After the Flood and Coast Conference in June, our Flood CDT gang started thinking about what to do next over the summer. We’d already had training meet-ups in Southampton and Bristol, so this time we thought, why not Newcastle? Then, the Newcastle squad happily organised the training and hosted us in August. I checked my calendar, saw I was free, and jumped on board right away.

It was a long six-hour trip from Southampton to Newcastle. Fardis and I travelled together, though sadly our other Southampton mates couldn’t make it this time. As soon as we stepped off the train, I was struck by the cathedral-like architecture right outside the station. With my travel bag and the rolling sound of Fardis’s luggage, we wandered through the streets, soaking in the buildings around us, following our digital map toward the hotel. To our surprise, it was right across from St James’ Park, home of Newcastle United!

After a quick rest, we met up with other Flood CDT friends for dinner at Tortilla, a Mexican restaurant. It was my first time trying Mexican food, and honestly, I was a bit lost with all the topping names. Thankfully, Google came to the rescue. Pico de gallo caught my attention, such an interesting name! I looked it up and found out it was fresh tomato salsa. Since I love tomatoes, I picked it without hesitation.

A few minutes later, my food arrived: three tacos and a bag of chips. The portion was generous, exactly what I needed after that long train ride. The first bite was so tasty that I ended up clearing the whole plate. But more than the food itself, I loved sharing the moment with my Flood CDT mates. Since we’re based in different cities, it often feels like a long-distance friendship, so meeting up again in person felt special.

 

Day 2: Training and Exploring

The next morning, we met at The Grand as our meeting point. The day started bright and sunny, as if Newcastle was giving us a warm welcome. After a quick caffeine boost, we headed to the Cassie Building, home base for the Newcastle gang and their research.

The first talk was about poster-making, followed by a session from Sarah’s supervisor on gullies in UK peatlands. It’s not my research field, but I found it fascinating to learn what a gully is and how gully blocking and revegetation play an important role in preventing floods in peatlands. Afterwards, we headed to a nearby café to grab a cup of coffee.

Recharged, we returned to our classroom. Sarah brought along a cute paper bag filled with handwritten raffle slips, each with a poster theme. I drew worms as the theme, with the target audience being the government. For the next hour before lunch, we started drafting our posters based on the themes we’d chosen. Time flew by, and before we knew it, it was lunchtime.

Henry led the way, guiding us through the city centre until we arrived at Grainger Market. I was so excited as I’d worried I wouldn’t get the chance to visit since it usually closes before our training ends. Stepping into the market immediately reminded me of the traditional markets in Yogyakarta, which have some stalls selling food, souvenirs, and clothes all packed together with a lively atmosphere.

We each went off to hunt for our meals and then regrouped outside by the monument to eat together. I’d already spotted an interesting food option while researching on the train: green curry with king prawns from a tiny stall. From the first spoonful, I was in love. Honestly, if that shop existed in Southampton, I’d probably stop cooking and eat there every day! The flavorful rice with just the right kick of spice was perfect, though sitting under the blazing sun to eat reminded me that I’d never manage the same in Indonesia, haha.

 

Afternoon: Hands-on Training

After lunch, Joe, one of my fellow Flood CDT members, gave a presentation on how he uses LiDAR from the sky to map bathymetry. It was amazing to know how cutting-edge technology, just a small instrument mounted on a drone, can create 3d maps of underwater terrain and help us build better flood models.

Figure 1 Water Flow Channel

Afterwards, Sarah, acting as our project manager for the day, announced that we’d be splitting into two groups for something fun. One group would go with her, the other with Joe, and then we’d swap later. I had no idea what was coming, but I happily tagged along!

For the first round, my group followed Sarah to a building just across from the Cassie building. The moment we stepped inside, we caught that “freshly built” smell; the place had just been reconstructed. It honestly felt a bit like being on a school trip! Downstairs, behind a heavy door, we found two long water tunnels, the kind I’d only ever seen in videos about hydrodynamic experiments. Sarah switched it on, and suddenly water came rushing through. We were as excited as kids, watching how a simple wooden block created waterfall-like flows. Adjusting the slope and depth changed everything: the flow velocity, the patterns, the very shape of the water. Standing there in the summer heat, I was even tempted to jump in and cool off!

Then it was time to swap, and we joined Joe outside the building. Before he introduced the instrument beside him, he handed out bright orange vests so we could play the part of surveyors. The kit turned out to be Terrestrial Laser Scanners (TLS), which uses the same type of LiDAR sensor Joe had used for bathymetry, but this one is designed for land surveys. He explained how it worked and even let us try it ourselves. With just a tap on the iPad connected to the TLS, the scanner began rotating 360 degrees, scanning the entire area. In only two minutes, it produced a detailed 3D model of the surrounding buildings. We then moved the scanner to expand the map even further. It was mind-blowing how fast and precise the technology was.

It was such an exciting day, full of learning and hands-on experience. From flume experiments to LiDAR mapping, from tacos to curry, the whole trip was unforgettable. Getting to learn about other people’s research and even try out their instruments felt like such a privilege.

Echoing the uni’s motto, “From Newcastle, for the World. From Newcastle, for Flood CDT”. See you soon at the next training!