April 16thth, 2007 - LHI
I’m currently sitting in gate 83 of the Brisbane international airport, waiting for my plane to Sydney and Phuket, Thailand, listening to music and reflecting on my adventures in Australia. In retrospect, I can say for certain that I have had the best year and a half in the land down under, and feel that I am one of the luckiest guys in the world to have seen and experienced the wonders of this great land. The people are fantastic, the beauty is awe-inspiring, and the beer delicious. Australia is an amazing place to visit, and I hope to one day come back to settle here for good. It’s not that I don’t love Canada, because I do, it’s just that Australia has become home. I feel a deep spiritual connection to the landscape, and have been accepted with open arms by its people. I look forward to my return, but for now I look forward to my next adventure: south-east Asia.
I must admit, I’m a little disappointed that I haven’t kept up with my journal entries over the last week and a half; to be honest, between diving, coming down with the flu, trips to the hospital for vaccinations, the website, and of course spending time with Kristy, I just haven’t had the opportunity to sit down and reflect. Although many of the crucial details are omitted, I will try and catch up on the events and emotions of my last week on Lord Howe Island.
It always seems that I get sick at the worst of times. The last time I came down with a bad cold I was travelling to Lord Howe Island from Port Douglas back in December. I felt incredible the entire time on the island while I was busy; however, as soon as I finished working and had an opportunity to explore and relax, I got sick. I guess that’s just how it goes. There were a couple of days of bad weather last week so I stayed in bed and watched movies, read my book, and went for short walks while I got better. Kristy took good care of me and made sure I had plenty of soup and good food to eat, in addition to her world-class massages.
During the last week I had to complete my practical examinations for my divemaster certification, in addition to a detailed dive site map and emergency assistance plan. Although I was still a little sick last week, I persevered and completed the training. We did most of the dives at Ned’s beach since there was a strong south-easterly wind howling across the lagoon. The weather did end up clearing near the end of the week, and I had a chance to dive the Admiralty Island’s for the last time. We chose No Name Rock and it was a really spectacular last dive; I stayed under for over an hour and spotted heaps of rare, and possibly even unidentified, nudibranch species. Also, we spotted huge green turtle with four sea urchins stuck to its shell. It was such a good dive!
For the rest of the week I took it pretty easy, going for walks, having dinner with friends and connecting with people I haven’t seen in a while. Although I had heaps of fun with the boys on the Wednesday night, playing cards and drinking, the highlight of the week was definitely camping at North Bay with Kristy on Thursday. We packed a movie, some soup and munchies, blankets and pillows and took Todd and Noah’s tinny (appropriately named “Toah”) out to the bay under a beautiful sunset. Despite the choppy ocean, the ride was fun and we didn’t get that wet. When we got there we set up camp and commenced up Mt. Eliza to catch the evening twilight. Despite the chilly wind howling at the summit, we made love under a blanket of stars. It was the most spectacular moment and will continue to be my most cherished memory of the island; the two of us completely alone on the top of a tall mountain overlooking the beautiful lagoon and mountains on the horizon. It was just incredible. We finished the evening by having hot chicken noodle soup with heaps of cooked chicken, watched a movie, and fell asleep in each others arms with the wind howling outside of our tent. It was a truly magical night.
Unfortunately, I had to wake up early the next morning because of my first aid course that I had started with Tas, Andrew, and Rachael. We only had a limited time to do it in, so I had to wake up and be down at the shed by 7 am, meaning that Kristy and I had to leave the bay around 6:30 am to make it back in time. After a slight delay with the motor, we got “Toah” moving and I got to my course on time, just before a gale blew across the lagoon; we were lucky!
After the course I finished up all my paperwork and business affairs for travelling to Thailand, specifically insurance, vaccinations etc. Travelling takes quite a bit of organization and planning, and for the most part you need the internet to facilitate all the details. Needless to say, it was the last thing I wanted to be doing on my second last day on Lord Howe Island.
Later on in the afternoon I finished my first aid course and then went down to Ned’s beach for my going away party; we originally planned a booze-cruise, but had to cancel due to the wind. Ned’s was perfect, and an awesome group of people turned up to wish me goodbye. I bought some tequila and we had quite a few drinks before heading off to the club for the dance.
The bowling club was on fire for my goodbye and I wasn’t lacking a drink the entire night. In the end, I had too many shots and probably embarrassed myself on the dance floor! It was so much fun, and I will miss the Friday night dances immensely.
Waking up on Saturday was a little rough so I decided to sleep in a little. It was extremely sad packing up all my gear and Kristy left for the morning so she could get some things done and I could focus on the task at hand. My headache dissipated and all my stuff was ready to go, so Kristy and I went for a long walk down to Blinky beach. We walked along lagoon beach road and talked about some of the great memories we shared on the island, and stopped at the top of the hill overlooking the pounding turquoise surf to hold each other and feel the wind whip through our hair. We had some more laughs remembering some of the subtle moments, and decided to go back for some lunch.
Instead of walking all the way back we caught a ride back with Emily, Anthony Riddle’s fiancée, who are both tour operators from the shed next door. She’s from Scotland and he’s an islander. I went and paid Tasman for the Emergency First Response course, and Kristy and I shared a curry and melt from Humpty Mick’s.
After lunch we headed back to the apartment for a final goodbye, and were interrupted by Busty since my plane came in early and was waiting for me. We left in a hurry, which was stressful and quite unexpected, but I was ready.
We dropped Busty off at the shed and I said goodbye to him. Kristy and I raced down to the airport and James, Adam and Pam were waiting for me at the terminal. Pam had a fresh frangipani lei for me. I said my goodbye’s to them and then had to say goodbye to Kristy in a rush, which made it really hard, but it was probably for the best. There were tears, but we both knew we would see each other again someday, so the sadness didn’t cut as deep. I got on the plane and waved out the window knowing full-heartedly that I would be back. In my mind, there was no question: Lord Howe Island was my second home, and my soul is forever bound to it.
April 6th, 2007 - LHI
After a big night drinking and staying up late, it was great to have the day off. Kristy and I slept in to our hearts content, had a big breakfast and plentiful amounts of coffee, and watched the movie “Blood Diamond,” which turned out to be a very good movie.
In the afternoon I took the opportunity to escape the rain and buy a phone card, calling friends and family back home. I first called one of my best mates Adam Jeffries to wish him congratulations, since he is getting married on Saturday; we have been best friends for almost 20 years, and I am extremely proud of him. I know that he will remain a good friend, despite the time and distance, for the rest of my life. I truly regret not being there on such a special occasion, but I reminded him that even though I will not be there in person, I am there mind and spirit.
After speaking with Adam I called my dad who I haven’t spoken to in a while. I’ve tried to get in contact with him but he works shift work, and it’s not compatible with the opposite hours of Australia, so I tend to miss him, leaving detailed messages of my plans. Luckily, this time I got a hold of him on his way home from work. It was really good to talk to him although it seems not much has changed; he is still having a rough go with things and seems pretty disappointed with his life. I wish could help out, but I’ve given him all the advice I can give. He needs to walk through the darkness on his own.
After calling a couple other really good friends and leaving messages, I tried ringing my mom. I caught her watching a movie, and she was happy to talk. I filled her in on all the news and she assured me that she has booked off some time for when I get home so that we can catch up; it’s been almost a year and a half and I miss her very much.
For the rest of the day Kristy and I chilled out, and I worked my second last shift at Palm Sugar in the evening. It was pretty slow so Kathy, Judy, Rachael and I sat down for a delicious meal under the verandah.
April 5th, 2007 - LHI
I had a really good day today. This morning I had a dive at the Admiralty Island’s; after checking out the various dive sites, we decided to dive the site to the north of No Name Rock. I went on the dive with a couple of tourists, Jemma and Bill, as well as on of the islanders, Dave Higgins. We descended and took it nice and slow. Fortunately, the current was minimal, and there were heaps of fish life and the corals, both hard and soft, were outstanding. I spotted a huge moray eel and a few different nudibranchs including a Wiley’s Halgerda and a tiny one that I’ve never seen before. We were down for over an hour and near the end of the dive a couple Japanese Boarfish swam by. It was a great way to start the day.
The rest of the day was really busy. Pete had his tours going full-throttle, and we had two more dives to do. Toma, a high school kid doing his work experience with us this week and Todd went on the second dive while Busty and I stayed in the shed. The third dive was to Landslide at the west end of Malabar, and both Todd and Toma went on the dive while I went for a snorkel in the honeycomb reef. I saw a green turtle feeding and a big octopus walking across the sand. Also, I free dived down about six meters and picked up a beautiful cowry shell off the bottom.
Later in the day we watched an amazing sunset and had a couple of beers to welcome Andrew, a PhD candidate / divemaster helping out in the boatshed for the busy Easter weekend and school holiday. Unfortunately I had to call an end to the full as the sun went down to go and work my final shift at Pandanus.
The night went by quickly and straight after I headed down to the bowling club for some drinks; because of Good Friday, the dance was on the Thursday night instead of Friday. There was a booze cruise in the evening and lots of people were pretty intoxicated by the time I walked into the club. I met up with Kristy, who was lighting up the dance floor with a couple of gay guys; I swear gay guys get away with murder! We only stayed for a little while before hitching a ride with one of the islanders Scotty to the Radio Shack.
