Ryan Doucette's Online World: 10/01/2006

July 2nd, 2006 - Day 1 - Lord Howe Island

It’s funny how fast things in life change. Although change is inevitable in life, I am often surprised at how quickly change can occur when it is pushed along by a determined mind. While I may offer many logical and passionate reasons for my choices to come to Lord Howe Island, the best answer is, and always will be, that I was meant to come here for a reason; I’d like to think that the word fate may have something to do with it. Whatever the case, the first day on the island has quickly made me realize that the reasoning for my trip to Lord Howe is ultimately part of my educational and spiritual journey. I know it will provide the right environment for me to be truly productive and happy.

I left for the Brisbane international airport at 7:30 am with my aunt, our neighbour and friend Heidi, and her two daughters Abbey and Charlie. After checking in my surfboard and baggage, I waved goodbye to the city life for three months of island life.

The plane was small and held only 40 passengers. On this particular flight over half of the seats were empty. We cruised over Stradbroke Island off Brisbane and headed out into the Pacific where the sun shone brightly onto the water.

The flight to Lord Howe took approximately 2 hours. Truly, approaching the island from the air is quite the experience. Suddenly you realize how small the island actually is, and the scenery is absolutely breathtaking; high mountains towering over beautiful, pristine beaches. There were a few clouds in the sky as we descended over the crystal clear blue lagoon onto the airstrip where we disembarked.

I was greeted by a Pinetree’s staff member named Gai at the tiny airstrip and led to a shuttle bus where I loaded my gear. We then headed a couple of kilometers up the road along the shoreline to the resort where I was given a brief orientation and was told I had the day of to go and explore the island by bike.

After sitting down for a quick lunch, I headed out on a rental bike and found Blinky beach, one of the main surfing beaches down the road. It was deserted and I walked along the shoreline and checked out the breaks. Not much going on, but enough to have some fun for sure.

I hopped back on my bike and headed up to the Northern tip of the island checking out the resorts and sights along the way. I went passed a museum, police station, bank, school, post office, bowling club, and the most gorgeous lagoon and jungle road I have ever seen.

I continued along and headed to Ned’s beach where I was told I could feed fish and there were a couple of islanders having a BBQ. I peddled down onto the sand and walked to the waters edge where a couple was feeding giant King fish some bread. There was a whole school of them hoarding the pieces, flipping about in the water; such an amazing sight to see.
I met one of the islanders, Kate, who is the daughter of the owners of Pinetree’s resort. We sat and had a beer with a bunch of other people sitting admiring the sights and soaking in the sun.

Another mate I met earlier, Lance, walked up with another girl with snorkeling gear on and I decided to go with them into the water using the gear supplied at the beach. After only half an hour in the water I had seen sharks, a whole array of colourful tropical fish, magnificent coral and a sea turtle. There really aren’t any words to describe the emotions of seeing such creatures live underneath you. Lord Howe has such a vast diversity of plant and animal life, it is truly something to behold.

I returned from Ned’s beach high on life. I ate a delicious meal of pasta, fish, beef tenderloin and vegetables and finished the night listening to the live jazz band in the lodge.

I am really looking forward to the next three months…

July 3rd, 2006 - Day 2 - Lord Howe Island

Today was my first day of work on the island. I had no idea what to expect, except that I would be working the ‘front pantry’ in the resort. Needless to say, I was excited and a little anxious; like anyone would be the first day on the job.

First off, I want to note that the resort is absolutely stunning, and is the oldest guesthouse on the island. It is situated directly across from the crystal clear lagoon which is protected by a vast stretch of reef, and continues inland to the base of a small mountain that has cows grazing its tall grasses all day. Stepping across the road separating the resort and the lagoon, you reach the Pinetree’s boathouse that includes a perfect view of the southern mount Gower and the beautiful beaches and mountain peaks to the North. Inside the boathouse there are historical photos of the bloodlines of the current Pinetree’s owners, a fridge stocked full of all kinds of alcohol working on the honesty system, and enough tables and chairs to host one hell of a Barbeque!

But anyway, my day started at 6:30 am. It was a fantastic sleep due to the fresh sea air and the soft sound of rain pelting the roof of my room. I met the other staff at 7:00 am and began work: Vacuuming the lodge, cleaning and tidying up, and washing dishes. Despite the fact that it is the largest resort on the island, there are only about 50 guests occupying the potential 85 rooms. During the winter, the population of the island and number of visitors arriving each week drops dramatically, so the overall workload over the course of the next three months will be much less substantial than in the peak summer months. Regardless of what any of the locals say, the winter is warm and an ideal time to visit.

We ate breakfast at 8:00 and I got to meet some of my co-workers. Many of them were older; however there were some younger staff. Immediately, I could sense who I would connect with, and over the morning learned about their time on the island, their thoughts about the job and the resort, and the many things to do during off-time. While all the staff seemed great, the two people I connected with were Lance and Minami. Lance is from Australia, and has been trained as a chef, although is working as a waiter / front pantry staff while on the island to get away from the stress of the real world. Recently, Lance was a pastry chef for the new Superman movie that was filmed in Sydney. Obviously, some pretty cool stuff. As for Manami, she is an adventuresome Japanese girl who has trouble with her English, but is doing very well learning the language. She has been traveling Australia for a while now and is set to leave Lord Howe in a month.

For our afternoon break, all three of us set out on our mountain bikes to explore the island. We stopped along the road many times and admired the absolute beauty of the island.

By the time we got back it was dark and we had to go to back to work to serve the guests dinner. We finished work somewhere around 9:00 and popped in the movie ‘Big Fish’ and got cozy in an empty staff room using the cushions from an old couch.

July 4th, 2006 - Day 3 - Lord Howe Island

It’s funny because it feels like I have been here forever, when in fact I haven’t even been here for three full days! The island slows down and distorts one sense of time; it is definitely a strange sensation.

As for work, today was much the same as yesterday. Actually, I anticipate that most of the work days will be very much the same, and that it will be free-time that that will be different each day.

I got to know some more names of the staff, and worked hard until 2:00 pm. For our afternoon break, Lance and I covered some serious ground, mountain biking around the island before taking our wetsuits and snorkeling gear and swimming almost 2 kilometers out into the lagoon to an island. I must say, the underwater life in the lagoon is astounding. We had the chance to see a massive starfish, brightly coloured fish, and heaps of strange coral. When we finally reached the island, we took some photos of the sunset and headed back before dark to work.

Definitely looking forward to the next three months!

July 5th, 2006 - Day 4 - Lord Howe Island

Work went as usual today. Pretty much learned everything there is to learn about the front pantry position.

I must say, the combination of fresh air, exercise, a steady routine and huge spreads of tasty food I’ve been eating for my meals have made me feel healthier and stronger than ever before. I’ve been eating heaps of red meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, and drinking lots of water and tea. For the first time in my life I am able to focus inward without the distractions of city living.

For my daytime break today Lance took me on his daily bike route from one end of the island to the other. We traveled north up to Old Settlement beach, headed west to check out the surf at Ned’s beach, and took the back roads up and down some pretty big hills. We continued on until the gate just before the walk up to Mount Gower and had to head back to serve afternoon tea; once a week it’s my responsibility.

Dinner went by quick and we all hurried to catch the last half of State of Origin on the big screen at the bowling club just up the street. It was the third and final match between Queensland and New South Wales. I wagered $20 for Queensland and ended up winning as the final score was 14-12 in the Maroons favour.

For the rest of the evening I met some of the locals and drank a few stubbies of VB. Most of the locals are super friendly; however, one local, the grounds keeper for Pinetree’s is a real piece of work. I said hi to the guy and he told me off. Probably the drunkenness and the fact that his team, the NSW Blues lost the State of Origin rugby match.

Tomorrow’s my first day off so I am planning on sleeping in and continuing to explore the island on foot and bike.

July 6, 2006 - Day 5 - Lord Howe Island

Today was exceptionally sunny and warm. I woke up a little groggy from the red wine and VB from last night and nibbled on the breakfast Lance delivered to my door since I slept in; Lance is a wicked dude!

To shake of my hangover, I first hopped on my mountain bike and headed up to Old Settlement beach to explore. I brought my digital cameras and took some amazing footage and pictures of the lagoon, a woman fishing off the dock, and a huge sea bird resting in the tall grass.

After Old Settlement I headed over to Ned’s and grabbed some snorkel gear and jumped in the water. I didn’t even need a wet suit today since the sun was hot in the sky and the water temperatures up. All around me were huge kingfish, colourful parrot fish, and hundreds of other cool looking creatures. I swam around for a bit admiring my surroundings until I ran right into a reef shark and it scared the shit out of me, so I headed in to shore and fed the kingfish some bread that an older man gave me. It’s pretty amazing to watch meter-long fish scramble around your feet for some bread.

After taking a nap on a bench at Blinky beach I finished my afternoon snapping photos of the scenery, walking along the surf and riding my bike down the paths at the south end of the island.

I stayed at the resort to watch the jazz band called ‘the Moods’ perform their last performance on the island for the year and watched a couple episodes of ‘Kath & Kim’, a hilarious comedy filmed in Melbourne and produced by the ABC.

July 7th, 2006 - Day 6 - Lord Howe Island

It seems as though a positive routine has set in. I wake up early, work from seven until two, do a workout, bike the entirety of the island, and then squeeze into my wetsuit to go explore the underwater worlds of Lord Howe’s many beaches and reefs. Waking up early and eating properly allows me to maintain energy for the long days, although, by nine o’clock when I finish work I’m pretty exhausted. I’m sure as time passes my routine is bound to change; however, the point is that I am living a healthy, active and fun lifestyle thanks to my work hours and the abundance of things to do on the island.

Today was no different. I finished work at two and did my sit-ups and push-ups; I’m trying to keep in good shape for surfing and all of the other physical activities I am up to these days. I went for a bike ride to check out Ned’s and Blinky’s to see if the surf was up (which it wasn’t) and killed most of the afternoon. When I got back, Lance and I decided to go for a snorkel. Since I was scheduled to work afternoon tea, I couldn’t go too far. We were going to go explore a dark hole on the opposite side of the island near Middle Beach, but since time was running short, we just decided to stick to the lagoon. We spent about 45 minutes exploring before I had to return to work.

Work went smoothly and I headed home to watch a couple of episodes of 24, season 2. Most of the islanders were going to a cross-dressing b-day party, but I decided to opt out because of a headache and, well, I couldn’t find the damn place. I am glad I took an early night; there will be many times to party in the future.

When Lance got home from the party, he was trashed. He was slurring and swearing like an Irish sailor. Needless to say, he woke me up so we decided to go for a hike halfway up Transit Hill so that he could show me a massive honeybee’s nest in the trunk of an old tree. On our way up, Lance slipped in a huge pile of cow shit; one of the funniest things I have seen!

At the top of the hill, Lance explained to me how his brother died a few years back in a motorbike accident. It devastated him and his family. He is still suffering from the loss and probably always will. His brother was an identical twin, and he was closer than most to his brother. He showed me a coin attached to a necklace and it was part of a collection of loose coins his brother had on him when he crashed. Each person in the family got a coin.

July 8th, 2006 - Day 7 - Lord Howe Island

Today was Lance’s last day. We knew we had to make the best of the afternoon by going on a massive adventure. A few weeks back, Lance had located a deep hole along the shoreline near Middle Beach, just underneath a place called ‘A Clear Place’. He was dying to show me the area and wanted to snorkel Middle Beach before he left. As soon as we finished work, we went on our daily bike ride, got our gear, and hiked over some cow fields to Middle Beach.

Along the way, we stopped to take pictures of the cow that supplies us with our fresh, -un-pasteurized milk; it was a huge dairy cow and had recently given birth to a little calf that was full of energy. We watched it go ‘burko’ (Aussie slang for ‘crazy’) and continued along the path.

The sun was fairly low in the sky when we entered the absolutely stunning Middle Beach. Compared to some of the past few days I have observed the beach, it was fairly calm, which is perfect for a snorkel.

Underneath the water, we swam along one of the most beautiful coral reefs in the world. The life-forms that we observed at Middle Beach defy explanation, description and imagination; they are simply awe-inspiring and unique. Truly, the colours and diversity of life I observed in their natural habitats made me feel closer to God. Something inside me changed and from that moment on I had a new respect for life, evolution, and the millions of creatures inhabiting this planet.

For Lance’s last night on the island we chilled out with Manami in our little cinema room and watched the movie ‘Flightplan’ while sipping red wine.

July 9th, 2006 - Day 8 - Lord Howe Island

A regular day of work for me today, so I didn’t have a chance to see Lance take off. Despite the fact that I just met the guy, I have the feeling we will meet again when I return to the mainland. He was an adventurous, positive spirit.

For the first part of the afternoon I packed up all of my things and moved into Lance’s room which was twice as big as mine with a double bed. I changed the sheets up on the bed, put posters up and basically made the room feel like home.

The rest of the afternoon I biked down the coast to the farthest point before heading up to Mount Gower to check out the surf on South Reef. The sky was completely clear and the sun was hot as I peddled through thick grass, underneath towering mountains and into the shade of the dense kentia palms.

After work, Manami and I decided to head up to the summit of Transit Hill to take a look at the stars and nearly full moon. The sky was absolutely clear and the tower at the summit offers 360 degree views of the entire island.

Before we left we sat and looked through her photos of her trip so far on my laptop. She is an excellent photographer and has some stunning shots of Western Australia. I hope to get there soon.

We left for the tower around 10 and got there within 45 minutes. The light from the moon was extremely bright and we could see are way in the dark; however, I brought a flashlight because the path was rugged and full of big banyan and palm tree roots.

Aside from the crazy view from atop the hill, there is a time capsule that the residents encased in a block of cement in 1982. The cool thing is that the time capsule is to be opened by the direct family descendants of Lord Howe in the year 2082. I wonder what was put in there!?

July 10th, 2006 - Day 9 - Lord Howe Island

Today was day off for me. I set the alarm to go and watch the World Cup final between Italy and France but switched off my alarm; the match was set to begin at four in the morning. No possible way; I woke up at 10.

In the morning I did my laundry, check my e-mail on the unbelievably slow internet connection found in the Lord Howe museum, bought a phone card and phoned family back in Canada. Also, I purchased the book ‘Lord Howe Island - Rising’ written by Daphne Nichols. She is one of the direct descendants of the original Nichol family that has been on the island for over a century.

In the afternoon I decided to go on a massive hike up to the summit of mount Eliza. According to Manami and heaps of other islanders, the summit offers the best views of the entire island. The hike took me just over three hours and indeed delivered the most stunning views of the lagoon and mountains in the background.

For the evening I read, wrote in my journal, watched some episodes of ‘Kath & Kim’ and 24, and sipped some good ol’ Jim Beam and Coke.

July 11th, 2006 - Day 10 - Lord Howe Island

How do you know if someone is on the path of their true destiny, or have strayed from its path? This question has been on my mind lately, especially in light of my new-found isolation on an island in the middle of the ocean. How and why am I here? What is the purpose of my journey? Each day I contemplate these thoughts, and each day I feel as though I get a little closer to the answer. I guess what I chalk it up to personal growth; spiritually, physically and mentally.

Today I want to articulate some of the lessons I have learned about my life and the human experience. My story is simple: It is about freedom and pain, the universe versus the individual, and the unquenchable thirst to visit strange lands and meet new people. It is about experience; about living your dreams. It is about curiosity, and recognition of belonging to a truly global world. Above all of this, it is about passion and love; Love for all of God’s creatures, both big and small. Without passion and love, we are but atoms buzzing in empty space…

This afternoon was very interesting. After finishing work at two I headed up to Ned’s beach with my wetsuit to go snorkeling. The sun was high in the sky and sweat beaded off my brow as I peddled up the steep inclines down Lagoon road and past the shops in the middle of the island. Today I decided to take some photographs with my underwater camera, and I brought my surfboard in case the surf was up.

