Anisoptera, the Dragonfly

It’s small and it’s fast. It’s the King (or Queen) of the insects. The Dragonfly (AKA Anisoptera) is the star of this page! Let’s dive right in!

Let’s start off with something controversial. The Dragonfly is not the fastest bug of the bunch. The Horse Fly is the real speed demon with the southern dart being the runner up! But as far as I’m concerned, this page is supposed to be about the Dragonfly!

So, the Fly of Dragons is 10 centimetres long and weighs 1 gram… 1... gram… The top speed ever recorded for a Dragonfly is 97 Kilometres Per Hour (KMPH) set by the Southern Giant Darter (which is in no way related to the Southern Dart). That is 3 Kilometres short of the top speed allowed in New Zealand!

Speaking of speed, an average Dragonfly is capable of going 29 KMPH! It doesn’t sound like much but if you were that small; it would feel like 522 KMPH! That’s faster than a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport for all you top gear fans!

As well as being fast, it is also very manuverable.  Scientists have only ever been able to make a Jet capable of things only Dragonflies can do, and it’s currently in smouldering ruins.

It’s also capable of eating its own weight in 30 minutes! Just imagine you eating something the same size and weight as yourself in half an hour! It mostly feeds off other insects like Ants, Wasps and Bees. However, its life can’t be perfect. Creatures like Lizards and Toads also hunt it. But that would not be a problem for Meganeura!

Meganeura is the prehistoric counterpart of the modern-day Dragonflies. It is the size of an Eagle! It was flying about doing its thing 300 million years ago. It can fly at 133 KMPH! But still not as fast as the Horse Fly.

So maybe this piece of writing has convinced you that Dragonflies are remarkable creatures! They are small and next to weightless, they can even fly in reverse! Would you prefer it to a household pest? I hope you would!

This is not the Actual Title.

What is Oobleck??????????????

Oobleck is a solid and a liquid. Are you confused? So was I! Let me explain to you what it is!

   First, cornflour is poured into a bowl (any size will do!). Then, water is added.

   However, be wary! If pouring the water is rushed and too much water is added, the mix will just look like white water. The mixture is just right if it looks like a liquid, but is very much solid! 

   You have just created Oobleck! Dr Seuss invented the name. Oobleck is a Non-Newtonian liquid. This means that Oobleck does not flow at a predictable rate. Non-Newtonian liquids were named after Issac Newton, who invented the laws of gravity!!!

   99.999% of Oobleck’s uses are for fun! Even though it is the most useless (and messiest!) waste of time! You could roll it into a ball and watch it melt into its liquid state. Or maybe you could hang it from your fingers and see it droop back to the bowl! It feels like a brick wall if hit hard. But feels soft and squishy like a pillow if pushed gently!

   So, Oobleck is really messy, fun and very easy to make! Why don’t you give it a try yourself?

The Kawau Island Camp Thoughts of Hamish

Kawau Island Camp Thoughts

By Hamish

The activity I am most excited about is probably raft building. I have never, ever, EVER built a raft before, which is why I am really itching to do it.

However, there is also something I am not so crazy for, that being abseiling. I HATE heights, but I have also been told it is not too much higher than your average rock climbing wall. I did not do it at my last camp as it was abseiling down a cliff. On top of that, I had to put all my trust in the people above and below me. I don't trust anybody who I don't know too well.

Also, I have no idea how long the trip up and back is going to be. But we are going from Cambridge to somewhere north of Auckland and THEN on a boat to the island. So I hope I go with my friends so we can talk or do SOMETHING interesting.

Also,  ROLL CALL! We are having a few problems with that. I know my number really well: it is 8. However sometimes...no... quite a few times, someone does not pay attention and forgets to say their number. But it always works out well in the end, right? We hope so!

The thing which I really can't understand is that I don't know anything about Kawau Island. That's the main thing I don't like, the great unknown... So don't listen to me when I predict anything about the camp, I'll always be wrong, until I've actually been there.

Really all I know is, rafts, abseiling, trip, roll call and my buddy.  Actually, I forgot about that! Everyone going on camp has a buddy. It is your buddy's job to know where you are, and your job to know where your buddy is at all times.

So this has been my thoughts about camp. Thank you. Oh what!  "Roll call!"  -  EIGHT!

The H Files

Joke of the week!

(Chocolate flavoured as promised)

Mother:  Bob, there were two chocolate cakes in the fridge least night. Why is there only one?

Bob: It must have been so dark I couldn't see the other one! 

 

EXTRA JOKE!

Once upon a time there was a prince who was cast under a spell by an evil Witch. The curse was that he could speak only one word each year. However,he could save up words so that if he didn't speak one year he could speak two the next. One day he met a beautiful princess that he fell madly in love with. So he waited 2 years so that he could say "My Darling".But then he decided he wanted to say "I love you" as well. so he waited 5 years then he decided he wanted to say "Will you marry me?" too. So after nine years of waiting he finally said to the princess "My darling, I love you, will you marry me?". The princess rolled back her beautiful, golden hair and said...

"Pardon?"

Name that character!

(New!)

I go to Hogwarts.

My parents are muggles.

I am in Gryffindor house.

 Say in the comments who you think this is.

More jokes next time!  

My First Post!

Hamish's Joke for the Week

John the Bad Guy: You remind me of a saint!

Bob the Good Guy: Really?!

John the Bad Guy: Yeah... Saint Bernard

Max the Laughing Guy: HA HA HA HA!

Hi my name is Hamish. I like jokes and creating random powerpoint presentations. I will be putting these posts up every week, so check in next week for another cheesy, yummy joke (Chocolate flavoured).