Byron Bay was once the land of hippies and burnouts, but these days it's better known for multi-million-dollar properties and overpriced drinks. Despite this drastic change it remains a beautiful place, and the gang and I thought it would be the perfect place to party after a week spent in sleepy ol' Rainbow, where everything closes … Continue reading Byron Bay Blues
Our first day in Rainbow Beach provided paragliding perfection, but after that things went downhill fast. With a cyclone swirling off the coast, the winds picked up and the rain came through and our wings remained tucked away in their rucksacks. Instead of flying, our little group of pilots fell into a cesspool of heavy drinking, … Continue reading I had a WHALE of a time in Hervey Bay!
After being amazed by the Sunshine Coast's plethora of giant roadside attractions, it was always going to be a big ask for Rainbow Beach to wow me. Really, what's the point of looking for wonderment when you've already been spoiled by a pelican the size of a VW Beetle? Rainbow Beach was more than up … Continue reading Somewhere Over The Rainbow
After a month spent fending off sleet and snow in the depths of Siberia, I was paler than Beetlejuice's arsehole and in desperate need of some Vitamin D, so I headed to the Sunshine Coast for a paragliding trip with my mates. As soon as I stepped off the plane at Maroochydore, I was met by … Continue reading Big in Queensland
The three weeks I've spent in Candidasa have been more fun that a barrel full of greased-up monkeys. Apart from the 25 hours spent cruising the clear, blue skies of Bali, my days and nights have been filled with heavy drinking, good eating, frantic dancing, mesmerising snorkelling, brutal violence and even a touch of romance … Continue reading An Intimate Close Up of a Street Punk in Candidasa
After a few weeks spent tearing up the skies above Nusa Dua and keeping the fine folks who brew Bintang in business, Alan and I packed up our gliders and headed to the gorgeous Balinese village of Candidasa to continue our adventure. Within minutes of hitting town we were up on the hill, launching out … Continue reading The Hamster Rides Again
If there's a more inspirational film than the 1991 classic Thelma & Louise, I'm yet to see it. The tale of two lesbians who smoke some poor bloke and then travel all over the place in a fancy car before driving it off a cliff provides lessons that we should all live by. Also, Geena … Continue reading Thelma and Louise Go Flying
Lake Malawi looks glorious, but shortly after arriving I decided not to swim in it because it's full of flesh-eating bilharzia parasites. My mind was quickly changed when a decorative 24-year-old Austrian sheila begged me to share a kayak with her for a trip around Thumbi Island. Shit, there's not much I wouldn't do for … Continue reading Chicks dig dudes with exotic tropical diseases, right?
Cape Town has a bad reputation for extreme violence, which is understandable when there have been 2,451 reported homicides here in the past year - a world class rate of 65.53 per 100,000. For comparison, Sydney had 38 in the same time period. With statistics like that, I was nervous as my plane touched down … Continue reading Cape Fantasies
With paragliding's State of Origin Championship heating up, I knew I had to make the second day of competition a big one. After bombing out into a field of evil thistles on the first day, I needed a big flight if I was going to win the thing. But the conditions were rubbish in the … Continue reading Manilla Mayhem Part II: The Mayheming
The Drunk and Jobless World Tour 