68 Cups of Blueberry Tea

Former classmates sitting down together sixteen years later - and discovered how one decision made at sixteen quietly shaped an entire life.

Lauren is an agricultural educator, a long-standing leader with the Dubbo Show Society, and the recipient of the AgShows NSW Outstanding Teacher Award. But this conversation isn't about collecting accolades. It's about saying yes before you know where the path leads.

We talk about the teacher who changed her life, finding family through volunteering, the unseen work behind "three days in May", and why traditions only survive when people are willing to carry them forward.

Whether you've grown up around agricultural shows or have never set foot in one, this is a conversation about community, mentorship, belonging, and the surprising ways ordinary decisions can leave an extraordinary legacy.

In this episode, we explore:

• How one teacher sparked a lifelong passion for agriculture
• Joining the Dubbo Show Society as a teenager
• The invisible work that keeps country shows alive
• Teaching the next generation of young people
• Tradition, innovation, and finding where you belong

What happens when curiosity about the ocean becomes a life's work?

In this episode of 68 Cups of Blueberry Tea, I sit down with Peruvian marine biologist and PhD candidate Adriana González Pestana to talk about sharks, rays, conservation, and the journey that has taken her from Peru to Australia and now into the waters of Timor-Leste.

Adriana specialises in sharks and rays and is contributing to an international initiative led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to identify Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) - critical habitats that these animals rely on for their survival.

Her current work is helping researchers better understand how sharks and rays use the waters around Timor-Leste, where there is still so much to discover. We talk about why these animals matter, why they're so misunderstood, and how divers and everyday people can contribute to marine science simply by recording what they see underwater.

But this conversation isn't just about sharks.

We also talk about Adriana herself - growing up in Peru, discovering marine biology, studying and working across different countries, the challenges of pursuing a PhD, and what the ocean has taught her about patience, resilience and our relationship with the natural world.

And perhaps most importantly, we ask: what happens when we start protecting the places we don't yet fully understand?

So grab your favourite cup of tea and join us for a conversation beneath the surface with Adriana González Pestana.

🦈 🌊 ☕️

If you're diving or snorkelling in Timor-Leste, keep your eyes open - you might just contribute to science without even realising it.

From Ethiopia to Timor-Leste, Etsub Eyaya has built a life driven by purpose, passion, and people.

In this episode, sit down with Etsub to explore a remarkable journey that spans continents and careers. An assistant teacher, football coach, and DJ (amongst hundreds of other skills) Etsub shares how each role has shaped her perspective on resilience, leadership, and community.

Together, we discuss growing up in Ethiopia, the lessons learned through football, adapting to life in Timor-Leste, and the joy of inspiring others - whether in the classroom, on the football field, or behind the DJ decks. Fresh from performing at Tasi Fest, Etsub also reflects on the power of music to bring people together and create lasting memories.

This conversation is a celebration of embracing multiple passions, finding purpose in service, and having the courage to keep growing.

Grab a cup of blueberry tea and join us for another inspiring conversation.

What if the key to protecting the ocean isn’t science alone - but connection?

In this episode of 68 Cups of Blueberry Tea, I sit down with Dedy Kayaka, founder of Underwater Cinema, a grassroots movement helping Timorese people reconnect with the ocean through storytelling, education, community action and first-hand experiences beneath the surface.

Growing up in the mountains of Balibo, Dedy never imagined the ocean would shape his life. Despite living in an island nation surrounded by water, he felt disconnected from it—just as many Timorese do. Everything changed the first time he looked underwater and discovered a world of colour, beauty and wonder that he never knew existed.

More than a conversation about marine conservation, this is a story about identity, belonging, hope and the power of reconnecting with nature.

As Dedy reflects, perhaps the ocean doesn’t just surround Timor-Leste - it connects us all.

What do you do when you arrive in a country that’s been completely rebuilt from the ground up… and nothing you need exists yet?

For Jean Vezina, the answer was simple: you build it.

In this episode, Jean shares his journey from arriving in Timor-Leste during a time of chaos and reconstruction, to founding Caltech Group - an organisation that grew not from a grand master plan, but from solving one problem at a time.

From building roads for peacekeepers, to creating businesses simply because they didn’t exist, to turning plastic waste into desks for schools - this is a story of resilience, adaptability, and showing up when it’s hard.

We dive into:

• What it really means to build in uncertainty
• The mindset of “fixing what’s missing”
• Why sustainability only works when people, planet, and profit align
• And the simple philosophy that underpins it all: just keep showing up

In this episode of 68 Cups of Blueberry Tea, Gabrielle sits down with historian Ed Willis to explore a chapter of history that remains largely overlooked - the experience of World War II in Timor-Leste.

While Australian forces operated in the region, it was the Timorese people who bore the brunt of the conflict. Through his work, WWII in East Timor, Ed brings to light the stories, sacrifices, and landscapes that hold this history - many of which are still little known in Australia today.

This conversation moves beyond dates and events to examine memory, responsibility, and the human cost of war. It’s a reflection on what gets remembered, what gets left behind, and why these stories still matter.

If you’re interested in history, place, and the deeper connections between Australia and Timor-Leste, this is an episode worth sitting with.

What if discomfort is the point?

In this episode of 68 Cups of Blueberry Tea, I sit down with Birgit Hermann - leadership coach, author, freediver, and ultramarathoner - to explore why she repeatedly places herself in environments where comfort disappears.

From the Sahara desert to arctic ice to high-stakes leadership rooms. Birgit shares what endurance has taught her about clarity, courage, and staying steady under pressure.

This isn’t a conversation about achievements.

It’s about the psychology of choosing discomfort - what it reveals, what it costs, and how bold impact truly begins.

What does it look like to return to the same country - once as a soldier in uniform, and years later as a touring comedian with a microphone?

In this episode of 68 Cups of Blueberry Tea, Gabrielle sits down with Australian stand-up comedian Jarryd Goundrey while he’s performing in Dili, Timor-Leste. But this isn’t just a chat about tour life and punchlines.

Jarryd spent seven years in the Australian Army before stepping away from military life and eventually finding his way to the comedy stage. We talk about identity after service, the uncomfortable silence that can follow structure and purpose, and how humour can become both shield and spotlight.

We dive into:

• The shift from military discipline to the unpredictability of stand-up comedy

• What really happens when a joke bombs — and how you win a room back

• Mentoring new comedians and earning your place on stage

• Inter-service rivalry (yes, the Navy makes an appearance)

• And what it means when your work genuinely connects with someone in the audience

This conversation is honest, funny, and reflective - a look at reinvention, resilience, and the courage it takes to build a second act.

If you’ve ever pivoted, stumbled, or started again, this one’s for you.

The Doulos Hope is a floating library that travels the world, bringing books, stories, and conversation from port to port. While the ship was docked in Dili, Timor-Leste, I sat down with Vale Rios, media and communications lead onboard, to talk about life at sea, the people who choose this path, and what it means to bring stories across the oceans.

In this conversation, Vale shares what daily life aboard the ship really looks like, what makes each port - including Dili - unique, and why books and human connection still matter in a fast, digital world. We also reflect on what remains long after a ship leaves port.

This episode opens Season 2 of 68 Cups of Blueberry Tea, now recorded from Dili, and sets the tone for conversations shaped by movement, place, and quiet impact.

As Season One comes to a close, Gabrielle pauses to reflect.

Looking back on the conversations, the common threads of resilience and creativity, and one insight from a guest that lingered: the rare gift of stopping long enough to recognise how far you’ve come.

This isn’t an ending - just a moment to breathe. A chance to acknowledge the journey before turning the page.