User:Gnangarra/WikiCon 2024 - Gnangarra

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from home to home via Adelaide

For me Wikicon 2024 has been a long journey not just in the 5,628.8 km driven but also in time as part of the organising team. It all began back in March 2024 when I answered a call from WMAU EO Belinda for people to help with organising WikiCon 2024.

Organising team

One of our first decisions was where to hold the event. We considered locations where WMAU had not previously hosted a national or international event. Accessibility for members was a key factor, and each location had its own unique characteristics.

Adelaide’s biggest advantage is its accessibility. For most attendees, it would be only a 1-2 hour flight, making it feasible for people from Sydney and Melbourne to attend a one-day event. Perth, on the other hand, involves a significantly longer flight, making a same-day trip impractical. To justify the travel effort, Perth would require a multi-day event, which fell outside the scope of our one-day remit. This same limitation ruled out other cities, such as Darwin, Alice Springs, and, to a lesser extent, Hobart.

Once we had chosen the city and finalized a one-day time frame, we began searching for a venue. Ultimately, we chose the Ibis Adelaide, located near Rundle Street Mall. Its central location made it convenient for attendees to experience all that Adelaide has to offer.

Our next focus was developing a scholarship program and designing the event’s agenda. Both of these processes were guided by our theme of Indigenous Knowledge sharing. This theme was inspired by a report commissioned by WMAU, which explored knowledge sharing and the perspectives of Indigenous communities within the Wikimedia movement.

One of our biggest challenges was finding plenary speakers who could bridge the gap between these perspectives. Unfortunately, the writers of the report were unable to attend. To address this, we turned to individuals who were already actively working to bridge this gap, as well as someone currently contributing to this space. The Wikimedia movement is fortunate to include many people who successfully navigate these complex perspectives.

Beyond the main program, we wanted to bring local experiences to attendees, adding to the vibrancy of the event. We organized museum tours, group meals, and other activities in the days surrounding the event to ensure attendees had a variety of options to enrich their experience.

Scholarships and presentations became the next focal points, while the venue and activities continued to progress quietly in the background. For scholarships, the key questions are always "Who?", "Why?", and "What?"—and then creating a form to gather responses. As expected, we received applications from a diverse cohort. While many were from New Zealand and the wider ESEAP region, we also had applicants from as far as Africa and the Subcontinent. Unfortunately, WMAU is not equipped to manage visa processes, especially for an eight-hour conference. We also recognized that immigration authorities were unlikely to issue visas, no matter how qualified the applicants. This presented a challenge, as we had to focus on scholarship recipients who could realistically attend.

Meanwhile, program submissions began arriving, and we started shaping the agenda. The plan included a morning plenary session, followed by two concurrent tracks in the afternoon. Even with this setup, many presentations had to be shortened or merged to fit within the time constraints. (Note to future self: We have the capacity for a two-day event! This is good news for Perth, Darwin, or Hobart—a full weekend would justify the travel time.)

Finally, we sent out scholarship invitations, notified presenters of their acceptance, and published the program. It fetl like everything was coming together. We are ready to go.

As much as this was a team effort, the work load and negotiations with venues fell to Belinda, Alison, and Alice we couldn't have got to this point without them, they deserve the credit for the events success.

The Big Dance

As I decided to drive to Adelaide I needed to stay in a hotel that had secure parking the obvious place was Glenelg which had a tram service to the city. This was in itself a fun part and easy way to get to the Ibis which is just off the Rundle street mall. Arriving at the venue my first impressions were bit off putting as many attendees were inside a fenced off area which venue staff prevented access to.

The venue had laid out off to the right for conference attendees a coffee area, which would prove to be a little challenging during they the day. We had definitely pushed the venue to its capacity.

A beautiful heartfelt Welcome to Kaurna country was given by Elaina Magias, it really made me feel welcome. This was followed by the plennary discussion lead by Ingrid and Jenny that explored the First Nations Focus Group Report and brought to the table many of the solutions that Noongarpedia project used.

