This is a quick note to let everyone know that we're off to Fraser Island for a two-night camping trip. I will be out of touch until May 4. Check back then.
--charlie
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
A quick note
I just noticed that there are news accounts of a boat accident in Sydney Harbor in which some people were killed. This is a note to any parents reading this blog: our students are fine. We're in Brisbane, many miles north of Sydney. None of us were involved in that accident. We're fine.
It seems that the accident involved a pleasure boat and a fishing trawler. Neither of these are the sort of craft the students are likely to be on while in course activities. We do use the ferries in Sydney Harbor, but they are run by very capable folks and are quite safe.
So, if you saw this on CNN or some other network and had a moment of worry, put your mind at rest. Everyone's safe, and all seem to be having a good time.
It seems that the accident involved a pleasure boat and a fishing trawler. Neither of these are the sort of craft the students are likely to be on while in course activities. We do use the ferries in Sydney Harbor, but they are run by very capable folks and are quite safe.
So, if you saw this on CNN or some other network and had a moment of worry, put your mind at rest. Everyone's safe, and all seem to be having a good time.
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
April 30
Brisbane
Sunny and Mild
So much has changed in Brisbane sine I was last here in 2006. There had been a construction project that seemed never-ending, spanning several of our visits, by the river between the Queen St. Mall and the Victoria Bridge, across from the casino. It's all finished now, yet another high-rise structure along the Brisbane River. But they do have a very nice plaza complementing the Mall across George St.
On the other hand, some things have not changed. Every year I have been here, there is an African fellow playing a set of steel drums outside the casino. I did not think street musicians would stay at it that long, but he does appears to make very good money at it. Maybe he catches a lot of folks leaving the casino who have just won big and are feeling generous, although I have listened to him and think he's quite talented.
One thing that has changed is the location from which we board the Mirimar Cruise that takes us to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. In the past, we would board on the north side of the river, but the captain e-mailed me before we left with the news that we must go to the south side, nearby the State Library. I learned yesterday that there had been plans to build up the North Quay, the former location of the dock for the Mirimar and several other tour boats, with a large entertainment complex that would jut out about 1/3 of the way into the river. So, the boat docks were closed and the Mirimar found another mooring place. Needless to say, the plans for the entertainment complex were scrapped, once people pointed out to the city planning board that restricting the river by that much would have serious consequences and increase the risk of upstream flooding. But the docks are still gone.
We boarded the boat and started up the river under a cloudless sky. The cruise is only slightly different now from the past. The Brisbane River still meanders about, creating long fingers of land and islands about which the river winds. The flying fox colony on Indooroopily Island has dwindled as it often does this late in the season, with the fruit bats often heading north for better pickings. One year, there were none at all when we went on the cruise. This year, there were only about 1/5 as many as we've seen in peak years. The cruise has a pre-recorded guide, who pointed out that the flying foxes can now transmit a deadly fever to humans if they scratch. Coming into contact with them seems very unlikely, though.
One notable change this year was the absence of a former eyesore along the river. There had been a large old coal-fired power plant, long since abandoned, that had been sitting unused and decaying for nearly a quarter-century. No one wanted to demolish it because of the heavy use of asbestos in it construction, so it just sat. But sometime after 2006, it was knocked down, and construction on a tennis complex has commenced. It will be interesting to see what it looks like in a few years.
Since the Brisbane river is a tidal river, the trip to Lone Pine will vary in the time it takes; when the current is against the boat, it can take up to an hour and a half. Today, though, the tide was with us, and we arrived in about 75 minutes. That was nice, as it takes a little while to do the paperwork so that we can enter.
We began the visit with a BBQ lunch, the first of several we will have during the trip. It's a nice feature of many of the tourist attractions over here, and allows us more time to enjoy whatever the spot has to offer.
After lunch, many of the students went to the 'koala cuddling' area, where for a fee they could hold a koala for a moment. My colleague took several photos of the students doing this, and will probably post some of them on the course site.
