I am recently back from a couple of months chasing boat people on Christmas Island.   Thought you might like a look at the local Coconut Crabs aka Robber Crabs.  We found this bloke on the road on our first day and thought he was big.  Later on we saw some monsters.  One of the local boozers backs onto the rainforest and they feed the buggers with chicken, fruit and anything else to hand.  They are apparently fond of toes.  I didn't test the theory however.    Saw one later on at a beach with a coconut (peeled) under one wing.    


Ian

rumour has it no good to eat, is that right, seems like a waste, big buggers though

Welcome back to the mainland. Try and have a relaxing Christmas and New year break. Or do you have to work? Nice to see you back, and your front.

Hi Ian. May I be rude and ask who you work for?? I ask because I have friends working in the "Boat People" industry on Christmas Island.

You can be a rude as you want Disco.   I am a Queensland Detective on contract to the Federal Police.  I was on the island searching boats, interviewing Sri Lankans and Afghans re people smuggling etc.   Immigration and Customs do most of the running around, we just try to find out who is making the money from all this.  Note:  A $5 to $10 grand leaky non returnable boat containing up to 100 people paying anything from $7K US to $20K US works out to a pretty good return.

Ian A

Hell yeah.............not a bad return.......how do I get in on it?? Sounds like a good job. At least you get around a bit. Did you have detecting luck?? Blow the smugglers and their boats out of the water after you get the people off!!

so you can eat them, some lying sod told me you couldnt! they reckon they break open coconut shells with their pincers! must get over there one day!

Cruising Granny wrote:

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Welcome back to the mainland.
Try and have a relaxing Christmas and New year break. Or do you have to work?
Nice to see you back, and your front.

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Thanks Chris.  Pauline and I are dragging the Jayco down to Coolum to see our number one daughter (preggers with grandkid number two) for Christmas.  Two weeks off.   Are you planning something similar now that the hospial has stuffed you around in preference for someone with an ingrown toenail or something?

Ian A

 

When the boat people used to land near Broome by the thousands, they had to destroy all the boats, even a fibreglass one. They cut it up into small pieces and dumped at the town dump. They wanted to use it for something more legal, but it didn't comply with Australia's marine specifications. Most of the boats are rotten, worm ridden, piles of junk which wouldn't even make a worthwhile aritificial reef. And they charge those people all that money to pack hundreds on a boat built for 10. They only take a few women and children for the western sympathy factor. They don't like women and kids enough to actually want to help them escape. When they dump the "paying passengers" on Ashmore Reef they know someone is in the vicinity and will rescue them before the tide gets too high. Then they burn the boat, for the sympathy vote. They are well organised, they know our coast watch schedule and routine better than we do, they know the psychie of the Australians, and play on it to get these people into Aus. In Sydney overnight a mob of middle-easterners were attacking a group of Aussies in the streets and inflicted a lot of injuries. They want to be here, but don't want to assimilate. They take our kindness, but they don't to adopt our free way of life. Soap box gone!