Bushranger

Quake creates a buzz

ONE Darwin girl thought she felt the earth move – in a different way – on Monday when Darwin was rocked by powerful tremors from a 7.2 earthquake in the Banda Sea. The long-time local had just collected her luggage from the airport baggage carousel after flying back into Darwin and was waiting for her partner to grab his. She was reaching into her hand luggage, which was resting on her suitcase, when the tremors hit. “Did you feel that vibrating?” she asked her partner as he walked towards her. “Yeah, I think we just had an earthquake,” he replied. “Oh,” she said. “I thought something must have just turned itself on in my bag.” The mind boggles.

Very Important Person

Member for Johnston Ken Vowles was throwing his weight around on social media this week, offering his Twitter followers a special deal at his local coffee shop. “Always great coffee from Tony at Cafe Bellissimo in the Jape Complex,” he tweeted. “If you’re in the electorate of Johnston, pop in and say Ken sent you and Tony will give you ... nothing ... but good coffee and service.” Maybe Vowles’s influence in the hospitality scene has slipped somewhat since his being sidelined from cabinet last year.

Cyril asks the questions

ABC reporter Rosa Ellen found herself in uncharted waters this week when new Tiwi Bombers assistant coach Cyril Rioli turned the tables and started firing questions in her direction. Rioli told reporters he was keen to help the younger players and Ellen asked the natural question: “What do you think they need?” “What do you reckon?” Rioli fired back. “That’s my question to you …” the bemused broadcaster replied. If the radio lark doesn’t work out maybe Ellen would consider stepping in as Rioli’s assistant when the great man eventually ascends to the top job at the Bombers.

Few raps for ScoMo

The White House press pool was apparently unimpressed with Australian Prime Minister

Scott Morrison’s one-on-one with US President Donald Trump this week at the G20 conference. Whatever weighty affairs were canvassed, they were of little interest to the world’s media. “Pool was briefly led into dining room where President Trump was meeting with Australian Prime Minister Morrison,” the pool report reads. “There was no news.”

Holiday fun falls flat

SOME Territory campers brought their campground to the CBD this weekend. After getting up at 5am, the team discovered they had a flat tyre. While that was being fixed, one member of the group did a breakfast run to McDonalds. Enter second flat tyre. Eventually, both tyres were fixed only to discover the car had a flat battery. After the string of bad luck the team opted for tents on the apartment balcony.

Graney’s sharp reminder

AUSTRALIA’S King of Pop Dave Graney found himself in a prick of a situation after a show at Parap’s Railway Club recently. Relaxing on a friend’s veranda, he shifted in his seat, causing a splinter and impaling his right bum cheek. Graney extracted the splinter ... or so he thought. The “splinter from hell” dogged him for the rest of his tour. He left pieces all over the country, from Adelaide to Brisbane and Nambour to Kyneton