Mentawai Investigator

"we find 'em virgins and we leave 'em whores" Jack McCoy 1995 - Draft for discussion

2008-09-01T15:17:00.005+07:00

Check out Martin Daly's latest article "Keeping Secrets" at surfline:

http://www.surfline.com/surfnews/article_bamp_400_v03.cfm?id=17806

Martin claims that the Mentawai surf industry is colluding with officials just to spoil his "surfin' lifestyle"...How terrible for him! This sort of resonates... sort of.... until you actually think about it. Because Martin has the biggest fleet in the Mentawais by far. About $7 million invested and counting.....60 mouths to feed and a juggernaut of stuff to cart around the planet.... Not exactly "surfing the earth lightly".... hardly feral.... anyone who just wanted the lifestyle could sail around on a small yacht to enjoy remote surf spots and remain invisible..... Martin is dreaming about it.... but the reality is that he is hard at work promoting a 'new' secret destination. Keeping Secrets is an expensive 8 page advertorial.

Is Martin about to repeat his act in the Marshall Islands? His new "secret" wave mine...... He is paying big bucks to leak the word out and all you have to do is a quick Google on "Marshall Islands" to come up with this. http://www.visitmarshallislands.com/pdf/newsletter/2006_feb.pdf

Seems he is pretty close to the government officials out in the Pacific. Bet they are hoping someone will eventually build resorts. What emerges from the article is what Joel Patterson politely referred to as Daly's "duality"....something is haunting him..... As Martin puts it himself: "You're either making money or surfing perfect waves alone". Martin's biggest secret? The inner turmoil that haunts him? He hates himself for doing what he loves to do. He is a surf circus ringmaster, a showman, not a mellow yachtie type who just wants to cruise and surf. Jack felt much the same back in 1995 when he confessed ...."we find 'em virgins and we leave 'em whores" Both men are tapped into a rich vein of surf industry money and it is addictive. Good luck to them. Jack was proud of it and ready for more. Martin seems a bit conflicted and unsure of what to do next. Given the state of the US economy and his overheads, this is no surprise.

Martin sees the changes in Mentawai as "freedom versus the establishment" and calls a group of small resort owners a "Capitalist Pig element"...... a pretty heavy statement given most of the resort partners are conservative Muslims. And then there is the glaring contradiction that any insider will confirm.

Martin Daly is the biggest capitalist in the Mentawai surf industry. He is a celebrity now and one has to wonder where he stands. Is he siding with feral surfers? Not a chance! Does he just feel that owns any place that he has the good fortune to surf before everyone else? Not really.... so why is he throwing all his efforts into trying to sabotage the Mentawai Governments new tourism policies? The small but growing Mentawai surf industry see Martin using the global surf industry heavyweights (the surf "establishment") to back up his continued tax free plunder of the Mentawais.

The surf trade capitalists are about the only people who can afford his rates.... but the Mentawai resort owners would never call them 'pigs' right? The fact is that an increasing number of the big brands are booking resorts rather than boats. It is way more comfortable and flexible.... the writing is on the wall. The boats were the pioneers but they will soon move on looking for more and more isolated places. That theme saturates the Secrets article from beginning to end.

In May 2008, Martin went against his better judgement and made an extraordinarily heavy handed foray into the complex jungle of West Sumatran politics. His ill fated boat owner group WBC (no, it is not the World Boxing Council), spent up big, romanced top brass and the elite in Padang only to find that they trod on so many toes in the islands that there was a student uprising against them. Martin himself suffered the brunt of the anger after he appeared on local television saying that he thought the Mentawai people were "very primitive".

It is a tragedy that the money Martin invested in this fiasco was wasted on grandstanding rather than used to support infrastructure and community programs in the islands. The Mentawai resort owners have invested on land and worked on navigation the regulatory maze that is mandatory to get a resort license. They pay taxes and employ locals. The foreign boat owners operates like freeloaders and pay no tax on their profits and no VAT on their services. How sustainable is that model? Who will win this battle of wills? Stay tuned for updates.

BREAKING NEWS

Visit Global Surfers website for the first ever public debate between Martin Daly and Rick.
http://globalsurfers.ning.com/forum/

Keeping Secrets? - Martin Daly & the Marshall Islands

2008-08-31T14:47:00.002+07:00

Keeping Secrets - Joel Patterson - Water Magazine (Surfline.com)

September (Summer) 2008

Talking to Martin Daly, one gets the feeling that he's a bit haunted by the mark he's made on surfing. A lifelong surfer and diver who spent his youth working on boats in the Indian Ocean, the Aussie is credited with turning our collective focus to the Mentawai Islands after photos and video from a 1992 trip aboard his salvage vessel the Indies Trader made their way into surf magazines and soon had the entire surf community licking its collective chops at the images of perfect waves and empty lineups.

Daly and only a half-dozen others had kept the Mentawais a secret for nearly a decade before the photos were leaked, and within a few years the area went from one of the most remote places on the planet to a surf mecca that drew thousands of surfers every summer who paid a burgeoning surf-charter industry handsomely to be taken out to waves with names like Macaroni's and Bank Vaults.

In 1999, Daly collaborated with Quiksilver to embark on a half-decade-long exploration of the world's oceans, called simply The Crossing, which ended in 2005 and took him from Cloudbreak on Fiji to New York City's Ellis Island.

By 2003, Daly was to the reef passes of the Indian and Pacific oceans what Ernest Shackleton was to Antarctica, and as his reputation grew, so did his fleet. Each new boat was more luxurious and capable than the one before it, until the introduction of a surf charter boat so massive and appointed, Daly himself refers to it as "a small cruise ship," but most know it as "the Death Star" for its sleek profile and stealthy speed.

Today the Mentawais are in turmoil. With over 40 boats running surf charters in the area and a growing number of land-based surf camps at some of the major breaks, the business of taking people surfing has become so big that outsiders--including everyone from the local and national governments to shady foreign businessmen--have begun muscling in on the action. Surf taxes, licensing proposals, international airports, and private ownership of the most popular waves have all threatened the future of the now beloved "Indo boat trip."

"I'm really not that positive about it," Daly says about his outlook for the Mentawais. "It's the bad things about Indonesia against all the things that we hold dear. It's kind of like watching a bunch of seagulls fighting over a chip. I see it as freedom versus the establishment."

With The Crossing now over, and unsure of the future in Mentawais, Daly has set his sights on new destinations, one of which--a group of islands in the Western Pacific, which will remain nameless here by Daly's request--has the 51-year-old excited about exploring again. So fifteen years after the door to the Mentawais was kicked down, Daly took the Rip Curl team to explore and document his new find. But with the lesson of Indo fresh in his mind, this time Daly's being more cautious about who he tells .... (yea, like the editor of Water Magazine! - Ed)

Can we mention the name of these islands in this interview? I'd rather not. I mean, it's a bit out of reach for the average bloke, unless he's got a really good boat. It's not like the Mentawais where anything that floats will work. It's the Northwest Pacific Ocean, and the winds and weather are what's saved it all these years, but I'd still rather leave the exact location out of this.

So it's really hard to access? Really hard. Even the locals can't access it right now because the airlines are down and the shipping lines are often down. There are people living on those islands out there who don't get any supplies for months at a time. It's very remote.

How did you end up there? I had always wanted to go there since the very beginning of The Crossing project. I always had it singled out as a place that looked to me like it would get some great surf. I looked at the maps, and I thought it would be a no-brainer.

It was one of the few corners of the world we didn't go to during The Crossing, so when that project finished in Hawaii in 2005, I decided to go straight there on my own mission. It was on my way home to Indonesia, and it was one of the blanks I really wanted to fill in.

Did you score it the first time you went? Yeah, we got fantastic waves.

What kind of potential is out there? Well, I think we've only scratched the surface, really. It's a lot more challenging than Indonesia because of the sheer distance, the lack of shelter, the size of the waves, and the amount of swell. Plus, there are a lot of islands out there, and only some of them have spots where all the factors line up the right way. It's really similar to the Tuamotu Islands or the Maldives--it's the same sort of reef structure and similar surf.

Does it have a big swell window? Pretty big. I mean, I don't want to get too carried away and make a guide to get there, but yeah, during the winter months it gets some swell.What's unique about the area? The marine environment. It is the most untouched place in the tropics that I've ever been to. You put your head under the water and look around, and it's like it was supposed to be. I spent a lot of time in North Queensland [Australia] when I was a kid, and I used to go out to the [Great] Barrier Reef to go diving in all these places that no one had ever dived or fished before, so I kinda know what a tropical marine environment should look like.

One of the most disappointing by-products of spending all those years on The Crossing was observing the state of the marine environment around the world. Even in far-flung places in the middle of the Pacific, you could just feel that a lot was missing. Whether it was the bleaching of the coral or El Niño or global warming. But around these islands the environment is pristine--there are huge fish everywhere, the coral's alive, endless underwater visibility, seabirds are nesting all around. It's refreshing to see a place in such great shape environmentally.

Are there any local surfers? On the main island a couple guys are surfing, even though the surf isn't very good there, but for the most part, people haven't seen surfing.

How many places with good surf are left in the world where local people still haven't seen surfing? A lot, I reckon. On our way to the Pacific from Indonesia we drove right across the top of West Papua New Guinea and there were a lot of places where people had never seen surfers before.

Can you talk a little bit about what you envision as the future of surf travel in the Western Pacific? I think the best thing to say about the area is that I just love going there. [Indies] Trader 4 has been there for a few years and [Indies] Trader 1 has been up there twice, once with Rip Curl, and as you can see in the photos, we've scored some pretty amazing surf there. But before the Rip Curl guys left, people were sending e-mails to Mick Fanning--who was supposed to be on the trip--and others, saying, "This place is absolutely terrible. It's no good, and there's no waves. Martin Daly's an idiot, etcetera." So Mick ended up not going on the trip, but when the rest of the Rip Curl team got there and the surf came good, they were heroic.

Do you find that type of stuff happens to you regularly? I mean, you're the guy out there on the frontier. You're finding waves where people are convinced there's nothing, right? The best quote I've ever heard was from a young pro surfer working for Rip Curl. We were at Macaroni's in 1993. He said to me, "There's no f--king surf here. You're a f--king idiot. As long as my ass points to the ground, there's never going to be a wave in this place. Take me home!" The next morning, when we woke up, it was about as good as Macaroni's has ever been. If you've ever seen the movie The Search 2, there's the first-ever footage of Macaroni's in it, and that was the morning after the mutiny by this guy and a couple of his mates.