Caddie then spoke about the efforts in the Northern Territory to bring more First Nation knowledge to Wikipedia and the wider world. There was significant discussion around making a MOS(manual of style) for how to share about Indigenous Australian culture, languages, and people on Wikipedia. Actively using Wikisource as place to publish oral knowledge is shown to be a great way to capture sources, there are risks that can mittigated by establishing who expressed the information, when, and where location is often part of the story.

Following these talks we broke for Lunch while the venue staff rearranged the room in to two separate rooms. I stayed in the second room for the whole afternoon helping with technical issues and generally keeping the room on time.

The first session was from Lisa who flew to Adelaide from New Zealand. The session was making a collage of our efforts within the Wikimedia movement. As part of the Organising team when reviewing submission I had doubts about this one, I found it an amazing journey I think some of that also goes to the people at my table who were equally enthraled. I'd like to participate in a longer session in the future it really challenged my perceptions.

The afternoon began with a quiz led by JarrahTree. While it was originally intended as a learning activity for new committee members to better understand the community, it ended up being fun for everyone in the room. We shared plenty of laughs and lighthearted banter over various topics, creating a lively and engaging atmosphere.

Next, Pru gave a talk about sourcing, drawing on lessons from within library networks. Her presentation raised some fascinating ideas, and we revisited the concept of creating a Manual of Style for topics related to Indigenous Australia. She highlighted some excellent examples of existing standards, which provided valuable inspiration for future work.

We then returned to JarrahTree, who shared his vision of how to "read" a Wikipedia article beyond the text itself. He walked us through the various components of an article, explaining what they can reveal about its quality and reliability. This discussion sparked plenty of banter as participants exchanged thoughts and insights on different topics.

As the day came to a close, the dividing wall between the two rooms was taken down, merging everyone into one space. Belinda wrapped up the event with closing remarks, thanking those who played a key role in making WikiCon 2024 in Adelaide a success. She also kindly presented gifts to several contributors, a thoughtful gesture that brought the day to a warm conclusion.

After a few quick conversations with people I still needed to speak with, I hopped on the Adelaide Tram and headed back to my accommodation. Reflecting on the day, I found myself making some crucial decisions about my plans for the next few weeks. It had been an inspiring and productive event, leaving me energized for the journey ahead.

The Road Trip

test run target, Breakaways behind Mt Magnet

Because one or two photos are actually many many more see:- Photos from the journey

The actual journey to WikiCon 2024 began months before November 20th in Perth. Driving over 5,000 kilometers required significant planning and preparation. The first step was finding a suitable vehicle—one that would make the journey easier. While my car was fine for regular driving, it lacked the space necessary for nights spent camping on the road. This led me to search for an SUV that was spacious enough to sleep in comfortably—something my four-door sedan couldn’t provide.

Once I replaced my car, I needed to test the new vehicle to ensure it was road-ready. I packed some camping gear and set out on an overnight trip to Mount Magnet. As I covered the 1,200-kilometer round trip, I quickly reacquainted myself with the rhythm of long-haul driving from my truck-driving days. The trip also taught me some valuable lessons: I realized the SUV needed extra carrying capacity for fuel after a detour brought me uncomfortably close to its fuel limit. To address this, I added roof racks, a storage basket, and, since I was already outfitting the car, an awning for shelter when camping.

Feeling more confident in the setup, I reached out to WMAU to discuss my travel plans. They had kindly offered me a scholarship to attend WikiCon, and I asked if I could drive instead of flying. To my delight, WMAU approved the idea. With that, the plan was set: a 5,600-kilometer road trip to Adelaide(and back), with a personal "side quest" of an additional 4,000 kilometers to Brisbane. Preparations were complete, and the adventure was about to begin.

Perth CBD on 19th November 2024, rain and clouds that would join our my journey to Adelaide for WMAU WikiCon 2024, it'd be different system that impacts my side quest to Brisbane

Tuesday 19th of November 2024 final preparations were completed and packing the vehicle was done ready for an early 5am start, chosen to ensure we were able to stop at the Bakers Hill Bakery for breakfast.

