneside, as he discovered many words in common with Danish thanks to those Danes who had settled in the Tyne valley.

Nevertheless, compared to Australia or the US or even many other European countries, Denmark is remarkably monocultural. A social scientist I listened to last year made the point that the sense of community, that a single language and culture confers, creates a sense of extended family.  This allows the Scandinavian countries to maintain very generous social welfare, supported by some of the highest tax rates in the world, yet to be sufficiently productive and hence consumptive per capita, to maintain among the highest material standards of living in the world. 

Read more: Denmark

Fiction, Recollections & News

The Coronation

Last Time

 

 

When George VI died unexpectedly in February 1952, I was just 6 years old, so the impact of his death on me, despite my parents' laments for a good wartime leader and their sitting up to listen to his funeral on the radio, was not great.

At Thornleigh Primary School school assemblies I was aware that there was a change because the National Anthem changed and we now sang God Save The Queen.

Usually, we would just sing the first verse, accompanied by older children playing recorders, but on special occasions we would sing the third verse too. Yet for some mysterious reason, never the second.

The Coronation was a big deal in Australia, as well as in Britain and the other Dominions (Canada, South Africa and New Zealand) and there was a lot of 'bling': china; tea towels; spoons; and so on. The media went mad.

Read more: The Coronation

Opinions and Philosophy

Electricity price increases

 

 

14 April 2011

New South Wales electricity users are to suffer another round of hefty price increases; with more to come.

The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has announced that electricity prices for the average New South Wales resident will increase by 17.6 per cent from July.  Sydney customers will pay on average about $230 more each year, while rural customers will face an extra $316 in charges.  IPART says it is recommending the increases because of costs associated with energy firms complying with the federal government's Renewable Energy Target (RET).  The RET requires energy firms to source power from renewable sources such as solar or wind.

What is this about and how does it relate to the planned carbon tax?

If you want to know more read here and here.

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