That's still happening, too. I was a lot more tolerant then, but these days my tolerance is fading. I get a lot of people out there who totally get it, and then there are a lot of people, who, unless it's served to them on a plate, they just aren't prepared to put up with the waits, the bad weather, and the floggings that it takes to make it all come together.

I guess it's just human nature. Our society these days is all about "now, now, now" and "gimme, gimme, gimme" and instant gratification, and that's the fault of the surf-travel industry to a certain point. All someone has to do these days is put their hand in their pocket, come up with a few thousand dollars, and the next thing you know they're having their hand held and being led to perfect waves. It's taken an incredible amount of work to provide those services, and I think they're undervalued now. I think it's all far too cheap.

Will there be a correction in the price of surf travel? I think so. Fuel prices are going through the roof; even the price of rice has doubled. This will have to be passed on. I think the whole surf travel thing has gotten overamped. For me, it's sometimes a case of "Oh my god, what have I done?" When you do something, you want to do it better and better each time, and you want to fine-tune it. I mean, when I first started it was like, "How would it be if initially we had cold beer on the boat all the time? How cool would it be if we had air conditioning? How cool would it be if we had a boat that would go a bit faster? Bigger cabins? A better tin boat? A Jet Ski? A helicopter?" Well now it's all happened, so I guess I've sort of taken it to its obscene end, if you know what I mean.

So what do you do now? Pull it back and get back to the basics of going surfing with a few friends. I'm 51 this year, and I've been thinking that maybe I should slow down and smell the roses a bit. I've taken this to where it's going to go for this period, so maybe someone else can grab the reigns and take it to the next level, but I think I'm just about to the point where I'd like to spend my days with less stress and more waves, and I'd like to spend more time with my family.

Are you planning on doing advertised surf charters to this new area? We'll see how we go. I'm not really sure at the moment. The world is a pretty uncertain place, and the surf travel market in the Mentawais is drastically cut this year. It seems to me there's about a 30- to 40-percent reduction in numbers of surfers traveling there, which in a lot of ways is fantastic.

In my business you have a sort of never-ending dilemma. If you're full, you're stoked because you're making a living, but when that's the case it makes the lineups too crowded. When it's quiet out there, we're stoked because we get more waves, but that means less income. Now that I think of it, it's actually a win-win situation, really. You're either making money or surfing perfect waves alone.

"I remember when I first went out to the Mentawais how far away from everywhere I felt,
and that's the same feeling I get in these islands we took the Rip Curl guys to.
I feel responsible somewhat for exposing the Mentawais to the world, but if I hadn't done it,
someone else probably would have ten minutes later."

- Martin Daly

What do you attribute the downturn in people signing up for boat trips in the Mentawais this year to? People are scared; economic doom and gloom, stock market uncertainty. The US is arguably in a recession, and I think people are just holding their credit cards close to their chests at the moment.

What's your view on how the Mentawais surf experience changed in recent years? It hasn't changed at all when there's no one around. The magic's still absolutely there, and it's not as crowded as everyone says. We surf by ourselves all the time out there. A lot of people take it all for granted, and when they fly in they don't realize they're going to one of the most remote places in the world. They see it in the magazines, they see it fully marketed and prostituted--as we do--and they think it's this well-trodden, safe area.

I remember when I first went out to the Mentawais how far away from everywhere I felt, and that's the same feeling I get in these islands we took the Rip Curl guys to. I feel responsible somewhat for exposing the Mentawais to the world, but if I hadn't done it, someone else probably would have ten minutes later.

Do you ever regret that? I don't regret any of the experiences I've had, though I sometimes regret ...

You know, there's a fundamental difference between Australians' attitude towards surf travel and Americans'. We tend to be more secretive and selfish, while the US surfers tend to tell all their buddies about it and brag about it. There have been some cultural clashes out there. For example, my agent Anthony is involved in the Kandui Surf Camp, and he said to me, "Hey dude, we're gonna get a Web cam on Kandui!" And when I replied, "That really sucks!" he had no idea why I would say that. He just thought I was being a negative idiot. An Australian would think, "That sucks." And any American would think, "Hey cool, I can look at Kandui in the morning while I'm eating my Corn Flakes from my kitchen in California."

As Australians, we've had a tradition of feral surf travel and discovery--in Indonesia particularly because it's so close to Australia. Some of these guys get malaria and live on the beach for years, and I think that because it's so hard to find the things they have, and because they put so much effort into the search, they somehow find it more valuable.

So what's going on in the Mentawais at the moment? It's getting really heavy. Basically, it's come down to the business end of surfing versus the surfers. There are people out there--and I like to think of myself as one of them--who own and operate boats and live the surfing lifestyle. And then you have this non-surfing, capitalist-pig element that is just there to take money out of our thing, and they're making things really hard right now. They're trying to impose taxes on every surfer who goes there, they're colluding with the Indonesian and Mentawais governments, trying to put up fences and get exclusive rights for all the waves. Surf camps are trying to get rid of charter boats. I see it as freedom versus the establishment.
Surfers don't like regulations and rules. I mean, that's the whole reason we like surfing, right? Freedom. That's the whole idea of a boat ... it's a freedom machine. And you can't just tell people who have their lives and their dreams invested in something to simply go away, because they're not going to agree.

I have to go to a meeting with the boss of the Mentawai Islands and others on Sunday to try to straighten things out. They had a demonstration against me in Padang last week, calling for my deportation because I disagreed that a boat should have to work underneath a land camp and give them a large chunk of their profit for doing nothing.

Other than the freedom to explore, what advantages do boats have over surf camps based on land? The good thing about boats is that when you leave a break, it's the same as it ever was. The environment is still intact, and it's like people were never there. But as soon as you put a surf camp on an island, it's changed forever. There are always people there, it's always creating rubbish and pollution. It fundamentally impacts the area.
Are you doing a lot of business in this new area in the Western Pacific? Not really. It's a bit of a disaster in some ways. It costs a lot of money to get out there, and it's really hard to access. People don't understand that if you want to get away from everybody, you've got to go to the ends of the Earth. I just figured the people who wanted to go would put their hands up. It's going to take a really big effort to develop anything out there, and I wonder whether it's a good thing to do or not. I'd like to establish a low-key deal where we just go out there and do it without whoring it out to the rest of the planet.

Do you still have much exploring left to do out there? Oh yeah ... heaps. There are some really good waves out there. But if you want to get really good waves, there are lots of places to go, like the Mentawais, Mexico, Nicaragua ... it's instant gratification pretty much guaranteed in those places. But if you want to go to the more out-of-the-way places, you've gotta be prepared to harden up and put some effort in.

From the photos it looks like that zone is full of right-handers. Yeah, there aren't very many lefts over there. Which is great, because there's too many lefts in the world anyway if you're a natural-footer. Indonesia is the land of the lefts, so it's nice to spend some time surfing some rights. I saw a video of G-Land flipped so it was a right instead of a left, and all I could think was, "You bastards!"

Looks like some shallow reefs in some of the spots you guys surfed. It's not any shallower than anywhere we surf in Indonesia, it's just that the water is so ridiculously clear that it can be head high and look three inches deep.

Do you have more surf industry-sponsored exploration trips planned? No. It became a bit of a moral dilemma.

What was the dilemma? Selling out. What for? Would I be doing it for my own ego? I'm not as hungry as I used to be. It's one thing to take guys out to surf an established, well-trodden spot, but when you start selling your secrets ...

I see what you mean, but the whole concept of Martin Daly has a duality to it. How much do you tell? You're a guy who's privy to a lot of secrets. Yeah, but I'm a guy with 60 employees. That's a lot of mouths to feed, and I have a certain obligation to expand the business and make it work. I have to weigh that against the desire to keep secrets.

What's the next region you want to explore? There's a lot out there left to explore. I'm sort of addicted to going places that haven't been surfed before. That's why I do it. But the compromise is that you have to pay for it. That's the reason why I've worked with Quiksilver to do The Crossing and Rip Curl to do The Search, where those companies partner up with me to fuel my passion to explore.

There will be a time in ten or twenty years when there'll be nowhere left to go in the world that hasn't been surfed before. That said, I think this is a great opportunity for everybody to savor the moment and go have a look around before it's all finished.

Mentawai Surf / Dive Fees for 2008

2007-12-01T17:49:00.000+07:00

New $5/day Daily Charge Announced
Written by Nasdion
Saturday, 01 December 2007
All MMTA members have agreed on new daily charges for 2008. The Mentawai Government retribution charge of US$3.00 per day is part of a new daily charge of US$5.00 per surfer/diver per day. This charge applies to all surfers /divers traveling to Mentawai on boats or staying in resorts. The fees apply for every day spent in Mentawai or for every day of any surf / dive trip that visits Mentawai. The new fees apply from 1st January 2008. The 5 companies have agreed to collect all fees before guests depart for Mentawai and to settle fees monthly with the MMTA and the Mentawai Government tax office. The MMTA will print new receipt books for each company to use when collecting these fees. All agents and operators should revise websites and printed material to reflect the new total $5.00 per day per surfer/diver fee. The MMTA will collect $2.00 per surfer / diver and these funds will be used as follows: 90% for MMTA Community Programs 10% for MMTA administration and office overheads Village officials will be consulted and asked to present proposals for community projects for funding. In return the MMTA will ask that all ad hoc collection of fees by villagers will stop. Villagers will be encouraged to offer handicrafts for sale to visitors. The community programs will be discussed with PEMDA and village officials early in 2008 and published on this website with budgets and locations clearly defined. Thanks for your full support. Nasdion SH Legal Council - MMTA, Website Administration
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Public Notice to All Mentawai Operators/Agents

2007-11-28T11:27:00.000+07:00

Mentawai Charter Boat License List 2008
Written by Nasdion
Wednesday, 28 November 2007
The MMTA has submitted a final list of charter boats for 2008 onwards to the Mentawai Government. Each one of the five companies with a license to operate marine tours has selected 6 boats based on the standard MMTA license contract (5 years validity) Guests can book on these charter boats with full confidence that they will be welcome by Mentawai Government authorities who will operate Marine Patrols in 2008. The land based resorts companies with a license to operate marine/surf tours under PERDA No. 16 - 2002 KAB KEP MENTAWAI are: PT Internusa Bahagia - Macas Resort - Silabu, Pagai Utara PT Saraina Koat Mentawai - Kandui Resort - Karamajet Island - South Siberut PT Mentawai Wisata Bahari - Katiet Villas - Katiet, South Sipura & Eco Bay Mentawai -Nyang2 Island - South Siberut PT Bangun Toro Koat - Coral Sands Lodge - Pitojat Island - Sipura (under construction) PT Bintang Samudera Nusantara - Indian Ocean Resort - Bitojat Island - Pagai Selatan (under construction) The 2007 grace period for all resorts and charter boats expires on Dec 31. Please support the new regulations to be enforced strictly in 2008 onwards. Bangun LH Secretary MMTA Letter attached to this list can be viewed by clicking 'read more'
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Monday Deadline for Mentawai Charter Boat License

