Moving Deeper into the Bush: Canarvon Gorge National Park

As we continued our adventures in Queensland we moved deeper into the bush to Canarvon Gorge National Park. We were truly disconnected with no cell service or internet (not that we were used to having that kind of connection on a regular basis).  Canarvon was much dryer and not nearly as cold as Lamington, a change we all welcomed.  

Here we got to study fire regimes and learn about how Australians use controlled burns to protect human infrastructure and lives.  Along with studying plants we also studied social behavior or some animal species in the area.  I got to spend an entire afternoon observing the social behavior of a mob of grey kangaroos.  While out at the trail head to the gorge I also got to follow around an echidna. 

Besides all this studying we also hiked a lot in the National Park.  In the 3 days we hiked I believe I traveled something like 43 km.  It was great to be out in nature hiking and seeing a part of Australia that looks nothing like stereotypical Australia.  

One of my favorite parts of this area was the amount of Aboriginal culture that was so visible everywhere.  We got to see 2 famous sites with aboriginal "art." The rock walls were covered in hand stencils, boomerang paintings, and emu track paintings. It was truly amazing to see hand stencils from maybe over 1,000 years ago.  Seeing the hand prints of people from that long ago is hard to wrap your head around.

Return from the bush... Lamington National Park

Sunset from the lodge at Binna Burra

Wow I am now back from the bush and done with finals and I finally have time and internet to post about my last month in Queensland. First stop was Lamington National Park.

The python.

We arrieved on Monday April 23^rd, checked into our tents (yes tents more on them later) and ate lunch.  After lunch we had some time to organize our tents and enjoy the outdoors.  We weren’t on the grounds of Binna Burra two hours before Julia screamed SNAKE!!!!! And as good little bio neards we all came running.  None of us were 100% sure what type of snake it was so we consulted a field guide and snapped some pictures.  Rob on of our lectures was milling about so a couple of us grabbed him hopping he could help us ID the snake.  Well we had been correct Rob comfirmed that the snake was a Carpet Python (nonvenomous) and then he proceded to pick up the python which was about 4 ft long.  After a quick lesson in snake biology and proper handeling technique the snake was passed from person to person while everyone else took pictures. I thought about holding it but backed out at the last minute when I saw that it was getting a bit squirmy.  

The rest of our time in Lamington was pretty much like that.  Everyday we were out in the sub-tropical rainforest or some other type of forest one on one with nature.  Unfortunately not every part of nature is friendly (especially in Australia) as we found out when we met the land leeches.  These little blood suckers were everywhere especially when it was raining.  Once we discovered that dousing our feet in bug spray and then socks over the pants kept them out for the most part it was better.

  

Lamington is a beautiful place and we spent a lot of time hiking around on the many trails that left from Binna Burra.  Not only did we hike along the trails but we also used those areas for our projects.  My group looked at vines that grow near the bottom of tree trunks while others looked at spider burrows on the trail banks.  There was also a larger group project where half of us looked at the rainforest and recorded things about flora and the other half did the same in the sclerophyll forrest (Eucalypt forest).  I ended up having to climb over huge fig tree buttresses with the help of vines to get out of our survey site.  And it didn't help that it was raining the day my group had to survey.

Paddymelon

Australia Zoo day!

* There are 2 new posts so make sure to look for the one I posted a right before this one.

they were HUGE

Yesterday I went to the Australia Zoo with Karin and her host mother (and then when to a Footy game after).  We spent the day at the "Home of the Crocodile Hunter".

The first thing we did was pass by a few exhibits before heading to the Corcoseum for a Wildlife Warrior show.  On our way there we saw a Komodo dragon and other Australian lizards. We saw some giant tortoises that were standing less than 3 feet away from us.  As we got closer to the Crocoseum we saw saltwater crocodiles. For anyone who watched the crocodile hunter growing up (and remembers any of it) some of the crocodile names would be familiar.  There was Bluey, Agro, and Casper all in a line and then Acco and Lucy among others.  And again if you remember the show the enclosures would also look familiar.

