serenitytide-blog

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I’ve Graduated - Final Thoughts

I’ve now officially graduated from JCU and have achieved my Masters in Marine Biology and Ecology. For those who are interested I received a credit which is just below a distinction. I couldn’t be more happy with that.

 I’m now back in the UK and have had a chance to catch up with most of my friends and family. It’s so good to be back home. Eighteen months is both a surprisingly short and long amount of time to be away. I sometimes think back to my time in Australia as almost a dream. It can feel like I never left. 

Of course it wasn’t a dream and I managed to live 18 months on the other side of the world and get my Masters. I will be forever grateful for everyone that supported me going because this was one hell of a experience I can never forget. I learn’t so much about myself and I feel so much more positive about my future. 

It was a lot harder than I first thought it would be to make friends when I arrived. It would have been a lonely experience had it not been for living on campus and spending time with my dorm mates in the halls. However half way through the year I was able to make some terrific friends that came from all over the world. I’m so glad I got the chance to meet such wonderful people. I hope that we will get the chance to see one another again in the future. 

Despite finding like minded people in Australia, I did get quite homesick at times. This was a bit of a revelation to me because ever since I was young I’ve always enjoyed spending my time travelling never once feeling down for being away. So I was quite glad that even I had a limit and missed home. Most people would say that getting a Master’s will be the hardest thing you’ll ever do in you life but for me it was actually living so far away from my loved one’s.

I did get to do some travelling in Australia for which I am glad. I didn’t do as much as I would have liked but it has only driven me with a urge to go back one day. I managed to see the Daintree Rainforest numerous times and that was one hell of a adventure. I still can’t believe I drove through those winding roads. I got to see the Great Barrier Reef and all those glorious corals and fish. It can be as spectacular as you imagine it to be as well as devastating. I also fell in love with Sydney. I didn’t think I would when I first arrived but the place really managed to intrigue me with it’s architecture and history. 

JCU without a doubt has some faults like any university but I’m glad I chose it for my Masters. Most of the courses I went on I really enjoyed and learn’t so much from. I remember taking aquaculture in the beginning and finding the subject completely fascinating. I also took marine evolution and a plankton class both of which had captivating lecturers which totally engaged me in the material. What surprised me the most was my love for my statistics classes. I absolutely enjoyed the problem solving. This helped me choose to take Geographic Information Systems (which is digital maps) which became one of my favourite classes. I of course took a coral reef ecology class and marine conservation class both of which satisfied my love of fish. I finally did a fisheries class and a human dimensions class which was a social science class. I had never studied social sciences before and this class beyond any other opened up my eyes to a whole new way of thinking. 

While I was in Townsville I pushed myself and went to many festivals and got to experience so many different cultures. When you live in a place like England you think you have experienced cultural diversity. What surprised me so much was how cultural diverse Townsville was and yet how completely different it was from any place I had been to in England. Diversity can take on many forms and I absolutely loved joining in with the festivities of the Pacific Islands particularly that of Papua New Guinea where many of my friends were from. 

North Queensland is of course hot. I absolutely loved living away from the cold and wet for eighteen months. It really changed my way of life. One of my favourite things to do was cycling along the river. I did manage one day to cycle from my uni all the way to the seashore which is about 15km. It’s views were unmatched. Australia is incredibly scenic and I’ll miss strolling around in shorts a T-shirt throughout the year. 

Above all else I loved my time in Australia. I wouldn’t change anything. Some part of me even wished I stayed. In the end I really made a home for myself and surrounded myself with awesome people. I set out to experience Australia and I think that I manged to do that but most importantly I got my Master’s. I’m delighted to be back in the UK though because despite everything I don’t think I could live anywhere else and I missed too many people.   

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Day 4 - The Great Barrier Reef

Our last day in Cairns took us to the place I’ve been wanting to go all this time, the Great Barrier Reef. Although technically I’ve already seen the inner reef it’s the outer reefs which are notorious for it’s outstanding beauty. We were going on a snorkelling tour rather then a scuba dive to save costs but also I’m having some equalising problems. It doesn’t matter because most corals live close to the surface anyway. 

Our first dive took us to the Briggs reef which is relatively small but still lots to see. I was surprised although I shouldn’t have been as the strength of the currents. We are virtually out in the ocean facing the southern equatorial current. 

There was a abundance of Parrotfish here which are highly colourful fish with a beak. It was pretty cool listening to them nipple at the hard coral. It makes quite a funny sound. I was pretty proud of myself for spotting a Leopard Shark along the ocean bottom. Mazzella spotted a Grouper which are rather large in comparison to other fish there. 

