Homestay: Week 2

In the blink of an eye, I'm already leaving my homestay family tomorrow. I feel like we just got to Lismore, yet it's already been two weeks and I'm packing my bags for the next leg of my Aussie journey. I've come to really enjoy living in this house with my host family and I might even be back for Easter weekend.  It's been a time filled with bonding over food, spirituality, family, and other life experiences.  Going to service with my homestay mom and aunt has made me realize that there is a serious spiritual void in my life that I am going to work to fill when I get home. We shall see how this goes!


For the first time since being in Australia, we've had a pretty calm last few days. We had three days of class and two work days.  In one of our classes, we watched a lecture called "Arithmetic, Population, and Energy" by Dr. Albert Bartlett of UC Boulder. Dr. Bartlett poses some really interesting concepts in his argument such as the significance of the exponential function as it relates to population growth and energy consumption; and despite the seemingly dry nature of the presentation, it's important stuff.  I plan on showing it to friends and family upon my return. For now, it can be accessed via youtube at this link.


We also had a great day with Mary Graham in preparation for our Aboriginal camping trip.  "Mary Graham was born in Brisbane and grew up on the Gold Coast, she is a Kombu-merri person and is also affiliated with the Waka Waka group through her mother. She has lectured and tutored on subjects in Aboriginal history, politics, and comparative philosophy at the University of Queensland and at other educational institutions around the country." (source here).  As part of this Aboriginal Worldviews Workshop, we discussed many different topics including Aboriginal concepts of creation/genesis, time, logic, language and social norms, political structures, and spirituality. Tomorrow we leave for our four day trip at the Minyumai Indigenous Protected Area, south of Evan's Head near Bundjalung National Park.  We'll be spending these days with Doug Wilson, who is the traditional owner of the area and a member of the Bundjalung nation, and Uncle Russell Butler who's coming down from Queensland.  We aren't allowed to bring electronics, cameras, watches, or notebooks - another first. It will be exciting to take in the next few days without having to worry about taking notes or snapping photographs; I think we'll really get a chance to live in the moment.


Here are some photos from the past week:


We briefly went to a coal seam gas protest outside local politician Thomas George's office.  The controversy surrounding coal seam gas in Australia is very similar to what's going on at home with hydro-fracking of the Marcellus Shale.  

"How can anyone knowingly poison our life source. Be on the right side of history Thomas."

"Coal seam gas is banned in New York - France - Bulgaria and fracking is banned in England.  What is our government doing?"

"Lock the Gate" - a campaign that is being run in an attempt to keep out gas companies.

A kid with an upside down sign. How endearing.

And on a happier note...

Last night (as another token of my appreciation) I made dinner for my homestay family: chicken tikka masala, steamed broccoli and rice. My (real) mom would be so proud!

After the Aboriginal camping trip, we're back to Byron Bay and then this component of our coursework is over (it's hard to believe).  Then we spend the last five weeks doing our Independent Research Project.  I'm already planning post-program activities including a possible road trip up the Pacific Coastal Highway from Brisbane to Cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef, which is both exciting and overwhelming.

Homestay Adventures: Week 1

I can't believe I've already been living with my homestay family for a week.  The time in Lismore is just flying by.  So far, we've had a few days of class, two field trips, and couple of days off as well (what a perk!).  I can't really say much about my homestay family/the details because of privacy reasons, but I will say that I love them!  My family is so sweet - they have the biggest hearts and I really enjoy spending time with them.  We've done some cool stuff including going to mass, volunteering at the soup kitchen, and spending an afternoon at the dog beach (where I went for a run and played in the waves).  We take turns cooking dinner and the other night, I made butternut squash (known as 'pumpkin' in Australia), sweet potato and carrot soup.

Our first exciting outing was the all day Natural Environment fieldtrip to the Border Ranges National Park.  Sometimes I feel like all we do is drive around on this program (it took about 2 hours to get to the park), but once we arrive at our destination, everything becomes clear.  The places we see are some of the most extraordinary in the world.  We drove by the Nimbin Rocks.

