The day I became a Shark Photographer
The season was coming to an end and it was time to decide where to go next. As a globe-trotting diving instructor the world, it would seem, was my oyster. I came across a job listing “Underwater Photo / Video Pro needed in the Bahamas” The Bahamas featured in my mind as a string of jewel-like islands strewn across the glittering Caribbean Sea (which I later realised was not true. The Bahamas are actually too far North to be in the Caribbean, they are in the Atlantic.) Still, the Bahamas sounded perfect. Before I knew it I had landed at Nassau airport on New Providence Island (having been allowed in…
Make the most of Now
I have been writing about travel for some time now and this morning I looked up ‘travel’ in the dictionary. This is what I found: ‘Travel – To make a journey, typically of some length’. It got me thinking about what travel means to different people. Travel has an exotic reputation and for many seems a fantasy and mostly out of reach but it doesn’t need to be. Yes, your work commitments, your pet or perhaps your children might mean that you can’t go on a Round the World trip at the drop of a hat, but don’t give up there. Look at your options. They say ‘where there is…
Walking Magnetic Islands Forts
Magnetic Island is heaven for walking enthusiasts. It is a quiet place anyway, without much traffic, but there is also a network of walking tracks to pass the time getting lost on all over the island. It is possible to walk from each settlement to the next in only a few kilometres, as well as to various beautiful beaches and pretty coves. We decided to explore the forts on the island. The forts were built to defend Magnetic Island and Townsville during the Second World War. There are various ruins of small buildings and the remnants of the gun positions, which apparently were always ready but never fired. It felt…
Just how do you learn a language?
Communicating with locals enriches travel experiences. If you live overseas as an expat, it is essential. Some are irritatingly good at learning languages and pick them up easily. How should the rest of us go about it though? Take a course I was lucky. I enjoyed the language classes I got at school. If you didn’t pay attention at school though don’t panic, you have not missed your chance to take language classes. Evening and weekend classes are available all over the world. These can be group classes or one on one sessions, depending on your need and what is available locally to you. Since speaking another language is considered…
Unravelling the Turkish Dolmus
An exciting, inexpensive and sometimes convenient method of transport around Turkish towns and between Turkish villages is the dolmus (minibus). A journey on a dolmus is always an experience for one reason or another. Fancy joining me? Errr, a Dol-what? Dolmus (pronounced ‘dol-moosh’) are often small, white, unassuming minibuses, but in some areas (depending on how much money the driver made last year) they come in all sorts of colours and designs. They often have their destination written across the front, or on a small board in the window. Some have bitterly cold air-conditioning. Some have none and windows that don’t open. It’s a bit like a lucky dip. What…
Magical Mont St Michel
There we were, driving through French villages, dodging sheep and baguette-wielding locals, when we emerged from one village and suddenly saw it, Mont St Michel. Few places match it for atmosphere. Surrounded by sea, this tiny community off the French shoreline has a very isolated feel, despite being only one kilometre offshore. The Stuff of Fairytales Mont St Michel looks what you would expect a young girl to draw if you asked for a fairytale castle straight. I’m not convinced Disney didn’t take inspiration from a quick visit actually. It stands proudly on a rocky outcrop in the middle of seemingly endless sandflats. These flats are in turn exposed and…
Pop into Port Douglas
Famous for being the celebrity hangout of Far Northern Queensland, Port Douglas is an interesting little town an hour’s drive North of Cairns. The town fills up from July to September when Australians living in the Southern states flee their winter weather, preferring the balmy tropics. The drive to Port Douglas alone, makes a visit worthwhile, with spectacular beach views emerging every few minutes around bends in the road. Keep an eye on the road though. The resort part of Port Douglas is built along 4 mile beach and offers accommodation ranging from backpacker hostel to pricey luxury resort. The centre of town is just a little further along the…
London’s Burning
I was woken yesterday by an sms message from a friend in London saying “Riots!” followed by another saying “London’s getting ransacked!” I had noticed riots in the news over the weekend, but nothing prepared me for what I was about to see, bleary eyed and freshly roused from sleep (about 11pm in the UK). Britain is considered one of the world’s ‘developed’ rather than ‘developing’ countries. It is widely trusted as a stable and safe place. I’m a British expat and generally live my life, wherever I am, comfortably confident that not much changes in Britain while I am away. Over the past few days however, Britain has looked…
Expat Life – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Expat life is vastly different from visiting somewhere as a tourist. Tourists enjoy the best of places but rarely experience the difficulties that expats face. Daily life, encountering and rising to the challenges, as well as enjoying the highlights of life overseas can be very rewarding, but it can take time. The Good And now for something completely different Expats live in a different country from their country of origin. As such, those choosing to live as expats are often seeking something different. It may be different weather, a different language, or different food. It may be simply for the challenge of being outside their comfort zone. Whatever the reason,…
The most amazing dive I’ve (n)ever done
Mention Ningaloo Reef to people and their first thought is usually ‘Whale Sharks’ but divers also love the area for a special dive site called ‘Navy Pier’. The Navy Pier When I told friends I was heading to Ningaloo Reed, one friend urged me to make sure that I dived the Navy Pier while I was at Ningaloo. Now the Navy Pier doesn’t sound very excitng, does it? It is true that it is a man-made dive site, rather than a natural spectacle, but nature has a way of taking over beneath the surface. Nothing is ever simple There are several dive operators in Exmouth (the town nearest Ningaloo Reef)…
