Curious sea turtles, cuddly koalas, and other “life-changing” experiences during study abroad in Australia.
– Kylie Edmundson, SPC Student, Australia Vet Tech, December 2018
To say that our Study Abroad trip to Australia was life-changing would be an understatement. This trip was the greatest experience of my academic career, and one of the most memorable of my life thus far.
It was amazing to work hands-on with sea turtles, and also to swim with wild turtles on the Great Barrier Reef. We spent our weekdays at the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre on Fitzroy Island, as long as the weather permitted! The rehab center was not anything like what I had expected, but I did learn a lot and thoroughly enjoyed my time there.
Welcome Bay, Fitzroy Island, Queensland, Australia.
Photo by Riftreef, Wikimedia Commons [CC BY 2.5].
Snorkeling in Australia, off of Fitzroy Island as part of our turtle research, was one of the most memorable experiences for me. Snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef was so amazing, and although it is an “extra” activity (not required), I would strongly encourage any future students going on the trip to do this. To interact with a sea turtle in the wild was unlike anything I had ever experienced. It allowed me to see that turtles are social and curious animals.
We spent time swimming with fish, stingrays, and giant clams. We also took a day trip to Kuranda, an aboriginal town in the rainforest. There we went to the Koala Sanctuary and were able to feed the animals and even hold a koala–another one of my favorite moments!
Cairns is a beautiful city, and I’m thankful we were table to explore it on our days off. I was thrilled to make so many great friends on this trip. I can honestly say that we all enjoyed one another’s company, and haven’t stopped talking in a group message since returning home! It was so refreshing to meet people my own age in the same career with many similar interests.
I am so happy that I was chosen to be part of this program, and am thankful to everyone who made the trip possible for us.
– Kylie Edmundson, SPC Student, Australia Vet Tech, December 2018
Thank you for sharing Kylie!
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