Brisbane

G'day from Brisbane!
We have been here for a few days now.  Just returned from a trip North to Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world.  It is interesting to me to see some of the same plants that I see when I teach the Marine and Island ecology course in the Bahamas.  Casurina (Australian pine, not really a pine) and railroad vine, stabilizing the dunes.  We have seen temperate rainforest back in the Blue Mountains, and now sub-tropical rainforest on Fraser Island.  The primitive cycads, staghorn ferns, tall trees with an enclosing canopy keeping the paths dim and shaded are all so amazing to walk through. 

On the animal side of things, many students as well as myself, had the opportunity to hold a koala!  I'm sure they will add their impressions to the blog.  I actually had more fun with the kangaroos, as they are much more interactive than koalas.  We fed them and interacted with them in their paddock.  They like to be rubbed under the chin and along the chest.  Most of the time they walk along with a slow, rocking gait, supported by their tail, in a pentapedal posture.  Once in a while one was inspired to hop and you can really appreciate how fast they are capable of moving when you see them hopping.  Mostly, they lay down propped up on their elbows, just the picture of relaxation.

Hope these entries give you just a hint of what we are experiencing!
Lynn G.