JIMBALIN BLOG

Love Facebook? Check Out Social INQ!

2008-11-17T11:02:00.014+11:00

Introducing INQ1, the world's first social mobile. With its live address book, it gathers all your friends information together from Facebook, Skype and Windows Live Messenger.

3 Australia announced that it will exclusively offer INQ1, the world’s most advanced social networking mobile phone, and bring Facebook to the core of the user experience. With over 250,000 visits to Facebook on the mobile by 3 Australia’s customers each week, social networking on 3 is set to grow as the experience improves significantly with the release of the INQ1.

INQ brings the Facebook experience to the HSDPAenabled INQ1 with one-click access and the first ever live address book with friends’ Facebook status and profile picture displayed against their contact details. Facebook users can also blog pictures taken with the phone’s 3.2 megapixel camera straight to their pages like jimbalin's!.

Taking internet communications to the mobile, INQ1 also features integrated applications like Email, Skype, Windows Live Messenger and RSS feeds, in addition to a host of other social networking and sharing tools the user can customise.

So what do i think? Well I love iPhone and the leading edge technology Apple are ploughing into their 3G handsets. I'm an Apple advocate, show me a new toy and i will buy. But Apple products are pricey and social networking tools are not part of their OS, so battery and download speeds are slower and so more costly. Having a phone where FB and Skype are integrated into the OS address book and push email is on hand for your Gmail, this is a wicked smart phone and no other manufacturer has. Its core functionality is software led no handset which means future innovations are quicker to scope out and launch. And of course its so cheap on the data plan and handset price, it makes this social creature affordable to anyone.

Now 3, i've written you a lovely review, can i have a phone please?

LIVE: Chemical Brothers

2008-03-10T17:03:00.010+11:00

Superstar DJ's The Chemical Brothers headline at this year's Future Music Festival in Sydney. And what an amazing day at Randwick racecourse: my first time to 'the races'. Sadly no horses running around or jockeys in funny outfits, just 60,000 party goers jiggling around under the hot Sydney summer sunshine. Swapping fizz for beers we trounced around the various stages to catch a glimpse of what was happening. The Chemical Brothers went all out with their PA system and investment into VJing on the stage. Longtime producers played all the favourites...check out the video for the real deal.

YOUTUBE: Chemical Brothers

One of the best sets was a surprising John Digweed rustling up a blinder of tunes to rock the course. Known ten years ago to have an element of house cheese, this man has evolved his collection since joining the Global Underground label to provide sinterlising beats: undercover techno blended with electric noises and riff's beating over head. He certainly knew how to play to the crowd and venue. Sven Vath, a long time techno favourite from ze Germany was alright, i don't think the sound system did him justice, perhaps better suited to a small dark venue for his minimal style of tunes.

After saturday night, we kicked off Si's birthday in style with a massive BBQ and beers down by Coogee Beach. There was no better way to spend the day with dips into the calm water's and chewing the fat with mates whilst the BBQ sizzles the buttterflied leg of lamb and a million saugers. Well that's how to kick off your first weekend in Oz, after moving on from Wellington New Zealand. Coogee Beach is just a stone's throw away from the new pad, and Oz is calling more web work and travels into the 'outback' which is somewhere beyond the city limits. When I find it, I'll let you know.

The Brother's Wedding, Ohoppe

2008-01-15T17:26:00.000+11:00

So the brother’s wedding with Pete to marry Jules was an occasion that brought the family and mates to the southern hemisphere for the kiwi styled wedding. After arriving in Wellington the week before, everybody descended on Ohoppe and we took over all the holiday apartments possible by the beach. There was the obligatory warm-up BBQ's and day-outs in the run up to the big day.

For those not having salon and makeup appointments by sunrise, we teed off at 7.30am, there's nothing better than playing golf before a wedding. It’s the same venue where we are for the wedding party later, and a wonderful opportunity to take in the amazing sunny coastal views on the peninsula. Pete and me played an excellent game – no nerves there; making Tiger Woods look amateur.

Just deserts for achieving a handicap better than Tiger Woods - a huge English breakfast a.k.a. the last supper. Then it was time to don the suits and whiz off to the church on mass.

The wedding was amazing, simply fantastic - my favourite one so far (hey I’m not biased) and so chuffed that I could play a massive part in my brother’s day as best man. Pete had a little tear in his eye when he started reading his vowels to Jules and the whole occasion was truly lovely. Jules looked absolutely stunning in the wedding dress with Pete and the boys looking ever so dapper in our toasty morning suits.

In time honoured tradition, the food, the booze and the speeches lived up to expectation. Pete’s speech was very much a classic with intermix of laughs and heart felt words. And mine, the best man’s: well I'm just sad to say that we don't have a video of it but it was 8 minutes of laughter and character assassination of my bro. Those moments when Pete thought I was venturing onto out-of-bounds topics would swing round to winning lines. I was very nervous before hand so afterwards sinking a beer every 10 minutes to make up for cutting myself off at the reception.

The day was filled with compliments, smiles and happiness for the adorable couple. I'll leave you with some quotes from the best man's speech.

"For the second time today, I rise nervously from a warm seat with a piece of paper in my hand…"

"I’ve got a fax to read out here for the groom. This is from A Suzy Wong in Viet Nam. It reads:"

“Hey, Big Boy. How come you NO write No more?
How come you NO send money NO more?
When you come to Viet Nam again?
The kids all miss you very much. Love you long time, Suzie.”

"He is (of course) a brother that I admire for many reasons most notably his generous nature – well with him donating his body to science.
When he started his life at University he was preserving his body in alcohol the entire time he was there."

