“Australia, you have my heart”: Heidi’s time at James Cook
Making lifelong friendships with people I now call family, cooking every evening together, hiking, snorkelling, scuba diving, and taking daytrips to waterfalls and tropical islands; these experiences I shared with such kind-hearted people made studying abroad in Australia the best six months of my life so far.
About JCU:
The university campus is just beautiful. Wild wallabies, kangaroos, and endless tropical bird species call this place their home. A hiking trail sits at the back of campus with a view of the mountains standing proudly behind the whole of Townsville, which is absolutely stunning during sunset. Everything you could possibly need is right on campus, or just a five-minute drive away to the nearest mall (which can be accessed by a free car hire service offered by university accommodation)!
Teaching at JCU:
The teaching was exceptional at JCU. The content was super interesting, the lecturers were engaging, and it just felt surreal to be learning about marine life by leading experts in coral reefs and conservation, with the reefs themselves being so accessible nearby! During the Easter break, I attended two incredible field trips. One was to a tropical island where I spent all day snorkelling amongst coral reefs to collect data, and the other was to the outback where camels, kangaroos, geckos and numerous other wild animals were a common occurrence.
Experiences:
During my time in Australia, I was lucky enough to have taken part in some of the most memorable experiences of my life. A short ferry ride to Magnetic Island from Townsville meant that this island was a frequent weekend visit for snorkelling, where I saw my first ever octopus, a black tip reef shark and an eagle ray all in the same day on this magical island! The Billabong sanctuary was where I met some of Australia’s most iconic wildlife including koalas, crocodiles, snakes and kangaroos. Scuba diving here in Australia was a must as a marine biologist. I went diving during the day, at dusk, and during the night at the Yongala shipwreck, which was a dive site inhabited by some of the most curious marine wildlife, including UFO sized cow-tail rays, a place inhabited by sea turtles and thousands of fish in huge shoals, and where the local goliath grouper (a fish larger than me!) roams as king. At another dive site named Julian Rocks, I swam with Grey Nurse and wobbegong sharks, as well as through a cave behind the shadows of large fish that were silhouettes from the tunnel of light ahead.
During my last month in Australia, my best friend from home, Chiara, and I travelled the East Coast together and had truly once-in a lifetime experiences. These experiences ranged from skydiving above the coral sea in tropical Queensland, sailing a boat on the glassy and turquoise waters of the Whitsundays, road tripping to the oldest rainforest in the world, to touring Fraser Island with all its natural wonders and heart-warming encounters with humpback whales. Australia, you have my heart.
