North Stradbroke Island

September 27th

I finally got to go on my first field trip: North Stradbroke Island!  I was super stoked to get to learn all about  the local marine biology in Moreton Bay.  I departed campus with the whole group of Californian students to catch a ferry.  The boat was huge and I got lost on board.  When we got to the island, we rushed straight to the research station and unloaded the bus, because the driver had 10 minutes to return to the ferry.  Talk about speeding.  We settled into the station, unpacked, and I took a nap while all of my friends and family went to their lectures.

When I woke up a few hours later, my friends and family had returned, but I must have been asleep for quite some time because they all got to go snorkeling.  I heard they saw lots of sponges, cool fish like Blennies and Toadfish, Mama Lauren claimed she saw a ray, and so did Auntie Tina.  I was so jealous, but they said I would get to go another day.

Later, everyone in the group split up into projects and that preoccupied most of their time on Straddie.  Mama Lauren was researching Toadfish habitat preference, Uncle Josias and Auntie Tina ran experiments on Stingray feeding pits.  I was lucky enough to help Mama Lauren snorkeling and looking for her specimens.

My snorkel gear :D

On board helping do research.

Unfortunately it was raining for the rest of the week we were there.  This made it tough to hang out in the sun on the beach.  The one day the rain lightened up, I decided to relax on the beach while everyone went to go sandboarding down the dunes on the island; I heard they had a blast and recommend it for everyone.  Back to rainy days... but fortunately for me, I got to spend heaps of time with my new friends and family and exchanging stories and playing games.  I also got to explore the really nifty research station and look at all the experiments and tanks of animals.  One thing I chose not to participate in but Mama Lauren and Uncle Josias loved was the turtle necropsies.  They cut open and explored the organs of a fellow animal.  Gross!!! but they found it very educational but also sad. :`(

Me in a raincoat hood.

Me with Uncle Josias looking at Barramundi in a tank.

Mama Lauren and friends with a dissected turtle.  How stinky!

The last day on Straddie we went to the other side of the island, Amity Point and Point Lookout.  I stayed in the bus while my friends and family went on the gorge walk around the point.  They reported that they spotted humpback whales, sea turtles, and possibly a dugong.  They explored the sandy shore below as well and saw some blue bottle jellyfish. YIKES!

Uncle Josias looking for turtles and dugongs to take pictures of.

Auntie Tina holding a ctenophore!

Blue Bottle Jellyfish :o

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Party In Brisbane

When I first got back home to Brisbane, the first thing I had to do was get used to the cats!! They are so big and at first I didn't think they liked me.

But eventually we became friends.

After I had settled into my new home Justin and Jordan invited me over for a fancy party at their house. We got all dressed up and headed over for a night of fun and a home cooked meal!

 I helped in the kitchen

I got to play pool

And I even made some business deals.

The night was a lot of fun, and I made new friends! Hayley, Teresa, Matt, Jordan, and Justin are so nice!

Last Day in Melbourne

September 19th, 2010:

We woke up in the hostel excited for our last day in Melbourne.  We had no definite plans.  So we wandered St. Kilda looking at Luna Park and the booths at the artisans' market.  The most interesting booth by far was the temporary tattoo one.  Auntie Tina even paid five dollars to get an image of me tattooed on her forearm.  Then we were off to the airport, for my first real flight (outside a box).

The airport was really fun in my opinion.  Lots of people to watch.  While all of my new family was studying for their upcoming midterms, I got to sit in comfy chairs and watch the planes take off and land.  After boarding the plane, Mama Lauren and Uncle Josias listened to music instead of continuing their marine biology review.  Eventually, Uncle Josias and took a nap while looking out the window. Upon arrival in Brisbane, we took a taxi through the rain to finally see my new home!!!

 Tina with tattoo of me

 chilling in the airport

 napping by the window with Josias

First Day With My New Family

Sept. 18th Today my new family and I went to the Royal Botanical Gardens, although we only had thirty minutes on the meter we took plenty of fun pictures. Alas we had to leave because Auntie Sonya had to fly back to Brisbane. After we dropped Auntie Sonya off we drove and drove to see the fairy penguins! It would have been a long drive, but Auntie Tina let me dance with her!


It was rainy and cold at Phillip Island, but the penguins were so cute!! I am definitely bigger than the penguins!

I love my new family.

MY LIFE AS A WOMBAT

The very first thing i remember was waking up in a box somewhere in china.  I was cozy in this box with all of my brothers and sisters, and cousins, and friends, and others from cohort.  After waiting for a few months, the box was opened and i saw daylight.  I emerged from this cardboard burrow to be placed on a shelf in the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne, Australia.  I could not wait to join a new family, but all my wombat friends said that wombats were the least popular purchased marsupial item at the stand.  Fortunately for me, these two very loud and overly excited American girls picked me from the gloomy darkness of the back of the shelf, and my life as a pet wombat began.