Niue - The South Pacific: The Dolphin Chase

It began with a map, a postage stamp and a strange story.

Several years ago, I became fascinated with maps. I used to walk into Travel shops to gaze on their Wall maps. What attracted me especially were the small remote islands scattered predominantly in the South Pacific. When I was a child I would watch the old Jacques Cousteau and WW2 Pacific documentaries - and that area has fascinated me for the longest time.

With names like Bora Bora, Tahiti, Glibert Ellice islands, Phoenix Island, Truk, Caroline, Palau, etc.. my mind would wonder over these tiny specks of sand and coral.

What would I see there? Would I find magnificent sea creatures? Perhaps a hidden (abandoned) naval base? Or uncover some other beautiful object not seen by human eyes? (I'd also settle for a gorgeous Pacific Island mermaid...)

I also noticed that the International Dateline cut across the Pacific Ocean like a child's pencil mark. And due to that quaint artificial construct, we have on one side one day, ie. "Sunday 20th September", and on the right side of the line, the last day ie "Saturday, 19th September". So in a manner of speaking, if you travel Eastward far enough you'll be heading West!!!

And there was this island called Niue (spelt New-Ay) which was sitting right on that side of the Dateline.

(I also started collecting stamps a few years ago and found that Niue also produced some of the most beautiful stamps in the 1950s -1960s. I kept them as reminders that i had to travel to this place one day.)

And thus: To get there, you fly from Auckland on Saturday morning - cross the ID line - and land a few hours later on FRIDAY lunchtime. Congratulations you've just gone back in time!!!!

Wow, the thought amused me so much that I had to tell as many people as I could about it - boring many of them to distraction no doubt. But the idea also bemused my friend Spencer so much that he caught the fever too. And he then read up on it and found that it had 80m water visibility and humpback whales frequented the bay from July to September. There was also schools of dolphin to be found and incredible limestone caves above and below the sea.

Whales! We get to swim with HUMPBACK WHALES!!!!

Damn we had to go.

I found that its relatively "cheaper" to get there from Melbourne. Fly Air New Zealand to Auckland - then to catch (the one and only) flight on Saturday morning to the place. By-force you have to stay there for one week until the next plane arrives next Friday... so that you can fly back to Auckland on Saturday. Got it???

Niue is a coral island - its foundation are ancient coral reefs now dead. Only a small layer is top soil - which accounts for the exceptional water visibility (no soil erosion runoff)

The small nation is still recovering from a cyclone which not only leveled parts of the island but also destroyed its coral reefs. Its making a comeback - and you'll see plenty of table top corals, mostly hard corals... and the sort of marine fish life you see at Dayang, Maldives, Manado, but not in great numbers. You probably can see more fish further out in the blue - the fishermen hunt for Wahoo and the other bigger fish in the deeper waters. But we didn't dive there.

The divemaster pointed out nudibranches and moray eels for me to see - but frankly, its was the common stuff we find in the Malayan Archipelago, and I gave them only cursory glances. The corals are mainly hard corals. I saw practically no soft corals at all. Fish life wasn't that abundant as in Raja Ampat or Komodo or Sipadan. I briefly glimpsed a shark, a turtle... ho hum.

The weather has carved out a series of spectacular limestone formations on its coastline. They look gothic looking. There are arches, lookouts, cave with cathedral ceilings, rock pools. Some of the caves are so huge you could fit a WW2 Japanese submarine inside or a scout biplane complete with crane and docking facilities. That would have been awesome to see.

Due to a storm, we did not witness the breathtaking 80 metres visibility underwater. I'd say its more like 30m on our diving days. One dive group saw a Manta Ray sailing by gobbling up plankton. Our group saw nothing of that kind.

Nonetheless the diving experience was still very good. Jumping into that clear sea water and swimming around is still an amazing experience. In the water I cannot sin. I am at one with the ocean. And I am at peace with God. I tumble down into the ocean depths, baptized yet again by the Neptune's hand. My troubles, my fears are forgotten, beneath the blue azure sea.

On land, there were a couple of subterranean passageways that took you to underwater caves where you could snorkel through - but the guide was on holiday and so we did not go. We did climb down one of the labyrinthine staircase which led to a natural vault with a freshwater stream. It was really amazing to see. Truly.

