text:
Australian Tropical Biology – 13 Day Adventure
Marine and Terrestrial Biology Tour in the Tropics
Australia's Far North Queensland is also a celebrated eco-destination with myriad opportunities for students studying biology. The outback, Great Barrier Reef and tropical Daintree Rainforest become your classroom on this ecology tour in the Land Down Under – Australia. Focusing on rainforest ecology and marine science, this course gives you access to some of the most bio-diverse and magnificent ecosystems on the planet.
On this tropical biology trip to Australia, a local biologist and marine biologist introduce you to the biological complexities of tropical ecosystems through lectures and hands on practical field experiences. Under these experts' instruction, you learn to identify a host of plant and animal species, understand field techniques and sampling, and discover two UNESCO World Heritage areas. With a thorough investigation of multiple terrestrial and marine environments, you return from Australia having a broad understanding of biology, ecology, field techniques and Aussie culture.
Areas of Learning:
- Biology
- Ecology
- Marine Science
- Explore the undersea world of The outer Great Barrier Reef
- Set up camp on a tropical island for marine studies
- Walk with an Aboriginal guide to discover rainforest plants and animals
- Soar high above the jungle in James Cook University's canopy crane
- Visit a turtle rehabilitation centre and a bat hospital
- View unique Aussie wildlife while nocturnal spotlighting
- Tour massive underground lava tubes in the arid outback
- Stay overnight in a rainforest research station
- Learn both marine and terrestrial data sampling techniques
- Contribute to both reef and rainforest tree health research
Benefits & Bonuses:
- All accommodation, most meals, guides and transport to activities included
- We plan everything–making it easy for you
- Price Guarantee: price will not change once you sign up for your trip
- Expert local guides – not "bus drivers"
- We cater to student special diets and swimming levels
- Goodies! Water bottle, field guide, cloth shopping bag and rainforest plot adopted in your name
- MAKE IT YOUR OWN – This trip is fully customisable. Ask us for details!
Day 1: Arrival, Orientation and Ecosystems/Biodiversity Introduction
Arrival in Cairns: Welcome to Cairns! You are met at the airport by one of our staff and transferred to your award-winning hostel in the town's restaurant and shopping district.
Accommodation: Your accommodation is at a comfortable hostel in the centre of Cairns' restaurant and shopping district, and only a few blocks from the waterfront. The hostel is committed to sustainability and even has their own herb garden for guests use! A lush swimming pool and spa, and large common areas, the hostel also features free internet in common areas and air conditioning in each room.
Biodiversity Presentation: Depending on where your group's interest lies, speakers may include Professor Steve Turton (Climate scientist), Terry Carmichael (consultant to The Wet Tropics Management Authority) or Gavin Singleton (Aboriginal Traditional Owner, Yirrganydji) to provide insight on global and regional issues such as preserving biodiversity, traditional Indigenous management techniques, climate change and human impacts.
Before dinner, you can explore the nearby Esplanade – a lively stretch of waterfront with night markets, occasional performers and an expansive swimming lagoon. This evening you enjoy a welcome dinner at one of Cairns' waterfront restaurants.
Accommodation: Cairns Budget Accommodation
Meals Included: Dinner
Day 2: Biology Field Techniques & Transects, Bat Hospital and Outback
Introduction to Field Work & Species Transects: Today with your guide you discuss biologists' field techniques and interpretation. The setting for today's field work is the Cairns Highlands, which protects swathes of emerald rainforest. Dividing into small groups, you learn how to set up a vegetation/habitat transect, and then you collect data on rainforest species within a defined area.
Researchers Techniques: During your transect exercise, you keep an eye out for the red-legged pademelon, the Eulamprus Tigrinus skink – a rare reptile – and the endangered and giant flightless bird, the cassowary.
Bat Hospital: Later you visit the Tolga Bat Hospital to discover the cuddly side of bats. Fruit bat pups are brought in when they are afflicted by tick paralysis or when their mothers have died or become too ill to feed them. Volunteers at the hospital nurse the bat pups back to health and then release them into the wild. The hospital also serves as a sanctuary for bats who have retired from zoos.
Savannah Lands and Outback: Then you head west through a changing landscape of different geological and rainfall patterns, and see how this changes the biota. You cross over the Great Dividing Range and the rainforest gives way to the arid outback where giant termite mounds dominate the landscape and kangaroos roam freely. Late in the day you arrive at Undara National Park. You set up camp tonight in Undara (an Aboriginal word meaning 'long way') National Park, where you have access to toilets and hot showers.
Accommodation: Undara camping
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 3: Field Techniques, Ecosystem Comparisons, Undara Lava Tubes & Sunset Tour
Undara National Park: Today you spend the day discovering Undara National Park and Lava Tubes — one of Australia's great geological wonders. They are the largest, longest and most accessible lava tubes on earth. The tubes and a cave network formed from an eruption by Undara 190,000 years ago and its resulting lava flows. While the geology is fascinating, equally as interesting is the unusual flora and fauna that have evolved in the depressions caused by collapses in the tube roofs as well as in the tubes.
Lava Tubes Tour: This morning the focus turns to geology- on a 2 hour tour that winds through the cool underground lava tubes, tunnels and caves, a local guide discusses the shield volcano origins, the unusual "granitic basement" and why this site was of great interest to NASA.
Field Work: In the park with your guide you continue your field work, comparing soils, vegetation and fauna in the tubes and depressions that vary greatly to the surrounding woodland. You encounter a kaleidoscope of bird life –of which over 150 species have been recorded—and discover creatures previously unknown to science, including two new snail varieties and two species of insect-eating bats. You also discuss unique blind insects, colourless shrimp and beetles which have evolved without the need for a sense of sight or colour camouflage in the black basalt tubes.
Wildlife at Sunset Tour: Late in the afternoon you discover iconic Australian wildlife, like kangaroos and wallabies, colourful cockatoos and other wild creatures in their natural environment. At dusk you are then taken to the entrance of a lava tube where thousands of tiny insect eating micro-bats emerge from the darkness to find food, which attracts pythons and brown tree snakes that hang from the trees and strike out at the bats to capture a meal.
Accommodation: Undara Camping
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4: Field Studies at Forty Mile Scrub and Nocturnal Spotlighting
Field Work and Vegetation Studies: Today you explore Forty Mile Scrub National Park – a unique "dry" rainforest. Known for its rainfall extremes, the park boasts semi-evergreen trees that soak up the considerable rainfall in the summer months, and then drop their leaves in the exceptionally dry winters. Through a walk under a closed canopy packed with vine thickets, Burdekin plums, lemon-scented gum trees and broad-leafed bottle trees with massive trunks, you discover a bizarre landscape that straddles the line between outback and the Wet Tropics. Your studies of the ground cover, soil type, vegetation and fauna will reveal red-necked pademelons found nowhere else in this climate, flying foxes that set up seasonal camps, and the near-threatened white flowered onion vine.
Wet Tropics and Glowworms: This afternoon you return to the Wet Tropics. After dark you walk a path through the rainforest to view some of Australia's most unusual creatures – glow worms – that attract mates through bioluminescence and make tiny twinkles in the night.
Nocturnal Wildlife Spotlighting: Later tonight you head to Mt. Hypipamee National Park to explore a rare type of volcanic pipe – a.k.a "the Crater"- and the abundance of wildlife that appears in the rainforest once the sun sets. Your guide will present a spotlighting exercise, during which you look for crepuscular and nocturnal species, focusing on endemics such as Lumholtz's Tree-kangaroo, Green Ringtail Possum, musky rat-kangaroo, and numerous other marsupial, reptile and mammal species that live in the forest.
Accommodation: Highlands Cabins
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Presentations, Aboriginal-Guided Rainforest Walk, Croc-Spotting Cruise & Daintree Rainforest
Platypus Spotting: Early this morning with your guide you look for the unique and elusive platypus–without question the most unique mammal on earth–in its natural habitat. Seeing a platypus in the wild is a truly fascinating experience and your guide describes the habits of these creatures. The unique features of the platypus (an egg-laying mammal) make it an iconic symbol of Australia.
Data Interpretation and Presentations: After breakfast you gather together as a group to discuss your findings over the past few days. You also have a chance to present the data you have collected and discuss and interpret your results.
Aboriginal-Guided Rainforest Walk: Next you discover a swathe of rainforest special to the Ngadjon jii Aboriginal people. This is also one of the best places in the world to spot the elusive tree kangaroo, or mupee. You learn how Aboriginal people found their way through dense rainforest and learn what native plants were used for food, shelter, fire, weapons and medicine. Your guide also explains what animals are sacred, how seasons dictated life and how modern life has affected their spirituality. This is a positive interaction with traditional owners during which you learn how they survived on this land for thousands of years. Afterwards where the cool fresh waters of the North Johnstone River tumble over basalt lava flows at Malanda Falls, a freshwater pool beckons you for a swim.
Croc-Spotting Cruise: Then you board a solar-powered boat on the Daintree River for a discovery tour in search of the estuarine crocodile and other wildlife. Without the noise or fumes of a regular boat, you travel quietly up the river in the care of a wildlife guide, spotting an array of snakes, frogs, fish, and the infamous "crocs" of the tropics. An on-board "croc-cam" lets you also see these magnificent creatures up close on a screen, as well as hard-to-see animals.
Daintree Rainforest: Later you enter the magical Daintree Rainforest – the oldest continually growing rainforest on earth. For tropical biology students, this is an important area for study: this area of the country has the highest concentration of primitive flowering plant families in the world, Australia's rarest mammal (the Murina florious bat) and 13 species of birds found nowhere else on earth.
Daintree Rainforest Observatory & Research Station: Next you arrive at the Daintree Rainforest Observatory, an eco-monitoring site and research station with wet and dry labs. It lies in the heart of the Daintree Rainforest, and claims the highest biodiversity of anywhere in Australia! You get a safety orientation and then a presentation about the significance of this rainforest and about the important research happening here.
Accommodation: Your lodging for the night is in the brand-new facilities at the station. Rooms are single gender, four- and six-bed rooms. These have access to a communal industrial kitchen, and an amenities block nearby provides laundry, bathroom and shower facilities. Tonight your JCU researcher also takes you around the station to look for Australian frogs and you finish up the day with a bonfire and stargazing (weather depending).
Accommodation: Daintree Rainforest Research Station
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: Environmental Debate, JCU Rainforest Canopy Crane, Service Project and Insect Activity
Environmental Debate: This morning you participate in a debate which focuses on issues of development and effects on biodiversity. Students are given background information and a summary of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) about a major resort development proposed for Cairns and then given different roles to play of community members. They then argue for or against the building of the resort. This requires evaluating projected economic, social and environmental impacts as well as proposed sustainability efforts. This is a fun way for you to get involved with all sides of an environmental debate with a real-life example that has gained significant national media attention.
James Cook University Canopy Crane: Next you have the extraordinary opportunity to visit the canopy crane operated by James Cook University which is not open to the general public. The unique canopy crane in the Daintree rainforest is the only research station of its kind in the country and is an important link in an international network that monitors both tropical and temperate forest canopies around the world.
After a safety orientation and a discussion about the significance of this rainforest by an on-site expert, you climb into a suspended gondola in threes with the crane operator. The crane then ascends over the rainforest and can swing 360 degrees over the canopy, surveying the incredible biodiversity that has earned this UNESCO World Heritage status. Like the visiting researchers, you as students can prepare hypotheses to test whilst in the crane. (Students must be at least 16 years old to go up in the Daintree canopy crane.)
Service Project: Whilst not in the crane, the group participates in an important service project at the research station. Hundreds of trees have been planted for re-growth on site, and students are taught how to do condition assessments of the trees as biologists and botanists do in the field. Students learn about pioneer species, herbivory, and how to use a clinometer and DBH tapes to measure tree growth. The results of the condition assessments are then contributed to the ongoing research on the success of "pioneer species" used by JCU staff.
Insect Traps and Visit to the Lab: The on-site JCU researcher/guide helps you construct insect traps, which are used to assess the biodiversity of the invertebrate population of the area. You discuss the various adaptations each insect species has evolved to allow them to thrive in the rainforest environment. Students engage in hands on practical experiences which complement their studies particularly in biology and ecology.
Water Quality Measurements: With your guide you discover the language of water and what it says about the creatures that can survive in it. You take water quality measurements involving indicators like pH, nitrate, dissolved oxygen and phosphate levels. Testing for these elements may reveal the presence of fertilizers or biological extremes, which will also aid in your discussion about species survival rate and eutrophication.
In the late afternoon you return to Cairns for a group dinner.
Accommodation: Cairns Budget Accommodation
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 7: Free Time and Optional Koala Cuddle
Free Time and Optional Koala Cuddle: Today you have the day to finish your notes and findings for your terrestrial portion of your tropical biology trip. You can relax at the public swimming lagoon, shop for souvenirs at the Night Markets, and sample some local fare. You can also choose to get an iconic photo with a koala in your free time – we'll tell you where to get one! (*extra cost)
Day 8: James Cook University Seminar – Marine Systems
Marine Science Seminar: Today you head to James Cook University for a marine-focused seminar. JCU is Australia's highest-ranked university in environmental science and offers marine biology studies not found anywhere else. Through a custom-designed interactive workshop today you have the opportunity to engage with world leading researchers like venomologist Dr. Jamie Seymour and Richard "The Shark Wrangler" Fitzpatrick.
Mangrove Biome: On campus you investigate a working model of a mangrove biome—with a resident crocodile—which is an important tool for studying effects on water quality and salinity as well as climate change mitigation.
Venomous Creatures: You also have access to samples of some of the world's deadliest marine creatures: the Stone Fish, Cone Shell, and the Box Jelly Fish, and you discuss the progress of JCU researchers are having in developing anti-venoms.
Observation of Marine Animals: Sophisticated camera equipment placed in the tanks let you observe animals up close, such as sharks, rays, cleaner wrasse and clownfish and you learn about the role of the university in creating films and documentaries. You have access to animals such as the rare lung fish that until now have not been successful in captivity.
Perhaps most importantly today, in a controlled environment you closely view elements of the underwater world with which you will be interacting over the next week.
Accommodation: Cairns Budget Accommodation
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 9: Fitzroy Island Barrier Reef Marine Biology and CoralWatch Program Data Collection
Ferry Ride to Fitzroy Island: This morning you meet your marine biologist guide and you are ferried to the pristine Fitzroy Island – a green gem in a turquoise sea. Over time a fringing coral reef surrounded the island, providing a sheltered home for a variety of fish and coral species. The island is now protected as a national park, with 94% of the island covered in lush rainforest and surrounded by waters ripe for discovery. With a prime spot on the inner Great Barrier Reef, Fitzroy Island and the surrounding reefs support some of the world's greatest biodiversity.
In-Water Assignments and Island Lectures: On the island you alternate between mini-lectures and practical hands-on assignments in the water. Your first discussion with your marine biologist focuses on Major Fish Families on The Great Barrier Reef and Fish Identification. You can apply this knowledge to other regions, as this lecture is relevant to all coral fish around the world. Afterwards you collect your snorkel gear and head out to Welcome Bay with the goal of spotting cuttle fish, parrot fish, wrasse and lionfish, among others.
Field Guide & Sightings Ap: 101 Animals of The Great Barrier Reef, written by Dr. Martin Cohen, helps you to better understand the underwater world and is yours to keep. You also learn how to log in sightings of your reef fauna and flora using an ap downloadable to your phone or tablet, and your data is then sent to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA).
Island Camping & Evening Lecture: Following your snorkeling session, you return to your campground, which is beautifully situated only steps from the water. Here you can set up your tents (provided) and there is a BBQ area for preparing meals (we give you the food), and both indoor and outdoor cold showers. Your evening lecture addresses human impacts on the reef and protected area management, after which you can enjoy the island resort's games area and nightly music.
Accommodation: Fitzroy Island Campground
Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 10: Fitzroy Island Marine Biology, Sea Kayaking and Turtle Rehabilitation Centre
Lighthouse Hike: This morning for a challenge, you can walk a gorgeous but steep rainforest track—keeping an eye out for the elusive yellow-spotted reptilian monitor—to the island lighthouse for a 360-degree panorama.
Guided Snorkelling: Using a life ring and a floating bar this morning, you swim along with your marine biologist who leads you to underwater examples of some of the reef's best examples of camouflage, symbiosis, mimicry and conspicuous colouration.
Field Techniques and Sampling: Later your discussion centers on Field Techniques and Sampling, followed by instruction on how to perform an underwater transect. This involves a 50-metre transect line and waterproof data collection sheets; each person in the group has a job which is vital to the research but it is teamwork that makes it happen.
Turtle Rehabilitation Centre: Later you visit the island's Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, where a collection of volunteers help save sick, injured or stranded sea turtles. During your visit, you learn about the feeding and mating habits of turtles, the major causes of their deaths and the process of rehabilitating them. This afternoon you return to Cairns by ferry.
Accommodation: Cairns Budget Accommodation
Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 11: Marine Biology at The Outer Great Barrier Reef with Snorkelling on Liveaboard Boat
Boat Trip to Outer Reef: No trip to Cairns is complete without a visit to the outer Great Barrier Reef–a UNESCO World Heritage Site and easily one of the world's top natural wonders. This morning you transfer from Fitzroy Island to the outer reef. Your captain then heads toward Moore Reef and you will have fantastic access to this underwater universe. Upon arrival at the reef, snorkellers will delight in viewing the incredible array of life and colors that exist just below the surface.