The koala show illustrates the koala life cycle, the threats to the koala, and some of the work that Lone Pine is doing to help the koala survive. The koala is a marsupial -- it is not a bear! -- and thus gives birth to a highly immature cub with the appearance and size of a jellybean. This cub must crawl on the mother's fur from her cloaca to her pouch, where it attaches to a teat for some weeks before emerging as a cub recognizable as a young koala. Too large for the pouch, the cub clings to the mother's back for a few more weeks until it is weaned. During this time, the koala cub must ingest a special type of feces that the mother excretes; this feces contains important bacteria that the koala's digestive tract must be inoculated with in order to digest eucalyptus leaves. After weaning, the cub begins foraging for itself and drifts away from its mum.
Koalas lead solitary lives except when mating. They forage for food about four hours a day and sleep the rest of the time, snuggled safe in the crotch of a eucalyptus tree, high overhead. Their fur helps them retain body heat that would otherwise be lost in the breeze. They have little body fat; their plump appearance is due to a very long intestinal tract necessary to extract as much as possible from the nutrient-poor leaves in their diet.
Koalas are always described a 'fussy eaters,' as they will consume only eucalyptus leaves, and only a few varieties at that. Depending on who is doing the speaking, I have heard that they consume only 8, or 25, or 50 varieties of the 700 or so types of eucalyptus in Australia. So, I don't know the number, and I guess the experts don't really, either, but it's small. They will rarely drink water, obtaining what they need from the leaves they consume most of the time.
That they are fussy eaters probably comes from the fact that they have a limited set of behaviors generally. The koala's brain is very small, and has no folding typically seen in other mammals. They are cute, but unfortunately not very bright.
Since they live high in the trees, what threatens the trees threatens them. Loss of habitat is the chief danger facing koalas today. Much of the eucalyptus on which they depend is being cut down as Australia's population and economy grows. Related to this is the issue of roadkill. Many koalas are killed by motorcars and trucks on the highways, as the koalas attempt to cross the road in search of food. Some of the highways in New South Wales and Queensland have specially constructed tunnels and koala-proof fencing as a means of keeping them off the roadways, but it's an incomplete measure at the moment.
Though they do live in the trees, they do come down to forage, and are thus exposed at times to predators: dingoes and other dogs, feral cats, and quolls. The very young and very old koalas are particularly vulnerable.
The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary acts as the koala's advocate in the legal system, and also educates Australians about the animals and the dangers facing them. But it also houses many other animals. They have exhibits on the wombat, the dingo, many birds, and a couple of crocodiles. They have an open feeding area where one can feed kangaroos and wallabies. There are even a couple of emus wandering in the enclosure. They have small animal demonstrations throughout the day, including a sheep dog show that's quite good.
For this visit, the students stayed at the sanctuary as long as they wanted, and took the city bus back to the hostel when they felt like leaving. We gave them each the bus fare to get back. Much less expensive for the course than hiring a coach or taking the boat back, and much more time for the students to enjoy the animals. And it's easy, since Lone Pine is a terminal of one of the bus routes.
Tomorrow is a free day. There's a botanical garden on this side of the river that I've never gotten to visit, so I'll be doing that. And then we're off camping.
Brisbane
Sunny and Mild
So much has changed in Brisbane sine I was last here in 2006. There had been a construction project that seemed never-ending, spanning several of our visits, by the river between the Queen St. Mall and the Victoria Bridge, across from the casino. It's all finished now, yet another high-rise structure along the Brisbane River. But they do have a very nice plaza complementing the Mall across George St.
On the other hand, some things have not changed. Every year I have been here, there is an African fellow playing a set of steel drums outside the casino. I did not think street musicians would stay at it that long, but he does appears to make very good money at it. Maybe he catches a lot of folks leaving the casino who have just won big and are feeling generous, although I have listened to him and think he's quite talented.