The Nimbin Rocks are made up of Rhyolite and are the product of volcanoes.

Photo source here

We climbed a significant amount of elevation in the bus, as we drove partway up the mountain.  While we were closer to the top, we stopped at a picnic area for a lecture and to have lunch.  We learned about the climate, geology/geomorphology, vegetation, fauna and human influences of the area.  This includes the fact that we could see Mt. Warning from our lookout, which is the best preserved erosion caldera in the world!! SO COOL.  (FYI - a caldera is a massive crater that usually forms when a volcano erupts/collapses).  So we were essentially looking at the remains of an enormous shield volcano.

View from the picnic area lookout

My friend Katie and I :)

After lunch, we got a chance to take a rainforest hike through Gondwanan, cool temperate rainforests (remnants of Gondwana, the southern super continent once made up of India, South America, Africa, Australia, Antarctica, and present day Arabia).  We learned that fire is the main control/determinant in this kind of climate and that the area is extremely high in diversity.  The Gondwanan rainforest of Australia is actually a World Heritage area (we've seen a few now) because it shows "major stages of the earth's evolutionary history" and "significant ongoing geological processes, biological evolution and man's interaction with his natural environment" and serves as habitat for "threatened species of plants and animals of outstanding universal value."  Very cool.  Earlier in the week, some of us even got the chance to visit Terania Creek near our homestays, which is the site of the first direction action taken to protect rainforests..in the world!! (and a success).

Hiking through Gondwanan Rainforest

Walking out to one of the lookouts

Views from the top

Group photo :)

Our next awesome fieldtrip was to OrganicForrest, an organic farm outside of Nimbin run by farmer Dave Forrest (clever name, eh?).  He talked with us about food systems, the local and organic food movements, building soil fertility, composting, integrating animals into farming, managing pests and all things that make me happy.  He gave us a tour of his farm including the orchards.  

CUTEST DOG EVER. Quite a lap dog too.

Palm trees on a farm...I could get used to this

After the organic farm, we made our way over to the Djanbung Gardens in Nimbin.  They are based in permaculture principles, which include:

1. Observe and interact

2. Catch and store energy

3. Obtain a yield

4. Apply self-regulation and accept feedback

5. Use and value renewable resources and services

6. Produce no waste

7. Design from patterns to details

8. Integrate rather than segregate

9. Use small and slow solutions

10. Use and value diversity

11. Use edges and value the marginal

12. Creatively use and respond to change

Basically, permaculture is a fusion of many different disciplines including ecology, engineering/planning, geography, and traditional indigenous wisdom among many fields.  It also aims to design gardens/food production systems that are modeled after the natural environment (E.g. using biomimcry to create food forests).  

The nursery

Really cool bamboo - this variety is one that's mainly used for furniture because it's so decorative in color.  The gardens grow a ton of different types of bamboo, much of it used for structural purposes.

Kookaburra in a tree!

"Singing and dancing with abandon is encouraged in this area..." one of the signs posted near the garden

One of my classmates with a piggy!

Seeing citrus grow is amazing.  I think these are oranges actually.

The readings we did in preparation for this day of fieldtrips (including "The benefits of organic farming," "Do food miles matter?" "Getting fossil fuels off the plate," "Growing community food systems," and "Following the food chain back to Iraq") in addition to the actual visits were some of the best parts of the program for me so far.  These are issues that I care so deeply about and the area in which I want to study in grad school/pursue a future career. So cool beans.

When I was going to sleep last night, I found a creature in my suitcase.  Ohh...it's just my homestay kitty Schedrick (aka Scheddy).  In fact, he looks a bit like Oliver (one of my cats at home).

