From the obvious physical changes: hips opening so much that half pigeon felt easy and any adductor stretches felt much more feasible to a sudden opening across my heart and a nudging into full wheel pose to a solid wheel pose and ease in backbending – the changes are really to many and often to subtle and personal to list here.

The reason I’m sharing this is that I’d like to allow you to see that transformation is not only very possible, it actually has its own momentum. The more you can trust it and let yourself surrender to it and fall into it, the more your practice will transform how you engage with others, think about yourself and connect.

Interestingly, every physical change I experienced was accompanied with an initial tightening/ pain or worsening of flexibility in the area. It was preceded by me falling into bad habits, not feeling I could stand anymore or dealing with blocks in my life. Then, suddenly, there would be a healing crisis, the apex, before a total and complete release and softening in my body, mind and being.

The more space I experienced in mindbodybeing, the more space I experienced in my thinking and in my life. Every time, the initial vastness in the specific area would shrink just slightly and the send of complete openness would diminish to levels to which I’d be able to function and go about my work and life in a sol like manner.

Ultimately, it all led me to this year’s theme which I’d set in October: Amaziiingness, Abundancing and Aumm. The trifecta that for me signifies the feeling you get in mindbodybeing when things just zing/ sing, the joy and playfulness t move through life and the universal vibration and sound that permeates all and never stops.

The more I came into all three, the more rainbows seemed to pop up in my life. Weird, I know. It feels like an external symbol of what I have internally come to. Experiencing the full spectrum and seeing beauty everywhere. And lately, my friends have also started not just sending me hugs, inspiring quotes and love but pictures of rainbows. A beautiful practice that I hope will continue. Here are a few of the rainbows to share with you. In gratitude.

It’s an interesting situation -  it can feel slightly confrontational, as they’re clearly talking down at me. And why? No, really? Why feel threatened or judgmental at the thought of someone doing yoga? Yes, I teach as well.. But I’m hardly shoving my yoga down your throat? Do you really think all the people who’ve been doing yoga around the world are deluded, lost and somehow to pity?

Here are some other comments I often hear: “I’m just not good at yoga” or “I’m just not flexible”. PRECISELY! What an amazing opportunity to step outside your comfort zone.  And what exactly do you think will happen in yoga? Are you frightened a guru will take over your mind? You will look like a pathetic loser trying to stretch?  Stop! Really? Who cares! The only people who’ll see you are the people around you – who I thought you don’t care about? Plus, they’re too busy practising themselves to pay any heed anyhow. And if they were, well, they’re practising yogic non-judgment, non-attachment!!!

So, how good could it be to challenge yourself and open up to something new. Who knows what may happen… You may get a good release, perhaps a nice workout, perhaps meet some cool chicks in downdog or, god beware, even enjoy yourself.

Because the purpose of doing yoga is not to seek or find or change but to allow yourself to  discover, find and transform what is already there – and always is. Yes, some of us may start yoga out of a dire need to change something in our lives. We may like the reprieve. It may give our bodies a good stretch. Ultimately though, yoga is really just a practice in tuning into what is already there. Every day.

It’s a little like trying to find a radio station in the car. If you’re driving on the highway at fast speed while frantically pushing the button down to scan, scan, scan, you’ll skip the stations. The radio will just keep scanning past as you keep hitting the button. You’ll end up more frantic and annoyed – and without the music.

Yoga is like fine tuning. Taking the time to pull over even perhaps. Press the scan button gently and wait. Or manually tune. Like an old radio. Finding a myriad of stations, beautiful music and your preferred option. With time, yoga just gets you to learn to go through that process with more ease. You may even be able to do it while driving or you may realise that you can plan in advance and bring your own CDs for the times when you may not have any reception due to your environment.

You’re like an antenna constantly receiving information. Most of the time we barely even realise. But we are ALWAYS connected. You can dim and smother the signals, rush past the stations, say you don’t like music. Really, I’m sure, you love just being, becoming present to consciousness. If you still insist you aren’t looking for anything, you’re okay… well, why the abrupt and almost angry response?  Why not head to yoga just to see? Got anything to lose?

You may know the feeling… When you plan something and start having a very precise idea of what it will look like, it ends up totally differently. Often, we are disappointed at reality not matching up to our expectations. It’s so easy to fall into that trap.

And, believe me, spending New Year’s Eve subjected to 5 hours of chanting the same three words over and over – promised to be a transcending experience and intensely spiritual – when I’d expected singing, dancing and gay abandon (as promised) had me retiring to my sleeping bag early sleeplessly listening to the sound of hare krishna reverberating around the valley, doubtful of my spiritual commitment and very angry at the same time.

Here I was, lying in the darkness, alone with myself and what I’ve come to think of as spiritual waterboarding… Come the next morning, I departed from the ashram early and it wasn’t until 24 hours later after spending a night with ear plugs lying in my bed in Bondi exhaustedly listening to the tunes my neighbours loved for a New Year’s Day party that I started feeling the benefits of the sleep deprivation, trip to spiritual heaven on earth  and back to crazy busy materialistic and hedonistic Bondi.

I’d covered the two extremes I’d been living in and found that, as always, balance really was the answer. Yes, spiritual enlightenment is great but being present for me also means being honest, truthful and allowing in your physical body. In the world we live in. Wishing myself away to a cave in Nepal is as delusional as chasing money, fame and status.

It’s the middle way that is healthy, balanced and attainable, I feel. Go explore the bounds of spirituality, the crazy realm of success, and then, when you’ve encountered enough attachment and judgment in either, just come back to who you are. Right now. Truthfully and fully.

