A day at leisure

Our first day in Vanuatu has passed without much to report. Today we got ourselves fitted for snorkelling gear and some handy reef shoes (to protect us from the coral that lines the beach at low tide). We then took time out to explore the resort, including its Instagram-worthy pool and nifty private jetty.

Garry and I were delighted to spot a colourful pink starfish off the jetty, followed by a sea eel silently stalking prey as it weaved its way through the coral shoals. I then spent several hours building a personal living expenses budget in anticipation of retirement. I've had this on my to-do list for months, so it was great to finally get started on this critical lifestyle project.

We eventually made our way into the warm tropical water shortly after 2:00pm. We spent almost an hour snorkelling along the resort’s shoreline reef. The fish life was abundant, and the coral was blooming in spectacular style everywhere we swam. The yellow-hued Finger-lobed soft coral (Sclerophytum leptoclados) was particularly noteworthy. We came across vast “forests” of it covering the coral ridgelines.

Sadly, we didn't encounter any sea anemones, and thus there were no Nemo fish to be seen. However, I spotted an Angel Fish, plenty of colourful Parrot Fish, and schools of vivid Blue Chromis. The Chromis were everywhere. These tiny, bright blue fish belong to the same group as damselfish.

It was happy hour at the bar this evening. Unsurprisingly, enjoyed a couple of half-price cocktails and sampled some local kava before sitting down to dinner on the edge of the beach (below is the same view at breakfast this morning). It's been a blissful start to our Pacific Island getaway.

UPDATE: 7 June
The pink starfish we spotted yesterday proved to be just one of dozens living around the jetty. Garry and I went for a brief swim off the jetty this afternoon and spotted one starfish after another. Even better, we discovered that they're known as Chocolate Chip Sea Stars (Protoreaster nodosus) thanks to their distinctive markings. However, those chocolate chips are actually conical defensive spines covering their dorsal side. Even worse, some of the starfish aren't pink; they're a semi-camouflaged sandy hue. Ouch!

Eratap Beach Resort

It's taken almost a full day to get here. However, Garry and I are finally kicking back on the beach in Vanuatu. For the next 11 nights, we're living the good life in a roomy one-bedroom beachfront villa at Eratap Beach Resort. The complex is approximately 30 minutes out of Port Vila on the southern coast of Efate Island.

Getting here required two flights, starting with an early 7:00am flight to Brisbane, followed by a two-hour flight across the Coral Sea. Thanks to a one-hour time difference, we landed in Port Vila shortly after 2:00pm. However, it took almost two hours to get from the plane to the resort, thanks to lengthy queues at immigration and the leisurely pace of road traffic travelling on island time.

We landed shortly after a Fiji Airways flight. As a result, a large queue greeted us as we entered the airport's compact immigration hall. It then took another 45 minutes to clear immigration and collect our luggage as immigration officials, operating on island time, reviewed everyone's passports. A Virgin Australia flight landed shortly after us. I felt for its passengers with two planeloads already standing in line.

Garry and I had forgotten how long it takes to travel relatively short distances in the Pacific Islands. Our driver warned us as we left the airport that our journey to Eratap would take at least 40 minutes. At first, I couldn't work out why it was going to take so long to travel barely 19 kilometres. The traffic through Port Vila crawled along at a snail's pace, and then once the town limits were cleared, our pace was slowed again by a relentless stream of potholes and rural animal life. 

The drive's monotony was regularly broken as we watched group after group of flag-waving locals demonstrating support for their favourite FIFA World Cup team. Cars were decked out with flapping flags, locals marched by draped in flags, and children proudly wore their chosen heroes' national colours. This colourful display is all the more impressive considering the competition's opening match doesn't kick off for another week.

However, all was not lost. We arrived in time to enjoy a cold beer and watch a golden sunset from the comfort of our private beachside cabana. Nice!

What's another million?

Two years ago, I posted about Australia’s population reaching 27 million people. Yesterday, the nation chalked up another million shortly after 6:00am. At least, that’s the tally according to the population clock at the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The clock counts up based on a growth rate set on 1 July last year. This rate assumes that every minute and 15 seconds, another person is added to the Australian population.

This is the fastest million Australia has ever gained. Eight years ago, I was posting about the country reaching 25 million people, i.e. it then took six years to add another two million, by 2024. This more leisurely growth was impacted in part by the closure of the international border during the COVID pandemic.