The second reef was the best in my opinion. We went to Sudbury reef near a sand island. Our mission at first was to get to that island from the boat. This took more effort then we first realised but we all managed. The reef was completely different from the previous one filled with box fish and blue starfish. I was really happy with myself for spotting two flounder fish half burred under the sand. 

The sand island was cool but I quickly ended up back on the reef with the currents pushing me back towards the boat. I wanted to make most of my time. It was well worth it as I found a White speckled Rockcod. These things are large but what I loved was there tail which looks like a fan and was mesmerising. 

I stayed in the water so long everyone else apart from one other girl was back on board and they nearly had to drag us both onto the boat. But I’m so glad we stayed because we both spotted stingrays in the water. That was definitely cool. 

I think the best part of the whole day was to final be able to say I swam the Great Barrier Reef because that’s one thing I’ve always wanted to do. It completely deserves it’s reputation for outstanding natural beauty, I just hope that we can protect it and it will last. 

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Day 3 - Things That Can Kill You

Mazzella and Ruline had yet gone to the World Heritage Site of the Daintree Rainforest so I went back for a guided tour of the area. Going around the twists and corners on the coach made me quite impressed I had managed to do the same in the car last time. Thankful I could enjoy more of the views and stress a little less about the driving. 

Our tour guide was absolutely great and entertaining. He made the trip even better. Our first stop was to the Mossman Gorge where we went last time. Only this time we got a welcome to country ceremony by the local aboriginal people. It was actually quite enjoyable as they were demonstrating the uses of different plants. I think what I found amazing was the leaves they added water to which instantly turned into soap. There was also Ochre painting demonstrations and bush food to try. 

The next part of the journey was to cross the Daintree river infested with crocodiles. Well this time we were going in a boat tour through the river. Unfortunately the tides were high making it unlikely we would see a croc. We didn’t really see much of anything but I just loved being amongst the mangroves and seeing this gorgeous river up close. 

We finally made it to Cape Tribulation although from misunderstandings we missed the beach. I’m not too bothered as I had seen it before but I felt bad for Mazzella and Ruline. We were having our lunch here and it’s where I got to try Kangaroo burger. It was cooked perfectly but it really doesn’t taste any different from venison. 

Then to my favourite part of the day was on a guided tour on the Marrdja Boardwalk. It was a short walk around the rainforest with our tour guide pointing to us trees which can suffocate other trees and plants with strong nearly invisible needles and a plant nicknamed the suicide plant because you rather commit suicide then endure the pain of it’s sting which lasts 12 months. I think the message was quite clear, look at how deadly Australia is. 

The prize site though was seeing a wild Cassowary. These are rare endangered birds which looks like a giant turkey pumped up with steroids that can run 30 miles per hour and has claws five inches long. One attack from this thing and you will have a gruesome death. So I was both extremely excited and scared as hell when we spotted one male sitting on their eggs only about ten yards away. Thankfully nothing happened. 

We got to enjoy the remainder of the day with a special Daintree ice cream made from kale, coconut, spirulina and ginger. It’s supposed to taste different for everyone but I got a minty flavour which either makes me rather suggestible because the tour guide also tasted mint or I’m hooked on my favourite ice cream flavour. I also tried black sapote fruit which is supposed to taste like chocolate but I didn’t really taste anything. 

I think I’ve appreciated the Daintree more then I did the first time around. It’s beauty is just stunning. We stopped by the town of Port Douglas on our way back to see the second oldest church in Queensland which was only built in 1914. 

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Day 2 - Bike Marathon

Now if my first day was peaceful and relaxing then my second day would be strenuous but rewarding. We wanted to head out to the local watering hole named Crystal Cascades. Unfortunately that is about 20 km or 12 miles away which takes half hour car ride to get to. There is also no public transport. 

Well we didn’t want to fork out the cost of hiring a car so we had the bright idea of hiring a pair of bikes instead and cycling our way there. I have to say that this was actually a really fun journey and not as bad as I first thought it would be. The route we took was actually fairly flat and there was a lot of bike paths which was off road following the creek. 

The route was almost as good as the actual destination. We did have to follow the road for a bit but that again was a beautiful ride through the farm fields. It was also quite overcast so the day wasn’t too unbearably hot. The only truly hard bit came towards the end on the uphill where we ended up walking a small portion of it. We were quite ecstatic to make it. 