Live Aboard Boat: In the afternoon you transfer to your live aboard boat. While on board you enjoy freshly cooked meals with accommodation in quad or twin-share cabins with own bathroom and air conditioning.
Snorkelling: During your two days exploring the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef you see how the coral thrives in this clear water, creating spectacular gardens and drawing a mosaic of marine life. Among the 1,800 species of fish and 450 species of coral, you can expect to see turtles, Wally the gigantic wrasse, giant clams, fan corals, sea cucumbers, stag horn coral gardens, and just about the whole cast of Finding Nemo.
While at sea, hearty buffet meals keep you well fed, twin/quad-share cabins and fresh water showers keep you comfortable and a lounge and sundeck give you space to relax.
Accommodation: Live aboard boat
Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 12: Marine Biology, Snorkelling OPTIONAL SCUBA Diving and Presentation of Findings
Coral Predators and Bleaching: Today is your final day at The Great Barrier Reef, and today you can look for both coral predators and signs of coral bleaching.
Sightings App: With the help of a downloadable application, you can take a photo, identify the species, and then send the GPS coordinates to the Great Barrier Marine Park Authority's (GBRMPA) non-profit organisation, Eye on The Reef. This type of data then helps this government organisation better understand the overall health of the reef and catch potentially devastating outbreaks of predators such as Crown of Thorns starfish.
OPTIONAL EXTRA- Scuba Dive: Snorkelers can also opt to learn about SCUBA diving one-on-one from the dive instructor—intro diving (also known as "resort diving") is a fantastic way to see the reef without having a certification (extra cost)
Seasonal Whale Watching: If you join this trip during the months of June, July or August, you may be lucky enough to spot the Dwarf Minke Whales or the Humpback Whales that migrate here in the winter. Both whales tail-slap the water, jump out of the water (a.k.a. breaching) or "spy hop" where they lift their head out of the water and observe the boats above the surface.
Data Presentation: In the afternoon, you come together as a group to present your data, wrap up your discussions, and make conclusions about your findings. Late this afternoon you return to Cairns and enjoy a final celebratory dinner in town.
Accommodation: Cairns Budget Accommodation
Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 13: Optional Service Project and Departure
After breakfast this morning you have free time for last-minute shopping or souvenir purchases. If you leave later in the day, you can choose one of the following options:
Mangrove Boardwalk: This raised walkway takes you through this critical mangrove ecosystem which is the breeding ground for many important aquatic species. Your guide teaches you about the interesting aspects of mangrove systems and their importance to the Great Barrier Reef. You learn how mangroves deal with a lot of salt in their diet, how they act as the baby nurseries of the Great Barrier Reef and why both humans and the reef rely on these complex systems. (*extra cost)
Creek Cleanup: Next you visit one of the creeks that makes its way to the ocean via the mangrove ecosystems. Unfortunately household rubbish also often makes its way into these creeks and so today you will be grabbing gloves and garbage bags to do your bit to clean up the waterway. You tally your "rubbish results" at the end and the team with the top results gets a prize.
Service Project for the Reef: The second project involves working together to protect waterways, ocean and reef. By stencilling messages on drains, you contribute to raising awareness of urban stormwater pollution and its impact on the local marine environment. The colourful and creative designs are a pleasant way to remind the community that all rubbish drains to the ocean. (*extra cost)
Eventually all good things must come to an end. You are transferred to the Cairns airport for your flight home.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Want to Visit New Zealand Too?
Ask us about options in Sydney or to New Zealand for a combined trip to both of these lands Down Under.
Is this biology-focused program too long or too short? Contact us for custom tour options that match your budget and objectives!
School Trip Fees Include:
- All activities as described in the itinerary
- Cairns airport transfers
- All transportation
- Small World Journeys naturalist guide for terrestrial segment
- Small World Journeys marine biologist guide for inner reef segment
- 6 nights at a central Cairns hostel (4-6-share rooms with ensuite)*
- 2 nights Undara camping (tents, sleeping bags and pads provided)
- 1 night Cairns Highlands cabins (students in single-gender cabins with ensuite)*
- 1 night island camping (tents and sleeping pads provided)
- 1 night Daintree eco-lodge (students in single-gender 4-6 share cabins)
- 1 night live aboard boat (students in single-gender quad- or twin-share cabins with shared bathrooms)
- All continental breakfasts
- All lunches (except on Free Day 7)
- All dinners (except on Free Day 7)
- 101 Animals of the Wet Tropics, 101 Plants of the Wet Tropics, and 101 Animals of the Great Barrier Reef field guides for each student
- Mask, fins, and snorkel hire
- A Small World Journeys reusable water bottle and cloth shopping bag
- 5 metres square of Daintree rainforest adopted in your group's name through Rainforest Rescue
- Coral adoption at the Great Barrier Reef through Reef Restoration Foundation with updates on coral
*Two teacher rooms (private twin or triple share rooms with ensuite) in Cairns and the Cairns Highlands are included in the trip price. A supplement of $276 AUD is charged if an additional private room is required. If teachers are happy to share a room, no additional costs are incurred. Sorry, there is no single supplement at the Daintree Rainforest research station, the Cairns Highlands cabins or the live aboard boat.
Trip Fees Exclude:
- Airfare to Cairns
- One lunch and two dinners
- Personal expenses (phone, internet, laundry, etc.)
Pricing to 31 March 2020:
- Land Cost, 15 + participants: $2968 AUD (add $50 pp for 15 June – 15 July)
- Land Cost, 10-14 participants: $3135 AUD (add $50 pp for 15 June – 15 July)
- Photo cuddling a koala ($25 AUD)
- Certified SCUBA dive package – 5 dives + 1 night dive ($75 AUD including equipment)
- Introductory SCUBA dive package – 2 Intro Dives ($120 AUD including equipment)
Ask us about a Sydney or New Zealand Add-On!
Small World Journeys reserves the right to change the order of activities for logistical reasons.
HOW TO BOOK A TRIP WITH US (It's easy!):
- Read our Terms & Conditions and tell us you want to come.
- Pay a $200 AUD deposit for the group (not per person – just a flat $200 to secure your booking) plus $45 AUD per person for accommodation deposit via our payment page or by direct deposit/cheque.
- Receive a link from us to your special web page that has an electronic booking forms, waivers to e-sign, and more information about the trip.
- Have each student sign up via this link and pay you (the teacher) less the $45 paid for deposit no later than 60 days prior to the trip. You then submit whole payment to us at 60 days, less the $200 deposit
- Enjoy your trip!
Question 1: Do I need a visa to visit Australia?
Answer: All visitors to Australia need a visa, with the exception of visitors from New Zealand. In some countries a visa is easily obtained by the travel agent who issues your ticket, and should be free of charge. For more information on getting a visa, please see: Australian Visas. All visitors will also need a passport, valid for at least six months after the planned return date.
Question 2: How do we arrange airfare?
Answer: We do not arrange airfare in house, however we do work closely with a couple of travel agents who would be happy to help: In Australia, we recommend Kim Salter, our Melbourne-based travel agent. Contact Kim at firstname.lastname@example.com or call + 61 0433 324 455 or toll free within Australia 1 300 640 821. In the US, we recommend: Sandra Marron at Millennium Travel California. You can contact Sandra at firstname.lastname@example.com or call 1-415-898- 7974.
Question 3: What happens when we arrive at the airport?
Answer: You will be met by a Small World Journeys staff member who will give you an orientation and then accompany you to your accommodation or first activity. Please note if you select flights that arrive or depart outside of the hours requested we can not guarentee supervision, or a staff memeber to meet you until the requested times.
Question 4: When is the best time to visit Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef?
Answer: Cairns is a tropical place, and outdoor activities can be enjoyed year-round. In our summer (December-February), the weather is at its warmest and wettest. You can expect hot days with occasional tropical storms, producing lush green hillsides and plenty of waterfalls. Average temperatures are 23-31 degrees Celsius/73-87 Fahrenheit. In our winter (June-August), the climate is at its most mild, with warm days, cool nights, and little rainfall. Average temperatures are 18-26 degrees Celsius/64-78 degrees Fahrenheit. Autumn (March - May) brings unpredictable weather - it can be warm and rainy or hot and sunny. Springtime (September - November) is the most predicable, and days tend to be warm to hot with little rainfall. The visbility at the Great Barrier Reef is at its best September - November, but can be enjoyed year-round. Come June - September for seasonal whale watching.
Question 5: What if I wish to SCUBA dive (intro or certified)?
Answer: Medical standards differ from country to country, certain medication / medical conditions may preclude you from diving in Australia (EVEN IF YOU ARE ALREADY CERTIFIED)
Certified DivingIf you are a certified diver, you will still be asked to fill out and sign an Advice to Divers Form. To be "certified" means you have taken a course (typically about 4 days long) and you now hold an Open Water Diver certification card from PADI, SSI, NAUI or other internationally recognized SCUBA diving organisation. If you answer Yes to any of the questions below, further medical clearance may be required. (This must be organised at least the day before your trip start date). In some circumstances you may be able to dive, with a certified professional (dive guide), at an additional cost.
Sample Medical Questionnaire For Certified Divers
- Are you currently suffering from any illness or injury? Yes or No
- Are you currently taking any prescription medication (excluding oral contraceptives) Yes or No
- Since your last dive medical have you suffered from any conditions that may affect your fitness to dive? Yes or No
Introductory DivingIntro Diving is also called "resort diving". You can do this kind of diving with a dive instructor even if you are not certified (see above). Doing an Intro Dive does NOT certify you to dive on your own in other places. If you are doing an introductory dive on a live aboard or day boat, you will be asked to fill out and sign a medical form. This form can be emailed to you prior to your trip if you are interested in Intro Diving. If you answer YES to any of the medical questions (for example, do you have asthma or take medication for migraines?) further medical clearance may be required. This must be arranged PRIOR to day of departure.
Question 6: Do we need to worry about jellyfish?
Answer: The box jellyfish are present in the northern coastal waters from November to April/May. The jellyfish are found close to shore—they breed in estuaries and very very rarely can they make it to the outer Great Barrier Reef. Most of the swimming beaches have "stinger nets" up during this season so people can swim. However, the tiny Irukandji jellyfish has been known on occasion to slip through the nets, and this is most often where people have been stung. It is a very painful sting, but there have been only 2 confirmed deaths in Australia due to the Irukandji jellyfish. The good news is that the jellyfish are rarely found at the outer Great Barrier Reef, where you will be snorkeling and/or diving. Most people swim on the reef without using any protection. According to the CRC Reef Research Centre, "In offshore waters around coral reefs, box jellyfish that cause Irukandji syndrome are usually well dispersed and the incidence of stings is very small." Nonetheless, reef operators have "stinger suits" as well as wetsuits as an extra precaution.
Question 7: What happens if a student cancels?
Answer: If an individual student cancels from a trip within 30 days of the trip departure, no refunds are given. For this reason, we strongly encourage all parents to purchase trip cancellation insurance in order to protect against unforeseen circumstances which are the main cause for student cancellations. For more details, please see our Terms & Conditions.
Question 8: What is your safety record?
Answer: Our safety record is outstanding. Please ask us for teacher/supervisor references specifically regarding our safety measures and practices. We do risk assessments for every excursion we run. We carry a first aid kit in our vehicles, as well as on the guide's person when in remote areas. All guides are certified in first aid and CPR. We give every student a card with emergency numbers and safety information on it to carry, and we review safety measures as part of our orientation. Safety is absolutely our number one concern at all times. We do everything in our power to make sure each trip is as safe as it can possibly be.
Question 9: Why should we purchase travel insurance?
Answer: We strongly recommend the purchase of travel insurance for your protection. Should a participant need to cancel their trip for any reason, our cancellation policy applies. However, travel insurance protects any loss they may experience should s/he or an immediate family member become ill or sustain an injury that prevents them from going on the trip.
Question 10: What makes Small World Journeys "eco-friendly"?
Answer: An eco tour, in our opinion, is a trip in which everyone benefits: the community, the environment, you and us. Simply by joining one of our trips, you will be supporting carbon offsetting, Rainforest Rescue's Adopt-A-Square initiative, aboriginal cultural ventures and locally-owned businesses who are working towards a more sustainable future in tourism. As our guest, you are supporting us as well. Thank you! For more information, see 10 Ways We're ''Sustainable''.
Taking Learning into the Field
This tropical biology trip to Australia is the ultimate fieldwork induction for your university students. Combining biology, ecology, environmental management and marine science this is the perfect in depth study of Australia's environments. Your students will be taught by experts in the regional environments and taught a variety of scientific fieldwork skills that can be applied to a range of disciplines across their studies.
- Compare tropical environments- from dry eucalypt woodlands to lush wet tropical rainforests
- Create hypothesis to be tested in the field
- Conduct fieldwork including species counts, nocturnal species identification and vegetation measurements
- Present group research findings
- Access the James Cook University's world class Daintree Rainforest canopy crane research station
- Learn about the complex Great Barrier Reef ecosystem
- Participate in marine fieldwork and data collection
- Experience snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef
- Test your sense of adventure by learning to SCUBA dive (optional)
How your trip supports the community
SUPPORTING INDIGENOUS CULTURE: We acknowledge Aboriginal People and Torres Strait Islander People as the first inhabitants of Australia and acknowledge Traditional Owners of the lands where we work and our groups travel. Your trip includes activities and interaction with local Aboriginal people, the traditional owners of the land on which you are traveling. By taking this trip, you are supporting grassroots indigenous tourism ventures and encouraging Aboriginal pride in culture. It is our policy to include a talk or an activity with an Aboriginal person on every trip we offer. We are proud to say that in the financial year of 2017-18, we gave over $34,000 in business to Aboriginal-owned ventures. Additionally, our new student community service project involves students in making "Moon Sick Care Bags" which supply re-usable sanitary products to Aboriginal women in remote communities — this helps both Indigenous women AND the environment! (Ask us how your group can do this on their tour)
SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES: On this educational tour, we use locally owned accommodation, restaurants, and suppliers whenever possible to keep income in the community. This includes supporting farmers by purchasing locally-grown fruits and vegetables for you on your trip. We also give you a list of where to buy locally-made crafts and souvenirs so you can continue this support as well. In 2017-18, three quarters of our expenses were paid back into the local economy.
SUPPORTING LOCAL HOMELESS & NEEDY PEOPLE: We make both financial and in-kind donations to Rosie's Friends on The Street, a Cairns-based charity. Rosie's seeks to provide homeless people and people living rough a hot meal, conversation and a non-judgemental human connection. Small World Journeys' staff also volunteer on Rosie's outreach nights, and many of our students have made comfort packs for Rosie's patrons! For more information on Rosie's and other organisations to which we donate, see Philanthropy and Partnerships or ask us how you can incorporate community service with Rosie's into your educational excursion.
How your trip is "Eco-friendly"
HELPING THE REEF: In addition to the coral tree we sponsor, we pay to "adopt" coral at Fitzroy Island through our partner Reef Restoration Foundation. The coral propagation happening there is unprecedented and is being celebrated as a significant project to help save the reef. Each of our groups that visit the reef receives a certificate on the tour and later receive updates on the coral.
ADOPTING A RAINFOREST PLOT IN YOUR NAME: We pay to have a 5-square metre plot of rainforest is adopted in your group's name through Rainforest Rescue. On your excursion, your group will be presented with a certificate detailing the significance of this gift to the environment.
REDUCING WASTE: We give you your own water bottle and cloth shopping bag to eliminate the need for disposable bottles and plastic bags. By reducing our need for plastic bags and bottles, we avoid having these things go into landfills or into the tummies of our native animals. We also recycle BOTH our hard plastics and soft plastics, and our trip snack wrappers get broken down and made into other things! For more information on how we donate to The Turtle Rehabilitation Centre and other environmental groups, see Philanthropy and Partnership.
OUR OFFICE IS RUN ON SOLAR POWER: Our future is so bright, we gotta wear shades.
CARBON OFFSETTING: We calculate our company's carbon emissions. Then we pay Sustainable Travel International (STI) to offset your emissions by investing in environmental and community-based projects. In 2018 we offset 76.72 mega tonnes of carbon dioxide! For more information about our carbon offsetting, see 10 Ways We're "Sustainable".
How your trip is safety-oriented
REFERENCES: We have had hundreds of students travel with us, and our safety record is excellent. Ask us for teacher references specifically regarding safety.
VEHICLES: All of our vehicles are equipped with seatbelts for every seat. While this is not a Queensland law, we feel your safety is a priority. Our guides do safety checks at the start of each day of the trip. In addition, vehicles go through a Department of Transport safety inspection every six months.
RISK ASSESSMENT: We do a risk assessment for every student tour we run. That risk assessment then gets sent to the organising teacher. We have safety protocols for our activities and a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Manual that documents these protocols. We also have a complete Crisis Management Plan. In addition, students are given a safety briefing during orientation that addresses hazards and risks for this region.
GUIDES AND SAFETY: Small World Journeys' guides hold current Senior First Aid and CPR certificates, along with government-issued Driver's Authority and Working With Children cards (also known as a Blue Card). For more information on our guides, see The Small World Journeys Team.
Tour Gallery
"We taught a two course (6 credit hrs) Flora and Fauna of Australasia program in May of 2015 with twenty students. SWJ is based in Cairns, which was the perfect college/tourist town for 'home basing' our program. We included 3 extended field trips over 18 days to the Daintree Rainforest, Atherton Tablelands/Undara lava tubes, and Great Barrier Reef/Fitzroy Island areas. Each leg of our expedition was comfortable, extremely diverse in flora and fauna, beautiful and our guides were all incredibly knowledgeable, personable, and excited to work with college age students. The extent to which our logistical, dietary, and camping/field challenges were accommodated allowed us to remain focused on the learning goals of our program. Simply put, SWJ met or exceeded all of our expectations and we plan to continue using their services on future classes!"
Find a trip
Small World Journeys offers a variety of trips, select above to find others on offer.
Request Information


