Made by Serif

© 2010 Ocean & Coastal Care Initiatives

© 2007 Ocean & Coastal Care Initiatives

WORLD OCEANS DAY 2008 ‘MARINE MAGIC’ COACH TOUR

 

With a small amount of funding to be spent from the Gosford ‘Project Aware on the Rocks’ grant, OCCI decided to put on a public coach tour to celebrate World Oceans Day, which is held on the 8th June each year.

Our secretary, Sandy, volunteered to run the event as part of her ‘project’ from the course and so she began the mammoth task of co-ordinating it. She set dates and deadlines, assisted with promotion, booked the venues and speakers, organised lunches and afternoon teas and took the bookings from the public.

 

 

We had an incredible response to the Central Coast Express article, with the tour booking out within days of it being published, and a long waiting list of those who couldn’t get in.

 

 

Thanks to Sandy’s wonderful organising skills, the day ran like clockwork.

 

After departing our two pick-up points at Tuggerah and Gosford, our first stop was a walk in the mangroves at Point Clare with Dr Peter Freewater. Here we learned of the valuable contribution these forests make to the health of our waterways.

 

 

Seagrasses were next on the list, and Carla Sbrocchi from the Community Seagrass Monitoring Programme was on hand to explain about the rich habitat that these meadows provide. We had lots of ‘hands on’ things to do here at Woy Woy pool, with dip netting, water quality testing and sand dredging activities to participate in.

 

 

A delicious lunch was provided for us, courtesy of sponsorship from Gosford Council, at Davistown RSL, then it was back on the bus for a tour of the salt marshes of Davistown, once again with Dr Freewater.

 

 

Avoca Lake was our next port of call and here Mick Kilp explained the lakes systems to us, emphasizing the importance of the natural opening and closing of the lake and what effects this has on the entire lake environment. Afternoon tea (provided by Judy and Belinda) was enjoyed at the lake, while Mick answered final questions.

 

 

Our last stop was at the rock platform in Terrigal Haven. A quick rock pool ramble with Jeannie Lawson showed us how the inhabitants survive in this highly dynamic environment.

 

 

Thanks to all who participated in our day. We hope to run more of these tours over the next year (if our grant writing skills pay off!).

 

Below is a poem that was sent in to us from one of the passengers. Thanks, Chester.

 

 

 

‘A Day Out With OCCI’ by Chester Graham

 

Mangroves thrive at brick-veneer Point Clare.

We went there in a bus the other day.

Under casuarinas by the bay

Pneumatophores were coming up for air.

 

Eelgrass flowering underneath the sea

Drew us to Woy Woy, on World Oceans Day,

To sample from the Channel, and assay

Its heat, pH, salt and turbidity.

 

Saratoga is a salt marsh place

All spiny rush, no swamp mahogany.

The green and gold bell frog is the jewel

Of Avoca Lake, where sea eagles rule.

At Terrigal the limpets teach that we

Must hang on to our Coastal Open Space.