2007-11-02T17:08:00.000+07:00

PEMDA Mentawai Request Final Boat List for 2008
Written by Nasdion
Friday, 02 November 2007
The attached letter from the Head of Tourism in Mentawai, Drs Zulkarlin, asks MMTA to submit a final list of 30 boats by the beginning of November 2007. This letter will be determined on Monday the 5th of November and all MMTA members must submit their list of 6 boats by that time. MMTA companies will be responsible for the collection and payment of Mentawai Retribution Taxes from the boats on the company list. License plates will be issued to the 30 boats for operation in Mentawai waters. Other boats are permitted to stop for fuel or emergency in Mentawai ports but they must not stop at any other location and they are not permitted to operate as surf charter boats in Mentawai Kabupaten. The fine for stopping at a location that is not on the SIB issued at the orinating port is Rp50,000,000. All MMTA member boats are responsible to report any boat that is not on the list and taking surf charters to Mentawai to the MMTA for processing. The MMTA will inform all sales agents marketing surf charters so that clients are not victims of non-compliance.
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URGENT APPEAL - MENTAWAI QUAKE SITUATION REPORT

2007-09-16T20:25:00.000+07:00

To MMTA subscriber: Mentawai Investigator

MMTA Earthquake Relief
Written by Nasdion
Sunday, 16 September 2007
The 3 massive earthquakes that destroyed over 6,000 homes in Bengkulu have also done terrible damage to parts of south and west coast Mentawai. Some villages such as Malakopak near Thunders and Rags breaks report that 100% of homes are either destroyed or so badly damaged that they will have to be demolished. In Silabu village close to Macas surf break, over 50% of homes have been damaged beyond repair or submerged due to subsidance. Only 6 homes remain useable in Sinaka village just a few miles from the Hole and Lighthouses. Reports are still filtering in from remote communities and the news is grim. The weather has now compounded problems with strong west winds and heavy rain adding to the misery of families who are camped on muddy hill tops in fear of more earthquakes or tsunamis. Village economies in the south and west are at a standstill and food, drinking water, shelter, sanitation needs and medical care are all needed urgently. With damage spread over hundreds of miles of remote coastline, government transport is not able to distribute aid supplies. MMTA are mobilizing ferry and cargo boats to assist with distribution of food and water supplies that are on hand at the moment. Shelter and sanitation supplies need to be purchased and delivered as soon as possible. MMTA have established a POSKO (Aid Post) in Padang where NGOs and private donors can drop supplies for delivery to area most in need. POSKO MMTA Jl Batang Arau No. 66E (next door to Pertamina Fuel Station) Padang West Sumatra Indonesia Tel + 62 751 36527 Fax + 62 751 31913 info@mmta-mentawai.org All MMTA boat owners or boat representatives are requested to make a minimum donation of Rp3,000,000 to support ferry and cargo boat fuel and running costs so that this urgently needed aid can be delivered. Please transfer or deposit funds to: Bank Negari, Account No. 21000105002087, Account Name: MMTA If you have any problems or questions about donating funds please contact Yanti HP 08126622716 Thanks Bangun - Secretary MMTA
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Quakes Rock Indonesia; Experts Warn of 'Big One'

2007-09-15T19:50:00.000+07:00

September 14, 2007
AP

PADANG, Indonesia (AP) — A series of powerful earthquakes has terrorized residents in western Indonesia — including another one that triggered a fresh tsunami warning Friday — leaving thousands sleeping on plastic in the hills and each new aftershock triggering a fresh round of panic.

Seismologists warn the worst may be yet to come.

Photo: A motorist passes a damaged road along the coastal area of Ketahuan, Indonesia's Bengkulu province, Friday. Indonesia's meteorology agency issued a tsunami warning on Friday after another strong earthquake struck southern Sumatra island. (By Crack Palinggi, Reuters)

Kerry Sieh, from the California Institute of Technology, has spent decades studying the volatile fault line. He is one of several experts predicting a repeat of the massive earthquake that triggered the 2004 Asian tsunami, which killed more than 230,000 people in a dozen Indian Ocean nations.

"No one can say whether it will be in 30 seconds or 30 years," he said. "But what happened the other day, I think is quite possibly a sequence of smaller earthquakes leading up to the bigger one."

An 8.4-magnitude quake that shook Southeast Asia on Wednesday was followed by dozens of strong aftershocks — including one measuring magnitude 7.8 and another 7.1 — that killed 13 people, damaged hundreds of houses and spawned a 10-foot-high wave.

A 6.4-magnitude temblor hit the area again on Friday, triggering the latest in a string of tsunami warnings that have further traumatized people living in coastal communities. Hundreds fled inland by foot, motorcycle and truck before the alert was lifted.

The wall of water that slammed into several fishing villages along Sumatra island's coast Wednesday swept away nearly a dozen houses, but overall damage was "minimal," Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said after an Air Force aerial survey.

Photo: An Indonesian woman weeps outside her house that was destroyed by an earthquake on Sumatra island, Indonesia, Friday. (By Dita Alangkara, AP)

A nine-member U.N. assessment team reached the same conclusion after visiting the area, saying that a major international relief operation was not required, John Holmes, the U.N.'s emergency relief coordinator, said in a statement from New York.

Many people said a public awareness campaign launched after the 2004 tsunami paid off, including warnings issued over mosque speakers and training provided by local officials on how to escape a disaster.

"When the earth started shaking, some people yelled, 'It's time to go up the hill ... let's get going," said Fadil, 35, a father of two, describing how he and hundreds of neighbors watched from above as the 10-foot wave approached. Hundreds of houses were damaged, but no one died.

Elsewhere, however, electricity blackouts prevented some sirens from going off.

The three massive quakes — together with the 9.0-magnitude temblor in 2004 and a 8.7 tremor in early 2005 — deeply concerns experts.

The fault, which runs the length of the west coast of Sumatra about 125 miles offshore, is the meeting point of the Eurasian and Pacific tectonic plates, which have been pushing against each other for millions of years, causing huge stresses to build up.

"There is a strong indication this foreshadows the big one," said Danny Hillman, an eart

hquake specialist at the Indonesian Institute of Science. "We all agree there is an 8.5 or stronger earthquake waiting to happen."

That's exactly what residents along Sumatra's western coast, which is expected to bear the brunt of the next disaster, are worried about. The island was hardest hit by the 2004 tsunami, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the deaths.

In the tiny fishing village of Sungai Pisang, just south of the badly damaged city of Padang, hundreds of people were too scared to return home after the recent tremors sent a large wave washing into their bay.

At a camp pitched on a muddy hillside cemetery, they have been sleeping atop plastic sheets or on the cold ground between graves. A small generator powers a light bulb, hung over branches in the thick tropical undergrowth, but there is little else.

"I am very afraid of another tsunami," said Dasima, a 50-year-old rice farmer who fled with her 7-year-old grandson, Rolin. "We only cook our rice in the town and then return here to eat and sleep. We will stay here until we feel it is safe."

Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, with a population of 235 million people, is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-09-14-indonesia-quake_N.htm

Current Indonesian Shakers

Mag. 5.0 Sept. 14 06:01:34 -4.108 101.220 35.0 SOUTHERN SUMATRA

Mag. 6.4 Sept. 14 06:01:34 -4.108 101.220 35.0 SOUTHERN SUMATRA

Mag. 5.4 Sept. 14 04:03:44 -2.179 100.088 29.3 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 5.2 Sept. 14 03:07:14 -3.010 101.083 39.2 SOUTHERN SUMATRA
Mag. 4.8 Sept. 14 02:34:51 -0.466 98.141 21.5 KEPULAUAN BATU
Mag. 5.0 Sept. 14 01:31:57 -3.757 100.759 27.5 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 5.5 Sept. 14 01:02:06 -3.696 101.845 35.0 SOUTHERN SUMATRA
Mag. 5.3 Sept. 13 23:12:31 -3.108 100.971 35.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 5.0 Sept. 13 18:30:38 -2.565 99.763 35.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 5.5 Sept. 13 16:59:26 -2.118 99.978 35.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 6.2 Sept. 13 16:09:09 -3.247 101.439 3.3 SOUTHERN SUMATRA
Mag. 5.6 Sept. 13 15:08:54 -4.354 101.212 24.5 SOUTHERN SUMATRA
Mag. 5.0 Sept. 13 18:30:38 -2.565 99.763 35.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 5.5 Sept. 13 16:59:26 -2.118 99.978 35.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 6.2 Sept. 13 16:09:09 -3.247 101.439 3.3 SOUTHERN SUMATRA
Mag. 5.1 Sept. 13 13:43:58 -2.998 100.215 35.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 5.6 Sept. 13 13:10:15 -2.786 100.863 28.7 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 5.2 Sept. 13 12:12:59 -3.691 100.694 10.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 5.0 Sept. 13 11:57:17 -2.034 99.434 10.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 6.2 Sept. 13 09:48:43 3.794 126.411 21.9 KEPULAUAN TALAUD
Mag. 5.4 Sept. 13 09:21:35 -2.164 99.748 10.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 4.8 Sept. 13 08:01:56 -2.773 100.292 10.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 5.2 Sept. 13 06:32:48 -2.072 99.405 10.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 5.0 Sept. 13 06:28:51 -2.029 99.383 10.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 5.1 Sept. 13 05:53:23 -3.979 100.553 10.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 4.9 Sept. 13 05:48:44 -3.988 100.511 24.5 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 5.0 Sept. 13 05:44:14 -3.735 100.706 2.8 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 5.5 Sept. 13 05:23:24 -1.686 99.717 38.9 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 5.2 Sept. 13 04:06:10 -1.723 99.567 10.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 7.0 Sept. 13 03:35:26 -2.160 99.581 10.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 5.5 Sept. 13 02:51:31 -2.049 99.790 10.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 5.9 Sept. 13 02:30:01 -1.639 99.697 10.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 5.0 Sept. 13 01:55:44 -3.869 101.629 10.0 SOUTHERN SUMATRA
Mag. 5.2 Sept. 13 01:49:04 -2.331 99.404 10.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 5.2 Sept. 13 01:38:05 -1.902 99.734 10.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 5.8 Sept. 13 01:26:33 -2.039 99.730 10.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 7.9 Sept. 12 23:49:04 -2.506 100.906 30.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 5.1 Sept. 12 23:19:44 -4.082 100.907 10.0 SOUTHWEST OF SUMATRA
Mag. 5.4 Sept. 12 22:17:17 -2.897 100.757 10.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 5.1 Sept. 12 22:02:23 -4.609 101.280 10.0 SOUTHERN SUMATRA
Mag. 5.3 Sept. 12 17:04:33 -7.598 126.085 307.3 KEPULAUAN BARAT DAYA
Mag. 5.9 Sept. 12 16:37:01 -3.142 101.377 21.2 SOUTHERN SUMATRA
Mag. 5.2 Sept. 12 15:35:08 -4.262 101.008 35.0 SOUTHERN SUMATRA
Mag. 6.0 Sept. 12 14:40:02 -3.227 101.361 18.8 SOUTHERN SUMATRA
Mag. 4.9 Sept. 12 14:04:57 -4.239 101.196 35.0 SOUTHERN SUMATRA
Mag. 5.3 Sept. 12 13:17:17 -3.308 100.654 32.8 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 5.6 Sept. 12 13:02:07 -2.946 101.352 35.0 SOUTHERN SUMATRA
Mag. 5.2 Sept. 12 12:21:44 -2.667 100.318 10.0 KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI Reg.
Mag. 8.4 Sept. 12 11:10:26 -4.521 101.370 30.0 SOUTHERN SUMATRA