Today was also a super fun day.  One of my friends and her homestay mom picked me up in the morning around 10 AM and we got a chance to go to the Channon Craft Market, which is held on the second Sunday of each month.  According to the website, "The market assembles over 250 stallholders to trade each month in a wide variety of goods which include art, craft, second hand, children’s activities, fresh produce and therapeutic goods and services. There are alfresco dining areas, food and coffee stalls and live entertainment provided by buskers and commissioned musicians.  The Channon Craft Market’s reputation, not only as the longest running in the region, but as the most colourful and vibrant market in Australia really is cause for celebration." It was such a cool experience - there were vendors selling everything, with a lot of the products being local, handmade, organic, second hand etc.  Needless to say, I spent way too much money.  I bought my homestay family some tea (Rooibos Chai - delicious!) and some peanut lime chili spread; I bought myself two headbands, a turquoise stone necklace, and a handmade Byron Bay magnet.  I have a weird obsession with magnets actually; I love buying them from places that I've traveled (my fridge at school is usually adorned with my magnets from Santorini and Rome to name a few).  I loved the Channon Market not only for all the goodies I could buy, but also for the sense of community, activism, and sincerity. 

There was a big anti-nuclear campaign going on (I am not sure if this happens all the time, but I think so).  The guy pictured below was walking around in this really intense outfit in protest of nuclear.  He was dressed in all black and on his head is what looks like a gas mask.

"Hiroshima Never Again"

"No more nukes.  Nuclear power industry is costly.  Contaminating the Earth"

We also stayed for the Drum Circle.  This was particularly awesome.  At one point, I joined in and it was such a fun and liberating experience.  

The guy climbed on top of the barrels in protest.  A fitting end to the day.

A Sydney Washout

I've just arrived at my two-week homestay in Lismore.  We woke up at 4 AM today so we could fly out of Sydney to the Gold Coast.  I am so glad to be settled.  Here's a quick photo recap of Sydney.  I am afraid my future posts are going to be much less detailed than the former (a good thing for readers too!), but I hope to elaborate more than I do on Facebook.

It rained the entire time we were in Sydney (almost).  It was kind of miserable to be honest, and I think this influenced my opinion of the city, as much as I tried to disregard it. Walking blocks upon blocks through the city in the pouring rain is not fun..we were dodging drippings from the shop canopies and seeking shelter between traffic lights.  Though the weather made us feel lazy, we managed to get out and walk down to the Harbour.  Our hostel was pretty much centrally located in the city and was more like a hotel, which was nice.

It is a lot less white than it appears in pictures and in fact, it's almost tiled.

It's actually listed as a World Heritage Site for it is "a great architectural work of the 20th century.  It represents multiple strands of creativity, both in architectural form and structural design, a great urban sculpture carefully set in a remarkable waterscape and a world famous iconic building" 

Myself and two friends at the Opera House.  Good thing we had our obnoxiously bright rain coats (we stuck out like sore thumbs)

A different view of the city

Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens

A really beautiful fig tree (Dad would appreciate this)

A really cool and beautiful rock structure in the gardens

MIA in Oz

Just a disclaimer about this post..it is the world's longest blog post (maybe).  I haven't updated this thing since the beginning of February, and now that we've hit the one month mark, I have been working over the last several days to update you all.  Just a side note: Oz is apparently a nickname for Australia.  And I suppose the title is a bit misleading, more 'missing in action from the blogging world.'

So here goes:

The Ecophilosophy Workshop at Forest Haven was empowering, eye opening, and one might even call it life changing.  We started off by reading an article by Rob Hopkins (founder of the Transition Town Movement) about peak oil and climate change.  Peak oil simply refers to the time when the oil supply reaches its apex and perpetually declines until it runs out entirely.  This reading was interesting and useful because it posted the idea of "post petroleum stress disorder" - the notion of physical discomfort upon hearing about peak oil and the associated implications for our future AND a feeling of bewilderment upon the realization of our oil dependent lifestyles (when we think about how oil factors into every aspect of our lives).  The article acknowledged fear, denial, individual survivalism, etc., however, it also brought up notions of "inspirational dissatisfaction" - the idea that negative feelings can be the necessary motivation to drive us to take action. According to Hopkins, we have all the pieces we need to transition into a new world, but we have to put them all together and unite as a community to move away from oil dependence.

