Camfrog Blogs

A Slice of...Gold Coast, Australia!

Hi, I’m Kat and I live on the Gold Coast, Australia with my fiancé Corey. I have recently graduated and am adjusting to working full-time while also giving myself time to be creative. I blog about everything that I knit, sew, crochet or bake at my blog Kat’s Creations. I love the Gold Coast because yes it has the sun, sand and surf but it also has a whole other side that not a lot of people get to see. The Gold Coast Hinterland is an amazing place so instead of showing you the beaches and theme parks which I am sure you have all seen a million times I want to show you the other side of the Gold Coast. Some great things to do while in the Gold Coast Hinterland are:

1 – Cedar Creek Falls

Cedar Creek Falls are located in the Tamborine National Park and are absolutely stunning. There are three main falls that you can get to by following the nature walk through the park. It is a pretty steep walk with a lot of stairs but totally worth it to see the falls.

2 – Albert River Wines

Albert River Wines is located in Canungra and is a gorgeous vineyard set on a historical farmstead. The original Tamborine House which Mount Tamborine was named after still stands today is the venue of many weddings. The vineyard is stunning from the gorgeous jacaranda tree lined driveway through to the historical farmsteads. You can have lunch in their restaurant and sample the local wine before visiting their petting zoo to meet the local wildlife.

3 – See the Animals

Which brings me to the next thing you must do while visiting the Gold Coast Hinterland which is see the animals. There are so many rainforest walks around Mount Tamborine which are home to some stunning bird life and lizards and if your lucky you might even see a kangaroo or koala.

4 – Go Camping

Thunderbird Park has a great campsite where you can stay for quite cheap. Each site is set up with its own fire pit so you can roast marshmallows all night long. Camping with a group of friends is a great relaxing way to spend the weekend and truly appreciate the beauty of the Gold Coast Hinterland.

5 – Watch the Sunset

There are many lookouts along Mount Tamborine which can give you great views of the Gold Coast but the best lookout is the one that points west because this is where you will get to see the stunning sunsets. And if you get there at the right time of the day you might also get to see some hangliders taking a ride.

Henry: 4 months

This post is a bit belated, as Henry turned 4 months old last week, on the 22nd! He didn't have his checkup until yesterday though, so I wanted to wait to publish this post until then. He is doing very well and his appointment was wonderful...our tough guy didn't even cry during his shot. ;) Henry currently weighs 14 pounds, 14 oz. (50th percentile) and is 26 inches long (70th percentile). This month it seems like H. is really coming into his own- his personality shines through a little more everyday, and it's so amazing to watch him figure things out on his own. He's been love love loving his Sophie the Giraffe and is happiest when she's in his hands...or his mouth! He also has been liking his Glowworm at nap time.

This month Henry:

rolls over, from back to front, and front to back
has taken to screaming and squealing
started teething
can fully move his head and hold it up
is starting to reach for things
can recognize people
knows his name (at least I think so)
smiles all the time
laughs a lot more often
drools constantly
loves putting his feet and hands into his mouth

Breastfeeding is going well as usual, and he is still sleeping with us in the cosleeper in our bed, but napping in his crib (or on me) during the day. He was sleeping through the night, 12 hours, but now he goes to sleep at 7pm and wakes up around 4 to eat, then sleeps a little more until 8 or so. Some nights recently have been more difficult, with him waking up every few hours, but the past couple of days have evened out and he's doing much better now that we are home and won't be traveling for some time. We're probably going to move him fully into his crib at 6 months, and I think that transition is going to be a lot harder on me than him! We'll see.

So, yay for Henry and yay for 4 months! I am just starting to plan his first birthday party (crazy, I know) and I am REALLY excited about this little idea I've concocted. I think it's going to be amazing. And even more amazing? He's 1/3 of the way there. Bittersweet.

Here's to another wonderful month full of wet baby kisses and belly laughs. We love you so much Henry!