And hey, if your way is different to mine, that’s cool too! Just don’t judge me for “doing power yoga”, wearing fancy yoga pants or dancing both at kirtans and in night clubs. (Sending you love all you crazy wonderful ashram people with your beautifully vivid deeply sparkling eyes and love deeply alternative talks or complete silence. Thank you for being you and I LOVED sitting in silence with you! xx)

So in closing, the next time something you plan turns out to be entirely different to your expectations, sit with it. Ask yourself what you can learn from it and why you were given this great experience. Dive beyond the surface tension and resistance. Revel in the marvellous opportunity.

And to finish this on a really fun note…. Here’s a video a friend of mine sent when I shared my ashram experience… I trust you’ll laugh as hard as I did if you’ve ever been.

I love this whole health cairn wellness model developed by Lissa Rankin and her TED talk below on why health is not “just” about caring for your body… Okay, so that may not be groundbreaking. But her summary of how to address all the areas needed to be healthy really resonates with me. Especially as she uses the stone cairn as a model to show what happens if any of what you need is missing. The whole structure (your body being the stone on top) just tumbles.

To come back into alignment, re-stack your stones. It’s not about magicking, full overhaul or anything like that at all. Just practice putting your stones into place.

And what I particukarly liek about the model is how the stones get smaller as you get closer to a full cairn. As you keep putting the stones back into place, it gets easier and easier. And once you’ve watched the cairn fall down a few times, you get better at putting it back into place. You may even get more skillful at balancing all aspects of your life.

How? Well, here’s all you need: trust your intuition. Heal mind, body, soul by expressing yourself creatively, being spiritually connected, having a healthy sex life, being healthy financially, living in a healthy environment, being mentally healthy, looking after a healthy body.

If that seems a lot, start with one area. Build a nice solid base to grow your cairn from. Make it fun, artful and rocksolid with lightness, love and ease.

Check out the whole health cairn Lissa uses as an analogy here. Watch the video; it’s great food for thought. Enjoy your beautiful day, people.

One of my first ever experiences of sustained and deliberately induced flow, an experience of being one with everyone around me, feeling connected to the beautiful energy of the world around and part of something much greater than me was wildly drunk on a dancefloor circa three hours into an all-night session at a nightclub in my teens. You could argue that the alcohol had a fair bit to do with it but I actually think, it was more the fact that I was listening to the music, feeling the music and becoming the music – together with everyone around me.

To this day, dancing (and singing) is one of the easiest and quickest ways to connect me with myself, those around me and the universe around us. There’s barely a day where I don’t feel like dancing to a few songs in the morning, skipping along to a beat on my iPhone or singing while showering/swimming/baking/cleaning – you get the idea. Music is all around us.

I believe it’s in every cell of our being. A little bit like a heartsong (remember the movie Happy Feet?). And when we hear somebody else’s inner music, a beautiful tune or a grand orchestra, we can’t help ourselves but  be moved. It’s such a great way to connect with others, too. Universal. Simple. And easy to understand and participate in.

For this year’s December solstice, I took part in a worldwide gathering to raise awareness, meditate and connect with others in a compassionate and loving way. The Shine: Sydney Hugs the World event left me with beautiful memories of dancing, singing and becoming present. But one of the most memorable moments was to sing along to one of St Francis’ prayers in song form while holding the hands of those around me: “Oh Lord, make me an instrument of your peace”. I’m not religious but I was profoundly moved by the message – and added love and grace in my head.

People have been talking a lot about “a shift” armageddon, a new age etc etc etc… What I feel we are truly experiencing is a coming together in more love and harmony all around the world. Now that we have connected through(and gotten used to) modern means of communications, we are starting to use them to create more profound and meaningful, heartfelt connections and to express ourselves creatively through the media that are available. It feels like a beautiful age to be a part of. And in that spirit of helping us all to connect, join our hearts and create a meaningful, beautiful melody,I ’d love to share a few of my favourite videos on the power of music, dance and singing with you.

The first video “I’m Free To Be Me”  on the transformative power of dancing was recently shared by a friend of mine – I love Facebook for these kind of cool little nuggets! Watching Thomas Franklin, a former  just bop, crop and hop around in supermarket aisles, around lampposts, in water fountains (Not sure I made that last bit up? But how awesome would that be!) will bring a smile to anyone’s dial. And I bet you won’t be able to help yourself but end up dancing around yourself!

And then there’s this video, a song from the movie As It Is In Heaven,  that summed up how I felt about a year ago (I can’t believe it’s only twelve months!) when I finally closed a not-so-good chapter in my life. Like most painful experiences, the change I went through taught me many things and ultimately set me up and propelled me into the beautiful transformation I have been blessed with this year. Reclaiming your own voice and intuition is a powerful thing; and the movie As It Is In Heaven beautifully and incredibly artfully shows how inner transformation is expressed in the outer transformation of a conductor and a group of people he helps to find their voices.

The third one is one that profoundly moved me when I watched it. It’s currently my favourite “music” video too. Not only is it a great online experiment connecting people around the world by creating a virtual choir but I also love the title of the first song Lux Aurumque – Latin for: light and gold. Beautiful! Thank you, Eric Whitacre. You’ve truly inspired me today!

I like how those three videos/ songs show the power of the individual voice, the beauty of having it empowered by those around you and the final coming together as a universal choir! If you loved them as much as I did, perhaps head to Eric’s latest project, the virtual choir 4 Bliss, here  or watch the video below and become part of a worldwide symphony singing for the Queen.

There are 35 days left for this project to get involved. Do it. Sing. Dance. Express yourself. Be a joyous, blissful part of this world, this universe.

