1994 School Magazine

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Girls' Grainmar School 3Brisbaiic 199+

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Day 3 - Wed, ,esd, ,y 64pril Mid-morning we began the day's first activity. the reef transect. on the windward side of the island. The Iasl< invol\, ed exploring crevices in the coral maze to find interesting and

D"y I - Momd"y 4 April mally the countdown was over. Twenty-One students and three teachers eagerly waited at Brisbane Airport for Flight 850 to Gladstone. After a one hour night we arrived at

vaiying life forms suclT as the beautifully coloured clams. After Iuncli we cli- vided into in'o groups and studied the islands let- restrial vegetation. The late afternoon was spent snorkelling and playing trivial pursuit. This was preceded by dinner, dur- ino which M^s Dowries was unexpectedly dive- boiTTbed by a charging mutton bitcl on a mission from a nearby tree! After this encounter we walked around the island's pe- Timerer ancl were lucky

Gladstone Airport. At the nearby harbour we boarded Reef Art"errt!!IPI. 11 All in- volved were very excited about spending five days on a coral cay, staying at the University of Qtieensland Researcll Station situated in the centre of alarge Pasiona Forest. We all 1

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D"y 2 - TMesd"y 5 April

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After a night of telling ghost stories, to the accom- paniment of the baby-like

enotigh to observe green turtle it atchlings ITeading towards the nToonlit water Day 4 - in"rsd"y 7April This was clefinitely an eventful day. in the ITToming, we travellecl a short distance by boat to two snorkelling sites. The first site was called Coral Gardens. for obvious reasons. while the seconclsite was referred 10 as The "Boiliby ". This tenTTis used To describe a jaroe coral growth. We nandled HUSsar fislT at the Bomby. will\ solne people even sighting a Inarita ray and black- tip reef shark. After this excite litent we returned to the Research

ciy of the mutton birds, we rose eagerly awaiting the day's events. On the agenda was a \, eiy informative reef walk witlT Dr leil, a Palaeoniologist, and this was then followed by a snorkel

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in Blue Pools situatecl off the edge of the reef. Here we saw an abundance of wildlife. We were all eager 10 explore the island after Dr Iell's reef tall< the previous night. The afternoon was spent visiting the resort, walking 11}Tougl} the Pasiona Forest and snorkelling. While partaking in The latter activity, we finally I}ad otir first real encounter will\ a shark. This led 10 Mrs SIaiham spending In OSI of her time in knee-deep water! Tl}at night we all went to tile seminar room for an interesting talk by Di Frankel. also a Palaeontologist. where ITe <1iscussed 11is previous experiences ancl the Linique Great Barrier Reef

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Station 10 write about oLir adopted trees. The same evening. after watching DJ'op Detrd Fled. we Linexpeciedly saw a large green ILirtle laying I\er clLtICl\ on The shoreline. Miss Derringron \\. ill rel\Ternber this day, for the distressed noddy tern which regLiroitaTed its 11Teal in one of TITe cabins. Wliat a sight!

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