Heron Island

Welcome to the Great Barrier Reef!
      Even after our perfect Lamington experience, tiny Heron is definitely my favorite. We’re staying at the University of Queensland’s Heron Island Research Station taking our Coral Reef Ecosystems class— taught by Australia’s leading climate change and coral reef expert, professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, another coral researcher, Selina Ward, and Kevin Arrigo, a Stanford oceanographer (and our “faculty sponsor”) with whom I took an Earth Systems class last winter.
      Heron Island is a coral cay on the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef, the largest reef system in the world. At 2300 kilometers long, it’s bigger than the entire country of Italy! The GBR supports about 400 different coral species, 2000 kinds of fish, and 4000 types of mollusks. But much to my surprise, only 33% of the Great Barrier Reef is fully protected— actually a significant amount recently solidified in July 2004. Like Moreton Bay Marine Park, the other 66% of the GBR has been specially zoned to specify where recreational, commercial fishing, and trawling is allowed.
      To get to this isolated and remote paradise we drove seven hours in the middle of the night, arriving at the Gladstone dock to catch our ferry early in the morning. The wretched two-hour journey across the ocean was the worst I’ve ever endured— and I grew up on boats. Rolling seas and crashing waves had nearly everyone wet, uncomfortable, and sick. One of our tutors said that in the forty-odd times he’s traveled to Heron, he’s never had a more horrible ride. And the boat crew itself admitted that our particular ferry had never seen such stormy seas!
      Needless to say, it was a relief to finally sight the small, 0.17 square kilometer island that we’d call home for the next two weeks. As we chugged into port we passed an ancient wreck surrounded by warm turquoise waters and a white sand beach. Kevin, Selina, and some of the other tutors met us after disembarking and we had a short orientation before a delicious lunch catered by the research station’s incredible cook, Maggie. We also divided ourselves into rooms— unlucky people slept in miniscule, hot eight-person tents while others like me waited for the house-like cabins. In mine no one wanted the stuffy, dark corner room— conditions that don’t bother me at all. So I ended up with an amazing single!
      That afternoon the staff distributed wetsuits and we went snorkeling as a group. Those of us with experience followed one of the tutors all the way to the wreck— a long swim because the water was so choppy. I saw my first sea turtle while snorkeling, and our tutor Josh pointed out a poisonous lionfish with lots of red and white stripes and pointy protrusions. Being in such beautiful blue water was wonderful! But I was so exhausted after such intense physical activity, our sleepless night on the bus, and the uncomfortable ride on the ferry that I went to bed immediately after dinner and didn’t wake up until breakfast at 7 AM.
      For the next five days our daily schedule was quite regimented and busy. We attended lectures after breakfast and before and after dinner, and we divided into small groups to complete a different “lab” each day. Some labs took the entire day while others were much shorter. On the first day my group learned about scientific transect methodology. During mid-tide we walked out to the reef flat surrounding the island and counted coral species along varying transects. The wind was so oppressive that even though we were on a beautiful island on the Great Barrier Reef, we were all freezing! That afternoon our tutor Juan Carlos talked to us about transects and then we were free. Unfortunately I suffered a severe migraine the first few days on Heron so I spent my extra time lying down or sleeping.
      The second lab was definitely my favorite, as we snorkeled out past the reef flat to the reef crest during the afternoon high tide to learn about fish biology. We split into teams of two and each pair received a digital camera sealed in an underwater case to document the fish we found— certainly an effective way of teaching! Along the way Ove pointed out the parrotfish (big, brightly colored herbivores that scrape the algae off the corals and prevent macro-algae growth from smothering them— an activity you can hear underwater!), butterflyfish, damselfish, wrasse, gobiidae, blenniidae, and more. He also told us about two of my favorite fish relationships that follow the principle of mutualism, a kind of symbiosis in which both parties benefit. First, we observed the small cleaner wrasse removing the parasites from the mouths of larger fish. We also spotted the shrimp and the goby living together in a burrow of sand that the blind shrimp digs and the goby protects. On our swim back my partner Gwen and I found a big blue coral trout and a brown camouflaged nudibranch! Seeing and learning about this vibrant underwater world was just as magical as walking through the dripping wet, green, and noisy rainforest.
      After a quick afternoon tea we trooped up to Shark Bay, a crystal-clear cove with rays, skates, and sharks skimming the surface. My favorite was the giant shovel-nose ray which is long and tan with a pointed face. I also really liked the smaller eagle and black stingrays and was thrilled to see black and white tip reef sharks swimming underneath us. That night we had a party on the beach!
      The next morning after lecture our group assembled again to review our fish photographs. Most of them were awfully blurry, but Ove helped us identify each species and told us more about the significance of each. I’m so glad my group had the fish lab in the beginning, because every time I went snorkeling afterwards I always knew what I was seeing. Ove is a fantastic teacher and one of his after-dinner lectures was so inspiring that I lay in bed tossing and turning thinking about all the things I want to do and learn during my life.
      That afternoon we helped Kevin take phytoplankton samples on a boat for lab number three. We dragged a net through the water at five different sites to collect the plankton. The tow certainly didn’t take much effort so we thoroughly enjoyed the fast ride on the little rubber boat. Back on land we used microscopes to analyze our samples and determine the different kinds of plankton at each site. Looking through the scope at all of these beautiful, complex but miniscule formations was wonderful. We saw foraminifera, dinoflagellates, radiolarians, diatoms, terapods, jellyfish, trichodesmium, sponge spicules, crab and lobster larvae— and noticed that the amount of copepods dropped at the reef crest towards the reef flat because of the millions of damselfish known as the “wall of mouths” that eat them. After lecture that night we sampled from the dock and found a huge bloom of the orange trichodesmium.
