May 28, 2005
Down to my last 24hrs in Australia I headed into town for one last wander around Cairns and some last minute souvenir shopping in the market. I tried repacking my rucksack a few times before admitting defeat and accepting that all my stuff would no longer fit in the one bag. Then I turned in early for a good sleep ready for my 4am wake up to go to the airport.
With 22hrs of flying ahead of me I had plenty of time for the fact that I was going home to actually sink in... and plenty more time to look back and appreciate all the amazing experiences I'd had over the last four months (addmitedly most of them aided by a small piece of plastic belonging to my parents but amazing all the same). It's hard to believe that exactly four months ago I was landing in Fiji with all this stretching in front of me not knowing what to expect. Now it's all over it was beyond anything I could have hoped...
...THE END...
(until next time!)
Up with the sun
May 27, 2005
To fit in our final two dives before we had to return to Cairns we were up early in the morning to dive Hogs Breath site before breakfast. The site was more pleasant than the name might lead you to believe and it felt very peaceful in the water in the early morning light.
Our final dive was at a site called Split Bommie which was a nice chilled dive to finish off the trip. There was still a huge amount of life to appreciate but there was definitely a significant change in the reef, it seemed much less spectacular than those reefs we visited further north.
Arriving back in Cairns mid afternoon I headed back to my accommodation and promptly fell asleep for a solid 14hrs! A tiring but truly fantastic experience.
To fit in our final two dives before we had to return to Cairns we were up early in the morning to dive Hogs Breath site before breakfast. The site was more pleasant than the name might lead you to believe and it felt very peaceful in the water in the early morning light.
Our final dive was at a site called Split Bommie which was a nice chilled dive to finish off the trip. There was still a huge amount of life to appreciate but there was definitely a significant change in the reef, it seemed much less spectacular than those reefs we visited further north.
Arriving back in Cairns mid afternoon I headed back to my accommodation and promptly fell asleep for a solid 14hrs! A tiring but truly fantastic experience.
Watery Garden
May 26, 2005
The following morning we took our first dive at a site called Clam Gardens, so named because of the many Giant Clams present. It was a great site with yet more fantastic coral and plenty of other marine life including a Humphead Wrasse, a free swimming Eagle Ray and a Green Turtle.
Our second dive of the day was at a fantastic site called Steve's Bommie with loads to see in a relatively small area. There was a White Tip Reef Shark at the bottom of the Bommie and loads of schooling fish. Seeing some beautiful Tubastrea Micrantha coral reminded me of Fiji (one of the scuba instructors favourites) and there was a really interesting Flame File Shell half way up the Bommie. You can actually see the electrical current passing through it's outer edge.
Our third site, Temple of Doom, was similar to Steve's Bommie but larger. There were a lot of Unicorn fish around and I was particularly pleased with myself for spotting a tiny blue and yellow Nudibranch.
The final dive of the day was a night dive at the Beer Gardens where we were followed, for the majority, by a Potato Cod. We saw loads of little shrimp, a pretty Feather Star and a Puffer Fish. There was even a little phosphorescence which we enjoyed on our safety stop.
Another day of tiring but fantastic diving.
The following morning we took our first dive at a site called Clam Gardens, so named because of the many Giant Clams present. It was a great site with yet more fantastic coral and plenty of other marine life including a Humphead Wrasse, a free swimming Eagle Ray and a Green Turtle.
Our second dive of the day was at a fantastic site called Steve's Bommie with loads to see in a relatively small area. There was a White Tip Reef Shark at the bottom of the Bommie and loads of schooling fish. Seeing some beautiful Tubastrea Micrantha coral reminded me of Fiji (one of the scuba instructors favourites) and there was a really interesting Flame File Shell half way up the Bommie. You can actually see the electrical current passing through it's outer edge.
Our third site, Temple of Doom, was similar to Steve's Bommie but larger. There were a lot of Unicorn fish around and I was particularly pleased with myself for spotting a tiny blue and yellow Nudibranch.
The final dive of the day was a night dive at the Beer Gardens where we were followed, for the majority, by a Potato Cod. We saw loads of little shrimp, a pretty Feather Star and a Puffer Fish. There was even a little phosphorescence which we enjoyed on our safety stop.
Another day of tiring but fantastic diving.
Heading 'Down Under'
May 25, 2005
On arrival in Cairns Cress, Nicki and myself went about getting ourselves booked onto a dive trip to see the thing Cairns is most famous for, The Great Barrier Reef.
With Nicki and Cress having only a few days left in Australia they opted for a one day trip onto the reef, with two dives, which they said were great.
I had a little more time left so decided to go for a four day trip on Taka to the northern part of the reef to dive Cod Hole.
Boarding at around 5pm on Tuesday we had an all night steam to the Cod Hole area, on the way learning how the boat would be run and working out our dive buddies for the duration of the trip.
Our first dive was at a site called Challenger Bay on Wednesday morning. The coral was amazing with a huge amount of life to be seen. With many similar species to those I saw in Fiji I really enjoyed the dive. It is so much easier to appreciate what you are seeing when you know what it is you are looking at.
We then went to Cod Hole for our next two dives, the first of which was a cod feed. The trip director came down with a bucket of fish to feed the four huge Potato Cod which visited the feeding site. On our second dive we were able to explore the site of Cod Hole at our own pace and take in more of the amazing coral reef and fish life.
We returned to Challenger bay for our final dive on Wednesday which was to be a night dive. Loads of Red Snapper and Trevally followed us throughout the dive using the light of our torches to hunt. We spotted a couple of Moray Eels and some sleeping Parrotfish encased in their mucus sleeping bags.
On arrival in Cairns Cress, Nicki and myself went about getting ourselves booked onto a dive trip to see the thing Cairns is most famous for, The Great Barrier Reef.
With Nicki and Cress having only a few days left in Australia they opted for a one day trip onto the reef, with two dives, which they said were great.
I had a little more time left so decided to go for a four day trip on Taka to the northern part of the reef to dive Cod Hole.
Boarding at around 5pm on Tuesday we had an all night steam to the Cod Hole area, on the way learning how the boat would be run and working out our dive buddies for the duration of the trip.
Our first dive was at a site called Challenger Bay on Wednesday morning. The coral was amazing with a huge amount of life to be seen. With many similar species to those I saw in Fiji I really enjoyed the dive. It is so much easier to appreciate what you are seeing when you know what it is you are looking at.
We then went to Cod Hole for our next two dives, the first of which was a cod feed. The trip director came down with a bucket of fish to feed the four huge Potato Cod which visited the feeding site. On our second dive we were able to explore the site of Cod Hole at our own pace and take in more of the amazing coral reef and fish life.
We returned to Challenger bay for our final dive on Wednesday which was to be a night dive. Loads of Red Snapper and Trevally followed us throughout the dive using the light of our torches to hunt. We spotted a couple of Moray Eels and some sleeping Parrotfish encased in their mucus sleeping bags.
Animal Magnetism
May 20, 2005
We spent a night in Airlie Beach before heading up the coast to Townsville to catch the ferry across toMagnetic Island.
The weather was pretty good so we spent a few days relaxing on the beach at Alma and Horseshoe Bays and doing a little snorkeling in Alma Bay.
We had heard that Magnetic Island was a good place to see Koalas so Nicki, Cress and myself went for a walk to see if we could spot one. We took the track towards the 'Forts' and after some great views down over one of the bays we met a guy who had just seen a Koala and took us to show us where it was.
After a few photos of a particularly sleepy looking Koala we returned to a fantastic home cooked meal, courtesy of Tiffany, and a movie before a good nights sleep to prepare for our trip up to Cairns.
We spent a night in Airlie Beach before heading up the coast to Townsville to catch the ferry across toMagnetic Island.
The weather was pretty good so we spent a few days relaxing on the beach at Alma and Horseshoe Bays and doing a little snorkeling in Alma Bay.
We had heard that Magnetic Island was a good place to see Koalas so Nicki, Cress and myself went for a walk to see if we could spot one. We took the track towards the 'Forts' and after some great views down over one of the bays we met a guy who had just seen a Koala and took us to show us where it was.
After a few photos of a particularly sleepy looking Koala we returned to a fantastic home cooked meal, courtesy of Tiffany, and a movie before a good nights sleep to prepare for our trip up to Cairns.
That's no teenage mutant...
May 17, 2005
After a good breakfast we sailed further through the island group and moored just off Langford Sand Cay for some more snorkeling. Donning the stinger suits again we headed into the amazingly clear water and quickly came face to face with a beautiful turtle.
I followed it at a distance through the shallows for a while before it swam off into deeper waters.
We had lunch back on board before sailing on to the famous Whitehaven Beach after which our boat was named. As the name might suggest the beach is a gorgeous fine white sand beach lapped by unbelievably clear turquoise waters. We spent a relaxed few hours in the sunshine before sailing off to find somewhere to moor for the night.
Under another clear night sky we relaxed and watched the big bat fish that swam around the boat.
The next morning we left our mooring and sailed back to Airlie Beach making the most of the sunshine along the way.
After a good breakfast we sailed further through the island group and moored just off Langford Sand Cay for some more snorkeling. Donning the stinger suits again we headed into the amazingly clear water and quickly came face to face with a beautiful turtle.
I followed it at a distance through the shallows for a while before it swam off into deeper waters.
We had lunch back on board before sailing on to the famous Whitehaven Beach after which our boat was named. As the name might suggest the beach is a gorgeous fine white sand beach lapped by unbelievably clear turquoise waters. We spent a relaxed few hours in the sunshine before sailing off to find somewhere to moor for the night.
Under another clear night sky we relaxed and watched the big bat fish that swam around the boat.
The next morning we left our mooring and sailed back to Airlie Beach making the most of the sunshine along the way.
Here comes the sun...
May 15, 2005
Whilst the other girls spent a day jet skiing and relaxing on the beach in Hervey Bay I caught the bus a few hours north to Bundaberg to visit my Great Aunty Phyll. After an hour or two chatting with her I got on the overnight bus to meet the others in Airlie Beach (gateway to the Whitsundays) the following morning.
Arriving in Airlie at 10am and having to be on our boat, SV Whitehaven, at 12 we were a little rushed but (just) made it.
With the sun beating down on deck we motored out of the harbour and headed to Caves Cove for some snorkeling. Unfortunately it is currently stinger season so before we were allowed in the water we had to don some rather attractive body suits to protect us from the jellyfish stings.
The snorkeling was pretty good with some interesting coral and fish to look at and once back on board (and out of those suits) we headed a little further around the coast of the island to moor for the night.
After a great meal we chilled on deck looking at the incredibly clear night sky before settling in for a good nights sleep.
