Remember the bioluminiscence?

Another algae breakout, this time in Sydney and Melbourne.

They sure are pretty, aren't they? :)

Read more: Astonishing red algae forces closure of Torquay beach

F: follow-up

Further reading on natural disasters in Australia.

Homework: "road signs"

Include the most important information, preferably using visuals rather than text.

You can follow these links to create some warning signs online (and print them out later) -->
1) Safety Sign Generator.
2) Sign Generator Widgets

Have fun with it! :)

And here is the link to the presentation on FEDERATION. We haven't done it yet, but we will be discussing this topic in coming classes. Treat it simply as a summary. Let me know in the comments section if you have any problems accessing it.



NOW ATTENTION EVERYBODY!

For the class in two weeks  I want each team to choose one of the topics below, and prepare a short presentation (up to 8 minutes). Please let me know which topic you're choosing in the comments.


GENERAL CLIMATE - Tasmania

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF - Queensland

GENERAL GEOGRAPHY - Victoria

THE GREAT DIVIDING RANGE - South Australia


useful links:
Geography 1
Geography 2
Climate
Great Barrier Reef
Great Dividing Range

F: Fire & Floods - the land of extremes.

*

"At the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve 1900, as the clock ticked into 1901 and the 20th century, whistles, gongs, church bells, rattles, pots, pans, accordions and all manner of noise-makers joined the sirens of boats on Sydney Harbour.

It was to be a special day"

Do you know what special day it was? No? Then go here to find out :-)

Let's hear more form the historians because it will lead us to other topics.

"Just after that midnight, a storm broke and winds gusting up to 50 miles an hour swept into Sydney. Forty points of rain drenched the harbour city.

But the New Year’s Day morning of 1901 broke clear and fine, and an eight-kilometre procession headed out to Centennial Park, just beyond Paddington, where the federation rites, uniting the erstwhile separate British colonies into one federal Commonwealth, finally took place."

Australian weather has never been easy on the settlers. Southern regions suffer from severe fires, while the North often faces tropical cyclones and floods.

Click the picture above to watch a heartbreaking account of Black Saturday - the 2009 Victorian Bushfires.

Click the picture below to learn more about the 2009 Queensland Flood.

















You will find more information about floods clicking on the little poor fellow below.













We touched upon the topic of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia very briefly last week. This time we'll have a closer look at their work and importance for communities living in distant, remote areas of Australia.



















(click on the picture)

IMPORTANT: YOU WILL HAVE SOME PRACTICAL TASKS TO DO IN THE CLASS SO PLEASE BRING SOME COLOURED MARKERS! :-)

***

E: Entertainment, Environment and Education

Here we go again with the letter "E".


1. Entertainment.

This is a topic we're going to be getting back to again and again. Australians have a distinct sense of humour which - although shares some features with British - mostly retains the flavours of Australia's humble beginnings and the Convict Code.

We'll start with a brief introduction to some of my favourite Aussie comedians and TV personalities.


ANDREW DENTON


















Andrew is best known as the host of a TV chat show "Enough Rope" (sadly discontibued). He has a very calm, open, inviting persona and is one of the best interviewers I know. Click on the picture to see him talk to Nigella Lawson.


ADAM HILLS



















Adam is probably the most recognisable Aussie comedian outside Oz. I love him to bits! ;-)
Click on the picture to sample his stand-up comedy.


TIM MINCHIN















Click on the picture to listen to Tim perform his song/poem "Mitsubishi Colt". Here you will find the lyrics. Pay attention to accents. Tim is quoting a conversation between two people and he uses standard and broad Aussie accents to help to differenciate them.

And finally follow this link to watch and listen to Tim's wonderful spoof of "ecological anthems" that are so often associated with artist supporting PETA or "Live World". He has a gentle jab at how some musicians think too much of themselves and are too obsessed with creating their own artistic persona.

This clip is also a wonderful link to our second topic:


2. Endangered and Extinct Species.

Read about the factors that threaten Australian wildlife here.







Click the picture to browse around and learn about some species that are facing extinction.

















And we are going to spend some time talking about the fate of this unfortunate little fellow. Click on the picture to learn more.

3. And finally a few words about (long distance) education.

This video unfortunatelly has a Danish commentary, but it still gives a wonderful insight into what The School of the Air is and how it operates. Have a look:



Here you can read about The School of the Air.

(Click on the picture to visit Alice Springs School of the Air website).

D & E - or going back in time

And here we go with another set of topics. This week we'll have history mixed with some cultural information.

The topics are:

1. Diggers and Discipline
So far we had a look at the beginning of colony from the point of view of Aborigines, convicts and free settlers. The last group affected were the British soldiers and convict overseers. They may seem as the most priviliged group, but that's not entirely true.

