George Hayward, 2012 North Queensland Sustainability student blogger, writes:
May 20
Yay! We officially landed in Brisbane, went through customs, claimed our luggage, took a shuttle bus to domestic flights, went through security and boarded our next plane – all in an hour and a half! Note to future students: our layover in Brisbane Airport was two hours. If yours is similar, you better get moving right away! We got to this plane right as it was boarding. Adrenaline rush? Yes! Peaceful and relaxing? No way!
Hanging out waiting for the ferry to Magnetic Island
Upon landing in Townsville, a scenic bus ride with commentary from the driver took us past mountains, a waterfall, a cantilevered house and several parks as we made our way to the ferry terminal. Waiting for our ferry to Magnetic Island, a couple guys and I played footbag (hacky sack) while others just grabbed a seat to relax. Most of us exchanged currency, which was a lot easier than I expected. All I had to do was go to an ATM just like I would in the U.S. The process was exactly the same except that it returns Australian money, which is much more colorful and feels like plastic!
This afternoon consisted of a few hours of free time after our arrival at the hotel. I used this time to take photos, exercise, swim in the pool and unintentionally nap.
Fresh out of the pool from our first Australian swim
May 21
Breakfast this morning was awesome. We had cereals, fruit, bread, muffins, yogurt and assorted drinks. What made it really special though were these beautiful lorikeets that joined us once they found out we had jam. As long as we had jam, they’d climb on our arms, hands and even heads to position themselves for our tasty bread spreads. Fortunately, a lot of students brought their cameras, so I do have pictures, but I did not have mine! The lesson learned here is this: always take your camera with you! You never know when something amazing will happen. Even if it’s just breakfast. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it!
Lorikeets as beautiful breakfast guests
We had two lectures this morning, one on Australian history and one on ecology. Both were about an hour long and jam-packed with useful information. Afterward, we went to Horseshoe Bay for a guided hike to Balding Bay. It was absolutely amazing. The scenery was beyond beautiful. Trees of all shapes and sizes flooded our views as wells as boulders, rocks and undulating hills. Our guide taught us about all the flora and fauna along the hike. We saw a couple of cool animals, including small lizards and spiders, but nothing too fancy. I think the koalas and kangaroos are coming soon though!
Learning about local biology during our hike from Horseshoe Bay to Balding Bay
We reached Balding Bay after hiking up and then down a rather large hill. Upon arrival, many of us went swimming in the ocean while others tanned or explored. We think we saw the head of a sea turtle while swimming but unfortunately we can’t be sure. Regardless, this bay was tremendous. It could very well be the prettiest place I’ve ever seen. Accordingly, I was sad when we left, but I know there will be other amazing sights over the next few weeks. Plus, I took about 100 photos; it will be well remembered!
Arriving at Balding Bay, what a beautiful place!
