Capturing the Moment

Padang Padang and Impossibles Balinese Temple  As we landed in Bali all three of us strained to look at the waves rolling in next to the air strip. Memories of my last trip here flooded my mind, all amazing, but eager to make new memories. Bali is only a three hour flight from northern Australia but it feels like it is a world apart. Locals still put out religious offerings every morning made of bamboo and flowers, traffic rules are ignored or perhaps do not exist, and rental a vehicle has just plummeted to $5 a day for a sweet motor scooter. Beautiful Uluwatu Sweet Mode of Transportation  With a swell forecasted to arrive the very same day we did, we hustled through customs and caught a cab to our hotel in Padang Padang. Located on the southern peninsula of the island of Bali, Padang Padang has a beautiful beach, a tiny village, and a couple of world class waves. We were hoping to score some incredible surf in some incredible locations here in Bali. Cliff bungalo

Cow Bay Croc Warning Signs   We had a couple of days to relax after our intensive diving adventure on the Great Barrier Reef so we rented a car and drove into the rainforest north of Cairns to immerse ourselves in a totally different environment. While reef is home to a majority of Australia's marine life, the rainforest is home to a majority of the terrestrial animals. Scientist come from all over the country and the world to study the plants and animals here. It took a while for Australia to start protecting the area but slowly over the last few decades more and more rainforest land has been put under a protective management. This is so important because many of the plants and animals you find here are endemic, so this is the only place in the world they can be seen. Thornton Beach  Thanks to a recommendation from a couple of friends we stayed at a place way out in the middle of the Daintree rainforest called Crocodylus Village. The rooms were pretty basic, with m

  Mossman's Gorge    At the southern end of Australia's Rainforest lies a glimpse of what lies in store for adventures willing to delve further. Mossman's Gorge is just inside the Daintree Rainforest which is a UNESCO World Heritage site in recognition of its universal natural values. It is possibly the oldest rainforest environment on earth. Leftover from prehistoric times before dinosaurs roamed. Ancient plants are found here and no where else on earth except in fossils. Some of the animals here seem just as ancient like the stealthy salt water crocs guarding their territories in the rivers. While other newcomers like Australia's heaviest flightless bird, the cassowary, have carved out a home in this unique environment. Strangler Fig Holding Tight No Small Feat   Driving up to Mossman's Gorge you first arrive at a very nice visitor station where you can catch a shuttle 2 kilometers up the road. The views are pretty stunning, if its not pouring rain, a

Myles the Diver Rocking the Deep V-neck   Our three day scuba diving adventure is coming to an end too soon. It has been unreal how much of the underwater reef we have been able to explore in such a short time. Eleven dives in three days. Myles finished his certification as an open water diver, we had close encounters with sharks, we were the object of curiosity of a huge humphead wrasse named Wiley, we found Nemo and Crush, and made some friends along the way. It has been a whirlwind of diving and eating and I am sure will stick out as one of the most memorable adventures on our trip. It is also one with long lasting effects. Colorful Clam the Deadly Lionfish    Once you become a certified scuba diver you are certified for life. It never expires, giving you the opportunity for the rest of your life to don a scuba tank and swim with the fish. I became certified back in my college pool in Georgia, and have been on over 300 dives since then. After I did my open wate

  Barrier Reef Live Aboard Trip: On the Outer Edge Day 2 on our barrier reef live aboard trip saw us getting to sleep in to the late hour of 6:45am. With all the early morning dawn patrol surf sessions we've been doing it was like getting to sleep in. We had a big day of diving, 4 dives in total with meals and snacks in between. That is pretty much the schedule out here. Dive, eat, dive, eat, dive, eat, dive, eat, sleep. There are snacks in between meals, and always hot chocolate and coffee on tap. My kind of set up. Colorful Nudibranch Nudibranch  The big event of this day was Myles becoming a fully certified open water diver. This meant he was now able to come diving with us, unguided. We usually do our deepest dives in the morning, and gradually get shallower with the following dives. I was pretty excited to find a real nudibranch today, which I only noticed after I saw its bright orange eggs clinging to a rock. I looked around nearby until I spotted a beautiful, tran