But honestly what I really came for was to dive with whales, big freaking humpback whales. And there were none to see. Unfortunately the whale season ended earlier than expected. A big herd of them came to the bay in late August, early September. One dive group did see a mother and calf on Monday but we weren't with that group unfortunately. I felt like a child who goes to Disneyland but didn't get to go on any of the rides; I was that keyed up, my bad.

We went in the last week of September - but by then the whale sightings had been so subdued that the Dive Operator had cancelled all the whale "hunting" expeditions. If I went back I'd go smack in the middle of the season in August to get a better chance of more whale encounters.

I did manage to swim with the dolphins on three separate trips. On route to the dives the boat might chance upon the dolphins and the divers would get into the water and hang onto the zodiac speedboat while it followed the dolphins. The ones I met were a school or rather a nursery of dolphins, roughly 10 adults and their calves, protected by 2 adult dolphins acted as a decoy group. They were shy though and would swim away from the boat upon being sighted. I wish we had something to feed them to make them stay. It wasn't easy holding onto the speedboat rail rope as it moved with speed.

Accommodation was fairly cheap - roughly NZ$100 a day to rent an entire self-contained bungalow at Lanutahi. It had cable TV, a living room, a kitchen, fridge, cooking utensils, hot water and a personal organic alarm clock, ie. the wild rooster(s) that start croaking at 6am. They woke me up a few times and I went out to greet them with a couple of coral rocks.

Anyway its good to wake up early. The diving started at 7.45am (due to the lack of whales). There were only two dives a day. No night dives. The water temperature was about 26C. I'd recommend a 7mm wetsuit if you have one. I had a 3mm/5mm wetsuit and that was OK.

There is only one dive shop on the island - run by Annie and Ian Gray who are the most nicest of people. Google "Niue Dive". The divers are split up to two or three zodiac dive boats and often go to separate locations. If one of the boat sights a whale or a school of dolphins, the DM radios the information to the other boats. Radio transmission was patchy which made it difficult for the dive boats to communicate.

There are a few grocery shops on the island - and they sell quite a few things, including frozen pork ribs, beef mince, very very delicious NZ apples (which I'm still thinking about), Kikkoman soya sauce, (sadly, no wasbi) etc.. If you want a coconut drink, just pluck one from the nearest tree and borrow a parang to hack the top off and drink the water. You won't find anyone selling it cut though. Paw Paw also grows wild on the island - eat it with fresh lime and you'll think you're in paradise.

If you do intend to bring some food into Niue - just make sure that it is packaged together with your check-in luggage. Air NZ the only carrier into the country only allows ONE check-in luggage. You have to pay $75+ for every additional piece, even if it comes within your permitted 23kg amount.

If I'm going back there again - I would buy my groceries from New Zealand - stuff like fresh mushrooms, dried herbs, earl gray tea bags, and spices, fresh lime, pasta, jelly beans, shortbread biscuits, ... mainly small small stuff easy to carry, not fragile. You cannot bring fresh fruit into New Zealand - to do so would risk a hefty fine.

Israel Mart stocks the most wonderful ice-creams (Movenpick) - it was creamy, fresh (no doughy or icey texture) and for $2 a scoop- I thought it was one of the best treats on the island. I had at least 4 everyday. I swear it was one of the best ice-creams I have ever had before in my life.

They also stock fresh fish caught on the day - including Wahoo and Mahi-Mahi (Coryphaena hippurus). Pretty good, but you had to descale it. I took the expeditious route by (descaling most of the scales then) slicing off the skin - and frying the skin to a crisp.

Great ice-cream and fresh ocean fish... yum!!!!

Niue is a rather sedentary place. Most shops close by 5pm. And on Sunday everyone goes to church or stays at home - even the Radio Station shuts shop. Scuba diving and most active sports are forbidden on Sabbath.

One thing you do notice is the number of wild chickens running all over the island. Other nations have seagulls and pigeons- Niue has chickens. I just couldn't understand it. Why weren't they caught and housed? But the people there seem to prefer to import their eggs and chicken from New Zealand, strangely enough.

The other thing that caught my eye was the number of abandoned buildings and homes - there must be been hundreds of these derelict structures, some quite substantial buildings made out of brick, carved limestone, others made of corrugated iron or wood - all of them all slowly rotting away in the warm climate, eaten by the jungle. You would have thought that the land and house would have been auctioned off to be made into something more productive than an awful testimony to the number of Niueans leaving the country by plane, boat or death.

