Reefswaggie

A swag is something you carry. Specifically it is a bedroll with one's possessions inside it. Swaggies are people who move around the countryside, of no fixed address, and who carry all their possessions in their swag. The word swaggie is an Australian slang word that probably came into existence during the Great Depression when so many men, in particular, 'humped their swags' around the country looking for work. I chose the nickname reefswaggie because I love the Great Barrier Reef. I like to travel to it and around it and experience its wonders, but I cannot stay there. Eventually I have to take my swag and move on, because it is an aquatic environment and I am a land animal.

I am a qualified biologist with an Honours degree in Zoology from Canterbury University, Christchurch, New Zealand and published my honours thesis on the spiders of Open Bay Islands. I worked for New South Wales State Fisheries for seven years as an oyster parasitologist and published several papers.

I then became a high school science teacher and worked in this field for 15 years because it was too hard to find a biologist position while living in the bush. I have spent the last 30 years living in the Australian bush and rescuing and rehabilitating native animals including many raptors such as eagles hawks and falcons. I have also rescued rare animals like platypus and antechinus.

I am a supply teacher for the Queensland Department of Education. My last job was science teacher for ten weeks at a school in a remote Aboriginal community in Far North Queensland. I also do some programming work.

I have a large property in New South Wales which I protect for its wildlife values. Our houses there are solar powered and have been since the 1980's. Go solar!

Recently I spent three months travelling around the world. I visited the USA, Switzerland, France, England, Turkey, Ghana, Italy and Thailand.

Reefswaggie (talk) 05:16, 13 July 2013 (UTC)