Tuesday 29 October 2013

University of Tartu Study: Silent and Slow Estonians, Emotional and Fast Russians

What happens when an Estonian and a Russian meet? The Estonian remains silent and listens to the Russian, no matter whether the latter comes from Tallinn or Saint Petersburg. Still, both Estonians and Russians value wisdom, amiability, and sociability in their conversation partners.
These are the stereotypes Estonians, as well as Russians of both Estonia and Russia, have about communication, as shown by a study conducted at the University of Tartu Institute of Psychology by Luule Mizera, Tiia Tulviste, Kätlin Konstabel and Enel Lausa.



Usually, personality traits are the main focus in research of ethnic stereotypes. So, we know that Estonians treasure their diligence, honesty, peacefulness, and humble nature. It must be taken into account that politics and economy have an impact on stereotypes, while neighbouring nations are often described as opposite to those doing the describing — a bit like their mirror image.

Communication stereotypes stand for a social construct of a communication style attributed to a representative of certain culture or nationality. The scientists were interested in which kind of communicators Estonians and Russians consider themselves to be, as well as which features they see as characteristic of neighbouring nations. In addition to this, they wanted to know the concept of an ideal communicator for both nationalities.
Estonians’ communication stereotypes hadn’t been studied before, but there is data about Estonian and Finnish communication practices. On both sides of the Gulf of Finland there is resistance to social conversation. Russians, on the other hand, are considered to be impulsive.
Thus, the researchers expected that Estonians would value peacefulness and Russians openness in communication. It was also presumed that Russians would be considered to be cheerful and Estonians peaceful — by both nationalities.
In all, 281 persons were surveyed. 54 of them were exchange students from Saint Petersburg, and the others were students of both Estonian and Russian heritage living in Estonia permanently.
The participants had to characterise different nationalities’ communication styles and decide which one of two opposite adjectives works better in describing the communication style of a specific nationality. In addition to this, they had to describe what they considered an ideal communicator to be.
Taciturn Estonians and open Russians
The Estonians thought of themselves as reserved, modest, and bashful. Russians were considered emotional, open, talkative, and friendly socialisers. Russians mostly see themselves like that as well. There were differences between the two selections of Russians. It could be presumed that Russians living in Estonia might be a bit more similar to Estonians, but, surprisingly, Russians living in Russia consider themselves to be less friendly than Estonian Russians. This might be a sign of Estonian Russians trying to be opposite to Estonians.
Both Estonian Russians and students from Saint Petersburg described Estonians as silent and polite. Those coming from Russia saw Estonians as slower a bit more. In Russia, there are anecdotes about the slowness of Estonians, which can lead to a cartoonish picture of the nation. Russians who have regular contact with Estonians are more used to their temperament.
According to the questionnaires, the respondents’ opinions about Russians tended to be more homogeneous. It may be that large nations have more consistent images. Furthermore, many Estonians have contact with Russians, while students living in Russia have only temporary contact with Estonians.
All groups of people questioned mentioned wisdom, friendliness, and sociability as attributes characteristic of an ideal communicator. Estonians’ opinion about their typical compatriot is more centred on reservedness. Thus, a typical Russian has more traits characteristic of an ideal communicator in the view of Estonians. Russians find these traits in themselves. It has been shown before that Russians mostly think well of themselves.
Luule Mizeraa, Tiia Tulvistea, Kätlin Konstabel, Enel Lausa (2013). Silent and Slow Estonians, Emotional and Fast Russians: A Comparative Study of Communication Stereotypes in Two Neighboring Countries. Communication Quarterly, 61 (3) DOI: 10.1080/01463373.2012.751927


How the Digital Signature Makes Life Easier in Europe

Thursday 24 October 2013

Swedish Designer Inspired by the Estonian Island of Muhu

I love design. I love it even more when there's an Estonian association with it. In her winter collection this year, Swedish designer Gudrun Sjoden gained her inspiration from the Estonian island of Muhu. The bright and colourful range of clothing and homewares is a beautiful reflection of the delights which can be found on Muhu.


http://www.gudrunsjoden.com/global/2013-winter/inspiration/winter-2013/inspired-by-muhu

Sunday 20 October 2013

Estonian World Records

It fills every Estonians heart with pride when their countrymen are recognised for their achievements at the international level. Estonians have broken many world records, some of them you may be aware of and some may come as a complete surprise. Here follows a list of the most notable ones.