And the other thing you will notice are the number of graves scattered around the island. Niue does not have a public cemetery, instead the people are buried on their property - which might seem a quaint idea but it does lends an unsettling look to the place.

It seems that most of the island is uninhabited. You'll find wild paw-paws (unsweet papayas) growing wild in various places. It all looks like a scene out of the TV series, LOST. Drive around long enough and you'll come across the Dharma Initiative village I bet.

Niue has a great deal of trade-protection - the Movenpick ice-cream man told me that his import tax is 40%. But this does not stop Niue from relying on foreign aid from New Zealand though. Foreigners are not allowed to purchase property on the island - and even the long abandoned buildings are protected, in the hopes that their residents whether dead or alive will return to claim their ancestral homes. Many islanders have left- seeking employment in New Zealand. The NZ ambassador has a really nice house on the island - great life too - he spends most of his time playing golf.

Postscript: When I got back to Victoria, I went to Westfield Doncaster to try the Movenpick ice-cream being sold there - it tasted horrible, it tasted like dough mixed with lard. So disappointed. I guess I have to fly back to Niue to try their ice-cream again! :)

Voyage to the Land of Yesterday, Niue

Several years ago, I became fascinated with maps. I used to walk into Travel shops to gaze on their wall to ceiling maps. What attracted me especially were the small remote islands scattered predominantly in the South Pacific.

With names like Bora Bora, Tahiti, Glibert Ellice islands, Phoenix Island, Truk, Caroline, etc.. my mind would wonder over these tiny specks of sand and coral.

What would I see there? Would I find magnificent sea creatures? Perhaps an undiscovered and abandoned hidden Japanese naval base? Or uncover some other beautiful object not seen by human eyes? (I'd also settle for a gorgeous Pacific Island mermaid...)

I also noticed that the International dateline cut across the Pacific Ocean like a school child's pencil mark. On one side is one day, on the other marks the last day. And there was this island called Niue (spelt Nu-Ay) which was sitting right on the other side.

(Niue also produced some of the most beautiful stamps in the 1930s by the way)

And thus: To get there, you fly from Auckland on Saturday morning - cross the ID line - and land a few hours later on FRIDAY lunchtime. Congratulations you've just gone back in time!!!!

Wow, the thought amused me so much that I had to tell as many people as I could about it - boring many of them to distraction no doubt. But the idea tickled my friend Spencer so much that he caught the fever too. And he then read up on it and found that it had 80m water visibility and humpback whales frequented the bay from July to September. There was also schools of dolphin to be found and incredible limestone caves above and below the sea.

Damn we had to go.

I found that its relatively "cheaper" to get there from Melbourne. Fly Air New Zealand to Auckland - then to catch (the one and only) flight on Saturday morning to the place. By-force you have to stay there for one week until the next plane arrives next Friday... so that you can fly back to Auckland on Saturday. Got it???

Niue is a rather sedentary place. Most shops close by 5pm. And on Sunday everyone goes to church or stays at home - even the Radio Station shuts shop. Scuba diving and most active sports are forbidden on Sabbath.

Matapa Chasm, Niue. If you look closely - you can see the image of a man leaping off the cliff - around the centre of the photo.

One thing you do notice is the number of wild chickens running all over the island. Other nations have pigeons- Niue has chickens. I just couldn't understand it. Why weren't they caught and housed? But the people there seem to prefer to import their eggs and chicken from New Zealand, strangely enough.

The other thing that caught my eye was the number of abandoned buildings and homes - there must be been hundreds of these derelict structures, some quite substantial buildings made out of brick, carved limestone, others made of corrugated iron or wood - all of them all slowly rotting away in the warm climate, being eaten by the jungle. You would have thought that the land and house would have been auctioned off to be made into something more productive than am ugly testimony to the number of Niueans leaving the country by plane, boat or death.

However the Niue people are quite protectionist of their country - this does not stop them from depending on a great deal of foreign aid from New Zealand though. Foreigners are not allowed to purchase property on the island - and even the long abandoned buildings are protected, in the hopes that their residents whether dead or alive will return to claim their ancestral homes. Many islanders have left- seeking employment in New Zealand.

