NT's t-shirted termite mounds
Submitted: Saturday, Nov 07, 2015 at 20:17
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Robyn R4
Anyone know the origins of these t-shirt models?
We've been to the NT twice before but they were all naked back then.
We were highly amused by them on our recent trip through the NT and I thought there'd surely be someone who knew someone who knew how they started off...
A drunken bet in the middle of the night? International tourists? A touring family entertaining their bored kids? Locals?
:) Robyn
Reply By: Steve in Kakadu - Saturday, Nov 07, 2015 at 20:57
Saturday, Nov 07, 2015 at 20:57
Backpackers.
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Reply By: Bob Y. - Qld - Saturday, Nov 07, 2015 at 21:32
Saturday, Nov 07, 2015 at 21:32
They seem to have become really prolific, the past few years, Robyn, along the Barkly & Landsborough H'ways. Maybe they're starting to breed..........?
This one, on Barkly H'way, would be my favourite. He's got everything he needs, and is dressed appropriately for the conditions.
Safety Anthill, west of Mt Isa
Bob
AnswerID:
592449
Follow Up By: Life Member-Doug T NSW - Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 07:32
Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 07:32
Yeh this one is definitely a Truckie, it's a wonder it hasn't got steel capped boots.
.
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Follow Up By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 09:39
Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 09:39
All the trucks seem to wear thongs Doug.
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Follow Up By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 09:40
Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 09:40
....truckies!!!!
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Reply By: vk1dx - Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 07:17
Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 07:17
May be okay for a laugh. Put it on - take a photo - take it off. It will kill the nest. The whole ventilation for the nest comes from what's above ground.
I thought the attitude was "leave only footprints". Makes me mad - ignorance of how the bush survives.
Phil
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Life Member-Doug T NSW - Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 07:40
Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 07:40
I know where your heading and your concerns are good, but really.....I think there's a few Trillion Termites around and we won't run short, besides the material is not plastic, the air can circulate through it, and as sure as the Sun sets in the West it will rot away.
,
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860636
Reply By: vk1dx - Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 07:43
Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 07:43
I gather that you don't believe in the "Take it in - Take it out philosophy".
Phil
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Reply By: Robyn R4 - Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 09:34
Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 09:34
Thanks all!
I had wondered about whether the termites were happy about it and whether the locals enjoyed it or if they were looking at it as visually distasteful...
I do recall seeing some shirts that were starting to fall apart and had wondered how long it'd take the NT sun to do that (weeks or months or years)
I never managed to photograph one because you never know when they're going to next appear and screaming at hubby to stop when towing a trailer at 120kph because you want to photograph a clothed termite mound...
well, it's not on the list of recommended things to do IMHO
:)
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Follow Up By: Member - bbuzz (NSW) - Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 10:04
Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 10:04
120kmh?
Maybe you need to slow down and enjoy the scenery.
bill
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860646
Follow Up By: vk1dx - Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 14:54
Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 14:54
Leave it alone Bill. "Hubby" is enjoying himself. I think Robyn was having a lend of us.
Phil
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Reply By: Peter_n_Margaret - Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 10:20
Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 10:20
Graffiti.
There are laws against it and rightly so.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome
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Reply By: Member - A J - Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 10:37
Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 10:37
Robyn R4
The first I saw of these termite t-shirt models was in 1986 when we were coming down
the Tanami track. They were near a section of road that was being repaired. So I would suggest a road working gang probably did the ones we saw.
A J
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Follow Up By: Robyn R4 - Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 14:27
Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 14:27
1986?!
Wow!
And PS: I won't get into an argument about the 120 we did through the territory's straight, flat roads that have a speed limit of 130...
We're not
grey nomads with months and months to spare, but don't we wish!!! We were on a time limit with days to get
home after an eventful 10,000km of almost busting the drawbar on the Tanami, doing the leaf spring on the
Savannah Way, cracking the radiator on the
Kalumburu Road...!
We were covering ground we'd been over before and reluctantly doing 600km a day to get
home for work.
Time, tide and hubby's casual employment wait for no man!
:)
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Follow Up By: Members - Bow & Nan - Monday, Nov 09, 2015 at 09:30
Monday, Nov 09, 2015 at 09:30
Not hard to work out why you killed the spring, radiator and draw bar.
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Follow Up By: Robyn R4 - Monday, Nov 09, 2015 at 19:41
Monday, Nov 09, 2015 at 19:41
Nah. The radiator was done at about 60kph, the drawbar at about 80kph (just fluked the only 3 bounces on the damn road and hit with a thud at the end of the 3rd) and the leaf spring was done at a bone-shuddering 40-50kph because the Savannah hadn't been graded for a whole season. When dirt tracks say "30" we do 30. We're not those yobbo's that you dread meeting on the bends.
We just had some bloody bad luck.
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Reply By: Mudripper - Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 12:15
Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 12:15
Reminds me of the times I used to see upside-down jeans fastened to forked gumtrees near the roads around Kalgoorlie,
Coolgardie, etc.
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Reply By: Hewy54 - Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 16:51
Sunday, Nov 08, 2015 at 16:51
Funny when the first person did it, but it is just a form of vandalism. If I am out in that area I would like to be able to take photos of the natural environment, not someone elses vandalism.
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Follow Up By: Member - Bruce and Di T (SA) - Monday, Nov 09, 2015 at 12:55
Monday, Nov 09, 2015 at 12:55
Agree, first couple are humorous; after that annoying. It's the same with The Trees.
Di
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Reply By: Bigfish - Monday, Nov 09, 2015 at 12:28
Monday, Nov 09, 2015 at 12:28
Billions of termite mounts and a couple of dozen have been done up to provide some humour. Geez...hang the culprits.
Some people just love to whinge and take the high moral ground when in actual fact you will find that they have doen something similar or amusing in their lifetime. If not they must be wowsers or just plain boring..
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Follow Up By: Hewy54 - Monday, Nov 09, 2015 at 14:58
Monday, Nov 09, 2015 at 14:58
Yes I have done a couple of similar things ( not vandalism) but am proud to have come up with my own ideas. I just find that being one of the sheep and following others to deface our outback is a bit boring.
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