All good things must come to an end, so better things can begin!

So as my time in Australia comes closer and closer to its end, sitting on a 14 hour train ride to my next job, all I have to pass my time is so low quality movies on the TVs, and time to think about what I have been doing these past 2 years.  I started with a list of accomplishments I hoped to achieve, and albeit it some I have completed, I have done things I never thought possible.  Never did I think I would end up becoming a Scuba Diving Instructor, find a new passion in life as a photographer, drive huge trucks and road trains for a living, be as successful as I have been with agricultural work, and meet so many interesting and great people.  The thing that people don't realise before they come here, is that Australia isn't just a holiday, it's pure opportunity, to try new things and find your calling.  Although I have to leave, Australia will never leave me.

My last post was again a while a go, and at the time I was still working at Scubapix and the Underwater Photographer aboard Sea Quest, the best job ever.  Since then I have finally become a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, hooooray!  The courses and exams were hard, but I can only imagine that my first few students will only be harder still.  Now as it has taken so long for me to achieve my instructor level, I have not had a chance to teach courses, but not to worry, wont be long until I do.  Also Scubapix now no longer work for Deen Sea Divers Den doing their photography, which means there is no more work.  Now although I would have loved to continue with photography, it couldn't have come at a better time, as now it's wheat season again, time to make some real money. 

This brings me to my train journey, from Cairns to Mackay then in land to Clermont, time to get behind the wheel again.  Being my 3rd wheat season, finding work is laughable, I call my agencies, tell them what I want, and then chose which job I want from their list. Easy.  This next job is once again driving harvesters and truck work, starting Friday for approximately 5-6 weeks.  Now as my visa expires before then, as I have spoken with immigration, they are kind enough to give me a bridging visa until the end of the year to raise a bit money together, very kind of them.  Plan so far is to work hard for the next month and a half then back to Cairns for christmas, and then, well, I have a few options.

Now depending on how much money, I have a few options.  My main plan is if I raise enough money for equipment, living costs and emergency money, its back to Thailand for me.  After a lot of research and phone calls, Koh Tao has no underwater photographers, and no rental cameras available anywhere.  So what if an enthusiastic freelance photographer with all his own gear and a fleet of low cost rental cameras turns up with enticing commission schemes for stores that advertise my products.  My aim, to deliver rental cameras early in the morning, spend the day taking and selling photos on the dive boats, and collecting rental cameras in the evening.  Now sounds all well and good, but if anyone can pull it off, hopefully I can.  Now this plan will will only come about if I save a fairly sufficient amount of money for security, cant be going on a whim and a prayer.  If I don't raise enough it's most likely going to be either New Zealand or Guernsey for me, hopefully not the latter.

So I leave you, still unsure as to where I will end up in the next of months, but lets be honest, isn't that why people go backpacking in the first place?

My diving life

I may not be an instructor yet, but so close I can taste it.  I'm writing this blog, sitting in my own private corner on SeaQuest (our day boat), in preparation for another fun filled day on the great barrier reef.  Instead of following in the footsteps of all the other instructor trainees and Divemaster hopefuls, all seeking out work in a town over run with staff and not enough customers, I am now an underwater photographer.

Finally back in Australia, after a mad ordeal with Air Australia going bust 3 days before I fly, Cairns is not as warm as I remember.  Immediately I start work as a Divemaster on the live-a-board vessel OceanQuest, with duties such as dive guide, snorkel guide, mooring work and general deck duties.  My working week consisted of a 5 day 4 night stint on board, working 5:30-21:00 every day, most of my weekend was spent sleeping.  Although always visiting the same 10 dive sites, it is still some of the best diving I have ever done.  Some of the best experiences have been when night diving, taking divers under water in pitch black conditions with a torch for their first time, the smiles on their faces make my day.  Sharks, turtles, sting rays, moree eels, nemo, all these wonderful fish are there everyday to see, you can see them 1000 times and they are still amazing to see each time.

All the while, I had been living in Cairns Beach House Hostel, a cheap hostel and managed to get a private room for $15 a night, which was very useful when Freya arrived in Cairns.  Freya arrived 3 weeks after me, and being a dive instructor herself, immediately started looking for work.  Although it took a while, she started work on Fitzroy Island, which is one hour away on the boat.  A couple of weeks a go, we moved out of the hostel in to a shared house, which is a lot closer to Deep Sea Divers Den (my dive centre), and is a lot better than living in a hostel in every way.

