Back in 2009 during the Best Job in the World I flew from Hamilton Island to the centre of Queensland’s Outback and a fascinating town called Longreach. I was there to take part in a charity drive known as Angel Flight’s Outback Trailblazer. I had such a good time I swore I’d return.

My Afritrex expedition in 2008 saw me travel overland circumnavigating Africa in my trusty Land Rover, Colonel Mustard. Since then I’ve brought him out to join me in Brisbane so it was about he time he stretched his legs again on the open road.

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We hit the road together at 4am winding our way out of the city confines. The motorway to Toowoomba was beautifully quiet as we climbed over the Great Dividing Range that lifts us 700m above sea level. I’d never driven this way before and as the road passed across the Darling Downs the sun was just starting to show its head across the fog-lined valleys. It reminded me of those cool autumnal mornings back in the UK.

The drive out to Barcaldine, my destination for the night, tracks for over a 1000kms through Queensland’s Outback. I love driving huge distances, watching the landscape and agriculture change, stopping off to chat with the locals and counting down the distance to the finish line. 14 hours and 1,123 kms later the sun dropped behind the horizon, I pulled into the Iron Bark Pub car park to be greeted by a gaggle of Trailblazers already enjoying ‘a cold one’.

Ten days of Outback adventures lay ahead for around 40 vehicles, decked out in the sponsors’ livery and all on a mission to drive around 2,500kms on the “twelve river run” around Queensland’s outback. With 100 people from all walks of life taking part it was set to be a great fundraiser with a whole load of laughs along the way. Angel Flights Patron is Tanya Kernahan, one of Australia’s famous country singers. She launched this year’s event in Barcaldine with the cars all lined up outside the Tree of Knowledge

Over the next seven days we headed through some of the most stunning Outback scenery. Long open stretches of dust-funnelling dirt road, vast expanses of low bush trailing off into the distance, the occasional mud track and lots of  tarmac extending to infinity. No two days were the same.

Since the official end to the Big Dry, Australia’s ten year drought, the Outback has transformed from a red dust bowl into a succulent green landscape severed by creeks and rivers. The wildlife has come out to play too with Emus and Kangaroos bounding along the edge of roads, racing for cover at the last minute. It’s only when you get up high you see the distances and the scale of this space. Life is everywhere.

The daily format for the Trailblazer involves early starts, a short drive before a filling breakfast, another drive to our location for lunch and an afternoon drive in time for dinner! Drive, eat, drive, eat. Each of the towns we stop at have something very unique about them. Some are famous for their opals, some for their cattle, some for the most recent flood and some like Toompine, for their population of 4. Yes 4 people!

We meet some of the most hospitable people I’ve met in Queensland on the trip. School groups turn out to feed us, the local lawn bowls club to host competitions and the police even get involved with an impromptue road block. You see these communities don’t have a huge amount of traffic passing through them, apart from the occasional road train (at up to 56 metres long). So when 100 people arrive enmasse  it becomes a pretty major event. The highlight of all this fun and frivolity has to be a performance from the children at Quilpie school who one evening sing, dance and tap their way through an entire repertoire of songs after only three hours practice…and they rocked the place.

The Outback is famous for its watering holes. Not the ones the wildlife need to stay alive in the dry season, more the pubs that attract locals from far and wide after a hard day’s work. We stop off at a few along the way and each has its own personality and characters propping up the bar.

Along the way we stop at some iconic Outback tourist attractions, some of them wacky, some of them plain weird! The Cosmos Centre in Charleville has to be one of the best though. With clear outback skies and no light pollution their telescope can spy stars and planets way off in the distance and they operate sessions at 7:30pm on most nights. Well worth stopping in for.

Palm Grove Date Farm is another gem of a place. They grow figs, dates and have some amazing mud baths too utilising the artesian clay that lines the creeks here. It’s all good for the skin apparently! Ian and Nan Pike run their little shop and sell some true delicacies including their Sticky Date liqueur – have a shot! I walk out with dried figs, fig jam and of course a mud pack!