We had a really great time at the shack, drinking beers, listening to music, and jamming with an assortment of musical instrument; I had my hands on the bongos for over two hours, and we finally decided to leave around two in the morning. Kristy and I went and sat on the jetty for about a half an hour and had a good chat about life. The stars were shinning bright and the full moon passed overhead, illuminating the lagoon and outlining the giant mountains to the south. It was one of the most memorable moments of my life.
April 4th, 2007 - LHI
This morning I didn’t have to start until 10:30 in the morning, so I slept in with Kristy, who also had a day off. I’ve been having great sleeps these days, and my dreams have been pretty wild.
When I got to work we headed out to the Admiralty Island’s for a boat dive. Donna, a tourist named Geoff, Bob and Robbie-Lee joined Todd and me on the boat. We chose to dive at Rupert’s reef, one of the most biologically diverse sites around the island. There’s heaps of hard and soft corals, nudibranchs, sponges, and the fish life is incredible; it’s situated in the middle of a channel and there’s plenty of tidal current to attract fish.
Unfortunately, about half way through the dive I became ill with a pounding migraine. I had two other divers depending on me for guidance, so I just sucked it up and went through with the 45 minute dive. When I got to the safety stop I thought I was going to die; the pain and pressure was so intense that it felt like there were vice grips tightening around my head. It was absolutely horrible, and I chalk it up to lack of sleep and excessive caffeine. It happens once and a while to me, and once the migraine settles in, the only thing that makes it go away is rest, water and pills. Despite the horrible migraine, we did manage to see some pretty awesome stuff. We spotted lots of nudibranchs, some conspicuous angelfish, and a green turtle. If it wasn’t for the migraine, it would have been a magic dive!
When I finished at the shed I checked my e-mail and worked my second last shift at Pandanus. The night went smoothly and I read my book and hung out with Kristy after work. Unfortunately, Kristy was also sick at night with a tummy ache. I think the nerves are setting in that I’m leaving soon, and both of us are full of emotions and are thinking heaps about our future paths. We try to remind ourselves to enjoy the present, but it’s hard when the past creeps into your thoughts and the uncertain future looms on the horizon. In the end, I know I just have to keep the faith. Everything happens for a reason.
April 3rd, 2007 - LHI
The days have been getting busier because of the Easter holidays, which also coincide with the school holidays in Australia. Because of the increase in numbers, I had to go along with Pete today for his North Bay tour. It was a pretty good day, and I cooked the BBQ for the guests (lamb, fish and sausages), took some people to the caves, and read my book in the sun. Despite the cleaning and washing up, it was a pretty good day. I also collected some shells on the shoreline for friends and family back home; the tide was really low so I was able to find quite a few good ones!
After I finished at the bay I knocked off, went up to my apartment to clean up, and headed off to Palm Sugar for a shift.
April 2nd, 2007 - LHI
Today was one of the craziest days ever on Lord Howe Island! First of all, I woke up this morning and flicked on the television only to find out that there was an earthquake measuring 8.6 on the Richter scale near the Solomon Islands, which are located to the North-East of Australia, and that there was a Tsunami warning for the entire East coast of the country, including LHI! After all of the horrible effects of the Tsunami in South-East Asia, hearing that there could be a potential Tsunami at LHI was not good news for us. The island had never experienced a Tsunami warning before, and most of the island residents and tourists were perturbed by the news.
When I arrived at the shed we had both DSD’s and certified divers going on a dive, but had to postpone the dives until we had the okay that there wasn’t a Tsunami heading our way. We kept in contact with the LHI police officer and harbour master, and even though they closed one of the beaches as a precaution, we still managed to go out for a dive at Comet’s hole. Interestingly though, a few of us witnessed some really strange stuff at Ned’s beach. As we collected our gear we watched the water drain from the top part of the reef completely in less than a minute, only to fill up again a minute later; the ocean was definitely acting funny, and we weren’t the only ones to notice the strange oceanic behaviour.
As soon as Todd came back with the group from the dive, Busty gave me the afternoon off. I caught up with Andrew, one of my mates that works next door at Pro Dive and used to work with me at Palm Sugar, and we both had the afternoon off and decided to head out on an adventure to Boat Harbour for a hike and snorkel; I haven’t had the opportunity to snorkel down that part of the island so I was keen to see it before I have to leave.
Before we left on our excursion down south I headed up to Busty’s and updated the website which is fully operational. I’m really proud of my work and feel as though I’ve accomplished a lot over the last three months; in addition to working three jobs, I’ve completed my Rescue Diver and Divemaster courses, surfed, fished, hiked, biked, built and designed a website, read many books, and wrote diary entries everyday. I have been a very busy boy, and I’m really looking forward to chilling out for a bit in Asia.
Andrew and I headed out around 3 o’clock and we didn’t get back until just before I had to start work at Palm Sugar at 6 o’clock. We hiked it hard all the way there, taking spider webs to the face the entire way. Once we got to the rubble beach we were soaked in sweat. We sat and had a beer that I brought along, a small rest, and then jumped in for a snorkel. The water was unbelievable and I was really impressed to see all the coral and fish life that far South on the island. We swam around for about 20 minutes before having to head back. On my way back to shore I found the coolest looking nudibranch that I’ve never seen before. The hike bike was tiring, but we made it just in time for me to work.
April 1st, 2007 - LHI
The weather has been so bad these days that I have acquired the name “Shed boy.” I spent the entire morning and most of the afternoon cooped up in the shed drinking instant coffee, scoffing down biscuits, and watching “Funky Monks,” a Red Hot Chili Peppers documentary from the “Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik” years. After reading the book “Scar Tissue” last year, the documentary was so much more interesting to watch; knowing the context of the period in the bands evolution really made it intriguing to watch. I also read some more of my book “Whitethorn” by Bryce Courtenay; it’s just getting better and better, and I’m going to start reading more of his books.
At 2:30 Busty came by and took over shed duties for me, just as Kristy walked in to say hi. I was stoked, and we both decided to go for a crazy afternoon of exercise. We biked hard down to Little Island, rode back to Blinky beach and ran its entirety (to the end and back), headed back to my place and rocked heaps of push-ups, sit-ups and yoga stretches. When we finished we were absolutely buggered but it felt amazing to get a good sweat in; lately, I’ve been working so much I haven’t needed or wanted to do any major exercise. Today I’ve turned a new page and I will be back on track with vigorous exercise.
March 31st, 2007 - LHI
There was no diving today since the wind picked up from the west and blew a gale over the lagoon, causing some pretty big swell around the island. Despite the bad weather, Pete had plenty of people keen to go on his North Bay and snorkel tours. My hands were kept pretty full with that, although I did have some time to read my book and work on updating the website. I added two more news pieces to the homepage, including stories and pictures related to the Channel 10 documentary shoot and Seaweek 2007, which was ages ago it seems. I must say, I’m pretty proud of the site, which I designed, programmed and created with my own two hands.
After work I got some house cleaning done and then headed to Palm Sugar for work. It was an easy night and I was out of there at a decent time. When I got home Kristy and I hung out, read, and watched some footy on the boob tube. Sometimes it’s great to just do nothing!
March 30th, 2007 - LHI
After a night partying at the radio shack, I was glad when Busty came by and told me I had the day off. I was super tired from the double shifts this week and the partying didn’t help my situation. Regardless of how much I’ve been working, I still have to get out there and let loose a little. I woke up around 10 o’clock, my hands still throbbing from the excessive bongo drum jamming at the shack. I decided to read in bed and then Kristy and I watched Mel Gibson’s “Apocalypto.” It was a really good film, but extremely violent. It was hilarious to watch Kristy squirm at the violence.
In the afternoon I headed out for a kayak in the lagoon with two of my mates, Nathan and Dean. We headed out to Comet’s hole where a massive boat is moored. The boat is owned by a guy who owns Channel 7, one of the television stations in Australia, in addition to owning part of Somerset, the resort where I reside. The boat was absolutely massive, and looked like something out of a movie. The only thing missing was the helicopter landing pad.
When I got in from the paddle I decided to keep the fitness going and went for a run down the beach. My knees have been fantastic lately, and I’ve had no trouble going for runs in the sand. I worked up a sweat, went home and showered, and then headed to Palm Sugar for the dinner shift.
I got home at a reasonable time, and although it was Saturday night, Kristy and I decided to stay in and watch the footy games on television and hit the sack early.
March 29th, 2007 - LHI
This morning I went on a dive to Malabar with Bob, Robby-Lee, Renae, the marine park manager Ian, and another tourist. The dive was amazing, except the visibility was a little poor and I almost got nipped by a moray eel that I didn’t see as I was exploring a swim-through with Ian; it startled me that’s for sure, and came about a few inches from biting me on the face!
After the little scare the dive went quite smoothly. We were down for almost an hour and I spotted heaps of really amazing nudibranch’s, including a bright blue and yellow Elizabeth’s chromodoris. There were lots of swim-throughs and nooks and crannies to explore, and the fish life was amazing, despite the lack of visibility.
For the rest of the afternoon I hung around the lagoon and read my book, talked to tourists, and prepared food for a sunset cruise Todd was taking out in the evening. The day was absolutely magic, and its afternoon’s like today that make me really sad that I’ll be leaving soon. Lord Howe truly is paradise.
