The Uriarra and the Murrumbidgee River

G'day mates!
Last Sunday afternoon I waited at Union Court on campus to be picked up for a hike in the Uriarra. Union Court is like Sproul Plaza at UC Berkeley but not quite so expansive, yet usually filled with students and trinket or clothes sellers. Since national elections are coming up, election rhetoric is in high gear here in Australia. A rally in support of effective Climate Change policy was in progress. The students, mostly undergraduate, were being whipped up by a band and speeches, before heading off for a march into city centre. 

If anything I have found politics to be a bit tamer than in the US, and rather issue-focused, even though complaints on TV news has it that all the parties aren't terribly different in their approaches to these issues, so the politicians have nothing better to do than be negative. As that may be, I have found the news programs that surround the election greatly informative, issue laden, meaningful and full of energy and passion.

Last night I saw a particularly interesting debate on population growth and control. Every body who had been somebody in government seemed to be participating. Viewer's opinions, twittered in, flowed across the bottom of the TV screen. Members of the audience commented as much as the 20 some professionals on the sound stage. The conversation opened with a documentary on the impact of climate change on Australian life. The conversation went on for a couple of hours, people respected each other, were allowed to talk and say their piece. I found the whole thing quite informative and fair sided. It seemed mostly a a profound understanding of the issues, with many insightful considerations.

Two  colleagues on my research team, Fiona and Angelika, picked me up at 1, accompanied by Angelika's friend, Karl (Charlie), and Fiona's friend, Bianca. We then picked up Sudha and drove about 15 miles outside town to the Murrumbidgee watershed for a walk around the Uriarra hills. The area is somewhat northwest of the city.

This area also was devastated by the 2003 fires and is in regrowth. The hillsides are nearly barren, where they were overgrown with trees and shrubs before the fires.

Rain poured down Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this past week with a letup Thursday leading to glorious sun today, Friday. I spent much of the time indoors out of the rain. Here is a picture of the river that flows through campus taken last week when the sun was out, and next to it a picture of the same river after the first day of rain. I'd say nearly flood stage, wouldn't you?

Work for me has now started. I have much to read and study before I am up to speed with everything needed in order to make a contribution. we are starting out with a new type of semi-conductor junction, to see how that might help with the design of more efficient solar cells.

Cheers!