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""

 'Going Places with Ernie Dingo'

Season 1 Episode 1. In this episode Ernie explores the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef with local Aboriginal Elder Gudju Gudju, talks with a scientist, and sails the reef.

Cast: (in credits order)  
Ernie Dingo - Presenter
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gudju Gudju
Gareth Phillips	
Jamie Seymour


[00:00.000 -> 00:34.320]  Thank you. The Great Barrier Reef Australia.
[00:34.320 -> 00:37.720]  Stretching almost the length of the Queensland coastline,
[00:37.720 -> 00:41.920]  it's hailed as one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
[00:41.920 -> 00:44.640]  It's said to be the largest living organism
[00:44.640 -> 00:47.000]  that can be seen from outer
[00:47.000 -> 00:56.000]  space. Imagine that. It's one of the richest habitats for both marine and bird life species.
[00:56.000 -> 01:02.000]  Not to mention quite a few land based mammals of the two legged variety if you catch my
[01:02.000 -> 01:07.800]  drift. I've been to this part of our great southern land many times, but just like my other visits,
[01:07.800 -> 01:12.520]  I know this will be uniquely different.
[01:12.520 -> 01:17.760]  Now I'm back to immerse myself in this beautiful place and to meet people who love living in
[01:17.760 -> 01:19.760]  this neck of the woods.
[01:19.760 -> 01:26.360]  And what better way to kick it off than to see it from the air.
[01:26.360 -> 01:28.720]  Days like this you just wish you were up there.
[01:28.720 -> 01:32.440]  Such a beautiful day, we're very lucky.
[01:32.440 -> 01:33.440]  What's on the agenda?
[01:33.440 -> 01:35.940]  So today we're going up to the rainforest first.
[01:35.940 -> 01:36.940]  We are.
[01:36.940 -> 01:42.480]  So we'll look at a huge freshwater dam and then we'll go up a gorge to a waterfall and
[01:42.480 -> 01:44.240]  then out to the Great Barrier Reef.
[01:44.240 -> 01:46.640]  Good. Do you want me to fly it?
[01:46.640 -> 01:47.800]  No, thank you.
[01:47.800 -> 01:48.800]  I can.
[01:48.800 -> 01:49.800]  No.
[01:49.800 -> 01:56.000]  Jenna is working in what's traditionally seen as a male-dominated industry, but she is part
[01:56.000 -> 02:01.000]  of a new generation that challenges old norms and is quite literally flying.
[02:01.000 -> 02:06.400]  I'm just not about to have to approve right turns to Lovicti Anki.
[02:06.400 -> 02:07.840]  Jenna you know how to fly this thing?
[02:07.840 -> 02:09.840]  I certainly hope so.
[02:09.840 -> 02:12.840]  A first thanks to <PRESIDIO_ANONYMIZED_PERSON>.
[02:12.840 -> 02:13.840]  Oh here we go.
[02:13.840 -> 02:18.880]  The freshwater dam that we're going to look at is the freshwater source for Cairns.
[02:18.880 -> 02:19.880]  Oh okay.
[02:19.880 -> 02:27.240]  Yeah so this is a huge dam.
[02:27.240 -> 02:28.240]  No swimming allowed.
[02:28.240 -> 02:29.240]  No, unfortunately.
[02:29.240 -> 02:30.240]  Any fishing?
[02:30.240 -> 02:31.240]  No swimming, no boating, no fishing.
[02:31.240 -> 02:42.240]  All of these mountains are absolutely riddled with all of the waterfalls.
[02:42.240 -> 02:47.600]  Yeah, so this is Stony Creek., goes all the way up to Kuranda.
[02:47.600 -> 02:52.760]  It's a huge gorge, so we're going to fly all the way up it.
[02:52.760 -> 02:54.400]  Wow.
[02:54.400 -> 02:57.120]  That is very impressive.
[02:57.120 -> 03:00.360]  Mate, I love your job.
[03:00.360 -> 03:04.180]  It's really good.
[03:04.180 -> 03:05.600]  What's this underneath us?
[03:05.600 -> 03:08.140]  This is the township of Kuranda.
[03:08.140 -> 03:09.820]  I've never seen it this way before.
[03:09.820 -> 03:11.700]  It's beautiful.
[03:11.700 -> 03:16.000]  Looking down at the lush, green, tropical rainforest below,
[03:16.000 -> 03:19.860]  I'm reminded that there are two significant ecosystems that
[03:19.860 -> 03:21.760]  are interconnected.
[03:21.760 -> 03:23.760]  We are a lucky country.
[03:23.760 -> 03:26.880]  Sometimes it's just trying to find the words
[03:28.000 -> 03:35.040]  kills the moment but just sit here and enjoy the view yeah absolutely straight out to sea
[03:38.480 -> 03:45.000]  this is all palm cove underneath us here andumble Island in front of us and little tiny Scouts hat.
[03:47.000 -> 03:50.000]  So you can start to see the reef underneath us here.
[03:51.000 -> 03:53.000]  Lots and lots of sea grass as well.
[03:53.000 -> 03:54.000]  Yeah.
[03:54.000 -> 03:56.000]  Huge population of dugong.
[03:56.000 -> 03:58.000]  How long have you been flying for?
[03:58.000 -> 04:00.000]  About seven years.
[04:00.000 -> 04:02.000]  Oh, cool. That's a good...
[04:02.000 -> 04:03.000]  Yeah, it's good fun.
[04:03.000 -> 04:05.000]  Why did you take it up?
[04:05.000 -> 04:11.080]  I used to be a primary school teacher for flying and I decided that I wanted to leave
[04:11.080 -> 04:15.000]  teaching while I still loved it and to experience something else.
[04:15.000 -> 04:17.000]  So helicopters were perfect.
[04:17.000 -> 04:23.000]  I've always loved helicopters since I was little so flying helicopters is an absolute
[04:23.000 -> 04:24.000]  dream.
[04:24.000 -> 04:25.840]  My name is <PRESIDIO_ANONYMIZED_PERSON>.
[04:25.840 -> 04:34.800]  I grew up on the Sunshine Coast on a rural property outside of Noosa called Cedar Pocket.
[04:34.800 -> 04:40.720]  I think the biggest hurdle about starting to fly helicopters were my own perceptions
[04:40.720 -> 04:46.140]  about how difficult the aerodynamics and the mathematical components behind it
[04:46.140 -> 04:52.420]  would be. I never really chose those subjects in particular at school. I had built up in
[04:52.420 -> 04:57.540]  my head particularly that that would be my biggest hurdle, so I went out of my way to
[04:57.540 -> 05:03.760]  make sure that I covered those in a lot of detail so that I did understand what I was
[05:03.760 -> 05:08.400]  doing. I was unbelievably lucky to be surrounded with people who
[05:08.400 -> 05:11.640]  would go out of their way to help me to understand
[05:11.640 -> 05:15.440]  every component. I think changing career
[05:15.440 -> 05:20.080]  is an amazing opportunity. Just the level of personal growth that you go through
[05:20.080 -> 05:24.680]  clearly outweighs any of the negative side. No, life is too short.
[05:24.680 -> 05:25.180]  I think jump at every opportunity. clearly outweighs any of the negative side. You know, life is too short.
[05:27.040 -> 05:31.300]  I think jump at every opportunity.
[05:34.280 -> 05:34.940]  So if you went to school around Pomona,
[05:36.260 -> 05:36.540]  where did you go to school, in Brizzy?
[05:38.240 -> 05:38.500]  No, in Gympie, actually.
[05:39.840 -> 05:40.440]  In Gympie? Yeah.
[05:42.820 -> 05:43.080]  Oh, God, you're a feral. I know.
[05:43.620 -> 05:44.880]  Oh, no.
[05:46.000 -> 05:47.000]  I've got mates out there in Kodanga. Oh yeah, yeah.
[05:47.000 -> 05:48.000]  So I know the area.
[05:48.000 -> 05:49.000]  Oh, very good.
[05:49.000 -> 05:50.000]  The Barrier River, Barrier Valley, yeah.
[05:50.000 -> 05:51.000]  Yeah, yeah.
[05:51.000 -> 05:55.000]  Do you have any contact with the kids you went to school with?
[05:55.000 -> 05:56.000]  Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely.
[05:56.000 -> 05:58.000]  Do you rub it in, what you do?
[05:58.000 -> 05:59.000]  No.
[05:59.000 -> 06:01.000]  Do they ask you what you do?
[06:01.000 -> 06:02.000]  Sometimes.
[06:02.000 -> 06:03.000]  Yeah?
[06:03.000 -> 06:04.000]  And what do you tell them?
[06:04.000 -> 06:05.500]  Most of the time I tell people that I'm a teacher, because they don't really believe Ask you what you do? Sometimes. Yeah? And what do you tell them?
[06:05.500 -> 06:08.000]  Most of the time I tell people that I'm a teacher,
[06:08.000 -> 06:10.500]  because they don't really believe that you're a helicopter pilot.
[06:10.500 -> 06:12.500]  Why not?
[06:12.500 -> 06:14.500]  I don't know.
