Author: Mike Huber

Indonesia: Part 4

By Mike Huber

It was a relief to be back on the boat and done diving for the day.  My anxiety level was still pretty high having run out of air 10 meters below the ocean’s surface on my second dive.  Nonetheless, I registered to dive the following day.  There was a sense of relief knowing that I would have the same diving partner.  He understood the emotions going through my head and he would be right at my side to help me through the next dive.

The remainder of the boat ride back to the dock consisted of me pulling sea urchin spines out from everywhere on my body with needle-nosed pliers. That’s one way to pass the time. The spines under my fingernail would need to be pulled out by a doctor at a medical clinic somewhere in Flores.  My biggest concern was that it might become infected. The closest clinic was a few kilometers outside of town so I would have to taxi to get there.

Then, upon disembarking from the boat I looked up and saw an Indonesian Naval Base.   Right behind the gate was a giant red cross. I decided to give it a try, not expecting any success.  The Military Police stopped me instantly ,asking what I was doing.  I showed them my finger and pointed to the red cross behind them.  They invited me in and within 5 minutes I had an Indonesian Naval Officer using a razor blade to pull the pines out from under my fingernail.  After about 45 minutes of him carefully removing all the spines, he gave me some antibiotics, he only charged me about $12 (US), and he sent me on my way.  During the whole ordeal he and I were chatting quite a bit over our past military experience and we even exchanged phone numbers.  We trade texts every few weeks.

With the sea urchin spines removed, the next day came and it was time to get over my anxiety from the previous dive. The first dive of the day proved to be challenging and my only motivation was to just survive it.  I wasn’t too concerned with the enjoyment or the wildlife. Fortunately, by the second dive I had regained my confidence and was back to enjoying this hobby again.  Swimming by seven manta rays changed my mind and helped me reprioritize my goals.

My 30-day Indonesian visa was nearing expiration.  Indonesia has around 7,000 islands and was much too large to cover in 30 days.  Even having experienced 10 of the islands felt rushed.  I knew I would need to slow my travel to more deeply absorb these countries. Having done SCUBA dives in two countries, racking up 19 dives, and overcoming adversity provided renewed confidence.  I was ready for the next country: Thailand.

Indonesia: Part 3

By Mike Huber

Having found myself in Flores, Indonesia (one of the scuba diving meccas of Southeast Asia) I took it upon myself to dive as much as I could.  On my second dive of the first day I saw some manta rays up close and personal and I managed to get a lot of sea urchin spines under my fingernails, hands, and pretty much everywhere. I was bleeding green as I was deep enough underwater that colors would change, and it looked like I had been rolling around in some saguaro cactus or been on the losing side of a fight with a porcupine. I had spines sticking out from every part of my wetsuit.

This was part of the adventure and part of the learning.  What I didn’t expect was upon our ascent my air ran out, even though moments earlier I had checked and confirmed I was at about 25%. This was another “So this is how it ends” moment.  There wasn’t much time to think about that as I was not prepared for running out of air.  I figured I just had moments before I would black out due to no oxygen.  Being about 10 meters deep I knew I could have just surfaced quickly to get air and many people probably would have done that.  Well, just as in jumping out of airplanes, you train for these type of scenarios.  Also, the approach is to take your time as you have the rest of your life to resolve the no air issues, just as you would with a parachute malfunction.  The problem with that mindset is that the end of your life is only seconds away.

Fortunately, my dive partner was only a short swim away.  I swam over to him as quickly as possible, signaled him I had no air, and calmly (I was actually panicking by this point) grabbed his secondary air hose, and took a much-needed breath in.

That first breath in was a relief on every level you can possibly imagine.  We then performed our 3-minute safety stop off using both of his air supplies before we surfaced. Even with my fingers still bleeding from the sea urchin spines and having run out of air, I managed to make a couple jokes as we swam back to the safety of the boat.  This is where we learned that my regulator was faulty and provided a false reading on the amount of air remaining.  That was a bit of a relief that it wasn’t some rookie mistake by me.

The joking ended on my next dive that day.  As soon as I hit the water I had some massive anxiety about the no air issues and going under.  It was so intense that everyone on the team had already submerged and I was just sitting there on the surface having fear to let the air out of my BCD to sink and join the rest.

