Our Travelations

We’re back from the most fantastic, eye-opening trip ever!

We went on a self-drive up the Coral Coast of Western Australia – from Perth, to Cervantes, Geraldton, Kalbarri, Shark Bay, Denham and finally, Monkey Mia!

Thanks to the kind sponsorship and arrangements made by Tourism Western Australia, Red Spot Car Rentals and Jetstar, we experienced and saw so many fascinating things that we can’t wait to share with you all. We also met tremendously friendly people who were all so passionate about what they do – like Capes the aboriginal tour guide, Nic the manager at Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort, Brianna and David from Australia’s Coral Coast, Barbara at the tourist information office at Kalbarri, and many more.

Here’s a small preview collage of some nature photos I took on my iPhone. Enjoy! There’s more to come!

Inspired by nature (from top left): A beautiful spring scene in the Chapman Valley; Hutt Lagoon (yes, it's really pink!), on the way to Port Gregory; the Murchison River in Kalbarri National Park; leaning tree along the road on the way to Geraldton. All taken in Western Australia, September 2010.

Esther

A lot of backlog, people. Bear with us. And yes, many apologies!

First up, let me tell you about Green School Bali, which I had the privilege of finally visiting in April.

I had known about Green School since last year in my previous job, but only recently did I manage to visit. We were hosted by the warm and friendly Ron Stones, Green School’s consultant director.

With its tagline, “Equipping Children for 2025″, this school is seriously a school for the future. It is almost entirely made of bamboo and is such an interesting, inspiring place to learn. Famed Canadian jeweller John Hardy and his wife, Cynthia, built this school because they wanted to teach children about sustainable living – they also built what could possibly be the world’s largest bamboo building, the Heart of School, a grand, imposing, three-storey structure, located within the school grounds.

Miniature model of Heart of School, made out of bamboo

Besides teaching the standard International Baccalaureate (IB) and International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) syllabus, there is also a Green Studies programme, which includes topics like carbon footprint analysis, water studies and even, organic farming and gardening.

Within the Creative Arts and physical education programmes, students delve into yoga and batik painting using natural dyes made from vegetation on site, and martial arts, with the Balinese traditional art of Mepantingan being an important component. Students, aged between three and 15, learn by doing, with each child tending to their very own vegetable patch.

I wrote about the Green School at the SE Forum site, so feel free to click on the link to find out more.

Jeff wasn’t with me on this trip – oh, how I wished he could have seen the school with his own eyes – so, this post is as much for him as it is for you, dear readers! Enjoy!

Part of Heart of School, entirely made of bamboo

School football field

The students' tomato patch

Students are encouraged to use reusable water bottles to collect the spring water that is made conveniently available from water points within the school compound. Do not use plastic. Make a choice.

Hydro-energy harnessed from the fast flowing Ayung River which divides the school

View from the bridge at the entrance of the school

A beautiful set of photos (not taken by me) of the school can be found here.

*****

• Green School Bali is located at Jalan Raya Sibang Kaja, Banjar Saren, Abiansemal, Badung, Bali 80352, Indonesia.

*****

Esther

Walking Tan Sri in Pulau Langkawi, Malaysia in 2009

This is Tan Sri, my lovely companion for an afternoon stroll at the Langkawi Animal Shelter & Sanctuary Foundation (LASSie). It was  set up to house and rehabilitate unwanted and abused animals. The non-profit centre also runs the Langkawi Island Animal Clinic that aims to sterilise the stray cat population. Staff are made up of volunteers that take care of the daily running of the centre. We ourselves have two lovely dogs, an old but very feisty silky terrier (or terror!) and a young, angelic cocker spaniel. So, we were only too eager to help the centre walk their lovely canines when we were in Pulau Langkawi, Malaysia, in 2009.

~ Jeff

Sorry for the delay, guys! It has been very, very busy for us at work this week. Here is Lenscape #4, enjoy!

Esther

Earlier this month, we had a real treat. We were invited by a very kind friend to help out in her research dives – to witness and study the annual coral spawning event.

Now, being avid divers, we were naturally very (VERY VERY) excited!

And on that balmy night, in the short stretch of reef fronting the Raffles Lighthouse, the corals did not disappoint. No sirree – they were all out to play! They rock and rolled, and put on a great show!

Check out Jeff’s amazing photos for an idea of the performance we enjoyed.

The corals came out to play!

What happens during a mass coral spawning event is that parcels of egg and sperm are released by the corals. They float to the surface, where fertilisation occurs if they mix.

A microscopic larva then forms and settles on a hard surface, like a rock. It transforms into a sedentary coral polyp, which multiplies to form a colony. Only one in thousands of eggs completes this process, with the rest being eaten by fish and other marine life.

It’s not exact, but typically, corals spawn a few days after the full moon nearest to Good Friday. In Singapore, at least.

A closer look at the parcels being released

Pop, pop, a-popping!

We had to mark the corals that were spawning using white ribbons attached to weights (lower right hand corner)

A group of researchers from different parts of the world were also there to study the coral spawning.

This goes to show that there is something amazing beneath the depths of the infamously murky Singapore waters. Something worth preserving; something worth saving.

Here’s Karenne’s video for more coral action:

Synchronous Mass Coral Spawning 2010, Singapore from Karenne Tun on Vimeo.

And I wrote about the researchers and the coral spawning too in my paper.

We’re all hoping to do our small little part in spreading awareness of the treasures we have.

Raffles Lighthouse

All in, it was a great experience – something that will forever be a reminder to me about how wonderful nature is.

It was also a great night out with friends, some of whom we haven’t seen for a few months.

We are blessed.

Esther

Barracudas at Pulau Sipadan, Malaysia in 2009

This is a battery of Sawtooth Barracudas sighted in the waters off the most famous oceanic island in Malaysia, Pulau Sipadan. Sipadan is an atoll that stands some 600m (2,000ft) off the ocean floor in Sabah, east of the major town of Tawau. The island boasts the richest marine habitats as it is situated in the heart of the Indo-Pacific basin. Many diving journals recommend it as one of the top dive destinations in the world. The island is now a protected sanctuary where resorts are no longer allowed to operate. This is so that the natural process of regeneration can take place.  I had actually stayed in one of the resorts on the island during my first visit in 2005.

These barracudas travel in huge shoals, which also sometimes form vortexes to scare off any potential threats coming towards them. However, on the day we encountered them, they  were obviously not threatened at all by us. I took this photo when the barracudas formed an impenetrable wall which cast a shadow on us as we were diving just beneath them. It was like an eclipse that took away the sun’s rays from our sights. Nature is really just awesome.

~ Jeffrey

Morning guys! Here’s Jeff’s first Lenscape photo, enjoy!

Esther