When I arrived at Ned’s I realized that it was low tide. Of the 10 days I have spent on the island, it was the lowest I had ever seen it. The shoreline was far out past the main reef and exposed a myriad of rocks, coral and sea life. I grabbed the gear from the shack at the beach and jumped into the water amongst a group of wild king fish on the shoreline; there were three guests I recognized from Pinetree’s feeding the group of fish. For the first half an hour I snapped some pictures of the colourful fish and coral and waded in the shallow reef. Suddenly, I noticed the three people waving their arms and calling me from the beach; they were saying SHARK! I swam in slowly thinking that they had just seen a small reef shark’s fin come out of the water so I had a quick talk with them and returned back into the water. Not 10 minutes later, I saw a big six foot Wailer shark swimming amongst the coral. The animal looked incredibly intimidating but was probably harmless; however, I decided to go back to shore and not take any chances.

For the next hour or so I walked amongst the shallow tide pools looking at coral and the mysterious creatures of the ocean. I observed hundreds of sea cucumbers, urchins, tropical fish, sea slugs, starfish, clams and a variety of unusual aquatic life, including two extremely poisonous and often deadly stone fish. They camouflage themselves well, and if you happen to step on one in the ocean, you are in big trouble.

I finished the night shift and headed out for a quick walk to the lagoon to check out the full moon over the water. The entire island was eerily lit by its light and dark shadows were cast by the palms lining the beach.

July 12th, 2006 - Day 11 - Lord Howe Island

The best thing about my trip so far is that the days keep getting better and better. Today was an exceptional day, and quite unexpected. Around 11 in the morning one of the managers named Lyndie approached me to ask if I wanted to go on a scenic flight around the island and Ball’s pyramid, a mystical rock formation about 20 kilometers off the island. Of course, I jumped at the chance.

The flight cost me $80 dollars and left directly after my shift at 2 in the afternoon. To be honest, it couldn’t have been a better day to go on a flight; the sky was predominantly clear with the exception of a few clouds forming over Mt. Gower. As soon as I finished my shift I ran home and grabbed my cameras and changed and met Lyndie and another girl from Pinetree’s named Jenn out front of the resort. We were then driven with the other guests who were departing Lord Howe to the airport where we met Matt, one of the people helping out with the scenic flights. We waited a couple of minutes for the pilot John ‘Friendly’ to arrive and I took some preliminary footage for my documentary.

Take-off was extremely smooth and exciting. Lord Howe’s airport is strategically built right smack in the middle of the island with awesome views; at sunset, the airstrip extends directly into the sunset creating the most beautiful departure one could possibly experience.

In the cabin with Jenn and I were three other passengers from Lord Howe, making the total number six. The windows of the plane allowed everyone amazing 360 degree views of the landscape below. We first over the island lagoon and then passed the spectacular Mt. Gower and observed the massive clouds forming over the summit. The perspective of the island totally changed and suddenly a new world opened and I could conceive, understand, and appreciate the ultimate energy and beauty of the landscape.

After passing the summit of Mt. Gower we continued out into the ocean for about 5 minutes in pursuit of the notorious Ball’s pyramid. From certain vantage points on the island you are able to see the mysterious rock formation in the distance. Flying closer to the rock I quickly determined that it is definitely a wonder of the world; right in the middle of the ocean it extends hundreds of meters into the sky, and is home to hundreds of exotic birds. John took us around Ball’s three times, each time climbing closer to the summit and flying closer for a better look.

The second half of the flight John took us back to Lord Howe and flew around the entirety of the island a few times, allowing us to photograph and videotape exceptional views of the unique features of the island including Blinky, North Bay, Old Settlement, and Ned’s Beach.

After about an hour in the air we touched back down on Lord Howe with memories to last a lifetime and pictures and video to prove it. Without exception, Lord Howe and its surrounding reefs, islands and geographic features are unique to the world and truly something to behold. I feel extremely fortunate and thankful to have had the opportunity to experience such a flight.

When I got back to Pinetree’s I was exhausted from the experience and took nap; my first nap of the trip! It didn’t last. I loud exotic bird woke me up after less than an hour so I decided to do a workout and jumped on my mountain bike and headed down the coast. I just left the resort when I noticed the most amazing sunset lighting up the sky with the most amazing pinks, purple’s and oranges. I have to say it was one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen in my life. I grabbed my camera, took some footage and headed back out on the road to tackle some of the massive hills before my evening shift.

To end the perfect day I opened a bottle of red (Lindmans Shiraz Cab), sat in the staff area at Pinetree’s with the managers Lyndie and Marie and watch a thunderstorm push into the island.

July 13th, 2006 - Day 12 - Lord Howe Island

Today was a day off so I decided to sleep in a little. I got up at 11:30, right in time to get dressed and head over to the resort for lunch. The plan for the day was to go on the glass bottom boat tour and snorkel from two until four; however it was a really windy day on the lagoon and the tour was cancelled. Instead, I began reading a book on Lord Howe Island called ‘Rising’ by one of the islander’s named Daphne Nichols. So far, it’s a really great read detailing many of the fascinating stories from the early whaling years to the first settlement and beyond. Inspired, I got to work on importing video for my documentary into my laptop, and organizing the files using Adobe Premiere Pro. Furthermore, I have chosen a title for my project: ‘Lord Howe Island - Living Legends.’

After a few hours of sitting around my room working and sipping on some bourbon I decided I’d better get some physical activity into my day and headed out on my bike on the regular route to the base of Mt. Gower. I peddled hard, worked up a sweat, and returned for a big meal.

At eight o’clock I invited Manami to the lounge next to my room and we watched the movie ‘Ladder 49’ and taught each other sentences in each others’ language.

July 14th, 2006 - Day 13 - Lord Howe Island

I wish I had more to say today but the truth is that today was much the same as yesterday. I am getting knee deep into organizing the video I have taken so far and exploring some of capabilities of the editing software. I was going to do the glass bottom boat tour today but I realized that I had to serve afternoon tea. I read more of ‘Rising’ and started organizing ideas for some of the stories I want to cover in the film. Furthermore, I inquired about contacting Daphne to get permission to use some of the information in her book for the film, and it turns out she is living on the island again after being away for a year in Sydney publishing her book. I got her phone number off her sister in law Sue who works at Pinetree’s in the office, and will contact Daphne once I complete the book and do a little more organizing of the potential content I want to cover.

July 15th, 2006 - Day 14 - Lord Howe Island

I’ve got to admit, I have been having some of the best sleeps of my entire life here at Lord Howe; the air is super fresh, and the sound of the wind blowing through the kentia palms puts me out like a light.

Another work day for me today, but to be honest, I don’t care. Work here is actually enjoyable for once. I get to meet guests from all over Australia and around the world, the tasks are simple and there is always something to do meaning the day goes by fast.

I got a little surprise today when a co-worker called me into the laundry room. She made me open my hand and surprised me with a nice little nugget of marijuana for me to smoke in the afternoon. On that note, I wanted to do something extraordinary to make best use of my little gift.

At break today I decided to go on a massive hike up Mt. Lidgbird to check out the view from a place called ‘Goathouse Cave.’ The entrance to the trail was on the South side of the island so I had to peddle my bike a ways before even starting the steep incline up the mountain. It took me about an hour to reach the cave since I was hustling up trying to work up a sweat. I took some really good pictures from the view overlooking the island and some of the exotic local flora.

By the time I got down the mountain, peddled back to the resort, and got a shower, I was ready for bed. Unfortunately I had to serve dinner still. Luckily, many of the guests who were staying on the island doing weeding (about 20 of them) left today and we had only 22 people in for dinner.

For my Saturday night I cashed in early, wrote a little, played with some editing, read a book, watched some 24, and went to sleep early. Nice.

July 16th, 2006 - Day 15 - Lord Howe Island

Not much happened today. I think all of my daily activities have finally caught up with me! As soon as I finished my breakfast and lunch shifts I headed home and crashed for a couple hours. When I woke up, I did manage to get up to Ned’s beach with a big bag of bread to feed the fish, but quickly returned as the sun was setting. For the rest of the evening after work I watched some DVD’s and edited a six minute clip of my scenic flight around Lord Howe Island and Ball’s pyramid. I got the rough cut done, but there is still a little more work to do to get it presentable. I definitely love the Adobe Premiere Pro software; you can do some many cool things with it!

July 17th, 2006 - Day 16 - Lord Howe Island

Of course on my day off the weather turns out to be absolute crap. As it was cold and rainy, I decided to sleep in until 11. When I finally got up I did my laundry and headed over to the Lord Howe museum to check my e-mail, look at some of the exhibits, and read some of the history and information on the island.

To be honest, I was actually quite surprised at how interesting the museum turned out to be. I mean, I’ve walked through the place before, but this was the first time I’d actually been through the entire museum. They had old salvaged materials dating as far back as the 16th century and a whole collection of artifacts, photos and memorabilia since the islands discovery in 1788 right up until modern day. In addition to the historical memorabilia, there was a whole section dedicated to the unique flora and fauna found on the island, geological information, maps, fossils and interactive presentations. I think the most interesting thing that I learned today is that barnacles, those spiny little creatures that attach themselves almost everywhere in the ocean, have the largest penis to body-size ratio of any animal on earth; and they are hermaphroditic, and can impregnate themselves if there aren’t any other barnacles in the area!

After spending the rest of the afternoon finishing Daphne’s book, I headed to the Pinetree’s lodge, sat by the fire, worked on some editing, and began reading ‘True History of the Kelly Gang’ by Peter Carey.

July 18th, 2006 - Day 17 - Lord Howe Island

I met a couple at Pinetree’s a couple of days ago and we made plans to go snorkeling together sometime this week. Today was the day. After my shift I headed to the museum for 20 minutes of internet access to check my e-mail, came back home, suited up, and met them in the courtyard. Their names are Nick and Ruth, and they are on vacation from North Sydney. He is an architect and she works with disabled people. Definitely two cool cats.

We took the regular route to Middle Beach, up and over the hills and cow pastures. When we got to Middle Beach we examined the water and noticed a strong rip right in the spot we wanted to snorkel, so we decided it was a safer bet to head over to Ned’s beach which is protected by a larger reef.

Snorkeling in high tide is much different, and the ocean was still messy from the night before when a storm passed through. Regardless, the sun was shinning and we hit the water with enthusiasm. Today we saw a couple of sharks, a sea turtle, countless species of brightly coloured fish, and of course a few massive King fish feeding near the shoreline. I brought my camera and managed to snap a couple of really awesome pictures of the unique ecosystems, including some nice ones of a Galapagos reef shark swimming in close to me. Even though I know that they are harmless, I still get spooked by their eyes; I think all sharks have a death glare!

It was a pretty smooth night at work. When I got home I was welcomed by a huge huntsman spider that had some how managed to get into my room and was sitting complacently upside down on the ceiling. I grabbed some ‘Baygon’ and gave him a shower. He immediately dropped onto my bed and I had to scurry him into a waste basket and toss him outside. They are definitely fascinating, but ugly little creatures.

July 19th, 2006 - Day 18 - Lord Howe Island

I must admit the weather this week has been completely unpredictable. One minute it’s bright and sunny outside, the next, windy, cold and rainy. I’ve been making the best of it by planning my day’s activities rain or shine; however, today was just a little too windy and chilly for my liking. Instead of going for a massive hike in the rainforest, I decided to take a nap, read my book, and go for what ended up being a short bike ride. I left on my normal route but the wind and rain became overbearing so I headed back home.

After my shift my Japanese friend Manami came over to my room and we watched some picture slideshows and video that I took of the island and I translated her favourite Alicia Keys song for her. Since I met her English has improved dramatically. She is leaving in three weeks. I will definitely be sad to see her go.

July 20th, 2006 - Day 19 - Lord Howe Island

Another work day for me but I had big plans for my afternoon break. The weather and wind had picked up and Eastern swell off Middle Beach. I made some plans with a couple of the cooks at Pinetree’s named ‘Stinky’ and Lance (Yeah, another one). Another girl from Pinetree’s named Jerlinda met me at my room at two o’clock and we hiked over Transit Hill together to get to the beach. When I got there were some pretty decent sets coming in. Since I’ve been snorkeling at Middle I know how shallow and dangerous the coral reef is in that area so I just watched for a bit. Luckily the tide was really high and the swells were pretty deep off the reef.

I left Jerlinda on the cliff over the beach and paddled like hell into the water. There were definitely some strong Northern rips along the shoreline and it was super difficult to paddle out. To be honest, I hadn’t been on a board since Easter weekend so I was pretty out of shape and I picked a pretty hard wave to get back into it on. Basically, I got smashed around, didn’t catch a wave, but learned quite a bit about the point break, where to wait, and what to avoid. Although I would have liked to have had a better day, it felt really good to get back into the surf and break the ice on Lord Howe breaks.

July 21st, 2006 - Day 20 - Lord Howe Island

A day off today! I woke up late and got myself organized to go to the museum to send my aunt an e-mail so that I could file my Australian taxes. In Oz, they call the tax form a ‘group certificate.’ I ate a bit of lunch, soaked some laundry, and peddled to the museum to face the horrible slow and expensive public internet terminal. The connection speed is satellite-based and only runs at 9.6 kb/s! It is absolutely traumatizing, especially since I have been spoiled on broadband for the last four years. For instance, it usually takes five minutes just to log into Hotmail, but today there was an error message from the machine and for some reason I couldn’t even access my account. It was a very frustrating start to the day.

When I finished up at the museum I made some calls in front of Joy’s shop and headed back to get everything ready for an afternoon of fishing down at ‘Clear Place.’ I collected two hand lines, a small rod, some bread and baby octopus as bait. I headed up the hill towards Middle Beach, through the cow pastures, and down a trail lined with the most unbelievable banyan trees I have ever laid eyes on. The part of the island is named ‘The Valley of the Shadows’ and for good reason. The rainforest is extremely dense and there are mutton bird nest all around the path and along the ground amongst the towering trees. All I could think of while walking through this area is that I would love to build a nice big tree house and live in it forever, Swiss Family Robinson style. I am surprised that someone has not already made my idea a reality because the trees are absolutely perfect for it!

I followed the path down to the rocks at the end of The Valley of Shadows to scope out area to drop line in the ocean. Unfortunately, the wind had shifted and the sea was extremely turbulent and dangerous near the rocks. I watched for a couple minutes and saw at least three big rogue waves come in crashing sea water 30 feet into the air. I later found out that another fisherman was washed into the ocean the day before and had to be air lifted to the mainland with a badly broken arm from falling on the rocks. These waves seriously meant business. Rain suddenly started to come down so I headed back into the cover of the banyan trees and made my way to Clear Place to see if it was at all protected from the swell, even though I highly doubted it.

Just as I suspected, Clear Place was no good either, however it offered some really impressive views of Blinky beach and Ball’s pyramid off in the distance. I sat down on a bench overlooking the water, turned on my iPod, lit a cigar and reminded myself how lucky I was. I shut my eyes, felt the wind blow through my hair and thanked God for the experience.

After watching the wave’s crash on the shoreline for a few more minutes I headed back the way I came and met a fellow Pinetrees employee named Shane who was looking out over Middle Beach where I had surfed yesterday. The swell had gone down and I let him know that Blinky looked alright and he gave me a hint on where I should go drop line to catch some fish.

The sun began to shine over the lagoon as I rode my bike down the road to find the fishing spot he had mentioned. I found the spot, climbed out onto the rocks and baited my line. After casting a few times with no success I headed back out to the Jetty; the wind had picked up and turned again making it very unpleasant to fish.

For the evening I continued reading my book and went out to two fellow Pinetrees employees, Danielle and Troy’s house for a few drinks. I met heaps of locals and we spun fire sticks and poi in their backyard. I got a little tipsy and headed home in the pitch darkness with Jenn and Manami.

July 22nd, 2006 - Day 21 - Lord Howe Island

I have been on the island three weeks now and it seems like much longer. I have been so busy everyday that time is skewed.

Today I worked my first shift in back pantry. Basically, I wash up all of the kitchen pots and such, prepare food trays, cut vegetables and other small tasks. The kitchen guys, Ron, Damien (Damo), and Peter are great guys and we have heaps of laughs. It is definitely a sweet job.

I was extremely tired from the night before so I said goodnight for a couple hours, read some of my book and then got up and went for a big bike ride around the whole island. While the island is not that big, there are many hills which make it a very challenging ride. Since the wind was coming directly from the South-West, riding down the stretch near the airport was almost impossible.

I finished the night learning a little bit of Spanish using lessons from an audio book and watched a couple episodes of Kath & Kim.

