SA MapAdelaide, South Australia is a misunderstood and often misrepresented city. True, it is one of the largest country towns in Australia but it is far from the dull location often heard. With Adelaide, it all comes down to what you want to experience. Adelaide provides an excellent launch point for some great wine and food regions, an emerging micro-brew culture, beautiful beaches, and excellent bush walking. If you're into a place where you can relax and explore, then Adelaide is what you're after.

Brookfield Conservation Park with Conservation Volunteers Australia

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Parent Category: South Australia
Category: Adelaide
Created: Tuesday, 16 July 2013 06:58

Brookfield Group Shot

Brookfield is located 130 kilometres North East from Adelaide in the Riverland region of South Australia. Originally a sheep station, the property was purchased in 1971 by the Chicago Zoological Society. In 1978 it was gifted to the South Australian Government and proclaimed as a Conservation Park. Brookfield has a small section open to the public but is mostly restricted to scientific research. The research is primarily on, but not limited to, the Southern Hairy Nosed Wombat.


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Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) have managed the park since 2008 and provide a range of Environmental Volunteering and Citizen Science opportunities. CVA work with the local community to maintain the area as well as with Universities other institutions to allow research to occur.

I took part in a 'Wombat Weekend' with CVA. This trip is an excellent introductory experience.

To understand a little of the reason for this project read:

What's happening to the Southern Hairy Nosed Wombats?

Our purpose in joining is part of a Citizen Science initiative, assisting professionals in the collection of data to further their research. Citizen Science is becoming an integral part of research assisting to reduce the time and cost of data collection necessary for project advancement.

It starts with the group meeting at the Adelaide office of CVA at 8am on a Saturday morning before driving the 1 ½ hours to Brookfield. We had a group of 10 which is a full bus, the minimum group is 4. The group is made up of a range of people with various scientific backgrounds from current students to professionals, and myself a scientific layperson.

Once there, you have an orientation with the scientific team regarding the work required. This time around it was a vegetation survey to ascertain how much wombat food (Stipa nitida) and the average size and health of the grass, the number of invasive weeds (Onion Weed - Asphodelus fistulosus, Ward's Weed - Carrichtera annua), and the density of plant coverage.

PlantIn the study that we were assisting, there were 10 wombat burrows to record data on. The group is divided into teams and given a direction to explore. Our team was East. Each team is provided with a GPS (to record location of data sets) a compass (to determine their direction and orientation), A 1 metre 10x10 square grid (to record plant density), 10 location stakes, and data sheets.

 

The group drive to one of the sites, ascertain their start point according to their direction, place the grid on the ground. We had a team of 4, so we broke into two groups – 1 to record data, the other to pace out 50 metre lengths due East for recording sites to a distance of 500 metres, allowing for 11 data sets. The data recording team have the GPS, grid and data sheets, and move between each of the markers laying the grid down and counting the plants within that grid.

This probably doesn't sound particularly interesting, but if you have any level of curiosity, this is a fascinating exercise. The variability of plant density and environment is amazing. Some areas are barren while others densely populated. It is also interesting how many burrow sites you come across as you walk out the 500 metres. We came across 3 different burrow sites along one 500 metre length.

Over the course of the first afternoon we completed 5 sites and another 4 the next day.

The evening meal was prepared by everyone and we all ate together around the table, sharing stories and getting to know each other, which continued throughout the evening.

This was an excellent and rewarding experience, assisting in the collection of data, meeting new people, and learning about the local environment and Wombats.

So, if you are like me and environmentally minded, want to help out on some excellent projects, check out CVA. There are single day activities that are free through to multi-night programs with some cost.