Much love (and music)  to you! xxx

When I was looking for a healthy and yet very high energy treat for athletes and chocolate lovers alike and discovered cacao coconut almond cake it was clear from the start that I was onto something. Everyone who tasted the various versions of cake I  explored loved them and asked me for more or wanted the recipe. I’ve published my original cake recipe on this blog but have now moved onto more distinct and refined versions: Cacao Coco Cakes, Cacao Bread & Raw Cacao Coco Truffles

Originally, I got into making my cakes, breads and truffles because I love sharing the joy of good healthy superfoods with my friends, family and community. I added goji berries, acai, mulberry, dates, prunes, raisins, strawberries, blueberries. I burned versions, others broke, some were almost liquid even after baking… Sharing the yummy goodness of cacao, coconut, almonds, fruits and freshly ground spices with more and more around me  has now turned into a bit of a passion of mine. I’ve perfected my signature recipe based on flavours I remember from my grandmother’s baking when I was a kid.

And my raw cacao coco truffles dipped in coconut, nuts, honey and cacao paste, a zesty orange and cacao nib cake and a cross of the two in small ball/ mini cake form for my local cafes – are a bit of a throwback to the original taste of cacao foods in Mayan times too perhaps, as they liked it bitter and dense.  (Also, the truffle is perfect raw food and all but the bread are vegan. Only the larger bread and cake cafe version currently contains eggs – all others are 100% egg/ dairy/ gluten/ sugar- free.)

While I won’t share my latest recipe with you, I’d still love to share the yummy joy and goodness… The smaller versions are now available in North Bondi and you can also pre-order truffles, cake or bread from me.

If you’re looking for a sweet treat full of super healthy ingredients, get in touch. I’d love to make healthy truffles, cacao cake or bars for you. Let me know of any special requirements decoration- or ingredient -wise, e.g. is it for a birthday, race or party, and I’ll get back to you with a quote.

Here’s a little more info…

Cacao

Raw cacao contains caffeine, theobromine and phenyethylamine which give it its stimulating effect. Cacao is also said to lift people’s mood due to its high serotonin content and some cultures used it for religious or medicinal purposes. Its high magnesium content makes it great race food (as well as the stimulating effect) and it’s high in antioxidants.

Coconut

Did you know that 1/3 of the world’s population is said to depend on coconut for food and economy to some extent? It’s so high in nutrients, fiber, vitamins and minerals, it’s now made its way into the mainstream even selling at Woolworths in Australia after becoming popular as a refreshing, rehydrating drink in summer. Coconut oil (which I use for my truffles) has healing properties far beyond any other dietary oil.  Apparently, Pacific Islanders believe coconut oil to be the cure for all ailments, calling the coconut palm the Tree Of Life.

Almonds

One of the most nutritious of nuts, high in calcium and magnesium (great for strong bones), potassium, vitamin E and phytochemicals. They’re super high in protein and mono-unsaturated fats, too. All of those give the almond nut amazing cancer and heart disease fighting properties. And if you’re training, you’ll know that magnesium and potassium are on your list of things to get into you post workout!

That’s only the three main ingredients of my cacao coco treats! Wait til you hear about the rest.

I won’t give the end away, as the video is only under 5 minutes long anyhow. So WATCH IT! Enjoy.

It’s so awesomely true that we can never actually just go “okay, this is it”. Without change and evolution of yourself, there’s no learning. The journey stops. Even if you found a really great space in your life and thought to yourself “I’ll just stay here for a while” – the moment you do that, you attach a meaning to being in that space and you stagnate and resist the flow, the journey.

WORK HARD AND YOU DESERVE MORE?

I have personally resisted this one truth possibly the most. I used to very much think that once you work hard for something and you get it, you should be allowed to just enjoy it. Now, I read that sentence and I cringe. It shows such a clear lack of compassion for myself and a lack of just being in the moment… See, if you “need” to compete in competitive sporting events, for example, you’re very clearly defining yourself by external circumstances. Similar to how you think if you make more money and get a better position at work, you’ll be happier. Or if only the next man woman to enter our lives finally offers EVERYTHING we could possibly wish for.

Problem is, once we get there, very few people will feel happy. We’ve trained ourselves to look for the next step up. And yes, that means you won’t savour the journey but instead shut yourself off to what you are creating – gruelling training sessions, cut throat business meetings or disharmonious behaviour – to get to where you’re going. Could you just hear your soul cry out? How much worse will you feel if you  hold onto the superficial layer that achievement has created over an inner emptiness? How hollow and stale will that success feel if you’re not feeling it connect with your inner self?

EASY: STOP. DON’T RACE

For me personally, letting go off the racing attitude was far from easy initially, actually. I’d perfected the talking fast, power meeting with friends, tightly scheduling clients so well, I even started actual racing in sporting events. (As some of you may know who have followed my blog only a repeat stress fracture to my foot stopped me from competing in an ultra marathon AND ironman.) This was after I’d started a regular yoga, Pilates AND meditation practice. Instead of slowing me dow, meditation initially seemed to speed me up. I now see that speeding up process where I seemed to go through a lot of events, emotions and unpleasant external circumstances extra fast as a catalyst. No matter what you believe, that pain was there for me to feel; and speeding the process up and processing big amounts fast enabled me to break through layers and layers of self I had been unaware were there. Needless to say, I gave up racing. And I feel free and light for it.

Perhaps YOU feel like I did a few years ago – why meditate or slow down if there is so much fantastic stuff around to do? Perhaps you want to see the world, meet a lot of people, make a mark, have a family, etc etc… But if you’re not present and speed time up by being in your head racing ahead of yourself, what purpose does doing more really serve?  Where are YOU in all of that. Are you becoming your external circumstances perhaps? Are you identifying with stories you’re creating?

UNCONDITION

The reason a lot of us find it so hard to stop racing is conditioning. Culturally we are primed to think: more is better. Faster gets you further. Working harder makes you more deserving. We learn those stories when we start learning language. Slowly, they seep in and become us.