In the workshop, we talked about a variety of things including: understanding the psychology of change (going over relapse and cycles of change, which involve denial, acceptance, and action and applying the term "addiction" to our relationship with oil).  We outline in steps what it's going to take to make real change: Be courageous enough to face what's actually happening on the planet - experience fear and pain; then draw on the strength, inspiration and wisdom from nature and each other to face these challenges; and finally, engage in effective and compassionate action to change the status quo of ourselves and the wider community.

Turn on. Tune In. And Change Things.

Where we camped 

We experienced brief activities of eco-therapy - finding ways to reconnect with nature.  We walked around in the forest just listening to the sounds of the birds and listening to the crunching of leaves. We imagined ourselves at a special outdoor location and then imagined what it would feel like if that place was destroyed.  We did a trust walk through nature, which involved having someone else lead us around the forest with our eyes closed.  It was an enlightening experience that really made me feel more connected to the natural environment.  Feeling the cool stream and the rough leaves of the surrounding vegetation. We did an exercise called the Environmental Shadow, for which we paired up with someone else and talked about parts of our life that we are shameful about such as being addicted to shopping or driving around too much or being hypocritical with regard to our environmental actions. We also sat in a circle with the Truth Mandala.  From Joanna Macy's website: "People sit in a circle. They sit as closely-packed as possible for they are, as we often put it, creating a containment vessel - or an alchemical vessel for holding and cooking the truth. The circle they enclose is divided into four quadrants (visible demarcations are not needed), and in each quadrant is placed a symbolic object: a stone, dead leaves, a thick stick, and an empty bowl. Entering each quadrant, the guide holds the object it contains and explains its meaning." One by one, we opened up about our fears, grievances, anger and feelings of emptiness with regard to the environmental movement.  It was powerful and emotional, yet also uplifting in the sense that by talking it out, there was a heavy weight lifted from our shoulders. 

Nature Walk

A sign that was outside our classroom at Forest Haven

We also learned about twelve ecophilosophies.  The first six are the more mainstream worldviews: economic rationalism (the idea that growth is good and consumerism and material wealth yield happiness; a belief that the market economy will fix everything automatically), economic globalization (economic rationalism on steroids, aka applying faith in the free market in a global sense), technological fix (the idea that we can go on business as usual and eventually science and/or technology will fix all of the global environmental problems), wise use ("sustainable" resource management and a belief in multiple use or the 'we can have it all' myth - e.g. economic growth, natural ecosystems, recreation etc.), reform environmentalism (aka shallow ecology, belief that problems can be solved by existing tools such as technology, legislation, education, environmental economics etc. btu we don't need a fundamental shift in values), and stewardship (based in Judeo-Christian beliefs, the idea that it is our duty as children of God to be shepherds of his creation).  The last six are the more radical: greening of western religion (revival of spiritual practices and mystical traditions of western religions), new science (the most confusing...based in system theory, views Earth as a living organism in itself, and science as a source of meaning, wonder, and inspiration), traditional indigenous wisdom (pretty self-explanatory), deep ecology (emphasizes the intrinsic value of nature independent of human use and claims that problems can only be solved by fundamental changes in psychology), social ecology (believes that humans are a part of nature and shifts in societal structure are necessary), and eco-feminism (the idea that the oppression of women is directly linked to environmental degradation and by changing values of dualism and domination, we can solve environmental problems). 

We also watched a film called "The Economics of Happiness" by Helena Norberg-Hodge.  It was essentially an argument against globalization and in favor of localization, using the example of Ladakh, a Trans-Himalayan and largely Tibetan Buddhist region in the northernmost Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir, ravaged by globalization. The film provided the eight inconvenient truths of globalization:

1. Globalization doesn't make us happy
2. It breeds insecurity
3. It wastes natural resources
4. It accelerates climate change
5. It destroys livelihoods
6. It increases conflict
7. It is based on government handouts to big business
8. It is based on false accounting

