Overnight in Newcastle authorities pretended to refloat the Pasha Bulker. This is the big monster of a cargo ship which has found itself on Nobby's Beach in the steel capital of the nation. Of course they didn't manage to budge it...and why would they want to. For the first time in history, Newcastle actually has a tourist attraction that people want to come and see. As if they'd want to push it back out to sea. People are actually driving to Newcastle in great numbers to have their picture taken in front of the big grounded cargo ship. It really couldn't be in a better place than Nobby's Beach. There's a roaring trade in Pasha Bulker tee shirts going on on the foreshore. I gather that one fast food outlet is even selling a Pasha Bulker hamburger.
Prior to the grounding of the Pasha, what the hell was there to see in Newcastle ? You could go to Fort Scratchley....you could stand underneath the big Energy Australia windmill.....you could soak up some serious industrial fumes out Mayfield way or you could hope to catch a glimpse of Joey Johns on Merewether Beach. They've got nothing !!!
Well now they have.
Once the novelty of the cargo ship wears off, they might look at crashing a plane on to Bar Beach in the tradition of Lost. You'd have to do it safely of course and get everything cleared by the O.H. & S. people but I think it could be next phase of the tourism boom in the steel city.
Prior to the grounding of the Pasha, what the hell was there to see in Newcastle ? You could go to Fort Scratchley....you could stand underneath the big Energy Australia windmill.....you could soak up some serious industrial fumes out Mayfield way or you could hope to catch a glimpse of Joey Johns on Merewether Beach. They've got nothing !!!
Well now they have.
Once the novelty of the cargo ship wears off, they might look at crashing a plane on to Bar Beach in the tradition of Lost. You'd have to do it safely of course and get everything cleared by the O.H. & S. people but I think it could be next phase of the tourism boom in the steel city.
Comedian Charlie Pickering joined us on air this morning...and he agreed. He thinks that perhaps they just placed the Pasha there in the first place and that we make wake up one day next week and find a crashed hovercraft, a london bus or even a train hanging from the trees above the beach. There could well come a time when we no longer think of it as the steel city, but more the city of disasters...or the Bermuda Triangle of the Pacific Ocean.
Charlie also believes that if ever he is a porn star his screen name will be "Pasha Bulker". It says it all really doesn't it ?
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The tourist attractions in this smog free non steel city might not be much but as a place to live there aren't many better. The beaches are not quite as good as the Illawarra but the season is a bit longer. Lake Maquarie with its 110 sgare km area is near perfect. I've lived in the Illawarra and Melbourne and this is way ahead.
Don't stress too much Foyle, it's all a bit of fun really. I lived in Newie for a year in the 90's and absolutely loved it !!
I can't believe someone from Canberra is talking about tourists. Why the hell would they go to Canberra ? At least we've got beaches and bearable weather. Get a life Canberra !!!
Joey Johns
Why the hell would tourists come to Canberra? Because it is a fantastic place to visit; it has some of the best cultural institutions in the country, wonderful lakes, great scenery, nationally succesful sporting teams,four seasons and short drives to coastal beaches, the mountains & the snow.Did I mention the buzz & the vibe of the live music scene?
Newcastle? I lived there for some time in the past and loved it. And still feel very kindly about it.
But it doesnt compare.
Hunter St, which should be the heart of Newcastle is empty & barren. Where is it's vibe, it's hub and restuarants? On any comparison its us Canberrans that have a life!
I spent a year or so on Nobbies Beach in the 1940's. Zara St power station, breakwater rocks to hide in, sandhills, fishing what a place, huge, a kid's delight!
Camera sweeps from a chopper and ground level of the bulker, yikes the whole place is out of scale. I must have been a dwarf.
The illusions now gone
I gotta move on.
Newcastle's a hole....but Canberra's worse.
It's true. I went to Newcastle just to see the big boat ! Didn't find any burger though.
He's right you know. There's nothing to see in Newcastle. They should keep the boat.
what i want to know is...........what was the answer for the lost mobile??? I missed it on friday!
The longer running lost mobile went off on Thursday morning. A lady by the name of Cassandra picked up $450 by indentifying the location as 'centre stage at Westfield Belconnen". Then it went off on Friday at $50...it was at a blackjack table at at Casino Canberra. I know that Jeff and Joe have another location on Monday morning just after 8:30am
You can't be serious...... you say you live in canberra, So youre a comedian? . All I have to say is ....POT..........KETTLE. Uhuh I've come across ignorant people before but HONESTLY. IF you are educated at all & keep up with current events then you would know that Newcastle hasnt been a steel town for a very long time & beaches... yes we have beaches unlike the beautiful (cough) city of Canberra who boasts um ..wow ...uh ..what exactly do you boast ? oh yeah a whole lot of inland barron parallel streets WHAT BLISS. Well I guess that goes hand in hand with igorance. GOOD FOR YOU
You are so right my Hunter Valley friend...we've got virtually nothing. In fact if you took away the Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery, the National Museum of Australia, Floriade, Summernats, Questacon, and Parliament House itself, we'd have nothing at all.
Wow! WTG Mark! You really stirred up some passion from those Novacastrians. Interesting that they are so passionately following the blog of a Canberran breakfast personality! LOL
ANd you are so right....without all those landmarks we would be nothing...except for the exceptional schooling, fabulous housing, gorgeous sunny blue winter days, snow in the Brindabellas....yeah, nothing at all! ;)
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