[06:14.500 -> 06:16.500]  They just, yeah, most of the time people don't believe you,
[06:16.500 -> 06:18.500]  so I just stick with teacher.
[06:19.500 -> 06:23.500]  Okay, so we're going to go and have a look at this little tiny sand cave.
[06:24.500 -> 06:25.280]  It's amazing.
[06:25.400 -> 06:28.780]  It just comes out of the water at low tide.
[06:29.320 -> 06:30.200]  Oh, wow.
[06:30.340 -> 06:31.460]  Yeah, it's pretty special.
[07:09.980 -> 07:14.760]  Okay, guys. I think the biggest thing that attracted me to flying in the first place was that it just completely turns the world into a third dimension.
[07:14.760 -> 07:19.720]  Flying through the air, there's just really no other feeling to compare to it.
[07:19.720 -> 07:24.400]  And helicopters in particular allow you the freedom to go and land in small places to
[07:24.400 -> 07:25.340]  really explore
[07:25.340 -> 07:26.620]  the area properly.
[07:26.620 -> 07:32.040]  You know, you get to land on tiny little sand caves or at the top of waterfalls.
[07:32.040 -> 07:34.280]  I particularly love flying over the reef.
[07:34.280 -> 07:38.320]  The colours are incredible, you know, and they're always different, whether it's an
[07:38.320 -> 07:40.960]  overcast day or a completely sunny day.
[07:40.960 -> 07:48.680]  Colours are always really vibrant. How important is it to keep this environment healthy?
[07:48.680 -> 07:55.820]  It's extremely important. Things like tourism being quite heavily regulated out on the reef
[07:55.820 -> 08:01.120]  is really good. So then it limits the amount of exposure the reef suffers to just tiny
[08:01.120 -> 08:06.000]  little areas. It's one of the seven wonders of the world.
[08:06.000 -> 08:09.000]  It has to be preserved so that it's still intact
[08:09.000 -> 08:12.000]  for our future generations to come and visit.
[08:12.000 -> 08:15.000]  Jen, thank you very much for this.
[08:15.000 -> 08:17.000]  This was great fun.
[08:17.000 -> 08:20.000]  Just seeing it from the air just gives you another insight
[08:20.000 -> 08:22.000]  of how beautiful this part of the world is.
[08:22.000 -> 08:33.500]  My pleasure, absolutely.
[08:39.500 -> 08:47.000]  As a Yamanji man, it's important for me to meet the custodians of the land I'm visiting. Kujagoyo and his son Jiricho are Yindinji people from this area, and they want to show me a place that has an integral
[08:47.000 -> 08:51.000]  but often overlooked connection with the reef.
[08:51.000 -> 08:54.000]  We're going to where the land meets the sea,
[08:54.000 -> 08:56.000]  the mangrove swamps.
[08:56.000 -> 09:01.000]  Yeah, I'm Yidinji, Yidinji Mama, yeah.
[09:01.000 -> 09:04.000]  From Kimui.
[09:04.000 -> 09:08.000]  Family, culture and place as well,
[09:08.000 -> 09:11.000]  where you're from, you know, your connection to country.
[09:11.000 -> 09:15.000]  Probably be the three major things, I think,
[09:15.000 -> 09:20.000]  because if you know your country, you know your identity,
[09:20.000 -> 09:24.000]  you know your story and your history,
[09:24.000 -> 09:27.000]  and where your family and where your mob come from.
[09:29.000 -> 09:33.000]  But when you get out here, you know, like, we've got some of our stories,
[09:33.000 -> 09:38.000]  you know, cos we share our stories with Jabagai Kungaji as well, you know,
[09:38.000 -> 09:40.000]  and the Nyerindji mob, our stories with two brothers,
[09:40.000 -> 09:44.000]  Tamri and Guila, you know, two storytime brothers.
[09:44.000 -> 09:48.000]  And Guila is a sea hawk and he's in the mountain there.
[09:48.020 -> 09:49.740]  You'll see him flying that way there now
[09:49.740 -> 09:51.960]  where the two brothers actually went their separate ways.
[09:52.120 -> 09:53.400]  Dumry came over this side
[09:53.400 -> 09:56.380]  and Gwila stayed over that side with Kunganji.
[09:56.620 -> 10:01.700]  So history is important for you?
[10:02.200 -> 10:03.580]  Yeah, yeah. No, no, it is.
[10:03.580 -> 10:07.120]  It's for me and kids you know the next generation yeah
[10:08.000 -> 10:14.880]  white full of value their history you know about um the queen and king and all of that and all that
[10:15.600 -> 10:19.520]  you know royalty stuff and all of that and then you have the greek mob with all their
[10:19.520 -> 10:26.560]  mythology but this is part of our culture our our history. You know, it tells about our story about being here
[10:26.560 -> 10:29.320]  and the people that helped us, you know?
[10:29.320 -> 10:35.080]  Our gods, I suppose, if you want to say it like that, you know?
[10:35.080 -> 10:37.480]  How far this country of yours go out that way?
[10:37.480 -> 10:41.240]  Well, we've got stories that go out to the Great Barrier Reef.
[10:41.240 -> 10:43.760]  You know, and we told a story about the Great Barrier Reef
[10:43.760 -> 10:46.820]  and it never used to be there before.
[10:46.820 -> 10:49.820]  But there used to be a cliff pass there, further out.
[10:50.720 -> 10:54.780]  One of our storytime people got up and hit the wrong fish,
[10:54.780 -> 10:56.860]  killed the wrong fish, story fish,
[10:56.860 -> 10:58.900]  and that water rose then.
[10:58.900 -> 11:01.400]  And the water come into where it is here today.
[11:03.180 -> 11:07.040]  You know, and that story is about 20,000 years old, you know.
[11:07.040 -> 11:07.880]  I'd say about-
[11:07.880 -> 11:09.440]  Scientifically proven or something like that.
[11:09.440 -> 11:10.920]  19,000 years ago.
[11:10.920 -> 11:12.600]  Something like that, yeah.
[11:12.600 -> 11:16.120]  19,000 years ago, even stories over on the West Coast,
[11:16.120 -> 11:19.560]  up the top and that, they speak of when the water came,
[11:19.560 -> 11:21.040]  rose about 25 metres.
[11:21.040 -> 11:21.880]  Yeah.
[11:23.160 -> 11:27.000]  Oh, what's happening in here? Yeah, no, no, there's a creek. We're going
[11:27.000 -> 11:32.000]  to go up here. There's crocs up this way now, so we'll sight some of them. So hopefully
[11:32.000 -> 11:35.000]  we'll see some probably sunbake in there as well.
[11:35.000 -> 11:38.000]  Bit of croc spotting. I hope these ones got no teeth.
[11:38.000 -> 11:51.000]  They got plenty of teeth, these ones. Yeah, big snappy iron bags.
[11:53.000 -> 11:55.000]  Some of the mussels sort of just hang around outside here, what we call long mullet as well,
[11:55.000 -> 11:57.000]  they're shells like that, they're little conical shells,
[11:57.000 -> 11:59.000]  we eat them ones too.
[11:59.000 -> 12:01.000]  Fishing in here, what would you catch?
[12:01.000 -> 12:03.000]  Yeah, you'd get jack,
[12:03.000 -> 12:05.760]  you'd actually get a finger mark as well.
[12:06.320 -> 12:13.120]  You know, salmon run here, mullet too run up this way. Little azure kingfisher. Love those birds.
[12:15.520 -> 12:21.280]  I love going down mangrove just to see that or just the way the root systems of these trees
[12:21.920 -> 12:25.440]  fan out into the water. No full well that, you know,
[12:25.880 -> 12:29.040]  where there's little bubbles jumping and stuff from water,
[12:29.520 -> 12:32.380]  from fish, and something's scaring the fish,
[12:33.200 -> 12:34.900]  and you wonder what it is, you can't see it.
[12:35.280 -> 12:37.160]  But for every crocodile you see,
[12:38.540 -> 12:39.520]  ten saw you.
[12:39.940 -> 12:40.840]  Yeah, yeah.
[12:40.940 -> 12:41.600]  And that's scary.
[12:47.360 -> 12:50.440]  The language from this area, what is the language name?
[12:50.440 -> 12:51.880]  Yirinji. Yirinji?
[12:51.880 -> 12:56.600]  Yeah. And is the language still accessible by a lot of...
[12:56.600 -> 12:59.400]  Yeah, well, a lot of our... It's slowly dying out.
[12:59.400 -> 13:02.120]  There's probably only...
[13:02.120 -> 13:07.080]  Probably 20 of us, 10, 20 of us speak our language, yeah.
[13:07.540 -> 13:09.920]  So them old people spoke it around you when you were younger?
[13:10.080 -> 13:11.540]  Yeah, my dad, my grandfather.
[13:11.700 -> 13:18.380]  My grandfather was one of the first person recorded in 1950 speaking Yiddish.
[13:18.780 -> 13:21.000]  So we still got his tape as well.
[13:22.140 -> 13:26.420]  And he'd talk about all the story and everything.
[13:26.420 -> 13:28.540]  So that would be very valuable.
