Building the three big R’s – roads, railways and runways around Australia – was great nation-building work at the time. A flight around Australia would not only “prove it could be done”, but be reconnaissance to investigate areas for airfield construction. It was the early days of air travel and public confidence was buoyed by intrepid flights. The adventure captured the nation’s attention, was spread across newspaper front pages and was followed by families listening to the wireless in their sitting rooms. 

Wing Commander Stanley ‘Jimmy’ Goble and Flight Lieutenant Ivor McIntyre (G&M) of the RAAF had been tasked to undertake the mission, following the coast, and chose to use a Fairey Mk III Seaplane because there weren’t enough runways to cater for a conventional aeroplane. This caused all sorts of complications – fuel drums were delivered to about 50 rivers, lakes and beaches over several months by sea and land, so they could land on water and refuel. They often slept by the plane.

Five years of planning

In 2019 I was preparing to fly from England to Australia in Southern Sun, retracing the original flight by Keith and Ross Smith to commemorate that centenary, when I received an email from businessman and entrepreneur Dick Smith, who founded this magazine, suggesting I start planning for the centenary of the first flight around Australia in 2024. Dick has been one of my inspirational heroes since I was a teenager, so of course I said yes. That was only the first step in five years of planning and research that led to this endeavour. I was assisted enormously by Tom Lockley from the New South Wales branch of the Aircraft Historical Society of Australia, who researched and wrote a short book, First Flight Around Australia. It became my bible for the trip, guiding me to towns, bodies of water and even the dates and times to land.

A faithful reconstruction

On the original journey there were many delays – the month they’d planned for extended to six weeks. I decided I would follow their route and dates as closely as possible, but would have to make some changes due to the passage of time, modern practicalities and even for personal satisfaction. I’d embark in Southern Sun, a twin engine amphibian, able to land on water or land. I also decided to follow the Gulf of Carpentaria coast all the way around (see map below) rather than flying directly across the top like G&M had done. 

Apart from those two major changes, I planned to follow the same dates for the 44 days and choose the same landing spots, cities or towns. If G&M had been stuck somewhere for a few days, I’d wait those same days. I’d touch down on the water where they did, but then head to the closest local airport to refuel and park the plane overnight. For me to see the coast up close I’d hug the beach all the way at a height of 500ft, while filming using a standard and a 360-degree digital camera.

RAAF Base Point Cook was a land-and water-based airfield in the 1920s, with a large boat ramp and jetty for seaplane operations. G&M set off from Point Cook on Saturday 6 April 1924, a day later than planned due to rough seas. They made great progress on the first day, reaching Eden, on the far South Coast of NSW, for refuelling, then on to Rose Bay on Sydney Harbour for their first night’s stop. 

My departure on Saturday 6 April 2024 was late morning, after a send-off by RAAF personnel, family and friends, leaving plenty of time and daylight to reach Rose Bay. The first stop after following the rugged coast around Wilsons Promontory was a water landing on Corner Inlet, where G&M had put down to repair a leaking fuel tank. 

After a “splash’n’dash” (SnD) (as opposed to the “touch’n’go” performed by land planes), I noticed a lot of low cloud and scud rain rolling through, so diverted to Yarram airfield in southern Victoria to sit out the weather. Visibility wasn’t good for flying, but I could do something not possible 100 years earlier – open my iPad and study the radar display of weather moving through via the Bureau of Meteorology app. This has been one of the greatest safety advances for aviators and would be used many times throughout my trip. When the weather improved, I departed, tracking east along Ninety Mile Beach, but soon it became clear there was still more low cloud ahead. I headed to Bairnsdale, near Lakes Entrance, for the night, accepting that already, on Day 1, I was already behind! Disappointing, but safety must be the first consideration.

Next morning, a blue enough sky welcomed me back to the airfield and I continued. An SnD at Eden, where G&M refuelled, then on to Rose Bay for a never-gets-old flight over Sydney Harbour with a view of the Bridge and the Opera House, followed by an SnD at Rose Bay. It was early enough for me to recover lost time and continue on to Myall River, putting me back on schedule by the end of the day. G&M left Rose Bay at lunchtime, having waited the morning for rain to clear. 

But heading north along the coast, they encountered more weather and couldn’t get more than 100ft above the water without entering cloud. North of Newcastle they abandoned plans and headed into Port Stephens, looking for shelter. They alighted on the Myall River and stayed the night. I put down on Myall Lakes and was met by local friends. We had dinner cooked over an open fire and I slept in the plane. This was one of my favourite nights of the whole trip and reset my mind from manic departure mode into adventure mode; Day 2, and I was now in the groove. 

Things progressed well up the coast: clear weather, no delays, and stops in hospitable Southport and Gladstone in Queensland. 

My arrival in Townsville needs special mention. A couple of weeks before the trip I was contacted by the RAAF 6 Squadron, based at Amberley, near Gladstone. They confirmed the RAAF would commemorate the centenary with a circumnavigation of Australia by a pair of EA-18G Growler aircraft, taking seven days, and they’d time their departure to rendezvous with me in the air over Townsville, then we’d park together overnight at the air base: very exciting and not something private pilots ever experience! 

Beyond Townsville I continued up the increasingly undeveloped coast. G&M had three nights in Cooktown to repair a compass, so I stayed for three nights. Just as well – both days there it rained relentlessly and I couldn’t have flown anyway.

Related: Around the nation in 44 days

Awe-inspiring Kimberley

I was looking forward to Cape York, where G&M spent seven days on Thursday Island because of weather and for maintenance. After a splash on the protected water to the north-west of the island, I flew into Horn Island, which has full airport facilities and even commercial flights from the south. I was keen to see some of the Torres Strait islands from the air, before visiting by boat on a few spare days ahead. My wife flew in with Qantas, and we spent a few days exploring Horn, Prince of Wales, Thursday and Friday islands. From beautiful beaches to a fort, a historic cemetery to a pearl farm, a local art gallery to discovering a scrumptious crayfish toastie for lunch – it was a wonderful, if brief, taste of the area.

Rather than wait a week, on the fourth day I ventured south along the coast to follow the shoreline of the Gulf of Carpentaria for a few days, including dropping in to see my brother and his family who live on Vanderlin Island, about halfway along the Gulf, north of Borroloola. I then had a night on Elcho Island before arriving in Darwin for a few nights, then on to two highly anticipated days in Western Australia’s Kimberley – my first time. The further from Darwin and closer to Napier Broome Bay I flew, the more spectacular the scenery became, but it was next day, en route to Broome, that the Kimberley’s full allure was revealed. All the awe-inspiring beauty that’s made it one of the world’s bucket-list destinations lay before me. The Horizontal Falls, my single most anticipated destination, did not disappoint. At the time of my arrival mine was the only aircraft in the area, so I had complete access, allowing me to explore over and around the falls. Gobsmacking indeed…if two days of this coast had been a perfect degustation of visual treats, then this was the cherry on top. 

Arriving in Broome on a high, I was greeted warmly by the ground crew and air-traffic controllers. The Horizontal Falls air-tour operators even put Southern Sun up in their hangar for my stay. My two nights there let me catch up with some other seaplane pilots who were on a clockwise flight around Australia and also visit one of my favourite places – Sun Pictures, the oldest outdoor cinema in Australia. It’s a real Broome institution. On to Port Hedland, where I spoke to School of the Air kids on an excursion and showed them over the plane. Next, Carnarvon, where everything was about to come to a grinding halt.

