Before I begin my month of fieldwork and learning in the reef and rainforest, I would like to take some time to reflect on life in Cairns. These past two weeks I have been living on homestay with a lovely family in a suburb called Freshwater. Going to class in town, working on projects, and occasional family trips around Cairns characterize what I’ve been up to pretty well.

I’ve really enjoyed seeing a different side of life in Australia. I am lucky enough to have had a homestay family that has opened up and shared their perspectives on politics, the environment, and daily life. Though I am still getting used to the accents, and there are occasional miscommunications, I feel very well situated in this family. I’m staying in my own cozy bungalow, which has been a luxury compared to two weeks sleeping in hostel bunkbeds. However, I do get my fair share of roommates; geckos decorate the walls, and just last week a brown huntsman spider found its way into my shower!

Though I wouldn’t say I’m a local just yet. I’m still getting used to walking on the left side of the road, seeing swarms of flying foxes at sunrise and sunset, and dealing with brash bus drivers. I’ve really enjoyed exploring local cafes and pubs (especially ones with free wifi to do classwork) and seeing what this town has to offer. The best part about Cairns is that there is so much to do nearby! Just in the past two weeks my homestay family has taken me to the beautiful northern beaches and Copperlode dam.

We also went to Bramston beach to have lunch with some old friends of my host family. These friends were wildlife rescuers, so they had cockatoos, parrots, horses, and peacocks around the house. Seeing their house out in the forest left me standing starry eyed, until one of the oh-so-friendly peacocks just decided to attack me while my back was turned. I wasn’t too happy with the place after that. But I put a couple bandages on the scratches left by the peacock and even got to take back some delicious duck eggs for breakfast, so all was well.

On the way to Bramston beach, we passed by a pyramidal mountain. I mentioned to my host-sister, Alexis, that it would be fun to hike up it. We made plans, and all of a sudden we were hiking up Walsh’s pyramid in Wooroonooran National Park on Thursday morning. Though it was probably the steepest and longest hike I’ve done to date, I will never forget the amazing feeling of satisfaction making it to the top. The view didn’t hurt either. Wildlife was rampant on the mountain, with skinks scurrying about every couple feet, hawks soaring overhead, and we even saw a goanna on the way back!

But throughout all of the exciting trips, I’ve really savored the slow moments the most. Coming back from a long day of lectures, enjoying a beer with the host family, watching Australian Rules Football (Go Sydney Swans!), and talking about all sorts of different topics really have defined this experience for me.