Finding a Thorny Devil

Today I found something that I'd been looking for since coming out to Central Australia.  Today I found a Thorny Devil (Moloch horridus).  I spotted it on the road while driving out to Mutitjulu on Friday morning.  He just sat there on the road while I picked him up.  After the photo he started to move, obviously having warmed up a bit more.  I was surprised how fast he moved when I released him a minute or so later.  He rushed off to the spinifex, stopped then started his leisurely walk away from me.  He didn't seem scared at all of me.  I was very excited.  I always said that I needed to find one before I left Alice Springs and now I have.  Now I can leave happy.

Me holding the Thorny Devil.

The Thorny Devil getting released after the photo.

Visiting Darwin

I spend this week in Darwin doing a health promotion course through work.  It was good as I was also able to visit Lewis, Naomi and Edie who have now moved up there.  Mum also came up to visit Lewis during that week so I also got to see her too.  It was good to see everyone again and a bit of Darwin.  We went to markets, museums, beaches, pools and the Territory Wildlife Park.  It was a fun week.

 Relaxing in Lewis's Flat.

Me and Edie on the couch.

On the bus at the Territory Wildlife Park.

Starting Honours through Flinders University

This week I went down to Adelaide to work out the final details of my honours project.  It was raining as my supervisor picked me up from the front of the Marion Holiday Park where I was staying.  I had to run to her car but even so was soaked in the 10 metre dash.  It was a big contrast from the hot and sunny conditions that I had left behind in Alice Springs.  I wasn't complaining.  It certainly made a nice change.  My first day was just sorting things out at the uni.  Getting my ID card, paying some fees, buying some text books, learning how to use the library and database systems.  It was a full day and I met many people in a blur.

For the first few days I was working on my project looking at possible goals and objectives.  The last few days was the on campus intensive study period for my microbiology and communicable diseases course.

The Flinders University Campus (taken on the Saturday when it was sunny again).  The building I was in was the grey one on the far left of the photo.

The view from the office window on a wet and windy morning.  It was a great view and I was happy to sit and look at it everyday.

The Post Grad Office.  My desk was the one behind the blow up Dalek.

While there I also had a go at the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test for matching the DNA.  This was my first time and it was certainly interesting and somewhat confusing.  You do the test first by extracting the DNA from your sample (we were using poo from a sheep, duck, chicken and dog).  You do this by putting in several different chemicals and separating it using filters and a centrifuge.  Once you've extracted the DNA you put in some buffers and other chemicals that help to grow lots of DNA strands in an amazing and mind-boggling way.  The DNA is then matched up with that of the bacteria that I'm looking at, Campylobacter and says whether it is present in the sample.  Unfortunately my samples were all contaminated, including the negative control, which wasn't good.  That means that I didn't get any useable results.  Still, it was my first time giving it ago.  I've been since given some tips of adjusting my aseptic technique to hopefully remove any contamination in the future.

At the end of the week I'd worked out the major details of my project.  The main objective will be to look to see whether Campylobacter can be found in lizard poo.  There hasn't been much study done on this with the study that has been done been based on American lizards, salmonella and E. coli.  I will also be doing a risk assessment to see, if it is present, how that might cause illness and whether or not it is a big risk.  My hypothesis is that it is there and isn't really a big risk.  it should be interesting to find out.

Ormiston Gorge Pound Walk

This morning I drove out 120km or so out of town and went for a walk.  The walk started by heading up the river and walking into the pound (a part of the river surrounded by hills).  You then walk up one of the hills and around it to the car park.  All up, it was 10 km long and quite a big walk.

On the ground of the pound.

 

A panoramic view of the pound from the mountain top.

Me in the pound.

Driving from Melbourne to Alice Springs in the new car

After I decided to buy Laura and Paul's car the next thing was to drive it back to Alice Springs from Melbourne.  Dad came along for the ride which took four days.  We drove via Birdwood in South Australia then up through Port Augusta along the Stuart Highway to Alice Springs.

Dad and me packing the car in Melbourne.

Dad admiring a bike at the National Motor Museum in Birdwood.

Dad and some of the rockets at Woomera.

Ryan and some of the rockets at Woomera.

Dad in the Catacomb Church in Coober Pedy.

Ryan in the Catacomb Church in Coober Pedy.

Dad in the Underground Hotel in Coober Pedy.

Dad and the mulloch heaps of Coober Pedy.

Ryan and the new car by a salt lake on the way to Alice Springs.

First 10 km Run

I was up ridiculously early this morning so I went for a walk that turned out to be a run due to the cold temperature.  In the end I just kept going all the way to the 10 km mark.  I wasn't going fast, just fast enough.  I'm impressed I was able to keep going.

