Monday, 4 May 2026

Koonwarra rock day on Saturday

On Saturday we spent a day in Mike's garage on Phillip Island looking through some fine-grained rock from near Koonwarra.

We found some pretty plants and 2 partial fish, but no insects (although we have one leaf that looks a bit like an insect wing...) and definitely no feathers or tetrapod bones.

And I was pretty impressed with the way the lunchtime minestrone soup turned out.

First fossil of the day - a "string of pearls" from Mary.

First animal fossil of the day - a tiny fish tail found by Max

Max shows off his tiny fish tail
(Photo used with parental permission)

A nice isoletes plant

Mary showing off a very large leaf!
Photo by Jack
All scales in cm.

Sally's new "Found a Fossil" book

 Sally from Found a Fossil has just published a book about finding fossils in Australia and abroad.

Here I am attempting to read the book and look for fossils in Koonwarra rock at the same time. Note to diggers - it's best not to even attempt to multitask.

Photo by Jade

Wednesday, 29 April 2026

Koonwarra Rock at Phillip Island

 Ahead of our Koonwarra rock-breaking day, Mike's brother has spread the rock stockpile in the field so that we can get to the good stuff.

Photo by Mike


Sunday, 1 March 2026

Portraits by Sally

Intimate pictures of our diggers from Dinosaur Dreamer Sally Hurst of https://www.foundafossil.com/

Adam

Marlonique and Tom

Sachi and Adam

Jack

Adam

Wendy

Marlonique and Tom

Thursday, 26 February 2026

Thursday 26 February - dangerous winds

 

Bye, beach!

The crew

Adam

Sachi and Doris

Bucket brigade!

Adam, Ruairidh and Sachi…
Buckets at the ready!

The crew looking at the weather (with buckets)

On site (with buckets)

Adam and Sachi

How much joy can one fossil find bring?











 

Palaeoartists

Today we decided that the collective noun for a group of Palaeoartists was a reconstruction.

Today our back yard hosted such a reconstruction when Peter and Gayle Trusler came to visit today.

Ruairidh, Jack, Zev, Marlonique, Gayle, Peter

 

Plants!

 Jack and Miriam reprised their plant talk for the crew…





Victoria Sponge

Our lovely neighbour Doreen made us a Victoria Sponge.

Ruby and Sachi decorated it!

I think they wish we found fewer turtles….



Smiling diggers

 A couple of great images from Dinosaur Dreamer Sally Hurst of https://www.foundafossil.com/

Jake

Sachi and Jack


Wednesday 25 February

Tom found a fossil but it was a bit fragile so I forgot
to take a happy smiling fossil finding photo before wrapping it.
Here he is with a proxy - one of Mary’s finds 

Some of our fossils got wet in the storm.
Doris set them out to dry.
Anyone else thinks it looks like a pet cementary?

Jack’s shiny vertebra

Jack showing off their vertebra

Marlonique finds a fossil 

 

Tuesday, 24 February 2026