Bart Bear's Blog

Last Wednesday we did something really different. The Capital windfarm near Bungendore had a ticketed open day and we managed to get tickets. We have been watching the windfarm grow over the past few years. The roads and the railway take you close enough to see bits of it, but I really wanted to get close to some of the big rotor towers. Well, it was a wet and windy day and really cold. The road in was muddy and slushy and the bus slid around a bit on the way in and out. However, we could get right to the base of one of the towers, and we could even go inside. Actually, there is not much to see in there, just a distribution cupboard and cables and a ladder going up through a hatch to the rotor. I would have loved to go up there, but too many security guys were watching. The big surprise was how quiet the windfarm is. The only noise was a very quiet "swoosh".

Labels: New South Wales, windfarm

In the parking area near the Lake George zebras, near the sign that tells you all about Lake George, there is another sign that has overseas tourists walking on tippy-toes. It is written in yellow paint on the footpath and it says "Beware of Snakes". Now us Aussie bears don't need to be told that. We are always careful when we are in snake country. Actually, all of Australia is snake country so we are always on the lookout for snakes. I don't mind snakes. They are usually more scared of us than we are of them, and they are kind of beautiful in their own way. Mind you, not everybody feels the same way; one of my uncles is terrified of the critters and won't believe me when I tell him that a lot more snakes have been hurt by people than the other way around. Anyhow, I have the perfect solution to crossing wet, grassy places where snakes may be hiding. I get Dad to carry me. No snake would be game to tackle him (I hope). If you look closely you can see some of the rotors of the windfarm on the hills on the other side of the lakebed, but absolutely no sign of terrified snakes.

Labels: animals, Canberra, windfarm

On Saturday we went for a drive to see how close we could get to this new windfarm. You can see it on the hills way over the other side of Lake George as you drive between Canberra and Sydney. I love windfarms. The first ones I saw were in South Australia and I have been hoping there would be one near home sometime. Anyhow, we drove to Bungendore first because Dad says that is where you can get the best breakfast in Australia. Then off we went up the road to Tarago, trying to get close to the wind farm. You can see the rotor towers for a long time, way off to the left of the road, but there aren't many roads that get you close. The only ones we found for ages all had "Trespassers prosecuted" on them so we had to go back. We met a lady on one of these roads that told us about another road that would get us close, and after a while we found it. You can't get into the farm but we found a great spot to get photos. I had to climb up a small tree to see over a gully (at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it). Later on I managed to climb up a big mound of dirt and see even better. Naturally enough, Mum wasn't happy about messy fur. They are still building the windfarm, so I could watch big cranes lifting towers and rotors into place. I love watching big machinery. Maybe I can drive some someday. When it is finished the farm will have 63 rotors and provide power for 90,000 houses. I will visit my lookout site every so often while they are biulding the farm and will show you how things are progressing.

Labels: Canberra, climbing, windfarm

Wind can be useful, as well as being dangerous to sailing ships. On our Great Ocean Road trip we saw two windfarms. They are both on ridges near the coast where the wind from the Roaring Forties hits Victoria and South Australia. This one is at Codrington in Victoria. The other one is near Lake Bonney in South Australia. You can drive right through the Lake Bonney one, but at Codrington you have to be in a tour group. The oldies were very excited by these places. They have often argued that wind power should be used more in Australia. The old arguments that wind turbines make too much noise and are dangerous to birds don't make sense to this small bear. Even standing just about right under a turbine all you hear is a very quiet swoosh. And we saw a flock of crows fly right through a spinning turbine without injury to the crows or the turbine. I guess people think the turbine blades spin fast like aeroplane propellors, but they actually spin quite slowly, even in strong winds. The Codrington windfarm is Mum's favorite. Can you guess why? That's right. Cows. Sometimes I worry about her.

Remember, to see a bigger picture just click on this one. Check my archives out too, to see what I have been doing over the last year.

Labels: engineering, Great Ocean Road, South Australia, trips, windfarm