Falkland Islands

[Aidan]

Hello Stephan,

I notice you are from Islas Malvinas.....AKA.

Do tell us about them. I would love to hear about what you do, whatthe seas are like, have you ever travelled south to the horn.

Have you ever been asked to mention a bit about where you come from.

The only thing I know about the Falklands is compliments of Mrs Thatcher.

That seems like eons ago to us but maybe not so for many.

Not my place to call but it did seem a bit overboard.

Do tell us and pics..
(may not get back to you until mid Jan as I am away).
Happy Christmas,,,, AJ

[Jono Garton]

I was thinking about this the otherday take a look at -

http://www.falklandislands.com/

http://www.falklandislandsholidays.com/default.htm

[codprawn]

I am just waiting with bated breath to see what Mr. Luxton has to say on the matter.....

[Nos4r2]

I think he might be ignoring it because they aren't called islas malvinas.

[BogMonster]

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

I think he might be ignoring it because they aren't called islas malvinas.

I think he might be right ^^^ as somebody who got arrested and kicked out of my own country in 1982 I don't recognise that name. I did read the post actually, but didn't have time to reply and then I never got around to going back.

Also check out www.visitorfalklands.com that is the most up to date site.

If anybody from RIBnet is heading this way give me a shout. One of these days I might even be able to offer a trip in a boat

Where to start on "what's the place like". A lot of common info on climate, government, countryside, getting here etc can be found on the above websites so I won't repeat that lot, but any specific questions then fire away!

As far as ribbing goes it's good and bad I guess. No chance of RIB raid style meetings as there are probably only a dozen or so in the whole of the islands, I know of 4 others in town, one is a Humber 6m dive boat (thought it was a Destroyer but last time I looked at it I decided it was probably an Ocean Pro as the hull is different). This one is only used commercially so rarely see it out when I am out. No. 2 is a Destroyer same as mine except yellow, a few years older and also with major tube diseases (UV related I think), though it is still airtight, and no. 3 is as yet unidentified, only seen it once and not sure who owns it. No. 4 is an Avon something or other. There's a couple at the military base belonging to the MOD dive clubs, and a handful of them scattered around the Camp (what we call the countryside i.e. all the farms). Few of the ones in here see much use at all, never understood anybody who owns a boat and never uses it! There are a few yachts around though these also seem to spend most of their time tied to dry land, and a few small commercial vessels, Halmatic type launches about 12-15m size range, mostly used for inshore vessel agent work, customs etc.

The plus side is that there is a whole lot of sea out there, basically nothing apart from basic anti collision regulations, and as long as you are not behaving like a complete prick and do something dangerous in the vicinity of another vessel, basically you can get on and do whatever you want.

The minus side is that if you break down it's highly unlikely that somebody will be along any time soon, and the only search and rescue facility is a helicopter which is for life-threatening emergency only - and then only if you can raise the alarm, mobile phones work a little way out from Stanley but that only covers about 10 miles of coastline, which is why I was quite keen to get an aux engine Another minus is that it is usually very windy and that limits the days that you can travel any distance without getting bloody cold and wet, 20-25 kt is not at all uncommon and it gets very wearing after a while if you are plugging into that. The wind can get up very quickly too, from 5kt to 25kt in quarter of an hour with little warning so it doesn't pay to get over confident in how far you go because the coastline is mostly filled with nothing so its not as if you can just pop into a harbour and tie up for shelter or leave the boat and come back another day, basically you need to get home again at the end of the day!

For those reasons I wouldn't consider any type of offshore voyage because there are some pretty big seas around and basically if you got into trouble, you'd be up a certain creek without a certain instrument. Cape Horn is probably about 500 miles from here I think so not within easy reach!

Best time to come is between November and Feb/March (our summer, obviously!) and Feb is generally reckoned to be the best month weather-wise.

Me, well I'm a fifth generation Genuine Benny, great great grandfather came here in the Royal Marines and liked the place so was demobbed here, and the family has been here since 1862/63. Grew up on the family farm, then 150,000 acres of moorland running about 27,000 sheep, now a bit smaller than that, around 97,000 acres. Good Land Rover country! which is what I do for a day job, that and working part time for one of the oil companies exploring offshore, www.fogl.co.uk if you want to have a look at that.

