WELCOME TO MY WAMBANA BLOG

G,day and welcome to my blog covering my time on Extended Stay 2010. I am on this camp for a total of three and a half weeks with my fellow members of 9TMCMMN. During the camp we are going to be bike riding, surfing, snorkeling, kayaking, planting trees, running, doing push ups, fishing, shopping, cooking, cleaning, reading, camping and writing blogs.

The word Wardli comes from the local aboriginal word meaning "dwelling"

This is my Wardli. Left to Right. Luke Janowski, Phillip Craig, James Ma, Me and Ian Smith.

-LUKE "JANOWSKIIIIIIIIII" JANOWSKI-

Likes paper towels


-JAMES "JIMMY" MA-

Likes metwurst and yelling at Phil

Left Wambana to go and play tennis.

-IAN "SMITHY" SMITH-

Likes dogs and spice racks

-PHILLIP "BAM" CRAIG-

Likes mops

AND INTRODUCING OUR LATEST MEMBER...................... DANYON WHITE!!

And finally ME!

Cycle Tour

-CYCLE TOUR-

-Cycle Tour Overview-

Day 1: (am) Wambana to West Point Souter (20km)

(pm) Warooka loop (23km)

Day 2: Innes National Park (37km)

Day 3: Central Southern York Peninsula to Edithburg (48km)

Total distance covered: 128km

DAY 1

On Tuesday,9th March 2010 we began the cycle tour. We mounted our basically brand new bikes and set off from Wambana along a small beach side track and the main road of Point Turton, passing the Jetty and the Point Turton Tavern. We then moved onto a long dirt road along the coast, passing many beach side shacks with the wind on our backs and Henry up front leading the way. We then turned onto a dirt road and started up our first hill for the tour, on my way down I forgot to indicate at an intersection and was punished with 2o push-ups, which I did but had to do again later because no one else did theirs. We then looked around an old school that had been abandoned for many years. Once we got out we had to carry our bikes on our shoulders up the road about 100 metres because people were doing skids and wheelies. We got back on our bikes and rode up a long dirt road into the wind. I finally got to the end but Owen was giving up and pushing his bike so we had to carry our bikes with him until he either rode or got to the end. This moment definitely brought about a change in both Owen's attitude and the attitude of the group. We finally got back and I enjoyed a lunch of tuna, biscuits and a fruit cup thanks to Ian. We set off once again, this time in a long loop into the middle of the countryside along a long bitumen road at a steady pace in a long "train". Eventually we got a a small off road dirt track which was a welcome change to the comparatively boring roads. Once we finally got to Warooka the any challenge for today was well and truly over and the rest was a fun downhill ride on perfect bitumen back to Wambana.

DAY 2 - Wednesday, 10th March 2010

Day two we bussed out to the Innes National Park and saddled up for another days ride. Me and Jimmy were leaders today and we had to make sure everyone was ready. The road we were to ride on weaved its way around the coast, up and down hills and near some beautiful scenery. After going down "The Hill" (Very big and steep) my chain slipped off for the first of the five times it would fall off during the one ride. We continued riding along the road, admiring the sea, lakes and forests until we stopped and had lunch near a lighthouse. Tuna and fruit cups again. After lunch we wet off again for Surfers Beach where we saw kangaroos and stood around aimlessly looking at a beach we weren't allowed to swim at. On the way back we had to do "The 2-8 Challenge" which consisted of riding the whole way back in gears 2 and 8 (pretty high gears) even up hills and if we push our bikes or changed gears we failed. I got through pretty easily until I got to "The Hill" (the big steep one from before) and after ages I finally got up, calves aching where all who had stopped went back to help the stragglers. The last person to arrive at "The Hill" was Jarred, he was struggling but he hadn't changed gears and was determined to get up "The Hill". When everyone came down to him and cheered him on it was amazing how well it worked because Jarred began to absolutely power up the hill and when he got to the top it once again proved the growing camaraderie within the group.

DAY 3 - Thursday, 11th March 2010

The third and final day of cycling had us in a bus to a dirt road in the middle of the Southern Yorke Peninsula. We began our ride and it was pretty cruisy. The scenery wasn't as good as the previous day but it got better as the day went on. We began to work our way towards the coast along assorted country dirt roads with little fuss, two days of riding had already had an affect on my leg muscles and fitness and riding was becoming way better. We eventually got to Suicide Point and we stopped for lunch on the beach, yet more tuna. After lunch we set off again and we began to ride along a road parallel to some nice coastal cliffs. I chatted to Henry and Jimmy for a while and that made the ride heaps enjoyable and relaxing. After a stop at a lighthouse we continued on towards a large wind farm about 8km from Edithburg. When we finally got to Edithburg we had to hand in our bikes and go for a swim in the freezing salt water pool in Edithburg, which I didn't find too bad and I actually stayed in for a while.

Introduction To Statistics

Our first run was 3.4 km from Wambana to the sacred stone on the foreshore towards the jetty and back. I did this run in 16 minutes, the average time for my Wardli was 18.4 minutes. The fastest people overall were James and Hayden from Wardlis 4 and 5 who ran in together at a time of around 13 minutes. Comparing Wardlis, the most diverse group was Wardli 5 who had an IQR of 15.5 minutes. That is, the middle 50% of times varied by 15.5 minutes. The Wardli with the lowest median score was Wardli 4, my Wardli, this being 16 minutes. We also had the lowest average time of time of 18.4 minutes. As a class we could be considered as 3 seperate groups, making the results trimodal. The three groups were the 10 fitter runners at the front, of which I was at the middlish-back of, then about 6 people who where slower and came in within 3 minutes of eachother. The third group was two guys who struggled a bit but pushed it through to the end. More than half of the participants finished in the first group.

STATISTICS FOR 3.4 km RUN THURSDAY, 25th MARCH 2010

Data: all times rounded

10

11

12

13

14 x x

15 x

16 x x x

17 x

18

19 x x x

20 x x

21 x

22 x
23 x x

24 x

25

26
27
28
29 x

30

The distribution is bimodal, centered around 16 and 19 minutes. We have an outlier of 29 minutes which affect the mean.