March 28th, 2007 - LHI
The swell was up from the bad weather yesterday so Busty gave me the morning off. I really should have got up and made the most of my day, but instead Kristy and I slept in late. The weather is getting slightly colder at night so I put a big duvet on my bed; it’s the most comfortable bed ever! When we woke up we read our books and I went to work for the afternoon to mind the shed.
It was a pretty ordinary day at the shed and after I finished I headed up to Pandanus for a hectic night in the sink.
Kristy has started her new job at Humpty Mick’s café, and since her staff accommodation isn’t quite ready, I’ve got a new roommate! When she quit Arijilla they gave her less than a week to get out (typical) so she didn’t have a place to stay. I must say, it’s nice to have the female touch around the home, and Kristy makes me laugh. I’ve got to admit, women are hilarious when it comes to clothes and shoes; suddenly I don’t have any closet space left!
March 27th, 2007 - LHI
Today I went along with Pete and Ian Hutton to North Bay for the day. There were around 25 tourists from a bird group on the tour, and Pete and I were in charge of the BBQ for the day. While Ian took the group around on walks, Pete and I prepared and cooked the food, which included some fresh trevally, salad, bread and cooked onions. I must admit, the meal was delicious, and although the weather was kind of crappy, everyone seemed to have fun.
After lunch Pete took the group for a snorkel around the wreck while I washed up; I’m the island’s premier ceramic engineer! The group came in freezing, had a cup of coffee, and we went on a walk with Ian down the beach to check out the seabirds. Ian gave a talk along the way and we went and checked out the nests of the black noddy, which were in the Norfolk island palms at the end of the beach; it’s interesting to see them in their nests, and because of all of the bird shit burning the needles of the trees, they may not have their homes after a couple of years and will be forced to move on to new trees.
We returned to the shed around 5 o’clock and Kathy walked up and asked me to work; unfortunately, it was my only night off. I agreed to do it, although I was pretty reluctant to give up my only night off. All I could think was I’d be in Asia soon enough, sipping cheap drinks on a deserted island. Really, I can’t complain.
March 26th, 2007 - LHI
This morning I purchased howeadivers.com.au for Busty and Pete, and purchased web hosting for the new website. It was a pretty miserable morning, and the wind and rain was relentless over the lagoon. It was a perfect day to work on the computer.
After lunch I had to go to the hospital to get my injections for typhoid and hepatitis A from the doctor, Frank Reid. Dr. Reid is the only doctor on the island and he is fantastic. He is always up for a chat and provides every patient with exemplary care and literature. I was very impressed. Although I had to wait for an hour because he was running late, I got them done and they were fairly painless despite the hundred bucks I had to shell out for them. I’ve also ordered a cholera vaccination and malaria pills for my Asian adventure; no need getting sick when I can prevent it in the first place!
After the hospital the guys gave me the afternoon off and I spent the afternoon curled up in bed with Kristy watching the movie “The Last King of Scotland.” It was a really great, full-on movie, and we both loved just being lazy on a rainy day. Being inside during the day is not allowed on LHI because there’s just too much to do. The truth is, even on rainy days you feel guilty, and often consider going for a walk in the rain. The island is a magical place and when I stay inside I feel as though I’m taking it for granted.
March 25th, 2007 - LHI
I had a day off and since I have been working so hard, I decided to sleep in. When I woke up (which wasn’t actually that late) I watched the rest of the movie “Dreamgirls” with Kristy. I must say, it was a pretty good flick; I love that Eddie Murphy!
After lunch Kristy and I decided to get some serious exercise in and headed out to Boat Harbour on the south-west part of the island. The hike is fairly strenuous but at the end you’re rewarded with a stunning rocky beach, and usually there’s nobody around and you can strip down and go skinny-dipping without anyone being the wiser. Unfortunately, when we finally got to the beach, there were four people already there eating lunch and snorkelling. We were both hot and sweaty from the walk, so we decided to go for a swim in the crystal clear turquoise water. Then we thought, why let some people ruin our fun? Kristy stripped down in the water and I brought her stuff back on shore and then warned the rest of the group what my intentions were. It was hilarious! Even though I warned them of my actions, the expressions on their faces were priceless when I stripped of my board shorts and jumped in; they all laughed their asses off. To make the situation even better, one of the around the island boat tours pulled into the bay! Just our luck; usually there’s no one in sight and today we get a group of people and a boat full of tourists! Eventually everyone left and we had the beach to ourselves…
We peddled home, and as luck would have it, passed the group that saw us skinny-dipping! When we got back home we chilled out for a bit, reading our books and taking a nap, and then I had to go into Pandanus for a shift.
Definitely, it was an eventful day!
March 24th, 2007 - LHI
I would have never guessed waking up this morning that I’d have another chance to dive hole in the wall and Black Magic, but that’s exactly what happened. Todd had a day off and decided to come along with Bob, Robby-Lee and I back to the amazing site, this time with the intention to penetrating the cave, if conditions allowed. Brooke, Pete’s daughter, covered the shed.
We entered the water a little closer to the hole in the wall so that we would have more air left once we got to the caves. The first part of the dive was just as amazing as yesterday, and today I felt much more confident with my air and buoyancy. Once again we were visited by a big shark, and spotted heaps of nudibranch’s.
We got to the caves with around 150 bar left in our tanks and attempted to go into the cave. Inside the cave was pitch-black. There were heaps of crayfish and other mysterious creatures, and it seriously resembled something from outer space. Unfortunately, we got about 20 meters into the cave and we began experiencing some loud and potentially dangerous reverberations from the surge, so we halted the penetration and turned back. The sound was extremely spooky, and although I would have loved to have gone further, if anything happened in the cave, you were pretty much a goner!
I found a really nice shell and a beautiful piece of black rock on the way out of the cave as a memento of the amazing dive. For the rest of the dive we explored the huge amphitheatre and false cave to the left of Black Magic. Although not very deep and far less dangerous, it was super impressive. There were some really interesting creatures in the far room at the back of the false cave, including a few strange nudibranch’s, anemone’s, and fish. The sponges were colourful and abundant, and Todd and I found two more beautiful cowry shells on the sea floor.
I was buzzing for the rest of the day after the dive. I had to go out on the boat with Busty in the afternoon while he had a DSD and I stared at the sky dreaming of going back. It really is a spectacular dive.
Kathy came by in the afternoon and told me that she had cancelled her bookings for the evening so I had the night off! I was pumped since I had wanted to spend a night with Kristy for ages, but haven’t had a chance. We ordered a pizza from Humpty Mick’s and went to Old Settlement beach to meet up with Kathy, Rachael and a bunch of other people for a few drinks. We picked up our pizza at 8:30 and put on Dreamgirls. We both fell asleep early to the sound of the wind rustling through the palm trees.
March 23, 2007 - LHI
This morning I hung out in the shed, and then headed out on the second dive of the day with Bob, Robby-Lee and Renae. Bob convinced Busty to take us to a site called “Hole in the Wall” and the “Black Magic cave,” a 105 meter monster in the northern part of the island. It’s nearly impossible to anchor at the site so we have to do the dive as a drift, complete our safety stop mid-water with no anchor line, flagging down Busty with our inflated safety sausage. It was basically an exploratory dive since neither Renae nor I had been to the area, and Bob and Robby-Lee had only done the dive a few times. Although the conditions weren’t perfect, they were good enough to give it a go.
All I can say is WOW. It’s incredible that there is a dive site right under our noses around the island that no one really knows about. The “Hole in the Wall” is an amazing passage into a rocky room full after a climbing chimney of sponges, acidians, soft corals and nudibranch’s. It was tight with four divers but we all managed to fit into it. After leaving the room we passed through another hole in the rocky side of the mountain, timing it with the heavy surge; it was challenging for the first time, but I know the next dive I will have the hang of it.
The next part of the dive we drifted along the most amazing wall covered in the most abundant marine life. A shark swam over head and there were no less than eight pairs of mating nudibranch’s, including lots of Spanish Dancer’s. It was certainly a sight to see!
The current and surge was working for us rather than against us and we managed to clear a good section of the island without much effort. We then turned a corner and hit some really wild surge that we had to time just right or would face exertion. We all managed fine and ended up at the mouth of two caves; the one on the right is Black Magic, and the other is a smaller false cave, but still spectacular. Because of the surge we couldn’t penetrate Black Magic, but I ventured in a bit and found some more Spanish Dancers and some crayfish. We continued on into the far room at the back of the false cave and took a look around. Unfortunately, I began to run low on air and we had to leave to complete a safety stop before surfacing.
After the dive I was completely exhilarated; I had never seen so many amazing things in such a short period, and Black Magic was spooky. For the rest of the day I was on cloud nine. Very few people have done this dive and I was no part of the alumni!
At night I had a shift at Palm Sugar and Kristy came in for dinner with her friend Tanille. After I finished my shift everyone from Palm Sugar and a few others headed down to the club to watch the footy game and have a few drinks. It was a good night and a few friends that rarely come out, Brett and Sam, came out for a bit. Kristy and I ripped up the dance floor for a good couple hours, and for the most part, it was just us. Hilarious!
March 22, 2007 - LHI
Todd headed out on the dive today so I was shed boy. I cleaned the fish tank, organised the chaos of equipment and merchandise, and read my book. It was a pretty beautiful day, but fairly uneventful. The one thing that kind of made the day a little interesting was Kristy quitting her job at Arijilla. She was tired of all the negative aspects of the resort she experienced, and wanted new accommodation; at the moment she was sharing a staff quarters with all the rest of the staff, and it was loud and messy, similar to a university dorm. She came to the shed at lunch just after she handed in her letter of resignation, and we talked about new beginnings.
