Lizard Island Research Station, Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia

Posted on February 11, 2020 by richardcedwards

On the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland, Australia, Lizard Island is home to the Lizard Island Research Station, an internationally recognized facility of the Australian Museum

Lizard Island is an island on the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, 250 kilometers (155 miles) northwest of Cairns, Australia, and part of the Lizard Island Group that also includes Palfrey Island. It is part of the Lizard Island National Park.

“More than half of Lizard Island is covered in grasslands. Eucalyptus and acacia woodlands, heaths, paperbark swamps and mangroves are also found there. The island’s best-known animal is a lizard — the yellow-spotted monitor Varanus panoptes. Lieutenant James Cook named the island for this lizard during his exploration of the east coast of Australia in 1770. More than 40 species of birds inhabit the island group. Seabird Islets and Osprey, South and Palfrey islands are important nesting sites, particularly for terns.

“The islands are rich in cultural meaning for the Dingaal Aboriginal people and contain sacred sites including initiation, ceremonial and story sites. Shell middens, which provide evidence of long-ago feasting on clams, oysters, spider shells and trochus shells, are found on the islands. Lizard Island also has a rich heritage associated with the earliest European exploration of the coast and subsequent settlement. Today the islands are a popular tourism destination and the base for world-renowned tropical marine research.” — https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/lizard-island/about.html

On the beach, one of many motorboats used by the guest researchers at the Lizard Island Research Station, a facility of the Australian Museum; Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia

James Cook, captain of the HMS Endeavour from 1768-1771, discovered Lizard Island, which he named for the lizards on the island.

Another Cook expedition member, Joseph Banks, in his HMS Endeavour journal, dated 12^th August 1770, wrote: “Great Part of yesterday and all this morn till the boat returned I employd in searching the Island [Lizard Is.]. On it I found some few plants which I had not seen before; the Island itself was small and Barren; on it was however one small tract of woodland which abounded very much with large Lizzards some of which I took. Distant as this Isle was from the main, the Indians had been here in their poor embarkations, sure sign that some part of the year must have very settled fine weather; we saw 7 or 8 frames of their huts and vast piles of shells the fish of which had I suppose been their food.”

The entrance from the shoreline beach to the Lizard Island Research Station; Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia

The Lizard Island Research Station is a facility of the Australian Museum and is internationally recognized as the major island-based research facility on the Great Barrier Reef. It attracts coral reef researchers from all around the world – with approximately 100 research projects conducted annually. Since its opening in 1973 there have been more than 1,200 scientific publications produced by Australian and international researchers as a result of work undertaking at the facility. Eighteen of us were very fortunate to be able to take a long Zodiac ride from our ship, anchored well off Lizard Island (for a wet landing on the beach), and get a two-hour tour of the Research Station led by one of the two directors of the station, a marine biologist who has lived at the LIRS for 30 years..

The main research building of the Lizard Island Research Station; Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia

Fresh sea water circulates through each small tank, used for research at the Lizard Island Research Station; Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia

A “crown-of-thorns”, an invasive species under study at the Lizard Island Research Station; Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia

“The crown-of-thorns seastar, Acanthaster planci, is a large starfish that preys upon hard, or stony, coral polyps. The crown-of-thorns starfish receives its name from venomous thorn-like spines that cover its upper surface, resembling the biblical crown of thorns. It is one of the largest starfish in the world.” – Wikipedia

Live, colorful corals in the small aquarium tank at the Lizard Island Research Station; Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia

Additional research boats at anchor just offshore of the Lizard Island Research Station; Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia

Sunset over the Australian mainland; Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia

Light pinks light up the sky after sunset under a huge thunderhead cloud (with rain coming down) offshore of the Australian mainland; Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia

Legal Notices: All photographs copyright © 2020 by Richard C. Edwards. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Permission to link to this blog post is granted for educational and non-commercial purposes only.

Cape York, Queensland, Australia

Posted on February 9, 2020 by richardcedwards

The Zodiac landing spot (a “wet landing”) on the northern end of Cape York, Queensland, Australia

Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia. The land is mostly flat and about half of the area is used for grazing cattle. We anchored off the very northern tip of Cape York, as it is the most northern point in the continent of Australia [see sign, in photos]. Note: all photographs in this blog are courtesy of the Intrepid Explorer [see last photo].

