Look but don't touch! Our time at the Great Barrier Reef

Last week was spent at the Great Barrier Reef on a coral cay called Heron Island. It’s located off the Queensland Coast right on the Tropic of Capricorn. If we were on the north side of the island we were in the tropics and if on the south side the sub-tropics. Either way, we were in paradise.

Getting to paradise wasn’t easy. We took a two-hour catamaran ride through stomach-churning seas. Philip and I came through OK, Philip because he took a couple of Dramamine tablets. Me? Well, I think I’ve got my Swedish sea captain lineage to thank. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t happy to reach shore, but at least I didn’t need a barf bag at the ready the way some of the students did.

After arriving at Heron Island we had a quick lunch and then attended a lecture on venomous and poisonous marine organisms. (Venom is injected while poison is not. Yes, I had that question too.) What should you never, never touch? Cone shells and stonefish, for starters. The innocuous looking cone shell can fire a dart-like protuberance into its victim, causing respiratory paralysis and possibly death. The camouflaged stonefish hides out in sand and coral, waiting for unsuspecting victims to touch one of its 13 venomous spines. What happens if you do touch one? You can expect excruciating pain, paralysis, shock, and, yes, the very real possibility of death. Anti-venom is available in the case of stonefish stings. If you have a run-in with a cone shell? You’re on your own, mate . . . Let’s see, what else can we add to the catalog of nasty stuff that can kill you? Ooh, there’s the blue ringed octopus, lionfish, box jellyfish, and irukandji jellyfish. The fact that you could be minding your own business and inadvertently swim into a colony of potentially fatal jellyfish is cause for concern, wouldn’t you say? According to our lecturer, Derek, stings from the box jellyfish can kill within 15 minutes; the pain is so intense that victims go into a delirium and drown as a result. Which brings us to the irukandji—particularly terrifying because it’s miniscule and therefore difficult to detect. The sting of the irukandji can cause pain so intense that, even after a victim has been rendered unconscious with morphine/anesthesia, he or she will go on screaming . . . and screaming . . . and . . . By the way, you might be wondering about sharks. The vast majority of them go about their business without paying humans any mind. Just don’t harass them and you’re OK. (Of course, encountering a Tiger Shark is a different story.)

At the end of his hair-raising lecture, Derek assured us that the chance of coming across and being killed by one of the aforementioned beasties was extremely small, smaller than getting run over by a truck while crossing a busy street. Philip and I decided his logic was faulty, given that far more people cross busy streets than swim at the Great Barrier Reef. Nevertheless, we and the students put our trust in Derek—and our full-body stinger suits!—as we snorkeled around the island for the rest of the week. The stinger suits left our chins exposed, but only one student got stung by a jellyfish—fortunately only a blue bottle, whose sting hurts but isn’t fatal. After overcoming our initial fears, all of us came to love snorkeling above and around the coral—not only during the day but also at night (courtesy of underwater flashlights and glow sticks attached to our snorkel tubes). It’s hard to convey the beauty of the reef, which teems with life of every shape and size, from sea cucumbers to sting rays. We were especially excited to see reef sharks and giant turtles. Stunning!

The turtles were a treat on shore as well as at sea. We happened to catch the tail end of the egg laying and hatching season, which meant we were able to watch heaps of unbearably cute turtle hatchlings make their way across the beach and into the ocean. They tend to do this at night, when the temperature cools, and they find their way to the water by the reflected light of the moon. The little turtles have trouble distinguishing between natural and artificial light, so if you use a flashlight to spot them, you have to wade into the water and then shut off your light before walking back onto the beach. Otherwise you’ll have a train of baby sea turtles reversing course and following you back onto land. Sadly, turtles that happen to hatch near the resort often head toward the light streaming from patio doors instead of the ocean. There’s nothing more pitiful than a baby turtle bumping its head repeatedly against a glass door. Of course, even if a turtle makes it to the water, it can still get picked off by a host of predators. Our group cheered on a baby turtle as it crawled to the water’s edge, only to see a sea gull swoop down and carry it off for dinner. On a happier note, Philip and I were also lucky to see several enormous turtles (about four feet long and three feet across) digging nests in the sand. There’s nothing like being hit by sand propelled by giant turtle flippers.