      Lab number four consisted of measuring reef rubble (dead coral) biodiversity. Luckily the wind had finally died down and our tutor Davey led us on a walk through the reef flat during the morning’s mid-tide to collect some rubble pieces. Just like our snorkel with Ove, having an expert guide to point out the types and structures of coral— not to mention various reef organisms— was incredible. One of the greatest aspects of this Australia program is learning about the environment from those who know it best. Knowing how to identify acropora, pomocentrus, scaridae, labridae, chaetodons, and others is an invaluable gift that I can someday pass on to my own children.
      On the reef walk with Davey we spotted an epaulette shark, which is quite small, brown, and dotted and likes to zoom through the shallow coral. We also saw so many sea cucumbers of all colors and sizes. There are small and thin pinkish ones, big fat tan ones known as “bread loaves,” and other medium-sized purple ones. Finally we found some dead coral and brought it back to start analyzing for the entire afternoon. We broke the samples apart and out tumbled worms, crabs, snapping shrimp, and tiny fish. Our job was to identify the species and the amount of animals in each. In our piece of rubble, for example, Gwen and I found fifteen Porcellanidae petrolisthes, a type of crab. This lab certainly illustrated the great diversity of life within dead coral!
      Our final lab involved trooping out to the reef flat again with Selina to break off little pieces of the most prevalent Heron coral, the pointy acropora species. We brought them back to our makeshift laboratory to perform a series of complicated tests using machines such as a spectrometer to measure the amount of chlorophyll within their symbiotic dinoflagellates, or zooxanthellae. Given that I have never set foot in a biology lab I had no idea what was going on, but my mates were very helpful and understanding. Even though this lab was the most difficult for me I still enjoyed the exposure to scientific equipment. And luckily we finished early so I had plenty of time to fill out my housing application for Florence next quarter! I can’t believe that it will be an entirely different adventure.
      On the sixth day we listened to a few morning lectures and then took off for an afternoon boat snorkel— definitely a Heron highlight. The little rubber inflatable brought us far out to the reef crest on the other side of the island with the most beautiful corals I have ever seen. They were of many different pastels— pink, purple, blue, yellow, green, and orange— and shapes— foliaceous, encrusting, plate-like, branching, massives, and soft. We could even swim through their gigantic crevasses and dive down to see gorgeous fishes bobbing everywhere.
      Unfortunately I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening and the entire next day studying for our exam. We had more than twenty lectures to review so much of my free time during those first few days when I didn’t have a headache was devoted to learning the hefty oceanography, weather patterns, coral and fish biology material. The Heron course with its emphasis on hardcore science is by far the hardest for me, so I had to do a lot of studying. It was worth it though because on the eighth day I did well on the exam.
      I was so glad to finish that test as soon as it was over Laurie and I walked around the island to take pictures. Heron is so small that circumnavigating only takes about half an hour! We went on another boat snorkel that afternoon to Blue Pools, an area with lots of reef sharks and sea turtles (one swam so close to me I could touch it!). Then we all dressed up for dinner and walked over to the luxurious Heron Island Resort for a fun night of partying— a celebration that marked the end of the course and the beginning of four free days for those like me not undertaking a Targeted Research Project on Heron.
      At 8 AM the next morning more than twenty of us assembled for a SCUBA diving expedition to The Bommie, apparently a very famous site on the Great Barrier Reef. The resort had reserved a dive boat just for us. I learned how to dive at home in Boston this summer, and this was my first in tropical waters. Sadly for me it was what my instructor would have called a “disaster dive.” I had a lot of problems adjusting my weight and fitting my mask properly in the beginning, and wasted so much air that I only lasted 30 minutes underwater.
      Despite this dive, however, these four carefree days were definitely the happiest of my entire quarter. I snorkeled with my friend Micki as soon as I returned from diving and we went again after lunch. It was low tide, so we walked out along the cement dam near the wreck to avoid getting cut on the reef flat, and on our way we spotted a cute speckled epaulette shark! We spent hours swimming along the reef crest that afternoon— vibrantly colored because the shallower low tide meant that the corals received more sunlight. Looking down at those sparkling spiky masses with thousands of rainbow fish twirling about is an image I’ll always remember— not to mention that we saw nine sea turtles, five black tip reef sharks, and four pods of cuttlefish! It was an absolutely incredible snorkel.
      I spent the latter part of the afternoon relaxing and planning my Targeted Research Project on the beach. Mine is about the effect of wildlife photography, so I’ll put together an assortment of photographs and test them on my Stanford group and hopefully some other researchers at UQ. Most people conducted rushed and hectic coral projects during these last four days on Heron, so I’m very thankful that I had the free time to snorkel, dive, and laze about by the sea. That afternoon, for example, I found a lovely path winding through the pisonia forest to an isolated place called North Beach.
      The next morning I decided to improve my diving record so I went out again on the resort’s 8 AM and 11 AM dives with my friend Jenny. Jenny is a very experienced SCUBA diver who grew up in the Philippines, so it was wonderful to have her advising me. The resort also gave us a great discount because we were from the research station. During the first dive at Turtle Gully we saw some absolutely beautiful corals and a tiny pink nudibranch! We went back to The Bommie for our second dive, so I was happy to concentrate on the corals and wildlife I had missed previously. And at the end two dolphins followed our boat jumping at its bow!