July 23rd , 2006 - Day 22 - Lord Howe Island

What a great day today. At breakfast I gave my friend Jenn a call to wish her a happy birthday. She was celebrating with my good friends at her cottage in Muskoka and she picked up on her cell phone; it was crystal clear. I always marvel at the ability of modern technology to compress space and time. It made me feel a little home sick to here her voice and to think of how much fun they would be having together. I stopped to think of all the amazing memories of partying at her cottage. Those days seem like yesterday and yet at the same time so long ago.

For the afternoon I first got on my bike to check out Blinky beach to see if the surf was up but it was low tide and there was no swell despite the heavy North wind. I continued on and pushed myself up the hills by the golf course and down to the base of Mt. Gower before heading back to grab water and my camera for a hike up to Kim’s lookout and Mt. Malabar. Thanks to Daphne’s book I now know that both places on the island are dedicated to men who died before their time.

The walk started at Old Settlement beach and took me up into the mountains towards Mt. Eliza; instead of heading to the left, I went to the right. At Kim’s lookout there was a plaque dedicated to him saying that he loved the hills. Kim was only 20 years old when he died. The views were absolutely amazing and were a fitting dedication.

Along the top stretch of the mountains there were more impressive views of the entire island. The sun was shinning bright today and there were hardly any clouds in the sky. There really aren’t any words to describe the way I felt looking over the island like a silent sentinel. I felt completely happy to breath in the cool salty air, gaze over the blue lagoon’s, and consider my fate.

At the summit of Malabar there was another plaque dedicated to the seven men who died in the Catalina crash in 1946. Two men survived and were saved by an islander; he received a medal of honour for his bravery.

On my way back from my hike I noticed Damien and Troy fishing off the jetty. As I arrived they were trying to get a massive sting ray to take some bait. The animal must have been close to seven feet in diameter and almost ten feet in length from heat to the tip of its tail. It was absolutely massive. While other fish nibbled on bread that the boys threw in three smaller sting rays began to swim underneath the jetty. I have never seen anything like it in my life. The water was super clear and you could see right down to the bottom. Before he headed back for his evening shift Damien spotted a whole school of catfish swimming right underneath the jetty. There were hundreds of them swimming tightly together. It was fascinating to watch them move with the currents.

To settle my night and recuperate from the hectic day I borrowed a couple of DVD’s off of Jenn. Tonight I decided to watch ‘A Constant Gardner.’

July 24th, 2006 - Day 23 - Lord Howe Island

A day off today, and I needed it. The first thing I did today was head down to the lagoon and walk along the beach collecting shells to make jewelry; there are some amazing shells of all different shapes and sizes, perfect for necklaces, bracelets, or ear rings. I took along my iPod and started to learn a little Spanish with the help of an audio book.

The original plan was to head out onto the lagoon on a glass-bottom boat tour, where I would snorkel some of best reef in the world. It was a beautiful day, and when I arrived for lunch I was informed by Jerlinda, another co-worker that the boat was full; Pinetrees staffs are allowed to go on the trips for free, but only if there is room on the boat. I was a little disappointed since I was really looking forward to it; however, I still have two months to do it.

Instead, Jerlinda and I took our snorkeling gear down to some amazing reefs down the hill from the Capella resort. Capella is by far the nicest and most luxurious resort on the island, and in peak months the suites go for around $1300.00 a night! Absolutely ridiculous!

At the bottom of the hill we parked our bikes in the tall grass, climbed under some electrical fencing, and stashed our stuff high on a large calcarenite stack in case the tide came in while we were swimming.

We slowly headed out into the crystal clear turquoise water, watching for urchins and poisonous ‘stone fish.’ The water was a little chilly today, but as we entered and the water filled into our wetsuit, we began to warm up.

In all, we spent about an hour exploring new territory, with hundreds of brightly coloured fish swimming all around us. It was truly amazing. On this snorkel, I managed to spot four deadly ‘butterfly fish,’ and numerous exotically coloured fish that I have never seen before, including a black and neon blue fish that sparkled brightly in the sun.

After we got out, we peddled our bikes up North to the jetty where we found Jack, the local fisherman, and a bunch of other islanders unloading their catch after a trip out to Balls pyramid. The wind was up and the islanders mentioned it was a bumpy six hours. Their catch consisted of four Travelle’s, a Cod, and some other red-coloured fish. I spoke to Jack’s wife about going out on a deep-sea fishing charter as well as the Mt. Gower walks and she quoted me $110.00 for the six hour fishing trip, which includes a feed from the catch, and the walks are free for Pinetrees staff! I will definitely be doing both in the near future.

After dinner I read a little and watched ‘Chocolat’ with Manami. Manami also helped me with the script for my new tattoos in Japanese. In Japanese, the first tattoos that I want to get relate to ‘the beauty of nature’ and significance encompasses everything including the earth, ocean, stars, and everything else in the universe. The individual symbols mean ‘flower,’ ‘bird,’ ‘wind,’ and ‘moon;’ however, taken collectively, they signify a much deeper meaning, which is highly regarded by the Japanese. The second tattoos that I want to get relate to an ‘infinite future.’ Taken together the significance is much more to the Japanese, but basically it relates to the saying ‘forever and ever.’

July 25th, 2006 - Day 24 - Lord Howe Island

I stayed up late watching a movie last night, so this morning I was fairly tired. Work went as usual and in the afternoon I finished ‘True History of the Kelly Gang’ by Peter Carey. It is a fantastic book and even won the Booker Prize in 2001. I definitely recommend. Other than that today was a sleepy day. I took a small nap but had to serve Afternoon tea so my slumber was interrupted prematurely. After ‘arvo tea’ (as the Aussie’s call it) I headed out on my daily bike ride. Of course it was raining and windy and hard as hell to peddle up the hills and along the stretch near the airport.

I finished the evening lying in bed reading a science fiction book called ‘Foundation’ by the master Isaac Asimov. I have read many of his books before and find them ingenious. I also started to read some Buddist Letters from Patriarch Yin Kuang on Pure-Land Zen. I am interested in expanding both my spiritual and intellectual boundaries at the moment.

July 26th, 2006 - Day 25 - Lord Howe Island

A usual day at work today; the weeders have been keeping us busy. There are currently 20 of them at Pinetrees lodge.

Last night I had some wild dreams and did not sleep too well. The wind has been blowing hard from the North, and the sound of the palm trees outside my room didn’t help at all. I think I woke up about five times throughout the night.

Since I was tired after work, I laid down for an hour before dragging myself out of bed to go for a hike. Today I decided to go to the South part of the island to tackle the Muttonbird Island lookout and Rocky Ridge trail. The total distance including the return walk to go and get my bike is approximately six kilometers. I left at three o’clock and managed to get back just before the sun completely set at half past five, although it was cloudy today and was almost dark by five. I took my iPod along for the walk and continued my Spanish lessons as well as listened to the soundtrack from ‘Lord of the Rings.’ It was completely fitting for the scenic hike!

The walk was really beautiful, with the path extending down into a lush rainforest covered with strangely rooted palm trees. At Muttonbird lookout there were hundreds of black-faced boobies gathered on the offshore island. The sea was rough and was splashing violently into the air.

At Rocky Ridge, I followed a freshwater stream which drained into the ocean. I stood on top of a rock at the edge of the ocean and was held upright by the wind; sea spray stinging my face. It was extremely refreshing after a long hike. The sun sets quickly in the Winter months so I had to hurry so I wouldn’t get lost in the rainforest in the dark; I didn’t have a torch with me so it would have been extremely difficult to find my way out if I didn’t hurry.

I worked the evening shift and finished off my night by learning some more Spanish and making notes, and watched the movie ‘Robots.’

July 27th, 2006 - Day 26 - Lord Howe Island

I really look forward to and enjoy my days off on Lord Howe Island, and today was no exception. I woke up fairly early, despite the fact that I didn’t set my alarm. I ate a good breakfast, did my laundry and checked my hotmail account at the museum. It’s funny, after only five days I head around 100 messages to sort through; most of them I just deleted. It’s definitely nice to read e-mails from friends since it cures a little of the home sickness. Although I don’t get homesick too bad, I still feel it now and then, and wish I could be back home, even just for a day to see my friends and family. However, the show must go on.

After lunch I called up Ron, the chef at Pinetrees to go play a round of golf. The morning was pretty crappy although it cleared up nicely in the afternoon; perfect for a round of golf. I met him at around half past one in the afternoon and we played nine holes on one of the most scenic courses in the world. How many times do you get to play a round of golf on a World Heritage listed island, situated at the base of two towering mountains and bordered by a blue lagoon? I must admit, it wasn’t my best game, but the views were just spectacular!

Seeing it was payday, I decided to go half and half with another chef Damo for a couple cases of beer. On the island, if you buy five cases of beer you get a 10 percent discount. We pooled some cash together and took home two and a half cases each. I should be set for a while, although, when you have it, you tend to drink it.

I finished my night watching ‘The Ringer,’ reading my new book ‘Foundation’ by Isaac Asimov, and famiarising myself with the screenwriting software ‘Final Draft 7.’

July 28th, 2006 - Day 27 - Lord Howe Island

Today started out much the same as most work days: Work, nap, bike, be productive. The night probably would have been a boring one except when I got home there was a note on my doorstep from Kate, Kerry and Bruce’s daughter (the owners of Pinetrees), inviting me to their home to exchange books. She had her eye on my last novel ‘True History of the Kelly Gang’ by Peter Carey and offered to make a trade earlier in the day. She has a degree in literature from Sydney University and has read heaps of novels. She came by as I was just getting ready for work and told me to come over for a beer and that she had picked out her favourites for me to read, so I was pretty stoked. I headed over at around five o’clock and sat around the table with her, Kerry and Bruce, and basically got acquainted with them. My first impression of them were that they were all pretty cool cats; a little eccentric and definitely brilliant. Kerry is a doctor with a degree in Zoology, while Bruce is an architect and had even designed the very home in which we were sipping drinks. It was definitely a very inspired home.

After my evening shift Manami and I headed back to Kate’s and sat around her kitchen table putting back glasses of red. I brought over a bottle of Lindman’s Cab Sav; one of my favourites.

After a more drinks and a few more laughs Bruce brought out an old photo album from the seventies. The photos were of island life and the families, all in black and white, and most of them developed in Bruce’s bathtub. The photos were simply amazing and demonstrated a vast diversity of subjects, including ‘the Albatros,’ the flying boats, a young Kerry and Pixie, island children, and the building of their home.

At around 12:30 Manami and I decided to head out since we had work in the morning, and to be honest, we were all pretty smashed. Manami and I stayed up later; she tought me some Japanese.

July 29th, 2006 - Day 28 - Lord Howe Island

Today is my dad’s b-day. Since we are a day ahead, I have to wait until tomorrow to give him a call to wish him well!

I was definitely slow-going today. The wine and staying up late got a hold of me, and when I got home after struggling through the shift I went straight to bed and slept until dinner; I didn’t mind missing the afternoon since the weather was pretty crappy.

After work Jenn, Manami and I had a couple of drinks and headed over to the bowling club to check out a dinner and dance that has still going. When we got there the club was mostly filled with older islanders swaying to terrible music. I didn’t really care though since the snack sandwiches were incredible. And they had the footy game on the big screen: Aussie’s versus the Kiwi’s. Unfortunately, the Kiwi’s won the match.

Manami and I left Jenn at the club with a few of the locals and headed home early. Both of us were still a little rough from the night before. Before heading off to sleep, Manami taught me some more interesting facts and aspects about the Japanese culture and customs. Her English is coming along well, and she can now pronounce my name ‘Ryan’ instead of ‘Lion.’
July 30th, 2006 - Day 29 - Lord Howe Island

Woke up today feeling completely refreshed. The weather outside was sunny and warm; a perfect day to have off!

I started my day by calling my dad to wish him a happy birthday; unfortunately I got his answering machine and had to leave a message. I also finally booked the glass bottom boat tour and snorkel for the afternoon. They finally had a space open and it was perfect weather with only a slight breeze over the lagoon; perfect conditions for the tour.

I spent most of my morning walking along the lagoon beach collecting shells to make neck laces, and listened to music.

Jenn got off work early so we decided to take full advantage of the day. I grabbed my surfboard, a cooler and some beer and we headed up over Transit hill to Blinky beach. We chilled in the sun for a bit and then I headed out into the surf to try and tackle some waves. There were some good ones but for the most part they were closing out hard. Although the water was a little refreshing, today I didn’t even need a wetsuit!

At around 2:30 Jenn and I headed back to Pinetrees to get ready for the glass bottom boat. We were running a little late so we decided to ride our bikes down the launch. Luckily, we were on time.

The glass bottom boat tour was free for Pinetrees staff and was killer! The boat had a huge 10 foot window welded to the bottom which allowed us crystal clear views of the reef and marine wildlife. Our guide’s name was Dean and he was extremely knowledgeable on everything from fish to coral, and had lots of cool information including both the common and latin names of all of the fish we saw. He even had some bread with him and tossed it overboard to allow huge ‘double-headers’ and colourful parrot fish to feed.

At the end of the tour the boat stopped at ‘Erscott’s Hole,’ one of the deeper parts of the reef within the lagoon. Once we moored Dean informed us about the environment and we dove in to explore. The reef was swimming with thousands of fish of all shapes, sizes and colour, and the coral at this particular spot completely stunning; all colours of the rainbow.

While we were underwater snorkeling Dean collected a couple of sea urchins and broke them open with a knife. He held them out underwater and schools of fish came up and absolutely devoured the guts.

Today was one of my favourite days on the island so far. It was so beautiful out all day and I got out and did so much. Not to mention, one of the most breathtaking sunsets ever!

July 31st, 2006 - Day 30 - Lord Howe Island

I think I may be addicted to passion fruit. At Lord Howe, I’m eating an abundance of fruit, especially passion fruit, kiwi, pineapple and oranges. Seriously, the food we have available to us is exceptional and the guys in the kitchen do a great job cooking it up. For instance, today we had scotch fillets, an amazing vegetarian pizza, shrimp and rice, spinach, fresh bread, pork, turkey and different cheeses. And that’s for the staff! Today the guests had a fish fry, which happens every Monday. Truly unbelievable grub, although I think I have gained some weight since I arrived on the island.

My plan for this afternoon was to head to Ned’s beach with Manami to go snorkeling but a massive storm rolled through just as I finished work. The morning was absolutely gorgeous, and then all of a sudden big dark clouds formed over the ocean. The lightening and thunder were amazing and the rain was extremely loud on my roof; so much so that it was impossible for me to have a much needed nap. I didn’t mind though because I absolutely love thunderstorms and this was the first one I have experienced on the island.

I had to serve afternoon tea today so I didn’t get much of a break, although I did manage to have a cup of tea with Manami, trade DVD’s with Jerlinda, and read my book, ‘Foundation’ by Isaac Asimov for an hour. I am reading so much lately and I have made a goal of 10 books in August.

To finish off my night Kate invited me over for a couple glasses of red; I cannot resist a good glass of wine so I went over and joined her for an hour and we chatted about everything from books to footy. She is a great conversationalist and a honest person, something that is hard to come by these days.

August 1st, 2006 - Day 31 - Lord Howe Island

I have been spending a lot of my free time with Manami lately, and have been asking lots of questions about the Japanese culture and language. I am surprised to find out that the Japanese do not often read for pleasure, and it is rare to see people my age reading in Japan! Also, crime is very low in Japan, the entire family uses the same bath water (they don’t take showers), and I have been saying Karaoke all wrong.

This afternoon after work, Manami and I decided to head out to Middle beach for a snorkel. The morning was beautiful, but lo and behold, as soon as we started hiking up and over Transit hill to the beach, a dark cloud came swooping over the lagoon and it started to rain. In truth, we didn’t care either way because we were going to get wet regardless.

When we got into the water it started to pour down. The water was slightly murky today but the visibility was quite good and the water temperature reasonable. I had my spring suit on because I let Manami borrow my winter suit, even though it is way too big for her; she’s all but 5’2” and 40 kilos.

We explored the reef for a better part of an hour, diving to check out huge underwater rock shelves, a massive sea cucumber, and hundreds of brightly coloured coral and fish. I love snorkeling Middle beach because of the variations in depth and the diversity of aquatic life. I’d have to say it’s one of the busiest parts of the island reef’s ecosystems.

