Achieving my dream of seeing the Great Barrier Reef and Byron Bay

By Logan Tilley, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Ever since watching my first Attenborough-narrated environmental documentary when I was a kid, there was only one place top of my list for places to go in the world. That was the Great Barrier Reef, and this trip reassured me that it was about the smartest dream I’ve ever had.

If there’s one blatant thing that UNSW has over USyd, it’s this – the exchange-only winter term course ‘Coral Reefs in a Changing Climate’. Not only was this perfect for me as a Geography student who loves the environment, but it offered a field trip to the Heron Island Research Station in the Great Barrier Reef.

I started my trip by flying to Brisbane and spending a couple of days there. It is a really cool place but no more time was needed for me. I then did as all money-saving uni students should do: I took a bus. A really… really long one. 11 hours to be exact to the town where my ferry was leaving from. However, with the right amount of snacks and films on my phone it was manageable, with a pretty good sunset too.

Nevertheless, this is not why I’m writing this. Arriving to the island gliding over the most beautiful turquoise water felt like my dreams once again, and they were swiftly trumped by the reality of being able to snorkel in these reefs.

Unfortunately this trip was, of course, not just a holiday. However, even the research I had to do allowed me to free dive into the reefs and investigate fish populations and health. Now this may not seem interesting on the surface, but if you could see it you wouldn’t care.

The group was full of amazing people who were in the same position as me being an exchange so it made it so easy to chat with everyone and make friends. This made sharing the most incredible sunsets, starry nights, and wildlife experiences of my life even more special. Some wildlife highlights include spotting a Hammerhead shark, Lemon sharks and Epaulette sharks, as well as Eagle and stingrays, Moray eels and countless Green Turtles.

After the trip I had just over a week to get back before uni started again. Myself and two friends used this opportunity to go to Byron Bay. I was able to stay with family who I hadn’t seen since I was two years old, catching up on life and walking on picturesque beaches with their little dog, Combi. I also used this opportunity to surf for the first time, taking lessons with the friends I had travelled with. I knew before I started that I was going to struggle, and I did, but I still enjoyed every fall and I’m going to keep it up back in Sydney. Almost as a reward, on a walk later in the day we were lucky enough to spot a pair of wild Koalas in the trees, then enjoy a fantastic sunset over the main beach with our picnic dinner.

My trip is now unfortunately over, but I have the memories of my photos, new clothes, and no longer sun-deprived British skin. My first taste of travel in Australia will certainly not be my last and I can’t wait for the next journey ahead in my year in the land down under.