      After such an incredible morning I was ready for the beach, so I went back to North Beach to read about Australia’s forced indigenous child removal program for our Australian Studies class. I’m writing an essay about Queensland’s policy, and the subject is quite depressing but very, very interesting, especially because I wish we were learning more about Australia’s Aboriginal history.
      That night was another Heron highlight, as we went on a night snorkel! My small group of six was last, just as the full moon rose over the dark, quiet ocean. We each carried little flashlights and somberly followed the tutor leading us out to the wreck, where many enormous loggerheads spend the night safely tucked under its ledges. We spotted eight of them as well as two lionfish. We were all in awe of the gigantic turtles and this night was truly unforgettable.
      The next morning Jenny and I tried to go diving, but the eight o’clock was fully booked so Micki and I snorkeled near the resort instead. While snorkeling with Ove during the fish lab my partner Gwen found a blue starfish, Linckia laevigata, and I had been dying to see one ever since. Starfish were my favorite animals growing up and blue is my favorite color, so every time I went snorkeling or diving on Heron I looked everywhere for them! Finally this morning Micki and I spotted not one, but THREE blue starfish! I was beyond ecstatic.
      A lot of us were able to get on the eleven o’clock dive that took us along the edge of nearby Wistari Reef. We drifted the whole way, so I didn’t use much air and was able to enjoy the colors and fish surrounding me. We even found a small blue nudibranch with silver, pink, and yellow dots along its back, and in the distance we saw a massive faraway bull ray just gliding along by itself. This was certainly a lovely way to finish on the Great Barrier Reef, although I do hope to dive again in the Daintree.
      That afternoon was also really exciting as I watched the Red Sox win the World Series all the way from Australia! The staff at the resort was kind enough to set up a large screen in a big room, but only a few people from our group actually went. Although most of them (being Californian) were rooting for the Rockies, we three Bostonians were very happy. I even stayed to watch the post-game coverage, hoping to catch a glimpse of my city.
      Afterwards Micki and I went snorkeling again, this time undertaking an ambitious swim to The Bommie from the end of the cement dam near the wreck. When we finally arrived we found a tasseled wobbegong! This is a type of shark with frilly white lips and lots and lots of spots. We also saw a Crown-of-Thorns sea star, which has been responsible for the mass destruction of various South Pacific reefs because its population outbreaks ingest so many coral polyps. And as we swam back we found a big lionfish!
      I woke up very early the next morning to watch the sunrise and witness the nocturnal mutton birds fly away from the island. Heron is completely dominated by pisonia grandis forest and supports a vast number of white-capped noddy terns and wedge-tailed shearwaters, or mutton birds. The noddies are beautiful with their white heads that create a grey gradient down their necks to their black bodies, while the muttons are interesting because they mate for life, furiously digging long tunnels in the sand where they place their chicks at the end. The mutton birds fly onto the island at dusk and are very active as the sun goes down, so I fell asleep to their very loud screams and cries (sounding like grumpy babies!) every night. A third bird, the buff-banded rail, stalked the dining hall and ravenously gobbled food off our plates.
      The pisonia forest also has a horrible method of reproduction. Its seeds exude a sticky resin that clings to shearwater feathers and fatally entangles them! As the birds die and decompose their bodies fertilize the seeds and thus disperse the tree. Australia is chock full of startling natural stories like this.
      Anyway, that morning I also visited my friends Willie and Xavier, who were busy conducting their Targeted Research Project. They observed the homing behavior of chitons, primitive mollusks that live within crevasses of beach rock, leaving only at night to feed. Most of them follow distinct paths and return to their little crevasses by early morning. Xavier thought their homing mechanism is due to magnetism, while Willie was testing their memory. They each pulled four all-nighters in a row and tried to sleep on the beach during the day!
      After breakfast my friends Michelle, Chelsea, Alex, and I went snorkeling from the North Beach side of the island, where the reef crest is at least twice as far as the crest on the research station side. But the long swim was definitely worth it, because the colors and formations of coral— not to the mention the fish— were spectacular. We curved all the way along the crest to the harbor, and I spent about an hour before lunch swimming in the calm high tide water at North Beach with sharks and stingrays!
      After lunch I went snorkeling with Atiqah and she spotted a purplish octopus hiding under a rock! This was definitely a fantastic way to end our time snorkeling on Heron, because that afternoon we turned in our wetsuits and flippers before a delicious goodbye dinner. As it was October 30th, Maggie decked out the dining hall in Halloween decorations. She also cooked some incredible seafood— shrimp, mussels, clams, calamari— and very yummy vegetarian patties. We all had a lot of fun that night celebrating Halloween, drinking, and dancing. Atiqah, Willie, and I stole the show dressed up as noddy birds. We also went stargazing— both off the long dock and on the beach. Hard to believe that these past two weeks on a beautiful tiny island on the Great Barrier Reef have finally come to a close!
      On the last morning I furiously packed my growing suitcase of belongings and then wandered through the pisonia forest to take some bird photos. I sat at North Beach staring at the sharks and rays before eating a yummy lunch of rice and leftover shrimp, and then went back to North Beach and walked halfway around the island to the research station. Everyone was sad to leave Heron and get back on the boat— luckily with gorgeous flat calm seas! Watching Heron fade and then disappear in the distance was like leaving Star— the beloved New England island my sister and I visit every summer— knowing that life on the mainland will never quite be the same.