After a week on the road the convoy pulls into St George having visited some cracking locations, met some charismatic people and experienced some real Aussie hospitality. The event last year raised over $250,000 for Angel Flight and this year looks like it could surpass it with more vehicles and much more generosity all round.

Next year the event will take place in October and head north from Barcaldine exploring another area of this beautiful land.

Time to wash down the Colonel, clean the dust from my ears and dream about the next Outback drive.

Ben

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I haven’t ‘relaxed‘ properly in over four years.

Not the relax where you sit down for an evening to unwind, not the relax where you fall asleep on the beach or the relax where you watch the sun go down into the ocean. But the sort of relax where you forget your mobile phone, the internet and the outside world for days on end.

Last weekend I finally achieved this state of totally abandon, threw away the cares of the real world and headed to Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat on the Gold Coast to give myself a well overdue break from my ridiculously hectic lifestyle…and I rather enjoyed it.

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The view from the Qigong lawn in the centre of Gwinganna summarises the ambiance of the entire place. You look across the sweeping hills of the Gold Coast Hinterland towards the ocean in the distance with the skyline of the Gold Coast punctuating the two. This gives you an appreciation that you’re still part of the real world but far enough from it as to adopt a different mentality and take on life.

After the exhuberance of last weekend at the Adventurethon on Magnetic Island I thought I’d give my legs and body a well-overdue rest. Time to treat it to some therapeutic massage, healthy eating and some old-fashioned horizontal rest.

Gwinganna is one of those locations I’ve been meaning to visit for the last three years. It’s talked about with high regard as somewhere to go to leave the world behind and enter another headspace altogether. So when I heard they held an Organic Living course over a long weekend I decided it was time to venture south, almost the border of New South Wales (but not over of course!) and sample their delights.

Leave the iPhone in the room, step aside from caffeine and alcohol and embrace early mornings, healthy food and NO DESSERT! This could be tough.

My room at Gwinganna was a retreat in itself, overlooking a serene lake and themed in a Balinese style with no television, internet connection or minbar. I slept extremely well on the first night until the 5:30am wake-up call “Good morning Ben”.

Time to take part in the first of the day’s activities Qigong – an ancient cross between slow-mo dance and Thai-chi. Qigong is supposed to root your core to the earth and re-establish your place on the planet! Watching the sunrise from the horizon out in the open air is pretty special whatever you’re doing with your body at the time.

Breakfast is the first taste of how differently things are done here; healthy all the way. Almond milk, sheep’s yoghurt, buckwheat kernels, organic muesli and a shot of apple cider vinegar to line the stomach.

Next in the days proceedings, a hard walk through the bush with John Palmer, resident botanist and environmentalist here. John is one of the most fascinating people I’ve ever met on this planet. Overflowing with character, knowledge and hilarity this gentle man embraces the natural world, wraps it in his own personality and delivers it to you in the most affable way. I could have spent hours hearing his stories of life and his work which has spanned over 20 years here.

We’re here for an organic experience and once the walk has finished its back to the main restaurant for the core of the course; Organic Living with Shelley Pryor. Having spent 20 years as a chef growing everything organically on ‘the next ridge over’, she comes armed with knowledge on just about everything you can grow, cook and eat. Where Gwinganna has managed to find two such incredible characters is beyond me. Shelley and John are the very essence of how it should be done in a perfect world.

Having been brought up in the ‘Green Fingered Way’ by my parents in the UK I love growing fruit and vegetables so I’m here to get tips for Aussie growing. After three days of lessons and listening my notebook is full of scribbles, my head full of ideas and I’m itching to put them into practice.

Dreamtime arrives just after lunch. This is the part of the day that everyone looks forward to. A chance to be preened, pampered and poked in the spa for the betterment of the human body and mind.

Having smashed my legs to pieces the previous weekend they’re in need of some serious attention and I enrol for the Rockupuncture and Deep Tissue Massage courses. Eighty minutes brings everything internal back on track so I can abuse my body again in a few months time when I take on the next marathon!