Whilst the other girls spent a day jet skiing and relaxing on the beach in Hervey Bay I caught the bus a few hours north to Bundaberg to visit my Great Aunty Phyll. After an hour or two chatting with her I got on the overnight bus to meet the others in Airlie Beach (gateway to the Whitsundays) the following morning.
Arriving in Airlie at 10am and having to be on our boat, SV Whitehaven, at 12 we were a little rushed but (just) made it.
With the sun beating down on deck we motored out of the harbour and headed to Caves Cove for some snorkeling. Unfortunately it is currently stinger season so before we were allowed in the water we had to don some rather attractive body suits to protect us from the jellyfish stings.
The snorkeling was pretty good with some interesting coral and fish to look at and once back on board (and out of those suits) we headed a little further around the coast of the island to moor for the night.
After a great meal we chilled on deck looking at the incredibly clear night sky before settling in for a good nights sleep.
Yep, even more sand
May 13, 2005
The sun came out with a vengeance for our last day on Fraser and after packing up our camp site we headed to beautiful Lake Wabby.
We drove to the lake via the inland track (make the most of the 4x4 car!) and walked down to Lake Wabby from the forest which gave us a great view from the lookout point on the way down. The small freshwater lake (home of some pretty big catfish) sits at the bottom of a huge, steep sand dune which makes for great photos of people running furiously down the hill and diving into the water!
We spent the morning at the lake before driving back across the island to catch the 2.30 ferry back to Hervey Bay.
Despite the rain and having to pay $240 for a new tyre I had a fantastic time. Although I don't think Fraser Island is the biggest sand island in the world... I think that's in my sleeping bag!
The sun came out with a vengeance for our last day on Fraser and after packing up our camp site we headed to beautiful Lake Wabby.
We drove to the lake via the inland track (make the most of the 4x4 car!) and walked down to Lake Wabby from the forest which gave us a great view from the lookout point on the way down. The small freshwater lake (home of some pretty big catfish) sits at the bottom of a huge, steep sand dune which makes for great photos of people running furiously down the hill and diving into the water!
We spent the morning at the lake before driving back across the island to catch the 2.30 ferry back to Hervey Bay.
Despite the rain and having to pay $240 for a new tyre I had a fantastic time. Although I don't think Fraser Island is the biggest sand island in the world... I think that's in my sleeping bag!
More sandy
May 12, 2005
Due to tide times restricting driving on the beach we couldn't leave the campsite until 12.30 (none of us were going to get up at 6am for the first slot!) When we were able we headed back down south to Eli Creek, a shallow freshwater creek which we walked to the end of and waded back down. We even timed it well and managed to get there for about the only rain free 10 minutes of the whole day.
We continued further along the beach stopping and walking into Rainbow Gorge an area of interesting sand colours and formations. It now truly felt like we were on a sand island as there was a huge area of sand, with the view uninterrupted by trees and shrubs.
We met up with the group we camped with the previous night and drove along the beach together to pick a camp spot. With much the same set up as the night before we spent our last night on Fraser huddled under tarpaulins, the rain even stopped and it was a beautiful clear starry sky.
Due to tide times restricting driving on the beach we couldn't leave the campsite until 12.30 (none of us were going to get up at 6am for the first slot!) When we were able we headed back down south to Eli Creek, a shallow freshwater creek which we walked to the end of and waded back down. We even timed it well and managed to get there for about the only rain free 10 minutes of the whole day.
We continued further along the beach stopping and walking into Rainbow Gorge an area of interesting sand colours and formations. It now truly felt like we were on a sand island as there was a huge area of sand, with the view uninterrupted by trees and shrubs.
We met up with the group we camped with the previous night and drove along the beach together to pick a camp spot. With much the same set up as the night before we spent our last night on Fraser huddled under tarpaulins, the rain even stopped and it was a beautiful clear starry sky.
Pretty sandy
May 11, 2005
After a few days chilling out and exploring Brisbane, including the pretty Southbank, we caught a bus north up to Hervey Bay the gateway to Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world.
We booked a self drive 4x4 3day/2night trip on the island and after an introductory meeting about Fraser we were split into our vehicle groups of nine or ten and sent down the supermarket to buy our supplies.
After an early start to put our big rucksacks into storage we were given all our camping equipment, a car, a map of Fraser Island, directions to the ferry and a wave goodbye as we pulled out of the gate.
Without the restrictions of a tour guide we were free to decide where we wanted to go so once on the island we quickly found ourselves on the track to Lake Mackenzie, one of the most popular of the many freshwater lakes on the island.
After bumping down the inland tracks for little under an hour we heard a slightly ominous exploding noise and realise we'd blown a tyre. After the boys in our group showing their strength, and performing a tyre change F1 would (possibly!) be proud of, we were on our way again and soon reached the lake.
It is very bizarre to walk down a beach and not find salt water at the bottom. The lake is so fresh and clear you can open your eyes under water. Lake Mackenzie was beautiful but unfortunately the weather wasn't. It was a little overcast so after a swim and a game of Frisbee we decided to move on and see some more of the island.
Heading east we hit the smoother terrain of 75 mile beach and turned north. We paused for photos at the Maheno shipwreck, the wreck of a former luxury line that now lies on the beach slowly rusting, before heading as far north as we could go to Indian Head.
We climbed the rocky outcrop of Indian Head we watched the water for a while hoping for a glimpse of some tiger sharks, they supposedly breed around there, but the water was a little choppy so we didn't see anything.
We turned back south and found a sheltered spot to set up camp for the night. We camped alongside another vehicle from the same company and constructed a shelter with our tarpaulins which we cooked our BBQ under then cracked open the beers and spent the rest of the night sheltering from the rain. It did clear up long enough for us to play British Bulldog on the beach which was interesting in the dark.
After a few days chilling out and exploring Brisbane, including the pretty Southbank, we caught a bus north up to Hervey Bay the gateway to Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world.
We booked a self drive 4x4 3day/2night trip on the island and after an introductory meeting about Fraser we were split into our vehicle groups of nine or ten and sent down the supermarket to buy our supplies.
After an early start to put our big rucksacks into storage we were given all our camping equipment, a car, a map of Fraser Island, directions to the ferry and a wave goodbye as we pulled out of the gate.
Without the restrictions of a tour guide we were free to decide where we wanted to go so once on the island we quickly found ourselves on the track to Lake Mackenzie, one of the most popular of the many freshwater lakes on the island.
After bumping down the inland tracks for little under an hour we heard a slightly ominous exploding noise and realise we'd blown a tyre. After the boys in our group showing their strength, and performing a tyre change F1 would (possibly!) be proud of, we were on our way again and soon reached the lake.
It is very bizarre to walk down a beach and not find salt water at the bottom. The lake is so fresh and clear you can open your eyes under water. Lake Mackenzie was beautiful but unfortunately the weather wasn't. It was a little overcast so after a swim and a game of Frisbee we decided to move on and see some more of the island.
Heading east we hit the smoother terrain of 75 mile beach and turned north. We paused for photos at the Maheno shipwreck, the wreck of a former luxury line that now lies on the beach slowly rusting, before heading as far north as we could go to Indian Head.
We climbed the rocky outcrop of Indian Head we watched the water for a while hoping for a glimpse of some tiger sharks, they supposedly breed around there, but the water was a little choppy so we didn't see anything.
We turned back south and found a sheltered spot to set up camp for the night. We camped alongside another vehicle from the same company and constructed a shelter with our tarpaulins which we cooked our BBQ under then cracked open the beers and spent the rest of the night sheltering from the rain. It did clear up long enough for us to play British Bulldog on the beach which was interesting in the dark.
Go the Lions!
May 08, 2005
Me and Nicki caught the bus up to Brisbane and after staying one night with some guys we met in Byron Bay we moved to a hostel in the city.
Last night we went to the Brisbane Cricket Ground (known as the Gabba) to see an AFL match.
Brisbane Lions were playing Western Bulldogs and what with being in Brisbane we felt we should support the Lions so after donning our newly purchased scarves we took our seats and tried to look like we knew what was going on.
As we had heard from a lot of people the atmosphere was fantastic, the game is pretty easy to pick up and even easier when you make friends with some Bulldogs supporters (!) and get them to explain it to you.
Unfortunately we managed to pick the one match in absolutely ages that the Lions lost but it was a great game and really close the whole way through. We got our picture on the pitch with the dogs supporters we were talking to and they even let me keep their flag as a souvenir!
Me and Nicki caught the bus up to Brisbane and after staying one night with some guys we met in Byron Bay we moved to a hostel in the city.
Last night we went to the Brisbane Cricket Ground (known as the Gabba) to see an AFL match.
Brisbane Lions were playing Western Bulldogs and what with being in Brisbane we felt we should support the Lions so after donning our newly purchased scarves we took our seats and tried to look like we knew what was going on.
As we had heard from a lot of people the atmosphere was fantastic, the game is pretty easy to pick up and even easier when you make friends with some Bulldogs supporters (!) and get them to explain it to you.
Unfortunately we managed to pick the one match in absolutely ages that the Lions lost but it was a great game and really close the whole way through. We got our picture on the pitch with the dogs supporters we were talking to and they even let me keep their flag as a souvenir!
Weird paradise
May 05, 2005
After leaving Byron Bay we headed up the coast a bit to Surfers Paradise. It's a bit of an odd place with high rise buildings right up to the beach and I definitely preferred Byron Bay.
It was Zoe's birthday while we were there but unfortunately the weather was a bit crap so we sat in a cafe for a while and drank coffee and played cards then went to the cinema to see Kingdom of Heaven. We went out in the evening to celebrate at the Shooters Bar as we got free entry and a drink from our hostel.
We only spent two nights in Surfers Paradise, me and Nicki headed up to Brisbane and the other guys went to stay with a relative for a few days.
After leaving Byron Bay we headed up the coast a bit to Surfers Paradise. It's a bit of an odd place with high rise buildings right up to the beach and I definitely preferred Byron Bay.
It was Zoe's birthday while we were there but unfortunately the weather was a bit crap so we sat in a cafe for a while and drank coffee and played cards then went to the cinema to see Kingdom of Heaven. We went out in the evening to celebrate at the Shooters Bar as we got free entry and a drink from our hostel.
We only spent two nights in Surfers Paradise, me and Nicki headed up to Brisbane and the other guys went to stay with a relative for a few days.
Oh I do like...
May 02, 2005
... to be beside the seaside.
That's pretty much all I've been doing for the past few days, lying on the beach, chilling with friends and soaking up the sun.
We headed into the little town of Nimbin for a few hours on Saturday to check out the atmosphere of the 'Mardi Grass' (Cannabis Law Reform) festival. A ridiculous number of people come to the small town over the weekend for the event so the place was packed and there were loads of market stalls lining streets and live music being played.
Nimbin is about an hour and a half drive from Byron in the Hinterland so we got a bit of a change of scenery on the way out there which was good.
