Queensland Term Abroad

Daily life and Gotchas

This page provides some background on day to day experiences in Brisbane and on the field trips, as well as some tips about saving money and a few odds and ends.

What will my day be like?

Remember that we will be spending about half our time in the classroom in Brisbane and half on field trips visiting fun and exotic locales. The trips are five or six days long and are spaced unevenly throughout the semester.

In Brisbane

Recent info (June 15 or so) from the Centre for Marine Studies suggests that the lecture schedule will vary from day to day or week to week, rather than be the same all the time. Some days may start early and end by noon, but other days may have some lectures begin as late as 3 pm. On the other hand, there may well be a couple of long weekends thrown in, which wasn't previously apparent either. If the past is a guide, most days there will be one lecture for each of the four classes you're taking, but sometimes things are doubled-up -- e.g. two marine biology lectures, one terrestrial ecology and one geology lecture, instead of one marine bio and one Australian culture & history -- it depends on instructor schedules and such. BTW, attendance is mandatory.

Plan on getting up and going in the morning, as you will almost surely be riding the city bus to campus. Using the bus and other public transportation is discussed in more detail in the Local Transport section of the survival guide, but in brief, you will be, like most of the students at UQ, commuting to and from class, most likely by bus. Some of you may need to ride two separate lines, changing mid-way. The bus system is efficient and safe, so if you're leery about riding it, don't be. Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind is that you need to budget for your daily transport costs. Again, see the local transport section of the survival guide for more information about the busses, costs, and links to the Brisbane City Council transport system's web pages.

So, after an informative morning in the classroom, what's a body to do? We recommend keeping up with the reading and any homework, but after that, you're usually free to explore campus and Brisbane. You'll typically have afternoons free for whatever you like. Just make sure you keep a bus schedule handy so you know when the last runs for your line are. On weekends they can shut down relatively early. Here's a link to UQ's What to do page for information about museums, clubs, performances, etc. around campus.

In the field

The field trips are tons of fun, but can also be demanding physically and mentally. Although you're all young and likely in decent shape, we are in the tropics and near tropics and extended exposure really can sap you. Hiking up to Carnarvon Gorge on a hot spring day in October (35-38C ~ 95-100F) is a challenge for anyone. On Heron Island there isn't very far to hike (you can walk its length in maybe 5 minutes), but you are on the tropic of Capricorn. Working in the lagoon on coral recruitment is a blast, but 6 hours out there can be hard. Maybe the thing to recognize is keeping in touch with how you're feeling and take the proper action if you're having troubles. You'll all be fine and I'll be the one wheezing at the end of the line, but just be mentally prepared.

We'll get to each location by bus. Some trips are short, e.g.1 hour to the ferry terminal for Stradbroke Island, others are 10 to 12 hours. The trip to Heron Island is an overnight trip -- we depart campus late in the evening for a 9:00 am arrival in Gladstone for the ferry ride (take your dramamine if you're liable to seasickness) to the island. Once on site, there will be some introductory lectures about the environments you'll be investigating and a day to build up some ideas. You'll be divided into groups of 3 to 4 people and asked to develop a research project. There'll be a day or so for data collection and analysis, then you'll present the results to the rest of the class, usually as a slide show. When you're working could depend on the tides, moon phase, or a host of other things. There's plenty of time for enjoyment, but count on working long stretches, too.

All meals are provided while we're in the field. Our previous experience is that most of the time the food is quite good. This is not to say that sometimes it's just adequate. Rolling with the punches is part of the trip. You may be part of the cooking prep and cleanup, depending on the venue. Sleeping on field trips is usually bunkhouse style. On Heron and Stradbroke there are bunkrooms with 4 to 8 beds in each. Bathroom facilities are shared. Our hosts at UQ, the Centre for Marine Studies, arranged new hostelry for us at Lamington National Forest (Lamington National Park - Queensland Parks Site) -- we don't yet know what it is like.

The Saddler Springs trip is a real treat and the accommodations there are unique. We're staying on a private cattle ranch of some 30,000 acres. The owners run a wonderful program called the Youth Enterprise Trust there much of the year; we are the only group allowed in otherwise. We stay in an open bunkhouse - there are bunkbeds, but many people choose to sleep on the porch or on a tarp on the ground (stargazing is spectacular here). You will need a sleeping bag for this trip and for New Zealand. The ranch is located in a very sensitive catchment area for the upper reaches of the Murray river system (the only "large" river in Australia), so there are some restrictions on what you may bring, toiletry-wise. NO, NO, it's not that you can't have soap or shampoo, but rather that you can't bring your own. They supply special low-phosphate materials so that we don't completely screw up the fragile ecosytem. They will provide a list of what you should not bring and please do adhere to the rules. Although there isn't plumbing per se, (=outhouse) nor is there electricity, there is a wood-fired "donkey" water heater that makes for exquisite showers after a long day.

The nature of the work and the kinds of accommodations both mean that you'll be spending a lot of time with each other (and us) on these trips. It is essential that each of you come prepared to contribute toward the group's goals -- by working hard, by listening, by being flexible, and by being willing to get along, even when someone rubs you the wrong way.

Money saving tips

• Bus transfers -- If you change busses on your way home (probably at the Indooroopilly Mall transit center), stay within the 45(?) minute transfer window. Indooroopilly mall is a gigantic place and you can buy just about anything you need and a lot you don't there. It's very handy and you'll undoubtedly spend time and money there, but remember that your bus ticket allows you to transfer within a certain amount of time. If you exceed that time, you'll have to buy another ticket. So, just plan ahead.
• Go home for dinner -- you've already paid for the meal. Going out occassionally is great, but it adds up fast if you go out all the time.
• Be thoughtful about going out on the town. There are lots of things to do in Brisbane; some are free or cheap, some are expensive.
• The drinking age in Queensland is 18, so you'll all be legal. Beer and drinks are often expensive; moderation will help preserve your spending power.
• Casinos are designed to separate you from your money. Be careful. We say this from previous experience with some students' money woes.

Can't we live on campus?

Students on this trip often say something like "Why can't we stay in dorms on campus? It's so much more convenient." Most students at UQ do not stay in dorms on campus -- commuting is part of the experience. Furthermore, homestays provide some insight into how everyday people in OZ live, whether they're opening their home out of interest or for money. You'll also see more of the city that way. Remember that experiencing something different is part of what a term abroad is all about. It's also true that our schedule does not match up with their semester, so trying to arrange for scarce dorm facilities is a real practical hardship. You might also feel that you're missing out on campus life by not being there in the evening, but remember that most students don't live on campus either, so there really isn't a lot going on there, parties or otherwise, at night.

Meeting Australian Students

Like it or not, our program is set up so that your colleagues are students from HWS and Union, not UQ students. As such, you won't automatically meet other students at the University, but this doesn't mean you can't get to know them. You just have to make the effort. In past years, some of our students have joined informal sports teams on campus. You can also look into campus clubs or just hang out on the Great Court and try striking up a conversation.

Other stuff?

If you've got a question or feel there ought to be an entry about some other aspect, do please let us know. We'll be glad for the suggestion! arens at hws dot edu or kendrick at hws dot edu