TOPtoTOP expedition reports

Australian Antarctic Devision

We just made it to Hobart in Tasmania and have a presentation at the Australian Antarctic Devision (www.aad.gov.au) this morning. All went o.K. from Goulburn to Canberra, Tumut, Benalla, Melbourne and Hobart. It was a long way! Pictures and more soon...

On the way from Sydney to Tasmania

Sorry, we could not do a report for 3 weeks because our expedition reports crashed. We were very afraid to lose all our expedition reports from the last 7 years. Thanks to Thomas everything works again! An overview what happened in that time:

Switzerland meets Australia!

Presentation @ the Discovery Center in Canberra organised by the Swiss Club President Heinz Buettikofer and our freinds Gabi Hasler and Werner Albrecht

@ the school in Tumut

After our cycling from Sydney to the Blue Mountains and Goulburn we continued to Canberra in ATC, Tumut in NSW and Benalla in Victoria, before we crossed from Melbourne to Tasmania.

Sabine @ Telopea Park School in Canberra

We met wonderful people on the way and have been busy with presentations in schools, Rotary clubs and universities. Thank you Miranda, for organizing the presentation @ the University of Canberra!... and a special thanks to Steven Jenkins for our "Tumut highlight" with its great people!

@ the Rotary Club of Canberra: Dario, President Michael Moore, Swiss Ambassador Christian Muehlethaler

The Rotary Club of Canberra and the Rotary Club of Tumut together with the Lions Club of Tumut have done great donations to TOPtoTOP.

In ATC Andri picked up a funny illness. We were able to rest over Easter at Family Dobson's place in Benalla. hanks to our friend and doctor Claudio Canova Andri is better now.

Olivia, Kerryn and Bill Dobson

Tasmania

The big-tree-country is in danger by logging companies!

Hobart the capital of the Australian state of Tasmania.

Our friend Andi joined us in Tasmania.
We were able to stay with Karin, Tim and little Lukas in Hobart and had a great time together. Karin is the daughter of Annemarie, who joined us for 6-month trough the Pacific.

In Hobart we have done two presentations in front of high school students and also at the Australian Antarctic Devision. Ewan from the AAD was able to organize a great conference. We met scientists they will help us in our school program to bring the Antarctic into the class rooms and like to help us planing our next attempt of Mount Vinson.

Andri is now o.K. again! ... But both, Andri and Salina like more a motor bike than their trailer!
Now we will move to our friends Linda, Phil, Chris, David and Jacqui Hocking in Melbourne to meet with students, join the Swiss Festival and talk to the media.

Some interesting liks:
Swissinfo article
TOPtoTOP working platform

Melbourne

Gilson College, Melbourne

From Devonport in Tasmania we took our Canyon bikes on the ferry to Melbourne.
Thanks to Rebecca Guggisberg a teacher of the Tintern Girls Grammar School everything was well organized. We got in contact with her trough her brother. We met him near Wollongong on his race bike in January and he helped us tuning our bikes.

The next day we had a speech at the Swiss Festival where we met again the Swiss Ambassador Christian Mühlethaler and his charming wife Ruth. She helped us to get the winner of our TOPtoTOP-Victorinox game.

In Melbourne we were invited by the Hocking family. This base camp was just GREAT! We have been in very good hands with Linda and Phil and they enjoyed the steam train with Jacqui and playing around with Chris and David.

Dick Smith and Salina

NOTE: Next TOPtoTOP public presentations @ the Powerhouse Museum this Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th of April 2008 @ 11.30 a.m.

Dick Smith was our guest yesterday evening before he leaves again to continue his expedition in Mongolia and Russia tomorrow!
He is THE Australian adventurer and has been nearly on any place on this planet including the N- and the S-pol! In the early years he was an active scout, became one of the best helicopter pilots and has a very close relationship to nature and sports. We hope that he joins the TOPtoTOP expedition again so that we all can learn more from his experiences and his risk management ideas.

Salina's 3rd birthday was great and her biggest wish now is to go to school to meet other children!

Tracey McManus, a teacher we met in the school in Lawson, organized the Clown Mic Conway. He was the big surprise for all children invited to the party. Tracey's husband Peter runs SCRAP; - another very good example in Australia to protect the environment!

Our plan is to visit schools between Sydney and Brisbane next month. Unfortunately we have a major problem with our rigging and we have first to sort that out? If not, we have to cycle and hope to find a solution to visit the schools further up the coast later this year?