[13:28.540 -> 13:33.540]  Very valuable to our family. But also for the rest of the Yirindji people as well.
[13:33.540 -> 13:36.540]  Any clocks yet, Uncle?
[13:36.540 -> 13:45.000]  All you look and do, they're probably just in there looking at us. Yeah.
[13:56.000 -> 13:58.000]  In the early days, a lot of our mob got removed off country.
[13:58.000 -> 14:01.000]  So a lot of our mob, like two of my grandmothers now,
[14:01.000 -> 14:03.000]  were brought over to Yarrabah.
[14:03.000 -> 14:06.900]  Because Yarrabah was the mission there, that's where I've been brought up now, over in Yarrabah.
[14:07.000 -> 14:09.120]  We weren't even allowed to come into Cairns, you know.
[14:09.420 -> 14:10.400]  We had to get a permit.
[14:11.180 -> 14:12.580]  Was it hard for the oldies?
[14:12.800 -> 14:16.680]  I'm glad that a lot of the old Yidinji men were very strong
[14:16.680 -> 14:21.380]  to try not to be seen by the managers of the mission.
[14:21.380 -> 14:24.540]  They used to run away in the bush just to have a ceremony.
[14:25.380 -> 14:27.760]  Like my dad spoke, tried to speak language,
[14:27.900 -> 14:30.780]  and straight away they got him and shaved his hair off
[14:30.780 -> 14:33.160]  and put him in a sack bag
[14:33.160 -> 14:35.000]  and he had to rake up the yard with his hands.
[14:35.340 -> 14:36.320]  With that in mind,
[14:36.980 -> 14:40.740]  all the hardship, they still held on to their stories.
[14:41.480 -> 14:43.840]  How do you fit in? How do you feel you fit in today?
[14:45.280 -> 14:52.400]  Well, today we, I suppose we try to fit in, you know, because people still see us as, you know,
[14:52.400 -> 15:01.360]  blackfellas or aboriginals and so they don't see me as my tribe. You know, they see us as one big
[15:01.360 -> 15:06.080]  mob, you know. My dad, you know, he actually said to all of us, you know,
[15:06.080 -> 15:09.280]  he said, oh, you gotta learn that white man way, you know,
[15:09.280 -> 15:10.400]  so you can fit in.
[15:11.480 -> 15:16.480]  So, you know, I went through going to school and all of that,
[15:17.120 -> 15:19.000]  become an electrician,
[15:19.000 -> 15:22.200]  doing all of them sort of thing to try to fit in and,
[15:22.200 -> 15:25.920]  you know, but they still see you as somebody different. When you come back home then, and you try to fit in and you know but they still see you as somebody different when you come back
[15:25.920 -> 15:32.000]  home then and you try to fit in on country a lot of people see you as a stranger even in your own
[15:32.000 -> 15:42.560]  land you know what do you mean by that ah because i suppose they never saw you here in the early
[15:42.560 -> 15:48.380]  days only because you got taken off country but then coming back knowing the
[15:48.380 -> 15:55.540]  stories that was told about this place and the dancers you know and dad showing us the dance
[15:55.540 -> 16:06.040]  my uncle showing us the dance singing them songs you know so that we know the stories and then you feel,
[16:06.040 -> 16:08.960]  and I suppose a lot of us do, you know, from around here,
[16:08.960 -> 16:12.960]  we all feel we've got to do something to protect it and look after it, you know?
[16:33.000 -> 16:38.400]  Where do you see indigenous culture around Cairns going in the next couple of years? Well, I think a lot of our mob around here have started to actually get back on country
[16:38.400 -> 16:49.560]  and do things on country. And I think, you know, really positive stuff. We're trying to make people aware that what you throw in the sea or water
[16:49.560 -> 16:52.040]  end up out in the ocean, you know, and you're killing all our fish.
[16:52.960 -> 16:55.500]  We've got a team of rangers that are out there,
[16:55.560 -> 16:56.720]  but they're volunteer rangers.
[16:56.880 -> 16:57.860]  They actually don't get paid.
[16:57.980 -> 17:00.920]  They're not going to get paid to do this work on country,
[17:01.040 -> 17:03.340]  but we do it all voluntary because we have to.
[17:05.840 -> 17:14.220]  When you come to Cairns as a stranger and in the local language around this area, how
[17:14.220 -> 17:17.760]  do you welcome yourself or acknowledge you are here?
[17:17.760 -> 17:21.000]  Well, we say bilanggaran, you know, we welcome people here.
[17:21.000 -> 17:25.000]  So when I come here, I'll say, I'm here, you mob, you know.
[17:25.000 -> 17:29.000]  Is there some acknowledgement that you would say,
[17:29.000 -> 17:32.000]  look, I'm on this country now?
[17:32.000 -> 17:34.000]  Yeah, just let the old people know, you know.
[17:34.000 -> 17:37.000]  Like, we do it by greeting, you know, the hand.
[17:37.000 -> 17:40.000]  Put your hand up and just say, ooh, you know.
[17:40.000 -> 17:43.000]  And even if it's just silently when you get off the airplane
[17:43.000 -> 17:45.280]  and you're first time in, you just do that with your hand.
[17:45.280 -> 17:49.560]  Wave. Let the Maldivian people know you just come and visit.
[17:49.840 -> 17:52.100]  Visit, yeah. Thank you. No worries.
[17:52.560 -> 17:53.340]  Appreciate that.
[17:54.720 -> 17:57.140]  So you're more responsible for me while I'm here,
[17:57.300 -> 17:59.360]  because if I get hurt while I'm here, I'm blaming you, Maldivian.
[18:00.300 -> 18:03.500]  Until I get home, then you come back and my Maldivian will flog you, Maldivian.
[18:05.560 -> 18:08.080]  And we can't run faster because you flog a longer leg.
[18:14.080 -> 18:15.120]  Yeah, sorry, bro.
[18:15.160 -> 18:16.780]  I saw we couldn't get any crocs for you.
[18:16.840 -> 18:18.200]  Oh, I'm just so disappointed.
[18:22.720 -> 18:24.860]  Nah, I bet you they'll have to get a cut from it
[18:24.860 -> 18:27.000]  to bring one out for you next time.
[18:27.000 -> 18:30.000]  In one way it's a good thing that we didn't see them,
[18:30.000 -> 18:33.000]  which would make their hiding in their habitat.
[18:33.000 -> 18:36.000]  And they probably saw us.
[18:39.000 -> 18:44.000]  Today I think I'm trying to look at where we could all work together
[18:44.000 -> 18:48.460]  for the good of everybody, for mankind,
[18:48.460 -> 18:53.460]  and also for the plants, animals, the whole lot,
[18:53.940 -> 18:57.500]  to coexist everything, everybody coexist together,
[18:57.500 -> 18:58.520]  to look after the country,
[18:58.520 -> 19:02.520]  because the country don't really need us,
[19:02.520 -> 19:05.000]  but we need the country.
[19:14.880 -> 19:19.320]  Well, it's another beautiful day in tropical paradise.
[19:19.320 -> 19:21.220]  I've seen the reef from above,
[19:21.220 -> 19:23.140]  took a cruise up the mangroves,
[19:23.140 -> 19:25.960]  and now I'm gonna meet a bloke who plays
[19:25.960 -> 19:31.960]  with the kind of reef fish that you shouldn't really play with. This will be interesting.
[19:31.960 -> 19:32.960]  Jamie!
[19:32.960 -> 19:33.960]  Hey!
[19:33.960 -> 19:35.960]  Hey mate, how you doing?
[19:35.960 -> 19:36.960]  Oh fantastic, yourself?
[19:36.960 -> 19:37.960]  Good, very good.
[19:37.960 -> 19:38.960]  Good to catch up.
[19:38.960 -> 19:40.640]  What's your title, what do they call you?
[19:40.640 -> 19:45.080]  I'm a toxinologist, which is a groovy name for someone that plays... Toxinologist. Toxinologist.
[19:45.080 -> 19:48.760]  Groovy name for someone that plays with animals that bite and stink.
[19:48.760 -> 19:50.400]  Out in the water. And in the land.
[19:50.400 -> 19:51.480]  I'm from the freshwater.
[19:51.480 -> 19:53.680]  I want to know what's in that saltwater before I go in.
[19:53.680 -> 19:56.440]  Look, it's the most venomous place on the planet.
[19:56.440 -> 19:59.120]  When it comes to dangerous animals... Yeah.
[19:59.120 -> 20:01.040] ..this is the spot in the world.
[20:01.040 -> 20:03.440]  Can we see some of them? Absolutely. Good.
[20:03.440 -> 20:10.660]  Not only can we see some, would you like to feel, pick some up and handle them? Mate. Yeah, come on, a stonefish. We could
[20:10.660 -> 20:16.440]  put a stonefish in your hands. The world's most venomous fish. Yeah, we've lost you, haven't we?
[20:16.720 -> 20:20.580]  Yeah. Yeah, come on. Come on, we'll go and have a look. Let's see what we can find.
[20:21.020 -> 20:26.480]  But you don't even notice they're in the water though. I mean if you have a stone in the water how do you know it's a fish?