text:
Legionnaires' Disease kills three Britons in Spain
Three British tourists have died after catching Legionnaires' Disease in a Spanish seaside hotel, regional authorities said Friday, as they shut the hotel to stop the deadly bug spreading.
"Analyses on the three deceased, of British nationality, aged between 73 and 78 years, found pneumonia caused by Legionnaires'," said the regional government of Valencia in a statement.
It later said 15 people aged between 44 and 88 in all were infected, 11 Britons and four Spaniards, including the three who died.
All had stayed at a hotel in the resort of Calpe on Spain's east coast, it said.
"The results of epidemiological analysis confirm 15 cases linked to this location, for which reason the hotel has been closed as a preventive measure," the authority said.
Three people were still being treated for the disease in a clinic in the resort city of Benidorm.
"The preventive closure of the hotel guarantees that there will be no new contagion," the authority said.
The disease, caused by the bacteria Legionella, leads to a severe form of pneunomia which can be fatal.
It is contracted through inhalation of contaminated water droplets and is not known to be transmitted from person to person.
Explore further
(c) 2012 AFP

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Mars Effect
Also found in: Medical, Wikipedia.
Mars Effect(religion, spiritualism, and occult)
Of the various attempts to demonstrate astrological influence by statistical means, the most successful have been the large-scale studies by Michel Gauquelin and Françoise Gauquelin. The Gauquelins uncovered correlations between vocation and the position of certain specific planets. The most significant of these was the so-called Mars effect, a correlation between athletic achievement and the position of the planet Mars—a planet traditionally associated with physical energy and therefore with athletic achievement—in certain influential sectors of the sky (e.g., close to the eastern horizon and near the zenith) at the time of birth.
Curry, Patrick. "Research on the Mars Effect." Zetetic Scholar 9 (March 1982): 34–53.
Gauquelin, Michel, and Françoise Gauquelin. Psychological Mongraphs. Series C: The Mars Temperament and Sports. Vol. II. Paris: Laboratoire d'Etudes des Relations entre Rythmes Cosmiques et Psycholphysiologiques, 1973.
Melton, J. Gordon, Jerome Clark, and Aidan A. Kelly. New Age Encyclopedia. Detroit: Gale, 1990.
The Astrology Book, Second Edition © 2003 Visible Ink Press®. All rights reserved.