One thing that has changed is the location from which we board the Mirimar Cruise that takes us to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. In the past, we would board on the north side of the river, but the captain e-mailed me before we left with the news that we must go to the south side, nearby the State Library. I learned yesterday that there had been plans to build up the North Quay, the former location of the dock for the Mirimar and several other tour boats, with a large entertainment complex that would jut out about 1/3 of the way into the river. So, the boat docks were closed and the Mirimar found another mooring place. Needless to say, the plans for the entertainment complex were scrapped, once people pointed out to the city planning board that restricting the river by that much would have serious consequences and increase the risk of upstream flooding. But the docks are still gone.
We boarded the boat and started up the river under a cloudless sky. The cruise is only slightly different now from the past. The Brisbane River still meanders about, creating long fingers of land and islands about which the river winds. The flying fox colony on Indooroopily Island has dwindled as it often does this late in the season, with the fruit bats often heading north for better pickings. One year, there were none at all when we went on the cruise. This year, there were only about 1/5 as many as we've seen in peak years. The cruise has a pre-recorded guide, who pointed out that the flying foxes can now transmit a deadly fever to humans if they scratch. Coming into contact with them seems very unlikely, though.
One notable change this year was the absence of a former eyesore along the river. There had been a large old coal-fired power plant, long since abandoned, that had been sitting unused and decaying for nearly a quarter-century. No one wanted to demolish it because of the heavy use of asbestos in it construction, so it just sat. But sometime after 2006, it was knocked down, and construction on a tennis complex has commenced. It will be interesting to see what it looks like in a few years.
Since the Brisbane river is a tidal river, the trip to Lone Pine will vary in the time it takes; when the current is against the boat, it can take up to an hour and a half. Today, though, the tide was with us, and we arrived in about 75 minutes. That was nice, as it takes a little while to do the paperwork so that we can enter.
We began the visit with a BBQ lunch, the first of several we will have during the trip. It's a nice feature of many of the tourist attractions over here, and allows us more time to enjoy whatever the spot has to offer.
After lunch, many of the students went to the 'koala cuddling' area, where for a fee they could hold a koala for a moment. My colleague took several photos of the students doing this, and will probably post some of them on the course site.
The koala show illustrates the koala life cycle, the threats to the koala, and some of the work that Lone Pine is doing to help the koala survive. The koala is a marsupial -- it is not a bear! -- and thus gives birth to a highly immature cub with the appearance and size of a jellybean. This cub must crawl on the mother's fur from her cloaca to her pouch, where it attaches to a teat for some weeks before emerging as a cub recognizable as a young koala. Too large for the pouch, the cub clings to the mother's back for a few more weeks until it is weaned. During this time, the koala cub must ingest a special type of feces that the mother excretes; this feces contains important bacteria that the koala's digestive tract must be inoculated with in order to digest eucalyptus leaves. After weaning, the cub begins foraging for itself and drifts away from its mum.
Koalas lead solitary lives except when mating. They forage for food about four hours a day and sleep the rest of the time, snuggled safe in the crotch of a eucalyptus tree, high overhead. Their fur helps them retain body heat that would otherwise be lost in the breeze. They have little body fat; their plump appearance is due to a very long intestinal tract necessary to extract as much as possible from the nutrient-poor leaves in their diet.
Koalas are always described a 'fussy eaters,' as they will consume only eucalyptus leaves, and only a few varieties at that. Depending on who is doing the speaking, I have heard that they consume only 8, or 25, or 50 varieties of the 700 or so types of eucalyptus in Australia. So, I don't know the number, and I guess the experts don't really, either, but it's small. They will rarely drink water, obtaining what they need from the leaves they consume most of the time.
That they are fussy eaters probably comes from the fact that they have a limited set of behaviors generally. The koala's brain is very small, and has no folding typically seen in other mammals. They are cute, but unfortunately not very bright.
Since they live high in the trees, what threatens the trees threatens them. Loss of habitat is the chief danger facing koalas today. Much of the eucalyptus on which they depend is being cut down as Australia's population and economy grows. Related to this is the issue of roadkill. Many koalas are killed by motorcars and trucks on the highways, as the koalas attempt to cross the road in search of food. Some of the highways in New South Wales and Queensland have specially constructed tunnels and koala-proof fencing as a means of keeping them off the roadways, but it's an incomplete measure at the moment.