Then we got to relax and swim in the waterfalls. This is actually the location where Cairn’s get’s it’s watering supply from so the water is really clean and pure. I did a bit of climbing over the rocks but I wasn’t brave enough to do any cliff diving. To be honest the bike ride was enough for me for one day. 

We took a slightly different path on our journey back but we went the wrong way towards the end which took us on a rather hilly journey home. At least it was a shorter route and we got home faster. We managed to get to the bike hire in the nick of time to enjoy a bottle of ginger beer. That was it from us for the day. 

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Cairns Trip 2.0

My first year of my master’s is finally over. I’m relieved to have a break. As much as I’ve enjoyed all my classes I’m looking forward to relaxing and not worrying about assignments or exams. I started off this occasion by going to Cairn’s again for a week’s holiday. 

Unlike last time I wasn’t driving and took the bus which was actually a really enjoyable journey. I had already forgotten how scenic the route is. I had gone on this holiday with two other girls but only me and Mazzella had the four days free, Ruline joined us for the last two days. 

The first day we had free we decided to take it easy. We had a lot planned and we were on a tight budget. We decided to head off to the nearby botanical gardens. It was close to our hostel and so we were able to walk to the park. We actually ended up missing the botanical gardens and going to the lakes instead because we had thought we arrived. 

It was still beautiful to walk around the parts we could access. Unfortunately there was a lot of workers cordoning off areas to the public. I think the most impressive thing there was all the bamboo and the height they grew. There was also this beautifully coloured eucalyptus tree trunk. 

Afterwards we headed into the city to catch a bus to head out of the area to a small beach village called Palm Cove. It was a incredibly hot day so we spent most of the time in the water in the netted area. There are still jellyfish along the coast and you can’t swim everywhere. 

One of the most peculiar things to happen was meeting a gentleman who had a pet parrot with him. He was offering the parrot to kiss passersby. It was cute. So all in all a great day out and finally some rest. 

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Back to Orpheus Island

For the first time since coming to Australia I’ve finally felt like I’ve seen the Great Barrier Reef. My luck with the small amount of snorkelling I’ve done has mostly been a disappointment. Nothing remarkable came from the bays off Magnetic Island or Pioneer Bay which is next to the lodgings on Orpheus Island. It made my desire to get to the outer reefs greater especially when I could see the signs of decay already. 

I had a field trip which took me back to Orpheus Island this half term break. I was looking forward to this trip much more than the previous trip because I could focus on the snorkelling and enjoy myself and relax. Last time I was too busy focusing on my assignment work. 

On the day of our arrival which had me wake up at the early hours of 4 am we had two snorkelling dives. Instead of just Pioneer bay we also got to go further north to Cattle Bay on the island. This is what made the trip so exciting because on our little dingy’s we were being taken all around the small islands. We also got great weather. It was sunny and more importantly warm. 

It was the next day I enjoyed the most. Apparently they rarely are able to get out to the southern Island of Curacoa because of the winds but we got the chance that day. For a fun dive they took us to a good spot and it blew my mind. There were fields of plate corals stretching as far as the eye could see with all sorts of colours. I think the neon green colour stood out to me the most. 

My friend had given me her underwater camera and I got carried away by taking pictures where ever I could. I was just snapping hoping I could get a good shot especially with the fish who are really fast swimmers. There was such a great variety of species there. I got happy seeing some parrotfish and butterflyfish.

Our second and last fun dive took us to the north island of Pelorus. I was pretty exhausted by this point but I still got to enjoy a completely different underwater scene. This site was filled with soft corals which was great to watch their tentacles float with the currents. This is where I got to see a octopus as well. 

Overall this was a awesome trip and I’m so glad I went. I got my data for the class assignment and I’m looking forward to writing this report. I think it will be fascinating to see the outcome. Our study is on the affect of bleaching on the coral reefs using the previous years class data as a comparison. This was all in the response to recent mass bleaching events here. I also managed to improve my species ID skills. I can’t wait to scuba next. 

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Netflix’s Death Note

One of my biggest interests is anime. The first anime series I’ve ever watched was a series called Death Note which is mega popular and a must see for any anime fan. It’s recently got a American live-action remake on Netflix and this has become a hot topic in the anime community. I thought it would be fun to give my review on it from someone who’s read the original manga, watched the anime and seen the Japanese live-action movies. 

