Hatchling
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
A baby Green Turtle hatchling on Heron Island.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Protector at sunset
Protector at sunset
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
The Protector wreck at sunset on Heron Island.
Heron Island week four
The start of my fourth week on Heron Island was fairly standard, with a 7.30 shift on Monday and a 3.30 the following day. I had Wednesday and Thursday off though, and decided to stay on the island to try out some of the marine activities.
On my first day off I had a bit of a lazy day, just relaxing before going for my first proper swim in the afternoon at high tide. Because the beaches are so shallow, you can only go out around high tide because otherwise you'll just cut yourself on the coral, which you definitely don't want to do. I only went for a short dip, but it was so relaxing, especially since the water temperature is about 25 degrees centigrade, a lot different from the sea at home!
On Thursday I decided to take it a bit further and try snorkelling. I wasn't quite sure how much I'd like it, but on finding out that the dive centre have prescription masks (so I can see underwater without wearing glasses), I was much more enthusiastic. I went down to Shark Bay with a couple of friends and we went for a short snorkel around the shoreline.
I found breathing the hardest thing to get used to when snorkelling. It's so unusual to breathe when your face is underwater, so your body takes a while to get used to the ideal, or at least I did. Once I had myself settled down and my breathing steady, I was all set for exploring the coral that lies just off the beach at Heron.
It may be an over-used cliché, but it's like another world beneath the surface. Even on the sparsest patches of coral, there's all sorts going on with countless different fish swimming amongst the reef.
That afternoon I got on the snorkel boat out to the outer reef where the best coral is to be found. Here the wealth of animal and plant life is almost overwhelming. You just swim and float around amongst the reef, admiring all the amazing life below you. I've never seen anything like it before and I can't wait to get out there again with a waterproof camera.
My fourth week ended without too much excitement, with 3.30 shifts on Friday and Sunday, and a split shift on Saturday. I went for a morning snorkel to the Protector - the wrecked boat in the harbour - before work Saturday though, which was pretty cool when you saw the rusty ship as you approached it underwater.
On my first day off I had a bit of a lazy day, just relaxing before going for my first proper swim in the afternoon at high tide. Because the beaches are so shallow, you can only go out around high tide because otherwise you'll just cut yourself on the coral, which you definitely don't want to do. I only went for a short dip, but it was so relaxing, especially since the water temperature is about 25 degrees centigrade, a lot different from the sea at home!
On Thursday I decided to take it a bit further and try snorkelling. I wasn't quite sure how much I'd like it, but on finding out that the dive centre have prescription masks (so I can see underwater without wearing glasses), I was much more enthusiastic. I went down to Shark Bay with a couple of friends and we went for a short snorkel around the shoreline.
I found breathing the hardest thing to get used to when snorkelling. It's so unusual to breathe when your face is underwater, so your body takes a while to get used to the ideal, or at least I did. Once I had myself settled down and my breathing steady, I was all set for exploring the coral that lies just off the beach at Heron.
It may be an over-used cliché, but it's like another world beneath the surface. Even on the sparsest patches of coral, there's all sorts going on with countless different fish swimming amongst the reef.
That afternoon I got on the snorkel boat out to the outer reef where the best coral is to be found. Here the wealth of animal and plant life is almost overwhelming. You just swim and float around amongst the reef, admiring all the amazing life below you. I've never seen anything like it before and I can't wait to get out there again with a waterproof camera.
My fourth week ended without too much excitement, with 3.30 shifts on Friday and Sunday, and a split shift on Saturday. I went for a morning snorkel to the Protector - the wrecked boat in the harbour - before work Saturday though, which was pretty cool when you saw the rusty ship as you approached it underwater.
Heron Island week three
My third week living and working on Heron began as ten new staff members arrived on the island. There's a reasonably high turn-around rate at the resort, with a lot of people only staying for a few months, but it's unusual for so many new people to come all at once. Amongst the new faces were Nikki and Simone, who applied for their jobs through the Work and Travel Company in exactly the same way that I did. It was somewhat comforting to have people around who were doing exactly the same as me.
Monday also saw the return of Internet access for staff on the island, with our computer in the canteen brought back to live, even if it's only a dial-up connection. I worked the 3.30pm shift that day, a split shift (11-3, 6-midnight) on Tuesday and then 3.30 again the following day.
