Sunday, April 30, 2006

Return to Fogg Dam

Having missed a couple of weeks due to my trip with son Dave to Singapore recently it was good to get out to Fogg Dam again. I gave David Forsyth from the University a call, and he joined me for the 60km drive out there. It was quite a dramatic change as the road in along the old dam wall is now closed, at least until the "Dry" is well underway. the water is flowing well over the road in the middle of the dam so it was only accessible for driving by official 4WD vehicles.






The usual birds were seen, Royal Spoonbills, Pied and Intermediate Egrets,Kites,Cormorants, Rainbow Bee-Eaters



and something I had not seen there before, a Broad-billed Flycatcher(Myiagra ruficollis).


We also saw a snake in the water. We were also prevented from going on the forest boardwalk because of flooding.

Friday, April 21, 2006

Some business as well

Dave and I also visited a couple of universities as well. Nanyang Technological University and also the National University of Singapore.
This is just one of the libraries at NUS where I gave a talk to the Library Association of Singapore on Google Scholar.

They have a chill out or "Perk Point" area with food and drinks available as well as zones where mobile phone users can duck into!

This seat is tucked into the stacks and I liked the quote, I guess that's what librarianship is all about!

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Dave and Stephen's BIG trip to Singapore

We had quite a few trips down the famous Orchard Road.



After spending quite a few days undertaking retail therapy, Dave and I went to the Singapore Zoo.
We saw the Asian small-clawed Otters.
Right next to their display was this beast,
which I had never heard of. Its called a Binturong
(a kind of Civit cat)



and the orangutangs

and the stunning Siberian White Tigers, so sadly under threat of extinction.





The smile on this young woman was delightful.


as was this colourful families concerned looks as the peacock strutted around, lording his domain.


I liked the patterns of the feathers.


This baboon was creating quite a display!


There were lots of school children, very well behaved.
A very polite child with a clipboard asked me lots of questions about where I had come from, what I thought of Singapore, what other Asian countries I had or would visit.
When I asked him where he was from, he was actually
on a school trip from Hong Kong!


It was interesting to note in the new Australian Outlook display that there were links to the Northern Territory.


Dave took advantage of the 4WD to get a bit more height for his shots.

We also shopped in other areas as well.
This is North Bridge Road.

Dave rather liked the art work on this taxi.

Our hotel,The Carlton is just a few steps away from the more famous Raffles.

Friday, April 14, 2006

A trip to Stokes Hill Wharf

Spent Good Friday evening at Stokes Hill Wharf. It seemed that most of Darwin was there.

Dave enjoyed chargrilled barramundi. There was a quite spectacular sunset illuminating a storm cloud.

The Moon also made for good images.

Daves trip to Fogg Dam, Cooroboree and the Termite Mounds

Dave and I, along with Pauline spent the morning out at Fogg Dam. Besides the usual suspects (Royal Spoonbills, Pied Herons,Kites and Rainbow Bee-Eaters.




etc today we saw Jabiru
a turtle,


and a pair of mating goanna's!
We then went to the tavern at Cooroboree, bumped into "Poo", the possum owner and I showed Dave the Termite mounds

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

My photo makes the News, well at least the weather

I was delighted last week that the Darwin ABC weather segment ran my photo of Cullen Bay sunset!