Day 1

We started just after 5 a.m. and reached Bakers Hill, where the local bakery was already open and serving its first customers. However, we decided not to stop, choosing instead to push on and cover as much distance as possible early in the day. From there, we headed east along the Great Eastern Highway, passing through small towns until we arrived in Merredin. There, we stopped at a bakery to pick up supplies for dinner before continuing on.

It was after leaving Merredin that we encountered rain—a steady downpour that would follow us for the next 400 kilometers. The rain eased briefly as we approached Lake Cowan near Norseman, offering two welcome benefits: I could focus more on driving, and the rain left enough surface water in the usually dry lakebed for a photo or two. The sight of water in Lake Cowan was a rare treat, and we couldn’t resist stopping to capture the moment.

Just a short distance down the road, we turned onto the Eyre Highway at Norseman and began the journey across the Nullarbor. Our first stop along this famous stretch was Balladonia, where we refueled. In front of us lay Australia’s longest stretch of straight road—146 kilometers (or 90 miles). We arrived at the start of the "90-mile" just as the sun was setting. After snapping a few photos, we set up the camera and began recording a timelapse video as we continued our journey into the night.As we travelled this stretch the night grew darker and the rain again set in.

Around Caiguna we also encountered our first timezone change to Central Western Time(UTC+08:45), not that time really mattered as it becomes kind of irrelevant its either day or night out here and breaks are taken when roadhouses appear. Approxiamately 1100km driven in about 14hours of travel we werent yet half way but the poor weather had worked in our favoured. The rain had kept animals away from the road, even through sunset this means we were about 200kms ahead of where I had planned for day 1.

Lake Cown, north of Norseman

Day 2

Day 2 started around dawn. While the rain had stopped, the ground was still muddy. We quickly sorted out the car and hit the road, stopping at a picnic area about 15 minutes later to repack the vehicle and get ready for the day ahead. This was our longest planned stretch of driving, with a goal of covering at least 1,200 kilometers to put us within easy reach of Adelaide by early afternoon the following day.

With little to no internet coverage in this remote region, any posts we made on Telegram relied on the hope that they would eventually update when we found a signal. Our first notable stop was Madura Pass, where we refueled. I made a mental note to take photos here on the way back. Next up was Eucla Pass, where we encountered sections of road marked as emergency landing strips for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Traveling out here, every roadhouse is worth a stop—not just for a rest break but also to check over the vehicle.

By mid-morning, we reached Border Village, South Australia, where we stopped for fuel. Unfortunately, I realized too late that I should have filled up 12 kilometers earlier in Eucla, where the price was 234.9 cents per liter. Border Village, in comparison, charged 271.9 cents per liter, but the Western Australian quarantine checkpoint made going back too much of a hassle.

From Border Village, we crossed the Nullarbor Plain, stopping briefly at Nullarbor Station for cold drinks and the bonus of a fleeting internet connection. Continuing east, we entered Yalata, an Indigenous Protected Area on Wirangu country. The Wirangu people suffered displacement long before they encountered Europeans, as neighboring communities in South Australia were pushed westward by settlement expansion. Passing through this area gave us pause to reflect on its history and significance.

Our next stop was Nundroo, where my phone finally regained signal. We also changed time zones here, adding 2.5 hours from AWST, one of which was due to daylight saving time. At a rough picnic area, we swapped drivers—my wife had been driving since Nullarbor Station—and discovered that the bumpy conditions had caused one of the power windows to stop working. Despite the hiccup, we pressed on to Penong, our next fuel stop, where prices had dropped to around 200 cents per liter—the cheapest we’d seen since Coolgardie.

As we neared Ceduna, I noticed a church off to the left of the Eyre Highway. Assuming such an isolated place might not have photos on Commons, I mentally added it to my list of places to stop on the way back. (Yes, we would have to repeat this journey in reverse!) At Ceduna, we encountered South Australia’s quarantine inspection stop. These checkpoints do an excellent job of preventing pests from crossing between states, and they reminded us of the unique challenges of traveling such long distances.