Thursday was the first of two days off and I got up early to go fishing for the third time since I've been on the island. I didn't catch much due to the strong current which kept our lines from staying on the bottom - where all the fish are - but I got a Red Throat Emperor, a worthy and moreover tasty catch. That afternoon I got the ferry back to Gladstone, where I went shopping and got my hair cut, as well as updating this diary.
The next day I returned to Heron Island on the ferry, arriving as usual at about 2:30pm. After turtle-watching at the beach, I went down the main bar (as opposed to our staff bar, the "Wobbly") in the evening. Like many of the island facilities, we can use the bar along with the guests, except we have to abide by a dress code and are restricted to certain seating areas.
Over the weekend, I worked on my first 7.30-4 morning shifts, which added a bit of variety to my roster, although I'm not sure I like getting up so early every day. On the Saturday I finally finished the book which I bought five weeks previously in Napier, New Zealand, "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell". It's probably one of the best books I've read in the last few years and although it's around 1000 pages long, it sure is worth the effort.
I finished my third week on Heron by phoning Rebekka and home, keeping in touch with the rest of the world out there. Sometimes it feels a little isolated, so it's nice to hear what's going outside of your own little bubble.
Monday also saw the return of Internet access for staff on the island, with our computer in the canteen brought back to live, even if it's only a dial-up connection. I worked the 3.30pm shift that day, a split shift (11-3, 6-midnight) on Tuesday and then 3.30 again the following day.
Thursday was the first of two days off and I got up early to go fishing for the third time since I've been on the island. I didn't catch much due to the strong current which kept our lines from staying on the bottom - where all the fish are - but I got a Red Throat Emperor, a worthy and moreover tasty catch. That afternoon I got the ferry back to Gladstone, where I went shopping and got my hair cut, as well as updating this diary.
The next day I returned to Heron Island on the ferry, arriving as usual at about 2:30pm. After turtle-watching at the beach, I went down the main bar (as opposed to our staff bar, the "Wobbly") in the evening. Like many of the island facilities, we can use the bar along with the guests, except we have to abide by a dress code and are restricted to certain seating areas.
Over the weekend, I worked on my first 7.30-4 morning shifts, which added a bit of variety to my roster, although I'm not sure I like getting up so early every day. On the Saturday I finally finished the book which I bought five weeks previously in Napier, New Zealand, "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell". It's probably one of the best books I've read in the last few years and although it's around 1000 pages long, it sure is worth the effort.
I finished my third week on Heron by phoning Rebekka and home, keeping in touch with the rest of the world out there. Sometimes it feels a little isolated, so it's nice to hear what's going outside of your own little bubble.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Heron Island week two
One of the first things people said to me when I got to Heron Island was that if I could get through the first two weeks, I'd be absolutely fine and would be all set for the three months I plan to stay there. They were dead right and over the last week I've settled in fully and it now feels more like home from home.
I started the week with two days off (the 30th and 31st). On Monday I got on the ferry to Gladstone, which arrived at about 3.30pm. After checking into a backpackers' hostel, I went for a wander around town, finding first the local library and then an ice cream shop with Internet access to update this blog. On the Tuesday I had the full day in the town, spending it shopping and then again at the library on the Internet. Free broadband access is something not to be missed when you've got no Internet access whatsoever on the island!
On Wednesday I got the ferry back to Heron, arriving an hour or so before work. The next day I had another day off, spending it at the beach reading my book and taking a few photos. It was one of the first days I've had when I've not been working in the evening, so I got a chance to see the sunset and go turtle watching at night. Green and Loggerhead turtles nest on Heron Island from November through to April, and you can watch them every night around high tide. I went on a guided turtle-watch, which gave the whole thing a bit of background as well. It was really interesting and the size of they can grow up to is incredible; the one we saw was over a metre and some reach over 2m.
Friday was a typical day for me; I had a 3.30pm shift and so spent the late morning at the beach, reading my book and listening to music. It's great that you can get away from the resort and all that it entails in a matter of minutes by walking to the beach, and to an extent you need to. I love to sit under a tree with the beach in front and the forest behind me, just taking it all in and having a break from everything and everyone. When you're in such a small place for such a long time with no real escape, I find that getting away to relax at the beach does a world of good.
As for work, throughout the week (except for Sunday), I did the same shift and in that I did almost the same job every time. I'm getting used to the different things we have to do, it's just a case of picking up the fastest way of working. Only tow of us are there to 'close' the kitchen every night, but that still involves a ton of work. It's pretty intense, but like I've said before, you get an awesome place to live and at a low cost of living to go with it.
