Diving the GBR: Lighthouse Bommie

 It is the 2^nd to last day of my 3 week stint on Spoilsport. The weather is amazing. A measly 5 to 10 knots of wind make for a flat ocean and some great diving. It is almost like jumping through a mirror. Your own reflection rushing towards the water. With a splash the mirror breaks. The shards turn out to be water that gently guide you into a mysterious world. A world that is more real, but no less strange or marvelous than Alice her Wonderland.

A tall pinnacle rising straight up from 25 to 5 mtrs next to a large mound which has its highest point around 18 mtrs create the frame for this dive.

The second I drop down I’m greeted by a very welcome sight. A large manta ray swoops past underneath me. It decides it doesn’t like the crowd and gracefully makes a U-turn before ‘flying’ away into the blue. It is the first manta ray I’ve seen this year and do a little happy dance to celebrate the occasion. I look over to my friend, he is doing the same. With a big smile on my face I continue downward.

As I circle the mound an olive sea snake takes an interest in me. I hold out my hand and he comes over to investigate. Cautiously he sniffs (licks) my hand, swims up my arm towards my face. I can see every little detail of this beautiful animal. The perfectly aligned scales, the black eyes, the little forked tongue flicking in and out of his mouth where he keeps one the most potent venoms in the world. He looks me straight in the eye and then leisurely swims off in search of something eatable. As my eyes follow the snake swimming off, they catch an amazing spectacle.

In the deeper water just off the mound a large school of big eye trevally seek safety in numbers. A large grey reef shark comes past and the trevally are visibly on edge. Then 4 or 5 brave individuals break free from the school and make quick dashes towards the sharks side and tail rubbing their bodies against its skin. They do this to clean themselves. It is like using a washcloth that can eat you if not careful. Some animals, like the big eye trevally, can be quite boring in an esthetic way but their behavior can by more fascinating than the most flamboyant nudibranch.

I get greeted by a 2^nd sea snake as I make way through a school of yellow striped snapper. The nervous eyes peer back at me as the school parts before and close behind me. For a moment the world only consists of yellow striped fish. When the rest of the world joins back in and I emerge from the school the pinnacle is right in front of me.

I start circling the lighthouse bommie and slowly make my way up to the top. Long nose hawk fish hide in bushy looking coral. Anthias and 3 spot damsel fish dart around on the pinnacle wall. Bushy and beautiful feather stars inhabit the top which they share a family of Clark’s anemone fish. This family in particular has 2 of the tiniest anemone fish I’ve ever seen. Probably the only fish that word cute can be used on.

The long white ‘feelers’ betray the presence of a pair of banded boxer shrimp hiding upside down under one of the many ledges. Juvenile emperor angelfish scurry away from the scary divers.

I reach the top and start my safety stop. Looking at the small critters below me and the bigger hunters, like sharks, barracuda, trevally and tuna in the blue surrounding this towering oasis of life.

It is 7.30 am, the ocean is like a mirror, the sun is out, the sky is a flawless blue and I had my first adventure before breakfast. What a way to start the day.

Alfred J Kwak and Giant Turtles

When I was a little boy I used to watch a typically Dutch cartoon character called ‘Alfred Jodokus Kwak’. Alfred was a duck who got himself into a range of adventures trying to do the right thing. One particular episode he comes across an island that seems to be moving. This island, with vegetation and houses and all, turns out to be a giant turtle. I don’t remember what happens in the cartoon, since it has been many years, but during a night dive I did last week at Snake Pit on the Ribbon Reefs I could not help to think of the Alfred J Kwak and his giant turtle adventure.

I am not a big fan of night diving and usually try to avoid them if I can. But this faithful night I had to cover for a colleague and am I glad that I did.

We were moored up at a dive site called Snake Pit. Since the site is very exposed we can only go there when the weather is calm and for me it was the first time at this site. I had done a dive during the day to scope out the place.

Snake Pit is a big mound on the seabed that slopes down to about 30 mtr. It is very easy to get lost on the plateau that makes up the top of the mound. Following the edge is your best bet in making it back to the boat. Turns out that the edge is also the best place to go. A fringe along the crest and down the slopes of the underwater hill of healthy brain, plate and finger corals. A few bommies are dotted along the top reaching for the shallows up to about 5 mtrs. The numbers of feather stars are off the scale. In all colors and sizes these gracious filter feeders ‘fight’ for the best spot to stretch out their arms and collect their food.

The site is named after the many sea snakes that frequently visit the area, but barracuda, lionfish, surgeon and unicorn fish and the occasional reef shark call it home as well. But this dive it was all about the turtles. As I approached one of the bommies at the top I noticed the flipper of a green turtle and couldn’t believe what I saw. The flipper was the same size as the average turtle I see on a day to day basis. I swam around to get a closer look and to the surprise of the divers I was guiding started to do an underwater dance of euphoria. What I saw was a dinner table size male green turtle sleeping with his head stuck under a piece of coral. I had never seen a turtle that big and was elated. This was already turning into an epic night dive. As I turn around a female green turtle of the same dimensions comes in to check out what the commotion is about. Two of these dinosaurs on the same dive! Does it get any better than this? The answer is yes. In the next 45 minutes we saw 4 more of these giants. Some a bit shy, some just ignoring us looking at us angrily for disturbing their nap.

A cute 30cm long baby grey reef shark vacates the area as soon as our dive lights move in its direction. A great barracuda however is not as shy and catches a fish confused by the beams of light not 1 mtr away from me.

It feels like everything on this dive site is on steroids. That everything is just a few sizes bigger than usual. From feather star to unicorn fish and barracuda to turtles.

Every one exits the water smiling from ear to ear, talking about the giant turtles and hunting barracudas.

I wonder if this is how Alfred J Kwak felt after he met a giant turtle for the first time.      

