Jarntimarra Diary - Jason Hoogland

WEDNESDAY 31 OCTOBER 2001, 14:00 hrs

Brisbane, Queensland
Jason Hoogland

Having just spoken with MSA President Guy Murphy from Alice Springs, the expedition is travelling well and has been extremely busy. Yesterday the party did not have the opportunity to log in via the sat phone and deliver diary reports (but will make up for this tonight!), being pre-occupied with three TV crews whilst at Henbury Craters south of Alice.

Channels 2 (the national broadcaster, ABC) and 9 shot extensive footage of the party in the Henbury area, with Channel 9 hiring a helicopter for the day. We've been advised the Channel 2 footage may go to air this Thursday night on the national Catalyst science show, while the Channel 9 footage may be used on the national morning Today show late next week. Channel 7 have shown interest in possibly filming the expedition along the Birdsville Track later this week.

Keep your eyes and ears peeled MSA members! One objective of JNT-1 is to raise the profile of our activities nationally, and the technical party understands the need to pay the research bills via quality PR.

Conditions have been hot in Alice Springs (36 degrees Celsius), although the party should find things cool down as they return south. Although the region remains arid, it has been unseasonally rainy during the winter and spring, and temperatures in the remaining areas of interest are expected to remain mild in the mid to high 20's.

So, the expedition now returns to the serious business of surveying sites for the Jarntimarra Database and I am looking forward to the hot artesian bore sampling that remains along the Birdsville track.