I had breakfast with Malcolm Robb, Western Australia Department of Water, and Professor Lyn Beazley, Western Australia Chief Scientist. We talked about a wide range of issues associated with science applications and education. Lyn is a vibrant and personable scientist who clearly advocates for science in Western Australia.

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Before my workshop and field trip with Project Catalyst, I had not heard of the following terms "dunder, mill mud, billets, ratoons, plant cane, shielded sprayers, cane grubs, controlled traffic, EM mapping, auger delivery, wavy discs, skip row planting, cane stool, bed renovation, cane cockies" and could not even have made an educated guess as to their meaning.

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On May 9, I attended a Project Catalyst Workshop at the Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre along the Central Queensland coast. The workshop was organized by Will Higham and his colleagues at Reef Catchments, and it included three dozen sugarcane growers from three sugar producing regions within the Great Barrier Reef catchment; Mackay/Whitsunday/Isaac region, Burdekin region and the Wet Tropics.

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There are several reasons that I have cause for optimism regarding the future of sugarcane impacts on the Great Barrier Reef: 1) the tinnies in the farm sheds, 2) the young cane growers, 3) the widespread adoption of high tech equipment for precision agriculture, 4) the innovative, can-do attitude of a group of cane growers, 5) a grower's statement that pesticides are "dirty, stinky, expensive, toxic crap", and 6) the engagement of Coca-Cola in Project Catalyst.

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As part of Brisbane's heritage week, a walking tour along the Brisbane River and a concert in historic Customs House was held on May 15. These events were sponsored by Brisbane's Living Heritage Network. The walking tour started in the Botanic Gardens and visited the 1974 flood marker which has been modified to include the 2011 flood levels. We visited the site of the 1893 stranding of the naval ship Paluma, where there is a children's park with a climbing frame in the shape of a ship.

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Walking along the front of the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) buildings with the Botanic Gardens on the right, you pass some massive banyan trees, which is an Indian fig tree named for the Bania merchants who would meet between the buttress roots. Just at the entrance to the Botanic Gardens is Parliament House, seat of the Queensland government.

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Back to ANZAC Square, the walk down the stairs (from the bottom, 19 stairs, a landing, and 18 stairs to commemorate the end of WWI in 1918) and through the walk lined with baobab (bottle) trees from South Africa to symbolize the Boer Wars. In addition, Middle East date palms are in the square to commemorate ANZAC's role in the Middle East in both WWI and WWII. There are many statues in the square, depicting different wars.

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Brisbane is hilly, and I like to start a tour at a high point and work my way down. The Old Windmill on Wickham Terrace is a great place to start for that reason. Another reason for starting here is the fact that the Old Windmill is aptly named, as it is the oldest surviving building in Brisbane, dating back to 1824. It was originally built by convicts for grinding grains, but was subsequently used as a place to hang criminals, as a museum, and as a weather observatory.

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Dr. Nigel Erskine, Curator of Exploration at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, talked about the HMB Endeavour voyage. He explained that the Endeavour was correctly called HM Barque (or Bark), which was what the British Royal Navy designated the Endeavour that Cook sailed in, even though it was ship-rigged (three or more masts, with square sails on each mast). The HMB Endeavour also distinguished it from another ship in the Royal Navy named the HMS Endeavour.

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Another observation was the June 11, 1770 'discovery' that the Endeavour had been unknowingly threading through the Great Barrier Reef. This 'discovery' of what is now known as Endeavour Reef almost led to the demise of the ship and crew. Cook wrote ". . .the Ship Struck and stuck fast. Immediately upon this we took in all our Sails, hoisted out the Boats and Sounded round the Ship, and found that we had got upon the South-East Edge of a reef of coral rocks . . .".

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