My volunteer week with Mike Ball Dive Expeditions

Diving on the Great Barrier Reef is something that many scuba divers have high on their bucket list. If you work on the reef out of Cairns like myself the bucket list reads: diving the Coral Sea with one of the best dive operators in Australia, Mike Ball Dive Expeditions (MBDE).

In January I had applied for a volunteer position on the dive deck of MBDE’s boat Spoilsport and in the first week of June I set out for a week of exploring and amazing diving in the Coral Sea and specifically on Osprey reef. In exchange for my work I would get two dives a day as payment, which was fine by me as it turned out to be some of the best diving I’ve ever done in my life.

I boarded the vessel on a Thursday afternoon and after meeting the skipper and crew I got shown around the boat and explained what my duties on the boat would be for the coming week. It was my job to assist the crew on the dive deck, help guests in and out of the water and make sure that everyone had a dry blue towel for when they came back from a dive. At the end of the week I had dried and folded more blue towels then I care to remember.

My quarters where down on the portside hull next to the engine room. My room was small, but quite comfortable. I had a bunk bed that to my relief was long enough and small bath room which I shared with two others.

Although I was exhausted when the week was over it was not a typical week. Spoilsport takes on a maximum of 28 guests but on the way north there were only 7. Imagine all the towels I had to fold if the numbers would have been up.

The days will run pretty much as follows: get up at 6.30 am, have a light breakfast, 1^st dive at 7 am which after we have my new favorite meal, second breakfast. Another dive in the morning and then lunch. Move to a different site and do 1 or 2 more dives. Take a nap and do a night dive before dinner. After that time to hit the sack. Of course this is the itinerary for the guests. The crew gets up earlier, has no time to nap and goes to bed last.

We departed at 6pm and overnight we steamed north to the Ribbon reefs where we arrived at 9 am the next day. The first dive site was the famous Cod hole. The visibility was more than 40 meters and I felt like I was diving in the Caribbean again. Diver size potato cods greeted us as we jumped in of the back of the boat.

The cod where quite inquisitive and came right up to your face looking for food. Scattered bommies (coral heads) with white sandy trenches made up the dive site. The cod swimming carelessly in their domain. White tip reef sharks resting on the sand. Schools of blue lined snapper and stripeys hiding in the trenches. Bird wrasse, parrot fish and fairy basslets brightened up the reef with their colors. Long finned banner fish and Moorish idols make their getaway as divers try to capture their beauty with underwater cameras. When doing my safety stop underneath the boat a big cod comes up to see me off as in a last farewell. I exit the water with a big smile on my face. If this is just the first location I cannot wait what Osprey reef has to offer.

The second location was called Lighthouse Bommie. It is a big sea mound in 25 meters of water next to a pinnacle that runs straight up to 5 meters. There is not much else in the immediate surrounding area which means lots of marine life lives and shelters here. Schools of big eye trevally circle up in the blue. Big dog tooth tuna waiting for their chance to feast on the schools of silversides hiding from the current behind the pinnacle. Yellow striped fusiliers hang out at the bottom. Rays, turtles and olive sea snakes called it their home. Smaller critters like nudibranchs, blennies, anemone fish and feather stars inhabit the lighthouse. There is not much coral on this dive site but the diversity of marine life in incredible. Slowly I swim in circles around the towering bommie towards the surface. Again an amazing dive. I ask myself how am I ever to go back to working on the reefs close to Cairns. It just doesn’t compare.

At the end of the day we left the Ribbon reefs to make our way to Osprey reef. The Ribbon reefs or quite a ways up north but still relatively close to shore. Not Osprey reef. It takes a good 9 hours to get out there.  It is a big stunning coral reef in the middle of the ocean and the reason why I’m on this boat.

The day started off with a dive at a place called Fairy Grotto. Big, tall bommies occupy a sandy slope that runs down to around 30 meters before it drops off to amazing depths that exceed a 1000 meters. Whip corals and sea fans ornate the wall, while square spot anthias and schools of pyramid butterfly fish feed on the particles in the water. White tip reef sharks patrol the trenches as trevallies and Spanish mackerel inhabit the blue. The cave that gives this site its name is amazing. I swim through the entrance into the spacious cavern. As I turn around to look out, the light coming in behind me electrifies the blue water and makes me feel I’m in a BBC documentary. All in all a great start of the day.

But it doesn’t stop there. The diving just gets better and better. Our second dive site on Osprey reef is called Half Way. Gaint coral bommies with countless tunnels and swim throughs make up the site. The sun is out and lights up the pristine white sand in the gullies between the coral in a way that reminds me of tropical ‘bounty’ islands. Goat fish forage in the sand, garden eels scan their surroundings and disappear into the sand as divers get too close for their liking. Regal angel fish patrol their territory ignoring the sweetlips that hover under ledges and behind coral heads. I follow my dive buddy into a swim through which splits into two paths. A wide swim through and a narrow tunnel that runs slightly up. We decide to take the tunnel. Making sure I don’t hit my head or tank against the rocks and corals I make my way to the end of the tunnel where it opens up into a sandy arena surrounding a single ‘house size’ bommie.  Everything is covered in coral. Star, boulder and encrusting corals. Coral trees, soft corals and gorgonians. All ranging from green to red to pink and purple. My only regret is that I don’t have more time to explore this underwater paradise.

Although it may not sound like it I do spend more time on the boat than in the water. One of my duties was being on look out. As long as there are people in the water there must be a person on the top deck to keep a constant 360 degree view of the dive site to ensure their safety when on the surface. Even though I’m focusing on the underwater part of my trip I did spend several hours scanning the surface armed with a high visibility vest, whistle, radio and binoculars. If all goes well it is quite a boring job to do, but none the less very important. Safety is a big concern on the Spoilsport and divers even get a Nautilus personal GPS device that they have to carry on each dive. We are all a long way from civilization and therefor you can never be too safe.