According to ABS data released in March, Western Australia recorded the fastest population growth in the year to September 30, rising 2.2 per cent, or about 66,000 people. Queensland and Victoria both grew by 1.7 per cent, adding 97,300 and 122,000 people respectively. However, all this growth is being driven by migration. According to the ABS, only 1.48 babies per woman are being born, on average, well below the replacement fertility rate of 2.1.

If migration continues at its current pace, it’s estimated that Australia’s population will reach an impressive 30 million people by 2031. That’s almost twice the number that lived here when I first visited the country in 1998.

While the population clock is a statistically driven device, we'll be able to confirm its accuracy in a few months. The nation’s five-year census is scheduled to take place on 11 August this year. I wonder if we’ll see an unfavourable rounding error?

Business on the River Torrens

I’ve just returned from a three-day retreat in Adelaide. Every year, my EO (Entrepreneurs Organisation) forum goes away to spend quality time together, learn from guest speakers, and undertake some professional development. Over the last four years, we’ve travelled to Wellington, Hobart and Queenstown. This year, it was South Australia’s turn.

Once again, I was tasked with planning and managing logistics for our retreat. The group decided to make this year’s event an intensive professional development event. As a result, we spent most of our time learning to apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in our day-to-day business and revisiting business fundamentals during an intense session with one of South Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs.

We flew into Adelaide on Wednesday morning and based ourselves for two nights at SkyCity, Adelaide’s new casino and hotel complex overlooking the River Torrens. Before getting down to business, we made the most of the sunny weather and spent an hour walking a circuit along the river. We walked from the Riverbank Precinct Pedestrian Bridge as far as the Albert Bridge and back again.

After a full afternoon of meetings, we went for a drink at SOL rooftop bar, enjoying nighttime views of the River Torrens, Elder Park and the Adelaide Oval. We then walked into town for a superb degustation meal at Fugazzi Bar & Dining Room. The service was impeccable.

Thursday was given over to a full day of intensive AI training. I kicked off my morning with a serene walk along the river before the training began. At 5:00pm, we went to the Malt Shovel Taphouse, a nearby microbrewery, for a meet-and-greet session with members of the EO Adelaide chapter. We then went for dinner at Jolleys Boathouse, a landmark building overlooking the river. Sadly, the meal was nothing special despite the stunning location.

Yesterday, the group relocated to Glenelg, where I’d booked a meeting room overlooking the beach. We spent three hours learning from Richard Turner, a successful entrepreneur who has grown several billion-dollar companies. His presentation was a timely reminder that everything gets easier in business if you can achieve scale and build a team to share the load.

We finished our afternoon with a walk along the Glenelg promenade before making our way back to Adelaide Airport and heading home. It was an intensive three days. However, our location on the banks of the Torrens River was a superb choice. It gave us plenty of green outdoor space to explore between all the academic activities.

Central Adelaide certainly is a beautiful location. Although, we all agreed that it’s a rather sleepy town compared to Sydney or Melbourne. I will say one thing in its favour. The flight path into Adelaide Airport took us directly over the central city. We enjoyed us a superb view of our hotel and the surrounding parklands as we came into land, with the Adelaide Hills providing the perfect backdrop. It’s as good a view as the final approach over Sydney harbour.

London in 1990

Time for a final retrospective post about my six-month journey through Europe in 1990. This final post, one of 26, covers the 16 days I spent in London. At the time, I was travelling with Dean, a sheep farmer friend from Portland, Victoria.

We arrived in London on 23 October after crossing the Channel by hovercraft. For the next few weeks, we based ourselves at my Auntie Shirley and Uncle Tony’s home in Lewisham. Dean and I had arrived in the UK with working holiday visas. Our original plan had been to find work in London and base ourselves there for up to two years.

However, after six months on the road, we were both exhausted. Dean was also incredibly homesick. We were also shocked by the cost of living in London. As a result, Dean decided to return to Australia. I debated staying on alone. I’d clocked up a huge debt on my credit card and thus desperately needed to clear it. I didn’t hold out much hope of saving money while living in London. I ultimately decided a Summer in Sydney, earning Australian dollars, was far more appealing than scraping by in the UK.

Dean and I decided to make the most of our final days in Europe by exploring all that London had to offer. We also spent a week exploring Scotland, based in Inverness. Our trip to Scotland split our time in London neatly, with eight days in town before heading north, followed by another eight after our return.

Like all good tourists, we ticked off all the bucket-list sights, including Tower Bridge, the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London, St Paul's Cathedral and Trafalgar Square. We watched the changing of the guard outside Buckingham Palace and explored the British Museum. Check out the photo above of Picadilly Circus. First, Foster's beer was a huge brand in the UK at the time, and second, every sign was a traditional neon billboard. The neon is long gone, replaced by high-resolution digital video screens.