Though they do live in the trees, they do come down to forage, and are thus exposed at times to predators: dingoes and other dogs, feral cats, and quolls. The very young and very old koalas are particularly vulnerable.
The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary acts as the koala's advocate in the legal system, and also educates Australians about the animals and the dangers facing them. But it also houses many other animals. They have exhibits on the wombat, the dingo, many birds, and a couple of crocodiles. They have an open feeding area where one can feed kangaroos and wallabies. There are even a couple of emus wandering in the enclosure. They have small animal demonstrations throughout the day, including a sheep dog show that's quite good.
For this visit, the students stayed at the sanctuary as long as they wanted, and took the city bus back to the hostel when they felt like leaving. We gave them each the bus fare to get back. Much less expensive for the course than hiring a coach or taking the boat back, and much more time for the students to enjoy the animals. And it's easy, since Lone Pine is a terminal of one of the bus routes.
Tomorrow is a free day. There's a botanical garden on this side of the river that I've never gotten to visit, so I'll be doing that. And then we're off camping.
Danielle with Emu
Yesterday was our trip to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, and I will have a proper post about it tomorrow. But I wanted to add this separately from the regular posts.
Many years ago, Danielle's cousin Robin was a part of the course, and posed with an emu. Danielle returns the favor in this photo.
So, Robin, if you're following the blog ... yes, she really is in Australia.
Many years ago, Danielle's cousin Robin was a part of the course, and posed with an emu. Danielle returns the favor in this photo.
So, Robin, if you're following the blog ... yes, she really is in Australia.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Arrival at Brisbane
April 29
Brisbane
Sunny and Mild
What a change from Canberra. It is a sunny and warm afternoon here, just made for a stroll about the town. I just got back from a very nice walk using a couple of the bridges over the Brisbane River.
It was cold but sunny this morning in Canberra. While I was uploading the journal entry and a few photos from yesterday, I noticed that our coach had already arrived, about 45 minutes early. He thought he was to pick us up at 7:30, while my contract said 8am. It of course was not a problem for us, but I felt badly for him, as he had nothing to do for about a half hour. The students started showing up at 7:30, and we had the coach full and ready to go by 7:45. So, it's all good!
As we drove to the airport, we saw frost on the ground. It was really cold in Canberra last night! There had been snow in the mountains south and west of us, which means that skiing season is arriving for Australians about a month early. But I have seen frost only one other time while in Australia: our second year, while on a sunrise camel tour in the desert.
The flight from Canberra to Brisbane was an uneventful 90 minutes. Our train ride into Brisbane made me a little nervous, as the recorded announcement kept saying that the train was an express and would only be making limited stops. But it stopped at Roma St., and we got off, walked out of the station and over to the Tin Billy.
Tin Billy is a very simple hostel: clean, nice features, and a good location. Of course it's near the station, so that helps a lot. There is a pub adjoining it so students can get a meal that's fairly inexpensive, and it's a short walk to the city center. We've used it for several years now, whenever the course has gone through Brisbane. It's also pretty quiet, and this year, our rooms are not on the street side. That was one drawback of the Y Hotel: the rooms faced a very busy street, and it could get quite loud. But I anticipate quiet evenings here.
For the first time on the trip this year, my colleague and I will share a room. That's a departure from past years, where Larry and I usually had twin shares, and I am a little mystified that the Y Hotel and Canberra YHA gave us two singles -- we were charged for one twin share in both locations. I did not complain; it's always nice to have some space. But it will be fine, and the room is very nice.
I spent the afternoon looking for the new dock for the Mirimar. In past years, the boat would depart from the north side of the river -- that's the side we're on. But this year, it leaves from the south side, so we need to cross to get to it. It's about a half hour walk; not too bad. From the maps, it appeared that there were two bridges that would serve us equally well in getting to the boat, so I wandered about to figure out the shortest route.