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Maps/region/Australia_eqs.php

Weather Alert

2007-09-14T07:43:00.001+07:00

To MMTA subscriber: Mentawai Investigator

Please note the potential formation of twin typhoons in the south China Sea. https://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc/ab/abpwsair.jpg

Both circulations are small at this stage and one is not classified as a typhoon yet. Twin typhoons in this area often cause a West to North Westerly air flow over the Mentawais with thunderstorms and squalls. Consider tsunami safe anchorages with these conditions in mind.

Island Aid - Situation Update

E-mail: elmupdates.mentawai@blogger.com

Situation Report - Island Aid

2007-09-14T06:42:00.001+07:00

To MMTA subscriber: Mentawai Investigator

Quakes Intensify and Move Into Mentawai Islands
Written by Nasdion
Friday, 14 September 2007
All, PADANG - 1800hrs 13 Sep 07 BMC hospital (Padang) is unsafe and patients in the street waiting for alternative beds. 6 patients died due to the loss of services or stress. Not sure about other hospitals yet. Bumi Minang Hotel is badly fractured (best hotel in town) and not sure about viability. Pangaran Beach Hotel seems fine. Rocky Plaza & Hotel (sic) status unknown but doubtful Plaza Ramayana (Padang's newest and biggest) closed and likely for ever. Plaza Andalas damaged and unsure of viability. Padang City almost a ghost town tonight. Most along the coast have moved to stay with friends or relatives inland. Fuel is fine and some shops open. Water supplies are fine. Power is ok but shuts down after every little shake (they forgot to do this for the first quake and that causes some fires). Roads and bridges are ok. Port fine and fully operational despite wharf flooding this am due to tsunami surge. No damage. A few flights arrived today. Not sure of carriers but understand Mandala (ex airforce jockeys and pretty gung-ho) Tua Pajet (capital of Mentawais) has a few large buildings down. 30% of masonry homes are badly compromised and thought not safe. A lot of wood frame buildings here and they are fine. Sioban (Sipura) about the same as Tua Pajet. Muara Siberut reports a lot of damage. Built on river delta so mud below. Sikakap has 30% of buildings damaged badly. Weather is good so far and that helps those camped on hill tops. No big ones this afternoon. Feels like we are missing a sense of closure ..... suggest highest level of caution at resorts and on charter boats. Could boats in the Katiet area please advise the number of guests/name/nationalities staying at Hussain's guest house and in other village buildings. We have been unable to contact Katiet Villa resort and embassies are requesting help to locate family members thought to be in this area. Thanks Rick Cameron
Read more...

E-mail: elmupdates.mentawai@blogger.com

Quakes Intensify and Move North Into Mentawais

2007-09-14T06:18:00.001+07:00

After the 8.4 (revised from 7.9) quake yesterday evening our area has experienced 16 strong earthquakes. The most recent struck at 10.31am and registered 7.1 on the central west coast of Sipura. Five of the quakes have exceeded 7.1 and at least two have triggered tsunamis.

The quakes started in the Bengkulu/Enganno area 250 nm south of Padang and they have progressively moved north west.

Bengkulu suffered severe damage to buildings and at latest count the number killed stands at 9 persons.

Several buildings in Padang have collapsed killing one person. A large mall was severely damaged and partially burned due to electrical shorts resulting from last nights quake. Many buildings have been severely cracked and are not considered safe. Most of the coastal population have evacuated their homes and have moved to high ground.

Most domestic and international airlines have suspended flights to Padang. SMA have suspended flights to Mentawai until the condition of the Rokot airstrip can be assessed. Mandala are operating limited flights.

There is still no news from large sections of the west coast between Padang and Bengkulu. The south end of Pagai Island will have taken the full force of the tsunami and there are no reports from that area.

Sikapap in Pagai was damaged by a 3 m tsunami that has destroyed homes and shops along the waterfront. Food supplies have been lost and help has been requested by boat.

Charter boat operators have moved to anchor in deep water. Most have now reported that their boats are safe but some passengers had lucky escapes.

While there have not been any fatalities in the islands to date, communities are traumatized and many have lost homes, boats and businesses near the coast. Most fear returning to the coast and families are living on hill tops or slopes. Tarps are urgently needed for temporary shelter.

Donations will be used to purchase family buckets, tarps, building material and to mobilize boats to help in the area.

Padang Shaken but No Structural Damage - Tsunami Warning Issued

2007-09-12T19:40:00.000+07:00

A major quake has caused serious damage to homes near the coast around Bengkulu about 200nm south of the Mentawai Islands.

Padang escaped any physical damage but the population are on high alert and expecting after shocks.

We have had reports of buildings collapsing in Bengkulu and people along the coast have evacuated to high ground.

Island Aid are attempting to contact family and friends in the coastal city to lean more about the damage.

Magnitude 7.9

Date-Time

Wednesday, September 12, 2007 at 11:10:23 UTC
Wednesday, September 12, 2007 at 06:10:23 PM at epicenter

Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location

4.519°S, 101.346°E

Depth

10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program

Region

SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA

Distances

105 km (65 miles) SW of Bengkulu, Sumatra, Indonesia

385 km (240 miles) SW of Jambi, Sumatra, Indonesia

385 km (240 miles) WSW of Palembang, Sumatra, Indonesia

605 km (375 miles) WNW of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia

MMTA MEETING MONDAY 3rd SEPT - BOAT DRAW

2007-09-01T19:11:00.001+07:00

To MMTA Subscriber: Mentawai Investigator

MMTA BOAT DRAW
Written by Nasdion
Saturday, 01 September 2007
MMTA will make a meeting on Monday 3rd September to have a random draw of boats that did not sign any contract yet. So far 16 surf charter boats (9 Indonesian and 8 Foreign) have qualified for a long term (5 year) license to operate in Mentawai. These boats will be given a license plate for easy identification by PEMDA patrols. The foreign owned boats that still did not want to commit for a 5 year license will now be contacted by the company that draws their boat name. These boats will be offered a 2007 Only Grace Period License and they will be given a license sticker to carry on board at all times. Boats that do not sign a 2007 Only Grace Period Contact will not be issued with a license sticker and they will not be included on the MMTA boat list provided to PEMDA Mentawai. All unqualified boat owners are reminded to pay all retribution fees prior to arrival in Mentawai to avoid sanctions as defined in PERDA KAB KEP MENTAWAI No16 - 2002. New charter boats wishing to apply for a Mentawai charter boat license should contact the MMTA. MMTA Committee
Read more...

E-mail: elmupdates.mentawai@blogger.com

No Change to PERDA No16 for 2008

2007-09-01T17:24:00.001+07:00

To member: Mentawai Investigator

Mentawai Parliament Confirms No Change to PERDA No16
Written by MMTA Admin
Saturday, 11 August 2007
This letter is just received by the MMTA and it is confirming that PERDA No.16 Tahun 2002 should be implemented unchanged to improve management of tourism in Mentawai and to improve conditions for resort companies in the area. A new tax will be approved on the 22nd of August 2007 and applied to all tourism companies in the area. (Companies agree to pay Boat tax) This advice is for all member boat owners and agents.
Read more...

E-mail: elmupdates.mentawai@blogger.com

Resolution at Katiet

2007-08-24T11:41:00.000+07:00

PT OMI Komisaris, Adam Bray, and PT MWB Marketing Manager, Rick Cameron, shake hands at Katiet Villas, (HTs). After weeks of negotiations the two groups have agreed to work together to manage and market the resort. The facility will operate under PT MWB's Mentawai Marine Tour Operators License offering the new resort full buffer zone protection.

"Rick's 14 years hands-on management experience combined with OMI group's marketing network are a great combination and fully synergistic" said Adam.

"We have a lot in common and this outcome is fair and very positive for all the investors with an interest in the area. I would especially like to thank the MMTA for their help in bringing all parties to the table" added Rick.

The companies promised a combined press release soon.

MMTA Resolution - Mentawai Charter Boat Licenses

2007-08-06T11:36:00.000+07:00

MMTA Resolution - Charter Boat Licenses
Written by Nasdion
Monday, 06 August 2007
The MMTA called a special meeting to clarify the proceedure for all boat owners who have not yet signed a contract: Click on the letter to enlarge it.

E-mail: elmupdates.mentawai@blogger.com

MMTA Newletter - July 2007

2007-07-31T13:13:00.000+07:00

Click to expand this image

Current list of boats operating in Mentawai in 2007.

All boats in the first two lists are registered with the Mentawai Government authorities and are covered by the 'grace period' announced by the MMTA and the Mentawai Department of Tourism earlier this year.

The grace period expires at the end of 2007.

The Mentawai Government has confirmed that PERDA No 16 rules will apply in 2008.

___________________________________________________________
You're receiving this Newsletter because you have subscribed to the Newsletter Service at http://www.mmta-mentawai.org. To unsubscribe please click here: http://www.mmta-mentawai.org/index.php?option=com_letterman&task=unsubscribe&Itemid=1

We did it! 501(c)(3) approved and now in Guidestar

2007-05-25T16:44:00.000+07:00

Chris, this is going to make a big difference to us.

Thanks for your hard work and perseverance!