Niue is a coral island - its foundation are ancient coral reefs now dead. Only a small layer is top soil - which accounts for the exceptional water visibility (no soil erosion runoff) Its still recovering from a cyclone which not only leveled parts of the island but also destroyed its coral reefs. Its making a comeback - and you'll see plenty of table top corals, mostly hard corals... and the sort of marine fish life you see at Dayang, Maldives, Manado, but not in great numbers. You probably can see more fish further out in the blue - the fishermen hunt for Wahoo and the other bigger fish in the deeper waters. But we didn't dive there.

The divemaster pointed out nudibranches and moray eels for me to see - but frankly, its the sort of stuff that is very common in the Malayan Archipelago, and I gave them only cursory glances.

The weather has carved out a series of spectacular limestone formations on its coastline. They look gothic looking. There are arches, lookouts, cave with cathedral ceilings, rock pools. Some of the caves are so huge you could fit a WW2 Japanese submarine inside or a scout biplane complete with crane and docking facilities. That would have been awesome to see.

Due to a storm, we did not witness the breathtaking 80 metres visibility underwater. I'd say its more like 30m on our diving days. One dive group saw a Manta Ray sailing by gobbling up plankton. Our group saw nothing of that kind.

Nonetheless the diving experience was still very good. Jumping into that clear sea water and swimming around is still an amazing experience. In the water I cannot sin. I am at one with the ocean. And I am at peace with God. I tumble down into the ocean depths, baptized yet again by the Neptune's hand. My troubles, my fears are forgotten, beneath the blue azure sea.

The Royal bath pool at Makefu, Niue

On land, there were a couple of subterranean passageways that took you to underwater caves where you could snorkel through - but the guide was on holiday and so we did not go. We did climb down one of the labyrinthine staircase which led to a natural vault with a freshwater stream. It was really amazing to see. Truly.

But what I really came for was to dive with whales, big freaking humpback whales. But unfortunately the whale season ended earlier than expected. A big herd of them came to the bay in late August, early September. One dive group saw a mother and calf on Monday but we weren't with that group. We saw nothing. I felt like a child who goes to Disneyland but didn't get to go on any of the rides.

I did manage to swim with the dolphins on three separate trips. On route to the dives the boat might chance upon the dolphins and the divers would get into the water and hang onto the zodiac speedboat while it followed the dolphins. The ones I met were a school or rather a nursery of dolphins, roughly 10 adults and their calves, protected by 2 adult dolphins acted as a decoy group. They were shy though and would swim away from the boat upon being sighted. I wish we had something to feed them to make them stay. It wasn't easy holding onto the speedboat rail rope as it moved with speed.

Accommodation was fairly cheap - roughly NZ$100 a day to rent an entire self-contained bungalow at Lanutahi, 5 mins walk from the Dive Shop. It had cable TV, a living room, a kitchen, fridge, cooking utensils, hot water and a personal organic alarm clock, ie. the wild rooster(s) that start croaking at 6am. They woke me up a few times and I went out to greet them with a couple of coral rocks.

 Anyway its good to wake up early. The diving started at 7.45am (due to the lack of whales). There were only two dives a day. No night dives. The water temperature was about 26C. I'd recommend a 7mm wetsuit if you have one. I had a 3mm/5mm wetsuit and that was OK.

There is only one dive shop on the island - run by Annie and Ian Gray who are the most nicest of people. Google "Niue Dive". The divers are split up to two or three zodiac dive boats and often go to separate locations. If one of the boat sights a whale or a school of dolphins, the DM radios the information to the other boats. Radio transmission is patchy.

There are a few grocery shops on the island - and they sell quite a few things, including frozen pork ribs, beef mince, very very delicious NZ apples (which I'm still thinking about), Kikkoman soya sauce, (sadly, no wasbi) etc.. If you want a coconut drink, just pluck one from the nearest tree and borrow a parang to hack the top off and drink the water. You won't find anyone selling it cut though. Paw Paw also grows wild on the island - eat it with fresh lime and you'll think you're in paradise.

If you do intend to bring some food into Niue - just make sure that it is packaged together with your check-in luggage. Air NZ the only carrier into the country only allows ONE check-in luggage. You have to pay $75+ for every additional piece, even if it comes within your permitted 23kg amount.