[20:28.160 -> 20:32.880]  Mate you've got poisonous stuff all through you. We've got lots of venomous stuff so I want to
[20:32.880 -> 20:38.160]  introduce you to a thing called Cynicthium hirida. What? It's called...
[20:39.680 -> 20:46.600]  Yep it's called the estuarine stonefish. The most venomous fish on the planet.
[20:47.000 -> 20:49.680]  But you haven't gloves on. Don't you need...
[20:49.680 -> 20:52.360]  I'm tough. I've heard you're tough as well.
[20:52.360 -> 20:53.820]  Well, stupid, one of the two.
[20:54.040 -> 20:56.920]  So what you do is just put your hand in the water and pull up.
[20:57.200 -> 20:57.760]  All right.
[20:59.120 -> 21:00.480]  Yeah, but that's a stone.
[21:01.820 -> 21:03.180]  I've got a wet sleeve now.
[21:03.180 -> 21:03.400]  Yeah, yeah.
[21:03.560 -> 21:06.000]  But we want to do it with a real animal.
[21:06.000 -> 21:08.000]  No, I'm not touching them.
[21:08.000 -> 21:10.000]  Oh, come on.
[21:10.000 -> 21:12.000]  All you've got to do is...
[21:12.000 -> 21:14.000]  The bits you don't worry about are not ugly.
[21:14.000 -> 21:15.000]  It's beautiful.
[21:15.000 -> 21:16.000]  The bits on the top.
[21:16.000 -> 21:17.000]  So these are all the spines.
[21:17.000 -> 21:19.000]  So as long as you don't put your hand on the top, you're fine.
[21:19.000 -> 21:21.000]  Now, they're really quite placid.
[21:21.000 -> 21:23.000]  As long as you hang on to them underneath,
[21:23.000 -> 21:24.000]  they'll just sit there.
[21:24.000 -> 21:26.000]  OK, so don't touch the top. Don't touch the top. And you've just got to put... as you hang on to them underneath, he'll just sit there. Okay, so don't touch the top.
[21:26.000 -> 21:28.000]  Don't touch the top and you've just got to put... I'll hang on to him this side.
[21:28.000 -> 21:31.000]  You just put one hand under there. So it's just like feeding a horse.
[21:31.000 -> 21:32.000]  Yep.
[21:32.000 -> 21:35.000]  Yep. Put that there. And take your other hand and put your other hand where that is.
[21:35.000 -> 21:38.000]  If he flips, don't try and catch him.
[21:38.000 -> 21:40.000]  There you go.
[21:41.000 -> 21:43.000]  See?
[21:44.000 -> 21:46.000]  I know.
[21:46.000 -> 21:48.000]  That is just insane.
[21:48.000 -> 21:50.000]  That is a stonefish.
[21:50.000 -> 21:52.000]  So it's got spines along its back,
[21:52.000 -> 21:54.000]  and each of those...
[21:54.000 -> 21:56.000]  Don't do that. It's all right.
[21:56.000 -> 21:58.000]  He and I are friends.
[22:00.000 -> 22:02.000]  So there's two sacks of venom.
[22:02.000 -> 22:04.000]  So if you stand on that,
[22:04.000 -> 22:05.960]  the spines which are hidden in here are like...
[22:05.960 -> 22:08.120]  Don't do that!
[22:08.120 -> 22:10.120]  This is fun. I'm enjoying this.
[22:10.120 -> 22:12.520]  So they're like hypodermic needles.
[22:12.520 -> 22:15.080]  So if you stood on that, it goes through your foot,
[22:15.080 -> 22:17.200]  and then as the needle goes into your foot,
[22:17.200 -> 22:19.000]  it compresses those venom sacks,
[22:19.000 -> 22:21.720]  and venom squirts out all over the place.
[22:21.720 -> 22:23.680]  Then imagine pain.
[22:23.680 -> 22:27.040]  Lots and lots and lots and lots of pain.
[22:27.040 -> 22:31.280]  So people have died from these things usually when they're at death. So they're diving and
[22:31.280 -> 22:35.980]  they sit on them and what happens is they spit their regulator out, suck in a heap of
[22:35.980 -> 22:42.980]  water and drown. So when I go out scuba diving, don't sit down. Exactly. There's some good
[22:42.980 -> 22:47.620]  things that, one, you shouldn't touch the reef in the first place because you break the coral. The second one is if you don't touch it, then
[22:47.620 -> 22:56.280]  you can't come in contact with these sorts of things. Good. Oh, shit. Aren't they just
[22:56.280 -> 23:03.100]  the coolest? No, it's just a rock again. Are they just the coolest? Why? What do you mean?
[23:03.420 -> 23:06.000]  They're highly venomous. Yeah, but they're highly venomous.
[23:06.000 -> 23:07.000]  Yeah.
[23:07.000 -> 23:08.000]  They look like a rock.
[23:08.000 -> 23:09.000]  Yeah.
[23:09.000 -> 23:10.000]  They don't do much.
[23:10.000 -> 23:12.000]  And they swallow their prey whole.
[23:12.000 -> 23:13.000]  They just...
[23:13.000 -> 23:35.100]  Sounds like a marriage. Here we go.
[23:35.100 -> 23:36.860]  So these are cone snails.
[23:36.860 -> 23:38.760]  The world's most venomous snails.
[23:38.760 -> 23:39.760]  What?
[23:39.760 -> 23:40.760]  Yep.
[23:40.760 -> 23:42.560]  So this is one of the tanks you don't put your hand in because if you get stung by one
[23:42.560 -> 23:45.480]  of these, I'm just going to watch you die on the floor.
[23:46.340 -> 23:47.280]  Really? How long?
[23:48.360 -> 23:49.300]  Probably 10 to 15 minutes.
[23:51.740 -> 23:52.360]  But what's neat about them is they feed on fish,
[23:53.620 -> 23:54.020]  so we can actually hand-feed them.
[23:55.660 -> 23:55.720]  So they've got that nose, which is smelling it,
[23:57.660 -> 23:57.840]  but you watch this big mouth.
[23:58.780 -> 24:00.100]  Look at the mouth come out on them.
[24:03.300 -> 24:03.600]  So what's inside there is they go and chase a sleeping fish,
[24:05.640 -> 24:06.200]  and then they've got a tongue with a hypodermic needle.
[24:08.860 -> 24:09.580]  So if you watch that guy, he'll then just suck that in.


[24:11.660 -> 24:14.300]  So they've got a hypodermic needle on the end of their tongue which they go jab and inject venom into it.
[24:15.060 -> 24:17.260]  Now, it's interesting because usually people see these
[24:17.260 -> 24:18.320]  and they're really colourful shells.
[24:18.320 -> 24:18.660]  Yeah.
[24:18.840 -> 24:20.520]  And they pick them up and put them in their pocket
[24:20.520 -> 24:22.440]  and get about halfway home
[24:22.440 -> 24:24.180]  and the snail gets upset with everybody
[24:24.180 -> 24:27.600]  and just goes, all right, I'm out of here and jabs them and stings them through the
[24:27.600 -> 24:31.840]  gene. So what we should be able to do, and I'll need to take my eyes off you and just
[24:31.840 -> 24:38.540]  watch the animal, but we should be able to bring the animal out and just upset him a
[24:38.540 -> 24:43.340]  little bit and you should actually be able to see this hypodermic needle come out. There
[24:43.340 -> 24:45.960]  it is. See it coming out there? See that? Oh. So that's got a hypodermic needle come out. There it is. See it coming out there? Oh!
[24:45.960 -> 24:48.640]  So that's got a hypodermic needle on the end of it.
[24:48.640 -> 24:50.440]  And you can see it's actually quite long.
[24:50.440 -> 24:52.720]  And it can twist. Get away from my knee!
[24:54.320 -> 24:55.960]  And they've used that venom to catch fish,
[24:55.960 -> 24:58.120]  cos snails don't move very quickly.
[24:58.120 -> 25:00.160]  So if you catch a fish, you've got to paralyse it
[25:00.160 -> 25:01.240]  literally really quickly.
[25:01.240 -> 25:06.320]  And on fish, it causes them to be paralysed in under two seconds.
[25:09.120 -> 25:10.560]  They're impressive animals, especially just for snails. You enjoy this don't you?
[25:10.560 -> 25:12.480]  I love it. This is so much fun.
[25:14.000 -> 25:16.960]  Um, okay Jamie, whatever floats your boat my friend.
[25:18.480 -> 25:24.960]  I needed to take the toxinologist out of the lab to find out why he's so passionate about his work.
[25:25.000 -> 25:28.000]  out of the lab to find out why he's so passionate about his work.
[25:31.000 -> 25:35.000]  The best thing is I got you out of that place. But coming outside, you're part of the community as well.
[25:35.000 -> 25:38.000]  I mean, how do you fit into the community?
[25:39.000 -> 25:42.000]  Look, I actually think I'm sort of a square peg in a round hole.
[25:42.000 -> 25:44.000]  That's what I'm trying to get at.