Ceduna, like Norseman, is a sizable town and marks the end of the 1,200-kilometer Nullarbor crossing. For us, though, there was no stopping yet—we aimed to reach Kimba before calling it a night. Passing through small towns marked by towering grain silos, we arrived in Kimba to find that the service station had already closed. With no fuel available, we decided to keep going a while longer, finally stopping near Iron Knob for one last night of camping. The promise of a nice hotel room with a spa in Adelaide tomorrow kept us motivated, as we looked forward to relaxing our sore muscles after another long day on the road.

Day 3

Sunrise day 3, oversized load leaving its over night camp

Final night on the road heading to WikiCon2024 in Adelaide it started with an awesome sunrise and quick photo opportunity as an over sized departed fromt he camp area on its journey west. For us we will be arriving in Glenelg a beach side suburb of Adelaie. That will be later in the day but ahead today is another 400km journey having already covered 2350km. And a way we go, first stop is Port Augusta where we'll get fuel, coffee, and something for breakfast. Leaving Port Augusta we follow the duel named Princess Highway heading to Adelaide and the Augusta Highway heading from Adelaide. Reaching Redhill we decide that we have time on our side so turn off the highway in search of places to photograph, and articles that need writing let see what random wanderings produce. Redhill some interesting buildings to photograph though I dont check the Commons App for needed photos assuming places so close to Adelaide have already been well covered, today will be photos that capture my eye.

Leaving Redhill we head north and turn onto main road heading to Koolunga, another town with beautiful buildings to photograph, there was also very nice park on the river. It wass here where I did some checking and worked out that window problem had caused a fuse to blow and I found one of favourite things to photo an abandoned building. We then headed across to Balaklava passing through Brinkworth and Blyth, as we approached Balaklava there was place called The Devils Garden we turned around and went back for photos. I would during a discussion at WikiCon refer to this place as an example of something that might be worth an article, or a section in another article. Either way this is a potential category of media files, and a Wikidata item that needs creation. Leaving Balaklava in the direction of Mallala one SA finest would welcome me to SA and have a short discussion with him about vehicle velocities, we were soon back on the road havng been informed that there will be nice souvenier sent to my home.

That kind of took the fun out of zigzaging along back roads with variable speed limits from Mallala we rejoined the Princess/Augusta Hwy, Adelaide here we come. We check with our hotel in Glenelg our room wasnt yet ready off to have drive around the area. As the hotel room wasnt ready we drove around the area seeking out an auto parts store to get a replacement fuse. We also drove to the centre of Adelaide to find the WikiCon venue. We then returned to our hotel and locating the nearest tram stop for the following day, we finished the day with some burgers from a store near the hotel. That evening we caught up on the news taking note of weather concerns in the area of our bonus journey, we'll watch what develops and decide on Sunday what happens.

Day 4

Saturday morning day of the Big Dance, everything we have been working for the last 8 months comes down to today. I have described the day already. To ride the trams I had to install an app on my phone purchase tickets, I rode the tram eachway then uninstalled the app it really is idiotic how many different apps you need even for single use activities that we forgot how these disable the opportunity for travellers to access basic transport services. If we look at movement activities we too to overload apps without thinking if they can be combined into one Commons App and Wikishootme I'm looking at you two.

The conference went well, I spoke with many people an planned to catchup with Tom back in Pert to work through some ideas but sadly this will become the last time I will see him.

