JULY 2010: RALPH BAILEY AND THE ART OF ARCHITECTURE
One of the architects behind the visionary design of Kingfisher Bay will lead a tour of the property’s structural design and landscape when he arrives on the Fraser Coast next month.

Joint Founder of Guymer Bailey Architects, and acclaimed author, Ralph Bailey will present a series of special lectures on the principles of the resort's design including energy efficiencies, design and aesthetics.

Topic: The Art Of Architecture
Date: Saturday, July 24
Time: From 1930-2030
Where: Panama Conference Room, Top Level, Centre Complex

Topic: Flora And Landscaping
Date: Sunday, July 25
Time: From 1930-2030
Where: Panama Conference Room, Top Level, Centre Complex

Ralph, and design partner Tim, recognised the significance of the property – situated in a National Park and on a World Heritage-listed island – and designed an eco-friendly, sustainable, low-impact resort integrating the architecture and landscape in a unique way.

Kingfisher's Centre Complex was cleverly designed to use natural convection currents to cool the building.  This eliminates the need for air-conditioning and saving the resort 48,000klw of electricity per year.

Ralph and Tim, together and individually, have lectured and published numerous papers and articles on architectural design, vernacular and sustainable architecture, use of timber, furniture design, graphics, ecotourism, landscape planning and design.

JUNE 2010:  DR ERROL STOCK COVERS DUNES, CRITTERS, WATER SECRETS AND COLOURED SANDS!
Dr Errol Stock conducted his first Ranger Talk at Kingfisher in 1998 and returns this month to present a series of interesting and informative talks on Fraser and its fascinating landscapes. 

Topic:  Water Secrets of Fraser Island
Date: Sunday, June 20
Time: From 1930-2030
Where: Panama Conference Room, Top Level, Centre Complex

Topic: Kingdom of Coloured Sands
Date: Monday, June 21
Time: From 1930-2030
Where: Panama Conference Room, Top Level, Centre Complex

Topic: Hidden Waters - Creatures and Critters in the Sand
Date: Tuesday, June 22
Time: From 1930-2030
Where: Panama Conference Room, Top Level, Centre Complex

Topic: Sand on the Move: A Story of Grains and Dunes
Date: Thursday, June 24
Time: From 1930-2030
Where: Panama Conference Room, Top Level, Centre Complex

Dr Stock is a director of Triple-E Consultants. For almost 30 years he was attached to Griffith University where he taught earth sciences and planning at the Nathan Campus. Before joining Griffith University he worked for 12 years on mining and exploration projects throughout Australia.

His teaching, research and consulting interests are in applied geosciences, geoarchaeology, geosciences heritage assessment, environmental education, and natural resource management associated with development projects.

He has devoted most of his geosciences efforts in understanding dune terrain in Australia and elsewhere in the world, particularly along coastal western USA. Commencing in 1980, he consulted to the Australian Heritage Commission primarily in compiling inventories of coastal sand masses and as an assessor for places listed on the Register of the National Estate.

This work has allowed him to generate a substantial knowledge base about dune landscapes and processes, across a range of climatic conditions.

MAY 2010: SEA LEVEL RISE IMPACT ON COASTAL BIRD HABITATS
Kingfisher Bay Resort Group's Ranger-guide Ashton Berry has worked in the environmental industry for the past 12 years, specialising in the development of environmental awareness raising and bushland restoration activities. 

Topic: Sea Level Rise Impact On Coastal Bird Habitats
Date: Thursday, May 13
Time: From 1445-1600
Where: Investigator Conference Room, Top Level, Centre Complex

Ashton has just completed a Master of Integrated Coastal Management where he examined the extent and rate of sea
level rise and its impact on coastal ecosystems on Fraser Island - such as soft sandy beaches, mangrove forests and saltmarshes.

In this special presentation as part of Bird Week festivities at Kingfisher Bay, Ashton will touch on future climate change impacts and examine how these influence the function of coastal ecosystems and the animals they support. 

Ashton will also explore the implications of sea level rise on Fraser Island's coastal bird populations.

Receiving a Dean's commendation for his research, Ashton is now undertaking a PhD where he will continue his investigations into sea level rise impact and how we can adapt to these changes.

MAY 2010: BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF SATURN AT KINGFISHER
Astronomer Noeleen Lowndes and her faithful flock will be turning their gaze skyward on Tuesday, 11 May to check out Saturn in the night sky as part of a special presentation during Bird Week at Kingfisher Bay.  Mrs Lowndes said Fraser was the perfect place to gaze skyward, as the island’s clear night sky lent itself well to stargazing.

Topic: Saturn Uncovered
Date: Tuesday, May 11
Time: From 1940
Where: Meet in Reception

"The main event, viewing Saturn and its rings through a powerful telescope, will take place on the resort’s jetty – where walkway lights will be dimmed in preparation for the viewing," she said.

Mrs Lowndes, who began her career more than 16 years ago, has been heavily involved with raising community awareness about Saturn and the Cassini-Hugens space craft orbiting it for the past six years.

She is one of only seven astronomers in Australia, and two in Queensland, who were approached by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) to participate in the worldwide Saturn Observation Campaign.

“In addition to the practical part of the presentation – I’ll also be talking about how the Cassini space craft that has been exploring Saturn and its mysterious moon, Titan,” she said.

Launched in 1997, Cassini completed its primary four-year mission in 2008 and is now in extended mission operations, which run until 2017. Over the course of the mission, Cassini plans to map more than three percent of Titan's surface in 3-D. About 38 percent of Titan's surface has been mapped with radar so far. On April 5, Cassini completed its 67th targeted flyby of Titan.

“Images from Cassini have been providing a bird's-eye view of the moon's Earth-like landscapes which is the next best thing to being there.”

“The new flyover maps from this mission show, for the first time, the 3-D topography and height of the 1,200-metre (4,000-foot) mountain tops, the north polar lake country, the vast dunes more than 100 metres (300 feet) high that crisscross the moon, and the thick flows that may have oozed from possible ice volcanoes.”

Stargazers and armchair astronomers will meet in the resort foyer from 7.40pm on May 11 and, during the course of the night, will learn how to use telescopes and about star chart interpretation.