After a few moments, it passed and I did join them.  I don’t think I have ever swam as close to a dive partner as I did on that dive.  My air barely lasted 32 minutes as my stress and anxiety were causing me to breathe faster, using up my air rather quickly.  This was fine with me, as I really had no interest in staying underwater.

Once back on the boat, I was seriously thinking that scuba diving wasn’t for me and would bow out of it using one excuse or another.  The lack of air experience was that traumatizing.  I began to think back to the Army and our jumps.  Whenever someone had a bad jump the best thing to overcome it was to put them on the very next jump ton regain their confidence so they could continue to be effective.  Since diving and jumping had so many parallels, I thought this would be the best way.  I booked three more dives the next day with the mindset if I didn’t overcome it I would quit diving.  I owed it to myself to give it one more try.

More epic adventures are here!

Indonesia: Part 2

By Mike Huber

It took about a week to get to Flores, Indonesia from Bali, as it is over 1,000 kilometers away. This was accomplished via three ferries and finally, a 4-day cruise.  The cruise was a blast, but once aboard I realized it was a one-way cruise and I would have to find a ferry back (which could take up to 36 hours) or book a return flight to Bali.  Normally this would alarm most people, but I had time to kill and quickly learned Flores was an Indonesian scuba diving mecca.  Some of the most beautiful wildlife could be seen diving here.  This was not a bad place to have a several-day layover.

It didn’t take long to find a scuba company.  It had only been a few days since my prior dive and I was already itching to get back underwater. I chose a dive center based on its three-dives-in-one-day regimen. Most the other dive centers only offered two dives in one day.  This would help rack up my dive numbers (and my experience, as I would soon learn).

Diving the Komodo Islands is just amazing on so many levels.  The biggest draw is the wildlife.  The second draw is the strength of the underwater currents.  On an average dive we would float with the current for close to an hour and travel several kilometers during the dive. The current was a constant underwater river that was at times overwhelming, depending on the direction it was taking you.

If you got caught in a side current it would feel like you were on the Space Station and someone just cut your tether and you were floating off into nothingness.  Feelings of anxiety emerged when this happened, and this caused me to go through more of my air and shorten my dive.  It was always important to remain calm, move slowly, and not over-react.  That’s easier said than done.

The cool part about these currents is when I was in a “controlled” area I could just watch the beautiful corals go by.  The downside was if I saw a turtle or another cool species of wildlife, I really couldn’t get to it as I was swept along with the current.  We were told, if possible, to get low to the ocean floor and grab a large rock as an anchor so we could enjoy the wildlife.

I took this rock grabbing suggestion as I happened upon three beautiful manta rays. They were huge, about 12 feet in width. While blowing by them in the current it was like they were in an underwater thermal hovering in place motionless unaffected by the strong currents. It was like watching a stealth fighter Jet hover. Meanwhile I was doing my best to slow down to try to remain close to them. As I descended to the ocean floor seeking refuge from the currents behind a large piece of coral, I grabbed a rock.   I instantly felt something sharp on my fingers.  I had accidently grabbed a sea urchin and the spines were in all my fingers to include deep under my fingernail. Almost instantly a large gushing of green fluid began pouring out of my fingers.  This is when I learned you bleed green when you are deep under water.

Realizing there was nothing I could do about the bleeding until I surfaced, my focus was on watching the manta rays flying by as the current pulled me just underneath them.  During this time, I religiously checked my air levels on my respirator.  Once I hit 60 bar (25%) it would be time to slowly return to the surface.

We began our ascent to a 3-minute safety stop at 5 meters below the surface to allow our bodies to adjust to the pressure.  At around 10 meters and still being abused by the strong currents I went to breathe in and there was nothing there. It was as though I was breathing through a straw and then suddenly someone put their finger over the end.  I was out of air. This was a good time to see how much of the training I actually retained and how much of I ignored while being distracted by the beautiful scuba instructor in Australia.

More epic adventures are here!

Indonesia: Part 1

Mike Huber

My visa was nearing expiration in Australia (I had 90 days left), and my speeding tickets were exceeding $1700 Australian.  The speeding tickets were from cameras.  In the United States, the Constitution protects us (you can fight and win those tickets 100% of the time in the USA, but not in Australia).  It was time to choose a new country to visit, at least for a short while. To me it made sense to leave my beloved Oceania and head north.  Looking at the map, Southeast Asia beckoned.

