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Authors: Ian W Taylor
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followed by a
culture display and dances from members of the Binugy aboriginal
people telling “Dreaming” stories.
The Japanese party were by then showing
signs of fatigue and all of them dropped off to sleep in the short
ride back to the resort. Once there, they were given an hour to
freshen up before the official dinner.
The dinner was confined to the Ministers and
their senior staff and a few top level business people. The menu
was designed to show the best of local produce in the Northern
Territory with entrées of sea-food containing prawns, crab and
lobster, followed by a choice of prime beef, kangaroo or wild
barramundi for the main course. After the main course, the Prime
Ministers exchanged speeches about how they hoped fervently that
the Treaty could be signed at this conference. P.M. Murray
explained the significance of holding the conference at Kakadu, the
first time a major international conference had been held outside a
major Australian city. It was one of the most unique areas in the
globe, a world-heritage site, and the finding of uranium in the
middle of the national park not only benefitted the Australian
mining industry and the Japanese energy sector but also the
traditional owners of the land through the allocation of the mining
royalties generated.
The Japanese P.M. Koshi responded,
expressing gratitude to Australia for hosting the conference and
for inviting his delegation to visit such an amazing part of
Australia which he had never been privileged to see before.
After a dessert of local tropical fruits,
the dinner broke up. The two P.M.’s took their coffees and went to
a private room for one-on-one talks.
CHAPTER
SEVEN
WEDNESDAY- YELLOW WATER
Jake was up at 6 a.m. for a quick breakfast before
heading for the golf course to partner Koshi for the match against
Murray and Sentoro.
The golf course looked amazing, verdant
fairways lined by tropical trees and colourful flowers, ferns and
bushes; every hole had a lagoon or creek alongside the fairways
infused with water lilies and a vast array of bird species, magpie
geese, kingfishers, storks and wrens. There were several large
yellow and black “Beware of Crocodiles” warning signs around the
lagoons.
Jake picked out a set of golf clubs and had
some practice swings while he was waiting for the others to arrive.
The temperature was already warm as the sun rose above the horizon.
Koshi arrived with two bodyguards, bowed to Jake and shook his
hand. Jake had met Koshi a couple of times before and liked him,
although he doubted if Koshi would remember him. He was short and
thick-set, dressed in white slacks and a red golf shirt made by
UNIQLO, the Japanese fashion house. He had his own set of Taylor
Made clubs. He addressed Jake,
“Saito tells me you are good sportsman,
black belt in judo huh?”
Jake replied in Japanese “Yes but not so
good at golf, I may not be the best partner for you, Prime
Minister.”
“Well we will see, we must play our best
against Prime Minister Murray.”
Just then Neville Murray arrived with Anna
Sentoro, both looking immaculate in casual wear, Sentoro in a
designer pair of long pink shorts and crisp white blouse, and the
P.M. in a lime-coloured Greg Norman golf shirt and fawn slacks.
They were also escorted by two bodyguards. Murray smiled broadly,
shook hands with Koshi, wished him good luck, nodded at Jake and
headed off to the golf carts. He and Sentoro sat together in one,
Koshi and Jake in another and the two pairs of security guards each
shared a cart.
P.M. Murray tossed a coin, Koshi called
heads and lost. Murray said,
“O.K., we hit off first, shall we make it
match play. Would you like a small wager on the game?
Koshi shook his head in agreement.
“Great, shall we play for $500?”
“O.K.” said Koshi, a slight smile on his
face.
Anna Sentoro went up to the ladies red tee,
had a few practice swings, teed up the ball and hit the ball
sweetly, a little to the left of the fairway about 150
culture display and dances from members of the Binugy aboriginal
people telling “Dreaming” stories.
The Japanese party were by then showing
signs of fatigue and all of them dropped off to sleep in the short
ride back to the resort. Once there, they were given an hour to
freshen up before the official dinner.
The dinner was confined to the Ministers and
their senior staff and a few top level business people. The menu
was designed to show the best of local produce in the Northern
Territory with entrées of sea-food containing prawns, crab and
lobster, followed by a choice of prime beef, kangaroo or wild
barramundi for the main course. After the main course, the Prime
Ministers exchanged speeches about how they hoped fervently that
the Treaty could be signed at this conference. P.M. Murray
explained the significance of holding the conference at Kakadu, the
first time a major international conference had been held outside a
major Australian city. It was one of the most unique areas in the
globe, a world-heritage site, and the finding of uranium in the
middle of the national park not only benefitted the Australian
mining industry and the Japanese energy sector but also the
traditional owners of the land through the allocation of the mining
royalties generated.
The Japanese P.M. Koshi responded,
expressing gratitude to Australia for hosting the conference and
for inviting his delegation to visit such an amazing part of
Australia which he had never been privileged to see before.
After a dessert of local tropical fruits,
the dinner broke up. The two P.M.’s took their coffees and went to
a private room for one-on-one talks.
CHAPTER
SEVEN
WEDNESDAY- YELLOW WATER
Jake was up at 6 a.m. for a quick breakfast before
heading for the golf course to partner Koshi for the match against
Murray and Sentoro.
The golf course looked amazing, verdant
fairways lined by tropical trees and colourful flowers, ferns and
bushes; every hole had a lagoon or creek alongside the fairways
infused with water lilies and a vast array of bird species, magpie
geese, kingfishers, storks and wrens. There were several large
yellow and black “Beware of Crocodiles” warning signs around the
lagoons.
Jake picked out a set of golf clubs and had
some practice swings while he was waiting for the others to arrive.
The temperature was already warm as the sun rose above the horizon.
Koshi arrived with two bodyguards, bowed to Jake and shook his
hand. Jake had met Koshi a couple of times before and liked him,
although he doubted if Koshi would remember him. He was short and
thick-set, dressed in white slacks and a red golf shirt made by
UNIQLO, the Japanese fashion house. He had his own set of Taylor
Made clubs. He addressed Jake,
“Saito tells me you are good sportsman,
black belt in judo huh?”
Jake replied in Japanese “Yes but not so
good at golf, I may not be the best partner for you, Prime
Minister.”
“Well we will see, we must play our best
against Prime Minister Murray.”
Just then Neville Murray arrived with Anna
Sentoro, both looking immaculate in casual wear, Sentoro in a
designer pair of long pink shorts and crisp white blouse, and the
P.M. in a lime-coloured Greg Norman golf shirt and fawn slacks.
They were also escorted by two bodyguards. Murray smiled broadly,
shook hands with Koshi, wished him good luck, nodded at Jake and
headed off to the golf carts. He and Sentoro sat together in one,
Koshi and Jake in another and the two pairs of security guards each
shared a cart.
P.M. Murray tossed a coin, Koshi called
heads and lost. Murray said,
“O.K., we hit off first, shall we make it
match play. Would you like a small wager on the game?
Koshi shook his head in agreement.
“Great, shall we play for $500?”
“O.K.” said Koshi, a slight smile on his
face.
Anna Sentoro went up to the ladies red tee,
had a few practice swings, teed up the ball and hit the ball
sweetly, a little to the left of the fairway about 150
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