1. On June 16 2012 Estonia set a new world record when in eight hours, 412 employees of the SEB bank created the world's largest mosaic made from coins. The mosaic consists of 53, 757 coins.

http://www.seb.ee/eng/news/2012-06-20/estonia-earns-fifth-world-record

2. The 2006 film "The Singing Revolution" is the highest box office grossing Estonian film.

http://www.singingrevolution.com/

3. In January 2012, Statistics Estonia held the first e-census in the country. During one month, Estonians managed to break a world record - 66% of the population participated in the census over the internet - beating Canada's previous record of 54.6% in 2011.
http://e-estonia.com/news/12-06-05/estonian-e-census-winning-trust-and-breaking-world-records

4. A distillery in Rakvere made it into the Guinness World Records Book for producing the strongest and purest spirits in the world - 98%.!!!
http://www.inyourpocket.com/estonia/tallinn/Spirits-of-Estonia_56060f

5. In 2011 twenty Estonian men set a new world record by hauling a 20,000-ton cruise ship - "The Baltic Queen".

http://en.ria.ru/world/20110520/164142627.html

6. The Gunpowder Cellar in Tartu has the highest pub celing in the world, measuring 11 metres.

http://www.visitestonia.com/en/holiday-destinations/city-guides/tartu-tartu-university

7. Estonia has the largest collection of folk song in the world with written records of 133,000 folk songs.

8. Wrestler Martin Klein holds the world record for the longest Olympic match in history. A total of 11 hours and 40 minutes!

http://estonia.usembassy.gov/sp_071712.html

9. Estonian Margus Hunt has broken the world record for discus three times.
http://english.people.com.cn/200608/17/eng20060817_293883.html

10, Estonia has won the annual  wife carrying contest eleven times.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wife_carrying
http://news.sky.com/story/525358/estonia-wins-world-wife-carrying-contest

Saturday 19 October 2013

Vana Tallinn Celebrates its 100 Millionth Bottle

On Thursday, Vana Tallinn celebrated the creation of its 100 millionth bottle. This legendary liqueur, first produced in September 1960 is made from a sweet blend of rum and spices and remains hugely popular today. No trip to Estonia is complete without a souvenir bottle to take home!




Monday 14 October 2013

Ilves: Civic Participation is the Guarantee for Preserving Freedom

It is our duty to protect freedom, human rights and human dignity, to protect the principles that were upheld by the people in the Central and Eastern Europe who regained their countries 20 years ago and which we call today European values, president Toomas Hendrik Ilves, on a state visit to Romania, said yesterday in Bucharest.