Speaking of which, for me day 4 was all about sharks!

We moved the boat to the North Horn where we did a drift dive on the western wall. Geared up and ready to go we boarded the tender and got dropped off on a wall that runs straight down for at least a 1000 meters. A back roll off the side of the boat was the entry of choice. On one side a tall dark wall lined with giant sea fans. Rock cods and bumphead parrot fish occupying the wall. On the other side the big blue. Schools of barracuda, white tip reef sharks and grey reef sharks looking back at it from the dark blue vastness of the ocean. Closer to the surface the wall cracks and allows for red bass and big eye trevally to hide from bigger predators and wait for their turn to feed. There is something special about diving a wall like this. As a diver you are caught between a giant natural wall and the vastness of the big blue ocean. It definitely puts things in perspective. There was not much current and we had to kick a little to make it back to the boat. As the wall ends it wraps around the tip of the reef and creates a natural amphitheater. Which is the stage for the following dive, the much anticipated shark feed.   

After a very thorough briefing of what to do and what not to do during a shark feed divers with big smiles of anticipation entered the water. All divers found a spot to sit along the wall that curves slightly around a big bommie that doubles as a stage for the show to come. The crew brought down a big ‘sealed’ bucket with tuna heads and attached it to the top of the ‘stage’. Suspended on a rope about 3 meters above the bommie, crew member Nick swam in circles dragging the bucket to entice and lure in the sharks. Small ‘weasel looking’ white tips and the bigger ‘proper shark looking’ grey reef sharks where the main contenders. Red bass, trevally and even a big potato cod observed the whole ordeal from distance. After a few minutes around 50 sharks occupied the area not 5 meters away from me. The bucket was pulled down and secured after which Nick used a long pole to open the lid. A float on a chain emerged pulling 3 chunky tuna heads from the bucket. The tension in the water supplied by the sharks knowing there is food nearby went through the roof. For a few moments all you could see was a big ball of dozens of shark tails trashing around fighting for the tuna. The sharks would quickly swim off after tearing of a chunk of fish only to return a few moments later to get seconds. A big silver tip joined in as well. At one point the potato cod seized his chance and ripped of an entire tune head and took off with it. Even with all these sharks in the water, the cod was still boss. After a few short minutes the chain was stripped clean and the sharks disappeared like smoke. In just minutes it went from a full blown feeding frenzy with countless sharks to a calm reef with just a handful of these magnificent pelagic.

I took off with one of the crew to explore a bit of the eastern wall since we had plenty of time and air left, while other divers searched the stage for teeth that sharks lost during the feed. What an amazing experience and I considered this dive alone enough payment for a week of hard work.

After two days on Osprey reef we steamed back to Lizard Island. The guests that came with us on the north bound trip got of here and took a small plane back to Cairns. That same plane also brought 13 new guests that would join us on the trip down south again. We said goodbye to the old and welcomed the new divers we would be taking care of until Thursday.

All what the guests have to do on board is sleep, dive and eat. The cabins are very comfortable, the dives are amazing and the food even better.

Breakfast would be, boiled eggs, bacon, hash browns, fresh fruit, blue berry pancakes and eggs benedict. Sausages, baked beans and much more. Lunch would range from leek, corn or pumpkin soup, a variety of salads, breads and fruits. Dinners would consist of creamy pumpkin risotto, barramundi, roast veggies, chicken curry and a fish and chips that would not be out of place in a fancy restaurant. The chef, Kate, did a wonderful job and worked miracles in her galley every day. One of the benefits of not having a full boat is that there was always enough of this amazing food left over for the staff. 

On the way south we visited some of the dive sites we dove on the way up. We started with the Cod hole then two towers, light house bommie, pixie wall, Steve’s bommie and flare point. At the Lighthouse I swam with an olive sea snake, which was very cool. They are quite friendly and just move through the water so gracefully.

Steve’s bommie turned out to be one of my favorites. A tall pinnacle similar to Lighthouse bommie only a few sizes bigger. Thousands of purple and orange Anthias line the pinnacle wall and are the visual confirmation that this site is booming with life. Huge schools of blue lined fusiliers surround the tower. Constantly dodging the attacks from trevallies and red bass. When taking a closer look pipefish, anemone fish and the superbly camouflaged stone fish appear. On the ledges at the top feather stars stretch out their fern like arm to catch the particles in the water. Simply beautiful.

But the true stars of the show on the south bound trip where the Minke Whales. It was still at the beginning of their migration season and we were lucky to encounter them. There is still very little we know about these 6 to 7 meters long marine mammals and the rules of engagement are very strict. There is no scuba to be undertaken with the Minke Whales. Bubbles generally scare them of. If we would encounter Minkes, we had to come back to the boat, get out of our scuba equipment and get back in armed with mask, fins and camera. Two long floating lines where attached behind the boat which we could hold on to whole enjoying the show. The best way to get the whales close is to lay flat on the surface and let them for 100% control the interaction.

On several occasions we had the possibility to swim with these amazing creatures. They are quite curious and playful. They are much like oversized dolphins with a whales face. A few passed underneath us just 2 or 3 meters away, rolling on their sides to take a closer look at us. It is definitely something special looking this big mammal in the eye and see it sees you and acknowledges you as well. What an experience!

Wednesday was the last day of diving and that evening we had a ‘party’ night with a barbeque, music and drinks to finalize an amazing trip. Overnight we travelled south back to Cairns where we arrived at 6 am. After the guests left the vessel it was time for a thorough clean-up of the boat and making it ready for departure later that day.

I was exhausted when I came of the boat, but felt very satisfied. I found it interesting and learned a lot being part of a team on a 5 star dive boat that goes to the most amazing places. I could definitely get used to this. So hopefully next time I get out there it won’t be as volunteer, but as permanent crew living the dream. 

