http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: OT South Georgia en Mon, 27 Apr 2026 02:37:31 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18819#post-282330 Fri, 11 May 2018 09:26:02 +0000 Lezzles 282330@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Ah late to the party - but I did get to go to a party a couple of years ago when they were trying to get Phase 2 of South Georgia eradication funded. I even got to shake Princess Anne's hand. </p> <p>Seriously chuffed they've managed to do this. They're also trying to get rid of reindeer but don't tell the public this cos they might not like Rudolph getting culled. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18819#post-282259 Thu, 10 May 2018 10:02:06 +0000 Frenchy 282259@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Oh, totally different. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18819#post-282257 Thu, 10 May 2018 09:56:32 +0000 unhurt 282257@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Not to South Georgia - it's not a World Heritage Site - just to Gough &amp; the IIs. Maybe. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18819#post-282256 Thu, 10 May 2018 09:55:14 +0000 Frenchy 282256@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Aye, pedaloing to South Georgia is the ideal holiday for people lacking willpower. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18819#post-282253 Thu, 10 May 2018 09:48:35 +0000 unhurt 282253@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I think I like @Frenchy's solution better. I have little Will to speak of. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18819#post-282247 Thu, 10 May 2018 07:59:06 +0000 I were right about that saddle 282247@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The Inaccessible Island flightless rail is the perfect metaphor for humanity on Earth. If we're lucky that is.</p> <p><em>all pose particular problems to a direct two-wheeled approach</em></p> <p>We need to talk about the Triumph of the Will. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18819#post-282246 Thu, 10 May 2018 07:22:24 +0000 Frenchy 282246@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Or, well, by bike as far as possible.</em></p> <p>Pedalo? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18819#post-282245 Thu, 10 May 2018 07:06:27 +0000 gembo 282245@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Even the Gough Moorhen (also flightless rail) doesn't speak to the Inaccessible Island Rail </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18819#post-282244 Wed, 09 May 2018 22:46:32 +0000 unhurt 282244@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/740">Gough and Inaccessible Islands</a> are a UK World Heritage Site. I have a sort of half notion of trying to visit <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/gb">them all</a> by bike one day. Or, well, by bike as far as possible. G&amp;II, Henderson Island, St Kilda and St George, Bermuda all pose particular problems to a direct two-wheeled approach... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18819#post-282242 Wed, 09 May 2018 22:36:53 +0000 I were right about that saddle 282242@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>As has the other disinct breed of duck The South Georgia Pintail.</em></p> <p>I shall just mention the world's loneliest bird: the Inaccessible Island Flightless Rail.</p> <p>That is all. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18819#post-282239 Wed, 09 May 2018 22:22:53 +0000 paddyirish 282239@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Yes, that was started when we were there now 13 yrs ago, a massive fence around the reserve- Zeelandia I think they call it now. Glad that it has worked, but it will be harder to maintain. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18819#post-282238 Wed, 09 May 2018 22:19:24 +0000 neddie 282238@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Kakas now 2 a penny in Wellington thanks to Karori wildlife reserve, where they have eliminated possums </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18819#post-282234 Wed, 09 May 2018 22:14:10 +0000 paddyirish 282234@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>That is a good achievement - checked and S Georgia is about 3 times the area of Fife.</p> <p>In NZ we had many smaller islands (e.g. Kapiti, Codfish, Ulva Islands) where they eradicated pests (rats, stoats, weasels etc) and the increase in bird life was marked. I remember a trip to Kapiti island where it was incredible- Kaka (North Island Parrot) landed on my shoulder and took a nibble out of my ear. Also saw saddlebacks which were pretty rare on teh North island.</p> <p>Codfish Island also is home to the Kakapo, which gives me the excuse to link <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T1vfsHYiKY">this</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18819#post-282217 Wed, 09 May 2018 20:25:30 +0000 gembo 282217@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Much in the news of late as a Scottish charity has eradicated all rats. Helped by the rats reluctance to cross the glaciers and therefore allowing area by area cull without the rats scarpering to new pasture. This reluctance to cross the glaciers was of course not shared by Shackleton and two of his men who sailed to South Georgia from Elephant Island. You can now buy a map of the Shackleton Crossing of South Georgia (I imagine I will) including their wrong turn. They landed on the opposite end from the whaling station and walked or tobogganed using coiled ropes.</p> <p>Neither news story then mentions that Shackleton put on his dinner jacket before approaching the whaling station. This shows a certain sang froid. Shacks then insisted the whalers went back for all his men. His crew all received medals except the Scottish joiner who helped build the boat that saved them. Shacks did not grant him the medal as he moaned too much.</p> <p>Back to the rats, with them gone now for two years the most southerly song bird the South Georgia Pipit has made a recovery. As has the other disinct breed of duck The South Georgia Pintail.</p> <p>Time to look at the atlas of the southern ocean. </p>