text:
Foreign investment in property has fallen to the lowest levels in 10 years, tumbling 58 per cent to $13 billion in 2017-18.
The usual suspects — Chinese capital controls, credit curbs and taxes — have been blamed for stifling demand, with new housing leading the fall in approvals with a 62 per cent drop to $10 billion.
Official data released by the Foreign Investment Review Board on Monday showed that 10,036 approvals for residential real estate were given last year, with Victoria making up nearly half of all real estate investment.
More than 8,000 approvals for development were given last year including approvals for new dwellings, vacant land and other residential property, while there were 1,615 approvals for established dwellings — a 21 per cent fall.
Chinese buyers still account for a majority of residential real estate approvals – spending $12.7 billion in 2017-18, a 17 per cent decrease on the 2016-17.
Related: Chinese Developers Double Down on Australian Property
UBS economists said that the collapse in foreign investment reinforced its view that the outlook for housing is getting worse.
"We expect dwelling investment to fall sharply, with house prices to double the fall so far, and drop a record 14 per cent peak- to-trough," the economists wrote in a research note.
"This will see a negative household wealth effect, causing consumption to moderate, GDP to ease below trend and unemployment tick up."
Victoria is still the housing market of choice, with foreign investors and buyers investing $5.1 billion into Victorian residential real estate.
The state received nearly 50 per cent of all FIRB approvals last year, compared with 23 per cent in NSW and 17 per cent in Queensland.
As for breaches and forced divestments, 131 foreign buyers were forced to sell their properties last year, up from 96 the year prior.
Victoria accounted for 53.7 per cent of the total breaches, while NSW made up 20 per cent.
There were 600 breaches in total over 2017-18.