If you’ve never seen the franchise before, it’s simply about a boy named Light who finds a death note which was dropped by a death god named Ryuk. If you write any name down with a picture of that persons face in mind that person dies of a heart attack. You can also specify how they die. Light uses this death note to attempt to kill all criminals in the world. This triggers L a revered detective to try and capture Light named Kira by the world. 

I came into this movie with a open mind. I had already seen the trailers so I knew there would be changes as there should be. Some of them were understandable as some character’s simply didn’t translate for a American audience. Ryuk was absolutely perfect. I loved his aesthetic and he did feel like a death god being kept in the shadows. L was also a decent portrayal. I thought his quirkiness could come off a little cheesy in a live action but it was acted really well. 

There was one massive change from the source material that for fans will be hard to bare but for new comers will likely not notice. That is the character of Light which is not the same person as in the manga. At first I was pretty happy with these changes. Light is supposed to be a upstanding intelligent young man who you would never imagine could actually be Kira. This is partly because his farther is the chief of police. In the west though we don’t have the same conception of family social class. It was good to see him as more relatable. 

It was important that it was Light who made the killings and it was him who decided to rid the world of criminals. In this version that went to Ryuk and Misa/Mia’s character. They guided and almost forceful pushed Light into writing people’s name down which completely changes the story being told. It’s not necessarily bad but it’s hard to watch knowing these characters. 

Especially Misa/Mia’s character who’s supposed to have their own death note in the story and falls in love with Light to the point of infatuation. Light then uses her for his own manipulations. In Netflix’s version it feels as if the characters switched places although Misa/Mia doesn’t become a owner. It almost becomes Misa/Mia and Ryuk are the antagonist's instead of L. 

The thing that put me off the movie was more the shift in genre. What made Death Note come alive in the first place was the deadly cat and mouse game. Both Light and L stood by there convictions believing in their righteous. Light would do just about anything to meet his ends even putting his family at risk. Both Light and L used creative genius schemes to try and reveal one another’s identities which never came off as too absurd. Some of the most nail biting moments were just watching two characters talk to one another seeing if they slip up. 

In this movie none of that takes place. Both Light and L do some really dumb moves particularly Light who practically reveals himself as Kira and casually talks about the Death Note in school with people around. L seemingly manages to figure out situations with no real reasoning. Most of the time we’ve just told why he uncovered these facts instead of been shown or it’s just not mentioned at all. There’s a lot of plot holes in this movie. 

I did actually like the ending though. There is a good plot twist and there was some ambiguity which I liked. There was a story to tell and although not the original story it was some what interesting. The acting was good as well as the cinematography. 

Overall I would say this this a decent movie for new comers but I can’t imagine any anime fans enjoying this series because it does not hold a candle to the original. It completely butchers characters and stories. It definitely got the American treatment with adding a romance plot and including more action scenes. 

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All The Activities I’ve Been Up To

It’s been quite some time since I last updated on what I’ve been up to. Other then more work related stuff I have gone out a lot more. I’ve finally made it up to the top of Mt Stuart which is the mountain sitting right behind campus which gives you a lovely view of the city. 

My intention was when I first made the journey I would hike up it. I really like making the effort to walk because I think you gain much more appreciation when you reach the top. However either way I would still need a car to get to the bottom as the entrance is on a fast road away from paths. 

In the end my first trip up to the top was actually for rock climbing so I think that makes up for it. We get to the top and we end up walking to the cliff edge. Then we had to climb following a narrow path to the bottom. I was expecting a fairly wide space but it was truly narrow before you meet another drop. I was scared at first to go further ahead until I was told the easier climbs were that way. It involved stretching you arms around a rock face and shuffling around. 

I’ve done cliff climbing before but I think the last time was when I was eight in Pengethley. I wasn’t expecting to be so terrible at it. The first try I had I managed to get stuck on the first part of the climb. I wasn’t even high enough to abseil down. The second time I did manage to get higher and I did make what I considered a difficult move before getting myself into a even harder corner. 

I was just bad at it. Everyone else seemed to have no trouble traversing up each cliff. At first I thought I just lacked upper body strength but now seeing how they climbed, I think I just didn’t stretch my body far enough or use enough gaps in the rocks. 

On another day I went cross country running. I never thought I would ever say that as I thought I had given up that sport when I reached the wonderful age of fourteen in school. Still I really needed the exercise and all the colleges on campus were competing in the run. So I got up for a seven O’clock in the morning run around the entire campus. 

The first part was a circuit around the field and I’m proud to say that I didn’t stop once. After that though I wasn’t going to run up any hills and I was not fit enough to run the whole track. I did manage a sprint at the end. 