STATS

Min - 14

Max - 29

Range - 15

Mode - 16 and 19

Median - 19

Mean - 19 5/18
Q1 - 16

Q3 - 22
IQR - 6

Box Plot - I came in the top of the middle 50% on Q1 (16)

Fitness Program

Every day, excluding the cycle tour and surf expedition, we have to participate in one form of fitness training. These include 3.4, 5.5, 9.2 and 11 kilometre runs, beach sprints and games.

Friday, 12th March 2010
First fitness training for the program (excluding the bike riding). I had to wake up at quarter to seven, get dressed and head over to the shed and stretch up for our 3.4km run. When the clock struck seven we all set off along the beautiful coastal running track. I was only with the lead pack momentarily but I soon dropped off and settled down to a steady pace with Henry and ended up coming in two seconds after him with a time of 16 minutes.

Saturday, 13th March 2010
Our second fitness training had us running up the same track as Friday but this time further, up to the jetty, bringing the total distance up to 5.5km. I started off well and I was up with the lead pack, but I started to drop off because I just couldn't keep up and once again was level with Henry. But then I started having these weird pains in my chest and back. My back simply hurt but my chest hurt whenever I breathed to hard, so I had to slow down to a pace that I could breathe at. The members of the lead pack surged ahead and I came in by myself at a reasonable time of 27 minutes and 15 seconds.

Sunday, 14th March 2010

Finally a fun fitness training. After some sprinting games and stretches for warm-ups, we got to play modified soccer, Wardlis 4 and 5 versus Wardlis 2 and 3 (Wardlis 1 and 6 are inhabited by the leaders). The difference with this soccer is that all players must be on the attacking side of the field when a goal is scored, otherwise the other team gets the goal. Our team won 5-1 and I played pretty well, didn't get any goals but I got the ball a fair bit and it was WAY better than running and push-ups.

Monday, 15th March 2010

Another 5.5km run to the jetty. Because of my chest pains two days ago I decided to keep a more steady pace to avoid injury. So the lead pack broke away and once again I was by myself. I kept at it and whatever was wrong with me on Saturday was certainly gone now and I felt pretty confident. I finally got to the end, only to find out I did WORSE than when I was in pain, coming in at a time of 30:15. Next time I want to try and find someone who I can try to keep up with and push my self to achieve a better time. To add on to my failed time, I also did something to my neck and every time I moved/rotated it to the right it hurt. I tried to d my push-ups but my neck was giving me grief so I just did sit ups until time ran out. My neck is still a bit sore but I can keep my it straight at least in stead of leaning it to the left which looks retarded.

Tuesday, 16th March 2010

Today we go to play another game. This time we played chain dodge ball. Each Wardli had to form a chain by holding onto each others' back. The opther Wardlis are all on the outside of the square and have to throw balls at and hit the person at the back of the line. If the person gets out they leave the chain and the chain gets smaller until everyone is out. If you get someone who isn't at the back they are not out, so they can use their arms and legs to defend the person at the back. Our Wardli got the second best time out of all the Wardlis with a time of 1 minute and 20 seconds.

Wednesday, 17th March 2010

Today we had out first Power Training. We only had to do it for 15 minutes because of how hard we would be working. So for a while we got all of the Kayaks out of the shed so that Wardlis 2 and 5 could use them. After that we began Power Training, basically a fancy name for sprints and push-ups. It was pretty intense but I'm glad I pushed myself. I didn't take long to recover and I'm more worried about the 9 KM RUN TOMORROW!!!

Thursday, 18th March 2010

Today I ran the 9 km run with Henry, Athans, Decky, Dale, Jimmy, Cameron and Janowski. All the others did a shorter run, around 6-7km. For the first 5km we had to stick together so I really had to push to keep up with all the fitter people. Luckily, Dale (one of the leaders) was really supportive and kept me motivated. After the 5km everyone except Cameron and Athans surged ahead of me and I was left alone, eventually coming in at a time of 56 minutes which I was happy with but I think I wish I had pushed to keep up with Henry.

Friday, 19th March 2010

Today we did fitness games with Bairdy. The first game we played was a game like dodgball where the person with the ball can't move so it's kind of like netball and it involves lots of teamwork. It was really fun but when people started to "close in" on you it gets pretty hard because the ball is always faster than me. Even though I was chased a fair bit I actually ended up winning, finally being caught by Jimmy. It was heaps good and I wish I could do that every day. The second game we played was keepers off, Wardlis 2 and 3 vs Wardlis 4 and 5. If you got 10 catches/passes in a row without dropping it you scored a point. Our team wasn't very good and we ended up losing 3-1.

Saturday, 20th March 2010

Today we had another 3.4km run. I tried to push myself harder and I really thought that I was going to beat my old time. I once again ran by myself, failing to achieve my goal of keeping up with Henry. I didn't end up beating my time and I want to really try and keep up with Henry next time.

Sunday, 21st March 2010

Today we had a 5.5km and I am pleased with how I went, I kept up with Henry the whole time which I hope to continue doing and ended up beating my best time of 27 minutes by two minutes. I'm very glad with how I went and I definitely pushed myself and I was pretty tired by the end of it.

Monday, 22nd March 2010

Today we had another Power Training session with Hobbsy. We jogged down to the beach where Hobbsy drew some lines up for suicides. We were put in groups of three and I was with Cameron and Decky. First we just had to sprint up and back fro a while and it was pretty tough but I pushed myself and tried my best to run as hard as I could, despite the lactic acid building up in my legs. The next thing we did was running the same distance with 5 push-ups every time we got to a certain end. Because I was so puffed I found it pretty hard, but I survived. The final challenge was to do a much shorter distance which was actually harder because we had to stop and start all the time and really push with our legs. It was hard but thankfully we didn't need to jog all the way back.

NO TRAINING TUESDAY, 23rd MARCH AND WEDNESDAY, 24th MARCH

Thursday, 25th March 2010

Today we had a 3.4km run. We were going to go on an 8km run along a bush track but we didn't because of some unknown reason. After the camping I was feeling a bit run down with a blocked nose and flemmy throat so I couldn't run as well as I know I couldv'e. So I dropped away from Henry and was running by myself until I reached the Sacred Stone where Cameron was slowing down after a strong start with Decky. We joined up and after nearly crashing into Sean we were jogging back towards Wambana. It was good to be running with someone and Cameron gave me a good pace to keep up with. Eventually, when we were about 10m away from the shed, I sprinted away from Cameron and came in a few seconds in front of him with a personal best time of 15:40.