After spending the whole day in the shed I was a little disappointed that I had to head to Pandanus for a shift. Luckily, there weren’t that many bookings and we got out of there at a descent time.
March 21st, 2007 - LHI
Today was two of the best dives I’ve had on the island. We headed out early to the Admiralty Islands for a double dive. The first site we went to was Noddy Island south. I went on the dive with Renae and another diver Glen, and we began the dive by exploring the wall of the island and the bommie’s on the sea floor. Eventually I spotted a couple of Japanese Boarfish on a big coral reef in the middle of the passage, and went over to them to take some photographs. I snapped a couple of shots and noticed how unbelievable the fish life was around the particular reef. We swam around it for a while and I spotted a huge endangered Black Cod. It was my first sighting, so I was pretty happy to see one. I took a few photos and we explored the reef for close to half an hour before having to surface. On the first dive we also spotted two nudibranch’s, a big lionfish, and heaps of other smaller tropical fish. Furthermore, the sea urchins were everywhere!
The second dive was just as spectacular, if not better than the first dive of the day. After a surface interval of an hour and a couple cups of coffee and some cookies, we anchored just to the south of Sugarloaf Island, a site that we don’t get to dive to often because of the prevailing southerly winds. We spent the first part of the dive in about 14 meters of water, exploring the island wall near the bottom. We spotted a few really interesting nudibranch’s, a couple of big Slipper crayfish, and a huge green turtle. The site was extremely colourful, with lots of amazing sponges, acidians and soft corals.
After the dive we had to rush back to the boat ramp so that we could pull the Blue Groper out of the water to be surveyed. It took about an hour but we finally managed to get the boat onto the trailer and up onto dry land.
I had the afternoon off, so I was stoked. I headed up to the pines and had some food and drinks with Kristy, Corey, Ashley, Damien, Shane and Sheldeane. Unfortunately, I had to do some laundry and house cleaning. I was lazy for the rest of the day and headed to Pandanus for a shift at 6:00. Turned out that the entire restaurant was packed, so I was super tired by the time I finished at 10:30. I’m really over working in kitchen’s, but I only have three weeks left and I’ll be trekking across Asia, so I can’t really complain!
March 20th, 2007 - LHI
I spent the morning tending the shed and helping customers, but had the afternoon off. I had some business to attend to on the internet first thing; I had to book my flight back to Canada, transfer money and do some research. I got that done by 3:30 and decided to head out with Pete on his four-stop snorkel tour so that I could take some pictures with the old school Nikon underwater film camera that I’ve been shooting on. The sunlight was perfect, and there was some good potential for amazing shots. Furthermore, the tides were low and I could get really close to the marine life.
I ended up taking some really great photos, including some of the sharks and endemic McColluch’s anemonefish at Comet’s Hole, a Snake eel at Horseshoe Reef and some big endemic Double-Header wrasse’s at Erscott’s Hole. It was a beautiful day, and the boat was full of people. Unfortunately, one guy swallowed some water and I had to jump in and rescue him with the help of a couple other guys. It was dramatic, but nothing serious; he was fine once he got back on board.
It was my only night off so Kristy and I decided to go out for dinner. I had a couple glasses of wine at the boatshed first to celebrate Heather, the marine park manager’s going away party, and then headed to Pandanus at 7:30 for dinner. Dinner was beautiful and my date even more gorgeous; she had a beautiful black and white dress on that made her look incredible. In truth, it was good to finally be on the other side after working there for months. For a few hours, it felt like being back on the mainland again. We started with an amazing antipasto platter, I had pumpkin ravioli as my main and she had a steak with chips and veg.
March 19th, 2007 - LHI
We didn’t have any boat dives today, but had three DSD’s in the afternoon. I spent the morning helping Pete out with his tours, taking phone calls, and tidying the shed. Also, I completed the metatag information for the website. Bob and Robby-Lee came by to look at some photos on my laptop, and Heather also came into the shed to burn a photo CD of the kids diving at Comet’s from yesterday. All in all, it was a busy morning. Kristy came by with some lunch from Arijilla; the sandwiches from the resort are super fresh and are absolutely divine!
After lunch Todd and I took the three divers out to Comet’s hole for a dive. I jumped in and went for a snorkel, which I dearly needed after a full-on morning in the sweaty boatshed! There were heaps of fish there today, and at least five sharks were swimming in the sandy bowl. I saw a small stingray too, which one of the divers almost sat on unknowingly! It was a very refreshing swim, and I spent the rest of the time on the boat listening to my iPod and staring at the sea.
I finished work an hour early and decided to do some Yoga and exercise. I stretched, did some push-ups, and ran the entirety of the lagoon. It was hot out, and when I finished I was completely drenched in sweat. I biked home, took a cold shower, read my book, and went to Palm Sugar for a shift.
March 18th, 2007 - LHI
Last night’s “green party” at Ned’s beach was a blast, and we partied on until the wee hours of the morning to celebrate the Irish. The picnic area was decorated in green, there was music and lights, and the stars were out in full force. I polished off a bottle of red, danced, and sat on the beach starring at the sky. Needless to say, I woke up this morning feeling pretty ordinary, although my hangover wasn’t that bad.
I stayed in the shed for the morning while Todd and Busty took Bob, Robby-Lee and another bloke Andrew out to the Admiralty Island’s. I met them at Ned’s at 11 o’clock and went for a dive with Bob and Robby-Lee to the north end of the island at a dive site called Malabar, named after the mountain rising high above the ocean. I took a film camera to take some shots. It was pouring rain, but the water was warm and clear. It was a fantastic dive and there were heaps of fish, corals and nudibranch’s all around. I spotted four nudibranch’s including a Spanish Dancer, a Bordered Roboastra, a Wiley’s Halgerda, and a beautiful Hikuera Glossodoris. Also, we encountered a massive moray eel; probably the biggest one I’ve seen yet! I definitely got some good shots with the camera, and can’t wait to see how they turned out.
I spent the afternoon in the shed and read my book. Kristy came by and brought me a coffee, which was a good thing because I almost fell asleep in a chair; reading and the sound of the ocean crashing in on the beach relaxes me so much, it’s hard not to doze off on a slow afternoon!
March 17th, 2007 - LHI
Finally the weather has cleared and the swell has subsided. We had two dives today, and I went on the first one. Todd took Bob and Robby-Lee, two other divers and I to the outer reef. We tried to find the Arch but couldn’t, so we decided to do an exploratory dive. It was a great time and I felt extremely comfortable despite the amateur (and nervous) divers I was guiding. We found some interesting terrain and I spotted heaps of fish life and nudibranch’s, including a Ceylon Glossodoris, which was a beautiful white and orange colour.
We didn’t have any dives in the afternoon so I had it off to go explore. I met up with Ash and we headed down to Little Island to go snorkeling; I had always wanted to go snorkeling down there but never had an opportunity when the conditions were perfect. We biked down under the mountains and the tide was low, meaning perfect conditions to search for crayfish. Although we couldn’t find any crayfish, we had an amazing snorkel. The scenery down south is breathtaking, and looking back on the mountains from the water brings you closer to God. We sat in the sun for a while after our swim and watched the birds fly high above our heads. It was absolutely incredible.
I headed home to squeeze in a nap and read a chapter of my work before work. I passed out pretty quickly; I was buggered from the full day of activity. I probably could have slept all night, but I got up and peddled hard to work to avoid being late.
March 16th, 2007 - LHI
No diving again today; the conditions are getting better, but not quite there yet. Besides, there aren’t many divers on the island at the moment.
I hung out in the shed all day and worked on the website, including some picture slideshows from the shots John Johnston and Chris Preston took while on the island. I fixed some grammatical errors, and rearranged a few things to make them more concise. The site is just about ready to be put online, and I hope to get it up soon. I’m pretty proud of my work, and there are lots of great photos. Furthermore, I got Ian Hutton to send away my photos from the Ball’s Pyramid trip, and I hope to get them back in the next couple of weeks. Depending on the quality of the photos, some of them might become a part of the 25th anniversary coffee table book for World Heritage. I’m pretty stoked since it will be my first published photos.
After work I went for a quick run and a swim down to the aquatic club. The weather became beautiful over the afternoon and in the evening it was absolutely perfect! The sun was still warm and the water was magic. Unfortunately I had to go to work.
It was an easy night at Palm Sugar, and it went by quickly. Kathy made a fantastic chicken curry and I savoured it with a nice glass of red wine.
After work I headed over to Arijilla resort and watched the footy game with Kristy and my mate Ash; it was the Brisbane Broncos versus North Queensland Cowboys. Both Kristy and I were going for the Broncos; unfortunately they lost. We were both glad that we took a night off and stayed in instead of going to the club.
March 15th, 2007 - LHI
Although the sun was shinning and the sky was blue, the swell around the island made it impossible to dive. The waves breaking over the eastern reef were huge; nearly 15 feet at times! Since I worked in the shed the entire day yesterday, Busty gave me the day off. I was extremely stoked!