G&M arrived in Carnarvon on the Facine, the sheltered stretch of water in front of the town that today has a lovely boardwalk and provides safe anchorage. When they tried to depart the next day, they were unable to attain full power on the engine. The engineer tried but failed to remedy the problem, leading to an unplanned 10-day delay. Luckily, they had a spare Rolls Royce engine in Perth, just in case it was needed. Today, it’s a 10-hour drive to Carnarvon on a sealed highway, but back then it took seven days, on a train then a truck on a difficult track. Once the engine arrived, it was exchanged and tested successfully in a single day, all the more amazing because there was no crane available and they were working in shallow water on the beach where the plane was resting. 

I made good use of the 10-day Carnarvon stop, meeting locals, visiting the excellent Space and Technology Museum and speaking at schools. I carried out maintenance on my plane in the Coral Coast Helicopters hangar and caught up on work and some writing. On 11 May 1924, Day 36, G&M restarted their journey southbound, as did Southern Sun in 2024, with a brief splash in Geraldton then on to Perth, where they alighted on the Swan River at 4.15pm for an overnight stop. I was excited to land on the Swan, at Elizabeth Quay, parallel to Langley Park just south of the CBD, a spectacular location, and was determined to land 100 years to the minute after G&M. With the help of Perth’s Air Traffic Control, Swan River Seaplanes and a few minutes of orbits overhead, I successfully splashed down right on 4.15pm – huzzah! 

The next few days saw stops along a coastline visually the equal of the Kimberley – the Margaret River region, Albany, Esperance and onto Israelite Bay – for one of the more memorable nights of the journey. G&M stopped on the semi-protected waters of Israelite Bay, in the Great Australian Bight, at the Telegraph Station. Today, that building is abandoned, the roof and other features long removed by the passage of time and weather. But striking ruins remain, with no-one in sight. I was able to land on a sandy strip beside a dry lake and spend the night, camping in the plane. I took a long walk around the area to the beach and through the ruins, finishing with a slightly sad tin of tuna. However, thanks to clear skies and a carpet of stars, it was both surreal yet splendid.

The most spectacular day

Thee longest flight of the trip was next, across the Bight to Ceduna in South Australia. There was simply nowhere suitable for water landings across this famously rugged coastline. I thought a lot about the several people who have circumnavigated Australia by kayak…this would be one tough stretch to conquer. The cliffs along this coast are 60–120m high. On a most spectacular flying day, sitting 500ft above the ocean, I was awarded an incredible view back to the cliffs, at times seeing the Nullarbor Highway and people parked by the cliffs’ edge. I found myself pondering the images we see of huge chunks of Antarctic ice falling into the sea each season, and wondered whether my video camera might chance upon a rock version of it during these couple of days. Alas, all remained intact (for now).

The next leg, from Ceduna to Port Lincoln, would be judged, by me, to be winner of the Southern Sun Award for the most spectacular day of the entire Australian coastline. It was so varied, with dramatic cliffs faces in colours from rich red, brown and off-white, along with vast dunes, white sandy beaches, azure blue water and intricate bays. It was a smorgasbord of nearly everything I’d seen over six weeks. That night, to top it all off, I enjoyed fresh Coffin Bay oysters from the waters I’d flown over only hours earlier.

On reflection, the Kimberley came a close second. That region really does deserve the accolades and sense of awe in our collective psyche.

The joy of followers

With only two days to go, a mixed sense of relief of nearly being home and sadness that it was nearly over, yet trepidation that anything could still go wrong, kept me alert. Here I flew the longest over-water stretches of the journey as I crossed the Spencer Gulf and Gulf of St Vincent, past Kangaroo Island, to reconnect with the coast at Cape Jarvis. Then along the almost mythical sandy stretches of the Coorong (thanks to a childhood instilled love of Storm Boy), towards Beachport. Alas, on Day 43 of the trip, it was too rough to alight. This was a shame because quite a crowd of locals were there to meet Southern Sun, so I performed a few orbits over the Beachport town and foreshore and continued on to the closest local airport at Millicent. There, as with many of the airfields en route, I was greeted by locals who had been following the flight. This is one of the joys of all travel, meeting people along the way, connecting with communities, albeit quickly. There is often a cuppa, a chat and a lift into town on offer. 

Sunday 19 May, Day 44 – the final leg. A pretty tough day of flying, frankly, with a lot of weather to fly around along the coast, passing the Apostles, through the heads and up Port Phillip, to an orbit over St Kilda then back to overhead Point Cook at exactly 2.10pm, 100 years to the minute that G&M arrived. 

A splendid afternoon of welcome-home celebrations followed. I was a tad elated to find a crowd, an RAAF flight display, two pairs of fire trucks forming a water arch to taxi through and even the Air Force Band, which played at the return of the original flight 100 years ago. A huge thanks to the RAAF.

Reflecting on the original flight, while looking at what has changed in 100 years – without a doubt, planes are more reliable today. G&M navigated with a compass, a speedometer and a watch. Today, GPS tells us exactly where we are, reducing both workload and stress levels! They often spent hours fuelling the plane, transferring small tins while wading through the water to the plane to make up the 400 litres needed. Today there are hundreds of airports around the country equipped with fuel bowsers, making it generally as easy as filling a car. G&M didn’t have a radio and could go days without being in touch with the outside world, with people worried for their safety, whereas today we have access to aviation radio, satellite tracking and Internet, and mobile phones working on about 80 per cent of the coast. They didn’t take a camera, while I had a digital camera and two video cameras running, even live-streaming at times.

But what I did find that was remarkably the same was the weather – G&M were delayed in certain areas, mainly the east coast, Cape York and the Gulf of Carpentaria. At the same time of year I also faced the same problematic weather – so it seems 100 years later, autumn low cloud and heavy rain are still a challenge for small planes. I went four weeks straight without a drop of rain after the Gulf of Carpentaria, until crossing the border from SA into Victoria on the last day. Of course it rained – welcome to Melbourne!

Another thing that thankfully hasn’t changed is the generosity of strangers and how communities come together to help each other. In 1924 they always found the locals would help them to refuel, beach the aircraft or help lift it off when the tide went out further than expected, be fed and bedded when needed. Similarly, I had people always willing to give me a lift, offer a bed or put on a barbecue dinner for locals interested in the flight, wanting to chat and learn more. Especially in the regions, hospitality and helpfulness is alive and well.

Finally, as I flew past the many towns of the east coast of Australia, I reflected on the changes to infrastructure and cities along the way, what we would typically call the “progress of civilisation”. But once I passed Cooktown to the north, signs of humankind became a rare sight, and for the next month, most of the time I didn’t even see buildings, let alone cities; the vastness of uninhabited Australia prevailed. It really sank in that, for the vast majority of this country, 100 years is a mere blip in time. For so much of the myriad of stunning, rugged and gorgeous coastline, nothing much has changed over 10,000 years. 

This centenary is also an RAAF celebration, while I am proud to be sponsored by Australian Geographic to retrace this journey and share the story. I carried commemorative airmail, an AG flag and an RAAF Ensign (flag) throughout the trip. The latter has now been donated to the RAAF Museum at Point Cook, and will form part of a display. It’s been a wonderful experience, which I look forward to sharing more of. But for now I’m getting back to work until the next big idea comes along!

To see more, visit southernsun.voyage/aroundoz100 or the SouthernSunTV YouTube page, where there are multiple videos of scenery covering the journey. There simply aren’t enough adjectives to adequately describe the beauty of our coastline. 

The post Trailblazing Aussie aviator recreates first aerial circumnavigation of the country appeared first on Australian Geographic.

BirdLife Australia’s Migratory Shorebird Conservation Action Plan identifies lack of awareness as a major threat to migratory shorebirds during their time in Australia. One of the biggest obstacles faced by shorebird conservation is that of capturing the attention of people long enough to effectively communicate why shorebirds and their habitats are worth protecting.

