World Adventurer and Educator
World Adventurer and Educator
Many thanks to Catherine in Tavernier for her kindness and assistance in helping me pick up packages at the Key Largo post office, supplements at Remedy’s Nutrition. I am so glad to have the supplements back to enhance my performance! We also located white gas for my stove at Backcountry Outfitters. Kristi and JC were very helpful as well as Tom Dolinski who was working on the computers for the shop.
One thing I have learned, there is never a dull moment with the CastawaysAgainstCancer.com group. As we went out for our morning paddle, we spied this poor soul’s boat that had run aground in the last few hours. Poor luck for him, photo op for us! I am back in Florida. Cuba to USA for Education is still on! Paddling the Keys for conditioning and to search for someone who would like the opportunity to LEGALLY travel to Cuba. The paperwork I have from the US government is NOT easy to come by. I am hoping to find a 40 foot Catamaran or the like that will transport me and my small crew and kayak to Marina Hemingway. We will visit Havana, prep for the return paddle, and then set out to return to Key West. Nothing for them to do on the way back except to verify that I completed the paddle. Piece of Cake, right!
Arriving in Miami in August during a threat of a hurricane, I began the arduous task of getting permission from the United States Government to legally travel by boat to Cuba. I had hoped that if I were poised and ready to go, perhaps the US government would speed up its decision. It was a good plan, but of course it did not go that way…
As I listen to the Whooping Frog calling for his mate outside my window in Dunsborough, just south of Busselton, I am eating my favorite chocolate that has been discontinued, but we found some in a little IGA market in Busselton. I am also contemplating flying to Darwin in a week to put together a business plan for a Skipper with a Catamaran who wants to take a month travelling through the Kimberley of northern Australia to get to Broome where we would start a charter business taking people out to view the bird life up the streams from Roebuck Bay. It’s a chance of a lifetime to travel that area and would give me good practical experience for kayaking through it. I would be able to take my kayak with me to do day trips from the boat. I will also get my Coxswain license to be able to take the tourists out in the Dingy. I can get my PhD anytime, but what I really want to do is circumnavigate Australia and be in the ocean. In my week of preparation, I plan to check with Murdoch to see if I may be able to get an external degree (work online) in Marine Science. I will also be getting my PhD in navigating the Kimberly as this Skipper has worked for decades in the area. He has charts and information that is not even obtainable from other sources. Again, not getting the hopes to high as this post demonstrates, my life changes moment to moment. Love and Cheers, Teresa Video of the Ningaloo Reef on my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=UUmUr_7XECBPT4U6fv4Eiv_Q
One year ago today, I set foot on Australian soil as an Australian Permanent Resident. As I write this, I am encrusted with salt, sand, and have sun cream smeared in my ears…wouldn’t have it any other way! How did I spend my day? Surveying the gorgeous ocean reefs and playing with Australian Sea Lions as I paddled my WestCoast 555, the kayak in which I will likely circumnavigate Australia. I came back into society for a short stint (I’ve been off-grid, meaning no phone or internet for quite some time) yesterday as January 26th is officially Australia Day and today it is celebrated by a day off from work, one of the multitude of Australian holidays, oh and did I mention a full work week over here is 38 hours. Might I have heard an audible gasp from the Northern Hemisphere? I’m afraid Australia has a much better work/life balance. In fact, a lot of shops are closed on the weekend and if they are open, they close at 5 p.m. Fair Dinkum! As it was my first official Australia Day as a Permanent Resident, I attended the Premier’s Active Citizenship Awards and Citizenship Ceremony at the Civic Centre. They were presented by His Worship the Mayor of Rockingham. All sorts of controversy abounded regarding how long you had to reside in Australia to apply for citizenship. Anywhere from two to six years was the range. I thought it was two years for my visa, but I found out it was four :(. I immediately went to the Australian Citizenship website and got 100% on the practice tests so I am ready! I may have passed the citizenship test, but I’m still working out the Aussie Day Checklist (see below). Don’t worry, I will still be a Yank, just an Aussie Yank. Hmm, I wonder if I will need to change my website name. Here are a few recent photos. I hope to get everyone up to speed on the last four months with weekly posts (hope springs eternal). A big Thank You! to everyone who has kept in touch. It really means a lot to me to hear from you all. I may be Down Under, but each of you are in my heart All Over the World!
Turned in a paper that was worth 40% of my grade in Education Project Preliminary and a draft for my other class, Introduction to Research for Educators, that was worth 50% of my grade. Time to shift gears and fix up my Kayak! Tomorrow is the Inaugural Paddle. It’s also the day The Fremantle Dockers pummel the Hawthorn Hawks in the AFL Grand Final. Our Defense will Kill your Offense. GO FREO!!!!!!!!!!
This is why I sea kayak. We had a wonderful opportunity by Seal Island just off the coast of Rockingham, Western Australia. My paddling partner and I came upon about twenty Australian Sea Lions basking in the sun. As we sat offshore the island, two Sea Lions entered the water and came right up to us. They frolicked and put on a display for about 15-20 minutes. The marine mammals dove under our kayaks and nibbled at our paddles. Suddenly, they would burst out of the water and slap their flippers. Deliberately approaching us, they would make eye contact and then perform some display. The pinnipeds would resurface and almost give us a wink as if they were checking our response to their antics. They chased each other and wrestled in the water. Clearly having a good time performing for us, their cheeky personalities came through in each of their distinctive dances. The video is available under Recent Uploads on my YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmUr_7XECBPT4U6fv4Eiv_Q