Outback Adventure

We touched down at Ayer’s Rock Airport early in the afternoon. The big red rock already visible in the distance. A bearded fellow named Craig, who had an uncanny resemblance to Allen from the Hang over movies, came to pick us (me and my parents) up. It was the kick off of the 3 day/2 night tour of the Australian ‘red center’.

A big 25 passenger truck fit for some off road adventuring was our mode of transport for the coming days. We drove back to ‘camp’ first to have lunch, a lovely Camel burger, before we headed out into the National park.

This first day we got treated to a very special event in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National park. We were lucky to be able to count ourselves to the 2% of the visitors that get rained on in the national park. Craig was really pleased with that. “I love rain”, he would say in his typical dry tone of voice.

We visited the Cultural center first where we could learn about the Aboriginal Culture and their ‘dreamtime’. Which entails their stories of creation, past, present, future, how the land and animals interact with them and how they should interact with the land and the animals. It was very interesting and really showed how complex their culture and beliefs are. And also how little they have shared, which they are not allowed to according to their laws, of their 40,000 year old culture. Which is the longest still existing and practiced culture in the world.

As the rain let up a bit and Uluru (the real name of Ayer’s rock) in the background we drove to Kata Tjuta, also known as the Olgas. Basalt and granite held together by mud rock form these enormous rocks. We explored a naturally formed valley (Walpa Gorge) that acted like a wind tunnel. It started raining again too, so our first scenic experience was different and nothing like what you would expect visiting the desert center of Australia.

Next was the sunset viewing of Uluru, also referred to as ‘the rock’. There is a designated sunset viewing area and we were not the only tourists there. Busloads of them (us). We did manage to obtain a ‘private’ spot and watched the sun go down while enjoying a glass of bubbly. Unfortunately the sunset wasn’t that awe inspiring as you can see on all the postcards and TV shows. The rain clouds hade made sure of that. It was still very pleasant. After sunset we went back to camp, had dinner and retired in our tents to get ready for an early start. The sunrise viewing of Uluru was on the menu and for that we had to get up at 4.45am. good times!

Day morning of day 2 was all about Uluru. The sunset viewing was great. Although there were some clouds it was amazing to see the morning sun bouncing of the big red rock. It accentuated its curves, ripples and other shapes formed by thousands of years of erosion by wind and rain. It was time for a closer look at the rock and we did a base walk around half of it. I found it absolutely beautiful walking around this enormous sandstone structure. Uluru is 380 mtrs high and about 6 km deep. It really is like an ice berg in the desert of which we can only see the top. On the south side is a waterhole, called the Mutitjulu waterhole, which has significant meaning in the Aboriginal creation story of Uluru and is a cool, serene oasis I the otherwise scorching desert.

It is also possible to climb Uluru. The aboriginal people ask you not to since this is a very sacred place to them, but they can only ask. Unfortunately they don’t have any control over their own land or sacred places. This is in the hands of the Australian government and they apparently find the tourists wishes (and money) more important than respecting the culture of the original custodians of this land. And also unfortunately a lot of tourists don’t have the decency to respect their request and still go up. It’s like climbing the Aboriginal ‘Sistine chapel’, ridiculous.

The annoyance was visible in Vincent, our Aboriginal guide for the second part of the morning. He told us about his culture and the dreamtime story of Uluru. In the Aboriginal culture there are stories for men, women and children. No one will hear the others story, since it is not for them. So we listened to the story for children. We are not initiated in their culture so in their eyes we are children. It was very interesting hearing Vincent talk about his background and the story of Uluru. He drew typical Aboriginal markings in the sand while he thought his story and thus making sense to some of the ancient ‘rock art’ that is to be found on certain spots around the rock.

It was a very interesting but also eye opening and a bit shocking experience. I learned a lot about the Aboriginal culture and how they perceive the world, but also that they are still regarded as second class citizens. They have citizenship, but not the same rights as other Australians. Some communities live in 3^rd world conditions and that in a country that has the 2^nd highest living standard in the world. You don’t hear a lot about these problems or the still quite racist approach of ‘white’ Australians towards their Aboriginal countryman. I think it is a very sad thing and hope it will change for the better soon, although I fear that still might take a long time.

The rest of the day we spent in the bus driving to Kings Canyon, which was about a 3 hour drive. The tour we did were 2 tours combined so from the 22 people we started with only 12 were left. Which meant ample room in bus.

We arrived in Kings Canyon around 5 pm and had the rest of the day off. Instead of sleeping in a tent most of decided to spent the night in a ‘swag’. A swag is an Australian contraption. I is a little matrass inside a canvas cover. You put your own sleeping bag inside and voila your bed is made. Sleeping outside underneath the starry sky was in my opinion by far the best thing of the entire trip. There is no artificial light at all, so you can see everything. And I mean everything! After the moon was gone, which was very bright all the stars in the universe were available to you. It wasn’t even dark, the amount of stars gave off enough light for you to see clearly in the middle of the night. All the billions of stars too far to see as individual stars form this ‘stardust’ that filled every little black spot in between our ‘own’ stars. The entire Milkyway just unfolds right above you, visible with the naked eye. I saw satellites flying past and about 7 shooting stars throughout the night. Absolutely amazing. The barking of the wild dingoes in the distance topped off this beautiful outback experience.

Once again it was rise and shine early in the morning. At 5.50am we left the campsite to see the sun rise over Kings Canyon. Another reason was to beat the heat, since we had a 3.5 hour walk ahead of us. The temperature reached 36 degrees centigrade at around 11am and you don’t want to be caught in the burning sun in a rocky gorge.