After we got out of the water we walked along the beach and collected interesting shells and explored the many tide pools along the coastline. We lasted as long as we could but the wind was quite cool and having been in the ocean, the water had evaporated and added to the chilliness.

On our way back it briefly started to rain again and then cleared suddenly revealing one of the brightest rainbows I have ever seen. Because of the moisture coming off the mountains, brilliant rainbows are a common occurrence.

We killed off the night by going up to Carol’s, a fellow Pinetrees employee and islander, to file our taxes using her broadband internet connection. Unfortunately, the island’s connection is dodgy at best and we have had no luck the past two days that we have tried to file. We then watched ‘The Family Stone.’ It’s a great movie and I had a couple laughs: Both at the movie and at Manami who has to watch movies with English subtitles on or she doesn’t quite understand what the hell is going on!

August 2, 2006 - Day 32 - Lord Howe Island

I was a little tired today so I took it easy and finished my book that I was reading, ‘Foundation’ by Isaac Asimov, down at the Pinetrees boatshed. I really enjoyed it although it is the first in the series of four books and finished quite abruptly. I also started another book called ‘Charlotte Sometimes’ by Penelope Farmer. The book is Kate MacFadyen’s favourite and was recommended to me as the first of the many books I must read on the island.

After dozing off for a half an hour I headed back to my room and felt a burst of energy so I grabbed my bike and rode the length of the island. On my ride I almost hit both a bird and a cow! Bloody animals are wandering around everywhere!

I stayed up a little later sipping some VB’s and watched ‘American Pie: American Wedding,’ and read a couple more chapters of my new book.

August 3rd, 2006 - Day 33 - Lord Howe Island

It’s my mom’s birthday today, although I obviously have to wait until tomorrow to give her a call. I haven’t been able to reach her since I got to Lord Howe Island, so I doubt I’ll be able to reach her yet again. I hope I do.

Today was a day off so I made plans with Manami to wake up early and go for a hike and fishing at Clear Place. I met her for breakfast at eight in the morn and we got our hand reels, some water, our cameras, and headed out towards Middle beach and down into the Valley of Shadows, through dense bush, and then out onto the Eastern coastline below Clear Place.

Along the way, we had a many a fun adventures. First off, we found a bunch of lazy cow’s chewing grass in a pasture. We thought it would be funny to ride them. Usually the cows on Lord Howe will run away from you if you come close but these were special cows. They just sat there and chewed cud. We videotaped each other trying to get them to take us for a ride, but to no avail. One bull on the other side of an electric fence got quite angry with us and tried to buck me if I came close. It was pretty funny to see him buck the air.

After chasing the cows away into their pasture we decided to climb a massive banyan tree. I mean, this thing was huge! If you have ever seen the movie ‘Swiss Family Robinson’ you know exactly the type of thing I am talking about. It has hundreds of connected branches and many trunks and vines extending down to the ground. I climbed up about half way and took in the view. I reckoned that you could build a pretty sweet little house up in the tree.

We continued on down into the Valley of Shadows where we encountered two curious Currowongs; a black and white bird that looks like a crow. We fed them some bread and they became very friendly with us. They followed us all the way up into Clear Place and back again!

When we finally threw our lines in under a big cave in the coastline the first fish that I caught snapped my line! Needless to say I went to Joy’s shop later that afternoon and bought a hand line with 80 lbs line.

I took the evening to chill out a bit but after dinner I headed over to Troy and Danielle’s to play some drinking games before heading to the ‘Radio Shack,’ a small room near the jetty where a guy name Blaze spins tunes and anyone can come and jam percussion to the music. The drinking games were hilarious; Lance (Pinetrees 3rd chef) and his girlfriend Jess, Pete (Pinetrees apprentice chef), Jenn, Shelli (Ex Pinetrees staff), Troy, Danielle, Leigh (One of their roommates) and myself played Kings and made some funky rules that got us all pretty pissed. We headed to the shack at around 10:30.

There were a couple of other people at the shack and we definitely had a party going; wicked tunes and wicked people. As soon as I got there I grabbed a bongo drum and didn’t stop beating it for an hour and a half. My hands were mush by the time I got home.

Such a good day!

August 4th, 2006 - Day 34 - Lord Howe Island

Surprise, surprise! Mom wasn’t home, again; probably out having a big one for her birthday.

Today was a hectic work day. Danielle had a bit too much last night and decided to call in ‘sick.’ Nothing like a bit of self-inflicted, unfortunately, I had to pick up the slack. I managed okay by myself, thankfully.

I had afternoon tea today so I only had an hour to drop my fishing line into the sea. I nicked some octopus off our chef Ron and headed to the south end of Blinky beach, but it was too choppy. Instead I decided to drop by the jetty. Unfortunately the sting rays were hungry and the fish weren’t jiving to the bait.

Another jazz band arrived today and after I finished work I sat and had a glass of Wolf Blass, Yellow label, and check out the band. My eyes got tired so I pulled it in for an early night.

August 5th, 2006 - Day 35 - Lord Howe Island

It poured down buckets of rain today. The drizzle started last night at around 10 and continued all night and day without relent. It was an absolutely dismal day through and through, but a good day to curl up and read a book or watch a movie. In the end, that’s just what I did.

At afternoon break I came home and read the rest of ‘Charlotte Sometimes’ by Penelope Farmer. I was one of Kate’s favourite books, so I said I’d give it a go; to be honest, it was okay, but not really my cup of tea. I hate to say it, but I probably would have enjoyed it more as a kid.

For the rest of the afternoon I imported clips from Thursday: Clear Place with Manami and a big night of drinking games at Troy and Danielle’s house. There is definitely some funny footage, especially of me trying to ride a dairy cow and Manami climbing a banyan tree.

After my night shift I popped in the DVD ‘Point Break’ and started a new book, ‘Swallows and Amazons’ by Arthur Ransome.

August 6th, 2006 - Day 36 - Lord Howe Island

Not much to say today other than the weather was completely and utterly shite. It has been raining full-force for who knows how long and the wind hit 77 knots last night at windy point; AKA, the airport.

The good news is, in a fit of creative genius, I have finally started working on a screenplay idea that I think I can tolerate. Writing anything must sometimes be forced, although this story idea simply wrote itself. I am looking forward to writing it and exploring some of the characters. Funny enough, I hardly expect it to jive commercially because the main character is an RCMP tactical drug unit officer heading up the border patrol on the West coast of Canada. Basically, the story explores the illegal economy of marijuana, and the deadly trade that goes on with the United States. Furthermore, it examines the impact of marijuana on North American society, from both the pro and con points of view. Ultimately though, the message is clear: The illegal narcotics trade with the United States brings deadly guns into our country, while the American’s get some really good herb. More on that later…

Hibernating in my room seems to keep me out of trouble, but then again, I would rather be surfing or diving in the coral reef. I realize, once again, that we are at the mercy of nature. No wonder everyone always talks about the weather.

Oh, and today I plowed through half of ‘Generation X’ by Douglas Coupland. It’s creepy, but I think he’s actually got it right. Shit.

August 7th, 2006 - Day 37 - Lord Howe Island

It’s another day off in paradise, although, surprise surprise, the weather is bombastic; Windy and cold as a witches’ tit. You bet, I said it.

Luckily, I had heaps of cleaning to do: Cleaned my clothes, cleaned my bathroom, and changed the sheets on my bed.

I tried calling mom and dad, but only got a hold of dad. God, nothing has changed. Called some friends back home too, but only got the machines. Leave a message after the beep you silly bitch.

I continued reading my book, collected some shells on Old Settlement beach, and pumped Foo Fighters for the hell of it.

In the evening I called the Australian Tax Office for Manami, and just as I suspected by error 2054 on the tax software, the bastards entered her name wrong on the database so she couldn’t file it. We fixed it, filed it, and checked our hotmail accounts.

I brought dinner back to my room tonight and watched ‘Army of Darkness.’ I forgot how good of a movie it is. ‘Give me some sugar baby…’ I have to remember to use that line! Sam Raimi, good on ya.

Completed my night sipping a beer and took a long hot shower to shake the chills.

I’m looking forward to more wild dreams tonight.

August 8th, 2006 - Day 38 - Lord Howe Island

I remember my dream last night, or should I say, nightmare. I was on one side of a gushing river, alone, trying to catch some large crabs to eat. These were not regular crabs; not at all. These were massive three foot long crabs with scorpion tails. I jumped into the water, caught one, and it began to sting me with its large stinger. That’s when I woke up, got dressed and went to work.

Unfortunately, bad weather again, although a little bit better than the previous two days. At break, I felt like fishing, so I got my gear together and head north to ‘Old Gultch,’ one of the notoriously good spots for fishing on island.

I fished for an hour before my hook got caught on some seaweed, I pulled too hard, and my hand reel slipped out of my hand and into the ocean; bye bye. The hike was amazing exercise, and I chalk the little mistake up to experience. I get the big one soon.

I was a little tired from the long day of hiking and work, so I finished my night watching ‘Pride & Prejudice’ and ate chocolate macadamia nut cookies. Yup, I have sunk to a new low.

August 9th, 2006 - Day 39 - Lord Howe Island

The weather has finally cleared up and the sun is shinning again; however, the wind is still pretty strong.

After work today I played a game of tennis with Manami, read a little of my book, and joined the weekly game of touch footy in the field next to Pinetrees. It was an intense game! My calves were still killing me from my walk to Old Gultch yesterday afternoon.

I spent the night with Manami talking and learning about the Japanese culture. I definitely have to visit Japan one day. By what she tells me, it is a very interesting, wicked-cool place to visit.

August 10th, 2006 - Day 40 - Lord Howe Island

A day off today! I slept in until half past ten and felt well rested. At morning tea Manami and I decided to go on the glass bottom boat tour once again so we could snorkel at Erscott’s hole. We asked the new manager Steve to come along with us since he hasn’t had a chance to snorkel the amazing reef far out in the lagoon. The only way to get to it is by boat, or a really long swim. The afternoon was amazing and we saw heaps of fish. I found some really cool nemo looking tropical fish and some smaller black ones with electric blue spots on the side. Very cool.

At night Manami, Steve and I went down to the boatshed, had a smoke and drank some beers. After catching a little buzz, we joined some of the other Pinetrees staff for a few drinks on the terrace. One of the managers Lyndy started shouting bottles of champagne and rounds of beer, so the night got a little messy. I finally cut myself at around half past midnight.

August 11th, 2006 - Day 41 - Lord Howe Island

Needless to say, I woke up with a mean hangover; I wasn’t right the entire day. At first break I went home to nap. At lunch I went home and slept. Basically, I slept the entire afternoon.

Work was painful today for sure, but sure enough, after work on Fridays we had our free staff drink so I had to indulge. Funny, as soon as I finished my drink, I felt better.

To finish off the night I hung out with Manami, who leaves on Sunday, and watched the movie ‘Derailed.’

August 12th, 2006 - Day 42 - Lord Howe Island

Today after work I went for a long bike ride and then headed over to Troy and Danielle’s place for a BBQ. For almost the entire afternoon we played the game ‘Celebrity Head,’ which is the game where you write or put cards into a headband and try and guess who you are by asking questions. Some of my memorable celebrities were Elvis and Jesus. Same thing is some circles.

Unfortunately, Jenn, Manami and I had to work. It was Manami’s last shift tonight. To be completely honest, I have no idea how we pulled off the night. We were all still off our faces from the BBQ when we showed up! Naughty naughty, but we got the job done.

After work I helped Manami pack for a bit and then we returned to the house where Troy, Danielle, Jenn, Manami and I had a little dance party. We pumped up the tunes and grooved all funky and crazy. Fun times. We didn’t stay too long because Manami wanted to check out the lagoon one more time under the full moon. It was a spectacular night and there were thousands of stars in the sky. We sat on the bench at the boatshed and reminded ourselves how very lucky we are to have the chance to experience such things. We ultimately decided that we should take nothing for granted and should thank God for chance to be apart of something so amazing.

August 13th, 2006 - Day 43 - Lord Howe Island

Today was Manami’s last day, which makes me very sad. We became quite close over the last month and a bit and she has taught me a lot, not only about the Japanese culture, but about adapting to your environment, being yourself, and laughing until you can’t laugh any more. She was always up for anything and she kept everyone smiling. She definitely made an impact on my life and I will hopefully see her again someday, possibly in Japan!

I finished work early and met Kate, Jerlinda and Manami down at the boatshed for a couple of drinks. Jenn joined us after she finished up.

Around 2 o’clock we went to the airport, checked Manami’s bags, and waited for the airplane to land from Sydney. Kate brought a bottle of champagne to the airport so we indulged outside the airport building on a picnic table. Kerry and Bruce were coming back from the mainland while Manami was leaving; they stopped her in the airport and we all said our goodbyes.

After my evening shift I took advantage of the sweet dial-up internet in the office (with permission of course), researched OSAP payments, and caught up on a couple of e-mails.

It was definitely a long day.

August 14th, 2006 - Day 44 - Lord Howe Island

I seem to always regret sleeping in on my days off, but today I can safely say it was well needed. When I did crawl out of bed around 11 o’clock, the sun was shinning and it looked to be a beautiful day; however, winter weather on Lord Howe is notoriously unpredictable, so I didn’t get my hopes up too high.

Luckily, besides the brief shower around mid day, the weather was exceptional and I took a walk to Clear Place to read and work on my tan; I was prepared to go fishing but the tide was high and I couldn’t get around the bend to a safe spot to drop line. I sat high on a rock shelf overlooking the crashing waves, the hot glowing sun warming my skin. I read for an hour or so; right now I’m reading ‘A Map of the World’ by Jane Hamilton. It’s part of Oprah’s book club; so far so good.

I got back to Pinetrees around 3 o’clock and suited up to go snorkeling with Steve down at Ned’s beach. I had a good swim, marveling at the amazing underwater creatures. The water was quite warm today and I was comfortable in my wet suit. We hung out for an hour or so before heading back to warm up.

For the duration of the evening I wrote some of my novel, read up on screenplay writing, learned a little Spanish, and watched ‘Casanova’ starring Heath Ledger.

August 15th, 2006 - Day 45 - Lord Howe Island

After work I got on my bike and headed down to the south part of the island. I brought my knap sack loaded with fishing gear, water, snacks and my book so that I could chill in the sun for the afternoon. Once you get to the end of the road near the base of Mt. Lidgebird, the ride becomes fun. There is only a slight path and it is rough and challenging to ride in some areas, since the path is generally muddy.

Although I didn’t catch any fish, I found the most perfect surf break at high tide when the lagoon reef swell is small to moderate. It is quite rocky underneath, so I am going to go out with one of the guys one time to check it out. No use in spoiling my trip by being stupid.

I rode my bike all the way back and to the opposite end of the island, covering around 15 kilometers in total. My legs were sore by dinner time.

After my evening shift I commandeered the office computer and sent an e-mail to some of my friends back home in Canada, and wrote a chapter of my novel. Right now I am still in the very early stages of character and plot development, but so far it feels as though it is flowing well. Truly, I am trying to find my voice. I know it’s somewhere inside me, but it needs honest diligence and a burst of creative inspiration to shine.

August 16th, 2006 - Day 46 - Lord Howe Island

Woke up sleepy today; it might have been the half liter of red wine I drank while on the computer last night. Also, I lost track of time and didn’t end up getting to sleep until around 1 o’clock in the morning.

It was one of the most beautiful days yet since I’ve been on Lord Howe; apparently, it is just like a summer day.

In the afternoon I went to the airport to see a friend off. I worked with Danielle at Pinetrees for a month and a half and she is a great person who really made the job easy and fun. We had a many a great time at work, and drinking at her and Troy’s place.

After Danielle’s plane took off, about 10 of us went down to Coby’s Corner and sat in the sun for a bit. The water looked absolutely amazing; light turquoise in colour under the hot sun. I left the group early to get a snorkel in before the touch footy game which starts every Wednesday at around 4 o’clock.

Today I decided to snorkel somewhere new, so I headed up north to Old Settlement beach. There is a fresh water run-off at Old Settlement, which creates a completely different underwater ecosystem then elsewhere on the island.