Friday, 26th March 2010

Today we had fitness with Bairdy. The first game we played was diminishing load. In diminishing load, the whole group had to carry one member of the group to the other side of a square until there were none left. I was carried first because I was the lighest, our group still lost. After that we had to reverse the order, so I was left to carry Owen. We couldn't jump on my back so I couldn't piggy-back him. So I tried to carry him, but I couldn't carry him the whole way, so I dragged him for the last bit. The next game we played was chain dodgeball, our group failed again.

Saturday, 27th March 2010

Another 5.5 today. I had a bit of a cough so I did the run with a cough drop in my mouth, which saved me I'm pretty sure. I tried to keep up with Henry but I fell back again. When I got to the Jetty I saw an old lady who had caught two squid. Not too bad. As I began the run back from the Jetty I was about 70m behind Henry and Decky. They began to get further ahead of me but cameron was dropping off, I decided to make it my goal to catch up to him. In the end I got up to about 5m behind him but he bolted at the last minute, beating me by 2 seconds. I still beat my record, I think, with a time of 25:15.

Sunday, 28th March 2010

Today we had another 3.4km run to the sacred stone. I couldn't keep up with everyone but I felt like I was running very strongly compared to other days. Eventually I was about to catch up to Cameron on the way back and then he just gave up and ruined the fun. When we were nearing Wambana I decided to try and catch up with Decky, even though he was like 50m in front,I caught up but didn't over take him but still beat my old time with 15:25.

Monday, 29th March 2010

Today we had a game of up-and-back soccer. It was Wardlis 3 and 5 vs 2 and 4. We were all tagged with someone who was meant to be similar running ability. For some reason I was put with probably the fafstst person, Hayden. I got the ball a few times but I was hasing Hayden around most of the time. The opposition scored the first goal, but Janowski eventually levelled the score. Eventually the whistle blew and it was all over, the final score, 1-1.

TUESDAY, 30TH MARCH 2010

Today we had the event we had been training for the whole time, the 11km beach run. We hopped into the bus under the setting full moon at 7:00am and drove to Hardwicke Bay. When we got there I think everyone was pretty nervous, I was no exception. My aim was to get under an hour, just like Dad's goal for the City To Bay, I really wanted to push my self to make him proud. My nose was blocked so I blew it on some seaweed. We all lined up and waited for Paul to give the order. Tilleh the pregnant dog jumped the gun and sprinted off, got about 20 metres and gave up, she was later disqualified from the race and locked in the bus. Paul finally said go and we were off, Tilleh chased Hayden around for a while which was pretty funny. The first bit was pretty sandy so we all stayed on the 4x4 car tracks which were more firm. I eventually settled into a steady pace with Henry, who was also aiming for under an hour. The whole way we could see Wambana in the distance and if I focused on Wambana the beach seemed to get bigger which was depressing. Most of the time I wasn't even thinking about the run or how tired I was and I sure as hell didn't want to give up. Even though we didn't really talk, it was motivating to be next to Henry compared to being by myself like on the 9.2km run. We eventually passed Hobbsy, Athans and Cameron which was motivating in a way. We continued running on the sand near the shore where the high tide had been but it was really lumpy and occasionally soft so we stumble around every now and then. We finally came to the final stretch of the race which was sandy track leading to Wambana, Towards the end of it we upped the speed and nearly missed the turn off to the shed, Henry once again beat me in the sprint, dammit, coming in one second ahead. My final time was 1:01:26. I was pretty annoyed that I didn't get under an hour but I was happy because I did better compared to when I went in the City to Bay. I'm glad I kept up with Henry, if I had given up I would've been a lot slower. Tommorow we have a 3.4km run, should be easy. No blogs though so cya.

Hardwicke Bay Revegetation Project

Monday, 15th March 2010

Today we took a bus down to Hardwicke bay where we assisted some local volunteers in the removal of invasive weeds from a local park and garden.

The three mains weeds we were out to get were the Lincoln Weed, Wild Oat and Boxthorn. These weeds take water and soil/room from native plants and cannot support native ecosystems and the therefore outbreak of weeds can lead to the endangerment or even extinction of native species. Weeds can also take over space in dune encironments and kill off deep rooted native planst and cause harmful erosion of the sand dunes.

Humans are the main reason there are invasive weeds in Australia. Many plants that are now weeds were brought over from Europe because they were "pretty". Many weeds of the grass variety exist in Australia because they were brought over in the ships as packaging for things like beer and glass bottles. Other weeds have been brought over in ships from foreign countries and been deposited by sea when they empty their ballast tanks full of water containing seeds from their home country. Many newer plants that have been put on gardens have recently started to become recognised weeds, especially in fragile sand dune environments.

Weeds vary over Australia because certain weeds flourish in certain climates. But most areas of Australia are still affected in some way or another. Climate change is certain to have an effect on the weed problem in Australia. The lack of water and heat may cause the weeds to die out due to their European and wet origin. But some other weeds that require little water may flourish compared to others and may soon take over.

Luckily, many people volunteer to aid in the removal of weeds and conservation of naive species. Many people do this to help make the world better for future generations, to help their country or local area and give something back to the community, to meet new people or because they simply enjoy it.

There are many things that people can do to prevent the overrunning of Australia by weeds. People can choose to not plant foreign plants and instead choose to plant native species that can support local ecosystems and provide shelter for local wildlife. People can also volunteer in organisations that help conserve the local flora and fauna or simply pull out weeds at home to stop them spreading.

Moff's History Tour 1

Friday, 19th March 2010

Today I went on the history tour with my Wardli and Wardli 5. It was led by Moff and he practically drove us around talking about random things concerned with history, nature or geology etc. Our first topic was the Norfolk Pine which was used for ships masts in the early days and as a result, is found in many coastal areas around Australia. The next place we went was the site of the old Limestone quarry near the jetty at Point Turton, now covered by a caravan park. Limestone is also known as Calcium Carbonate and is mostly made up of old shells. Point Turton used to be a port so sailing ships (the main transport of the day) could take it elsewhere for use in construction.

