Snowy Mountains Field Trip

Its mid-semester break at last...

And I'm finally getting the time to post these pictures i took during the Human Ecology field trip to the Snowy Mountains.

Basically, it was a 4 day survey done from March 30- April 2 on the various human and environmental impacts in the Snowies.

The highlight of the whole trip was the in-depth (and physically challenging) analysis of parts of the Snowy Hydro Scheme.

The scheme is a massive system of dams, aqueducts, tunnels, weirs, turbines etc, spread across New South Wales and Victoria, capturing snow melt from the Snowy Mountains, and at the same time, diverting west flowing waters of the Snowy, Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers into the east for use for irrigation and electricity generation.

Needless to say, the scheme continues to curtail environmental flows needed by the original ecosystems deprived of their flowing waters. The challenge therefore presented is the proper management of the scheme which would allow human and environmental interests to be realised.

Yes, the details were quite complex for a naive outsider like me, who, still remains unfamiliar with the landscape; but the whole trip was nonetheless educational as it taught me how crucial systems thinking is in the business of social and ecological change--where different actors and different interests have to be considered with any attempt to instigate transformative processes.

Anyway, here are some pictures I'm allowed to put up...

Snow Water: giving life to Australians

The Scheme: networks of diversions

The details and the myth

Mindy, the Thai-Australian

The bridge at Dalgety, where the water from the Snowy river below used to overflow up to the white line

(pre-)water analysis and sampling at the Snowy by Dalgety

the polish explorer at Jindabyne

the artificial lake at Jindabyne

Rod Mason, the Tidbilliga (aboriginal term for the "Snowy Mountains") shaman and park ranger

(l-r) Amy, James, Toby, and Mindy chalet (cabin) mates and bluff losers

Boxhead: the Australian drinking game

Friday night footie, pretending call time was not 4 hours laterMama Kanga and Baby Ru with nose sticking outGuthega Power Station

Pipes running across the whole scheme

Lecturers Rob Dyball and Dave Dumaresq, with David the Kosciuszko expert

all covered up and ready to goAscent: 2000 feet here we come! (and believe me it was not easy at all)The Peri-glacial boundary: pertaining to the greenery admist the burnt herbageremnants of what used to be a 100 sq. m subalpine fen bog depleted by grazers
a snowy capped mountain i forgot the name ofat the peak of Kosciuszko

breathe lungs, breathe

the Dicky Cooper rock formation: where Tidibilliga boys were made into Tilibiga men

Snow, and unfortunately, the only picture i took with a part of my body in it

rest at the bottom
Flightless female Mountain Grasshopper, Acripeza reticulata (c/o debbie)


In the peri-glacial boundary: home of the endangered mountain pygmy possums hiding beneath the rocks...still thanking God it slid to the left

Rob and David

Big Trout in Cooma: Becc wondering what's in her sandwich

Tantangara dam: as vandals believe "is *bleep*ing unnecessary!"

SRES 2011 2007 (c/o debbie)

Dale wearing my nameHome on the mind: sick of hiking, sick of getting wet, sick of listening, sick of sitting in the bus

but loved every moment of it....

Cheers.