Oct 2012 - Learning to Scuba

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Parent Category: South Australia
Category: Adelaide
Created: Friday, 26 October 2012 11:22

There are a great many things I intend to do in this life, and I am rapidly approaching the end of the trial phase. Soon, I will move onto the phase 2, which is lifestyle. Phase 2 can only begin though once I knock off a number of experiences:

1. Travel to all fully populated continents (Antarctica is on the list but is not part of phase 1) - Done

2. Under my own steam, hike to altitude and see the world above - Done (currently 4700m, but I'll top that in Phase 2)

3. Enter the bowels of the Earth and the world below - Done (Naracoorte Caves and Kelly Caves, Kangaroo Island)

4. Fall to the Earth without dying - Done

5. Explore the world aquatic - In Process

I have chosen to pursue Scuba Diving through a local PADI Dive store that was recommended by a couple of friends who said they were the best and most friendly dive store in the state. The PADI Open Water licence has a few stages to it - Theory, Confined Water, and Open Water. When we signed up, we received our PADI theory kit and as part of the training package our first dive kit:

1. Mask

2. Snorkel

3. Fins

4. Boots

The theory part involves reading through two books, highlighting points and answering quizzes to gather the technical information required for the exam. Sometimes this is done in class or you do it in your own time (as we did) and go to a class for a quick refresh and exam. The part that I had the most difficulty with is the hand signals. It's not that the gestures are unfamiliar, just that the meanings are different. The sign for 'going up' is the same as 'OK' from my experience. A small hindrance but not much of one.

The refresh and exam took around 3 hours and it was here that we met our instructor Adam. The revision was quick and the exam relatively easy. There was a question that I read differently than intended to which I had to explain my reasoning thus highlighting that I understood the various conditions but other than that it was all good.

As we left the dive shop, we gathered our kit for the confined and open water dives:

1. Wetsuit

2. vest with hood

3. BCD (Buoyancy Control Device)

4. Regs (Breathing, monitoring and control apparatus that you connect with your air cylinder)

5. Weight belt (For humans are surprisingly buoyant, especially in a wetsuit)

6. Air Cylinders

There's quite a bit that goes into a full dive kit and it weighs a bit, but if you want to breathe underwater safely this is what you need.

The following Night we met up with Adam at the Aquadome in Elizabeth for our first confined water dive, our first chance to take the theoretical and make it practical. The first step is construct our kit and test to make sure that it works.

Next comes the proof that you have the minimum physical fitness required for Scuba - swim 200m in any stroke in any time without stopping, 10 minutes treading water without stopping.

Then comes the exciting part - breathing under water - well almost, you have to get into your gear first. The first time you try to get in a full body wetsuit (7.5mm or more thick) is an interesting process. It's very tight and difficult to get yourself into without looking like a beached fish flopping around on the shore (getting out is just as interesting as you try to find the peel points of the suit). Suit on, boots on, time to take the BCD, mask and snorkel, and fins to the edge of the pool to finish dressing. One thing that must be accepted about Scuba is that there is very little chance of moving suavely on the surface while in your kit, at least not at first and probably not for quite a while. Getting the rest of the kit on is a clumsy process but nothing like the floundering of the wetsuit. And before you know you know it your fully dressed, in the water, regulator in your mouth and face down breathing.

Its an odd experience, aside from having something in your mouth against your gums, the air that flows into your mouth and lungs is crisp, cool and thick. You can actually feel the air moving inwards, filling up your cavities. Once you release the draw, air begins bubbling out of your nose and mouth, oxygen and nitrogen tickling skin. A second later you are exhaling and the small trickle becomes large orbs floating out and upwards, erupting in sound as well as sight. The trick with breathing under water is to go slow, deep and steady and never hold your breath (It's a safety thing as when you descend the air gets more dense and ascending brings expansion due to the changes in pressure).

You then move in to a number of skill drills: swapping out your reg and replacing it underwater, clearing your mask, signalling to your buddy, safety moves with and without your buddy, buoyancy skills, changing your BCD and weight belt under water and at the surface, emergency manoeuvres. There are quite a few different ones to practice and pass although, the likelihood of ever needing to use some of these is apparently very low (but low doesn't not mean never).

Adam says that the most important skills to walk away with from these drills is buoyancy and breathing. If you can control where you are in the water and keep control of your breathing very little can go wrong that you can't control.