A bit more lazing an the beach and maybe some surfing if I have the energy and then we will be moving on up the coast.
... to be beside the seaside.
That's pretty much all I've been doing for the past few days, lying on the beach, chilling with friends and soaking up the sun.
We headed into the little town of Nimbin for a few hours on Saturday to check out the atmosphere of the 'Mardi Grass' (Cannabis Law Reform) festival. A ridiculous number of people come to the small town over the weekend for the event so the place was packed and there were loads of market stalls lining streets and live music being played.
Nimbin is about an hour and a half drive from Byron in the Hinterland so we got a bit of a change of scenery on the way out there which was good.
A bit more lazing an the beach and maybe some surfing if I have the energy and then we will be moving on up the coast.
Beach bound
April 26, 2005
After hanging around in Sydney for the day and soaking up the ANZAC day atmosphere, which was really good around Darling Harbour, I caught the overnight bus and headed 14hrs up the coast to Byron Bay.
Once there I explored the town a little then headed to the beach to refresh the tan which got a little neglected in N.Z.
I met up with Nicki, Kate, Lettie and Cress who I know from Fiji and we had a bit of a reunion and a good night out.
After hanging around in Sydney for the day and soaking up the ANZAC day atmosphere, which was really good around Darling Harbour, I caught the overnight bus and headed 14hrs up the coast to Byron Bay.
Once there I explored the town a little then headed to the beach to refresh the tan which got a little neglected in N.Z.
I met up with Nicki, Kate, Lettie and Cress who I know from Fiji and we had a bit of a reunion and a good night out.
Kinda Blue
April 24, 2005
I managed to get out to the Blue Mountains today and picked a good day for it as the weather was lovely.
The Blue Mountains are so called because of the fine mist of oil from the eucalyptus trees which hangs in the air creating a bluish haze.
I caught the train out to the mountain town of Katoomba and from there used the Blue Mountain Explorer Bus to 'hop-on hop-off' wherever I wanted. This was good as it allowed me to go at my own pace and see what I wanted without feeling rushed by a tight tour itinerary.
I visited the Katoomba cascades, rode down Scenic Worlds train (which travels down the hill at an incredibly steep 52 degrees), walked through the forest along the board walk and travelled back up the hill on the gondola. I also walked from Honeymoon lookout through the forest to Echo Point, lookout to the Three Sisters and start of the Giant Staircase, some 900 steps which descend into the valley below the Three Sisters (and yes I climbed down, and then back up, all 900! Idiot!).
The Three Sisters are three rock pinnacles which stand out separately from the surrounding cliffs. They were caused by erosion but the Aboriginal story is a little more interesting.
There were three sister who lived happily in the mountains with their father but were always cautious of the presence of an evil creature who also dwelt in the mountains. One day while they were out walking the creature started closing in on the sisters. Seeing this their witch doctor father turned them all to stone with his bone wand. This would keep them safe until the creature left. But the creature got angry and chased the father through the forest, he changed himself into a Lyrebird to escape but in the process of fleeing he lost his bone wand.
He is still looking for it to this day and the Three Sisters are still standing, waiting to be brought back to life.
I managed to get out to the Blue Mountains today and picked a good day for it as the weather was lovely.
The Blue Mountains are so called because of the fine mist of oil from the eucalyptus trees which hangs in the air creating a bluish haze.
I caught the train out to the mountain town of Katoomba and from there used the Blue Mountain Explorer Bus to 'hop-on hop-off' wherever I wanted. This was good as it allowed me to go at my own pace and see what I wanted without feeling rushed by a tight tour itinerary.
I visited the Katoomba cascades, rode down Scenic Worlds train (which travels down the hill at an incredibly steep 52 degrees), walked through the forest along the board walk and travelled back up the hill on the gondola. I also walked from Honeymoon lookout through the forest to Echo Point, lookout to the Three Sisters and start of the Giant Staircase, some 900 steps which descend into the valley below the Three Sisters (and yes I climbed down, and then back up, all 900! Idiot!).
The Three Sisters are three rock pinnacles which stand out separately from the surrounding cliffs. They were caused by erosion but the Aboriginal story is a little more interesting.
There were three sister who lived happily in the mountains with their father but were always cautious of the presence of an evil creature who also dwelt in the mountains. One day while they were out walking the creature started closing in on the sisters. Seeing this their witch doctor father turned them all to stone with his bone wand. This would keep them safe until the creature left. But the creature got angry and chased the father through the forest, he changed himself into a Lyrebird to escape but in the process of fleeing he lost his bone wand.
He is still looking for it to this day and the Three Sisters are still standing, waiting to be brought back to life.
Surf's up
April 23, 2005
I didn't manage to get out to the Blue Mountains so as the weather was good I decided to head out of the city to the famous Bondi Beach.
The beach was busy but as it's no longer the height of summer wasn't over crowded. There was a good atmosphere and the place was full of surfers and body boarders enjoying the good waves.
I decided to get in on the action and hired a body board for an hour and most likely spent most of that time making a complete fool of myself.
All good fun though.
The following day I hung around the city again and went up the SkyTower to get some great views. I took the SkyTour at the base of the SkyTower which involved some short videos about Australia and one longer video enhanced with moving seats, creating the effect of falling off cliffs etc.
I didn't manage to get out to the Blue Mountains so as the weather was good I decided to head out of the city to the famous Bondi Beach.
The beach was busy but as it's no longer the height of summer wasn't over crowded. There was a good atmosphere and the place was full of surfers and body boarders enjoying the good waves.
I decided to get in on the action and hired a body board for an hour and most likely spent most of that time making a complete fool of myself.
All good fun though.
The following day I hung around the city again and went up the SkyTower to get some great views. I took the SkyTour at the base of the SkyTower which involved some short videos about Australia and one longer video enhanced with moving seats, creating the effect of falling off cliffs etc.
Sydney
April 21, 2005
After arriving in Sydney and dumping my bags in the hostel I immediately got out to explore the city. I walked along the water front all the way past the Opera House (looks like it does in the pictures!), under the Harbour Bridge (it's big!) and out to the 'village' area of The Rocks.
I then walked down through the city centre and out to Darling Harbour home of the Sydney Aquarium. It is meant to be one of the best in the world and although I enjoyed it (as I would any aquatic related activity) it was much the same as any other aquarium really, just bigger. They did have a display of fish of the Antarctic and one of the largest collections of sharks.
I also explored the wonderful Paddy's Market, full of bargain shopping and souvenirs, where I picked up some cheap CD's.
That's it for the day, tomorrow I'm going out to explore the Blue Mountains... not sure whether they're actually blue though... I'll keep you posted.
After arriving in Sydney and dumping my bags in the hostel I immediately got out to explore the city. I walked along the water front all the way past the Opera House (looks like it does in the pictures!), under the Harbour Bridge (it's big!) and out to the 'village' area of The Rocks.
I then walked down through the city centre and out to Darling Harbour home of the Sydney Aquarium. It is meant to be one of the best in the world and although I enjoyed it (as I would any aquatic related activity) it was much the same as any other aquarium really, just bigger. They did have a display of fish of the Antarctic and one of the largest collections of sharks.
I also explored the wonderful Paddy's Market, full of bargain shopping and souvenirs, where I picked up some cheap CD's.
That's it for the day, tomorrow I'm going out to explore the Blue Mountains... not sure whether they're actually blue though... I'll keep you posted.
City life
Over the next two days I just hung around the city, taking in the sights and atmosphere (and shops).
I went to the National Gallery of Victoria to the Andy Warhol: Time Capsules exhibition. It was really interesting, Andy Warhol basically kept all sorts of things from his life in hundreds of cardboard boxes or 'time capsules' so there were loads of old news papers etc.
Then it was time to leave one city and head to another, Sydney. I caught the 12hr overnight bus to arrive at 7.00 in the morning.
I went to the National Gallery of Victoria to the Andy Warhol: Time Capsules exhibition. It was really interesting, Andy Warhol basically kept all sorts of things from his life in hundreds of cardboard boxes or 'time capsules' so there were loads of old news papers etc.
Then it was time to leave one city and head to another, Sydney. I caught the 12hr overnight bus to arrive at 7.00 in the morning.
Land down under
April 18, 2005
I flew from Christchurch into Melbourne arriving about 17.30 and made my way across the city to the beach front suburb of St. Kilda to find my accommodation.
The following morning I took the tram back into the city getting off at Federation Square. I wandered around and explored the city and went up to the Observation Deck in the Rialto building to get some aerial views. I got a joint ticket and wandered round the Melbourne Museum, which was quite good, before watching Robots at the IMAX theatre and catching the tram back out to St. Kilda.
I flew from Christchurch into Melbourne arriving about 17.30 and made my way across the city to the beach front suburb of St. Kilda to find my accommodation.
The following morning I took the tram back into the city getting off at Federation Square. I wandered around and explored the city and went up to the Observation Deck in the Rialto building to get some aerial views. I got a joint ticket and wandered round the Melbourne Museum, which was quite good, before watching Robots at the IMAX theatre and catching the tram back out to St. Kilda.
Feels like home
April 16, 2005
After my great trip to Milford Sound I left Queenstown and took a very long bus journey up to Christchurch for my last few days in New Zealand. On the way we passed the beautiful Mt Cook where the driver stopped to let us take some photos.
Christchurch has a very English city feel to it with its cathedral, old buildings and the river running through the city. Christchurch is aptly named the Garden City and is full of lovely green, tree filled spaces.
I enjoyed my last few days here, I walked round the city and took in the museum and picked up a few last souvenirs before I left for Australia.
After my great trip to Milford Sound I left Queenstown and took a very long bus journey up to Christchurch for my last few days in New Zealand. On the way we passed the beautiful Mt Cook where the driver stopped to let us take some photos.
Christchurch has a very English city feel to it with its cathedral, old buildings and the river running through the city. Christchurch is aptly named the Garden City and is full of lovely green, tree filled spaces.
I enjoyed my last few days here, I walked round the city and took in the museum and picked up a few last souvenirs before I left for Australia.
Sounds stunning
April 13, 2005
Rapidly running out of time in New Zealand I decided the best way to get to see Milford Sound would be a day trip from Queenstown so I booked a tour with Great Sights, choosing them over all the others basically for the sole reason that I had a 10% discount card.
The tour is a long day leaving Queenstown at 7.20 and reaching Milford Sound in time for the 1.30 boat cruise and eventually making it back to Queenstown at 7.45.
The drive to Milford Sound features, not surprisingly, stunning scenery and is supposedly one of the best alpine drives in the world.
We were incredibly lucky as the weather was fantastic, sunshine and not a cloud in the sky. Milford is a very wet part of the world so there is usually a lot of mist obscuring your views of the mountains and valleys.