In 2016, Amellia came up with the idea for Wing Threads: Flight Around Oz to directly address this lack of awareness. “I could see that pursuing a flying adventure as a science educator had the potential to engage an audience unfamiliar with shorebirds and provide a platform from which to target educators and schools to incorporate shorebirds in their curriculum. While not everyone cares about shorebirds, most people are excited by stories of people pursuing their dreams of adventure,” says Amellia.

 Image credits: courtesy Amellia Formby

It took six years of flight training before Amellia was ready to embark on her journey. She left from White Gum Farm near Perth in June 2022. By flying a microlight, Amelia wanted to experience what it’s like to be a bird for herself and by sharing that bird’s eye view, spark empathy for the birds among those following her adventure.

“My aircraft has an open cockpit and is exposed to the elements just like a bird. It’s physical to fly, just like flapping your wings would be, and travels at a cruise speed of about 55 knots – not much faster than what shorebirds fly on migration,” says Amelia.  “As part of the trip, I visited 105 primary schools and spoke to 6550 students in urban, regional and remote parts of the country to promote stewardship of migratory shorebirds and their wetland habitats in collaboration with BirdLife Australia.”

The entire flight was 14,000km completed in 160 hours over 59 flight legs, which Amelia did over 12 months with ground crew support in the form of volunteers all around the country. Each flight leg covered 90-200 nautical miles, taking between 2-3.5 hours.

“In the end, it took 12 months to do what a bar-tailed godwit can do flying non-stop from Alaska to New Zealand in just 9 days!” she says. “It’s given me new appreciation for what these incredible birds do, the challenges they face and their vulnerability with ever-growing encroachment on the places they live. Many thanks to all the generous donors and sponsors, including the Australian Geographic Society, who contributed to make this journey possible.”

Related: Australian Geographic Adventurer of the Year Awards 2024: Nominations now open!

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This change forms part of our move to an all-profits donated business model and subsequent reform of how we conduct our approach to funding Australia’s environmental crises.

We will announce the changes in the January-February 2024 issue of the Australian Geographic magazine (AG 178). Please look out for full details there.

It marks an exciting new chapter for Australian Geographic and one in which we aspire to have a greater impact.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your interest in the Australian Geographic Society.

Please forward any enquiries to society@ausgeo.com.au

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The perils of his epic journey began long before Tom boarded his rowing boat Maiwar on 9 July last year. He faced bureaucratic barriers, unexpected costs from Peruvian border authorities and unscrupulous shipping agents as he attempted to bring his boat into the country. He was even robbed at knifepoint in downtown Lima. Despite those setbacks, he received lots of moral support and practical assistance from members of the Peruvian Yacht Club in Callao which acted as base camp while he prepared his boat for the long journey across the planet’s greatest expanse of open ocean.

Maiwar is a wooden clinker-built 7m-long rowing boat that Tom designed and constructed himself. Despite his young age, he’s a qualified, wooden boat builder and had already completed two coastal rowing expeditions along the Queensland coast while still at school.

From the age of 12 Tom lived in a house on the banks of the Brisbane River in Queensland where his father built him a little plywood boat for messing about in the river. Rowing became not just a hobby, but an obsession as Tom rowed to and from school each day and played around on the river in every spare moment. At age 14 he rowed 130km solo from Brisbane to the Gold Coast, spending five days living in a 13-foot dinghy that he and his father modified for the journey. It was around that time that Tom decided he was going to be the youngest person ever to row across the Pacific Ocean, an ambition he’s held tightly to for the past eight years.

After completing his year 12 certificate he moved to Sydney aged seventeen to pursue a boatbuilding career. He spent the first year of his apprenticeship there, taking full advantage of the city’s world class sailing and boatbuilding heritage. Tom moved back to Brisbane to focus on wooden boat restoration. For the remaining three years of his apprenticeship, he worked full time restoring his own boats, competing in offshore yacht races and travelling overseas. He also became proficient in traditional celestial navigation.

During the years of the COVID-19 pandemic, while some of his sailing plans were scuppered, Tom set about building the craft that would take him across the Pacific. Why did he choose a wooden boat for such a potentially perilous undertaking?

“There are many reasons,” says Tom. “The biggest being that this is going to be my home for months on end, so it has to be nice, homely and comfortable. There was no way that I was going to spend six months in a plastic or carbon fibre ugly thing like that. And timber, as a material, is beautiful, it’s sustainable, it’s good for the planet. Especially the timber I used, which was Queensland-grown plantation hoop pine, so, it’s a more sustainable option. It feels better, it’s nicer, -in every respect, it’s just better. People may argue you need a carbon fibre boat because it’s lighter and therefore goes faster, but by the time you’ve got enough food and water for six months, the weight of the actual boat itself only makes up a small percentage of the overall weight. So, if I’d gone carbon fibre, maybe I would’ve saved five per cent, but what does that equate to out here? Maybe a few extra days at sea, so it’s not really the right way to think about it. And so, for me, wooden boats are the best.”

Tom’s boat Maiwar has proved herself more than worthy of the task so far. The first leg of Tom’s trans-Pacific rowing attempt came to a successful and safe conclusion when he arrived at idyllic Penryn Island in the northern Cook Island group just before Christmas. The first leg of the journey took longer than anticipated.

“I was at sea for 160 days. I originally planned to make landfall in The Marquesas, which is east of here, but I was blown off course. And so, almost overnight, the journey changed from what was going to be a 100-day first leg into what became a 160-day leg. Penrhyn Island where I am now was next after the Marquesas. And so, it turned into a big, long, arduous, painful, hard journey. But it was pretty spectacular too sometimes,” says Tom.

“I packed food for 150 days just in case, because I thought that there’s a very slim chance that this could happen, and it did. I caught a lot of fish too. I left South America with about 350 litres of water, and I also had a desalination pump that turns saltwater into fresh. I was rationing to two litres a day, which was really challenging. By the end of the journey, it was so hot that I just couldn’t manage on just two litres a day, so I had to pump for about half an hour each day to get more fresh water to drink.”

Tom encountered rough seas soon after leaving Peru. “I think on day five or six, it was pretty rough. At that point, the boat was heavy because there was five months’ worth of food aboard and so, she wasn’t really riding the waves as I would’ve liked. That was pretty scary. You wedge yourself inside the cabin and the boat’s rocking around and waves are crashing everywhere. Yeah, that’s pretty full on,” says Tom.

Around day 65, the wind was blowing around 25 knots, -nothing too unusual, when out of nowhere, Tom turned and saw a huge wave coming towards him. There was nothing he could do but let go of the oars and hold onto the side of the boat. “I just held on for dear life and this huge wave just broke over the boat. Thankfully, I managed to stay on board and the boat didn’t capsize, which was really lucky, it came close. It was really frightening because it came out of nowhere and it was very unexpected. So, I lost my nerve there for a little while though.”

Tom was able to stay in touch with home via his satellite phone and he occasionally encountered other vessels on the high seas including the jumbo squid fishing fleet off Ecuador.

“The most notable ships I saw were when I was south of the Galapagos Islands, -a few hundred miles south-, and I passed north of the squid fishing fleet. There are hundreds of squid fishing boats out there. And so, at night, the whole horizon was aglow. And it was really strange for me because I didn’t know what it was, this sort of huge, bright, massive light on the horizon.”

On day 49 a big tuna fishing ship spotted Tom. They lowered a speedboat and two Ecuadorian fishermen sped over to Maiwar, but they didn’t speak English and Tom’s Spanish wasn’t too good either. “But I rubbed my belly to say I was hungry, so they came back with all this food. There was tuna, but the rest of the food wasn’t great. I got strawberry jam, I got Powerade, I got cigarettes, I got all these things I didn’t need. That was really funny,” he says.