Within minutes of entering the water, I found a cute little fish that looked like part seahorse, part fish and part sea slug. It had a box-like shape, small side fins, green speckles and a hooked tail. It was extremely curious of me, and didn’t turn away but swam closer, inspecting me with its little black eyes. First time I have seen anything like it. I later talked to Kerry, one of the owners of Pinetrees who is also a Marine Biologist, and she reckons it was a ‘box fish.’ The name makes sense, although I am going to do some research to find out exactly what it was that I saw.

I continued along the coastline and in amongst the rocks. At one point, there were three different species of fish swimming in schools around me. I was literally surrounded by fish. It was an amazing sight to behold, especially with the sun glinting off their colourful scales.

After my snorkel I cleaned up to go and get dirty again playing footy and working. I was quite happy though, since one of the chef’s Damo finally made true on his State of Origin bet, which he lost. He brought me a six-pack of Tooheys New. Indeed, there’s nothing like free beer.

I stayed up late writing.

August 17th, 2006 - Day 47 - Lord Howe Island

I must admit whole-heartedly, today was the most amazing day so far on the island. I slept until I awoke naturally; no alarm clock. I ate lunch and made plans with Steve, one of the new managers at Pinetrees. Previously, we had investigated the possibility of taking a small canoe out onto the lagoon so that we could surf the outer reefs. While some of the guys have ‘tinny’s,’ with motors, they were working and the day was absolutely perfect; we couldn’t wait. We scoured the property and found some oars, cleared the canoe of a couple giant huntsman spiders, and tied our surfboards to the back. We brought an anchor and our snorkel gear along for the ride so that we could explore the reef without losing our canoe to the swell.

It took us about half an hour to paddle approximately half an hour to get to the surf breaks north of Blackburn Island; the locals call it ‘La Meurte.’ We anchored in the middle of some amazing reef and snorkeled for a little while before grabbing our boards and surfing some nice little breaks. I caught about six waves before we headed back to the canoe to do some more snorkeling. It was seriously so much fun.

As we were climbing back into the canoe to head back to the boatshed, we capsized the damn canoe. We tried bailing it out with our masks and eventually got enough out to make it a few hundred meters to Blackburn Island to tip the water out.

When we got to the island we decided to explore. I’ve been to the island before so I knew how wicked the views were from the top. The grass is knee-deep and on mainland Australia you wouldn’t dare walk through such scrub because of spiders and snakes; here, there were no worries. At the top of the island we lay in the soft grass and soaked up the sun before heading back to make the liquor store before it closed. As we were paddling back, one of the chefs Lance pulled up with his girlfriend Jess and Troy; they offered us a tow into shore. We were both tired from a long day and totally thankful for the lift.

After grabbing a carton from the store Steve and I met Kate, Marie and Daphne Nicols, the author of ‘Rising’ down at the boatshed for drinks. We talked politics, the Monarchy, and film while watching the sunset. I managed to get permission from Daphne to use information from her book for my documentary and she has offered to help.

In the evening, Steve and I headed over to Kate’s for a drink and I chatted to Kerry about the fish I saw at Old Settlement beach. I drew a sketch of the animal and described it to her but we could not figure out what kind of fish it was. I was hoping it was a new species that I could name after myself, but I was doubtful. She gave me a few books so that I could do some research and find out what it was.
After Kate’s Steve and I headed over to the bowling club for another drink, but I was feeling ill and decided to call it an early one. I headed back and popped in the DVD ‘The Man.’

August 18th, 2006 - Day 48 - Lord Howe Island

After work today I went to Joy’s shop and bought an underwater camera, got my snorkel gear ready, and went in search of the little fish that I saw a couple of days ago at Old Settlement beach. The weather conditions were similar and I had high hopes.

I spent about half an hour snorkeling around the area where I originally saw it but had no luck; however, I did see a couple of Medium Black-saddle Snake Eel’s (Ophichthidae), and a venomous Black Stingray (Dasyatididae), and a rare Hawaiian Triggerfish (Balistidae). I took pictures of the eel’s and the ray but missed a snapshot of the triggerfish as it hid underneath some rocks.

When I got back to my room I took a look through the book ‘Lord Howe Island Marine Park: Sea Shore to Sea Floor” by Neville Coleman to try and figure out the name of the fish I had seen a couple days ago. Bingo, there it was, at the back of the book. It is called a Thorny-back Cowfish; it is a rare fish to see in the waters of Lord Howe Island and it is poisonous! Luckily I didn’t try and capture it!

August 19th, 2006 - Day 49 - Lord Howe Island

I had a very active day today after a good night’s sleep. Jenn and I hit the tennis court for two games right after work. My serve is doing really well and I am finally getting the backhand shot. I love getting a good rally going in tennis!

After we finished our game I unfortunately had to serve afternoon tea all sweaty in my board shorts. The good thing about afternoon tea was that Jack the fisherman’s wife came by to sell Pinetrees some fish and offered to take me out on a deep sea fish for absolutely free on Monday. I am so stoked! I will be an hour off the island catching massive Yellowtail Kingfish, Trevally, Cod and other tasty fishes!

As soon as I cleaned up after the tea I hopped on my bike and peddled my ass off around the island to work up a sweat before sundown and my evening shift. On my final leg I pulled up to the lagoon to watch the beautiful sun set over the ocean; its times like today that remind me how lucky I am to be in paradise. I still have to shake myself everyday; I sometimes can’t believe it’s real.

August 20th, 2006 - Day 50 - Lord Howe Island

This morning started off with a bang. Actually, it was more like a sonic boom! The thunderstorm that rolled through early this morning was so loud that it shook my entire room and woke me up with a jolt, and I wear earplugs! The rain came down in buckets and the lightening was one after the other, lighting up the walls in my room.

When I did finally get back to sleep I had one of the craziest dreams I’ve had in a while. There was a nameless girl, we fell in love, deeply in love, and then she disappeared. The dream seemed so real, it was so disappointing when I actually woke up. I can’t remember her face, but I remember the feeling. I hate it when that happens.

Work was hectic today; we were short staffed. Jenn and I made do, but both of us were having terrible days. First off, I went to pour myself a glass of cordial at breakfast and spilt it all over two other Pinetrees staff, Nifty and Mista. I felt like such a dolt. For the rest of the day, things just kept going wrong; I was dropping stuff, running around like a chicken, and being blamed for things I didn’t do. Ah well.

In the afternoon Troy and I headed out to The Clear Place to go fishing. We brought both hand lines and rods. I caught a couple small Wrasse, a Leather Jacket (its scales felt like a soccer ball!) and a couple of Stinker’s, but they broke my line and got away. Troy was going for a big Kingfish, but unfortunately it wasn’t his day.

I’m heading out on a fishing charter with an islander named Jack and a couple of Pinetrees guests tomorrow so I will definitely have my chance to catch the big one. I can’t wait!

August 21, 2006 - Day 51 - Lord Howe Island

Today was met with a bit of disappointment: There were too many people booked for the fishing trip, so I had to stay behind. Had it been my last week before I returned to the mainland, I may have been a little more upset; however, there is still plenty of opportunity for me to get out there and fish, as well as the many other things I may wish to do. Although time is going by fast, I have been seizing each day, taking it all in, and creating fond memories which will certainly last a lifetime.

Lord Howe Island is a spiritual place, full of narrative, the ghosts of the past still lingering, to tell their stories. I look around and can’t help but be enthralled by the landscape, the people, and the diversity of wildlife un-paralleled to any other on earth. It is beauty; the fierce and uninhibited beauty of nature, that never ceases to spark the imagination and steal the air from one’s lungs. It is a suffocating beauty, but one that revives you with a pure cathartic afterglow early into the starry evening as you drift off and dream about new adventures to come. I wish this would never end, and I know in my heart I will be back many times; I will one day share this place with my friends and family, my future wife and children, whenever that time comes.

I went fishing today, despite my absence on the fishing charter. I packed my gear, purchased a new hand reel and headed back to The Clear Place, determined to catch the big one. I brought some baby octopus and bread for bait, but the King Fish were nowhere to be caught. Once again, the fish have eluded me. Regardless, I spent much of my day chasing crabs, reading in the sun, and rejuvenating my soul. I even had a chance to pet the bashful little calf, tied up in a pasture on the way to Middle beach; usually, the poor thing just runs away, but today it came to me.

We have a new staff member named Rebecca, although everyone seems to call her ‘Beck.’ Personally, I like ‘Becky,’ but that’s just me. She seems like a cool cat.

I cleaned my room this evening, which is somewhat tedious, considering the vacuum and laundry is back at the lodge. I don’t know why I am complaining about cleaning one small room, although, I don’t think anyone really likes cleaning on their day off.

It was a fairly low key night. I watched the movie ‘Finding Neverland,’ sipped some coffee, and ate chocolate cake. I felt so indulgent and loved every second of it. It was a great movie, and the chocolate cake wasn’t bad either. Instant coffee, but two out of three’s not too bad.

August 22nd, 2006 - Day 52 - Lord Howe Island

When I say I am going to do something, I do it. It’s very rare for me to say that I am going to do something and not follow through. Honestly, it really bothers me when people say they are up for something and then back out at the last minute. It’s irritating. For instance, today I asked four Pinetrees staff if they would like to join me for a hike to Old Gultch on the North end of the island to check out the herring pools. All of them said that they would join me, and would meet me at my room at a quarter after two. They didn’t show, and I couldn’t find them, so I went alone. When I say something, I do it; bottom line.

So anyway, the day was beautiful. The hike was strenuous and I worked up a sweat. It was low tide when I got to Old Gultch, so I was able to walk freely to the tide pools. It was amazing, big holes in the volcanic rock filled with coral, tropical fish, and heaps of crabs. I fished off the rocks for a bit and didn’t catch a single thing, once again.

At night I watched the Australian film, ‘Two Hands,’ starring Heath Ledger. It was a pretty good film for an independent.

August 23, 2006 - Day 53 - Lord Howe Island

Last night I awoke at around two o’clock in the morning to the most incredible lightening storm I have ever seen. The sheets of lightening were so consistent that it seemed like a strobe light was going off in the heavens. I took out my video camera and got it on tape. I’ve never seen anything like it in my entire life!

The numbers are climbing at the lodge; today we had over 50 guests to serve, and the day was steady. From here on in it’s going to be busy, especially over the next week as another band is coming in.

This afternoon I took an hour nap to rejuvenate and then headed down to Middle beach with Steve to go snorkeling. It was the lowest tide I have seen at Middle beach, and we had the opportunity to swim out near the point break, exploring some of the most unbelievable coral reef. We saw many of the Lord Howe endemic species, some extremely colourful parrot fish, a big small-toothed cod, trevally, and heaps more tropical fish. Unfortunately, (and I can’t believe I am saying this) we didn’t see any sharks.

I’ve been reading a lot lately and I feel like my creative inspiration is going to peak. What I’ve realized about writing is that you have to just do it. Write, or be written off. It’s as simple as that.

I have decided that September is going to be a very productive month where I will focus almost entirely on creating my documentary. I am going to start planning tomorrow, although I am going to squeeze a round of golf in as well.

August 24, 2006 - Day 54 - Lord Howe Island

It was a splendid day off, and not just because it was pay day! I got up late since I decided to watch ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ last night, and didn’t get to sleep until the wee hours of the morning. When I finally awoke I had breakfast, did my laundry and did some more Spanish audio book lessons. I think my Spanish vocabulary is coming along nicely, although I have a long way to go before conversation in Spanish will be fluent.

After lunch I headed to the golf course for a practice round. I once again had a chat with Rightie, the grounds-keeper at the course, and he let me hit a round for $10. Pretty damn good for one of the nicest courses on the planet! I played well and even came two feet away from a hole-in-one. My putting game is great, but my driving is horrific. Tomorrow is the competition for the chook, so hopefully the practice round will serve me well.

Before dinner I continued reading my new book, ‘The Queen of the South’ by Arturo Perez-Reverte. It is a about the wife of a murdered Mexican drug runner. It is very good so far. Lately I have been bringing a book and a beer down to the boatshed to watch the sunsets. They have been absolutely stunning recently. Today I pulled a chair down to the surf and put my feet in the water and sipped a Carlton Cold as the sky turned pink and red over Mount Eliza. It doesn’t get any better!

I read some more after dinner, had a drink with some staff mates, and watched the movie ‘Ferris Buellers Day Off.’ Pleasant day off indeed!

August 25th, 2006 - Day 55 - Lord Howe Island

Work was busy today. No worries though, I was looking forward to a game of golf in the afternoon.

I got to the course around 2:30 and started playing around 3:00. Fridays are competitions for a frozen chicken, and you get hooked up with whoever shows up on the afternoon. Today I played with a middle-aged woman named Marilyn and an older gentleman named Bill. Both were excellent partners and I definitely had fun with them, despite the fact that I played horrible. I had some beauty shots, but overall, I was totally inconsistent; not good. Bill reminded me a lot of grandfather. It was really strange, his mannerisms and the way he played golf was completely my grandfather. It was kind of freaky actually, how similar they both were.

Although it was a Friday night, I decided to catch a good night sleep and called it in early. Before I headed in for the night I walked down to the lagoon in the dark, sat down on a bench on the sand dune and looked up at the trillion stars twinkling overhead. There was a crisp wind blowing from the North; I shut my eyes and inhaled. It’s moments like that that make me feel so happy to be alive. The emotions are impossible to explain; however the closest word I could use to explain the feeling is BLISS.
August 26th, 2006 - Day 56 - Lord Howe Island

I’ve had a very busy day today. In addition to the 30 - 70 people eating in for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the plane landed this afternoon, but didn’t take off again, leaving four more heads to feed. Apparently, a bird flew into the engine. Go figure.

Although I was tired this afternoon from working a hectic morning, I didn’t take a nap. During my break I read, went to the store to buy a box of red and a phone card, and went for a really long bike ride around the island after I finished serving afternoon tea. I’ve been eating really well and getting plenty of exercise. I feel like I’m at the top of my game right now, ready to take on anything. It really feels great to have the time to read, exercise, breathe clean air, and generally take care in a stress-free environment.

It’s funny, it’s Saturday night and I’m staying in alone, working on a screenplay treatment and character profiles, reading, and listening to music. Any other place in the world and I would be getting on it at some club or something. It’s so good for the bank account and the body to stay in, although it sometimes is a lonely existence on this island. I take it all in stride, especially since in a little over a month I’ll be back right in the middle of the crowds back in Brisbane.

August 27th, 2006 - Day 57 - Lord Howe Island

Unfortunately it was a pretty usual day today. After a hectic morning I snuggled into bed, read a few chapters in my book, and dozed off for a good long nap. When I awoke I hopped on my bike, took in a deep breath of salty air, and peddled around the island, stopping to call my aunt in Brisbane at the top of the hill by the ‘Beachcomber’ lodge.

After the dinner shift I worked on the plan for my documentary and read a few chapters. Tomorrow I am going to be waking up early to go on an eight hour hike up to the top of Mount Gower. I’m going to need all the rest I can get.

August 28th, 2006 - Day 58 - Lord Howe Island

I woke up at 6:30 am today to prepare for 875 meter climb up Mount Gower. I had a tea, ate some cereal (loving the All Bran and prunes lately!) and did some stretches to limber up. The bus came just after 7:00 to take us down to Little Island, the start of the trek, to meet up with our guide Jack. There were seven of us from Pinetrees: Me and the band.

After Jack’s great introduction we started up the mountain. We were running a little late because of a journo name Sam who was coming along to write for a publication named ‘Scoop’. He was a great guy and you could tell he loved his job. Right of the bat, it was a difficult climb. There were ropes fastened to the rocks to aid in the climb; however it was still very difficult. After about a half an hour straight up, we stopped and Jack talked to us about the Kentia palms on the island. He climbed up one of the palms at the edge of the cliff as a demonstration and then asked if anyone else wanted to give it a try. Jack is a fifth generation islander and climbed the palm with ease. The next bloke that tried, the clarinet player from the band named Jason, couldn’t get off the ground. I gave it a go next and climbed it like a natural; I climbed back down to a round of applause!

After the palm discussion we walked along the side of the mountain about 100 meters off the ground and a foot or two from a painful death over the edge; we quickly discovered that the walk isn’t for the faint hearted or those who are afraid of heights. At this part of the walk we had to wear helmets because there was a danger of rocks falling on our heads from above. I looked hilarious with my construction helmet and aviator sunglasses. Everyone had a good laugh and I snapped a couple of pics with the island in the background, and some video of Jack for my documentary.

