After the frivolity of the Thanksgiving Holiday, it was time to head to Australia for our expedition to investigate viral diversity in amphipods, copepods and echinoderms. Given that Australia is faaaaaaaaaar away from Ithaca, Day 1 is all about travel and getting there! The team are assembling in Sydney from different ports: Ian took the bus from Ithaca to New York City before boarding a flight to Los Angeles, then another flight to Brisbane, then a bus to the Sunshine Coast (he accompanied his mother home) then flew down to Sydney. Elliot drove to Ithaca, then Newark, then flew to Los Angeles, Auckland before coming into Sydney. Kalia had been traveling in the South Pacific for a while, coming via Fiji and Cairns, before arriving into Sydney. It was a lot of travel for the team, which is used to short flights to the Atlantic, but by 10pm yesterday the team had assembled at the hotel in Manly.

Smiling after 2 hrs… not smiling after 29.

The International Date Line!

Almost there…

Made it to Manly!

Tomorrow, the team will visit the Australian Museum in Sydney’s Hyde Park, before hitting up the Aquarium. Stay tuned.