From China to Australia
In Australia, Tasmania has a reputation for being the coldest state. But in my hometown, in the winter, it is –30 degrees. That’s minus three-zero! There’s a river near the house where I grew up and it freezes over. People drive on the ice, and they cut holes in it and go winter swimming.
Before I came to Tasmania, I was not an outdoor person. I grew up inland, far from mountains and the sea, and spent most of my time in school.
School was intense in China, but I had an inspiring English teacher who made it fun and opened a window to the rest of China and the wider world. I sought out what I didn’t grow up with, starting with the mysteries of the sea.
When it came time to choose a university, I found a joint program in marine and Antarctic studies with the Ocean University of China and the University of Tasmania. The first two years of my study were in Qingdao, on the west coast of China. Then I moved to Tasmania.
Settling into life in Tasmania
The first few months were hard. It was so quiet compared to China and there weren’t any giant shopping malls like the ones I was used to. But I stayed in student accommodation and took part in activities.
The first time I went to Kunanyi/ Mount Wellington something changed. I really started to appreciate it. I was so taken with aspects of nature that I had not grown up with, like mountains and the ocean. I even convinced my boyfriend, Jingwei, to join me in Hobart so he could work toward his PhD at CSIRO.
It is a quieter pace of life with beautiful views. The lifestyle is more about the hiking than the shopping! I live on the other side of the Derwent River, so every day I cross the bridge and see the mountain and the ocean.
Hobart is now my second hometown. There are so many international students, professors and researchers from around the world. I had a great, supportive mentor.
Making an impact though my work
My research focus was on Antarctic history and the treaty system. I am among a small club of people around the world who have been to Antarctica. Last year, I got a Zodiac license and used my knowledge and passion for Antarctica as a guide. I shared stories and introduced visitors from around the world to penguins, seals, whales, birds and ice.
I now work for an NGO, based in Sweden, called the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI). It protects the part of our world that is covered in ice and snow. This is where climate change is having its most immediate and drastic effects, in polar regions like Antarctica and atop high mountains. It’s very meaningful because if the ice goes, it affects everyone and everything on the planet.
Working remotely for an NGO based in Sweden, from Hobart, only makes sense because of the reputation of Institute of Marine and Antarctic Sciences and UTAS. Everyone knows about Tasmania and its relationship to Antarctica, that Hobart is one of the five Antarctic Gateway Cities and that leading scientists are here.
Jingwei recently finished his PhD and if he finds a post-doctoral job here in Hobart, we would love to stay.
It is easy to tell people that this is the place to be.
This story was originally posted by Brand Tasmania in partnership with Study Tasmania.
Photos by Jess Oakenfull.