It's been a little quiet on the blogging front, probably mainly due to the fact that we've been kept extremely busy the past couple weeks. Between doing field work, climbing rainforest mountains, caving in the outback, swimming in waterfalls and hanging out with baby wallabies, we hardly had time to think during the CFET (Coastal Forest Ecosystems Terrestrial) class, let alone have the patience to sit and wait for Wetherby's internet to work. All in all, it was a week far beyond any of our expectations. From John and Kathy's amazing hospitality to gourmet 2-course meals every lunch and dinner, we could not have asked for a more perfect base than Wetherby Station. We all got well acquainted with the ants in our tents and the frogs in the shower but loved every minute of it. And going out and learning in the field every day is just the way it should be. For the last three days about half the group stayed at Wetherby, some to do research for their TRPs and the rest to help out and spend a few extra days in the rainforest.
The rest of us have spent our free time in a little coastal town called Port Douglas which is hopping distance to the Daintree Rainforest as well as the Great Barrier Reef. 'Chaperoned' by Skye, one of our tutors, we've spent the last few days at the beach, going swimsuit shopping, biking around on beach cruisers and the definite highlight - diving the Great Barrier Reef. Thanks to Marcus, we got a good deal with one of the local operators here so headed out first thing yesterday on the Calypso boat. After traveling for about an hour, the water began to turn that tell-tale turquoise blue and we started to see different reefs all around. For the certified divers of the group (most of us), we got to do three amazing dives. Others got to snorkel and even got to try scuba diving too. It was definitely money well spent, and the Great Barrier Reef deserves the amazing reputation it has. Every site had incredible coral gardens and scenery that made your jaw drop around every corner. We saw some cool stuff like pufferfish, eels, giant clams and a stingray, but the coral and vibrant colors were definitely what made it so memorable. A couple pictures from the day:
Most of the Port Douglas crew on the way to the reef.
One of about 250 pictures that I took yesterday. Underwater housing for my digital camera = best investment ever.
Tomorrow morning we board our overnight train from Cairns to Gladstone which is where we then take the ferry to Heron Island. We're all so excited to get there and especially after seeing the reef yesterday, can't wait to learn all about Coral Reef Ecosystems and the underwater world!
Life is good.
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