text:
Sage and onion stuffed chicken breast with sweet potato rosti and mushroom white wine cream
PUBLISHED: 11:01 13 February 2015
Ben Pearce is head chef and runs The Bull Blackmore End with his wife, Donna. 'It was closed for three years and almost turned into a residential development, but we reopened in November 2013 and we love it here,' says Ben. 'It's a classic old village pub with an open fire and some modern touches. We try to hit a balance between pub and restaurant.' Here Ben shares his recipe for stuffed chicken breast.
Serves 4
4 chicken breasts
1 clove of garlic
25 sage leaves
3 medium onions (1 finely chopped)
200g of breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 sweet potato
2 sprig of rosemary
2 sprig of thyme
1 tbsp of plain flour
1 egg
100gm of button mushrooms
1 shallot (finely diced)
50ml of white wine
50ml of double cream
100ml of rapeseed oil
In a food processor add the sage leaves, 2 whole onions cut into chunks, garlic, 1 egg, breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blitz together till a paste is formed. The mix should hold itself but still be quite moist.
Make an incision into the top of the breast at the thickest part and work a small pocket into the flesh. If you cut too close to the edge then when you stuff the breast it will split the flesh. Pour the stuffing mix into a piping bag and squeeze the mix into the breast and use a cocktail stick to close the hole. Wrap in clingfilm and leave in fridge until needed.
Peel and grate the sweet potatoes. Add the rosemary and thyme sprigs along with the flour and egg and mix together to form rostis. Season and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Then shape into discs of around 7cm diameter and 1 cm thick. You'll need two for a portion.
Season the chicken breast and heat up a pan of oil. Sear the chicken and transfer into the oven. Cook the chicken breast at 180c for 15 minutes.
In a separate pan heat up some more oil and add your rostis to it and cook till golden brown on both sides, flipping once.
Once cooked through, remove chicken from the oven and leave to rest on separate dishes under foil. Return the pan to the heat and sweat off the diced onion. Add the button mushrooms and sauté until soft, add your white wine and reduce by half, then add the cream and reduce until thick.
Serve the chicken, sliced in half so you can see the stuffing, on top of the rostis and spoon over some of the cream. Serve with your favourite seasonal vegetables.
Get the Taste
The Bull
Blackmore End
01371 851740


text:
A friend of mine, Pati, shared a page from a book with me and our friends. I really like this page and directly researched where it came from. Apparently, it was a page from a book by Matt Haig called "Reasons to Stay Alive".
The next day, I went and bought the book! I read it in three days and really enjoyed every single word in it.
The book was short, warm and engaging. I would personally describe it as a memorie about the life of the author Matt Haig and his battle with depression.
Matt captivated the reader by taking us deep within his thinking and his mind describing how he went from trying to commit suicide to learning how to stay alive and cope with his depression.
It's very courageous of Matt to write this book and he is showing readers that if he (and others) have made it, then everyone can.
As I was reading the book, I was interested in a part where he wrote about the things that he enjoyed ever since he thought that he would never enjoy anything (long sentence yes?!)
As I was reading through this list, I realized that what makes life worthwhile are these little things that we stumble upon day in day out in out waking life.
For that reason, I started a list of the things that I enjoyed about life, thus, my own reasons to stay alive.
- Dunkin Donuts coffee with cream and sugar (I am actually having one as I write this post)
- Writing a list (oh I just love making lists!)
- Ticking off items from my to-do list
- Wearing something nice
- Wearing a new perfume
- Eating chocolate croissant (the real fluffy ones)
- Reading a nice book
- Finishing a nice book (thanks Matt!)
- Traveling
- Fadi's smile 🙂 (oh that smile!)
- Making a funny joke (that Fadi would complement me for!)
- Eating Sushi
- Drinking rosé wine
- Wasabi peanuts
- Shelled peanuts (the ones the elephants love too!)
- Frozen Margaritas
- Mom's comfort food
- Cheese tortellini
- Guacamole sauce
- My aunt's house in Arizona
- Listening to a nice song
- A good conversation
- Helping someone
- Meeting new people while traveling
- Smelling the woods
- Walking in nature
- Camping
- Driving my motorcycle
- Sharpening a pencil
- Making my bed in the morning (sorry I couldn't keep this one out!)
- Listening to Pink!
- BBQ in the sun
- Manouché (Lebanese pizza like pastry with thyme)
- Gathering with my school mates (Pat, Pam and Dan not in any order ;))
- Seeing my best friend and her daughter
- Giving stuff away
- Waiting to see what tomorrow brings
- Tidying my closet
- Packing for a trip
- Unpacking from a trip
- Giving someone a gift
- Countdowns
- Reflecting
- Watching movies
- Pop corn
- Jerereng (the green prune-like fruit)
- A deep sleep
- Cooking something delicious
- Fadi my husband
- Sun tanning
- Swimming in cold water (even though I do not admit it!)
- Getting my nails done (did I just write that in public?)
- Long discussions after going to bed
- Fattoush salad
- Green grass
- Smiling to a stranger
- Talking to elderly people
- Receiving gifts
- Celebrating my birthday
- Celebrating the new year
- The smell of switzal
- Small baby animals (ohh the hedgehogs!)
- Green lizards, green worms, green snakes (everything green)
- Organizing stuff
- Having people complement my organization skills
- Helping someone
- Kissing, making love and all these romantic stuff
- Getting drunk
- Going on road trips
- Long discussions with Family!
- The good feeling after a workout
- Washing the car (or let's be realistic, seeing it being washed, I personally do not like washing it myself!)
- Taking a long bath/shower
- Looking at old pictures
- Feeling the sand below my feet
- Sleeping in a nice hotel
- A boat trip with my Kptn Brother!
- White beddings and white towels (I hope my mom doesn't read this one!)
- Talking… (Oh you do not want to be around when I start!)
- Sharing my life with Fadi
- Writing a blog post
- Enjoying the simple things in life
- …
Thank you Matt for the nice book, it sure was a good exercise to appreciate the small things/blessings in my life.
I will continue updating this list and will hopefully find more and more reasons to stay alive and to enjoy my life!
What about you? What are the reasons that keep you alive?


