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Published: June 10th 2010
Yes ladies & gentlemen, it's back and better than ever! Ok, let's not get our hopes up, but at least I will be providing you with something to do to pass the time in your daily life. Believe it or not, not much has changed in Chinchilla since the last update. That is likely no surprise to anyone but just wanted to clarify. Daily life here consists of getting up in the morning, going to work for 10-11 hours per day and then going home! I have been trying to go to the gym to get in shape to fit in with all the Aussies - I've been going a few times a week but in all honesty, I've spent more time lounging around in the pool. Oh well; all good intentions...
There appears to be a disproportionate number of holidays in May and June in Queensland. Not only did I arrive on the weekend of a holiday, but a few weeks ago there was a Friday holiday for the Chinchilla Show which was essentially their version of a fall fair. I went for a few hours but it was nothing I hadn't seen before. There was an interesting group
of Dexters though - a miniature breed of cattle from Scotland which are about as useful as a chihuahua. Since I had to work on-call that weekend I was, of course, called back several times during the day so didn't get to (have to?) stay long. Similarly, I have been stuck with working every single long weekend that I'm here! What!? I thought that I signed up for a "working-holiday visa"!? Guess emphasis should have been on working - I would suggest that the Australian embassy rename it the "WORKING-(possible holiday if you're lucky)" visa. However, I shouldn't complain. The purpose of getting an all-expense paid trip to Australia including vehicle and a pad to live in, was to make money and cram all that stuff that I worked every weekend for the past 4 years to cram in to my cranium! (well, actually in to my cerebral hemispheres...but let's not get too technical). I also joined the movie shop in town to rent over priced movies that are too out of date to be considered "New Release" - an issue that I raised to the shop owner last week when I tried to charge me "new release" on a
movie that was released in 2008. Good thing about a small town is that their desperate for business so he gave it to me at a weekly rate price (yup - a hold $1.15 difference) but I had to return it the next day. Deal! All that time in Asia has taught me well to save that $1.15!
Sandi, the practice owner, has been gone quite a bit. She flies all over eastern Australia (queensland and new south wales) doing preg checking at huge cattle stations (ranches). She does, on average, 1000 cattle per day which is quite incredible. A few weeks ago I flew out to a station with her to get my "skills" checked in palpation. I was nervous at first, but coming from a dairy medicine education where we're used to doing 30-35 day preg checks, doing a 2 month check was a walk in the park! Sandi was impressed and happy that I could pick out early pregs as well. It was also really cool to fly in a 4-seater plane for a few hours en-route to the cattle station. I got to see quite a bit of the pastoral landscape in rural Australia and
how drought-stricken it is. The red dirt is quite something to see though from the air. You don't notice it as much from the ground - but it really gets in to everything! Your shoes, car, house - it's everywhere!
On June 29th I went to Toowoomba (in between Chinchilla and Brisbane) to meet a dog breeder who had a bunch of Australian Cattle Dog pups. They were pretty fat and fuzzy....I got one...Yup, I'm bringing back a pup from Australia. He's now 8 weeks old and is getting delivered tomorrow! I have named him "Quinn". We will be starting puppy classes this weekend as well with a crazy lady who does dog training in town. We'll see what happens, but regardless, I hope that he gets adjusted to cats because he's going to have to meet Cosmo when we get home! As well, I have been looking at leaving my current apartment for bigger digs with a friend of mine from undergrad who is now in vet school. We are looking for a place with a back yard of sorts but still want to be downtown Guelph because moving to the suburbs would be like death warmed up.
We'll see what happens. As well, I have been asked by the World Health Organization (WHO) to do a 2 month stint in Geneva for September and October (and my MSc adviser, Jan, encourages it)- however, for the first time ever I believe, I'm turning this great opportunity down! - puppy + MSc + lady in TO + being gone from other things in Canadian life for 1/3 the year makes coming home for a bit important! As well, I really want to get started on grad work so that I can get out of Guelph...hopefully...haha. I figure that this opportunity will represent itself, and if not, I'll create it for myself! Regardless, I'm happy with myself that the WHO is inviting ME to do work with them! Wow - such an ego booster. The puppy will fill the void that is working for the WHO for this fall! haha. (oh, and you too Steph!)
The same day that I saw the puppies I also went to Sam's - a vet nurse - birthday. It was a big cookout with huge fires and lots of food. It was a good time had by all - but everyone called it
an early nite. I figure it was too "cold' for them. Yes, winter here is unbearable; 25C and sunny every day and 15C and clear every night. How do they survive!? Almost unbearable.
Last weekend I drove about 2 hours north east from Chinchilla to an area called the Bunya Mountains. It is a sub-tropical rainforest (similar to the rainforest in BC) set atop large ancient volcanic mountains. As you drive up going 10km/hr because the incline is so great, you see hundreds of wallabies eating in the pastures. When I arrived at the National Park, I headed off with tent in tow on a 20km hike through the rainforest and eucalyptus forest. It was quite beautiful walking through the forest and very empty. I only saw 4 other people all day. Once again, I attribute this to the "freezing cold weather" in a Queensland winter! It was a bit cooler on the floor of the forest, but believe it or not, I've survived! When I got to the camp area it was me, two other campers and, again, thousands of wallabies! They were very calm and friendly - i was within 2-3 feet of so many of them
and they didn't even look up from eating grass to bother with me! The most amazing part was seeing a joey pop in and out of the mom's pouch! It was quite funny and has put me off the idea of shooting them with a member of the vet clinic's staff on her farm (not that I would ever be able to do that, but I considered going to watch - but no more!!!).
Once again, I'm working and it is a long weekend. This weekend is the "Queen's Birthday" long weekend. Should be entertaining.
Steph is coming in a few weeks in the first week of July! We're going to the Whitsunday for a few days and should be amazing to experience the Great Barrier Reef - wait for updates!!!
Tonight I await Quinn who comes tomorrow. I bet he's as excited as I am.
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