My cousin Hilary also managed to secure a tour behind the scenes at Westminster Palace, otherwise known as the Houses of Parliament. I can’t recall the exact occasion. I think she was attending an event, or possibly hosting a corporate event in one of the building’s public spaces. She invited me to join her. I vaguely recall climbing a staircase lined with heavily lacquered wood panelling and a landing on the stairwell framed by a soaring wall of stained glass. It was all wonderfully ornate and undeniably Victorian by design.

At the time, Hilary was the Public Relations Manager for Scotia Pharmaceuticals. During our visit, she was promoting a new Evening Primrose Oil (EPO) supplement. This included a media event hosted in The Wellcome Galleries at the British Science Museum. These galleries display artefacts tracing the history of medicine from ancient times to the modern day. As I recall, she was promoting new research on the benefits of EPO for alleviating premenstrual syndrome (PMS).  I also recall being suitably impressed that she'd scored an interview with The Lancet, the world's premier medical journal.

I joined Hilary for the day, helping her with media interviews and final preparations for her evening event at the museum. I also manned the registration table, greeting attendees and handing out press kits. It was literally my first public relations event, and my first PR job. Little did I know that three years later, I’d join a technology PR agency and spend two decades working in the public relations industry. A career that culminated in me becoming the Chief Operating Officer of a global PR company.

I recall Auntie Shirley taking Dean and I on a walking tour of London’s lesser known sights. This included a visit to Temple Church, an iconic circular church built by the Knights Templar in the 12th-Century, the Royal Courts of Justice and the Old Bank of England. Shirley was determined to infuse some cultured British history into our otherwise backpacking, box-ticking tourism endeavours. I’m glad she did. Her passion for more obscure history was a timely reminder for me to look a little deeper wherever I travelled in the years ahead.

A final comment regarding my UK-based relatives. The first photo above of Shirley, Tony and me was taken at Crofton Park station. The second shows Tony trying on Dean’s classic Akubra hat much to my aunt’s amusement. These are the only photos I have of my Uncle Tony. Sadly, I never saw him alive again. He had long since passed away by the time Garry and I relocated to the UK in 2005.

I don’t recall much of our time in London beyond the experiences I’ve already outlined above. However, a series of ticket stubs I’ve kept shows that we visited the Imperial War Museum, Westminster Abbey and Madame Tussauds. We also visited the Guinness Book of Records exhibition, where entry cost the princely sum of GBP4.00. I’m sure I was excited to visit this attraction. For many years, I received a new hardback copy of its annual edition for Christmas. It was always one of my most treasured gifts.

Likewise, I loved seeing all the famous tombs inside Westminster Abbey. Weeks earlier we’d visited the tombs of Michelangelo, Galilei Galileo and Christopher Columbus. This time it was recognisable names like Charles Dickens, Sir Issac Newton, David Livingstone, and Charles Darwin. I was surprised to discover that Queen Elizabeth I is also buried here.

On 15 November, Dean and I caught the Tube to Heathrow (that’s us above waiting for the train) and boarded a flight bound for Singapore. Our life-changing journey through Europe had finally come to an end. Along the way, we’d visited 22 countries, travelled as far north as Harstad, more than 300km above the Arctic Circle; as far south as Meknes in Morocco; as far east as Varna on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast; and as far west as the Strait of Gibraltar.

I’d just turned 25. It was time for another life-changing adventure. This time, establishing myself in Sydney, Australia, the city that ultimately became my home for more than three decades. I’d eventually return to London on business in 1998, stopping off in Beijing on the way there. I’d continue to return time and time again on business until the present day.

In hindsight, the decision not to use my UK working holiday visa has served me well. My life in Sydney has been filled with wonderful memories, friendships and once in a lifetime experiences. My career has flourished, frequently paying for me to literally see the world.  Fifteen years later, I’d even fulfil my dream of living and working in London. Although, as friends often point out, Garry and I enjoyed a backpacker’s experience in the UK but did so on a champagne income.

No, I never met Yasser Arafat. This photo was taken at Madame Tussauds. As an aside, the padded jacket I’m wearing was purchased years earlier in the USA. I’d bought it to survive a snowy winter in upstate New York as an exchange student in 1983.

Singapore - the first time

I first visited Singapore in November. At the time, I was on my way back from a six-month backpacking odyssey in Europe. I was travelling with Dean, a friend from Portland, Victoria. We flew out of London on 15 November, arriving in Singapore late afternoon local time the following day. Dean and I then spent another three days exploring some of the city’s iconic attractions before catching overnight flights to Australia on 19 November.