Along the way we stopped at various places for photos, including the Mirror Lakes which give great reflections if the mountains.
Milford Sound was actually incorrectly named as it was created by a glacier and should therefore really be called a fiord. A sound is caused by erosion but the explorers who found it didn't know this at the time.
Milford Sound has been called the Eighth Wonder of the World, and with damn good reason. It was stunning. Huge tree covered, snow topped mountains dropping straight to the waters edge.
Truly beautiful.
Rapidly running out of time in New Zealand I decided the best way to get to see Milford Sound would be a day trip from Queenstown so I booked a tour with Great Sights, choosing them over all the others basically for the sole reason that I had a 10% discount card.
The tour is a long day leaving Queenstown at 7.20 and reaching Milford Sound in time for the 1.30 boat cruise and eventually making it back to Queenstown at 7.45.
The drive to Milford Sound features, not surprisingly, stunning scenery and is supposedly one of the best alpine drives in the world.
We were incredibly lucky as the weather was fantastic, sunshine and not a cloud in the sky. Milford is a very wet part of the world so there is usually a lot of mist obscuring your views of the mountains and valleys.
Along the way we stopped at various places for photos, including the Mirror Lakes which give great reflections if the mountains.
Milford Sound was actually incorrectly named as it was created by a glacier and should therefore really be called a fiord. A sound is caused by erosion but the explorers who found it didn't know this at the time.
Milford Sound has been called the Eighth Wonder of the World, and with damn good reason. It was stunning. Huge tree covered, snow topped mountains dropping straight to the waters edge.
Truly beautiful.
3... 2... 1...
April 12, 2005
BUNGY!
OK, so today was the day I took the plunge. And what a plunge it was!
I opted for the AJ Hackett Nevis Highwire bungy. At 134m it is the highest land based bungy in NZ (you can go a little higher if you do a para-bungy) and features a custom built jump pod and gondola to take you out there.
We made the 45min ride out to the jump site in one of the company's mini buses, and once at the base got fitted with our jump harnesses and had a quick safety talk.
We were them ferried across on the Gondola to the jump pod. There were about 20 of us doing the jump. I was one of the last so I had a long wait listening to the music being pumped into the pod, watching others plunging beneath me and getting increasingly more nervous.
Finally my time came, the straps were fitted to my feet and I shuffled forward to the edge of the platform.
"OK, ready? 3... 2... 1... "
I jumped without even thinking about it, it seemed like the natural thing to do! By the time I realised what I had done I reached the end of the bungy cord and it began to stretch. As you reach the top of the rebound there is a fraction of a second where you feel completely motionless before you begin to fall again, leaving your stomach behind.
At the top of the second rebound you reach up and pull a cord attached to your feet so that on the long winch back to the pod you are in a sitting position. This gives you time to relax, take in the views around you and compose yourself before you have to face other people and assure them...
..."it's not at all scary!"
Yeah right!
Seeing as I'm in the land of the Kiwi I thought I'd better actually see some of the national birds so after my bungy I went to the Kiwi and Wildlife Park.
I walked through the native trees and saw a variety of different native birds including three Kiwis.
As the Kiwi is a nocturnal bird they have built special Kiwi houses which create night for the Kiwi whilst it is daylight outside, allowing you to view them while they are active and foraging for food.
A relaxing way to end the day after somewhat less relaxing start.
BUNGY!
OK, so today was the day I took the plunge. And what a plunge it was!
I opted for the AJ Hackett Nevis Highwire bungy. At 134m it is the highest land based bungy in NZ (you can go a little higher if you do a para-bungy) and features a custom built jump pod and gondola to take you out there.
We made the 45min ride out to the jump site in one of the company's mini buses, and once at the base got fitted with our jump harnesses and had a quick safety talk.
We were them ferried across on the Gondola to the jump pod. There were about 20 of us doing the jump. I was one of the last so I had a long wait listening to the music being pumped into the pod, watching others plunging beneath me and getting increasingly more nervous.
Finally my time came, the straps were fitted to my feet and I shuffled forward to the edge of the platform.
"OK, ready? 3... 2... 1... "
I jumped without even thinking about it, it seemed like the natural thing to do! By the time I realised what I had done I reached the end of the bungy cord and it began to stretch. As you reach the top of the rebound there is a fraction of a second where you feel completely motionless before you begin to fall again, leaving your stomach behind.
At the top of the second rebound you reach up and pull a cord attached to your feet so that on the long winch back to the pod you are in a sitting position. This gives you time to relax, take in the views around you and compose yourself before you have to face other people and assure them...
..."it's not at all scary!"
Yeah right!
Seeing as I'm in the land of the Kiwi I thought I'd better actually see some of the national birds so after my bungy I went to the Kiwi and Wildlife Park.
I walked through the native trees and saw a variety of different native birds including three Kiwis.
As the Kiwi is a nocturnal bird they have built special Kiwi houses which create night for the Kiwi whilst it is daylight outside, allowing you to view them while they are active and foraging for food.
A relaxing way to end the day after somewhat less relaxing start.
Top spot
April 11, 2005
My trip to the deer park wasn't until 2.30pm so I had the morning in which to explore Queenstown a little more and take in a gondola ride up the hill for some great views of the town and lake.
At only $49 the trip to the Deer Park was good value. On the drive out and back we got some information on the history of deer hunting and farming in New Zealand and the area around Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu.
There was an interesting mix of animals in the park including Red and Fallow Deer, Thar, Bison, Yaks, Llamas and a lot of goats.
The views from the top of the hill were fantastic and it was easy to see why it's a popular filming location. Not only has LOTR been filmed there but other movies including Disney's The Rescue (one of their sets is even still standing on the hill top), various TV series and adverts.
Most of what was filmed for LOTR appeared in the second movie, the people of Rohan fleeing to Helms Deep passed a lake which we visited. Lets just say it's amazing what different sized camera lenses will do to a scene!
My trip to the deer park wasn't until 2.30pm so I had the morning in which to explore Queenstown a little more and take in a gondola ride up the hill for some great views of the town and lake.
At only $49 the trip to the Deer Park was good value. On the drive out and back we got some information on the history of deer hunting and farming in New Zealand and the area around Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu.
There was an interesting mix of animals in the park including Red and Fallow Deer, Thar, Bison, Yaks, Llamas and a lot of goats.
The views from the top of the hill were fantastic and it was easy to see why it's a popular filming location. Not only has LOTR been filmed there but other movies including Disney's The Rescue (one of their sets is even still standing on the hill top), various TV series and adverts.
Most of what was filmed for LOTR appeared in the second movie, the people of Rohan fleeing to Helms Deep passed a lake which we visited. Lets just say it's amazing what different sized camera lenses will do to a scene!
Adventure capital of the world
April 10, 2005
I arrived in Queenstown around 5.30pm and as soon as I stepped off the bus I could feel it had a fantastic atmosphere.
It's a reasonably small town in a beautiful setting. On the edge of Lake Wakatipu, with the Remarkables in the background, it plays host to a huge number of travellers, most of them coming to experience some of the serious adrenaline rushes from the numerous adventure activities on offer.
With so many activities and combos on offer I was a little overwhelmed, so decided just to take the following day easy and booked to go to the Deer Park. You can experience some great views of the town and surroundings, see a variety of animals and take in a few spots used in the filming of The Lord of the Rings.
I arrived in Queenstown around 5.30pm and as soon as I stepped off the bus I could feel it had a fantastic atmosphere.
It's a reasonably small town in a beautiful setting. On the edge of Lake Wakatipu, with the Remarkables in the background, it plays host to a huge number of travellers, most of them coming to experience some of the serious adrenaline rushes from the numerous adventure activities on offer.
With so many activities and combos on offer I was a little overwhelmed, so decided just to take the following day easy and booked to go to the Deer Park. You can experience some great views of the town and surroundings, see a variety of animals and take in a few spots used in the filming of The Lord of the Rings.
Puzzling...
The bus ride from Fox to Wanaka featured yet more beautiful scenery (seems to be a theme in this country) and I arrived in Wanaka fairly late in the afternoon so didn't have time for much other than a quick wander round the town. It's a small but pretty town situated right beside Lake Wanaka.
The following morning I went out to the Puzzling World which is home to various different intriguing displays. There is a room full of great holographic pictures, some of the best I've seen and a room with hundreds of famous faces, such as Nelson Mandela and Abraham Lincoln, which appear to follow you as you walk round the room.
There is also an Ames, forced perspective, room in which you can appear like a giant or a hobbit! Outside there is a great two storey maze featuring four coloured corners which you have to find before you can leave.
Even the cafe is a feature of this place. The tables are covered in infuriatingly difficult puzzles which you could easily spend all day trying to achieve, and I probably would have done had I not had to catch the bus to Queenstown.
The following morning I went out to the Puzzling World which is home to various different intriguing displays. There is a room full of great holographic pictures, some of the best I've seen and a room with hundreds of famous faces, such as Nelson Mandela and Abraham Lincoln, which appear to follow you as you walk round the room.
There is also an Ames, forced perspective, room in which you can appear like a giant or a hobbit! Outside there is a great two storey maze featuring four coloured corners which you have to find before you can leave.
Even the cafe is a feature of this place. The tables are covered in infuriatingly difficult puzzles which you could easily spend all day trying to achieve, and I probably would have done had I not had to catch the bus to Queenstown.
Very Cool
April 08, 2005
I left Greymouth and travelled South to the small town of Franz Josef which sits in the valley at the bottom of a glacier.
I decided it would be cool (literally) to explore the glacier up close so booked onto a half day walking tour.
We walked through the valley and up to the terminal face of the glacier before donning our crampons for a few hours exploring on the ice. We saw some interesting formations and walked though a crevasse and learnt a little about the glacier.
It is very unusual as it descend to around only 250m above sea level and sits in an area covered with temperate rain forest. Due to the position on the West coast and weather fronts moving across the Tasman Sea a lot of snow falls on the glacier Neve (snow catchment area) and the top layer of the glacier advances 5m per day., with the terminal face advancing 1m per day. Besides Fox glacier (which falls from the same Neve) this is the only place in the world outside Argentina and Chile where glaciers and temperate rainforests co-exist.
After Franz Josef I decided I would head to the second glacier of Fox but the weather was a little too miserable so I spent my afternoon deciding where I should go next.
South (again) and inland to Wanaka.
I left Greymouth and travelled South to the small town of Franz Josef which sits in the valley at the bottom of a glacier.
I decided it would be cool (literally) to explore the glacier up close so booked onto a half day walking tour.
We walked through the valley and up to the terminal face of the glacier before donning our crampons for a few hours exploring on the ice. We saw some interesting formations and walked though a crevasse and learnt a little about the glacier.
