Beyond the Straits

ABC TV this week premiered The Straits, a drama series featuring Cairns and Torres Strait. While it attracted much twittering interest in the Far North, ratings and reviews elsewhere appear to have been more restrained. Research on any impact on regional recognition and profile would be interesting.

It was certainly a different perspective of our paradise with drive-by shootings, drugs, gun smuggling and murder by being thrown into a swimming pool full of box jellyfish. KS is now investigating the market opportunity for fake box jellyfish to fill your pool which would be a great party idea.

Business and political links with PNG have always had some significance for Cairns, and opportunities related to the resources boom have been identified as a key component of the Cairns economic strategy. Sadly the thriving trade in drugs and guns accross Torres Strait depicted on TV drama has not been matched in container shipping with a service which commenced last year now suspended.

THE Cairns to Papua New Guinea weekly shipping service has been suspended because of the lack of support. The operators of the service, Silentworld, say the volumes have not been enough to make it viable.

Perhaps there were too many pesky customs officials on that route?