Last night my mate Adam hooked me up with about 15 gigabytes of amazing music, so I spent the morning loading it into iTunes, and listening to some sweet melodies. Surprisingly, his music tastes are spot-on the same as mine, so I was absolutely pumped to get some new tunes for my iPod.
In the afternoon Kristy dropped in and we went down to Humpty Mick’s for a chicken melt. We took it to go and ate sitting on lagoon beach, watching the huge wave’s crash out on the reef. It was hot today and the sun made the lagoon look pristine despite the southerly winds predominating.
After lunch I went to Arijilla with Kristy so she could grab her bikini and book, and we grabbed my surfboard and book from my place before heading to Blinky beach for an afternoon lazing in the sun.
Even on the other side of the island, the surf was pumping. We spent an hour alone on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, the warm sun tanning our skin. We spent the afternoon reading our books and listening to our iPod’s. It was completely rejuvenating afternoon.
Kristy left for her evening shift at 3:30 and I stayed reading for a while; the only one on a pristine beach. It was a pretty incredible feeling. Eventually, some of my mates came and we got brave and decided to go body surfing in the huge swell. It was pretty fun, probably because it was stupid and dangerous, especially with strong rips running on either side of us as we swam.
At night I worked a shift at Pandanus, did some writing, and read a few chapters in my book. I love days off!
March 14th, 2007 - LHI
Once again the weather wasn’t cooperating, and we had to cancel all the dives for the day. Despite the bad weather, Pete still ran his North Bay tour with Ian Hutton, so it ended up being a fairly busy day in the shed after all. After getting some things done in the shed, I curled up for a few hours and started reading a new book, “Whitethorn” by Bryce Courtenay. It’s a story about an English orphan growing up in an orphanage just before WWII in South Africa. The first hundred pages were great, and I’m sold; it’s going to be good.
Kristy surprised me and stopped by with fresh sandwiches for lunch and afternoon tea; she’s such a great girl! We sat and talked for a bit, but were interrupted by the morning tour returning from the bay.
In the afternoon I went to get an apple out of my bag and out popped a mouse! When I reached in for the apple and brought it out, there was a big chunk out of it where the mouse had nibbled. I was really excited about eating this apple, and to find half of it eaten by a mouse made me quite annoyed! In the end, I set a trap; let’s just say the mouse got what was coming to him!
In the evening I went in early to Pandanus to do some research on Thailand, live aboard dive boats, and accommodation in Phuket. I found a really amazing place called the Dive- Den, and their website look pretty reputable. The location is super close to the Similan islands, which is where I want to dive before meeting Dan. I also found a flight on the internet from Bangkok to Toronto for fewer than 1000 dollars, so I was pretty happy. There were only 15 people in for dinner, so I was out of the restaurant by 9 o’clock.
I met up with Kristy and we watched the movie “Little Miss Sunshine.” It was a great movie, and I was definitely impressed.
March 13th, 2007 - LHI
The weather was pretty windy today, and there was huge swell on the reef. All dives were cancelled so I sat in the shed and finished the first book in Robert Jordan’s “Wheel of Time” series. It was a really good book, and kept me going for the entire 800 pages.
After I finished work I went for a run in the pouring rain, and then met up with Kristy, two Ashley’s, and Lyndall for a few drinks. We started off at Humpty Mick’s and ended up at the bowling club. We watched the bowls for a bit, had a few drinks, and called it an early one.
March 12th, 2007 - LHI
Finally, a day off! It’s been almost a week since my last full day off, so today has come as a blessing. Although my days are spent in the shed on the lagoon or diving, I work six nights a week, which usually means a week full of 12 hour + days; needless to say I get pretty tired. I slept in today with Kristy and we watched a really crappy Australian film called “Suburban Mayhem.” I wish I could get the two hours back that I spent watching it, I really do. It was horrible.
By the time we got out of bed it was 11 o’clock and the sun was high in the sky. Kristy went home and made us a picnic lunch and we decided to go lie on Blinky beach for the afternoon, reading our books, listening to music, and playing in the champagne surf. We rode our bikes down in the early afternoon. The day was perfect: There were a few clouds in the sky, but for the most part the sun was shining down on us the entire day, warming our skin and bronzing it into a golden tan. It’s funny, my ass is completely white but the rest of my body is tanned nicely. I’ll have to do some nude sunbathing to even it out!
The surf at Blinky was pumping so I rode all the way back across the island to fetch my surfboard. It was a long way but in the end completely worth it. I haven’t surfed in a while because I’ve been so busy, so I didn’t catch many waves. Regardless, it was amazing to get out onto the crystal clear water for a paddle. The afternoon was impeccable, and it’s days like today that remind me how extremely lucky I am to be here on the island enjoying this experience. Lord Howe Island is truly paradise, in all respects.
March 11th, 2007 - LHI
Today was seriously one of the best days of my life. Let me explain in two words: Ball’s Pyramid. For those who don’t know, Ball’s Pyramid is the tallest free-standing rock island in the world. It is home to a nearly extinct stick insect called a “Phasmid,” and is home to thousands of endemic and migratory sea birds, such as the Kerminac Petrel. Additionally, it offers some of the most impressive diving in the world, and could quite possible be the best dive site on the planet - no joke! At the depth of about 30 meters there is an endangered fish called the Ballina Angelfish, and it is one of the most beautiful fish; furthermore, it’s only found at diving depth at Ball’s Pyramid.
The day started early at 6:30 to accommodate the Channel 10 documentary crew we were taking out for a shooting. There was a film crew of four: The producer Chloe, the cameraman Shane, soundman Mark, and Natalie, the host. The dive crew was Busty, the marine park manager Heather, and I, with Jack Shick taking the helm of the fishing boat, “The Nauctiluca.” The morning was magic, with the sun shinning and nice breeze blowing in from the south-west.
About halfway to the Pyramid, we encountered a big pod of dolphins. They followed us for a while, and after a bit of time I convinced the crew to stop so we could go for a snorkel with the amazing animals. I had never swum with dolphins before, so I was super stoked to jump into the water with them. They were fairly timid when I was in the water, and were making lots of sounds, but I managed to get close enough to take some amazing photos of them with Ian Hutton’s underwater film camera that he had lent me to shoot some photos for a coffee table book he’s putting together. I’m looking forward to seeing how they turned out. The film crew definitely got their money’s worth today, since dolphin pods usually just keep on swimming by the boat and rarely stick around.
Since we were on a time budget, we kept on going to the Pyramid and arrived at around 9:30 in the morning. Unfortunately, Natalie got stuck down by seasickness and was throwing up. I felt bad for her; she was green! We geared up and four of us jumped into the water and immediately found five Ballina’s in one area! We were stoked, and the cameraman got some amazing footage of the fish. It was a bummer, but just after he finished shooting the fish, the camera froze and he couldn’t turn it on. We cut the first dive short and surfaced.
While he repaired the camera they shoot some more segments with Natalie who was feeling a little bit better after a good spew over the side. We cruised around the Pyramid for a while before gearing up for our second dive. This time, the cameraman decided to just turn on the camera and let it roll; he figured the pressure must have cause the on/off button to freeze on off.
The second dive was much better, and Shane got heaps of amazing footage. I brought down my camera too and took some amazing stills of the action. I’m really hoping that they will look good, and can’t wait for them to get processed.
When I got back I had the afternoon off, so I decided to take a nice long nap to recuperate before work. I was out like a light.
After work I wrote some e-mails and caught up with Kristy. We watched the movie “Babel.” It was a heavy movie to watch, but really well done. I have a day off tomorrow, so no setting the alarm! I can hardly believe how much I have seen in one day; I’m going to have good dreams for weeks after today!
March 10th, 2007 - LHI
There haven’t been many people diving this week, and today was no exception. The weather hasn’t been cooperating, but today was beautiful, we just didn’t have any divers to make it worthwhile to go out. Pete’s tours were busy so I worked in the shed for the morning and Busty gave me the afternoon off. I was super stoked! The sun was shinning bright overhead and the lagoon looked so inviting, especially after a few rainy days.
I met up with Kristy and we had lunch. Although she had to work at 4 o’clock we decided to make the best of the afternoon and go for a kayak to Comet’s Hole for a snorkel; she hadn’t snorkeled there yet so I thought I would break her into the idea of swimming with sharks. We paddled out over crystal clear, turquoise water and jumped in. Almost immediately we had a couple of Galapagos Wailers sharks underneath us. Kristy almost jumped out of her skin when she saw it, and it took some persuasion to get her to follow me over to the reef. Once we got over shallower reef and we had spent some time in the water, she felt better. It was funny to see her freak out though!
After the snorkel we stopped at Blackburn (Rabbit) island and climbed up to take in the view and have a little private time. Little did we know one of the tour operators, Anthony, completely busted us; he made a joke about seeing us later that night when he came into Palm Sugar for dinner. I don’t think I’ll ever live it down with him; suddenly my nickname is “Rabbit.” Pretty funny stuff!
March 9th, 2007 - LHI
The weather today was pretty cold and rainy, with a brisk south-easterly howling over the lagoon for the majority of the day. Obviously, all the dives were cancelled and I spent the day in the shed working on the website, watching movies and reading. It was a pretty easy day, and it was really good to see a rainstorm fill the water tanks. Coming from Ontario where water is plentiful, it’s good to get into the habit of water conservation in Australia, where water is generally scarce, especially on an island.