I can’t end this post without mentioning one more inhabitant of Heron Island: the mutton bird. This homely looking thing is so clumsy that it sometimes smacks into buildings when trying to land. Worse, its cry sounds like a wailing human baby—not exactly what you want to hear between 2 and 4 in the morning, as we often did. But despite the mutton birds—as well as the jellyfish, untimely deaths of baby turtles, and occasional squalls of wind and rain—we fell in love with Heron Island. The pictures below will show you why. Tomorrow we head to the Lamington Plateau to study rainforest ecology. We hear there’s a plant with a big, heart-shaped leaf full of tiny, hair-like stingers that can remain embedded in your skin for years should you brush against them. We’ll keep you posted!

~Andy

Shipwreck in Heron Island's harbor

On the beach

Sting rays!

Coral reef flat research

Reef flat photo op

On the boat to our snorkeling site

Can you tell Nat's pregnant? :-)

Suited up and ready to snorkel!

Ready for our night snorkel

More students ready for our night snorkel

Entering the watery darkness

This baby turtle has only a one in one thousand chance of making it to adulthood. 

Turtles on the march--and a hungry seagull

We wished them well . . . 

The "it's safe to touch these things" tank at the research station

Crossing the creek at Carnarvon Gorge

I’ll start this entry out by telling you that we lasted exactly one night in the tent that Andy mentioned in his last post. The second day at Carnavon the rain kept coming down, so we decided to upgrade to a self-contained cabin with an en suite bathroom and actual walls, windows and a door! The guilt we felt for spending the extra money quickly subsided as we settled into our warm and mold-free accommodation.

We woke up on our third day to sunshine and perfect hiking weather and were out the door by 7:30 am, with lunches packed, for our day hike on the main trail up the gorge. The hike up Carnarvon consists of a main trail that follows Carnarvon Creek upstream with several branching trails that lead to smaller hikes up some of the side canyons. As we left the visitor center we were told that, due to the recent rain, all of the creek crossings were washed away, and that we might “get our feet wet.” As we approached the trailhead we noticed that a 30-foot wide, 12-inch deep creek stood between us and the trail on the far bank. I guess that’s what the ranger meant by getting our feet wet. The crossings were actually pretty fun, and by the time we reached the "Art Gallery," 8 crossings later, we were pros.

The Art Gallery is a massive sandstone cliff off the main trail that contains a large number of Aboriginal rock paintings and has been a special spot for Indigenous people for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Andy and I both felt that we were in a very special place as we sat and absorbed the history and imagined the people who created these images so long ago. Almost all of the paintings were actually stencils, made by placing objects (hands, boomerangs, stone axes, etc.) on the rock and then blowing ochre around them. We both felt lucky to have had the lectures and stories from the Aboriginal people we’ve met here in Australia so that we had at least a very simple understanding of some of the images. We stayed for about 45 minutes just soaking it all in and enjoying the fact that we were the only two people there, which made the experience all the more special.

On our way back down the trail we stopped for lunch (and a swim for me) at a deep pool in the creek, and then took some of the side trips that we’d passed along the way. The first was Ward’s Canyon, a beautiful narrow canyon that’s home to the last mainland community of the King Fern, a living fossil left over from prehistoric times, with fronds measuring up to 15 feet long. We also took a trail up a series of ladders and through a narrow crack in the canyon wall that opened into the Amphitheater, an enormous space surrounded by high canyon walls and open to the sky about 10 stories above our heads. On our way out, we startled some bats and gave the one person behind us on the trail a good laugh as we ducked and ran for the exit.