In his speech, the Estonian Head of State recalled the valour of thousands mixed with personal bravery and their opposition to dictatorship, which was the trigger for the Romanian Revolution of 1989, and also named two young people, Anamaria Hàncu and Liana Buzea, who in 2009 saw a video of the national clean-up day in Estonia on YouTube, were inspired by it and now, for the third year running, thousands of Romanians take part in the national campaign "Teeme ära!" or "Let's do it, Romania!".
How are these two different stories from different eras – those from Timișoara to Bucharest who overthrew the hated regime, and young Anamaria and Liana picking up ideas from social media – connected to each other? They are connected by the power of a person to change the world and bring others along,» President Ilves said. «In December 1989, the Romanians took back their country. Along with the liberation in Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia, and the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the Romanian Revolution gave hope to Estonia that we, too, could become free. Twenty years later, the participants of "Teeme ära!" affirm that this is a country of our own, and we can make it better and cleaner.
"In those two stories, we also see how much we need the care of civic society, courage and gall to stand for one's country," the Estonian Head of State asserted and added: "Today we know: a strong civic sector is the sailor's knot of a democratic society and the guarantee for preserving people's freedom to get involved."
For Estonia and Romania, not unlike many other subjugated countries, the story of regaining freedom, preserving it and integrating with Europe is one of the greatest achievements in recent history, President Ilves noted. We can understand this particularly well right here, on the edge of the Balkans and on the shores of the Black Sea, where several countries that started off at the same time as us are in a worse shape.
"Estonia and Romania are now part of the unified and free Europe. Feeling responsible for contemporary Europe, we have taken our experiences of restoring our independence and used them to help the Eastern Partners of Europe, such as Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia. Actually, "help" is not the right word here. We are talking about co-operation with these states, bringing them even closer to Europe, making the lives of their people better, safer, freer according to rule of law, and ruling out external political or economic pressure in deciding their future," the Estonian Head of State emphasized.
He quoted the Romanian proverb that the cheapest thing in the world is advice and the most valuable is setting an example, and continued: "Estonia and Romania want and know how to set an example, how to build a state, how to broaden the scope of values of stability and democracy in Europe."
Speaking about the relations of Estonia and Romania, President Ilves called us allies: Romania has taken part in the Baltic Air-Policing Mission of NATO, our units have fought and suffered losses in the NATO Security Forces in Southern Afghanistan, the most dangerous area of the operation; Estonia initiated the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, the similar common initiative of Romania and Austria is called the EU Strategy for the Danube Region; Estonia supports Romania's aim to join the Schengen area, because Bucharest has met all the agreed technical conditions and imposing new rules is no longer justified; Estonian entrepreneurs have invested in the IT sector in Romania and information and communications technology could be one important area of co-operation for the two countries.
http://news.postimees.ee/2096122/ilves-civic-participation-is-the-guarantee-for-preserving-freedom

Friday 11 October 2013

2013 is the Year of Cultural Heritage in Estonia

VEMU - Museum of Estonians Abroad

The end of the Second World War began a half-century of exile, where only some Estonians could enjoy freedom and be free to express themselves creatively. We had chosen freedom – an option open only to a minority.
For those brought up and educated in a free society, their experiences in the Estonian diaspora have been varied and rich in experiences. Our ethnic organizations unite us and we have fulfilled our obligations towards keeping the continuity of the Republic of Estonia. We have enriched the cultural life of our adopted countries – especially in the multi-cultural mosaic of Canada. We have made contacts and created permanent institutions to increase the awareness of Estonia by the local population.
The Estonian diaspora has almost 70 years of memories – some very traumatic. Let us retain and protect this heritage. Museums, archives and libraries are repositories of our historical accomplishments as well as our present activities. These collections must grow now and in the future because this is a mark of a multi-faceted and historically aware society.
The objective of VEMU (Museum of Estonians Abroad) is to become the depository of the archives, printed materials, art and artifacts of the Estonian diaspora. These items are to be kept and made available for the research and study of our history. The collaboration of the Estonian Studies Centre with the University of Toronto’s Chair of Estonian Studies and other Estonian organizations is shaping VEMU into a North-American centre of Estonian history and culture.

Thursday 10 October 2013

Estonia and The Real Origin of The Christmas Tree


It is a widely held beilef that the Christmas tree originated in Germany during the 1500s but its use in yuletide celebrations dates back even further than this, to 1441 in fact, in Estonia. The tradition of decorating a Christmas tree first began when a group of unmarried merchants known as the "Brotherhood of Blackheads" erected a tree in the Town Hall and covered it with sweets for children to enjoy. On the last night of the yuletide celebrations, the tree would be taken outside for members of the brotherhood to dance around it. The tree was later set on fire. It would have been quite a spectacle! Many centuries later, billions of people in all corners of the world gather around a Christmas tree to celebrate this most joyous of occasions.



Tuesday 8 October 2013

Estonia is the First Country in the World to Meet all its Power Needs from Shale


Estonia is the world's first country to meet all its power needs from shale, with enough left over for neighbours and fuel exports for the shipping industry.