Skiing slope in Solang Valley

Whether it snows or not, now the adventure enthusiasts would be able to enjoy skiing on the slopes of Solang Valley throughout the year. When skiing is the only purpose, then it can be done on grass too as the French have been doing since 1966.

For the first time in country, Himachal Pradesh is going to own a grass skiing slope in Solang Valley, 13 km from Manali, which has been hosting national-level snow skiing championships. The work to develop an international level grass skiing slope has begun in Solang Valley, which is likely to complete by the July this year. Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports director Randhir Singh Salhuria said a 250-feet long and 30 feet wide patch with foreign guidelines was being prepared for grass skiing at Solang which would be completed this year. "The slope is being designed on the lines being made abroad and most probably it would be ready in summers of 2012," he added.

The youth affairs and sports ministry was spending Rs 1 crore for the project, of which modern machinery and equipment for carving skiing worth Rs 75 lakh and for grass skiing worth Rs 25 lakh had been purchased.

The Manali-based mountaineering institute would provide the necessary skis for all those interested as this game was being introduced in the country for the very first time. The department was thinking of hiring trained instructors from abroad, a source said.

"Grass skiing would add to adventure sports of the country a new feather. The institute itself would train the youths for this sport. Now tourists would be able to enjoy snow skiing in winters and grass skiing in summers besides snowboarding, white water rafting, paragliding, rock climbing, mountaineering and other sports," Salhuria said. To further promote the adventure tourism in Himachal, the government was going to built two artificial rock climbing walls soon, one in Solang Valley and another in Dharamshala.

risk taking celebrities

Gen X stars are taking more risks and bending over backwards in their bid to enthral their fans and to get their act right in a larger-than-life role. Apparently, Jr NTR, Ram Charan Tej and Siddharth learnt sword fighting, martial arts, bungee jumping, glider-diving and horse riding to dish out believable and realistic action sequences. Now, it's the turn of the flamboyant Allu Arjun to pick up martial art tricks from a Vietnamese team and hone his sword-wielding skills to justify his maiden, action-packed role in Badrinath.

No more body doubles for T-town stars — the new generation stars are pushing the envelope and mixing up real-life and reel-life action. If Ram Charan Tej won accolades for his horse riding skills in Magadheera and bungee jumping in Orange, Jr NTR plunges from a mountaintop on his glider for his next film Shakti.

According to director Meher Ramesh of Shakti, Jr NTR insisted on doing the glider-diving himself, unmindful of the risk involved. "It was quite risky but Jr NTR was adamant about doing it. We heaved a sigh of relief, when he landed safely from the mountain peak. He learnt sword fighting in a jiffy and surprised action director Stun Siva by finishing the action sequence within no time," he informs. Even Siddharth mastered sword-wielding from Dee Dee and the Jackie Chan stunt crew, performing some daredevil action scenes as a blind warrior in Anaganaga Oka Dheerudu. Producer Devineni Prasad is all praise for Siddharth's stunts in AOD. "His strenuous practice made it easy," he points out.

Ram Charan Tej's childhood passion for horse riding came in handy while essaying the role of a warrior in Magadheera, winning him a lot of praise for handling the sword while on horseback. "Director Rajamouli told me that he would sign me only if I knew to mount a horse but was surprised with my expertise in it," he says. But what was the necessity to do a risky 14,000 feet bungee jump in a love story like Orange. "Just to pep up the light-hearted entertainer. I even overruled my dad's advice and did it. I am also learning martial arts in Miami, for my next film," he informs.
Allu Arjun had to take some tough lessons from action director Peter Heins. "Learning from the Vietnamese was a unique experience. Since this particular film demanded death-defying stunts, I thought of giving it my distinctive touch," he avers. With Shakti and Badrinath set to hit the marquee soon, we will find out if the audience appreciates the stars' efforts.

USC rooftop sex

Greetings: An unidentified man and woman, believed to be USC students, appear at the top of the 12-storey Waite Phillips Hall

An inquiry has been launched after a couple were caught apparently having sex on the rooftop of a USC building - allegedly in front of hundreds of people.