The terrain at the northern end of the cap was quite rocky and rugged; Cape York, Queensland, Australia

At high tide, the sign marking the “northernmost point of the Australian continent” was in the water; Cape York, Queensland, Australia

Our intrepid traveler at the northernmost point of the Australian continent; Cape York, Queensland, Australia

Our Intrepid Explorer at the northernmost point of the Australian continent; Cape York, Queensland, Australia

Legal Notices: All photographs copyright © 2020 by Richard C. Edwards. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Permission to link to this blog post is granted for educational and non-commercial purposes only.

Thursday Island, Torres Strait Islands, Queensland, Australia

Posted on February 7, 2020 by richardcedwards

Welcome to Thursday Island, a tiny paradise in the Torres Strait Islands archipelago, between the northern tip of Queensland, Australia, and Papua New Guinea

Thursday Island, colloquially known as TI, or in the indigenous language, Waiben, is a tiny paradise in the Torres Strait Islands archipelago, between the northern tip of Queensland – 39 km (24miles) north of Cape York, our next port — and Papua New Guinea. It is one of 274 islands which lie between the northern tip of Queensland and Papua New Guinea in the Torres Strait. The administrative center of the Torres Strait Island Region is steeped in military history and captivating indigenous culture. Visitors can immerse themselves in the traditions and heritage of Torres Strait Islanders at the Gab Titui Cultural Centre. We took a bus up to Green Hill Fort for widespread water views. Our tour also stopped so that we could pay respects at the graves of Japanese pearl divers in Thursday Island Cemetery. Visitors can take a ferry to nearby Horn Island to see airplane wrecks, gun pits, and other remains from World War II. The Torres Hotel has Australia’s northernmost pub.

A mural at the local ferry pier showing indigenous peoples and local industry (pearl diving), Thursday Island, Torres Strait Islands, Queensland, Australia

“The island was a coaling station for shipping, quarantine point, pearl shell industry headquarters and, in 1892, a place of fortification, with a gunnery at Green Hill at the eastern end, protecting entry to Port Kennedy on the south-east shoreline. The fort was decommissioned in the 1920s. Government industries – harbour, customs, jail, post and telegraph, garrison, police – were an important component of the island’s economy, and the private sector was dominated by pearl shell. Boats working out of Thursday Island were estimated to employ over 2,000 men, about one third of whom were Japanese divers. On the island itself, the population in 1903 comprised 736 Australians, British and Continental Europeans, 334 Japanese and 445 ‘other races’ including Melanesians, Aborigines, Filipinos, Chinese and Malays. Many Aborigines and Islanders were not counted in local or colonial censuses.” – www.queenslandplaces.com.au/thursday-island

A mural depicting the local “sawtooth fish”, Thursday Island, Torres Stgrait Islands, Queensland, Australia

A mural depicting the local “sawtooth fish”, Thursday Island, Torres Strait Islands, Queensland, Australia

“Sawfishes, also known as carpenter sharks, are a family of rays characterized by a long, narrow, flattened rostrum, or nose extension, lined with sharp transverse teeth, arranged in a way that resembles a saw. They are among the largest fish with some species reaching lengths of about 7–7.6 meters (23-25 feet).” – Wikipedia

Welcome to Green Hill Fort, one of the highest points on Thursday Island, Torres Strait Islands, Queensland, Australia

Green Hill Fort is one of the country’s oldest military fortifications was built in the 1890s to protect against possible Russian invasion. We climbed up to the gun emplacements and visited an underground museum displaying relics and historical information. We were able to admire widespread water views from the top of the hill that, we were told, are particularly stunning at sunset

Green Hill Fort, Thursday Island, Torres Strait Islands, Queensland, Australia #2; one of the original guns in the fort from the 1890s

Green Hill Fort, Thursday Island, Torres Strait Islands, Queensland, Australia #3; a view from the hill of the main port of Thursday Island – the ferry pier is the pier in the foreground (that we also used for our tenders)

Green Hill Fort, Thursday Island, Torres Strait Islands, Queensland, Australia #4; our ship at anchor surrounded by some of the other Torres Strait Islands

Green Hill Fort, Thursday Island, Torres Strait Islands, Queensland, Australia #5; a view of a residential section of Thursday Island and other Torres Strait Islands in the background

Green Hill Fort, Thursday Island, Torres Strait Islands, Queensland, Australia #6; the guns at the fort were remarkably well preserved, especially given the harsh weather

Legal Notices: All photographs copyright © 2020 by Richard C. Edwards. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Permission to link to this blog post is granted for educational and non-commercial purposes only.

