Melissa Cristina Marquez

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​It’s been a little bit since I’ve given a life update from Australia so without further ado here’s a little roundup of some of my highlights and how things have been going since the big move from New Zealand!

I feel like I hit the ground running as soon as I got here with unforgettable trips to the Sydney Opera House, Luna Park, taking a cruise around the Sydney Harbour, going to see The Post at the St. George Open Cinema, enjoying Bondi Beach, walking from Coogee Beach to Bondi, and ringing in 2018 under the Harbour Bridge with the most fantastic fireworks show I have ever seen!

I have already gotten more under my belt living here than I did in Wellington. Since moving to Australia, I’ve been focusing a lot on living in the moment and soaking in every second of my time here. One of my favorite things about living here is that there’s SO much to do and always a new area to explore! I just made a whirlwind trip back to the northern hemisphere (for a cool project I can't wait to reveal), but now that I’m settled back in Sydney, I’m truly loving it more than ever!

​When possible, my husband and I like to go on roadtrips. We load up the van with snacks and water, I bring along a blanket or two (in case I get cold) and we blast tunes (since our Japanese car doesn’t get many radio stations here in New Zealand) as Josh drives on the windy roads. I’m usually the co-pilot, looking out for road names, squealing at all the sheep, and telling him when to turn.
 
A few weeks ago we decided to go see “Old Stinky” at the Wellington Botanical Gardens. Better known as the corpse flower, it is a pungent plant that blooms rarely and when it does, it’s for a short time. When in bloom, it emits a strong odour similar to a dead corpse… hence the common name. And while we may not find it particularly appealing, the way these flowers look and smell are meant to attract pollinators. Carnivorous insects, such as dung beetles and flesh are the primary pollinators of the corpse plant. If you notice, Old Stinky is a deep burgundy colour — it’s imitating the deep red colour exposed flesh gets. As a botanist explained to us, corpse flowers also have the ability to warm themselves up to 36.7 Celsius (98 degrees Fahrenheit) to further imitate “meat.”