Gone bush

Last week was the final week of the holidays and Stewart and I decided to pack up the truck and go camping.  We were actually panned to help out with a fauna survey that was being conducted in Barakula State Forest which is about 400 kms from Brisbane near the town of Chinchilla.  We set off at about 5 o'clock Monday morning.  That was the plan anyway but by the time the ute was all loaded the time was nearly 6 and the sun was well up.  Still we had plenty of time and stopped for breakfast in Gatton.  We arrived in Chinchilla and followed the directions to the forestry office to meet up with the survey coordinator, Rod.  The dirt roads out there were suprisingly good and although going sideways a couple of times on the more sandy bits there were really no problems.  The camp site was just a part of the forest that was more thinly wooded than the rest and after finding a shady spot we pitched our tents.

The next morning the hard work started.  We had to set up 10 lines of traps.  He had the help of a Dingo with a drill.  When I say Dingo I actually mean a small digger with a hole boring attachment and not the canine variety.  It made things so much easier, especially in the Brigalow.  In the Heath it was just sandy soil while in the Brigalow area there was about half a foot of soil and then the drill would stop.  The traps, which consisted of large buckets about one and a half feet deep would then have to be dug into the hard, dry clay that was at the base. Putting 6 lines in the heath area took about two hours while putting in 4 in the Brigalow took nearly 6.  That's how hard it was.  And this was with a team of about 12 people.  Still once they were in with the lines set up it was time to relax.  

Each morning and afternoon we checked the traps and we found quite a bit.  We found a goanna, legless lizards, skinks, geckos, house mice (and one of the little buggers bit me!) and a couple of hairy looking centipedes.  I took my camera out there and took a few photos of what was out there.

Me holding a Golden-Tailed gecko when spotlighting at night.

A Yellow Faced Whip Snake (Demansia psammophis) that Stewart found under a log while spotlighting.

A Stone Gecko (Diplodactylus vittatus) that I found on a stick.  They usually sit on sticks that are close to the ground and when you come close they hear you and can slip off into the darkness.

This Golden-Tailed Gecko (Strophurus taenicauda) was found on the first night.  After spotlighting we came back and Stewart found this one on his tent.  Here he is being released onto a nearby tree.

This Delma plebeia was found in one of the pit traps that were out on the heath that we checked in the morning.

Katie and Aaron's Wedding

I've just come back from Sydney where I attended the wedding of Katie and Aaron. They got married.  It was a nice wedding held on Katie's parents property in Western Sydney.  It was a really nice wedding and the meal served was totally vegan and very nice.

Aaron and Katie posing for photos after the wedding

Spring has sprung

All of a sudden, winter has gone and spring is here.  When I got off the plane yesterday it was 19 degrees, today it is around 25 and beautiful and sunny.

Mid Semester Tests

I’ve just had an exam today and I don’t feel good about it. It was for a subject called Environment and Health. The course is basically about public health, Ecological biodiversity, climate change and sustainable food production. The test included everything we’ve learnt, or at least gone over in the past 5 weeks of uni. It is a strange subject where you don’t have to learn information, only really concepts and models. These are then applied throughout the different genres. I’m finding it hard to get my head around the complex reasoning required but hopefully I’ll be able to do it within the next 5 weeks. Until then, back to the readings.

A Cold for Winter

I’m just getting over a cold at the moment and I hope that I’m soon feeling back to normal.  I got it last Saturday and started to sneeze and snort.  In fact I had so much to blow out I was beginning to think that someone had shoved a wet cabbage up my nose while I was sleeping.  Even though a week has now gone by and I’m feeling pretty much back to normal I’m still sounding like Donald Duck with his head in a bath.  It’s odd that you get like that when you have a cold.  Everything around you seems to be dulled down, the volume turned down oh so slightly, like you are walking around with ear plugs in your ears.  With out the background noise it seems to remove you from life.  Everything goes on around you but you are not a part of it.  The little background noises, traffic, feet stamping on wooden steps, birds chirping in the trees, background conversations.  Even when someone is speaking to you it still is hard to hear them when they don’t speak up.  I know what it’s like for people who are loosing their hearing how, though, hopefully it will be back soon.

There's no where else like Fridays!

I went out to a going away party last night.  Kathrin (One of my ex-housemates) is heading back over to Germany (where she calls home).  We had a few drinks over at her new place and then went out to one of the clubs in Mooloolaba.  There it was a quiet night with only 3 fights breaking out.  Usually it's a lot rougher.  Last time I went I was on the dance floor when a fight broke out right next to me.  It's kind of freaky watching a fight in strobe lighting.  In general though, I've noticed that it is really funny watching drunk people in action.  When drunk, people start making inane, pointless conversation to absolute dickheads (others met at the club that is, not the guys I went with).  During these conversations emotions seem to go from undying love to outright hatred and back again in the blink of an eye.   Maybe I'm getting over the going out and partying stage in my life now, of course, maybe I'm just getting too disillusioned by the caliber people out there today. Who knows?

Trying to Bee a photographer

Today I've spent taking photos.  This is a photo of a bee that I took this afternoon in the plant that is outside the front.  Not bad for my first day taking pictures.  I am certainly glad that I bought the camera when I get shots like this.  Now I've just got to try and make them clearer.

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

Happy Snapping

I am now the  proud owner of a Nikon D80.  I finally made my decision with the help of Stewart and several camera shops in Brisbane.  I actually bought it through the internet and picked it up from their Brisbane office the next day.  It's all very exciting, now I've just got to figure out how to use it.

Buying a Digital SLR Camera

At the moment I am looking at buying my first digital SLR camera.  I've been looking at a few and there are two major contenders.  The first is the Nikon D80 while the second is the Canon 40D.  They are both excellent cameras with many excellent features.  At the moment I'm still trying to choose between them.  I want a digital SLR so that I can take more varied photographs including macro.  I went and had a look at both cameras today.  The Nikon is easier to use but the Canon has a better lens choice.  Now I've seen them I will cogitate and hopefully come to a decision.

Passing First Semester

Today I received my results back from my first semester of university.  I wasn't confident on how I went but thought I would at least pass.  I wasn't really in a rush to check them and forgot about them until mid morning. Hoping for a pass mark I logged on to SOLAR.   I shouldn't have been so worried.

Course

Title

Program

Official Grade

COR109	Communication and Thought	BSc(Env H)	Credit
SCI103	Cell Biology	BSc(Env H)	High Distinction
SCI105	Chemistry	BSc(Env H)	Distinction

Not bad.  I am now looking forward to looking over my exam to see which questions I got wrong, but, I don't they let you do that.  Never mind.  I'm happy with the results.