Apart from those rare human encounters, Tom was alone for five months. “I find solitude leads to real contentment. I don’t miss anything at home, or even civilisation itself. I find I’m completely at peace when I am alone at sea,” he says.

Tom has already completed arguably the most perilous sector of his grand adventure having completed a 5000 nautical mile non-stop traverse of the most remote stretch of the Pacific Ocean. The next stage will see him island hop through Oceania before making a final ocean crossing back to Australia in late 2023.

How does Tom see the next few months unfolding?

“I’m really at the mercy of the wind and the currents when I’m at sea so I’m never nearly exactly sure where I’m going to end up or which island I’m going to get to. But I do think that eventually I’ll end up back in Australia somewhere. And between here and Australia, there’s lots of islands. In the first half of the Pacific I just crossed, there’s nothing. But from here on in there’s heap of islands. And so, I’m hoping to stop, have fun, meet people and explore and experience new cultures. The first half was hard and the second half’s also going to be hard, but more interesting.”

Quick stats and facts:

• Tom Robinson is 23 years old

• Distance Tom will row: 8000 nautical miles (14816 kilometres)

• He will become the youngest person to row across the Pacific Ocean

• The current record is held by Briton Sylvia Cook who did it with her partner John Fairfax in 1972 when she was 32 years old

• Only twelve people have rowed solo across the Pacific Ocean, only four have departed from South America

• His boat is called Maiwar, an Indigenous word for the Brisbane River where Tom spent his youth

• Maiwar is only 24 feet long (7.31 metres)

• Maiwar took five months to build

• Maiwar has a cabin with a single bunk, a galley and a navigation station

• Maiwar is self-righting, should she capsize

You can follow Tom’s adventure via his website and you can also help Tom achieve his ambitious goal with a cash donation through his GoFundMe portal also accessible from his website homepage.

The Australian Geographic Society is one of Tom’s sponsors and we will be following his progress during 2023 here on the website and in the magazine. Stay tuned.

Related: World beater: Aussie solo sailor Lisa Blair shares her story

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To follow Ralph on his adventure check out his instagram or his YouTube channel, Asking for Directions.

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Ian crossed the desert from west to east, starting his journey at Old Andado station in the Northern Territory and ending in the town of Birdsville in Central West Queensland. He says the pain was worth it: he raised more than $5000 for the Australian Cancer Research Foundation, a charity he chose to support after losing both parents to cancer at an early age.

Relying on self-motivation and months of training, Ian scaled approximately 1100 sand dunes ranging from three or four metres to more than 40me in height. “I’d get to the top of one dune hoping that the valleys in between might start to open up, but they didn’t for quite some time, which was pretty disheartening,” he said.

For 16 of his 20 days, the determined adventurer was in complete solitude. Nine of those were spent travelling through open desert, he reached the Colson track, four days later than he had expected.

“It was physically draining, mentally draining and emotionally draining; however, it was one of the most enjoyable parts of the journey for me,” he said. “Once I started heading across country there were so many opportunities for punctures in my tires. I was so paranoid about that happening.”

Ian’s slow start, travelling only up to 7km a day, led to a change of route from his original plan, which was to walk to the centre and then onwards to Birdsville. Instead, he followed the Colson Track south to the Northern Territory and the South Australian border.

“When I finally made that decision that this is what I was going to do, it was a good day. It was very liberating to let go and take the journey on a different path.”

Among the biggest challenges at the start of his trip, he explained, was carrying the gruelling weight of the cart, 160kg when fully laden with food, water and supplies. And on the western edge of the desert where spinifex grass dominates the landscape and the dunes are often only 200m apart, dragging the cart was a challenge.

But 20 days in the desert didn’t come without its perks. “Most nights I would get myself on top of a beautiful big red dune, find a suitable position, get my bed roll out, get a fire going, get my dinner into me, write in my journal, and I’d just look up at stars. The milky way was mine every night,” he says.

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Dr James Macgregor, of Perth’s Murdoch University, and his team implanted tiny microchips between the shoulderblades of 154 platypuses. The animals are found in the Inglis River catchment area, in north-western Tasmania.

Two types of receiver were positioned in creeks to detect the platypuses when they swam over them. One was a camouflaged square panel for the creek bed; the other a short, 60cm-wide tunnel the platypuses swim through.

New methods for tracking platypuses

“Everyone puts microchips in to identify animals, but the new part of this project was putting the monitors in the creek so we can track them in a hands-off way,” James says.

“Previously we had to recapture the animals, which is very labour intensive and stressful for them. They can also become net shy, so it’s hard to get a long-term observation.”

The new technique his team has developed is less invasive and the platypus isn’t lumbered with a bulky device that can fall off.

As part of the monitoring program, which began in 2011 and is supported by the Australian Geographic Society, the platypuses were weighed and given a health check, including an ultrasound to assess their body condition and reproductive status.

Tracking a fungal disease

Initial findings show a generally healthy population, James says. Some platypuses that had been microchipped for a smaller project in 2007-08 were also identified, demonstrating the potential for long-term monitoring.

James says the system will be useful in tracking a fungal disease, called mucormycosis, which has infected some Tasmanian platypuses. It kills frogs on the mainland, but has not been recorded in platypus populations there.

The pathogen causes skin lesions and kills by reducing control over body temperature, inhibiting swimming and foraging, and by reducing immunity to other infections. How it is transmitted is currently poorly understood.

This story is from issue 120 Australian Geographic May–June 2014.

 James sets a fyke net used to catch platypuses. (Image credit: Megan Macgregor)

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On 26 April 2014 Huw pushed off from the rocky shores of Anzac Cove beginning a year long journey circumnavigating the Mediterranean. Using only human powered means – kayak, hiking, cycling and row boat – Huw planned to arrive back at Anzac Cove in time for the Anzac Centenary.

Ten months after setting off, Huw had traversed southern Europe, from Gallipoli to Gibraltar, and circled back along the north coast of Africa (see the full story in the Mar/Apr print issue of Australian Geographic). The final stage of his journey was to row across the Mediterranean from Tunisia to Turkey in a specially designed boat, christened Mr Hops.

Epic sea voyage

To complete this gruelling sea voyage Huw teamed up with Slovenian rower Marin Medak. In two-hour shifts Huw and Marin took turns rowing while the other slept. This continued 24 hours a day for weeks at a time. Over this time, Huw and Marin had to eat 7000 calories a day just to fuel their bodies.

When nearing the halfway point of their epic sea voyage, the weather changed dramatically. Rather than continue towards Crete the pair were forced to head north to Greece and avoid being stranded in stormy seas. Now joined by a third rower, Dimitris Kokkoris, the plan was to head south around the Peloponnese and get back on track in the open ocean of the Mediterranean. However persistent storms and dangerously high winds hampered their progress and they were falling behind schedule.

On 22 March, with only a month until Anzac Day, Huw was faced with a difficult decision, continue rowing boat and risk missing the Anzac Centenary, or break his one rule of using only human powered means and arrive on time.

Flying back to turkey

“I decided today to break my human-powered rule,” said Huw in a video posted to his Facebook page. “It’s been an amazing journey and you can’t always expect it all to go according to plan. It hasn’t all gone according to plan, and this is just one more little part of the story I guess.”

Huw took a short flight from Athens to Rhodes, and a ferry from Rhodes to Marmaris in Turkey. Now reunited with his faithful kayak Miss Grape Huw is back in the water and paddling towards the Gallipoli Peninsula. He plans to arrive in Anzac Cove by 24 April.