Officials at the university were outraged as photographs of the couple - many of which were too graphic to be shown here - quickly went viral.
The images apparently show the man, who is a student at the university, and a woman cavorting in a variety of sexual positions on top of the school's 12-storey Waite Phillips Hall in Los Angeles on Saturday.
The woman has not been publicly identified but is not believed to be a student at the university, according to officials.

The building is the home of the university's School of Education, and is the second tallest on campus.

Their rendezvous took place in broad daylight - and, according to reports, as a 'philanthropy event' attended by 'hundreds' of other students took place in the quad below.
Instead of enjoying each other's company in the centre of the roof, where they arguably may not have been seen, the couple appear to have chosen to stay near the edge, ensuring they were in plain view.

Reports described their liaison as being of 'prolonged duration'.
The couple have not yet been publicly identified but USC's Kappa Sigma branch has admitted that the man in the photographs is a fraternity member.
He has been suspended 'for conduct unbecoming of a Kappa Sigma and a gentleman', according to the school newspaper the Daily Trojan.
The fraternity's president, Zach Timm, was quoted as saying: 'While the actions that were taken did involve a member of our chapter we, in no way, support this kind of behaviour, nor do we promote any such actions.'
He said that inquiries have been launched.

The identity of the woman remains a mystery. The Daily Trojan reported the photographs linked her to USC's Delta Gamma sorority because the philanthrophy event being held in the quad below.
However the sorority has denied the link, with a spokesman quoted as saying: 'There is absolutely no relationship between these circumstances and our women or our event, Anchor Splash, which benefits sight prevention and the visually impaired.'

A university official told the MailOnline that the woman is not believed to be a student at USC.
Meanwhile a top official at the board for fraternities at the California university has expressed his outrage.

The Daily Trojan quoted USC Interfraternity Council President Pat Lauer as saying he was 'appalled by the actions associated with the individuals in the pictures, and will work tirelessly to reverse the negative stereotypes such an action has perpetuated.

A spokesman for the council told the MailOnline: 'As an Interfraternity Council, we are appalled by the actions of the students involved in the incident, and we want to make it clear that we in no way condone the acts that occurred.'It's also important to note that this action was taken by one solitary member of a fraternity at USC, not the Greek community as a whole, which accomplishes great things on a daily basis at USC.In turn, we are doing everything we can to continue to reverse untrue stereotypes the action has created.'

Leaders of the Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic Council are set to meet this week with the presidents of all campus sororities and fraternities to discuss a course of action.
The student in question met with USC's student judicial affairs and community standards (SJACS) Monday about the issue, the MailOnline understands.

The university's decision as far as course of action has not yet been reached.
U.S. blog Gawker.com quoted campus gossip claiming that the man in the photographs had sent a sexist 'C***sman' email earlier in the month in which he described women as 'objects' and 'targets'.
It is not clear who took the photographs. LATaco claimed they were taken by an 'anonymous' person, but the Daily Trojan claimed the images had been posted to Facebook.
The images appear to have been taken by someone who was at eye level with the couple.
Judging by a campus map, the most likely place the photographer could have been was at the top of the 167ft Von KleinSmid Center Tower, across the Bogardius Courtyard from Waite Phillips Hall.

a spring afternoon

Today was a lovely, lovely day spent with one of my dearest gal pals, Adie. I've known Adie for about seven years now- she grew up with Hank, and her boyfriend (of almost 10 years!) is one of Hank's best friends. Adie and I have in a way, watched each other grow up and into our now-woman selves...and that's pretty awesome. I adore her; she has the most infectious spirit and zest for life, and she's one of those people that is a ray of sunshine no matter what the weather. I am so grateful for our friendship, and the longs walks and talks that have been a part of my life for so many years. Today was no different, and we spent a few hours meandering around town, walking around the square, eating treats and sipping on our favorite coconut tea. Today though was warm, so of course the occasion called for it to be iced. I enjoyed a delicious fruit bar made from applesauce and juicy berries, Henry basked in the sun infused shade, and my legs were treated to a walk about our small and beautiful town. The weather was beyond pleasant, and it was one of those days where the sky seemed a little bluer, the emerging spring buds on the trees a little fresher, and even familiar blocks appeared new. We walked, we talked, I fell in a little more love with this place I call home. Hello, spring!

