Blogs from Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, Australia, Oceania - page 8

24th February 2008 Today we left the Rainforest Motel in Atherston after saying goodbye to the receptionist and her roo dog Wally. A roo dog is used when they hunt kangeroos as they can sniff out the carcasses in the long grass so that the hunters can find the ones they have shot. Wally was across between a greyhound and a mastiff. Very big! We drove up to Yungaburra and had breakfast then continued up the Giles Highway towards Lake Barrine. On the way we stopped to look at the Curtain Fig which could be a 1,000 years old which is mind boggling. The fig seed is dropped by birds in the top branches of a tree and grows aerial roots which go down to the ground. Gradually over many years the fig strangles the original ... read more

22st February 2008 When we got up this morning it had stopped raining, although it had rained most of the night, but this is what you would expect in a rainforest in the wet season. Everything was dripping and sparkling in the morning sun. We went for breakfast and looked down into Coopers Creek to watch the turtles and Black Spotted Jungle Perch swimming in the creek below us. Whilst we were having our breakfast Dinah kept rushing off to photograph the Musky Rat Kangeroos (the smallest of the kangaroo family) who were playing in the jungle just beside the restaurant. After breakfast Dinah disappeared whilst I had a second cup of coffee, I then spotted her wading up Coopers creek in an attempt to get a close up picture of the turtles we had seen ... read more

So, since I last wrote a lot has happened. The pics of everyone in the program are now up on the sfs web site in case anyone hasn't noticed that and would care to see them. =) Last saturday we took our swim test at Lake Eachem. It started raining basically as soon as we got there but we still swam and it was kinda fun. The water was warm and it looked really gorgeous seeing the rainforest bordering the lake through all of the rain. At night I stayed at the center with a few people and we hung out and made rice crispy treats.. but with coco crispies and rasberry and vanilla marshmellows. It was interesting to say the least. =) Sundays are our free days so me and 5 others got up and ... read more

So on Thursday we had an introduction to all of our classes which was pretty cool, although I am finding it difficult to get back into the mode of doing school work. It is especially difficult to imagine doing homework and taking tests while being out in the rainforest. It just seems kinda wrong. I'm not the only one who feels this way, don't worry. =) But all of the classes seem really great and all of the profs are amazing. I am sooo incredibly excited for the ecology class, although it is definitely going to be the most work. Ah well. AC, next week we start taking AM bird walks and of course I thought of you. =) I have already seen some cool stuff. I keep seeing Sulphur Crested Cockatoos everywhere. They seem to ... read more

Life on the papaya farm a.k.a. the health farm!!!! So one week later I’ve survived a week here!!!! Although the room I stay in is basically a shed and there are so many rodents n frogs n lizards everywhere etc I’ve survived one week!!!!! Managed to make the room a bit more normal after about 5 evenings of cleaning and having to sweep it out everyday it is half ok!!!!! So life on the farm isn’t all that bad, the people here are all ok, the two girls I live with are actually quite nice Rebecka the Swedish girl is small and sweet and Lena the German girl is a lesbian but she’s really cool and nice so can’t complain too much!!!!! Plus there are a few others 3 israely guys and Kristina another Swedish girl ... read more