[25:44.000 -> 25:46.200]  That's why I'm glad we dragged you out of there, you know,
[25:46.260 -> 25:48.900]  to get you going into something on the outside.
[25:49.000 -> 25:52.900]  Do you also realise what, you know, how important Cairns is as far as tourism,
[25:53.040 -> 25:55.220]  how important the reef is, how important your job is?
[25:55.880 -> 25:58.040]  Yeah, look, it's an interesting place, there's no doubt about it.
[25:58.120 -> 26:01.480]  It's a big tourist city, there's no doubt about that.
[26:01.560 -> 26:03.780]  But in the grand scheme of things, to me,
[26:03.820 -> 26:05.520]  that actually scares me more than anything else.
[26:06.160 -> 26:09.400]  You know, I would much prefer to be hunkered away out there
[26:09.400 -> 26:12.460]  in a boat by myself or hunkered away in the university
[26:12.460 -> 26:14.020]  doing the things that I want to.
[26:14.920 -> 26:18.880]  My mindset isn't, if I do that, this will help out the community
[26:18.880 -> 26:19.900]  and do that sort of things.
[26:20.280 -> 26:21.100]  That's not my mindset.
[26:21.640 -> 26:23.720]  I think I'm a little bit more selfish than that.
[26:23.860 -> 26:25.320]  It's, I don't know about that.
[26:25.320 -> 26:27.760]  If I find that out, that'll be cool from my point of view.
[26:27.760 -> 26:30.440]  And it just so happens that there are some positives
[26:30.440 -> 26:32.880]  that flow off towards the community from that.
[26:32.880 -> 26:36.600]  Certainly the work with the venomous animals and things that we do
[26:36.600 -> 26:39.640]  changes the way in which people use the reef here.
[26:39.640 -> 26:42.520]  Hopefully it changes the way they use it for better,
[26:42.520 -> 26:49.700]  so that, one, they don't get stung and they don't end up in hospital, but more importantly I think that they don't destroy or interact
[26:49.700 -> 26:53.320]  in a bad way with the reef.
[26:53.320 -> 26:58.960]  The reef and the environment is really quite resilient and as long as you don't beat it
[26:58.960 -> 27:01.320]  up too much it will bounce back.
[27:01.320 -> 27:10.580]  But the problem is I think the majority of people don't have a handle on just how far you can push it. Coral bleaching is one beautiful example of that. I mean there's
[27:10.580 -> 27:15.300]  stuff coming out now suggesting that 93% of the reef on the Great Barrier Reef has shown
[27:15.300 -> 27:22.040]  signs of coral bleaching. Now that's not to say 93% of the reef is dead, but 93% is showing
[27:22.040 -> 27:27.440]  some form of that. Now if, and it's due to, in this case, increased water temperatures.
[27:27.440 -> 27:30.920]  If we stopped water temperature climb today,
[27:30.920 -> 27:32.600]  the reef's still in trouble.
[27:32.600 -> 27:34.760]  We have to turn that clock back.
[27:34.760 -> 27:35.760]  Mm-hm.
[27:35.760 -> 27:37.960]  We should have been doing that 20, 30 years ago.
[27:37.960 -> 27:39.240]  But we didn't know that.
[27:39.240 -> 27:41.400]  We know it now, but what do you do?
[27:41.400 -> 27:43.720]  You have kids out at your...
[27:43.720 -> 27:50.680] ..at the uni... studying, impregnating their little brains with things
[27:50.680 -> 27:57.300]  so that by the time they get to our age, they would see that something has been done to
[27:57.300 -> 27:58.300]  change it.
[27:58.300 -> 28:01.900]  Yeah, look, I don't think that's the way I approach it.
[28:01.900 -> 28:08.760]  I think I approach more along the lines of going, if I can get them out of there with a tenth of the enthusiasm I have,
[28:09.600 -> 28:11.240]  I know they will go away and think,
[28:11.320 -> 28:13.700]  hey, that was really cool, he really loved that,
[28:13.740 -> 28:14.560]  and I really loved that,
[28:14.960 -> 28:16.700]  and if I can foster that enthusiasm,
[28:16.940 -> 28:18.380]  I know it'll bubble on through.
[28:19.140 -> 28:20.520]  A good example of this is,
[28:20.580 -> 28:23.780]  I remember we had some kids and their parents out there one day,
[28:23.880 -> 28:25.160]  and I was talking to the parents, going,
[28:25.160 -> 28:26.840]  well, these are the sorts of things we need to do.
[28:26.840 -> 28:28.600]  And you could see the parents just glaze over.
[28:28.600 -> 28:30.000]  Yeah, right. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[28:30.000 -> 28:31.680]  I've heard so before. I've got a coffee appointment.
[28:31.680 -> 28:33.400]  Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[28:33.400 -> 28:35.240]  And then I thought, let's do this the other way.
[28:35.240 -> 28:36.560]  And then I took the little kids aside,
[28:36.560 -> 28:37.920]  started talking to them and talking about,
[28:37.920 -> 28:39.800]  oh, this is a great fish, da-da-da-da-da.
[28:39.800 -> 28:42.760]  And then, what would happen if that fish wasn't there anymore?
[28:42.760 -> 28:46.360]  And you could see the kid go, I hadn't thought of that.
[28:46.360 -> 28:48.480]  And, yeah, so if we overfish this area...
[28:48.480 -> 28:51.280]  And I kid you not, little kid went up to his dad and went,
[28:51.280 -> 28:53.280]  Dad, we've been fishing too much.
[28:53.280 -> 28:54.840]  If we take this many fish,
[28:54.840 -> 28:56.960]  they won't be here for my kids to see them.
[28:56.960 -> 28:59.200]  And this light went on in my head and went,
[28:59.200 -> 29:01.400]  rather than this top-down approach,
[29:01.400 -> 29:03.240]  we should be coming from the bottom up.
[29:03.240 -> 29:11.220]  And so if we can get the kids and teach the kids the kids will teach mums and dads how would
[29:11.220 -> 29:17.580]  you describe what you aim to do with your work what do you want to do with
[29:17.580 -> 29:22.920]  your work exactly what we're doing now you know talking to people getting it
[29:22.920 -> 29:29.260]  out there doing something different you, putting cameras in aquarium systems so that more people can see it. Doing research,
[29:29.380 -> 29:32.700]  getting that out there, showing people new things that they haven't seen before. Yeah,
[29:32.760 -> 29:39.300]  you can only do so much, but, you know, you can't do it all. But I can start the ripple
[29:39.300 -> 29:44.020]  in the pond. And if I can start it and it starts to grow and then I can see somebody
[29:44.020 -> 29:49.380]  else and teach them and they can throw a pebble in and you get more ripples and more and more and more.
[29:49.380 -> 29:51.120]  Until you get a tsunami.
[29:51.120 -> 29:57.760]  Yeah, yeah, I'm only one person but if I don't do it, who does?
[29:57.760 -> 30:00.520]  Good.
[30:00.520 -> 30:01.520]  Thank you.
[30:01.520 -> 30:06.660]  You're not going to get me a pebble.
[30:08.600 -> 30:09.220]  Today is the big day.
[30:12.060 -> 30:17.200]  I'm taking my first scuba dive in a long time and I will actually be getting up close and personal with the coral reef itself.
[30:17.680 -> 30:20.260]  I must admit, I'm feeling a little nervous.
[30:20.880 -> 30:24.340]  But like anything in life, I tend to take it as it comes.
[30:26.500 -> 30:30.500]  Like this weather, for example. Some of you might be saying it's not great weather for a reef dive.
[30:30.500 -> 30:34.000]  But life in the tropics is so unpredictable.
[30:34.000 -> 30:37.500]  You're not always going to get sunshine and blue skies.
[30:37.500 -> 30:41.500]  I've found that if you just relax and embrace the uncertainties,
[30:41.500 -> 30:46.320]  sometimes the experience is so much more enjoyable.
[30:46.320 -> 30:51.160]  And looking at this coastline, it doesn't really matter if there's rain, hail or sunshine,
[30:51.160 -> 30:53.600]  this place is stunning.
[30:53.600 -> 30:59.460]  Well, we're here, the beautiful little mooring at Port Douglas.
[30:59.460 -> 31:01.460]  Hey Gareth, how are you mate?
[31:01.460 -> 31:03.400]  Hey Ernie, how are you mate?
[31:03.400 -> 31:04.400]  Good, good, good.
[31:04.400 -> 31:09.040]  We'll be spending two days aboard the monsoon with Gareth and his crew.
[31:09.040 -> 31:10.720]  It's a tough life.
[31:10.720 -> 31:11.680]  And the crew?
[31:11.680 -> 31:12.520]  This is the crew.
[31:12.520 -> 31:13.120]  I'm Ernie.
[31:13.120 -> 31:13.760]  I'm Jimmy.
[31:13.760 -> 31:14.720]  Jimmy, nice to meet you.
[31:14.720 -> 31:16.240]  And Erin, she's taking a dive today.
[31:16.240 -> 31:17.440]  Oh, you're the bait.
[31:17.440 -> 31:18.040]  That's right.
[31:18.040 -> 31:18.560]  Good on you.