text:
January 18, 2012
If Republicans Want to Win, They Must Stop Talking about Capitalism
One of the simplest rhetorical truths is that the side that defines the vocabulary of a debate wins the debate. Yet, amazingly, we still see experienced conservative politicians with access to advanced polling operations and an array of advisors use the Lexicon of the Left. And this election cycle is no exception. I could almost cringe when I hear -- as I did repeatedly during Monday's South Carolina GOP debate -- Republicans talk about "capitalism." "I believe in capitalism..." "Barack Obama doesn't believe in capitalism..." Capitalism this and capitalism that -- look at me with my plump wallet, walking stick, and tony top hat. Oh, it's not that I don't believe in free enterprise; it's that we shouldn't use words that conjure up sentiments akin to the preceding rhyme. And polls inform that this is precisely what "capitalism" does. For example, Pew Research Center reports, "[s]lightly more than half (52%) react positively to the word...(Read Full Article)


text:
Cotswolds Adventure Race
Event Details
The second adventure race in the 2018 Questars Adventure Race Series will take place on Saturday 19 May 2018 in the wonderful Cotswolds - the largest area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) in England and Wales.
The event base is situated on the north western edge of the AONB providing good access for kayaking on the tranquil River Avon. In addition you can look forward to some great off road running and cycling as you make your way between the rolling hills and grasslands that are home to thatched medieval villages, churches and stately homes built of the distinctive local yellow Cotswold stone.
As always the course will different to previous Questars adventure races in the Cotswolds, to provide a new challenge for everyone.
This adventure race follows the usual race format for one-day Questars adventure races.
Event Base
Pershore College
Facilities Available
- Car Parking Area
- Indoor Hall (for shelter, briefing & prize giving)
- Event Catering
- Toilets
- Changing Rooms & Showers
Provisional Timings
0830 - Map collection opens
0900 - Event briefing (15 mins)
0945 - Earliest start time
1630 - Latest finish time
1700 - Results & prize giving
0930 - Map collection opens
1010 - Event briefing (15 mins)
1050 - Earliest start time
1630 - Latest finish time
1700 - Results & prize giving
The times above are given as a guide and may alter slightly (by 10-15 mins) depending on participant numbers. Timings will be confirmed in the week before the event when the start list is published.
Entry Information
Choose from the following three different race options...
Limited places available - only a few kayak places left!
Entry fees (per person) are as follows...
Duo £45 / Trio £55 - Last Chance entry - until entries close on 13 May 2018
The price you see is the price you pay! Unlike some other events, there are no additional charges for things like booking / entering online, hiring a timing / scoring chip, car parking, entry amendments etc. see everything that's included
Course Maps
Each team receives one copy of the course map on waterproof paper, with all the checkpoints marked on. Extra copies of the course map can be purchased when you enter online if needed.
The course map uses Ordnance Survey 1:25000 Explorer map data - view sample of map data
NB. Give the page time to load fully - a street map appears first whilst the OS map data is being retrieved. Don't zoom out as this will change the map dataset.
If you are not familiar with 1:25000 OS maps, make sure you also have a look at the map legend
Bike Hire
Mountain bikes for this adventure race can be hired from Drover Cycles, and collected from the event base on the day.
Two different levels of mountain bike are available; a Standard MTB and a High Spec MTB which offers a better level of suspension and components. All are well maintained and the hire price for this event includes helmet, pump, repair kit and delivery to / collection from the event base.
Hire bikes must be booked in advance. Early booking is strongly recommended to avoid disappointment.
Find Out More
Discover what to expect by having a look at the following from last year's adventure race...
2017 Event Information || 2017 Race Report || 2017 Race Photos
Keep Up to Date
Stay in touch and be the first to get updates about this adventure race...
Like us on Facebook || Follow us @QuestarsRaces || Subscribe to Newsletter


text: Deputy head of Lukashenka's administration Andrei Tur and Minister of Economy Mikalai Snapkou answered who are more numeral in the government: market economy adherents or opponents.One day the authorities promise more freedom for businessmen, another day they threaten to eradicate intermediaries completely, then they send prices in free floating, and later limit prices.Euroradio has found out who is in control of the Belarusian economy, market -oriented economists or conservators.Deputy Head of the Administration of the Presidential Administration Andrei Tur explains that there is no pure market at all. Nowhere!"There is no pure market, or purely market economy problems, all of them are interrelated in a system-based way. They have both generic and specific character for every country and every stage of its ripening", he said.He did his best in avoiding answering the question: "Who are more numerous in Lukashenka's administration, supporters or opponents of the market?""There are people with realistic thinking there, and there are people with idealistic thinking. It is more significant that a market-oriented or conservative person. In any case, pragmatic realism based upon day-to-day realities, not on opinions and desires, is outweighing", said Deputy head of the Administration.Though Economy Minsiter Mikalai Snapkou admits his preference for liberalism, but he does not dare to call himself a market-oriented person either."Looking at the liberalization from the point of view of its roots, I am certainly a supporter of freedom of enterprise, freedom of opportunities, freedom of responsibility. And from the point of view of economic processes, this word had become too negative. I prefer common sense", he said.His common sense is enviable! Even though the difference in the age of deputy head of the administration and the Economy Minister is so little: Andrei Tur is 58, and Mikalai Snapkou is 42. However, Leonid Zaika, an economist, is sure that the age does not matter anything in the corridors of power, as all of them start to think in the same way soon."It is an absolute personnel standstill. Even when a young person comes to work at the government, a talented young person who had graduated a university as a brilliant student, had good marks, in half a year he turns into an ordinary officer of some ministry. A dull glance, senseless motions… There is no interest to a good economic theory in the country".


text:
It's an term beloved by cruise lines but just what is a conveyance and why is it so important
The news came out of Norwegian Cruise Line yesterday that their latest ship, Norwegian Bliss, had completed its conveyance up the River Ems from Papenburg in Germany to Eemshaven in the Netherlands – meaning it is one step closer to its expected delivery date of April 19.
This, naturally, prompted a nation of cruise lovers to ask: just what is a conveyance?
While most commonly associated with the legal process for transferring property from one owner to another – and adding another wedge of cash to your solicitor's wallet in the process – in the ship industry a conveyance is the act of moving a ship from an inland shipyard to a coastal port.
This occurs almost exclusively for ships built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, which is unconventionally placed 32 kilometres inland so as to avoid the worst conditions that the North Sea has to throw at them.
In an interesting twist, this process occurs with the ship manoeuvring backwards down the river as it grants more control and, if the worst happens, allows some protection to the propellers which will remain in the centre of the river.
The whole 32km journey took Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas over ten hours to complete back in 2016 – meaning someone with a brisk walk and plenty of fitness could walk the journey to the final destination quicker – but can be achieved much quicker depending on the size of the ship and the weather conditions.
So, in the case of Norwegian Bliss, which measures 994 feet long, 136 feet wide, and at a gross registered tonnage of 168,028, just getting through Meyer Werft's sea lock (where there is less than four foot of clearance) took just less than two hours at a speed of only 0.2 knots.
The precise navigation included a team of experienced Ems River pilots, navigation officers, the yard captain and the local German waterway authorities.
It's no small feat and is probably why when the operation is completed cruise lines like to shout about it. Who can blame them!