[codprawn]

My mates parents visited last year on the QE2 - they said it was even bleaker than the Brecon Beacons - more like the Epynt or the Black Mountains - difference is you go offroading anywhere like that in the UK and good old Tony will have a Police helicopter after you(seriously)!!!

Really would love to visit - will do one day when I get myself a nice sailing boat. Think it's a bit far for the RIB!!!

[BogMonster]

Originally Posted by codprawn

Really would love to visit - will do one day when I get myself a nice sailing boat. Think it's a bit far for the RIB!!!

Don't be a skinflint, if you can afford a 28 metre long RIB you can afford the air fare

A good option is to combine some time here with time in Chile and do Macchu Piccu or the Galapagos or something like that, either on the way down or on the way back. Getting to South America is the bulk of the cost in the air fare. Of course there is somewhere a bit closer to here, forget the name, but I've met some of them and I wouldn't recommend their company - really not very friendly bunch...

[Alan]

The Falklands was always a place I wanted to visit. Dunno why, guess I like bleak places as my other favourite spot is Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. And of course I moved to Newfoundland, which I imagine in places is pretty similar to the Falklands. (Lots of rock, bog, cliffs and coves but perhaps more trees).

Whilst I haven't made it to the Falklands I did visit Buenos Airies several times on business back in the late 90's. Have to say despite the history and the large sign by the side of the freeway near the airport saying 'Las Malvinas son neustas (sp), I found the people to be incredibly friendly and welcoming. BA is a beautiful city in parts and looks much like Paris. And of course the steak is sublime and the women beautiful. They like the British too as a pal of mine who worked out there for a couple of years ended up marrying his Spanish teacher. (who is now a British citizen.)

Mind you if I'dve been living in the Falklands in 82' I'd probably feel like you do Stephen. It was a fascinating period of history with the sending of a task force halfway around the globe being a pretty fantastic 'British' thing to do. Shame that these days we wouldn't have enough ships (RN or Merchant marine) to do it. I can commend Sandy Woodwards book '100 days' as a good read on the subject.

[BogMonster]

I forgot to mention in the "minuses" that there is nobody here who is an agent or even an expert in

1) Tube repairs (everybody has probably guessed that...)
2) GRP repairs
3) Outboard motor repairs or maintenance

So you either do it yourself or go without.

Hence my new signature

[The Garfish]

Originally Posted by Alan

It was a fascinating period of history

yus itt woz butt mistir lukston wazunt arownd att de tyme onn accownt ov de arjis banishin im owt ov de iyslands beecuz hee woz regardid az a terrerorist thret. hee woz froggmarchid too de neerest ayrpawt an towld too fuk orf (inn spannish).

bein a eighht yeer owld freadom fiter iz a tuff lyfe


gaRf

[Aidan]

Thank you for that Stephan.

It seems such a long time ago when you think of Maggie and Ronnie and the Falklands and the ill fated Belgrano..

I can only imagine the place. I will check the websites posted in due course.
Some fellow bought all the Ex Army equipment and sold it off for a good deal of money. He then bought site in Dublin and build big Hotel and Golf course.

It did seem a bit of an over reaction at the time to send half the Navy and Army across the world over a Title issue.
I seem to recall the Junta in Argentina been over thrown soon after...
Anyone recall???

[BogMonster]

It's only an overreaction if you haven't just been booted out of your country with no prospect of ever returning! And where do you draw the line if it is ok for a foreign power to invade sovereign territory with military force - the Spanish could take over Gib, the Chinese walk into Hong Kong, I guess when the French invaded Jersey because it was closer to France than England and therefore ought to be French territory, it might start to feel like it was getting a bit close to home

Garf, it was Dad that was the "political undesirable" but we all got tarred with the same brush, which in a way was quite gratifying wish I had been 10 yrs older I would have stayed and caused as much trouble as I could, but age 9 is a bit young to be waving an SLR - though I did get to have a go with one on my 10th birthday, and a GPMG and a 66MM LAW (anti tank rocket) and some thunderflashes. Oh those were the days, before defence cuts were invented

Galtieri and the Junta were given the boot very shortly afterwards because they lost. Public confidence in a military dictatorship is a very fickle thing...!

[codprawn]

Yes it was actually the best thing that could have ever happened to the Argies - they had democracy again.

As to it being an over reaction Mr Luxton may not be posting from the FALKLANDS if we hadn't reacted as we did!!!

As to who owns the islands it IS a very complex matter - maybe the thoughts and wishes of the people who actually LIVE there should be taken as the most important? In that case it's well and truly BRITISH!!!