Huw’s journey so far has raised over $60,000 for Save the Children. He aims to complete this journey in commemoration of the Gallipoli landings 100 years ago, and to share the story of the Anzacs whilst promoting the Anzac ideals of courage, endurance and mateship.

Huw’s route as planned in early 2015 before dangerous weather forced him to return to Turkey by non-human powered means (Credit: AG Cartography):

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Her mission was inspired by German canoeist Oskar Speck who, between 1932 and 1939 paddled a folding kayak from Germany to Australia. Sandy plans to retrace his steps as best she can and hopes that her journey will inspire more female adventurers and highlight the importance of taking care of our oceans.

“I have realised how lucky we are in Australia to have such a rich and diverse ecosystem and people who do not pump plastic into the oceans,” she says on her website. “We need to keep working on preserving and protecting these unique ecosystems and the environment that is the support system for our planet.”

Sandy is currently kayaking through South East Asia on the fourth stage of her five-stage journey. By the end of her five-year epic paddle, Sandy will have travelled over 22,000km through 20 countries, and will have completed a number of world firsts, including being the first person to circumnavigate Sri Lanka by Kayak. You can keep up to date on Sandy’s progress and offer support on her website.

Nancy-Bird Walton sponsorship

The Nancy-Bird Walton Sponsorship honours Australian pioneer aviator and adventurer Nancy-Bird Walton and aims to support the ongoing contribution of Australian women to adventure and exploration.

Each year a panel formed by Australian Geographic representatives, members of Nancy-Bird’s family and female adventurers selects a woman whose challenge invokes Nancy-Bird’s pioneering spirit. The winner receives $5000 towards their pursuit.

The post Sandy Robson awarded 2015 Nancy-Bird sponsorship appeared first on Australian Geographic.

Dr Marian Wong, of the University of Wollongong, aims to find out. Her project sponsored by the AG Society  is taking a deeper look at the personalities of wide-band anemone fish (Amphiprion latezonatus) and their influence on breeding behaviour.

“Relatively little is known about why animal personalities vary so considerably and what consequences individual personalities have on important life-history traits, like reproductive success,” she says.

Marian and her team will focus on an endemic Australian species of anemone fish found in the Solitary Islands Marine Park, stretching north from Coffs Harbour, NSW.

The team will locate social groups living within host sea anemones and set up cameras to monitor behaviour. Personality traits will be counted, including boldness, activity, sociability, exploration and aggression.

“These fish only occur on a few scattered islands off the south-eastern coast of Australia and currently very little is known about their behaviour and biology in general,” Marian says.

“This project will provide a better understanding of these aspects and help in the management and conservation of this species in the future.”

The post Finding Nemo’s personality appeared first on Australian Geographic.

They endured temperatures well below zero during a two-month expedition to document the effects of climate change on the wildlife and indigenous people. 

Under the banner of Adventure for Change, their goal was to publicise the impacts. They kept in touch with the rest of the world via regular social media updates, with the assistance of Australia-based team member Jenna Rumney. 

Setting up base camp near Constable Pynt, in eastern Greenland, they travelled more than 5000km, using planes and snowmobiles or going the hard yards by foot or on skis.

Faced with having to dig out equipment and manage 80km/h winds, the team photographed, filmed and blogged as they explored the 2.16-million-square-kilometre Arctic island.

The Inuit people of Ittoqqortoormiit, about 40km south-east of Constable Pynt, taught them much.

“It was so amazing to see a traditional culture living in an extreme place, still hunting and eating polar bears…yet they also have the latest iPhone 5 and listen to Gangnam Style,” Dean says.

The post On the frontier appeared first on Australian Geographic.

The AG Society-sponsored researcher regularly hoists himself up to the canopy to observe Australia’s birds of prey. So when bushwalkers discovered a six-week-old square-tailed kite chick on a track in one of Perth’s regional parks, Simon sprang to action.

“Not many things are more exciting to me than climbing a tree to rescue one of our most unique and beautiful birds of prey,” he says. Along with raptor rehabilitator Marra Apgar, Simon scaled red gums and wandoo in Perth’s foothills in search of the young square-tailed kite’s nest. “This rescue was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” he says.

With a wingspan of up to 145cm, the square-tailed kite is one of 24 Australian raptor species. The majestic bird is found in coastal areas and along wooded watercourses across the country, but its total population size is relatively small.

“The chick was well developed but incapable of flying, so must have accidentally parachuted off its nest,” says Simon. It is common for raptor chicks to fall out of their nests, either as a result of windy conditions or attempted siblicide (siblings killing each other).

“Juvenile raptors have a high natural mortality rate, usually in the post-fledging period when they leave home and learn to fend for themselves, so helping them at least reach the fledging stage is important,” says Simon. “This is especially applicable to the square-tailed kite, which is quite a rare bird.” Simon says returning a baby bird of any species to its mother will generally give the orphaned chick the best chance of survival.

The post Raptor rescue appeared first on Australian Geographic.

Growing to a height of only 43cm, little penguins once inhabited a large range along Australia’s mainland coast and nearby islands. But a number of threats – including habitat destruction, feral animal attacks, pollution and a deteriorating food supply – have led to a dramatic decline in their numbers.

The $58,000 raised by the AGS will go to projects assisting colonies in Manly in Sydney, Penguin Island in Western Australia, Wedge Island in Tasmania’s south-east, Kangaroo Island in South Australia and Phillip Island in Victoria. 

Dr Belinda Cannell, a biologist at Murdoch University, Perth, is studying the colony at Penguin Island, near Fremantle. It is home to Australia’s westernmost colony of little penguins, and the northernmost colony in WA.

“These penguins have been identified as having the highest conservation value [in Australia] but are also the most threatened,” Belinda says.

With the help of the AG Society, Belinda hopes to understand the ability of little penguin populations to survive impacts associated with climate change and coastal use.

Recent genetic work has also shown that this colony and others in the Perth region are genetically distinct, raising the possibility that they may be a subspecies.

Funds will also go to researcher Sandra Vogel from the University of New South Wales, who is working on a genetic study of little penguins in NSW and WA; the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife for its work with penguin populations on Kangaroo Island and the only mainland colony found in Sydney Harbour; and Phillip Island’s Penguin Foundation, which will also use funds to help support the 32,000 little penguins that nest there.

The post Record AG Society funding to help little penguins appeared first on Australian Geographic.

Lloyd is famous for his record-breaking underwater feats, such as his AGS-sponsored BioSUB Project (AG 81), which saw him living in a human-powered submarine for two weeks in 2007. His new mission, Sea Stars of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), is an extension of the BioSUB Project.

Lloyd, who is studying to become a high school teacher, says the habitat design is inspired by sea urchins and will feature a shell made of hexagons of varying sizes.

The students will use plans from N55, a Denmark-based firm known for taking on obscure design challenges. Lloyd plans to adopt a superhero persona during the AGS-sponsored project, and he will broadcast updates online.

“I realised how much interest these ‘off the wall’ projects generate – especially among young people – so I try to develop projects that capture kids’ imaginations and motivate them to get into the sciences,” he says.

The design phase will last up to six months, and the project should be ready to launch in early 2015.

“After the habitat is built, I just need to find a location and secure permits to sink it somewhere,” he says. “This project will let the students take the theory they learn in school and apply it in a strange – and intriguing – way.”

The post Scientists in the making appeared first on Australian Geographic.

Dr James Macgregor, of Perth’s Murdoch University, and his team implanted tiny microchips between the shoulderblades of 154 platypuses. The animals are found in the Inglis River catchment area, in -north-western Tasmania.