On our last night at the gorge we were treated to night-spotting by Simon, one of the rangers at the park. He picked us up around dusk, and once it was dark, took us back on to the trail to see what kind of wildlife we could spot. Our main goal was to spot some of the species of gliders that live in the park, and thanks to Simon’s spotting skills, we were successful! We ended up seeing a greater glider, the largest species in the park, in mid-glide, and then later spotted a smaller yellow-bellied glider. The gliders are similar to flying squirrels, except marsupial, with skin flaps that allow them to jump from a tree, spread their limbs, and glide across the forest. It’s an amazing sight. We were also able to check another animal off our must-see list: the echidna! Echidnas are unique to Australia and have quills like porcupines as well as a long snout and tongue for feeding on ants. They are also "monotremes," which means they are mammals that lay eggs (like the platypus.) We were able to sit inches away and watch one thanks to the red filter on Simon’s light.

All in all, Carnarvon was a fantastic experience even though it started out a little rough with the rain and worries about getting the rental car into the park. Just like everything else we’ve done in Australia, it was full of fantastic memories.

We’re now sitting in our dorm room at the Univ. of Queensland Research Center on Heron Island at the Great Barrier Reef. We’ve had a fantastic couple of days here so far, but I’ll leave that for Andy to tell you about in his next post. Hope everyone back home is well!

~Philip

It looks nice, but add a downpour and some
mold and it loses its charm quickly!

Much better . . .

Andy next to a huge ghost gum. This type of eucalypt
is my favorite. It's beautiful!

One of the 9 creek crossings. Good job Andy!

Andy at the entrance to the
Art Gallery

The Art Gallery

Boomerangs and handprints at the
Art Gallery

More Art Gallery . . .

A view of the sandstone walls of the gorge
taken from the trail

This beautiful creek carved out Ward's Canyon.

Entrance to the Amphitheater . . . watch out for
the bats!

A king parrot in front of a ghost gum

Mama kangaroo with her joey in her pouch

Up to Noosa and into the "Deep North"

The sound of rain patters—no, pounds—on the tarp that stretches over our canvas tent at “Takarakka Bush Resort,” located in the Carnarvon Gorge. The drive here was harrowing. Philip had to navigate our rental car down a rutted dirt road and through three swollen creek crossings. We made it just fine, but needless to say, we were on edge, especially since the deductible for any damage done to the vehicle is 3,000 dollars. Yikes! When I made our reservation at Takarakka, I mentioned we’d be driving a sedan, and the woman who spoke with me said that would be no problem. Clearly she has a greater tolerance for the potential of being swept away by rushing water than we do . . .

So, let me catch you up on what else has happened since our last post. During our last few days in Brisbane the students took two exams and gave their research project presentations. All of the projects dealt with relations between humans and the environment in one form or another. For example, one student spoke to us about the late-20th century transformation of whale hunting into whale watching, a second about the role of Aboriginals in bush fire management, and a third about the collective response of workers at a wholesalers’ market in Brisbane to the recent Queensland floods. Other topics ranged from the depiction of nature in contemporary Aboriginal art to (largely unsuccessful) campaigns to exterminate invasive species. All in all, the students did a great job. I was proud of them.

Before leaving Brisbane, Philip and I also found time to take a tour boat up the river to the Lone Pine koala sanctuary. For the entire ride we were treated to canned commentary over the boat’s loudspeakers, which included such knee-slapping jokes as the following: “Sharks can be found in this stretch of the river. We have fishermen who try to catch them. We call them water skiers, and they use live bait. Nah, just kidding . . . (guffaw).” Along the way we saw some beautiful homes—as well as the remains of destroyed docks that had been ripped from their moorings by the floods and deposited onshore.

At the sanctuary we couldn’t get enough of the koalas. These impossibly cute creatures spend four hours a day eating eucalyptus leaves and twenty hours sleeping. Philip told me he was jealous.

Last week we also managed to make two visits to Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), which has a truly outstanding collection. We were impressed not only by the world-class quality of the works on display but also by the museum’s efforts to make its exhibits accessible to children as well as adults. GOMA, we salute you!