I would be happy to discuss the film and any of the inconvenient truths if you're skeptical.  She used examples of local business, banking, food, energy, identity, and knowledge as counterparts to the negativities of globalization.  We were lucky enough to even have Helena come to one of our lectures because she is currently residing outside Byron Bay.  It was such a privilege meeting her in person and hearing her talk about her experiences and thoughts directly.  She is the author of the book Ancient Futures (which I hope to read once I get free time) and was one of the earliest critics of globalization.  She encouraged us to be living role models, to challenge the conventional views of progress, objectively critique western culture from the outside, preserve small traditional communities, connect and spend time with like-minded people, and share our personal journey with others (among the many pieces of her lecture). 

Did I mention that we saw our first kangaroos?

One of the readings that has stuck out to me a lot was about Voluntary Simplicity.  V.S. is the quiet revolution; it hasn't gained much traction in the mainstream media and hasn't been endorsed by the government. It is a post-consumerist living strategy that involves downshifting, that is, "living more with less" - decreasing our standard of living while increasing our quality of life.  This may sound paradoxical but it really refers to rejecting the materialistic lifestyle of the consumer culture, a simpler life.  It involves accepting a lower income for a job we care about, finding more time for family, community, and experiences. An important distinction is that V.S. isn't a glorification of poverty (but a recognition of sufficiency), it does not demand that people abandon urban areas for a rural lifestyle or a hippie commune, and it does not require a complete renunciation of scientific and technological advances.  There are personal, social, environmental, and spiritual reasons to simplify.  It gave examples of how to simplify, but emphasized the idea that anyone can do it any way they'd like.  For instance, spending wisely and voting with our dollar (asking, do we really need to buy that?), being happy with a small modest home, purchasing functional, secondhand clothing, eating local, sustainable food (planting a garden, going to farmers markets), and working less at a job we love.  

We also received more information about our Independent Study Project (the five week assignment that culminates in a 20-40 page research paper). I was assigned my advisor and have developed my ideas further. I am hoping to do something related to WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms OR Willing Workers on Organic Farmers) as a form of sustainable tourism.  This might involve staying on a few farms, actually farming, interviewing owners and volunteers, and connecting it to agritourism or ecotourism.  I am very excited and also overwhelmed by the project, hoping that I'll gain more clarity with time.  

After finishing up the ecophilosophy workshop and having a couple days of class in Byron Bay, we were off for our two week field trip, which involved: Melbourne, Tasmania, and Sydney in that order.

To start, Melbourne is pronounced by Australians as "Mel-bin."  At first, I was pronouncing it "Mel-born" then gradually began calling it "Mel-burn" towards the end of winter break.  I feel strange pronouncing it properly here, however, because it is the only word with which I use a (poor) Australian accent. Regardless, it is a wonderful city. People on the trip were comparing it to Boston and said that Sydney was more like New York or Los Angeles. Unsurprisingly, I enjoyed the Boston-like city immensely.  I regret that we were only there for three days or so.  We flew from the Gold Coast airport about an hour north of Byron and landed in Melbourne a couple of hours. I believe we changed time zones again, but I can never be sure when traveling around this vast continent.

Awesome street art in the city

Rooftop gardens

We stayed at a wonderful hostel called the Nunnery.  It was located slightly out of the downtown area, but very close to Brunswick Street.  Brunswick was home to tons of cute boutiques, vintage and thrift stores, restaurants of all ethnic varieties, and of course bars. The Nunnery was interesting because it was so different from the hostel we stayed at in Brisbane - it was quaint, embellished with lots  of woodwork and hardwood floors, and had cathedral ceilings in most rooms.  We slept ten girls in one room, six in another, and the eight boys slept in the building next door.  Unsurprisingly, our room looked like a tornado had hit by the end of our stay.