Lamington National Park

Greetings from the rainforest!
      We’re in a different world altogether at Lamington National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We arrived after a long bus ride winding through mountainous forest. Lamington rests on a collapsed volcano, its nutrient-rich lava basalt allowing the rainforest to grow. We’re staying in a big house on the O’Reilly’s complex, a five-star family-run resort. Although the first night was too dark to explore our surroundings, we spent two fully jam-packed days trekking through the park.
      Upon awaking the first morning I could feel the fresh, cool mountain air. John took us along a short path with mist and sunlight streaming through gargantuan trees. We saw lianas (thick woody vines) epiphytes (plants that grow on trees— one is shaped like a crow’s nest!), a wedge-tailed eagle, and my favorite— the impressive strangler fig tree. This incredible tree begins life as a vine on a host tree until it reaches the ground and takes root— eventually strangling the host after hundreds of years. When the host dies and disintegrates, it leaves a thick, hollow, and beautifully patterned strangler fig tree in its place. This tree has an even more intriguing story of pollination. Female wasps unique to every fig tree species lay their eggs inside the tight space of the tree’s zirconium flower and die. Their wingless male offspring never leave the chamber— instead, they chew a hole for the female offspring to exit, lay their eggs in another fig tree, and pollinate its male flowers. What an amazing tree!
      During lunch we discovered the wild parrot feeding area with dozens of beautiful king parrots and crimson rosellas. Tourists can buy unlimited birdseed at the gift shop and feed them all day long. Such activity enrages park rangers and environmentalists because it damages the birds’ natural lives, but O’Reilly’s rests on private land. However, starting in November the establishment will allow feedings only at certain times. We were able to get some great pictures because the parrots are so attached to humans that all you have to do is stand with your arms outstretched and they’ll land on you.       We went on another magnificent hike that afternoon to Mick’s Tower, a metal lookout that only six of us could climb at a time. It brought us into the rainforest canopy for a lovely view. We completed a short field exercise about the diversity and size of leaf litter, and some of us continued along the wonderful Wishing Tree trail under and through enormous trees with hollowed trunks. The last tree was so huge that at least two of us could jump inside of it!       Before dinner we listened to a lecture about one of the teaching assistant’s research at the nearby caldera, and after eating we heard about the other teaching assistant’s research on glowworms. Her talk was exciting because then we went on a nighttime glowworm expedition! Equipped with warm clothes and flashlights, we spotted a lot of green tree frogs, a big blue crayfish, and even a gecko along the way. But the glowworms were definitely the highlight— they lit up an entire rock face like thousands of shooting stars. O’Reilly’s had even placed wooden benches in front so we were able to soak up their beauty in silence.       The next morning many of us awoke early for John’s bird walk. We spotted both satin and regent bowerbirds, and another cute animal called the pademelon, kind of like a miniature kangaroo that hopped very quickly. John also took us along O’Reilly’s Tree Top Walk going straight through the canopy on rickety swinging bridges ending with another metal lookout tower. Next I wandered through a beautiful mountain garden. Our big activity of the day, however, was an 18 kilometer (about eleven miles!) hike through Lamington National Park— definitely one of my absolute favorite days so far. Gushing waterfalls streamed from every corner, it seemed. And John certainly demonstrated his devotion as a teacher by surprising everyone with lamingtons (delicious Australian chocolate and coconut pastries) for morning tea! He had carried them all the way along the trail hidden in two backpacks. We ate lunch at a beautiful lookout spot with ancient Gondwanan Antarctic Beech trees where we could see Mt. Warning and then completed another short field exercise. But as we descended down the trail a huge storm broke out with thunder, lighting, rain, and gigantic icy hail! It was really exciting at first, but for the next hour and a half we miserably plunged through the damp, cold, and dark rainforest as quickly as possible. I was so wet by the end that I ran the last kilometer and jumped into a hot shower!       That night after warming up we relaxed as a group together. I woke up early again to photograph some of the parrots and bowerbirds— luckily just as an O’Reilly’s staff member was feeding them breakfast. Unfortunately right after lunch we drove away along the twisted mountain roads, quickly stopping for wine tasting at the Canungra Valley vineyards before heading back to Brisbane. We are all so sad to leave the magical rainforest, although I know the Great Barrier Reef will be just as wonderful.