The spa itself is nestled amongst the trees in the forest, the treatment rooms laid out like the points on a compass. Inside each the knowledge of an expert brings the lucky inhabitant back to life in their own special way; acupuncture, massage, hot stones etc etc

Once the treatments are out of the way its ‘you’ time – a chance to lay back, read a book, relax and unwind – after all its been a tough morning!

The evening meal can’t come soon enough, I love to eat and the exertions of the day build the appetite by 7pm. Each evening we’re treated to luxurious, healthy food…but there’s always one thing missing in my mind – DESSERT!!! It doesn’t matter  how long I sit at the table after the meal is cleared. I never arrives

Four days pass too quickly, each offering a different experience and set of activities. The pick of which for me has to be ‘Finding Your Mojo’. Picture me in a room with 20 women belly-dancing, pretending to hold a bank note in my butt-cheeks whilst wiggling like Beyonce and then to top it all off ‘Dancing the Horny Camel” – I laughed until I cried.

As I drove away I felt sad to be leaving after a truly awe-inspiring, spiritual experience, heading back to the real world of chocolate, wine, hectic traffic and DESSERT!!

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To say Gwinganna had a profound effect on me would be an understatement. I mean look at the twelve hours after I left the retreat. I headed straight to a worm supplier and bought a worm farm, repotted all my plants with organic compost, planted out my cuttings from John Palmer and cooked Sophee dinner using Shelley’s herbs and plants!!!!

To find out more about this beautiful part of the Sunshine State visit the Gwinganna website and check yourself out of the real world, just for a few days.

I’m off to the Outback for the next ten days as part of the Outback Trailblazer which will make for an amazing experience and some great blogs.

Have a great week

Ben

When I go for a run at sparrows-fart-early there’s already loads of people hitting the tarmac along the river. As I ride to work I’m overtaken by lycra-clad cyclists on their way to the local coffee-shop. When I jump in the pool at 6am there’s already swimmers churning up the surface of the water.

The climate here is perfect for outdoor training all year round, daylight hours are consistent throughout the year and there really is no reason to stay inside and play computer games or watch TV. I love it!

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On New Year’s Day I set myself five New Year’s Challenges for 2012:

• Adventurethon – on Magnetic Island
• Cairns Adventure Festival – marathon leg as part of a team
• Brisbane Marathon – Full 42kms around the city
• Solar Eclipse Marathon – Port Douglas in November
• Bridge to Brisbane – 10kms into the city

I headed north to the stunning location of Magnetic Island a couple of weeks ago for the first of these, the Adventurethon, a multisport adrenaline-filled tough man’s challenge.

On the same weekend Tough Mudder was happening in Melbourne, supposedly “THE Toughest Event on the Planet” – 20kms of obstacles and challenges! Oh how I laughed, Adventurethoners would eat Tough Mudders for breakfast as fuel for the day!

Try this on for size:

• 13kms Open Ocean Paddle
• 4.2kms Steep Hill Run
• 13kms Open Ocean Paddle
• 30kms Mountain Bike Ride (read as carry and run)
• 18.5kms Steep Trail Run

In November when I first heard of the event, I looked at the different disciplines  and thought “Sure thing I can do that, I’ve just paddled 1600kms in a kayak for goodness sake!”. Training didn’t happen as it was supposed to. If I’m honest the last time I had a paddle before the event was February, we’ll just have to see what happens!

The big day arrived and the weather looked great, almost too good. Clear blue skies, no wind and blazing sunshine throwing down 32 degrees of heat onto the course and my fellow competitors. As I wandered down the beach to my surf ski the pros were already in the water waiting for the gun. Balanced on pencil-thin skis designed for speed, not buoyancy. I’d chosen the safer option – a wide floaty craft that I could at least stay on top of. And then we were off, a rush into the ocean, a splash of paddles and the lead pack simply disappeared. It’d be a long day for me.