"I would like to say to Pete that you are a lucky groom for marrying Jules. She’s beautiful, smart, funny, warm, loving and caring. She deserves a good husband ----- So thank God you married her before she found one.""A great example of Pete’s passion for life will follow shortly. Pete I know is really excited to perform the traditional Hakka dance during the cutting the cake. His rehearsal the other day at the Rotarua Hakka training boot camp was spell binding."

Colombia Or Bust! - The Movie

2008-01-06T10:55:00.001+11:00

Time for the 8 week Jim-ba-Lin adventures to begin setting off with the grand plan to take Bogotá by Christmas storm in December. With the rains closing in on Honduras, there's no options left except surfing in Nicaragua, sunbathing in Costa Rica and sailing to Colombia.

JIMBALIN Youtube

First to San Juan Del Sur, the sun and surfing capital of Nicaragua. After a shady night in Managua (the capital where you eat restaurant food behind iron bars and get serenaded by old locals brilliant on guitars) we were glad to arrive for some surfing albeit the rain is still here. We past other tourists proclaiming it’s the 8th day of rain as they exit the. Not quite sure if these travel plans are thwarted yet, the next day is beautiful and ideal for surfing. It takes half an hour to reach surf points, and a sweet adventure on 4x4 jeeps with crazy local surf dudes also piled into the back of the truck (thanks Tony Montana, you won't be forgotten). The surf breaks after big around these parts, funnelling into nature coves. Its hard ass work to swim through the breaks, but the flip side surfing is amazing (providing you don't head plant). The days are sealed off with cocktails beach side back in the town and confusing the waiters with Spanglish.

A week later, it's time for to cross the border into Costa Rica. Walking across borders in the pouring rain with no clear direction where the entry post is with 100's of cargo trucks all around you can be a little confusing at times. I made my way down to Playa Del Coco, famous for shark diving... and shark diving. I ended up renting this amazing room in house owned by three brothers named Carlos (weird?) - it was great to enjoy someone's kitchen, lounge and sundeck cracking in a Hotels Wifi next door. Two Honduran ladies came to stay that dressed like whores (thinking it was attractive) and scared me with their sexual advances. I sent for two best mates Josh and Sarah to protect me in the house. Sarah, who arrived two days early to the capital to catch her flight home to the US eventually missed her flight as all three of us travelled up to San Jose. (I'd liked to point out this was all her own doing and nothing to do with Josh and me : Sarah - Do you know the way to San Jose?)

We left Sarah in San Jose (she didn't yet know her imminent bleak airplane future), and we (the new pod cast team inspired by Ricky G) travelled through to met up with the girls in Puerto Viejo for beach and reggae action. This place is excellent: beach bars, Rasta tunes everywhere and more surfing the order of the day. To top it off the girls had hired a classy SUV for the boys to be taxied around in. Apart from WOOP WOOP, thats da sound of the Police, there were no other dramas.

As we swooped over the border (walking over an old disused train bridge) to Bocos Del Toro and enjoying more beautiful beaches on the Islands, it was time for the next step. Pandaemonium City: the place to be for dream shopping, fantastic restaurants, cheap king size suites and boats to Colombia. Soaked in American history most notably because of the former ownership of the Canal. This place is awesome. If ever you had to be stuck in a City for a week, this is the city to be stuck in - our safe passage to Colombia by boat (bit dodgy by land), was in a week's time.

As you'll see in the movie, this isn't the hard up backpacker style, but a luxury 50 foot yacht 'The Roxy' cruising through the San Blas Islands in Panama to reach Cartègena Colombia. The slender of dolphins racing the boat, snorkelling around wrecks & tiny island reefs with lobster dinners for afters are simply some highlights. Buying baby turtles so the locals didn't eat them was a little bizarre. Arriving in Cartègena at 3am after a 34-hour continuous sail was awesome!!

For those of you who'd thought Colombia might be too dangerous to go to then think again. Although Colombia has had a chequered past with the Farc wanting independence and deeply involved in global drug trafficking, the tourist side is fantastic. The government and locals over the past few years have tried very hard to promote and protect tourism, trying to shake off its poor image from the outside world. Cartègena, one of the largest ports in South America has a strong established history prompted by the Spanish colonial empire. The old town and fort areas have been beautifully restored to their original form, and there's an excellent buzz of bars and shops under the tropical sunshine. Outside the old towns lies a very modern and affluent CBD district with amazing condos that stretch the oceanfront.

As for the national parks: spellbinding. After the obligatory stop and search by guards, you enter a world of deserted forests, rocks formations and beaches. Tramping along the park coastal regions was calming though energetic, and the day’s reward is beach side beers and food before turning into outside hammocks. I have seen many clear starry nights but out here was probably one of the best. Couldn't leave the North coast until some Scuba diving was had. The best place we found was on the Islands an hour out of Cartègena. Pristine coral reef walls with eels and spotted eagle rays for eye candy. The diving in Tyrona near the park was much colder but saw for the first time a black spotted eel regurgitate the remains of a complete fish skeleton. Sounds weird I know but this is quite rarity in the dive world.

The final stop before the long hauls to LA and New Zealand is beautiful Bogotá. Steeped in Catholic region, I have never seen so many Christmas trees, fairy lights and nativity villages (not scenes, villages!) in my life. Amazing to see especially when the main public spaces have been taken over. Bogotá is a massive city, sprawling out in all directions. Again there's a colonial feel down town and interesting places to visit. It was very sad to leave this place after such a wonderful adventure, but I know more are always around the corner. Feliz Navidad!