But deep down, our inner knowing is that this world we’ve created is so far removed from what our beings need. Our bodies aren’t designed to sit at a desk for a full day. Our minds aren’t designed to process multi channels and interact with people on a minute-by-minute basis. Our soul is certainly not meant to be in a totally unnatural environment, one that hems us in, takes away clean air and pure water….

TODAY

So today, ask yourself: “What can I do to stop?” I don’t mean stop all your doing forever and becoming a reformed person – although how wonderfully joyous could that be if you liked it? I mean stop falling into your conditioning. If you’re racing because you feel empty, acknowledge it. If you’re contacting over a dozen people a day by text, email, twitter etc a day because you feel lonely, acknowledge it. If you’re feeling a huge resistance to my words and are getting angry, ask yourself why. Simple. Don’t buy into what you were trained to think. Taught to do.

Open your eyes and feel the world like a child again. Unconditioned. Truthful and joyous. Get that sparkle back in your eyes. Underneath those layers, that mask they sometimes talk about in yoga, is a shiny, bright little pebble that’s you and your lifeline to the cosmos around you.

In closing, I’d like to dedicate this post to my grandma. Just before she died, when she was able to let go off more and more of those layers and openly and honestly look at herself and others without any conditioned responses, she gave me my pebble back – with unconditional love.

Love to you all. Sol x

I know it hit a chord within me. Money doesn’t buy you happiness – I know that’s just an empty saying to most of us but pause for a second there.

The reason we buy a lot of things is that short little rush of happiness. That voice  that whispers “you’ll look oh so great in that and you’ll have a great time as a result”. Or “that would make life so much easier”. Really? I mean, how? Would it? Truly? Okay, I stop my rhetoric there. You get my drift? Haha!

How about looking up to take in the clouds, stopping to smell flowers by the wayside or revelling in the laughter of kids…? Or whatever else it is that makes your soul sing.

If you feel like you’d like to explore the subject and spend this next month joyous, peaceful and not-so-guilty, be light, leave your credit card and worries at home and share some love and laughters instead of money and presents.

Please read on and head to Leo’s site. He’s an awesome blogger and might just change your life – if you let him. xx

Hello beautiful souls!

Below you’ll find a selection of some of my favourite articles I wrote during my first few official years as a writer. Making up exciting story plots, magical worlds and inspiring characters has always been a passion of mine.

I first started writing short stories, poems and books, when I was eight years old. It’s really been a long journey from 10-word poems to 1000-word feature articles and now pitching book ideas – I’ve come full circle to my 8-year-old self! (Perhaps that’s why I couldn’ resist the temptation to insert a kitten picture into this post?! Too cute! Purring bookmark.)

During my journalism studies, I spent time at local and national newspapers, radio stations and other media outlets to get a headstart in the industry. And by the end of it, I was juggling modelling, studies and work at the Australian Traveller and Sunday Telegraph and was too busy to even attend my graduation ceremony. I received my  “Award for Excellence in Journalism” and Macquarie Dictionary in the mail and eventually decided to give freelancing a shot to free up more time for the jobs I really wanted to do.

My writing has since appeared in brochures, newspapers, blogs, web copy, newsletters, travel, health, sports and lifestyle magazines. Here are just a few good articles I’d like to share with you, as the interviews and experiences that led to them were very special to me. Enjoy!

It’s Amazingly Beautiful

The outback isn’t just a stunning place to visit, it’s also something of a photographers’ last frontier. Anyone who ever sat freezing in the middle of nowhere, waiting for Uluru to work its early morning magic while hoping not to get camera shake despite forgetting the tripod will understand the incredible pull the outback exerts on photographers. There are many clichéd photo-ops, but with a little knowledge of places and best times to go, you’ll hopefully be able to get amazing images like these. We rounded up some of our country’s best snappers for an intimate look at the outback through their viewfinders.

Steve Strike

When I ask Steve Strike for his favourite places to shoot in the outback, he just laughs. The landscape photographer who has lived in Alice Springs for nearly 30 years says he’d have to kill us (and our readers) if he told us. But after a little begging he acquiesces and names Rainbow Valley, a stunning location about 100km south of Alice Springs, as a top location for outback shots. He warns that it’s hard to reach and in a national park, accessible only by 4WD and with few camping facilities. The view at sunset is stunning, whether there’s been recent rain or not. However, Steve’s image taken during a tropical thunderstorm is AT’s favourite. “One day I arrived at about three the afternoon,” he says. “I saw those storm clouds coming and within 15 minutes I was standing in six inches of rain – under a poncho and shooting.” www.photoz.com.au

Richard Woldendorp

Seeing the outback from the air gives you a unique perspective – and it really shows off the patterns of the landscape, says Richard Woldendorp, who has flown all around Australia for his photography. “Predominantly when I fly over Australia, I always see the red of the soil,” he says. According to Richard, the Kimberley is one of the best areas to see the beautiful tidal variations, while the Great Sandy, Simpson and Strzelecki Deserts show beautiful undulating dunes, and early mornings and evenings at Uluru or Kata Tjuta are always worthwhile from the air. “It takes a bit of flying,” Richard says, “but in lots of areas they do special air tours.” He recommends flights from Derby in the Kimberley and from Wyndham further to the northeast, as they’re pretty strong scenery-wise, showing off those special tidal variations, snaking rivers, the famous horizontal waterfalls and wonderfully pristine coastline. www.richardwoldendorp.com

