On the 16th March the Grade 9 Geography Option students, together with their teacher Ms. Alison Allendörfer were at school earlier than usual. But having to wake up early didn’t matter to them, as on that day they were embarking on a weekend of adventure.
As soon as they arrived on the sister island of Gozo, the students went hiking through the fields from l-Għadira ta’ San Raflu, which is a man-made pond and the only one of its kind in Gozo, all the way to Dwejra Bay. On the way, they saw the Fungus Rock and the doline, also known as subsidence structure, of which it forms part. The next stop was at the Qawra Tower, which was built by the Knights of St. John and was used to house a crane so that an official could be hauled across to collect batches of the ‘Fungus’ after which the Fungus Rock is named.
Once they arrived at Dwejra bay, they observed the place where the arch known as Azure Window was located. A fieldwork took place on the Qawra pebble beach to calculate the angle of the beach and study the size of pebbles. After that, the students went for a boat ride to see the cliffs and the previous position of the Azure Window.
On Saturday morning, the students went to Xerri’s Grotto to see limestone features, including stalactites and stalagmites, which had been previously studied in class. Afterwards, the students had some time to admire the unique Gozo Citadel along with the historical beauty of the area. Later, the students had a taste of the traditional Gozitan ftira which is part of the Gozitan culture.
The fieldwork of the day took part in Ramla Bay which is home to one of the few sand dune systems remaining in the Maltese Islands. The angle of the beach was once again measured using a clinometer and a sand sieve was used to study the particle size of the beach.
On Sunday, the group, already feeling nostalgic about their memorable experience, returned to Malta with new fieldwork skills which are important for any geographer. Special thanks go to Ms. S. Cremona and Mr. J Pirotta for their help during the Geography Weekend.
Photos: Mr. J Pirotta
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