North Stradbroke Island

Hello from Straddie!
      We’ve been taking our first class, Coastal Resource Management, at the Moreton Bay Research Station on North Stradbroke Island for the past week and a half. To get here we rode a big “Red and White” Brisbane bus south to Cleveland and then drove onto a long blue ferry with other cars. During the beautiful ride past mangrove trees, shallow sandbanks, and spectacular turquoise ocean our group clambered out of the bus for a lovely view. Moreton Bay is a “multiple-use” marine park where fishing, trawling, and tourism are allowed only in certain zones.
      As soon as we arrived at the research station (a few minutes’ drive from the ferry dock in Dunwich on the bayside of the island) we endured a very long, detailed orientation session covering everything from making our beds properly to disposing our waste correctly. But that afternoon was definitely a favorite. After divvying up our rooms (four people in an area built for one!) we drove up to Point Lookout— appropriately named, as our jaws dropped in awe at the waves crashing on a long sandy beach beneath us. North Stradbroke Island is the second largest sand island in the world! Marisa and I took many pictures at Fishermen’s Beach and then wandered along an ocean side trail that brought us past eucalyptus trees and rocky cliffs. We ended the day with a perfect swim at Eighteen Mile Beach, which spans the entire ocean side of the island. As we jumped into the breaking waves we saw hundreds of tiny fish riding within the crest.
      The next morning (Monday) we were in for a bit of a shock as the real academics set in. Coastal Resource Management reminds me of the Earth Systems classes I have taken, emphasizing interdisciplinary scientific knowledge to implement sustainable plans. In fact, even though I am the only humanities major on this trip, my various science classes have well prepared me and I feel as if I am at the same level as the others. I like that I think differently, but at least have a basic scientific background.
      On that first morning we enjoyed a visit from Matt Burns, a cultural officer from the Quandamooka aboriginal tribe. Indigenous people have lived in the bay for more than 25,000 years, and Matt talked a lot about this history as he led us on a short walk explaining the medicinal value of many different plants. He even demonstrated playing the didgeridoo, a very long tubular instrument on which he grew up learning to imitate various birds and animals.
      Also that day we were introduced to the Australian tradition of “morning tea” (cookies around 10 AM) and “supper” (bread, teas, coffee, and hot chocolate eaten in the evening after dinner). The night before many of us had watched the hilarious movie Priscilla: Queen of the Desert— about three drag queens touring the vast Australian desert on a small bus— and completely missed out on this new supper custom!
      On Tuesday we embarked on a daylong “island transect by bus”— in other words, a field trip to Point Lookout (where I saw a wild kangaroo and kookaburras for the first time!) with the afternoon at Brown Lake, a “perched lake” in the center of the island created by rainwater and tree tannins. (Another nearby lake— Blue Lake— is a “window lake,” created when the topography dips below the water table.) Brown Lake was quite charming, somewhat like Walden Pond. After having lunch there we stopped halfway down Eighteen Mile Beach to witness firsthand the parabolic dunes forming the island. On the other side of the dunes is Eighteen Mile Swamp!
      Another highlight from the early part of the week was an afternoon trip to the mangrove trees at Myora Springs. Six or seven of us crowded into the back of a big white jeep and Jock, our course assistant and doctoral student specializing in mangroves, guided us through the brackish water past short bushy trees with long circular roots that curved out of the sand beneath them. Eventually we reached the beach, and took lots of pictures wearing our funny black booties!
      Our main project of the week was to evaluate a hypothetical development at Amity Point, north of Dunwich and west of Point Lookout. On the third day we trooped through the “site,” examining the caravan (trailer) park, mangrove trees, creek, heath land, and community center complex to be demolished for a hotel and marina. I felt comfortable with this group assignment because of my parents’ experience with the massive 40B development planned for the wetlands across our street. I know that construction involves both environmental and social considerations, and I liked working on this local case study because it incorporated a lot of the same issues. In fact, when our group held a comical mock town meeting one night, my parents and neighbors were attending a real ZBA meeting back home!
      Thursday was definitely one of the most interesting. We rode the bus to an environmentally friendly sand mine operated by CRL (Consolidated Rutile Limited) that extracts zircon, rutile, and ilmenite. A very informative and friendly educational officer explained the process of sand mining as we hiked over enormous white dunes jutting into clear blue skies. The day was excruciatingly hot and I drank my entire Nalgene bottle in less than two hours. The officer also took us to a portion of land undergoing an impressive rehabilitation program. Because the mine is slated to close within about six years, CRL experts will carefully restore and monitor the rest of the land as well. To me CRL certainly seemed like a committed company ready and willing to ensure minimal environmental impact.