2 months on, its coming to the time where I finish working as a Divemaster and start my instructor courses and exams.  My only problem is, that I dont have enough money for the exams and PADI fees of $1100, Scubapix (the photography company that work on SeaQuest) were looking for someone, so I started working for them.  This is great, work on the same boats, but I'm my own boss on here and do my own thing.  Another great thing is solo diving, as I carry a small back up scuba tank called a pony bottle, I dive on my own, awaiting other divers so I can get snaps of them with Nemo or Wally (a Mauri Wrasse).  Wally is a huge fish, who loves to be stroked and cuddled by divers, a brilliant photo prop :D  Also some turtles here love their back scratched and will literally bump their bums in to you to scratch them.  My plan now is to continue on with my photography, and when I have enough money saved, do my instructor exam, but probably continue on with Scubapix, I love this job.



I now formally promise to update my blog a lot more often than I have been, if only with more pictures and a small update.

The Koh Tao Effect

It always seems that I start each blog entry with an apology for the time it takes for me to post a new entry.  This is no different, although this time, my lack of updates is for different reasons.  Koh Tao, the promise of a more relaxed and enjoyable side of Thailand.  Although relaxed and pretty much all about diving, there is always madness in paradise. Thankfully nothing terrible seemed to happen to me, as with all the warnings I had from travellers who had previous been to thailand, I spent most of my time being cautious.  With all things Thailand, you have to have your wits about ya.

So now I am a DiveMaster, woo hoo!!  Now that was one tricky nut to crack.  Past 5 weeks, have all been workshops, tests, training exercises leadership skill, etc......  Afterwards though, I have much more confidence in my diving and feel ready to start leading divers and training divers.  With my DM, I can do some training, but non of the mainstream courses like open water or advanced, that will come when I become an instructor.  One thing I regret though, is not taking more pictures of my time there.  KT (Koh Tao) is a very pretty place, with the whole feel of a small fishing village.  But with diving all the time, going out for food and drinks and spending time with Freya, getting the camera out never seemed to pop in to my mind.  Master Divers, the dive school I was with, couldnt have been better.  Unlike all the big dive resorts on KT, Master Divers is small and not based on giving students a fun time.  They are there to teach divers, and teach the properly.  Dont get me wrong, they were the nicest bunch of people I have ever met, but with them I feel as though I am more of a respectable diver than if I was with another dive resort.  When searching for my dive school, time and time again, Master Divers came up as the highest quality with the highest rated testing scores of all the dive schools in Thailand.  If I were asked to recommend a dive school, they would be my number 1 choice any day.

Whilst I was with Master Divers, I was not the only DMT (Dive Master Trainee) there, at one point there was infact 8 of us.  This made it interesting, as to keep us keen on being better divers, the Dive Master with the highest scores wins a new mask and snorkel at the end.  With 7 of us starting at pretty much the same time, this made it fun.  By the way, my new mask and snorkel is very nice :D  As with us all doing our course together, it meant we were a close group of friends, always going out together and looking out for each other.  

 KT is a cheap place to live, for £12 a day you can have a private double room with shared hot water showers, full english breakfast, a thai dinner and a beer or two at the end of the night.  The problem with this, is that its all that more tempting to go out on a mad one, eat at fancy places, go on trips and do all these fun things.  The thing is, although KT by day is quaint and chilled, by night it changes in to something completely different, its easy to get lost in the excitement.  After a while, the party buzz wears off, and thats when things become more fun, spend more time at the beach, or in a restaurant with friends.

With all good holiday stories, they always involve a girl.  Met Freya through one of my instructors, he brought her down to our bar, and thats where I went to say hello.  Funnily enough, turns out she lived across the hallway from me, I just never bumped in to her.  A great way to escape the madness of Koh Tao, is to spend your time at Freedom Beach with your girl.  As Freya was due to leave Koh Tao but didnt know where to go next, she decided to come to Australia with me.  Being a dive instructor herself, Cairns fits perfectly.  She leaves KT in a few weeks.