Our next stop was for ‘morning tea’ at a small creek which separated Mount Lidgebird and Mount Gower. The water was so crystal clean that we filled our water bottles and marveled at the fresh flavour and clarity of the drink.

From then on was a struggle. In some spots it was almost a 80 degree angle, although there were with ropes and foot ledges to find grip and assist with the ascent. Much of the path was slippery, treacherous and challenging, although, taken at a good pace, it was actually quite pleasant. Jack mentioned that the oldest man to make it up the mountain was 82, and the oldest female 77. While the walk eventually took us around eight hours to complete, Jack’s cousin, a tri-athlete, completed the entire round trip in less than two hours! Such a record time is a seriously, major feat.

When we finally reached the summit we discovered an incredible cloud forest with lots of moss covering the trees and dense vegetation. We signed the logbook and put our home next to our name; while most of the names were from Australia, there were some international names, although I didn’t see that many from Canada.

After chasing around a bunch of woodhens around for some pictures we ate our lunches at the edge of the cliff of Mount Gower, overlooking the entire island. The clouds that were condensing over the mountain had disappeared and we were treated to the most magnificent view ever. It was seriously magical. The sun was shinning down on us and a whole bunch of endemic currowongs and woodhens were chattering away above our heads and on the grass around us waiting for scraps. That lunch was quite honestly one of the most memorable moments of my life so far. Nowhere else in the world do you get to see the view that we saw, eating lunch with two friendly endemic species of birds. It was truly amazing.

The climb back down was much less stressful on the limbs, but still very daunting, considering the steep angles and slippery ground. I set the pace with the bassist of the band, Mark. He was a cool cat and we had a good conversation about music, girls, and the absolutely stunning views we were privy to. We stopped for a rest when we met up with three people who stopped early and didn’t make it to the summit. One guy was with his wife who couldn’t make it for the life of her. He had a big camera around his neck and you could tell he was livid. It was his only chance to get to the summit and snap some photos and he had to stay back and console his wife. I felt bad for the bloke, but then again, we all make choices.

We finally got to the bottom of the mountain around half past four. The sun was setting over the island and the lagoon was calm and serene. Everyone was absolutely knackered. It was such a great walk and we all thanked Jack for his guidance and narration.

When we got back to Pinetrees five of us, Mark, Jason, Tamasin and Chris, went to the boatshed for a well deserved beer. We sat and talked about south-east asia and traveling while watching the sunset.

Although I had planned to watch the band and party a little, I got back after eating dinner and passed out for the night. I was exhausted to the point of almost throwing up. It was only 8:15, and I was out like a light!

August 29th, 2006 - Day 59 - Lord Howe Island

Since my little adventure up Mount Gower I have decided to keep fit. This afternoon I pushed it hard on my bike down to Little Island down south, biked back up to Old Settlement beach, east to Ned’s beach, and back up a big hill on the way back to Pinetrees. I felt like a million bucks after the ride and my body is seriously in the best shape its ever been; my knees are giving me no trouble whatsoever, and I have iron lungs.

When I got back from the ride I headed over to the tennis court and played a game with Jerlinda. I’ve been improving quite a bit on my serves and really love the game. I think it’s a game that I will take up when I get back home to Canada. Regardless, I’ve decided that I’m definitely buying a wicked mountain bike, that’s for sure!

Today a couple moved into Peewee. So far I have had the whole area to myself, including the bathroom. Now I have to share. They seem to be stand up dudes, and I’m sure we’ll get along fine. Their names are Quilla and Alex. They are from a suburb outside of Port Macquarie.

August 30th, 2006 - Day 60 - Lord Howe Island

Yesterday felt so good that I thought I would give it a repeat and even step it up a notch. The island is perfect for biking, and is especially challenging at the three hills I climb during my ride. There is no better feeling than the wind bringing tears to your eyes on the quick decent down a steep hill overlooking the lagoon. Somebody pinch me.

I took a nap after killing it for a couple of hours and read a couple chapters of my book. Needless to say, I ate like a beast at dinner.

After work I sat around with some Pinetrees staff and watched the ‘Fireworks Jazz band’ play. They were a lot of fun and I put back a few glasses of red and had a few laughs with the band. Definitely a bunch of good blokes, and not bad musicians either.

August 31st, 2006 - Day 61 - Lord Howe Island

I woke up for breakfast today, even though it was my day off and should have slept in. In the end, I’m really glad I didn’t; it was a beautiful day.

I started my morning by packing my fishing gear so that I could leave right after breakfast. I finished my food quickly called some friends back home in Canada, including Brian Mellor, one of my best friends who will be coming to Australia to travel with me for a month. Super Stoked!

After I hung up the phone, I headed down lagoon beach to hopefully catch some bait fish, to use to hopefully catch another, bigger, kingfish. After trying a couple places along the lagoon, I eventually ended up at Little Island, fishing off the big rock that is at the base of Mount Lidgebird and Mount Gower. I caught four fish: Two wrasse, a small black fish (I had no idea what it was) and a rock cod. I kept the cod and threw the rest back.

The sun was hot above me as peddled back, a fish in my bucket and sea water splashing over me every bump. I got back, did some laundry and housecleaning, went to the store for junk food, and got my wet suit on to go surfing. I checked out Blinky beach and it wasn’t happening, so returned, met up with Steve, and decided to go down to Little Island again with our surfboards. I got all the way down there and found the surf to be minimal so I left my board in the trees for tomorrow.

Even after fishing for hours and biking the island twice, I still wasn’t satisfied. I grabbed my snorkel gear and headed down to the calm, sunny lagoon. I swam for close to 45 minutes, and saw heaps of interesting life, including massive schools of yellow and black butterfly fish.

For the rest of my evening I wrote a chapter in my book, listened to music, read, and watched the DVD “Waking Life.” It was very relaxing, thanks to a little Melbourne Buddha courtesy of the band.

September 1, 2006 - Day 62 - Lord Howe Island

Lately I am finding it hard to describe my thoughts and emotions concerning this island. It has energy, a life of its own, that takes your soul and turns it inside-out. Because time flies, you have to be aware all the time, and take each day by the horns. I have been honestly giving it my all, living each day as full as I possibly can.

My plans for today were to go on a walk with a bloke named Clive, who runs walks from the resort often; however, the afternoon was just gorgeous and I was itching for the surf. After lunch I biked down to Little Island where I left my surfboard yesterday. On the way I met up with one of the chef’s Lance and his girlfriend Jess. They were on their way down there too.

Although I didn’t catch any waves, I had one of the best afternoons ever. The waves were pretty good, but broke over some really shallow reef, and I didn’t feel confident. To be honest, for me the best way to gain confidence is just to paddle out and risk it all; get tossed around a bit but be careful. No wave is worth drowning. Period.

The view from out in the ocean was amazing. The water was crystal clear and you could see all of the details of the reef underneath. The mountains in the background seriously took my breath away. I couldn’t have asked for a better afternoon.
Lance dropped my board back to my room with his ute and I continued on my regular bike path around the island. I love the clean fresh air and the burn of a good cycle. I think I am addicted.

A new bloke came in today and he is going to be working mainly back pantry, since it was Troy’s last day. I had a good time with Troy and some good laughs. I’m going to miss that guy.

Considering it was Friday, we all stuck around and had a few drinks on the verandah. We all got into it, told some pretty crazy ghost stories, and got drunk.

September 2, 2006 - Day 63 - Lord Howe Island

Today I took Dane around the island on my daily bike path and showed him some of the beaches and landmarks. I can vividly remember my first week on the island and the excitement and awe I initially felt; it’s fun to relive it again, this time as the guide who has seen and done it all (almost).

We first headed down south to Little Island where I showed him the surf breaks Lance and I had been yesterday. After that we headed back to home base, grabbed our wet suits, and headed to Ned’s beach to go snorkeling.

It was hilarious to watch Dane swim around in the most amazing reef, his eyes wide open. It was high tide and there were heaps of reef sharks swimming around. Big ones. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I will never get used to seeing a shark swimming straight for me, even if I know it’s not looking at me as food.

Although the sun was shinning and it was a beautiful day it was still a little cold in the water so we didn’t stay in for too long. We both peddled back to Pinetrees cold, wet, tired and ecstatic with our day. I will never grow tired of the underwater playground at Ned’s beach.

After work I went on the internet and e-mailed some friends, deleted annoying spam from my inbox, and read some messages in Myspace. While I was online in the office (everyone had gone home for the night) I heard some doors closing in the main room of the resort and the stereo turned on and off. I’m not crazy. Seriously, it’s true that I heard these things and I swear to God I’m not joking. Pinetrees, and Lord Howe for that matter, is definitely haunted.

September 3rd, 2006 - Day 64 - Lord Howe Island
The ball is now rolling. I called the dive shop today and officially started my PADI training course, which includes reading through a large manual, watching a DVD, writing test modules, and four open-water dives, including the amazing caves off Malabar. The dive masters name is Brian, and I will be taking the course with Dane, who I convinced to sign up with me. The entire certification is going to cost me $350. Not too bad for scuba diving in paradise!

In the afternoon, Dane and I headed out to Clear Place to go fishing. Everything is new for Dane, so he was just in awe once again. We hiked up through the cow pastures, swung on some banyan tree vines, and made our way down the rocks to my favourite fishing spot.

We had just put bread on our lines and tossed them into the ocean when a freak rogue wave came up on us and blind-sided us. It was actually quite scary, but funny in retrospect since either of us got swept out to sea or hurt. Unfortunately, the wave took Dane’s thong and all of our bread that was in plastic bags. Dane’s reply to the whole ordeal was, “Well, it looks like I gotta go swimming!” He grabbed his thong and our soggy bread and swam back to shore, but cut his arm and knee on the reef trying to get back out; the cuts were small but bled badly.

On our way back from Clear Place Dane decided to make his day that much more interesting by climbing awkwardly over an electric fence. He got halfway over when the fence sent a pulse and electrocuted him, right in the cash and prizes! It was so funny to watch, but must have been terrible to experience!

Later that afternoon I went on my daily bike ride and worked up a sweat, showered, and headed to the museum to watch a slideshow presentation by Ian Hutton, the island’s resident expert. Ian is extremely knowledgeable on all aspects of the island life including natural and human history, seabirds, and is the curator of the museum. He has agreed to help me with my documentary, which will be a huge asset to the quality of information for my production.

September 4th, 2006 - Day 65 - Lord Howe Island

No wasting time, but there’s always time to sleep in on a day off; regardless of the day, there is no better feeling than waking up naturally, and not to the sound of some wretched alarm.

When I did wake up it was around 9:30. I did some laundry, had some breakfast, and finished ‘Queen of the South’ by Arturo Pérez-Reverte. I loved the novel. It was so entertaining and well written with a hell of a heroine. 600 pages of kick-ass.

After lunch I got into the PADI Open Water Dive Manual that I have to read before I can get into the water. It was raining pretty heavily outside so I had the time to read through the entire first section which explains everything from buoyancy to dive equipment and precautionary measures for open dives. Some superfluous information; however it was concise and easy to read.

Later in the afternoon I took a stroll up Transit Hill with my iPod and hiked down to Blinky beach. The rain had cleared giving way to the sunshine. It was high tide and I walked along the surf crashing in up to my knees. I sat for a while on a sand dune and thought about the future.

I noticed two figures down the beach walking towards me from down the beach and when they came closer I noticed it was a woman and her daughter; I recognized them since they are guests at Pinetrees. I smiled and said hello and they came over for a chat. The mom’s name was Carol and the daughters name Sam. Sam was about my age and had a beautiful smile. Her eyes spoke more than any words could ever express. It’s weird when that happens; when you know that, given the chance and the right circumstances, there might be a bigger connection. It’s all about the timing: X and Y meeting at the right point in time.

The evening was relaxing. Before dinner I went to the museum and watched another one of Ian Hutton’s slideshow presentations on the birds of Lord Howe Island. After dinner I continued reading my PADI manual, drank red wine, imported music from Bec into iTunes, and watched the movie, ‘A Very Long Engagement’ by Audrey Tautou.

September 5th, 2006 - Day 66 - Lord Howe Island

Today at breakfast I heard the news that Steve Irwin died. To be honest, I am saddened and shocked. I have been to his zoo, was a huge fan of his show. It’s a shame he’s gone since he was a fantastic Australian ambassador. I still can’t believe it.

To me, it’s especially haunting and coincidental since I am doing my PADI course right now, in a place where there are heaps of Stingrays, big ones, swimming in the waters around Lord Howe. I see them almost everyday and have even snorkeled with them myself. Scary stuff. I’ll know now to give them a wide berth.

In the afternoon I sat in the sun with one of the guests; the young girl I met with the beautiful smile. We were both on our way down to the boatshed to read our books when we bumped into each other. We didn’t even open our books but sat and talked for over an hour. She told me that she was a ballerina, received a scholarship from a French school, but had to come back to Australia when she developed chronic fatigue syndrome. She has spent the last 12 months struggling to get back her energy so that she can get back to doing the thing she loves most in the world. I truly sad story, but I could tell she was determined and would eventually dance again.

I couldn’t go through the day without my bike ride around the island, so as soon as I was finished serving afternoon tea I headed out on the road. On the final stretch of my journey the sky lit up with beautiful reds, oranges and pinks as the setting sun sank below the horizon. I biked home as fast as I could, picked up my camera, and snapped some truly stunning pictures near the airport.

After work I read some of my PADI textbook and listened to music.

September 6th, 2006 - Day 67 - Lord Howe Island

Like I anticipated, the time is flying by. The days seem shorter, and there is definitely an illusion of time speeding up. Now that I have the diving to look forward to, the last three weeks on the island are going to go by like a snap. It’s sad really, although I am really looking forward to what lies ahead; traveling with Mellor, surfing Byron again, Fraser Island, the Whitsundays, diving in Cairns, Western Australia, New Zealand, South-East Asia… There are so many more places yet to visit!

This afternoon I read more of my PADI textbook, rode my bike, and fished off the jetty. I didn’t catch anything, but it was unreal to watch the massive stingrays (the very same that killed Steve Irwin) flutter along on the bottom of the ocean. The ones at Lord Howe are probably even bigger than the ones in Northern Queensland, since the islanders and enclosed reef supply the animals with heaps of food. They are a very majestic animal, and it was such a tragedy that Steve had to die in such a way.

After dinner I watched section one of the PADI DVD in the Pinetrees dining room with Dane. We are both super stoked to get out into the reef and explore some of the greater depths.

Tomorrow we decided on going snorkeling again, either at Ned’s or Middle beach. Maybe we’ll hit some surf it’s up.

September 7th, 2006 - Day 68 - Lord Howe Island
Today was one of those days that just seem like a dream; it was so perfect that the entire day I was pinching myself, afraid that I might actually wake up. The funny thing was, there were thunderstorms and lightening all day and I stayed in my room for most of the afternoon. After dinner though, everything changed: I finally got to know the girl with the perfect smile and the lagoon eyes.

I was just finishing work and Marie offered me a drink. I went to the bar and bumped into Sam and offered to buy her a drink. We both ordered a glass of Wolf Blass, Yellow Label, and went and sat in the lounge. We talked about everything under the sun: Family, the island, the things we love. I grabbed a bottle of Yellow Label and we sat by the fire talking until the early hours of the morning. It’s amazing how dynamic and mysterious human chemistry can be.

Around 1:00 in the morning we climbed up Transit Hill in the damp grass and sat on a platform, under a full moon, and looked over the lagoon. It was one of the most incredible moments I have experienced on the island.

We talked some more and I finally walked her home and went to sleep around 3:30 in the morning. It was an amazing day for sure.

September 8th, 2006 - Day 69 - Lord Howe Island

I was woken up today by Samantha. She came into my room, jumped on my bed, and woke me up way earlier than I should have woken up, seeing it was my day off. I got out of bed and saw her off, the girl with the lagoon eyes. Since her plane had been delayed a day because of the weather, she had to leave early. I hope we will cross paths again someday.

After going back to bed for an hour and catching up on sleep, I did some laundry, ate some lunch, and went to the museum to check my e-mail with Dane. The internet was excruciatingly slow, so I gave up, and went and talked with Ian Hutton and another lady who were making plans for the Lord Howe museum. It’s such a cool experience to be in the presence with people who are so passionate about nature and conservation. They asked my opinion on certain things and seemed very impressed with my suggestions, so I offered to help out with the creative process. Hopefully, it could be a potential avenue for me to come back to the island in the future. I would love to work on a project like the museum.