At another occasion our college took all the girls out to try pole dancing. I always wanted to give it ago so I went along. This I was just as bad at as rock climbing. It turns out like all forms of dance you need to be flexible to be good and that’s definitely not something I have. I think my biggest problem is that I’m too terrified of falling. I know that’s hilarious from someone who did sky diving several times but that different. You can’t see the ground. After two broken arms it seems I’m too attached to the ground. 

I did manage a swirl around the pole but I never manged to hold myself up. It doesn’t look it but boy is that uncomfortable as well. You get so many bruises from that pole. Out of the entire session I achieved a single graceful fall down the pole which I think was the worst performance out of the lost considering how some people were already doing inverted holds on the pole. 

Then today I went out on my newly repaired bike. I had the air pump attachment opening broken and I got it repaired Wednesday on campus for only $10 which is amazing so I haven't been able to ride for some time now. I took it down to Riverway which is the large family park next to the river. I’ve never been before but I knew the direction. 

It was pretty cool. I didn't’ stop but there were some fairly cool parks which I wished I got to play as a kid on. If I had my cozzie I could have got into the water but that was fine. The views were amazing. 

After all this your probably thinking I’ve been really active but you couldn’t be further from the truth. Sometimes I think I’m attached to my laptop with the amount of work I need doing.

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Bugs!!

I was attacked by this monster of a creature. When I saw that thing which crawled out from behind my fridge when I was innocently sat using my laptop, I sprang to standing on my chair. I was ready to pounce at a moments notice to my bed and get as far from that hideous thing as I possibly could. I was armed with my insect repellent that I had kept nearby in case of emergency’s. This was a life and death situation. 

I bravely sprayed the thing from my wall but it quickly hid again behind my fridge. I was too cowardly to get closer but I heard it move and the next thing I know it was heading towards me and I sprayed that bug so hard it turned back to the fridge. 

I waited and waited. I didn’t hear anything so I crept closer. I took the next step of peering down the gap behind my fridge and there it was. I took my spray can and blasted that thing. 

It came out again covered in dust looking even more monstrous but this time I was prepared. I had quickly ran to the door to open it up before rushing back to stand on my chair platform. I continued spraying that thing and it ran itself outside. 

I kept watch though until it was out of my sight and also because I needed the door open to get rid of the fumes. I maybe was a little overzealous if my coughing was any indication. 

So onto a more serious note, the insects here are not as bad as I thought they would be. There are certainly a lot of interesting and much larger bugs here then you would typically find back in England but I rarely spot them as they keep to greenery areas. 

When I first got here in the Summer my problem was Ants. I didn’t realise how much of a nuisance they were and managed to inadvertently gain a colony in my room. They were attracted to my unwashed cup that had apple juice in, my half eaten chocolate bar and my bin. 

I quickly learnt that you have to wash up after yourself straight away because they can arrive in your home within the hour. Everything has to be kept in your fridge no matter what and I even now have a Tupperware box that I keep my banana peels and apple cores in until my bin is full. 

Generally though I have had no issue living here and with the insects I do see. Once I adapted for the climate I never felt invaded. 

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Daintree Rainforest

The main reason for this expedition was to visit the Daintree rainforest. This was another full day of driving with a lot of stops. We first went to Mossman gorge. This was pretty amassing place to see. We took a walk around the rainforest going along boardwalks and then forest floor. We did bring our cozzies but we ended up not getting into the water due to time. We just wanted to get a lot done. The water was very inviting though and we saw a few fish in the streams. 

We continued on our journey past a river which we took a ferry to cross and past winding roads to the iconic place of Cape Tribulation. This is one of the most picturesque beaches you’ll ever see and was virtually empty of people. It’s famous as the place where two world heritage sites meet - the Daintree and the Great Barrier Reef. 

We stayed here a long time just appreciating the peacefulness of the place. I find it difficult to slow myself down sometimes and appreciate such places as I’ve been spoiled in my youth with sites such like this. With my friends who had a much more visceral reaction than I did, I think I was able to change my thinking and just marvel at the fact I was here standing in one of the most gorgeous sites I’ll ever see. 

I wasn’t able to get into the water though as there was crocodiles infesting the coast. We began heading our way back slowly to Cairns stopping again at more sites. There was a orchard on the side of the road which had a small ice cream cafe. The fruits they grow were turned into the ice cream right there in the cafe. I had a raspberry and passionfruit which were beyond words delicious. I also had jackfruit which was a odd flavour to me and very chewy. I also had wattleseed which was a wild mocha flavour. I don’t particularly like coffee but this was nice. 