Although I’m a pretty competitive person my life doesn’t revolve around training like most of these guys. There were army dudes, fitness trainers, lifeguards and ultra-marathoners all taking part and they ALL wanted to win.

As I arrived at the beach for the end of Leg 1, the leader was already leaving on the return leg. He’d just smashed out a 5km run and had a good 30 minute lead already. Maybe I spent too long taking in the stunning views instead of concentrating on paddling hard, but when a turtle pops up next to you it’s hard not to stop and take it in!

The theme of the day for me was decided pretty early on. Pain was to be my escort for the rest of the race. I rolled my ankle running too fast down the rocky course and straight away felt the pain shoot up my leg, reminiscent of an identical injury a few year ago. Suck it up Southall this was never going to be easy!

I arrived at the transition area at the end of the second paddle leg, swap shoes, fill my face with bananas (from Queensland of course), slap on the zinc, grab my bike and attempted to ride down the beach. Bikes and sand don’t mix however, my tyre digs in and I almost go over the handlebars…maybe some off-road riding would have been good before entering this event Ben?

The MTB course is pretty extreme to say the least, any up hill usually involves carrying the bike as the rocks are huge and impossible to ride over. But the downhills are amazing, flat out fast, hair-raising drops down gravel tracks and through gullies. Magnetic Island is perfect for thrill-seekers!

I catch my friend and adversary Pat Kinsella during the bike leg. We came and scoped out this event a few weeks back together in the most torrential rain. With the sun shining and our bodies sore it only seems right that we stick together and pull each other through the mentally tough sections.

As we head out on the final leg, an 18.5km trail run around the island, my ankle was just about impossible to run on. Swollen, blue and the source of many a grumble, “Southall get on with it, we’ve got a race to finish” comes Pat’s supportive response.

This is where I had to dig in, grit my teeth and take each kilometre as it comes. We made our way up the same course we carried our bikes up a couple of hours before. Halfway up I felt a cramp taking hold of the leg - just able to walk on, i thought this is going to be hell!! As I lifted my head the sign says just that ‘Welcome to Hell”

An hour later we made it to the summit of the final hill. Pat and I snap a photo and prepare for the descent and final sprit along the finish straight. After 9hrs and 10mins we crossed the line thoroughly exhausted but SO happy. We completed the Adventurethon!

Not a bad time considering I hobbled for 3/4 of the race…until you compare it to the winner who finished in 5hrs 40 mins. Oh well, next year with some real training I may get a little closer.

Still beats the hell out of not-so-Tough Mudder

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Next week I’m heading south to relax, recoup and recover with a few days off at Gwinganna Health Retreat. No internet, no tv, no sugar, no salt. Just me, Sophee and a few good books….

Ben

If like me you sometimes leave it all to the last minute here’s a few suggestions of activities you could do around Queensland over the next few days:

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Trying to avoid the public holiday crowds?

• Lace up the boots and set off on one of the Great Walks of Queensland. There’s a series of world-class walking tracks that traverse some of the state’s most beautiful natural areas, including three World Heritage-listed sites which can be experienced in short half-day treks through to full eight-day hikes. Here’s a few suggestions – Thorsborne Trail at Hinchinbrook Island, Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk and the Whitsunday Ngaro Sea-Trail.
  Cost: Free once you get there
• If you’re more of a ‘taster’ than a ‘trekker’ Queensland’s food and wine trails will give you something to bite into. Take a drive, sample some produce, meet the growers and learn more about the paddock-to-plate process. Try the Granite Belt Wine Country Nude Food Trail, Gold Coast Food and Wine Trail or Food Trail Tours to the Atherton Tablelands.
  Cost: Guided wine tours cost around $150 per person including a nice meal and wine tastings. Drive yourself and buy your own food and a nice bottle or two to take home.

• A scenic hot air balloon ride to discover South East Queensland from the air with uninterrupted views of the city and the country.
  Cost: Around $300 per person.
• For other spectacular views, head to the 77th level of the world’s tallest residential tower, Q1 on the Gold Coast offers breathtaking 360 degree views from its QDeck.
  Cost: $54.50 for a family pass.
• If thrill-seeking is your thing make the ultimate entrance and skydive onto one of Queensland’s beaches.
  Cost: Around $250.