After that, we left Point Turton and began a drive through the countryside. Whilst there, we found an old stone house which Moff thinks was made by an early sheep farmer who struggled with the local Aborigines over nearby wells. Evidence of this includes rows of defensive Boxthorn bushes around the property and a stone house with small, fort-like windows. Old plows in the field are evidence that he failed at his sheep business and tried to grow crops.

We then started our drive along a road where Moff found a couple of interesting (sort of) trees. One tree was the Aleppo Pine, which we had been removing a few days ago. The Aleppo Pine was introduced to Australia for three main reasons. After World War 1 it was introduced because it is native to areas where Australians fought, like Gallipoli. Another reason is because they provide a good windbreak for farms. The final reaon there were brought to Australia is because they were green, especially in comparison to the duller Australian trees. Aleppo pines are harmful because they don't support native animals or vegetation.

Whilst we were looking at the Aleppo Pine, Moff talked about how the aristocracy, that is, the people that owned land, built large houses on the top of hills with classical architecture and large driveways back in England. This began to change in Australian as working class farmers earned more and began to build grander houses instead of old corrugated iron sheds.

We stopped off a while down the road to look at a Mallee Pine. Mallee pines are native to Australia and support a whole range of wildlife. It's seeds are fertilised by birds and ants that are attracted to the tree because of the sugar that it produces. Mallee Pines are resistant to fire because most of their stumps are under the ground and unaffected by fire. Fire even helps the survival of the species because the nuts containing the seeds are split open in intense heat.

The next tree we looked at was the Shea Oak. It has extremely hard wood and bark and as a result, is very fire resistant. If you can manage to get a piece and put it in a fire with some other types of wood, the fire will burn for longer. Shea Oaks are fertilised by ants and birds, in particular the Black Cocky. Next site Moff took us to was a now deserted group of old aboriginal wells. These wells were small holes in the ground that the Aborigines used to access underground water courses. Many have since been blocked up with stones or dirt. One big one had some old sheep bones in it which was cool.

After we were finished looking for wells we got back into the bus and started our drive to Innes National Park. The first thing we looked at was our fourth and final tree of interest, the Cyprus. Cyprus trees have turpentine in them and are resistant to termites, as a result they are very good for building materials but for some reason aren't used all that much in modern construction.
We then did a small walk around the old site and interesting locations ofthe old Stenhouse Bay mining town. Stenhouse Bay was settled mainly for the mining of Gypsum (Magnesium Carbonate). It now only a few small houses and a tavern but it used to be bigger. Many garden plant species that used to be in the gardens of the old miners have now escaped and are competing with the native plants for space, nutrients, water etc. The next thing we looked at was the old jetty where the Gypsum would be taken down the cliffs on a big slide where it was loaded onto ships and taken elsewhere. There was also an old train which used to take the Gypsum to the slide along train tracks from Stenhouse Bay but it is now rusting on a hill for tourists to see. We then reached a steep hill which lead down to the sea, on the top there is a lot of old rubbish like wood, bottles and rusted metal. This is becuase the hill was an old way of disposing rubbish and waste.

We eventually finishd our walk and returned to the bus. We continued along the same road that we had ridden on the second day of the cycle tour, stopping to look at the small island, Chinamans Hat. Whilst we were there, Moff told us about Chinese immagrants in colonial/gold rush days. During the gold rush, many Chinese workers were brought in for cheap labour. Very soon, Australia was being crouded by the influx of Chinese people. So the goverment introduces the "White Australia Rule", which banned any new immigration of Asian, African or Eastern European peoples and imposed heavy taxes on any already in Australia.

Our next destination was the historic township of Inneston. Even though it is now deserted, save a few people who rent out some restored houses for holidays. The main reason Inneston was founded was to make use of the nearby Gypsum lake. There was a large stable where many horses were kept to cart all of the Gypsum to the plaster factory in the town. The town showcases the old manager vs worker state of mind, with the managers houses on the top of a hill, with large park lands surrounding, and the workers' houses on the bottom of the hill.

The final place we visited was the wreck of the Ethel and Ferret. The Ethel was a steam ship that was caught in a storm and beached. Surprisingly, only one member of the crew died, and that was one who attempted to swim back to shore but drowned. All other crew members survived. The second wreck, the Ferret was a paddle steamer which had tried to rescue the Ethel, failed, gone back to Adelaide, got captured by pirates and used as a pirate ship, regained (pirates were arrested) and then sunk on a voyage near where it had failed to rescue the Ethel. Ironic.

Snorkeling

Monday, 15th March 2010

Today Wardlis 2 and 4 went snorkeling down at the salt water pool in Edithburg. First we had to get used to the equipment and practise things like diving underwater to have a closer look at things, surfacing and spitting water out of our snorkels. I had been snorkeling before so it wasn't anything new. After about half an hour later we finally got to venture out of the lifeless pool of shallow water and venture out into the mysterious, enticing, wonderful waters..................20 metres out. We were only allowed to swim in an area about 20x20 and it wasn't anything really interesting. Well at least we saw rocks..........and um weed and a.....dead, headless fish. Awesome! (sarcastic). Hobbsy said we would go further out next time but I don't think we're going to have time. I wish we couldv'e gone somewhere else with more interesting fish but at least we got to go swimming which was alright.

Instructional Entry

How to Surf

Location: Beach

Equipment:
1 board (foam boards are best for beginners)
1 Wetsuit (to keep warm)
1 Leg rope (attached to board)

Method:
1. Find a board of suitable size (the bigger they are, the more stable but they are slower)
2. Attach the leg rope to whichever leg is at the back of the board in your normal standing stance. Note - To find your stance just jump up and whatever way you are facing and is more comfortable is the stance you should use.
3. Head out to the beach and paddle to just a bit further out than where the waves are breaking.(beginners should try the white wash or small waves first to build confidence)
4. When you see a wave coming (a few metres away), begin paddling towards the beach with long, strong strokes with both arms, making sure that you are towards the back of the board. If you are too far forwards you will over balance and nose dive. A good place to be is to have your feet just off the end of the board. You should aim to do at least 6 strokes before the waves hits to build momentum and at least 4 when you are "on" the wave just to make sure that you are definitely "on".
5. Move your hands up to your chest as if doing a push-up. Push your upper body up and bring your proffered front leg to where your hands are. Quickly hop your other leg up and assume a standing position, but remember to stay low as it aids your balance.
6. Try and keep your balance and ride into the shore or as far as you desire.