The Paparazzi Girls - The Movie

2008-01-06T09:38:00.000+11:00

Wow, what an amazing 7 months at Alton's Dive Center. Fun diving everyday, running bar parties at the weekend and enjoying some good mates on the island, but alas the big party had to close eventually. With Hurricane Felix now a distant storm, the rainy season was setting in during October and it was time for one final blast before saying goodbye. I have to thank Linda, Maz, Joshie and Kurt for turning up on the island. New friends which presented new opportunities to travel on South into Central America. With 2 months to go before my brother's wedding in New Zealand, I couldn't think of a better way to spend time than living it up travelling to more beautiful places down to Colombia.

Back in Utila though, The Paparazzi Girls is the honouree name for Linda and Maz, two beautiful bikini clad girls demanding scuba training and filming antics. Loving making videos, I found the two who pretty much loved the camera attention, especially Maz. On top of that having dolphins racing the boat everyday, a whale shark popping up are just a few things thrown in - it gives you a real idea of how tough it was on the Island (not) for leading dives and the job the instruction team had.

JIMBALIN Youtube

So if anyone wants to learn how to dive or just enjoy a Caribbean Island for a couple of weeks with lots of other travellers then Utila is the place to be.

Hurricane Felix - The Movie

2007-09-16T04:00:00.000+10:00

The Island of Utila forms part of the Bay Islands, on the Northern coast of Honduras, and is a magnificent tourist destination for Scuba diving in the heart of the Caribbean. The major industry here is tourism; revolving around a dozen international dive centre's and resorts. When hurricane season arrives, everyone has to be prepared for anything. Hurricane Dean was a wake up call for us here at Alton’s Dive Centre 2 weeks ago. The edges of the storm brushed the Bay Islands and all 6000 population were thankful for the almost non-event. Hurricane Felix is the real concern. With 24 hours to go, major agencies has Felix recorded as a Category 4, and the predictions place the path of the eye either North or South of Utila. We were praying that the Hurricane would move further south from its predicted path, hitting the north-eastern tip of the Honduran mainland first. It’s more sparely populated here, and has a mountainous ridge that stretches across the northern coast, thus sucking the life out of Felix before it hits the Bay Islands.

JIMBALIN Youtube

At the Dive Centre it had been a weird and wonderful day. With Hurricane Felix edging ever we were now anticipating high sea waves of 18 feet above normal, hurricane strength winds (up to 100mph) and heavy down pours (20in) in 24 hours time - the hurricane eye is forecast to be 30 miles away from us. The day was a perfect whether day from start to close. I have never seen the sea so dead calm with hot golden sunshine all day without a cloud in the sky. It is as they say, the calm before the storm and a complete contrast to the activity currently happening on the Island. The Mayor of Utila, Alton Cooper has called for the immediate evacuation of tourists from Utila. All remaining persons who live on the shore or lagoon are to move inland by Tuesday morning. All dive boats, yachts and watercraft are to be moved into the biggest lagoon there is to help minimize destruction. Our dive shop today has arranged evacuation of all our customers. The dive equipment has been trucked out all day up to higher land, with many other dive centres following suit. No more diving this week. Even though the Island could be open for business by the end of the week, the tourists are unlikely to return.

Hurricane Felix: BBC Readers Update (With Jim!)

Many are panic buying flight and boat tickets out of Honduras or jumping on buses up to Guatemala. If the Island is ready for business, tourist will be put off by what they hear on their travels. And even if tourists want to come to the Bay Islands, road, rail and boat routes are likely to be disrupted due to the potential catastrophic destruction caused by Felix.

The next day it approaches, showers stop start and we have a lull now with the whole island watching the weather reports eagerly to see if the hurricane now swings north or remains on its path west. It feels eerie in the streets of Utila. The banging of nails into corrugated iron and boards for windows and doors carried on late into the night and started again early this morning. The streets are almost deserted, no tourists remain, just staff and residents. The docks and harbour areas are empty of boats. But not everyone is ready for the potential coastal flooding and 18ft wave swells. Some are not so fortunate to have friends or family on higher ground, indeed some will remain on the water front, in poorly built housing on stilts. What money they have may not stretch to buying ahead food and water for the week ahead, when supply boats are disrupted.

At 12.00pm, with 6 hours to go until a possible wipeout, we check the Internet and with a blessing we see that the path of the Hurricane has changed, and the Bay Islands are no longer in the major path line. In the next 24 hours we will have strong tropical downpours for a few hours, medium risk of coastal and lagoon flooding, but not the expectation of hurricane winds. Anticipation however now lies with what destruction Felix will cause on the mainland of Honduras. The storm hit the shoreline at Category 5 strength and downgraded to Category 3 a few hours later. The mainland however received torrential downpours, high winds and suffered large amounts of flooding. Having the Hurricane on the westerly path through the mainland will knock out infrastructures for weeks, killing off all tourism routes, so desperately needed for a very poor country. Utila and the bay islands can afford to rebuild, the mainland cannot.

On the upside when we are leading dives and in the water everyday, there is amazing coral life all around. Another first for me, my first nurse sharks whilst out drift diving, and luckily someone had a camera. Enjoy the shots below, and I hoped you enjoyed the youtube video too!

Naked Diving Divemaster

2007-05-12T04:12:00.000+10:00

Wow its been a long but fantastic 6 weeks enjoying my Divemaster training and now I am officially a PADI Divemaster at Alton's Dive Center in Utila! No more exams and stress tests, but lots more fun, leading dive's and scuba tune-ups. Its been crazy hot here, with today being the first pour down of rain for the last three weeks. To give you a taste of the diving out here, check out the video below. It's one of the classes I assisted for Jesssika's Advanced Openwater group. It was filmed the day I was leading the two dives, with Jesika behind the camera doing her wicked directing.