Mossman going after the chicken 

We arrived at the Crocoseum just in time for the show.  There were birds, snakes, an alligator, and yes a big crocodile.  The show was all about conservation and how the average Australian can help out by doing simple things at home.  The most impressive part of the show was definitely the part with the saltwater crocodile named Mossman.

After the show we grabbed lunch and moved on to some more of Australia's famous animals.  We walked through an open area with Kangaroos and Wallabies hopping around.  There were also some Echidnas in a smaller enclosure.  Then we walked though wetlands with large Australia birds and across to the Emu enclosure where we saw an Emu up close with less fence in between us than I expected.  One of the Emus was only about 3 or 4 feet away from us and it walked along the fence with us making a very deep noise that you would never thing a bird could make.

Sleeping Kangaroo sleeps like my cats at home

We walked through an open Koala area where Karin and I got to pet a Koala (they are softer than I had been led to believe they were). While we were standing there one of the Koalas decided to get down from his tree and run across the path to a different tree with all kinds of people walking around.

Just chilling in the grass

We then got to see Wombats! Finally I have been waiting all trip to see a wombat and I now have.  There were four or five of them out wandering around their enclosure with a keeper.  For anyone who doesn't know what a Wombat is they look like a cross between a Koala and a woodchuck (at least I think so).

Another animal I got to check off my list that day was Tasmanian Devils! There were a bunch out running around sniffing the air and just looking too cute for words.

A Tassie Devil peeking out from the rocks

We also stopped by the American alligator exhibit so that Karin could say that she had seen both Crocs and Alligators.  We would later see an enclosure with a bunch of young gators. The young gators were actually moving around instead of just basking in the sun like the larger ones.

Near the end of our day we saw another crocodile being fed. This one's name was Weipa and he shares an enclosure with Lucy (known for being very protective of her nest of eggs).  Weipa put on quite a show as he launched himself out of the murky water in his enclosure.  I know that I never want to be inside that fence.

I wish I could have gotten closer to these beautiful young cheetahs 

Our last area of the Zoo was Southeast Asia and Africa. First stop Asian elephants and it was feeding time so Karin and I jumped in line to feed them.  And then we didn't know what to do with the Elephant slobber that was all over our hands.  We continued on to see the Red Pandas and Tigers before heading to Africa.  On our walk to Africa we saw 2 cheetah cubs with handlers being walked on leashes.  The two looked happy that they were allowed to just lounge in the grass.  The rest of the Africa exhibit was an open grassy plain with Giraffes, Zebras, and a Rhino sharing the space.

One of the Asian elephants we got to feed

On our way out we stopped by the wildlife animal hospital where we got a peek into what goes on there and what kind of animals they treat.  A koala named Ros was being re-bandaged after a dag attacked him, there was a bird with something wrong with his wing and a turtle that had a shell problem from being run over with a car. All three seemed to be on the mend and there were more animals resting in cages recovering from numerous injuries.

Ros the injured koala waking up from anesthesia. 

It was a long day. We got back to my homestay house at 6pm, just in time to leave for the Footy game that night.

Tassie Devil

I haven't had a chance to do anything with the pictures so they are all completely unedited and there are a few pictures that I don't have on my computer so I'll have to add them later.

Brisbane

I don't think I mentioned that it rained everyday for the first week in Brisbane.
 This is the rainbow we saw after the scavenger hunt.

Paige, Eric, and I arrived at 6:30am on a train into Brisbane.  Tired and hungry we dragged our bags from the train station to the hostel we would be staying in for the night.  But the reception desk didn't open until 8am and we couldn't check in until 11am, so we waited and waited until we finally were able to check in. We spent the rest of the day lounging around and went to bed early.  The next day we met up with the group again where we spent one night the the Brisbane YHA before heading to North Stradbroke Island for a few days of field work. When we returned from Straddie we were passed off to our host families where we would spend the next 2 weeks.

Scavenger hunt: this is a BBQ

My host family is very nice.  They have free wifi (which I am using right now), TV, and are located not too far from a bus stop.  I have enjoyed my time here with them and for the first time since I've been in the country I have been able to unpack my clothes! I was also able to do laundry and make sure that everything actually got clean.  The only bummer has been that it is hard to get together with people because everyone is living somewhere different and they may not live very close to a bus stop.  So we mostly see each other in class. These 2 weeks have been mostly lecture weeks with quite a few days off.