      Unfortunately, we spent Friday and Saturday furiously completing our individual and group assignments. I wrote a short fact sheet about the resident Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins of Moreton Bay whose acoustic behavior is affected by boat traffic. They are also harmed by boat strikes, as are the dugong— an endangered marine mammal that looks much like the manatee. One of the world’s largest populations of dugong lives right in Moreton Bay! I would have loved to see one.
      On Saturday my group spent 14 hours preparing for Sunday’s presentation! We assumed the role of the Queensland EPA to assess the hypothetical development at Amity Point, designing a weighted ranking system to incorporate the various environmental issues. I really liked my group members and felt like we all contributed— a feeling I have very rarely experienced at Stanford. And even though we were the absolute last to present on Sunday afternoon I think we did well.
      After the eight group presentations on Sunday we all breathed an enormous sigh of relief. Everyone was thrilled to be outside after a grueling day and a half! Some people played rugby with one of our professors on the grassy green lawn, and Marisa and I went to collect seashells on the beach in front of the research station. Afterwards I settled in small nook to read my book. We were all really happy, especially because we found out at lunch that Stanford’s football team beat USC in an absolutely incredible game! That night Jock persuaded the bus driver to bring us to the bar at the Point Lookout Hotel… and needless to say, most people did not wake up until noon the next day!
      Some of us, however, went back to Point Lookout Monday morning to observe the annual humpback whale migration. Every fall about 7,000 whales swim south from their birthing and breeding grounds on the Great Barrier Reef to their home in Antarctica. They pass Point Lookout, and if you’re patient you’ll see them surface and spout far out near the horizon. For two hours my roommate Atiqah and I sat on a craggy rock face and stared out to sea. We counted three whales— what we think was a mother and baby— and even witnessed two of them breaching! Before long pods of bottlenose dolphins were jumping beneath us, their graceful bodies slicing the shallow ocean water. The group at Point Lookout is the largest resident bottlenose dolphin in the world! We were so happy that spotting at least four cute little sea turtles bobbing below us made us even more ecstatic. They popped up every so often and then quickly dove back down again. That morning was definitely one of my absolute favorites yet.
      In the afternoon our time on Stradbroke shifted gears as we started our Coastal Forest Ecosystems class with ecology professor John Hall. John is by far one of the best lecturers I’ve ever had, as his presentations are informative, accessible, and entertaining. He gave us a brief rundown about Australian vegetation before taking us into the field to complete an incredibly lengthy plant classification exercise. We split into groups to identify plants in various transects, and while such a task many sound boring, I really enjoyed learning how to distinguish very similar vegetation that I never would have noticed if I were just passing by. Plus, our group was incredibly lucky to witness a giant black monitor waddle across the dirt road! Monitors are big lizards that look a lot like gila monsters.
      I went to bed early that night to wake up for laundry and John’s 6:30 AM bird walk. It was drizzling and hazy, but we still managed to see some beautiful birds. I wish I knew more about birds and birding, as there are certainly some experienced ornithologists in our group. My favorites that morning were rainbow lorikeets (a gorgeous, vibrant, and multi-colored small parrot considered a pest) and black seagulls with white heads and orange beaks and feet.
      We went on another extended field trip that day, this time learning about the importance of fire for Australian vegetation. We completed exercises at two different field sites— the first a forest of “grass trees” (amazing plants that burn periodically and send tall, skinny, meters-long shoots that taste like honey into the sky afterwards), and the second a heath land, where trees don’t really grow but there is much plant diversity. In the afternoon we returned to Brown Lake for lunch and free time. My friends Jenny, Gwen and I went on an epic swim to the beach on the far side of lake— forty minutes there and half an hour with the current back! We felt great afterwards— and ready to conquer the heavy rain and thunderstorms that later soured a short hike up a large hill for beautiful island vistas.
      The next morning our group met for another bush hike through Blue Lake National Park in the center of the island, an important area for the Quandamooka aboriginal people. The destination lake was pretty, although without a beach. Afterwards we trooped along a small path near Point Lookout to climb an enormous parabolic sand dune! We were rewarded with a gorgeous view of the ocean and more steep white sand dunes as soon as we ascended. Being twenty-one and invincible, some of us ran all the way from the dunes’ highest point to the bottom!
      This last adventure was definitely an excellent way to say goodbye. Too soon we boarded the ferry for the mainland… but with great excitement for what lies ahead.

