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AUSTRALIA JOURNALJULY 1994 BY ROBIN RUTHERFORD July 15, 1994 Friday Left Charleston at 3:28 p.m., bound for Savannah (92°). We landed in Savannah at 4:15.
Carol, Marian, and I are traveling together. Then we headed for the Chicago leg of the
trip. We arrived at O'Hare at 5:44, Chicago time - but really 2 hours. We are really
anxious to get to Australia but can't believe the long flight - 22 hours (or more). We
will land in Australia tomorrow at 9:42, but will be Sunday instead of Saturday. The
person in front of us is taking flash pictures through the windows. Upon landing we saw
Lake Michigan and the City of Chicago. We had about a one hour lay over. In the restrooms
we saw revolving plastic seat covers. Plane for L.A. left at 7:00 p.m. (8:00 EDT) - flight
delay - rear cargo door won't shut. Plane takes off at 8:00 central (9:00 EDT). The runway
crosses the highway with an overpass. It's strange to keep seeing the sunset until almost
10:00 p.m. 10:20, the plane hits turbulence for about 20 to 25 minutes. We have movies
available on the plane too. When we land in L.A., it's 10:07 and we race to make our 10:40
connection. We looked for O.J.'s house as the plane landed. We are on a very large plane
for the flight to Auckland, N.Z. We left at 11:10 p.m. (2:10 EDT). The ride went very
smooth but the time change is hard to adjust to. It's 12:00 noon Charleston time, but it's
still dark here to 4:00 a.m. We should get to Auckland in an hour or two. July 17, 1994 Sunday Temp. in Auckland is 53°, light rain, Sunday morning. Where did Saturday go? We landed
in Auckland about 6:20 a.m., Sunday. We walked around the airport and also looked out the
airport windows. It looks to be very green mountainous country. We are 10,000 km away from
L.A. It's finally beginning to get daylight. We have been in the dark for about 18 hours.
The weather feels chilly. 3 1/2 more hours to Melbourne. We've been traveling for 28 hours
now. Now, about to arrive in Melbourne. Carol and Jeri picked us up. The morning (11:00 a.m.), looks like afternoon time
outside (in the U.S.) We took a shopping/city tour walking to the Victoria market and meat
market. We rode the city circle tram. New words: Mate friend Prawn shrimp Car park parking garage Tyrest tires Left elevator Roundabout traffic circle Give way yield Snack sandwiches or light meal McDonalds store visiting hours hello on the telephone Engaged bathroom stall sign to indicate occupied Ham & Cheese like a ham and cheese sandwich - thick spicy bread Foccacio Tomato Sauce ketchup Chips french fries Halp Nip half of a liquor serving Flat apartment; flat tire for Marian Boot trunk Bonnet hood Attending to taken care of at the store or rest Trading hours store hours Take away food take out food July 18, 1994 Monday We (Carol, Marian, and I) all awoke at 2:00 and watched t.v. and read. We had a morning
meeting at 8:00 and breakfast with 2 of the astronomers - Gordon Bjoracker and Alan
Meyers. Then we spent the day at the Kuiper. We had a tour of the plane, then went back to
the offices to watch astronomers gather data and send a message on Internet to Charleston
and Hubble. Also, we attended the morning meeting at 11:55 to tell about takeoff. Then we
worked on collating a collection of messages to other astronomers. We ate at the
Travelodge - snack is a sandwich, ketchup served in a gravy boat w/spoon. Then it was off
to walking and riding the tram. We ate in Chinatown. A store owner thought we were crazy
to watch comets hitting Jupiter. Freeways left lane - slow lane right lane - fast no specific lane lines blinker on the right side Give way yield Car wreck made a connection smash Milk bar corner store Tucker food Overtaking passing in right lane they also walk on the left Barbie barbecue Nappie diaper July 19, 1994 Tuesday Briefing 8:00 a.m. - great results from astronomer Bjoraker. Hubble group said they saw
spectacular results. The climate here is so chilly and gray and cloudy. Gas is $2.40 a
gallon (69 cents a liter) - so expensive. There are not many large cars or vans. We are on
our way out to the Kuiper now to see the cameras in the cavity - film change - check
equipment. On the way to the airport, we see large mountains in the distance - purple. We
worked on our Kuiper flight schedule and checked Internet for messages. Jeri and Jim are
leaving to fly at about 4:00. "Or" words end with "our": Neighbor neighbour Color colour Honor honour Flavor flavour Endeavor endeavour Center centre Theater theatre Liter litre litre of gas is .69 Bottle Shop liquor store, bar Crook sick July 20, 1994 Wednesday We visited the telescope this morning. I helped Tom change the cameras out on the
brackets. We recorded the exposures, film type, serial numbers. He rewired the filter and
bolted down the camera. Then we went to RMIT to have the black and white film developed.