The park across the street from the hostel

Before and after of our room

Our first night, we ate at this delicious vegetarian restaurant aptly named the Veggie Bar.  Our dinner made me realize something I take for granted on a day-to-day basis: my ability to utilize all five senses.  The last two days, however, have been strikingly bland due to my inability to smell.  I’ve had a head cold for a few days and as always, I dread the moment when my nose would become too stuffy/runny to smell things.  This malfunction or blip in my olfactory system is frustrating to say the least.  For instance, I got this delicious Malay-inspired noodle dish that was slightly spicy and had a peanut sauce with tofu and sauteed vegetables: Mee Goreng, but unfortunately, I couldn't taste a thing. Everyone else got an array of colorful salad, pizza, and pasta.  The only strange aspect about the restaurant was the illegality of taking left-overs home.  We were told it would violate the law and that they couldn't be liable for food poisoning. This seemed kind of bogus, but apparently some restaurants in Australia operate by this.  In a panic, I had everyone eat off my plate in an attempt to reduce food waste.  

Mee Goreng

After dinner, we walked downtown for the first night of the Sustainable Living Festival.  We got a chance to witness the festival’s major debate:  Economic Growth Will Save the Planet.  We heard five prominent individuals speak including: Hans-Josef Fell, a member of German parliament and the father of renewable energy; Paul Gilding, the former CEO of Greenpeace International who specializes in sustainable economics; Nicole Foss, a Canadian author and analyst of peak oil, climate change, and economics; Miriam Lyons, Director of the Centre for Policy Development and AFR’s “True Australian 2010;” Matthew Wright, 2010 Environmentalist of the Year and Director of Beyond Zero Emissions; and John Daley, one of Australia’s leading strategists.  It was a fascinating debate in which each of the speakers gave their reasoning and at the end of their speeches, the audience voted on the following: growth will save the planet, growth will not save the planet, and we are barking up the wrong tree (i.e. we’re examining the wrong issue).  32 people voted yes, 103 voted no, and 111 voted barking up the wrong tree.  It was one of the coolest things being in a room with such knowledgeable people who are leaders in their field.  It was intellectually challenging and raised a lot of critical questions. 

The Gratitude Box

Walking around the festival

The next day, I went to the following talks/panels/workshops: Permaculture in the Suburbs, which was put on by Very Edible Gardens and concerned the idea of creating living ecosystems in our backyards - integrating the use of chickens, cover crops, companion planting, creating swales to catch and recycle rainwater, to use and value diversity, to reduce waste, and create an efficient, systemized, and affordable backyard (or frontyard) edible ecosystem.  I can't wait to go home and share the exciting information with my Dad, who loves to garden and work in the yard. I also attended a panel regarding Cohousing in Australia, which made me think more and more about how I might want to live in this kind of situation when I get older.  It promotes community while also respecting privacy (people get their own homes with a kitchen, bedrooms, living room etc. but share communal spaces such as a commercial kitchen, garden, pool, etc.).  Neighbors get to know each other by participating in working groups and often share meals, appliances and responsibilities, but also reduce waste and help each other.  I also attended a presentation on Community Renewable Energy by the Yarra Energy Foundation and a Sustainable Fashion Workshop.  For the fashion workshop, we utilized recycled jewelry and took it apart and refashioned it.  I made a headband out of an existing black cloth headband, a flower pin, and earrings with elephants on them.  

I attended a cooking show-esque workshop about canning, jam making, and making staples at home, as well as one about the Masculinity Conspiracy, Deepening Ecological Citizenship, and The Power of Chook.  I learned that "chook" is the term they use for chicken and it made me really want backyard chickens someday, as they can be used for natural compost, pest control, eggs, fertilizer etc.

 At the festival, we ate delicious organic cupcakes, mango and wildberry gelato, vegetable curry with brown rice, and the best veggie burger I've ever had.  The food was phenomenal.  I also got a great tote bag for $2 and gifts for my family :)

More nomz in Melbourne 

Triple Bruschetta - leek and mushroom, tomato and basil, and roasted red peppers and feta

I can't forget seeing the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.  This was a wonderful experience that involved walking through the beautiful Queen Victoria Gardens to to the Sidney Meyer Music Bowl for the free concert.  We heard an abundance of great classical music as well as William Barton, an Aboriginal Didgeridoo player (one of the best in the world). It was so cool, seeing thousands of people sitting on the lawn taking in the music as the sun set behind the city skyline.  

