Amanda Ferguson, 2014 North Queensland student blogger, writes: Thursday, May 22 G’day, mates! After the farmstay, I now have an accent! I’m just kidding, I still sound very American, but on the Atherton Tablelands with my host family was a chance to hear a variety of the local lingo. “Keen as mustard” meaning smart and enthusiastic and “bloke” instead of…

Amanda Ferguson, 2014 North Queensland student blogger, writes: Sunday, May 10 This week we’ve been kicking it at Eco Village at Mission Beach. The Wet Tropics rainforest and local Aboriginal culture have been the topics of discussion during our lectures and field excursions. The Aboriginals really had a unique connection to the land. We learned from the Nywaigi people that…

Amanda Ferguson, 2014 North Queensland student blogger, writes: The water! The rocks! The sky! If I were to write a poem about my stay here in Australia so far that is what it would be. No kidding though, everything is wonderful here. Arrival at Bungalow Bay on Magnetic Island was immediately followed by a trip to the beach. Sand between…

Amanda Ferguson, 2014 North Queensland student blogger, writes: Adventure is out there! That is my main expectation for this program in Australia. Other than that, my prospects are mainly filled with questions. There are sure to be koalas and kangaroos, and the dry Outback along with the wet rainforests, but what else is out there? Who will I meet? What…