Crystal and Abraham's Wedding

Crystal and Abraham's wedding took place at The Baths in Sorrento, Victoria.  Abraham and I drove down there the week before and spent the week racing round doing all of the last minute jobs that need doing before a wedding.  I was the Best Man at the wedding and among my jobs were to try and take the stress off the groom, arrange the bucks party, hold the rings, give a speech and look good in the photographs.

Photos on the beach.

 Me and Abraham on the Jetty.

Amy (Matron of Honour), Crystal (Bride) and Abraham (Groom). 

Abraham and I at the reception. 

The first dance of the Bride and Groom (behind the pole).

Up Mt Gillen again, quickly this time.

Today there was no work as it is the Queen's Birthday Public Holiday.  So I decided to head up Mt Gillen again.  Usually it takes around 45 minutes to climb from the car park at Flynn's Grave to the cairn at the top of the hill.  This time I decided to see how quickly I could make it up.  It is a steep walk.  From the car park to the top you ascend a total of 296 meters over 2.7 km (and most of that in the last second half of the walk).  I was quite surprised that I was able to do it in under 40 minutes this time.  Usually it takes upwards of 45 and even then I'd be going at a good pace.  I made it to the top for a well needed rest and sat in the shade until I'd recovered sufficently enough to brave the way back down.

The view from half-way up.  I was heading for the highest point where you can just make out the cairn.

Relaxing in the shade of the cairn as it was a reasonably warm day.

 

The route and the climb.

Up Mt Gillen Sideways

Climbing Mt Gillen isn't just done in the traditional way, up the path from Flynn's Grave or the roadway to the radio antennas.  You can also go up the side.  It isn't an official route, in that there isn't actually any path going up there but it can be done.  The path to the base is quite flat.  You then climb 220m vertically taking about 25 minutes.  From the top, the view is pretty impressive showing a whole different view of Alice Springs.

Admiring the view on the southern side of the hill.

 A different view of the town.

 The Sunset from the top of Mt Gillen.

To Yulara and Mutitjulu

This week I went to Yulara and Mutitjulu.  For a short week (due to the May Day holiday) it was a busy week.  On the Tuesday morning I loaded up the car with a mountain of files, my food, gear and a small amount of other equipment that is required to be taken on any bush trip (cameras, recovery gear, first aid gear, satellite communications, etc) and set off south along the Stuart Highway.  Nearly 450kms later I pulled into the resort town of Yulara.  It was around four o'clock by the time I'd unloaded everything and settled into the clinic accommodation.

The next couple of days were a blur of meetings, inspections, long car drives, amazement, frustration and exasperation.  The last two are it seems, just as much of a part of the job as the others.  Still, at least I got to see the rock again and walk around it (9.6km done in 1.5 hours).

Me and Ayers Rock (right)

ANZAC Day 2013

Up early on our Birthday morning for the Dawn Ceremony at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

Meeting the Wildlife of the Top End

While up in Darwin I had a bit of time to see have a look at a few of the sights.  I went to the Aquascene and the Territory Wildlife Park.  The fish feeding was fun.  You got to go right into the water and feed the fish.

Feeding the mullet at Aquascene.

The fish swarm around wanting food.

 The Teira Batfish also come out of the water to get some bread.  These fish normally eat coral so it might be a nice change.

The batfish come right out of the water.

A Reef Egret (Egretta sacra) watching the fish as we feed them.  He was even having a go at some of the smaller ones.

A Katydid that jumped on me while in Darwin.

A pretty big phasmid, possibly a Goliath Stick Insect (Eurycnema goliath), that was sitting on a fence at the Northern Territory Wildlife Park.

A Merten's Water Monitor (Varanus mertensi) basking on a log.

Devil's Marbles

Stop off at the Devil's Marbles or Karlu Karlu as it is otherwise known.

Working hard

Looking through the boulders

To Fly in the Face of Karma

There are a lot of flies in Alice Springs at the moment.  While walking home this afternoon I was constantly surrounded by them.  Buzzing around my head, landing on my glasses, nose, ears and anywhere else that they could get to.  This fly was unlucky.  I swallowed him.  He was happily flying along right in front of my mouth and 'shuuuupp', in he went.  After a bit of coughing and spluttering I swallowed him down and kept walking.  The fly obviously had other plans and, from what it felt like, tried to crawl back out.  I was pretty surprised to feel him doing this and gave him a helping hand coughing him up.  After that I'm sure the fly was pretty shocked by his unexpected detour.  However, after being violated like that he was not to walk, or fly, away.  I took my revenge.

Sunset in Tennant Creek

Taken while I was going for a wander under a clear blue sky.