Cheers

Rick

IslandAid operated by ELM

450 Taraval St. San Francisco 94116, USA

+1 415 272 9100

Field Office Jl Air Manis No 8, Bukit Gado2, Padang, West Sumatra

+62-81916235107 (mobile)

+62-751-767888

Skype / AIM : elmaceh

info@island-aid.org

www.island-aid.org

Sabang Merauke Air Flight Schedules

2007-03-31T16:09:00.000+07:00

The MMTA were asked by SMAC President Peter Lew to come up with ideas and suggestions for a Padang to Rokot air service. The meeting took place at Villa Air Manis Hotel and the following points were raised:

- Direct bookings requested so that resorts were not obliged to book via competing groups.
- Change of name to Sabang Merauke Air
- Scheduled flights rather than the charter flights proposed by Mentawai Air.
- Affordable seat prices.
- Surfer + boardbag capacity
- Long term commitment

SMA have repainted their aircraft and announced the following schedule:
- Padang > Rokot 9.30am Tue, Thu, Sat
- Rokot > Padang 10.30am Tue Thu Sat
Prices will be $47 one way plus a boardbag surcharge of around $40-50 depending on the weight. Capacity is 14 normal passengers or 10 surfers plus boards.

Aloita Resort have a 60ft high speed catamaran and smaller powerboats available to shuttle surfers to Playgrounds and other resorts in the area. Rates will range from $50 to $100 depending on numbers in each group.

Flights can be booked via a number of local agents including Mentawai Air.

Mentawai Air Services Firm Up

2007-03-23T04:34:00.000+07:00

Surfers soon will be able to choose between Macas Resort's 208
Amphibian and SMA's 212-200 Rokot Based service.

Sabang Merokue Airways flew their first scheduled flight to Rokot airport in Sipura yesterday. The company is under new management (Singapore based) and they are commiting to a trial period of 3 flights per week to the Islands.

Flights are Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10am. The fare for local passengers is Rp400,000 one way and we are waiting on confirmation for surfers with board bags. Foreign visitors will pay $88 one way and we expect that surfers will pay about $150 one way with a total of 10 plus bags per flight. The 850m airstrip at Rokot restricts the use of larger aircraft but the company is negotiating with the Mentawai Government to extend the runway in exchange for a 25 year BOT contract.

SMA have confirmed that they are not in partnership with Mentawai Air in this venture and they say they have no JVs with that company nor any plans to develop in other sectors with the Bray Group. SMA are committed to opening up the Singapore Mentawai market and they see the area as a new and exciting destination for the lucrative and growing Singapore adventure marine sports vacation market.

SMA is owned by Batam Logistics, a Singapore based group owned by Bowstead Industries. The Board of Directors of Boustead Singapore Limited announced in a disclosure to the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX) that it has entered into an agreement to sell 33% of its shareholding in P.T. Sabang Merauke Raya Air Charter (PT SMAC) to Sky Pact Ltd and PT Anugerah Angkasa, who will participate as new joint venture partners in PT SMAC.

Aloita Hotel are working on repowering the 60ft cat, Kerisma to act as a shuttle between Rokot and resorts in the area. The spot rate is believed to be $250 per hour and the boat will be able to carry 20 or more passengers at 25 knots+ according to the calculations. Sea trials should be complete by the end of March.

The MMTA met with SMA in Padang and requested that they operate independent of the Bray company Mentawai Air. The industry argued that it would be difficult to support the service if operators were obliged to purchase tickets from an unknown company that has vested interests in the area. SMA responded by opening up bookings to 3 agents in Padang. SMA say that Mentawai Air have only been allocated 5 seats on the 18 seat CASA 212-200 aircraft.

SMA, previously known as SMAC, are under new management and they are upgrading all their 212's. All engine overhauls are now done in Denmark and the airframes are maintained by Singapore staff.

SMA have suspended their Telos to Medan flights for 2 weeks but they now fly Padang Telos/Gunung Sitoli twice a week.

The MMTA was offered free seats on yestedays flight to Mentawai. A personal invitation to join the flight by SMA Chairman Peter Lew was overturned by the Brays at the last minute. Strange given that our efforts bought the MMTA and SMA to the table in the first place but sadly predictable. Without the full support of all operators, it is unlikely that any air carrier will make money on this pioneering route.

Meanwhile Mark Loughran from Macaronis Resort is confident that his Cessna 208 Amphibian will be flying by the end of April. The near new turboprop aircraft will carry 8 surfers and boars (in socks) or 12 passengers without boards. Mark says the new company will be called Mentawai Air Taxis and that the partners have a long term business plan that is aimed at deliving what the surfers want. Based in Padang and at the resort, the 208 will offer door-to-door charter flights to all MMTA partner resorts. Prices are still being discussed but we anticipate $200 one way will be close for surfers.

PT OMI Ask to Join MMTA

2007-02-08T05:53:00.000+07:00

In a surprise move, PT OMI sent an SMS to the MMTA requesting membership last Saturday. PT OMI are the 9th land based operator to join making a clean sweep for the new association.

On Monday the organisers of Deep Indonesia announced that floods in Jakarta had caused the postponement of the event until some time in April. The MMTA had been asked by the Head of Tourism in Mentawai to provide material for the event and some members had already booked rooms.

On Wednesday the 7th SMAC airlines flew a demonstration flight to Rokot airport in the Mentawais. Local travel agents were invited and the flight ran smoothly. SMAC use a CASA 212 200 configured to seat 18 to leave room for surfboards. Prices and schedules will be announced Friday according to a company representative. The pilot reported that the Rokot runway was almost ready for regular service citing the need to clear some trees on the approach as his only concern. The work should take about a week.

Susi Air have so far not confirmed plans to support a Bray owned company named 'Mentawai Air' that proposes to use Susi's new Cessna Caravan aircraft for the Padang Rokot service. The MMTA have requested clarification. There was wide support for the Susi Air backed operation because the aircraft are new, servicing is done in Singapore and pilots are Canadian.

Mentawai Marine Tourism Association Founded

2007-01-29T07:27:00.000+07:00

The inaugural meeting of the Mentawai Marine Tourism Association was held on Saturday the 27th of January in Padang. The five licensed companies were joined by 3 as yet unlicensed resort owners and all agreed to support the Mentawai Government's efforts to increase PAD revenues (regional tax) by regulating the surf industry.

The MMTA was endorsed by the Mentawai administration at the Simakakang Summit in December last year.

The five Full Members are:

- Macas Resort - PT Inter Nusa Bahagia
- Kandui Resort - PT Saraina Koat Mentawai
- Pitojat Island - PT Bangun Toro Koat
- Rags Resort - PT Bintang Samudera Mentawai
- E-Bay Resort - PT Mentawai Wisata Bahari

Associate Members are:

- Wavepark Losmen
- Aloita Resort
- Mentawai Adventure (Siolona Island)

The head of the Mentawai Department for Tourism & Culture, Drs Zulkarlin, attended the meeting and supported the MMTA's program aimed at boosting tax revenues for the island regency.

Under Mentawai's PERDA No 6 rules, the first step will be the registration of all charter vessels operating in the Mentawai area. Boat owners can register under any of the 5 licensed Marine Tour Operators. Each MTO license holder is permitted to operate a maximum of 6 vessels with a combined total of no more than 50 berths.

The MMTA has also been asked to advise the Deptment of Fisheries and Ocean Resources CORMAP program on the placement of mooring buoys at most surf breaks to stop anchor damage to coral reefs in the islands. The first 3 moorings have been installed in the Playground area near Sirius Reef.

Disputes between operators will now be resolved if possible with the assistance of the MMTA. In view of this, Mentawai Investigator has agreed to archive all content related to the dispute at Katiet while the companies involved negotiate a settlement.

PT MWB lawyers said that the Katiet Resort is currently unable to operate legally.

The Simakakang Declaration - 11th December 2006

2006-12-14T02:38:00.000+07:00

Bupati Mentawai, Members of Parliament and tourism industry represetatives at the signing

Pemda Mentawai hosted a special meeting on the 11th of December at Aloita Resort, Simakakang Island. Licensed marine tour operators were invited to submit questions and ideas to the Mentawai administration and key members of parliament. The forum culminated in the signing of the Simakakang Declaration.

A. Pemda have clarified the five companies currently holding a Marine Tour Operators license:

Sariana Koat Mentawai (Kandui Resort)
Inter Nusa Bahagia (Macas Resort)
Mentawai Wisata Bahari (E-Bay Resort, Lances Resort)
Bangun Toro Koat (Scarecrows)
Bintang Samudera Mentawai (Rags)

B. Revision of Perda No 16 - in late 2007 widen scope to give buffer zone type protection other forms of tourism specifically diving and trekking. The Dept of Fisheries announced a coordinated plan to declare Marine Management Areas in a number of sensitive areas in the Mentawais including Nyang Nyang and Katiet. Mooring buoys will be installed to eliminate anchor damage to reefs. Sebastiano lobbied for a Marine Tour license for diving so likely there will be 6 or 7 in the end but with a corresponding reduction in the charter boat numbers.

C. The Mentawai Government to improve enforcement of laws and regulations protecting investors to avoid conflicts over land and overlaps in licensing.

D. Pemda to purchase selected tourism locations and upgrade to land title on behalf of investors. (This service is optional and investors may elect to clear land themselves)

E. Pemda committed to upgrading transport and communications (SMAC will start flying 2 to 3 times per week in March 2007 with a 24 seat aircraft. The fare will be less than $50 one way. Telkom have committed to increasing bandwidth to make internet available for
major towns)

F. Support for a Marine Tourism Industry Association in the form of the 'Simakakang Declaration'.

G. The Mentawai Government to support & encourage the development of other types of tourism (not only surfing)

H. Tourists and Tourism operators must be oriented towards environmental protection.

I. Mentawai to focus on 'exclusive or high end' tourism.

Ed.

Mail to Surfing World Editor & Tim Baker

2006-10-07T07:53:00.000+07:00

Reggaee & Tim,

Just read the SW article authored by Tim. Congratulations on the beautiful layout and photographs.

Generally the article is a strong endorsement of everything Mentawai Sanctuary has worked for over the past 12 years.

Unfortunately it is seriously flawed.

The article is advertorial for the Bray brothers (PT OMI)

Read the material at http://mentawai.blogspot.com and you will see why it might have been a good idea to give Mentawai Sanctuary the time of day when you did your research. We are not hard to find. www.mentawai.com

I understand the commercial pressure that you and the mag are under..... we are no different. We are a business and we work hard to make a living under some very extreme circumstances here in Sumatra.