{please forgive the instagram photos again, my d-slr was too cumbersome for our walk!}

p.s. Here are the answers to the questions from my "Around our home" post from earlier today: the plates are from Anthro, my bird jewelry tray is from World Market (it was supposed to be some sort of bathroom tray), the drawing on our kitchen shelf is by tattooer Cory Lenherr- it's actually the piece on my left side ribs, and our duvet is from IKEA. Thank you all so much for all the kind words! I'm excited to eventually do a whole house tour; quite daunting to imagine, but one day it will happen! Have a beautiful day.

Mama Said, V.9

This week I am featuring two fabulous ladies, my real-life pal Anita, and an blogging gal pal, Rachael. Both of these ladies are mamas who I admire, and they are here offering up AMAZING advice. Like really awesome. In fact, I think this may be one of my favorite Mama Saids yet (don't I say that every week?). I know you will all love this great read, so sit back and enjoy! And thanks again ladies, for participating.

Hello, my name is Anita and my family of 3 (plus 2 doggies) live in historic Downtown Phoenix, AZ. We are a pretty boring, low-key bunch who love music and hanging out with family and we also have a photoblog for our daughter, Lola Birdie (www.lolabirdie.com) who was born on October 27, 2009 weighing almost 10 pounds! Lola Birdie is our first (and probably last) kid and honestly, I never thought I would have kids, but along came LB. My husband was in a touring band (www.theformat.com) for half of our relationship, and it wasn't until he quit and started a band merch/graphic design/music licensing company (www.hellomerch.com) here in Phoenix, that we even thought about starting a family.

Being a mother was totally new to me! Lola Birdie was the third or fourth baby that I have ever held in my whole life. Her diaper was the first diaper I ever changed, other than my cabbage patch kids. Being around a newborn was ALL foreign to me. I knew NOTHING about kids. When I found out I was pregnant, I immediately started researching pregnancy and babies online. I joined a fun online community (www.thebump.com) and watched WAY too many baby shows on TLC.

Luckily, I got through my pregnancy with flying colors and Lola's birth was a super quick, natural labor. I am also proud to say I am still a breastfeeding mother, 16 months later, and I have become quite an advocate for it!

That being said, here is a few things I have learned in my 16 months of being a mother:

1 - Breastfeeding is awesome, even if your mother thinks its super weird..... - I remember growing up, my mother, who is now one of my best friends too, always said how gross and weird she thought breastfeeding was. I was a formula fed baby. I remember thinking how I would NEVER ever do that. It's super weird...until, years and years later, my sister-in-law, Katie, was studying to be an RN at ASU College of Nursing and she would always come to me with bits of information like "Anita, if you ever plan on getting pregnant, you should start taking Folic Acid" and then she told me how important breastfeeding is and then she told me, " Anita, there are only 2 ways to lose fat cells from your body.....liposuction and breastfeeding". Wow, you mean, if I gain 100 pounds having a baby, it could all go away with breastfeeding??? After that, I started researching breastfeeding and found so so many good things about it. So I made my mind up, "I will just breastfeed for 6 months, that's what they say is the minimum a Mother should breastfeed." I remember doing it for the first time in front of my mother and her saying, "It isn't weird when it's your daughter and granddaughter doing it." What a relief!! I was so worried my mom would be weird about it. But her and my father were very supportive of it. Six months came along and I thought, "This is going so well, I can just do this for 6 more months...". On Lola's 1st birthday, I remember thinking, "Flu season is coming, I'll just keep breastfeeding until March." So, that being said, I guess we will just keep going until we think its time to stop!