Kings Canyon is a sight for sore eyes. Cliffs, gorges, slabs and domes of beautiful red sandstone. The sandstone is actually white, but the iron inside corrodes due to the weather and colors the outside red. Craig explained a lot about how the Canyon came about and pointed out local flora and told it what it was used for. I don’t remember what he said precisely so I won’t try to repeat it since I’ll probably be wrong.

In the middle of the arid canyon is a beautiful oasis called ‘The garden of Eden’. Tall Ghost gum trees and old palm like trees surrounded a little pond. Heaps of little frogs hopped around as we took a break and took in the unexpected beauty of this remarkable place. Some of these palm like trees are of a species that existed when the center of Australia was covered in tropical rainforest about 300 million years ago. One of the trees there was estimated to be 500 years old. About 100 million years ago huge inland seas covered the center of Australia and evidence of that was still visible in the rocks we walked on. The ripples you see in the sand of the ocean floor where fossilized on the canyon floor and even the footprint of an ancient ‘sea cucumber’ was still visible.

As we climbed out of the Garden of Eden you have an amazing view of the top of the canyon. All the red sandstone ‘domes’ look like giant termite hills and carried as far as the eye could see. We left those behind us as we descended back to the valley floor and the bus. The tour had come to an end the only thing that we had to do was the 5 hour drive back to Alice Springs. And this also added to the outback adventure. The scenery changes quite a bit and the long drive really helps you grasp the vastness of the country. Alice Springs is relatively ‘close’ to Kings Canyon and still a 5 hour drive. Despite of the time it was a very pleasant drive. In Alice Springs we said goodbye to our awesome guide Craig and checked into a hostel for 1 night before flying to Melbourne for the next adventure of our trip, which will be exploring Australia in a motorhome.

Farm life, the final chapter

 To complete my 88 days of farm work I traded dusty Merbein for green Byron Bay. With just 14 days left to go I opted for Wwoofing instead of paid work. Wwoofing stands for Willing Workers On Organic Farms and pretty much means you work for food and board. I found a farm only 10 minutes outside of Byron Bay situated on a hill overlooking cape Byron called Hayters Hill. The view was stunning. On one side you have lush green rolling hills as far as the eye can see and on the other side you could see Byron Bay with its beaches, the lighthouse and the deep blue Pacific Ocean beyond that stretched out to meet the light blue of the sky at the horizon. 

I stayed with Julie and Owen. A lovely couple that raise cattle and grow pecans. They were both very nice people and again I experienced Australian hospitality, which is great. It was not hard to like these people from the moment I met them. Julie has the most heartwarming smile which makes you feel at ease right away.

I found two friends in their dogs Annie and Penny. Staffordshire terrier and a little fluffy bastard. Annie has the habit of showing her affection by licking your legs. She will just keep going till she hits bone or until you push her away. And the noises she makes are just hilarious. It is not barking or howling but something in between, like she is being strangled. That is how she wakes up all the dogs in the neighborhood from the back of the pickup truck (ute) as we drive past.

Although all the businesses are separate they run it as a family business with their sons. 2 of their 3 sons live on the hills next to theirs. One raises chickens for the eggs and the other has a butcher shop and keeps some pigs. So most of Julie and Owen’s cattle ends up in their sons butcher shop. This joint effort is called ‘Hayters Hill Farm’ and the products are sold on local markets in the area.  

The work that I did was very divers although the first two and last two days were a bit monotonous. To keep all the cattle on their property miles of electric fence lines the land. But if grass grows too tall and touches the wire it will lose power and the cows are free to maraud the country side. So with a brush cutter I set out so mow the grass underneath the fence. That same brush cutter I used to clear the base of around 850 pecan trees of tall grass before we could start harvesting. In those few days I brush cut more them most people will do in their entire lives and although I’ve become an expert now I would be very pleased if I don’t ever have do that again.

But besides that I trimmed hedges, moved cattle form paddock to paddock, built an enclosure for pigs, moved 3 day old piglets, water proofed a roof, built an electric fence and picked up pecans using a giant vacuum cleaner.

It was again a nice outdoor farm experience, this time with more animals involved which I enjoyed. And although I had a great time I am glad that it is over. No more farm work, no more work for no pay. Time to apply for my second year visa and move back to Cairns to live in the tropics and teach scuba diving again. back to the life love.

Farm life part 2: part of the family

They call me the Dutch foreman or clog boy. And I say I need to get a certificate for looking after all these senior citizens. Those are the jokes being made back and forth while working on the block (vineyard). I am by far the youngest working for the Hudsons (Andrew and Roslyn) and am surrounded by about 8 other workers in or around their sixties. I take care of the time sheets, inform everyone what we are doing where on what day and generally function as a medium between the workers and Andrew and Roslyn. It feels a bit weird since most of these guys have been working as fruit pickers before I was born and now they need to listen to this crazy ‘young’ Dutchie who has never set foot on a fruit block before in his life. But everyone is ok with it and very chill about it. I even sense that they are happy not to have to deal with time sheets and logistics.

One of my other, self-appointed, jobs is taking care of the chickens and the geese that are located in a pen out back. I make sure they have ample food and water and collect the eggs. Funny how chickens or chooks as they are called in Australia can guilt trip you for taking their eggs. Every day I come by and find one or two chooks sitting in their little barrel guarding their eggs. As I reach underneath their skirt to grab the eggs they make little clucking noises and have this slight panicked look in their eyes. It makes me feel bad, but only until I think of the bacon and eggs I’ll be having the next morning.

The geese are a different story. I am at war with them. There is a big blue bucket full of water for them to cool off in. A rope is tied to it through two holes in the side to help tip it to refresh the water. Every other day the geese have managed to undo the knot and pull the rope out. One rope just fully disappeared. When I made a new one I first tied it with a reef knot. That didn’t last. Next was 3 or 4 half hitches on top of each other. That lasted for 3 days. I tried the bowline next and it is still holding. I looks like I’m winning this battle!