“We are the most energy independent country in the European Union, and we will not compromise our energy security. We have a large neighbour,” said Juhan Parts, the economy minister.
It is the same story wherever you go across Eastern Europe: the fuel debate comes down to Vladimir Putin’s Russia, and Gazprom’s stranglehold on gas supplies. Global warming inevitably plays second fiddle. “Estonia is not rich enough to experiment with immature technologies,” said Mr Parts.
“Even if we had to invest in new power plants today, shale would still be cheapest. Russian gas costs 1.8 times as much; onshore wind 2 times as much; and offshore wind 2.5 times as much.”
“I am a right-wing person and I am not a supporter of the war on fossils. We must look after the competitiveness of our industries. We must respect European environmental regulations of course but I am sceptical about these climate issues.”
Oil shale is a combustible rock containing kerogen, and releases oil when heated. It is different from the shale oil and gas in America’s Marcellus or Barnett fields, or Britain’s Bowland Basin, obtained by hydraulic fracking deep underground. The word order is reversed, a source of confusion.
The industry at work is not a pretty sight. Collosal Soviet diggers imported from the Urals 40 years ago - each weighing 1500 tonnes and the size of a house - hack trenches 80 feet deep in the wooded flatlands near the Russian border.
Swaths of Ida-Viru county have been gouged at a pace of 100 hectares a year, across a front twelve miles wide. It is as if the Weald of Kent were one great shifting quarry. Yet the land is mostly uninhabited, and is soon replanted.
“It is a moving process. We dig out and reclaim at the same time in a cycle of two years. The trenches are turned into artificial lakes. We don’t use water to extract oil shale so there is no contamination of the ground water,” said Hardi Aosaar, a geologist with the state power company Eesti Energia.
The trauma leaves a strangely corrugated landscape, but trees grow again and wildlife returns. The residual ash is used to build roads. One mound has been turned into Estonia’s longest ski run.
Shale employs a quarter of the county one way or another, providing jobs for ethnic Russians in a blighted enclave. Nimbyism has not taken root in Narva. “We keeping the whole region afloat,” said Igor Kond, Eesti’s head of oil and gas operations.
Oil shale is an overlooked fuel. The World Energy Council estimates global reserves at 4.8 trillion barrels, two thirds in the US. Eesti is building a plant in Jordan that will produce 38,000 bpd and third of the country’s needs, a bid to break Jordan’s total and costly dependence on imports. Morocco, Israel, and Ethiopia are next. Italy has big deposits in Sicily, if it ever falls on hard times.
“We know where the world’s oil shale reserves are, we know the quality of them and we know how to access them,” said Sandor Liive, Eesti’s chief executive. “That’s the great thing about rock, it doesn’t move and it changes very, very slowly. Oil shale doesn’t have the exploration risk of conventional oil and its reserves are at least four times larger than all crude oil reserves.”
There is nothing new about the industry. The Scots pioneered oil shale on an industrial scale in the 1850s near the River Forth, for use in London street lamps. The Paraffin Light Company near Edinburgh was the biggest oil works in the world in the 1860s. The West Lothian Council now runs the spoil heaps as a protected biosphere, home to rare plants and animals. The grasslands are dotted with the Orchis Mascula.
Estonia has been digging shale for a century. The methods have hardly changed, though Alstom filters have slashed sulphur pollution. Vast plants from the Soviet era still crunch shale rocks and burn them in 40 year-old cylinders near Narva.
They used to supply Leningrad with electricity. They are now under Eesti’s control and serve the opposite purpose, keeping Russia at bay.
Eesti is about to open the world’s biggest oil shale plant, Enefit 280, to double output of kerogen oil to 22,000 bpd, shifting the focus from power to the more lucrative business of car diesel.
“It is a good rock,” said geologist Hardi Aosaar, holding a chunk in his hand. “It works both ways. If you add oxygen it burns. If you don’t, it turns into oil.”
Not everybody agrees that it is a good rock. “The bloody stone doesn’t burn. You have to put as much energy in to get it out again,” said Valdur Lahtvee from the Stockholm Environment Institute in Tallinn.
“I used to be the Eesti Energia’s environmental manager, and for four years I was the biggest polluter in Estonia. Shale has very low energy efficiency, and even with new technology it reaches only 36pc.”
“We inherited this infrastructure from the Soviet Union so there was some justification at first, but now it doesn’t make any sense. We are linked to electricity from Finland and we can offset wind intermittency with Nordic hydro-power. We should be switching everything to offshore wind and biomass,” he said.
The government has sweeping ambitions beyond self-sufficiency, in keping with Estonia's Hanseatic trading tradition. We forget new, but it was once rich. Tallinn's church where the highest in the world for two centuries in the late Middle Ages.
Mr Parts wants Eesti to leverage its primacy in oil shale technology and go global, becoming a future sovereign wealth fund for the 1.3m strong nation.
The company has bought a small chunk of Utah, claiming 2.6bn barrels of recoverable oil. It is a first step in cracking the prize of US oil shale, theoretically worth over $200 trillion at today’s spot price. “So long as oil it stays above $80 a barrel, this will be profitable,” said Mr Parts.
Estonia’s shale gamble at home assumes that carbon remains cheap under the EU emissions trading scheme. The price has crashed from €30 a tonne to €4 euros over the last five years, but the European Parliament is determined to push it back up. Some Euro-MPs are aiming for €50, deemed the minimum needed to shift the balance in favour of renewables. “We are highly sensitive to the EU carbon price. The situation is very uncertain in global climate policy, but we don't believe in extreme prognoses,” said Mr Parts.
Worse yet for Estonia, the EU’s forthcoming Fuel Quality Directive may impose an extra carbon tariff on oil shale, and possibly ban production. The minister is making a calculated bet on EU politics, with few illusions. “There are people who say it is very stupid thing to do to even think about oil shale right now. Maybe their view will prove correct,” he said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/oilandgas/10265383/Estonia-becomes-self-sufficient-on-shale-gas-boom.html