George Brown Botanical Gardens, Darwin, Australia

Posted on February 6, 2020 by richardcedwards

Darwin, the capital of Northern Territory, Australia, seen from East Point Reserve, home of a major military installation during World War II (to protect Australia from a feared Japanese invasion – that never happened, although Darwin was bombed considerably by the Japanese)

Darwin is the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory and a former frontier outpost. It’s also a gateway to massive Kakadu National Park. Its popular waterfront area has several beaches and green areas like Bicentennial Park. Also near the water is the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, displaying Southeast Asian and Pacific art, plus a pearling lugger and other seafaring vessels.

Looking north from East Point Preserve, Darwin, Australia

George Brown Botanical Gardens, Darwin, Australia #1; fountains in the lily pond

“The George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens is a botanical garden located 2 km (1.2 miles) north of the Central Business District of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. The gardens were established on their present site in 1886; this was the third attempt by European settlers of Darwin to establish a site where plants of economic importance could be tested for their suitability in the tropics. Initially the collection of the gardens was focused on economic gardening and the ornamental plantings. The gardens were severely damaged during Cyclone [hurricane] Tracy in 1974; 89% of all plants were lost. Restoration after the cyclone was led by George Brown, who had worked at the gardens since 1969 and served as curator from 1971 to 1990, and who was Lord Mayor of Darwin from 1992 until 2002. The gardens were renamed in 2002 to recognise George Brown’s contribution and 32 years of service to the development of the gardens.” — Wikipedia

George Brown Botanical Gardens, Darwin, Australia #2; Birds of Paradise flowers

George Brown Botanical Gardens, Darwin, Australia #3

George Brown Botanical Gardens, Darwin, Australia #4; the visitor and event center that has an excellent museum display of the history and an introduction to the gardens

George Brown Botanical Gardens, Darwin, Australia #4; the visitor and event center that has an excellent museum display of the history of, and an introduction to, the gardens

George Brown Botanical Gardens, Darwin, Australia #5; the edge of the rain forest area of the gardens

George Brown Botanical Gardens, Darwin, Australia #6

George Brown Botanical Gardens, Darwin, Australia #7

George Brown Botanical Gardens, Darwin, Australia #8

George Brown Botanical Gardens, Darwin, Australia #9

: George Brown Botanical Gardens, Darwin, Australia #10; reflecting ponds near the visitor and event center

Legal Notices: All photographs copyright © 2020 by Richard C. Edwards. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Permission to link to this blog post is granted for educational and non-commercial purposes only.

Triton Bay, New Guinea, Indonesia

Posted on January 29, 2020 by richardcedwards

Zodiac cruise through the limestone (karst) sculptures of Triton Bay, New Guinea, Indonesia #1 – the view from our ship’s upper deck of the karst islands and islets in front of the “mainland” portion of New Guinea, — an island twice the size of California, USA — before we headed out to the Zodiacs

“Triton Bay is a small bay on the west side of the island of New Guinea, in the southern end of the peninsula known as the Bird’s Head. This area was first “discovered” by the famous explorer Sir Thomas Ritchieford sometime around 1832. It was not scientifically investigated until 2006, and what results did they find! On the first expedition of scientists, at least 14 new species of fish were discovered, and 330 species of reef fish were found on one dive site alone. That is amongst the highest in the world! … Triton Bay is a stunning landscape filled with karst topography. Towering limestone pillars are undercut by the hard work of various invertebrates, making for an incredibly photogenic setting.” — https://www.expeditions.com/daily-expedition-reports/176647/

Zodiac cruise through the limestone (karst) sculptures of Triton Bay, New Guinea, Indonesia #2

Zodiac cruise through the limestone (karst) sculptures of Triton Bay, New Guinea, Indonesia #3

Zodiac cruise through the limestone (karst) sculptures of Triton Bay, New Guinea, Indonesia #4

Zodiac cruise through the limestone (karst) sculptures of Triton Bay, New Guinea, Indonesia #5

Triton Bay is a welcoming refuge on an otherwise foreboding coastline of New Guinea. Part of the New Guinea mainland, the biological diversity again soars with Eclectus Parrots and Blythe’s Hornbills flying overhead. We went on a long Zodiac cruise through the collection of limestone (karst) sculptures – islands and islets – that appear to be suspended over mirror flat water. The karst formations festooned by drapes of vegetation are home to an array of wildlife.