If I'm going back there again - I would buy my groceries from New Zealand - stuff like fresh mushrooms, dried herbs, earl gray tea bags, and spices, fresh lime, pasta, jelly beans, shortbread biscuits, ... mainly small small stuff easy to carry, not fragile. You cannot bring fresh fruit into New Zealand - to do so would risk a hefty fine.

Israel Mart stocks the most wonderful ice-creams (Movenpick) - it was creamy, fresh (no doughy or icey texture) and for $2 a scoop- I thought it was one of the best treats on the island. I had at least 4 everyday. I swear it was one of the best ice-creams I have ever had before in my life.

They also stock fresh fish caught on the day - including Wahoo and Mahi-Mahi (Coryphaena hippurus). Pretty good, but you had to descale it. I took the expeditious route by (descaling most of the scales then) slicing off the skin - and frying the skin to a crisp.

Great ice-cream and fresh ocean fish... yum!!!!

Apparently Westfield Doncaster has a Movenpick ice-cream outlet. Guess where I'm heading tomorrow?

Compost bins

I just received two Black wheelie bins from Australian Waste Management. They are selling them for about $44 each brand new - you have to add $35 for delivery which I thought was reasonable. If you buy them brand new, you can choose the color and I wanted black. Because Black is Beautiful - and also the right color for compost bins.

Its cheaper if you buy the seconds or the used bins -but you don't get a choice of colors, just what is available on stock.

My local hardware store is selling them for $90 each - not including delivery.

My plan is to use them to make "compost tea", a weed and seed killer. :D

My garden has tons of weeds now. Throwing them into the traditional compost bins helps to kill some of the seeds - but enough of them survive the composting process and will germinate when I use the compost in my garden.

The end result - more weeds.

I really hate weeds. And because of their hardy nature - we end up throwing them away in the council garden trash bins. Which is a pity because we're throwing away a lot of good nutrients and also soil trapped in the weeds. Sometimes we get so many weeds that we run out of space in the compost bins and council bins to dispose of them. The feeling of being overwhelmed by weeds is pretty horrible - probably much the same as that sinking feeling the British colonial troops had when they were being overrun by Zulu imps. haha.

Enter the "compost tea" bin. What you do is to throw the weeds, seeds and all into the bin - then fill it with grey water, rain water etc... After 3 months, everything in the bins rots and turns into putrid waste, hopefully including the blasted clover seeds.

Because of the foul smell, you had better place the bins in a corner of the garden which is secluded. If the smell does really bother you I guess you could gladwrap the opening.

I'm placing them near my traditional compost bins for easy access.

Some people have recommended using a plastic bag to hold the weeds and water - that might be good for small gardens but for bigger gardens like mine I think I'd prefer something more robust.

Size matters!! I chose a smaller size 140litres instead of the 240litres for easy handling. The 240 litre bins once full or even partially full would be very hard to move around. Trying to scoop out the waste of the larger bin would also be problematic; I don't wish to risk falling inside the darn thing!!!

I actually wanted the larger bin because size for size, it was cheaper. But if it may prove to be a hassle to use, what's the point? The tool has to fit the job.

You can use the waste water, diluted of course, and pour it on your garden. Don't use it indoors because of the odor. I think I'll probably just add it to my aerobic bins and open compost bins.

In case you are wondering I have a fairly large garden for a surburan home, roughly about 2,000 sq feet.

I have two council garden waste bins. (330litres),

two aerobic "darlek" type of bins (800litres),

one open compost bins (probably 2000 litres if filled to capacity),

and now two 140litre black wheelie bins which I intend to use as compost tea bins.

Somehow it feels like Christmas!!!

(Edition. 21 Nov. I removed the dead weeds in the container - and it stank like raw sewage - see explanation in the following post)

Wheelie bin Compost bins

I just received two Black wheelie bins from Australian Waste Management. They are selling them for about $44 each brand new - you have to add $35 for delivery which I thought was reasonable. If you buy them brand new, you can choose the color and I wanted black. Because Black is Beautiful - and also the right color for compost bins.

Its cheaper if you buy the seconds or the used bins -but you don't get a choice of colors, just what is available on stock.

My local hardware store is selling them for $90 each - not including delivery.

My plan is to use them to make "compost tea", a weed and seed killer. :D

My garden has tons of weeds now. Throwing them into the traditional compost bins helps to kill some of the seeds - but enough of them survive the composting process and will germinate when I use the compost in my garden.

The end result - more weeds.