Two types of receiver were positioned in creeks to detect the platypuses when they swam over them. One was a camouflaged square panel for the creek bed; the other a short, 60cm-wide tunnel the platypuses swim through.

“Everyone puts microchips in to identify animals, but the new part of this project was putting the monitors in the creek so we can track them in a hands-off way,” James says. “Previously we had to recapture the animals, which is very labour intensive and stressful for them. They can also become net shy, so it’s hard to get a long-term observation.”

The new technique his team has developed is less invasive and the platypus isn’t lumbered with a bulky device that can fall off.

As part of the monitoring program, which began in 2011 and is supported by the Australian Geographic Society, the platypuses were weighed and given a health check, including an ultrasound to assess their body condition and reproductive status.

Initial findings show a generally healthy population, James says. Some platypuses that had been microchipped for a smaller project in 2007-08 were also identified, demonstrating the potential for long-term monitoring.

James says the system will be useful in tracking a fungal disease, called mucormycosis, which has infected some Tasmanian platypuses. It kills frogs on the mainland, but has not been recorded in platypus populations there.

The pathogen causes skin lesions and kills by reducing control over body temperature, inhibiting swimming and foraging, and by reducing immunity to other infections. How it is transmitted is currently poorly understood.

The post Now on the radar: microchipping platypusses appeared first on Australian Geographic.

Our feature Secrets of the sea lion (AG101) reported the research of sea lion experts Associate Professor Simon Goldsworthy and Dr Brad Page.

For this latest project, Andrew, who is Simon’s former PhD student, was sponsored by the AGS to study the links between the eating habits of sea lion mothers and their pups.

Andrew, who is now based at the Polar Institute in Tromsø, Norway, studied the chemicals in pups’ whiskers and used genetic information to test whether the mothers taught their dependent pups where to find food, or if the skill was innate.

Andrew showed that the skills seemed to be innate and that sea lions only look for food within very thin slices of their habitat, a phenomenon known as fine-scale foraging.

“This means they don’t have a specific diet,” he says. “It’s more that they target whatever ‘dish of the day’ is available at their favourite restaurant.”

The researchers hope that the study will help them understand sea lions’ feeding habits and benefit conservation efforts.

The post Where there’s a whisker, there’s a way appeared first on Australian Geographic.

Having just fitted a satellite transmitter to one of these birds for the first time, I placed it on the ground, pinning its wings with one hand and gripping its legs firmly with the other. Then I released my grip and hopped back to watch it take off.

It had taken me several years to get to this point. Wedgies are powerful predators and adept flyers. Although they are one of the better-studied raptors in Australia, sophisticated GPS/satellite-tracking technology – which has been used globally to follow bird movements – had never been used to study them before.

Eagles are perfect subjects for long-term studies because they can carry large tracking devices (platform terminal transmitters or PTTs) attached with special harnesses.

However, to attach a PTT, I first needed to catch a wild wedgie. In 2012 I sought advice from retired eagle experts Michael Ridpath and Michael Brooker, who gave me insights into the trapping methods used during their research in the 1970s.

Wedgies need a stretch of flat ground to use as a runway to get airborne. So, in order to catch them, we lured them with carrion into chook-pen-like traps under their favourite perch trees. The idea was that, once inside, the lack of space would prevent them from getting airborne once more.

In June 2013 I headed to my remote study area in the Murchison region of WA, and built and baited two such traps. The stage was set.

The following day, my heart thumped as we approached the first trap. A flurry of wing-beats blurred the scene and an eagle promptly took off. Then I saw a second eagle inside the trap. Finally, this was the moment I had been waiting for. A boyhood dream had become reality.

The eagle was an adult male, which I named Wallu, after the local Martu word for eagle. It took 40 minutes for me to fit the PTT and measure Wallu, then I removed the falconry hood (used to calm him during handling) and released him.

As I stood back and watched, Wallu raced forward and launched into the air, soaring down the dirt track like a 747 taking off.

The next day, we captured an adult female. I fitted her with a GPS tracker and named her Gidjee. Four months later, I found myself clinging to the side of  Gidjee’s nest, face to face with her healthy nine-week-old daughter, Kuyurnpa.

I fitted this young female with my third PTT, and then placed her back. A week later, she was ready to fledge, and take me, via a satellite connection, along for the ride. Since then Kuyurnpa has revealed that wedgies can fly at altitudes of 3000m.

The post Eagles tracked for the first time appeared first on Australian Geographic.

“We wanted to start a tradition of the Young Conservationist and the Young Adventurer doing something together in the year they were awarded,” says Kim, who was recognised for her conservation work with the Stop the Toad Foundation. “We also wanted to highlight links between conservation and adventure.”

With this goal in mind, they planned to take on the 20km Rottnest Channel Swim in February 2013, with Kim swimming and Lachie, a white-water kayaker, paddling alongside her. However, the duo hit a major snag during training.

In late 2012, while on a diving trip in Tonga with fellow AGS awardee Don McIntyre, Kim was paddling beside Kylie Maguire when Kylie was bitten by a shark. After Kim pulled a bleeding Kylie into the inflatable kayak and radioed for help, the risks of the venture hit home. The idea of an ocean swim became incredibly daunting.

Kim came up with a new plan. Registrations were opened for a 20km Lake Argyle swimming challenge. Australia’s largest artificial lake (AG #113) – and the home of a healthy population of freshwater crocodiles – the Argyle is in Western Australia’s Kimberley, where both Kim and Lachie’s award-winning projects were mostly set.

With Lachie by their sides, Kim and her relay partner Amy Gates completed the swim in May 2013. The finish was exhilarating, says Kim, not only for the sense of achievement, but also because the bar has been raised for future AG Society winners.

The post AG awardees team up to tackle swim appeared first on Australian Geographic.

Taking body language to a whole new level, these dragons use a form of dance to communicate, with ritualistic tail flicks, head bobs, arm-waving and push-ups constituting the words and sentences of their conversations.

However, researchers do not yet understand just how these words are heard – or, rather, seen. Dr Shaun New of the Australian National University, Canberra, was fascinated by the movements and eyes of the lizards and set out to study them.

“After my undergraduate degree in zoology, I went back home [to the Pilbara] to rediscover the biodiversity there,” he says. “There are an incredible number of endemic species, so many of which are lizards… I just wanted to learn more about them.”

This curiosity led Shaun to research the jacky dragon, a native of south-eastern Australia (found from South Australia to south-east Queensland) and one of our first native reptiles to be scientifically described.

His project used computers to plot the tail flicks in three dimensions and looked at how the dragons used their unusual eyes. Shaun found that the jacky dragons have 323º peripheral vision, compared with a human’s paltry 120º.

Although the dragon’s dancing code has not yet been cracked, Shaun is well on the way to learning more.

The post Dance of the dragon appeared first on Australian Geographic.

AGS-sponsored scientists Will Feeney and Dr Naomi Langmore of the Australian National University, Canberra, have shown that superb fairy-wrens can learn to recognise the danger of the Horsfield bronze cuckoo invading their nests.

Once cuckoo chicks hatch in the nest of a superb fairy-wren, the invading cuckoo will kill the young or destroy the eggs.
 
A superb fairy-wren adult, somehow unsuspecting of the difference, will provide food and shelter for this changeling chick, thus allowing the cuckoo adult to waste no effort on rearing its young.

But superb fairy-wrens are not as simple as they seem. Raising their young in groups of 6-8 adults, some fairy-wrens are capable of learning to distinguish between the enemy cuckoo and their own chicks.

Previous AG-sponsored research (Fairy-wren preschool, AG 113), found that wrens will teach their chicks codes to repeat in their calls for food, allowing them to be identified. This new research has added to scientists’ understanding of the species.

