NEARLY THERE



After three and a half years of hard work, Sebastian has submitted his PhD thesis on the illegal trade of Australian reptiles and amphibians.

I've just finished reading it...which is probably a slight exaggeration. Anything section with a whiff of statistical analyis or latin taxonomies, I avoided. But it's still an impressive collection of reading, research and analysis. Susan and I even feature in the acknowledgement, albeit with a slightly backhanded compliment:

Finally, I'd like to extend my deepest thanks to my mum and aunt, Susan and Ann Tonks. You've supported me through this like you've supported me all my life, for which I am immeasurably grateful. Thank you for always being by my side (metaphorically) and for only occasionally interrogating me about my progress and future plans, especially towards the end.

It did make me smile.

Of course, Sebastian has to wait for the thesis to be marked but given that a number of chapters have already been peer reviewed and published, I can't imagine that's going to be too much of a problem. As a friend said, he's now at the top of the Tonks educational hierachy.

The one thing I don't understand is where did he get the 'camping, let's explore the bush' gene? Certainly not from this side of the family. I gave up tents after Brownies and Susan seems to have scarred by a tent experience at a Canberra Folk Festival years ago. Still, Sebastian and I did have a great experience exploring the Northern Territory in 2022. But that involved glamping - and non-venomous snakes!







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