It has gotten a bit busier at the house. Two family friends have come, like they do every year, to help out with the harvest. Jeff and Pat are a lovely couple that are retired fruit growers. Jeff is a jolly guy, always joking and in good spirits. Pat is a lovely, very polite lady with a good sense of humor. She had a stroke a few years back and moves a bit slower and is sometime a bit forgetful. But she deals it with very well and is lovely company to be around.
Another family friend which I became really fond of is Bernie. He is a 77 year old man who lives close by. He pops in now and then for tea or to help out. His sense of humor is amazing. Very dry and a bit sarcastic from time to time. I would tell him something and he would reply in his slight hoarse voice: ‘I believe you, thousands wouldn’t’. It just cracks me up. What a wonderful person.

Their oldest son, Daniel, came to help on the farm for a week. It was very nice to have him around. He is around my age and we ended up at his house one night with a box of beer and a bottle of whisky. That was a welcome change which I paid for the next morning.

The youngest son Luke, who has Down syndrome, is quite a character. He doesn’t like doing the dishes and every evening we have a bit of a tug of war to get him to help. I think he doesn’t really mind and just likes the game of trying to get out of this chore. I find it a fun ritual we go through daily. He is a good kid. Nice, polite, a good worker and quite independent. I like that he is not treated much different than others because of his disability, as it should be. And it makes him a full and enjoyable member of this wonderful family.

The last week has been a bit hectic. Adrew’s mother passed away one night and as you can imagine everything changed. As he was busy taking care of all the arrangements and legalities, work on the block had to continue. With this family being so great to me I was glad that I was there to step up and take care of a few less things for him to worry about. As a result of his mom passing I got to meet most of the rest of the family that came down for the funeral. And not just Andrew, Roslyn and their sons are great, but everyone I got to meet are warm and kind people. A bit rough around the edges but all with hearts of gold. I was introduced as ‘part of the family’ by Roslyn and Andrew and they really made me feel like I am.

Next to meeting many new people I did and learned a lot of new things. I learned a lot about growing and harvesting grapes for dried fruit. I drove quad bikes, dirt bikes, 4 different tractors and a 1927 Ford model T truck. I fired a firearm for the first time in my life and went trapping rabbits. It is not allowed to ‘trap’ rabbits anymore so we used ‘mechanical restraining devices’. The only thing I caught was but of fur and all rabbits escaped to live another day. I swam in the Murray River, saw kangaroos (my first ones), goannas, a bearded dragon, cockatoos, parrots, pelicans and weird bugs. Enjoyed many beautiful sunsets, saw a dust storm and awed at the night sky seeing a million stars on a black canvas. I learned to hate flies with a passion since they are abundant and ever present and end up near your eyes, ears end sometimes in your nose.

Another thing I learned is that do not speak English in Australia but Australian.

A few examples:

Breakfast is brekkie, lunch is dinner and dinner is tea. Yesterday is yestie and afternoon is arvo. Chickens are called chooks and baby chickens (chicks) are called chickens. A work break is smoko and thanks is Ta. Goodbye/ see you later is Hoo roo and a cooler/cool box is an eski. Something broken is stuffed and tired is buggered. Although buggered can be used for a lot of things and you can say bugga when you hit your toe or something like that. If you are sick or angry you’re crook and a beer bottle is a stubby. A gas station is a servo where you fill up your pick-up truck or ute.

I also got introduced to a ‘camp oven’. You start by burning vine stumps and Mallee (type of tree) stumps to create coals. You put those coals in a drum cut in half or in a hole in the ground. Put whatever ingredients you want in a heavy cast iron pot with close fitting lid and put that on the coals. In this case it was a big chunk of beef, leg of lamb, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and dough to make dampar, a type of ‘bush baked’ bread. I found it a very interesting way of cooking and everything was delicious.

 My new family really went out of their way to give me the full Aussie experience. And as said before they made me feel very welcome as they ‘adopted’ me into their midst. I will surely miss them when I leave this place and am glad to know that I always have a welcome home to go to in Australia. 

Farm life part 1

Fields of grapevines around every corner. Some lush and green, some dry and withered. Where there are no grapes there is nothing. Just outback. Tall grass, fading grey/green shrubbery with the occasional gumtree breaking the monotonous view. Long straight roads divide it al in blocks like a chessboard. The river Murray the only oasis in this modified desert. These are my surroundings for the next month and a half.

When working on the reef I had a conversation with one of my students whom I just took for a first time scuba dive. 2 months later I arrive in South Merbein in the north west of Victoria to work on the farm of his parents.

I live in a caravan on the property of the Hudson family. My view consists of red dirt, some shrubs and a collection of close to 60 junked cars steadily rusting away. I’m employed by Andrew and Roslyn. A lovely couple who are straight forward (what you see is what you get) and one of the most hospitable people I’ve ever met. Their 22 year old son Luke, who has Down syndrome lives with them on the farm. Luke is quite good for a Downer and is very independent and coherent. He helps out on the farm and has a part time job in the neighboring town. The 13 year old sheep dog named Gipsy completes the family.

Dried fruit is their business. Several varieties of currants are grown, harvested and dried for the dried fruit industry. Not all the work they have for me is paid work, but since I have to do farm work in order to be eligible for a second year visa I’m happy with just signing off the days. I don’t spend any money. Breakfast lunch and dinner are all taken care off and staying in the 80’s orange/brown interior caravan is free of charge.

I work on week days and am off in the weekend. Although there is always a job to do and I prefer that to be honest. Life here is quite boring, so working makes the time go by a lot quicker and helps occupy my mind. My days off I fill with, reading, watching movies and learning Spanish. Or I go pick some fruit form the apple, pear or peach tree they have for personal use. I’m also eyeballing the pistachio tree next to my home on wheels, but they won’t be ready before I leave here.