The color film from Monday night was developed too. Jupiter is visible as a bright yellow
light during impact. We also went shopping, rode to the top of the Rialto, and ate at a
Greek restaurant. I tasted Spanako (pita), spinach and cheese in a pastry roll.
Before the Rialto we visited Chloe's Bar. The men's sports bar was downstairs. The ladies
bar was upstairs. Large painting in Chloe's of nude Chloe. July 21, 1994 Thursday Today is Carol Tempel's turn to fly aboard the Kuiper. We devised questions to ask the
scientists and then headed out to the airport to take video and photos of today's takeoff.
The airport management took us to the roof of the airport where we did our photographing.
The film was developed and we ate lunch at Pizza Hut at the airport - I stayed in the room
until 7:30. We went to dinner at Frank's. I tasted squid, Bay Bugs, and had range-fed
beef. Carol came back about 10:30 or 11:00, excited and relieved. July 22, 1994 Friday Today was my day to fly aboard the Kuiper. I rode in the cockpit for takeoff and saw
the land of Australia. Rural - rivers, mountains. I started up the cameras and no power
came up. I must have tried 3 or 4 times. I was really in a panic. Then they threw a
breaker and all was go. I was very impressed by the astronomer's talk, problem solving, and team work. I took pictures all night - 20 color, 30 infrared. July 23, 1994 Saturday 9:30 Great interview with Gordon Boracker. It went great! He explained his experiments
with water vapor. 11:00 Back to NASA for interview with NASA Select. 12:00 Left for Bendigo - Macedon Mountains. Stopped at Goona Warra Weinery. Jim stopped
to buy wine. Flowers were blooming - purple, yellow. 1:20 Back on the road. A lot of houses (most) have orange tile roofs. 2:00 Lunch: Leek and Potato Soup Chicken sandwich triangles Teapot with small teaspoons and heavy cream Scones with jam and butter Central Highlands 3:00 Stopped at Hanging Rock but did not go on it. We stopped to take pictures of deer
and sheep farms. High hills with houses on top. Looks like West Kansas prairies Colorado town Tearoom Speed limit 60 80 100 (red) Overtaking lane - passing lane Thousands of gum trees Shell petrol Big apple country store - bought apples and juice. In orchards - the store was smelling
delicious. Left store and Jim drove down the right side of the road. Oh no!!!!!! 4:00 Mount Alexander Koala Park. We saw a kangaroo hopping across the trail. Walked for
about an hour. Rabbit's burrow seen. Cidery apple cider making plant Caravan trailer Car spa car wash K-MART closed 5:30 Saturday night. butcher shops. 6:30 Dinner - Shamrock Hotel in Bendigo Ordered Barimundi (large crystal sugar) salad 8:00 Headed back to Melbourne. Saw .05 police. Clear night! 8:55 Stopped in the mountains to observe the constellations. We saw the Southern Cross,
Scorpius, Sagittarius, Centaris, Achemar, Triangulum A B, Australles, Corvis July 24, 1994 Sunday Did laundry in the a.m. 12:30 left for airport to see Carol Swan off. Then left for
winery country. It's very windy today. Stopped again at the Country Kitchen and had tomato
soup, tea - heavy cream, ham, and cheese sandwich. Visited Mount Atking winery and saw
wine tasting. Chilly stone urn cellar - small stove (wood). Greek food tonight. Carol S is
flying tonight. July 25, 1994 Monday (Reading Recovery). We visited the Tullamarine School. It was private. We saw prep
(kindergarten) and year 1, 2 library, year 7, 8. The first grade teacher gave us her
year's curriculum. The whole language, theme webbing, lots of story writing, lots of
books. Tea time at 11:00 p.m. Kids go out and play and teachers had tea and coffee cake.