text:
Palmolive Classic Shave Lather For Men allows for the ultimate shaving experience whilst leaving your skin feeling soft and smooth.
This soothing and moisturising shaving cream contains palm fruit extract to keep your skin feeling smooth and supple.
Hydrates and moisturises your skin while still allowing you to get a close shave.
Palmolive Classic Shave Lather For Men is kind and gentle to your skin and leaves your skin soft and supple thanks to the added soothing palm extract.
Each tube contains 100ml of shaving cream.
Rub into the skin to form a lather.
For best results apply with a shaving brush.
Aqua,Stearic Acid ,Glycerin ,Potassium Hydroxide ,Coconut Acid ,Cocos Nucifera Oil ,Sodium Hydroxide ,Parfum ,Sodium Silicate ,Cocos Nucifera Extract ,Potassium Chloride ,Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde ,Limonene ,CI 42051 ,CI 45350 ,CI 47005 ,CI 15985.
Always read the label.
* We don't sell food to non-UK addresses
** Includes N.Ireland, Scottish Highlands, UK Offshore Islands, Isle of Man, Scilly Isles
UK, Channel Islands, N Ireland, Highlands and Islands - Standard delivery arrives 2-3 days after dispatch or for heavy parcels Courier next day after dispatch Mon-Thu.
Europe - We no longer send orders to European or International destinations.
Express delivery arrives 1-2 days after dispatch or for heavy parcels Courier 1-2 days after dispatch Mon-Thu.
24hr MON-FRI DELIVERY:
Light parcels, delivered Tue-Fri, signature required or for heavy parcels Courier next day Mon-Thu delivery after dispatch.
We understand that you may want, at times, to return an item you've purchased from us. To make this process quick and convenient for you. All returned products must be in their original packaging, unopened and in a re-saleable condition. We only accept returns for products that have been purchased through us.
If your order was shipped outside of the UK, we are unable to refund the return shipping fee. Any return which does not meet the conditions set above will not be refunded or replaced. For further information on returns or to request a refund/return, please contact us.
We regret that we cannot, by law, accept returns of any medication. If you return a medicine to us all we can do is dispose of it correctly for you as it cannot be resold.
Of course, if we have made a mistake or the product is faulty or damaged, we will accept returns as long as you contact us within 10 days of receiving the order and received the product back within 30 days. Once we have received the returned item we will refund the amount paid or resend the product.
Other Products:
If for whatever reason you are not satisfied with any other item you have purchased from us, you may return it if you notify us within 10 days of receiving the order and we receive the product back within 30 days. Once we have received the returned item we will refund the amount paid or resend the product.


text: suc_jad_jad628 jad628 jad suc yes Letter, 1949 Aug. 19, (Summerton, S.C.), S. Isaiah Benson, to Mattie DeLaine, (Summerton, S.C.) Benson, S. Isaiah African American teachers--South Carolina--Clarendon County Teachers--South Carolina--Clarendon County African American school principals--South Carolina--Clarendon County School principals--South Carolina--Clarendon County Employee selection--South Carolina--Clarendon County African American schools--South Carolina--Clarendon County Benson, S. Isaiah--Correspondence DeLaine, Mattie Belton, 1907-1999--Correspondence Benson, S. Isaiah DeLaine, Mattie Belton, 1907-1999 Letter from S. Isaiah Benson, principal of Scott's Branch School in Summerton, South Carolina, to Mattie DeLaine, also of Summerton, South Carolina, informing her of her approved application to teach in the 1949-1950 school term. The Civil Rights Digital Library received support from a National Leadership Grant for Libraries awarded to the University of Georgia by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for the aggregation and enhancement of partner metadata. University of South Carolina. Libraries. Digital Collections South Caroliniana Library eng Letters (correspondence) Text http://digital.tcl.sc.edu/u?/jad,628 image/jpg Manuscripts Legal size - 9625 - (Folder 4), Joseph Armstrong DeLaine papers, ca. 1918-2000, South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina, Columbus, South Carolina. Forms part of online collection: Rev. Joseph A. DeLaine papers, ca. 1918-2000. 1949-08-19 United States, South Carolina, Summerton United States, South Carolina, Clarendon County http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ Digital image copyright 2008, The University of South Carolina. All rights reserved. For more information contact The South Caroliniana Library, USC, Columbia, SC 29208.


text:
Laptops Hacked After ICT Forum Host Azerbaijan Criticized
//CGCS Presents this week's Media Law Round Up – a collection of stories that developed over the week dealing with International Media Law & Policy, Freedoms of Speech, Information and Expression, Censorship, Privacy and all things Web 2.0.
//This week, the RoundUp comes from CGCS Media Wire Editor Corey H. Abramson who provides a recap of the 2012 Internet Governance Forum in controversial Azerbaijan which has recently come under EU and PACE criticism for human rights violations.
The Internet Governance Forum, 2012 in Baku
Over the past three days, Information Communications Technology policymakers and industry leaders gathered together in Baku for the Internet Governance Forum – an annual meeting of the movers and shakers in the telecommunications field brought together by the UN. Unlike many other events sponsored by the United Nations, the Annual IGF is open to more than just government representation – perhaps a step in the right direction to understanding what Global Voices Online calls "governance issues ranging from policing, to access, to content management, to freedom of expression online."
Those in attendance this year span government officials, ICT company representation, NGO's and media-minded scholars and journalists to accurately reflect a slow but steady shift in attitudes towards internet governance. Issues discussed at this years' IGF include censorship, privacy, copyright, online activism, cyber security, national ICT policies and the sovereignty (read: definition or mutual understanding) of cyberspace.
Global Voices Online's Netizen Report highlights aspects from each panel discussion by topic, with an equal spread of corporate and national interests represented.
This year the 7th annual IGF, is being held in controversial Azerbaijan, a former soviet republic with a long reputation of shrugging off many of the underlying issues behind the topics discussed like human rights issues such as free speech, information and the press despite international obligations to protect them.
Hacked Laptops in Reaction to Criticism of the Host Country?
During the forum, the laptops of two EU officials "[were] apparently hacked in Azerbaijan," writes ZDNet.com's David Meyer. The victims of the cyber attack were a spokesman for the digital agenda commissioner, Neeli Kroes as well as one of her policy advisers.
The attacks came right after Kroes openly criticized Azerbaijani treatment of social and internet freedom activists, journalists and netizens at large:
"In this very country (Azerbaijan), we see many arbitrary restrictions on the media," Kroes said. "We see the exercise of free speech effectively criminalized. We see violent attacks on journalists. And we see activists spied on online, violating the privacy of journalists and their sources. I condemn this. The restrictions must end."
"To deprive of human rights not just journalists and bloggers, not just their sources – but the citizens who have a right to know the truth is not acceptable. And it will not serve the economic growth of the country. A free internet, a free country is also the path to a more prosperous future,"added Kroes who previously said, "Everyone with a mobile could be a journalist."
Kroes is referring to last year's European Commission's 'No Disconnect' strategy (which you can read about on her blog at the European Commission webiste), which involves giving online activists "technological tools… that help journalists avoid surveillance and safeguard their right to privacy".
New Europe Online elaborates, "This will be achieved through the promotion of technologies that help journalists avoid surveillance and ensure privacy, the necessary funding to fight cyber-censorship, under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights and the certainty that EU companies are aware of the human rights implications of the technologies they sell."
Free Speech and Protest Limited Offline As Well
The Human Rights Watch report says that since early 2006, Azerbaijani authorities have not authorized a single opposition protest in the center of Baku, instead forcing all demonstrations into designated zones on the outskirts of the capital.
In October, over two hundred youth activists, journalists and citizens "affiliated with opposition political parties and independent civil society" tried to organize a rally in Baku, attempting to shed light on recent evidence of bribery and corruption in a 2005 parliamentary election. Their peaceful efforts were matched with "uniformed police and security officials in civilian clothes" grabbing activists, covering their mouths, and forcing them into nearby police buses.
As party to the European Convention on Human Rights, Azerbaijan has an international commitment to protecting freedom of assembly and expression, something the European Court of Human Rights has ensured is not to be taken lightly. Banning protests in major cities, breaking them up with force and limiting publication about the events themselves go in stark contrast to the country's obligations to protect certain freedoms.
PACE, Political Prisoners and the Future
January 2013 was supposed to see a twofold report by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to define and recognize the term 'political prisoner' officially, and to call attention to Azerbaijani detention of said detainees.
Naturally, representatives of Azerbaijan were upset for being singled out in the report and the mandates were merged. The name of the joint report was changed to "Revisiting the issue of political prisoners, " as a compromise with the Azerbaijani delegation.
"It almost looked like Baku's efforts to neutralize the report on Azerbaijan's political prisoners succeeded, but authorities took a step too far," writes Joanna Smętek for Europe of Human Rights, when denying a key investigator "…a visa which he needed to conduct a fact finding mission. Azerbaijan's move backfired, the mandates were split again and, despite all the efforts, Azerbaijan's name is now singled out again. On 3 October 2012 the first resolution on the definition of political prisoner was tabled for vote at the plenary session of PACE and, by a thin margin, passed."
"Azerbaijan was doing all it could to prevent the adoption of the definition of political prisoner, even though this was not directed against any one country," and Ms Schuster from Germany – "lobbying in this case by Azerbaijan had been unmatched in its brazenness."
The Media Wire will continue to follow the PACE definitions of political prisoners, coverage of IGF 2012, and the status of freedoms and human rights in Azerbaijan as the stories develop. We look forward to your input, comments and suggestions.
// Corey H. Abramson sits as the current Media and Policy Fellow, working as an intern for the Center for Global Communication Studies at The Annenberg School for Communication. His main areas of interest are 'new media' literacy, digital nativity, internet policies on freedoms of expression & speech, and privacy.
[show_hide title="Click here for chronological headlines and readings on this post's subject."]
No disconnect – ICT helping Human Rights across the world
Definition of Political Prisoner by PACE
Magid on Tech: Internet Governance Forum to tackle issues about online safety, freedom
No repressive restrictions on media, European Commission Vice-President tells Baku forum
Vice-President Kroes calls for the establishment of free media in Ajerbaijan
EU officials 'hacked' at Azerbaijan Internet Governance Forum
Rights Groups Slam Azerbaijan Over Freedom Of Speech
French ambassador: Forum IGF-2012 in Baku to serve to strengthening of business circles' international cooperation
Africa: Restrictions to Limit Internet Access On the Rise, Warns Unesco


text:
Is technology changing the way we work, making us more agile? If this infographic from Gist were anything to go by it would appear that we are embracing a new workstyle and leaving the old behind. The infographic is quite simple in its design but includes some interesting quotes using data from a GigaOm Pro report.
49% of managers believe that the workplace is suffering from information overload
For organisations that are looking to embrace a new work culture the infographic provides some good points to follow to make you become more authentic, connected, virtual and engaged.
Infographic source: http://www.gist.com/
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.


