Smithy, Apollo and Beyond

How can you fit in exploring Deep space, NASA’s Apollo missions and Sir Kingsford Smith in four short weeks; we did!

After completing our training for Co-operative Bulk Handling (CBH) in Morawa, a small country town just southeast of Geraldton, at the end of September we had four weeks to burn so we headed north again. Fortune rose when we were talking to some fellow travellers outside an IGA in Geraldton. We learnt about an Open day at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory some 315km northeast of Geraldton. After some quick phone calls, we were on our way to the Australian Radio Quiet Zone for a open day guide tour through the facility.

The Australian Radio Quiet Zone WA (ARQZWA), was established by the Australian and Western Australian Governments to protect radio astronomy receivers from harmful interference, while allowing for opportunities for coexistence with other activities. This place is ideal for the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) Telescope. We had an amazing tour of the facility and I was truly blown away by the incredible computing facilities located there.

After this amazing deep space adventure, we then travelled north to Mount Augustus and the Kennedy Ranges National Park in the Gascoyne Region. We travelled along part of Sir Kingsford Smiths outback mail run that help fund and prepare him for the Southern Cross flight across the Pacific.

Back to the coast we visited Carnarvon, Quobba Blow Holes, Cape Peron National Park in Shark Bay before heading back to Arrino to start work for CBH.

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