We took another short boardwalk around the forest but didn’t stay long as we were getting tired and we had already spent some time walking around the Daintree. We instead went to a couple of lookout points which were well worth seeing. 

We headed back to Townsville the next day, rushing more than we needed to at first because we thought we had less time with the car than we actually did. After our timing was corrected we finally got some time to relax in a watering hole. There is something magical about being in the middle of no where cooling off in a stream. 

I’m so glad I got the chance to visit Cairns and the Daintree. That ticks two places I wanted to see while I was here off my list. I needed the break and this trip more than provided. 

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Road Trip

Over a month ago now I ended up on a road trip to the city of Cairns. This pretty much only happened because out of the five other people going, I was the only one eligible to rent a car here in Australia. I was a little trepid about driving as I’m not overly confident behind the wheel and this would be my first time driving a automatic as well as in a foreign country. At least it was still left side driving. 

After getting used to the automatic which wasn’t as bad adjusting to as I originally thought, it was one of the most relaxing journeys I’ve ever done. I did end up constantly trying to use my left foot though when ever I needed to change speed. Though the biggest challenge I had was the indicators which were on the right. I’m used to them being on the left hand side so I pretty much consistently used the windscreen wipers instead. 

It was just so enjoyable being on a road empty of traffic and with little to no turns. I only had to go standstill a couple of times for roadworks but that was nothing compared to driving on the motorways in Britain. The one thing that I found was that it was hard to sometimes not go over the speed limit when you alone on a long road. 

I was surprised at how well kept the roads were here in Australia. Admittedly I didn’t go that much off the main road but I had yet to see a pot hole and it took me four hours to reach Cairns. The journey itself was a beautiful straight road alongside the coast going past sugarcane and banana plantations. I was also surprised at how many businesses and houses seemingly were in the middle of no where. 

Once we arrived it was already the late afternoon and so we only spent a small amount of time wandering the town. I can definitely tell why it is a preferred place to live over Townsville. It just appears nicer and there are more business around. However it is also very much a tourist city. 

The coastline was far out at sea when we got there but nevertheless still beautiful. We stayed by the public pool until we grew tired and then retreated to our hostel.  

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What I’ve Been Up to

This update has been well overdue. A lot has happened since I last made a post. I’ve gotten crazy busy and a teensy weensy bit stressed. It was coming to the end of my first semester and as you can imagine I had a lot of assignments due. I didn’t get much of a break before my exams were nearing. After a brief weekend of recovery I started a in between semester intensive course which is worth the same as one module. So as you can see I’ve been on the go. 

But Yay, I have finished my first semester here as JCU. It was certainly challenging and I hope I’ve lived up to expectations when I get my results. It’s rather strange being here at the moments because nearly everyone is away for the holidays. There are very few people remaining and so the place can feel rather empty. 

It’s currently winter and I’ve had a few moments where I’ve had to go a but a jumper on. This usually didn’t last long and was usually the first thing in the morning. It’s still fairly hot most day’s reaching upwards of 20°C.

Despite all the working I did the last few weeks I did manage to go on a trip to Cairns. It was only two nights but we managed to visit in my view the main attraction - the Daintree rainforest. I think this deserves it’s own post as I have so much to say. I had a lot of fun going. 

Otherwise I have to say my life is pretty boring. I’ve been either too poor or busy to do too much. I’ve got a bike now though and I’ve been able to start cycling places especially along the river which has been cool to see new parks. I’m also looking forward to going to Orpheus Island next week to collect data for my group project. It involves a lot of snorkelling which I like the sound of. Apparently it’s really cold which I feel mildly dubious of because I’ve swam in Scotland before but I am prepared. 

I’m generally enjoying my time here. I’m still loving the classes and I’m getting along with everyone. The weather is still great and I’ve been enjoying walking outdoors everywhere. 

Sorry for being so terribly late with a post. I’ll try to do better. 

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Toastmasters

I hate public speaking. I try to avoid it at all costs. I think most people can agree that standing in front of a group of people and speaking is one of the hardest things you can do. Unfortunately, its expected of you in pretty much any line of work you go in to and you will undoubtedly find yourself in that situation. 

I guess I came to the realisation that I’ve been avoiding this subject to my own detriment. In school I got away by having private speech’s in front of my teachers and at uni I ended up choosing courses with little presentation requirements. In doing this all I’ve done is increase the dread I get when I can’t avoid public speaking. 

