Tomorrow I head off on a two week trip to Western Australia and South Australia. Both states contain regions that contain rocks and fossils that date to very important periods in the history of life on Earth.

Western Australia constitutes the western third of the Australian continent. It is very rich in natural resources (iron, gold, aluminum, nickel, diamonds, natural gas and oil to name a few) but also contains some of the oldest rocks on the planet. The oldest rocks date to around 2.5 - 3.5 billion years ago and some contain some very important fossils. Just recently, the oldest confirmed fossils from these rocks were dated at approx. 3.45 billion years ago. The fossil structures have been identified as stromatolites formed by the actions of a group of photosynthetic bacteria called cyanobacteria. Geologists from the Geological Survey of W.A. have mapped out a series of trips, based from the town of Marble Bar, to give the general public a chance to see some prime examples of these fossils (the very best formations are off limits unless you have a permit and a guide). Over the next few days I'm going to follow some of these trips to look at these remarkable fossils and document what I find. What is even more remarkable is that living stromatolites still exist in some regions, including along the coast of Western Australia in a region known as Shark Bay. There, at the extreme end of the Bay is a series of isolated marine pools known as Hamelin Pool. The isolation has led to the development of an extreme environment that favors the cyanobacteria that form stromatolites. After seeing the fossils, I'm going to drive down the coast from Port Hedland to Hamelin Pool to catch the living stromatolites. From there, I'm traveling on to Perth, where I grew up, for a few days and then on to Adelaide in South Australia.

North of Adelaide, adjacent to the Flinders Range National Park, lies a range of small hills called the Ediacara Hills. In 1946, a geologist named Reginald Spriggs discovered a series of fossils in the sedimentary rocks that form the hills which are now recognized as representing the first major collection of early multicellular animals. The importance of the fossils is reflected in the fact that they, and other fossil collections subsequently discovered elsewhere, are known as the "Ediacara biota". The most important site for these fossils lies west of the town of Nilpena, and access is restricted to the research group actively investigating the site. It is sometimes possible to visit the research site when the investigators are in residence by prior arrangement but unfortunately the timing has not worked out this time. However, nearby within the National Park, in a region called the Brachina Gorge it is possible to drive "back in time" through rocks from the Cambrian period (which follows the Ediacara period in time) down to those that contain Ediacara fossils. I'm planning on spending a day exploring the gorge and the fossils. Two days later I have been given the opportunity to view and photograph the collection of fossils collected from the Nilpena site with curator of the collection. This a great opportunity and I'm grateful for it.

 Anyway, heading Outback means limited access to modern technology (no Internet, no cell phones - oh shame) but this is the part of Australia that I love. But when I come back I should have lots of stories and photos to share. So onwards and upwards.

Doc

Sounds

There are sounds all around us, most of which we pay no attention too. However, sometimes we encounter sounds that trigger memories of past times or have an association with certain places or events. Every time I return to Australia there are certain sounds that I look forward to hearing again as they are the familiar sounds of my country. Here are a few:

The sound of rain on a "tin" roof - it has to be one of the most evocative and comforting sounds, particularly on a cold, rainy night. In Australia it's a familiar sound as the majority of houses are roofed with a material known as corrugated iron - sheets of galvanized steel, traditionally painted red, nailed to roof joists in an overlapped pattern to form a durable and water-tight roof. Flying over any typical Australian suburb shows a virtual sea of red roofed houses.

 

Kookaburra

The call of the kookaburra just before dawn and at dusk. These birds are commonly referred to as the laughing kookaburra because of its' distinctive call which sounds somewhat like a hysterical human laugh. each morning, just before dawn, family groups let loose with a round of calls to establish their territory. Occasionally, you'll hear them during the day but they can be counted on to sound the beginning of every day. This bird has a special meaning for me because for about 3-4 months before I moved to the US, I hand fed a wild kookaburra that came into my parents backyard every evening. This bird became so friendly that I could sit on the ground and it would come down and walk up to me to take food from my fingers. My parents said that with a week of my leaving it stopped coming.

Australian magpie

The distinct musical warbling call of the Australian magpie. This bird thrives in suburban landscapes, each mating establishing its own territory which they vigorously defend. if their nests are interfered with, they will carry out diving attacks on any animal (including humans) that enter their territory and use their beaks and claws to drive home the message. Pairs will continue this practice year after year and it typically only stops when one of the pair dies or is killed.

The suburban environment in Australia is filled with the calls of other birds as well. My father puts out food for the various birds that call this area home. In addition to the birds listed above, the following birds also visit the feeding stations:

Eastern Rosella

Pink and Grey Gallah

Little Corella

Rainbow Lorikeet

Sulfur Crested Cockatoo

All-in-all, Australian suburbs are filled with sounds - you just have to stop and listen.

Doc

And so the journey begins. I'm writing this sitting in the terminal in Orlando waiting to board the flight to Los Angeles and then on to Sydney. I probably should layout for those of you following along where I'm going and why, although that will become apparent as the journey proceeds. However, here's a brief overview of my destinations, in order:

Australia-visiting family but will also visit Perth, Marble Bar, Shark Bay (Hamelin Pool), Adelaide and Hawker (Brachina Gorge)
Singapore
Hong Kong
Nepal (Kathmandu) then by ground to Dehli, India (will also visit Mumbai)
Finland (Helsinki)
Germany (Berlin)
Czech Republic(Prague and Brno)
Austria (Vienna and Innsbruck)
Italy (Venice, Naples, Rome and Florence)
Switzerland (Zurich and Geneva)
France (Paris)
Iceland
UK (London, Cambridge)
Whew!! All this in 18 weeks.

As to why I'm doing this, well that's a little more complicated. In part, I'm doing it because of the generosity of my employer (Valencia College) in giving me the opportunity to take Sabbatical leave. There is an educational component to the trip (yes, really!!) which I'll detail as I go. I've also told people that this is the trip I should have taken after graduating from high school if I had had the resources and inclination and that's also true. But mostly, it's because of the challenge, an adventure of epic proportions.

I've had some adventures before - living for a year in the South Pacific (the Cook Islands) teaching high school, moving to the US after completing my doctorate - but this is by far the greatest adventure so far. I will admit quite freely to having significantly mixed emotions about the whole deal. During the planing, while this date was a distant thought, it was exciting to think about all I could do. However, the the last month, as D-day approached, I've alternated between excitement, trepidation and outright fear of the unknown. But it's to late the stop now and it's game on.

Anyway, it's almost time to start boarding so I must upload this and pack up. More to come.

Doc