Gone camping

Have you ever been camping?

It used to be a regular thing. As a family we used to go way north of Adelaide to camp in the Flinders Rangers. It got into my veins pretty early with all the experiences that go with it including the boring, the messy, swimming au natural.

I remember volunteering for the school holiday hiking trips. One year we did the Cradle Mountain/ Lake St Clair trek in Tasmania. Another year a small group of us did the Mount Kosciusko high country. Then nothing. Nothing for years. Why? I thought I’d changed, that I didn’t need it. That I didn’t need to ‘go bush’ anymore. But maybe underneath I’m hankering for untamed nature after all. Maybe the easy domesticated world I inhabit isn’t enough. Trees, rocks, ice, mountains, rivers, ropes, carabiners, blinding sunshine, freezing wind, rain, blisters, tired legs, hunger. Remember? Naah. Time to raid the fridge instead.

Coral sun shield

Ultra-thin sun shield

The recent press announcement of a scientifically developed coral sun-shield is a potential game changer and a real glimmer of hope for the dying Great Barrier Reef. Scientists are currently investigating a number of possible solutions including genetic modification & cultivation of super-symbionts and these are discussed in an earlier post: http://www.waxpoetic.com.au/?p=1990

As is already appreciated, the health of the reef is in jeopardy as unprecedented coral bleaching in 2016 and 2017 has decimated the reef by two-thirds – approximately 1500 kilometres of reef.* Continue reading Coral sun shield