Click on the link in the title to learn a little more.

And you can play this song in the background as you read:

2. Darwin


















Now something cheerful to follow the previous topic- click on the picture to watch a clip showing Darwin from the point of view of an insider.

And then read the inevitable bit of historical trivia. [But please do not memorise the names of ships or numbers of casulties, I'm not going to quiz you on that! ;-) ]


3. Demographics (ethnic groups)

4. Exploration

















A. Let's start with European discovery and colonisation. We have already talked about James Cook and the First Fleet, but this time please concentrate on non English explorers. Click the map to get some information (focus on nationalities only). Go here to see the chronology of landings, and here to see a cute animation.


B. Our second topic is a little tricky - excavation. But we will not be talking about gold - not just yet! ;-)

In fact what we are going to discuss is Australia's fossil past. Click on the picture to read some fascinating facts.












***
***

Australia IS dangerous...

Today's news:

THE snake that killed a power company worker in central Queensland is one of the deadliest on the planet, an expert says.
Ergon Energy crew leader Andrew Vaughan, 57, and two co-workers were trying to find a path to a power pole in thick scrub at Yeppoon when he was bitten last Thursday.
Ergon's Peter Billing told AAP the men were talking but could not see each other through thick lantana.
He said Mr Vaughan's colleagues knew something was wrong when he stopped answering them and his mobile phone rang out.
"As soon as contact was lost they raised the alarm," Mr Billing said.
Ergon Energy hired a helicopter to search for Mr Vaughan alongside police and SES workers.
He was reported missing about 2.30pm (AEST) and was found more than three hours later about 60 metres away from where the men were originally working.

The 57-year-old father had worked for Ergon for more than 20 years.
Mr Billing said it had been confirmed Mr Vaughan was bitten by a taipan and is believed to have died almost instantly.
His funeral will be held in Yeppoon on Friday.
"He was a well loved and highly respected gentleman and ... we expect there'll be a large turnout," Mr Billing said.
Dr Andrew Amey, from the Queensland Museum, said only one person is know to have survived a taipan bite without being given antivenom.
"There's all sorts of ways of ranking how dangerous snakes are, but the inland taipan has the most toxic venomn of any snake known," Dr Amey told AAP.
"And the coastal taipan, which is the species which would have bitten this man, is not too far behind."
Taipans are now on the move as the weather warms and the males go in search of a mate.
Dr Amey said they are found throughout inland Queensland and right along the coast.
"Our museum records show they have been caught as far south as Canungra in the Gold Coast hinterland.
"Generally snakes will retreat if they can, and that is the case with the taipan, but it does have the reputation of being more active in defending itself if it feels threatened."
The only person ever to survive a taipan bite without antivenom was a pastor, George Rosendale, who was bitten in 1949 at the age of 19 as he sorted timber near a church at Hopevale, near Cooktown, in far north Queensland.
He lost consciousness after 15 minutes and was taken 50km to Cooktown on the back of a truck.
A visiting doctor on holiday from Victoria treated him, and despite pronouncing him dead four times, managed to repeatedly revive him.
He was taken to Cairns Hospital where he recovered after about two weeks, but he lost his sense of taste for six months and turned grey at 21.

From: http://www.news.com.au/national/taipan-kills-worker-in-central-queensland/story-fncynjr2-1226513253987

C - part 2: customs, cars, cinema & capital city

As you remember our course is about BOTH Australian history and its culture.

This week we are going to step aside from the chronological path for a moment in order to delve deeper into the Aussie soul.

We'll be talking about following topics:

1. customs

A very interesting (if somewhat ridiculous) read here: Department of Immigration and Citizenship ;-)
Drinking etiquette as described on my favourite website.
















Click on the picture to see a really thought-provoking social commentary on The Australian Citizenship Test.


2. car fetishism

Aussies LOVE their cars. Watch the clips and try to work out which two cars have cult status in Australia.

car 1:
Road Warrior (1981)
Love the Beast (2009)

car 2:
Two Hands (1999)
[it's a very vague clue, pay attention to the first shot]


If you are still confused go here, type the title(s) in the search box, and then read "plot" and "trivia" sections.


***For movie buffs only***

The Cars That Ate Paris (1974) - a film from Peter Weir, the same director who later shot the cult classic Picnic at Hanging Rock, and such films as Dead Poets Society and recently Master and Commander.


3. cinema (industry and film festivals)

Australian Tropfest is the world's largest short film festival. Visit their official site, browse around, and find out some information about the rules and the venue. You can also watch some competition films. They are all under 7 minutes long, so it won't take you too long ;-)

The ones which I would recommend are: The Story of Bubble Boy and An Imaginary Life.


4. Canberra