ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES: ETHICS, CULTURE AND SUSTAINABILITY. THE SPIRIT OF THE LANDSCAPE
Students arrive Auckland Monday 30th May : depart Cairns/Sydney Sunday 3rd July
This daily outline is subject to minor changes due to unforeseen circumstances such as weather, flight delays etc. Lectures outlined in the syllabus are an integral part of this course and will be conducted at appropriate times and locations.
Mon May 30th Day 1 Students arrive in Auckland, QF26 at 8.10am. Orientation program begins 11.00-12.30pm. At 2.00pm we have a city and harbor tour followed by Dinner with Arcadia (Pizza). We stay in hostel accommodation.
Tue May 31st Day 2 Breakfast 8.00am. Lectures 9.00-1.00 (9.00-10.00 ; 10-11.00 ; 11.30-12.30 ; 12.30-1.00) : 2.00pm Visit Auckland Museum.
Wed June 1st Day 3 Breakfast 7.30am and depart for ferry at 8.15am. 9.00am Ferry to Tiri Tiri Matangi Island bird sanctuary and research station (weather permitting) : Introduction to New Zealand flora and fauna. Return 3.30-4.45pm.
Thu June 2nd Day 4 Depart hostel 5.00am. Breakfast at airport. Fly to Nelson (South Island) : Hike the Abel Tasman National Park coastal track (one of New Zealand’s Great Walks) which is a coastal park featuring seals, little penguins and indigenous birdlife. A focus here will be on conservation and protective measures taken to guard against non indigenous predators. The area allows us to study pristine inter-tidal zones and the unique flora of the region : Hut accommodation.
Group 1 : Boat to Anchorage – Hike to Bark Bay (ON) : Group 2 : Hike Marahau – Anchorage (ON)
Fri June 3rd Day 5 Conclude hike in Abel Tasman National Park : Overnight in Nelson YHA.
Group 1 : Hike Bark Bay – Awaroa (Boat out) : Group 2 : Hike Anchorage to Bark Bay (Boat out)
Sat June 4th Day 6 Depart hotel 6.30am. We journey by coach down the east coast of the South Island and visit the whale watching centre, Kaikoura. In the afternoon we will visit the Christchurch International Antarctic Centre to attend a lecture on the importance, significance and sustainability of the Antarctic region. We conclude today’s journey at Lake Tekapo : Hostel accommodation.
Sun June 5th Day 7 Today will be spent in the field beginning with a lecture by a Canterbury University professor on glaciology and glaciers of the South West region. We will also experience magnificent glacial lakes and discover their importance in the New Zealand hydro electricity industry. We will conclude the day learning about the astronomical research program at the University of Canterbury Observatory at Lake Tekapo (7.00 – 9.00pm). : Lectures : Presentations.
Mon June 6th Day 8 Drive to Mt. Cook National Park where we will hike to the Tasman and Hooker Glaciers (also view the southern hemisphere's highest mountain, Mt. Cook) : Lectures : Hostel accommodation.
Tue June 7th Day 9 Drive to Queenstown : Lectures : Expedition preparation : Hostel accommodation.
Wed June 8th Day 10 Coach to Kinloch Lodge which is at the start of the Mt. Aspiring National Park. Lectures : Day hikes : Hostel accommodation.
Thu June 9th Day 11 The next two days will take the form of a hiking expedition along the lower regions of the world famous Routeburn Track in the South West New Zealand World Heritage Area (Mt. Aspiring National Park) This area is renowned as one of the great wilderness regions in the Southern Hemisphere, where some of the best examples of plants and animals once found on the ancient super continent Gondwana can be seen : Hut accommodation.
Fri June 10th Day 12 Hike out and return to Queenstown : Lecture : Hostel accommodation.
Sat June 11th Day 13 FREE DAY : New Zealand review.
Sun June 12th Day 14 Morning jet boat experience on the Shotover river to examine the why humans seek contrived adventure activities of this kind. The Shotover river is of considerable historical significance in the gold mining industry : Fly to Sydney, Australia : Hostel accommodation.
Mon June 13th Day 15 Australian Orientation program begins : Lectures.
Tue June 14th Day 16 Orientation continues : Lectures : Sydney harbor tour.
Wed June 15th Day 17 Lectures : Fly to Cairns : Visit to the Cairns Botanic Gardens with guided tour : Hostel accommodation.
Thu June 16th Day 18 Group 1 : Sail to Great Barrier Reef : We begin the day with a lecture on the marine biology of the Great Barrier Reef aboard a chartered sailing ship bound for the outer Great Barrier Reef. Upon arrival we SCUBA and/or snorkel with a guided tour of the Reef ecosystem. We stay overnight on-board at the Reef and have the opportunity to night dive. All meals provided on board. Group 2 : Academic consultations : Presentations.
Fri June 17th Day 19 Group 1 : Explore another section of the Reef then return to Cairns : Group 2 FREE DAY
Sat June 18th Day 20 and Sun June 19th Day 21 Reverse of above.
Mon June 20th Day 22 Drive to Port Douglas Rainforest Habitat where we have ‘breakfast with the birds’ and are introduced to the ecosystems of the Australian Wet Tropics, and tropical rainforest flora and fauna. We then see firsthand the impact of tourism in this area and meet some local tourism operators : We drive to Mossman Gorge National Park to experience the rainforest Aboriginal people’s environment. After lunch we depart for a Daintree River cruise to learn about the complexity and importance/ flora/fauna of wet tropics estuarine rivers and hopefully spot an estuarine salt water crocodile! We stay in Hostel accommodation on Cape Tribulation.
Tue June 21st Day 23 Today we continue our studies of wet tropical rainforests and particularly mangrove forests. We begin with a talk from a Head Ranger at the National Park Headquarters then a coastal, estuarine and mountain rainforest hike.
Wed June 22nd Day 24 FREE DAY : Hostel accommodation.
Thu June23rd Day 25 Drive to the Outback (Chillagoe) and experience the changing environment from wet tropical coastal rainforest to dry tropical woodlands and vine thicket landscapes. In the afternoon (4.00pm) we have a lecture on the European history and geography/ geology of the area, and in the evening , students have another opportunity to the view the galaxies of the southern hemisphere in the Chillagoe Observatory. We stay in hostel accommodation.
Fri June 24th Day 26 We are introduced to outback Indigenous art and culture by a local Aboriginal artist, and try our hand at marble painting. In the afternoon we undertake a hike through the arid landscape of Mungana Caves National Park to view ancient Indigenous rock art and explore limestone karsts and caves (Group 1: 3.30).
Sat June 25th Day 27 8.00am Caves : Group 2 : Two day hike along the Walsh river, (in 2 groups ), to explore the riverine/riparian ecosystems of the Outback. Bush camping overnight.
Sun June 26th Day 28 Conclude hike and return to Chillagoe. Hostel accommodation.
Mon June 27th Day 29 Drive to Helenvale to local Indigenous leader’s land and learn about Indigenous culture, including language, dance,music, and hunting and gathering/cooking techniques. Bush camp
Tue June 28th Day 30 Continue as above then in the evening drive to Home Rule Rainforest Lodge. Hostel accommodation.
Wed June 29th Day 31 Today we learn about safety and navigation as we engage in a 2 day Indigenous Ranger guided expedition ,hiking up through the rainforest mountains to the coast at Cedar Bay/ alternative waterfalls hike : Bush camping overnight.
Thu June 30th Day 32 Explore remote Cedar Bay beaches/waterfall creeks and hike back to lodge.
Fri July 1st Day 33 Return from hike and drive back to Cairns via coastal route and see first hand the effects of tourism on small communities with competing priorities, and overburdened rural and suburban infrastructure resulting from increasing population : Hostel accommodation .
Sat July 2nd Day 34 FREE DAY : Farewell dinner.
Sun July 3rd Day 35 Depart Cairns 5.45 am (Coach leaves hostel at 4.00am) : Fly back to the US. QF11 1.05pm from Sydney.
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