Garry Kasparov Apartment-Hunting in Tallinn

Attractive Tax System Should Turn More Heads, Exec Says | Economy | News | ERR

Friday 4 October 2013

The Most Popular Children's Names in Estonia

If you want to know what parents are currently naming their children in Estonia, have a look at the nimi portal that lists the most popular baby names for August 2013. http://nimi.ee/?m1=3.


At the top of the list, the most popular boys names in Estonia are:
Robin - Artjom - Nikita - Romet - Kristofer - Maksim - Rasmus - Sander - Karl - Martin -
Aleksandr - Artur - Daniil - Gregor - Oliver - Oskar - Damir - Dominic - Georg - Hugo -
Kaarel - Kaspar - Kristjan - Remi - Roman and Timofei.

For girls:
Maria - Mirtel - Milana - Sofia - Aleksandra - Annabel - Arina - Emilia - Melissa - Mia -
Viktoria - Adeele - Eliise - Liisa and Paula.

http://naistekas.delfi.ee/rasedus/rasedus/loe-mis-on-eestis-hetkel-koige-populaarsemad-lastenimed.d?id=66834245

Looking back at the past hundred years, this next article examines the various trends and influences affecting parents' choice of names and which ones have never lost their popularity.


http://www.ekspress.ee/news/kaardid_ja_edetabelid/edetabelid/edetabel-eesti-100-aasta-popimad-nimed.d?id=46439575

From a regional perspective, here's a look at the most popular names across Estonia.


http://stat24.ee/2013/02/eesti-populaarsemad-nimed/

If you looking for an interesting Estonian name, this link may help. Estonian name generator

Wednesday 2 October 2013

The first Estonian's in Australia date back to 1697 - one hundred years before Captain Cook arrived!

Estonian's were in Australia long before Captain Cook arrived, recorded history shows they were there in 1697!


Arhiivimaterjalid näitavad, et esimesed eestlased jõudsid Austraaliasse juba ligi sada aastat enne James Cooki – jaanuaris 1697.