My room for 2 weeks! Yes it is a but messy but I took this towards
 the end of my stay and I was running around so much my room
started to show that all I had time for was sleeping in there.

And with our time off we have all figured out how to plan get togethers in the CBD including a scavenger hunt and a group outing to a rugby game.  Paul and Ann Marie also hosted a potluck BBQ where they were staying.  We had enough food to feed probably 40 people and there where only 28 of us.

The little gecko that lives in my room :)

When we are not doing things in a group most of us do things with our host families.  On my first day with my family I went to one of their daughter's houses and met a bunch of the family (including 6 dogs!).  On another day off my host parents took me out into the country where we saw a bunch of Wallabies and Kangaroos.  And then last night they took me and the French girl that is also staying with them to a Footy match.  And today (my last day here) they took me, Marion (French girl), and Grace (Chinese girl also staying with them) out for a fish and chips picnic.  And the rest of the day has been mostly spent packing or  writing this post.

Picnic on the last day with the host family.
From left Marion, me, Helen (host mom), and Grace

Bustin' a move for the photo scavenger hunt

Sydney Parts 2,3, and 4

Paige and I ready for our snorkel in the harbor.

Paige and Hen looking fine on our snorkel

A tiny waterfall in the Blue Mountains

After leaving the city we stayed on the other side of the harbor in Chowder Bay at a place called Lands Edge.  It was great everything was green around us, we didn't have to think about cooking and we spent most of our time outside.  A couple of the days we worked with the local park services pulling weeds or excavating an old military tunnel. We also learned about the Aboriginal culture in the area.  I even got to throw a boomerang!


We weren't there long (not that we're ever anywhere long). We returned to downtown Sydney for a few days before head off in seperate directions for break.  I stayed in Sydney for break with Paige and Eric. There were others that stayed in the city too and Emily Smith and Karin stayed in the same hostel as us.  It was nice to not be on a schedule for a few days. Paige and I went to Manly for a day where we met up with others from our group.  I took a dance class at Sydney Dance Company and then wandered through a market with Paige in the Rocks (the oldest area in Sydney).

We met up with a bunch of others from the group one night for pizza at the Australian Heritage Hotel where we all enjoyed pizza made from some unique Australian ingredients.  There was the Kangaroo pizza (my favorite) and Crocodile pizza (not so favorite).

I also had the chance to meet up with Izzy Roe. She, Paige and I went out to dinner one night and explored some areas of Sydney that Paige and I hadn't seen.

Sydney Part 1

The view from my exam seat

SYDNEY! Yes we are now in Sydney and it is just as amazing as I imagined.  First stop after checking into the hostel... A view of the Opera house and the Bridge!
Unfortunately the fun had to be paused after our first afternoon in the city. Midterms started the next day (Friday) but they were over by Sunday and then it was time to enjoy the city.  We did however miss St. Patrick's Day which was Saturday because we all had to study but we could hear it going on all around us (Sydney LOVES St. Patrick's Day).

Found some white wine and fresh basil in the free fridge!
So we made shrimp for dinner with rice YUM!

Anyway to the fun stuff! After exams Paige and I walked to the Apple store to get my phone unlocked and to get a sim card (yay now I have a phone that works!). Along the way we pasted a large shopping area of the city and made note of some places to stop by on our way back. Also I should mention that the Apple store was 3 stories tall!!!!!! On the way back to the hostel (aka YHA) we stopped in a few shops and I got a dress, so now I have a dress to wear!

Walking through Hyde Park on our way to an Art Gallery
(from left Lyla, Eric, Hilary)

We didn't spend too long in the city and other than my Apple store outing I didn't really go many places other than the grocery store. But we did have class outing to the Australia Museum in Sydney and an art gallery.  In both places we saw Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. In the art gallery we got to see some contemporary styles of art now done by Aboriginal people that was mostly political or activist work.

A sailboat on the harbor and the view from the Manly Ferry

The gallery also had a few works by some of my favorite European artists that I got to see as well.
Following the art gallery a bunch of us went to the famous Manly Beach via the Manly Ferry (which has free wifi).

