North Stradbroke Island

The first excursion of the term to the Moreton Bay Research Station on North Stradbroke Island was pretty wicked! I don’t have much to say really… I just wanted to share some sweet pics! Check ‘em out!

Catchin' the ferry on our way to North Stradbroke Island.

Chi and Jon just chillin' on the ferry... pretty much the coolest kids on the boat. They're just waitin' for the sheilas to flock around...

Here's an ariel view of the Japanese Devil Ray that washed up on the shore while we were at the research station. Quite an impressive and rare specimen! And now on to the fun stuff...

The group hangin' out on some igneous rock at Point Lookout. Professor Shaw is scopin' out the his next perfect photo with his crazy 3-D camera. Scaplen is lookin' just way too cool sportin' the Ninja Turtle shades! And take a look at Katie, Emma, and Amy posing for a photo. How cute... that could even be Christmas card material!

Check out that scenic shot at Point Lookout. Now that's what I call desktop material!

And finally we got to swim, sunbathe, and play cricket at the beach!!! Everyone in the group was definitely ready for some beach action.

Andrew, Brandon Boldt, and Adrian (tutor) workin' their way past the breakers! A sweet action shot of some very studly swimers!

And after some fun in the sun the weather turned nasty!!! Two and a half days of rain and chilly weather really put a damper on the beach activities. The rain also caused a 3-day break in my stellar photography. Hopefully someone can fill in the terrestrial ecology part of our excursion with the THE MAN.... John Hall!

However, here's a shot video of a gigantic sand dune! (Sorry about the wind noise.) I didn't capture the insane stunts that were performed off the back edge of the dune but... this will have to suffice. Check it out!

That's all I got for now... Peace!

-Dan

Marine and Terrestrial Ecology in Moreton Bay

Decompressing at Camp Laurence

We arrived at Camp Laurence jet lagged and a bit wide-eyed at the strange new land in which we found ourselves। We spent the next 3 days keeping very busy with day hikes, ropes courses and a bizarre competition to build a bridge to a floating raft across crocodile-infested waters (imaginary crocs, that is!!), and to get the whole team across the bridge। Professors Shaw and Rodbell (George and Don, that is) even got in a few geology lectures। In the end we knew each other quite a bit better than when we arrived, and it was time to head back to Brisbane to meet the homestay families।

Clare Hendry and company survey the surroundings of Camp Laurence

The best geology classroom is in the field!

George Shaw and the rock cycle (or 1/3 of it!). So what the heck is a diorite afterall?

Andy Scaplen demonstrating what it takes to complete the high ropes course

Clare and company discussing how this whole belay thing works...






Bunny negotiating the hardest section of the high ropes course

Steve and Jordan paying close attention to their charge

Bridge construction 101! 17 dry students and one wet Brandon Boldt.

the crossing

they made it!








Trail head at the beginning of the 1/2 hike up Mt. Greville, an extinct and highly eroded rhyolitic volcano (Parents, ask your kids what these are!). The hike was steep but the vista from the top and the view of columnar jointing made it all worth the effort.







a view from near Camp Laurence





the steepest part of the climb!

The Long Trek South

August 21, 2007: The long awaited epic journey Down Under began. The group assembled for the first time in the International Terminal of the LAX airport for the 12+ hour flight to Aukland, New Zealand. Following a 3 hour layover there, we boarded our 4-hour Air New Zealand Flight for Australia, arriving on August 23rd. What happened to the 22nd? It must have vanished somewhere over the Pacific!!