Work consist of picking currants, trimming the vines and summer pruning. We start early and stop early. Most days the temperature reaches 40 degrees centigrade before noon. So pacing yourself, drinking lots and sufficient sun protection is paramount.

The most fun is the transportation. In order to go back and forth between the blocks (grapevine patches) and the farm I get to use a quad bike. It is a heavy duty one, fit for heavy duty farm work and it goes. Gipsy loves the bike. She barks at them and bites at the tires to get you to chase her. And she is tireless. You’d almost forget she is 13 years old.

I found that it is a very close nit community. Everyone knows everyone and looks out for each other. It does seem to be a slowly aging community. I see elderly folks and families with young children, but hardly anyone in their twenties.

On the 26^th of January Australia Day is celebrated. They celebrate that on that day the British landed on the east coast and dubbed the land Terra Australia (southern Land). I joined my temporary family at a community BBQ. With me being there I think the age average dropped by 20 years. It was a very quiet, relaxed gathering of the mostly elderly townsfolk. Two typical grannies where sitting in folding chairs waving an Australian flag with their shaky hands to the beat of the tunes of a local cover song artist. It was adorable in a way and for me the most entertaining thing on a, for me boring event. This day however is not just about celebrating Australia’s birthday but more so about being grateful for and appreciative of the freedoms, rights and comfort of living they have here Down Under. I found that quite refreshing, since back home we take everything we have for granted and just complain about what we don’t have instead of being grateful for what we do have.

Other than being a proud Australian, the topic is water. Since there is a limited amount and you have to buy your water for irrigation it is what everyone is talking about most of the time. They talk about ‘megs’. Meaning mega liters, meaning a million liters of water. The Hudsons have a 157 ‘megs’ to use for their crops this year. I have no idea if this is a lot. In mostly 40 degree weather, with fire bans (to prevent bush fires) in the entire state and backs and brows with copious amounts of sweat that dries instantly I would say maybe. A 157 million liters of water sounds like a lot, but the desert makes it disappear like Copperfield does trains and elephants.

I’m enjoying this experience in rural Australia. Living in a bubble. Meeting others then young German backpackers. Although life is quite monotonous, I am sure there will be little endeavors that will count as adventures. so there will be more to come.

Melbourne at first glance

 If Sydney is suit and tie, business first and scotch on the rocks. Melbourne is casual Friday and a cocktail with an umbrella. The city breaths creativity, quirkiness and a laid back multi-cultural atmosphere.

I stayed in St Kilda, a suburb in the south of the city right on the beach. My friend Helen was so kind to offer me a place to stay for as long as I needed. She made me feel very welcome in her house and in Melbourne. On the first day she gave me a guided tour of the city. Her enthusiasm and love for Melbourne is very contagious and definitely got to see why she liked the place where she lived so much.

Coming from Europe nothing in Australia is really old or breathes history. But I did get that feeling a little bit in Melbourne. The city is a mix of older buildings and architecture mixed with modern and progressive. The old shot museum in Melbourne central is a perfect example. The old shot factory is the center of a modern mall that has been built around the tall brick chimney covered by a giant glass cone. It illustrates how Melbourne is a modern progressive city without losing sight of their heritage or losing that old atmosphere.

That atmosphere is also found in the little lanes that run in between the big streets in the city center. Small graffiti covered alleyways are the home of cozy coffee bars and artsy restaurants. The hippest clubs are found in places where you would expect dirty needles and the ever present smell of urine. And it is not even the bars or little shops that are the hidden prizes. It is discovering them in the most unlikely places what makes it so interesting. The rooftop bar is a great example. Helen showed on the first day. We walked up to the 6^th floor following a grimy looking stairwell. Faded posters and graffiti covered the walls. The floors we passed held award winning restaurants and at the top we found the proverbial cherry. A small bar to the right, fake grass with chairs and tables, a food corner and a DJ booth to the left. And all around the tall buildings of Melbourne CBD. Old school hiphop pumping through the speakers as people enjoyed a beer in the open private space in the middle of town. An absolute gem.

What caught my eye and I feel illustrates how Melbourne is way more laid back than Sydney is the way the council warn for trams/metro trains. In Sydney it would be a sign saying to PAY ATTENTION! in a stern way. In Melbourne they opted for a picture of a Rhino on a skateboard. It brings the message across in a funny, friendly and yet very effective way. I thought it was genius.

Just cruising through the city there is a lot of art in the street to enjoy. Wire figures crossing a bridge. Bronze people waiting at the bus stop, a big bow on top of a bridge with one of the pylons of that same bridge transformed into a cocktail bar. Big pillars that shoot 5 meters tall flames in a rhythm. All along the banks of the Yarra River that snakes through the city you can find artsy and quirky things like that. But also the biggest casino in the Southern hemisphere. It took me about 15 minutes to walk from one to the other end and I still hadn’t seen everything.

Continuing my exploration of Melbourne enjoying street artists and musicians performing show their skills on every corner, I found heaps of good sushi places to satisfy my sushi addiction. There is a large population of Asians living in Melbourne. Ranging from Malaysian to Japanese. But the biggest group are the Chinese. There is even a Chinatown district in the city. Helen wanted to show me a restaurant where she and her boyfriend like to go and get dumplings. It was god food, but I will never eat there again, since they had shark fin soup on the menu. That really made me angry. I understand that it is normal in their culture, but that this is not China. And I was surprised that Australia would allow those backwards practices within their borders.

When I had enough of the city, I would read a book in the botanical gardens or take the tram back to St. Kilda and relax on the beach watching kite surfers fly by skimming the waves. The skyline of Melbourne in the background with small yachts and their colorful spinnakers engaged in a weekend race. Or just stroll along the Esplanade past Luna Park, where kids have a ball riding almost antique rollercoasters and other rides. And past the many bakeries with their windows full of sweets and pastry.   