Make a splash

• While Queensland is renowned for its beautiful beaches, we’ve also got stunning waterways and dams which offer an appealing alternative for a picnic and spot of fishing such as, Somerset Dam, Lake Moogerah or Cania Gorge.
  Cost: A few dollars for bait and a home-packed picnic lunch.
• Feeling more adventurous? Maybe it’s time to try surfing or stand-up-paddle boarding. Glide along the Brisbane River, meander the maze of Sunshine Coast canals or take on the waves on the Gold Coast.
  Cost: Around $50.



• Brisbane’s Riverlife Adventure Centre is also offering Tangatours, a range of unique day trips and adventure activities on the beach of Tangalooma Island Resort. Choose from jet ski tours, day and dusk kayaking tours, segway and sight seeing activities.
  Cost: From around $20 per person.
• Take a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef or cruise out to one of Queensland’s many islands.
  Cost: From $59

Ditch the eggs and find other ways to indulge this Easter

• Indulge yourself at a health retreat or sit back and soak up the pampering at one of Queensland’s premier spas. Chocolate massages are in the bunny’s basket this Easter with chocolate oil massages on the menu at Ripple Day Spa.
  Cost: Ripple Day Spa have chocolate massages starting from $195.



• For something much healthier than chocolate eggs and 100 percent natural sample Black Sapote (otherwise known as chocolate pudding fruit) at the Cape Trib Exotic Fruit Farm in Tropical North Queensland.
  Cost: $23.00 per adult.

Learn a new skill

• Whether it’s hanging-ten with the surfing pros on the Gold Coast, taking a kitesurfing lesson in Hervey Bay or topping up your culinary skills at a cooking school, Queensland has a smorgasboard of activities on offer to help you learn a new a skill this long weekend. Why not join in a chocolate making class and learn how to make some eggs for next Easter. 
  Cost: cooking classes start from around $120 per person; surf lessons from $50 and kitesurfing lessons from $130.

To market …

• Featuring everything from home-made handicrafts to farm-fresh local produce, jewellery and free entertainment, markets are a fantastic way to spend a morning. Or venture further afield and browse the antique stores throughout the Scenic Rim or Sunshine Coast Hinterland. 
  Cost: Free to enter (in most cases).

Sit back and enjoy the show

• The Gold Coast theme parks, Underwater World and Australia Zoo are all open over the Easter break offering a range of eggscellent entertainment options. 
  Cost: From $30 – $80 for adults.
• The new Sunshine Coast Super Pass is also a great option for anyone looking for an action-packed day on the coast granting VIP access to Aussie World, Underwater World and the Big Kart Track.
  Cost: $79.95 for adults or $59.95 for kids.
• Nothing beats grabbing some fish and chips and heading down to the beach to watch the surfers catching some breaks.
  Cost: Only the fish and chips and some sunscreen.

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With SO much to choose from I’ve still no idea what to do this weekend – sure Soph and I will be able to find something suitable from this list.

After the exertions of last weekend’s Adventurethon I’m tempted by something relaxing. I’ll tell you all about that next week,

Happy Easter

Ben

To prove my point, last weekend I set off on an 18 hour adventure to North Stradbroke Island, on the other side of Moreton Bay from the city.

It was a weekend of well overdue reunions…

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On September 12th 2008, I qualified as a PADI SCUBA diver whilst travelling around Africa during my Afritrex expedition. Nkhata Bay was the location on the banks of Lake Malawi, a crystal clear freshwater lake in the warm heart of Africa.

My dive buddy at the time was another traveller, Craig Letham, a Kiwi on the road for his own adventure. We went through three days together, got our dive certification, shook hands and thought we’d never see each other again.

