A bitter blow for a wildflower festival
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (367288)
Rockingham, Australia
September 17, 2025 4:57am CST
I am hoping I’ll be able to post a photo with this but I thought I’d like to tell you about what turned up on my news feed this morning.
We used to live in Ravensthorpe in south-east Western Australia. Hopetoun was 30 miles away on the coast. Apart for these two towns, there is nothing else for several hundred miles. For some years now, Ravensthorpe has run a very successful Wildflower Festival. There are week-long activities and it has the biggest display of wildflowers of any festival in Western Australia.
Communications in that area rely heavily on the internet and the main provider has decided that this is the week they’ll upgrade the tower in Hopetoun, which will seriously impact the Festival. All the stores, hotel, etc rely on internet for just about everything. It’s hard not to see it as deliberate although the powers-that-be are full of excuses for their decision.
The photo if it loads is of a Sturt's Desert Pea.
11 people like this
10 responses
@DaddyEvil (163650)
• United States
17 Sep
That makes it seem like the upgrade is being done deliberately right when the town needs their internet the most. The company could have chosen any other time that wouldn't impact their festival...
In the US, if that happened, the ISP would be sued and the town would be asking for reparations to cover the amounts they'll lose during the festival and the town would probably win the lawsuit. I wonder if the same is true there?
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (163650)
• United States
17 Sep
@JudyEv It's sad the town has to miss out on their yearly income. I wonder how many of those people depend on that money?
@JudyEv (367288)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Sep
@DaddyEvil The businesses would be hoping to have more customers for a few days. Some would be barely hanging on.
1 person likes this
Our monies come into our account electronically and they leave in the very same fashion, for spending, and bills.
@luisadannointed (9486)
• Philippines
18 Sep
I feel you! Imagine my household with almost weeks and months with no connection, sometimes we have internet at night when we are going to bed and no need for an internet... they are so bad.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (91051)
• Arvada, Colorado
17 Sep
Just letting you know I don't see the photo Judy.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (91051)
• Arvada, Colorado
22 Sep
@JudyEv Oh tis lovely Judy superb!
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153926)
• India
18 Sep
But why would they deliberatley choose this time?
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (91854)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
17 Sep
Sounds like an interesting festival I am a bit fan of wilflowers,
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (208256)
• United States
17 Sep
That's a pity. I hope they can flourish with all the challenges.
1 person likes this