I really hate weeds. And because of their hardy nature - we end up throwing them away in the council garden trash bins. Which is a pity because we're throwing away a lot of good nutrients and also soil trapped in the weeds. Sometimes we get so many weeds that we run out of space in the compost bins and council bins to dispose of them. The feeling of being overwhelmed by weeds is pretty horrible - probably much the same as that sinking feeling the British colonial troops had when they were being overrun by Zulu imps. haha.

Enter the "compost tea" bin. What you do is to throw the weeds, seeds and all into the bin - then fill it with grey water, rain water etc... After 3 months, everything in the bins rots and turns into putrid waste, hopefully including the blasted clover seeds.

Because of the foul smell, you had better place the bins in a corner of the garden which is secluded. If the smell does really bother you I guess you could gladwrap the opening.

I'm placing them near my traditional compost bins for easy access.

Some people have recommended using a plastic bag to hold the weeds and water - that might be good for small gardens but for bigger gardens like mine I think I'd prefer something more robust.

Size matters!! I chose a smaller size 140litres instead of the 240litres for easy handling. The 240 litre bins once full or even partially full would be very hard to move around. Trying to scoop out the waste of the larger bin would also be problematic; I don't wish to risk falling inside the darn thing!!!

I actually wanted the larger bin because size for size, it was cheaper. But if it may prove to be a hassle to use, what's the point? The tool has to fit the job.

You can use the waste water, diluted of course, and pour it on your garden. Don't use it indoors because of the odor. I think I'll probably just add it to my aerobic bins and open compost bins.

In case you are wondering I have a fairly large garden for a surburan home, roughly about 2,000 sq feet.

I have two council garden waste bins. (330litres),

two aerobic "darlek" type of bins (800litres),

one open compost bins (probably 2000 litres if filled to capacity),

and now two 140litre black wheelie bins which I intend to use as compost tea bins.

Somehow it feels like Christmas!!!

(update1: I removed the dead weeds in the container - and it stank like raw sewage - see explanation in the following post)

update 2
I finally managed to take out the waste from one of the bins - I threw most of it into one of the dalak bins and the rest I diluted and spread it onto my garden. The tomato plant seems to like it. Looks like most of the seeds are dead but its a bit hard to say until after we experience one whole year.

I found that I had to modify the hose section of the Bunnings plastic watering containers- drilling them out to make them bigger, too much crud was getting stuck.

It still stinks alright. But after a couple of days the smell goes away.

I highly recommend using old clothes and full length rubber gloves and a hat when handling the crap.

Postscript - 23 April 2013
Its been over 2 years since I started the project and to that I've added 2 more black bins.

The good news is that it seems most of the weed seeds do get taken out by soaking them in water for over 1 - 2 years. The bad news is that it looks like some of the very small oxalis bulbs are actually surviving the process. I checked on my number 2 bin - emptying out the contents - and to my horror I found small little oxalis bulbs floating on the surface. I'm not sure whether they were introduced earlier in the season - as I have not been very stringent in making sure that no new weeds get reintroduced into the brewing cycle once started.

I think a good solution would be to apply the tea to areas of the garden where it would be easy to control the oxalis should it grow from bulb again.

Other solutions please look here:

http://www.sfgate.com/homeandgarden/goldengategardener/article/Nipping-oxalis-in-the-bulbs-is-key-to-control-2570258.php

The other thing that I should mention is that if too much heavy material - esp. weeded soil - gets added to the bins - this could cause the material to not compact. In other words the tea becomes too dense - more cake than tea. This makes it extremely difficult and dangerous to try and move the bins around - they are simply too heavy and could pose a danger to the gardener.

Another solution to preventing the weed seeds from germinating is to sieve it out. You get a pail - cut a hole - you place an old tee shirt to act as a sieve - and pour the crap from the bins into that pail. The waste water will leak out - just place it in the area of garden that you want to fertilize and leave it there. Dilute the mix with water if you think the brew is too strong.
 

Change of focus

I'm changing the focus of my blog - devoting it to my garden here in Melbourne. Its fairly large - roughly 1800 sq feet.

When we first got here over 20 years ago it had gum trees, ivy, and ferns. We removed the lot.

We have since planted the roses, crocus, bluestone walls and steps, ornamental trees, bulbs like tulips and ranunculus.

Ah yes, my ranunculus flowers. They are a stunning sight.