Brisbane

G’day from Australia!
      I’ve been in Brisbane for more than a week, adjusting to the time difference and participating in the Stanford program’s Orientation week. About fifty of us are here for a quarter-long ecology program at the University of Queensland. On Sunday (September 30) we’ll travel to the Moreton Bay Research Station on North Stradbroke Island for the week, and then spend some time in Lamington National Park. After that we’re off to the Heron Island Research Station for two weeks before driving up the Great Barrier Reef to the Daintree Rainforest— followed by a week in Sydney. We won’t return to Brisbane until the end of November!
      Although Brisbane certainly doesn’t seem very exotic (it reminds me of both Florida and southern California), some aspects of life are very different. I’ve been most impressed by four changes— the incredible wildlife, the unusual plant species, the funny Australian twang, and the fact that everyone not only drives but also walks on the left hand side of the street!
      I never imagined that hours after landing (door-to-door a thirty one and a half hour journey) I would be strolling through a gorgeous riverside park (South Bank) with enormous and colorful Australian birds literally pecking at my feet. I followed my map across the bridge to the Botanical Gardens and then over a wooden walkway through mangrove trees past large weathered houseboats bobbing in the river. Near the end of the park was a quaint little lily pond with many ducks of different eye markings. But something clinging to the edge caught my eye and I did a double take— an iguana! I knew then that I had arrived in Australia… halfway across the world.
      I also walked through Brisbane’s CBD (Central Business District) that first afternoon, admiring its mix of contemporary and historical architecture. I observed the colonnaded Customs House set against skyscrapers with blue glass windows, and then St. Stephen’s chapel and cathedral, built in 1850 and 1874, respectively. But my favorite part of the CBD was the Shrine of Remembrance, a flame that burns constantly to commemorate those Australians who died in both world wars. Because I read Edward Facey’s epic A Fortunate Life before I came— a book written by an eighty nine year old Australian man who survived a gruesome childhood as well as the horrific campaign of Gallipoli— I understood the significance of this memorial. A huge proportion of Australian men perished in World War I.
      Another highlight of my life here has been public transport on the City Cat— a catamaran that continuously chugs up and down the muddy brown river that snakes through the city. Days are hot and muggy but a ride at the bow of a City Cat is instantly refreshing, beautiful, and a gorgeous way to see Brisbane. On my second day I rode the ferry all the way from my motel to the last stop, past charming “Queenslander” style homes that very much remind me of the French Quarter in New Orleans.
      Next I tackled the Queensland Museum, part of the Queensland Cultural Centre on South Bank. The museum is a fascinating three levels representing all aspects of Queensland culture and history. I enjoyed fabulous exhibits on Queensland icons (such as Bundaberg rum), various modes of transportation (including the smallest boat ever to circumnavigate the globe, the twelve foot Acrohc Australis, its stern stamped BRISBANE), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, “Queensland’s Vanishing Wildlife” (such as the extinct Paradise parrot, perched on an gravestone bearing the letters R.I.P.), and my favorite, the Animal Parade, with lengthy rows of more than 700 stuffed animals lined up from small species to big. Visiting this museum was an excellent introduction to Queensland, the “Sunshine State” where I will be living for the next three months. Afterwards I continued to the Queensland Art Gallery, a museum containing many different pieces of work from all time periods. Upon entrance I descended an escalator across a cement bridge through a pond of little floating silver balls (like Christmas tree ornaments) bobbing up and down in the water that each reflected an image of my body. But I was surprised when I left to be showered by pouring rain outside!
      The next day I met up with the rest of the Stanford group at the Riverside Hotel, directly across the street from the library and Cultural Centre. We spent the day settling into our rooms, greeting a steady influx of friends, and exploring the city. I was thankful for those two days on my own to catch up on my sleep (the first night I collapsed at 7:30!) and grab some last minute supplies at the nearby Toowong Shopping Center, a huge mall and food court with “travelators”— inclined flat moving walkways like those in airport terminals— instead of escalators. A group of us walked through South Bank again, poking into the Nepalese pagoda and the bustling shops and restaurants of Stanley Street Plaza. There is also Streets Beach, a manmade lagoon that should be reconstructed by the time we’re back at the end of November.
      I went to the Queensland Museum again with some others, and was happy to revisit some of its incredible displays. One room features enormous floor to ceiling cases filled with stuffed animals from every phylum. A nearby library houses an impressive collection of historical and scientific books as well as some interesting stick critters that live on leaves inside plexi-glass cages. Some of them were smooth, long, and green while others were brown and prickly. Next I visited the Gallery of Modern Art, located in a lovely location right along the riverbank. Despite the beauty of its full glass panels highlighting the river, I didn’t like a lot of the pieces. But I loved the rooms on indigenous art. After visiting so many European museums in the past month I had been contemplating switching my major to Art History— and standing in front of those swirling, colorful, meticulously dotted aboriginal paintings definitely sealed the decision for me.
      On our first day of orientation we rode the City Cat all the way to the University of Queensland (about half an hour from the CBD, plus a fifteen walk on each end) and one of the program coordinators helped us navigate to the lecture hall. We were introduced to Ron Johnstone, Associate Professor and second-in-command (we have yet to meet the professor in charge, apparently Australia’s leading expert on climate change and coral reefs). Ron’s enthusiasm instantly made us feel welcome— especially when he ordered us all coffee! We ended the day with a delicious catered meal of “fish and chips” (fried shrimps, salmon cakes, and more) in the “Secret Garden” of the Biology building. Afterwards, some of us attempted to activate our UQ library and e-mail accounts (a huge challenge) and then met up with one of our course tutors— a Stanford alum researching at UQ on a Fulbright Scholarship— for some Australian beer. Later that night some people were eager to check out the club scene in the city, but given that it was a Monday we didn’t have too much luck and just settled into a small bar off Queen Street.