The Brisbane River is a tidal river, salty for much of its length, then brackish. Like any tidal river, it changes course four times a day. Sharks do inhabit the river, so humans tend not to use it so much for swimming, though I have seen water skiers on it in some years. The river does empty into the ocean, widening as it becomes the waterway for a major industrial port.
In the city, it is lined with parklands and docks. The parklands are like most in Australian cities: kept up well and friendly to the users. Since swimming in the river is problematic, many of the parklands will have swimming pool areas as well that include artificial beaches. Most of the docks are private; there is a lot of pleasure boating on the river, and some folks will have craft worthy enough for the coastal ocean waters. Brisbane Public Transit does operate RiverCat ferries, so some of the docks serve as terminals for these. There are only a few bridges across the river, so certainly there are traffic snarls; the RiverCats presumably alleviate that.
And tomorrow, we will sail up the Brisbane River to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.
Brisbane
Sunny and Mild
What a change from Canberra. It is a sunny and warm afternoon here, just made for a stroll about the town. I just got back from a very nice walk using a couple of the bridges over the Brisbane River.
It was cold but sunny this morning in Canberra. While I was uploading the journal entry and a few photos from yesterday, I noticed that our coach had already arrived, about 45 minutes early. He thought he was to pick us up at 7:30, while my contract said 8am. It of course was not a problem for us, but I felt badly for him, as he had nothing to do for about a half hour. The students started showing up at 7:30, and we had the coach full and ready to go by 7:45. So, it's all good!
As we drove to the airport, we saw frost on the ground. It was really cold in Canberra last night! There had been snow in the mountains south and west of us, which means that skiing season is arriving for Australians about a month early. But I have seen frost only one other time while in Australia: our second year, while on a sunrise camel tour in the desert.
The flight from Canberra to Brisbane was an uneventful 90 minutes. Our train ride into Brisbane made me a little nervous, as the recorded announcement kept saying that the train was an express and would only be making limited stops. But it stopped at Roma St., and we got off, walked out of the station and over to the Tin Billy.
Tin Billy is a very simple hostel: clean, nice features, and a good location. Of course it's near the station, so that helps a lot. There is a pub adjoining it so students can get a meal that's fairly inexpensive, and it's a short walk to the city center. We've used it for several years now, whenever the course has gone through Brisbane. It's also pretty quiet, and this year, our rooms are not on the street side. That was one drawback of the Y Hotel: the rooms faced a very busy street, and it could get quite loud. But I anticipate quiet evenings here.
For the first time on the trip this year, my colleague and I will share a room. That's a departure from past years, where Larry and I usually had twin shares, and I am a little mystified that the Y Hotel and Canberra YHA gave us two singles -- we were charged for one twin share in both locations. I did not complain; it's always nice to have some space. But it will be fine, and the room is very nice.
I spent the afternoon looking for the new dock for the Mirimar. In past years, the boat would depart from the north side of the river -- that's the side we're on. But this year, it leaves from the south side, so we need to cross to get to it. It's about a half hour walk; not too bad. From the maps, it appeared that there were two bridges that would serve us equally well in getting to the boat, so I wandered about to figure out the shortest route.
The Brisbane River is a tidal river, salty for much of its length, then brackish. Like any tidal river, it changes course four times a day. Sharks do inhabit the river, so humans tend not to use it so much for swimming, though I have seen water skiers on it in some years. The river does empty into the ocean, widening as it becomes the waterway for a major industrial port.
In the city, it is lined with parklands and docks. The parklands are like most in Australian cities: kept up well and friendly to the users. Since swimming in the river is problematic, many of the parklands will have swimming pool areas as well that include artificial beaches. Most of the docks are private; there is a lot of pleasure boating on the river, and some folks will have craft worthy enough for the coastal ocean waters. Brisbane Public Transit does operate RiverCat ferries, so some of the docks serve as terminals for these. There are only a few bridges across the river, so certainly there are traffic snarls; the RiverCats presumably alleviate that.