In the afternoon Dane and I put on our wetsuits, grabbed our surfboards and headed down to Blinky beach; although it was low tide, the breaks were alright. We paddled around for a couple hours, headed back to the lagoon for a swim, and then retired for the day.
Just before dinner, I went up to Gai’s house for a haircut. Gai is a fifth generation islander with a beautiful home overlooking both the lagoon and Jim’s point. The house is stunning and could have easily sold for a couple million bucks. It is absolutely stunning. She chopped my hair, fed me a beer and we chatted about the island, her art, family, and travels.

I had an easy night. Had dinner, played a game of pool with Dane while having our weekly staff drink, paid a bill online, and retired to my books around nine.

September 9th, 2006 - Day 70 - Lord Howe Island

The staff at Pinetrees right now is great. Everyone seems to be happy and having the time of their lives. It’s so good to interact with everyone when they share the enthusiasm I have for the island.

After work was said and done, I went on my daily bike ride down to Little Island with Dane and Alex. The wind was fierce and it was the hardest ride that I have ridden on the path; literally, if you didn’t peddle, you could easily stop on a downhill run. It was intense fitness.

When we got back we put on our wetsuits and headed out to Middle beach to go for a snorkel. Since the wind was coming from the east, Middle beach was completely protected and calm; it was perfect conditions for snorkeling. We explored the reef for over and hour and Dane and I practices diving down to deeper depths, using the equalization techniques we have learned in our diving manuals. Needless to say, we saw heaps of amazing fish, including some beautifully coloured Wrasse.

After our evening shift Dane, Alex and Quilla headed up to Cory’s place for a party. It was good fun; beers, karaoke, and good people. Work tomorrow, so had to leave prematurely.

I can’t believe I only have three more weeks on the island.

September 10th, 2006 - Day 71 - Lord Howe Island

Sick.

Today I woke up as fresh as a daisy and got through the morning just fine, but went down hard in the afternoon with a severe case of the stomach flu. To be completely honest, I can’t remember a time when I have been in as much pain from intestinal cramping in my life; the pressure and knots in my guts were simply unbearable, and I had to leave work early.

Without the graphic details, I spent the next 24 hours curled up in a ball on my bed, getting up every fifteen minutes to run, no, sprint to the bathroom. I was contemplating going to see the doctor, but decided against it I used my best judgment: Plenty of fluids, rest, and some anti-inflammatory drugs to ease pain.

I tried to get my mind off the excruciating pain by watching movies ‘Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring’ and ‘Two Weeks Notice’, but had to pause them too many times to do the mad-dash to the loo. I managed to get a bowl of soup and some bread down, and I had some Chamomile tea that eased my cramps ever so slightly. The night was the worst ever, and I wouldn’t wish what I went through on even my worst enemy (if I had one).

September 11th, 2006 - Day 72 - Lord Howe Island

This morning I was feeling only slightly better, although the symptoms of the flu persisted throughout the day. I stayed in bed for most of the day and finally managed to get over to Pinetrees around 12:15 for a small lunch; even if it didn’t stay long in my body, I needed some nourishment. I put together a plate of rice, some lettuce and a small piece of chicken, and ate it in moderate pain.

Having been cooped up in my room all day, I decided to go for a walk to the boatshed around 3:00 pm. The cramps were still fierce, but the sprints to the loo had subsided slightly. I sat and looked at the ocean while re-hydrating myself.

For the rest of the evening I completed some exercises for my PADI Open Water Course and read the rest of the manual. I am keen to start the course tomorrow, so I want to be well rested and free of sickness. Diving looks to be an exciting adventure activity, but I am seriously considering it as a professional career. Today I put together some goals that I need to do to complete the professional training.

After dinner I continued to recuperate by watching the other two ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies of the trilogy.

September 12th, 2006 - Day 73 - Lord Howe Island

It was my day off today, which was great because I was still suffering from cramps and other, ahem, symptoms. I felt a lot better today, but there was some definite weariness, considering today’s activities.

At 9:00 am, Dane and I headed down to Busty’s Boatshed to commence the written part of our PADI Open Water Diver course. We met our instructor, Brian Busteed, sitting in his ‘office,’ a colourful wooden shed full of scuba gear, nautical posters, shells, and tools. There were two white beach chairs arranged in the middle of the shed; a most ideal classroom. To top things off, the boatshed is right on the lagoon, and offers stunning views of the mountains. Ideal is most definitely and understatement.

For about an hour we went over the material we had read and watched on our own time, and completed the skills quiz to ensure that we had absorbed the necessary information. The tests were quick and easy. We took an hour and a half break so Dane could read module three, returned around noon, completed the quiz, and got right into learning how to properly assemble our gear.

At 1:00 in the afternoon, a couple staying at Pinetrees showed up to the boatshed to come along with us to Ned’s beach for a dive; we were completing our first confined water dive, while they had already completed the course and were hiring equipment to go out on their own.

The first breath underwater at Ned’s beach, amongst the many huge kingfish, was simply awesome. There really aren’t any words to describe how cool it was to finally breathe underwater, especially in such a pristine environment. We went through a lot of the basic beginner skills of scuba, such as hand signals, safety checks, regulator breathing, and emergency protocols. We ended the day by taking a brief swim around the coral.

After the session I am definitely feeling confident and excited about diving, and am certainly looking forward to our Open Water dives.

I took it easy after the dive session and relaxed after dinner as well. I watched ‘Return of the King’ and got into my new book, ‘Evolution’s Captain’ by Peter Nichols. The book is about the kidnapping that led to Charles Darwins’ voyage on the Beagle. It’s very interesting so far, and should be a good factual account of the sequence of events that changed the world.

September 13th, 2006 - Day 74 - Lord Howe Island

Lately I have been giving some thought to the reasons for my travels. It’s pretty amazing to think about how far I have come, and the choices I had to make to get me to this point. It’s funny to think that this whole adventure was once just an idea; a spark. I made it happen by making a commitment. I hardly had any money, but had a lot of passion and an ambition to travel. I left a lot behind, and it sometimes makes me sad to think about all the people I left behind. I don’t have a single regret though, since these adventures are shaping me into the man that I have always known I could be. I am starting to grow into my potential, but I have a long way to go, and so much more to learn and experience.

I guess for most of us our true desires and potential doesn’t sink in, because we are too busy living the fleeting moments that make up our lives. I truly have been embracing every single day and feel as though this is an integral part of my infinite spiritual growth that I will be able to share along the way. I am like a sea sponge, rising and falling with the tides, absorbing energy and wisdom from my environment, and spreading; evolving.

As I write this journal of my experiences I consider each part of my travels as a chapter in my life. There are many characters in the story, and right now the setting and events in the story are magnificent, but there are hard roads ahead. In this chapter I am the protagonist trying to uncover hidden truths about the world around me and the world within me, casting aside and maneuvering the antagonists as best as I can.

On a grand scale, it’s impossible to anticipate one day to the next; however, we can dream. Humans have the amazing capacity to visualize and create. We foresee before we experience. Sometimes it happens just the way we foresee it, other times we can be amazed by the sheer difference between our dreams and reality. In this life, we are tied to our bodies and are forced to embrace our born identities and genetics. In the end we can grow and prosper, using our dreams as a map to happiness, or we can sink into the realities that are dictated for us and become complacent. Evidently, the choice is ours. I choose to grow.

After a few days of sickness I returned to work, and although some of the symptoms of my stomach flu still persisted on and off through the day, I made due.

In the afternoon I rode around the island with Dane and Jerlinda, two very happy souls who definitely fill me with positive energy. They make me laugh, and these days, we all need to laugh. We stopped off at Ned’s beach and watched the fish along the shore before heading back to Pinetrees to rest. I read my book, watched some episodes of ‘Family Guy’ and got ready for dinner and my evening shift; I am able to eat real meals once again!

After my shift was finished I listened to ‘Black Holes and Baby Universes’ by Stephen Hawking on audiobook, wrote in my journal, and drifted off thinking about scuba diving tomorrow.

September 14th, 2006 - Day 75 - Lord Howe Island
Somebody pinch me. Today was absolutely amazing, and the beginning of a serious new hobby.

After sleeping in an extra hour, Dane and I met Brian (Busty) down at his shed to complete the last two scuba modules and the final test, which was out of 50, and multiple choice questions. Piece of cake.

We took a small break so that we could have lunch and met back at 1:00. We packed up our gear, and made our way to Ned’s beach for our second confined water dive; usually the confined water dives are completed in a pool, but we are fortunate enough to complete our course in a beautiful coral reef straight off the bat. No complaints here!

After doing our standard safety checks we got into the water and completed some of the basic skills necessary for the PADI Open Water Diver certificate such as taking our weight belt off under water and replacing it, swimming and breathing without a mask, and a controlled buoyancy swimming ascent.

We swam in through and in behind the coral reef, examining the tropical fish and coral, and we even spotted some eels. There were heaps of Galapagos Wailers swimming around and I got some unreal pictures of Dane, Busty and another woman diving with us named Dawn swimming amongst the sharks. So cool!

Later on in the evening after dinner Jen handed Dane and I the keys to her new place and told us we could go chill and drink while she finished work. We headed up, cracked a cold Corona and a bottle of Shiraz and watched some episodes of ‘Family Guy’. We blew up about 50 balloons and put them all over her apartment, just for fun.

Around 9:00 Jerlinda came up to Jen’s and scared the crap out of Dane; I saw her outside the window but Dane didn’t have a clue and spilt a glass of wine all over himself. It was absolutely hilarious! Jen came home soon after and we continued the party until around 11:00 when we decided to head down to ‘The Shack’ at the jetty.

When we got there, the place was going off (20 people compared to 4), so we joined the fun. I rocked the bongos for a good half hour and danced around like an idiot along with everyone else. Good fun for sure.

I biked home with Quilla underneath a sky filled with a billion zillion stars.

September 15th, 2006 - Day 76 - Lord Howe Island

Today the weather was beautiful, warm and sunny. At break, Dane, Jerlinda and I took advantage of the spectacular afternoon by going for a bike and hike to ‘Boat Harbour’ at the south-east corner of the island. The hike was just what I needed. We took a dip in the crystal clear water before heading back to catch a game of tennis with Jen and Bec. The sweat and exercise felt incredible; it is the first day that I actually felt 100% back to normal after the vicious stomach flu last week.

After dinner service we had a staff drink in the office, where I checked my e-mail. At 10:00, Steve, Dane, Alex, Quilla, Jen and I headed to the ‘Love Shack’ across from my room to watch ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ and laughed ourselves to sleep.

September 16th, 2006 - Day 77 - Lord Howe Island

It’s good to be back. I really hate being sick; since I’m an extremely active person, having to slow down and rest really makes me depressed. I need to have physical activity each day or I panic! For me it’s not even about looking good, because the Pinetrees food is too good to be concerned about weight, but just an overall feeling of well-being that I get out of fitness.

This afternoon Dane, Jerlinda, Alex and I put our snorkel gear on and swam out to ‘Rabbit Island,’ or ‘Blackburn Island’ as it’s officially named. The swim to the island is roughly a kilometer and it took us about a half an hour. Along the way we saw heaps of amazing aquatic life, including a huge stingray. We stayed clear, but really, they are very docile animals regularly, and we didn’t feel threatened by it despite what happened to Steve Irwin. His death was just tragic.

At night I sat around with Jen and Bec drinking in my room and then headed over to the bowling club, which was hosting an all-Aussie music party. Met tons of new people and had a few drinks with the locals before calling it a night.

September 17th, 2006 - Day 78 - Lord Howe Island

It was yet another active day in the sunshine. With consistent, beautiful weather, it’s hard to justify having a nap in the afternoon, even if I was dead tired.

We had a busy day today at work, and some of the guests are extremely demanding; resorts such as Pinetrees often attract a snobby lot with heaps of money. While most people are absolutely super kind and warm to me, there are always a couple bad apples that have to ruin the vibe.

Regardless of the crap I have to put up with in the days and nights, the afternoons are mine. Today Dane, Steve and I paddled a kilometer out to the surf breaks straight off the jetty. I finally figured out that my surfboard is not right for me and that I am going to have to trade it in once I get back to the mainland; it’s not the right weight for me and it’s impossible for me to paddle through the breaks. I went all the way out to the reef and didn’t even catch a wave because I was exhausted from the paddle and I could hardly get the board to move. It was really frustrating. After a half an hour of putting everything I have into paddling through the breaks, I gave up and paddled the kilometer back to the jetty. I was absolutely knackered when I got back to shore.

After a ridiculously full-on dinner, I headed back to my room, read a couple pages of my book, and nodded off to la-la-land.

September 18th, 2006 - Day 79 - Lord Howe Island

While my days on the island are numbered, I feel I have been productive. I am continuing to get out each afternoon that I work, and on my days off, I try to accomplish a lot. Since today was a work day, I didn’t do too much in the afternoon, although I did manage to get a bike ride in later in the afternoon, and stopped and watched the crimson, red and orange sunset. It was magnificent.

After work I sent my mom, sister and some friends an e-mail from the office. Once again, the amount of time each page took to load was excruciating. When I get back to my room and into bed, I finished ‘Evolution’s Captain.’ It was an awesome book and I learned a lot. One thing is for sure: There are many interesting and powerful aspects of history that humans tend to ignore. Truly, Charles Darwin’s life as explorer, naturalist and father of modern evolutionary theory could not have completed his work without the staunch Christian Captain named Robert Fitzroy. We tend to forget that there are often many players associated with large historical events and periods, but only some become famous. Very strange indeed. I also started reading ‘Down Under’ by Bill Bryson. It should be a fun read.
September 19th, 2006 - Day 80 - Lord Howe Island

A magnificent day off! There were perfect blue skies, sunshine, and I went scuba diving in the lagoon; how much better can you get?

In the morning I slept in a bit, did some laundry, and read some of my book. After morning tea (my breakfast) I went for a short walk with Dane down the beach to mail a letter Manami entrusted me to send when she left for Sydney. I sent the letter and we looked around the post office which had heaps of historical clippings from newspapers concerning airplanes and other Lord Howe lore. It was pretty cool, but truly small compared to many of the post offices on the mainland and in Canada.

At 1:00 we met Brian down at his boatshed and geared up for the afternoon. The plan was to take his brothers boat out to ‘Comets Hole’ in the lagoon to practice some of the skills we have learned and take a leisurely dive around some amazing coral.

We quickly completed all of the necessary skills for our Open Water Diver and continued down to about 8 meters and observed the reef for a little under an hour. The animals we encountered were as diverse and spectacular as I had ever seen, even at Ned’s beach. We saw massive schools of catfish, drummers (stinker fish), butterfly fish, rock cod, scorpion fish, wrasse, sharks, and I counted at least eight sting rays. Seeing so many powerful stingrays up close was pretty amazing. It was so peaceful underwater in the sunshine; such a great dive for our first true Open Water dive.

For the rest of the afternoon I sat on the beach in front of the boat shed with Jerlinda, Bec, Jen and Dane. We sipped beers and soaked up the hot sun, read, and talked about the future.

Speaking of the future, Dane and I came up with an idea to open our own dive school somewhere on the mainland coast. He and I have just connected on a different level, to where we both can almost anticipate what each other is thinking and will say. He’s definitely a cool guy and I already know that we are going to have heaps of fun in our lives, especially if we can seriously make the dreams of a dive school come true. First things first though, we need experience and have to be trained as an instructor. Basically, it means lots of time in the water and a considerable amount of money. To me, it’s all worth it if it means I can get back into Australia as a resident and will be working doing something that I love.

After dinner Dane and I burned some calories and walked down to Blinky beach. Are minds were racing with the possibilities that the future held, and both of us were truly in awe of the stars shinning in the sky. The night was so clear and we watched the constellations from the beach with the waves crashing up to our knees. Nights like these remind me how special the island truly is.

As we walked back up the beach to Pinetrees, Dane noticed some phosphorescence glowing at our feet as we walked in the sand. It was pretty cool to kick up some sand and see the tiny creatures glow neon green for a split second, and then vanish back into the sand.

