The Australian Bite
Swimming with crocodiles & Aboriginal Sydney
16 December 2010
Listen and download: MP3
This week on the Australian Bite, Kaitlyn Sawrey goes crocodile catching in Australia’s tropical north. We take a look at the newly revised edition of the guidebook Aboriginal Sydney. And we meet Melbourne author Maryanne Harris, who has written a children’s book about disability with a strong positive message.
Treating Everyone Decently – a positive message for us all
Just because someone looks different, or is doing something differently, it doesn’t mean that it is wrong. That’s just one of the messages Melbourne author Maryanne Harrison hopes to get across in her new children’s picture book, TED’s first day back at School. In the book, TED – which stands for Treat Everyone Decently – is returning to school following an accident that has put him in a wheelchair. And all he wants is for people to treat him the same way they always did. The book is based on Maryanne’s own experiences. She lost her hearing at age 3 following consecutive bouts of measles and mumps, and she has worked in primary schools raising awareness of the issues faced by people with disabilities. I spoke to her about the inspiration for the book.
More information at www.tedbooks.com
Swimming with crocodiles
Would you take a swim if you knew there were crocodiles in the water? They do in Kununurra, about 10 hours drive south-west from Darwin. The main attraction in town is the lake, and most locals in town have a boat. It’s also popular for swimming. But the lake is also home to about 8,000 freshwater crocodiles, and the occasional salty – or saltwater croc. And although no-one’s been attacked in the lake yet, the Department of Environment and Conservation go out on patrol every week in case a saltwater croc gets too comfy. Reporter Kaitlyn Sawrey went on patrol with local wildlife officer Luke Bentley to see how you go about catching a croc.
Check out the photos on the Triple J Hack website
A fascinating guide to Aboriginal Sydney
If you get the chance to visit Sydney, you’d probably think first of visiting the opera house, going to Bondi beach and taking a trip across the Sydney harbour bridge. But there’s much more to Australia’s largest city than that – including lots of rich indigenous history, and important aboriginal sites. Well a great guide book called Aboriginal Sydney, has recently been revised and updated to include even more information and sights. Russell Taylor is the principal of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies in Canberra which researched and published the book. He spoke to Rhianna Patrick from ABC Local Radio’s Speaking Out program.
More details on the book available here at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies website.
Music (not in podcast)
We hear a track from Sydney producer and MC Urthboy (alias Tim Levinson) who is probably best known for his work as part of hip hop outfit The Herd. This track is from his third solo album.
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