“Our study was the first to directly show that a host, such as the superb fairy-wren, can learn from others of its species how to recognise invaders such as the cuckoo,” says Will.

The post Know thy enemy: how birds ID threats appeared first on Australian Geographic.

“We expected isolation, salt sores, dehydration, exhaustion and handfuls of blisters, but we hoped to show that with a bit of Australian spirit we can push the limits of kayak adventures in Australia,” he says.

And Australian spirit is what these two intrepid paddlers have by the bucket load. They have travelled, trekked, climbed, explored and lived in countries across the globe, but this new expedition was their “opportunity to truly explore parts of the world where there are no guidebooks, and to experience cultures that are virtually devoid of the influence of tourism.”

Paddling in shark- and pirate-infested seas

The going wasn’t easy from the beginning. At one point, completely out of sight of any land, a large shark bit into the stern of Justin’s kayak, thrusting all 250kg of it (and Justin) clear of the water.

Then, after paddling from Cairns to Thursday Island a problem they hadn’t anticipated presented itself – pirates. After a series of talks with locals it was decided that without a guard or weapon, the expedition would be safer and have a high chance of success paddled in the opposite direction: from Bali to Cairns.

Further setbacks, this time red tape in Indonesia, limited the expedition’s time frame and they had to re-adjust their end point to a closer local, but at the end of July 2011 the two adventurers set off again from eastern Java toward the Alor Islands east of Flores, roughly 2000km away.

On their rough journey they often took to paddling at night to avoid “the brutal headwinds and crushing heat that began at dawn,” and spent nights in camping spots that included islands, rocky beaches, mangrove forests and even a cave.

Sea kayaking: the joys of a long stretch

But it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Blue whales, dolphins and false killer whales sometimes took to playfully swimming with the kayakers; the couple saw a myriad of aquatic life, from the huge reclusive sun fish to huge sheets of manta rays.

Sponsorship from the AG Society allowed the couple to invest in critical communications and safety equipment that made it possible for Justin and Alaina to remain safe during the expedition.

In total, they paddled over 2500km in 243 days, finally concluding the expedition at the end of November. “We were fortunate enough to compare the incredible, rugged beauty of the waters of North Queensland with the equally beautiful and remote coast of Nusa Tenggara,” Justin says.

“Our expedition may not have followed the path we had originally chosen but we both feel that we have achieved a successful outcome, and made the most of the obstacles that rose out of the path before us.”

RELATED STORIES

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I often draw similarities between riding through third world countries with playing a video game. In Indonesia jumping onto each island brought new obstacles to the table as I rise through the levels of this particular game. So far, I have passed levels that include increasing traffic, people and animals. Every district gives off a distinct theme for me to battle through.

The island of Sambawa was no exception. The backdrop to this particular level was the port town of Sape, where the houses were painted in bright colours. Green stood out as being either the town’s favourite colour; either that, or they got a super special from a paint company. Standing in front of them but lining the streets were small horses (the size of western ponies), all pulling brightly painted carts in reds and blues with ethnic patterned on the timber and leather work. As the horses trotted down the road a bell that hung over the lower parts of the horses main jingled as a warning to all that it was also on the road.

With Sambawa being the poorest island out of the main group of Indonesian islands, the roads matched the tax payers income. The tar seal was slowly slipping down the road and pot holes punched through the thick black surface. Luckily for future travellers, the Indonesians were developing the roads in small sections, which I also had to avoid.

To add another layer of complexity to this island was the introduction of goats. Goats have no idea of the world around them as they only think of their tummies before danger. With this in mind, they would dart across the road unexpectedly. I would then have to apply full pressure onto the brakes stopping with neck breaking jerk.

Every night, after a long day of intense concentration, all I would like to do is have a shower and sit down with a cold bottle of beer in my hand. These two small luxury items were not available on this Muslim island. Taking residence in a ‘loesmen’ (Guest house) where my ensuite had no main light. I cast a beam of light from my head torch around the tiny box like room, which is when I saw the layers of filth and worms growing in force in the madi (bathroom/shower).

Madi varied greatly in Indonesia. Most traditional bathrooms were no more than a small shed outside, constructed from what ever was available, such as woven bamboo to sheets of ply wood or plastered bricks. To have a shower, you would pick that bucket by the handle, and dip it into the cool water and pour it over your head. After a couple of pours I was generally wet enough to then start lathing myself up with soap and shampoo. The whole process was repeated to wash away the spent soap.

Extract taken from Motomonkey blog January 1, 2011

For more information about Danielle’s journey go to www.motomonkeyadventures.com

Apply for the Nancy Bird Walton sponsorship.

The post Danielle Murdoch appeared first on Australian Geographic.

Applications for the sponsorship open on October 16th each year, to mark Nancy’s birthday.

The annual funding of $5000 is awarded to an Australian woman planning to undertake an adventurous pursuit. The recipient of the sponsorship is chosen by a panel made up of female adventurers, members of Nancy-Bird Walton’s Family and representatives of the Australian Geographic Society.

It is hoped that the sponsorship will not only commemorate the great life of Nancy-Bird Walton, but also inspire women from around Australia to follow their dreams.

The project chosen should be:

1. Initiated by and led by a woman
2. Ground breaking – either through a new adventure or new scientific project, or because it is an endeavour that’s beyond the applicant’s known skills or past experience
3. Inspirational to a new generation of Australian female adventurers
4. Mindful of Nancy-Bird Walton’s legacy
5. Able to be communicated to a wide audience

Download Nancy Bird Walton Application Form

Please forward your application in a single attachment to society@ausgeo.com.au (We do not need a hard copy of your application.)

2019 Nancy-Bird Walton Sponsorship winner

Lucy Barnard is the awardee of the Nancy-Bird Walton Sponsorship for attempting to be the first woman to walk the length of the world, and is two years into her journey, which started in South America and will finish in Alaska.

2018 Nancy-Bird Walton Sponsorship winner

Inspired by Robyn Davidson’s 1980 journey across the outback with camels, Clemmie is undertaking a solo, unsupported horseback trek across Australia. Beginning in February 2018, less than two weeks into her adventure, Clemmie had already faced bushfires, near-anaphylactic shock in a horse, midnight visitors to her camp and challenging treks lasting late into the evening.

2017 Nancy-Bird Walton Sponsorship winner
The 2017 awardee of the Nancy-Bird Walton Sponsorship was 32-year-old Lisa Blair, who set out to be the first woman to circumnavigate Antarctica, solo, non-stop and unassisted. Unfortunately, Lisa was forced to seek assistance in Cape Town, South Africa, when rough seas broke her mast 72 days into the expedition. But this didn’t stop Lisa from returning to sea to complete the circumnavigation. Read about Lisa’s expedition

2015 Nancy-Bird Walton Sponsorship winner
Sandy Robson received the 2015 Nancy-Bird Walton Sponsorship to support her epic sea-kayaking adventure, retracing the journey of Oskar Speck. Between 1932 and 1939 Speck paddled a folding kayak from Germany to Australia. In November 2016 Sandy successfuly completed her 23,000km paddle, five and a half years after departing Germany. Read about Sandy’s expedition

2012 Nancy-Bird Walton Sponsorship winner
In 2012 the Nancy-Bird Walton Sponsorship was awarded to a group of four women (Linda Beilharz, Margaret Bowling, Carhy O’Dowd and Tara Remington) to aid them in their sea to summit mission traversing Chile and its coastline, culminating in the climbing of South America’s highest peak, Mount Aconcagua. Read about their expedition

2011 Nancy-Bird Walton Sponsorship winner
In 2011 the Nancy-Bird Walton Sponsorship was awarded to 35 year old Allie Pepper for her expedition to Mt Everest. In May 2011, Allie will attempt to summit the world’s highest peak without the use of supplementary oxygen. Only 5 other women have ever succeeded in this feat, and when she reaches the peak Allie will be the first Aussie female to do so. Read about Allie’s expedition

2010 Nancy-Bird Walton Sponsorship winner
In 2010 the Nancy-Bird Walton Sponsorship was awarded to Queenslander Daniele Murdoch for her Motomonkey expedition. Danielle’s journey will take her from Australia across Indonesia and India, through the Middle East and around Africa. Throughout her two-year journey she will cover over 70,000 kilometres, getting a glimpse into other women’s lives as well as becoming a role model of strength and independence for women all over the world. Read about Danielle’s expedition.