To "ride" a wave you must first observe the direction the waves are breaking. Once you have figured this out, you need to paddle on about a 45 degree angle in the direction of the unbroken side of the wave. You must then make sure you stand up very quickly and try and turn your board so that you are almost travelling across the wave. Remember to stay low and keep trying until you get it.

This is what I was taught when I was learning how to surf and it worked fairly well. I just had to keep trying and not give up. The fact that I really enjoyed it probably had an effect on how quickly I learnt.

Statistics & Climate Change

Electricity Usage - kWh
Min - 4
Max - 14
Range - 10
Median - 9.5
Mode - 10
Mean - 8.58
Q1 - 6
Q3 - 10
IQR - 4

Water Usage - Litres
Min - 33
Max - 72
Range - 39
Median - 63
Mode - 63
Mean - 59
Q1 - 53
Q3 - 67.5
IQR - 14.5

Novel

Debt Of Honour

by Tom Clancy

Published by Harper Collins Publishers 1995
I chose this book because the blurb seemed interesting and I have heard of Tom Clancy before so I thought I should give one of his books a go.

TEXTUAL CONVENTIONS

This book is a continuous prose about rising tensions between the USA and Japan. It also tells many sub-stories which intertwine as the story unfolds. It is written in third-person, with the focus jumping across many different characters and also some descriptions of events which describe no characters in particular but instead describe events. eg the stock market changing.

LITERAL COMPREHENSION

The story takes place in modern times and is told from the perspectives of various political figures in both the American and Japanese governments, businessmen, lawyers, factory workers, journalists, CIA field officers and military commanders from both countries. One of the Japanese businessmen, Yamata, is very proud of his country but is worried that they will never grow because Japan is so small and has little resources. He wants war and has a lot of influence in his country, and a plan. Japan has begun construction of nuclear missiles. In the United States, two Japanese made cars blow up due to faulty engines. Outraged by the incident, the US government puts into place the 'Trade Reform Act'. Which limits the import of Japanese products. This cause a major economic downturn in Japan and the value of the Yen drops rapidly. The Prime Minister of Japan resignes to avoid disgrace and a new candidate, one with open hostility towards America is put into an almost definite position to become his replacement. Meanwhile, all Russian and American nuclear missle are being disarmed in an agreement by the two countries to end the fear of nuclear war between the two countries. Near Sri Lanka, a group of Indian war ships are patrolling the coast and seem to be attempting to find the location of an American Carrier Battle Group. The Americans are suspicious that the Indians plan to invade Sri Lanka to gain a good base to attack Australia for the room and resources. In the Pacific; a practice battle against Japan and America is going well until two Japanese vessels launch six torpedos into two American ships. On Wall Street; foreign nations are making a run on the American Dollar and the Dow Jones drops a staggering 500 points and many traders begin to sell. The American economy is now dropping. But the upside, economically, is that the 'Trade Reform Act' means that more jobs in manufacturing are made. So the American economy is in complete confusion and the President is called back from Russia where ceremonies are underway celebrating the disarming of the missiles. As well as the attack on the US ships, the Japanese have invaded the American owned Marianas islands. Japan is now at war with the US. The Tamul Tigers increase activity and a US admiral fears that the Indians may use it to increase military presence in Sri Lanka and take control.

MAIN PROBLEMS

- Wall Street in Turmoil

- Marianas Invaded by Japan

- Pacific Fleet Crippled
- Fear of Indian Invasion of Sri Lanka

SOLUTION SO FAR

- Because the stock market crashed, the computer systems failed and no records were made. Jack Ryan comes up with the idea to restart trading as if it had never happened.

Main Characters

Jack Ryan - US President's National Security Advisor -

Raizo Yamata - Japanese Businessman - bought a big investment company and practically crewed it over to cause the stock market crash - dislikes USA - family killed in WW II

President Durling - President of the USA - Under stress with all of the problems

Mr Goto - Prime Minister of Japan - dislikes USA

Mr Burroughs - US citizen trapped on Marianas

Mr Oreza - Ex Coast Guard - also on Marianas - sending information to US coast guard

Ding Chavez and John Clark - CIA Operatives in Japan

Chet Nomuri - Japanese-American CIA operative in Japan

CONTEXT

I don't think the author, Tom Clancy has had any experiences similar to those in the book. Although, it does have similarity to the Battle of the Pacific in WW II. He obviously does a lot of research and many sequences display proficient knowledge of economics, military organisation and equipmant, politics and diplomacy. These parts of the book are so complex they often leave me confused.

INTERPRETATION

I havn't read the whole story so I would like to ask Yamata why he is invading and attacking the Americans. It had not been revealed yet and many other characters is the story are thinking the same thing. A lot of the complicated paragraphs explaining Wall street and money were sonfusing and I wish I could understand them more. I would like to ask Tom Clancy for hints about writing novels and how he does it. I want to write a novel one day, unlikely as it is. It would be cool to ask him about how he made it and how he managed to be so thourough with his research and language skills.

SYNTHESIS

Tom Clancy has purposely not included any real people in his book to avoid "insulting" them by making them do certain things in the book. All of the characters are made up, even the president has a different name and character. All of the locations are real but he is never racist in his writings. A lot of the events mirror the Battle for the Pacific in World War 2 with the sudden Japanese attack.

EVALUATION

The story is very complex and I actual feel mature and smart when I read it because it's not a silly childish book, it's a serious, intelligent book written by and adult for adults. I haven't read the whole book yet but the plot is developing well and I can't wait to see any twists Tom Clancy can make. I don't really relate to any characters fully but I think I have a similar determination to get the job done like Jack Ryan. I have learnt a lot by reading this book. I kind of understand shares, trading and the economy now, but I've still got a while to go. I understand how complex politics are and that war isn't as simple as I used to think it was. I haven't really changed my opinion on anything in the book, I still want the war to really start, not because I'm sadistic or anything, but because it would be really interesting to read, especially with Tom Clancy at the helm. One particular part of the story that stood out to me was when the Japanese started attacking the US ships in the Pacific. He really displayed the feeling of confusion by the US sailors and this was the point in the book when it started to get more interesting and the pace started to get faster. Overall, I am enjoying reading this book because i have never read something quite so mature and complex. I can't wait to see what happens next.

