Wordless Wednesday: Where the Ocean meets the Sea

Where the Blue meets the Green

Cape Reinga, New Zealand.
Here is where the Tasman Sea meets with the Pacific Ocean.  Spine chilling.

Destination Friday: Anything with a Beach

The weather is cooling here, and as much as I like falling leaves and roaring fires, I miss the beach. I was never much of a beach-bunny growing up, but when I finally learned to swim (about 5 years ago) I found myself loving being near water. The price I pay is sunburn... and a lot of it. But, thank goodness for rash-vests and SPF 80 sunscreen.

A secluded beach off of Va'vau in Tonga

The beach always seems so primal to me, real, and untouched. Living in the country means a trip to the beach is rugged, and isolated, which I love. When traveling beaches remind me of home, because the oceans all touch each other. Every drop of water is a drop closer to home, and all the things I miss, all the things I'd rather forget, and a reminder that we are all only separated by space. People are the same, the world over, we just look different, speak different and have different aspirations. Other than that, we long for home, we seek our own adventures and we carry on carrying on.

So this week, where is your happy place? Link up any travel related post, or just a post that shows where you are happiest. Thanks for reading.

Destination Friday - Something so Perfect

The weather here today is stunning, blue skies, warm sun, and above all else, quiet.  It is a perfect day for reflecting on perfect days in the sun.

Dravuni Island, Fiji.  The only problem was overcrowding. :P

During my last trip to Fiji, we had perfect days.  We managed to follow the bad weather, leaving us with perfect skies, green vegetation, and just enough water to dampen the dirt tracks, so dust was at a minimum.  Unfortunately for Fiji, massive floods followed our visit, which was totally unbelievable and shocking to see on the evening news.

So this linky is all about perfection.  Where is your perfect destination?  What happened there?  What do you look for in a holiday?  Or just link up any travel or vacation related post.  Peace.

Destination Friday: Where are you really going?

Welcome to Destination Friday- a linky party where we share our travels.  Feel free to skip to the end of the post to find the linky.

This week I have been thinking about travel insurance.... mainly as it has been a bit of a pain, and a lot more expense, than our travels have been previously.  Partly for the cancer element- this evidently raises the price, while not actually giving any cover for cancer related care.... and partly because I want to travel with so much technology!

I have awesome cameras.  I love them, a lot.  Not taking them would destroy me.  Actually, I tend to be rather rough on my cameras, as I am now on Waterproof and Indestructible camera #3.... But my DSLR is brilliant.  I bought it to photograph weddings, but love it for everything else.   And I know I am traveling with my iPad- we are inseparable!  So I choose to list everything I take, pay more, and know I am covered. 

I know there are others that feel comfortable traveling by the seat of their pants.  Me, not so much.

So I was also thinking about security, and pretty much thinking about comfort zones.

And the last time I was really scared abroad.

I was totally scared in Vanuatu.  Not because of the people, but what I had decided to do.  I have never done any SCUBA diving, ever, but there is this awesome Underwater Walk in Port Vila.  Basically you wear weights, breath in a respirator and walk through a coral plantation.

But the whole thing scared me.  I didn't want to put my head under the water.  I kept wanting to rip the respirator out of my mouth and breathe in the water.  It was a constant reminder going through my head, just breathe, just breathe, just breathe.  And I was freaking out, big time.  There was a guide, who kept giving me the motions about going up to the surface.  I really wanted to give up, and go back on land.

Then I saw the fishies.

 

This guy was first.  And I was transfixed.  It was this completely magical kingdom underwater, just below the surface, right on the beach.

 

Then there were like millions of fish!  I couldn't believe it.  They swam up and touched me.  I fed them.  It was just surreal.  I forgot about the fears I had, and how I wanted to quit, and how I wanted to rip out the respirator in panic.... and I was calm.

 

Here was my hero, the one who didn't let me quit.  Strangely, my husband stayed on shore, unable to drop beneath the surface.  This was the first time I saw myself as stronger than him.  And I felt unstoppable.

Well, unstoppable, but insured. ;)

Anywho, time for the linky.