Day 5

Sunday we look carefully at the weather in the morning putting off the decision to abandon our side quest and head back home, Later in the day that option will become inevitable but for now off on an adventure. Adelaide has a strong German heritage even some of my ancesters lived in Adelaide one of those places is a Hahndorf. Hahndorf has been a must stop on every visit to Adelaide this one was no exception we drove up into Hahndorf took some video of the main street and grab a few photos Hahndorf is always a popular place on sundays. When in Hahndorf Beerenberg farm is a must visit, morning tea there and then grazing through the shop full of preserves, jam, sauces, mustards, and other delights wallets lighter and the car heavier we continue on our journey. Passing through Adelaide for the last time our journey continues on the Augusta/Princess Highway this time in the other direction. Topping of the fuel at Paralowie we continue on our way stopping of at Dublin for some cold drinks and step back into 1970's. Port Wakefield is our next stop we spent time exploring finding many interesting features to photograph, time to make another check of the weather, storm warnings now posted for later in the week seals the fate of our side journey we are now returning directly to home. From Port Wakefield we wander up to Port August, detour into Snowtown, yes its that Snowtown for those with long memories or Wikipedia articles to inform them. Snowtown now boost of the biggest blade, not that type of blade rather one from the many windgenerators in the area. It also has an amazing secondhand shop there with loads of interesting curios perheps we should do more to engage with these types of store and photograph the many items. Back on the highway heading north we encouter an unusually placed haulpak type vehicle with a section of fence decorate with toy trucks(colloquially refered to as tonka trucks) fixed to the fence. From there we headed into Port August where we enjoyed a American/Italian meal before fueling up for the next stage. Joining the Eyre Highway we stopped at some water tanks that even I remember back from the couple of times my parent drove across in 1970's, photos from then are digitised and VTRS tickets have been lodged giving permission for me share them to Commons. Some are there, others need a bit more processing all were scanned thats Wikimedia Australia have a scanner available in Perth for such tasks.

After that I search out one of those spots I noted on the way over that warranted stopping for photographs, daylight saving meant sunset was around 8pm which ironically its about the same time(8pm) in Perth hence why WA doesn't have it. We contiue on the Eyre hwy seeking out a spot to camp, co-incidence or fait we camp at the same place we did driving over. Tomorrow should be a good day.

Day 6

Big Galah, Kimba South Australia

The clouds are back on the western horizon, made last nights photos really impressive but hopeful some out here we'll get clear skies so I can photograph those big skies at night.We pack up camp and reorganise the car as we are carrying extra goodies from Beerenberg and Snoatown secondhand store, did I mention I photographed a 1950 edition of Websters Dictionary while there. I score some christmas presents for some of my kids some wood working tools that look to be pre WWWII which one son loves to restore, oh thought bubble its another photo project for me to do photographs his collection of tools. I must stop getting distracted and side tracked into other things back on to the Eyre Highway. We arrive in Kimba early in the morning where we were greated by the Big Galah(no it wasnt a likeness of me). From Kimba we continue west on the Eyre Highway, stopping at some of the small towns between Kimba and Ceduna mostly just photos of the grain bins, and other features of each town.

We npassed through a town call Wudinna which has the Australian farmer another one of those big things its interesting in that it reflects the challenges of farmers and their families QRcode here could real do it the justice it deserves. Continuing on our way we encountered Dusty's Art Gallery in Poochera, he work is interesting and unique along this section there are many unmanned service stations 24hour fuel but we were warned when heading east that there was no fuel between Ceduna and Kimba a false piece of advice which caused us to not stop. This affected planning for the way home. We stopped in Ceduna and search out cheap fuel at Ceduna this was the first place that gave us both city prices and enough range to reach in to WA. While Ceduna offers many photo opportunties I had a church to visit just down the road.

Arriving at the Denial Bay Lutheran Church we stopped for photos, this church is isolated and one those interesting place that tells you alot of the history for the area. I took some outsidem shots of the church and total forgot to check and see if the door was unlocked so inside shots. The church has a small cemetery within its grounds, so I set out to photographs every marked gave or memorial there(see:Commons Category). Doing these little tasks do not appear to be useful but it creates a comprehensive record of a place and you never who maybe notable in there until someone starts writing about the area. We set off still heading west next place to stop is Penong this time we search out yet another big thing a Windmill windmills are every where in Penong.The bigwindmill is small when considering yesterday I was look at the Big Blade is that not also from a windmill the generate electricity. Photos and videos done we continue stopping at Nundroo to top the fuel always better to have more fuel in the tank than you need out here.