It is very unusual as it descend to around only 250m above sea level and sits in an area covered with temperate rain forest. Due to the position on the West coast and weather fronts moving across the Tasman Sea a lot of snow falls on the glacier Neve (snow catchment area) and the top layer of the glacier advances 5m per day., with the terminal face advancing 1m per day. Besides Fox glacier (which falls from the same Neve) this is the only place in the world outside Argentina and Chile where glaciers and temperate rainforests co-exist.
After Franz Josef I decided I would head to the second glacier of Fox but the weather was a little too miserable so I spent my afternoon deciding where I should go next.
South (again) and inland to Wanaka.
Mountain Express
April 05, 2005
After a fantastic time in Kaikoura I caught another southbound bus and headed for Christchurch. I spent just one night here as a stop over before I went across to the west coast.
I decided to head west on the TranzAlpine train, which is meant to be one of the most scenic train rides in the world... and it was pretty damn scenic.
After passing across the Canterbury plains, hedged fields not unlike English countryside I have to say, we headed into the mountains and climbed up towards Arthur's Pass. Here, unfortunately, due to work on some tunnels further down the line, we had to transfer to a coach for the rest of our journey. It was no great loss though as the road followed the railway track for almost the entire journey.
The journey ended in Greymouth, the largest town on the west coast where I spent one night before I continued my journey south.
After a fantastic time in Kaikoura I caught another southbound bus and headed for Christchurch. I spent just one night here as a stop over before I went across to the west coast.
I decided to head west on the TranzAlpine train, which is meant to be one of the most scenic train rides in the world... and it was pretty damn scenic.
After passing across the Canterbury plains, hedged fields not unlike English countryside I have to say, we headed into the mountains and climbed up towards Arthur's Pass. Here, unfortunately, due to work on some tunnels further down the line, we had to transfer to a coach for the rest of our journey. It was no great loss though as the road followed the railway track for almost the entire journey.
The journey ended in Greymouth, the largest town on the west coast where I spent one night before I continued my journey south.
Whale Tale
April 04, 2005
I walked out to the Whale Watch HQ (which doubles as a train stop cleverly named the Whaleway Station) for my 09.30 trip. We were bused out to the quay and loaded onto the boat (called "world of enlightenment").
We cruised out from Kaikoura, taking in the beautiful mountain backdrop, and headed into deeper water. Once out far enough one of the guides used a hydrophone to listen for the whales. Once the general direction is determined we head out and watch for the tell-tale spray from the blow holes of the whales.
Sperm whales are the largest carnivores in the world and the deepest diving mammals. The dive for very long periods and when they surface they usually only do so for between eight and fifteen minutes to catch their breath before another dive.
We managed to see two males, each around eighteen metres long, as long as our boat, and watched them for about ten minutes before they disappeared back into the blue. Not before I got a great photo of the classic whale tail in the air.
On our return to the quay we saw some Wandering Albatross, the largest flighted birds in the world, and a colony of New Zealand Fur Seals. We were also lucky enough to see a pod of around 200-300 Dusky Dolphins, one of the most acrobatic of all the species, and were subjected to fifteen minutes of them surfing the boats bow wave and flipping and leaping through the air.
Not a bad day really!
I walked out to the Whale Watch HQ (which doubles as a train stop cleverly named the Whaleway Station) for my 09.30 trip. We were bused out to the quay and loaded onto the boat (called "world of enlightenment").
We cruised out from Kaikoura, taking in the beautiful mountain backdrop, and headed into deeper water. Once out far enough one of the guides used a hydrophone to listen for the whales. Once the general direction is determined we head out and watch for the tell-tale spray from the blow holes of the whales.
Sperm whales are the largest carnivores in the world and the deepest diving mammals. The dive for very long periods and when they surface they usually only do so for between eight and fifteen minutes to catch their breath before another dive.
We managed to see two males, each around eighteen metres long, as long as our boat, and watched them for about ten minutes before they disappeared back into the blue. Not before I got a great photo of the classic whale tail in the air.
On our return to the quay we saw some Wandering Albatross, the largest flighted birds in the world, and a colony of New Zealand Fur Seals. We were also lucky enough to see a pod of around 200-300 Dusky Dolphins, one of the most acrobatic of all the species, and were subjected to fifteen minutes of them surfing the boats bow wave and flipping and leaping through the air.
Not a bad day really!
Cook Straight
April 03, 2005
After my little stint in Wellington it was time to head south (well, east actually) to Picton on the South Island. My chosen transport was the Lynx ferry, part of Interislander cruises, and it provided me with a two-and-a-half hour cruise through the Cook Straight with some fantastic scenery along the way.
Once in Picton I had two or three hours to kill before my bus south to Kaikoura. This gave me just enough time to enjoy the Seahorse aquarium and the Edwin Fox museum.
I arrived at the aquarium just in time for a fish feeding session so got a bit of a guided tour of the displays, which included sharks, rays, sea horses (obviously) and one of only seven (I think) giant squid specimens on display in the world.
The squid was interesting as not much is known about them. What is known is that they live very deep in the ocean and form part of the diet of the Sperm whale, coincidentally a creature I was hoping to see something of in Kaikoura.
After the aquarium I popped next door to check out Edwin Fox, the ninth oldest ship in the world, the oldest surviving ship that transported British soldiers during the Crimean War, the oldest surviving wooden ship that transported convicts to Australia and immigrants to New Zealand. It was an interesting display and I even got to walk around inside the ship.
That filled my time nicely before I got the bus, which took a fantastic coastal road all the way down Kaikoura.
After my little stint in Wellington it was time to head south (well, east actually) to Picton on the South Island. My chosen transport was the Lynx ferry, part of Interislander cruises, and it provided me with a two-and-a-half hour cruise through the Cook Straight with some fantastic scenery along the way.
Once in Picton I had two or three hours to kill before my bus south to Kaikoura. This gave me just enough time to enjoy the Seahorse aquarium and the Edwin Fox museum.
I arrived at the aquarium just in time for a fish feeding session so got a bit of a guided tour of the displays, which included sharks, rays, sea horses (obviously) and one of only seven (I think) giant squid specimens on display in the world.
The squid was interesting as not much is known about them. What is known is that they live very deep in the ocean and form part of the diet of the Sperm whale, coincidentally a creature I was hoping to see something of in Kaikoura.
After the aquarium I popped next door to check out Edwin Fox, the ninth oldest ship in the world, the oldest surviving ship that transported British soldiers during the Crimean War, the oldest surviving wooden ship that transported convicts to Australia and immigrants to New Zealand. It was an interesting display and I even got to walk around inside the ship.
That filled my time nicely before I got the bus, which took a fantastic coastal road all the way down Kaikoura.
National treasure
April 01, 2005
Usually I can only spend an hour or two in a museum before my concentration starts to wander but I managed to pass at least four hours in the fantastic Te Papa, Our Place, New Zealands national museum. Maybe this is because I'm a slow reader, maybe it's an indication of how interesting it was, who knows.
After the museum I wandered up to Lambton Quay and took the cable car up the hill to the Cable Car museum and the Botanical Gardens. The views over the city were really nice and the info. boards about the history of the cable car were really interesting. I wandered through the gardens for a while before taking the cable car back down the hill.
After wandering through the city a little longer and out along the water front to Oriental Bay I decided to take a walk up Mount Victoria to get some more views of the surrounding area.
By the time I made it up there it was beginning to get dark so I got some fantastic views of the city lights and the sun going down behind the hills.
Usually I can only spend an hour or two in a museum before my concentration starts to wander but I managed to pass at least four hours in the fantastic Te Papa, Our Place, New Zealands national museum. Maybe this is because I'm a slow reader, maybe it's an indication of how interesting it was, who knows.
After the museum I wandered up to Lambton Quay and took the cable car up the hill to the Cable Car museum and the Botanical Gardens. The views over the city were really nice and the info. boards about the history of the cable car were really interesting. I wandered through the gardens for a while before taking the cable car back down the hill.
After wandering through the city a little longer and out along the water front to Oriental Bay I decided to take a walk up Mount Victoria to get some more views of the surrounding area.
By the time I made it up there it was beginning to get dark so I got some fantastic views of the city lights and the sun going down behind the hills.
A capital place
March 31, 2005
I got into Wellington and did my usual thing of getting out on foot and exploring the city. Despite being the Country's capital and a big city it is very compact so actually feels fairly small. It's easy to walk around the whole city.
The city is divided into four quarters with the Cuba quarter being my favourite. It has a cool vibe and is full of great shops and cafes.
As the city seems quite small it has a nice feel about it and I enjoyed wandering around for a few hours.
I got into Wellington and did my usual thing of getting out on foot and exploring the city. Despite being the Country's capital and a big city it is very compact so actually feels fairly small. It's easy to walk around the whole city.
The city is divided into four quarters with the Cuba quarter being my favourite. It has a cool vibe and is full of great shops and cafes.
As the city seems quite small it has a nice feel about it and I enjoyed wandering around for a few hours.
Haven't I seen you before?
March 30, 2005
I was planning on heading straight to Wellington from New Plymouth but as all the buses that go that way pass through Palmerston North I decided to stop over there and catch up with Liz again.
We spent the afternoon wandering through 'Palmy' as it is known and had a great lunch in a Cambodian noodle house.
In the evening we had a drink and played a few games of pool before crashing at Anthony's flat.
Thanks Anthony, for the bed, breakfast and rides to and from the bus station; much appreciated.
I was planning on heading straight to Wellington from New Plymouth but as all the buses that go that way pass through Palmerston North I decided to stop over there and catch up with Liz again.
We spent the afternoon wandering through 'Palmy' as it is known and had a great lunch in a Cambodian noodle house.
In the evening we had a drink and played a few games of pool before crashing at Anthony's flat.
Thanks Anthony, for the bed, breakfast and rides to and from the bus station; much appreciated.
A familiar face
March 29, 2005
Today I managed to catch up with my old school friend Liz and her boyfriend Anthony which was good. We wandered round New Plymouth for a bit and had lunch before they had to set off for Palmerston North to go back to Uni.
After Liz had left I explored the PukeKura park which was very pretty although a little damp.
Today I managed to catch up with my old school friend Liz and her boyfriend Anthony which was good. We wandered round New Plymouth for a bit and had lunch before they had to set off for Palmerston North to go back to Uni.
After Liz had left I explored the PukeKura park which was very pretty although a little damp.
Walking with Goblins
March 28, 2005
After a good night out I then had to get up early to catch the 8am shuttle out to the mountain. The drive up to North Egmont Visitor Centre was nice with Tom, our Maori driver, telling us about the mountain, park and native trees. He even said a Maori prayer for us to grant us safe passage on the mountain and a safe journey home.
Once at the visitor centre we were told the weather wasn't brilliant on the mountain so attempting the peak wasn't recommended. Myself and Anna, a German lady also staying at the Sunflower, did some shorter walks out from the visitor centre.
