WHEN Jodie Rummer first stepped foot in Townsville nine years ago, the marine scientist and outdoorswoman wondered just what she had gotten herself into.
“I remember landing that first day and driving through the first neighbourhood I encountered, thinking, ‘Where am I?’ I was a little scared that there wasn’t anything to do, and a little shocked and worried!” she laughs now.
Jodie had bid farewell to her home in Vancouver, Canada, to take up a position as a professor at James Cook University in the coastal city of Townsville, often touted as Australia’s gateway to Queensland’s far north. Culture shock is an understatement. “It was a challenging move on so many levels!”
Thankfully, she met Luen Warneke, a born-and-bred Townsvillian, who had grown up hiking, camping and exploring the diverse landscapes surrounding his North Queensland home. He knew better than anyone the glorious gems the region had to offer. It wasn’t long before Jodie came to see her new North Queensland home for what it truly was: a vibrant and sunshine-filled treasure trove of rainforest,