[31:18.560 -> 31:19.360]  Let's get out of here, eh?
[31:19.360 -> 31:19.960]  It's on the road.
[31:19.960 -> 31:20.560]  Have a good day.
[31:24.800 -> 31:26.680]  Yeah, blinds off please.
[31:26.680 -> 31:31.240]  All up and down the east coast, thousands of people are making their living from the
[31:31.240 -> 31:38.360]  Great Barrier Reef in industries like tourism, shipping or fishing to name a few.
[31:38.360 -> 32:01.480]  And for the crew of the Monsoon, working on the reef in many, is more than just a job.
[32:03.560 -> 32:03.680]  So, Ernie, we're about to go for this dive today,
[32:05.000 -> 32:06.000]  and this is the equipment that we'll be using.
[32:06.000 -> 32:09.220]  It's called a BCD, it's just wearing it like a jacket.
[32:09.220 -> 32:12.360]  Erin will be my dive buddy for today.
[32:12.360 -> 32:17.960]  She's a little bossy, but I'm sure we'll get on just fine.
[32:17.960 -> 32:22.560]  So my job involves taking new divers that have never, ever experienced the underwater
[32:22.560 -> 32:26.120]  world before on their first ever dive and that's called an introductory dive.
[32:26.120 -> 32:29.400]  So we do a couple of skills to begin with and do a detailed briefing.
[32:29.400 -> 32:32.120]  I also take divers who are certified
[32:32.120 -> 32:34.400]  as basically an underwater tour guide
[32:34.400 -> 32:36.600]  to show them all the great stuff on the reef
[32:36.600 -> 32:38.600]  and show them what I'm passionate about.
[32:38.600 -> 32:41.400]  So we'll just be swimming around together nice and close
[32:41.400 -> 32:44.000]  throughout the dive and pointing out some cool stuff.
[32:44.000 -> 32:47.600]  What cool stuff have you got down there? So obviously we're gonna see some amazing
[32:47.600 -> 32:52.180]  corals, the marine life, lots of different stuff. Okay. Maybe some stingrays as well.
[32:52.180 -> 32:57.520]  Oh good, nothing bigger is what I'm getting at. Oh that's what you're getting at. So we might
[32:57.520 -> 33:01.180]  see some sharks down there but typically around here we just get your white tip
[33:01.180 -> 33:04.900]  reef sharks and black tip reef sharks. They're completely harmless. They're
[33:04.900 -> 33:05.860]  cheeky though.
[33:05.860 -> 33:06.860]  They are a bit cheeky.
[33:06.860 -> 33:12.860]  You'd done that deliberately, didn't you?
[33:12.860 -> 33:13.860]  No I didn't.
[33:13.860 -> 33:40.000]  You deliberately done that. Erin, stop mucking up. Excellent, well done.
[33:43.000 -> 33:47.900]  For me, I find diving a sense of peace. It feels like you can see so much but then everything is so intimate and close at the
[33:47.900 -> 33:48.900]  same time.
[33:48.900 -> 33:54.880]  You've got this feeling of amazement about finding something that is rare to find, whether
[33:54.880 -> 33:58.180]  it be marine life or a coral.
[33:58.180 -> 34:01.180]  You know, and you can't believe that you're seeing these amazing things that basically
[34:01.180 -> 34:08.000]  a handful of people get to see.
[34:08.000 -> 34:14.320]  I have three boys myself, three children, and I want them to see and share and love
[34:14.320 -> 34:16.840]  what I love.
[34:16.840 -> 34:21.500]  So conservation and getting people out there to fall in love with the reef is a way of
[34:21.500 -> 34:22.500]  saving it.
[34:22.500 -> 34:24.920]  So we need to get people out there.
[34:24.920 -> 34:27.160]  People don't come out on the reef and go home a bad time.
[34:27.160 -> 34:29.040]  Everyone's having a great time. Everyone's loving it.
[34:34.400 -> 34:38.080]  I think the best thing about being down there is just the total bliss
[34:39.160 -> 34:41.040]  and just enjoying it.
[34:41.040 -> 34:43.040]  Just total enjoyment.
[34:44.120 -> 34:52.060]  The sense of just floating and things like trying to hover above coral without touching
[34:52.060 -> 34:59.720]  it and trying to get close to it, knowing that you've got legs dangling back there somewhere
[34:59.720 -> 35:05.400]  and position yourself so you can hover rather than smash your way through the coral, which
[35:05.400 -> 35:10.220]  is what you don't want to do.
[35:10.220 -> 35:15.020]  The thing about diving is having a buddy down there with you, checking that each other's
[35:15.020 -> 35:16.020]  all right.
[35:16.020 -> 35:23.360]  There's so much that you do enjoy knowing you're sharing this with somebody, and in
[35:23.360 -> 35:26.020]  this case, sharing that with me.
[35:26.020 -> 35:27.560]  Going down with a buddy is good.
[35:27.560 -> 35:29.920]  I mean, it's what you should be doing anyway.
[35:34.420 -> 35:35.260]  Did you enjoy it?
[35:35.260 -> 35:36.100]  I loved it.
[35:36.100 -> 35:36.940]  Oh good.
[35:36.940 -> 35:37.780]  Yeah, that's good.
[35:37.780 -> 35:40.280]  There's so much happening around you all the time,
[35:40.280 -> 35:42.520]  because you see shows about fish,
[35:42.520 -> 35:44.440]  and you see aquariums,
[35:44.440 -> 35:47.160]  and you see other footage of the reef itself
[35:47.160 -> 35:54.920]  and you don't realise that there's just every little micro millimetre is filled with something.
[35:54.920 -> 35:57.620]  Oh, yeah, and everything's living on top of everything else
[35:57.620 -> 36:02.160]  and you've got these symbiotic relationships between fish and other fish
[36:02.160 -> 36:04.820]  and the coral and crustaceans and things like that.
[36:04.900 -> 36:09.180]  They're all helping each other out. I just want to ask you about your
[36:09.180 -> 36:13.320]  passion for diving. Well I've been working in the dive industry for over 10
[36:13.320 -> 36:17.840]  years now and my passion hasn't faded at all I absolutely love it there's nothing
[36:17.840 -> 36:21.480]  else that I'd rather be doing I've always loved the water I've been a water
[36:21.480 -> 36:29.320]  baby since day dot I think I was crawling into the water before I'd walk. And my family's always been involved in water sports, water skiing and
[36:29.320 -> 36:33.880]  snorkelling and just the passion, getting down there, finding things that you've never
[36:33.880 -> 36:39.320]  seen before or trying to find the rare stuff is such a joy for me. Did you feel that sense
[36:39.320 -> 36:39.840]  of wonder?
[36:40.280 -> 36:51.260]  Yeah, well it's sort of, that whole community sort of thing works because there is a level now that they've achieved and respect and acknowledging each other and can live side by side with each other.
[36:51.900 -> 36:56.220]  And outside forces in regards to bleaching sort of ruins it.
[36:56.360 -> 36:58.380]  But they just move it to the next area.
[36:58.700 -> 36:59.540]  Yeah, yeah.
[36:59.640 -> 37:00.660]  Or grow over top of it.
[37:00.660 -> 37:04.120]  Yeah, hopefully they'll get to a point where they will do that.
[37:04.200 -> 37:04.820]  So that would be great.
[37:05.520 -> 37:39.120]  That would be really cool. Oh, good. Thank you. No, thank you, I thoroughly enjoyed diving with you. I did, thank you. Alright, ready to go, mate?
[37:39.120 -> 37:40.120]  Yep.
[37:40.120 -> 37:44.360]  Day two aboard the monsoon and we're heading out to the reef again.
[37:46.400 -> 37:48.400]  Away we go. Away we go.
[37:48.400 -> 37:51.600]  It gives me a chance to chat to our skipper, Gareth,
[37:51.600 -> 37:56.000]  who, as it turns out, has a few strings to his bow.
[37:56.000 -> 37:59.000]  What is it about this you like, mate?
[37:59.000 -> 38:01.000]  Mate, what's not to like? You're looking out there,
[38:01.000 -> 38:04.600]  you've got all the rainforests there behind you, all the mangroves,
[38:04.600 -> 38:09.220]  people on stand-up boards over there there and Double Island, Palm Cave, all
[38:09.220 -> 38:12.380]  that area. It's just a lovely, lovely spot. Nice quiet area.
[38:12.380 -> 38:15.120]  But you're not originally from this area though, are you?
[38:15.120 -> 38:19.480]  No, no, originally from Sydney and the Blue Mountains. But I've been here long enough
[38:19.480 -> 38:23.240]  to just really love the place. Would you go back?
[38:23.240 -> 38:25.760]  I couldn't. I really couldn't.
[38:26.380 -> 38:29.120]  So we're heading out then to the Wild Blue.
[38:29.620 -> 38:30.600]  Grey today, though.
[38:31.040 -> 38:31.940]  What do you reckon we can do?
[38:32.220 -> 38:34.500]  A bit grey in here, but once we get out there,
[38:34.560 -> 38:35.640]  I reckon we'll get a bit of sunshine.