The best of these was the fantastic walk through the "Goblin Forest" - a wonderful dense forest where the trees are covered in lichens and the ground is carpeted with moss. It really was like some kind of fairy tale world where you really do expect to see a Goblin behind every tree!
The weather was fairly good to us and the clouds even lifted just long enough for us to take a photo of the peak.
After a good night out I then had to get up early to catch the 8am shuttle out to the mountain. The drive up to North Egmont Visitor Centre was nice with Tom, our Maori driver, telling us about the mountain, park and native trees. He even said a Maori prayer for us to grant us safe passage on the mountain and a safe journey home.
Once at the visitor centre we were told the weather wasn't brilliant on the mountain so attempting the peak wasn't recommended. Myself and Anna, a German lady also staying at the Sunflower, did some shorter walks out from the visitor centre.
The best of these was the fantastic walk through the "Goblin Forest" - a wonderful dense forest where the trees are covered in lichens and the ground is carpeted with moss. It really was like some kind of fairy tale world where you really do expect to see a Goblin behind every tree!
The weather was fairly good to us and the clouds even lifted just long enough for us to take a photo of the peak.
If you can see the mountain...
March 27, 2005
...it's going to rain. If you can't see the mountain it's already raining. At least that's the saying in the Taranaki region.
I left Taupo and headed across to the West coast to New Plymouth, a popular surfing spot and a good place from which to explore Mt. Taranaki and the Egmont National Park.
I stayed at the very nice Sunflower Lodge which, sure enough, was full of surfers and I was quickly invited out to a local surf club where a live band was playing to celebrate the end of a surfing competition. The band was good and it was a fun night.
The twenty minute walk back along the coastal walkway was nice, despite the rain
...it's going to rain. If you can't see the mountain it's already raining. At least that's the saying in the Taranaki region.
I left Taupo and headed across to the West coast to New Plymouth, a popular surfing spot and a good place from which to explore Mt. Taranaki and the Egmont National Park.
I stayed at the very nice Sunflower Lodge which, sure enough, was full of surfers and I was quickly invited out to a local surf club where a live band was playing to celebrate the end of a surfing competition. The band was good and it was a fun night.
The twenty minute walk back along the coastal walkway was nice, despite the rain
Is it a lake...
March 26, 2005
...no it's a volcano. Lake Taupo is actually a huge volcanic crater which is still active. The eruption which caused it was believed to have been seen as far away as Rome where writings at the time spoke of red sunsets a dark cloud from the south which blackened the sky for a few years.
I took a boat cruise onto the lake today to see some very impressive Maori rock carvings, the biggest of which stands about 10m high. Other carvings included a Lizard, guardian of the carvings, a high priest to hold the SW winds at bay and a Taniwha, a spirit from the lake.
After the cruise I caught a shuttle bus out to the Huka Falls. On the way out the lovely driver stopped at Craters of the Moon, a thermal area, to let me take a few photos of the steaming landscape.
The Huka Falls were very beautiful, they are not particularly tall or wide but a ridiculous amount of water (220,000 litres actually!) passes over them every second.
Considering I was disappointed that I couldn't do the Tongariro Crossing due to bad weather on the mountain I had a very good day.
...no it's a volcano. Lake Taupo is actually a huge volcanic crater which is still active. The eruption which caused it was believed to have been seen as far away as Rome where writings at the time spoke of red sunsets a dark cloud from the south which blackened the sky for a few years.
I took a boat cruise onto the lake today to see some very impressive Maori rock carvings, the biggest of which stands about 10m high. Other carvings included a Lizard, guardian of the carvings, a high priest to hold the SW winds at bay and a Taniwha, a spirit from the lake.
After the cruise I caught a shuttle bus out to the Huka Falls. On the way out the lovely driver stopped at Craters of the Moon, a thermal area, to let me take a few photos of the steaming landscape.
The Huka Falls were very beautiful, they are not particularly tall or wide but a ridiculous amount of water (220,000 litres actually!) passes over them every second.
Considering I was disappointed that I couldn't do the Tongariro Crossing due to bad weather on the mountain I had a very good day.
Rain, rain go away...
March 25, 2005
I was picked up by the rafting company and taken out to their site to get kitted up. Yet more wriggling into a wetsuit! Then it rained. It rained a lot!
The guides got very excited, "cool, the river's gonna be sweet!" They then went to check it out and decided it would be a little too "sweet" and the trip had to get cancelled.
I was disappointed but I've done rafting before so I'll live. We were offered the chance of a trip on another river but I didn't have time as I had to get back to town to chatch the bus to Taupo.
Spent the afternoon in Taupo just wandering and exploring the town but as it was Good Friday most things were shut.
I was picked up by the rafting company and taken out to their site to get kitted up. Yet more wriggling into a wetsuit! Then it rained. It rained a lot!
The guides got very excited, "cool, the river's gonna be sweet!" They then went to check it out and decided it would be a little too "sweet" and the trip had to get cancelled.
I was disappointed but I've done rafting before so I'll live. We were offered the chance of a trip on another river but I didn't have time as I had to get back to town to chatch the bus to Taupo.
Spent the afternoon in Taupo just wandering and exploring the town but as it was Good Friday most things were shut.
Diamond Geyser
March 24, 2005
After wandering through the Waitomo Museum of Caves, using the free ticket I got with the rafting, I caught a bus out to Rotorua, a highly active volcanic/geothermal area.
Arriving mid afternoon I didn't really have time for anything big so spent the afternoon wandering through the town and down to the lake front. Lake Rotorua was the second lake discovered in the area so was originally named Roto (lake) - rua (two).
This morning I caught a shuttle bus out to Wai-O-Tapu (Sacred Waters) one of the many thermal sites in the area. After a quick stop at a large pool of boiling mud we went on to see the Lady Knox Geyser.
Every day, at 10.15am, 300g of soap powder is poured into the geyser to break the surface tension and cause it to erupt. It would erupt on its own but this way it is controlled and allows everyone to see it erupting. Quite an impressive sight.
We were then left in Wai-O-Tapu for an hour or two to wander round the craters and pool at our leisure. All the minerals that have been dissolved by the water have caused some impressive colour schemes.
Then it was back to Rotorua where I took a few hours to explore the Museum of Art and History which was very interesting.
I was hoping to do some White Water Rafting today but the river was closed due to too much rain. It will be open tomorrow though...
...bring on tomorrow!
After wandering through the Waitomo Museum of Caves, using the free ticket I got with the rafting, I caught a bus out to Rotorua, a highly active volcanic/geothermal area.
Arriving mid afternoon I didn't really have time for anything big so spent the afternoon wandering through the town and down to the lake front. Lake Rotorua was the second lake discovered in the area so was originally named Roto (lake) - rua (two).
This morning I caught a shuttle bus out to Wai-O-Tapu (Sacred Waters) one of the many thermal sites in the area. After a quick stop at a large pool of boiling mud we went on to see the Lady Knox Geyser.
Every day, at 10.15am, 300g of soap powder is poured into the geyser to break the surface tension and cause it to erupt. It would erupt on its own but this way it is controlled and allows everyone to see it erupting. Quite an impressive sight.
We were then left in Wai-O-Tapu for an hour or two to wander round the craters and pool at our leisure. All the minerals that have been dissolved by the water have caused some impressive colour schemes.
Then it was back to Rotorua where I took a few hours to explore the Museum of Art and History which was very interesting.
I was hoping to do some White Water Rafting today but the river was closed due to too much rain. It will be open tomorrow though...
...bring on tomorrow!
Glowing with adrenaline
March 22, 2005
Hopped on a bus in Auckland and headed South to Waitomo, famous for its glow worm caves.
Not wanting to do the standard "float in on a nice boat, look at the glow worms and float out again" option I went for the more adventurous (and expensive!) option of the Black Abyss tour with the Legendary Black Water Rafting Co.
I spent a good 15 mins negotiating myself into a wetsuit and various other attractive pieces of equipment but it was definitely worth it.
We were driven out to the cave entrance where we did a practice abseil on a small grassy slope. Apparently this was meant to prepare us for dropping vertically through the rock into the caves below us! The guides (who were really good and great fun) seemed satisfied we weren't going to kill ourselves and sent over the edge and into the dark.
After walking through the cave a short way there was a surprise for us. I won't spoil it for anyone but it was great fun and the first proper view of the glow worms.
We made our way down through the caves to a ledge on the edge of the river where we stopped for tea, coffee and a snack before launching ourselves into the river on our tubes (rubber rings). Using ropes running along the wall we pulled ourselves upstream. Once sufficiently far upstream we all linked up, switched off our lights and floated back downstream looking at all the thousands of glow worms above us. It was really spectacular.
We ditched our tubes back at the ledge and walked on through the cave system. We squeezed our way through a few holes before reaching the end and being given a choice of exits. The Walk of Tranquillity or The Waterfalls of Dooooom! You can guess which way we went! We squeezed ourselves into a chamber under the waterfall and them climbed up and squeezed ourselves into another chamber above before crawling out into the sunshine.
Fantastic!
Hopped on a bus in Auckland and headed South to Waitomo, famous for its glow worm caves.
Not wanting to do the standard "float in on a nice boat, look at the glow worms and float out again" option I went for the more adventurous (and expensive!) option of the Black Abyss tour with the Legendary Black Water Rafting Co.
I spent a good 15 mins negotiating myself into a wetsuit and various other attractive pieces of equipment but it was definitely worth it.
We were driven out to the cave entrance where we did a practice abseil on a small grassy slope. Apparently this was meant to prepare us for dropping vertically through the rock into the caves below us! The guides (who were really good and great fun) seemed satisfied we weren't going to kill ourselves and sent over the edge and into the dark.
After walking through the cave a short way there was a surprise for us. I won't spoil it for anyone but it was great fun and the first proper view of the glow worms.
We made our way down through the caves to a ledge on the edge of the river where we stopped for tea, coffee and a snack before launching ourselves into the river on our tubes (rubber rings). Using ropes running along the wall we pulled ourselves upstream. Once sufficiently far upstream we all linked up, switched off our lights and floated back downstream looking at all the thousands of glow worms above us. It was really spectacular.
We ditched our tubes back at the ledge and walked on through the cave system. We squeezed our way through a few holes before reaching the end and being given a choice of exits. The Walk of Tranquillity or The Waterfalls of Dooooom! You can guess which way we went! We squeezed ourselves into a chamber under the waterfall and them climbed up and squeezed ourselves into another chamber above before crawling out into the sunshine.
Fantastic!
The land of the long white cloud
March 21, 2005
After spending my final few days in Fiji lying on a beach in the sun (made a change) and picking up a few souvenirs in Nadi I headed for Aotearoa, land of the long white cloud, New Zealand.