Ken Duncan

AT resident photographer Ken Duncan’s love affair with the Kimberley is far from over but he says a great – and accessible – place for adventure-seeking amateur photographers is Karijini National Park in WA’s Pilbara. With its red soil, white gums, spinifex and gorges like oases in the desert, it’s a truly Australian experience. “It’s got all these beautiful little canyons,” he says of the great adventures and walks to be found. “There’s a caravan park, too, and it’s not too restricted.” Rugged Hancock Gorge – which resulted in Ken’s bestselling Emerald Waters shot, pictured here – is one of his favourite spots. The best time to go is April/ May, as you have to not only climb down but also swim a fair bit to get into the canyon. “In the wet season you’d get washed out of it.”www.kenduncan.com

Pip Blackwood

Counting southwest Queensland’s channel country as her favourite spot to shoot, Pip Blackwood loves cattle drives and camel races for that quintessential outback experience – lots of red dust guaranteed. She recommends the annual Boulia Camel Races. “It’s a fantastic thing to see, a real eye opener. It’s not exactly like horses,” she laughs. “It’s on a sandtrack and very disorderly.” The dying art of cattle driving is a truly old-fashioned way to see Australia, she says, but you’ll have to be quick, as many of the stock routes are being closed down. Lying there in your swag looking at the stars, cooking over a campfire and not showering for a week are outback pleasures that are hard to beat. And, luckily, there are quite a few organised cattle drives open to travellers, says Pip, notably in SA, where you might even get your own tent and occasional shower.www.blackwoodphoto.com.au

Grenville Turner

The real beauty of the Australian landscape isn’t an obvious one, says Grenville Turner. “You have to go there to really experience it. It’s subtle, and you have to learn to appreciate it.” Grenville has shot in the outback for around 40 years and says Alice Springs is a great base to explore Central Australia’s stunning scenery. “I find that the variety of landscapes and opportunities within 100km is enormous,” he says. Grenville finds the Eastern and Western MacDonnell Ranges extremely giving, with its range of gorgeous gorges, cattle stations and Aboriginal people. “It’s a very exciting place and there are some wonderful four wheel drives.” Mereenie Loop from Glen Helen on to Hermannsburg, Kings Canyon and even Uluru takes travellers through some amazing – and visually stunning – country. But get up early and plan wisely. “The light is gorgeous if you’ve got good timing. Gorges are actually better later in the day.” And whatever you do, don’t miss out on that picture-perfect sunset shot at the end of the day. www.grenvilleturner.com

Article for Australian Traveller.

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Taking a Different Angle

Here’s a more uplifting angle to my recent article “They Don’t Need A Visa To Have Fun” in The Sunday Telegraph. Softer news angle but no less interesting in my opinion:

They are lured by promises of sunny weather, photos of beautiful beaches and plenty of easy fun to be had and, with the climate grim overseas, backpackers are flocking to our shores in ever greater numbers.

In 2008/09 Australia reached record levels of working holiday makers; visas granted in the UK and Ireland, two of our largest overseas markets, were up by 17 percent and 33 percent respectively.

In the US, Tourism Australia has been urging young Americans to “come out and play” on their new website launched in November 2009, and they have heeded the call; the introduction of a new Working Holiday Maker Visa has seen local numbers increase by 117 percent.

Most young overseas visitors fit the image of the typical gap year student.

In their late teens or early twenties, they come for a great time out – party hard, have fun and explore Downunder -, before heading back to their home country to buckle down and study.

Swede Martena Bengtsson, 19, who was topping up her tan on popular Bondi Beach last Wednesday told The Sunday Telegraph she had always wanted to travel after finishing school and chose her destination based on her friends’ feedback.

“There’s so many backpackers here and I’d heard so much about it.”

But the global financial crisis has also driven an older version of the traditional backpacker to Australia.

Matt Hingerty from the Australian Tourism Export Council said there have been two types of new backpackers, those who “come back later in life, as couples etc to do things they couldn’t do earlier in life” and those who had less options in their home countries.

“A lot of young people in these [overseas] markets had nowhere to go,” he said – as there were no jobs in Europe.

When we met travellers Anthony Breen, 25, his brother Rickie, 24, and their friend Eddie Kyriacou, 27, they were relaxing at Bondi Beach after several hard weeks of partying in Thailand and Australia, but the Irish professionals were not planning on living the backpacker lifestyle for long.

The Breen brothers worked as accountants at the same company in Ireland and decided to save up for a brighter future in Sydney after witnessing paycuts and redundancies over the past two years.

Their friend Eddie had been in a similar situation. He described the climate back home as “depressing”. He said, while his job was secure, there were no plans, no career options.

In less than two weeks of holidays in Australia, Rickie had already made up his mind.

“I don’t want to go back to Ireland,” he said.

Instead, he was looking to work on a farm for three months to maximise his chances of settling in Australia by gaining an additional one-year visa extension.

“Career opportunities at home? There is none,” added Eddie.

“Here you have some sort of future.”

You’ll find the  published article, written with Brenden Hills, here.

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Taken By Storm

In the search for offshore sailing adventure, Alpha gets a bit more than it bargained for.

Absolute novices can have fun on a boat. A passion for boats, the water and a few beers and Bundies is what brings a good crew together. There’s a good reason yacht clubs’ twilight sessions attract a wide variety of people in summer. But offshore sailing is another thing altogether. As I found out during the Sydney to Southport Race, it’s even more exciting, more challenging – and it’s easy to get into.

Day One

My ocean adventure gets off to a good if slow start. Ours is an underdog of the sailing world – not remotely the fastest or flashiest boat – and our crew’s expertise ranges from green as a seasick sailor to well-weathered salts. But what she lacks in speed, we make up for with enthusiasm and teamwork.

The first half of the day is straightforward: a lot of tactics, sorting ropes and lugging sails around. The weather’s fair and there’s hardly a breeze. By the time sun sets, I’m entirely relaxed and a million miles away from shore, work and any other concerns. I don’t care where we are or when we get back.