2 - All kids are different, and they hit milestones at their OWN pace - I have a few friends with kids that I see on a weekly basis. One of the friends has a baby that is about 2 weeks younger than Lola. Since birth, I have been comparing her and Lola. I remember when my friends daughter rolled over before Lola and I thought, what is wrong with Lola? Why hasn't she rolled over yet? I remember when Lola started teething at 3 months old and my friends daughter wasn't, I thought that Lola was a freak and something was wrong with her. Then when it came time to crawl, my friends daughter started crawling literally a month before Lola. After months and months of comparing, I realized that all babies are different and when some are walking, others are talking and when some are sleeping through the night, others are waking up 2-3 times. I quickly learned to never compare children, they will do everything at their own pace.

3 - Take lots of pictures, and videos...I mean LOTS, even start a website or blog for friends and family to see - My husband and I try to take at least one picture of Lola everyday. I love to remember what she wore that day or what she did that day, or the new word she said or the new puzzle she learned how to put together that day. It is so great to know that I can go back to a picture we posted and remember that exact point in our lives. Plus, at least once a month I go to www.lolabirdie.com and look through them from start to present day. I watch videos I have saved on my computer of her first few minutes on earth. I can't get enough of it. I still can't believe that this person I have today was that person just a year ago. Kids change literally EVERY day. I love that I can go back to a video and hear Lola laugh for the first time, or stand up for the first time, or eat her first bite of food. I am so happy that we live in a time where a camera or video camera is so easily accessible. I also love that we have a website that we can post pictures of Lola on it daily that all of our friends and family can see. I hope that everyone enjoys her website as much as we do and I hope that one day Lola will appreciate it too. I know I wish that I had daily pictures of my life growing up.

-----

I'm Rachael! Registered nurse & wife to a handsome musician.
Stepmonster to two beautiful boys, ages 10 & 8. Momma to a lil' blue-eyed boyfriend, age 1.
And the newest development...Knocked up with a set of twin girls, due in April!
Follow along at www.letterstoames.com!

THREE TIDBITS OF WISDOM I'VE PICKED UP ALONG THE WAY:

They'll still be crying when you get there. I wasn't sure how I felt about my friend's words when I was pregnant. I'm pretty supportive of attachment parenting, and this felt like letting my tiny new baby cry it out! Now I totally get it. Whether he's in a crib or someone else's arms, newborn or toddler, sometimes my baby just needs mama or daddy. It's one of the special perks of being a parent - being able to comfort our offspring. It's an honor & a responsibility to tend to those cries (or screams), but it is possible to sacrifice one's own sanity in the process. In the fifteen months following my son's birth, I've learned to pause. Sometimes, I take deep breaths before picking him up off the floor when the fussing starts. Sometimes, I finish my conversation with my husband before getting the boy up from his nap. Sometimes, I let him bang on the table with his food-covered hands and enjoy a few bites of my own before getting him what he wants. This is coming from the mama who almost went into premature labor the other night, hauling my butt up the stairs after hearing the toddler fussing in the bathtub. Turns out, his big brother was pulling him out to dry him off. It's all about baby steps! But I'm learning to stay laid-back and not sweat the small stuff. It makes me appreciate my son (and my role as a mother) so much more!

They're not going to hurt your child. Chances are, they love your kids more than they love you. A doctor and I discussed the "in-laws phenomenon" the other day at work, after she mentioned how jealous she was that both sets of our parents are nearby. There's something about motherhood that turns us nice girls into defensive psychos. I've never had an altercation with my mother-in-law, as I tend to keep the yucky stuff in my heart (bad idea). But I have held onto things and been sensitive to her comments and opinions. There have been quite a few awkward conversations where I have to explain why I'm not giving my child Tylenol for a temperature of 99.9, or why I'm not supplementing with formula just because he's small for age. But I've learned to pick my battles. A few months back, she gave the boy a bottle of apple juice instead of the breastmilk we'd packed. Apparently, she couldn't find it in the fridge where my husband had left it. I couldn't help but laugh. It was something I'd never do, but it surely wasn't gonna kill him. She wasn't trying to spite me. She was trying to help. And since realizing that and letting go of my control, I've enjoyed my relationship with her on a whole new level.