I plan to grow them back next year in 2012.

Gardening is a love hate relationship with me. There is often so much to do. The combination of sunny winter weather and wet rain cause the weeds to multiply in the millions. Its a hard slog to remove them all.

In my respects, the garden is also a spiritual metaphor. Is it no surprise that God gave Adam a garden as his first care of duty? Gardening was man's first job.

It gives me great pleasure to see the final product but the journey there is hard and arduous.

Change of focus

I'm changing the focus of my blog - devoting it to my garden here in Melbourne. Its fairly large - roughly 1800 sq feet.

When we first got here over 20 years ago it had gum trees, ivy, and ferns. We removed the lot.

We have since planted the roses, crocus, bluestone walls and steps, ornamental trees, bulbs like tulips and ranunculus.

Ah yes, my ranunculus flowers. They are a stunning sight.

I plan to grow them back next year in 2012.

Gardening is a love hate relationship with me. There is often so much to do. The combination of sunny winter weather and wet rain cause the weeds to multiply in the millions. Its a hard slog to remove them all.

In my respects, the garden is also a spiritual metaphor. Is it no surprise that God gave Adam a garden as his first care of duty? Gardening was man's first job.

It gives me great pleasure to see the final product but the journey there is hard and arduous.

Chiam See Tong and 300 Spartans: Some thoughts on the SG Election 2011

Any error found in this essay is unintended and not malicious. Sources have been gleaned from Wikipedia and personal notes. 
The Singapore 2011 General election follows in the shadow of the Opposition's historic win 20 years ago, back in 1991 when 4 Opposition MPs were elected to Parliament. Three of them were from the SDP which was led by Chiam See Tong which enabled CST to actually form a working Parliamentary Opposition for the first time since the 1960s.

Chiam had proposed a non-confrontational style to the Opposition movement. Unlike JB Jeyaretnam, he believed in a thoughtful considerate (gentlemanly) approach to taking on the Ruling Party. It made common sense, most Singaporeans acknowledged the good that the PAP had achieved - public housing/transportation, and social + economic stability. To aggressively hammer and criticize the government at every point and turn would reduce the effectiveness of the tiny minority voice of the Opposition. Eventually, Jeyaretnam paid the price and was ejected from Parliament.

Chiam on the other hand stayed the course and even won the respect of the Old Man himself who on occasion would seek his opinion on policy. Maybe its because he was assured that he would receive an independent rational response. PAP Ministers and MPs were bemused to see LKY summoning CST - only to receive the laconic response that he'll talk to the Founder of Modern Singapore after he got his coffee!!! Chiam's straight talk, coupled with his lack of fear, un-cowed nor overawed by the most august leader - gained CST a level of influence not realized by other Opposition voices or even some PAP MPs.

As it is, Chiam See Tong has lost his place in Parliament, neither was his wife able to retain the Potong Pasir seat. A lot of Singaporeans are upset but I don't see it as a zero-sum game, ie. "PAP won, Chiam See Tong/Lina/ Potong Pasir residents/democracy :) lose".

2480 years ago, when King Leonides and 300 Spartans (+Thespians allies  etc) dared to hold the Thermopylae pass against a million strong Persian Army - it wasn't to "win" - to defeat the entire Persian Army. The point was to hold off the enemy to buy time for the Greeks - Athenians, Spartans etc.. to mobilize their armies. That Leonides' small band of troops could stave off an enemy army vastly stronger in numbers - for even a day, eventually three full days (before being overwhelmed), was a god-like miracle.

The delay was a strategic disaster for the Persians, a shameful humiliation. Xerxes was so furious he had the Greek king's corpse ritually mutilated. Nonetheless, the battle put an awful dread into the Persian heart for if a handful of Spartan soldiers could hold them off for 3 days what more the entire Greek Army?

Today Leonides' and his 300 Spartans are remembered not for being annihilated but for their bravery and for their honorable, incredible fight against overwhelmingly odds. That in itself was the ultimate victory, celebrated to this day, for which they have gained eternal fame and glory.

So what if "Aunty Lina" lost Potong Pasir? That a relatively unknown housewife (an "aunty") could audaciously fight a three time PAP contender- who was promising millions of dollars in incentives - and lose by a mere 114 votes (0.72%) - is victory enough.