I flew into North Island and spent my first day in Auckland exploring the city a little. There's nothing like a birds eye view for getting your bearings so I headed up the SkyTower for some fantastic views of the city.
Feeling like I now knew where I was going I wandered through the pretty Alberts Park and Auckland Domain and found my way to the Auckland Museum. With only an hour there it wasn't really enough time but they have some great Maori stuff including a very impressive 25m long war canoe.
The following day I went out to Rangitoto Island, one of the many volcanic cones in the Auckland area and walked up to the summit where the views of the city and surrounding coastline are well worth the walk. On the descent I headed off the main track to walk through the Lava Caves.
Heading out of the city I went into the Waitakere Ranges and out to Piha Beach, a black volcanic sand beach popular with surfers. I also did a short walk out from Piha through the forest to a waterfall.
Tomorrow I'm leaving Auckland to explore the rest of the North Island.
After spending my final few days in Fiji lying on a beach in the sun (made a change) and picking up a few souvenirs in Nadi I headed for Aotearoa, land of the long white cloud, New Zealand.
I flew into North Island and spent my first day in Auckland exploring the city a little. There's nothing like a birds eye view for getting your bearings so I headed up the SkyTower for some fantastic views of the city.
Feeling like I now knew where I was going I wandered through the pretty Alberts Park and Auckland Domain and found my way to the Auckland Museum. With only an hour there it wasn't really enough time but they have some great Maori stuff including a very impressive 25m long war canoe.
The following day I went out to Rangitoto Island, one of the many volcanic cones in the Auckland area and walked up to the summit where the views of the city and surrounding coastline are well worth the walk. On the descent I headed off the main track to walk through the Lava Caves.
Heading out of the city I went into the Waitakere Ranges and out to Piha Beach, a black volcanic sand beach popular with surfers. I also did a short walk out from Piha through the forest to a waterfall.
Tomorrow I'm leaving Auckland to explore the rest of the North Island.
Fit for a King - Week 6
March 15, 2005
More surveying and more snorkel surveys! Spotted a few more White Tips and managed a very brief glimpse of a Green Turtle whilst snorkeling so no complaints really.
Wednesday was a very important day for me: my birthday! Miz baked me a lovely chocolate and banana cake, the whole group had signed a card for me and we were allowed to watch a movie in the evening. I picked Finding Nemo; it seemed appropriate.
Friday was an important day for Raviniake and Coral Cay Conservation. We had a visit from Prince Charles. He wanted to come out and see what we do and how we live at Raviniake. It was quite a big deal for CCC as he normally doesn't endorse specific companies but he asked to come and see us so it was good publicity. Apparently it was all over the Fijian news.
He arrived on Taivovo, the fastest boat in the Mamanucas, and was transferred to a glass bottomed boat to watch a survey in action. He was then taken on a tour of Raviniake which ended on the beach where the survey team he had been watching were dekitting and myself and three others were getting kitted up ready to go on a survey.
We then had a group photo, me in scuba gear, and gave him a traditional Raviniake send off. This basically involves spelling his name cheerleader/YMCA style. Yes, we cheered Royalty, we may never return to Britain!
Saturday was my last day at Raviniake and I got to do one last recreational dive at a great site called Plantation Pinnacles. I even managed to see one last bit of mega-fauna, a 6ft Gray Reef Shark which swam about 1m in front of me! A nice way to finish.
Six weeks had disappeared far too quickly but I had an absolutely fantastic time, my enjoyment increased all the more when I heard that while I enjoyed glorious sunshine every day the UK was covered in snow!
HA!
More surveying and more snorkel surveys! Spotted a few more White Tips and managed a very brief glimpse of a Green Turtle whilst snorkeling so no complaints really.
Wednesday was a very important day for me: my birthday! Miz baked me a lovely chocolate and banana cake, the whole group had signed a card for me and we were allowed to watch a movie in the evening. I picked Finding Nemo; it seemed appropriate.
Friday was an important day for Raviniake and Coral Cay Conservation. We had a visit from Prince Charles. He wanted to come out and see what we do and how we live at Raviniake. It was quite a big deal for CCC as he normally doesn't endorse specific companies but he asked to come and see us so it was good publicity. Apparently it was all over the Fijian news.
He arrived on Taivovo, the fastest boat in the Mamanucas, and was transferred to a glass bottomed boat to watch a survey in action. He was then taken on a tour of Raviniake which ended on the beach where the survey team he had been watching were dekitting and myself and three others were getting kitted up ready to go on a survey.
We then had a group photo, me in scuba gear, and gave him a traditional Raviniake send off. This basically involves spelling his name cheerleader/YMCA style. Yes, we cheered Royalty, we may never return to Britain!
Saturday was my last day at Raviniake and I got to do one last recreational dive at a great site called Plantation Pinnacles. I even managed to see one last bit of mega-fauna, a 6ft Gray Reef Shark which swam about 1m in front of me! A nice way to finish.
Six weeks had disappeared far too quickly but I had an absolutely fantastic time, my enjoyment increased all the more when I heard that while I enjoyed glorious sunshine every day the UK was covered in snow!
HA!
Adventures in the dark- Week 5
March 05, 2005
This was the first week we really got into surveying. As the new dive trainees had arrived we were sharing dive equipment, which meant we had to do a lot of snorkel surveys.
We got a few really good dives though. On one dive we were meant to be surveying at 30m, but about halfway down our SMB (surface marker buoy, lets the boat know where we are) got tangled so we couldn't descend any further. We began our ascent and as we reached 5m a huge Manta Ray swam over the top of us. It must have been about 2m wing tip to wing tip and swam only a metre or two above us.
The following day was another good one. We did a survey on Supermarket Reef, notorious for shark sightings, and sure enough we saw four White Tip Reef Sharks and a Black Tip Reef Shark. We also had a little tag along in our survey team in the form of a Sharksucker who hitched a ride on my tank.
That evening Miz, Richard's replacement, had a surprise for us. As a treat for the slightly rubbish week and having to do so many snorkel surveys we were allowed to go on a night dive. Despite having dived on Raviniake House Reef so many times it felt very different at night. It was cool to see how all the fish behaved at night and I managed to find a big Moray Eel and some huge crabs. There was even some phosphorescence in the water.
Another Saturday rolled around and with more people leaving there was another theme, tonight it was couples. Again there was quite a turn out with appearances from Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, Fred and Wilma Flinstone and even SpongebobSquarepants and Squidward! Another interesting evening.
This was the first week we really got into surveying. As the new dive trainees had arrived we were sharing dive equipment, which meant we had to do a lot of snorkel surveys.
We got a few really good dives though. On one dive we were meant to be surveying at 30m, but about halfway down our SMB (surface marker buoy, lets the boat know where we are) got tangled so we couldn't descend any further. We began our ascent and as we reached 5m a huge Manta Ray swam over the top of us. It must have been about 2m wing tip to wing tip and swam only a metre or two above us.
The following day was another good one. We did a survey on Supermarket Reef, notorious for shark sightings, and sure enough we saw four White Tip Reef Sharks and a Black Tip Reef Shark. We also had a little tag along in our survey team in the form of a Sharksucker who hitched a ride on my tank.
That evening Miz, Richard's replacement, had a surprise for us. As a treat for the slightly rubbish week and having to do so many snorkel surveys we were allowed to go on a night dive. Despite having dived on Raviniake House Reef so many times it felt very different at night. It was cool to see how all the fish behaved at night and I managed to find a big Moray Eel and some huge crabs. There was even some phosphorescence in the water.
Another Saturday rolled around and with more people leaving there was another theme, tonight it was couples. Again there was quite a turn out with appearances from Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, Fred and Wilma Flinstone and even SpongebobSquarepants and Squidward! Another interesting evening.
PIZZA! PIZZA! - Week 4
February 26, 2005
Beginning of week four and I decided to continue my diving education with the Rescue Diver course. We practiced search patterns to find missing divers and techniques to bring unconcious divers to the surface and help panicked divers at the surface, and so on.
On Tuesday we had to put all these skills into practice with two rescue scenarios. We didn't know what these scenarios would involve or when they would take place so we had to be on standby all day and ready to respond to the cry of ...
... PIZZA! PIZZA! (replacing HELP! so as not to confuse others) In our first scenario we had to deal with a panicked diver at the surface and a missing diver underwater who was unconcious and not breathing. There were seven of us taking the course so we weren't all needed in the water. I stayed on shore to get oxygen ready for the unconcious diver and contact the emergency services.
... PIZZA! PIZZA! In our second scenario we had to deal with three panicked divers at the surface and one missing diver (this time in the form of a weight belt) who was concious and breathing but had just got lost. I was first on the scene and quickly snorkelled out to help the panicked divers while others kitted up for an underwater search.
Both scenarios went well, the second quicker than the first and all seven of us passed the course.
Beginning of week four and I decided to continue my diving education with the Rescue Diver course. We practiced search patterns to find missing divers and techniques to bring unconcious divers to the surface and help panicked divers at the surface, and so on.
On Tuesday we had to put all these skills into practice with two rescue scenarios. We didn't know what these scenarios would involve or when they would take place so we had to be on standby all day and ready to respond to the cry of ...
... PIZZA! PIZZA! (replacing HELP! so as not to confuse others) In our first scenario we had to deal with a panicked diver at the surface and a missing diver underwater who was unconcious and not breathing. There were seven of us taking the course so we weren't all needed in the water. I stayed on shore to get oxygen ready for the unconcious diver and contact the emergency services.
... PIZZA! PIZZA! In our second scenario we had to deal with three panicked divers at the surface and one missing diver (this time in the form of a weight belt) who was concious and breathing but had just got lost. I was first on the scene and quickly snorkelled out to help the panicked divers while others kitted up for an underwater search.
Both scenarios went well, the second quicker than the first and all seven of us passed the course.
The Underwater World - Weeks 2 & 3
February 19, 2005
The next fortnight was, misleadingly named, Science Week and, with a few hangovers being nursed, we began on Sunday desperately trying to remember 23 species of algae, 35 species of hard coral, 66 invertebrates and 132 fish.
We also learned that starfish are in fact just cute squishy things with lots of legs and aren't dangerous. The Linkia laevigata on the dangerous animals list was just a cruel, but funny, joke.
Science week also marked my first sighting of "mega-fauna." I saw two White Tip Reef Sharks whilst I was doing a dive to test my (lack of) knowledge of fish.
After some how managing to remember all that aquatic life we then had to learn the skills we needed to survey the reef. Unfortunately I was out of the water again so missed most of this due to what is affectionately know at Raviniake as MING (infected mosquito bites). I eventually caught up and Saturday night marked the end of our passage from ignorance to fully fledged surveyors: "Stormtroopers of the sea, protectors of the ecosystem."