CREATIVE

Beause the book is so long, there are probably a lot of scenes that could be and would have to be removed to make it an appropraite length. One scene that introduces Chavez and Clark taking down an African drug runner seems a bit random because the drug runner seems to have nothing to do with anything in the rest of the story. This book probably isn't directed to young readers. It is too complex and the topics within it are more adult in nature.

Living in a Wardli

10 Highs

1: Making Friends

2: Digging in to the Ice-cream

3: Hackey Sack

4: Making Dinner

5: UNO

6: Getting Letters

7: Bean Bag Championship

8: Mucking Around

9: Cooking

10: Taking Photos

10 Challenges

1: Pressure to clean house

2: Arguments

3: Timed Showers

4: 6:30 Wake Up

5: Not Enough Sleep

6: Letters Take Too Long to Get Home

7: Random Blood Noses

8: Getting Sick

9: Jimmy Leaving

10: Not Enough Free Time

I am a member of Wardli #4 with Luke, Ian, Jimmy and Phil. We were the only group that didn't have to sleep in tents on Saturday night because we kept our Wardli up to the standard of cleanliness. My role within the group is mainly focused around the kitchen with wiping down the benches, cleaning the dishes and the fridge and putting things away. I also sometimes sweep and clean the bathroom. We all share the workload very well and I think this is one of the main reasons we are so successful. If anything, I want to get better at cooking and have a chance to see how I go at it.

We had a meeting on Sunday morning and only a few minor issues were raised. The main things we talked about were Ian getting all the credit even though the workload is shared very evenly and everyone contributes and the escalation of jokes against Phil that are bordering on teasing. We have all come to peaceful conclusions to these problems in the following ways; the leaders have acknowledged our work effort, not just Ian's and everyone has agreed to give Phil a bit of peace and leave him alone a bit.

I'm starting to realise how much work Mum and Dad do at home but I usually would help them at home anyway. Being a boarder I can't really do a lot of cleaning or cooking so my time in the Wardli won't really help me whilst I'm in the Boarding House. But I when I come hope, hopefully I'll have more appreciation for what my parents go through and help more.

There are many skills required of a person to be an effective member of a Wardli. A person must be able to listen to all members of the group, accept and give constructive criticism and make sure everyone knowns what is happening and what they need to do. They must also take initiative, meaning they do helpful things without having to be asked and will make sure everything is done before they have a break. Another thing a person must strive to do to be an effective member of the Wardli is they must be of good humour. Whilst living in a Wardli is \about learning skills of living, it is also about getting along with people. If a person has good manners and is generally good humoured, they will find getting along with people easier. Also, if a certain level of organisation is achieved, getting to things on time and fitting everything in during the busy schedule Wambana imposes will be a lot easier and it is a very helpful skill for a Wardli member to have. Another important skill is to simply have a positive attitude. The intense and busy schedule and physical drain of some activities can leave people feeling a bit down. If a person can stay positive they can stay in a state of effectiveness needed to maintain an effective Wardli.

Our Wardli has no obvious person who has all of these skills but rather we seem to have all of them in some way or rather as a group. Some people may lack initiative, but the people with good communication skills can tell them what to do . Also, when some people may be feeling a bit run down, other members of the Wardli understand and try to help as well as they can.

Our Wardli is running just about how I would like it to be for the rest of the camp. We have established a list of jobs for each person that make the cleaning a lot easier and we seem to be working well. We have arguments, but that in my point of view, is inevitable. That would be the only thing I would like to change because the arguments are starting to get a bit annoying, but i'll live.

Poetry

Riding the wave, the awesome sensation

The speed, the adrenaline, the rapid acceleration

Loving the moment, the thrill and exhilaration

Now stuck in a classroom, alone with my imagination

This poem was inspired by The Surfing Expedition. I had never surfed before and when I finally did it on Extended Stay it was awesome so I decided to write my poem about it. The poem explains how much I enjoyed it but at the end it explains that I'm back at home and i can't surf anymore and I can only think about my memories of Wambana and the Surfing Expedition. The last word of every line ryhmes. Every line is split in two by a comma where a puase is added.

Community Service - Leisure Options

Tuesday, 16th March 2010

Today, Wardlis 4 and 5 took the bus to Minlaton where we met some members of the Leisure Options group which provides activities for people with mental disabilities. We split up in our respective Wardlis, Wardli 5 went and helped the men out with some woodwork and my Wardli helped out the ladies with some craft. We spread ourselves around the table and each helped different people. I ended up helping an old lady called Elanor. She was very quiet but nice and helping her made me feel good because she seemed to like it when I helped her and she was always smiling. Every now and then she would tell other people around the table that I was helping her and it made me feel good to know that I was helping and she liked having me help her.

Elanor (left) and her friend Lucy

Another person I got along and spent a bit of time with was a friendly guy called Anthony. When I was helping Elanor he approached me and asked for help writing a letter to who I think were his family. After that he began to socialise with the rest of us and he turned out to be a really funny, talkative guy. We talked to him for ages and he is really looking forward to seeing us next week at a BBQ we will be having with them. All day he was always saying to all the other buys that I was a "nice guy" and that I had cheeky smile which was pretty funny.

Left to Right: Hayden, Anthony, Jimmy

Friday, 28th March 2010

Today some members of Leisure Options came over to Wambana for a Barbeque. Once they had all arrived, we went for a walk along the beach and I spent most of my time talking with Anthony. When we got back we had some sausages and rissoles and then everyone started to play cards. The first card game we plaayed was called StripJack and it was pretty good. The Leisure Options people certainly enjoyed it. Eventually we stopped playing StripJack and played Uno which I enjoyed much more. Once again it was good because we were having a good time and so were the Leisure Options people and that was what was important. eventually we ran out of time and they all said goodbye and left in the bus.