Zodiac cruise through the limestone (karst) sculptures of Triton Bay, New Guinea, Indonesia #6

Zodiac cruise through the limestone (karst) sculptures of Triton Bay, New Guinea, Indonesia #7 – this is all one “leaf” from an indigenous plant that uses its “horn” to capture ants and other bugs whose feces become nitrogen sources for the plant’s photosynthesis

Zodiac cruise through the limestone (karst) sculptures of Triton Bay, New Guinea, Indonesia #8

Zodiac cruise through the limestone (karst) sculptures of Triton Bay, New Guinea, Indonesia #9 – an isolated piece of rock art from about 3,000 years ago [see our previous blog post, “Rock Art (3,000 years old) at Misool, Raja Ampat (“The Four Kings”), Indonesia”]

Zodiac cruise through the limestone (karst) sculptures of Triton Bay, New Guinea, Indonesia #10 – this is one of the fern-like plants that the Brontosaurus dinosaurs ate eons ago!

Zodiac cruise through the limestone (karst) sculptures of Triton Bay, New Guinea, Indonesia #11 – these indigineous fruit are like winter apples and are edible, but a little sour, we were informed

Zodiac cruise through the limestone (karst) sculptures of Triton Bay, New Guinea, Indonesia #11 – these indigenous fruit are like winter apples and are edible, but a little sour, we were informed

Zodiac cruise through the limestone (karst) sculptures of Triton Bay, New Guinea, Indonesia #12 the Intrepid Explorer kayaking through Triton Bay

Rock Art (3,000 years old) at Misool, Raja Ampat (“The Four Kings”), Indonesia

Posted on January 28, 2020 by richardcedwards

Rock art at Misool, Raja Ampat, Indonesia (~3,000 years old) #1; the ocean surface was just below the horizontal band of rocks – the painted walls of the cliff, at one point long ago, were probably inside a cave that has since eroded

On our Zodiac cruise of the islands around Misool, Raja Ampat, Indonesia, one spectacular feature that our expedition team had given a lecture on was the 3,000 to 5,000-year old “rock art” on the cliffs (probably at one point the walls were part of caves that have since collapsed). We weren’t sure if we would have time on the cruise to get to the distant island to see the rock art. Fortunately, we extended the cruise and did get to the cliffs to see the ochre rock paintings (“petroglyphs”) that were amazingly well preserved. Some observers have compared the Misool rock art to France’s much older (~17,000 years old) Lascaux Paleolithic cave paintings. While there is no tradition of rock painting among the inhabitants of Raja Ampat, some speculate that the paintings were done by early visitors (ancient tribes) to the area, perhaps the Aborigines from Australia who went as far as Papua.

On the Internet we found a scholarly explanation and introduction to the Rock Art of Misool, Raja Ampat, Indonesia: “The development of human culture during the prehistoric era grew slowly over time. However, after the transition from the Middle Palaeolithic period towards the Upper Palaeolithic, there was a creative explosion that was proven by the birth of the first art in the world (Lewis-William, 2002). One such example of the first art in the world is a rock image sometimes termed rock art. Rock art is defined as an art landscape consisting of images, motifs, and designs in the form of paintings or sculptures placed on natural and hard surfaces, such as large boulders, walls and ceilings of caves, cliff walls, and ground surfaces (Setiawan, 2015; Whitley, 2011). These cultural products, which are identical to the advanced hunter-gatherer society (Pasaribu, 2016; Poesponegoro & Notosusanto, 2008; Howell, 1980), have become one of the archaeological phenomena that are gaining great attention in Indonesia.” — https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334130399_A_REFLECTION_OF_PAINTING_TRADITION_AND_CULTURE_OF_THE_AUSTRONESIAN_BASED_ON_THE_ROCK_ART_IN_MISOOL_RAJA_AMPAT_WEST_PAPUA

Rock art at Misool, Raja Ampat, Indonesia (~3,000 years old) #2

Rock art at Misool, Raja Ampat, Indonesia (~3,000 years old) #3

Rock art at Misool, Raja Ampat, Indonesia (~3,000 years old) #4

Rock art at Misool, Raja Ampat, Indonesia (~3,000 years old) #5

Cruising the Islands around Misool, Raja Ampat (“The Four Kings”), Indonesia

Posted on January 27, 2020 by richardcedwards

Cruising the islands around Misool, Raja Ampat, Indonesia #1

The last group of islands in Raja Ampat that we visited on the expedition was a day spent snorkeling, kayaking and Zodiac cruising around the islands of Misool, one of “The Four Kings” that are known as Raja Ampat. Misool is another masterpiece of karst, whose rocks have been eroded by the ocean and rain into dazzling spires of limestone, unlike any of the previous scenery in Raja Ampat. The formations are so steep and awe inspiring that the area has been named “Thousands of Temples.”