My week was not as exciting as most, but yes I know, I'm still in Australia and that is most likely more eventful then a lot of other places, so they tell me. Thursday I attended Uni Club, which is always a good time. This time was different though. On the way home, I believe I dropped my camera causing it to malfunction. I'm not really sure what happened to it, but I do know I don't have a full functioning camera and I am upset about this naturally. It still decides to take pictures without a flash, but any night pictures I plan to take won't happen. There are no authorized Canon repair places here in Townsville but I plan on finding somewhere local before I send it off to get it fixed. With that aside, I was still able to have a fun and exciting weekend with minor mishaps along the way.
The Cowboys had another home game this week playing the Melbourne Storm! We lost terribly and it was quite a turn around from the previous week. I believe the final score was 26-12 and it was a downer for all the Cowboy fans. The games are still pretty entertaining and overall, it was a fun night. Of course, to go to the game I had to acquire some sort of Cowboy gear. I ended up finding a cute shirt with the Cowboys logo on it and I fit right in at the stadium. I know I don't have the accent down, but I do what I can.
Sunday was a very good day because it involved water falls and climbing rocks. What else do you need to have a good time? Some Aussie friends wanted to go to a watering hole for the day because it was hot, as usual, so we headed south to Alligator Creek. It is a park where you can camp and have lunch and there are a series of rock pools along the way with many waterfalls and cliffs you can jump off of. Since it hasn't rained here in awhile, most of the pools were semi shallow, but most were deep enough to take a dip in. The boys left us behind in search of bigger water falls so we made our own fun. We sun bathed on rocks and found little water frogs to harass. It was the best way to cool off and then we worked up an appetite and decided to get Chinese! They introduced me to prawn chips, which are basically fried chips that are made out of a light batter and then seasoned in prawn (shrimp) flavoring. They are actually quite tasty, but I'm sure they sound strange. Our bellies were full and content and we headed back to Uni to end the night with a horror film. Perfect ending with nightmares to follow.
This weekend I begin to travel and will be doing so for the next three weekends! I am going to Paluma for a field trip this weekend and then off we go for Easter to the SS Yongala wreck and outer reef for a live aboard dive trip. Then a week after that we leave for New Zealand! I don't know what to do with myself. I can't wait to tell you about the things I see and do. Love you all. Keep in touch!
This weekend was absolutely incredible. I had a lot of time to do whatever I wanted and that's exactly what I did. A lot of people at George Roberts were off college this weekend doing random things such as volunteering, field trips, going home, that sort of thing. Some of my friends and I decided it was a weekend to relax and go with the flow. School work was my main priority Friday night and then Saturday night was when it all began.
The Cowboys rugby team had their first home game, right in Townsville! A few of my Aussie friends among some Americans went downtown to see them play the Sydney Tigers. This was the first game of rugby (footy game as they call it here) I had ever seen and being there for all the cheering and screaming was incredible! I had to ask our friend Matt to explain the rules of the game to me since I was used to good old NFL, which is completely different by the way. I also tried to learn the Australian anthem which was interesting. I started to put my hand over my heart and then I stopped...oh wait that's for ours. It is a beautiful song to say the least :) Rugby is much more exciting than American football because it never stops! The guys wear no gear and it's just man to man contact. Of course any girl would find that amusing. Anyway, we won 42-14! It was a great way to see the culture in action!
Sunday is beyond words. I think this adventure was what I have been waiting for ever since I got here. It was the perfect day to relax, enjoy the people around me, and just realize that I am in paradise. Magnetic Island is a relatively small island right off the coast of Townsville. The ferry ride over is only about 20 minutes and it is well worth the trip. A lot of backpackers come over to the island on their way down the coast because there is so much to see there! My friend told me yesterday that it is the koala capital of Australia and probably the world. Wes, Sara, and I left early afternoon to head over there and we checked out a couple beaches and went on a hike to the Forts (remains of an ancient army base). The highlight was probably the pristine waters and the wild koala we saw in a nearby eucalyptus tree! We got great pictures and he was nowhere near disturbed by onlookers. There were great views from the top of the mountain and it was just the most beautiful day to have to ourselves. We had dinner when we reached the bottom and ended the night with star gazing on the beach. Sara and Wes managed to find some washed up coral in the process. I was pooped by the time we got back to uni, it was about 10 pm. It was a very exciting weekend and I was happy to share it with you all. I will, of course, be adding new pictures to flickr and they are definitely worth looking at! I miss you guys more and more everyday. Much love.
