This spring we'll be bringing you posts from a few Pioneers that are studying abroad this semester. Defensive back Max Keller '14 is currently in Melbourne, Australia and this is his third installation.
Australia is known for its unique biodiversity which displays a range of ecosystems and organisms unlike any other on earth. The “Land of Oz” is inhabited by marsupials, spiders, and of course the most venomous snakes in the world. Sometimes I like to think that the first English settlers would have been better off with Dorothy’s yellow brick road and a few flying monkeys. But even then the sound of the laughing Kookaburra, native to Australia, is eerily reminiscent to that of a monkey. If there was a lesson to be learned from our adventures it was that nature will do all that it can to best you. Whether it was huge fruit bats defecating on our car, giant white tailed rats potentially gnawing through our tents, Cane toads covering the camp site, swarms of mosquitoes, or a tent held together with twigs and duct tape. Nature was more prepared than we were.
What I did discover was that such events pleasantly surprised me. Things were made a little more interesting and maybe a little stressful at times. However, this was the excitement of coming to Australia; the adventure, the struggles, and the increasing absurdity of our situation. As it has always been wisely pointed out to me, things could be worse. So when a sign read, “Beware of giant white tailed rats, they gnaw through tents…” I was a little enthralled with the adventure that may present itself. But that did not stop me from waking up and spot-lighting my tent for signs of entry.
I’ll attempt to spare you from the minute details and convey some of the more interesting events from our trip. As mentioned before in a previous post we were fortunate enough to snorkel and scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef. In the following days we then hiked to Mossman Gorge and several waterfalls in the surrounding area. I must admit these hikes were much more enjoyable than the one a fellow teammate, Cody Weber, led me on just two years ago. Not once did I envision the events of 127 Hours. Instead I was able to safely appreciate the scenery and cool off underneath a few waterfalls. The next two days were spent white water rafting down the Tully River and navigating the beautiful beaches of Whitehaven Island.
After traversing a number of sea side towns and completing approximately twenty hours of driving we reached Sydney. There we were greeted with great hospitality and our first home-cooked meal in the past ten days. To say we were thankful to have completed our 2,500 mile journey and returned our Ford station wagon safely would be an understatement. After spending a few days in Sydney checking out the sites we boarded our plane back to Melbourne. Left to reminisce about the events of the past twelve days and look forward to the prospect of a bed and a roof that wasn’t held together with duct tape.