On May 9th 2009, three days after being announced as the successful candidate for the Best Job in the World, I enjoyed two days rest and recuperation at Manta Dive Lodge on North Stradbroke Island. Finally after snorkelling and flying over the Great Barrier Reef, I’d have the chance to actually dive in Australian waters for the first time! Read about my first ever Aussie dive here.

My dive master for the day was (as I described him at the time) “a funny little man” named Dave Biddulph. In reality a fantastic man, a superb photographer and a bloody nice chap. We got on like a house on fire but again, thought we’d never see each other again.

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FAST FORWARD THREE YEARS – Craig has moved to Brisbane from New Zealand, Dave is still at Manta Lodge and I’ve decided to stay in Queensland. Personally I can’t think of a better reason to have a reunion!

Time is precious in everyone’s lives. Finding a free weekend is close to impossible. But old friends living on your doorstep should never become strangers so I organised a speedy weekend away to reunite those friendships.

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Brisbanites (that’s people from Brisbane and surrounding areas!) try this on for size …

Finish work at 5pm on a Friday

• Drive to Cleveland ferry terminal
• Jump on a ferry (we chose Big Red Cat but there are others)
• Catch the bus to the Manta Dive Lodge and arrive by 8pm
• Grab a bite of dinner and relax for the night
• Up early for two dives
• Back to the lodge to shower and pack
• Bus back to the ferry
• Drive back to the city (home by 3pm on Saturday)

A whistlestop tour? Yes. But if you’re looking for an opportunity to get underwater and blow bubbles with some amazing marine life and only have a day to spare, then this is the way to do it.

Manta Lodge YHA offers a real island style retreat so the pace of life is that much slower – we’re on island time baby! Evenings are spent meeting new friends, checking out the huge array of dive photos and hearing tales from below the surface. They live and breathe the ocean and have been diving the waters around North Stradbroke for years so know where to take you to find their local heroes. Dave takes some amazing photos too, here’s some from our dives together:

There is absolutely loads to keep even the most experienced diver happy from the bigger stuff like Tasselled Wobbegongs to stunning Harlequin shrimps. We had gone there optimistically hoping for Manta Rays but were too early in the season – they love the cooler winter water.

It really is a simple trip to do, head out of work at 5pm for the island and be back in the city by the Saturday afternoon. There are no more excuses!

Making the most of every opportunity,

Ben

I’ve always marvelled at yachts and sailing. To me there’s something beautiful about a bow cutting through a wave, a full sail under load or watching the sun drop into the ocean when you’re sat on anchor.

It’s a glamourous world full stop. Grotty Yachties or Yachtie Totty have the edge on us normal landlubbers. There’s an entirely new dictionary to learn to avoid being abreast, adrift or abeam…everyone knows you have to be aboard!

But sailing doesn’t have to be a experience reserved for the jetset alone, come on if I can do it anyone can. Last year I was lucky enough to live onboard a catamaran called Sunshine during the Best Expedition. Amongst all the glorious locations on offer along the Queensland coastline there are some absolute gems; perfect anchorages, marvellous marinas and of course the Great Barrier Reef as a back yard.

There’s loads of different ways to get involved and you don’t have to be Captain Cook to taste the spray of the ocean. If you’ve got a family with no experience at all then charter a bareboat in the Whitsundays complete with your very own skipper. Think of it as a floating hotel room with a changing view every day.

Have you sailed before? Maybe you want to be part of a crew at one of the race weeks on offer and feel the thrill of close-up on the water action. I did this during Hamilton Island Race Week and loved it onboard Spirit of the Maid, a 65ft ex-round the world racer…and then my finest sailing hour – with the crew of Wild Oats XI, a 100ft pure adrenalin racing machine designed for the Sydney to Hobart Race.

Or combine the two – Sunsail, based in the Whitsundays, offer complete boat charters during race weeks at both Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island. Soaking up the atmosphere of one of the events has to be experienced.

Yesterday I headed to Southport Yacht Club on the Gold Coast to launch this year’s Season of Sailing with Jessica Watson, the Aussie heroine who was the youngest person to sail around the world in 2010. Her motivation and love of the sport are clear to see and the young kids who came out on the water with us for a morning of sailing and photo-taking left inspired and smiling. In a few years time you’ll see them helming the big boats I’d say!

