My first Reef Dive

On Saturday, a couple of friends and I decided to go scuba diving.  Townville is located right across from Magnetic Island. 

 

It's not the best diving location in Australia.  The visibility was only about 8m, it was a little cold, and the reef was a bit sparse, but who cares? we would be diving on an area that is basically the beginning of the Great Barrier Reef!  We took a half hour bus ride to the Ferry, a 45min Ferry ride to the Island, and walked for half an hour along a beach to get to the dive shop called Reef Safari, associated with a backpacking Hostel on the island.  For $60 we got a 40min dive and all our gear.  We did a walk in entry off the beach and set off.  It was my first open ocean dive.  I had gone diving in quarries many times, but this was the real deal.  We got to see fish of all kinds, two kinds of rays, an eel and a green turtle.  It was INCREDIBLE.  I was loving every minute of it.  

 My friend and dive buddy Maddie

 cool coral and little fish

 more cool coral cause coral is awesome

 some cool bluish flower like thing.  I have yet to figure out what this is but it is facinating

 more coral, this time including some branching coral!

cool fish

 cool sunfish! :)

 spotted ray hiding amongst the coral

 big fish. this fish had to be at least a foot long

 some sort of sea slug or cucumber which Maddie found. it was only about 4in long

 Jellyfish polyps!

 

 bull ray. He had to be at least 3ft accross

We had an incredible time and got to see all sorts of cool stuff.  I can't wait to go out again!

Thanks to:

http://www.magnetic-island-townsville.com/magnetic-island-map.html

for the map :) 

Orientation part 2

  On Friday we went to the Billabong Sanctuary. 

a really incredible place where all sorts of native Australian animals are housed.  Our tour began by meeting Tonka, a really cool wombat that seemed to be half asleep.

 and actually, he was! Wombats are nocturnal because they don't sweat.  They burrow underground during the day to avoid the heat and come out to eat at night when it's cooler.  There are three species of wombat.  Tonka is a bare-nosed wombat, simply because he has no hair on his nose.  He was rescued from his mother's pouch after she was hit by a car and raised in the park ranger's homes. 

The rangers used Tonka to show us a really cool adaptation/secret weapon.  Wombats have a very thick cartilaginous plate on their butts which they use to block the entrance to their burrows.  They have almost no nerve endings there and predators trying to eat them can scratch and claw at it all day.  Tonka wouldn't care.  The ranger demonstrated this by punching him a few times in the butt.  Tonka didn't even flinch let alone open his eyes from his nap.   Apparently if predators do get into their burrows, they lay flat on the ground and wait for the predator to step on them.  They then use that plate to slam the predators head into the ceiling of the burrow, and suffocate them.  "Death by butt" as one of the rangers eloquently put it.  After we all got a chance to pet Tonka,  we were led to the Koala enclosure.

This is Houdini, so named because he escaped several times from several different enclosures in several different parks.  Apparently Koalas also have a cartilaginous plate in their butts, but theirs is much thinner and meant to make sitting in trees for literally 20+ hrs a day more comfortable.  They also have a scent gland on their chests which make them smell dank and kind of sour.  They are incredibly soft with very thick hair to compensate for their complete lack of body fat.  They also don't drink water. Ever.  They get all their water and nutrients from the leaves they eat, which are actually poisonous.  They also have a really cool kind of second thumb which helps them hold onto things

Like me!  no amount of smelliness was going to keep me from holding one of the worlds cutest creatures. 

After the Koala, were were shown some of the parks scalier friends.

 Python

 salt water crocodile

much bigger salt water crocodile

We were then released to play with the 17 kangaroos freely hopping around the park.

It was definitely an experience I will never forget and one I immensely enjoyed.

Orientation part 1

    Over orientation week, several trips were scheduled to see the local wonders.  On Wednesday, we took a bus tour of Townsville, the main purpose being to orientate ourselves to the local shops and restaurants.  We were shown where the local "Mackers" (Mcdonalds), bottle shops (liquor stores), and malls were, and then taken to a river center, located on a large brackish water river, where we were allowed to wander, eat, and attempt to win prizes from the coordinators. (I came in second. So close!)  Thursday was significantly more exciting when we went to Reef HQ, 

 

  Needless to say, I was in my element. Thoroughly excited, we were split up into smaller groups and taken back into 

where we saw several young green turtles and one that was about 30, all of which needed medical attention.  One of the most common issues was floating, which is deadly to an animal that needs to swim to eat.  These turtles will mistake trash like plastic bags for their regular diet, jellyfish.  The trash blocks up their digestive system, causing air to get blocked up in their gut, messing with their buoyancy and making them float.  Because these turtles get all their water from their food, they usually die from dehydration before starving to death, but not before their bodies have stolen every bit of nutrients, including from their shells, which can become paper thin.  This turtle was floating, but has been rescued by the wonderful people at Reef HQ and is on his way to recovery.

