Column 8

A question regarding Artocarpus altilis from Bill Wilkinson of Tumbarumba: “I recently watched the old classic Mutiny on the Bounty and it got me to thinking – does anyone eat breadfruit anymore? Are there any breadfruit orchards (or groves) in existence in Australia? I’ve never seen them in local fruit and vegie shops and never been offered them as a treat or as a side dish in a restaurant and I’ve managed to dodge catching scurvy in my 71 years – I’m sure the well-informed readership will overwhelm you with replies.”

After “15 years of desperation”, Robert Hosking of Paddington is ably equipped to join the public service debate (C8): “In my experience, a public servant is someone who desperately tries to remedy the problems foisted on the public by politicians!”

Believe it or not, we are still amassing Noosas (C8), although Mike McCormack of Castaways Beach (aka Noosa South – just kidding) says: “I should point out that Noosa Civic is a shopping centre. Nobody actually lives there (although my partner gives it a good shot).” John Loveridge of Tewantin (Qld) who started this business says he neglected to add “Noosa Springs and Noosa North Shore” and Graham Russell of Clovelly notes that “If you don't want to visit any of the various Noosas, there is a direction on the road out of Noosa which states ‘All Other Destinations’.”

Noosa gets some competition from afar, as Janice McAdam of Roseville will attest: "Multiple nomenclature of suburbs reminded me of the Edinburgh suburb of Clermiston. Here you will find an Avenue, Crescent, Drive, Gardens, Hill, Loan, Medway, Road, Road North, Terrace and View – all named Clermiston. There is also a Clermiston Park and a Clermiston Tower, as well as a Clermiston primary school and a Clermiston Inn. Must make life interesting for the postal service."

In a possible update to the yellow brick road, Kerry Bingle of Boomerang Beach has noticed "a strange series of brightly-painted yellow gym boots, nailed to trees over a 40km distance between Bulahdelah and Forster. They are all around 7 feet up, so quite intentional. Maybe some readers know what this ritual means?”

Colin Booth of Waterloo writes: "On Saturday, will Prince Harry find a less Antoinette, more egalitarian way to acknowledge the Windsor Castle 'rough sleepers' than: 'Let them eat (wedding) cake' – by arranging to have some sent out – after the crowd melts?" Don't desert them, Harry.