JIMBALIN Youtube

You might ask why the naked diving. As the diving fraternity has it, it's tradition that on your hundredth dive, you have to go in the nuddie. Luckily for me I had two bare naked ladies to join me, Beth-J also on her 100th dive and Sarah-G who wanted to see what all the fuss was about! It was awesome and felt very liberating, I'm now looking into having a weekly naked dive team. On the second dive of the day, we decided to go down with just our air tank and regulator. No suits, weights or BCD jackets required. Luckily my body buoyancy is sweet so i didn't just plummet down with the air when jumping off the boat. You do get some strange looks though from other dive groups when they see without much dive stuff.

What have I learnt on my diving adventure's so far:

You can be followed into wrecks by huge hungry green moray eel's (2m long)
You can have your air turned off at any time (to keep you on your toe's)
Lead divers into caves where you might actually pick the one with a tiny or no exit (really i was meant to do that, honest)
Dive with just a tank and regulator (No BCD, suit or weights, which is sweet)
Party every weekend where fancy or minimal dress is mandatory
Have much evil booze concoction poured down a snorkel as you try to down it in one (Snorkel Test, Divemaster right of passage)

So life is pretty good right now. As I am here for another two months, I have moved into a lovely new house - in the theme of Swiss family Robinson meets Alpine lodge. It's lovely to have a kitchen to cook in and hot water showers for the first time. Hmm and crap TV channels and Air Con. As for the reefs, the aquatic and coral life here is amazing - I think the highlights have to be whale sharks, frog fish and moray eels which are huge and some turtles.

Beth, Jesse and Jenni

Happy Easter from Honduras

2007-04-11T05:28:00.000+10:00

Well it’s been a long time since settling down onto the old Blog site so here’s the latest and greatest. Easter Sunday was an amazing day, waking up at 6.30am for 3 excellent scuba dives on the Utilan coast (Wreck dive, Drift Dive and a Night Dive). The conditions were perfect, calm seas; sun is shining, and with a decent bunch of divers on the boat.

I arrived here 3 weeks ago after a crazy 13-hour journey from Livingston in Guatemala. Along this coastline to Utila, it’s very much the Caribbean culture, away from the Hispanic Central America. After a few fun scuba dives and finishing my Rescue Diver, I am now interning at Alton’s Dive Shop as part of my Divemaster course.

I have racked a load of dives already in the last 2 weeks, and finished my assists on Openwater and Openwater Advanced courses. The studying and the exams are going well and looking forward to my stress test. The stress test is where you and your buddy are sharing one regulator whilst doing a complete kit swap. What makes it interesting is that the Instructor will pop down and try to screw things up for you (lose your weight belt, inflate your BCD, steal your mask, through sand up etc etc). I have already had a taster of this in my Rescue course where three times my air tank was turned off whilst I assist my so called students with masks, narcosis, weight belts etc. And still you then have to rescue your victims from down under to the boat gibing rescue breaths etc etc. It certainly makes you a better calmer diver underwater when things kick off.

So I plan to be here to work as Divemaster for the next few months, popping back for Si and Cath’s wedding at the beginning of August in the UK. The Island here is beautiful – not too busy and lovely people, and of course excellent beach and swim life. I travelled here from Guatemala where I stayed to see the Myan ruins in Tikal. The ruins are amazing to see, awesome in size and heavily guarded by the jungle. In the jungle you have the spider monkeys swinging around above your head and if your (un)lucky a couple of triancula spiders for fun. Sadly the sunrise expedition to see the ruins was marred by clouds butr by 8am you were cooking away under the sunshine. Near by is the town of Flores where we stayed. The little town is surrounded by a lake with only one jetty access. Perfect for lake swims and a few beers.

Its been wonderful travelling down from Mexico to Honduras bumping into friends here and there and now very much settled into Utila for my tempoary home. Ciao!

Ohhhh Canada ! (Fun in the Snow)

2007-03-04T14:06:00.000+11:00

Wow, Canada, what a place! I lived in Toronto many years ago but this time back I'm on the West Coast hanging out in Vancouver and Whistler. After a crazy 48 hours flying from New Zealand with a quick stop-over for the Billabong Pipeline Pro Surfing, I arrived to a frenzy of all our mates jetting in from the UK. A few beers later, we were whistled off to Whistler in our private van (yeah A-Team style).

Whistler was amazing. We somehow landed on our feet, staying in a plush apartment care of a surrogate mother, a stones throw away from the slopes laiden with fresh powder. We blagged cheap lift passes from someone selling his family's allocation and set-off 2300m up for some great boarding conditions. The nights were spent around log fires, hip hop clubs and some home cookin'.Back in Vancouver there was heaps of new snow even down at 0m which meant further days out on the mountains that surround this beautiful city. With the UK lot mostly gone (but not until the obligitory house party had passed) it was great to hangout down town and bike ride round Stanley Park.

Although not strictly in Canada, we managed to swing in a day trip to Mt Baker (USA) for some boarding. After seeing the mountain from Vancouver we all wanted to check it out. So up at 5am, we crossed over the boarder into snowy USA. Sadly we couldn't make it all the way to the top at first because of road closure and tyre chains required. We didn't deter though, sinking some coffee's at the mountain foot and playing freezbie in the snow. After a couple of hours, the road was opened and we hitch hiked the rest of the way in the back of a pick-up truck (great views but frosty). This was the best day ever I have ever had on a mountain for boarding. There was upto 50cm fresh powder everywhere and even at the end of the day, you were still surfing down on fresh powder on the main runs. Incredible stuff and I can now board again.

JIMBALIN Youtube

So as a thank you to Cal, Marge, Bez, Chat, Rob W, Rob (Bafta Winner) and Edgy and of course Cal's housemates, here's a brilliant 3 minute movie clip you have to watch. It sums up the good times had over the last 3 weeks here. Mostly though these are just the out takes as we were all too busy boarding to be filming anything. Please subscribe to my channel if you like this kind of stuff.