[wavelength]

Been there, done that, great trip http://www.wavelengthtraining.co.uk/photo's.htm

white water rafting etc in Chile, then over to falklands working with falklands conservation (little 5.3m humber attaque-with a cuddy! mid eighties vintage and as good as new). Elephant seals, sea lions, king penguins, killer whales - wow! Loved it -but it was february and the weather was great. (Funny when some of them visited here to stay with us the F.I. folk came over in June )
I though it was a bit like Scotland-minus the b****y midges-but no none told me and I took enough midge cream to kill millions of the buggers. Always aware while we were there of the lack of a coastguard/lifeboat resource while we were at sea. And then the possibility of a long walk if we managed to paddle it back ashore somewhere remote after a problem. Perhaps explains why virtually no-one seemed to go boating-except that ****** jet ski in stanley harbour-yep there was even one of them!

[BogMonster]

Originally Posted by codprawn

Yes it was actually the best thing that could have ever happened to the Argies - they had democracy again.

As to it being an over reaction Mr Luxton may not be posting from the FALKLANDS if we hadn't reacted as we did!!!

As to who owns the islands it IS a very complex matter - maybe the thoughts and wishes of the people who actually LIVE there should be taken as the most important? In that case it's well and truly BRITISH!!!

Correct on 1 & 2, would never have got back under Argentine rule.

As for the third point, it's actually quite simple.

1) Britain discovered the Falklands
2) Britain made the first landing here
3) While Britain, Spain and France all had, and abandoned, colonies at different times, Britain was the country that finally settled permanently and we have had 173 years of continuous British reign apart from ten weeks twenty-five years ago
4) We speak English, have the Queen on our stamps and currency (which are pounds and pence), drive on the left hand side of the road in right hand drive vehicles, sing the British national anthem on the Queens birthday (which is a public holiday, obviously), have red telephone boxes and a red Royal Mail letterbox outside the post office, use 240V mains, BT telephone sockets and PAL televisions.
5) Most (native) people here are of British descent, eight generations in some cases.
6) We have nothing in common with any of the languages, cultures, political values or in fact anything at all with any of the countries in South America nor does anybody want to. Well there are a handful of nutters but it takes all sorts to make a world!

Pretty clear cut really

[Jono Garton]

Originally Posted by BogMonster

4) We have red telephone boxes

More than we do in Wales !!! Well only in Old Peoples back gardens

Jono

[BogMonster]

Originally Posted by Jono Garton

More than we do in Wales !!! Well only in Old Peoples back gardens

Jono

It's often commented that in some ways this place is more British that Britain itself. I suppose in a way its a bit like Britain twenty or thirty years ago, many people still leave their doors open and keys in their vehicles all the time. I could comfortably leave the keys in my Discovery all day and be sure it would still be here when I came home in the evenings. On the other side, there are a very high proportion of houses with Internet access so the population isn't scared to embrace the Noughties either.

The Governor's official "flag" vehicle for many years was a burgundy red London taxi, forgot to mention that

Crime is low (mostly petty crime, drink driving and alcohol related pub punch ups) and drugs are virtually non existent, partly because its hard to sneak them in and partly because you'll get a couple of months in chokey for possession (and then be deported) instead of a caution or whatever it is over there these days - and long may it last!

Wales is nice too, I spent a few days up around the Llandovery area a couple of years back and I could comfortably live there if I get booted out again...

[donutsina911]

Originally Posted by Alan

Shame that these days we wouldn't have enough ships (RN or Merchant marine) to do it. I can commend Sandy Woodwards book '100 days' as a good read on the subject.

not true..

good book recommend though.

[Jono Garton]

Originally Posted by BogMonster

It's often commented that in some ways this place is more British that Britain itself.

Almost call the place "Little Britain"

Like your comment on the keys in the car -

You cant leave the keys in my Defender in Wales, the f**king Thing locks it self from time to time. Nothing like your car locked outside the bank on double yellows, engine running, dog in the passenger seat listening to Kylie with and your Lifeboat Pager going off, Doh !

Jono

[Gray]

Originally Posted by BogMonster

It's often commented that in some ways this place is more British that Britain itself.

British seems to be a very loose term these days what with Britain being so Multi Cultural!

Originally Posted by Jono Garton

listening to Kylie

Your choice or the dogs?