Two of the older volunteers were leaving so we had another themed night. The sleeping areas were split into tribes and we had to come up with a God to worship, tribal costumes and a tribal dance to perform around the campfire. Silly but very entertaining.
The next fortnight was, misleadingly named, Science Week and, with a few hangovers being nursed, we began on Sunday desperately trying to remember 23 species of algae, 35 species of hard coral, 66 invertebrates and 132 fish.
We also learned that starfish are in fact just cute squishy things with lots of legs and aren't dangerous. The Linkia laevigata on the dangerous animals list was just a cruel, but funny, joke.
Science week also marked my first sighting of "mega-fauna." I saw two White Tip Reef Sharks whilst I was doing a dive to test my (lack of) knowledge of fish.
After some how managing to remember all that aquatic life we then had to learn the skills we needed to survey the reef. Unfortunately I was out of the water again so missed most of this due to what is affectionately know at Raviniake as MING (infected mosquito bites). I eventually caught up and Saturday night marked the end of our passage from ignorance to fully fledged surveyors: "Stormtroopers of the sea, protectors of the ecosystem."
Two of the older volunteers were leaving so we had another themed night. The sleeping areas were split into tribes and we had to come up with a God to worship, tribal costumes and a tribal dance to perform around the campfire. Silly but very entertaining.
Divers Down - Week 1
February 05, 2005
The next few days were focused on getting everyone PADI Open Water qualified. Already being PADI OW it was a little tedious going through it all again but it was good to refresh my memory. By Wednesday everyone was qualified so I was looking forward to Thursday and the new territory of Advanced Open Water.
Then our stores arrived.
Every Monday our weekly stores are ordered from the mainland and they arrive at Castaway every Wednesday. They are brought round from Castaway on our dive boat Cheeky and to get them inside we form a chain of people up the beach. During this process a box of beer got wet, split and dropped its contents in an explosion of beer and glass ... and blood. My blood. The glass has cut my ankle and ruined my chances of diving on Thursday.
I woke on Friday morning looking forward to getting back in the water only to find I had developed an ear infection over night so still couldn't dive.
I made it to Saturday night without getting too annoyed and released my frustration in a blaze of alcohol. Drinking is restricted during the week due to diving but, with no diving on a Sunday, Saturday is a big night.
Every once in a while a special occasion occurs and Saturday nights have a theme. Our expedition leader Richard was having his last Saturday at Raviniake so he decided he wanted a 'T' party. We had to dress up as anything that began with the letter T. It was quite a turn out with everyone from the Tin Man (me) to Tinkerbell, Tony the Tiger, Mr T and Tarzan making an appearance.
The next few days were focused on getting everyone PADI Open Water qualified. Already being PADI OW it was a little tedious going through it all again but it was good to refresh my memory. By Wednesday everyone was qualified so I was looking forward to Thursday and the new territory of Advanced Open Water.
Then our stores arrived.
Every Monday our weekly stores are ordered from the mainland and they arrive at Castaway every Wednesday. They are brought round from Castaway on our dive boat Cheeky and to get them inside we form a chain of people up the beach. During this process a box of beer got wet, split and dropped its contents in an explosion of beer and glass ... and blood. My blood. The glass has cut my ankle and ruined my chances of diving on Thursday.
I woke on Friday morning looking forward to getting back in the water only to find I had developed an ear infection over night so still couldn't dive.
I made it to Saturday night without getting too annoyed and released my frustration in a blaze of alcohol. Drinking is restricted during the week due to diving but, with no diving on a Sunday, Saturday is a big night.
Every once in a while a special occasion occurs and Saturday nights have a theme. Our expedition leader Richard was having his last Saturday at Raviniake so he decided he wanted a 'T' party. We had to dress up as anything that began with the letter T. It was quite a turn out with everyone from the Tin Man (me) to Tinkerbell, Tony the Tiger, Mr T and Tarzan making an appearance.
And so it begins...
January 29, 2005
OK, I'll start at the beginning, that seems logical.
The world is a very big place and getting from one side to the other is, quite literally, a pain in the a**. After 23 hours flying and mislaying January 28th somewhere over the Pacific Ocean I arrived, bleary eyed, in Fiji to be greeted at six in the morning by some fairly enthusiastic guitarists and shouts of BULA!
After a quick freshen up in a hotel, myself and 12 others headed off to the Mamanuca (pronounced Mamanutha) Islands which lie to the west of Viti Levu. Our expedition site, Raviniake, shares Qalito Island (also known as Castaway Island) with the, apparently, world famous Castaway Resort.
We arrived just in time for lunch, prepared every day (except Sundays) by a local woman, and happily chowed down on rice, dahl, noodles and bread ... blissfully ignorant of the fact that this would make up our lunch every day for the rest of our time at Raviniake.
After the overload of carbohydrates Richard, expedition leader, gave us a tour of our new home and quickly set the tone of the place by indulging in a little toilet poetry: If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down. This is not just the ramblings of a slightly disturbed man but a little rhyme to remind us of Raviniake toilet ettiquette.
I feel this may need some explanation. Qalito has no natural water source, meaning no fresh water for us to live off. This is bad. This means every few months water is shipped in on a barge and stored in huge tanks on site. Water conservation is therefore very important and we can't waste precious fresh water on trivial things like flushing toilets! Toilet flushing is therefore carried out with sea water and to prevent huge amounts of salt water collecting in the septic tanks is reserved only for special occasions ... like after taking a dump.
Indoor showers were also restricted to one a day lasting no more than 60 seconds but we had an outdoor rainwater pump we could use as often as we liked.
Next came the dangerous animals lecture warning us of the dangers of stone fish and banded sea snakes and an unexpected one, the Linkia levigata or blue starfish. Starfish are cute squishy things with lots of legs, they can't be dangerous - right? Wrong - relieving yourself in the water near one causes it to release poisonous barbs.
Continuing along the theme of throwing us trembling newbies in at the deep end we were tossed out to sea (in the rain I might add) and made to swim and tread water for 10 minutes for our PADI Open Water course.
Utterly shattered we were then left to enjoy the Saturday night festivities, minus the alcohol though as we would be diving first thing the following morning.
And so it began...
OK, I'll start at the beginning, that seems logical.
The world is a very big place and getting from one side to the other is, quite literally, a pain in the a**. After 23 hours flying and mislaying January 28th somewhere over the Pacific Ocean I arrived, bleary eyed, in Fiji to be greeted at six in the morning by some fairly enthusiastic guitarists and shouts of BULA!
After a quick freshen up in a hotel, myself and 12 others headed off to the Mamanuca (pronounced Mamanutha) Islands which lie to the west of Viti Levu. Our expedition site, Raviniake, shares Qalito Island (also known as Castaway Island) with the, apparently, world famous Castaway Resort.
We arrived just in time for lunch, prepared every day (except Sundays) by a local woman, and happily chowed down on rice, dahl, noodles and bread ... blissfully ignorant of the fact that this would make up our lunch every day for the rest of our time at Raviniake.
After the overload of carbohydrates Richard, expedition leader, gave us a tour of our new home and quickly set the tone of the place by indulging in a little toilet poetry: If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down. This is not just the ramblings of a slightly disturbed man but a little rhyme to remind us of Raviniake toilet ettiquette.
I feel this may need some explanation. Qalito has no natural water source, meaning no fresh water for us to live off. This is bad. This means every few months water is shipped in on a barge and stored in huge tanks on site. Water conservation is therefore very important and we can't waste precious fresh water on trivial things like flushing toilets! Toilet flushing is therefore carried out with sea water and to prevent huge amounts of salt water collecting in the septic tanks is reserved only for special occasions ... like after taking a dump.
Indoor showers were also restricted to one a day lasting no more than 60 seconds but we had an outdoor rainwater pump we could use as often as we liked.
Next came the dangerous animals lecture warning us of the dangers of stone fish and banded sea snakes and an unexpected one, the Linkia levigata or blue starfish. Starfish are cute squishy things with lots of legs, they can't be dangerous - right? Wrong - relieving yourself in the water near one causes it to release poisonous barbs.
Continuing along the theme of throwing us trembling newbies in at the deep end we were tossed out to sea (in the rain I might add) and made to swim and tread water for 10 minutes for our PADI Open Water course.
Utterly shattered we were then left to enjoy the Saturday night festivities, minus the alcohol though as we would be diving first thing the following morning.
And so it began...
The night before the morning after... (or something)
January 26, 2005
With less than 12hrs until I need to be at Heathrow you might think that by now it would have sunk in that I'm leaving. It hasn't. It still feels strangely unreal. I don't think it will hit me until I'm actually there, with the sun on my face... sand at my feet... waves rolling up the beach... palm trees swaying in the tropical breeze...
OK, now I'm excited.
I trust you are all appropriately jealous.
HA!
With less than 12hrs until I need to be at Heathrow you might think that by now it would have sunk in that I'm leaving. It hasn't. It still feels strangely unreal. I don't think it will hit me until I'm actually there, with the sun on my face... sand at my feet... waves rolling up the beach... palm trees swaying in the tropical breeze...
OK, now I'm excited.
I trust you are all appropriately jealous.
HA!
11 DAYS TO GO!
January 16, 2005
OK, seeing as I don't have much to say in this post other than 11 DAYS TO GO I'll use the space to explain what (for those of you who don't know) happens in 11 days.
Well, basically I'm getting out of England and off on my own for a while. 27th January will see me waving farewell to this merry little isle and heading to the warmer climes of the Southern Hemisphere. 22hrs and 45mins of flying will land me in Fiji where I will spend six weeks on a Coral Cay Conservation project scuba diving to map the reef. Then it's off to New Zealand and Australia for about two months of independent travelling. I want to explore some of NZ on foot ('tramping' as the Kiwis say) and do some 'adrenaline' sports (namely bungee jumping) in Queenstown before heading up the East Coast of Oz, diving on the Barrier Reef and hopefully heading out to Uluru before flying home from Brisbane.
So, in summary, 11 DAYS TO GO!
OK, seeing as I don't have much to say in this post other than 11 DAYS TO GO I'll use the space to explain what (for those of you who don't know) happens in 11 days.
Well, basically I'm getting out of England and off on my own for a while. 27th January will see me waving farewell to this merry little isle and heading to the warmer climes of the Southern Hemisphere. 22hrs and 45mins of flying will land me in Fiji where I will spend six weeks on a Coral Cay Conservation project scuba diving to map the reef. Then it's off to New Zealand and Australia for about two months of independent travelling. I want to explore some of NZ on foot ('tramping' as the Kiwis say) and do some 'adrenaline' sports (namely bungee jumping) in Queenstown before heading up the East Coast of Oz, diving on the Barrier Reef and hopefully heading out to Uluru before flying home from Brisbane.
So, in summary, 11 DAYS TO GO!
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