[38:35.840 -> 38:38.780]  We're going to head out and have a look at a couple of the sand caves.
[38:41.180 -> 38:43.120]  I haven't just worked as a captain.
[38:43.300 -> 38:45.920]  I worked as an engineer on a vessel for many years.
[38:45.920 -> 38:49.760]  That's just looking after the nuts, bolts, engines, making sure everything works and
[38:49.760 -> 38:52.240]  the skippers out there making all the other decisions.
[38:52.240 -> 38:57.640]  I've worked purely as a scuba diver, taking people diving, a tour guide, all sorts of
[38:57.640 -> 39:02.680]  things and no doubt I'll go back to that sometimes and I'll go out as a scuba diver only and
[39:02.680 -> 39:03.680]  things like that.
[39:03.680 -> 39:05.760]  It's just being out there really.
[39:08.000 -> 39:08.880]  So what do you you like about you being here?
[39:15.600 -> 39:21.680]  Oh I'm a I'm a nature freak and this place has got so much wild open areas to explore and it's nice and quiet it's not as bustling as a city. Cairns does give us a bit of that. We have
[39:21.680 -> 39:27.000]  cinemas and we have restaurants and stuff if you get away from that really easy and out in amongst it.
[39:27.000 -> 39:39.320]  If I'm out there, no matter if it's rough, flat or whatever, I'm just at peace really.
[39:39.320 -> 39:47.000]  I feel a bit like a fish out of water when I'm on the land these days.
[39:50.000 -> 39:52.000]  Once I'm out there, everything calms down, everything relaxes. You know, I just love looking at the waves,
[39:52.000 -> 39:54.000]  the birds flying around, all that stuff,
[39:54.000 -> 39:56.000]  even the wind whistling through your ears,
[39:56.000 -> 39:58.000]  you know, in one side, out the other.
[40:01.000 -> 40:02.000]  Everyone has their passions.
[40:02.000 -> 40:07.000]  I guess that's one of my main ones is being out there.
[40:07.000 -> 40:14.020]  Earlier that week, I did get to meet Gareth's young family and his partner, Theresa. It
[40:14.020 -> 40:19.880]  seemed you can discover a lot of things out on the reef, including your soul mate.
[40:19.880 -> 40:26.360]  Toxicology, poisonous stuff, skipper. How did you two meet?
[40:26.360 -> 40:31.040]  Exactly that reason, yeah. She was chasing...
[40:31.040 -> 40:33.520]  She was chasing a poisonous, venomous creature.
[40:33.520 -> 40:35.360]  She was looking for... And she found you.
[40:35.360 -> 40:38.080]  That's right. She found the correct creature.
[40:38.080 -> 40:39.080]  Uh-huh.
[40:39.080 -> 40:40.880]  Driving a boat called Undersea Explorer,
[40:40.880 -> 40:44.960]  which was a research dive vessel out of Port Douglas.
[40:44.960 -> 40:45.520]  Went out to
[40:45.520 -> 40:49.840]  the coral sea, Osprey Reef, beautiful place. Teresa was a young
[40:49.840 -> 40:57.760]  researcher that came out looking for a type of oceanic box jellyfish and we
[40:57.760 -> 41:03.340]  found it. In her excitement she jumped straight off without a mask, grabbed hold
[41:03.340 -> 41:06.400]  of it, got stung by it.
[41:06.400 -> 41:11.720]  I found her sitting downstairs sweating and I went, you got stung by that, didn't you?
[41:11.720 -> 41:15.040]  So she was okay. She rode it out. Otherwise I would have had to have gone all the way
[41:15.040 -> 41:17.500]  back to Cooktown and then everyone would have missed a day's diving.
[41:17.500 -> 41:25.960]  I don't blame you. I mean, if you find something such an important thing that you need for research and
[41:26.480 -> 41:29.820]  Rather than go about in the research manner
[41:31.040 -> 41:33.640]  Somebody just jumps in because I could do that
[41:34.400 -> 41:36.020]  showing off
[41:36.020 -> 42:12.240]  Flirting I got it Okie doke. Now I don't know where she finds the time nor the energy, but Teresa has agreed to show
[42:12.240 -> 42:20.540]  me a nearby sand cake and if I'm lucky I might get in some snorkelling.
[42:20.540 -> 42:28.200]  This is unbelievable these little sand dunes because they're here, they're not here. They move all the time. Yeah, that's right
[42:28.200 -> 42:30.640]  This one this one's been established for a while
[42:30.640 -> 42:36.640]  but there are some that were close by that in the last couple cyclones have just disappeared completely and that's kind of what makes it
[42:36.640 -> 42:38.320]  So special because you know
[42:38.320 -> 42:42.340]  We're getting to experience this exact moment and the little treasures and things that we're looking at along the beach
[42:42.800 -> 42:47.000]  In the next tide will come and bury them and they might not be seen again by humans
[42:47.000 -> 42:50.000]  for tens, twenties, hundreds of years.
[42:50.000 -> 42:51.000]  They're just gone.
[42:51.000 -> 42:54.000]  So this little moment we've got is our little photograph.
[42:54.000 -> 42:58.000]  This is what I've been warned about, this particular shell.
[42:58.000 -> 43:03.000]  Cone shell? Cone snail.
[43:03.000 -> 43:06.000]  Deadly. Can be, can be.
[43:06.000 -> 43:08.000]  There's nobody home.
[43:08.000 -> 43:11.000]  But it's best to leave it here. Best to leave it here.
[43:14.000 -> 43:17.000]  With working families in a touristy area like this,
[43:17.000 -> 43:20.000]  there are a lot of pros and cons.
[43:20.000 -> 43:23.000]  How does it affect your family life?
[43:23.000 -> 43:27.160]  Yeah, I guess the main thing is when you do rely on the reef
[43:27.160 -> 43:29.680]  for your income and your research and everything,
[43:29.680 -> 43:33.760]  the only thing that happens, if it does take a hit like it has this year,
[43:33.760 -> 43:36.240]  that can really affect tourism to the area,
[43:36.240 -> 43:38.240]  which affects the work that's available,
[43:38.240 -> 43:40.320]  and then also the research side of things as well.
[43:40.320 -> 43:42.120]  You know, it gets difficult.
[43:42.120 -> 43:43.920]  Well, if you're gonna live here
[43:43.920 -> 43:46.000]  and you're going to work
[43:52.240 -> 43:56.560]  in and around the reef areas I think you do have a certain responsibility to teach the kids what it's all about what's going to happen to it and you know it's sort of almost a custodian of the
[43:56.560 -> 44:01.360]  place when you do get involved in the industry so it's very important that they learn all about it
[44:02.160 -> 44:09.960]  and it's good parts and the bad things that are happening to it. Jack actually goes to school right in town, middle of town here, so he's in our bustling
[44:09.960 -> 44:13.780]  metropolis but we spend a lot of time and swim around the forest and down on the beach
[44:13.780 -> 44:17.940]  and fishing and things like that. It's just a good place, just a good place to have kids
[44:17.940 -> 44:20.120]  growing up I think.
[44:20.120 -> 44:23.720]  So can you tell me a little bit about this stuff here? I know something about those ones
[44:23.720 -> 44:24.720]  because they're venomous.
[44:24.720 -> 44:26.240]  They are venomous, that's very good.
[44:26.540 -> 44:26.940]  That one.
[44:27.180 -> 44:27.780]  Yeah, this one.
[44:27.960 -> 44:31.660]  I mean, we get lots of drugs and special compounds from venomous animals,
[44:31.760 -> 44:33.540]  and this is a really good example of that.
[44:34.000 -> 44:36.120]  But what's even more spectacular is the fact that
[44:36.120 -> 44:38.620]  depending on which particular reef you find him on,
[44:38.860 -> 44:41.200]  depends on what his venom composition will be.
[44:41.440 -> 44:43.560]  And in fact, even what he had for lunch
[44:43.560 -> 44:50.040]  or how long ago it was that he last ate will affect what his venom is. So not only do we get special compounds from
[44:50.040 -> 44:53.640]  his venom, but we can get a whole heap of different compounds depending on where we
[44:53.640 -> 44:56.220]  collect these animals from. So there's so much more we don't know.
[44:56.500 -> 44:59.600]  They're so common. You can't pick them up.
[44:59.760 -> 45:01.840]  Yeah, well you shouldn't, just in case.
[45:02.300 -> 45:03.300]  But they're so pretty.
[45:04.220 -> 45:05.380]  That's where people get into trouble.
[45:06.020 -> 45:06.860]  And these little fellas?
[45:07.320 -> 45:07.840]  Yeah, same.
[45:07.960 -> 45:09.480]  So these are cone snails as well.
[45:09.980 -> 45:10.860]  Different species.
[45:11.220 -> 45:13.860]  But this one, this one I snuck in earlier.
[45:14.180 -> 45:14.720]  It's a leaf.
[45:14.960 -> 45:15.760]  It's a leaf.
[45:15.940 -> 45:16.700]  It's not a leaf.
[45:16.780 -> 45:17.300]  It is a leaf.
[45:17.300 -> 45:18.240]  But I reckon you know what this is.