We have had to deal with riots, political revolution, the war in Timor, fiscal meltdowns, several tense elections, El Nino haze, 2 Gulf Wars, Sept 11, the Iraqi and Afghanistan wars, SARs, Bali and Jakarta bombs, mega quakes and tsunamis, avian flu, Papuan refugees and grossly punitive travel warnings. All of these events were beyond our control and all Mentawai surf operators took a beating.

Believe it or not, by far the most disruptive and damaging events for our small business over this troubled decade have been the articles authored by Tim Baker in the surf media.

Tim, we have taken a huge beating from you over the years. We survived it but it cost us more than the damage from all the other globe shaking troubles we faced. ( Reggaee and as far as I know SW has not carried articles that caused us damage in the past.... Tim wrote damaging articles for ASL, Tracks & Surfer).

Why do you feel the need to attack our company and me personally in this very public way?

Tim, you have now publicly supported a Cronulla syndicate in their bid to claim-jump HTs wave rights and to hijack our companies land holdings and Marine Tourism license. Why?

This small cafe was destroyed by 22 villagers on 17th August 2006

In our opinion the Cronulla syndicate are ultimately responsible for the destruction of our resort buildings at Katiet. Resort representatives ordered the destruction and paid the local workers so they are now inextricably implicated in all that followed. Tragically 27 members of Katiet/Sau village now face criminal charges and possible incarceration. This is unprecedented and massive negative fallout for the Katiet community.

More grief than the entire surf industry has inflicted on the Mentawais in the past decade. Illegal logging has finally been shut down, only to see the ugly side of surf tourism replace it. And you support this?

We have proof that the developers are marketing villas and/or inviting investors in Australia to participate in their scheme using misleading legal documents. They refer to these documents on their public website.

Tim's article warmly endorses this Cronulla syndicate's activities and we are appalled that SW would publish what amounts to blatant advertorial supporting them.

GENERAL COMMENTS ON YOUR ARTICLE

Change is rarely 'popular' at first :
I submit that my 'popularity' amongst a handful of Australian surf operators is not important nor the slightest bit relevant to the development of tourism in the Mentawais. Anyone associated with radical change in a booming new market is almost certain to be very unpopular with some stakeholders. I sincerely hope that the surf industry operators who plundered the Mentawais for years and contributed nothing know that I live for the day they either wake up or leave forever.

Frankly I have always felt far more at home with my circle of local Sumatran friends than with some of the Aussie surf operators who have come and gone over the years.

We help support a very large extended family in West Sumatra and after the tsunami we made many new friends in Aceh and Nias. To call someone 'widely unpopular' while ignoring the communities where they live and work is not cricket. Aussies pride themselves on giving others 'a fair go' and that is all I ask of your magazine.

Who is Voting?
The new Mentawai legislation passed by popular vote. Popular in the Mentawais that is.

It was very unpopular among the Aussie surf boat operators for sure (back in 2003 there were no land camps) It is hardly surprising that the boat operators were suspicious and negative.

I was part of a group of registered (licensed) operators who were asked to help the parliamentary committee charged with preparing PERDA No 16. Most Aussie operators were not licensed under local companies back then so they were not invited to participate. Earlier attempts by the Mentawai government to introduce permits had failed because they lacked public support and had no legal teeth. We all learned a lot from those controversial strategies.

My personal contribution to PERDA No 16 was to win the support of the Maldives Government's Department of Tourism who sent me the full package of laws and regulations that have proven so successful in that small island nation. (Tourism contributes over 65% of their GNP). No big deal. A no-brainer really if you think about it.

The parliamentary committee then asked the Bung Hatta University Law Faculty to help adapt the Maldives legislation to be functional under Indonesian law. Our team advised the lawyers on the practical field issues that needed to be considered. It was a lot of hard work and none of us were paid to do it. We considered it a rare opportunity to finally get the development strategy right and we were all honored to be invited to participate.

You would have to read the full document to understand what went into it. Have you?

Clearly the tide has turned and now most of the foreign stakeholders you interviewed are supportive of PERDA No 16. I am amazed that you did not talk to Un or Bangun or Dedi or in fact one single Indonesian citizen! No government or village representatives were given a chance to have their voices heard. Quite incredible when you think about it.

So is the legislation that our committee helped author still 'widely unpopular' ? Has the Mentawai Sanctuary strategy proved unworkable?

I would argue that PERDA No 16 is now deemed 'widely acceptable' and for sure it is well on the way to being very popular with the Mentawai authorities.

Impact of PERDA No 16 to date:
Before PERDA No 16 there was virtually no way to tax the foreign boats here... or any of the local boat based tourism operators in fact. This is because of a loophole in the local tax laws that makes it almost impossible for local tax officers to get access to off-shore sales transactions. Put simply, the profits stayed off-shore and untaxed. Now the boats will have to choose a licensed operator to work with in the Mentawais and they will be expected to pay VAT and special surf zone taxes. Surely you are not going to argue against that?

A little research will show you that both Macaronis Resort and Katiet Villas raised money from investors based on their 'exclusive' wave rights to Macas and HTs respectively.

It could be argued that those resorts may never have got up and running without that extra incentive to tempt investors.... call it greed or whatever. Investors DO care about making money and the more the better. Ironically both groups either misunderstood or misrepresented their claims to these surf gems.

Implementation:
What counts is that the Mentawai people have decided to adopt new surf legislation via their own elected parliament. I am confident that once all 5 marine tour licenses are granted, the regulations will be implemented by the companies that make the grade. We are one of those companies. One of five. Surely you would not argue with that?

Implementation will take time. We earned our license after 10 years of operations. Some newbies were sold fake licenses and they were naive enough to believe it would be that easy. Buyer beware.

For instance the Cronulla syndicate state on their website that they hold one of the five Mentawai Marine Tour licenses. Strangely their SK license has the same numerical code as ours. When pressed they admitted to the local media that they only have a 'verbal license' and so could not show anyone the document. They said they were not at liberty to tell the media who had issued the verbal license. This kind of nonsense is not helping implementation nor the credibility of the new laws but at least they are getting headlines in Padang and that is raising awareness.

So much for their investor's hopes of making a Tavarua-like fortune! They and the people of Katiet are the losers in the short term.

Without question, the five companies will enjoy strong demand and they will move towards co-operation and sharing of wave rights. If the investors in the five companies finally make some money, more infrastructure will follow. Anyone who has spent time here knows how desperately the local population need infrastructure and now that logging has all but disappeared, tourism revenues are the islanders best hope for the funding their schools, hospitals, ferries and airports.

Why we are here:
In summary we happily acknowledge that the development strategy that we helped to shape was ahead of its time.

We can live with the flack we took for sticking our necks out and having a go. It was very heavy flack. Would anyone have gone through that just for financial reward? I don't think so.

If we make serious money in the end, fine. So far that has not happened and 12 years is a long time to wait. Think about it.

It is the challenge that keeps us here, just like most of the veteran operators with boats or camps.

For us the reward is to see the changes take place more or less in the way we predicted. If our ideas influence the future of the Islands in a positive way we will be vindicated. So far it looks promising but we know that the work is far from done.

Please understand, I dont seek public praise for any of this. I do ask that you check your facts and cease hurting our business by denigrating our hard work and defaming me personally.

Surf Media's Roll:
So where does SW stand? Are you ready to stand up and be counted? Is SW prepared to sacrifice an advertiser to expose the truth?

How about you Tim? I'm sure that you are not on the Katiet developers's payroll.

The press release below has been issued by our local company PT MWB.

Also attached below, local headlines. "Illegal Logging Wiped Out, Illegal Tourism Arrives"

Rick

My definition of a free society is a society
where it is safe to be unpopular.

- Adlai E. Stevenson

ps No Australian surf mag was prepared to print Mike Froods interview "Turning the Tide" (The Surfers Path - No 55) so clearly I am 'widely unpopular' with Aussie surf mag editors:-) See: http://electriclambstory.blogspot.com

So how about running it now you have heard our side of the story?

Webby Win for Island Aid Volunteers

2006-05-10T16:39:00.000+07:00

NotSeenNotHeard has been awarded the coveted Webby People's Choice award in the 10th Annual Webby contest. This year the Webby's attracted a record number of applicants and Zach and Chris's beautiful work dominated the highly competitive 'Student' category.

"The Online Oscars" - Time Magazine

While other categories sport winners that read like the whos-who of the www, the student category gives low budget non-commercial websites a chance to show new talent. Zach and Chris will be rubbing shoulders with the creators of web superstar sites like Google Maps, National Geographic, MySpace, CondeNet & Flickr at the gala presentation night in NY.

Congratulations Zach and Chris!

I know how hard you worked and I know you were motivated by the thought of helping the tsunami and quake victims and not by any idea that your work would be recognized like this. You deserve this award in every way and it is doubly gratifying that your efforts have already raised over $2,000 towards skin grafts for the girls in Gomo.

For those who have not hear yet, Zach and Chris have published a special site for that purpose.

Visit:
http://gomogirlsfund.com

Donors can track the girls progress at our new dedicated site: http://groups.mac.com/gomogirlsfund
(site requires free registration at .Mac and is password protected)

Brays Contracts Tourism SWAT Team

2006-05-08T12:33:00.000+07:00

Tourism SWAT Teams - World First

Apparently anticipating in-house problems, Bray brothers Katiet Villas today announced a radical new approach to guest security. Their Indonesian company PT OMI have engaged bodyguard & protection specialists, Dynamiq Pty Ltd of Crows Nest, Sydney to handle interaction with local communities. Dynamiq specialize in Hostile Environment Training (HET) and Corporate Protection Teams (CPTs) using retired Army Special Forces (SAS) mercenaries.

Adam Bray again faced the media to announce this 'World First' tourism initiative. "Nobody ever thought of this before" said a flushed an apparently pumped up Bray. "I took the HET course after the locals tried to take me out in Teluk Nibung over some kind of pathetic misunderstanding. It made me start thinking and later I linked up with Anthony in the gym"

Anthony (FNW - family name withheld), head trainer at Dynamiq, joined Bray to face the press. "Adam is a challenged student but our trainers are the best and we are very pleased with his progress". A PPP (power point presentation) narrated by Anthony (FNW) showed images of Adam at HET quarters learning to identify friend and foe cardboard cutouts before injecting their eyeballs with battery acid. "He is starting to score better than 50/50 now and we have only been training for 3 weeks"

Bray went on to explain how a 5 man SWAT Team would be choppered in to Katiet fully armed should there be any suspicion of conflict with local tribesmen. "I took photos of some Mentawai people and we have used them to make cardboard cutouts to help in my training" Bray said showing a close up of an old man being terminated by lethal injection. "We want the SAS blokes to be able to tell the difference between the Brazilian guests and the local tribes. We dont have to deal with messy FF (Friendly Fire) incidents like what happened at Hitlantis Resort a few years ago".

