Monckton Goes To Oz

Way back in the mists of time - 2001, to be exact, I found myself in a little place in Australia called Noosa.

Well, okay, I didn't find myself there, I went deliberately. Visiting friends in Brisbane, we went for a weekend up to Noosa to stay with a couple that we'd given refuge to in Edinburgh a few years before.

The town was absolutely gorgeous and quite obviously not afraid to show it's wealth, but there were two things I remember about it.

The first was a planning row which was going on at the time. There was a tree-covered hill above the town, rather like Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh. A developer wanted to cut down all the trees and build houses. I've no idea if they ever succeeded, but the plan was jaw-dropping in it's audacity.

The second thing I remember about Noosa is the beach in the photo above. We hiked there mid-afternoon along the clifftops and through a forest. It was only when we were on the beach and wandering along it that our "friend" informed us that it was a nudist beach! Naked middle-aged men started finding excuses to walk by us as we sat recovering from the hike out there.

I've now got a third reason for Noosa to stick in my head - the Dishonourable Lord Monckton is working his way there at the moment. Some idiot from Noosa has shelled out a staggering $100,000 to cover all of Monckton's expenses as he tours Australia lying to the population about climate change.

Quite how someone can think he is worth that amount of money is beyond me. Perhaps it is that developer who wanted to desecrate the hill.