My name is OzGold. I got involved in these adventures because I am a bear who is very interested in science. I also try to stay quite physically fit because I wear the Austalian Olympic colors - gold and green - and I don't want to let the Olympians down. You know the Olympics were held in Australia just a few years ago, don't you? Originally I lived in a shop in Tasmania with lots of my friends. Then one day, Gordon Bain came to the shop wanting to find a bear to live with his family while he traveled to Antarctica. I really enjoyed living with the family and the more I heard about the scientific experiments being done by Gordon's friends, the more I wanted to know. I pestered him unmercifully to tell me everything.

So when Gordon was contacted by Betty and she asked him to take Berkley (her class' GeoBear) on the ship to tell her students all about Antarctica and the scientific missions carried out on the ship, Aurora Australis, I was so jealous! I really wanted to go, so I begged and begged. Gordon finally decided that Berkley probably did need a friend about his size to help him in his mission. I think maybe Gordon was also a little tired of having me pester him and thought I could learn more by being there. So I got to go on the voyage to Antarctica and did I have some wonderful adventures! I did most of the writing that goes with the photographs in the Photo section and took some of the pictures. I hope you find them interesting and that you will enjoy learning more about the wonderful continent of Antarctica and the scientific work done there. Maybe some of you will become scientists too.

When I came back from Antarctica, I spent quite a bit of time in Tasmania, but then Berkley invited me to come to Crystal Lake, Illinois to visit him. I came to visit and had such a wonderful time that I decided to stay even longer. Berkley introduced me to some of his other GeoBear friends and every day we get new mail showing where they are traveling. I really enjoy sharing their adventures. Right now, I am studying hard trying to learn to be a scientist. I think I want to study in the Arctic -- maybe I can go to Sweden -- Mrs. Trummel has friends there.

Back To Bears On Ice Homepage