AUSTRALIA ~ Intern Options

Spending your final weeks in Australia, select from these three internships.

Marine Biology: Australian Aquatic Resources

For those of you who completed the reef segment in Fiji, you will have the opportunity to compare and contrast reef environments. As Australia is a continent, you will see a greater diversity of species compared to Fiji and Hawaii. Snorkeling in warm Pacific waters, keep an eye out for an incredible array of marine creatures including huge loggerhead sea turtles and sharks. Complementing your reef study will be a discussion of surrounding marine and freshwater environments including salt water marshes, mangrove environments, and tidal zones. Location The Australia section of the marine biology internships involves considerably more travel than the previous two sections. From our starting point in Brisbane, we will head northward towards the Great Barrier Reef. Along the way, we will see sites that exemplify the full diversity of continental ecosystems.

Heron Island
This breathtakingly beautiful, small, low island (the highest point of land is just about ten feet above sea level) is a National Park about one mile in circumference. Heron is a true coral cay, an island made of coral debris and sand, sitting right on the Great Barrier Reef. The island is covered by pisonia forest, with growth to a height of almost 50 feet. The environment consists of pandanus and casuarina near the beaches, with coconut palms, oaks, coral, sand and grass. From a distance and up close, Heron Island looks just like the proverbial tropical desert island. At low tide, visitors may walk on part of the fifteen miles of surrounding Great Barrier Reef. Heron Island is situated in the Capricorn Group, 43 miles northeast of Gladstone. It was first charted in 1843 and was named because of the presence of distinctive white, black, and gray herons. Although home to thousands of birds, the island is perhaps best known as a breeding ground of giant sea turtles. One of the islands' first commercial enterprises, in fact, was the establishment in 1925 of a turtle soup factory and cannery which also marketed tortoise shell products with little regard for depletion of these venerable and rather scarce animals. In 1932 an attempt was made to establish a resort on the island, but after World War II the effort foundered. The island became a marine national park in the 1940's, and in 1974 P & O Australia bought an interest in the resort and assumed full control of the resort lease in 1979. They upgraded and refurbished most of the facilities, and established the water desalinization system for the resort.

The waters surrounding Heron Island are a paradise for scuba divers, snorkelers and photographers. Manta rays, angelfish, cod - 1150 species of sea life in all--swim in these waters. Surrounded by approximately 10 square miles of what well may be the best, most easily accessible, coral beds in the entire region.

Accommodations
Hostel and dormitory accommodations will be provided.

Ranch Station: Jillaroo or Jackaroo

Traditionally, Jillaroos and Jackaroos worked mustering cattle and sheep, shearing, and maintaining the station. In order to sustain itself, today's station must be more diverse and environmentally friendly. Therefore, contemporary Jillaroos and Jackaroos have also adopted more diverse roles: farmers work on organic solutions to cut insecticide use, mono-culture practices, solar energy, turning feral goats and pigs into marketable 'wild meat' and using native flora to produce oils, perfumes and natural medicines.

Location
The ranch station is located several hours north of Brisbane. Large land holdings in Australia are known as "Stations." These stations are mostly engaged in mixed agriculture - wool growing, beef production and cropping - cotton, wheat and grapes. Such stations are usually family holdings that have been passed from generation to generation. The homesteads may well be isolated, so much so that the children attend school via the airwaves and internet. Although you will not get into town much, life is a long way from dull. Somehow, station life is rarely lonely. People get together for all sorts of social occasions, including dancing, camel races, bull riding and most importantly, eating. You will find the food both hearty and plentiful, with a siesta after lunch encouraged. Dinner finds the day's events discussed and rehashed around the table. Robust conversation is a must. Country folk love a good yarn - so bring along your best stories. True or not, it doesn't matter, as long as they entertain. Conversation is a much-admired skill in the outback.

Sports are often encouraged in Station life, and range widely from a game of tennis or rugby, to shooting feral animals such as foxes, pigs and goats that destroy the land and eat the native marsupials.

Job Description
It is difficult to give a description of a daily routine of a station, as each day will hold its own charm and duties. In addition to outdoor tasks, there are always jobs around the home: dogs to feed, gardens to water, and bread to make. The station may be mustering and branding calves, herding sheep for shearing, harvesting or planting a crop. So for a day-to-day description, you best bring your journal, keep a record each day and you'll have your description. As a Jillaroo or Jackaroo, this internship will provide you with many skills: it is an undertaking for the self starter, someone who can learn from their mistakes, and who only has to be told something once. Please note that ranches vary from farm to farm. Many of the above stated tasks may vary regarding what ranch you are placed in. Please be flexible in your duties and expectations.

Environmental Conservation Internship

Housing:
Housing varies from dorms, hostels to camping depending on the conservation project.

More details to come on this internship.