[45:18.600 -> 45:19.740]  I know what it is.
[45:19.860 -> 45:20.900]  It looks like a leaf.
[45:21.020 -> 45:21.460]  It does.
[45:21.460 -> 45:28.380]  They can float and spread their eggs around with the tide,
[45:28.500 -> 45:29.040]  wouldn't it, couldn't you?
[45:29.340 -> 45:31.160]  Well, these, I mean, this one's from an epaulette shark.
[45:31.500 -> 45:35.500]  So this one, they rely on this really low tidal area
[45:35.500 -> 45:38.660]  because they can essentially walk in the shallow areas
[45:38.660 -> 45:40.760]  and they'll lodge this in the reef somewhere.
[45:40.900 -> 45:42.580]  This one, unfortunately, is dried up,
[45:42.640 -> 45:44.680]  so this is not going to produce any little sharks.
[45:44.680 -> 45:47.940]  But I just think they're spectacular and they're gorgeous golden
[45:47.940 -> 45:52.220]  colour and most people do think they're seed pods. And the types, I mean the clam naturally
[45:52.220 -> 45:56.040]  that sort of, the different
[45:56.040 -> 45:59.940]  types of coral that you'd find around here as well. Yeah and they're really pretty obviously
[45:59.940 -> 46:04.020]  but then the pieces of coral tell a story. I also love looking at something like this
[46:04.020 -> 46:06.160]  and just wondering how old it is, you know,
[46:06.220 -> 46:08.100]  because different corals will grow at different speeds.
[46:08.660 -> 46:11.000]  And even though this one's bigger, this one's probably a lot older.
[46:11.320 -> 46:14.500]  Boulder corals grow a lot slower, but they're sturdy and solid
[46:14.500 -> 46:16.340]  so they don't snap off and break as easily.
[46:16.860 -> 46:18.940]  And I like also the fact that little coral polyps
[46:18.940 -> 46:20.720]  will land somewhere on the reef
[46:20.720 -> 46:23.160]  and then depending on what kind of environment there is
[46:23.160 -> 46:24.780]  can depend on how it grows.
[46:25.440 -> 46:27.720]  So if it grows in a really calm area
[46:27.720 -> 46:29.440]  where there's not a lot of wave breaking,
[46:29.440 -> 46:31.380]  it can grow lots of delicate fine fingers
[46:31.380 -> 46:32.900]  that aren't gonna get snapped off.
[46:32.900 -> 46:35.060]  But if you're in a really like high wave zone,
[46:35.060 -> 46:36.420]  like over the other side,
[46:36.420 -> 46:38.740]  you need to take on a shape that's something really sturdy
[46:38.740 -> 46:40.660]  so you're not gonna end up getting busted off.
[46:40.660 -> 46:42.800]  So they're basically the same sort of coral.
[46:42.800 -> 46:44.780]  They can, there's many different species,
[46:44.780 -> 46:48.480]  but one coral polyp doesn't necessarily always grow into the same shape.
[46:49.540 -> 46:55.000]  So what's your passion out here? My passion, I mean I was born here and then literally grew up
[46:55.000 -> 46:58.980]  with this as my backyard and now I've got kids of my own you know like I just love the thought that
[46:58.980 -> 47:02.260]  they're going to grow up and be able to experience this as well and we need to sort of protect that
[47:02.260 -> 47:06.760]  and you know apart from that is looking at things like these cone snails and the fact that we're
[47:06.760 -> 47:10.400]  getting so much from the ocean that we just don't know what's out there and the
[47:10.400 -> 47:13.600]  more we explore the more we're gonna find and there could be goodness knows
[47:13.600 -> 47:16.620]  what sort of cure waiting out there to be discovered you just need to get and
[47:16.620 -> 47:22.360]  find it oh good can we get the water saying that's a really good idea I want
[47:22.360 -> 47:25.040]  to go and not play with the cone stuff. Yeah, don't poke them.
[47:36.160 -> 47:37.960]  The coral reef is beautiful, it's pretty,
[47:37.960 -> 47:40.560]  and everyone wants to preserve it and save it.
[47:40.560 -> 47:43.640]  But the fact of it is that the actual coral reef
[47:43.640 -> 47:45.960]  that makes up only about 7% of that whole
[47:45.960 -> 47:50.320]  marine area and reserve and habitat that we need to look after.
[47:50.320 -> 47:54.600]  And the others is made up of the mangroves and the seagrass beds and the sponge gardens
[47:54.600 -> 47:56.300]  and the sandy flats.
[47:56.300 -> 47:58.340]  The Bissadatta's pretty.
[47:58.340 -> 48:04.840]  But if you don't look after that whole area, you know, that's when the system falls down.
[48:04.840 -> 48:08.300]  Now we're having these massive coral bleaching effects and everyone's up in arms going,
[48:08.300 -> 48:10.920]  we're going to lose our coral reefs.
[48:10.920 -> 48:12.240]  We've had the warning signs.
[48:12.240 -> 48:17.200]  We're destroying mangroves, we're dredging up sea grasses, we've been messing with
[48:17.200 -> 48:19.600]  all these different areas for so long.
[48:19.600 -> 48:25.000]  There's a saying that says you only conserve what you love and you only love what you know.
[48:25.000 -> 48:28.100]  And people know the pretty coral reefs so they want to conserve that.
[48:28.100 -> 48:31.740]  But there's a big picture out there and if we don't look after all of it, this is what's
[48:31.740 -> 48:32.740]  going to happen.
[48:32.740 -> 48:36.360]  And hopefully this is a bit of a wake up call to realise that these reefs are in trouble
[48:36.360 -> 48:42.560]  and we need to start looking out for them.
[48:42.560 -> 48:46.680]  I like to think that the reef is a really resilient place and Mother Nature is amazing
[48:46.680 -> 48:53.840]  for its ability to bounce back and to change and I'm sure we won't lose the reef as such.
[48:53.840 -> 48:58.520]  But we're losing what it is right now and it may end up evolving into something that
[48:58.520 -> 49:06.200]  is unexpected or not what we want and we'll just, you know, we're watching it slip away.
[49:06.200 -> 49:10.620]  So I think for me, being a proud Australian, I like to show off what we've got to the world
[49:10.620 -> 49:12.800]  because we've got something really special.
[49:12.800 -> 49:18.800]  We need to just cherish that and make the most of it while we can.
[49:18.800 -> 49:24.760]  How was that, mate?
[49:24.760 -> 49:25.000]  What do you reckon? How was that, mate?
[49:25.000 -> 49:28.000]  What do you reckon?
[49:28.000 -> 49:37.680]  Colours, the millions of little fishes around the edges, blue starfish, lots of clams out
[49:37.680 -> 49:39.320]  there so that means it's pretty healthy.
[49:39.320 -> 49:40.320]  Yeah, it's good.
[49:40.320 -> 49:41.320]  It's looking good.
[49:41.320 -> 49:44.560]  And the thing, when you're diving you get a different perspective and when you're snorkelling
[49:44.560 -> 49:47.000]  you get that bird's eye view so you probably see a lot more at
[49:47.000 -> 49:48.000]  the same time.
[49:48.000 -> 49:49.000]  It's a nice perspective.
[49:49.000 -> 49:50.000]  But you can't go down there.
[49:50.000 -> 49:53.000]  I kept trying to get, but I didn't have some weights on.
[49:53.000 -> 49:54.000]  Yeah.
[49:54.000 -> 49:57.000]  And we're quite shallow, so the most important thing is to make sure you're hovering over
[49:57.000 -> 49:58.000]  everything.
[49:58.000 -> 50:01.000]  You don't want to snap things off, because it's a really delicate coral setting too.
[50:01.000 -> 50:02.000]  But it was nice.
[50:02.000 -> 50:05.000]  It spread out like a big starfish on the surface.
[50:05.000 -> 50:08.000]  Nice wave action just kind of took us along.
[50:08.000 -> 50:10.000]  Low impact snorkelling.
[50:10.000 -> 50:12.000]  Good fun.
[50:19.000 -> 50:22.000]  Well, that's a really good match, those two.
[50:22.000 -> 50:24.000]  Gareth and Theresa.
[50:24.000 -> 50:29.000]  They love their work. They love being on the reef.
[50:29.000 -> 50:34.700]  This is their home and they want more people not just to come here, not just to tick it
[50:34.700 -> 50:43.000]  off on their bucket list, but to actually listen. Listen to what they say and what they do.
[50:42.660 -> 50:45.000]  what they say and what they do.
[50:48.920 -> 50:53.040]  It's the same as Jamie, it's the same as Gujju Gujju, it's the same as Jenna, and it's the same as Erin.
[50:54.160 -> 50:58.460]  They want you to know the beauty that you should see,
[50:58.460 -> 51:00.960]  and they're not forcing you to see it,
[51:00.960 -> 51:04.600]  but they paint these pictures inside your head
[51:04.600 -> 51:06.040]  and inside your heart
[51:06.040 -> 51:46.820]  that makes you want to go looking for it. Thank you.
[51:41.900 -> 51:42.400]  you


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