South Australia from 111,000 feet
▲ From 34km up it certainly looks like space
Chris Lansell dreamed up the Melbourne Solar System along Melbourne’s bayside, it launched as a Planet Wheeler project in 2008.
Recently Chris came up with another project, we’d send up a couple of cameras on a weather balloon and try to get satellite-type photos of Planet Earth without NASA (or even Virgin Galactic) costs. So on Tuesday 23 November we were at Mt Barker just outside Adelaide getting ready to launch a balloon with a bunch of local techies (Adelaide University, general enthusiasts, even a couple of guys from the Department of Defence taking a day off).
▲ Inflating the balloon with helium
We had two cameras on board, for stills a Canon A560, programmed to take a shot every 5 seconds. For video a GoPro HD Hero high definition video camera which recorded continuously. The cameras and their foam box and the stabilising tail (so it didn’t spin round too fast) weighed a total of 700 grams.
▲ Launching, click here for a YouTube clip of the launch process.
▲ The balloon explodes
Up in the air our balloon climbed for over an hour before exploding just short of 112,000 feet (34km). OK we’re not yet in space, but we are twice as high as Concorde used to fly. There’s a YouTube clip which catches the final apogee with a glimpse of the exploding balloon at around 38 second.
The parachute brought it back to earth in less than 30 minutes and our main pursuit vehicle had enough equipment on board and enough aerials outside to recreate Storm Chasers or Ghost Busters. The software gave us a map showing where the balloon and the three pursuit vehicles were going with a continuous readout of the balloon’s position, height, speed and rate of ascent or descent.
◄ Our balloon came back to earth at Murray Bridge, about 60km east of our starting point. First on the scene when our balloon came down? A cow.
We arrived soon afterwards. ▼
White Star Line Cruises List of Passengers. Mediterranean Cruise from NY, Saturday January 19, 1929. from Boston January 20, 1929 . S. S. Laurentic
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Categories: Cruises from NY Tags: 1929., Boston, Cruise, Cruises, from, January, Laurentic, Line, List, Mediterranean, passengers, Saturday, Star, White
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Making the most from Caribbean cruises
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The Caribbean has so much more to offer than simply sunbathing. There are many other great things that you and the family can do on these amazing islands. Here are my top five suggestions to ensure you get the most from taking a Caribbean cruise.
1. Swimming with stingrays is a must. Organisers will take you to a sandbar where you will be able to get up close to dozens of stingrays and feed and touch them. If you aren’t quite brave enough you can still see these amazing fish up close through a glass-bottomed boat.
2. Shark diving in the Bahamas. If the stingray swimming wetted your appetite for more then shark diving is another great experience to be had. You can dive down in the reefs of Nassau where you will find the most amazing coral walls.
3. Take a dive in Curacao at full moon. Around late September Curacao’s coral reef inhabitants release millions of spawned eggs. Taking that Caribbean cruise will mean you can enjoy seeing the sea light up which attracts a large amount of fish.
4. Find out about the volcanoes in Montserrat. It is worth taking one of the Caribbean cruises that allows you to visit Montserrat. This unique experience offers the chance to visit an active volcano, which came to life again in July 1995 with a full eruption two years later. Visit the Volcano Observatory to see this rumbling Volcano from a safe distance through binoculars. It is also possible to visit Plymouth to see the Volcano’s effect on the nearby town with ash-filled houses nearby.
5. Sun salute in Caicos and Turks. Found in the very north, this unspoilt private island offers many relaxing activities which you are welcome to join in on. The sun salute classes are available at the many yoga retreats. The yoga retreats include a selection of yoga shanti routines. Available throughout the summer, the teachings range from yogic, poetry, music as well as Buddhist teachings.
As you can see Caribbean cruises offers a whole lot more than just the amazing beaches. These are five great and memorable experiences to be had in the Caribbean however there is so much more to experience.