The good times

Well its been a while but I have a day off (don’t feel like doing homework) so I can type for a bit. Classes started a few months ago and im taking a rainforest populations/community class, intro to GIS and doing my literature review for my project next semester. It seems like the same as last semester, tons of work. Before classes started Crystal and I had a marine animal behaviour block class that went to Orpheus Island. The work was ok (we snorkeled all day looking at fish) but the off time was the best. We found tons of small whip snakes to play with (determined them to be slightly venomous after a friend got bit on the finger), an energetic echidna and then manta rays. So all in all we had a great time.
Our friend Chris decided to try and brew home beer like we do but he didn’t achieve the goal very well. He did make beer that was drinkable but it had the slight side effect of exploding. We opened his garage to find a war scene. Glass scattered all over the place with beer splattering the walls, we came to the decision that all the beer needed to be gone that day before more exploded. In theory it was great, in reality there were about 50 beers and 3 of us. Opening the beers was fun and exciting though. When the cap starts to come off the pressure shoots it to the roof with a loud bam! And then the beer fountain starts. It was an interesting and dangerous drinking night (and yes we finished all of them, one person got pulled over on his bicycle going home for being drunk, no it wasn’t me and no he didn’t get in much trouble, its Australia).
About a month ago Crystal, Chris and I went up north for a weekend to the Atherton table lands. It was a quick trip with lots of driving but we saw some amazing things. Tons of waterfalls, hikes, and animals. The highlights were the 2+m Amethyst python, carpet python, green ring-tailed possum, platypus, and water dragons. Beautiful place even though most of it is for cattle grazing.
We have been night driving at the town commons lately and have seen lots of species that we normally don’t get to see like: frogmouths, owls, nightjar, brush tailed possums, water python, tons of keelbacks, and tons of frogs. The best so far has been the 2m taipan that was crossing the road. That will be the last time I touch a taipan let me tell you. I got it by the tail with my hand then decided to get the head with my snake stick. Right before I was about to try it turned around and stared at me just saying “I dare you kid”. As soon as I moved the snake stick it struck straight at me, I dropped it, probably screamed like a little girl and ran away hoping it wasn’t chasing me. Let me just say all the stories ive heard about these snakes are true, they are a pissed off, very aggressive (and venomous). Yea last time for that……maybe
We also went scuba diving at magnetic island a few weeks ago, it was a shallow wreck dive but we saw neat things. Tons of corals of course not to mention some large groupers, puffer fish, some cat sharks, and tons of nudibranchs (a few different species).
I might be getting a job soon, ive been training to be a lifeguard the past week and I just need to take one more class in order to start. It should be a fun job, get tan, go swim everyday, and it gives me something to do which pays me. During one of our classes we were getting the dummies out for CPR and a snake was hiding under the bags, and no the teacher wouldn’t let me catch it, I was disappointed.
It must be the end of winter because the last few weeks have started to warm up incredibly quickly. The blanket is about to leave the bed and the fan is starting to stay on setting 2 now and its only going to get worse. In a few months we will be stuck in Townsville because the rains will make everything stop.
At the moment Crystal and I are on lecture recess for one week. I started it off by heading up to paluma for a field trip. The entire trip was just catching animals in various ways and reporting to the AWC on what lives there. So of course I had a great time catching snakes and lizards.
Orpheus was as beautiful as ever for me (Crystal). It would rain extremely hard during the night keeping the mosquitoes away and the next day would be sunny and warm. The water is starting to warm up and no stingers yet so all and all it was really a great trip. I did some diving which is always a treat and was really able to just enjoy my time out there.
Our second season of volleyball just came to a close, and once again we are 2nd place. So not too bad especially since we moved up a division. We haven’t signed up for the next season yet and may end up taking a season off.
Late in December we are going to lizard island. Crystal is going to be a research assistant and start getting data for a minor project, and since im terrestrial there are none of those opportunities for me so I get to be a station volunteer. At least I still get to help out with people doing research and have free time on the island to explore and do some scuba diving. Not a bad way to spend Christmas and new years.
Next semester Crystal and I are starting our minor projects. I will be catching and tagging goannas (big surprise eh?) at a local campsite. From this I should be able to compare these campsite goannas to goannas that are not habituated to people. So I get to do home range surveys and gut contents with as many goannas as I can catch. That allows me to be in the field for weeks catching and tracking lizards and out of the classroom. So I’m happy.
All and all life here in Australia is really starting to feel good. This semester we have been trying to get away more often and typically spend the weekends going camping and trying to be in nature a little bit more. Next semester will be even better because we won’t have the pressure of coursework and can just focus on out projects and enjoying the time we have here. Anyone who wants to visit feel free to come on over we have a comfy couch (according to the couch surfers). Until next time.
Cheers,
Crystal and Scott

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