Flying foxes, coral covered beaches, sea turtle rehab, and an island hike not for the fainthearted during study abroad in Australia

– Brittany Patrick, SPC Student, Australia Vet Tech Program, December 2018

PART I

After receiving the news that I was selected to participate in the study abroad program in Australia, I nearly knocked my glass of water right off my kitchen table in excitement. After completing three intense years with the veterinary nursing program at St. Petersburg College, I had finally completed all my coursework and I was ready to graduate. This trip would be the ultimate payoff for all my studies.

I was eager to meet some of my classmates who, until now, had simply been names on a computer screen, since I was a distance learning student. I loved the idea of spending time with colleagues in my filed of study and gaining life-long friendships along the way!

The scholarship opportunity was crucial to my financial situation and without this, the monetary burden would have been overwhelming and potentially resulted in my withdrawal from the trip. I cannot press enough how grateful I am for the Study Abroad Program scholarship opportunities.

The City of Cairns

The city of Cairns is beautiful, and the people are kind and welcoming! I fell in love with the city after only several hours. The biggest adjustment was looking for oncoming traffic in the opposite direction than I am used to! My new study abroad “family” was incredible. Our personalities meshed immediately, and I knew I was going to be with wonderful company.

One of my fondest memories in Australia was seeing the flying foxes roosting up in the local trees on the first night. There were hundreds of bats, all chatting up a storm, some flying in for the night, and some departing. I had never seen anything like it. These bats were enormous with a wingspan of almost 3.5 feet. You could see them flying overhead from the hostel and hear them from your window. It became quite a treat to watch them every night. They were our first glimpse of native Australian wildlife.

Within walking distance of our hostel was a local coffee barista that prepared fresh coffee for us every morning as the sun creeped up. By the end of the first week, the owner recognized all our faces and knew our drink orders without missing a beat! She was a wonderful local and her coffee stand was a gem.

Just down the way was the market, which offered an array of fresh fruits and vegetables, some grown in small local gardens, while others were imported. It was an interesting and festive blend of cultures and our group made a point to visit the market on several occasions. I tasted several exotic fruits I’ve never had while swapping stories with the locals.

Fitzroy Island

Fitzroy Island is a small, but immensely beautiful island nestled in the Pacific Ocean about 23 kilometers by boat just off the coast of Cairns. This was where we would be traveling to complete our volunteer work at the sea turtle rehab center.

I had no idea what to expect when our group left for our first morning of work. The ferry ride was such a treat and gave us a perfect view of the beaches along Cairns every morning and evening. The beaches of Fitzroy were like nothing I have seen before, laden with the dried, sun-bleached pieces of fracture coral reef and sea shells. It was almost unbearable to walk on without shoes, but a breathtaking sight nonetheless.

The water was crystal clear at the docks, allowing you to see nearly to the bottom. The shores were met by a rocky incline that lead to several summits. The island was covered by rainforest alive with sulfur cockatoos and water dragons.

Sea Turtle Rehab Center

The sea turtle rehab center can be found a little way down from the island’s resort. Our duties involved assessing the turtles’ initial behaviors and actions, cleaning the filter bags, scrubbing the tanks, preparing the diets and feeding individuals, and recording our morning observations.

We were schooled on the general natural history of sea turtles with focus on some of the local individuals undergoing rehab. It was eye-opening to hear that all the turtles in their care had, in some way, shape, or form, come in contact with man-made objects or debris.

In addition to looking after the rehabbing turtles, our group conducted reef surveys which involved snorkeling around the island and observing the natural wildlife on the reefs. We were all lucky enough to spot several wild turtles, including both Green and Hawksbill species! We all wore “stinger suits” since it was jelly fish season and box jellies called these shores home, but as scary as that sounds, once in the water, the scenery of brightly colored fish, rays, and corals swept away any worries.

Hiking on Fitzroy Island

We had free time in the afternoons and several of my mates and I made plans to hike the island’s tallest summit. Fitzroy Island was once home to the Gunggandji people, who lived by way of fishing and feeding on the native tropical fruits on the island.

The summit hike of Fitzroy Island was not for the faint-hearted and very physical. It took all the energy I had to make it to the top of that mountain. Despite the work, the route was nothing short of an adventure. The beaten path wound up through the “bush” forest as the locals called it. The steps themselves were made from stone, either laid there by men or carved out of the mountain by mother nature.

Even at the higher altitude, coral could be found on the ground. Fossilized urchins and sea creatures could be seen in the stone. The landscape changed from forest to desert the higher we climbed, even the wildlife changed. The swifts took over the skies as they ducked and dived, catching flying insects on the move. The cockatoo’s cries were nothing but muffled background noise once at the summit.

At the peak, we could see the entirety of the island, but perhaps the greatest reward was seeing the Great Barrier Reef in the distance. It was breathtaking, stunning, and quiet. It was a moment in time I will lock down in my memories forever. (Read Part II)

– Brittany Patrick, SPC Student, Australia Vet Tech Program, December 2018

Thank you for sharing Brittany!

Questions? Don’t hesitate to contact us. We are here to help you!

blog.spcollege.edu/international | 727-341-4735 | studyabroad@spcollege.edu

Cover image: Dead coral picked up on the shores of Fitzroy Island. Photo by Alexandre Goloskok, Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 4.0].