The longer curly tail shows that he is a sexually mature adult male, and you can see that his right side is floating.  This turtle was around 30 and had to be 3 feet across and 4-5ft long.  He was beautiful.

Plastic bags aren't the only thing these turtles need to look out for.  They often mistakenly eat fishing implements, like hooks, lines, and swivels which lacerate their inner organs and leave them dead or dying with collapsed lungs or lacerated intestines. 

    If they don't eat the stuff, sometimes it gets them anyway.  This turtle lost a back fin, which apparently it won't even miss, but the issue remains.

The turtles were beautiful, and incredibly interesting,

but there was far more to see. 

    We were taken into a tunnel where we could see a predator tank on our rights and the reef tank on our left.  Hundreds of multicolored fish swam in the reef tank, in and out of the coral, some of them eating the coral, And a huge and beautiful coral reef it was. 

 (sorry this one goes sideways at the end)

It was gorgeous!  So many different types of fish!  The black and white one, which they allow to bred in every tank, test the water quality and are one of the only fish that protect their young.  Parrot fish swam around eating the corals, butterfly fish moved in and out of crevasses, cleaner wrasses chased all the fish around, and so much more.  I was in heaven.  I could have sat there and stared at those fish all day.  They could only be topped by the predator tank, containing the, largest, fattest, cutest nurse shark on the planet.  

Meet cuddles, one very overweight nurse shark.  he was accompanied by several black tipped reef sharks, large carnivorous fish,  Leopard sharks, two types of rays, and my personal favorite, a grouper. 

 black tipped reef sharks

 shovel nose ray

 really cool camouflage fish

 leopard shark

 another shovel nosed ray

 

several sharks waiting to be fed, on the bottom is a spiny nosed ray

GROUPER!! :D

The aquarium wasn't just these two tanks.  There were pitch black tanks with flashlight fish, dark tanks with deep sea lobsters,  tanks with lion fish and crown of thorns, which are steadily adding to the destruction of the reef,

public enemies #1 and #2

starfish, sea cucumbers, sea horses, the list goes on and on. It was incredible! I loved every minute of it.  I can't wait to go back. 

 

The wild life

 

    There is something fundamentally fantastic about walking around somewhere and not recognizing any of the wild life.  Kookaburras,  Ibis, Kerloos, Bush Turkeys, Wallabies, Kangaroos, Geckos, Lorikeets, and Cane Toads are all quite common and completely new to my North American trained eye.  Lorikeets have a piercing scream that sound like a child in danger; Kerloos spread their wings when they are about to attack; Bush Turkeys root around in the dirt, spraying passers-by. Wallabies and Kangaroos graze on the lawn outside my window, tucking their joeys into their pouches and bolting at the slightest noise.  Kookaburras forage, hunting for unwary diners from which they can steal "chips"; the Ibis search among reeds and lilies, hunting for just the right bug; and the Geckos hide on walls, eating disturbingly large moths and other insects. 
    The unfamiliarity adds an air of excitement that makes one want to carry a camera at all times so it can be documented, and later shoved in the face of an innocent bystander who cares little about the "cool leaf looking bug on my neighbors door this morning".   Though my family and friends seem quite worried, the animals that could kill me keep a blessedly large distance.  During a hike, a friend and I were paralyzed by the sound of a snake moving in the tall grass, and the threat of Dengue Fever from the numerous mosquitoes, though we were assured, we need not worry.  The wildlife which so defines this area tends to stay under the radar unless directly threatened, save the birds which are blatant picture nuts.   It is exciting to learn what each new track is from and by which animal each new sound is made.  I can hardly wait to see what is under the waves.

Kerloo















                                                                                         Kookaburra

  Wallabies

two Wallabies duking it out. 