This is why I’ve decided to join Toastmaster’s this year. I realise this is going to come to shock to a lot of people as I know I am quite shy and incredible reluctant to do anything I find slightly uncomfortable but one of the main points of me coming to Australia is the improve myself. I need to start honing the skills I find less than enjoyable but are essential. 

For those who do not know what Toastmaster’s is, it’s a international organisation where people can get together in clubs and societies for self improvement in communication and leadership skills. 

I’ve attended three meeting’s so far and I was surprised to see how organised and formal the meetings might seem. Everyone is very friendly but also highly focused. They want to get the most out of the limited time they have there and make the most opportunities for everyone to practice speaking. Time management is also a important quality to improve upon. 

The reason I mention all of this now is because I’ve done my official first prepared speech in front of the club members. It was called the Icebreaker and was meant just to see what skills I already have. I was pretty nervous as you can imagine. I ended up talking about the time my family ended up on a sinking boat. It was a event that happened a long time ago but I remember it so vividly and it’s a fun story to tell. 

I think I shocked people because I went up front with no props or prepared notes. I didn’t stand in front of the lectern either. It was commented on as being rather brave but honestly it’s easier than reading aloud. I was also apparently funny because I got a lot of laughs out of people. I must of done well as I received not only my Icebreaker reward but the Best Speaker reward as well. 

One of the great things about being in Toastmaster’s is you get evaluated on so even though I got great feedback I was also told that I did like to rock back and forwards on one spot when I talk. That’s something to watch out for next time. 

I actually enjoy going to this club and speaking. It can be a little nerve wracking however it feels like a safe place to fail and I’m already feeling a little happier about the prospect of public speaking in the future. 

[serenitytide-blog]

Magnetic Island

Last week was luckily lecture recess and with the cyclone potentially coming to hit us, in some way’s this was good timing. I spent a lot of time studying and catching up on work I missed but I decided to take Sunday off and visit Maggie Island. 

I was surprised at how unbuilt the place was. I had looked at the map and seen the marked towns but in reality the places seemed more like a couple of shops on the beach. I had taken the ferry over and gotten a bus from the port to Bungalow Bay resort. I wanted to get some gear to go snorkelling. The place looked so incredibly relaxing and has already enticed me to want to go back. I loved the giant bean bags on the decking where I saw students working on their laptops. 

This is where me impatience and slight determination sets in because the bus only comes every hour so I decided to walk to Arthur Bay instead of waiting. The sun was incredibly hot and I had to walk uphill for some of the journey. It’s only a few miles but the heat was strong. I then decided because I had time to kill to climb up Forts Hill to get some views. 

However I didn’t exactly have a great amount of time to do this climb so I managed to get all but 800m from the top. I had to stop myself from going any further else I be late for my snorkelling. I already pushed myself for time and hastened down the hill only to slip on the unstable surface and fall on my arse. I wasn’t hurt but I feel that was my comeuppance for trying to do too much at once. 

The real highlight of the day was my participation with the Reef Ecologic Organisation to take part in some marine weeding. A 4x4 quadrant was put out on the reef of Arthur Bay and once I had my stinger suit and snorkel gear on we had to dive down and remove any Sargassum in the hope that corals will be able to grow there instead. 

This was more challenging then I expected because of the strong currents and to hold your breath to duck down and grab onto the ocean floor in order to get some footing to be able to grab not only the leaves but the steadfast of the Sargassum was tough going. 

As a group though we collected 8.4Kg of seaweed. It was incredibly to imagine in only short time how much we collected. I doubt I got that much out of the group because it took me a while to get the hang of ducking under and getting the Sargassums. 

I was a little silly as well afterwards as I had by this point run out of water but because of my impatience I still decided to walk back to the resort. At least this time it was downhill. I had great relief when I found the water fountain though. I need to remember that I need to bring twice as much water then I expect to drink when your out in the sun. 

[serenitytide-blog]

Wind and Rain

The cyclone missed us. Up until Monday Cyclone Debbie was predicted to hit Ayr which is 50 miles south of Townsville, then is moved much further south towards Bowen. People in Townsville had little to worry about because of this fact. 

Cyclones in the southern hemisphere move in a clockwise direction gaining power as the winds move across the ocean causing devastating affects to the south towns on land. As the winds move across the land, the winds slow down from friction and a lack of energy supply which means the northern towns do not suffer as much. This is why Debbie was felt as far south as Brisbane but hardly felt at all in Townsville. All we experienced was a nice breeze and drizzle. 