It's not 50/50. It's 100/100. This piece of advice came weeks after my husband and I married, which turned out to be weeks before we conceived our son. I crashed into a scary, numb phase after the wedding. We looked to a couple at church for guidance, and I will never forget the wisdom they shared. People always talk about the give-and-take of marriage, and how couples have to meet in the middle. But it's not always like that. Sometimes, it's one person giving and the other taking. Sometimes, one has to cross the line and pick the other up, and drag them back. Parenthood only magnifies this concept. There are days when I feel like I can't contribute a lick to the family. I'm worn out and discouraged, and my husband senses it and picks up the slack. Other days, he feels gross and spends most of the day in his pajamas on the couch. Changing one diaper or making the bed might be the extent of his day's efforts. And I carry him along, until the sun goes down. It's what you do when you commit to sharing a life with someone - sharing ALL of it, the good and the bad. It's 100%, both of you, every day. That way, if someone comes up short, the other has plenty to give.

Around our home

We've been in our new home for about six months now, and now that we're more settled into the world of being new parents, I've really been focusing on trying to get out house put together the way we want. It's so fun to have rooms to decorate, and I am taking my time picking out things we really love to fill each space. We have a long, long way to go, and the "to do" list seems never ending, but I know we will get there one day, and it'll feel great! I thought it would be fun to give you a little, tiny peek inside our home via instagram. Enjoy!

part of our mantel

a bit of Henry's nursery.

dinnerware

shelf in our kitchen- family portrait by Jess, chalkboard thought bubble from Red Velvet/Rachel Denbow

half of our wall of bookshelves in the front library room

our (amazingly comfy) bed- best new thing we bought last year!

dresser (that's our wedding invitation framed)

Have a great day! I'll be back in a bit with this week's "Mama Said" and Henry's belated 4-month post tomorrow. xoxo

youngsters are now dying globally

In a complete reversal of a 50-year trend, more youngsters are now dying globally than toddlers.

In a first-of-its-kind study — published in the British medical journal The Lancet on Tuesday — it quantifies the patterns of death in children over five years old from 50 countries during the second half of the 20th century. It has been found that death rates in young people (15-24 years) are now higher than children (1-4 years) across most high and low-income countries. Death rates in young men (15-24 years) are two to three times higher than boys (1-4 years).

The majority of deaths in young people are due to injury, limiting improvements in mortality in this age-group over the past 50 years to just half that of children.

Russell Viner from UCL Institute of Child Health, London, and his colleagues said, "A strong international focus on reducing mortality in children below five years has not been matched by a similar response in older groups even though more than two-fifths of the world's population is in the 5-24 year age group."

The findings showed that in the 1950s, mortality in the 1-4 age-group greatly exceeded in all the regions studied. Death rates in children, aged 1-9, declined by 80-93% due to a drop in mortality from infectious diseases in 2004.

Decrease in death in young people, aged 15-24 years, was only about half of that in children. This is largely because of increase in injury-related deaths, particularly, of young men. By the start of the 21st century, injuries were responsible for 70-75% of all deaths in young men aged 10-24 years.

The research also showed that violence and suicide have become key causes of death in young people, responsible for a quarter to a third of deaths in young men aged 10-24 years.

The authors pointed out, "The high injury burden in young people means that they are particularly affected by the persistent low global investment in non-communicable diseases and injury relative to global disease burden."

They concluded, "Future global health targets should include the causes of death in people aged 10-24 years."

Goa does not have its own forensic laboratory

On an average, one foreign tourist died per week over the last three years in Goa. Of the 161 deaths, the cause of death in 53 cases is not known as the histopathology examination and chemical analysis report of the victim's viscera has not yet been received.

While 25 foreigners drowned, 16 of them died following motor vehicle accidents and 15 due to natural cause while holidaying in the state. However, a majority of them have died due to drug overdose, it is alleged. Japanese tourist Kiego Yshiki is suspected to have died due to injection of plant origin narcotic substance in 2008. This was revealed on Thursday by home minister Ravi Naik in a written reply to a question by opposition leader Manohar Parrikar regarding deaths of foreigners in the state.

