Time Travel is Possible

And thus all good things must come to an end. :( What an incredible adventure this has been - an experience truly unique and beautiful. Looking back, it's so hard to believe that it was really three months ago that I was sitting on my bed on Newton MA, writing about my fears and anxieties for the coming semester. These last few days, weeks really, have gone by so quickly I felt that I could barely blink before they would be gone forever. The following is my attempt to sum up all that happened in the last few weeks: 

1) ISP finished in a blur. There was a period where I was mildly panicked, worried that I wouldn't get my results interpreted and analyzed in time. My advisor was gone, visiting another island during the last week I was on ISP, so she was out of communication and unable to answer questions about our data (which was problematic since I had no idea where to start). But eventually she returned and we had a successful day at her office where I got all the results and charts that I needed. So mission accomplished. 

2) The Surrey-Bergman family reunion! My parents flew all the way to Australia to rendezvous with me (while also doing some business and professional speeches as well), and we met up in Sydney where they rented a beautiful apartment along Bondi beach. I spent about 4 days with them (my roommate, Chelsea, came to stay with us for a couple of those days as well). It was super great to see them again and to be back as a family, however I cannot deny that it was also very strange. After being on my own and surrounded by 18 other 20-22 year-olds, it was strange to be the only young adult and to be taken care of again (but nice at the same time and definitely cannot complain about that ;)

3) As much fun as Sydney was, it was really great to reunite with everyone back in Cairns. We met everyone at the Greenhouse, said brief hellos, before hitting the beds from some much needed sleep. (Chelsea, our friend Greg who was also in Sydney, and I had to wake up at 3:30 to catch our 5:30AM flight). The next few days consisted of putting the finishing touches on our final papers, putting together our presentations (about our projects) and getting reacquainted with Cairns.

The presentations went so well! It was so amazing to hear about everyone’s projects and what they had been doing for the past month. We all had such a wide range of interests and passions. For example, one person was studying bio-mimicry and its usage in agriculture (using natural landscape to shape crop formations, sunlight patterns to predict where to plant which crop), another person was studying the density of platypuses in river ways in northern Cairns, while another person was interviewing people up in the Whitsunday Islands to try and get an idea of why people are so scared of jellyfish. There were so many more and each person really spoke eloquently and professionally about their topics. It was so cool to see how much we had all grown and changed over the course of the semester. Looking back, my project could not have been more perfect for what I am interested in. While not officially an “endangered” species, the Little Penguins are threatened by anthropogenic pollution and have had their habitat drastically destroyed. It was so great to get a chance to jump in on actual, real-world field work and see the process that goes into writing and putting together an official scientific research/thesis project. My advisor was absolutely incredible and we had a great time on the islands. The penguins were wonderful and totally adorable (despite their feisty dispositions) and I hope I get the chance to work with them again someday.

4) Once the presentations were over we were officially done with all our academic work of the semester so it was time to relax. On Monday, Tony took us all on our surprise trip which meant travelling about 2 ½ hours west to Chillagoe, a mountain, country town basically in the outback. We left the lush coast behind and traded it in for desert heat and dry, scorched earth. (We even got to see a couple of Dingoes! For those who don't know, those are the Australian wild dogs and they only really live in the outback). We spent one night at a quaint hostel that also housed a state of the art observatory, complete with a magnificent telescope. We spent the two days taking tours of these amazingly old, beautiful caves and learning about their history and geology, from our guide Eddie. The first cave was named Donna cave, because of the rock just inside the entrance that looks like the profile of Madonna of the Rocks (see below). The second cave (that i don't have pictures from unfortunately), was called Arch cave. At night we had an astronomy session out in the field behind the hostel where the observatory was located. We got to see thousands if not millions of stars, and even got a rare, up close glimpse of Jupiter, thanks to our great guide. It was the perfect end to an awesome semester. :) 

Holding a piece of stalactite (don't worry, the guide gave it to me to hold; I didn't break it from the cave :P)  

The aptly named, "Balancing Rock." 

Beautiful sunset from Balancing Rock 

Outback here we come! 

