Our nature a treasure of wonder
Warning for Schoolies
PRE-DRINKING won’t save you money and drugs aren’t worth the risk, experts have warned, as school leavers descend on the Gold Coast for night one of Schoolies.
More than 22,000 school leavers are expected to party in Surfers Paradise during a week notorious for risky youth behaviour and arrests, with official celebrations kicking off yesterday.
Griffith University associate professor Grant Devilly, who co-led the world’s largest study into pre-drinking (or pre-loading), said it’s not true consuming alcohol before going out helps you save money.
“If people are drunk they actually end up spending more on drinks and not realising it,” he said.
Griffith University School of Medicine Professor Harry McConnell warned binge drinking and drugs impair de- BREATHTAKING views of some of the world’s most scenic landscapes, including Australia, have been showcased at this year’s Epson International Pano Awards.
In its eighth year, the event pays homage to the work of panoramic photographers worldwide and is the largest competition for panoramic photography.
The competition broke a new record this year, with 5377 entries from 1322 photographers in 71 countries.
Spanish photographer Jesus M. Garcia impressed judges with his images that took out the 2017 Open competition award. His photo of Whuzi Hill in China was taken at sunset.
“When I took this picture, my eyes was viewing something similar at ‘creation of the world’. It was a ‘right place at right moment’,” he said.
His image titled “Good Morning Damian Shan” in China was taken at dawn.
“This image is the result of seven vertical stitched images. Nowadays when I see this photo, I remember a great effort to get this picture, but I remember too … one of the most beautiful sunrises of my life,” he said.
Rita Kluge from Australia also entered the competition with her photograph titled “Freedom”, which captured a woman diving beneath the ocean in Tonga where she came across two schools of fish. Another Australian, Dylan Toh, submitted a striking image of Lake Oberon from Tasmania. cision-making, which can lead to risky choices such as hopping balconies at great heights.
“There’s a huge number of new drugs every year at Schoolies, in particular designer drugs from overseas,” Prof McConnell said.
“You aren’t sure what you are taking a lot of the time.”
Prof McConnell said drugs, like ice, made people aggressive and the “nicest person in the world could change within minutes”.
Anneliese McConnell, who attended Schoolies last year, said volunteer support services at the events made her feel “safe”.
“They were helpful, knowing they were there.” just