Now, I must confess that I always enjoy the articles that have been contributed for each issue, but this Thirteenth Issue is something special indeed.

We are very fortunate to have a insight into the dramatic and quite newsworthy midsummer rescue in the Antarctic seas. You can watch an excellent video from the French-Australian explorer and cinematographer Fred Olivier showing some of the ice-bound conditions that the Aurora Australis experienced en route to assist the trapped Russian vessel the Akademik Shokalsky, with the assistance of the Chinese research vessel Xue Long.

We then travel across the mainland of Australia and across Tasmania with the accomplished Bangalore-based wildlife cinematographer Amoghavarsha, who created a stellar video as part of the Australia-India Youth Dialogue Program. This video had a world premiere January 26th, which is both Australia Day and India’s Republic Day. I first encountered Amoghavarsha’s work in India, where he filmed an incredible nature documentary on the deadly king cobras and the herpetologists who handle them. Keep your eyes open in this film for an army of marching crabs, and a Tasmanian platypus.

Next, we’ve got an excerpt from Warwick Sprawson’s recently published guide to the Overland Track, in which he recounts some of the life and times of Gustav Weindorfer, one of the pioneers of nature conservation and ecotourism in all of Australia.

And then, we tramp into the Southwest with Matt Brain, who shares his adventures and stellar photographs from adventures in the most remote parts of the island. His pictures all always inspirational, and remind us that it’s time to get outside yet again.

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If you’re in Hobart during February, there’s two events at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens as part of the Plant Hunter project- do come along! Darren Cullen will be presenting on carnivorous plants of South America (Sat. Feb 8th), and yours truly (Sat. Feb 15) will be introducing some new geo-tagged citizen science trails.(To book call 6236 3050. Bookings essential). Details linked below!

Hope to see you there!
— The Editor