Indonesia, in particular, seemed to be the best choice, and it would be my next destination.  Bali, to be exact.  This would provide a less westernized culture than the previous countries I had visited.  Another advantage was it appealed to my new interest.  I kept hearing how magnificent the scuba diving was there.  So that would be incorporated into my adventures.

After the whirlwind trip through Australia, the first three days in Bali (except for some morning surfing) were spent resting in my hotel room.  I needed the time to recharge and just sit back and pretend I was on vacation.  Yes, I know I am sort of always on vacation, but even with this laid-back lifestyle the constant moving becomes a fulltime job.

Once rested it was time to book several ferries and boats out to Komodo National Park (it isn’t easy to get to).  Visiting this epic National Park would provide me with the chance to see Komodo dragons, the largest lizard on Earth, as well as plenty of opportunities to hone my new skills as a diver. This was an experience that I could not miss while visiting Indonesia.

The day trip to Komodo Island was fantastic.  What made it most memorable was actually seeing a few of these giant reptiles in the wild, as up close and personal as I was comfortable with.  That distance happened to be  about 6 feet for me I soon learned. Even though being in a tour group of 20 people when the Komodo dragon chose a path, our group was instructed to let it through.  The crowd parted like the Red Sea and the giant reptile chose the direction it wanted, and it moved with a purpose!

These giants can move up to 12 miles per hour.  Some weigh as much as 150 pounds.  They can take down local deer and they have no natural enemies.  This meant we were guests on their island and without a stick or other type of weapon we were not on the top of the food chain. It’s always a humbling moment when you realize this.

After a day exploring Komodo National Park with large sticks in hand, I found myself in Flores, Indonesia.  It’s a small island about an hour’s boat ride from Komodo National Park.  Little did I realize how much of a scuba diving mecca this was (see any of my previous articles about my lack of planning).  There were literally dive shops and tours every three to four buildings.  It was that densely populated with the scuba community.  It was perfect.  This would be a great home base for a week or so to dive and continue catching up on rest from the Australia travels. It now was time to book a scuba adventure in Bali, Indonesia.

More epic adventures are here!

Scuba: Part 2

By Mike Huber

It was 0700 and the location was a pier in Cairns Australia as 30 of us were boarding a live-aboard boat to perform 9 scuba dives over the next 3 days and 2 nights. There were only 3 of us that had never performed an open water scuba dive before, and I was one of them. It would take 5 dives while completing our drills for us to obtain our PADI open water certification.  We were ready.

It took the boat about 3 hours to get out to the reef for our first dive. 27 of the others were seasoned divers, so as the newbies we felt privileged they’d help us gear up and make jokes about our fumbling around prior to getting into the water.

Others may disagree with me and that is fine, but I have sky dived and to me, nothing felt closer to jumping out of an airplane as a paratrooper than scuba diving.  You suit up, perform checks on your gear and your scuba buddy’s gear, shuffle to the edge of the boat, give an OK to the dive master who checks your air is on (I always stuck my hand out and yelled “ALL OK JUMPMASTER!” just to get into the moment a bit more), and jump off the boat into the water. I understand the two experiences are almost polar opposites, but what isn’t is the comradery and the procedures prior to diving (or jumping out of an airplane).

As soon as I hit the ocean waters of the Great Barrier Reef in full scuba gear I felt two things: A brief moment of anxiety, just as I felt in the pool during onshore training, and when we signaled to go down.  This was a moment of bliss and freedom as you leave the world you know and enter a realm of tranquility beneath the ocean.  It was so similar to exiting an aircraft as you leave the chaos and perform the 4-second count prior to your parachute opening.  Both are moments when you have a quick chat with the big guy upstairs and are alone in the world.  There are few experiences in life that compare to these.  I was instantly hooked on scuba diving.

Our first five dives were work.  They encompassed the same drills over and over that we performed in the pool.  The objective was to review the same emergency procedures for a multitude of issues that you can face while underwater, and how to calmly overcome them.  This was another similarity to being a paratrooper.  The only big difference is there was less yelling for your mistakes, but the instructor did have a whiteboard to correct any errors you were making while on the dive.  Another reason I knew my instructor was great was when she wrote my mistakes on her whiteboard for, I literally could hear her stern voice in my head just as clear and loud as if we were above water.

