GateWAy Blog

According to media reports, there has been no communication between the owners of the land that housed the Esplanade Hotel and potential developers for over a year. In fact any plans they had in place have now expired.

Socks placed at the site have attracted media attention and have brought the subject back into sharp focus, initiated by a covert, underground movement of Sock insurgents. No comment from the land owners in Singapore though.

So now maybe we should work at getting some kind of reaction. The area is after all fenced off, so any incursion onto the site would be classified as … what? Trespass?

Chairs and tables next, at the Sunday Session, and although drinking alcohol would be illegal and attract the attention of people authorised to arrest and charge those doing so, there is nothing to stop us sitting around having a chat, a soft drink and and taking photo’s and videos – sending them to the land owners and setting up appropriate pages on Facebook to attract ‘customers.’

Perhaps we could quietly build something as well … I wonder if they’d notice.

It’s easy for heckles to raise when we live in such a lucky place. Our problems are nothing compared with the disasters so many millions face on an hour by hour basis aro0und the world, so getting mad about something here usually seems petty and slightly embarrassing. Like complaining about a new theatre being built and it’s location, or whinging about the pro’s and cons concerning daylight saving.

However I am just checking my heckle level and find it’s become quite high, due to some small minded people who probably regard themselves as clean living Christians, Catholics or well behaved agnostics … or whatever. Their religious beliefs are irrelevant, unless their loud, ubiquitous opinions about people who are homeless are shared with others in God loving, compassion preaching congregations. Then it simply becomes a case of gross hypocrisy.

How can someone who lives in a nice house, with plenty of food and presumably enough clean clothes to get dressed up and go to work each day and sup nice wine each evening, possibly complain about a house being created in their neighbourhood, staffed and fully equipped both physically and emotionally to cater for a small number of people who through circumstances quite beyond them find themselves homeless?

The house in question is being created for people who need it, and every precaution is being taken to ensure the so called ‘rotten element’ cannot get a foothold. In the meantime petitions are being signed, objections are flounced about and plenty of complaining can be heard about ‘what will it do to the house prices’ and ‘ it wont be safe to go out on the street’ and ‘what about all the drugs and booze and vandals and and and and blah blah blah.’

People get a life, have a heart, dig down and find a little compassion for pities sake! Have a good look at the proposal, look into the people who have been working for a long time to make this difference to people and create a shelter where there is already a severe need. Better still, go outside and spend a week out there with no money, few clothes and a wet blanket in the middle of winter then come back and tell us people who are homeless (not homeless people, being homeless is NOT an identity) are nothing but a bunch of alcoholics, drug addicts and thieves. How dare you!?

Whatever happened to compassion, giving hope, giving back, having empathy, checking on the glass and finding it half full not nearly empty, of not looking at the worst possible case scenario and checking on how that would affect the wallet?

To those who are getting this home for homeless men up and running, bloody good on you. You are making a stand for people who need it and now having to battle against domestic bigots as well. I admire your patience, persistence and willpower!

A Californian couchsurfer told us about her experience with the service industry while visiting the region yesterday.

She is a marine biologist, working on various projects around the country and loves the place, although she cant quite get a handle on the complete lack of service she often gets hit with.

Having bought some batteries in a Walpole supermarket she realised that they were the wrong size, just as she was leaving the store. She tool them back to the nice girl at the counter, unopened, and asked if she could exchange them for the right size and pay the difference.

The girl had no problem, but had to call the manager over to show her how to do this on the till.

So far so good.

However, Mr Grumpy and Completely Unreasonable stomped over and scowled at his customer while the girl told him the problem. He said, “No we cant do that.”

Our Californian visitor explained again and said she was willing to pay the difference of course, and that the package was unopened. Again, exasperated, he said no.

She asked him politely if there was another solution.

He said yes there was. “Buy the right ones this time and as for what to do with the others, that’s your problem, they’re yours, you bought them,” and stalked off.

Too stunned to respond she turned to leave, and gave the batteries back to the girl at the counter.

“Don’t you want them?” she asked.

“Not really, you have them. They’re the wrong size, what would I do with them?’

Our Store manager from Walpole has now been quoted, described in detail and the name of his shop published in big black letters with his clear message of ‘bugger off’ plastered all over it. This has been blogged, messaged, text and discussed with her friends and family on five continents.

Someone in Walpole please get this fella to pull his head in, or send him on a long holiday, before he does anymore untold damage to the regional tourist industry.

Albany’s Anzac connection

The first and second ANZAC convoys left from Albany. These convoys consisted of troop ships from all over Australia, as well as New Zealand, and included the flagship of the China Station and a Japanese battle cruiser as part of the naval escort.

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Albany has been listed at number 55 in the top 100 Best Towns in Australia by Australian Traveller.  Denmark was number 63 and Esperence came in at number 2, while some of the more expected towns didn’t rate a mention. (more…)

Mr Peter Watson, The Member for Albany has been told that the re-development of the old Esplanade Hotel site has been placed on hold indefinitely. (more…)

Maria Price and Dorothy Lucks of Sustainable Development Facilitation

The South Coast’s long established maritime connection may soon play a major role in the region’s tourism industry. (more…)

We’ve heard for the month of January, Skywest is not providing meals on its flights between Albany and Perth. (more…)

Despite a slower than usual start, many Albany houses are now festooned with colourful Christmas Lights. Where are the best? (more…)

Father Christmas

As a child growing up in the Adelaide Hills, I still remember the magic of the Adelaide Christmas Pageant and on Saturday December 6th, Albany children will be able to experience the fun, magic and excitement of the  colourful parade that is Albany’s own Christmas Pageant. This year, Sonja Johnson’s Olympic winning horse Ringwould Jaguar will lead the parade up York Street (more…)