Caves in Tasmania

Did you know that Tasmania is home to the deepest and longest caves found in all of Australia? From  Mole Creek to Junee Florentine, the caves found in Tasmania offer stunning view of glow worms and stalagmites galore where adventurous tourists venture into these holes in the ground. With a constant temperature of 9 degrees F, the Mole Creek Cave's climate is unchanging regardless of the outside temperature. That being said, whether summer or winter, the caves are the perfect place to visit. 
Tours offered in the cave include viewings of the underground rivers that have formed these natural wonders as well as the glowworms that call the cave home. 
Reserved as national park in just 1996, Mole Creek Karst is the newest addition to the land reserves found around Tasmania. Two of the biggest caves are Marakoopa and King Solomons Caves although these are only 2 of the 300 known caves and sinkholes found throughout the "karst" landscape (the actual definition is "landscape underlain by limestone that has been eroded by dissolution, producing ridges, towers, fissures, sinkholes, and other characteristic landforms.")

These caves formed a long time ago during the Ordovician Period (400-500 million years ago). When Tasmania was part of Gondwana, the land was closer to the equator and covered by a warm, shallow sea. Limestone was deposited as coral reefs and as the land eventually developed, streams and rivers formed the iconic karst landscape full of the various caves we see today.

Because the caves undergo decomposition slowly, this area serves as a window into the geographic and anthropomorphic past of Tasmania. Whether records about the evolution of the Earth or lifestyles about the aborginal people that lived in these caves 40,000 years ago, these caves are an amazing resource for historians and geologists alike. 

 

Return of the Squids

Fun Fact:

Did you know that squids are the most abundant species in the ocean?

So abundant, that fishermen have nicknamed them the "weeds of the ocean".

However, weeds or not, Tasmania is interested in incorporating these populous invertebrates into their fishing economy, once again. About 30 years ago these slimy succulents were a booming business with annual hauls of up to 8,000 tons. Their main investors included Japan, China, and even the U.S.

So what went wrong?

While squid are prolific in number, they are rather difficult to locate and catch. Apparently, it can takes weeks to isolate a group of squid, also known as a squad. Upon locating the squid, the fishery must act swiftly, due to the speedy nature of squid. Thus the not-so-college-budget-friendly prices. Thankfully, Tasmania's Commonwealth Fisheries Management Authority is working on collecting data on squid movements over the last 30 years, in hopes of creating a map of squid movements. Through this they can efficiently locate and trap squid during certain times of the year; this may attract more people to the industry.

With a revitalized squid market, new jobs will be created and I, and certainly many other foodies, will enjoy the wait for my entree just a bit more.

Author: Alicia Menendez

Sources: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-01/restoring-tasmania27s-squid-fishing-industry-to-its-glory-days/6272000

Mystery of Risso's dolphin strandings

There have been lots of dolphin strandings, 12 to be more specific, on Tasmania's shores since November 2014. Many of the dophins were found dead. This is a huge concern for Tasmania, and there are no good answers about why this may be happening. This may have to do with fishing practices, and if so, it raises questions about Tasmania's current state of maritime protections. Another question that we can raise is why are Risso's dolphins in particular being stranded. Perhaps this is something we can explore on the trip. Attached are some very sad photos :(

Rehan

Sources: https://whalesandmarinefauna.wordpress.com/2014/12/16/recent-spate-of-rissos-dolphin-strandings-unprecedented-tasmania-australia/

http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?sys=News%20Article&intID=3363

Convict Women and Children

History has had a tendency to focus on male stories to the detriment of women, and the story of Tasmania's convicts is no exception. When we think about the early days of the British convicts sent to Port Arthur, we usually imagine men, and career criminals at that. However, between 1803 and 1853 over 12,500 women and 2,500 children were sent to Tasmania (and countless others to the Australian mainland). Often their crimes seem minor (petty larceny, theft of a few pounds, in one case theft of a few geese), though at least a few women were guilty of murder. Their first stop was often Hunter Island, off of Hobart, where they were assigned to the Female Factories or workhouses for the duration of their sentence. Tasks included needlework, washing, barrack duties, carding wool, spinning, cooking, or working as hospital attendants. Punishments were harsh: a months hard labor was a common punishment for refusing to make a bed, for instance, and other punishments included beatings, cell confinement on bread and water, and having to wear an iron collar for a month. Convicts could apply for tickets of leave or free pardons from the government to leave the factories; these could be denied for such reasons as absconding, being absent from muster, or being pregnant. They had to apply to the government to obtain for permission to marry, which was frequently denied.

While some of the children sent to Tasmania were convicts themselves, others were orphans or the children of female convicts. Orphan schools were sometimes set up to provide for their education.

The Female Convicts Research Center (second link below) is an institution devoted to researching and remembering the lives of these women. This looks like a formidable task, since many of the women changed their names and disappeared from written records after obtaining their freedom. Still, they have an impressive collection of data, including fascinating stories of individual women. It's definitely worth checking out if you find this type of history interesting!