Upon all three of us successfully meeting the criteria we were now PADI Certified Open Water Scuba Divers.  Now it was time to begin having fun and enjoying the benefits of diving.  We were on The Great Barrier Reef after all and the coral and wildlife we saw over the next 3 days was magical.  We were literally in God’s aquarium.  Each of the dive sites we experienced had something unique to offer, from schools of colorful fish, to sea turtles, to even a couple nurse and reef sharks.  If I wasn’t hooked before on this new hobby, I surely was now.

The remainder of the days were passed with dives, delicious food, and wonderful new friends.  The beauty of this live aboard boat were absolutely the people I was surrounded by.  We each had different experience levels in diving, and were from countries all around the World, yet we all bonded over this one passion, scuba diving. Once the evening festivities died down instead of returning to the tight quarters below deck a few of us decided to sleep on the open upper deck of the vessel.  This was the perfect way to wind down.  We would tell a few jokes while staring at the Southern Cross as it slowly made its way across the sky until we fell asleep, and in the morning awaking to the sunrise hitting this spectacular part of the World and lighting up the Australian Flag as the sun rose.  A feeling of accomplishment washed across me each day and evening of this trip.  It may have been the most rewarding time along my travels to this day, and for good reason. I had found a new way to add even further adventure to my travels.

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Scuba: Part 1

By Mike Huber

As I had begun to enter my 5th month of travel, not knowing where I would be sleeping the next night became routine.  My mentality was “Future Mike will figure this one out, he always does.” And I always did.  That mindset isn’t wrong, as crazy as it felt. However, as time pushed on and the countries began to be more in my rearview mirror something was missing.  A way to deeply experience a country, more than most experience it.  Similar to my past life with living off the BMW GS1200.  The bike added a much-needed color to my adventures whereas most were just doing these adventures in a van or car.  The BMW gave me that extra level of depth that awakened my senses and really allowed me to meet some wonderful people I wouldn’t have otherwise.

Realizing I needed to experience something new (besides circling the globe solo).  I needed something thrilling but something I had never done.  I was two months into driving through Australia and about to board a flight from Sydney to Cairns.  When I asked others in my hostel what was worth doing up there, one reply was always consistent:  Scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef.  That was it! I would become a certified scuba diver and head for the Great Barrier Reef.

I registered for the dates I would be in Northern Australia for a 5-day Open Water PADI Scuba Certification Class. This class would include two days of classroom/pool training and three days and two nights on a live-aboard boat in the Great Barrier Reef. Upon filling out the school course paperwork it seems that due to my ripe old age of 51 I would require a physical.  Not a big deal; there was a clinic across the street from my hostel. I am sure they would rubber stamp me through this, so I booked an appointment.  Upon being called into see the doctor I noticed his clothing apparel seemed a bit…off. It wasn’t until I went into his exam room I noticed posters of Elvis all over the walls.  Now his butterfly collar, gold glasses, slicked back hair made sense. He was an Elvis impersonator, or a big fan at the least.  Once reviewing the physical requirements with him he explained the physical entailed much more than I expected, including chest x-rays, hearing tests, vision test, drug test, etc.

So I am not saying I cheated on this physical, nor am I disclosing if I did cheat how I would complete such an act. What I am saying is I passed the physical with flying colors. Sweet. I sent the paperwork off to the diving school and was formally accepted into the program.  I was still smiling as I boarded my flight from Sydney to Cairns in Australia (which was one of the northern-most points of this mind-blowing continent).

Arriving on time to class (15 minutes prior to its scheduled start) I learned the class would be small.  Myself, a young man from France and an American female from San Diego. Our instructor was from Pittsburgh.  Normally I would hold that against her, but she was beyond stunning so it was easy to let that go as we began our class instruction on the equipment and different emergency protocols, hand signals, and a tutorial of almost any underwater emergency we could possibly encounter.  This was the first half of the day and post lunch it was time to put these lessons to use, using our scuba gear in an enclosed 12-foot deep pool.

The first thing in the pool we performed even before learning about our gear was a swim test. This consisted of treading water for 10 minutes in place and a 300-meter swim.  Upon successfully passing this, it was time to learn about all our gear.  This included the air tank, BCD, respirator, fins, mask and snorkel, and how to successfully connect it all together.