5) The end of the program went by in a rush. The best way to describe the overall feeling is bittersweet – on one hand, I was/am excited and ready to be home, but at the same time I’m very reluctant to leave Australia and the people I’ve come to know and love. I’m also a bit anxious for “re-entry” back into life in the states after experiencing such a drastically different lifestyle. But I feel ready to return to my normal routine and get reacquainted with everyone and everything. Tony warned us that while we might feel like we’ve changed a lot, everyone back home might not have changed very much. 

6) On the second to last night Tony and SIT treated the whole group to a magnificent sunset boat ride around the Cairns harbor and a fancy, elaborate dinner at a restaurant right on the waterfront. Uncle Russell joined us for these last few days which made it really special. The next day we woke up early for our last "excursion," a trip out to Josephine Falls, which we had actually visited earlier in the semester. This time, however, it was only for fun. Josephine Falls is characterized by a huge rock that acts as a giant, natural water slide, (the water literally makes a fast-flowing chute along one side of the rock) which ends in a deep pool. Not content with merely sliding (in order to get to the top of the rock, one had to pull themselves, "beached-whale" style, up the bottom part of the rock where it was very slippery, before carefully climbing the rest of the way), we soon began to explore other "activities," the main one consisting of trying to push/pull others down the rock. This soon erupted into a mini-war, with Kenny and Tyler against the rest of the group. There were some pretty spectacular wrestling matches, which culminated in one or all of the people involved, sliding swiftly down to the pool, while laughter and cheers erupted from the spectators. No one was safe. Even those of the group who hung back at first soon found themselves literally pulled into the action.
It was so great to see how far we had come as a group and how comfortable we all were now with one another. The last time we had visited these falls we had barely started forging bonds and now we were all sharing an awesomely fun time, indiscriminately shoving one another down a slippery, rock face. :) We all left the falls soaking wet, a bit bruised and with full smiles.

That night we had our last group dinner and said our goodbyes to Tony. (this soon dissolved into a major crying fest among some members). While some of us had stronger relationships with our AD than others, I think it's fair to say that we each came to love him in our own way. As disorganized and confusing as he could be at times, he truly was a wonderful guide for this semester and it would definitely NOT have been the same without him.

7) After staying up till around 1-2 AM finishing up last minute packing, 6 of us arose at 5 to catch our cab to the airport. The whole group, bleary-eyed and overwhelmed, convened in the hallway outside the rooms at the hostel for our goodbye hugs. While I would not say I became close to every member of the group, after living together and spending almost every minute together for 2 1/2 months you cannot really help but develop a special bond, and breaking the unity of the group by leaving was extremely difficult to do. But plans for a reunion are definitely on their way and I know that this will not be the last time that the SIT: Rainforest, Reefs and Cultural Ecology program of Fall 2012 will be together.

So now, after over 30 hours of travel, I am back home in Newton MA. (Weird fact: we left Sydney around 3:30 PM on Thursday (12/13/12) and arrived into Dallas FWT between 3:30 and 3:40 PM on Thursday (12/13/12). So who says time travel isn't possible!? I guess this is the universe/time's way of paying us back. We lost a Thursday flying over to Australia and now we get to live two). My bed is just as comfy as I remember and the food tastes even more wonderful. :) I should probably go to bed soon and try and get a jumpstart on this whole jet-lag thing, (it is now currently 3:30 PM on friday according to my schedule) but I will write at least one more post as a final reflection on my trip (once I've had a chance to adjust and settle in).
Last thing: I'll leave you with my assessment of Australia (not SIT, but just the pros and cons of the country). Enjoy! Also, keep in mind these are just my opinions and are mainly just for entertainment purposes.

Pros and Cons List of Australia:

Pros:    

·      Accent 

·      Free healthcare

·      Stricter driving procedures and fines (believe me, people drive crazy enough in the states)

·      Low drinking age (18 hells yea!)

·      Tim-Tams (enough said)

·      Yoghurt Muesli bars

·      Generally warmer climate

·      Higher minimum wage = $15 dollars an hour = higher general standard of living

·      Home to awesome animals: kangaroo, koala, echidna, platypus…the list goes on.