Sky Diving over Mount Dooom, NZ

2007-02-07T18:40:00.000+11:00

Oloha from Sydney Airport. Apparently I just missed an earthquake in Wellington after my plane took off and now planes are currently grounded at Sydney Airport because of storm warnings. It’s sure going off today. Just finished a fantastic whirlwind trip around New Zealand’s North Island and sad to be leaving – still though I have a couple of days on Waikiki beach to shake off the gloom. The NZ itinerary included checking out golf courses with my bro Pete to make sure they were suitable for his wedding day in December and throwing myself out of planes at 15,000 Feet (4.5km).

It all started in Welliwood (Wellington) a pretty chilled scene with some amazing coastline. Standard breakfast would include great food above a surf rescue centre whilst happily gazing over a massive pod of dolphins playing in the bay. Hooking up with my travel buddy, we stole my brother’s car, and headed for Lake Taupo, a 6-hour drive up and into the mainland with one of the largest lakes in the world (an old volcano). With car cabin fever almost out of control, we found the best way to relax: bathing in thermal spa pools. I have never experienced anything like it, natural hot springs streaming its way into rock pools to the main river. At 10pm you can unwind with a few beers and argue if it really is the Southern Cross above you or the fake one (It was real).

If you go to NZ, make sure you complete the Tongariro Crossing, a 20km all day hike across several dormant/active volcano’s and crater lakes. This in itself is enough for one day but to make it really interesting, climb Mt Doom (I can’t pronounce the real name but its something like Ngarawhowi) with a max height of 2300m. Its bloody painful climbing up 45degree angled volcanic scree for 2 and a half hours but sincerely worth it. A 20km hike doesn’t sound too painful, but when you throw a few mountains in the way that peak-out above cloud level, it soon becomes real.

JIMBALIN Youtube

After destroying my legs, I decided to go from the slowest way up & down 1000’s of metres to the quickest – the heart stopping tandem sky dive from 15,000 feet. The rest of my plane it seemed chose to throw themselves out at 12,000 feet so after watching the others depart I nervously enjoyed another 15 minutes in a plane climbing further above the clouds over Lake Taupo. Well after a brief fart in the general direction of my cameraman, we wiggled to the plane door and managed to glance down at my earthly awaking. WOW! Fantastic adrenaline rush and quite a feeling: over a minutes free-fall towards ground, spinning around and trying to look very cheerful to camera dude floating around me. After a perfect landing, the only intention I felt was to get back on the plane and to it all again. Alas my wallet wouldn’t let me.

So watch the video above, its Ace! Anyway off again, Billabong pipeline surfing championships await in Hawaii.

Jim x

Scuba Diving Yongala & iMovie's

2007-02-07T18:17:00.000+11:00

Well I’m back in the land of blogs, airports and new destinations after spending the last 2 weeks above and below land. Yep, I’ve been scuba diving, this time on the SS Yongala wreck: one of the best scuba dives sites known to man. But first watch one of my iMovies I made when we had monsoon weather for 3 days. With the boat grounded, there was nothing else to dooo in butt $$$$ nowhere.

JIMBALIN Youtube

It’s truly awesome being submerged around the 110m ship sitting on its side, this feeding station is maxed out on hunting fish jetting past your ear, extensive reef corals and life that can sometimes make your heart jump out of your regs. To reveal that sharks, eagle rays and sea snakes play central role in this thriller, the wreck holds new surprise every day: you’ve landed on your fins for sure. The dive trip will not quench your thirst; it’s surprising to find that Mr Zisou and his team the Belafonte haven’t turned up yet.

Located 12 miles offshore within the inner reef of The Great Barrier Reef near Ayr, Queensland, arrival is by adrenalin speedboat ride, boasting massive twin Yamaha outboards, which certainly a nervous white-knuckle trip for those without sea-legs. Courtesy of ‘Yongala Dive’, the instructors and team apply pure enthusiasm to ensure it’s a lifetime experience in this new mini world.

I started my journey with a great ambition to become a PADI Dive Master. This I thought would help me enjoy speed up my search for the Jaguar Shark. My new project was to join the Yongala Dive team as crew host for 2 weeks, helping with catering and boat support. In return for a few hours practical experience each day, I can dive twice a day on the wreck. Free board, free food, free diving. What more can I ask for? (Tractor auction and 4x4 dune beach driving was thrown in).

And it’s been fantastic. My diving is now confident and hungry for more. Its been real fun bonding with new divers each day, setting up kit for them and acting as sweeper at the back on dives (mop up any loose open water divers going stray!). I’ve also learnt what can happen when you get narcosis and loose your entire group at 27m under! Don’t worry, I found another group from another boat.

Life on the wreck is amazing. The dali landscape produces oversized sea-fish at all angles: Huge shawls of barracuda hover above the wreck, the 2m grouper holds fort on the bow, 1m trivelle’s hunting the massing smaller shawls trying to protect themselves. My first encounter with a shark was on this trip, a beautiful tawny nurse shark chilling out under the rudders. The eagle rays (also a first) are enormous, elegantly gliding through the water.

Well that’s its for here. I’m gonna miss Australia, especially Sydney – always sad to leave your mates (new & old). Next stop New Zealand, the home of my brother, Mt Doom and crazy sky diving.

Christmas & New Years Down Under in Sydney

2007-01-03T21:26:00.000+11:00

OK, I'm only just recovering after living through and participating on one of the best Christmas and New Year's periods known to man. I love my parties, lazy days and eye candy - so this year i certainly got my just desserts. Bondi Beach sunbathing, Christmas days with BBQs and more beach, the Sydney Harbour fireworks display and of course watching England loose more Ashes Test Cricket at the MCG. That's my name dropping paragraph over.