It was now time to put on the scuba gear and go underwater in the pool for the first time.  I will admit this caused a bit of anxiety for the first few minutes, even though we were just a few feet under.  It was a new experience for me and the others, so that was normal.  In no time we were nailing the different drills, such as mask removal and replacement while underwater, and buoyancy control. We also performed drills in the event we ran out of air and how to signal and use your buddy’s secondary air supply (I of course made sure I was paired with the instructor). Little did I know at the time, but paying attention to this lesson would prove to be lifesaving in just a few weeks in Indonesia.

Upon successfully completing the classroom, pool sessions, and passing a written exam, we were ready to take our skills into the ocean.  The next day we were scheduled to meet at 0700 at the boat launch where we would be on a live-aboard boat for the next three days.  The remainder of our training and honing our skills would be performed in the open waters of The Great Barrier Reef in Australia. This is where we hopefully would pass and become Open Water Certified Divers.  Bad ass!

More epic adventures are here!

Cambodia

By Mike Huber

Guys, I apologize (again) for the long gap without writing.  I have a massive backlog that I am attempting to catch up on and really have just been constantly doing too much to complete even a short blog.  It has been a busy but productive time for me.  I’m currently in my 6th country and I’m 8 months into a 1-year journey.  I’m in Cambodia.

Cambodia is yet another country that wasn’t on my radar but having been semi-obsessed with experiencing all 7 Wonders of The World I really wanted to see Angkor Wat.  I know, I know. It isn’t on the list of 7 Wonders now but that list seems to be ever changing and I didn’t want to miss out in the event it was added again. That, and the other reason is I was about to overstay my visa limit in Thailand (running my visas out seems to be a new talent of mine).

Originally, I booked a flight to Phnom Penh as a forward journey requirement for Thailand entry.  As the time got closer to my travel I linked up with a driver in Cambodia who would take me around to see the many Temples.  However, upon sending him my flight itinerary he quickly replied “Dude, you are flying into the other side of the Cambodia, Angkor Wat is 360 kilometers from that city.”  After 8 months this was really my first error of any consequence.  There were two options, a 6-hour bus ride, or just eat the $80 and book a new flight.  I chose the latter to save time.

Upon arrival and a minor hiccup going through immigration (I didn’t bring $30 for a visa so I had to “borrow” it from an immigration officer who included a hefty “tip”).  It was part of the game and another lesson learned from my poor planning.  I can’t complain. Once through customs I met my driver, Kong, outside the airport. And we were off to my hotel in Seim Reap.

The first thing I noticed in Cambodia (beside the fact that they drive on the right side of the road…it has been 8 months since I have been in a country that drives on the right) was the heavy humidity. It was brutal, even though I was in high humidity places over the past three months.  This was next level and there just was no reprieve, even in the early morning and evening.  Along the drive we discussed my objectives while in Cambodia and the main one was to see Angkor Wat.  With the heat and humidity being so oppressive, Kong recommended we start at 0430 the next morning in order to see sunrise at the Temple.  This would provide for a magnificent way to begin the day and allow us to get a head start on the heat.

We arrived at Angkor Wat at around 0530 and walked through the darkness and over the moat that guards this UNESCO treasure.  All the while the mountainous sandstone silhouette was gaining in color and depth as our path led toward a meeting point between us and the rising sun.  Even during off season there was quite the crowd at the reflection pool, at sunrise, to try to get that perfect photo of this stunning homage to Hinduism. It didn’t take long for the heat to follow.  This was our queue to seek out shade deep within the Temple to avoid more heat and more crowds, and begin exploring the hidden Temple chambers.

The depth and detail on the Temple was more than impressive.  Even with the destruction from past wars and an occasional bullet hole in the sandstone, the overall structure hadn’t lost its mystical feeling.  The mysticism was unavoidable as we walked through the Temple’s many chambers.

Of the many experiences along my journey, I think Angkor Wat is one of the best things worth seeing, touching, and experiencing.  Whether included in the 7 Wonders of the World or not, it makes little difference in my appreciation of this stunning structure.  Even as a massive tourist attraction, this Temple sets the criteria for what an ancient wonder should be.  Experiencing it was well worth the trip to Cambodia.