We also have to bear in mind the herculean fact that Chiam See Tong held the seat for 27 years against a supremely stronger opponent!!! And the political scene back then was considerably more harsher with situations like "The Marxist Conspiracy", "Operation Cold Storage" slamming into the news headlines. Chia Thye Poh, a member of the Barisan Sosialis, was still under detention without trial under the ISA. That was the political climate back then.

Despite the PAP threats, cojoling, and recriminations, the people of Potong Pasir kept on voting for their "Mr Chiam". Who would have thought that Singaporeans who are said to be materialistic, self-centered etc.. would reject  the promises for HDB property up-grading, better amenities, and other public services in favor for what exactly?

Chiam even fought off Mah Bow Tan's electoral bid which perhaps caused the PAP not a small amount of consternation as they did not field another high flyer candidate in that seat ever again.

When the SDP won 3 seats in the 1991 GE. Chiam See Tong was riding high. For the first time since the 1960s, there could, be a working Parliamentary Opposition - 3 SDP, 1 WP. It was very small but it all looked very promising.

Then came an Ephialtes moment, in 1993 Chiam faced a revolt against his own leadership in the SDP - apparently led by his own protégé. There was even a serious attempt to expel Chiam from the SDP which was confounded due to a legal technicality. If it had succeeded, he would have had to stand down from his seat in Potong Pasir. Since the next election was sometime away (1997) perhaps someone from the SDP hoped to take over Chiam's Parliamentary seat? A terrible thought indeed.

Its one thing to be thrown out of your seat by the PAP, its quite another to be thrown out by members of your own political party. Imagine the horror if the PAP expelled Lee Kuan Yew from the PAP (and Parliament) because of remarks he had made. !!! This bitter infighting certainly did not reflect well on the Opposition movement; its no wonder the PAP has dominated Singapore's political battleground for 50 years.

Eventually in the next election, Chiam had to join another party, the SPP, and fight the very party he founded (as well as the PAP). Amazingly, he still managed to win. Not many Singaporeans remember this or perhaps they do since the SDP has not won a single seat ever since that incident.

In this General Election, its noteworthy to remember that Chiam in the Bishan GRC managed to score a decent innings against the PAP. A spectacular result considering the odds. Who would have thought that a 74 year old opposition politician stricken with stroke together with a couple of unknowns could achieve a 43% result against the PAP team led by a Deputy Prime Minister in the Heartland?

Its highly admirable that Chiam chose to step outside his comfort zone, despite his immense frailties, and take on this almost impossible challenge. Would you? A lesser man would have given up ages ago. But like King Leonidas, Chiam See Tong has remained steadfast despite the odds.

The Ruling Party, like the Persian Military Behemoth, won in the end but certainly not convincingly. Like the 300 Spartans, the people of Potong Pasir defied the odds. For 27 years, the people of Potong Pasir made its point: "Don't tread on us." You can expect that the PAP will be making good on its promises on the upgrading. You can also expect Potong Pasir to be merged with another constituency before the next election. But if promises are reneged - Potong Pasir will be like a porcupine fish swallowed by the shark.

As for the magnificent win by the Worker's Party in Aljuneid and the overall drop in the popular vote for the Ruling Party I'll talk about that some other time.

In the meanwhile, I'd like to end with a poem by Robert Graves - its a satrical poem awash in irony. Purporting to tell the Persian version of history, the parochial speaker casually and condescendingly dismisses the Greek victory (the earlier one at Marathon) to focus on the "bigger picture", avoiding any serious reflection on their defeat. I certainly hope the sentiments are not shared by the PAP... for Singapore's sake.

Truth-loving Persians do not dwell upon
The trivial skirmish fought near Marathon.
As for the Greek theatrical tradition
Which represents that summer's expedition
Not as a mere reconnaisance in force
By three brigades of foot and one of horse
(Their left flank covered by some obsolete
Light craft detached from the main Persian fleet)
But as a grandiose, ill-starred attempt
To conquer Greece - they treat it with contempt;
And only incidentally refute Major Greek claims, by stressing what repute
The Persian monarch and the Persian nation won by this salutary demonstration:
Despite a strong defence and adverse weather
All arms combined magnificently together. -- Robert Graves

Bibliography, Notes, Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chee_Soon_Juan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiam_See_Tong
http://wonderingminstrels.blogspot.com/2000/08/persian-version-robert-graves.html