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Scotland Island - Western Shores - Mackerel Beach

December 15, 2014

Newsletter for Offshore Residents of Pittwater, Australia

SIRA

Notices

logo

Phone: 0404 103 700

STRICTLY ADVANCE BOOKINGS ONLY

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Please call the vehicle Christmas Eve to request a pickup 

 CHRISTMAS DAY LIMITED SERVICE
 

PLEASE CONFIRM DRIVER AVAILABILITY IN ADVANCE
 

9 A.M. TO 12.00 P.M. ONLY
 

BOXING DAY SERVICE NORMAL HOURS
 

BY ADVANCE BOOKING ONLY
 
The drivers wish you all a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!!



Floating Christmas Choir

Thursday 18 December

7.00pm at Frog Hollow

8.00pm at Church Point Wharf



Everyone is welcome

Share the fun with family and friends .. bring along that silly hat, a picnic and the dogs. 
To sing along you can get a copy of the words from here.

HERE in PDF format 
or
HERE in .Doc (word format)



Carols at Tennis

Sunday 21 December from 5pm - 7.00 pm

Catherine Park

Carols at Tennis will be from 5.00pm-7.30pm Catherine Park (Tennis Wharf) on Sunday 21 December.

  • Santa will arrive around 6pm (parents bring a small gift for your child to put in Santa's sack)
  • This year we will have Christmas Buskers starting at 5 pm - anyone who can knock out a Christmas tune is welcome, BYO instrument (kids especially encouraged)
  • Bring a picnic and enjoy catching up with others celebrating Christmas.


Church Point Ferry Service Time Table

timetable



Pink Water Taxi Time Table

ptWater Taxis - Christmas Hours

The Water Taxis will operate for the following hours on Christmas Day:
  • 7am to 11am
  • 3pm to 7pm

New Years Eve will run as follows:

  • normal 'on-demand' until midnight
  • midnight until 0200 by prior booking only.

Water Taxis - Prices

The last blanket fare increase for the water taxis was in July 2010; four-and-a-half years ago. 

To date, advances in technology have been favourable; lowering our fuel consumption and maintenance costs enough to avoid (just barely) fares increases.  Unfortunately, our insurance premiums have gone up by over $3,500 (per boat) this financial year, which is beyond our ability to absorb.

Something has to go up but how to do it. 

We’ve canvassed opinion, conducted the odd ‘straw poll’ and even trialled a few mad strategies over the last couple of months.  No, your visitors were not demented.  Yes, we were overthinking it.  As always, however, our primary aim is to keep the weekday commuter prices affordable.  So, having been slapped roughly about the head and shoulders by our accountants, here it is:

Mon - Fri. 
Minimal movement in the weekday fares to major wharves and the Bell to Church Point fare remains as is (Yay). 

Weekends.
The two dollar weekend surcharge is abandoned forthwith.  Weekend fares have been increased in line with Consumer Price Index, so between two and four dollars depending on distance. 

Cartage. 
If your visitors turn up with metric tonnes and cubic metres of ‘stuff’, they are going to be charged for it.
If they whinge to you, enlighten them as to barge costs.

See you on water!

Yours aye - Rod, Alex & Mickey




Summer Holiday Craft & Online Reading Club


        



BIKES4LIFE

On my recent travels in Africa - particularly Zimbabwe, I encountered kids who were walking long distances to school. I had on old bike of my own but boxing & sending it would have cost more than the bike was worth. After doing some Googling I came across an organisation called Bikes4life - website

http://www.bikes4Life.com.au

They collect old or unwanted bikes, refurbish them and ship by the container load to countries in Asia, Africa and also to Central Australia. In particular have a look at the faces of children after receiving a bike in the videos in Uganda & Cambodia.

It occurred to me that there may be a lot of bikes on the island sitting in sheds or under houses which could be put to better use. If you have such a bike or bikes (in repairable condition) would you email me at jthixton@hotmail.com and use as the subject line Bikes4Life so that I can identify emails which might go into my junk mail. If response is good I will nominate a day (probably a Sunday) when you can leave bikes in the area behind our jetty alongside the boat shed at 51 Richard Rd.

They will then be carried by barge to Cargo Wharf from where they will be taken to a warehouse/bike repair centre still to be established.

Bikes4Life was started by a lady named Ebony Butler in Melbourne where it is now well established. Volunteers to help clean and repair bikes are always being sought.

I hope to hear from lots of Islanders
John Thixton



Southern Cross Wildlife Care Christmas Message

What do you want for Christmas? The latest iPad? An overseas holiday? An X-Box 360? We all want something...
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What would you want if you were a bird or a sugar-glider or a koala?
I’d want to keep the tree that my house was made in, where my food grows and where I get protection from predators.