The delay in verifying the cause of death is mainly because Goa does not have its own forensic laboratory and is dependent on the central forensic sciences laboratories in Hyderabad and Mumbai and now Surat for analysis.

Of the 53 cases in which viscera analysis reports are pending, 29 are of Britons, 12 of Russians, 3 of Germans, besides persons of other nationalities.

Naik's written reply, however, states that the number of foreigners' deaths linked to drugs, directly or indirectly, in the last three years as only one, that too in 2008.

Apparently, doubting the veracity of that figure, Parrikar said that in almost 60% of the foreigners' deaths, their viscera has been sent for chemical analysis because they are suspected to have died from drug overdose or related complications.

Seeking to highlight the gravity of the drugs problem in Goa, Parrikar urged the home minister to address the issue seriously.

Naik replied saying, "We will seriously look into the issue." According to statistics furnished by Naik, 42 foreigners died in Goa in 2008, 65 in 2009 and 54 in 2010. In all three years, the highest number of foreigners died in Calangute, which recorded 45 deaths.

Anjuna came second with 32 deaths. Some other places where foreigners died are Pernem (19), Colva (18) and Canacona (17).

British tourists lead the list with 62 of them dying in the state from 2008 to 2010, followed by 27 Russians, 16 Nepalis and 10 Germans. The others are from various other countries. Of the 161 tourists who died in the state in the last three years, 126 are male and 35 female.

an artificial leaf own power station.

Scientists claim to have found the 'Holy Grail' of science in an artificial leaf that could turn ever British home into its own power station.

The leaf, which is the same size as a playing card, mimics the process of photosynthesis that plants use to convert sunlight and water into energy.

Scientists behind the invention say it could provide an affordable solution to the third world's growing energy crisis.
Dr Daniel Nocera, who led the research team, said: 'A practical artificial leaf has been one of the Holy Grails of science for decades.
'We believe we have done it.'The artificial leaf shows particular promise as an inexpensive source of electricity for homes of the poor in developing countries. Our goal is to make each home its own power station.
'One can envision villages in India and Africa not long from now purchasing an affordable basic power system based on this technology.'

The device bears no resemblance to Mother Nature's counterparts on oaks, maples and other green plants, which scientists have used as the model for their efforts to develop this new genre of solar cells.
About the shape of a poker card but thinner, the device is fashioned from silicon, electronics and catalysts, substances that accelerate chemical reactions that otherwise would not occur, or would run slowly.

Placed in a single gallon of water in a bright sunlight, the device could produce enough electricity to supply a house in a developing country with electricity for a day, Nocera said.

It does so by splitting water into its two components, hydrogen and oxygen.

The hydrogen and oxygen gases would be stored in a fuel cell, which uses those two materials to produce electricity, located either on top of the house or beside it.

Nocera, who is with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, points out that the 'artificial leaf' is not a new concept.

The first artificial leaf was developed more than a decade ago by John Turner of the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado.

Although highly efficient at carrying out photosynthesis, Turner's device was impractical for wider use, as it was composed of rare, expensive metals and was highly unstable — with a lifespan of barely one day.

Nocera's new leaf overcomes these problems.

It is made of inexpensive materials that are widely available, works under simple conditions and is highly stable. In laboratory studies, he showed that an artificial leaf prototype could operate continuously for at least 45 hours without a drop in activity.

The key to this breakthrough is Nocera's recent discovery of several powerful new, inexpensive catalysts, made of nickel and cobalt, that are capable of efficiently splitting water into its two components, hydrogen and oxygen, under simple conditions.

Right now, Nocera's leaf is about 10 times more efficient at carrying out photosynthesis than a natural leaf. However, he is optimistic that he can boost the efficiency of the artificial leaf much higher in the future.

'Nature is powered by photosynthesis, and I think that the future world will be powered by photosynthesis as well in the form of this artificial leaf,' said Nocera, a chemist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass.