In the early 1980s, Lorin Hawes acquired a small branch of Antarctic Beech from an Australian Scientist who picked up a dead branch from this very rare protected species that exists only at the extreme tip of the Antarctic peninsula that projects up towards Patagonia in South America. The scientist challenged Lorin to make a boomerang with woods from all 7 continents using this branch to represent the continent of Antarctica. Lorin did not feel that he could do this with the 2 or 3 piece lap joints that he made, so he sent the branch to me with the same challenge. I carefully cut the branch into several strips and used the strips to make several of these 7 continent boomerangs. The first one that I made was sent to Lorin Hawes. You can see a photo of it at the upper left on the cover of his soft cover book titled " All About Boomerangs ", co-authored with John Mauro in 1987. This is the third " 7 continents " boomerang that I made and it was constructed in 1986.

Antarctic Beech is the thin dark strip that acts as a border about 4 inches from each tip. The Antarctic Beech is bordered using two strips of Baltic Birch plywood from Europe. Both blades have a complex pattern at the tips. The crimson strips at the outer edges is an Acacia species from Africa called Vermilion. There is a thin strip of dark Walnut between the Vermilion and the central pattern on the tips. this wood is from North America. The strips that form an oscillating saw tooth pattern is Silky Oak from Australia. Lorin Hawes sent me this wood for the 7 continent project. The upper surface of the elbow has Mahogany from South America. The entire lower surface is made out of Teak from South East Asia.

I did not mention the beautiful black wood with white stripes in the woods from 7 continent above. This wood is called Black Palm and it is found in the country of Panama in Central America. My father sent this wood to me before he retired from Panama Canal service in 1986.

This one is a beauty and among the best that I have ever made. It is in new condition and it looks like the day it was made. I have stored it in a collector's box for the past 35 years. I did throw it carefully a few times when it was made and it was a very good flyer with a flight range of about 30 metres. Please take special care of it as it is rare and one of my best.