We based ourselves at the Traveller's Club, a backpacker’s hostel on Bencoolen Street in central Singapore. At the time, Bencoolen Street was Backpacker Central with all manner of dodgy venues offering cheap food and accommodation. The Traveller's Club was an experience all its own. The hostel was in a high-rise apartment building where guests were hosted in crowded dormitory rooms crammed with bunks. Privacy was not an option, and you paid extra for a room with air-conditioning.

Dean and I spent time exploring the Singapore River zone, including its iconic Merlion statue. Back then, it sat at the mouth of the river, with the open sea extending beyond it. These days, the Merlion sits in a sheltered bay surrounded by reclaimed land, and the towering Marina Sands casino complex dominates the skyline. 

We also visited the Raffles hotel for a quick look at its famous Long Bar. Back then, you could visit without waiting in an insanely long queue or forking out for a pricey entry ticket.  The bar was also on the ground floor. You could walk in off the street. These days, the bar is on the hotel's second floor. I recently learned it was relocated less than a year after Dean and I visited, as part of a major renovation.

I fondly remember visiting Mount Faber, where we caught the cable car across to Sentosa Island. The image above is a postcard we received with our cable car ticket.  Dean and I were mesmerised by the view from Mount Faber. High-rise apartments filled the skyline and spread across the city in every direction.  We'd never seen such a condensed urban landscape before.

I also recall a sign in a public toilet cubicle on Mount Faber warning visitors they’d be fined if they failed to flush the toilet. It was a classic introduction to the nanny state that Singapore is renowned for. Although I wondered how on earth anyone knew if you'd failed to flush?

However, my memories of Sentosa were less inspiring. The island was billed as Singapore’s newest attraction, a playground for grown-ups. However, we felt the venues and themed exhibits were rather underwhelming. I also recall signs everywhere reminding us that spitting would attract another of those ubiquitous fines.

On our third day in Singapore, Dean and I split up and did our own thing. Although, if truth be told, I asked him for a day by myself. In hindsight, I probably didn’t frame my request in the kindest of terms. Dean was rather upset by the request. As a result, our final days travelling together ended on a slightly sour note. A month or so later, I travelled to Victoria and spent Christmas on his family farm.  I apologised, he forgave me, and our friendship was duly restored.

I spent my solo day exploring the city’s ethic districts, including Chinatown, the Muslim Quarter and Little India. The image above shows the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple in Little India. It’s one of the oldest Hindu temples in Singapore. It was built by Indian pioneers in 1881 and is dedicated to Kali, the goddess and destroyer of evil. As you can see, the candy-striped temple's gopuram or grand tower entrance is adorned with an impressive array of colourful Hindu deities. The interior is equally impressive, filled with majestic statues of the goddess Kali.

On our second night in town, Dean and I joined the locals for Singapore’s annual Christmas Light-Up Ceremony.  The event was hosted inside Centerpoint, Singapore's largest shopping mall, conveniently located on Orchard Road, the city’s premier shopping street. We watched Wee Kim Wee, the city-state’s President, switch on festive lights along Orchard Road using a giant podium button. I've kept the event's program, which you can see above.  It was accompanied by a lyric sheet containing a selection of popular Christmas carols.

One final memory. Singapore is renowned for its clean and highly manicured streetscapes. Therefore, I’m sure its government would be mortified by the photo above. I took it in a back street of Singapore’s Muslim Quarter. I simply couldn’t resist the fact that even a city as polished as this still has a dodgy slum district. No doubt this street scene is long gone. However, one slightly ramshackle experience has survived. The colourful chaos, noise and clutter of Singapore’s hawker food halls is still the same three decades later, although they're better presented than their counterparts in 1990.

After three hectic days of sightseeing, Dean and I made our way to Changi Airport. Here we parted ways. Dean had changed his ticket to fly back to Melbourne, which was closer to home, while I continued to Sydney. Early in the morning on 20 November, I landed in Sydney, ready to begin a search for accommodation and employment. What happened next transformed my life and set me on a path that’s continued until this day. You can learn more about this watershed moment here.

Highland highlights

Time for another retrospective post. This time we’re off to Scotland. In November 1990, I spent a week exploring Scotland with Dean Keiller, a friend from Portland, Victoria. At the time, we were nearing the end of an extraordinary six months travelling through Europe.