This did not stop JCU from evacuating all residence from Western Courts and giving them temporary accommodation in the other residence halls which are in stable brick buildings unlike our mobile homes. 

I think everyone could understand the necessity at first but when on the Monday the cyclone had moved it was still deemed we needed to evacuate people got a little frustrated from both sides. 

The organisation for the past two days has been poor which would be understandable if there was an actually emergency but there was not. On the Monday we were called to a impromptu meeting at 1 O’Clock which actually started at 12:30 so I’m unsure if anyone missed anything. People were a little confused on what was exactly going on. 

Once settled though the main issue I had was food arrangements. In the halls I was staying at there was no vegetarian option available expect salad. Salad is not a meal. Luckily though we did have cooked pre-made meals in the fridge for everyone else. This wouldn’t have been a issue until the next day, Tuesday when for inexplicable reasons we weren’t allowed to grab lunch. In response to this we were given a 30min time frame to get lunch from one of the colleges (which is not run by JCU) that allowed us to eat at their dinning hall.  

At the end of the day I am lucky. Cyclone Debbie has definitely been a terrible beast of a cyclone and the fact that all I got was a small amount of wind is thankful, Even though all these precautions were unnecessary at least there was some sort of plan if it had been worse. Hopefully the towns which were impacted didn’t have too much trouble. 

[serenitytide-blog]

Cyclone Debbie

For all those unaware there has been a predicted category 4 cyclone heading towards northeast Queensland hitting Townsville. It’s predicted to land at some point late Sunday, Monday or early Tuesday. There are likely to be power outages so I will be out of contact with people for a few days. There is nothing to worry about as I am well prepared.

As you can see I’ve stocked up on food. I’ve got a few can’s of soup as well just in case. I tired to get water but everywhere was empty so I stocked up on apple juice instead. I aim to drink one of them before the cyclone hits and fill it up with water.

I’ve also made sure I’ve got plenty of batteries and my torch. I also have a battery pack for my phone to keep that running and to listen out on the radio just in case.

We’ve been issued a lot of warnings and JCU has been keeping us up to date. So far the unofficial plan its to evacuate to the cinema room if things look bad. Its in a solid brick building with no windows so we should be okay there. We plan to watch movies until a power outage and play board games afterwards.

It’s been pretty bizarre outside as everyone is removing or tying stuff down. It probably doesn’t look any different to you put we used to have a canopy across the buildings for sun shelter. I’ve super tided my room and put everything in my wardrobe chaining the doors shut. I think this might be over the top but it’s better safe then sorry.

Everyone doesn’t seem all that worried. I think it’s more the international students who are a bit cautious as we are not so used to these events. I don’t think anyone has anything to worry about and as I’ve said we are well prepared.

[serenitytide-blog]

Internship

In my infinite wisdom I clearly decided I had too much free time on my hands because when I saw a advertisement for a internship in the university I snapped up the chance. 

I was a little weary at first because it hadn’t been that long since I started my first lectures. I had to write myself a new resume which I have to say I’m getting really good at. It helps that I actually have stuff to say in my CV unlike when I never had a job before. 

In any case it must have been successful as the next thing I knew I had a interview. I wasn’t sure what to expect so I decided to go full out and wear black trousers and a white shirt. I think I was the only one to dress that formally but there was plenty of people dressed up as there was people dressed causally. 

It turned out that groups of ten of us were taken into a board room and we each had to write on a paper what our preference for internship we wanted. There were multiple positions on offer. As this was going on each of us would get a casual 5 min interview with one of the coordinators. 

I was nervous. I didn’t exactly have a great track record for doing well in interviews but it was easy enough and I had prepared well this time. I ended up waiting for a friend at the end of the interview selection and that caused me to end up with a conversation with my interviewer. I’m not sure if that helped my case or not. 

Well it doesn’t matter because I got my third choice for internship. I am now working alongside a PhD student where we are trying to figure out the environmental conditions for fish nurseries in mangroves and seagrass areas around the world. Basically what makes these places ideal for young juveniles. 

This mostly involves going through a list of journals and articles and trying to obtain key information and determine there usefulness for our purposes. I never realised how much skills I picked up from my previous work place regarding skim reading and quick data analysis. Though this work is defiantly more interesting and requires more thinking and decision making. 

Despite what I said in the first paragraph I am keeping on top of things and the internship only takes five hours a week out of my time. It will hopefully give me more opportunities next term or in the future and help me when I decide my project.