The ocean turns into magical streaks of gold and blue, I’m sitting against the railing, comfortable between two crewmates. There’s no need to talk. There’s hardly any wind and the forecast predicts 15 knots tops.

By dinnertime, our instruments have stopped working. They normally tell us wind speed, speed over ground and other facts handy to know when you’re out in the open ocean. There’s also been some kind of problem with the alternator – but the mood is still upbeat. Who needs a motor on a sailing boat anyways? We’re only going up to the Gold Coast, not attempting a transatlantic crossing after all.

Night falls, and fluorescent streaks and bubbles appear in our wake. It’s to do with some kind of organism, apparently. Right. The sail’s flapping in the breeze and I start my first watch, belly filled nicely with pasta and beef, watching the faraway lights of other boats. Even overhearing our compass is broken doesn’t worry me too much. Surely someone on board knows navigation by the stars?

By the time the next watch relieves us and we head below deck for three hours’ sleep, conditions have worsened. The wind has picked up and the sky is overcast.

Day Two

The next thing I know, I’m clinging to the side of the boat in gale-force winds, as pounding waves crash over us, struggling to keep my stomach under control and the beef stroganoff down. I wish I hadn’t dug in with quite as much gusto a few hours earlier. It’s two in the morning, and I’ve been woken from a restless sleep by the skipper’s frantic shout “All hands on deck!”

A wave hits and my boots fill with water despite several layers of protective clothing. The cold water running down my legs brings only temporary distraction. I try to stare at a point on the horizon, to settle my stomach. It’s as much use as our failing water ballast, which is causing the boat to lean at an alarming angle. All I can see is pitch-black sky, no land and massive waves all around. There simply is no non-moving point of reference to be found. It’s going to be a long five hours until sunrise. Is this really just the forecast 15 knots of wind?

With no stars, no working instruments, diesel sloshing about the cabin and, as I later find out, precious little water left, our skipper decides to pull the plug. We turn tail and head back to safe haven. I’m gutted my first race is cut short so abruptly.

Food and drink on arrival cheer me up, and we start plotting our next adventure immediately. Right there on the pier between empty Bundy cans, soaked sail bags and discarded layers of clothing. As it turns out, we were actually in the middle of 30 knots of wind, resulting in sailing conditions like riding a rodeo bull surrounded by hornets. But I still can’t wait to do it again.

QUICK GUIDE TO OCEAN RACING

Getting there

We were at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Sydney www.cyca.com.au but clubs are everywhere around Australia. Yachting Australia’s websitewww.yachting.org.au lists state and territory organisations.

How much and how to

To start with, sailing barely costs you a cent – beer and rum money. But even club membership fees or race entry fees are very low. (As long as you don’t want to buy your own boat.)

Survival and Safety at Sea courses start at about $200, depending on where you do them. You don’t have to do courses when you are starting out, however: I started sailing with a Competent Crew Course, which costs less than $500.

Gear

All you really need is a comfy pair of pants, T-shirt, sunscreen and maybe some gloves, as it’s easy to get blisters or your hands caught. For winter sailing, you’ll need wet-weather gear, which can be costly, so it’s worth having a look around for sales on the web. www.sailworld.com sends out info in newsletters. For off- and inshore sailing, look for brands like Helly Hansen, Musto, Gill, Henry Lloyd, Slam and Gul.

Where and When

Weekly twilight sailing sessions are a great way to test the waters at your local yacht club. More daring wannabe sailors can ask around for any crewing needs at clubs and do a delivery from one of the major events like Hamilton Race Week or Sydney to Hobart. If you wanted to sail in relative comfort, you could become a paying customer during one of the offshore races – you’ll hardly have to lift a finger that way, if you don’t want to. Try www.crewseekers.net for any skill level and location. Caribbean, anyone?

Article for Alpha magazine. Photos taken with Olympus Stylus Tough 8000. Clothing by The North Face.

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Aquaculture Vulture

SA’s Seafood and Aquaculture Trail, winding across the stunning Eyre Peninsula, is dotted with all manner of fascinating diversions. Like swimming with a school of tuna, cavorting with a family of sea lions and even, if you dare, diving with a pack of sharks . . . by Sol Walkling.

My friends warn me about the Eyre Peninsula before I even set out: “It’s like the Wild West down there. Cashed-up tuna fishermen everywhere,” says one. “Why travel down there in winter?” asks another. When I explain that I’ll be swimming with all kinds of sea creatures, I’m met with disbelief. “You do know the water’s really cold, right?” Others have never even heard of the place.

Perhaps that’s a blessing in disguise for this tucked-away little travel gem. Just a plane hop from Adelaide, the Aquaculture Trail that wraps around the Eyre Peninsula is like a big outdoor aquarium. After an extended weekend away, spent pretty much entirely in wetsuits, I feel like that enigmatic French explorer and father of all fish, Jacques Cousteau. Minus the accent and bushy eyebrows.

If pigs had fins
At the very tip of the Peninsula, Port Lincoln is indeed infamous for its CUFs (cashed-up fishermen), along with the swimming equivalent to Wagyu beef: Southern Bluefin Tuna. And there’s no better way to get an up-close look at both the fish and the men that drive the town’s multimillion-dollar industry than to take a tour out to the ocean farms. These resemble nothing so much as oversized floating fishnet stockings filled with thousands of fattened-up underwater pigs with colourful fins.

Skipper Peter Dennis from Triple Bay Charters sure knows his tuna. In fact, his knowledge of Boston Bay’s swimming gold may surpass Jacques’ enthusiasm for all things aquatic. An impressive three hours of tuna talk is interspersed with stops at farms, Donington Rock (the smelly home of sea lions and gulls), and a sandy bay for a sashimi tasting.