After finishing work I decided to go for a run in the rain; the water was cool and refreshing, and it felt good to get some exercise after sitting in the shed all day. I ran to the end of the lagoon and back listening to music. I’m quite happy lately since my knee has been fairly cooperative. The past few months my right knee has been giving me grief, but lately it’s been okay.
I took a nap after dinner and then headed up to Todd’s house for Mel’s going away shindig. When I got there the music was pumping and the living room had transformed into a dance floor. There were about 10 of us partying, including my mates Duffy, Jess, the two Mel’s, Ash, Renae, Johnny, Luke and Heidi, Todd’s roommate. Eventually we all made it down to the bowling club for a drink and a dance. Todd took us the long way though the cow pastures, and since I had my bike, it was a complete nightmare. We had to climb through electric fences, down hills and through cow shit in the dark; needless to say my feet were filthy once I got to the club.
I met up with Kristy at the club and we had a great time dancing. I meet a couple new people and caught up with some people I haven’t seen in a while.
March 8th, 2007 - LHI
Today was absolutely gorgeous, and although I didn’t get a chance to go for a dive, I still had a great day. Todd, Busty and Mel took a big group of DSD’s out to Comet’s Hole for their first dives, and they absolutely loved it. I stayed at the boatshed, sat in the sun reading, did some Yoga, and talked with locals and customers.
It was Mel’s last day at the boatshed today as she is returning to the mainland to commence her veterinary internship. She and I have had heaps of fun together and I will miss her dearly. She is the feminine spirit that balances out all of the testosterone in the boatshed, and it was always great to have her around. She made me laugh everyday and her hugs are second-to-none. I will definitely see her again someday.
After my shift I headed down to the lagoon for a refreshing 500 m swim, ran the entirety of the lagoon beach, and went for another dip to cool off before heading to work for a shift at Pandanus. Kathy has been away in Sydney this week so I’ve had a few nights off which was really nice.
After work I met up with Kristy and we shared stories of our hometown’s, our families, and different jobs we’ve had. She’s a flight attendant and has some amazing stories about flying, including being thrown around in a cyclone and partial engine failure. She grew up in rural NSW and has some awesome stories about growing up on a farm and rural life in general. She’s a very cool girl, and the more I learn about her the more she intrigues me.
March 7th, 2007 - LHI
There wasn’t much going on today in terms of diving so Mel and I had the opportunity to practice and be graded on the most challenging part of the divemaster course: The buddy-breathing, underwater equipment exchange. We practiced our buddy-breathing for a few minutes in the shallows of the lagoon before attempting to exchange our equipment. I was surprisingly comfortable sharing air underwater; however, Mel was a little apprehensive at first and really didn’t enjoy the exercise. Eventually Todd came in to evaluate us, and on our second try we accomplished the task including trading our BCD’s, mask and fins while buddy-breathing.
After that exercise Busty, Todd and I performed a mock-class for Mel for her divemaster evaluation. We made it quite difficult for her so that she could respond to specific problems and details, and she did extremely well conducting the session.
I had the afternoon off so Kristy and I decided to go for a massive hike up to Kim’s lookout before work. She made me an amazing spaghetti lunch with heaps of garlic and mince, and we worked up a sweat climbing the mountain. It was raining most of the way but at the top the sun came out and the view was incredible. Just below us about 100 meters down the cliff flocks of Red-Tailed Tropicbirds were flying through the air. They’re amazing birds to watch. I had a 10 minute meditation session and we had to head back quickly so that she wouldn’t be late for work.
I worked a shift at Pandanus at night and we had heaps of fun in the kitchen since the dinner service was pretty slow. The chefs Will and Adam are awesome dudes and the rest of the staff including the owner Tim are wicked people. I totally lucked out. We made some amazing pizzas topped with anchovies, olives, capers, peppers and parmesan. Best pizza topping combination ever!
March 6th, 2007 - LHI
The weather today went from bad to worse but we still managed to get in a dive. Busty took Bob, Robbie-Lee, Blake and I out to the Arch in treacherous conditions (above water) so that we could go and explore a site called “The Crevice.” After we secured the anchor Bob guided us around the outer reef until we reached the entrance of the huge gutter, about 100 meters, or 15 minutes away from the Arch. We spent about a half an hour cruising up and down the massive and impressive gutter before having to head back. Along the way, we spotted a huge green turtle, a few rare nudibranchs including a red-girdled Glossodoris, and heaps of fish. It was truly a spectacular dive, despite the horrible conditions on the surface.
In the afternoon the rain poured down and I huddled in the boatshed with a cup of tea and a good book. Hardly anyone came in so I read quite a few chapters before my shift ended.
After dinner I went for a walk with Kristy and we watched the movie “Borat” for the first time. I have to say, I laughed my ass off! Such a funny movie; I can’t believe it took me so long to see it!
March 5th, 2007 - LHI
After a good night sleep I was feeling much better about diving today. My head was back on track and any sign of the migraine had disappeared; what a relief! Today we went for a dive to Boulder City, one of my favourite dive sites around the island. I went diving with two certified divers, Blake and Di, and we spent an hours squeezing through tight swim-throughs, exploring underwater caves, and searching for nudibranchs. We spotted some amazing schools of catfish in the underwater bubble cave, some really colourful nudibrachs, and even two Spanish Dancers mating.
The best part of the dive wasn’t actually underwater though, since two F-11 RAAF fighter jets passed above us just as we were about to descend. It was an absolutely stunning sight to see (and hear) with the island backdrop.
In the afternoon, Todd took us out to Comet’s Hole and we blasted though many of the necessary skills needed for the divemaster course, including mastering the tired diver tow, the 20 essential skills taught in the Open Water course, and a rescue scenario. After today’s session, I’m feeling extremely confident about my skills and abilities as a diver.
For the rest of the evening I partied with Kristy down at Racheal and Renae’s place at Blue Lagoon resort, after a BBQ down at the pines by the boatshed. There was about ten of us having food and drinks, and at Blue Lagoon we played pool and ping pong for a few hours before I called it a night.
March 4th, 2007 - LHI
Today I logged my 40th dive. We went to the North Head Gutters, and it was just another diver Grant, and me. We spent over an hour exploring the many swim throughs and underwater caves, and spotted a pair of really amazing nudibranchs, baby crayfish, schools of baby cardinalfish, colourful rainbow wrasse, and hundreds of endemic flatheads. Unfortunately, about halfway through my dive, I developed a huge migraine and it made the last part of the dive uncomfortable. When I got on board, my head was pounding. I was supposed to go for a second dive but had to abort. I still felt terrible when I got back to the boatshed so I decided to take the afternoon off. I went home, had some pain killers, and took a nap.
For the rest of the afternoon I read my book and went for a bike ride to Little Island. I was feeling a little better by the evening, and decided to go to Pandanus for a shift.
March 2nd, 2007 - LHI
I’ve been extremely busy as of late, and unfortunately have become slack with my diary entries. It’s funny, for some reason writing has been really important to me, and even a slight break makes me feel uneasy. It’s really too hard to catch up on all the details, but I can say this: My life has been incredible lately. I have spent my days going for bike rides and chilling out with Kristy, diving, and exploring the island. She is an incredible girl, and I’m enjoying her company immensely.
Today I went for a dive at the Arch and took three other divers around the huge sandy bowl and into the amazing gutters. The site was full of life, and we spotted lots of nudibranchs, schools of dotted sweetlips, crayfish, moray eels, and thousands of cardinalfish. It’s such a beautiful dive, and the terrain is covered in really healthy hard corals, sponges and acidians. Just Awesome!
February 26th, 2007 - LHI
After yesterday, today seemed pretty normal. Todd and Busty went out on one dive this morning and I stayed in the shed, studying my divemaster material. Throughout the day, I tended the shed, booked tours and made some amazing progress on the Wheel and the Recreational Dive Planner. I also wrote the first divemaster exam. I’m getting down to business from here on in, and I’m extremely determined to get everything done soon.
After work I went for a swim in the crystal clear lagoon and headed up to Palm Sugar for a shift. The night went well and I met Kathy’s mom; she’s 72 and full of spunk. We had an unbelievable dinner, drank good wine, and discussed the world over candlelight.
February 25th, 2007 - LHI
I really can’t say why today was one of the best days of my life, but I can say this: Busty showed up in the morning and told me I had a day off, I had a beautiful Aussie girl to snuggle with, and the sun was shinning.
When we finally got up at 11 in the morning, we made plans to go for a walk to the Clear Place and Valley of the Shadows, before going for a swim at Middle Beach. Kristy had some sandwiches made for us from Arijilla. We hiked up the hill behind Pinetrees to Middle Beach, talked and soaked in the view at Clear Place, and checked out the seabirds on the rocks near the Valley of Shadows. The sun got pretty hot, so we decided to go for a swim at the beach. I went for a quick snorkel because there was a pretty big rip moving across the beach. We had a quick chat with Donna who was studying her Yoga on the beach, and ate our lunch on a rock overlooking the ocean; and this was just the beginning of the day.
After our lunch Kristy and I headed back over the hill to retrieve our bikes. Unfortunately, as she put her helmet on, one of her pearl earrings fell out into the grass. We looked for ages, and even had a couple of tourists digging through the long grains, but had no luck. Fortunately, I had perseverance and kept looking. It took almost a half an hour, but I eventually found it. Kristy was happy; the earrings were a gift from her parents.