As an avid England cricket fan, I just couldn't wait to watch England loose more cricket against the Ozzies. But I spoke too soon, one again missing my flight, this time from Sydney to Melbourne. Alas all is well, enjoying my early hours after boxing day and still managing to wangle another flight out of Qantas. Yaa haa. So the cricket was bad but the atmosphere was electric. When the 80,000 crowd start on the booze at the beginning of the match, singing and chants come alive. I am definitely impressed with the England Barmy Army which has more character, songs and wit than the other 80,000 Ozzies crowd in the MCG. Watch the two videos below to see what I mean.

England Barmy Army V Australia Test Ashes 2006/07

Awesome Melbourne Cricket Ground MCG England Australia Ashes

Now for New Years down under, with this years blag gaining access to the top floor of an office block for uninterrupted views of Sydney Harbour, River and CBD. To be able to enjoy the best fireworks new year in the world, sharing bottles of champers with your best mates, what could be better? Try having your brother Pete with his fiance Jules fly in from the UK for the event and the office laying on more champers is certainly a great start. I hope if you click on the photos, they give you the scale of the midnight party.

The New Year was completed with this years Field Day event down in the sprawling Domain Park slap bang in the middle of Sydney. The event was fantastic with Plump DJ's closing a brilliant breaks set after the live set from Freestylers. And the crows are certainly stlyers here with an eyefull of colour and glitz Hoxton meets LA waldrobe. And some things don't change, with lovely people inviting you back for after parties high up on impressive residential apartments.

With a few hours sleep it was time to venture down to Bronte Beach to see off my brother Pete and his lady Jules for swims, sunbathing and all day breakfasts. If anyone is thinking of leaving cold rainy London for Sydney, then i would recommend checking out these coastal parts for a change in lifestyle. Theres beaches, sport and thriving city culture everywhere. For now though its time to wind back for a healthy January 2007.

Diving, Hitching n' Bathing

2006-12-24T12:51:00.000+11:00

G'day mate, we'll in sunny OZ on the next worldly adventure live from the East Coast of Australia. From the shores of Hong Kong arriving in Brisbane, its certainly a step change again culturally and into warmer climates, 'Indian style'. The Plan, to spend a week scuba diving and sun bathing on the shores of Tne Great Barrier Reef before charging overland down to Sydney 2500km by any means necessary. Santa will be here soon so Bondi Beach and BBQ's are whistling.

First stop is Airle Beach, South of Cairns. Its the Benidorn of East OZ, a one-road town set on a beautiful beach with the strip pack full of bars, clubs and wet t-shirt competitions. This wasn't the main reason for arriving, but if sailing boats leave here for The Whitsunday Islands, then yee haa. Our boat, The New Horizon set sail for a 3 day wiggle around the Islands including stop-offs at Whitehaven Beach and 3 dive points.

Whitehaven is divine with amazing tiny white sand that makes crazy squidgy noise under your feet. Its certainly an area of outstanding beauty. The law now prevents you stealing sand for your own private beach, with a fine of about AU$18,000 for each load you nick. This was set-in place after someone took 20 barges of sand and was fined AU&70 per barge.

The scuba diving itself was 'OK' within the inner reefs, usually 15m max dives around large coral bomme's along the shore line. Maybe I'm spoilt from clear pristine waters and coral dives in Indonesia & Kenya but a lesson learnt if every punter arrives here to taste the Great Barrier. Snorkeling is the best option, cheaper and perhaps more effective. You don't run the risk of your Instructor leaving you on the reef for 20 minutes (miming wait here with hand signals) and then trying to blame your half-group left for not following him. Gladly with lots of dive experience under my weight belt, our group were sufficed with paper scissors rock. You realise the true beauty of the waters at night when dolphins and a 2m shark run riot around the boat using the mask lights to chase the big fish. Sadly for me my night dive had finished once I saw these!!

After 3 days on the boat, the 20-international-odd of us became great mates and so celebrated our new found friendship with a typical 10-hour session in bars, clubs and well so on...

The best diving which I would really recommend is the Yongala Wreck. This 110m passenger & cargo steamer sunk in a cyclone 100 years ago and rest 12 miles out within the reefs on a sandbank. The diving was awesome and I'm gutted that I have no photos of the trip. We used Nitrox tanks (32% oxygen tank) as the wreck bottom was 30m down. The Yongala acts as a massive feeding station, with the little fish & coral attracting the huge sea fish. Highlights of the marine life include large sea snakes all around the wreck, 2m eagle ray, turtle's, cobia's (reef shark looking), giant trivelle's, barracuda's and wrasse. There was the token huge moray eel living in port holes and the Dali size Grouper floating at the head of the boat. Before and after the double dive, we had the joy of racing to and from the dive-site by crazy speed boat, boasting 2 massive Yamaha outboards! Saweeet!

Well it's hitching time now, to bungle down the 2500km coast ideally in car shares. On the first day I caught a lift with a lovely couple Chris & Sally. It takes a long long time to traverse the Coast South, but amazing to see the country side, forest's and desolate plains. We stopped off in Hervey Bay 10 hours later (1000km down) and a great start to the final plans. Next day it was up at 7am again, chatting to those checking out for the road South. You can leave posters in hostels about hitching a lift but if your in a rush, the leads normally come in when you are already on the way. Anyhow, by 11am I stumble across Wayne and his mate, immediately leaving for Surfer's Paradise, South of Brisbane. Brilliant, I grab my bag and jump into their semi-broken car. From the photo you can see the front of the car. This as I find out is from night-time driving and Kangaroo's who play chicken with car lights. Sadly these animals 30 times bigger than fluffy rabbits can do a lot of damage to themselves and car grills. 500km we get to Surfer's Paradise and wow this is Beach Chocadiro Miami style. Residential sky scrappers line the shore with a built up town of more bars and clubs sprawling the long beaches. We checked into Sleeping Inn, a surfer's lodge complete with swimming pool and outdoor hot-tup where we can watch outside projection cinema [Brant it was an InFocus projector, sorry Christie]. Hmm I thought with a place like this, I'm staying put and buying a flight to Sydney!! I did.

