This week was one of bittersweet change for the group as our time in New Zealand came to a close in Queenstown. We ate some final scoops of ice cream from Patagonia (unrelated to the clothing brand), learned of the intricacies and nuances of New Zealand vineyards, and took a lake-side hike to a bluff where the only thing cooler than the view was the water. Aside from activities, we all took some time to reflect individually and discuss collectively our time here. Kia ora New Zealand…
…and hello Australia! Our first week here will be in Melbourne, and the first couple days have proved to be a biology major’s dream come true! Dr. Richard Reina from University of Monash gave us a lecture concerning terrestrial vertebrate fauna of Australia and the unique adaptations of these animals that make them specifically suited for Australia’s sometimes harsh environment. Continuous hopping, for example, is a movement not typically seen in large mammals, but in Australia, animals like the red kangaroo can carry about 15% extra of their body mass for FREE in terms of energy expenditure by hopping instead of running (see figure below), which makes carrying a baby joey around in their pouch seem pretty feasible.
What made hearing about all of these unique and awesome animals better was getting to see them all two days later at Healesville Sanctuary! We had exciting opportunities to see native species like parrots, eagles, kangaroos, platypuses, and koalas up close, and in case you haven’t heard how a koala sounds, look it up for a surprisingly terrifying roar. My favorite part of the sanctuary was the dingoes. I sat and journaled by the enclosure for half an hour and recorded some quick sketches and observations below. There were two types of dingoes: tropical and alpine, and each had distinct fur colors and coat textures that made them highly adapted to their environment.
This week was one of bittersweet change for the group as our time in New Zealand came to a close in Queenstown. Outside of my big biology takeaways, I’ve also enjoyed hearing about Australian political and social culture, seeing Aborigines representations in paintings and as artists, and exploring Melbourne’s museums and sites. I’ll end my update here, but make sure to read Justin’s blog post for another point of view on all of our exciting first moments in Australia! Enjoy a picture of a funky-patterned starfish I found on Brighton Beach, and tune in next week for more.
-Rachel