I can already tell that I am going to go through Lord Howe withdrawal when I get back to the mainland. It’s just so magical, it has changed me forever.

September 20th, 2006 - Day 81 - Lord Howe Island

Right now I am at the stage where I am extremely excited to move on and experience new things, but quite hesitant to leave this island. I already know that I will not find another place like it in the world; it is unique. While I know I will be back, it may be years down the road. Until then, I will have the consolation of my vivid memories.

Today was a regular day at work: Lots of hungry people asking me where I am from, what my plans are, and what I am going to do in the afternoon. It’s actually quite funny having the Canadian accent; people immediately pick up on it and are extremely interested to hear my story. I am always glad to enlighten people, although it’s sometimes tiring repeating the same story to every guest that comes through!

This afternoon I got back into the regular routine: Did my sit-ups, push-ups, and biked around the island. It was quite windy today so the ride was extra hard. I felt like going hard today so after my ride I got my snorkel gear on and swam out to the island by myself. It was an extremely peaceful swim, although I did kick it up a notch for part of the way.

When I got to shore I was swimming amongst the coral when Jerlinda snuck up behind me and grabbed my fin. It scared the crap out of me! I could have smacked her, but it was out of revenge since I had scared her and Dane earlier on in the day while on my ride to Little island.

The rest of the day went by quick. I watched a few episode’s of ‘Alias’ and read some more of ‘Down Under’ by Bill Bryson.

September 21st - Day 82 - Lord Howe Island

A little breezy today but the temperature was just right. I would compare the consistent Winter/Spring weather of Lord Howe to be similar to June weather in Canada; just the perfect temperature that’s not too hot and not too cold.

This afternoon I had a little mishap. Although there were some casualties (three VB), I managed to walk away pretty much unscathed and with a killer story. Here’s how it went: I rode my bike to the liquor store just after work to buy a carton of beer. I purchased the goods, popped them on my shoulder and began riding away. About 100 feet from the store my handle bars snagged a tree branch and I toppled over like a heap of bricks, carton and all. I landed on my head (luckily I was wearing my helmet and it was soft ground), but three of my beers smashed to smithereens. I got up, shook the sand from my eyes, cleaned up the glass and headed back laughing. It was pretty funny.

A little later in the afternoon I took off to Old Settlement beach with Dane and Jerlinda to go and snorkel ‘Sylph’s Hole.’ Because of the fresh water runoff from the mountains, there is slightly different vegetation and thus, some different fish. We went to explore.

Since it was low tide, we walked backwards a great deal before finally taking the plunge. We swam out about 100 meters and immediately ran into an amazing reef. There was thousands of exotic fish swimming all around us, including butterfly fish, a massive school of drummers (stinkfish), and brightly coloured wrasse. After about 30 minutes of swimming around I came up over a ridge of coral and startled a big green sea turtle from its slumber. It was totally cool to see it so up close, although it darted away pretty fast. We also saw a few stingrays, including the biggest one I have seen on the island; its body was about a meter and a half wide and from head to the end of its tail it stretched about three meters. It was enormous! We got out of the water totally elated and excited about what we had seen.

When I got back I took a nap and almost slept through dinner. I was pretty tired after a couple of full-on days.

Unfortunately I got some bad news today: The Brisbane flight is booked up the weekend I want to leave. The only option is to fly to Sydney and catch a plane back to Brisbane from there. No matter, I’ll meet up with Brian there and party with him and Kyle for a night. Everything happens for a reason.

After the evening shift, despite being ready for bed, I headed down to the lagoon to sip a beer and look at the stars; it was a perfectly clear night. I walked a few steps in the sand and almost immediately came upon a massive squid that had beached itself up on the sand. Bonus! The tube was about a foot and a half long and six inches wide. It would have fed an entire army and I would have given it a go except I had no idea how long it could have been sitting there for. No matter, squid make amazing bait. This is just the break I need to catch a massive kingfish to bring home to the family and friends. I guess it’s pretty safe to say I’ll be casting a line tomorrow.

September 22nd, 2006 - Day 83 - Lord Howe Island

While the plan was to go fishing today; however, the wind was a little too strong, so I decided to take it easy. In the afternoon, I took a nap, read some of my book, and went for a walk. At 4:30 I met Bec and had a sweaty game of tennis. Unfortunately, I was winning 3-0, but lost the game 6-4.

At night, the staff sat around and had drinks together. We ended up having shots of tequila and some of us made our way over to the bowling club. There were quite a few people at the club and I chatted with a few of the new staff from Capella resort.

It ended up being a late night. I didn’t get home until 3:30 in the morning. After the bowling club, I went to Ollie and Leigh’s, who were Troy and Danielle’s housemates. More bottles of booze were brought out, and my memory from then on is pretty hazy. Had some good laughs, but knew I would pay for it in the morning.

September 23rd, 2006 - Day 84 - Lord Howe Island

I woke up today with a nasty hangover. It was a great night and I met a lot of people, but today I am regretting those last shots of Southern Comfort and Bundy rum. Yeesh.

When I finally shook my headache and woke up, it was past lunchtime. It was definitely the latest I have slept in while on the island. I didn’t want to feel like my day was wasted so I ate some fruit, drank some water, and went to retrieve my squid to go fishing.

I walked up to Clear Place and cast my line in the ocean. Although there was heavy swell, it was low tide and the rocks were relatively safe to fish from. I spent over an hour fishing using the squid for bait with no luck. There were a couple of small fish in a tide pool so I decided to try something different and use them as live bait. I looped the hook through its back and tossed it out to sea; once again, no luck.
After a while I was joined by Dane and Jerlinda, as well as hundreds of sea birds. We talked and fished for a little while longer before I gave up and headed back to have afternoon tea. Considering my ill-luck, I’m beginning to think that I’m not much of a fisherman!

For the rest of the evening I read, wrote, and watched an episode of ‘Alias.’ Jennifer Garner is a fox!

September 24th, 2006 - Day 85 - Lord Howe Island

Officially, I only have one more week on the island. It makes me very sad to think that in one more week I may not see the island again for a very long time, if ever.

I woke up today feeling a little crook in my stomach, and once again have been forced to relive ‘the symptoms.’ It’s an awful feeling being in paradise with one week left to go and not being able to live up to full potential. Since I am feeling sick, my energy levels are down and it makes it hard to find the motivation to get going and explore. Nonetheless, I made it out this afternoon despite my bodily grievances.

I read for quite a bit this afternoon. After about 100 pages I grew restless and headed out into the hot sunshine. I first walked along the lagoon down to the airstrip before climbing back up to the road, and continued on down Blinky beach until the very end. It was an extremely low tide today and there was a strong on-shore wind blowing the waves high into the air. All along the beach there were thousands of Portuguese Men-of-War (blue bottles) washed up on shore. I am so glad that I haven’t been stung by one, yet. I know that they serve a necessary purpose in the food chain, but come on, what useless little creatures!

The night shift went quickly and I settled into bed to rest. It’s another day of scuba diving tomorrow so I want to be feeling well and rested. It’s our first boat dive outside the reef. I can’t wait!

September 25th, 2006 - Day 86 - Lord Howe Island

Astoundingly, today was my last day off before heading back to the mainland. I woke up on-time for breakfast, only to go back to bed after eating with stomach cramps. It’s unbelievable that I am still afflicted with this bug; I thought I got rid of it, felt great for a few days, and then it came back, although not as bad as the first round. I slept until lunch and basically had to force myself out of bed.

At lunch Damo, one of the chefs’s told me about some spectacular caves to be found in the bush at North Bay. His description of them and directions were too enticing to pass up. After finishing lunch I gathered my iPod, book, water, and a couple of biscuits and set off to find them.

To get to North Bay I had to climb up over the steep hills past Old Settlement in the direction of Mount Eliza, my favourite view on the island. By the time I stumbled on the caves, I was dripping sweat; although it was cloudy and rainy, there was humidity in the air and the walk strenuous. To be honest, I thought they would be a lot harder to find but Damo’s directions were accurate and the first cave laid only steps from the path, albeit pretty hidden by the bush.

I took out my torch and headed down into the massive inner room of the cave. It was a pretty impressive cave; second only to the freakishly massive cave that I found with some friends in Victoria, along the Great Ocean Road. Along the ceiling of the cave were thousands of little brown moths, fluttering about in my torch light. It was damp and musty, (as all caves are) and water dripped onto the cave floor from above. I checked for other smaller entrances to other underground caves but there were none to be found. I was told there were two caves, so I decided to look for the other one on my way back. I left and continued on to North Bay and up Mount Eliza.

Near the summit of Mount Eliza I came across a startling sight: A decapitated Sooty Tern. Its head was strewn onto the path about a hundred feet from its body. There were feathers strewn about, indicating a struggle. Although initially I was stunned, I found the incriminating evidence of an owl pellet close by. Apparently the owls on Lord Howe are notoriously known for decapitating other birds and eating their insides. Yuck.

Although I couldn’t reach the summit because of the nesting sea birds (the path was officially closed to the public), I sat on the mountainside, read and took in the impressive view. Unfortunately, dark rain clouds were starting to form over the horizon to the North so I stumbled down the mountain, explored some of the tide pools around North Bay, and set off to look for the other cave.

The second cave was a little bit harder to find than the first one. Although in the relative vicinity of the path, it was up and over a hill, past some massive banyan trees, and down in a gully. I donned my torch and headed in. While much smaller in height than the first cave, this one looked as if it had more of the smaller crevices to explore. I briefly looked around and decided to come back another day with some friends to explore them further; no need getting stuck with no one around to help!

After dinner I took it easy; I finished ‘Down Under’ by Bill Bryson, read the latest issue of ‘The Economist’ and watched a couple of episodes of ‘Alias.’ I drank heaps of chamomile tea and ate some dark chocolate (Cadbury Jamaican Rum and Raisin - Yum!). I started to feel a little better, although not 100% yet. I’ll hopefully be better by Friday for my going away BBQ planned for Ned’s Beach.

September 26th, 2006 - Day 87 - Lord Howe Island

Last night it rained heaps. You could say it came down in buckets. I really didn’t mind so much, since thunder, lightening and heavy rain generally puts me to sleep rather than keeps me awake. When I got up in the morning, there were puddles everywhere. I went to work and the morning flew past. At lunch, Cory told Dane that there was a beautiful waterfall flowing off Mount Lidgebird. Dane, Alex, Quilla and I made plans to go on a trek into the jungle to find it.

We left at around 2:30 and made our way to the southern end of the island, on my favourite path towards Little Island. We found the stream running down into the ocean and decided to follow it up the mountain; the easiest way to get to the base of the falls.

The stream was only about knee deep, but was flowing rapidly downhill. The water was clear and cold. We trudged along, up and around mossy rocks, through spider webs, and under thick vines to finally reach the base of the waterfall a few hundred meters into the forest. There was a waist deep pool at the base of the 50 foot falls. Alex decided to go for a swim in the pool while Dane and I climbed up to the bottom of the falls to let the water fall on our heads and backs. The power of the water was immense; the water almost knocked us down as we passed through it. Quilla chilled and took pictures, laughing at us get pounded by the force of the water.

After a while we tried making a damn with some rocks we found in the stream, but the water was too forceful. We made a good effort and managed to raise the water level a few inches, but not enough to make a real difference. We gave up and headed back for morning tea. Unfortunately, on our way back, Dane slipped and impaled his baby toe on a piece of wood. It looked painful.

Later in the night after I finished work Pete, one of the chefs loaned me the movie ‘Hostel.’ Seeing as I’m soon going to be out living the hostel life again for sometime, I thought it appropriate to scare the crap out of myself. It was a pretty disturbing movie, mostly because it is completely plausible.

September 27th, 2006 - Day 88 - Lord Howe Island

Today I woke up to the bright sunshine shimmering down on the wet grass. The water from the previous day’s rain was drying up and the skies were bright blue.

At breakfast we got word from Busty that we were to dive in the afternoon. I was stoked; it was perfect conditions for a dive. Last night I met two girls at dinner and invited them to come along. There names are Thea and Pheobe, and they seemed like cool girls.

We met at Busty’s boatshed at 1:30 and geared up for the boat ride out past the reef. The girls decided to come along, and Busty had another instructor, Todd, come along for the ride. We were told that we were going to dive the ‘The Arch,’ a series of caverns and crevices outside the lagoon reef, featuring, you guessed it, a big coral arch.

We took a backwards roll into the water this time, descended to about 15 meters, and completed a few skills such as self-inflating our BCD (buoyancy control device) and filling and clearing our mask. Easy stuff. After that Todd took us around the dive site and we explored around the rocks.

We were underwater for around 40 minutes, and during that time we saw some unbelievable marine life. The coral formations were absolutely stunning; there were heaps of giant crayfish (lobster), and kingfish. We even saw a couple of huge black cod that were around four feet long and looked to weigh around 50 kilos each! They were absolutely massive. Near the end of the dive we saw a venomous scorpion fish; Very cool looking creatures, but you wouldn’t want to get spiked, that’s for sure.

I finished the amazing day by taking a walk along lagoon beach under the infinite stars sparkling in the clear sky. I’m really going to miss my nightly walks on the beach. Come to think of it, I’m really going to miss this place, period. I’ve only three more days to go.

September 28th, 2006 - Day 89 - Lord Howe Island

Today Dane and I completed our last dive for our Open Water Diver course. We rushed to Busty’s right after we finished work and nearly missed the boat; they were pulling away just as we rode up. We had to yell from the beach to get their attention. Busty sorted us out and we headed off around the northern tip of the island to go explore the caves off Malabar.
There were four others along for the dive, including a dutch business man who is responsible for over 90% of the kentia palm business being exported from Lord Howe, his son, and a couple in their middle-years.

When we got in the water Dane and I completed some navigation skills with Todd and went exploring. Needless to say, Malabar lived up to expectation; it was beautiful coral shelf with hundreds of swim-throughs, and caves. The coral was distinctive at this site; a very healthy part of the reef that is relatively undisturbed by boat traffic and tourists.

On the dive we saw many of the regular favourites: Stingrays, crayfish, butterfly fish, trevally, scorpion fish, and hundreds of other brightly coloured wrasse. It was a spectacular dive and my favourite of the dive course.

On our way back we came up along a lazy turtle swimming at the surface of the ocean. Although it was getting along okay, we all agreed that it didn’t look to good and would probably end up being part of the food chain soon enough. Too bad, they are amazing creatures.

September 29th, 2006 - Day 90 - Lord Howe Island

After work this afternoon about 20 of Pinetrees staff and other islanders headed down to Ned’s beach for my ‘farewell BBQ.’ We packed heaps of food and everyone involved themselves in the mandatory B.Y.O.B.

The day was perfect. We played cricket, touch footy, swam in the ocean, and drank icy-cold refreshments in the hot sun. The day couldn’t have been any better; icing on the Lord Howe cake.

I took a final snorkel, helped Jerlinda cook and prepare the food, and ate plentiful amounts of chops, sausages, and veggies. Unfortunately most of us had to go to work, so we called it in around 6:30. I went to work with a good buzz and a smile on my face.

September 30th, 2006 - Day 90 - Lord Howe Island

Today was my last day of work, and my last full day on the island. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The feeling is bitter-sweet. I’ve accomplished everything that I came to the island for, and have had the time of my life, so it’s sad to leave, but I am excited to move on and see new things. I know in my heart that I will be back to the island one day, so it’s not like I am saying goodbye forever, but farewell for now.

Another reason why I am sad to leave is because of the people I met on the island. I never expected to meet such good friends and get to know so intimately in such a short period of time. I chalk it up to Pinetrees being one big family, since we all live close together, we eat three meals a day together, and we spend the afternoons and evenings exploring and partying together. Truly, how many families even do that?

In the afternoon, I went for a final snorkel with Dane at Middle beach. We crossed over the back paddock as a big storm cloud was looming over the horizon. We were determined to go for a swim, so weren’t deterred by the fork lightening zapping down all around us.

We swam around for about twenty minutes before the weather started to look dangerous. The water visibility was good, so I had one last good swim before heading to the beach.

After my last shift at Pinetrees, we sat around and had a couple of drinks on the verandah before calling it an early one. To finish off the night, I grabbed my iPod and took a walk along the lagoon; a final night of splendor under the infinite stars.

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Monday, October 09, 2006

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