Ilma liialduseta võib öelda, et mererahvana on eestlased kaasas olnud seiklusrohkeil mereretkedel, mille käigus on avastatud uusi maid ja meresid. Palju on küll oletusi, kuid arhiivides peitub ka ürikuid, mis seda kinnitavad. Igal juhul Tallinnal ja Tartul oleks põhjust kuhjaga omada sõpruslinna Lääne-Austraalias.

Paarkümmend aastat tagasi ­tähistati Austraalias suure pidulikkusega 200 aasta möödumist päevast, mil algas Austraalia asustamine valgetega. Oli 26. jaanuar 1788, kui Sydney lahte saabus Inglismaalt üksteist laeva veidi rohkem kui tuhande inimesega. Kolmveerand neist olid karistust kandvad kurjategijad. Nendest said esimesed asukad Lõunamandril, mille 18 aastat varem oli avastanud Inglise kapten James Cook ja kuulutanud oma kuninga valduseks.

Kooliraamatuteski seisab tavaliselt Austraalia avastajana kirjas kapten Cook, nii nagu Ameerika avastaja on Christoph ­Kolumbus. Mõlemad mehed olid vaieldamatult tublid meresõitjad ja tõepoolest esimeste eurooplaste hulgas, kelle jalg uue maa pinnale astus, ent mitte esimesed.


Teadaolevalt esimene eurooplane, kelle silm Ameerikat nägi, oli Norra viiking ­Gunnbjörn Ulfsson - ja seda enam kui 500 aastat enne Kolumbust ehk 10. sajandi algul. Esimesena astus Ameerika pinnale teine viiking, Snæbjörn Galti, aastal 978 ja neli aastat hiljem rajas sinna Erik Punane juba esimese koloonia.
 

Cook aga jääb ajalooraamatutesse kirja eelkõige kui mees, tänu kellele kaardistati Austraalia idarannik ja Lõunamandrist sai Inglismaa asumaa. Kuid juba kolmveerand sajandit enne teda, aastal 1696 maabusid Austraalia rannikul kolm Hollandi laeva.

Eestlased Austraalias
Hollandlaste ekspeditsiooni juhtis kapten ­Willem de Vlamingh (1640-1698), kes oli Hollandi Ida-India kompanii teenistuses. Tema retke eesmärk siiski polnud otseselt Austraalia, vaid teel Bataaviasse (Jakarta) 1694. aastal kaduma läinud laeva De Ridderschap van Hollandt otsimine.


Esimesel jõulupühal 1696 kõlas üle de Vlaminghi laeva röögatus "Maa!". See oli Austraalia. Viie päeva pärast jäädi ankrusse saare juures, mille kapten ristis Rottnestiks - seal elavate kummaliste kukkurloomade tõttu. Lisaks ekspeditsiooni lipulaevale, fregatile Geelvinck, oli de Vlaminghi käsutuses veel kaks laeva, Nijptang ja Weseltje.


Kulus veel nädal ja aastanumbergi jõudis vahetuda, kui de Vlamingh jõudis mandrile, Austraalia läänerannikule. 5. jaanuaril 1697 mindi maale. Kuna de Vlaminghi avastusretk on hästi dokumenteeritud ja dokumendid tänaseni Haagis tallel, siis teame isegi tema meeskonda nimeliselt. Ekspeditsiooni munsterrollis on kirjas ka nelja eestlase nimed.


De Vlaminghi laeva meeskonda kuulus madrus Barent Jansz Tallinnast. Ülejäänud olid sõjamehed - seersant Martinus Stypen Tallinnast, alamkapral Christian Clajus Tartust ja sõdur Carel Hindrick Kriel Liivimaalt. Need nimed on küll hollandipäraseks väänatud, kuid siiski olid kõik mainitud väga suure tõenäosusega eestlased. Lisaks on munsterrollis veel kolm meest, kes olid pärit Liivimaa Läti aladelt.