To fatten little tuna into adults, around 9kg of pilchard is used to produce every 1kg of weight gain in Tuna, with the Tuna fishery using about 50,000 tonnes of pilchard per season. Peter explains: “It’s like sitting me in front of the TV and feeding me fast-food and beer.” Well, pilchards and herring is generally what a tuna opts for, but the effect is similar. Within half a year the fish are significantly bigger than their counterparts in the wild, and worth more than $70 per kilo.

Later, onboard a Close Up Tuna Tour with Adventure Bay Charters, we’re shown a film of a harvest entitled Tuna Warriors. Divers swim up behind an unsuspecting fish, grab its fin and, when the shocked tuna opens its gills to swim away, plunge their hands right in there to force the hapless couch potatoes onto a ramp. Removal of guts and spine takes seconds and follows strict guidelines set by the demanding Japanese market.

Luckily for me I don’t mind watching a bit of blood and gore before breakfast. Nor do I mind jumping into icy water protected only by a 3mm wetsuit, minus hood, gloves or booties. Well, I do – but sometimes sacrifices must be made in the name of research. Plus, the skipper promises me a warm shower after my early morning dip with the friendly sea lions famous to the area.

If cold, swim like a sea lion
Once I overcome the initial shock, swimming around with the circling, jumping, playful and curious sea lions is the best fun I’ve had in years. Cute and comical on land, they’re absurdly fast underwater. Surrounded by more than 20 of them, I watch big ones hover and float lazily below, while smaller ones stare back at me with big eyes and try to mimic my every move. After half an hour in the freezing water, I’m swimming around like a hyperactive sea lion myself, even trying to imitate their little jumps, and only stop when the cold-induced pounding headache becomes unbearable.

Back on deck, I peel off my sorry excuse for a wetsuit and hit the shower – which turns out to be about as warm as your average iceberg. When I emerge sporting the blue tinge and accusing stare of a farm-bred tuna, the skipper just laughs. “You wouldn’t have gone in if you’d known.”

A homemade chocolate muffin silences any further grumbling and shivering, and we make our way to the cruise owner’s tuna farm. As I’ll encounter time and again on my trip, the small-town folk don’t just know an incredible amount about the region’s main industry, they’re also not afraid to unleash the whole lot upon anyone naïve enough to ask a single innocent question. By the time we arrive at the tuna farm, knowledgeable 18-year-old Stacey has filled me so full of facts my head is, appropriately, swimming. She sometimes sleeps out on the tuna farm at night to prevent would-be pirates (owner Matt Waller doesn’t trust security cameras any more after losing his whole swarm several years back), and my friends the sea lions have to be stopped from snacking next to the electric fences they now have installed. Which makes me even less keen to tug on a still-wet rubber suit and go swimming with a herd of crazed blue sea-pigs on speed.

No way out but down
Attracted by the herrings lobbed into the water by my fellow travellers, the juvenile tuna are working themselves into a frenzy, spraying everyone with water as they leap to snatch fish from hands. Entering their underwater domain is daunting. But with the skipper, crew and other passengers looking on, there’s no way out but down.

I’m almost instantly at ease; the shimmering tuna manoeuvre elegantly and swiftly underwater, and seeing them approach through rays of sunlight helps. The skipper joins me so I can try for a shot of a tuna grabbing fish from his hand. None bite at first; the idea of swimming between what looks like two oversized seals in order to catch a single herring can’t be too appealing, given that bucketfuls are still being freely fed hand over fist from the jetty. But the farm’s single blind tuna – easily recognisable by its milky eyes and its later near collision with a sluggish travel writer – has no fear and I get several decent shots right into its gills.

Back on the boat and in more comfortable and warm attire, we barely avoid a collision with a small vessel steered angrily at us by a territorial fisherman from an age before outboard motors. In good old seafaring tradition, he flicks V-signs at us before changing direction to take on one of the powerful tuna boats behind us.

Lincoln’s chequered past
At Lincoln Cove, and because this is what travel writers do, I board a Marina Boat Cruise to dutifully discover Port Lincoln’s colourful past. And what a past it turns out to be. Graham Daniels picks up passengers at the jetty in his little electric runabout – perfect for ducking in and out between large prawn fishing vessels, CUF powerboats and kayaking children. He’s lived in the area his whole life and regales all onboard with tales from a time long since gone, when Port Lincoln more closely resembled a bunch of washed-up pirates working a few boats. “They used to take the law into their own hands,” he laughs, recalling drawn guns, sea artillery fired at competitors, boats stolen in the dead of night and others rammed in broad daylight in the race for Port Lincoln’s swimming gold.

Following a picture-book sunset, night finally falls in the harbour. After all these fishy goings-on, a Nature in the Dark trip gets me closer to all nocturnal creatures great and small. Steve Pocock from Great Australian Bight Safaris prides himself on running his eco tours since 1986 to some of the peninsula’s most stunning pockets. His knowledge of the birds and the bees – oh yes, he talks about them extensively – and genuine concern for the preservation of Australia’s wilderness is evident as he drives me through Lincoln National Park in his massive 4WD, shining a red light on ‘roos, rabbits, birds, possums and anything else that comes our way. Unfortunately, by this time of night, I’ve had my fill of fascinating information, and listening to night owls on Steve’s iPod very nearly sends me to sleep. Not even a coffee-and-cookie break can keep me from dreaming of my warm bed.

Feeding and resting yourself
Finding somewhere to rest your weary head and dream of tuna is easy, with plenty of accommodation available. My pick of the crop are: the Port Lincoln Hotel – the sea views, location and subdued style of the town’s oldest hotel make it a perennial favourite with all visitors; and Abeona Cottage, for a local take on the classic B&B category – charming, historic, big enough to sleep a family of four and with an amazing rustic fireplace.