On Saturday I took advantage of my late starting shift and got up early to go fishing. The first time I went, I didn't catch a thing, so I wasn't really very hopeful. In fact, apart from a few fish I caught in France a few years back in a man-made lake, I hadn't really caught a fish before, so I had nothing to lose in a sense. The luck was with me though and as soon as my line hit the bottom I started getting bites and continued to throughout the three hour trip. By the end of it, I had caught eight to ten fish!
The first one I pulled up was a huge Red Throat Emperor and I continued to catch similar smaller ones through the trip. I also caught a large Barramundi cod, probably about 50cm long, but couldn't keep it because it's now an endangered species. When they were available to catch, they were some of the most expensive fish in the world.
So I was really very pleased with myself by the time I got back. Working in the kitchen, I know all the chefs, so I got one of them to cook my fish for lunch. I expected him to fillet it up and just cook it simply, but he did it whole in much the same way that the guests get it. It looked awesome and tasted just as good.
That afternoon I worked my usual 3.30 shift and then on Sunday I ended the week with the easiest shift you can get; 10 to 6.30. Being one of the few times I got to have the evening off, I went down to the main bar with some colleagues and met some of the ten new staff that arrived that day. When there are people around that are newer than you, it certainly gives you the feeling that you've settled in and that you've become one of the rest. It certainly feels like home from home now.
I started the week with two days off (the 30th and 31st). On Monday I got on the ferry to Gladstone, which arrived at about 3.30pm. After checking into a backpackers' hostel, I went for a wander around town, finding first the local library and then an ice cream shop with Internet access to update this blog. On the Tuesday I had the full day in the town, spending it shopping and then again at the library on the Internet. Free broadband access is something not to be missed when you've got no Internet access whatsoever on the island!
On Wednesday I got the ferry back to Heron, arriving an hour or so before work. The next day I had another day off, spending it at the beach reading my book and taking a few photos. It was one of the first days I've had when I've not been working in the evening, so I got a chance to see the sunset and go turtle watching at night. Green and Loggerhead turtles nest on Heron Island from November through to April, and you can watch them every night around high tide. I went on a guided turtle-watch, which gave the whole thing a bit of background as well. It was really interesting and the size of they can grow up to is incredible; the one we saw was over a metre and some reach over 2m.
Friday was a typical day for me; I had a 3.30pm shift and so spent the late morning at the beach, reading my book and listening to music. It's great that you can get away from the resort and all that it entails in a matter of minutes by walking to the beach, and to an extent you need to. I love to sit under a tree with the beach in front and the forest behind me, just taking it all in and having a break from everything and everyone. When you're in such a small place for such a long time with no real escape, I find that getting away to relax at the beach does a world of good.
As for work, throughout the week (except for Sunday), I did the same shift and in that I did almost the same job every time. I'm getting used to the different things we have to do, it's just a case of picking up the fastest way of working. Only tow of us are there to 'close' the kitchen every night, but that still involves a ton of work. It's pretty intense, but like I've said before, you get an awesome place to live and at a low cost of living to go with it.
On Saturday I took advantage of my late starting shift and got up early to go fishing. The first time I went, I didn't catch a thing, so I wasn't really very hopeful. In fact, apart from a few fish I caught in France a few years back in a man-made lake, I hadn't really caught a fish before, so I had nothing to lose in a sense. The luck was with me though and as soon as my line hit the bottom I started getting bites and continued to throughout the three hour trip. By the end of it, I had caught eight to ten fish!
The first one I pulled up was a huge Red Throat Emperor and I continued to catch similar smaller ones through the trip. I also caught a large Barramundi cod, probably about 50cm long, but couldn't keep it because it's now an endangered species. When they were available to catch, they were some of the most expensive fish in the world.
So I was really very pleased with myself by the time I got back. Working in the kitchen, I know all the chefs, so I got one of them to cook my fish for lunch. I expected him to fillet it up and just cook it simply, but he did it whole in much the same way that the guests get it. It looked awesome and tasted just as good.
That afternoon I worked my usual 3.30 shift and then on Sunday I ended the week with the easiest shift you can get; 10 to 6.30. Being one of the few times I got to have the evening off, I went down to the main bar with some colleagues and met some of the ten new staff that arrived that day. When there are people around that are newer than you, it certainly gives you the feeling that you've settled in and that you've become one of the rest. It certainly feels like home from home now.
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