Wallabies, Glow Worms, & Lake Eachem in Australia

hiking beyond falls

Written by South Pacific Students, Talia M. and RJ L.

We spent last week at the lovely Sheoak Ridge in the Daintree rainforest. Hosted by Claire and Marcus, two passionate and accomplished conversationalists. We had some amazing wilderness experiences including cuddles with wallabies and educational nature walks.

What have been the three highlights of the week?

🐱 Getting to have unique and immersive wildlife interactions were definitely some highlights, from feeding wallabies out of our hands to spotting a platypus in the pond.

🌿 Hearing from Claire and Marcus on their passions for environmentalism and conservation was also an amazing experience. We learned about glow worms, aboriginal history, and local environmental action.

🐟 We also had fun day trips, including a visit to Lake Eachem. A volcanic lake with beautifully clear water and lush nature paths.

Growth comes with challenge – what are some of the challenges you’ve overcome this week?

We were all challenged by the extreme change in lifestyle. Living out of tents and not having access to normal bathrooms. We were also disconnected from internet and our phones. Our daily work was definitely an adjustment and included tasks like digging trenches to provide water to a greenhouse, and clearing invasive shrubs and trees on the property.

How is the group bonding together?

We have grown as a group bonding through late night mafia and other games by the campfire light. As we adapted to our new environment we have become more self sufficient having to care for our own tent and possessions in a mainly tech free environment without many modern conveniences.