And tomorrow, we will sail up the Brisbane River to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Canberra Tour
April 28
Canberra
Rainy and Cold
Our tour of Canberra is always one of the most interesting days of the course. We visit the Australian Parliament House, the US Embassy, and the ANZAC War Memorial. It's the day that the students learn about the important relationship between the USA and Australia.
We began at Parliament House at 9am. Our tour guide, John, was a former ministerial aide, and certainly an expert on the workings of Australian government. He was also a well-traveled man, and understood US government as well. As a result, he was a perfect guide for our students, pointing out similarities and differences between the two systems.
Australian government is bicameral, like ours, with one house elected more or less proportional to the population, the other with equal representation for the states. Of course, the head of the government is a prime minister; the executive portion of the government is not a separate branch, but contained within the majority party or coalition of the legislature.
The building is remarkable, containing many layers of symbolism to remind the citizens and government officials alike of their roots and their mission. The colors are chosen to reflect the land: the reds of the harsh interior; the greens of the eucalyptus forests. Most of the building is underground with parkland above, so the government building literally supports the citizens above. It is a beautiful building, and reflects the finest in Australia.
This year Parliament House was very quiet. I think we hit the very tail end of the school field trips (down here called 'school holidays'), so probably will not see a lot of children at most of the places we visit, as we sometimes have in past years. I did learn something interesting that explains the high level of knowledge most Australians have of their government: travel for schoolchildren to Parliament House is subsidized: the farther one lives from Canberra, the higher the level of subsidy. The chambers of both houses are equipped with classroom areas into which teachers can bring their classes and have them watch Parliament in action.
Our trip to the U.S. Embassy often is a moment when some of our students get a glimpse of a possible career in the Foreign Service. We meet with four embassy staff, officers from some of the sections. The generalist officers we meet with rotate their post every two years; this policy prevents them from getting to know the country so well that they become its advocate rather than ours. It's a perfect career for someone who wants to travel around a lot and get to see many parts of the world.
The ANZAC War Memorial also houses one of the best military museums one will find. The matching of memorial and the museum was intentional and wise; placing the Roll of Honour and the Tomb of the Unknown in a moving context.
For this visit, I concentrated on the battle of Gallipoli and the Kokoda trail. Since I've already written about Gallipoli, I'll explain what little I know of Kokoda. This trail cuts across Borneo; the Japanese in WWII intended to use this as a route by which they would stage an invasion of Australia. Keeping this from happening was a key objective of the Battle of the Coral Sea. Defending this trail was a band of Australia militia that faced incredible odds. They were successful in keeping the Japanese from completing the trail, but suffered heavy losses. Along with Gallipoli, Kokoda is remembered as another in a long line of battles that showcased to the world the character of the Australian solider.
AT the ANZAC War Memorial shop, I found a very cute little book that I had to have: a reproduction of the US War Department's 1942 booklet "Instructions for American Servicemen in Australia." It contains a lot of interesting facts, along with a fair amount of misinformation. But I will think of my Uncle Burt Jacobson, who was stationed in Australia at the time, every time I look at the book.
It is now early on the 29th, and we will fly out to Brisbane soon. It's sunny and in the 70s there, so we'll shake the chill off.
Canberra
Rainy and Cold
Our tour of Canberra is always one of the most interesting days of the course. We visit the Australian Parliament House, the US Embassy, and the ANZAC War Memorial. It's the day that the students learn about the important relationship between the USA and Australia.
We began at Parliament House at 9am. Our tour guide, John, was a former ministerial aide, and certainly an expert on the workings of Australian government. He was also a well-traveled man, and understood US government as well. As a result, he was a perfect guide for our students, pointing out similarities and differences between the two systems.
Australian government is bicameral, like ours, with one house elected more or less proportional to the population, the other with equal representation for the states. Of course, the head of the government is a prime minister; the executive portion of the government is not a separate branch, but contained within the majority party or coalition of the legislature.
The building is remarkable, containing many layers of symbolism to remind the citizens and government officials alike of their roots and their mission. The colors are chosen to reflect the land: the reds of the harsh interior; the greens of the eucalyptus forests. Most of the building is underground with parkland above, so the government building literally supports the citizens above. It is a beautiful building, and reflects the finest in Australia.
