Decompressing at Camp Laurence

August 23-25: Camp Laurence-- For 6 days the gang of 39 overcame jet lag and got to know one another by keeping really busy with day hikes, ropes courses, and a bizarre bridge building challenge. George and Don even squuezed in a little geology from time to time, but overall it was a good time to get our bearings in this strange new land.

Clare and company sit atop a tall outcrop of cross bedded sandstone

the best geology classroom is in the field!

Andy Scaplen demonstrating how to compelte the ropes course!

Bridge Building--how to make a bridge to a floating raft in a pond of hungry crocs (just pretend ones, that is!), and get the whole gang across the bridge and on the raft w/o falling in the murky waters.

They made it!!

Trail head for the hike up Mt. Greville--an extinct and highly eroded old rhyolitic volcano. The hike was steep but vista at top and excellent views of columnar jointing made it all worth the effort.

One of the steepest parts of the climb. Bush walking in Australia!

A view from near Camp Laurence.