The last place anyone wants to be in a developing country’s run down hospital. Fortunately thats not where I was. I had a sore left rib/lung when I woke up on the 28th, the day after I finished my dive course. I took it easy that day (even didnt shake my thang to hard at Full Moon) but woke up yesterday with the same persistant pain when I breathe and laugh (ouchy).

Was this lung over-expansion injury? I didn’t think I ever held my breath when diving? (diving 101: Dont hold your breath, breathe continuously. At 10m for example air density is 2x that at the surface and air volume is 1/2. So if taking a breath, holding it and ascending from 10m this air in your lungs expands to 2x the volume.) I contacted the dive school who put me on to DR M (real name lol) at the Thai International Hospital (TIH) who specialises in dive injuries.
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The infamous Full Moon party exploded on Hati Beach. Thousands and thousands of people poured to the main beach of Ko Pha-ngan, some like me took a speedboat across that night from Ko Samui. Id had a wee kip beforehand to make sure I could last the night. There was plenty of action all along the beach with the clubs all pumping out decibels of Dance music of every genre. Lights, glowsticks, neon body painting all added to the friendly festival atmosphere. I even ran into most of the people I met on Ko Tao, amazing given the masses.

Everyone seemed to be on something. From the clubs you would buy mini buckets of mixed drinks (eg Whiskey+coke). Of course there were drugs being pushed on the beach, but you would have had to have been stupid to take something from a Thai person posing as a dealer. Is it E, is it rat poison, is it a sting? The tip of the day was not to fall asleep on the beach if you didnt want your pockets cleaned out (hence no pics, left my camera at home). One german guy I met had been cornered by three Thais in the bathrooms and mugged of 900bt. But all in all a sweet night, dancing it away and talking nonsense. I caught my taxi speedboat back as the sun was rising at 6:00am.

Just finished my Open Water Dive course and.. Im now qualified to dive to 18metres. Whoop! Ive now completed 4 dives at different sites off Ko Tao and seen some pretty amazing tropical fish - Sargeant Majors (very ferocious), Parrot fish, Trigger fish and a Stingray + others. Just had such a great time doing it and made some great friends. Crystal Dive at Ko Tao had some great Instuctors (Andy and Anabelle) who were as sharp with their wit as they were with their fins (er scrub that..)

Initially was slightly nervous, not being exactly a water baby, but had no probs. Jacinta I think it was way easier for me to tread water for 15mins in the sea than in a pool! Oh yes, no problems except for equalising properly (ear pressure). Mum, Janet that must be from your side? JUst meant I had to decend and ascend slower than most but apparently the more you dive the freer these passages become. Im really into diving coming out of that course and there’s a good chance Ill go back there after Cambodia to do my Avanced. Ko Tao just has amazing visibility and some beautiful colours.
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Ko Tao has been pretty sweet since Ive been here. Beautiful weather, beautiful paradise. Apparantly its direct translation is ‘Turtle Island’ Can anyone tell me if the turtles were still here in the mid nineties before this place developed?

My last post might have sounded a bit flat but I can tell you the last day or two (what day is it?) has gone off. For a start I jumped back on the Horse. Delia, youd have be proud of me chugging around the island on a Red Rocket. Last time I tried to ride a motorbike I came off, but neccessity got me back on. I would never ride a bike in Bangkok. Its organised chaos there - the road rules are more like a guide. I remember been in a tuk tuk on my first day merging into head-on traffic!
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Its been one wild ride so far and I can hardly say its begun. So much has happened since my last post. Ive certainly been challenged and tested and its crossed my mind once or twice that I might have bitten off more than I can chew. I’m just been honest, these are after all stream of consciousness posts. Ive got a few words ringing on my ears though (scott, treans, marcus) about living like a traveller. The hardest thing for me is not having that one person around to bounce conversations, thoughts etc off. As one couple I met both said “I’d get lonely travelling by myself”. 2 is definitely a number I see a lot of around.
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I’ve made it through the first few hoops of Bangkok. From the airport took a cab into the madness of Th Khao San, taxiing through the mad night life. I was happy enough to get a comfortable hotel, pay far too much (800b), and settle in. Lighting and thunder crackled through the night.