This year’s events are:

• Sail Paradise Gold Coast 21 – 25 March
• Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race 6 – 8 April
• Etchells Australasian Winter Championships 7 – 10 June
• Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race 3 – 6 August
• Airlie Beach Race Week 10 – 16 August
• Hamilton Island Race Week 17 – 25 August
• Magnetic Island Race Week 30 August – 4 September

So take the personal challenge, satisfy that insatiable appetite you have for life, pick an event and get there to enjoy the best of sailing here in Queensland!

Ben

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Skypoint Climb at Q1

Heights have NEVER been my thing. Not aged 16 for my first ever parachute jump, not last week walking around the top of Q1 or this week for the AJ Hackett Minjin swing in Cairns! NEVER.

Q1 is the tallest residential building in the southern hemisphere and last month their latest vertigo-inducing activity was opened – the SkyPoint Climb. At 270 metres above the ground my mind was already getting the better of me as we stepped outside for the first time dressed in our gorgeous jumpsuits.

Strapped securely into our harness and suits we clipped onto the safety rail that runs around the entire building. This ensures if you lean right over the edge (which I reluctantly did) you don’t end up on the street below!

We’d chosen to do the sunset climb, leaving at 5pm (dependant on the time of year you do it) and it was well worth it for the views at sunset alone. This unique view high above the Gold Coast gives a vast panorama from Brisbane in the north, through the Hinterland and Springbrook National Park to Tweed Heads in the south.

The sun dips behind the horizon, colour leaves the evening sky and the neon strip of this famous location comes to life. Twinkling lights, the sound of life below and the crash of the ocean all a distant interaction as the wind and rawness of life at 270 metres takes over. This is one heck of a rush.

Now I can say that I’ve done it. Another vertigo-experience is ticked off my list and I don’t have to do it again. I can however highly recommend it to anyone who feels more comfortable than me at altitude.

Walks happen from 9am but if you really want a unique adventure head there for sundown.

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The Great Barrier Reef documentary

From the top of Q1 to the very depths of the ocean on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef, my life this week has gone from pure fear to pure unadulterated joy at the vision that appears in the new Great Barrier Reef documentary, airing this weekend on Channel 9 here in Australia.

Over the last 8 years Richard Fitzpatrick and the BBC have been capturing all aspects of life on the largest living organism on the world – Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef.
The series has already gone to air in the UK with over 4 million people tuning in to learn more about life under the ocean, and this weekend Australia gets to see it.

You’ll get the chance to glimpse the world floating by from a turtle-cam, discover sharks that walk on land, corals that fight each other, the most venomous creatures known to science and the largest green turtle gathering on the planet!

To give you a little taster of what to expect have a look at the movie below:

Have a great weekend and see you next week

Ben

Since then I’ve completed the Best Expedition in the World, my five month kayaking marathon from Lady Elliot Island to Cooktown. During that time on the water I worked extensively with Richard and Christophe from UE to capture stunning images and video of the marine life on the Great Barrier Reef which we’ve brought to you through www.islandreefjob.com.

A major sponsor for the concept, Catlin Insurance, have come onboard to allow this to happen. The project will focus on three parts:

• mega-fauna tracking to show how manta rays, tiger sharks and turtles move around the reef
• a deep reef survey which will look into the effects of climate change on this fragile eco-system, and
• this week the next chapter has been unveiled – Catlin Seaview

Everyone knows how good it is to explore the world using Google’s Streetview. Well they’ve taken the same technology, waterproofed of course, donned their wetsuits and headed to some of the most spectacular locations on the Great Barrier Reef. Click on the images below to explore for yourself.

So far the 360 images are just mock-ups of what will be produced but can you imagine virtual-swimming around a huge coral bommie, feeling the vertigo of a reef wall drop-off or tracking along the edge of Raine Island – turtle nesting heaven!

I’ll be getting involved with the team later this year to bring this technology to the Queensland Holidays website so you can check out our amazing dive sites before you book a holiday here to explore them yourself for real.

For now have fun swimming around the place I’m lucky enough to call my office.

Ben

Following on from my last blog which covered the lakes of Central Queensland, the six fishing journalists and I spent the next two days out on the waters of the Coral Sea in search of some mighty big beasts…and we found them.

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Day One – The Keppel Group of Islands – onboard Keppeluna from Rosslyn Bay

Matt Smith (one of the group) works for Modern Fishing magazine. From his childhood days he’s had a list of ‘Dream Fish to Catch’. One of them is the Giant Trevally – one of the best pound-for-pound fighting fish in the world.

Another ridiculously early start of 4am meant we witnessed the best part of the day, sunrise, from onboard our boat as we headed out to the eastern side of Great Keppel Island.

Our guide for the day is the infinitely knowledgeable Graham Scott. During the Best Job in the World I spent two days with Graham fishing the waters of Shoalwater Bay and came up trumps almost every time. This guy lives and breathes fishing, secret spots, tactics and techniques are second nature to him so the fishing journos lapped up his every word. He likes to lay into me though. I do confess I wasn’t the most successful fisherman back in 2009 so I had a point to prove…just don’t loose one Ben!

Casting a huge ‘popper’ towards the rocks, fast-reeling it back whilst splashing it through the water here is the tactics. One cast and BANG immediately we’re ‘on’ with Giant Trevally (GT) Number One furiously spooling out line as Graham wrestles for control. Matt takes the rod and for the next five minutes battles with the monster from the deep. His heart is racing, his sweat is dripping and his shoulders are aching…these are truly the most fantastic sport fish!

Everything we’re doing here is keeping to my philosophy though. All the fish go right back where they came from. Catch and release

My turn comes around quickly enough, we’re into GT Number Four when the rod is passed to me. It’s now or never to prove myself as a fisherman! I wind and fight, haul and reel, really put my back into it until finally “I see colour” (check here for a definition) and my opponent gives in. One huge fish is landed, photographed and released back to where it came from.

Surely I qualify to be a real Aussie fishermen now? Graham puts me in my place “One fish does not make a fisherman Ben” - oh well I’ll keep trying.

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Day Two – Reef Fishing off Mackay – onboard Black Samurai from Mackay Marina

It’s another pitch black night as we wander down the gangway to the last of our water-borne adventures for the week. We’ve visited the lakes and dams, we’ve tried around the islands and now we’re off to try bluewater reef fishing. The home of the big stuff…hopefully.

Black Samurai is one hell of a boat, usually reserved for Marlin fishing and big game fish, today she’s taking us to troll around one of the closest reefs to Mackay. Darryl the skipper has eons of experience and the gear to prove it, I’ve never seen reels as big as these bad boys!

As we’re trolling five lines from the stern of the boat one reel suddenly sings out, stripping line at a rate of knots – this is game on. I grab the rod, have the gimble strapped to me, and lean back ready to fight. The cries go out from the experts around me “it’s fighting like a long-tail”, “nah I’m sure it’s a spotty”, “go easy Ben, don’t loose it”

The final few moments reveal all as a Barracuda pulls up along side the boat. This is a mean looking fish – huge eyes and bigger teeth! I grab a quick photo and back into the drink he goes.

I’ve learnt SO much in the last few days about all manner of things fishing-shaped. How the dams are stocked, how to report back on a bad day’s fishing, how to decipher fishing talk and how to establish myself in a very exclusive club – that of the Australian Fisherman.

Personally I’d much rather don some SCUBA gear and head underwater to blow bubbles and watch these fish up close for a real eye-to-eye encounter, but I can understand the thrill of fishing…especially for these Big Boys.

Later this year we’ll be rolling out some incredible technology that will allow you to do that from right there on your computer (all will be revealed next week)…or you could always come to Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef for your own real-life marine adventure.

Ben