The workshop in Brisbane seemed to be appreciated – did an extra day with Ross Homel and his criminology researchers looking at modelling level 2 aggregated variables with measurement error. Final day spent at superb botanical gardens at Mt. Co’otha. Must also mention that we lived a luxurious lifestyle at the West Quay apartments for a week – view from balcony over City botanical gardens:















On Feb 4th we flew up to Cairns and then on to Port Douglas in the tropical rain forest area to stay at Thala Beach lodge, which is another rather luxurious place where the rooms are separate bungalows scattered throughout a hillside just up from the beach, with an emphasis on conservation. Here is a view from the balcony along the beach and the pool. Port Douglas itself is just a tourist resort and all along the coast here an enormous amount of development for the tourist industry.
















In the middle of our stay I gave a talk on the PISA study to a group at James Cook university, kindly organised by a friend and colleague from IOE days, Val Klenowski who now teaches there – and who joined us for a couple of days at Thala Beach::














A couple of trips from Thala Beach; one to the Great Barrier reef and the other through the forest by train and gondola.