The post Nancy-Bird Walton Sponsorship appeared first on Australian Geographic.

The Green Umbrellas
Climate Actions team participation in the international Childrens Climate Call Climate Actions competition.
Four AG Society-sponsored students from North Sydney Girls High School, Sydney, won the Research Award in the Children’s Climate Call competition held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in May. The Year 9 girls, called “The Green Umbrellas”, competed against 58 global teams. Zara Stanton, Alison Woodward, team captain Asha Keaney and Neeharika Maddula impressed the judges with their entry on worldwide water shortages and suggestions for education programs and policy implementations. To read more about the international youth tournament, visit the website.

Melanie Zurba – University of Manitoba
How well is co-management working? Visiting perceptions, partnerships and power sharing along the way to an Indigenous Coastal Protected in Australia.

Read about other projects that we’ve sponsored:

Science
Community
Adventure

The post Recent projects: Environment appeared first on Australian Geographic.

Summit 8000
Beginning in March 2009, Australia’s most accomplished mountaineer, Andrew Lock will attempt to be the first Australian to climb all fourteen of the world’s 8000 m mountains. Having already climbed thirteen of the highest peaks on earth, he has just one remaining – Mt Shishapangma in Tibet – to complete the project. If successful, Andrew will then go directly to Mt Everest to attempt to climb the peak solo and without oxygen.

The Togean Island Expedition
Three young marine biologists with a shared passion for adventure and conservation will set off to circumnavigate the Tongean Islands, in the Gulf of Tomini, Central Sulawesi, by kayak in December. Tane Sinclair-Taylor, Alex Vail and Joshua Stewart plan to paddle more than 200 km and survive solely from the land and sea. The expedition will wind past 60 islands in the Coral Triangle – one of the most diverse marine regions on the planet.

Powered by the wind
IceBird is a project developing wind powered machines for polar travel. Over the past four years the IceBird team have developed a kite powered sled, or “Kitesled” that can carry a pilot, a passenger and two months worth of supplies across any snow covered landscape, powered by the wind. In March this year Ben Deacon and Dave Goldie plan to go to Hudson Bay in Arctic Canada to travel up to 3000 km along the Hudson Bay Coast, and attempt the world 24 hour polar travel record which currently stands at 500 km. For more information on the kitesled check out the website. Read about Ben and Dave’s tumultuous Canada expedition HERE.

From Sea to See
With the assistance of the AG Society, two visually-impaired friends from Adelaide, Neil Massey and Lee Cox , will attempt to walk from Adelaide to Darwin. The walk is being held to raise $250,000 for Retina Australia (SA) Inc. Their walk will begin from Glenelg, Adelaide on 27 June and will conclude approximately 92 days later in Darwin, NT. If successful, Neil and Lee will cover more than 3000 km on their journey through the heart of Australia. On average, the pair will clock up 43 km a day and sometimes up to 58 km.
 
Icy adventure
Luke and Simon Perraton share a love for the Australian high country, a driving force behind their upcoming attempt to ski tour/walk the Australian Alps Walking Track in winter. The pair have been planning and training for this adventure – which will begin in Walhalla and end in Canberra – for the last four years. Luke and Simon are currently preparing food and fuel drops for their two-month adventure, in time for their departure in July.
 
8 in 8 in 8
Andrew Hughes will cycle, kayak and walk to reach the highest eight peaks in the eight Australian states and territories in just eight months. While travelling, Andrew will maintain a website which will document his journey. Lesson plans involving Andrew’s expedition will also be available for students in grades 5-8.
Website

Ben Deacon, Dave Goldie & Pat Spiers
IceBird Hudson Bay Expedition 2009
Website

Neil Massay
From Sea to See

Jarrah Wells
Light weight kayak

David Chiew
K2 and Broadpeak climb

Read about other projects that we’ve sponsored:

Science
Community
Environment

The post Recent projects: Adventure appeared first on Australian Geographic.

Preserving Parramatta Observatory
With the help of the AGS, Parramatta Park Trust has undertaken archaeological investigation and historical research at the site of the Parramatta Observatory in Sydney’s west. The private observatory was built by Governor Thomas Brisbane in 1822 at the Government Domain (now Parramatta Park) and demolished in 1847, and was used by many early astronomers and surveyors. The trust hopes the work will help to conserve the site for future generations.

Project AE1
Renowned diver and underwater photographer Mark Spencer and members of the Project AE1 team will investigate some possible sites that may represent the wreck of the Australian World War I submarine AE1, lost off Rabaul PNG in October, 1914 with all hands. Following the AE1’s designated course they will search for the wreck with magnetometer and side-scan sonar. Diving to depths of 130 m, Mark and the team will photo-document the wreck if found. This project may bring an end to the mystery of the loss of Australia’s first submarine. Mark and the team hope the project will higlight a neglected part of the country’s heritage and bring closure for the descendents of those lost on the AE1.
 
Read about other projects that we’ve sponsored:

Science
Adventure
Environment

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Incognito insects  
Dr Martin Steinbauer from La Trobe University in Melbourne is an entomologist with more than 12 years experience in the study of insect behaviour. In 2009, Martin will be researching species of hairy caterpillars to determine whether or not they mimic characteristics of other harmful caterpillar species – including stinging caterpillars. Martin hopes his research will assist people – especially students – in correctly identifying species.

High society
Female giraffes are the supermodels of the animal kingdom – leggy, graceful and aloof. Up until now it was believed that they didn’t form strong social bonds, but recent research has revealed this theory may be incorrect. University of Queensland PhD candidate Kerryn Carter is on the case to shed some light on the little-known social dynamics of the species. Kerryn will undertake a two-year study in Etosha National Park, Namibia, documenting the interactions of 135 female giraffes.

River red
The expansive 2000 sq. km Macquarie Marshes in north-western NSW support a variety of native birds. River regulation, however, has led to a reduction of the localised flooding upon which river red gums depend. University of NSW student Alice Blackwood is investigating the possible effects of their decline on bird-habitat quality.

Investigating fireplaces in regional Australia  
Lynley Wallis and other researchers from Flinders University in Adelaide will undertake a highly innovative project to investigate archaeological fireplaces in rural Australia. The team will use cutting edge technologies such as ground penetrating radar to probe the sites.
Fireplaces are found throughout semi-arid Australia, but are under great threat from pastoral activities and erosion. They are highly valuable because they can be dated, allowing scientists to address questions about the timing of Aboriginal occupation as well as providing information about past environmental conditions. This project brings together leading scientists from the US and Australia, also working collaboratively with members of indigenous communities and pastoral owners.

Pim Bongaerts – Centre for Marine Studies (JCU)
Exploring the unknown deep reefs of the Coral Sea

Stewart Nicol – University of Tasmania
The unusual reproductive behaviour of Tasmanian echidnas

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