Scientific Research - Hooded Plover

Xavier Warne
Scientific Report – The Hooded Plover - Thinornis rubricollis

Synopsis
The Hooded Plover is small bird native to Australia. They are found in coastal areas and nest in the area between the foreshore and the dune. They are listed as Vulnerable with only around 60 birds in South Australia. This is due to human activities like 4x4 driving and walkers crushing nests, animals like seagulls, foxes and dogs eating eggs and changing climates. The main solution to this problem is to raise awareness for the Hooded Plover to prevent further negative human interactions, especially by the government or to begin breeding in captivity or close monitoring.
Method
Drive to West Bay in the Innes National Park on the York Peninsula, South Australia.
Assign tasks for each member of the team; a scribe to record results, a threat locator to locate possible threats to the Hooded Plover, a GPS operator to record GPS coordinates of Hooded Plover nests and two camera operators to take photographs and photographs.
Walk to GPS coordinate S 35° 14.109 E 136° 49.914.
Walk slowly along the hard sand near the water on the beach, heading for the cliffs on the opposite side of the beach. If you spot some Hooded Plovers, keep a safe distance and try your best to not disturb them.
Scan for Hooded Plover activity. Also scan for threats like dogs, humans, cars, seagulls, horses, rubbish, foxes, ravens and motorbikes, and their relevant tracks.
Record positions of nests, threats and birds, take photographs and footage, record environmental conditions bird populations and threats levels.
Stop at GPS coordinates S 35° 14.496 E 136° 49.986 and return home and analyse results.
Results
According to our results, West Bay is home to no Hooded Plovers. This is strange because West Bay is a good place for them to live because it is sheltered from wind, relatively untouched by civilisation and not overly popular, inaccessible to vehicles which may destroy nests, has no surf activity and therefore no surfers trampling the beach, scarce amounts of egg eating seagulls and there is plenty of seaweed for the plovers to eat. One possible reason why we didn’t see any Hooded Plovers was that it was a fairly hot day, around 28°, sunny and fairly humid. These factors may have caused resident Hooded Plovers to seek refuge in the secluded shade of the dunes or rocks. Also the presence of us, the researchers may have scared the birds and made them hide. There was one pair of prints, either a dog or fox, that ran a long the beach and it is possible that the dog/fox may have eaten or driven away the Hooded Plovers. There were only two seagulls spotted for the whole time we were there but they seemed to just be stopping off and didn’t seem to have any nests nearby so I doubt they had or are having any effect on the Hooded Plovers.
Discussion
The fact that there were no Hooded Plovers on a beach that seems like it would be ideal for them to inhabit is not as bad as it seems, it is quite a small beach and there are many other beaches in the Innes National Park and Hooded Plovers have been spotted elsewhere. It would’ve been good if there were some there and there probably were, we were just unable to see them. Hooded Plovers in South Australia are listed as Vulnerable and must be protected, the beaches in the Innes National Park are good for the rehabilitation of the Hooded Plover because pest species are rare, cars do not drive on most beaches and not as many people go there as opposed to other beaches.
Conclusion
The Hooded Plover needs help if it is to survive. There are many factors that prevent the Hooded Plover from striving but many can be stopped or at least reduced. People can choose to leave known Hooded Plover inhabited beaches alone and drive, swim, surf, dune board or fish elsewhere. People who do these things at beaches containing Hooded Plovers and their nests put the survival of this species at risk. If they cannot go to other beaches they should at least be aware of nests and avoid them to the best of their ability. Organisations with more power can implement schemes to isolate Hooded Plovers from their predators or begin breeding in captivity. Also, if people were made more aware of the blight of the Hooded Plover through signage or education this could help.

Community Service - Aleppo Pine Removal

Wednesday, 17th March 2010

Today I went to the Minlaton Golf Course where we assisted a local volunteer, Don, in the removal of the dreaded, deadly, apocalyptic, man-eating, evil trees of death.................THE ALEPPO PINES. They're not really that bad but still a pest. They were introduced to Australia in the early days as wind breaks but have now spread all over many parts of Australia including the Yorke Peninsula. We were given saws and loppers and were told to basically cut down and snip every Aleppo Pine we could see. I started off with some loppers and went to work eradicating the smaller trees. Eventually I found myself with a saw and I started to cut some medium sized ones (the big ones were for Ned's chainsaw). I found this way more satisfying because the trees were bigger and more noticable, the feeling I got when I finally got a tre down was awesome. I was cutting some trees when I noticed a bigger tree I think was meant to be reserved for the chain saw. I decided to give it a go. After a while, with some help from Cy, I finally got it down and I felt pretty proud of myself. Onother thing that made me fell pretty good was when Beardie said that I was working the hardest out of eveyone and that I had the best work ethic. All up, Don thinks we got around 200 trees which I think is a good effort.

History Tour 2

Sunday, 28th March 2010

Today Wardlis 2 and 4 went on another history tour with Moff. We were once again in the bus, this time our first destination was a small museum in Warooka. Before we got in Moff first talked to us about unplanned towns and their layout. An unplanned town was usually started when a man set up a store beside an intersection selling basic things like food to locals. The next step was usually a pub being established on the other side of the intersection. Another key indicator is roads all coming together in one not very straight intersection.

We then went into the museum. The first room was a mock trooper station. Troopers were the local law enforcement back in the 1800's. More soldier than police officer they were trained in use of brutal force and were often armed with either batons, pistols or sabres. The main role of a Trooper was to bring down troublemakers, and they were deadly in a fight. Sometimes, to quell large uprising, a squad of mounted Troopers would be called in. Because they were on horseback they couldn't use pistols so they used long swards called sabres. They would line up and all draw their swords at once, the sound of the metal sabre coming out of it's sheath would ring. They would charge and aim their sabres at the enemies' necks. There weren't many troopers in a local area, only in times of uprising or in the pursuit of a dangerous criminal would more be brought in.

The next interesting topic we talked about was the Last Sharge of the Australian Light Horse. During World War I, many Australians from the country who were both strong and could ride horse were recruited into the Australian Light Horse and sent over to Egypt to fight to Turks. The Turkish had a large garrison of men and artillery in the town of Bersheeba and the Australians had been marching/riding through the desert for days without water. They were given the order to charge the town in a last ditch effort to take it. They began the charge a bout 3 miles away from the town and had to charge the whole way without cover. They attached their bayonets, mounted their horses and began the charge. The Turkish were expecting them to dismount and continue on foot as they had done in the past. But the Australians just kept charging. Eventually the Turkish understood what was happening and began their bombardment with the artillery. But the horsemen were galloping so fast that most shots went over thor heads, they eventually reached the trenches, engaged the infantry, disabled the asrtillery and had the town under control in only half an hour. Only around 30 men were lost. After the war was over, the men were sent home, but the horses couldn't come. The soldiers were faced with a heart breaking decision, leave their horses to a life under cruel mastery by locals, or walk them into the desert and kill them, most chose the latter.