Dean and I had made our way from the Netherlands to London on 23 October. For the next three weeks, we based ourselves at Auntie Shirley and Uncle Tony’s house in Lewisham. At the time, Dean had an Australian friend living in Inverness on a working holiday visa. After all these years, I don’t recall his name, but I’m almost certain he worked at a local hospital. His friend invited us to stay.

On 1 November, we caught the early morning Caledonian Express bus from Victoria Station bound for Inverness. The journey took up the better part of a full day to complete. For the next seven days, we literally explored Scotland from east to west and north to south.

Inverness was a curious place. I wouldn’t call it a beautiful city despite its coastal location. However, it proved an ideal base for exploring Scotland. The image above comes from a postcard I bought at the time. Dean’s mate had a car, which made all the difference. As a result, on our first full day in town, we borrowed it to visit Loch Ness and go in search of Nessie. We also stopped to admire the ruins of Urquhart Castle on its western shore.

However, back then, access to the ruins was somewhat restricted as they sat amid private farmland. You had to walk across an open paddock to reach them. Garry and I revisited the area in 2008. By then, the castle had been transformed into a popular tourist destination, with a car park, visitors' centre and guided tours.

We also stopped outside Invermoriston to admire the historic Thomas Telford bridge. This stone arched crossing was built in 1813. For more than a century, it was the only river crossing of the River Moriston Falls on the road to Fort William. The current bridge nearby replaced it in 1933. It was well worth a few scenic “we were here” photos.  That's me in the image that opens this post.

The following weekend, we took a trip to the West Coast, stopping overnight in Mallaig. We departed early on Saturday, 3 November and drove west along the shores of Loch Ness and onwards to Fort William. We then turned inland towards Glenfinnan. While I have no recollection of seeing the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct, I can’t imagine driving this far and not stopping for a good look.

Dean’s mate decided to take the scenic route to Mallaig, so we followed the western shoreline of Loch Linnhe (which is actually a fjord) as far south as Strontian, then turned towards the west coast. Along the way, we stopped to explore the picturesque ruins of Castle Tioram. This castle was once the ancestral stronghold for the Clanranald branch of Clan Donald. It was destroyed in 1715 during a Jacobite rising and never rebuilt. As you can see above, we timed our arrival perfectly as the castle sits on an island that’s only accessible by foot at low tide. The final image shows Mallaig harbour the following morning.

The following morning, we retraced our steps back to Inverness, stopping to admire the first snowfall of the season on Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain. We also visited the sombre and rather poignant Commando Memorial near Spean Bridge. It overlooks the training areas of the Commando Training Depot, with Ben Nevis providing a suitably awe-inspiring backdrop.

If you look closely, you’ll see me standing in the phone booth above. Even in the remote Scottish lake district, home was only a phone call away. It’s all too easy to forget that in 1990, mobile phones weren’t a part of everyday life. A public phone was your only option if you ever had to make a call while on the road.

On 5 November, I fulfilled a childhood dream with a day trip to John O'Groats. This tiny village on the northeast coast of Scotland is the traditional starting or ending point for cycles, walks, and charitable events to and from Land's End (at the extreme south-western tip of the Cornish peninsula in England).

The drive north was an exhausting six-hour round trip. Back then, the Dornoch Firth Bridge was still under construction. As a result, I had to drive inland via Bonar Bridge, a detour that added an hour to the journey there and back. I took a few mandatory photos of the hotel and international signpost at John O'Groats, then drove to nearby Duncansby Head Lighthouse, located on the westernmost point of Scotland. I also took a short walk to explore a series of deep, rectangular rock channels carved into the lighthouse coast by an unrelenting North Sea. 

Perhaps the strongest memory of my day trip north was the ubiquitous presence of the North Sea oil industry. This was the era of peak North Sea oil production. Towns all along the coast were active bases for infrastructure and vessels that serviced oil and gas platforms in the North Sea. Vessels that bore no resemblance to traditional fishing boats were everywhere, along with plenty of hardcore industrial structures.

For example, I recall seeing a massive oil platform floating in Cromarty Firth, about half an hour north of Inverness. I later learned that this deep, naturally sheltered inlet served (and continues to serve) as a parking lot for mothballed and decommissioned North Sea rigs.  The image above was pulled from the web as an example of the astonishing scene I encountered all those years ago.

On 7 November, Dean and I packed our bags and headed back to London for a final week of sightseeing. Eight days later, on 15 November, we boarded a flight bound for Singapore. Our European adventure was finally over. It would be another eight years before I’d return to the UK, this time on business.