Canoeing in the Royal National Park

After a few adventures in the city it was time to get back out into the bush so we headed to the Royal National Park for a canoe and BBQ. We also got to go for a swim on a beautiful beach and no bush adventure would be complete without some bush tucker (that's bush food) and a talk about how the Aborigianl people of that area used the land.

Canberra: the Capital City

So Canberra had potential to be awesome and parts of it were but unfortunatly we all decided to study for our mid terms coming up instead of going out and exploring the city. Paige and I did make a few friends in our short time there. The wonderful Nate and Jake, friendly desk workers at the Canberra YHA. We had fun standing at the desk talking to them until their shifts ended. Also YAY first Aussie facebook friends.

Laura and Sophie enjoying a drink for Ian's birthday on the last night of break.

But Canberra was not all studying we went to museums and the War Memorial and Museum.  Needless to say it was a great few days of reacquainting with the group after our break.

Unfortunately I was a bit of an anti shutter bug so I have almost no pictures from Canberra but here are a few I managed to snap while out and about (please note: "out and about" is always said with a Canadian accent).

Parliament! This is the House (the part that the government is formed out of).
Yes I did learn something here.  

Tassie Adventures!

It is the end of our first break and I spent it in Tasmania with 5 other girls.  It has been quite a week. 

First it was my first experience in a hostel and our one in Hobart was not the nicest one out there so it was a bit scary at first, but soon we made friends.  

But lets start from the very beginning... Our taxi to the hostel was paid for by the couple we shared with because they were dropped off after us. The next morning we got the lay of the land so to speak and when out for breakfast.  Pancakes yum! The rest of the day was pretty laid back as we enjoyed the free wifi at the hostel and explored the Harbor. 

The next day we took a shuttle up to the top of Mt. Wellington and hiked down.  The top was colder than I ever imagined it could be and it was so windy you almost couldn't hear people speaking right next to you. But it was worth it for the views as we starting hiking down.

Hiking down Mt. Wellington

Paige and I on Mt. Wellington

We had lunch next to a waterfall and then took the public bus back to central Hobart.  

Tuesday was our adventure to Port Arthur a former Prison colony known for being one of the most feared prisons in Australia in the 1800's.  We enjoyed our day despite the cold and rain.  The bus driver or rather van driver was crazy and we had fun answering his Aussie trivia along the way.

As we left Port Arthur we ran into the couple that paid for our airport taxi! 

Friday we left to go back to Hobart.  After the long drive and the fact that we didn't have much left in the way of food we decided to get dressed up and go out.  We went to a seafood restaurant on the harbor and enjoyed fresh fish (well most of us we did have one vegetarian with us) and a bottle of Chardonay and after all that dessert. YUM

Welcome to Freycinet

Water, wine, and coffee

Hiking girls!

the wild wallaby

On Hazard Beach during our 22km hike

Playing Aussie pool at the only bar in Coles Bay

Wednesday we left for Coles Bay and Freycinet National Park.  We had a tiny cabin to ourselves with a kitchen and a full bath.  We enjoyed movies and wine both nights.  On Thursday we went on a 22km hike through the national park and it rained off and on all day.  But the views and wildlife were worth it. I got to pet a wild wallaby! 

My Orange gluten free cake with chocolate ice cream after dinner our last night in hobart.

We left the next morning at 5am after a small taxi disaster where the taxi we ordered didn't show.  We were all relieved to reach the YHA in Canberra to finally nap (after we waited out side for 4 hours because our room wasn't ready).  And to finish off what the boys were calling 8 day vacay the 6 of us went out for pizza and beer for dinner.

Back to Melbourne

When we returned to Melbourne we stayed in the CBD or downtown.  Our adventures included taking the train to class, wandering around the city and going to the market for food, and an Aussie rules football match!

First stop Penguins!!!

Cuttle came out and put on a show for everyone around his tank.

HUGE rays being fed by divers! We saw some of these in the wild.

Aussie rules Football!

We went to the aquarium one morning which was fun not only because they have some amazing creatures but also because it allowed us to escape the heat.  Our last 2 days in Melbourne had temperatures in the upper 30's C.