This year Parliament House was very quiet. I think we hit the very tail end of the school field trips (down here called 'school holidays'), so probably will not see a lot of children at most of the places we visit, as we sometimes have in past years. I did learn something interesting that explains the high level of knowledge most Australians have of their government: travel for schoolchildren to Parliament House is subsidized: the farther one lives from Canberra, the higher the level of subsidy. The chambers of both houses are equipped with classroom areas into which teachers can bring their classes and have them watch Parliament in action.
Our trip to the U.S. Embassy often is a moment when some of our students get a glimpse of a possible career in the Foreign Service. We meet with four embassy staff, officers from some of the sections. The generalist officers we meet with rotate their post every two years; this policy prevents them from getting to know the country so well that they become its advocate rather than ours. It's a perfect career for someone who wants to travel around a lot and get to see many parts of the world.
The ANZAC War Memorial also houses one of the best military museums one will find. The matching of memorial and the museum was intentional and wise; placing the Roll of Honour and the Tomb of the Unknown in a moving context.
For this visit, I concentrated on the battle of Gallipoli and the Kokoda trail. Since I've already written about Gallipoli, I'll explain what little I know of Kokoda. This trail cuts across Borneo; the Japanese in WWII intended to use this as a route by which they would stage an invasion of Australia. Keeping this from happening was a key objective of the Battle of the Coral Sea. Defending this trail was a band of Australia militia that faced incredible odds. They were successful in keeping the Japanese from completing the trail, but suffered heavy losses. Along with Gallipoli, Kokoda is remembered as another in a long line of battles that showcased to the world the character of the Australian solider.
AT the ANZAC War Memorial shop, I found a very cute little book that I had to have: a reproduction of the US War Department's 1942 booklet "Instructions for American Servicemen in Australia." It contains a lot of interesting facts, along with a fair amount of misinformation. But I will think of my Uncle Burt Jacobson, who was stationed in Australia at the time, every time I look at the book.
It is now early on the 29th, and we will fly out to Brisbane soon. It's sunny and in the 70s there, so we'll shake the chill off.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
The Trip to Canberra
April 27
Canberra
Rainy and Cold
The truth is, much of the day was sunny and pleasant. The chilly rain did not move in until after our arrival. But it is cold here -- this is the southern most part of our tour, and it is in the middle of their autumn, so the weather is not surprising at all.
It was sunny in Sydney when we left this morning for Canberra on a Murray's coach. Our driver's name was Arthur, and he turned out to be an excellent driver and guide, even taking us on a side trip for lour first encounter with wild kangaroos.
The daily life of a kangaroo has many points of correspondence to that of the deer in North America. Just like deer, kangaroos feed at dawn and dusk, and spend the middle of the day resting under the shade of a eucalyptus stand. The alpha male will stand guard, keeping some level of alertness while the females and juveniles relax. Kangaroos are also creatures of habit, using the same areas for foraging and resting. So, Arthur could be reasonably certain that there would be a mob on the outskirts of Canberra.
Many of the students got some pretty good photos of the mob. In addition to the alpha male, there were probably three females and as many juveniles -- at least seven in the mob. They were watchful of us but not terribly frightened; some of the students got within 50 feet or so of the alpha male without it fleeing. No doubt many tourist coaches come by this location, and the kangaroos are used to it.
We always go up Mt. Ainslie for the view of Canberra. I usually prepare a few remarks about Canberra at this point: the city layout was done by American architect Walter Burley-Griffin; the line of sight between the War Memorial and the Parliament House is kept unobstructed by design; the city layout is radial, and so on. But Arthur went ahead and spoke about all this and more -- it made an impression on the students that this fellow had that much pride in his country and such a sense of history about it. We gave him a round of applause at the end of the trip.
Canberra is very cold right now. Some snow is forecast to the west, but we're under a cold rain here. Th rooms are comfortable and clean, and we were ushered in pretty swiftly. Their elevator is broken, so we had to carry the bags up a flight, but that's wasn't too bad.