Moving on.  After a brief time in Melbourne, we were off to Tasmania, which brings me to my current location.  We flew out of Melbourne and less than 45 minutes later, we had landed in Launceston.  We had an extremely long, winding, and bumpy ride to Cradle Mountain National Park, which was our first stop. We stayed in fantastic cabins that were part of the World Heritage Area.  We spotted our first wombats and echidnas, as well as the usual, wallabies.  We did two hikes our first day each about 3 hours long.  The first was to Marion's Lookout, which was just breathtaking.  We saw kettle ponds etched into the landscape, fragile alpine vegetation that was undergoing rehabilitation, and a waterfall to boot.  The second was around Dove Lake.  Five of us braved the waters here, which we are only about 4 degrees Celsius or barely 40 degrees Fahrenheit.  It was the coldest water I've ever been in, but beautifully exhilarating.

Goodbye Melbourne

Such cool coastal processes

First views of Tassie

One of two of our buses we rode around in

WOMBAT!

Our wonderful cabins

First hike

Hiking up to Marion's Lookout

Echidna!!

Dove Lake with Cradle Mountain in the background

After Cradle Mountain, we drove to our next destination: Strahan.  Strahan is the only significant town on the West Coast of Tasmania and it is pretty tiny.  We stayed in a hostel, which was pretty typical except for the delicious barbecue of salmon, chicken, sausages for only $7.50! (Around Australia, that is quite cheap for a good meal!).  One of our other dinners was at the Fish Cafe on the Wharf - one of my program mates and I split the seafood sampler, which had fried scallops, prawns, white fish, calamari, and of course chips (aka french fries).  It was necessarily unhealthy and delicious.  I also tried my first Tasmanian Microbrew.  It was an Amber Ale called Jacob's Ladder, described as, "a copper coloured ale with low bitterness, rich in toffee and caramel malt flavours and a classic English hop aroma."  Maybe my dad can help me interpret that description.  

The major activity we did in Strahan was the Goron River Cruise.  We took a high speed ferry/yacht/something boat through the Macquarie Harbor and up the Gordon River.  We learned a lot about the area, including their efforts to preserve the habitat of the rare and endangered Orange Bellied Parrot, the fish farms throughout the area, the Aboriginal history of the region, and the surrounding vegetation.  

Hell's Gate - the narrow passage leading into Macquarie Harbor

We took two walks: one nature walk around Heritage Landing and a historical tour of Sarah Island, which was a penal settlement.  They sent convicts to Sarah Island, where they harvested Huon Pine timber and built ships.  

One of the crew members offered us a sample of local honey made from flowering leatherwood trees on the bank of the river

Our tour guide was hysterical, quirky and comical and at the end, he encouraged everyone to attend the play "The Ship That Never Was."  Having it recommended by several people, including our hostel, three of us decided to go.  We learned that it is the longest running play in Australian history – 18 years!  It was participatory, engaging, and at times, hysterically funny.  We were glad to have gone and to know that we were supporting a local business.  The play described the far fetched escape from Sarah Island, which involved building a ship and sailing it Chile before it began to break down slightly offshore.  The two-man play involved tons of people from the audience (we were the youngest three people there, with the majority being older folks).  The two boys and I each got called up on stage at one point, which was mortifying, yet entertaining.  I think my parents would have very much appreciated the play.

One of my program mates "fighting" on stage

I was the helmsman!

Our next day on Tasmania involved going to Lake St. Claire.  It is by far, one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.  We stopped at many places for short walks along the way, including Nelson Falls and the Franklin-Gordon River National Park (we hiked up to the top of the hill and the view was breath taking).  We checked in to our cabins and got a chance to swim in the lake.  It was cold, but not nearly as cold as Dove Lake.  It was mostly refreshing and swimming in the mountains was a real treat.  I wish I could have been able to bottle the feeling of being completely content.  It was indescribable.  The lake was crystal clear, even if you went out really far; and the sky was a deep blue as the sun was setting.  It was truly magical.