Totally stoked about the day, we decided that we needed to head down south for some more privacy; we wanted to go skinny dipping and there usually aren’t very many people down there, aside from a few fishermen, to interrupt our fun. We found a perfect place on the beach, and that’s where the details end. It was the most perfect day.
February 24th, 2007 - LHI
These days it has been really hard to get a second to write; I have been living the moment so fully, that it’s truly difficult to sit in front of a computer and write. The island has indeed captured my mind, heart, body and soul, and I really don’t think there’s any turning back. This place has magnetism beyond anything or anywhere I’ve ever experienced, and I know I will be returning here for the rest of eternity; its home.
Today the Howea team went for a dive at Boulder City, and I took a guy (who I later found out was a Gynecologist!) around the fantastic terrain. There was a bit of surge at the dive site, but it was fantastic nonetheless. I took Jeremy down to one of the bigger caves in the area and we startled a massive ray who was taking shelter. As we entered the cave beside a big lionfish and a school of catfish, it raised its barbed tail high in the air to warn us of danger. Needless to say, we didn’t bother going into the cave any further! On the rest of the dive we encountered a few really cool nudibranchs, including one called the “Bearded Tamja,” which is a beautiful small black and orange mollusc, only found at Lord Howe.
At night I worked at Palm Sugar, and came home totally exhausted (as usual). I invited Kristy over and we watched one of her favourite movies, “Top Gun.” I seriously forgot how good of a movie it really is! Unfortunately, I fell asleep and dreamt about punching Ice Man in the teeth.
February 23rd, 2007 - LHI
Today I had an amazing day off. I woke up late, headed down to the lagoon with my book, and crashed out all by myself under the shade of a volcanic rock overhang. I read a few chapters, had a little nap, and then went for a jog down the beach. When I got back to the boatshed, Rachael, Renae, the hilarious gay guys Steve and Grant, and Ashley were drinking on the pontoon. I jumped in and we spent the entire afternoon floating on noodles, doing cannonballs of the pontoon, and drinking beers. As the afternoon went on, more and more people joined us in our debauchery and we eventually had the pontoon completely full. There were heaps of laughs and it had to have been one of the best days I’ve had on the island.
I worked a shift at Palm Sugar at night, went home and showered, and then headed to the bowling club for a boogie with Kristy. We danced until the lights came on and all my mates were there with their dancing shoes on.
February 22nd, 2007 - LHI
I woke up absolutely hung-over, and luckily, they didn’t need me at the shed until 10 in the morning so I got to have a little sleep in. When I finally got my wretched body down to the lagoon, Mel was doing her divemaster swims, and they challenged me to do it too; hangover and all! I’m not one to say no to a challenge, so I walked down the beach almost a kilometer and swam back in the lagoon. When I got back I needed to tread water for 15 minutes, the last two with my hands out of the water. I had to do the swim in 6 minutes but ended up doing it in 11, even though I didn’t stop. I accomplished the treading water no problem, but was absolutely buggered after that. Thankfully, all I had to do was keep watch on the dive boat, so I put in my iPod and spread out on the front of the boat for an hour.
It was a busy afternoon and I got off an hour early to catch a snooze before heading to work at Pandanus. I must say, I have been a bit of a push-over lately, and whenever anyone tells me to go party, I am unable to resist. After Pandanus I cleaned up and headed to the shack and met some new people, including a cool chick named Kristy, who works at Arijilla. We hit off pretty quick and stuck around until two in the morning playing bongos, staring at the stars on the jetty (I saw the most amazing shooting star ever tonight!) and talking.
February 21st, 2007 - LHI
This morning Busty and I took a group out to Twin Caves at New Gultch; my second dive at this site less than a week! I really like the site so I don’t mind doing it often. The caves are spectacular and there are always different things to see. Today I buddied with a guy who completed his Open Water in Turkey, but hasn’t been diving in years. We were submerged for quite a while and I pressed him hard considering he hadn’t been diving in so long. He actually did really well. On the dive we saw heaps of lionfish, a few nudibranchs, crayfish, and a big trumpet-mouth fish.
In the afternoon I stuck around the shed and worked on my tan. The weather has been absolutely perfect the last few days.
At night I worked a shift at Pandanus and then headed straight over to Palm Sugar when I finished for a staff party. The wedding last Friday went really well and the bride and groom left us a $300 tip and 12 bottles of wine, including some expensive champagne; I’m not much of a champagne drinker, but for the expensive stuff, I make exceptions. Kathy decided that she would buy heaps of seafood, and we could celebrate a job well done and say farewell to Andrew and Shannon who are leaving on Sunday. The party was incredible, and we ate like kings. We had giant prawns, calamari, crabs, salads and heaps of wine. The night was going well until one of my mates James went home and brought over the Absinthe (not the crappy stuff but the genuine Czech Republic, wormwood brew)! We all got absolutely ridiculous and the night kind of got hazy after midnight.
February 20th, 2007 - LHI
I was supposed to go for a dive this morning but it got cancelled. Instead, I stuck around in the shed and worked on my divemaster studying. I have two more chapters to read and then I will be ready to take the exams. I’m really stoked to get into it and get it done.
In the afternoon we had two DSD’s, and I went out on the boat with Todd, who took the couple for a dive at Comet’s hole. Today was really hot and sunny, and the dive conditions perfect. I grabbed some fins, mask and snorkel and went for a swim while they were underwater. Almost immediately upon entering the crystal clear water, I came upon a huge green turtle; it was the first turtle I have seen at Comet’s hole. I followed it for about five minutes before it darted off out to sea. They have to be one of my favourite animals.
Last week when we were completing our Rescue Diver course at Comet’s hole, we lost a mask and snorkel in the midst of a scenario. We tried to locate it but to no avail. To my surprise, I found it today! It was lying on the western side of the deep bowl, and was slightly covered by sand. I dove down and got it, put it onboard, and carried on down the reef to check out the scene.
It was an extremely lively day at Comet’s hole. I counted three big rays, four Galapagos wailers, countless tropical fish, and heaps of spotted sweetlips and butterfly fish. I cruised around the reef, playing with the anemonefish, and eventually got chilly and swam back to the boat. The marine life is so vibrant at Lord Howe, that it almost seems like a dream when you’re in the water; too good to be true.
I finished up in the shed, went home and ate a bit while I watched the news, and headed up to Palm Sugar for a shift. It was supposed to be a night off, but how can I say no when Asia is less than two months away?
February 19th, 2007 - LHI
Once again I had a chance to sleep in a bit and had a good breakfast before heading into work. Unfortunately it was a shed day and I didn’t get a chance to dive. I cleaned up, filled tanks, took bookings and chatted with tourists. It was unbearably hot in the shed today so I made sure to take dip in the lagoon to cool off.
In the afternoon Busty and I discussed the morning dive and apparently they explored a wreck about a kilometer off of the north passage. The ship is called “the “ and it was wrecked in 1903; over a hundred years old! They apparently anchored on the boiler and uncovered a fully intact motorcycle in the sand; very cool! We have plans to do some preliminary excavations and measurements soon.
After work at the shed I headed to Palm Sugar for a shift. The night was much easier than the wedding, and we were finished at 9 o’clock. All through work we heard a plane flying around the island and we were informed that the Australian military was doing test landings with their Hercules plane on the LHI airstrip. After a couple glasses of wine and some dinner Rachael and I peddled down to the airstrip and were lucky enough to see the last landing and takeoff of the night. It was a spectacular sight to witness, and it was the first time I had seen the landing strip lit up at night.
February 18th, 2007 - LHI
I started at 11 o’clock today, so I was pretty stoked to sleep in a bit again. I didn’t sleep in that long, and woke up to work on my PADI divemaster knowledge workbook. I want to get through my course as quickly as possible so I’m planning to write the tests this week. It’s actually a lot more challenging than I had originally thought it would be, and there is a lot of physics and physiology involved. The problems aren’t that hard, but you do need to study.
When I showed up at the shed I immediately headed out for a dive to “Boulder city,” a dive site on the north-western part of the island. I was the last one on the boat, and the two that I was supposed to buddy with headed down a little early. Unfortunately, when I got into the water the current had taken them farther north and I followed the rest of the group thinking my buddies were with them. After a couple of minutes catching up, I realised that they weren’t with the group and surfaced to go and find them. Luckily, they too had surfaced and we met and went for an amazing dive amongst the swim-throughs and caves in “Boulder city.” It was seriously one of my favourite dives ever and I look forward to the next chance I get to dive the site again. The dives around the island just keep getting better and better!
February 17th, 2007 - LHI
Today I had a day off; it seems like my first day off in a month! Since I was out late last night for the wedding, I decided to sleep in for a little while. I was waked by my friend Rachael who works with me at Palm Sugar, and we decided to go play a round of golf. Despite the slight breeze, it was a perfect sunny day, and we slathered on the sun block before heading to the course.
The Lord Howe Island golf club is one of the most beautiful courses I have ever played at. It’s a challenging nine hole course that can be played as an 18 hole course. The first tee faces south, and the entire course is on a hill overlooking the beautiful lagoon. It’s simply breathtaking! The first four holes we played pretty horrible, but the last five holes I got birdie, par or bogie; pretty good for not playing a round since September. Rachael and I both agreed that the day was pretty amazing, and we had a good chat about life. She’s a Maori from New Zealand, and heaps of fun.