This field trip was more my style. I was out on the water on a fishing boat getting my hands dirty, the perfect atmosphere. We all arrived at the dock to board the JCU research vessel, the James Kirby. The day's activities included: trawling for prawns, seeing if the bycatch reduction device (BRD) kept most big game out of the nets, weighing and bagging fish caught for further analysis, throwing back sea snakes, puffers, and anything else that didn't need to be collected. At this point you are probably scratching your heads wondering what all of this means. Don't fear, I will explain.
For those that are interested, these specific trawls are used in fisheries world wide in hopes that fishermen will stick to what they are fishing for (their target). "Bycatch Reduction Devices (BRDs) are used in trawl fisheries to allow fish that are not targeted by the fishers to escape from the net before it is hauled back into the boat. It is good news for the marine environment as it reduces the amount of bycatch that dies as a result of trawling" (www.afma.gov.au). In class, we learn about the dynamics of a population of fish and we hope these sorts of fishing techniques help preserve populations so they can continue to grow and reproduce.
In this study, we did a total of 4 trawls, each have two sets of data (starboard/port side). We weighed 7 different species of fish and made sure we took into account things we caught and threw back. Overall, we really didn't catch all that much. The biggest weight we had was about 4 kg. It was a great time and I learned a lot! We only caught 2 prawns :( Sad day. Everything went smoothly and we made it back to shore safely. I can't wait to go back out onto the sea! Let me know if you guys have any questions about the trip! I would be more than happy to answer them. There are pictures of the boat trip up. Make sure to check them out. Miss you guys!
I never break a promise and I believe I promised to tell you all about my field trips this weekend! First of all, both of them were awesome and second of all, I am still tired from being on the go all weekend.
On Saturday I left for Paluma Rainforest with my Rainforest Ecosystems class to learn about certain species of plants and trees within the Paluma range. Sounds a little boring for whoever isn't all into botany (me included), but it was actually a really good experience to understand what's out there and how everything works together so we can eventually preserve it. It is about an hour and half from uni and once we arrived, we split up into two groups to go on two different hikes, H-track and Witt's Lookout. My group explored Witt's Lookout first, which was only appropriate given the name! :) Anyway, it was a beautiful part of the forest and we had our lecturer, Bob, tell us all about the different families within the area. We eventually had to identify 10-15 families of plants on our own, with his help of course. The hike in general was uphill and downhill and it was actually quite a work out. We ended up at about 3,000 feet! Along the way I got curious and saw a leech on the ground attached to some sort of leaf. I picked it up to show people and it latched on to my finger! I quickly pulled it off before it could steal any blood from me, thank heavens.
Once we got to the top of the hill, we could see everything! There were beautiful rock formations in the background with waterfalls down the mountain. The water was visible out in the distance and the clouds were right along the horizon. Such beautiful scenery! I think this was what I was named after, a girl can only hope.
On the other hike,the H-track, there was much more diversity and streams running through the forest. Beautiful spiders, birds, and other wildlife were spotted along the way. This was a windier track and it was deeper into the rainforest than the lookout was. I loved it to say the least and our guide was much more entertaining this time around. On this hike, we learned about the uses of certain trees in the aboriginal culture which was very interesting. They used the buttresses of trees to make sheilds and spears since it is flat and easy to carve out of the tree. There were many interesting aspects of the trip, but when it was all said and done, I was ready for a nap! We headed back to uni and Todd and I watched a movie and then I crashed for the night, after a shower of course. Tomorrow was another field trip day, trawling on the Cleveland Bay. That adventure will be on the next post! I will post more pictures from the rainforest on flickr! Cheers.