The next morning after breakfast (provided) I dared the streets of Koh San Rd. Ok, Im being dramatic but for me it was another world - sights, sounds and smells overloading the senses. Speaking to a friendly Thai along the way he suggested some sights around town. Flagging down a government Tuk tuk my exhausting morning took off.

The best break on this wee trip was to get to the TAT (thai authority for tourism) and set up an agenda for the next few weeks. Tomorrow pm I leave for Ko Tao for a 5 day dive course, followed by Ko Samui and the Full moon party on Ko png yan (sp). I did get to see the Golden Buddha temples (usually closed to tourists - Im told..). At the very least Im getting out of Bangkok soon for greater Thailand, and if Ive learnt one thing talking to people its take the government services, not the offers of touts. Everything of course is more effort than it should be but my pigeon english is improving. No shopping, no ladies!

What a sweet way to start travelling. Dropping into Melbourne for the weekend before the madness of Asia was probably the best thing I could’ve done. Jules you’ve done well mate, a great little set up you’ve got going for yourself here. Melbournes got a great vibe going for it, probably helped by the ease in getting around. Jump on the tram, jump off the tram. Auckland get out of your cars and do something about that!! So yes the sights and sounds: Friday night we hit the town kicking out at Laundry bar (house beats). Saturday meant sunshine, late breakfasts, cruising the inner city suburbs and St Kilda beach come evening. Stella Artois tastes nice with all meals. Some stonking drum and bass at Revolver in Prahran was a pretty interesting happening. D&B in Auckland is so much more ’set up’. In fashion the ‘distressed’ look is pretty much everywhere - rip, shred, misprint, tack on. Nice description Jules.
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I never really listened to John Denver so as I walked onto the plane on Friday I was singing it my own way.

I used to work at a shop in the airport and ‘people watched’ the many little soap operas as they unfolded. Lovers, families, friends saying goodbye. This time it was my show, played out amid ambivalent onlookers, complete with real tears. Its funny how in this time before I left everything had such compounded meaning - last words, meals, I love you’s. As the plane climbed I could see Manukau Heads and Whatipu from my window seat. When Trean and I were tramping there last week we saw a plane fly overhead. I was now in that plane - seeing things from the other perspective. It was not lost on me that ‘new perspectives’ might be the theme for this whole adventure.

Thanks to everyone who made Saturday at Khuja as sweet as it was. With so many friends overseas already I wasn’t sure about the turnout, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was awesome to catch up with all you guys that I just haven’t seen enough of recently. Cheers for all the beers, I was well watered. And thanks also for all the cool words and best wishes. (Special thanks to Matt and Jac for making the night never end). You’re all great people and Ill miss you a lot. Especially when I’m lost.

Check my Photolog for photos, if anyone else was shooting a few email me them and Ill post them too. Next Friday I’ll be in Melbourne with Jules before hitting Bangkok. Stay tuned

For 6.5 hours we were estranged from the hum drum of life. Our landscape tranformed every hour or two from Xena country > Golums swamp > to the beach.

I couldn’t leave this country before ‘getting back to nature’ and soaking up some of the rugged beauty of the Waitakere Ranges. An hour from central Auckland, Whatipu sits on the mouth of the Manukau Harbour overlooking South Head. Trean an I set out from Whatipu Lodge just after 10am. The first part of the climb took us straight up the cliffs of Gibbons track, looking out over the expanse we were to cover. Trean had dislocated her shoulder a week earlier so I played pack horse. We moved quite briskly, but stopped for some healthy chocolate breaks. I also took a bare plunge into the stream near the mouth of the Pararaha Valley.

If you’re interested in doing this tramp and others stop into the Arataki Visitor Centre first and pick up a map of tramps in the Waitaks. Starting this loop from Whatipu lodge do the Gibbons track first and come back along the beach. Finding the track off the beach is difficult. Also, when coming out of the Pararaha Valley walk straight out to the water - don’t try to cut accross the swamp. You’ll see why. See my Photolog for pics.