Ciao. PS: Here's that wet t-shirt competition. Happy Christmas.

Dub-jing in Beijing

2006-12-09T21:03:00.000+11:00

Well I'm stuck at Beijing airport. I missed my flight back to Guanghzou since I had too gooder night last night to catch my flight this morning so here's the low down on this emerging new city.

After 3 frosty days around town and the surrounding area, it was time to check out the Dub-Reggae Scene here in Beijing. As a dub man brought up on Glady Wax Sound System, Irration Steppers and always mixing the delights of Studio One Records & 100% Dynamite etc, I'm game to see how these bass bin beats are exported to China. Kode 9 from South London played out at Club Yugong Yishan to a Western/Asian crowd. And it worked. With a mix of long island ice teas (swanky but cost effective) and slow dubbed beats, the crowd started to get down with Kode 9's style. Its certainly a breath of fresh air from the language student & Karaoke bars around the corner.

Check out the Beijing art scene. I managed to see some fantastic contemporary art & photography exhibitions in Beijing Art District 798 north east of Central. If you are starting to get a little tiresome of museums and temples etc, nip out to the art District. It was an amazing place, like a university campus packed full of studios, exhibitions, photography, art.. and so on. From car free streets you can wonder from building to building and see some great works from young and old. Post modern China meets its shady legacy. Some stuff was citch, but most was outstanding, and great to see in a country where its now finding more personal expression beyond sky scrappers and banks.

For those you are up for a bit of 'culcha' The Great Wall of China is a must see. From any hostel to travel agent, the bus trip is not too far for a chance to munch up the barren mountains along the wall. Two choices, the touristy rebuilt parts or the apley named 'secret wall' where it just you and your group for the day. For added spice, locate a few Finnish you have been out on the booze all night with no sleep so you have comedy up top of wall. Highlights include someone hurling their guts up and a lunchtime 'skol' at the top.

Our Man in Longzhou (Guangxi)

2006-12-05T00:26:00.000+11:00

All of last week I was travelling around the Guangxi Province, a place stuffed full of soaring limestone pillars. Its an amazing area to be hanging out in, hiring mountain bikes for the day and getting lost through peasant villages and the limestone tors.

This area is about a 12 hour sleeper bus West from Guanghzou and is definitely worth a visit if you have time. The main drag (West Street) in Longzhou is touristy so you can return to a bit of western civilisation and make new drinking buddies with other travellers. Watch out for the one or two that still try and rip you off for a hotel room. In low season your own double is 50Y where the stalkers try it on for 150Y catching you sleep deprived at 7 in the morning from the crazy bus ride.

From this region, you can bike and hike to hundreds of lime stone mountain, caves and villages. One of the hot favourite is Moon Hill a 5-10Km cycle out depending on what kinda scenic root you want to take. Theres also Telegraph Pole Hill, dominating the sky line of Longzhou. To find the start of the trek is pretty cool (and the way we found it). Head for the farmers market in the centre. Walk through to the back of the market, not forgetting to admire the man blow touching the carcass of a dog as the other doggies watch on in there lovely cages. Directly out the back of the market, twist your way through the back streets and look for three white dogs. Depending on if the dogs are on their siesta, one of the dogs will lead you up the mountain. If you arrive during their siesta, all three dogs will scramble up afterwards to guide you down! I like these cool doggies. [one for you Anna Litmus]

Three hours North of this town by van is Longji, Guillin and home to the dragon rice fields and the 'minority' villagers. It's the picture postcard that you probably were taught about China at school. Staggered rice terraces on steep slopes up to 1000m high. And lets not forget the locals, a pleasant bunch of short 'Inuit' looking ladies dressed in traditional pink and sound like smurfs / ribenna cartoon actors.

The traditional coo here (when we were told in Chinglish) was that when travellers arrive in the village and stay for the night you have three options. The 1st is to stay in a single room and be perceived as a loner who once to stay cold at night. The 2nd option is to take a double room in a village where courtesy of the villagers you can have a lady or man (depending on preference) to entertain you for the evening and keep you 'warm'! (at this point on the bus drive up, everyone suddenly awoke from their head wobble half sleep). The final option is to take the large room for the night when the whole family will join you in traditional company. Anyhow for one person on the bus (half Greek/half Irish) he thought he had hit the divine gates - since sex starved and planning to stay the night. After making a big thing of the new developments, his ego was shattered when his dream eastern European / Venezuelan inuit young ladies turn out to be weathered short aging smurf type individuals dressed in pink. Oh well. [how was it Yannis, stay for a week?]

Here's Comorant fishing in Longzhou/Yangshzou

Our Man in Hong Kong

2006-11-22T23:44:00.000+11:00

Well we have left the Magical shores of India and descended into Hong Kong, the chocadero for futuristic sky scrappers, electronics and gismos.

Its a world away here, even by western modern standards for most things with the only problem when you are on a budget is space. My first room for the night was a 2m by 1m room eqipped with a large wall mirror to ease the claustophopbia. Thinking how quaint this is I have now ask for a dorm room. Its amazing how you can fit 2 bunk beds into almost the same space. The bathroom is a conbined tiolet, shower, basin with boiler and electrics to complete your shower cubical.