Sorry to disappoint you all, but the tremendous non-existent cyclone never hit Townsville. Lucky us. We got about 2 minutes total of rain. Anyway, because of the threat, all my activities for this weekend were cancelled (field trip and BBQ). It ended up being really nice this weekend actually. Too hot to be outside for long, but some friends and I were able to get to the Lagoons today after 3 pm (the best time to be outside when the sun isn't so hot!). We got to feed our little friend that you see to the left. They are friendly possums over here and they love apples! It was a nice relaxing weekend. I went out Saturday night and got a little too intoxicated, but overall it was a great time. The pizza vendor was my favorite person that night. Pizza at around 2 am, there is nothing like it. City life is hopping on weekends here, no doubt about that! I will bring the party atmosphere back to the states :).
On a more serious note, I am sure everyone wants to hear about my overall experience here. What are my new friends like? What's so different about Australia? Where do you plan to travel? Etc. I hope to give all of you insight into all different sorts of things with this post.
Starting with the people I have met here. I have met so many great people it is hard to include them all into this post! The people have made this trip surreal for me. They know so much about their country and their pride is honorable. The three closest girl friends I have made are Leesa, Mel, and Hannah. They are all "freshers" and they are all from Queensland. Mel is Wes' roommate and she is from Tully, the rainiest city in Queensland! Ha she is not proud of that by any means. We have a lot in common seeing as we are both smart asses and she loves to make fun of the way we talk! She calls US the "weird" ones! Leesa is a very spirited individual and she loves sailing and she plays all sorts of sports. Hannah is so lively! Her and Leesa are from the same schoolie or highschool back home in Mareeba, QLD. That is NW of Townsville about 2 hours. She loves to be outside and she calls herself a "bush" girl since she grew up there and she really knows her way around. Hannah is our walking Encyclopedia, she knows everything about everything when it comes to...well...everything! Everyone has been so welcoming here and we have definitely changed the image they have of Americans :) That's always a good sign.
As for similarites and differences of Australia, it is strikingly similar to the U.S. The main differences are the driving on the opposite side of the road, the slang, and the schooling. The crossing the street thing still throws me off! You would think I would get the hang of it by now, of course not. You know me, always slow. Anyway, prices on certain items are higher , but there is no tax. Music they play at clubs/bars is music we have been hearing for months back in the states. It was disappointing for me to not hear Australian music played everywhere! There are no Dollar Stores or Wal-marts either, WEIRD! The slang is the most amusing difference by far. My roommate, I swear, talks in tongues! He talks so fast and uses words I don't know and it's hard to understand him some of the time. I have learned so many good words though! Here are just some...togs (bathing suit), bludger (slacker), stuff that! (forget that), right-o (an expression meaning all right or cool), buggie smugglers (speedos), etc. There are so many more I am going to have to make a dictionary to show you guys! More on the culture later, there are so many things to tell you!
Travel plans is what I really want to tell you about. This past weekend, Todd, Wes, and I decided it was time to book our spring break trip or lecture recess as they call it here. We bought round trip tickets to New Zealand and we leave in April! Todd knows people on the North Island and we are able to stay for free which will save us heaps on lodging. We plan to start north and travel south. I have a friend that has been there and she has given us a guide as to where to go and what to see while we are there. I'm so excited! The other trip that has already been booked is Fiji! I am staying there with friends a few days before I return to the U.S. in June. All I want to do there is dive! Perfect! Other possibilities for weekend trips are: Sailing the Whitsundays (Easter break), Touring Sydney and learning to surf (after school ends), Brisbane/Gold Coast (May when Familia gets here!), and a LiveAboard trip in Cairns strictly for diving. All those things are relatively cheap and I hope I can do some of them while I am here. I will keep everyone updated for sure!
I feel like by now you are sick of reading. I will let you rest. As a side note, be sure to check my blog this weekend because I will be updating you on my 2 field trips I am going on this Saturday and Sunday! Saturday I am going to Paluma rainforest for Rainforest Ecosystems and Sunday I am going trawling in the Cleveland Bay with my Fisheries class. Should be a great time! Until then, miss you!!
