Back home from Down Under

Well, I got back from Australia Sunday morning, and my luggage even made it back with me. It had been AWOL for 4 days when I got there, so I had to buy some new clothes for the conference. It was interesting trying to pack all my old clothes along with the new stuff into my luggage, but I did it. I have been trying to recuperate from my jet-lag, but I stayed home today with a nasty cold I seem to have picked up from the long flights back home (4.5 hours Cairns-->Sydney,+4 hour layover, 15 hours Sydney-->LA,+7.5 hour layover, 4.5 hours LA-->Detroit).

Australia and the ISSCR meeting were great, though, even though my luggage was lost and it rained or was overcast every day. It was hard to tell that Queensland is Australia's Sunshine State by my visit! It was warm, though, and I got to see and do a lot in the short time I was there. My 7th floor hotel suite at The Mantra Trilogy was very nice and right on the Esplanade. Although it did not have internet access, there was a balcony in the bedroom that faced the mountains and a balcony in the front room that faced the ocean. I got a good deal-pay for 6 nights and get 2 free. It cost me less than most of the hotel rooms I looked at.




I left here Wednesday evening, and arrived in Cairns (pronounced Cans) Friday afternoon (after losing 15 hours). Friday evening I spent a little time exploring the city and finding the conference site. Saturday I had to shop for clothes, since mine were missing. I found a craft show on the Esplanade and bought some hand-crafted souvenirs. I also went to eat at "The Raw Prawn" and ate kangaroo steak, bay bugs, prawns, bok choy and sweet potato mash. It sounds very odd, but it was delicious!


Sunday-Wednesday was the ISSCR conference. I really learned a lot and met some interesting people. My poster presentation also went well.






On Monday, Sean Morrison, the Director of the University of Michigan Center for Stem Cell Biology, took those of us from Michigan as well as a couple of his friends, to dinner after the meeting. Tuesday evening, I went to the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, which was an event offered through the conference organizers.


After the conference, I had two days left for sightseeing. Thursday, I went to the Cairns Tropical Zoo and walked to Palm Cove beach for a few hours in the afternoon before returning to the zoo to meet my bus. I got to hold a Koala and a boa constrictor, pet kangaroos and feed the birds, among other things.





On Friday, I took the Skyrail past the Barron Falls, up to the village of Kuranda in the Rainforest, and visited Bird World, Butterfly Sanctuary, and Koala Gardens before heading back down on the Scenic Railway. It was a full, fun day.







Saturday was the long trip back home. Brad and Caitlin met my flight into Detroit about 1AM Sunday (thanks to the 15 hours I gained on the way back), but after the luggage took a long time to arrive and the drive home, I finally got to bed about 4AM.










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by tmroth