The year 1 teacher, Aly Geary, was very informative. She gave us some curriculum
information and her year's plan. July 26, 1994 Tuesday (To: Great Ocean Road). Blue checkered sign - police station passed through Geelong and
saw lots of small shops and a bay. Most of the towns don't have many large stores, just
one small shop after another. I've seen lots of milk bars and cafes. We see blankets on
horses that are grazing the fields. Big black birds with white heads were perched
alongside the road. White cockatoos eating on the side of the rocks, rocky beaches, we
went down on the beach and found shells - limpets, snail, bi-valves. Inlets coming in from
the ocean. Cows and horses grazing on green hillsides. Sheep grazing peacefully on the
hillsides. We visited Maits National Rain Forest. It was a cool temperate rain forest. All the
trees and plants were wet and dripping. Brooks ran through the center of the trail, wooden
walkways, huge Myrtle beeches, giant ferns, mosses growing up trees. Stopped to photograph
lambs and calves and the car got stuck in the mud. Then we finally saw a kangaroo crossing
sign. We all stopped to get a picture. :-) We stopped at a tea room for tea, coffee,
pumpkin soup, sweets. Heading for Port Campbell. Bought booties and postcards. Bloke fellow, guy - elm tree; motel owners used this word a lot No worries Don't worry about it July 27, 1994 Wednesday Breakfast in Warrnambool. We drove before breakfast to Logan's Beach to look for whales
giving birth. But we had no lunch. We ate breakfast at Macks. They offered spaghetti
and/or baked beans on toast for breakfast. Left my Peterson's Guide at the motel, and had
to return for it. Driving towards the Grampians, we see sheep grazing on very rocky
fields. Large mountains in the distance. Plains, tree clumps, one mountain in the distance
on the left. We stopped at a lookout for Mount Sturgeon. Photographed emu and mountains. We explored
the Grampians Golf Course looking for kangaroo. All we found were emu droppings. Silverband falls Steep Steps Wallaroo Wildlife Park Dingo couldn't feed, very ferocious looking furry donkey, sheep, deer Wallalry eating from our hands and holding our hands with their paws. A Joey peeked out
of mommy's tummy and was adorable. Looked and looked for koalas but still none. July 28, 1994 Thursday Visited Overnewton Anglican Community College. Gave two talks about Jupiter comet
collision and Can Do projects. Tea time, 11:00. Observed a first grade class. Aly Geary's
class was having show and tell. We talked to them and the teacher showed us some of their
writing. Pre-flight briefing at 6:00. Flew aboard the Kuiper tonight; left a 7:15. Carol
and Jim rode with me. Arrived back at about 3:00 a.m. Biro Pen July 29, 1994 Friday We awoke at 11:00 a.m. Allan Meyer agreed to let us interview him. Then we went to
Deepdene School to give a talk to second graders and sixth graders. Carol and I observed a
1/2 combination class and got lots of ideas from her. She gave us copies of homework,
report cards, and checklists. Wine and cheese afterwards in the teacher's lounge. Out to
supper at 6:30 - Vietnamese restaurant Kym 2. Carol S. and I rode back home in a taxi. July 30, 1994 Saturday We rode up into the Dandenong Mountains to ride Puffing Billy. We left Belgrade. Rode
through Mensis and got off at Emerald. The ride was very beautiful through gum tree and
tree fern forests. Jim and Tom met us at Emerald. We found a team room to have cake and
hot tea. Then we shopped a while and proceeded on through dense mountain forests. On the
way to Healsville we passed through Monbulk, Dilydale. We toured Healesville Sanctuary. We
saw kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, platypus, koalas. Great photos! Dinner at Mediterranean
Restaurant. July 31, 1994 Sunday Brekkie breakfast Laundry Ketchup tomato sauce, dead horse Visited Victoria market for souvenirs and then headed for Ballavat. Raining on way.
Went to Sovereign Hill. Rode a stage coach, listened to a western folk trio, shopped on
Main Street, bought a pin cushion and a Koala card and gold chips in a vial. Stopped at an
Italian Restaurant to eat. Ravioli to eat. The rest of the gang went to a bottle shop to
get wine and brought it back to the restaurant. August 1, 1994 Monday Breakfast at the Wood Duck this morning and then shopping downtown. Cashed money at
West Pac. Met Jim and Tom at 2:00 to leave for Philly's Island to see penguins. It was
raining and cold but we stuck it out to see the fairy penguins come ashore in groups of
about 20 at a time. They walked up on shore and through the dunes. We observed them from
the boardwalk walking to their homes and squawking. Then we had some supper at a seafood
restaurant. Carol S. and I had zucchini and cheese soup and tea. We also had more tea. I
will really miss not having tea. Home at 10:00. Bed at 1:00 a.m. August 2, 1994 Tuesday Take off at 11:25 a.m. in Australia. Ate sirloin and arrived in Auckland at 4:30 p.m.,
sprayed for bugs. Auckland to L.A. 6:00 p.m. takeoff. Carol and I took Tylenol p.m. and
dozed off for about 4 or 5 hours. We arrived in L.A. at 10:30. It is Tuesday morning
again. August 2, 1994 Tuesday Arrived at LAX at 11:50, caught a bus to JPL. Dr. Youmans spoke. JPL Aurora created -
lasted several hours - created at other pole. He thinks its a half dead comet. Comet is a
fragile cemetery structure, like a frozen sponge w/water taken out. Molecules detected
methane co., NH3, H2, H2S, S2, CS2. MG, NA from comet probably. Ulysses - no immediate
results. Detects radio region. Enhancement of the radio waves. No obvious changes in
Voyager UV waves. No obvious visual flashes from satellites. Shotgun effect instead of
cannonball effect. Hubble - Wide Field Planetary Camera.
Impact creates a fountain effect. Epcta was larger than the earth. Huygens probe to
investigate Jupiter. Talked about Kidsat with Jo Bea. We showered and drank and ate pizza at Jo Bea Way's
house. Talked to several people about our project. We are riding the red eye out of L.A.
United flight 14 - O.J. Simpson flight. We saw Pasadena, San Gabrielle Mountains, toured JPL, Flight Operations. Saw IBM, 444,
and other tall buildings in L.A.
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