6 October 2012 - Trailblazer Challenge

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Parent Category: South Australia
Category: Adelaide
Created: Wednesday, 10 October 2012 07:57

trailblazer1The Trailblazer Challenge is an annual multi stage team fundraising event held in Adelaide. This year saw it celebrate its 10th anniversary. The event is held over two days and has legs of 18, 34, 50 and 100 kilometres. The event raises funds for Operation Flinders, a program to help children at risk aged between 14 & 18. Operation Flinders takes the children out to the Flinders Ranges for an 8 day exercise and attempts to give them life skills through a range of activities. It's an excellent program that has had some great results. It also takes these kids to an extraordinarily beautiful part of the state that many city kids wouldn't get the opportunity to enjoy. If anyone wishes to donate towards Operation Flinders (it is tax deductible for Australian Residents) please go to our team fundraising site http://everydayhero.com.au/peregrination which should be up until November 2nd. 

There are multiple stages you can sign up for:

18km – Adelaide to Athelstone via Linear Park West

34km – The Above then on to Morialta

50km – The above then onto Mount Lofty Summit

100km – The above then onto Kuitpo Forest

back 50km – Mount Loft Summit to Kuitpo Forest (Starts at 7pm and goes through the night)

Each stage has a different cost associated with it to enter and a different minimum fundraising target.

This year is the first time I've taken part and my partner and I decided to do the 18km. I also decided that I would do this with my house on my back, this time around adding cooking equipment and small first aid kit to the mix raising the weight to around 14-14.5kg.

Registration is at Pinky Flat in the city and runs between 5:30 and 6:30am. According to the presenters there were some 1250 of us there that morning on the shores of the Torrens, the sun softly shining through thin cloud. There is a small military band softly playing with the presenter occasionally overriding with updates. It is a great morning for a walk and even with a thousand of us, it doesn't seem crowded. That is until...

trailblazer2At 6:55 we take our places. Fast runners at the front and walkers at the rear. With the crowd condensing around the start gate, it feels like a full event.

trailblazer3

7am and the canon fires and away we swarm. A tsunami of people cover the trail and hill, surging forward, filling every space visible going forward. It felt strange to be in this pack, making my way forward along an asphalt path maybe 3 metres wide. I wanted to stretch out my legs, get my rhythm rocking and make a go of it but couldn't. There were no openings. It actually took until around the 4km mark before the crowd thinned out enough for a relaxed walk.

It's a pretty and relaxing walk and it seems that most people are having fun with it the way it should be. Linear Park East is very nice stretch of park leading up to the hills along the River Torrens. It is well signposted and is paved almost the entire way. This path is also an excellent track for a bike ride as well, although more people do the Linear Park West which goes from the city to Henley Beach.

Trailblazer Challenge 2012

trailblazer4There are a number of playgrounds with toilet and barbecue facilities along the way. Trailblazer have also set up a hydration point halfway along the way to help those that haven't brought enough water, or who rely on the stations to keep them light.

trailblazer5

At the end of the 18km is the 1st checkpoint and where our journey ends this time, finishing at 3 ½ hours. All participants are scanned in and their times recorded enabling the organisers to track their status. We are given a medallion to celebrate the conclusion. The checkpoint is in a nice open park and they have an excellent set up here with a tent offering fruit,snacks and water with electrolytes. Another tent offers fresh bacon & egg rolls for a $2 donation.

Many participants sit and enjoy the surrounds and a light snack, relaxing before starting up the next leg or heading home.


The Trailblazer challenge is an excellent day out, well organised, and just the right size. I very much look forward to doing it again next year, hopefully with the 34km or back 50km. But that is in the future and great deal can happen between now and then.

If anyone wishes to donate towards Operation Flinders (it is tax deductible for Australian Residents) please go to our team fundraising site http://everydayhero.com.au/peregrination which should be up until November 2nd. Apparently Trailblazer have raised almost $200,000 this year for Operation Flinders which is a great outcome for the program and helps ensure that it will continue to do great work into the future.

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