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Adventure Towards Ayers Rock

By Mike Huber

Ayers Rock was my destination.  This is not an easy destination to reach, especially by car.  It takes dedication, time, and patience. Many people fly to this location and use tourist busses to get around in the park, snap a few photos, and leave.  Not me.  It is cliché, but I feel the journey is more important than the destination.  What you see, hear, and feel along the way allows you to appreciate the destination when you do finally reach it.  This two-week drive to Ayers Rock was one that elevates that cliché phrase to a level I never thought possible.

My original plan was to circle the entire continent of Australia in a month. That was NOT happening so Ayers Rock (Uluru) was a solid turnaround point.  Mind you to even complete this took me one month. The isolation was beyond what I had expected.  I knew going into this that isolation would be the greatest challenge, but what I didn’t grasp was how far I would be pushed mentally during this journey.

To add to the trip, one of my best friends and a fellow paratrooper had been diagnosed with cancer a few years back and I knew his time was coming.  Our texts and calls were becoming more and more infrequent. Fortunately, I am very close with one of his sisters.  When I don’t hear from him within a week I reach out to her to obtain a status.  During one of the most desolate spots on earth I received a text from her to inform me of his passing.

You don’t understand isolation until you receive a text like that in spotty cell phone coverage.  There was no way of replying or reaching out to console and provide support to his loved ones.  This left a more than significant gap in my mind with no way of processing it since I was in the middle of the Outback.  There is no one to rely on for comfort or a crutch to get you by.  There is nothing.  Just nothing. The only consolation I found was hours of alone time to think and process it while focusing on how fortunate I was to have such a close friend, all the while driving for hundreds of miles with, again…nothing.  A few dead kangaroos on the side of the highway with an occasional eagle or dingo chomping on them was the only life I saw through this portion of the drive.

Upon arriving at Uluru I set up camp, which only entailed pulling into a parking spot as I was car camping.  This has been a solid pro to car camping, just minimal to no preparation setting up or pulling down camp. After cooking a quick meal in my “campsite” I thought I had enough in me to drive around Ayers Rock for sunset.

Upon entering the park and seeing Ayers for the first time my eyes welled up.  I am not sure if it was due to this area being such a spiritual place for the Aboriginals or that the drive to reach it was so emotional.  It really doesn’t matter.  To finally lay eyes on this magnificent rock glowing in the golden hour of sunset was a moment that will resonate with me forever.  I was fully present in the moment and felt a sense of calmness.

After a semi-solid night’s sleep in the car, it was time to do a 3-hour hike around the rock and really get to experience this monument of the ancients up close and personal.  Since I had been car camping in some warm climates I purchased some mesh window covers to allow the windows to remain down in the evening without having any bugs, flies, snakes, kangaroos, or dingos enter the vehicle while I was sleeping.  This purchase turned out to be one of my better decisions along this drive.  Uluru is plagued with flies. An unimaginable amount of them.  Starting the hike early in the morning was key to avoid them and as the sun rose over this great rock having the car mesh as a makeshift fly screen for myself on the hike was a lifesaver.

Traveling alone through Australia is an experience that forced me to look at life from a unique perspective that many will never understand or even imagine existed. The month was filled daily with two constants: Change, and being challenged to adapt to the environments. By environments I mean both from the outside world and from the world within me.  Both were deeply felt throughout my long journey to Ayers Rock.

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Adventure Toward Ayers Rock Part II: The Great Ocean Road

By Mike Huber

I will start this story with the disclaimer that my lack of planning and just going with the flow of Australia allowed for this adventure to even happen. I originally thought that I would easily be able to circumcise (I think that’s the right word) the Australian continent in a month.  Not a big deal.  Yeah, some long days, but doable.  Well, if you go back to Part I of this story, you will realize I got hit by a brick daily on that theory.  Either way I had a rental car for a month and would see what adventures I could experience using a list two close friends had provided as a high-level blueprint.

After a couple days exploring Sydney, it was time to pick up my rental car, hit the open road, and embrace what would come while in Australia.

