Words and pictures: Sheree Marris, aquatic scientist and raconteur FORGET the epic aggregations of wildebeest you’ve seen on documentaries, the Mornington Peninsula has something far more spectacular on its front doorstep. To see it, you’ll need to ditch the binoculars and grab a mask, snorkel and wetsuit because it’s in the waters of Port Phillip. Around this time every year as the waters cool, hundreds of thousands of giant spider crabs make their way up onto the sandy shallows along the southern shores of the bay. As the name suggests these crabs are impressive in size, with a body measuring over…
Author: Bayside News
A MORNINGTON man is in jail following what police describe as a “landmark” child exploitation case. The 57-year-old was arrested after Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team detectives raided his home in September. The case is the first to be presented before a Victorian court relating to charges of producing child exploitation material outside Australia. Acting Sergeant Paul Turner, of the police media unit, said the case highlighted the high level of investigative expertise of the Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team who target child sexual exploitation offences internationally. The arrest ended a year-long investigation into the man’s production and possession of…
POLICE put their contentious ‘no-pursuit’ policy on hold early Wednesday morning to chase down a man alleged to have carjacked a Frankston shift worker. The man, 22, was arrested and later remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court on 20 June after he allegedly used a handgun to threaten the shift worker in Ashley Av, Frankston, and steal his Hyundai sedan, 12.45am. Somerville Highway Patrol police spotted the stolen car nearby and chased it for 25 minutes through Carrum Downs and Dandenong before the alleged gunman pulled into a driveway, tried to flee, and was arrested. The Endeavour Hills man…
TWO teenagers were assaulted and robbed at Frankston Skate Park last week by up to five men. Frankston Embona detectives are investigating the incident, 5.45pm, Tuesday 14 June. One of the victims told police a man started going through his backpack and making demands for his belongings. Then, without warning, he said he was thrown to the ground and kicked and punched several times. The offenders then demanded one of the teenagers give them his phone’s PIN or they would “cut off his finger”. The second teenager was also punched to the face. Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Al Hanson, of…
CONSERVATION and environment groups gathered under the umbrella of the Frankston Environmental Friends Network (FEFN) are celebrating the network’s 20th anniversary this year. An extensive display of photographs of Frankston area natural reserves and foreshores opened on World Environment Day (6 June) is on view at Frankston Library until the end of this month. FEFN chair and 2016 Frankston Citizen of the Year, David Cross, said network members had helped Frankston Council win the 2015 Australian Sustainable City Award. “The FEFN has many passionate representatives who contribute significantly to our monthly meetings. Each of these reps are associated with one…