Hello from a very warm and humid Cairns!

It seems like only yesterday since I last posted, as time is just flying by.  We flew into Cairns yesterday only to land in a storm - we were all quite disheartened! However, it is the rainy season here, so we were expecting it, but hoping that we would be lucky and that we would find sunshine.  But, upon waking up this morning, the sun was shining and it has been a very hot and humid day here.

Cairns is very different to the Gold Coast, as the sea and the rainforests meet - it's beautiful here.  The picture above is of the rainforest and the sea meeting (taken from the prom - I always have to have a walk on the prom everywhere I go!). 

Today, I met with Prof Alan Cough and Jan Robertson (Research Fellow), ar the James Cook University.  Over the years, they have worked with the indigenous community on many aspects of public health.  I spent the morning with Jan discussing various projects, inverventions and studies that they had worked in partnership with the indigenous communities.  We especially discussed a tobacco study that Jan had been involved in for 5 years with three remote Aboriginal communities to identify appropriate strategies to reduce the very high prevalence of tobacco use.  The work that Jan and I do involve the same public health principles, but adapted differently to be culturally applicable.  Here is a picture of Alan, Jan and I, with the Welsh tea towels that I had taken with me as a gift to them!

It was fascinating listening to Jan explain how they worked with the various indigenous communities and how culture and language could be a barrier to participation.  For example, English can be the 3rd or 4th language to some members within these communities, therefore being flexible and adapting to cultural needs was vitally important if the relationship was to be established between the community and individuals trying to engage with communities.  A traditional way of exchanging knowledge is through story telling and Jan often used pictures to tell a story or to feedback information that they had gathered to the community. 

 The picture above is of an extract taken from a series of short stories that Jan had compiled into a book called Short Ones - Tobacco Stories from Arnhem Land (a remote Aborigine community).  Through the eyes of individuals from Arnhem Land, the smoking stories explain and help individuals from other cultures about historial aspects of tobacco use, including the use of bush tobacco, or tobacco introduced by missionaries, pastoralists or Macassan traders.  It's also designed to share with other Indigenous Australians, to encourage them to break free from tobacco.  Tobacco use in certain indigenous communities can be as high as 80%.  It can therefore be very difficult to quit smoking when the environment is not smoke free and a large majority of the population smoke. 

The picture below is an example of a 'luniny' - a pipe traditionally used for smoking.
 

The picture below is an example of work designed by the local communities, asking people not to smoke, especially in the houses (so that people trying to give up are not exposed to smoking inside the house).  These stickers are then placed around the house (such as on the fridge), reminding family members that others are trying to give up. The message on this sticker means 'Good (respectful, healthy) family - no smoking tobacco'. 

 
Jan and I also discussed my work in Wales and what approaches/interventions I could use within work, which was a very interesting discussion.  Sometime you meet people through work who are very passionate and care very much about the communities that they work with and Jan is one of these individuals.  She is enthusiastic and energetic and made me think differently about the way I work at home.  I wish I could bottle Jan's energy and take it home with me! Jan has kindly invited me for supper on Monday night to discuss more about our work, as the time flew by today and we still had things to talk about! I am very grateful to Jan and Alan for the welcome I received today.  I could write more about what we discussed, but I'd be here all night!

It is Australia Day here on Sunday, so Monday is a bank holiday.  We are travelling to Port Douglas for the weekend to go diving in the Great Barrier Reef - I can't wait! Here are a couple of pictures of the past couple of days:

Meinir and I in Byron Bay.

Pavlova (the Koala) and I!

I have learnt so much in such as short period of time about Australia, its people and it's culture.  I am looking forward to the next weeks, where I will no doubt learnt a lot more. I do miss Wales though, even though the weather is not as good there, but friends and family are much more important than the weather!