As you’d expect from a seaside town that boasts Australia’s largest commercial fishing fleet, there’s plenty of seafood to be had in Port Lincoln. But since the Japanese will pay a whole lot for fish, it’s not necessarily cheap. In fact, I’m told locals normally prefer preparing homemade dishes from their neighbour’s catch rather than venturing out to restaurants. If the 14,000-strong town’s array of Chinese, Indian and takeaway joints is anything to go by, the standards aren’t particularly high.

I have a disappointing experience at local Italian favourite Cafe Del Giorno, where the service fails me and my takeaway pizza’s lonely prawns swim in several blocks of cheese on a doughy base, before trying the Port Lincoln Hotel’s Sarin’s restaurant. Owned by Sam Sarin, one of Australia’s richest men – yes, another CUF – the restaurant fills me up with outstanding food in a family friendly atmosphere, before I retire to my room to watch a shark movie on the massive plasma TV. Speaking of which, if you think you’d enjoy a tuna or sea lion swim, you might want to try out a shark dive while you’re in town. Port Lincoln is one of the few places in the world that offers cage diving with great whites (more on this in a later issue of AT).

But if you’d rather not encounter the predator at the top of the underwater food chain, and would rather please your own tastebuds instead, get yourself to Fresh Fish Place, the town’s fish processing factory. Smoked fish, marinated calamari and pickled scallops are all on the mouth menu, while your brain’s fed more information than you can handle on how to fillet the famous King George whiting.

Elsewhere on the trail
If you’ve got more time, a loop south from Whyalla to Port Lincoln then north again to Ceduna on the eastern side of the peninsula is worthwhile. (Just make sure you get a rental car in Adelaide; hiring a car in Whyalla and dropping it off elsewhere is near impossible. Only Budget Whyalla offered drop-offs at the time of my trip and the additional charges pretty much doubled the price.)

If you’re driving from Adelaide or Port Augusta, Whyalla will be your first encounter with the sleepy peninsula’s pace of life and underwater action. Although its more than twice the size of Port Lincoln, the mining city’s biggest attraction is the thousands of merrily mating giant Australian cuttlefish which migrate here in winter. Swimming amid the floating fluorescent cuttlefish is fascinating, I hear, but, if you’re unlucky enough to get to Whyalla on one of its windier (or rainier) days, the rainbow-coloured tourist attractions won’t be getting jiggy. And floating amid timidly hiding cuttlefish is one of the most underwhelming experiences I’ve ever ticked off my to do list.

Even the local high school’s aquaculture project beats the cuttlefish snorkel hands down. Two giggling teenage girls and gentle fishkeeper Dave don’t exactly have me at “hello”, but holding the yabby, touching the barramundi and hearing the reverence in Dave’s voice when he talks about his “beautiful fish” transform this dark, hangar-like outbuilding and its many aquariums into an interesting educational experience.

If the weather fails you, the HMAS Whyalla, one of only two remaining Corvette’s on Australian soil and witness to the town’s proud wartime shipbuilding history, is also worth a visit. Arno and Tumby Bay might be worth a pit stop on your 2.5hr drive to Port Lincoln. Pack a picnic or savour some fresh oysters bought at Cowell’s Aqua Oysters fish factory.

Although the peninsula is said to have near-perfect Mediterranean climate, you’ll see a lot of drizzle in winter, which means two things: Winter Hill Lookout in Port Lincoln will not only provide you with panoramic views, but also rainbows at all hours of the day. And you’d better plan some back-up options, since most of the tours won’t operate in bad weather. The Axel Stenross Maritime Museum could well be one of them; a great spot for anyone with a fascination for boats and sailing – on display are knots and splices and various boat-making tools. The Koppio Smithy Museum, showcasing memorabilia from the region’s rural history, also comes highly recommended.

To conclude your loop, you’ll drive along the rugged coastline of the Great Australian Bight and through the raw national parks on the Peninsula’s western side. It might be worth giving Steve Pocock a ring to take (and talk) you through the wonderland of the stunning dunes. Streaky and Greenly Bay are great for a spot of surfing or fishing and before you finish up your journey at Ceduna, make sure you stay overnight in one of the national parks. Campgrounds and historic solitary cottages will make your experience of the aquatic Wild West’s wonderland complete.

Details // Aquaculture Vulture
SA Aquaculture Trail: (www.seafoodtrail.com)
Triple Bay Charters: (pbay@bigpond.net.au , 08 8682 4119)
Close Up Tuna Tours: (www.adventurebaycharters.com.au, 04 8842 8862)
Marina Boat Cruises: (grahamd@sa.chariot.net.au , 0402 155 763)
Great Australian Bight Safaris: (www.greatsafaris.com.au, 1800 352 750)
Port Lincoln Hotel: (www.portlincolnhotel.com.au, 1300 766 100)
Abeona Cottage: (www.abeonacottage.com.au, 08 8682 2811)
Cafe Del Giorno: (80 Tasman Tce, 08 8683 0577)
Fresh Fish Place: (www.portlincolnseafood.com.au, 1300 788 378)
Whyalla Diving Services: (08 8645 8050)
Murray Cod Tours: (Whyalla Visitor Centre on 1800 088 589)
Aqua Oysters: (08 8629 2373)
Koppio Smithy Museum: (08 8684 4243)
Axel Stenross Maritime Museum: (08 8682 3908)

For help with bookings contact: Whyalla Visitor Centre (www.whyalla.com, 1800 088 589) and Port Lincoln Visitor Centre (www.visitportlincoln.net, 1800 629 911).

Accommodation bookings made through: www.takeabreak.com.au.

Article for Australian Traveller.

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Not Seeing Eye Level