On Saturday we left Brisbane for our second week of independent travel. We were a little sad to leave behind our comfy apartment and say goodbye to our wonderful apartment managers Tracey and Robert, who had taken good care of us throughout our stay (for example, they lent us their barbie and installed an outdoor light in our garden so we could use it after dark). Little did we know we were about to experience even greater hospitality—thanks to B&B owners Ron and Warren, who hosted us in their beautiful home in Noosa (called “Homestay at Noosa”). Noosa is an upscale surfing town (think Malibu) about a two-hours’ drive north of Brisbane on Queensland’s so-called “Sunshine Coast.” I say “so-called” because it was overcast on our first day at Noosa and rainy on the second. Fortunately our B&B was so nice (see pictures below) and our hosts and their friends such good company that we didn’t mind lounging around.

We didn’t stick around the house the entire time, however. On our first afternoon we managed to stroll down the beach and take a hike through the nearby national park. Ron was sweet enough to pick us up at the end of the trail, allowing us to hike its entire length instead of having to double back before dark. When we returned to the house Warren served a gourmet meal, complete with champagne (or “bubbles,” as Warren calls it) and fine wine. Two of their friends, Brenda and Jo, were visiting from Melbourne, and they were loads of fun. They reminded us of Edina and Patsy from the show Absolutely Fabulous, except they were nice instead of nasty. Decked out in designer clothes and jewels, they downed one glass of wine after another as Jo regaled us with stories of her travels around the world—including one that involved dancing with her mother on a tabletop in Paris. All of us drank too much and stayed up too late, but it was no big deal because we spent the following day lazing about the house. After a second fun evening and fantastic breakfast, we reluctantly hit the road. I’d say that Ron and Warren made us feel right at home except for the fact that their place was soooooo much better than home. Sigh . . .

From Noosa we drove north and west for six hours. Two of our favorite things along the road: a small sign reading “Horse poo 2 dollars” and a giant orange welcoming us to the town of Gayndah (see photo below). At the end of our journey into Queensland’s “deep north,” we arrived at Koombit Station in Biloela. The station is part working cattle ranch and part tourist attraction. Over the years Lewis and Clark groups have stayed there, but we’d left it off our group itinerary this time around in order to accommodate our trip to Broken Hill and the Murray-Darling river basin. Curious to see what this year’s group had missed, Philip and I decided to spend the night. The no-nonsense station owner showed little interest in chitchat (what a contrast to Ron and Warren!), but he did take me on a short tour of the property and explained what students had learned there in the past. We then had dinner on an enormous wood-planked table along with a tour group of 20-somethings from England and Denmark. That was followed by a lesson from the station owner on how to crack a whip. Apparently cowboys used to crack whips during cattle drives to get herds moving. Philip got the hang of it pretty fast—dominatrix in the making?—but I didn’t manage to make much noise. Turns out I’m only good at cracking the whip figuratively, not literally.

After our night at the station, we spent another long day driving, this time to the Carnarvon Gorge.  As I mentioned earlier, the last stretch was pretty nerve-wracking. On the plus side, a bunch of kangaroos were hanging out by the side of the road, and for the first time since we arrived in Australia, we got to see one with a baby (called a “joey”) in its pouch. Awww . . .

On that note, I’ll sign off. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll see better weather!

~Andy

Entrance to our Brisbane apartment

One of the beautiful homes along the Brisbane River

At Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Hanging out at the sanctuary

The sanctuary has emus too.

And kangaroos . . . 

Entrance to our B&B in Noosa

B&B living room

Not minding the rain outside

Still not minding the rain outside

The B&B pool

Beach at Noosa before the rain arrived

Surfer at Noosa

Drive-thru liquor store: doesn't get more Australian than that!

No caption necessary, right?

Who said there's no culture in the deep north?

Wallabies welcome us to Carnarvon Gorge

Getting around Brisbane

Well, we've reached our last few days here in Brisbane, and before we leave I thought I'd share a little bit about the city and post some photos of the area.