We have moved from the Indian street wallas offering hashish, rickshaws and postcards to the more cultured offerings of hashish, suits and wallets. Seems as though there's a little common theme for travellers.

After much sleep (4 days on the road) tonight was a lovely time down on the tip of Kowloon Bay, where you can take in the magical slendour of Hong Kong Island. The sky line is an amazing lit-up array of sky scrappers, set infront of the mountains. At 8pm a light show is born biult within the biuldings inlcuding lasers, neon, LED and music. For added taste, the act of God also included fork lighting hitting some of the towers.

Take a trip to the top of the island by bus, escalator & tram, and its a fantasic view of the entire area. However like me if you arrive in clouds, you see absolutely nadda. there is of course with the mod coms here the help of photoshop where a kind man will offer you a photo of you with full views care of a blue screen and an archive of recent scene shots. I thought I would wait to do this myself and perhaps add in new country photos for those that i wanted to visit but never made it.

Light Show on Hong Kong Island

Cricket, Scams & Enfield Motorbikes!

2006-10-23T19:47:00.000+10:00

Apart from the Indian cricket team who wooped England in the one-dayer at the weekend, India in general is a wonderful place. With a month now on the calendar, life is becoming (sometimes) incredibly relaxing here and the sites and sounds are simply in your face. Its pretty intense with culture and society spooned down your throat. If you retreat off the beaten track a little, real india seems to show itself in true colours.

After a week in Varanasi, the spiritual home sitting on the Ganges, it was time to do a day stop at Agra for the sublime Taj Mahal. This muslim palace is magnificent in design and build, created in white marble and gems by 20,000 folks in twenty years. Unfortunately most the biulders had their fingers chopped off at completion time so the same Taj could never be repeated.

Now though, our man is in Pushka, Rajasthan. This time travel was by Enfield motorbike, hitching a lift 150km with another brit. Interesting way as sometimes on the bus or trains, you miss another side fo India. After playing chicken with a few lorries, trucks and cows in the middle of the motorway or side roads, we arrived unscathed and ready for swimmings pools and to infitrate the local mass of Israeli's.

My favourite scam so far is that rickshaw drivers are paid healthy comission to take you to certain hotels, although who have made is very clear where you 'are' staying and don't 'piss' me about. Normally excuses are that my hotel has burnt down, no good now, but 1st place goes to when arriving in Varanasi. As we pull up the the Ganges river, the driver looks at the River and goes "Not possible, you hotel is underwater, the Ganga is high". O you learn.

India V England, Champion's Tropy 2006, Jaipur, Rajasthan

Our Man in Varanasi

2006-09-24T20:18:00.000+10:00

A fantastic place to arrive for your first week in India. Varanasi is a crazy mix of magical, med-evil and mayhem. After a couple of hot hot days in Delhi sampling the local cuisine - it was time to head east to Varanasi in the north of India. The city itself sits on the Ganges river, where they have the 'burning Ghat funerals' or simply put other straight into the water. Its beautiful along the river though (not all flesh burning) and a colourful mix of Hindu & Muslim temples with crazy locals to match.

The highlights here are the barrow winding streets, luckily most traffic can't venture down this paths (medieval style) but the cows and motorbikes can. You can purchase government approved bang (weed) and a decent lunch for 50p.

This place is also a large producer of silks, the real deal if you can tell the difference. By burning the ends of the silk, they should not be a pungent smell; if there is then you have been sold the made man material.

Our Man in Delhi

2006-09-23T19:40:00.000+10:00

This week we're in bustling hot Delhi after a joyful red-eye flight with the mother airline BA. And what a place it is, packed full of locals all trying to find their cow in the street. It appears someone's left the farm gate open up the road as skinnyly clad cows scanter down the road looking for Daisy. If you mix that with the tuc-tucs, cars, bikes, lorries and me, well they sure are not in the right place. Luckily the monkeys have been supplied with rope bridges as not to get squashed in the traffic.

I've been whisked off the kings cross of Delhi (Paharganj) , cheap hostels and food places near the main new Delhi train station. The expected ordeal from the airport never arrived after befriending a local (from London) and getting a rickshaw down town. Some guides do recommended getting a pre pay taxi outside of customs exit, but I found they were 5 times the cost of the tuc-tucs. Beware though - be sure to be clear on price.

It is mad mix of colour and vibrancy here; no, I don't mean my awaited Delhi belly: but the fusion of cultures, religions and social disparities melt down into a 'beeps beeps',mooooos', and a lot of spoken word I simply cannot get my head round! When you arrive for the first time into India, chill out and take it easy for 24 hours. This will help reduce walking into bike taxis, getting the belly or being led astray!

Time to embrace the culture shock curries and new adventures, starting with site seeing of the Redfort, bizaars and mosques. I will also through my hand at booking a train to Varanasi directly with the train station office. The recommended Karim's restaurant will be subject to an incognito review tomorrow night as part of these travel blogs.

After which time we'll join the monks in time-honored tradition, with the preparations for a tour of Delhi in the long awaited birthday suit (Yes that's right t I'm going to be 29 years young in a few days :)

Food and water, I've decided to stick to the vegetarian option for the moment on the menu. Although in the tourist areas you can order the Israeli, Italian or Chinese lunch to name a few, err on the side of caution and go for something Indian, they know how to cook that.

As for the weather, its hot and dry but humid. As you may have seen by now, the rainy season starts in June/July and ends Sept/Oct depending how far North or South you are. Check the season in your area of travel especially if its outside of November - March which is the real dry season on the Indian plate. I have just had a travel mate come back from Sri Lanka in September thinking the rainy season had already finished. I hope that being in the North now that the monsoon rains will slowly die and drift south as I venture into the country.

Ciao for now...