One of the first locations where I was able to slow down and take some time to embrace my surroundings was The Great Ocean Road.  Having ridden some pretty incredible roads throughout the planet, for me to say much about any road is a rarity.  Well, this is one that I was kicking myself for being in a rental car (and not on a motorcycle).   I encountered a group of Japanese tourists, and one was a student at Boston University.  I was wearing my Boston University shirt, so we posed for a photo.

The Great Ocean Road begins just west of Melbourne and extends to Port Fairy.  It is 146 miles long.  The road is paradise for anyone who has ever ridden a motorcycle. The entire length skirts the coast of the Southern Ocean from cliffs high above.  “Breathtaking” doesn’t begin to touch how this feels, as every corner provides a new panoramic view of rock formations and ocean as bright green as you can imagine.

Occasionally the road cuts inland through thick rain forest. There are plenty of short hikes gushing waterfall views along these parts.  If you look closely you will likely find a koala bear lazily eating eucalyptus leaves in a tree high above.  Wallabies dance around your car, curiously peering in to see if anything is worth a closer inspection for something to fill their bellies.

Another beautiful feature of this paved paradise is the lack of people along the way.  Several campsites I visited had no one in them. I am certain it helped that it was offseason (that and my ability to find off-the-beaten-path locations).  It wasn’t odd for me to have miles of beach to myself while enjoying a cold VB Bitter beer.  I could stare along the endless coastline while listening to the waves crashing, with my surroundings devoid of any other creature (with the occasional exception of a kangaroo hopping by).

Upon driving along the Great Ocean Road my mind was in the right place.  I was filled with peace through the solitude I enjoyed from star-filled nights.  I felt as though my mental clarity was honed, and I was prepared for the next part of my journey (that being the vastness of the Outback of Australia).  On many levels, this would prove to be more challenging than I had imagined as I continued the long journey to my destination of Uluru, Ayer’s Rock.

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Memorial Day

By Mike Huber

Not being in the United States for Memorial Day and seeing our flag lining every Main Street throughout our country is one of those times I miss being home.  Having served as a soldier in the United States Army I have endless respect for those that lost their lives in defense of this great nation.  I now am learning how to respect it even more so from a global level.

This year on April 25th my travels afforded me the opportunity to celebrate a Memorial Day for two of our allies, New Zealand and Australia.  While on a guided tour through Frazer Island, a remote sand island off the northeastern coast of Australia, our tour was delayed an hour at the ship wreck of the TSS Meheno HMNZ Hospital Ship 1. The Meheno was a critical resource in WW I in retrieving the wounded from Anzac Cove in Gallipoli for both New Zealand and Australia.  When I asked why the tour was delayed the guide explained, “Today is Anzac Day,” and went into the meaning of this holiday.

Anzac Day is a combination of Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day for both Australia and New Zealand.  Well, once I learned this I left the tour group and made my way into the heart of the ceremony before it began.  I knew I was with my people here at this ceremony.  I am not quite sure how I knew, but I just knew.  It didn’t take me long to be welcomed by the Australian Army Veterans partaking in the ceremony. They eagerly invited me to stand with them front and center to pay respects to their fallen and veterans.  As many people know I only own two shirts, an 82nd Airborne Division shirt and a Boston University shirt.  This day I was lucky enough to have worn the 82nd shirt and it didn’t go unnoticed by the Australian Army veterans.  As the ceremony concluded, one of the veterans pulled me aside, thanked me and handed me an Anzac Day pin. I don’t travel with much, but that pin is now part of my sensitive items list.

I was beyond humbled to be standing there, shoulder to shoulder with our allies as they laid wreaths, gave speeches, and played both the Australian and New Zealand national anthems.  On more than one occasion I teared up, and for good reason.  These servicemen and women easily could have been backing any of our 6’s as Americans.  The ceremony resonated deeply within me in realizing that Memorial Day is much more far reaching than just our shores in the United States.

In the following month, I went further with what I took away from that Anzac Day Ceremony by taking the time to visit the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.  This museum was as moving as any of ours would be in the United States.  They have etched in the walls the names of each of their fallen from every campaign they participated in.  This includes The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for Australia and an eternal flame.

I will forever remember my Anzac Day experience and although this day is for our American fallen, it is important to know that these ceremonies go on for all our allies across the world.  Please remember the reason for this holiday over the weekend and take the time to pay respects to our heroes of this great Country. God bless America, and God bless our Allies.

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