Later that night I cleaned my apartment which had been a bit neglected, and headed down to the cricket pitch to participate in “Discovery day,” which is a carnival the island puts together to celebrate the discovery of the island. There were heaps of activities such as the three-legged race, relays, races, tug-o-war, palm climbing and the slow bike race. I participated in a few of the events, but didn’t win any medals. I would have loved to enter the races, but I didn’t want to push my knees which have been acting up lately. Mel and Todd from Howea both won medals for their efforts in the 400 meter and 1500 meter races.
After all the events finished we ended up at the bowling club for a few drinks. At midnight I turned into a pumpkin and headed home for a good night sleep.
February 16th, 2007 - LHI
This morning I went out with Busty to the Twin Caves at the north end of the island. The dive was pretty amazing; in actuality there are three caves underwater, rather than two, which can be seen from the surface.
Twin Caves is nudibranch heaven. On this particular dive I spotted seven, two with the help of the keen eyes of Bob, who happened to be on his 1234 dive. I thought that was pretty special. Like me, he keeps a log and diary of all his dives. He gave me some really good advice: When you go on a dive, rather than try and remember lots of different things that you see on a dive, spend some time to remember one or two and research them after you get out of the water. I think it’s pretty good advice, and will try it for my next dives; however, on this dive, I saw heaps! We spotted three moray eels, three lionfish, a massive crayfish, and a black cod hiding under a table coral.
In the afternoon I helped Busty and Pete break down some moving crates and started early at Palm Sugar. Today we had a wedding for some really great people, Mark and Jane. The couple had 36 guests on the island and had been on our snorkel and North Bay tours, in addition to diving. Although Kathy did all the cooking and arranged the setup for the wedding, Mark, the groom organised almost every detail from the food and drink, and the decorations. Andrew, Shannon and Rachael helped setup in the afternoon and we all met at 5 o’clock to prepare for the night. Pam and her son James were also helping, in addition to Di, one of Kathy’s friends. The dinner and reception went perfectly and everyone was happy. The place looked absolutely amazing, the food was great, and there was plenty of good beer and wine flowing. It may be a little premature, but I will definitely be having my wedding or honeymoon on Lord Howe!
February 15th, 2007 - LHI
Today Busty and Mel took a small group to dive Ball’s Pyramid. They took Jack Shick’s boat “the Nautiluca.” I stayed in the shed for the morning and Todd took some DSD’s to Ned’s. Although the weather was great in the morning, around lunchtime the clouds began to form over the mountains. I finished work at 1 o’clock and it started pouring rain as I rode home; I got soaked right through to the bone.
I chilled out in the afternoon, watched “This is Spinal Tap,” and read my book before heading off to Pandanus for a shift. It was another busy night, and I was pretty tired when I got home, but I still managed to finish off the questions in my divemaster manual before nodding off to sleep.
February 14th, 2007 - LHI
This morning I went out with Busty and took a full boat on a dive to the Arch. There was quite a bit of wind on the surface, but underneath, conditions were magic. I really love the Arch since there’s always heaps of marine life to see, including spotted sweetlips, crayfish, nudibranchs, lionfish, scorpionfish and amazing corals. Not only does it have all this, but the terrain is incredible too. We were down for almost an hour before surfacing. Along the way, I found two really colourful shells and an empty slipper cray skeleton.
After lunch, we finally got around to completing the Rescue Diver course with Heather and Renee. We went out with Busty, Todd and another “victim” named Dave. We completed our scenarios at Comet’s hole. After some pretty intense exercises, I’m feeling really confident about my abilities to respond to emergencies. It’s really good piece of mind, and we had a lot of fun doing it too!
I later had a shift at Pandanus where we got slammed with the Valentine’s Day rush. It was super busy and I was exhausted from a full day of diving. Needless to say, I fell asleep straight away when I got home.
February 13th, 2007 - LHI
Mel had another day off today so it was Todd, Busty and I holding down the shed; Pete was busy with his tours, as usual. We had four people on the first dive to the North Head Gutters, including myself. Todd stayed on the boat and I took the certified divers around the amazing terrain, including heaps of swim-throughs and caves. One of the divers swallowed some water on the descent and had to abort, but I took the others around for just under an hour. We spotted one of my favourites, the conspicuous angelfish, in the same spot I had found it on a previous dive; apparently angelfish are territorial. I found a beautiful shell, and spotted a huge octopus hiding in the rocks. It was a great dive and I felt really comfortable in the water.
After lunch Todd and I took some certified divers and DSD’s to Comet’s hole for a dive and snorkel. I took a regular to the island, Michelle, for a snorkel over the reef. We swam amongst four reef sharks and were captivated by the amazing fish life; today was extraordinarily good for spotting fish. There were hundreds of Muculloch’s anemonefish, unicornfish, cardinalfish, scorpionfish and school’s of trevally and perch. While swimming over the reef, I found the most beautiful shell I have ever seen, fully intact. That made two in one day! I was so stoked.
After helping clean up in the shed, Busty, Todd and I had a beer and I headed off to work at Palm Sugar for the evening.
February 12th, 2007 - LHI
The weather was too bad to go diving today, so instead I stayed in the shed and worked on the finishing touches of the Howea Divers website. I did some proof reading, added a video, and debugged some stuff. After hours of hard work, I thing it’s ready to go online!
After work I got some reading done in my divemaster manual and answered some questions before meeting Donna, the Yoga teacher at Arijilla, for coffee up at Palm Sugar. She came by in the afternoon and I had made plans with some of the chef’s from Arijilla to go for a night snorkel off the jetty. She met me at eight and told me that the night snorkel would be at Ned’s instead. We had a cappuccino and a wonderful conversation about love, life and Yoga at Palm Sugar and then made our way down to Ned’s at 10 o’clock.
When we got to Ned’s, none of the guys were there but there were a few people around getting ready for Troy and Alex’s birthday party. Despite the absence of the boys, Donna and I worked up the courage to go for a snorkel in the shark infested water; at night, all of the sharks come into the safety of the shores. I had one flashlight so we had to share, and it made it daunting for Donna. After about five minutes of cruising around we became pretty comfortable, although we got cold quite quickly. We saw a few fish, and heaps of cuttlefish, which I have never seen before in my life. The night snorkel was awesome, and I will definitely do it again!
February 11th, 2007 - LHI
Finally, a day off! Although I know I shouldn’t complain about my jobs one bit, it’s always nice to have a day off to go try new things and explore. I was pretty tired from the massive dance last night, so I slept in until 10 o’clock. I had a nice, easy morning lounging around, and decided to hike over to North Bay around lunchtime. I put some new tunes on my iPod, grabbed a big bottle of Coke, and headed up the steep incline towards Kim’s Lookout.
I was drenched in sweat by the time I arrived at North Bay, but a cool shower passed over, relieving the heat. The rain soon picked up and I ducked under the picnic shelters and read a couple chapters in my book: Robert Jordan’s “Eye of the World”, Book One of the Wheel of Time. (I’m a nerd, I know, but it’s surprisingly good!) I spent some time collecting shells on the beach and investigated the nesting seabirds before taking the exhausting trek back.
For the rest of the afternoon I hung around my place reading and I watched the movie “Best in Show.” I haven’t laughed that loud in a long while; it was a hilarious movie!
I worked at Palm Sugar in the evening and rounded off my night with “Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest.
February 10th, 2007 - LHI
This morning I was on shed duty while Mel and Busty took a group around to Malabar for a dive. Todd had the day off today. I was going on the second dive with a couple of the staff from Arijilla, Donna the Yoga instructor and Brett, one of the chefs.
At 11 o’clock we geared up, put everything onto the truck and headed over to Ned’s beach for the pickup. We waited almost 45 minutes before I decided to head back to check to see if the had gone back around the other way. Sure enough, they had come back the other way because of the weather, so we headed back and unpacked the truck.
We finally got off around 1 o’clock and headed to the Old Gultch for a dive. We anchored right in the middle of the site and I took Donna and Brett around for just under an hour. It was an incredibly comfortable dive and we saw heaps of really cool nudibranchs, crayfish, and at least five Lord Howe moray eels; it was the most eels I’ve spotted in one place.
I had a busy shift at Pandanus in the evening. After my shift I headed home for a shower and then headed to Ned’s beach for a massive party. The beach house was decked out in balloons and one of the islanders’s had his full DJ equipment out blasting the tunes. I had a few drinks, chatted with a bunch of new people and old friends, and danced the night away under the stars.
February 9th, 2007 - LHI
Today we had three boat dives going out. I was exhausted from the Ball’s Pyramid trip and work, so I was happy to stick around in the shed. It was pretty hot today and I didn’t get much reading done; I ended up having to fill around 30 tanks, clean up from yesterday’s trip, and help lots of tourists looking to go on tours.
At 5 o’clock Pete a booze cruise went out for Lance’s birthday. Todd and I cleaned up in the shed and Pete picked us up after about an hour of cruising around with the group. The party was pretty funny; it was a costume party where everyone had to dress in their worst gear. We had a few cross-dressers on board, lots of fluorescent clothing, and I sported a huge hat. It’s a big hat. It’s funny.
I had planned to hit the club for a dance after the cruise but once I got home and put my head down I realised I wasn’t going anywhere! Instead I put on “Walk the Line” and dosed off soon after.