·      “Cheers” and “G’day” = common salutations

·      People are generally more friendly and helpful (no hasty avoidance of eye contact when walking down the street) 

·      Beautiful cities

·      Sydney Opera House and Botanical Gardens

·      Awesome looking currency (so colorful and pretty!)

·      No taxes or tips – everything is just the stated price

·      Cassowaries

·      Most delicious veggie burgers in the world (Bubble and Squeak)

·      Kangaroo meat = more sustainable meat source than cattle (healthier, leaner meat; no environmental degradation from over grazing; over-populated; no methane – kangaroos don’t fart)

·      Fascinating aboriginal culture

·      PENGUINS!

·      Project Runway Australia – the only thing better than sassy American gay male fashion designers, is sassy gay, male fashion designers with Australian accents

·      Great Barrier Reef

·      No pennies! (although the 50 cent pieces are a bit on the large side…)

·      Currency is so much more beautiful and colorful than our boring green kind

Cons:

·      No sidewalks. (Quite an experience, having to walk on the shoulder of a major road while trying to avoid stepping on someone’s lawn while simultaneously trying to not get killed by oncoming traffic)

·      Driving on the left side (aka, “wrong” side)

·      So many things can kill you (including many that are too tiny to see clearly. Ex: irukandji jellyfish. Look them up)

·      Everything is so European (and not in a good way)

·      Everything is so darn expensive

·      Mining industry controls the country’s politics

·      Swimming in the ocean in summer is not possible due to jellyfish and swimming in many rivers is not possible in any season because of crocodiles

·      It is possible to step on a giant python in the middle of the road at night if there are no light sources 

·      Cassowaries (Cassoraptor velocowary)

·      Chips are not generally sold in fast food places (like sandwich shops) = maybe this is just odd for me....

·      Gi-nourmous spiders the size of your hand

·      The crows sound like dying cats – and they love to wake you up at 4:00AM

·      Internet accessibility is not up to par with the developed state of the country

·      Christmas with no snow – Just wrong.

·      Crappy cell phones with service plans that no human on earth can understand

·      Limited ATMs

·      DVDs and movies are formatted for only Australian players

·      Outlets and voltage differences 

Neither Pro nor Con – Just Unusual:

·      Metric and Celsius systems (not saying they’re bad, I just don’t enjoy having to calculate everything into those terms)

·       “Jumper” in Australia = sweatshirt or jacket. In US = awkward one piece clothing

·      “Rubber” in Australia = eraser In US = condom

·      “Thongs” in Australia = sandals (flip flops). In US = underwear for women who like to be uncomfortable

·      “Boot” in Australia = trunk (of a car). In US = things you wear on your feet when it’s raining

·      “Lolly” in Australia = stuff sold from an ice cream truck. In US = candy

·      “Brekkie” = breakfast (Australian’s tend to shorten words and add “ie”)

·      “Sunnies” = sunglasses

Peace, love and crazy Australian adventures
Katie 

Bowen Island - Second/Last Trip

For the past 4 1/2 days I've been out on Bowen Island with Sandra, conducting our last visit of the breeding season. Once the last group of chicks has grown up (which should happen in the next few weeks or so) the entire colony will leave the island and head for sea, where they'll stay until the adults come back for the moult in February (the chicks stay out at sea for several years before coming back to claim burrows and mates). This time it was just Sandra and I on the island which was just as beautiful and remote as last time. We drove down to Jervis Bay in the early afternoon on Tuesday (after getting the okay from Martin that morning - the trip was very impromptu . We had a midday lunch stop at Subway (delicious to get to taste some food from home. Bonus, it's almost exactly the same price as back home which means it is very cheap for Australia standards.) We didn't linger in Jervis Bay for long, just enough to meet up with Marin, load the gear and head out to sea.

Since it was around 5:00pm by the time we rolled into Jervis Bay, it was already getting late by the time we got our gear carried up to the house. We immediately started to set up the fence for the nightly recaptures. By the time we were done with that it was almost sundown (aka "penguin time.") so we hastily made a cup of tea, and grabbed a quick bite (some of our subway leftovers served nicely) and headed down to the beach to wait. 