The rest of the museum were rooms representing other parts of day-to-day life back in the 1800's. There was a room full of old medicine, food and tobacco containers. Many people chewed and smoked tobacco back in those days, but not the women becasue it was considered "slutty". In another room we found an old tin of milo and mortein fly spray. Out the back there was an old bathtub. Families used to have baths once a week in a certain order; mum, dad and then children in order of age from oldest to youngest, so the yougest got the dirtiest, coldest water. Out the back there was a shed full of old farm equipment. There was an old Fordson tractor which was in pretty good condition and an old peice of equipment to pull the heads of grain apart. Farms in the old days relied a lot more on man-power than they do today.

Sea Kayaking

Thursday, 18th March 2010

today we went Sea Kayaking near Point Turton. All of the Kayaks had fish names and I was allocated "Snapper". After a bit of revision/teaching of Kayak technique we set off and began our 8km trip back to Wambana. Nothing exceptional really happened, we weren't going very fast I didn't get too worn out by it and we were just paddling for most of it. Now and then we stopped for drinks or lunch and one time we stopped to watch the leaders and Janowski practice Kayak rescues. The last section was less protected and windy so it was harder than the rest. When we got back we got the Kayaks out of the water cleaned them and put them away. Overall it was alright, it wasn't too boring but yet it wasn't over exhilarating. One good thing was how clear the water was, I could see the bottom for just about the whole trip.

Surfing

Monday, 22nd March 2010

Today we started what I had been waiting for the the whole camp

...THE SURFING EXPEDITION...

The day started with the expected but still annoying packing up of the tents, water, boards, sleeping mats, trangias etc. I helped out as was expected but the whole time I just wanted to get out surfing. We got to our campsite, the better campsite being taken, I set up my tent once again with Ian. We finally got ready and piled into the bus and began our drive to Bewry Bay North where our three instructors were waiting. I as assigned my wetsuit, slightly big but still alright, and I chose a red rashy, because red makes you go faster. I carried by board, a white foam 7 footer down to the beach where I joined in the warm up run along the beach. Which was followed by stretches and finally we were up to being taught how to surf. We were taught how to paddle, get up and stand properly and I focused as hard as I could because I was a beginner and really wanted to get it right. With my short lesson over, I picked up my board and set off into the waves.

The water was beautiful and I was so glad to finally be in the sea and the waves. Which were reasonably small but I wasn't fussed and it was good because I could take some time to find my balance on the board. When I eventually found that balance, on a not to extraordinary wave (well, white wash) I was so happy I didn't want to get off, so I rode it all the way in as far as I could go in an effort to savour the moment. This is the moment when I gained my real hunger for surfing. I spent the day catching (and getting dumped by) waves but loving every moment. Eventually it had to end and I left the beach eager for what tomorrow would bring.

Tuesday, 23rd March 2010

A night spent with not quite enough warm clothing on and on some not so comfy bedding left me feeling a bit drowsy and uncomfortable in the morning. After a quick breakfast of Weet-bix we once again filed into the bus in our wetsuits and began our drive, this time to a beach called Baby Lizards. When we got there we had to carry our boards about 1km across a cliff to get to the beach, which was annoying. We then did more warm ups and once again hit the water and began our surfing. I found myself to be really improving and the whole time I was either surfing with Henry

or Alvin

Which was cool because they were both similar levels to me and we could talk when the waves weren't too big and share the funny moments. I managed to crash a lot, like when I was going to hit Henry, so I swerved, and ran into Owen, which sent me flying off my board. It was pretty sweet. Another time I was catching the white wash in next to Henry but I lost my balance, falling off my board and flinging it into Henry's legs, taking him out and creating a spectacle I wish I couldv'e saw but unfortunately couldn't because I was underwater. This wasn't the best moment. The best moment was when I actually RODE a wave, not the white wash, but actually went sideways and rode the wave as it crashed, it was so awesome and I managed to do it a couple of times. I couln't wait for tomorrow.

Wednesday, 24th March 2010

Our final day of the Surfing Expedition. Today we only got half of the day (compared to the whole day on Tuesday), which was annoying. We set off to Bewry Bay South which had a lot bigger waves compared to the other days. I thought this was going to be good, but it wasn't, the waves were big, but the were all dumpers, except for some which you could ride but it was hard. I spent the whole morning getting dumped and failing to catch the big ones and it was really frustrating. The only peron who could really do it was Hayden who was tearing it up. The rest of the day we had to pack up which was boring.

Photography

Inland From West Cape Lighthouse

Beach Near West Cape Lighthouse

View of Pondalowie Beach From West Cape Lighthouse

Truebridge Hill Lighthouse

Sunset from The Classroom

View of cliffs from "rock Throwers Point"

Jimmy and Janowski performing their daily ritual of diggin into the ice-cream

Tilleh - The redisident, pregnant dog

Dinner with Clive "The Moffdogger" Moffett

Qualities Of Good Men

The Wambana Experience brought out many good qualities in the members of 9TMCMMN. The bike ride and fitness parts of the camp brought out the determination of many members of the class. Even though they struggled, they kept going and didn't give up until the end. Another trait of a good man is cooperation and teamwork. Living in Wardli meant that everyone had to get along with each other and work to each person strengths and weaknesses. They also had to listen to and contribute helpful ideas and constructive criticisms. Another quality of a good man is responsibility. Throughout the camp we were given responsibility for things like out own cooking. The leaders trusted that we would do the right thing and most people did because they learnt to be responsible. Good men should also show integrity. Integrity is doing the right thing all the time and we were encouraged to do so but not everyone manged to get through the whole camp without betraying the trust of the leaders and therefore not showing integrity. luckily they did show another trait of a good man. Honesty. They owned up to what they did and instead of trying to avoid punishment, they sought to fix the problem. Everytime something happened, the leaders gave everyone a chance to be honest and come forward, like when people tore up the bus seats and when some people left their rashies on the beach.