Hervey to LEI

Can 4 hours actually be counted as a full night's sleep? Delirium has set in.

You'd think after the hellaciousness that was the Carnarvon cold no cold would affect me. Lies, such lies. Ever shivered all night and wait anxiously for the alarm? That happened.

Hervey Bay is a really lovely place- and the run along the beach was fantastic... since it kept me warm. I reached one of the pier outcroppings and scared off a sea hawk of some sort before heading back towards the holiday park while running on the sand. This is real life.

The check out was typical- graded papers flying in the general direction of students, frantic room checks, and absolute confusion. Lucky for us, the Hervey Bay airport was literally a hop, skip and a jump away from the lodge.

Fortune finally smiled on us as we had all our flights switched to 11am, each of the planes held about 14 passengers including the pilot(s). Much bigger than last year.

As terrible as this sounds, fighting sleep on the 40 minute plane was a very common theme. Until we saw Lady Elliot Island...

I fear the Carnarvon weather may have followed us to LEI. Within an hour of our arrival, we had a tour and lunch. Quickly thereafter we hit the water with our snorkel gear in hand.

The air was cold. The water was cold. Seeing a common theme here?

Just as I remember last year, the water was warmer than the air. Hitting the surf, it was an instant start of hyperventilating until my body finally accepted the conditions it was enduring. In the lagoon the water was much more shallow than the “normal” lighthouse entry so everything was CLOSE. Blue starfish, leopard sea cucumbers, triggerfish, damselfish, butterflyfish, all sorts of coral and plenty of unidentifiable critters. Only a mere two hours in to the LEI ordeal I saw inches away from a gorgeous green sea turtle. He unabashedly brushed right by me, poking his head above the ocean surface several times for air. He certainly didn't seem to mind me being there since he hung around for quite a bit before the chills got to me and I bailed for a hot shower.

After lecture and nap time I walked to the opposite side of the island to see the (nonexistent) sunset with no success. Instead, I saw looming dark clouds and fun seashells. Battling the wind tunnel effect, I hiked (quite literally) back to the lecture on Great Barrier Reef critters before dinner.

Despite the green group being here and it being slightly overcrowded, I'm thrilled to be back with the green faculty again. I don't think I've laughed so hard at anything other than ridiculous circumstances.