Has everyone gone bananas? Coffs Harbour in NSW, Australia (my hometown that I loved growing up in) is known for its bananas and tourism. Filled with some of the most wonderful people you could ever want to meet, it’s a treasure of a place that only a fortunate few ever discover. But what about the dangerous chemicals sprayed all over the town earlier which messed with people’s lives down the track? (All in the name of keeping a few bugs off the bananas.)
Growing up as a young grub who loved playing in the dirt right next to a banana plantation (and sometimes in it), I enjoyed watching the spray planes unload on us over the years. Unfortunately, this fun pastime would have serious effects on my overall health and wellbeing.
I now can’t help but think that a contamination of this scope because of organochlorine & organophosphate pesticides has got to have a rippling generational effect.
Did you know that a mother gives birth to both her child and grandchildren at the same time? Yes, that’s right. A baby girl comes into this world with her lifetime of eggs. Therefore, any serious health issues passed on to the daughter could pass on to the grandchildren as well.
Don’t get me wrong… Coffs Harbour is an awesome place surrounded by gorgeous national parks on the one side, and some of the best Australian beaches on the other. Plus, there are many tranquil hideaway spots within the region that anyone can escape to with little effort. All in all, it’s a lush place with a close-knit, friendly community of people.
But the problem was a few folks got greedy back in the day because they wanted more, more and more bananas on the cheap and easy by using toxic stuff which created a line of Chombies (Coffs Harbour Zombies who wreak havoc). And if it didn’t reach you by air, it got you through the water supply. Though thankfully, most of the bad stuff was banned in the late ’90s.
Not everyone turned Chomby… unless you lived in the red zone for years which increased your likeliness of Chombyism. I lived in the red zone, as you might expect.
Here’s a picture of gorgeous Coffs Harbour… Overall, it was probably worth it and I’m just carrying on with first-world drama.
https://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/north-coast/coffs-harbour-area/activities