We had the students do their first quiz right away after getting settled in their rooms. They did fine; most of the scores were 7-9 out of 10, which is pretty good. They get so nervous about these things, as though a miss or two on a quiz will ruin their chance for passing. I want my students motivated to do well, but sometimes their obsession for good grades gets in the way of their learning -- some seem to spend their intellectual energy trying to figure out what my colleague and I might ask on a quiz rather than taking the travel experience all in and processing it. And the fact is that the students who get past that behavior of trying to guess what's on teacher's mind are often the ones who do better on quizzes and other course grades.
Since it is still a holiday weekend, the shops closed up early here, so there was even less to do than usual. My colleague and I had dinner at an Irish pub off the main shopping area; some of our students went there as well. My meal of a steak sandwich was okay, but my colleague had fish and chips that looked very good. Then it was back here for a quiet night.
It is now about 6:45 am; I'll upload this in a few minutes. I will run the students through the continental breakfast line at 7:30; then we take our tour of Canberra.
Canberra
Rainy and Cold
The truth is, much of the day was sunny and pleasant. The chilly rain did not move in until after our arrival. But it is cold here -- this is the southern most part of our tour, and it is in the middle of their autumn, so the weather is not surprising at all.
It was sunny in Sydney when we left this morning for Canberra on a Murray's coach. Our driver's name was Arthur, and he turned out to be an excellent driver and guide, even taking us on a side trip for lour first encounter with wild kangaroos.
The daily life of a kangaroo has many points of correspondence to that of the deer in North America. Just like deer, kangaroos feed at dawn and dusk, and spend the middle of the day resting under the shade of a eucalyptus stand. The alpha male will stand guard, keeping some level of alertness while the females and juveniles relax. Kangaroos are also creatures of habit, using the same areas for foraging and resting. So, Arthur could be reasonably certain that there would be a mob on the outskirts of Canberra.
Many of the students got some pretty good photos of the mob. In addition to the alpha male, there were probably three females and as many juveniles -- at least seven in the mob. They were watchful of us but not terribly frightened; some of the students got within 50 feet or so of the alpha male without it fleeing. No doubt many tourist coaches come by this location, and the kangaroos are used to it.
We always go up Mt. Ainslie for the view of Canberra. I usually prepare a few remarks about Canberra at this point: the city layout was done by American architect Walter Burley-Griffin; the line of sight between the War Memorial and the Parliament House is kept unobstructed by design; the city layout is radial, and so on. But Arthur went ahead and spoke about all this and more -- it made an impression on the students that this fellow had that much pride in his country and such a sense of history about it. We gave him a round of applause at the end of the trip.
Canberra is very cold right now. Some snow is forecast to the west, but we're under a cold rain here. Th rooms are comfortable and clean, and we were ushered in pretty swiftly. Their elevator is broken, so we had to carry the bags up a flight, but that's wasn't too bad.
We had the students do their first quiz right away after getting settled in their rooms. They did fine; most of the scores were 7-9 out of 10, which is pretty good. They get so nervous about these things, as though a miss or two on a quiz will ruin their chance for passing. I want my students motivated to do well, but sometimes their obsession for good grades gets in the way of their learning -- some seem to spend their intellectual energy trying to figure out what my colleague and I might ask on a quiz rather than taking the travel experience all in and processing it. And the fact is that the students who get past that behavior of trying to guess what's on teacher's mind are often the ones who do better on quizzes and other course grades.
Since it is still a holiday weekend, the shops closed up early here, so there was even less to do than usual. My colleague and I had dinner at an Irish pub off the main shopping area; some of our students went there as well. My meal of a steak sandwich was okay, but my colleague had fish and chips that looked very good. Then it was back here for a quiet night.
It is now about 6:45 am; I'll upload this in a few minutes. I will run the students through the continental breakfast line at 7:30; then we take our tour of Canberra.
Koala at Taronga Zoo (A Test Post)
I'm just checking out this ability to post my Flickr photos here. You can see more photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/chazjac/.
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