I just wanted to give you a quick update about the weather report here in Northern Queensland. There is in fact Cyclone Hamish off the coast of Northern Australia. It is presently a category two, but definitely has the potential to switch to category three. No worries! I just wanted to update you on the massive rain storm that is blowing in. It has gotten significantly cooler in the past few days due to the storm and it's quite nice actually. I don't want anyone to panic about my safety! Everything is fine and we all got e-mails from the head of housing about what to do and where to go IN CASE of emergency. Basically I am used to this sort of thing since South Carolina loves hurricanes. I have not had to endure any severe tropical storms and I highly doubt this will turn into anything serious. There is only a CHANCE that it is even going to come inland. It is brewing out there right now, but will most likely move south. The worst we will probably get is some crappy weather, that's all. It has ruined my entire weekend though, I can tell you that much. Some friends and I planned to go to Castle hill again this weekend and have a sausage sizzle! With all the rain, all the events for this weekend have been cancelled. I was also supposed to go on a fishing trip for my Fisheries Science class tomorrow at 2 pm and that is also canceled due to the prevailing winds. Oh well, bad weather is always an excuse to veg out all day and do nothing! Can't wait for that.
I promise to blog after this weekend to let you know about the storm outcome and so on. Until then, hold on to your hats! Talk to you all soon. Love you!
So I am sorry it has been so long since I have last blogged. This first week of classes took up most of my time, and when I wasn't in class, I was napping. What else is new. Anyway, there are so many good things that happened this week I can't wait to tell you about them!
First, everyone wants to know about school, I'm assuming. The courses I am taking include Fisheries Science, Conservation of Marine Wildlife, Rainforest Ecosystems, and Australian Cinema. As a side note, I will be posting my schedule on here at some point right after I edit it so it looks the way I want it to. This way if any of you are skype users :) you will be able to catch me when I am out of class.
The school experience is much different here than it is in the States, or at least I think so. I go to lecture twice a week (total 2 hrs) for each subject and then each class has 1 tutorial (discussion period= 1 hr) and science classes have 1 practical (lab=3 hrs). This means I am in class a lot! I am so lucky I have Mondays off. When I start planning trips, it will be glorious to have that extra day for travel. Overall, my classes seem very interesting. The science courses are going to be more work but of course, I expected that. At Coastal I had a lot of busy work between classes, but here you only get one or two big assignments and then a final at the end of the semester. Most of my assessments are group research projects and hopefully they go smoothly. Besides that, I am just trying to take it a day at a time. If you know me well enough, you know I worry about everything. Here, I have been very good at letting things go and just going with the flow. It's a great trait I have acquired.
Besides school though, I have done some adventuring in town, on campus, and wherever the wind blows me pretty much. The get togethers I have been going to are a good mix of Australians and Americans. It just so happens that when we get together, we end up talking about different things we have in our own countries and we get so wrapped up in the similarities and the things we think are "strange" or "absolutely awesome" about each one. This entire experience has been awesome! I can't even describe to you how great it is to learn about a different culture and talk to people my age that live their lives here. I have learned so much out of the classroom, I could write a book!
On Saturday, George Roberts Hall (where I live :) ) and all of the other halls on campus competed in a swim carnival (swim meet as we call it back in the U.S.). This was for the Fischer Sheild, which is basically a banner that we hang up in our dining hall to prove to everyone that we are the best. We didn't win this one, but there are plenty more to get as the semester rolls on!
Sunday was by far the most fun I have had! Hiking is one of my favorite things to do when I go somewhere new. Especially when it has this type of landscape. There are mountains everywhere and they are so inviting! A few friends and I left in the morning to check out The Strand. This is where all the locals go on the weekend when it is nice weather, which basically means all the time. It is where the beaches are, rock pools, restaurants, etc. and it is a great place to spend the day. After we picked up some sun rays and some ice cream, we headed to Castle Hill for a long journey up the mountain. I will put up pictures of this gigantic rock! We climbed up straight stairs/mountainside the entire time, nothing flat exists here. It was challenging to say the least, but when we got to the top just in time to see the sunset, I knew the whole thing was worth it. We took lots of pictures and then headed back down the mountain. We took the road on the way down because it was dark by the time the sun was completely down. It was then time to head back to Uni for a good night's rest.
Now I am sitting here preparing for the classes I have tomorrow. I hope I have plenty to tell you this week! It is never dull here in Townsville, QLD. Love you all! Be prepared to see lots of pictures!
Australia has been the most amazing experience I have ever had and I hope some day I can return here to accomplish some of the things I didn't get to during my stay here. The people and places have made this trip one in a million and I am glad I had the opportunity to share it with everyone. I know now that traveling is in my blood. I will never stop.