"We lost all our investment in that island resort after the locals unleashed swarms of sand flies. We soaked everything in pesticide and were lucky to escape alive when the wood fire ignited the fumes and burned down the hut with our friends dog inside. I hated that dog so it was a kinda 'friendly fire' I'd say" chuckled Bray.

Asked about the cost of the SWAT team Bray became defensive. "That is a need-to-know issue and you will first have to prove to me that you need-to-know"

An un-named Dynamiq SWAT team member displays his personal
negotiation kit for use against tribal insurgents. Face withheld.
He claimed that the name was deliberately misleading to confuse the TIs

Anthony FNW was more forthcoming. "Well I need to know right now. No more pussyfooting around this Adam. We'll take a flat 33% off the top for our services. Normally we only ask 25% but because all the guests at Katiet Villas are BNs (Brazilian Nuts) we have negotiated a higher rate. It is hard to tell BNs apart from the TIs (Tribal Insurgents) and LS (Local Staff) so we have to do a lot of ET (Extra Training) with the CCs (Cardboard Cutouts). And those BAR rooms are very pokey and dark. In the end there are very good reasons why it costs a bit more to stay at Katiet Villas than other LSLs (Less Secure Locations)"

Bray then handed out brochures that will be mailed to guests before they fly direct from Singapore to the Katiet beach drop zone. "Its all explained in here..... we want the guests to all wait in their rooms till the SWAT blokes have cleared the beach... if we have to use stun grenades there is no need to worry. Our in-house ex-SAS surgeon had loads of experience with internal bleeding in Cambodia" .... "In the fine print you can see we offer all our guests the Dynamiq HET training course at a discount so it is a real win win for everyone"

The Brays have placed an order for this $570,000 SWAT support vehicle
from the US. "I had to hide in a cabin to save my life in Teluk Nibung and
I dont want to go through that again. This is my personal vehicle and I'm
going to live in it" Bray said to reporters.
He denied rumors that it would be used to manage Brazilian surfers,
claiming that the paint job was just a joke.

Adilldumb the Dunce - A Childrens Story from the Mentawais

2006-04-22T09:32:00.000+07:00

DILLDAPP ADUMB - A DONKEY'S TALE

n an old typically Western Sydney suburb whose peaceful image was reflected in the spillage waters of a carwash, there lived a poor couple by the name of Braydle.

Bad luck was his constant companion, and had she, a seam-stress, not had her needles, life would often have been very difficult. But both of them lived in hope of better times and dreamed, as people in need so often do, of the good fortune and a color TV, which would one day come. For the time being, there was new trouble every day.

Their greatest worry was their second son, Dilldapp Adumb. First born Heydung had long fled the nest and was into something called 'Rushmeteavee' that lost vast fortunes and cost him some fame, but he at least could walk, talk and chew a wad.

Dilldapp Adumb was a good boy, but he had a blockhead instead of a brain, so that he got everything wrong and did everything wrong. Nothing worked. Sweeties & a taste of this and that given to him by father and mother didn't help; nor were clips on his ear, clouts on his head, or bangs on his nose of the slightest use.

"You dunce, you donkey, you clown, you dimwit, you buffoon", and so it went on all day long. Dilldapp Adumb was unconcerned and passed the time eating, drinking and licking plates clean, so that he became as heavy as a sack of flour, as fat as an eel, as shiny as an onion, as red as the coat of a trumpeter and as shapeless as a stuffed pug.

His parents took to calling him Adilldumb. It was very difficult to get him to move away from his seat near the fire. - "Adilldumb, bring me some wax!" And stupid Adilldumb would bring flax. - "Bring me thread!" Adilldumb would bring bread. He never brought what he was supposed to bring. Instead of a hat, he would bring in a dead rat; instead of a box, two cocks; instead of driving home the goat, he would arrive with a coat; instead of fetching a jar, he would return with an iron bar etc. One day his mother wanted to do the washing and called to him: "Adilldumb Adum fetch me a bucket of water!" Adilldumb went off, and came back hours later with a barrow of mortar...

Mrs Braydle took a up her heckel and gave him a blow on the head with it. It made such a loud noise that Adilldumb got a fright and ran down the stairs. He grabbed his skate board and ran off, ran up hill and down dale, through forests and fields, lands and sands, sticks and stones, thistles and thorns and did not stop until he could see nothing in the darkness of the night. He had run over the sun and into the coloured window panes of the sunset. The stars hung up their thousand lanterns in the sky and the moon patrolled as nightwatchman to see who was running so desperately.

Adilldumb ran on and on. Towards morning he came to a beach. The fish laughed at Adilldumb's stupid face and called to him: "Adilldumb, don't take a boat; you would do better to jump across on your skateboard!" Adilldumb believed them, thought it would indeed be better; he jumped high but very short and landed in the water. Plop!! - He made quite a splash. He swam and swam blindly but before Adilldumb crawled out of the water onto a nearby island, the fish ate all the food in his pockets and mocked him laughing even louder than before.

Now Adilldumb finally came to, stopped, stood still on the white beach and looked around him on all sides. - "You've made a fine fool of yourself, you idiot!" giggled an seagull. A minah bird called from a nearby tree: "Hey! Adilldumb, you must be very hungry! Why don't you reach into yonder hole in the sand where you will find fresh lamingtons!" Adilldumb believed him and stuck his hand quickly into the hole. It was a mud crab's den: Crusty Ricksneger the bone crusher was already waiting for him and took off the end of his finger. "Ouch!" cried Adilldumb and fell over backwards in fright, right into a large fire-antheap. The fire ants instantly enveloped him completely.

This entertaining spectacle gave rise to great excitement. Fruit bats and finches, woodpeckers and parrots, dragon flies and beetles, musangs and monitors chuckled and laughed; even the sea slugs, mud skippers and jellyfish splashed loudly and enjoyed themselves thoroughly. Ha-ha and ho-ho and quackettyquack: " You fool, you dildo, you clown, you dimwit, you buffoon!" and so it resounded with laughter on all sides in the island. Adilldumb wormed his way out, wiped the crawling insects out of his eyes, tried to escape, stumbled and fell on to a piece of rock, as he thought. But what he had taken for a boulder was in fact a resting wild donkey which now sprang up and off, carrying Adilldumb away on its back. So no sooner had Adilldumb more or less rescued himself from his black antheap than the donkey made off with him to an air conditioned cave in the deepest darkest jungle.

Here sat a big fat bugiman who went by the name of Pork Kung, magically illuminated, of such goodness of heart that it could be measured with yardsticks. - "Oh, Behold this child! how horrid!" - The face of the bugiman was as large as a bale of pepper, its nose as wide as a bellows, its eyes as large and round as the wheels on a barrow, its mouth gaped open like the postman's bag. Adilldumb sprang off the donkey and started to talk his usual nonsense, whereupon the bugiman realised that such foolish prattle could only come from a Dilldapp.

It shook with laughter, and Adilldumb laughed as well. - "So be it! Stay here", said the hulk. So Adilldumb entered into its service. All he had to do was to scratch the bugiman's back, since it was too wide to do so itself. But it was not ungrateful and in return scratched honest Adilldumb's back, and the two of them usually fell asleep over their labors. Pork Kung taught Adilldumb to shadow box and lie no matter what was asked of him.

After a year, the ugly giant said to Adilldumb: "Your parents are waiting for you at home. Go back to them. You have served me faithfully and I will reward you by keeping your gold watch and giving you a present of my magic donkey. But I give you this gift on one condition: you must never take hold of the donkey's tail and imagine it is the handle of a pump!" - "Thank you", said Adilldumb. Thinking the donkey a poor trade for his gold watch but fearing the bugiman, Adilldumb hatched a plan to even the trade. He crept into Pork Kung's room as the giant snored and stole the deeds to the entire island. After all Pork Kung had taught him well. Before the bugiman woke Adilldum set off with the donkey. In the next clearing, Adilldumb stopped. So that he would not forget what he was forbidden to do, he repeated the monster's words: "You are not to think the donkey's tail is a pump-handle!"

As he was recalling the words to his mind, he happened to catch the tail of the donkey and pumped. Out of the donkey fell hard, shiny, gold coins - a great number of them.

Adilldumb was too stupid to be astonished. He took off his jacket, tied the sleeves together and made a money bag out of it. He rode to the very best hotel in Jakarta, ordered a huge bowl of super mie and hung his heavy money-bag over his head on the wall. Adilldumb ate to his heart's content and also fed his donkey well. When the innkeeper, Osolomelio, came with the bill, Adilldumb asked: "Good sir, what do you owe me?" "With respect and your permission," replied the innkeeper, "it is I who is to get something from you" - "How much?" was Adilldumb's The innkeeper had recognised Adilldumb for the dunce he was and told him what the bill was, explaining his calculation: "Twenty-times supermie, sir, makes Rp250,000 no wine and bread - comes to Rp50,000 in all; no lodgings - Rp75,000, a bundle of straw and stabling for the fine donkey - Rp100,000, my cap doffed 25 times - Rp125,000; and 25 inquiries about your name comes to Rp750,000 in all. - If you please!"

- "That is very cheap", said Adilldumb, reaching into his money-bag. - "My goodness! What is that heavy thing you have hanging on the wall?" asked the innkeeper, "that must be a dreadful burden during your travels!" - "You are quite right, innkeeper. Would you be so good as to take the bag? You can take out the Rp750,000 and throw away the rest.!" - Whereupon Adilldumb mounted his donkey and trotted off in the best of humours towards the town of his birth.

When he reached Sydney, he rode without delay through the back lanes past the dunnies to his parents' house, tied up the donkey and ran straight into the kitchen. Father Braydle and his mother no sooner caught sight of him than they embraced him. Adilldumb wept for joy. All at once he cried out: "My dear parents, you will never have to work again; I have brought you a donkey which will give you more gold than you have ever dreamt of. - It is waiting outside!" They both rushed out and did indeed see a donkey. Adilldumb gripped the donkey's tail, pumped and cried: "Gold! Gold! Gold!" -

Now the news went up Quiksolder' Lane and down Rapcurlers' Alley and right across the town to Cronulla: "Adilldumb, Braydle's dunce, has brought good fortune home with him!" Indeed - children and fools can catch hold of good fortune. The whole town came running and crowded around Braydles' house. The people showed their true nature: they were full of resentment and envy. Some were so overcome with greed that they purchased shares in the magic donkey! Sydneys biggest purveyors of travel and the finest waterwear begged Adilldumb to solicit on their behalf.

