Aussieland and Wrap Up

Sorry for the delay in posting about the last segment of my trip! For the short time that I was home, I became very preoccupied with seeing friends and family and getting my fill of the islands before heading back to the mainland.

The last stint of my journey was through the great outback via Sydney, Adelaide, and finally Perth. Sydney was really more of an extended layover, since I had to fly through it to get to Adelaide anyway. I was there for a few days in which I had a great time exploring the harbor, visiting museums, and strolling through parks. Things are insanely expensive in Australia, everything from food, to hotels, to movies, to clothes. I passed by a movie theatre there and was shocked to find that an adult movie ticket is $17.50!!! Matinee and student tickets are much less expensive and I decided to see an early showing of Animal Kingdom, which is supposedly the current pride of Australian cinema. In my humble and very uneducated movie critiquing opinion, I thought it was a rather watered-down and less entertaining version of the Departed with unlikable characters. It wasn't really a bad movie, but I couldn't see what all the hype was about.

It was very exciting to see the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Opera House, both "must sees" on any trip to Sydney. I did a free tour of the harbor area and got a bit of the history on the area and saw a few cool restaurants and such. I also visited Darling Harbour, where everything was set up to view the world cup games. It was a very cool and exciting vibe with many street performers and little kiosks. I got to see a great didgeridoo performance as well as a performance by a local orchestra. I went to several museums, including the museum of contemporary art, which was both fascinating and confusing, as most modern art is to me. I also decided to visit the state library of New South Wales, an impressive building with a beautiful interior. There was an exhibit going called World Press Photo, which displayed award-winning photos from various news publications around the world. I have always been enthralled by photo journalism and the exhibit was so spectacular that I spent a few hours perusing the photos.

After that it was off to Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, where I visited a museum dedicated to aboriginal art and culture, as well as walked around the grounds of the University of South Australia. There was a tiny little theatre near my hostel that play independent and foreign films, so I decided to stop in for Love in a Puff, a film that got great reviews at the Hong King Film Festival. It was a really sweet movie and although some of the humor was lost in translation (judging by the uproarious laughter from the native cantonese speakers in the audience), it was extremely funny and I enjoyed it much more than the "gem of Australian cinema" that was Animal Kingdom.

In South Australia I had several meetings, including one with Barry Goldstein of PIRSA (Primary Industries and Resources of South Australia), who was instrumental in the orchestration of SA laws and funding procurement for the geothermal industry. SA is perhaps the state that has had the most progress with government supported EGS, and is also has some of the most aggressive standards surrounding renewable energy in general--sort of like the California of Oz. It was interesting to hear about some of the state-initiated programs for renewable energy support, including a few exclusive to geothermal. Mr. Goldstein and PIRSA have also contributed greatly to Australia's federal geothermal programs and licensing regulations.

Another very interesting conversation I had there was with Jonathan Teubner, the Business Development Manager of a geothermal company called Petratherm, which is doing EGS exploration work in the Paralana Basin in South Australia. It was great to get the perspective a privately operated company. We delved a bit into the financing mechanisms for EGS projects, and some of the obstacles that have arisen from the huge upfront costs and high-risk nature of potential EGS projects. The paradox seems to be right now that even though the government will pay selected firms up to $7 million for project development, it relies upon the company raising the same amount in private equity. However, investors are hesitant to put up the capital necessary because they are still unsure of the technology. Add to that the fact that most geothermal wells cost around $20 million to drill in the first place and most firms find themselves in a tough position. The inability to raise capital in the share market coupled with the already high cost of drilling has brought geothermal to a bit of a lull.

The last stop on the this round-the-world journey was Perth, the capital of West Australia. By this point I was rather tired out and since there are tons of beautiful parks and gardens surrounding the city, I spent most of my free time outside, walking along the river, reading, etc. Again I had a few meetings and the same sentiments that I gathered in South Australia seemed to be repeated there. There was a great deal of concern regarding the high cost of drilling and the inability of the raise funds in the market. The uncertainty of the future of renewable energy legislation seems to be playing a huge factor in the uncertainty of investors.

I also discovered that the price of projects in Australia tend to be even more expensive than elsewhere due to the country's isolation, high cost of shipping, and limited availability of drilling equipment. The drilling industry is practically a monopoly there and indeed charges monopoly prices. Another thing that was particularly interesting to me as an American, is the huge bargaining power of Australia's coal lobby. Despite the money that Australia pours into renewables, it is incomparable to the funds it offers to CCS efforts, which it seems is due in large part to the huge role that coal plays in Australia's economy. This dynamic is an interesting factor to consider when looking ahead to how the U.S. will begin to shape its greening efforts.

My travels slowly began to wind down and I made my way back to Hawaii for a quick two week visit with family and friends. In this summer, I have spent more time in airports and train stations, caught more subways and buses, tried crazier foods, and walked further in pumps than I ever could have imagined. It was singularly the most thrilling, wonderful, at times terrifying experience of my life, and I would not trade my experiences for anything. I have learned so much about my goals, my motivations, and my character. Most importantly, I think, I have a renewed hunger to experience new cultures, travel to new places, learn the history of different peoples, and see the wonders of the world.

I am excited to start my final year at Georgetown a little older, a little wiser, and with renewed passion.



******


Dear World (and the Circumnavigators Club of course),

Thank you for the experience of a lifetime. I will never forget you.

Missing you already,
Hilary