Now we set off out through Yalata and off onto the Nullabor plain we find a small look out for photos of the straight horizon. The we stop for the obligatory tourist photo at the Kangaroo, Wombat, Camel sign plus a couple of others. On we continue stopping some of the cliff top bays grabbuibg those standard tourist coast line photos. Eventually its time to find a camp for the night.

Day 7

Early start, actually most days started around sunrise you just avoid it out here but the sunshines gives you easy 14hours of travel including stops. First stop is the compulsory stop at Border Village for the WA quarantine formalities, and check of the esky to satisfy them the only thing we are smuggling is Beerenberg jams, and no we didnt have any honey Beerenberg ask us the same thing. Also no fresh fruit or vegies, as well second hand vehicles(mud or plant materials), used fruit boxes I had the memory of a trip 24 years earlier where we spent two days in Ceduna repacking everything after some used banana boxes. Not doing that again plastic crates even if they arent the most enviornmentally friendly item they also dont carry pathogens either.

Fuel at Eucla instead of Border Village its 37cpl cheaper, then a wander around Eucla photos of the police building, the nursing station and other facilities what few there are. Next the Mundrabilla water tanks these tanks have been there for a long time with a large tin rook that collects rains so travellers had access to fresh water, once boiled. Off to the roadhouse for a couple of photos. Madura pass looms ahead set the video up and record the climb out then turn around a go back to the lookout to grab some stills. I'm thinking now Cocklebiddi for fuel it also has a sanctury for injured wedge tailed eagles, magnificant birds to see so close up but i prefer to photographs of them flying free. We get to Cocklebiddi only to find that over night a truck had run into the canopy of the servo area so no fuel until they finish welding it back in place, this is why you always have enough fuel to continue on to the next stop, Caiguna here we come. We tick of the miles Caiguna, 90mile straight, Ballagnomia, Balladonia, message from Tom slow down or you'll be on Rottnest Island before morning. Stop for a walk at Newman Rock a very nice place one of those I could spends day here taking photos yet I dont have days.

Back on the road Fraser range looms upon us, quick note to telegram and it start a discussion about the area where once a Wikipedian lived. Its here I start to consider what to do next, where do we camp, do we even camp I know if reach Southern Cross I just head for home. I finally have good reception so I look to see if there is any accommodation in Norseman, I find a room at the Railway hotel late afternoon early evening end of travelling is the safe option.

Day 8

Early start still have no idea what the time is but once awake on the road we go. While in Norseman I decide to try the Commons App and tick off all the locations needing a photo. First up is the District school grab a photo or two before children start arriving. On the southern side of town is the airport two pins out there Airport & Weather Station. Weather station is on the far side of the airport in the lake ok I can reach that one, the airport is tagged as on the end of the runway obviously data set that locates the flight navigation target. The actual airport building isnt marked and the whole place is fenced off so a couple of photos from as close as I can get. Back into town a church is next looks like they are doing some work on the foundations but I can get a photo. Then theres a theatre oh that building is long gone, across the road yet another building also replaced this is frustrating. Around the corner is an ephemeral location some night time theatre appears just to a pin dropped for sake of it as the rear of the local IGA looks to have been there since the early years of the town. That IGA has a story worth telling at some point[1] plus other events makes it notable. Then two more ephemeral place both theatres or cinemas but that leads me to the towns EV charging point and its being used worth a photo while I'm here. It wasnt the only time I've encountered such issue in Katowice every bus/tram stop had a pin, why sculptures and other points of interest were missing. When I got home I brought this problem to the Commons App page but never got a functiopnal solution as it requires significant efforts on WikiData to address these places, perhap a property requires photo that has to be set, dunno what the long term easy to do solution could be.

