Lomi Lomi Massage...

We travel to Queensland, to the Gold Coast Hinterland to be precise, to study for one week live-in, Lomi Lomi (Hawaiian Ka-Huna) massage. But before we do so we spend a few days with my Aunt Cathie who lives in the area. Whilst here we use our time to finally fill in, complete and send-off our Sea Shepherd applications - something we've had on the back-burner for six months now (having met Paul Watson and his crew in Fremantle the year before).

We then do our weeks full-time and intensive training to become qualified practitioners of Lomi Lomi Massage.

We then return to Adelaide to find we have made it through the first phase of the Sea Shepherd's application process, and that they now want to phone interview us. A week after notification we then have our interviews - they appear to go well, despite our nerves. A week later again, and we have been accepted into the Sea Shepherd. They want us to start as soon as possible. We dedicate nine months to them, postpone our move to Hobart, I extend my PhD and scholarship suspension a further year, and we head over to Melbourne where the Sea Shepherd's M/Y Steve Irwin is currently docked. Our next big adventure.

Japan...

Next stop, Tokyo. Molly and I spent a month in Japan, starting at her best friend's place in Tokyo. My true motive originally for this trip was to snowboard on some of the planet's best, driest powder, so boards in hand, we set off. As luck would have it though, their season ended early (global warming?), but before it did, we got some good time in at Hakuba. With the snow thinning however, we were free to explore the country; and explore it we did – from to Nagasaki to Niseko, ending our trip staying with an old friend of mine who lives in the Niseko snow fields of Hokkaido.

I will write in detail about this later, when I have my written journal notes in front of me (which probably wont be until after I arrive back in Adelaide around March having completed an Antarctic campaign with the Sea Shepherd - but more on this later).

When we return from Japan we have two things to do: sell Chester (Molly's campervan), and prepare then move to Hobart. But before we do either of those we decide to make use of our 'in-between phases of our life' status, and go to Queensland to do a Lomi Lomi massage course.

The Adelaide Fringe...

Adelaide. The Fringe Festival and another work stop. Molly has her regular work for this time of year with MaD Promo doing Fringe posters, as well as a few days work with Allan's stall at WOMADelaide. I will also have work with Allan should I not get any with the Fringe. But I do, and end up doing around two-months work with The Garden Of Unearthly Delights. I am involved with put-up (a circus term), or bump-in as they call it (putting up big-tops is a job that just seams to continually haunt me), front-of-house for one of the venues during the season (I wind up working at Le Casca Deux, the replacement venue for the Spiegletent), and for most of pull-down/bump-out.

I end up working for the Garden right up until the day Molly and I leave for Japan - which means we have no opportunity to learn anything about our destination, to to plan any of our time there. We will literally just arrive and make it up as we go. I think this is a very good thing.

We live at Molly's folk's place for the duration of Fringe, but unfortunately get to see very little of each other due to our conflicting schedules: she works days, I work nights. But due to the kindness (and tolerance no doubt) of Margie and Leon we are both able to save a significant amount of money to fund our travels to and around Japan, and hopefully enough also to make the move to Hobart once we return.