James Cook

The aristocratic satinay

25 June 2022 / 12 Comments

Fraser Island is a beautiful place. It is the world’s largest sand island and vegetated dune system. I had the opportunity to work on Fraser Island in the mid-1980s and have had several recreational visits to the island over the years. I still pinch myself these many years later on how fortunate I was to spend two weeks bush-bashing through the satinay (Syncarpia hillii)-brush box (Lophostemon confertus) forests while doing regeneration surveys.… Read more

The Cooktown Crescendo

25 June 2022 / 1 Comment

Cooktown represents the most northern point we have travelled in Australia thus far. Like others do when up this way, we could have continued our trip to the tip of Cape York. But for now, not for us. Maybe next time when we are better prepared.

Everywhere you look in Cooktown there is a reminder of Lieutenant Cook, the repairs to the Endeavour and the botanical and faunal collections of Banks and Solander.… Read more