A lot of the good pictures of the past month are on facebook so if you have some free time, feel free to peruse through them to see how much fun we've had.
Firstly, Cromwell has a bunch of themed parties and this first picture is one in the dining hall where everyone is dressed up in partners as a youtube sensation. There were tons of creative costumes and some videos that I hadn't ever heard of (some were Aussie classics that the Americans had no idea about). It's always a bunch of fun with the Crommie kids. A live band played in the den and everyone had a good time. The following day there was recovery in the morning, which entailed hanging out on the volleyball courts and playing in a bounce house.
The next big thing was the trip up to Heron Island Research Station for a field trip for the Marine Bio class. That was amazing; so much better than the Moreton Bay trip. The food was better and we got to snorkel a ton. Snorkeling was great even though I told them that I hadn't snorkeled before (which is true), and one of the tutors asked me every 5 minutes if I was doing alright. I think that he assumed that I could barely swim and that the extremely buoyant wetsuit wouldn't keep me afloat. But in the end, I was happy that someone was looking out for me, even if I didn't need it. We also walked around the intertidal areas and found sea cucumbers (which I know way too much about know), sea hares (which ink if they get distressed), epaulite sharks, tons of coral, sea stars, and a lot of other marine life. Snorkeling was the best part about this trip. I was timid at first, then as I got more comfortable, I was diving down to get a closer look as much as I could and trying to play tag with fish and sharks (they were too fast for me) and really enjoying the whole time under the sea (little mermaid references and fish puns were very common on this trip).
Another good thing about Heron Island was the amount of free time that we had to relax and enjoy the island when we weren't doing our research, which was tied with the levels of the tide. Most of us spent that either napping, laying out in the sand, or exploring the 45 minute walk around the entire island. Ukulele may have also been involved at some point.
Then we met up with a friend from Cromwell named Scar who took us to dinner and the movies before our train up to the Whitsundays. It was very nice to know someone in the area to give us some good company and escort us around Gladstone. The train was another overnight ride, but it was so much nicer than the overnight bus to Heron Island. We arrived the next morning at Airle Beach and got settled in a little 8 person cabin. Pretty tight quarters but worth what we spent on it. Airle was a different kind of relaxing that Heron. Airle was mostly laying around the beach during the day and going out and exploring the town at night. One day, we took a boat cruise around the Whitsundays islands, got to snorkel for a bit, and spent a few hours on Whitehaven beach, which we were told was rated the 2nd best beach in the world. We could definitely see why! The sand was so soft and fine that it could clean your jewelry. I know especially well because I was buried up to my neck. As a group, we took calendar photos so hopefully that will be at your nearest Barnes and Nobles soon.
The next big thing was the trip up to Heron Island Research Station for a field trip for the Marine Bio class. That was amazing; so much better than the Moreton Bay trip. The food was better and we got to snorkel a ton. Snorkeling was great even though I told them that I hadn't snorkeled before (which is true), and one of the tutors asked me every 5 minutes if I was doing alright. I think that he assumed that I could barely swim and that the extremely buoyant wetsuit wouldn't keep me afloat. But in the end, I was happy that someone was looking out for me, even if I didn't need it. We also walked around the intertidal areas and found sea cucumbers (which I know way too much about know), sea hares (which ink if they get distressed), epaulite sharks, tons of coral, sea stars, and a lot of other marine life. Snorkeling was the best part about this trip. I was timid at first, then as I got more comfortable, I was diving down to get a closer look as much as I could and trying to play tag with fish and sharks (they were too fast for me) and really enjoying the whole time under the sea (little mermaid references and fish puns were very common on this trip). 
Then we met up with a friend from Cromwell named Scar who took us to dinner and the movies before our train up to the Whitsundays. It was very nice to know someone in the area to give us some good company and escort us around Gladstone. The train was another overnight ride, but it was so much nicer than the overnight bus to Heron Island. We arrived the next morning at Airle Beach and got settled in a little 8 person cabin. Pretty tight quarters but worth what we spent on it. Airle was a different kind of relaxing that Heron. Airle was mostly laying around the beach during the day and going out and exploring the town at night. One day, we took a boat cruise around the Whitsundays islands, got to snorkel for a bit, and spent a few hours on Whitehaven beach, which we were told was rated the 2nd best beach in the world. We could definitely see why! The sand was so soft and fine that it could clean your jewelry. I know especially well because I was buried up to my neck. As a group, we took calendar photos so hopefully that will be at your nearest Barnes and Nobles soon.
Now it is back to uni, with a heavy dose of work these next few weeks. Rugby match tonight against Kings College and trying to plan for Sock Assassin for the whole college. Just gotta manage that fun with the work. Easier said than done.
G'Day Mates,
Serenity
