One of the advantages of teaching at a small liberal arts institution is the freedom to design and offer courses that are close to one's heart.
In January 2011 (and 2015), I taught Tropical Ecology and, for one of the class activities, I took a group of students on a 10 day trip to Puerto Rico . (Click here to read about the trip to Puerto Rico).
In January 2013, I taught Ecology of Australia and, naturally, it entailed a field trip to Australia! (Click here to read about the trip to Australia).
In January 2016, I taught Tanzania: Culture, Climate, and Connections and took students to Africa.
We stopped a couple of times to refuel, eat lunch, and stretch our legs. During the stops the guides regaled us with stories about the local history and traditions of these small towns.
There are only about 60,000 people that live in the 2.5 million square foot Outback. The Outback is mostly a desolate place and most people live mainly in small villages. The small villages are close to connecting highways and dirt roads. When it comes to work and jobs in the Outback, the majority of the people are either cattle or sheep farmers or they are miners.
The rest of the day involved getting to know the guides as they drove on paved roads, eventually getting to a campground in Renmark on the banks of the Murray River.
Once we were directed to our campsite, we received out first (and last) training in how to set up and dismantle a tent. Each pair of participants was, thereafter, responsible to setting up and taking down their tents, a process that became a fun part of our routine in the days to come.
Day 6 - It does rain in the Outback!
In January 2011 (and 2015), I taught Tropical Ecology and, for one of the class activities, I took a group of students on a 10 day trip to Puerto Rico . (Click here to read about the trip to Puerto Rico).
In January 2013, I taught Ecology of Australia and, naturally, it entailed a field trip to Australia! (Click here to read about the trip to Australia).
In January 2016, I taught Tanzania: Culture, Climate, and Connections and took students to Africa.
In 2018, a group of Midland University students embarked on a learning adventure to Australia for a course titled: Ecology, Environment, and Culture of Australia. This is what they gained on their learning adventure.
Click here for Travel: Day 1-3 - Lack of motion sickness
Click here for Travel: Day 4 - The Dandenong Range
Day 5: En route to the Outback
Subject Matter Expert - Paige Kapperman
The Outback is the vast, remote interior of Australia. The Outback extends from the northern to southern Australian coastlines and encompasses a number of climatic zones, including tropical and monsoonal climates in northern areas, arid areas in the "red center" and semi-arid and temperate climates in southerly regions.
The Australian Outback is massive - about 2.5 million square miles in area. Compared to the United States, Australia’s seasons are the opposite. So when it is fall in Australia, in the United States it is spring. We experienced the Outback during its dry season. About 70 percent of the Outback is dry and composed of two arid zones, one with cold winters in the center and one with mild winter near the north. For the most part, the majority of the country is very hot. In the deserts, temperatures can get as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit and get as low as 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
But getting to the Outback from Melbourne is not a short drive. We had to break it up into two parts. On the first day we drove from Melbourne to Renmark, where we stayed overnight, before heading to Hawker (more on that in the next day's report).
On the way we left the state of Victoria and drove into South Australia. Because of the fear of spreading invasive species, the states are very particular about what food gets transported across the border and rightfully so.
Technically we were leaving Victoria but it did not stop us from crossing the road and taking a picture in the other direction on the off-chance that we would not get that picture on the way back (and that was true).
Click here for Travel: Day 1-3 - Lack of motion sickness
Click here for Travel: Day 4 - The Dandenong Range
Day 5: En route to the Outback
Subject Matter Expert - Paige Kapperman
The Outback is the vast, remote interior of Australia. The Outback extends from the northern to southern Australian coastlines and encompasses a number of climatic zones, including tropical and monsoonal climates in northern areas, arid areas in the "red center" and semi-arid and temperate climates in southerly regions.
The Australian Outback is massive - about 2.5 million square miles in area. Compared to the United States, Australia’s seasons are the opposite. So when it is fall in Australia, in the United States it is spring. We experienced the Outback during its dry season. About 70 percent of the Outback is dry and composed of two arid zones, one with cold winters in the center and one with mild winter near the north. For the most part, the majority of the country is very hot. In the deserts, temperatures can get as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit and get as low as 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
But getting to the Outback from Melbourne is not a short drive. We had to break it up into two parts. On the first day we drove from Melbourne to Renmark, where we stayed overnight, before heading to Hawker (more on that in the next day's report).
On the way we left the state of Victoria and drove into South Australia. Because of the fear of spreading invasive species, the states are very particular about what food gets transported across the border and rightfully so.
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| (Fred Wigington 2018) |
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| (Eddie Reddick 2018) |
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| (Eddie Reddick 2018) |
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| (Wigington 2018) |
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| (C.S. Manish 2018) |
Once we were directed to our campsite, we received out first (and last) training in how to set up and dismantle a tent. Each pair of participants was, thereafter, responsible to setting up and taking down their tents, a process that became a fun part of our routine in the days to come.
 |
| (C.S. Manish 2018) |
Once the tents were set up, the students wandered around the campground while the guides cooked dinner. While we had (officially) not made our way into the actual Outback, the excitement was palpable and we knew that the next day would give us our first glimpse of what we had traveled halfway across the world to experience.
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| (C.S. Manish 2018) |