      The next two days were spent acclimating ourselves to our courses. We are taking four— Coastal Resource Management, Australian Studies, Coral Reef Ecosystems, and Coastal Forest Ecosystems— and one research class in which we design and implement our own project. I’m still formulating mine, but will probably incorporate my wildlife photography as Ron is extremely supportive. The other classes seem wonderful and I am especially excited to read the literature and watch the cultural movies assigned for Australian Studies— not to mention learn more about Australia’s incredible biodiversity in Coastal Forest Ecosystems! Our lecturer, John Hall, explained that Australia supports such unique wildlife because of its old, dry, nutrient poor soil and its variable climate due to El Niño. One night on our way to a delicious Thai dinner my roommate Laurie, my sophomore year roommate Marisa, and I saw our first Australian marsupial— a cute little possum scurrying up a tree!
      In fact, I can’t believe how many animals I have seen at the University. For me the most beautiful moment was observing a flock of raucous white cockatoos waddling over a big grassy field. I stood so close to them that as they flew to a nearby tree I was able to spin around and film them in flight surrounding me.
      On Thursday I spent more than four hours reconfiguring my cell phone… but compared to the efforts of others four hours is next to nothing. I researched the price and coverage of various carriers, finally bought a pre-paid SIM card to insert into my phone, but then had to “unlock” the phone so it would accept the new SIM card (this involved trekking to the library to use the internet to look up Cingular’s international customer service number, going to a newsstand to purchase a special phone card, and finally scrambling to single-handedly open my wallet so that I could rapidly insert extra coins in the local payphone as the price of the call quickly exceeded the allotted amount on the phone card). Finally I registered myself online. Now I can coordinate with others in the program who have jumped through similar hoops to activate their phones. I can also receive international calls for free!
      On Friday our group took an intriguing trip to the Gold Coast, an area south of Brisbane that enjoys a notorious reputation for extreme development, theme parks, and wild nightlife. First we visited a sugar cane refinery to witness one way in which humanity has altered the coast. Next we disembarked at a lookout in a small park where many beautiful homes had been built along man-made canals, much like Florida. Finally we drove through an incredibly unattractive residential development as our Australian Studies professor, Bill Casey, informed us that more than 1,000 people move into the Gold Coast each week, putting enormous pressure on the land and water resources. We ended the day at the heavily commercialized Surfer’s Paradise, the Gold Coast’s hub— a long beach with booming shopping, restaurants, activities, and clubs. Here I took my first dip into the western Pacific Ocean! On the way back we stopped at a beloved roadside restaurant for delicious individual fruit pies.
      Later many of us ventured into the CBD for a night of clubbing and dancing at Victory and Down Under. The city was exploding with people, many of them college students. The next morning my roommate Laurie and I took a very slow bus to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary— definitely the highlight of my week in Brisbane! One of the biggest reasons I came to Australia was to see its magnificent wildlife, and this reserve certainly met my expectations. Upon entrance we walked by large aviaries filled with beautiful birds— rainbow lorikeets (considered a pest here!), black cockatoos, kookaburras, and more. My favorite aviary, however, contained not birds but bats— flying foxes, to be exact. They are enormous creatures much larger than a parrot with long hooked claws at the end of their fleshy wings that enable them to hang upside down and move around.
      But we were in for an even bigger shock as we entered the gates of the Kangaroo feeding area. Here were juvenile and adult kangaroos bouncing, feeding, munching, drinking, lounging, and sleeping everywhere around us— and they didn’t even flinch at being petted. We took hundreds of pictures and even spotted a joey stuck inside its mother’s pouch. Unfortunately, these kangaroos are the lucky ones. Many of them are struck as road kill in the wild and others are raised for meat and other industries. Kangaroo management is apparently a classic Australian problem, and certainly a topic I am interested in. The professors have also encouraged me to consider the use of wildlife parks like the Lone Pine Sanctuary to aid conservation. Kangaroos aren’t meant to be fed each day by tourists, yet interacting with them might inspire those tourists to promote conservation. We’ll encounter a similar situation at O’Reilly’s near Lamington National Park, where tourists can feed wild parrots.
      Our next marsupial sighting was the koala, and we attended an information session in which a sleepy, energy deprived, gray furry koala rested in its caretaker’s hands. About 130 koalas live throughout the park, separated into small areas by sex and age. Watching these animals was quite fascinating, as the poses they assumed while sleeping almost look like complicated (and painful) yoga moves. Finally, I went to a sheepdog demonstration in which a local farmer paraded a herd of big fat sheep through an obstacle course with the aid of two thin black dogs. The sheep congregated in a very tight pack and sometimes the dogs even jumped on top of them. Overall, it was an excellent day and definitely worth the extra allergy medication!
      Now we’re off to North Stradbroke Island, and although I’ll miss my beautiful morning runs along the river— not to mention twice daily rides on the City Cat and some of the best Asian food I’ve ever had— I’m definitely ready to leave Brisbane and experience Australia. We have a long adventure ahead of us, one that promises to bring much change and excitement.

Luzern

...And finally this!

Genova

As well as this...

Nîmes

I'll update this soon too!

España

As most of you know, I spent three weeks at the end of the summer traveling through western Europe photographing four architectural sites as part of a Chappell Lougee Scholarship that I received. I'll update this post shortly.