Gumleaf

How y’going folks

Another year is nearly over and I can’t believe the shows are going better than ever; apart from an occasional senior moment on stage. I guess too many of them will signal retirement from showbiz, but I’ve got to keep going until my 50^th year since ‘Old Man Emu’. That is 2020.

Meg and I just spent a week in Hong Kong with an old friend as your guide. It is so much bigger than I imagined (nearly seven and a half million). High-rise buildings are certainly spectacular and I can see our cities going the same way, as there is no slowing down of population growth. The Chinese do seem to thrive on living like white ants. It’s pretty scary. While they raped the forests of timber around them in the early days, the crammed apartments have at least given their forests above a chance to revive. Is that what we have to do to stop our cities spreading into good agricultural land here? Is this what we have to do to save our nature? I’m beginning to agree with Dick Smith about population growth and whether the path we’re heading down is unsustainable. Or do we want to become white ants too and destroy the paradise we live in?

Meanwhile Meg and I are thankful for our property at Springbrook where we have dedicated most of it (about 150 acres) to ‘Land for Wildlife’ (a conservation partnership program). The cows have been removed. But at the same time we watch Coca Cola and others being allowed to suck spring water from our World Heritage listed area. Environmental impact studies should be called ‘Hip Pocket Studies’.

But wait a minute, this is a Christmas newsletter! I am actually very optimistic about Australia’s future and it’s been inspiring to see so many young school kids protesting all around the country about the Adani coal mine recently. How good is that!

So, have a safe and happy festive season, folks, and enjoy the precious time with family and good mates. We still live in the greatest country and should realise how lucky we are to be Aussies.

See you along the road of song in 2019.