Bus naps

Clearest water I've ever seen

After Lake St. Claire, we made our way to Maydena, another town in Tasmania.  

Beautiful views and wildfires ravaging the landscape

We stopped to look at Hydroelectric Power Plants/facilities and learned more about the hydro history of the island.  

We saw the effects of mining on the landscape, which was depressing and eye opening.  We also got a chance to hike into some old growth forests.  We saw Eucalyptus regnans, the tallest flowering plant in the world that is second only to the California Red Woods in size.  They were incredible - we even saw one that was 2,000 years old.  Most of the others were several hundred years old, ranging from 200-500.  Regardless, it was mind boggling.  They can reach heights over 100 meters (330 feet) and standing next to them is humbling to say the least.

Inside a tree!

In addition to hiking through these forests, we learned a significant amount about the logging controversy in Tasmania.  The issue involves logging these old growth forests for wood chips, which are shipped primarily to Japan for paper production.  Conservationists are fighting the good fight and working hard to stop the industry, which is monopolized by the corporation Gunns.  It is becoming increasingly clear that this issue is tearing the Tasmanian community apart and is responsible for a large amount of government corruption.  We were lucky enough to visit a protest camp today, where people have been stationed for five years or so, in an attempt to stop the logging of a biologically-critical area of old growth forest.  

Deforestation from the timber industry

Protester camp

We were even lucky enough to meet Miranda Gibson, an activist and conservationist who has been living on a 60 meter high (almost 200 ft) platform up a tree for almost 3 months.  We were able to interview Mirand over a walkie-talkie from the base of the tree and took videos and pictures for her to use on her blog.  It was truly an inspiration.  Real people are doing real things to make a difference.  Through social media and Miranda's efforts/that of the organization "Still Wild, Still Threatened," the issue of Tasmanian forestry and old growth logging is getting out to the rest of the world.  I encourage you to visit her blog @ http://observertree.org/

Miranda's tree platform

We interviewed her using a walkie-talkie

 During our last day in Tasmania, we did a four hour hike up Mount Field.  The area is unique due to the presence of boulder streams, which are periglacial landforms that result from the freezing of water and thawing of ice that break apart the rock, which then falls downslope.  

One of my program mates climbed out to "Pride Rock" (looks a lot like the Lion King rock)

Part of the hike involved bouldering (sort of)

Check our group out, hiking on the right

The hike was really great with some spectacular views. For one of the overlooks, our Professor had us do a silent climb, which allowed people to really take in the scenery without distractions.  We ate lunch at the summit on boulders, which seemed like a great idea until someone accidentally dropped their sandwich down a crack.  Somehow, he managed to salvage it!  Overall, Tasmania was a success.  We were very fortunate to have Geoff Mosley, former Executive Director of the Australian Conservation Foundation, major advocate of wilderness preservation, and author of Steady State: Alternative to Endless Economic Growth lead our adventures in Tassie.  He is a wonderful man - smart and active and put all us young people to shame (he is 81 and still climbing mountains).

We're in Sydney now, only for about 3 days.  I met up with a friend from Hamilton yesterday, which was exciting and strange; reminiscing about life on the Hill..half way around the world.  Tomorrow we have a day off, though we were supposed to hike the Blue Mountains (the weather has been yuck, it's been raining for days). So instead some friends and I might take a boat tour of the Sydney Harbour, check out the Opera House etc.  Today we went to the Powerhouse Museum to check out a sustainability exhibit and we also took a tour of a sustainable house.  This guy generates all his own electricity using solar panels and puts the extra back into the grid (receives a check from the electric company!).  He manages all of the waste/treats all of the sewage, collects rainwater and recycles it, has backyard chickens and a community street garden.  It was very cool.  

Check out his website 

In two days, we're headed back to the Byron Bay area..to go to Lismore for our two-week homestay. More to come!