I
T’S THAT TIME of year when,
hopefully, the frenetic pace of
Christmas slackens a little and gives
way to languid days at the beach with
family and friends – or maybe of ers the
chance to head of on an adventure to
somewhere unexplored.
Wherever in Australia you fi nd
yourself this holiday period, take a little
time to look up and contemplate the
heavens on a clear night. One of the great
pleasures of spending time in the great
outdoors is the chance to end each day
sitting out under a sky studded with stars.
It’s an experience not to be taken for
granted: there are many parts of the globe
where a starry night is a rare sight.
Nevertheless, Australia has yet to see
the declaration of a designated Interna-
tional Dark Sky Reserve.
FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Our astronomy columnist Fred Watson
and the Australian Astronomical
Observatory are working towards having
a reserve declared around our national
observatory at Siding Spring, in northern
NSW, and AUSTR ALIAN GEOGR A PHIC
will be lending support to the campaign.
Read Fred ’s commentary to learn more
(page 39), and we’ll keep you updated on
the campaign over the year.
For the past three years, the Austra-
lian Geographic Society (AGS) and its
volunteers have supported research into
the impact of cane toads on the ecology
of the east K imberley, and trial measures
to keep toads out of pristine parts of
areas of outstanding natural value. If
you’re a subscriber to AG (and therefore a
member of the AGS) a proportion of your
annual subscription cost goes towardsContributing editors: Joanna Egan and Karen McGhee More contributors: Fleur Bainger, Ian Brown, Peter Elfes, Andrew Gregory, Darren Jew, Ling Man, Alasdair
McGregor, Brent Melton, Adam Morrissey, Mike Owen, Alex Palmer, Steve Passlow, Douglas Seifert, David Studham, Brendon Thorne, Fred Watson, Yu Yong.Daniel
Sheridan
is a freelance artist based
in Perth. For six years he
has combined his love
of nature and the arts
as a wildlife illustrator. Starting out as a
signwriter and muralist, Dan created large
photorealistic wall and ceiling murals, while
dabbling in fi ne arts in his spare time. In
2010 he entered the Archibald Prize with his
portrait of Schapelle Corby. Dan’s dragonfl y
image is featured on the cover of The Art of
Australian Geographic Ilustration.James
McCormack
has always been attracted
to adventure. He has skied,
paddled, climbed, biked and
hiked around the world,
successfully turning the pursuit of wilderness
into a career as a writer and photographer.
The roots of this adventurous spirit are
inherited; his father was Australia’s fi rst
modern hot-air balloonist. “Researching his
early exploits for this story was eye-opening,”
says James. “And in the process, l learnt not
only about him, I learnt about myself.”Thomas
Wielecki
became a professional
photographer in 1998,
entirely by chance. He
studied journalism, but
photography took over. Thomas’s fi rst
commissioned shoot was of a car and,
although since then he has often been
labelled a car photographer, he is happiest
when people open up and let him into their
worlds. For his fi rst AG assignment, Pushing
Time (AG 68), he spent two and a half weeks
on the road with long-haul truck drivers.Contributors
our support of remote-area fi eld work
undertaken by Australian scientists and
conservationists. The Kimberley toad
project is now the subject of our brand-
new documentary, a DV D of which is
provided free to subscribers with this
issue. If you are inspired by the documen-
tary, perhaps consider joining the team
when they head back to the K imberley in
2015 (more details on page 114).
Finally, we’re delighted to welcome a
new columnist into the AG fold in the
colourful guise of Dr Karl K ruszelnicki;
he will be a regular contributor from this
issue. Dr Karl is one of the country’s most
ef ective science communicators and I’m
certain you’ll enjoy his entertaining and
informative view of the world (page 124).
Wishing you all the best for 2014.Clear skies ahead
MERMAIDS OF MORETON BAY, PAGE 52 LOFTY AMBITIONS, PAGE 66 LAT/LONG, PAGE 108January–February 2014 13