Koh Tao has given me some of the best times in my life, its a place that changes you.  I'd like to think that I would visit it again, but I feel it would just tarnish my memories of my time there.  If you plan to visit KT, as with anywhere in Thailand, have your wits about you.  Its a fun 'care free' place, filled with excitement and great people, but with all places be prepared, its a wild ride

 Full moon party :)

 Full moon party :)

 Freya

 Richi, a Divemaster working for Master Divers and Whi the boat bot

 Jim, instructor Donny and Chris

Jersey Jim, finally, someone from the channel islands, even if it is Jersey

Thailand, no words can explain

As soon as you land in Thailand, the differences are so in your face, it was quite hard to comprehend.  Even as they were landing the plane, looking out of my passenger window, seeing all the roadside stalls, dogs everywhere, 17 people per motorbike and all the run down buildings, it felt more like I was watching a TV documentary.  When I came to Australia, it took a while for me to realise that I had left the UK, everything had its similarities to back home, but with a slight twist.  Here, well, whole new world really.

So I start my Journey in Phuket airport, where it is just as hot as Australia, but the humidity and the smell.  Its not a smell of sweat and body odour, but excrement really, not pleasant.  And as soon as I go outside, this seems to be true for everywhere in Thailand, you are pounced on, "Taxi, you want Taxi".  You cant walk 10 paces without being asked.  It seemed as long as you gave a polite no with a smile, they leave you alone.  Nice enough people, but seeing as a bus is 10 times cheaper than a taxi, I think I'll stick to the bus.  My bus being that small blue one on the right.  Costs about $1.20 for a 2 hour bus trip.  My time in Phuket was pretty uneventful, I was only here for one night, and I spent most of that just walking around checking out the madness.  The night markets are pretty cool though.

Pattaya here I come, jump back on the little blue bus back to the airport, and board the equally colourful plane.  I thought Phuket was crazy, Pattaya is something else.  Everything is illuminated by neon lights, streets are bustling with bike taxis and ladyboys, everyone is drinking and having a good time, I just cant think of words to explain it.  Taxi takes me from the airport straight to the hotel where I meet dad.  Great to see him after so long.  Pretty quickly, its bags upstairs, shower then off for some food and drinks.  Also meet up with his long-time lady called Limb, or Lin, or Jim I cant remember.  Nice enough lady, and also speaks some English!

So the past 3 days have led a pretty similar pattern, wake up, dad and me go for a walk, eat some food and drink some beers.  I leave him to do his own thing though during the evening.  We are now sitting in reception of the hotel, waiting for our taxi to take us to Bangkok.  Dad is getting a flight back home and I am catching the overnight train to Chumphon, and then getting the boat to Koh Tao.  So excited to get there and start my diving, going to be great!

Will update you all when I can.

Ryan x

 View from my hotel balcony

 Dad and his lady friend, hopefully lady :p

 Walking street is where all the madness is, bars, gogo bars, clubs etc...

Inside walking street

 Plane to Pattaya

 Me and dad having our regular sunday lunch, at 11:30 pm after a load of drinks

 I found this menu in a resturant, FYI I didnt eat here

Dad fell over and bumped his knee, getting it drained

Happy New Year!

Woooo, happy new year!!

Hope you all had an amazing New Years Eve party, what better way to celebrate the end of a year than to party hard.  It was great spending my Christmas and new years with Lizzi and family, had an amazing new years with them.  Also, spending my time with them allowed me to get on with all my theory work for diving, which is all done :D  So tomorrow, when I leave for Thailand, I can get straight in to the diving and not worry about doing theory work, whoop whoop.

Been back in Melbourne for a few days, sorting out visas and other bits for my trip.  In a hostel room with a pretty good crowd, and spent today doing some pretty touristy things, which was fun.  Went to the top of the Eureka tower, 88th floor, what an awesome view!

So my plans for Thailand start off with me flying to Phuket tomorrow, staying there for one night then getting another flight to Pattaya to meet Dad.  Looking forward to seeing him, been a long time!  So will be in Pattaya for 3ish days, after which I will fly and ferry to Koh Tao for some scuba fun times :D

Going to be awesome

Ryan x