What would you want if you were a snake?
I’d want to be respected for keeping down the rodent population and thereby reducing diseases. I’d want to be left alone, not harassed and attacked with a shovel.

What would you want if you were a kangaroo or a wallaby?
I’d want to have enough space and habitat to be free and to be adored for being uniquely Australian.

Sadly, many of our precious native animals will not get their Christmas wishes...

Instead many will be left homeless when their tree-homes are chopped down. They will be forced to search for different food sources as a result and will then be persecuted for becoming pests. Many will be injured on the roads as more people are travelling to get to their holiday destinations. Some will be left to die and some will be orphaned... sc2

Dr Howard Ralph of Southern Cross Wildlife Care, his wife and dedicated band of volunteers will be bracing for the Festive Season. Knowing that it will bring many little victims of increased traffic, injuries from loss of habitat and often heinous acts of cruelty.

It is a difficult time of the year for them.

If you are wondering what gift to purchase for someone: another bottle of perfume? a bottle of wine? yet another box of chocolates...?
Why not rather consider donating to the needs of our precious wildlife on that person’s behalf?

Giving a koala the use of his leg again after being hit by a car; giving a ringtail possum the use of her tail again after having it half sawn-off by a chain-saw; giving a powerful owl the gift of flight again after sustaining a fractured wing... Wouldn’t that be the perfect gift?
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Southern Cross Wildlife Care will be on duty 24/7 throughout the Festive Season to save and care for the animals who do not get their Christmas wishes.

We would like to thank all our emotional and financial supporters for allowing us the opportunity to save little injured paws, little hurt tails and precious little lives.

Take care these holidays.

Let’s make it a happy season for everyone, including our wildlife :)


www.southerncrosswildlifecare.org.au



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Tinny Rescued at Commuter Wharf

To the wonderful person or persons who found my boat and retied it back at the Commuter Wharf last Thursday or Friday (4th or 5th), thank you so much. 

I was away from the island for 36 hours and it was just wonderful to see that someone had rescued it and then tied it up for me.  We are all part of a community and this is what makes it so rich and vibrant.

To the person who deliberately cut my bow line and let my boat drift away, I shake my head in disbelief that you could behave like that.  You too are part of our community—so someone knows who you are and what you did...




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Found

Opal Card

I found an Opal card at the wharf at Church Point yesterday.

My contact number is 0403284659.
Lyn Savage



Wanted

Outboard Motor

6 or 8 hp outboard engine and fuel tank.

Please call Justin Bicknell on 0411 338 528



Free

Furniture and some tools

  • 120x230cm Oregon Book Shelf
  • 47x228cm Wooden Cabinet
  • 165x65cm Sofa
  • Garden Tools
  • Light Wooden Kayak x2
  • Carpentaria Tools
  • Fiber Glass
Keiko Saito
0402387241



For Sale

Hobbie 19

hobbie



For Sale

For Sale Quintrex 4.2m Estuary Angler

Yamaha 30hp 2 stroke motor including electric start, power tilt and trim

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  • Walk through windscreen and canopy
  • Nav lights, Anchor with chain and warp, Bilge pump
  • Engine Protector (bumper bar) ready to be fitted for commuter use
  • Low oil alarm
  • Carpeted floors
  • Depth sounder with fish finder.
  • 2 swivel seats forward  with a bench aft.
  • 5 PFD life jackets.
  • Registered till April 2016
Boat recently antifouled with ½ tin of antifouling for the next application

Motor regularly serviced, starts easily & runs very well
$7,200
Contact Simon Lambe

Ph 0407 939-096
Simon.Lambe@siamco.com.au



Outboard Motor for Sale

Yamaha 15hp outboard motor starts easily and runs well. Suitable for commuter boat.
$900.00

Contact Simon Lambe

Ph 0407 939-096
Simon.Lambe@siamco.com.au



Lounge and Armchairs for Sale1

Make an Offer !

Chesterfield lounge and 2 x armchairs for sale.
Could do with recovering, but would clean up well with a steam clean and the armchairs would need casters.


2
Very comfortable, all re-upholstered, re-strapped, sprung etc when we refurbished originally.



Make an offer!


Jo Smith
0414 280 300
jo@pinkwatertaxis.com.au





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The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily the views of the Scotland Island Residents Association (SIRA), or the Western Pittwater Community Association (WPCA)

Scotland Island - Western Shores - Mackerel Beach