Turtles, women, and two Kiwis

What do baby turtles, village women, two Kiwis and an United States NGO have in common? Follow the journey of 24 women from the village of Kia as they discover the Arnavon Islands and what marine conservation means for their present as well as their future.

Read this and MORE at Unstuck Travel.

An in-depth perspective of the women’s visit can be found here.

A poem, by Savanna Joseph

Savanna reminds me of tweety bird – she’s a pretty whacked-out, on her own trip, tree loving, sick surfing, long-legged Californian babe. Here’s her poem:

Way beyond the clouds
Elder planets cycle with our mother earth
around the sun
Flowing with time
providing us a home
…The tree leaves color and dance in the wind

and we trade breaths
we are alive and connected
Sprouting through the dirt
Waiting for the clouds to pass
We realize and Remember
The sun is shinning beyond the clouds
we ask from the trees
how to stay rooted in the wind
And they give
And those who dance or get cold
Must gather and hug close to the earth
…like leaves on the ground

Together we create a source of light and warmth
With the sun shinning way beyond the clouds
tend the fires with love and strength
And stay connected to the earth and each other
as we cycle around the sources of life.

Dreaming of Whales

By Keri Algar 

What a Wonderful Whale!

Imo’s Whale Poem 1  

How often, one wonders, would a whale 

Whilst splashing his almighty tail, 

Stop and think with certainty
The Most Important Mammal is me! 

Did you know that when Orcas travel in groups they breathe in unison? And that the largest animal in the world, the Blue Whale, eats up to 3,000,000 calories a day, and has 40cm of blubber around it?! 

 While you watch in childlike awe as whales cruise along the coastline – giant, majestic and mysterious – they are chatting away to each other in dialects based on locality and family bonds. That’s their song. 

 Like every other living creature, whales play a significant role in our planets environmental health. Not only is their place in the food chain critical, but even their poo plays an important part! Baleen whale poo is rich in iron, which is fundamental for the growth of phytoplankton. Phytoplankton sequesters carbon dioxide and in turn provides two-thirds of the earth’s oxygen! 

 These days the Southern Ocean especially is lacking whales, lacking poo, lacking iron, and lacking phytoplankton. But ‘Save the plankton’ doesn’t tug at our heartstrings like ‘Save the whales’ does. Why? 

 Our wonder of whales has led to the ongoing and passionate plight against pro-whaling nations such as Japan and Norway. Is this because whales have become a symbol representing all living things that need protecting? What’s our connection to these ocean mammals? 

 You will find the answer looking into the eye of a cetacean. 

 Along the Great Australian Bight, the Mirning people have their own whale tale: 

 “A long time ago, a great White Whale Spirit called Jiddara came down to Earth. He came from the stars to swim in the oceans of the infinite void of Earth as it then existed.  As the Seven Sisters chased down after him, Jiddara dived into the vast blue depths of the ocean, thrashing his tail, and then rose to meet the new dawn. From this point on Jiddara created the Earth and the Sky, leaving the echoes of his Dreamtime journey imprinted in there at Whale Rock in South Australia. We are born as a result of the whale being the mother of the sea. In the time of the ‘Beginning’, we were born from the ocean, in the foam along the shores of the great South Seas. In the dance of the Beginning, we were born to dream the whales. The whale is our family. Over thousands of years, we have come to this place where the whales gather every winter to mate and give birth. We share food together; we eat shellfish off the same table – the reefs. They are our brothers and sisters in the ocean. When we die, it is with them we return, to the Morning Star.” Narrated by Margaret and Bunna Lawrie from the film “Whaledreamers” 2006. 

Whales appeal to the human spirit. If you’re into whales, give ‘em a hand! 

See if your area is registered in the Humpback Icon Project where communities adopt a specific Humpback Whale. The whales pass our coastline twice a year and you can be a part of celebrating the migration of an individual whale. Spot their unique body markings and personality! Check out the International Fund for Animal Welfare: www.stopwhaling.com.au 

Support Save The Whale Campaigns through organisations such as Surfers for Cetaceans, Greenpeace, Sea Shepherd, and Whales Alive.  Find more save the whale organisations at www.oceania.org.au/soundnet/cover.html#actionalerts 

Imo’s Whale Poem 2 

 

 

(that's not Imo's butt)

What does whale poo look like? 

Asked Barry to his dad, 

Does it look like ours and smell really bad? 

Or is it long and squirmy, does it float or does it sink? 

And if other fish are around what water would they drink? 

Do whales have a secret loo that they can swim off to? 

And how often does a whale really need to do a poo? 

Barry goes on thinking, then exclaims with a start: 

Imagine all the bubbles if a whale was to fart!  

Wiring Fridges the Cool Way

Keri Algar

Samsung Zipel e-diary

No one can better appreciate the luxury of an ice-cold beer than an Australian. In fact we can thank one of our own, James Harrison, who in 1856 pioneered the refrigeration process. It’s first practical commercial use? A Geelong brewery, of course.

These days, cooling appliances grace 99.9% of Australian households and are mostly used to keep food fresh. A third of us use a second fridge for keeping the booze cool.

The big square box in the kitchen hasn’t really seen a revolution in the last 150 years, but there have been enough changes to raise an eyebrow or two.

Like smart-fridges. That’s right, in the tradition of smart-phones, these cool boxes come with a 10” touch screen and WiFi connectivity so you can check the weather, news or recipes while pottering around in the kitchen. It will even tell you when you are running low on milk.

The smart-fridge could be a hit in Korea where it has just been released, but do greasy hands and touch screens mix well in the Australian kitchen?

Babak Hadi, founder of Fortitude Valley’s Black Pearl Epicure, thinks smart-fridges are a waste of time and won’t catch on. 