Reporters and spies, tax collectors and officials from all sorts of institutions and government departments gave the Braydle's no peace. And things got worse and worse. Finally the police arrived full of suspicion, began to investigate and said:

Ho! ... Ha! Let's X-Ray this donkey forthwith!

Now the Braydle family realised that what they had dreamed of was not in fact great good fortune; they understood now that what is called happiness in this world is a peaceful and tranquil life, but never ever gold.

Now they wished that the magic donkey was nothing but an ordinary donkey. One morning, on his father's instructions, Adilldumb Braydle took the animal by the bridle to bring it back into the forest. The whole town followed the two of them. Some of the boys took the donkey by the tail and pumped. Loud laughter arose and they all called out: "Adumb, you blockhead, that is not gold: that is just donkey dung!"

NotSeenNotHeard wins Gold - Horizon Interactive Awards

2006-04-14T19:10:00.000+07:00

Zach & Chris win Horizon Interactive Gold award for
www.notseennotheard.com

While the website maintains its lead in Webby Award voting, the boys
found out more or less by accident that they won another award recently.

The Webby Awards are the most prestigious by far in the on-line world
and are compared to the Oscars of the Web.

See http://horizoninteractiveawards.com/winners/video.htm

Vote: http://peoplesvoice.webbyawards.com/login.mhtml

IslandAid operated by ELM
450 Taraval St. San Francisco 94116, USA
+1 415 272 9100
Field Office Jl Air Manis No 8, Bukit Gado2, Padang, West Sumatra
+62-81534059018 (mobile)
+62-751-767888
Skype / AIM : elmaceh
www.island-aid.org

Time Magazine's "LIVING ON A FAULT LINE"

2006-02-01T12:06:00.000+07:00

JOHN STANMEYER—VII FOR TIME

HELPING HANDS: Geologist Sieh, center, explains tectonic plate movements to local residents

How frightened should we be?

http://www.time.com/time/asia/2005/disaster/story.html

Posted Monday, December 12, 2005; 20:00 HKT

The village of Maligi (Pasaman) on the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra seems idyllic—two dozen houses strung along a palm- and casuarina-covered strip of land, on one side the crashing waves of the Indian Ocean, on the other a rippling river mouth. When a rare group of visitors appears in the bright mid-morning sunlight, a dozen children chase after the car, laughing and waving. (does this remind you of Katiet/HTs? it should, ocean one side and wide swamp the other- Ed)

"So many kids," American geologist Charles Rubin mutters gloomily as he waves back. "They don't have a chance."

"Nope," agrees fellow geologist Kerry Sieh, also waving and smiling. "They'd all be killed. There's just nowhere to run here. It's water on both sides."

"If they knew what was coming, they might be able to climb the coconut trees and survive," Rubin continues, "assuming the tsunami wasn't too high, say in the four-meter range. They need to build platforms on the trees and maybe cut steps in the tree trunks. They need information. You should give them one of your posters, Kerry."

Sieh nods. A professor of geology at the California Institute of Technology, he probably knows more than any person on the planet about how and why earthquakes and tsunamis happen so often, to such deadly effect, in this part of the world. Sieh and his colleagues on this field trip know how many lives have already been saved by posters and other efforts to educate those who live in a 2,000-km-long danger zone running from Aceh on the northern end of Sumatra to an island off its southern tip called Anak Krakatau, or Child of Krakatau. And they'd like to save some more.

For Sumatra is at risk. In the space of just three months at the beginning of 2005, two giant earthquakes rocked the region. A tremor on Dec. 26 produced a tsunami that knocked the earth off its axis and killed nearly a quarter of a million people. Then, on March 28, came another huge earthquake, this time farther south. There was no large tsunami generated by that temblor—dubbed the Nias quake after the island off the Sumatra coast that was worst affected—but over a thousand islanders died. After two such devastating blows, the inhabitants of Sumatra might be forgiven for assuming that nature will leave them in peace. It probably won't. Sieh, 54, and other scientists are warning that the island's troubles are not over. It isn't as though anybody needed a reminder, but the Oct. 8 earthquake that leveled large swathes of Pakistan and Northern India, leaving some 73,000 dead and millions homeless, could be a small taste of what is to come in Sumatra.

Even by Indonesia's chaotic standards, 2005 was a tough year. First came the gargantuan task of cleaning up and rebuilding after the tsunami—a job rendered more challenging by incompetence, bureaucracy and corruption. Then came the sudden eruption of bird flu that constantly threatened to explode into a major epidemic, and fresh bombings in Bali, which sent the country's tourism industry into a tailspin. But such problems would pale in the face of yet another monster earthquake striking Sumatra. That could kill hundreds of thousands of people. Such a quake, moreover, might trigger not just another tsunami but force a volcano to erupt, as happened with Mt. Talang, which was jolted out of an almost 40-year slumber by the Nias temblor.

How sure can we be that another catastrophe is coming? A combination of historical, geographical and geological research accumulated over some 12 years of painstaking field and laboratory work emphatically suggests that a section of the coast several hundred kilometers long, and populated by more than a million inhabitants, is threatened by the possibility of another shock.

"There has never been a more certain geological prediction," Sieh declares. "There will be another gigantic earthquake and tsunami south of the equator off the west coast of Sumatra. It could be tomorrow or it could be in two decades from now, but there is no doubt that it will happen and that if the towns and villages along the coast aren't prepared, many, many people will die again."

http://www.time.com/time/asia/2005/disaster/story2.html

THE ELECTRIC LAMB STORY - 1949 till Today

2006-01-08T10:20:00.000+07:00

One of our ELM volunteers works for ASL, Australia's largest surf magazine. We worked up this interview in September - October last year and the idea was to publish in ASL in time for the tsunami anniversary. The Editor gave the go ahead....... then a strange thing happened.

ASL's publisher pulled the article. Seems he was pressured by friends of Paul King, a surf travel operator who features in my interview. Paul is in prison for drug smuggling and I suppose his friends just could not stand the thought of his arch rival finally telling my side of the Mentawai surf charter saga.

So "surf politics" derailed the publishing of a story that would have helped us raise funds to help the tsunami victims!

The good news is that the article will now run in several international surf magazines. Other Australian surf publications are looking at running it as well. (Now published in The Surfers Path No 55)

Bear in mind that the language I speak here is "Aussie surf lingo". Just one of a several languages that I have picked up over the years!

Before the tsunami I operated a surf charter tourism business. See http://www.mentawai.com
All involved are now very deeply concerned that the Mentawais and Padang will be the next to be devastated by a mega quake and tsunami.

We are dedicating all our island holdings to management and development by our non-profit for the benefit of the local communities. All proceeds from the charter of my yacht are used to support ELM. I would like to shut down my surf charter operation and devote the yacht to purely non profit work in the Mentawais but until we secure adequate funding I can't afford to do that. The yacht has to earn the money we need to continue.

Click for the full story

The Problem with Pirate Parrots

2006-01-02T17:36:00.000+07:00

THE PROBLEM WITH PIRATE PARROTS

A custom assembly. Dedicated to the L.D.Ps of this world.
Thanks www.psychobird.com/placedateforcomic.htm

Impact of the Surf Industry on Katiet - 1994-2005

2006-01-02T12:49:00.000+07:00

A S i m p l e S t o r y - Impact of the Surf Industry on Katiet - 1994-2005

One of the best surf breaks in the Mentawais (ranked in the top 10 in the world) is called HTs (hollow trees). It is located near the village of Katiet, home to about 200 families. Only cash revenues are from copra, cloves, petuli oil and a few lobster. Rice, sugar, kerosene, fuel, clothing, medicine, tools etc etc all have to purchase from the mainland 100 miles away.

In 1994 Jane skippered Electric Lamb with her 2 surfing sons and friends as guests. The boat stopped at HTs and Jane went ashore for a walk. She noticed that the locals used wooden bowls for food preparation and admiring the shape she asked if they could make one for her. One of the local men, Manase, offered a well worn wooden bowl to Jane as a gift and said he would make a new one ready for her return. Some malaria pills changed hands after Jane noticed one of the children running a high fever at the back of the tiny hut.

Jane decided to check the local museum for reference books describing Mentawai artifacts and found a whole range of unique carved palm wood knives, spears, bowls, drums and many other items that the locals had evidently forgotten existed. Armed with photocopies of the artifacts, Jane went back to the village and asked if Manase could make some of the items and the souvenir industry started. This was mid 1994.

Next season Jane was back. On each stop in the village she checked the progress of the locals and purchase all the pieces with merit. Soon 5 or more other local men had decided to try their hand and some showed a natural talent that was quite remarkable. Jane took the carvings back to MWB's office in Padang and put them on display so that guests could buy something even if they had been too busy surfing to think of it during their stay at HTs.

At the end of the season Manase and a group of his friends came to Padang with big rice bags full of carvings for our consideration. Jane made a point of buying the best and pointing out how the rest could be modified or improved next time round. This process continued through the off season.

In 97 the village chief, Pak Jusar, wrote MWB a letter thanking everyone involved for supporting the now thriving village industry and reporting that the total income during the surf season was averaging over Rp4 million per month. There were about 20 boats working in the area at that time. The business continued to thrive and next off season nobody came to Padang to sell product. They wanted to keep the items for the following year and sell direct!

Pak Jusar visited Padang recently and he got talking about the progress of the industry. He estimates that over 50 men and boys are now working almost full time on carving and that Manase made over Rp10 million during 2003. Pak Jusar estimates that total sales to visiting surfers will exceed Rp200 million this year. Copra production revenues are probably below Rp400million for same period due to a downturn in commodity prices over the past 2 years.

Wood carving is on the way to dominating the economy of the village!

Merry Christmas. May the New Year bring hope and comfort for our friends in Aceh and Nias

2005-12-25T08:15:00.000+07:00

Take a few minutes on this special day to think about the thousands of tsunami and quake victims who are still struggling unsupported to rebuild their lives.

ELM-UVI field volunteer Zach Shields a virtual volunteer Christopher Podell have produced an amazing video and image record of our work with communities in NW Aceh and Nias.

Sit the family down in front of a broadband linked computer and open this link:

http://www.notseennotheard.com

Over the Christmas/New Year break, open the gallery and let your kids select the interviews that interest them. So much of our work focused on children and so much more is yet to be done.

Best wishes from Jane and I for 2006.

Jason Childs - Aceh - Jan 2005