Fuel up, grab a coffee and sausage roll for breakfast, thinking Lake Cowan which look magnificant going through may still be good headin back, but alas it had no surface water this time. Higginsville, lost under a mine site, Widgiemooltha all but gone just a roadhouse and couple of houses from what was once a sizable town even with a photo my father took 60 odd years ago I doubt I could locate that point for a comparative shot. on the road pass an abandon house and with a bit junk around, some cool artsy shots from there. Approaching Coolgardie we see sign saying Coolgardie Gorge side quest, disppointing its just a lake it has water and make a nice photo he I again turn to the Commons App this time knowing its a real hit and miss. First stop is the State Battery yet another place behind a fence but I can get a photo or two from the gates. Wardens Finnerty's house which over looks the town needed a photo so I got that and would return when its open to get some more from the inside, including a Coolgardie safe, in Coolgardie which is on the Coolgardie safe wikidata item. I've photographed Coolgardie safes before but now like with Biota we have the type species in its type location which is the perfect presentation where possible, who says taking photos cant be part of a fun game. A wander around town casual discussion with some people from the Judumul Gallery, oh look this has potential collaboratiosn written all over it and its within the reach of Sam Spares we could get computers in there for the community as well mind is racing this worth talking theourgh with Tom over coffee. After that little interlude we head back to Finnerty's house to look through lost of photos to upload from there.

Back on the road next stop Boorabobbin rest area where theres a memorial to three truck drivers horrensdously killed in a bush fire when the road was re-opened too soon, oh look a Crested Dragin(Ctenophorus cristatus) still photos and a video. Southern Cross appears out of nowhere quick stop here, another secondhand shop these place carry interesting pieces I'm convinced there is something we could do with such places from photos to every person has an interesting story and knowledge the more I look the more I think we really arent doing a great job in collecting the sum of all knowledge we are just becoming a minor university side project. Enough of that back on the raod the closer we get to Perth less places grab me for a photo ok one more fuel stop I've always known it as the Westonian road house because its on the turnoff apparent its actually called Carrabin. No need for more stops everything is now with easy reach of Perth on any day foot down trip over bar 300kms of driving. Arriving early evening we have travelled a grand total of 5628km over 8 days.

Addendum

What would be day 10, my phone is going crazy Toms famliy contact me to give me the sad news of his passing. I spend the rest of the day and late into the even seeking out Wikimedians and Wikimedia Australia executive to share the news. Over night we write up the a message to condolences to the family form the WMAU while advising the wider community now of his passing. So many things so many thoughts and ideas lost to the movement.

Observations

Here are series of thoughts, observations, and idea that came from making the journey, they are in no particular order;

1. Travelling Wikimedian project - The posting I made while on the journey attracted some attention having people able to do journeys and post about them, take photos start articles would create amazing interest and perhaps as the audience grows more people will take up the keyboard to document Australia.
   1. A scholarship to WikiCon that funds a road journey where the person can share the gems they find and build some excitement to event.
2. engagment with people outside the GLAM area theres is so much uncaptured knowledge out there and many thousands of object we need photos.
3. record stories, our goal is to collect the sum of all knowledge not just what is locked on paper, get out and record the human stories their memories of places , their work, and their engagement in life there so much locked away in memories that never see light the light of day or add to our collective base of knowledge. Its 50 years since Cyclone Tracy why dont have more than just what the news wrote where is the personal experience that add life to what unfolded along with it impact, 50 years on we cant even have a list casualities that has over the years been dynamic because someone with no understanding of the complexities of Tracy says Wikipedia is not a memorial.
4. WikiCon being over more days, bringing in WMF staff and others to explore new tools and activities happen outside of Australia, we are isolated ESEAP conference while good is not reaching deeply enough into the community.
5. These in person engagements are so import its something Tom always encouraged, perhps WMAU can offer JarrahTree scholarships for people to attend other regional and global conferences during the year.
6. Commons App & Wikidat(structured data) need to work better and not send people off looking for place that dont exist, perhaps it could add a tool that says the last photo was 5 years about its updated.