A Samsung for Australia

“People do not stand up and do things on the internet…in front of the fridge. All our internet use, whether it’s ordering food or researching recipes we do sitting down. It sounds fancy and very technical but I don’t think it has long legs to stand on in terms of practicality,” says Hadi.

So if on-line fridges aren’t the flavour of the month in Australia, what is?

Hadi singles out the cool drawer concept found on some french door models, where shelves can be drawn outwards.

“It’s a concept taken from the commercial kitchen where drawers can act under all temperatures; so a drawer can be a freezer, a refrigerator or a wine fridge. The versatility in temperature application is brilliant,” says Hadi.

Frost-free systems and separate humidity control crispers have been important advancements as well in terms of reducing food spoilage.

“Compartments which allow for a degree of change in humidity are extremely important for maintaining cheeses or vegetables in good condition,” says Hadi.

What’s more, the drawer system tackles a problem we all have, finding the stuff at the back of the fridge we can’t see, and eventually don’t want to.

“Things in the back can stay there for years actually,” Hadi admits with a laugh. “But we can avoid it with a drawer where shelves can be drawn outwards so you can see what’s there. That doesn’t exist in stand-up fridges where to get to the back we have to move everything away from the front,” he continues.

Like most modern day appliances the evolution of the fridge depends on convenience. Refrigerators with ice and water dispensers are the most popular features consumers are looking for, says Traci Marsh from Clive Anthonys.

“They’ve been a hit,” says Marsh. “We’ve been selling a lot of side by sides that come with ice and water; if you’ve got a family it helps them drink more water,” says Marsh.

“They’ve really come down in price as well,” she adds.

No wallflowers

It’s no surprise that as much as intelligent design is important, a fabulous looking fridge is what really matters. It’s probably the number one criteria when buying a fridge, says Hadi. Marsh also points out that sophisticated looking fridges sell.

“The cosmetic look is very important. Bosch has brought out a black design which is really quite elegant…people like that,” says Marsh.

Samsung collaborates with Italian jewellery designers and Smeg has a 1950’s retro range.

While fashion extends to fridges, functional mod cons include anti-bacterial coating, vacation energy mode, door alarms, spill proof shelves, and LED/LCD displays to let you know what’s happening inside.

“With couples you tend to find that the wife is looking at (all) the little gadgets and the husbands are the ones looking at the energy ratings,” says Marsh, raising another significant reason why Australians pick one appliance over another. Running costs.

“Electricity has gone up and people are worried. Fridges have really come a long way now especially with energy efficiency,” says Marsh.

According to the Australian Greenhouse Office (AGO), fridges and freezers use 9% of all household appliance energy, including transport.

It pays to look at energy star ratings. The difference between running a four star or three star fridge over 10 years is roughly $300, according to AGO calculations.

Being energy wise might not be our strong point. Marsh says that even small families or couples are opting for large fridges. “People are still going for bigger fridges because they’ve come down in price so much, compared to say, four years ago,” says Marsh.

Though we spend less time in the kitchen than we did 10 years ago, cooking and entertaining has become more of a past-time than a chore. So you may as well enjoy the utility and aesthetics of your kitchen fridge.

“Food is part of our lifestyle, a hobby, it’s entertainment and a family affair. It’s like wine, it’s not just about drinking alcohol, it’s a leisure time,” says Hadi.

Hearts4Sharks

Keri Algar

Inspired and motivated: Aimee Jan and Jana McGeachy

It’s not every day a bunch of surfers get together in the spirit of saving sharks. But local lasses Aimee Jan and Jana McGeachy opted to leave Rasta to fend for dolphins and whales while they gather support for our friendly foe.

After watching the Rob Stewart’s film Sharkwater, seeing the horrors of shark finning and the resulted decimation of shark numbers, the pair decided to look for a solution.

The two surfers started Hearts4Sharks a lot under Aimee’s inspiration and passion for ocean creatures.

Hearts4Sharks held its first awareness campaign in March at Kartel coffee shop in Cabarita.

“We knew we had to do something to raise awareness. We really just wanted to have a night where all our close friends could come and learn the truth about sharks,” says Jana.

Sean and co.

The event received a lot of support from the local community with generous donations from Sean Scott (beaut canvas), Logan Hurford (slack-line lesson), Miriam Ter-Borg (massage) and Tracey Malone (equine session).

The crew packed into the coffee shop to watch Sharkwater, while munching on homemade shark shaped cookies. It was a huge success and thanks to the support and encouragement from surfers, artists and friends, Hearts4Sharks was able to offer a substantial cheque to Australian Marine Society.

And from little things big things grow.

Support for Aimee and Jana’s campaign has blossomed with close to 300 facebook friends already and more events in the pipeline. And it’s no wonder. The best friends’ passion for saving sharks is quite contagious, and their enthusiasm is infectious.

The crew at Kartel, 11 March

“Sharks are beautiful creatures and really misunderstood,” says a sincere, but smiling Jana.

“From here we’re looking at running interactive educational programmes in schools in Australia and Asia,” she adds.

Recent data indicates that up to 73 million sharks are killed each year to satisfy the shark fin market…for soup. As sharks have a critical position in the oceans as a top predator, their slaughter is putting the ocean’s ecological balance in a precarious situation.

So the next time around sunset you start to get that feeling, keep it real by remembering this: the chance of being killed by a shark is one in 300 million. The chance of being killed by airplane parts falling from the sky is one in 10 million.

The beautiful girls - getting on board to help save sharks.

In the mean time you can get on board by staying tuned to up and coming Hearts4Sharks events – check them out on facebook.

Check out the Sharkwater trailor: