Memories of the last time I was in Bali, December 2001, took me back to Studio Perak to make some jewlery. It is an amazing process and you can walk out of there with some pretty personalized designed pieces.......Ketut was there to start me off in the process of revamping my old belly ring, which I discovered was missing a stone.......soooooo, away we went.......dismantling the old belly ring surgical steel post from the rest of the old design was first......pick a stone, make a bezel, shape a flat piece of silver, solder it all together and voila........well, not quite that easy but something like that.......the pendant was made of silver wire....all cut in circles, pounded together and then soldered together.....seperate pieces of silver cut to fit the back are stamped with tiny little letter and number ... read more

I know, I know......I have been lax in keeping the blog up to date.......access to wi fi that works and electricity that is constant is not a luxury here in Bali. I settled in at the Artini 2 Cottages here in Ubud on Feb 28th on the advice of a friend of Joanna's. It is a pretty good home away from home and I have come to know all the staff here very well. It is on Jalan Hanomen and pretty central to the Yoga Barn and some excellent restaurants. They call me "Mrs Barbara" and they think I'm pretty funny. They love having conversations each day to improve their english and look forward to me coming down for coffee at 7am, before everyone else arrives. One of the staff members, Made, asked me if I ... read more

Been a while since I posted.....lots of planes and traveling in between blog posts...... I headed out of Canberra on Tuesday Feb 21st and flew into Brisbane...about an hour and a half flight.....short layover and then from Brisbane to Proserpine, another hour and a half......the heat was incredible.....weather from Canberra to the north of Australia is so different.....from our summer weather to intense heat and humidity.......good practice for Bali! Short bus trip from Proserpine into Airlie Beach. Typical summery type beach town......luv it so far.....my hotel is situated right across from the beach and the view is spectacular (score 1). Who wouldn't want to live here?????? Walked around town trying to decide amongst the dozens of tour places who/where to book the Great Barrier Reef Dive Trip.....I wanna get it just right.....as luck would have it ... read more

Heading out from my digs at Tapu Bay towards Christchurch for the final leg of my adventure. Stopped along the way at a winery to check that I hadn't deleted all my vacation pictures! Big whoops! Thank god they where still there! Stopped to see some surfers and the seal pups at Ohau Lookout Point......stayed at the Lobster Hotel......what a hoot and had supper at the Lobster Hotel Restaurant.......Cy's would kick their ass!... read more

Kayaking Abel Tasman Park today.....started out in Marahau with Abel Tasman Marahau Sea Kayak Company........my instructor, Hanna, was brilliant.......a pretty thorough briefing on safety, etc., turned out to be essential! The seas where from the south which meant they are not calm! Every picture you see on a brochure or magaizine is bullshit! lol......anyway, went from Marahau to Observation Beach....didn't seem far...........again, bullshit..... came ashore on a beautiful beach called Stillwell Bay......success and great sandy beach........launched, again success.........came ashore for the second time on Observation Beach........holy shit......huge waves and rolled it......quickly took me under and swamped the kayak......dragged it to shore and started "sea water removal".......giggle time........what a hoot........after that experience wondering how the hell to get off this isla... read more