If you don't know, Brisbane is a river city, similar to Portland, and even though the populations of their metropolitan areas are about the same, Brisbane feels much bigger (and has a little more going on). In fact, I have to admit that Australian cities have spoiled me. There's an energy and a liveliness about them that Portland is somehow lacking. Even Brisbane, which is the third largest city in Australia, after Sydney and Melbourne, has a much busier and energetic downtown core than Portland. I'm not sure if it's the usually sunny weather (there are heaps of outdoor restaurants and cafes) or the fact that they've just done a really good job attracting people into the CBD, but it's going to take some time to adjust when I get back to Portland, which at the moment sounds dreary and boring. Okay, enough about that. (Have I mentioned I'm in love with Australia?)

Andy wrote a little bit about it in an earlier post, but back in January, Brisbane's river flooded and covered much of the CBD and many of the residential neighborhoods along its banks with several meters of water, leaving behind massive damage and a big mess. By the time we arrived it looked like most of that mess had been cleaned up, though we saw repair work happening on a few pieces of parkland along the Southbank and on some of the underground parking garages. In fact, the city recovered so quickly that, at least at first glance, it's hard to tell there ever was a flood. Without looking closely at some parts of the river bank where wharfs are broken apart and thrust up on shore and ferry stops have been completely washed away, you really wouldn't notice the damage that occurred. One thing that hasn't recovered is the color of the river, which is still a muddy brown from all of the debris and silt that washed down from upstream. (We did learn today, however, that the river is often brown because of its tidal qualities: it changes direction up to four times a day, stirring up mud and silt as it goes.)

Something that Brisbane has done (and that Portland could do) is utilize the river for public transportation. They have a great fleet of 17 catamarans called "CityCats" that serve as ferries between the CBD and the many suburbs along the river. The CityCats, along with 9 smaller ferries that travel back and forth across the river at several points, provide a fun and efficient way to get around the city. An interesting fact about the CityCats is that each one has the Aboriginal name of one of Brisbane's suburbs.

Brisbane has a lot of great suburbs close in to the CBD, including the West End, which has a rich Indigenous history, Fortitude Valley, now home to Brisbane's club scene, and New Farm, which is where Andy and I are staying. We're in a great spot within walking distance of Fortitude Valley, lots of good restaurants and shops, and New Farm Park, home of the Powerhouse, Brisbane's very cool venue for music that is currently running the month-long Brisbane Comedy Festival. (We've seen one performance so far, and it was great!) We're also close to public transport, including the New Farm CityCat stop, which means we can get to our lectures in South Brisbane either by boat or bus. There's something really nice about starting and ending your day with a boat ride on the river.

Tomorrow we'll be going to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary to see more of Australia's cute endemic species, including kangaroos, wombats, echidnas and, of course, koalas. I'll let Andy tell you about that and post some pictures in the next blog.

~Philip

Brisbane from Mt. Coot-tha

The Story Bridge from the CityCat

The CBD from Southbank

New Farm Park . . . just a couple of blocks
from our place and great for boomerang
practice!

Our local bowls club

Our CityCat stop

One of the CityCats picking us up for class

Mangrove swamp on the riverbank next to
the Botanic Gardens

Our apartment at the Allender

A few shots from the Botanic Gardens:

Those are tiny, orchid-like flowers blooming
from within each opening of the stalk.

The Japanese garden

Look closely and you'll see massive golden orb spider
webs stretched above the walkway. Hopefully you can
see that their webs really are golden!

And here's one up close. Believe it or not, they actually
catch finches in their webs and eat them. I
decided not to post that picture for the sensitive
viewers . . .

The elephant apple that almost took Andy out as we
stood under the apple tree saying, "what if one of those
fell on you?"

These guys are everywhere in the parks. In fact,
we have one that lives in our garden at the apartment . . .
he's startled me more than once as I've stepped off of
our veranda.

A bottle tree, which stores water in its trunk
in order to survive the drought conditions.