As you can tell I really like Melbourne and would like to come back there. The only thing that u tem off a little was the weather. The first couple of days it was not very warm and they can have all seasons in one day. But I guess that fits this city, divers in every way.

A Sydney NYE

It was around 1 pm when we left Byron Bay. A German guy named Tony, who I’d met in Cairns. Jamie, a guy from San Fransico, and myself in a red Holden commodore station wagon with all or belongings stuffed in the back. Our destination: Sydney. Our goal: watching the world famous fireworks which they ignite form the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

Since we left a bit late in the day, due to Tony’s talent of being unorganized which turned out to be a source of annoyance throughout our trip, we decided not to drive the 768 km in one go. We stopped for the night just past Port Macquirie in a little town called Lake Cathie. We bought some bread, cheese and cold cut meat to whip up a travelers dinner and drove down to the beach. At a beautiful spot in a nature reserve overlooking the beach next to a sign that said NO CAMPING, we pitched our tent and turned in for the night. Tony and I both had a tent to ourselves and Jamie slept in the car. It had been several years that I had camped and I got reminded why I don’t do it more often. I woke up with an aching back and ants crawling over my face.

But we did get greeted by an amazing sunrise. The sun hidden behind a slither of clouds, its golden rays creeping towards the beach over the blue gray water of the Pacific Ocean. Waves crashing on a small cluster of boulders shimmering like opals as the sunlight bounced of reflected by the water running off its sides.

Camping illegally and with the town waking up slowly we didn’t linger long, packed up our stuff and left for Sydney. Since we woke up quite early, we arrived in Sydney at around 11 am.

 The first day and night we spend with Slim and Stav, two of Jamies friends, who lived in the North part of the city. We played some footy in the park and went out for some drinks in the afternoon. Jamie would stay with his buddies for a few days, but Tony and I only had the one night we could stay there. So as soon as we arrived in Sydney, our main goal for the day was finding a place to stay for the coming night. And somehow we managed.

Tony knew some girls he had met on Fraser Island that lived in Clovelly, a suburb in the south eastern part of town, close to the famous Bondi Beach. We stayed there for a few nights, chilled on the beach and went out in Bondi. 

The funny thing about traveling in Australia is that you keep bumping into people you’ve met briefly at the other side of the country. I met Kyle, a Canadian guy who I did a pub crawl with in Cairns. Irene and Norman who I’d met in Byron Bay 6 months ago. And Jossline, my French, who Tony and I shared a room with in the hostel we worked at in Cairns.

The 31^st of December arrived. Time for the big party we came here for and it seemed like the entire city was full of anticipation. All over town where parties and events for New Year’s Eve. All of which you had to pay a lot of money for to stand in a too crowded area paying too much money for too little drink.

Stav and Slim had invited a bunch of people to an old BP site near Balls Head Point on the north side the Bridge.

A big circular area, with a tall 10 mtr high crescent shaped cliff of brown and red colored rock at the back and an amazing view of the Harbor Bridge and the city in the front. A group of 15 to 20 people where there to come watch the fire works together. Of course there were more people there but it never got crowded. In an attempt to keep most of the crowd out we had put up some red/white danger tape and a cardboard sign that said ‘Private Function’. It did not look official at all and was meant more as a joke than a as a serious barrier, but it worked! Lot of people walked up to it, read the sign, saw a rowdy bunch of tipsy people playing music and acting a fool and walked on.

All of the public space in Sydney had become an alcohol free zone for the New Year’s celebrations. The police came by twice in force to confiscate any alcohol. I didn’t mind since I disguised my vodka as apple juice and the police did not take it. There was a cute police officer amongst them and Tony and I took the opportunity to chat her up. We asked her if she could meet us after her shift with the bottles that they had taken. She seemed inclined until her sergeant gave her shit for chatting with us. It was all very funny.

The moment we had waited for was upon us. Midnight and the start of one of the biggest and most well-known fire work shows in the world. With cameras at the ready and drinks in hand we counted down and let the spectacle wash over us. It was an impressive show that lasted for 12 minutes. Fireworks were ignited form the bridge but also from several barges that were spread out over the harbor. All beautifully orchestrated, timed and color coordinated. 

After the fireworks most of the crowd dispersed and head for home. As did we. Tony and I accompanied Dan, one of Jamies friends who lived in Sydney, to his place in Kirribilli. Right next the house of the prime minister of Australia. I was so tired that I crashed on the couch and fell asleep right away.

The next morning was again all about finding a new place to stay and doing that with a hang over is not advisable. But we did manage. We moved to the house of girl I’d met in Cairns. The last spot was located in West Pymble, a suburb so far out of town it was almost not a part of Sydney anymore. She lived with her parents, who were incredibly friendly and hospitable. They really made us feel at home, although they didn’t know us and I only had a drunken conversation with their daughter in bar 3 months ago. We stayed for 2 more days, visited a fancy night club in the city center and chilled on the beach with friends for Tony his 24^th birthday on the 3^rd of Jan. 

A week after Tony and I arrived we left Sydney. He had found a farm to work on, to acquire his 2^nd year visa, near Melbourne and I decided to tag along and check out another city.

I had a good time in Sydney, met some cool people and made new friends, but I do not really like the city. It feels a bit un-personal, uptight and pretentious. It is see and be seen. Fancy shoes and button up shirts. Egos bumping heads. No room for humor. Rules and regulations for everything. I’m sure not everyone will agree, but this is my take on the city and was happy to leave. To continue my adventure in a place where I feel more at ease. Where they are a bit more laid back, where they don’t take life that serious and therefor get more out of life.