Kororoit Creek Trail
The Kororoit Creek stretches for over 80kms through the north-west and western parts of Melbourne. It starts north-west of Sunbury as run off from Mt.Aitken and flows south through farmland across the Western Plains. The creek enters the Melbourne metropolitan area at Caroline Springs and flows over the volcanic lava plain of western Melbourne and reaches Port Phillip Bay at Altona Coastal Park.
The word Kororoit is thought to have been derived from an Aboriginal word meaning male kangaroo.
Along the Kororoit Creek a rich and colourful history has flowed, natural and social; it has flowed past interesting rock and land formations where fascinating wildlife has made its home; it has flowed through time as the home of the Wurundjeri tribe, as the nineteenth century "bridge" to the Ballarat Goldfields, to the present; it's a story that is alive and well and continues to flow today.
The Trail
Most of the trail is a concrete shared path that is suitable for all bikes (and walkers). Sections of dirt are still being worked upon, as Councils complete small sections that will eventually run the full length of the creek.
There are several entrances to the trail, and a few carparks (even some toilets!)
As the trail follows the creek there are no steep long hills (a few very short ones though!).
Magnetic Navigation
Since the 1960s, scientists have confirmed that more than 20 migratory species of bird use the Earth's magnetic field to help them find their way.
These days we know that birds are not the only creatures that can do this. Snails, fruit flies, bees, butterflies, salamanders, newts, lobsters, frogs, bats, salmon, trout, whales, sea turtles and the mole rat of East Africa can, too.
Here's how scientists think the avian compass works. The organs for this mechanism are believed to be in the right eye. Research indicates this magneto-receptor may be based on pigment proteins in the retina known as cryptochromes.
The Earth's magnetic field seems to induce a chemical reaction in these proteins when certain light wavelengths (mostly blue) strike the retina. This results in signals being sent from the eye to the brain via the optic nerve. Some scientists believe this may mean a bird can actually see the magnetic field.
For the moment, what the magnetic field looks like to a bird is anybody's guess. "The magnetic compass is a side-function of the eye, and magnetic information is primarily mediated by the visual system," Roswitha Wiltschko says. "Yet birds must separate the magnetic from the visual information somehow. How birds perceive this information is impossible to tell."
If it's common in nature, do humans have it? Some scientists believe so, though they stress it's only a guess. U.S.A scientists published a paper confirming that humans have small amounts of naturally occurring magnetite in their bodies. As for cryptochrome, scientists have known since the 1990s that humans have this pigment protein in the retina. Until recently, though, it seemed only to play a role in setting the biological clock.
"Based on our studies, I believe humans have magnetosensing abilities," Steven says. As for how we might perceive and use the Earth's magnetic field, he adds: "We believe that human magnetosensing may aid visual spatial perception rather than acting as a compass for directional information."
So maybe you can't tell north from south on a cloudy day. But if you're blessed with a good sense of direction, perhaps it's all down to your cryptochromes.
This Cache
You need the following information:
The number of Owls = A
The number of Ibis = B
The total number of birds = CD
The number of letters in the first bird mentioned in the Birds of Paradise = E
Now, if birds and other animals can do it, you should be able to project this information to find the final:
Distance 0.ABD(E+C) km
Bearing CED.D degrees
Good Luck!