2009 – Honours begins, see you all in December

G’Day All,

Hope 2009 is treating you well so far. Thought I would write and give you all a quick update, because as of now I seriously won’t get time to write until December.

When I returned to Adelaide back in December ’08 I worked all the way through until the start of Feb. I was working up at the uni in the lab counting little critters under the microscope for a Coorong and Lower Lakes project that Flinders got through the Department of Environment and Heritage. Those lakes around the Murray Mouth are just soo dry it’s actually devastating to look at. Hence why we’re doing the work to better understand what’s going on in terms of meiofauna (basically organisms bigger then 1mm). I was really lucky to score the work and it certainly helped the depleted bank account resulting from that overseas travel. I also scored work at a place called ‘Temptation Sailing’ down at the bay (Glenelg). Check it out at www.dolphinboat.com.au. We do ‘swim-with-dolphins’ but do it in a way that is non-invasive as we let the dolphins come to us, and they do, they get curious and swim by people hanging off lines off the back of the 58ft sailing catamaran. Not every group of dolphins we find interacts, and so we just let them go. In no way do we harass the dolphins, the interaction is totally up to them, and because of that I feel much more comfortable working there. I really enjoy the work as I get my ‘dolphin fix’ every week (such a whale nerd I know). I just love being out on the water and meeting and chatting to people from all over the world is always great fun.

When February came round, paid work up at the uni ended (still do Temptation on Sunday mornings), and I entered a little room with a little desk to begin my Honours degree. So for those of you that don’t know what an Honours degree is, it’s where 10 months of my life is dedicated to my own research project and I lose contact with all aspects of the outside world because I’m soo busy… (kidding, but no, seriously). I’m pumped about my research project though, as it’s taking me to Fiji to study spinner dolphins! I booked my flights last week and will be there for 3 months (May 11 - Aug 17). There has been no formal research on spinner dolphins done in much of the Pacific Islands Region, and nothing done in Fiji so I’m psyched to be pioneering this research. I have three separate sites so I will get to see the ‘real’ Fiji as some of the spots I’m going to are very remote, and very basic. It’s going to be a bloody fantastic experience! A lot is to be done between now and when I leave. And even more between now and November 9th when my thesis is due, at which time I’ll probably breathe a huge sigh of relief and sink a few brews in celebration. Still, I should focus on the next 8 weeks before I fly out as I have lots of logistics organisation and coursework to do. It’s tough getting the brain back into a research frame of mind as it hasn’t been used like this in well over 12 months, but I’m managing to re-familiarise myself and get back into gear. I’m treating it like a 9-5 job and that way I can get stuff done. Gone are my undergrad days of getting up only when I need to go to a lecture!

So, as I said earlier I’m writing this to give you all an update but also to let you know that I will be extremely busy up until November, and so I’m going to apologise in advance for not being timely in any replies to any emails or messages you might send me. It’s an important year for me this year and I’m going to be working bloody hard so I hope you can all appreciate this. If I don’t reply to you it’s not because I’m dissing you, it’s because I’m up to my eyeballs in papers and data. I will however do my best to get back to you when I can.

I’m pumped for the 9 months ahead, as now is the time when the ball really gets rolling so I’ve gotta work hard to make sure I can keep up with it. I would like to get some sleep in October, well, that’s the plan anyway although they say no matter how much planning you do, that month is still very stressful. Fun times ahead for Tim Timmy Timbo!

Hope you’re all well wherever you are in the world. I’ll see you at the end of the year!

From soon to be spinner dolphin expert,

Tim, Timmy, Timbo