                          Lorikeet

Thank you to http://people.hws.edu/mitchell/cards01/UQFloraFauna.html for all pictures except Wallabies and Leaf bug

 

"Wadda Mooli"

     "First of all, I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Townsville Region. The Bindal and Wulgurukaba people..."  Each informational session I have gone to has started in a similar fashion.  Australia was originally populated by hundreds of aboriginal clans that each have ancestral claim to the areas now populated by descendents of European immigrants.  In response to how the aboriginal people were treated during settlement, all Australian gatherings begin this way as a sort of apology process.  This also means that many of the native names are used for rivers and towns, resulting in creeks named Wadda Mooli (which is a greeting in the native language spoken by both the Bindal and Wulgurukaba clans) and towns called Wollongong, Geelong, and Mullumbimby.  I discovered this while learning how to ride a bus.

  Let it be known, I have never had any sort of sense of direction.  I therefore, greatly appreciate good public transportation, and luckily, that is available in Townsville.  A bus ride anywhere will cost you $1.40AU with a student discount, so its relatively cheap and easy to get around the area, that is until you realize that Australians are rather fond of shortening any name longer than 1 syllable. Stockworths, a sort of indoor outlet mall, is Stockies;  Woolworths, basically Walmart, is Wollies; the list goes on.  You must also realize that Australians are not work-a-holics like Americans.  They close shops at noon for hour and a half lunch breaks.  Stores are only open until 4, unless it's Tuesday, which is the one day they are open until evening, and most don't even open until 10.  And don't even try on weekends. It is a big mental shift from the work-centric world of the states, to the relaxed and home-centric world of Australia.  People are really friendly here, and are open to anyone.  Within the first 2 hours of being in my dorm, I had friends and plans for that evening.  It is exciting to be with people who are so open and excited about their world and the other people in it. 

The Odyssey

And so the Odyssey begins.


    I am sitting in the BWI airport waiting for my first flight to Dallas, from which I will fly to Brisbane.  Blessed with kindly assistants at the American Airlines desk, one of which gave me great advice where to go scuba diving in Townsville, and no line at security, I made my way to my departure gate 2 hours early.  Tearful goodbyes behind me and a drawn flower in my pocket from my little brother, I finally feel like this is really happening.  This experience I have waited all my life for has begun and I am thoroughly excited.  In preparation, I began reading a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryon, a fantastic travel author, who is teaching me how to not act like an ugly American.  His book tells of the complicated and often disputed history of Australia along with the tips and tricks he as picked up along the way.  It is quite useful as well as entertaining.  Now I can only hope that I make it through the flight with minimal discomfort and that my bags make it there with me!

    I can now say with confidence that flying with American Airlines is significantly more comfortable that flying Delta and the flight was much better than anticipated.  I now have the international leg of the journey ahead of me to contemplate and it is on the biggest plane I have ever been on. A wide body jet, it seats 8 people across and has two isles, much more impressive than the dinky little jets that I normally fly on, which are half the size.  Paranoia has set in about my bags making it, my transportation being there to pick me up upon arrival, and the track phone I'm going to need to buy, but my excitement at starting this incredible journey is only growing.

    Well I have managed the impossible. i ceased to exit for July 10th.  During that magical day skip, I spent 15 hours on one of the world's longest flights from Dallas to Brisbane. Unfortunately I didn't get to see any of the beautiful South Pacific we were flying over, as we spent the whole time chasing night time, but it wasn't a total loss.  Australians know how to fly.  Not only was everything complimentary, but I started to feel like they were overwhelming me with free stuff.  I was served snack after snack after snack, in a very comfortable seat, as well as receiving dinner and breakfast and complimentary drinks (alcoholic variety included! ;) its ok mom i was good).  I'm pretty sure I could have gone swimming in all the tea and coffee they offered me.  We landed in Brisbane and the airport was deserted, coated in a light drizzle.  I quickly cleared customs and retrieved my bags (thank god they made it!) so I could switch terminals.  After going through security again (they have the same requirements, but are much nicer about things) and re-checking my bags I got on my Townsville flight where I was served breakfast AGAIN as well as fresh fruit an coffee (I cannot tell you how much I love the Australians). 

  I am bone tired, slightly terrified, and tremendously excited. Let the semester begin!

Only a few more weeks to go!

Hello All!
    Only a couple more weeks to go until I arrive at JCU!  I am very excited.  I just wanted to reestablish that this blog is in fact active and I will be posting about once a week from July 11th on.  I can't wait to share my experiences with all of you!

~Caitlin