The first grant from the Brian Mason Scientific & Technical Trust was made to 'Science Alive!', an exhibition centre in Christchurch, New Zealand. The trust made a substantial grant to the 'Falling Mountains' exhibit which explains the geology leading to the Mount Cook rock avalanche.

This imaginative touch screen interactive takes the operator through the Mt. Cook phenomenon. The force, mass and weight of the slip are in easy to understand terms, like truckloads. In addition to the great Mt. Cook slip, the 'Falling Mountains' explores geological forces that can crumble mountains.

CARDS operated an amateur radio station using the Society callsign ZL3CAR at Science Alive! while the movie 'Frequency' was on general release. Frequency is a thriller based around amateur radio.

CARDS is a charitable organisation based in Christchurch New Zealand with the object of promoting Amateur Radio in the local Canterbury Region. This includes a particular focus on schools as they recognise the future of ham radio rests with encouraging young people into the hobby.

CARDS received a grant from the Brian Mason Scientific & Technical Trust to assist them in setting up a permanent HF station in the interactive area of Science Alive!, a non-profit organisation promoting scientific and related projects to school children in Canterbury. This was seen as a practical way to introduce students to the world of amateur radio by giving them the opportunity to talk to fellow students around the world.

CARDS is affiliated to the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters ("NZART") and meets monthly at Science Alive! in Moorhouse Avenue Christchurch.

Photos on this page are courtesy of Science Alive!

- Photos may be viewed full-size by clicking on thumbnail graphics -