The first night was pretty good, we caught 128 total, 13 of which had microchips. (Either I was getting better at handling the penguins or they were just more acclimated to us or they were just in better moods cause I managed to avoid getting severely bitten on this trip. Unfortunately Sandra couldn't claim the same. One particularly grumpy adult clamped onto her finger and held on for several solid seconds, after we pulled him from his burrow to check him for a microchip. Can you blame them?) 

Fence/corral for the penguins

Some of the locals :)

Fuzzy Penguin chick! 

They are master escape artists (or at least they try to be)

Notice the blue feathers under the fuzz - As they get older the blue will get darker till it's basically black,

Some more nature shots of the Island:

After our nightly excursion, Sandra and I headed back to the house for some dinner (delicious pasta with creamy alfredo-like sauce), another round of hot tea and finally to bed (around 1:00AM).

We spent the morning sleeping in before heading out to do the routine burrow checks. This time we brought several of the white plastic pipes that were lying outside the house (probably remnants of Martin Fortescue's old work), so that we could permanently mark the burrows Sandra is studying. The Island is overrun with an invasive species of tall grass called Kikuyu (sp?) that the National Park has to cut back every year (using cutting and controlled burning). The grass grows very quickly so there was no guarantee that Sandra would be able to find her marked burrows again next year unless we added something more visually eye-catching. We pounded the pipes into the ground next to the burrows and added bright red tape around the top. Then Sandra wrote the burrow number on the pipe as well, so there wouldn't be any confusion about which ID number it was. Since we were adding markers, the burrow check took a little longer than normal, but since time was a luxury on Bowen Island, it wasn't a problem :) Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to see Oreo again (this time we had come prepared with a fancy hi-tech camera), nor did we get a chance to get blood samples from his parents. But maybe we'll get lucky and they'll hatch Oreo Jr. next year!

Below are some more pictures from the trip: 

Bedroom

Kitchen area

Fencing area (before the penguin invasion ;) )

One microchipped penguin 

"Penguin in the Headlights."  

Protecting the burrow from intruders 

Giant Huntsman spider that lived in the bathroom.
They're so big that you can see  their eyes shine when you flash them with your light.  

Leaving was slightly bittersweet. I was excited to head back to civilization and my soft, comfy bed (plus my parents have landed in Australia and the Surrey-Bergman family is about to be finally reunited! sin puppy dogs, sadly) However my time with the penguins has been amazing from start to finish (even despite the penguin poop, bites and enormous spiders), and I will remember it forever. Since all the penguins are about to head off to sea soon to avoid the heat of the summer weather, that was going to be Sandra's last trip to the island this season. I wish I could go back with her next year, but maybe I'll be on to different things and I guess I should step aside and let someone else have a turn playing with the penguins (maybe another SIT student?) 

Goodbye Bowen Island! 

Yup. Riding in the boat, in the parking lot :)

Well that sums up my adventures in Peng-landia. However the work is far from over (although the fun work is) and now it's time  finally start sorting through all the results we collected and putting that into a paper. (hard to remember that this is school after all...) 

Even though back home everyone is/was prepping for Turkey Day, here in Australia where Thanksgiving does not exist, everyone/everything is getting ready for Christmas. There are literally christmas songs being played on the radio, advertisements for christmas shopping opportunities, and i even heard that a "santa" would be visiting one of the local malls sometime in the next two weeks. As someone who refuses to listen to christmas carols until after Thanksgiving is well over, this has really been messing with my head. Sandra and I both agree that it's messed up to celebrate christmas in a place with no snow (sorry all my Californian friends, but that's just fact. How do you argue with the fact that 9/10 christmas song make some reference to snow falling or bundling up by a warm fire?) Bottom line: i can't accept that Christmas has arrived when there are palmtrees outside my window and I'm walking around outside in shorts and a tank top :P

Two more weeks in Sydney then it's back to home sweet Cairns for a brief reunion with the group, (I'm thinking a trip to the Woolshed and Gilligans, our two favorite clubs?), a surprise trip from Tony/the program to no-one-knows-where, and then it's time to board Quantas flight 5681 for home. 

Until that time however..... 

Peace, love and Happy Turkey Day! (a little belated) Hope 

Katie