               A successful ex-convict family. 

Also, in case you're wondering how all this is relevant today, apparently up to 74% of Tasmania's current population is descended from convicts.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-24/footsteps-towards-freedom-art-project-begins/6251596
http://www.femaleconvicts.org.au/index.php/about-us/photos
http://www.linc.tas.gov.au/research/browse-by-category/familyhistory/convict
http://www.alisonalexander.com.au/index.php/books/tasmania-s-convicts

Eel Exports

One Tasmanian family is cashing in on the high global demand for short-finned eels. Only five years ago they were exporting 5 tonnes of eels, and this past year they exported 64 tonnes - demand has all but exploded for these slippery creatures.

They originally were selling mostly to China, but now they have started selling more to countries like Canada and the United States where there are high populations of Chinese, because many of these immigrants like foods that remind them of home.

This family has been in the eel export business for approximately 50 years, spanning three generations. They are able to catch eels in farm dams and lakes across the state. Each expedition to catch eels takes at least two days worth of work. Often times, they camp away and sleep beside rivers, parks, etc. to catch the eels.

Their future plans are to build out a fishery just for the eels and not have to deal with the inconveniences of going to catch the eels all over the state. If these plans are given the green light, they hope to be exporting as much as $10 million worth of eel per year by 2020.

Sources

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-28/relocation-of-tasmanian-eels-aids-growing-export-industry/6269174

Eau de pearl

Essential Oils of Tasmania, a company that deals with perfumes and pearls, has just released the world's first pearl scented perfume. They are the first to do this, and although it is still only available at the company's Hobart headquarters, it has been given as gifts to visiting heads of state - most notably the First Lady of China, Peng Liyuan, and France's Francois Hollande.

The idea came from the company's experience with pearl extraction to make skin care products. They began by extracting proteins from pearl shells to make a powder that is very high in a range of amino acids, making it great for promoting healthy skin. It is from this powder, that the pearl scent comes from. Steve Gleeson, managing director of Essential Oils of Tasmania, described the scent as such:

“We have created a perfume that features this sophisticated airy scent highlighted through contrasting white floral undertones of jasmine and rounded in rose absolute, ylang ylang, mandarin, white musk and a hint of an ocean breeze.”

Perhaps during our time in Hobart we will be lucky enough to stop and try some pearl perfume, as this might be our only chance unless the company begins expanding beyond Australia!

-Isabella

ICED

Aoraki-Mount Cook, New Zealand

It is really thought-proving thinking about all the secrets the glaciers hold that are yet to be uncovered by humans. In a way, the ice reveals to us humans what it wants us to find in its own good time. As frustrating as this may be, we can only wait till a glacier melts (which is not a great thing for our world and Polar bears) to uncover these secrets.

The body of a young climber killed more than 40 years ago has been discovered at the foot of New Zealand's Tasman Glacier. Police believe the well-preserved remains, discovered in late January, belong to a South Island teenager who died in a slab avalanche near the top of the glacier on September 16, 1973 (which happens to be my birthday). The body of his older climbing companion was discovered soon after the accident, which was triggered when the pair walked underneath ice cliffs that gave way.

The Police believe that, if indeed it is the younger boy, he was buried in that avalanche and then his body has taken all this time to come down the glacier and out into the open. They are however awaiting DNA results to confirm the identity of the body.

The body was discovered near the old Malte Brun Hut by two climbers, one of whom is Gavin Lang, an independent guide. He is said to have first seen a piece of meshy material attached to an old peg, close to which were a leather glove, long woolen socks and some tweet (probably from a jacket or pants). Then there was the “body with leathery skin, and some boots nearby).

He photographed and recorded the location co-ordinates for police (here’s where knowledge of geography and photography come in). Once home, a quick photo search revealed the boots and materials were similar to those used by climbers in the early 1970s.

What make this story pretty interesting is the realization he had been up there more than 40 years. 

That's an incredible journey, long and slow over all those decades, and then it shows up when the glacier finally decided to reveal him. Bodies can be "quite preserved" after being frozen under the ice and though often, these bodies were not recovered complete, scraps of clothing and DNA could provide coroners with enough clues to work from.

Andrew Hobman, an avalanche and alpine safety expert with Mountain Safety Council, said people who perished in Aoraki Mt Cook National Park commonly showed up at the foot of the glacier. There are currently 62 bodies still missing in the Aoraki-Mt Cook National Park.

References: http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/334954/human-remains-found-mt-cook

http://mobile.news.com.au/world/breaking-news/glacier-reveals-climbers-body-42-years-on/story-e6frfkui-1227244774870

http://www.skynews.com.au/culture/offbeat/2015/03/02/glacier-reveals-climber-s-body-42-years-on.html