Kuidas sattusid need Maarjamaa mehed Hollandi Ida-India kompanii teenistusse? Kas mõni Eesti- ja Liivimaa sadamaid külastanud Hollandi kaubalaev värbas nad siit? Või värvati nad mõnest Euroopa sadamast, kuhu siit pärit laevad purjetasid?


De Vlaminghi avastusretk
Mais 1696 asusid laevad Amsterdamist teele. Geelvincki par dal oli 130 meest - nende seas ka neli eestlast -, Nijptangil 50 ja Weseltjel 14. Viimast juhtis de Vlaminghi poeg Cornelis.


Pühapäeval, 30. detsembril 1696 saatis de Vlamingh kaks paati uurima tundmatut ­saart, mida mõne päeva eest ­Nijptangi pardalt märgati. Üks neist tegi saarele ringi peale, lootuses leida jälgi kadunud laevast. Teine paat, milles oli ka tosin sõdurit, läks ­saart ennast uurima. Mõlemad paadid naasid õhtul. De Vlaminghile toodi näha jahisaak - Euroopas tundmatud väikesed kukkurloomad. Avastatud saar kannab nende järgi tänaseni nime Rottnest.


Mandri ranniku lähedale jõuti uue aasta hakul. De Vlamingh otsustas saata maale 86mehelise rühma Nijptangi kapteni Gerrit Collaerti juhtimisel, mis asuski 5. jaanuari päikesetõusul teele.


Ilmselt olid nende seas ka meie eestlased, kaitses ju uurimisrühma hulk sõdureid. Neli päeva kestnud ekspeditsiooni jooksul leiti jälgi küll pärismaalastest, ent mitte midagi kadunud laevast.
 

Avastati ka jõgi, millel ujusid muinasjutulised mustad luiged.

Kui de Vlamingh luikedest kuulis, ei malla­nud ta enam oodata ja 10. jaanuaril läks ta kolme paadiga jõge ise uurima. Kui ­sõidetud oli 12 miili, tuli madala vee tõttu tagasi pöörduda. Pärismaalasi ei nähtud, ka ei ­märganud de Vlamingh midagi muud ­huvitavat. ­Otsustati naasta laevadele ja põhja suunas piki Austraalia rannikut edasi purjetada. See jõgi kannab nüüd luikede järgi nime Swan river ehk Zwaanenrivier.


De Vlaminghi meeskond käis veel korduvalt maal, ent nüüdki ei leitud midagi. Rannikut kirjeldati kui kuiva ja liivast - sobimatut inimeste ja kariloomade jaoks. 30. jaanuaril ilmus silmapiirile saar, mis kandis Hollandi maadeavastaja Dirck Hartoghi nime. ­Hartogh oli esimene eurooplane, kelle jalg Austraalia pinnale astus - aastal 1616. Saarelt leiti tema jäetud tinaplaat, mille de Vlamingh kaasa võttis. Asemele jäeti uus plaat, millel tekst mõlema hollandlase sealviibimise kohta. Kaudselt jäädvustas see ka esimeste eestlaste viibimise Austraalias.


Kapten de Vlamingh asus ­tagasiteele veebruari lõpul 1697 ja kõik kolm laeva jõudsid pärast 11 kuud kestnud retke 20. märtsil õnnelikult Bataaviasse. Kahjuks pole tol avastusretkel osalenud eestlaste ­edasisest saatusest midagi teada. Kas nad jäid elu lõpuni maailma meredele seiklema või ­pöördusid nad millalgi kodumaale tagasi, seda võib vaid oletada.


De Vlaminghi retk oli esimene, kuid sugugi mitte viimane, mille eestlased või eestimaalased kaasa tegid. 1820. aastal käis Austraalias Saaremaalt pärit admiral Fabian ­Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, Antarktise avastaja, kes külastas kahel korral Sydneyt ja käis ratsaretkel Sinimägedes. Lõunamerel seilas oma esimesel ümbermaailmareisil 1815-18 ka tallinlasest maadeavastaja Otto von Kotzebue.

http://www.ekspress.ee/news/paevauudised/elu/eestlased-osalesid-austraalia-avastamisel.d?id=27691201