text:
WRX STI A-Line comes with Subaru's 2.5 liter Boxer engine with 300 hp and 350 Nm of torque.
Subaru has introduced the new Impreza WRX STI A-Line edition and, like an old friend who checks in with you from time to time, it's always nice to hear from Subaru, isn't it?
The A-Line is a more accessible, comfy version of the WRX STI meant to attract more distinguishing and less dedicated customers to Subaru. It features Subaru's 2.5 liter Boxer engine, coupled with a 5-speed automatic transmission trademarked by Subaru as the SPORTSHIFT.
Comfort comes by way of an 8-directional electronically adjustable driver's seat with optional leather seats and leather trim on the inner door paneling highlighted with silver stitching. A new color, "Satin White Pearl", is also made available in the A-Line.
But this WRX STI A-Line's still got the boogie. That 2.5 liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder engine comes with 300 hp and 350 Nm of torque. A single scroll turbocharger helps the engine produce a steady stream of torque within a mid-rev to high-rev range.
And there is lots of technology to keep this Subaru humming with speed and comfort. A Downshifting Blipping Control allows the automatic transmission to have a quick chat with the engine management system to increase engine speed while downshifting gears in order to have as smooth a shift as possible.
The VTD (Variable Torque Distribution) AWD system provides electronic control of torque distribution between the rear and front axles dependent on driving conditions to maintain a keen sense of balance on the road for this WRX STI.
There's also a Tumble Generation Valve that controls air intake for maximum combustion efficiency under the hood.
Good to hear the new news, Subaru. Hope to see you around again soon.


text: SaltDNA provides a solution for encrypted communications between mobile devices with full, centralised control for the enterprise. In 2017 they were invited on the MDR LAB programme, joining Mishcon de Reya for ten weeks. In this film CEO Joe Boyle explains the need for secure communications and shares his thoughts on being part of MDR LAB. Read the full transcript Mishcon de Reya MDR LAB Spotlight on…. Salt DNA "The problem is insecure, uncontrolled communications within organisations when there's a lot of sensitive or private information being exchanged." Joe Boyle – CEO saltDNA We could see that when the iPhone came in it was hugely disruptive, the Blackberry was losing its grip on secure communications. I knew controls would have to come in for iPhones and for android devices. So saltDNA offers a closed communication platform for an organisation. Trusted individuals work together within a closed group and share very sensitive information such as in a legal case. When we got the opportunity to actually pitch in the MDR Labs we thought that this would be a way to bring us to the next level and develop very specific features for the legal use case and in doing that we've actually built desktop support and secure document exchange which is a real killer for us. I suppose the single message I would give to other innovators is to make sure they stay heavily engaged with the end users of the system because the feedback that they get and the changes they make is the difference between success and failure.


text:
Integrate BrandIndex (YouGov)
Get instant access to BrandIndex (YouGov) with just a few clicks or SQL commands
Integrate BrandIndex (YouGov) with
Integrate BrandIndex (YouGov) with the
Logical Data Warehouse
Join BrandIndex (YouGov) data with other data sources
Integrate BrandIndex (YouGov) in your data warehouse
Analyze data from BrandIndex (YouGov) in your BI tool
About BrandIndex (YouGov)
YouGov is an international internet-based market research firm with a focus on online surveys, especially related to elections and political decisions. In addition to election surveys, YouGov also calculates market data, such as the BrandIndex, which raises the reputation of around 1000 brands every day in the UK, Germany, Turkey and the USA.
Data Virtuality Benefits
Connect in 5 minutes
Data Virtuality is providing a simple wizard to type in your data source credentials to establish a connection. It only takes minutes and you see your data in a SQL query-able tables instantly after.
SQL Transformation
Query connected data sources with SQL. Query, join and integrate data from Google Analytics, Salesforce, Oracle, MySQL and many more data sources using SQL commands.
Read and Write data
Read and Write data from connected data sources. Integrate data into an analytical database and write data back to data sources based on triggers.


text:
PANDA – Performing Arts Network and Development Agency, will cease trading on 25th June 2018.
Our full announcement is below should you wish to read it. Here is a summary:
The current challenging climate has increased demand for our support whilst diminishing our capacity, reaching the point whereby the Board consider PANDA can no longer effectively fulfil it's mission and remain viable. The dictionary definition of support is 'bear all or part of the weight of; hold up'. We cannot provide support without ourselves being supported.
A tiny organisation, PANDA has managed for many years to punch above it's weight, working strategically and creatively to provide support to thousands of individuals. The Board and staff are proud of our work and many achievements.
Alongside the winding up process, our main efforts will be in ensuring elements of support remain for current members after we close. We will be collating an online archive of resources and signposting to alternative sources of support. New jobs, events and opportunities will be posted onto the site once a week until mid-June. We will also be announcing details of PANDA's Legacy Funds – our savings account (reserves) which the Board have decided to offer as small professional development grants. So please do keep an eye on our website and look out for our emails during our last few months.
All of us at PANDA have been honoured to work with you, our valued and resourceful members and wish you all the very best in your future journeys.
We hope you will continue to contribute to and benefit from the networks, professional development and peer solidarity that can only be achieved through courage, creativity and above all, collaboration.
READ THE FULL ANNOUNCEMENT HERE: PANDA Announcement April 2018


text:
Disclaimer: All drinks were complimentary but opinions are my own
Last week I was invited to the Chatime media event by ChineseBites. They opened up three new locations this year on Robson, Broadway and Blundell Road. I visited the Broadway location for the event and it's located a few steps away from the 99 bus stop at Granville and Broadway.
Chatime is the #1 bubble tea brand in the world with over 1200 locations worldwide! Their tea is brewed fresh in the store and they only use high quality natural ingredients and they don't use pre-made tea or tea powders either. In fact, they source the tea leaves directly from Taiwan and they even have their own tea farm.
Some snacks for the event! Continue reading →


text:
Woman who lost both her legs and all of the fingers on her left hand after contracting MenW shares video of her experiences.
Italy bans non-vaccinated children from starting state schools as Health Minister blames fall in vaccination rates on 'fake news'.
Responding to the news of falls in uptake of the shingles vaccination, the International Longevity Centre UK (ILC-UK) has urged a change to its eligibility guidelines.
A literature review and survey data from 4015 adults across Germany, France, Spain and the UK shows 'high levels of hesitancy and multiple forms of mistrust' of immunisation.
A petition to increase vaccine coverage to all children up to at least 11 years has gained more than 640,000 signatures.
The Guardian US interactive team model the effects of measles vaccination of 10 different communities to demonstrate the effects of herd immunisation
Scientists at the UK National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) dispel some of the common myths about flu vaccines
Professor Wendy Barclay, Chair of influenza virology at Imperial College London debunks common myths and misconceptions
Between the 4th – 6th November 2015, the International Federation on Ageing assembled a range of medical practitioners, policy officers and industry representatives to discuss how best to promote vaccine uptake across Europe.
Michael Hodin, CEO of the Global Coalition on Ageing outlines how to 'fix the pneumonia epidemic' for World Pneumonia Day


text:
SpongeBob: Man Sponge Saves the Day
This product is not currently available.
To help you find what you're looking for, see similar items below.
Rated 1/5 from 2 ratings
1 review (Add a review)
Delivery information
We are only able to deliver orders to school addresses
- FREE delivery for schools*
- Delivery within 10 working days
Book Club orders
- FREE delivery to schools
- Books will be despatched after the school's order is confirmed
*We do not charge for delivery, but your order may incur additional customs costs.
Product description
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No – it's Man Sponge! Spongey swoops to the rescue in his square superhero pants as he tackles another brave mission in the guise of his alter ego, Man Sponge! Bikini Bottom is in trouble, and there's only one person who can help. But will SpongeBob think of a rescue plan in time? Join him in this literacy-boosting story as he becomes a hero and puts the bad guys in their place. Lots of action and humour, bright colour pictures and an easy-to-follow text will make this exciting first story a real favourite for beginners.
Product Details
NewUK edition
on 25 September 2012
man sponge is superhero i love it1out of 5
Add a review
What kids think
on 29 September 2012
it is super cool
on 21 August 2012
I love the bad guys in this book, they are very naughty. I liked it when SpongeBob became a superhero and it was funny when Mermaidman and Barnacleboy came back home at the end.
Ben, aged 5