Open Water Course @ Spice Divers, Perhentian Kecil

It was a quick getaway. After months of consideration, I finally decided to take the open water course. A friend of mine told me to get the license overseas because those in Singapore were boring and time consuming. Well, I must say, he was right. I had fun throughout the whole course. I met a lot of new people, discovered beautiful places and also had an experience of a lifetime being under water. I can’t wait for my next diving trip.

*** Taken from Wikipedia.

The Perhentian Islands (Pulau Perhentian in Malay) lay approximately 10 nautical miles (19 km) offshore the coast of northeastern Malaysia in the state of Terengganu, approximately 40 miles (64 km) south of the Thai border.

The two main islands are Perhentian Besar (“Big Perhentian”) and Perhentian Kecil (“Small Perhentian”). The small, uninhabited islands of Susu Dara (Virgin Milk), Serenggeh and Rawa lie off Kecil. The Perhentians belong to Pulau Redang National Marine Park, which means that fishing, collecting coral and littering are strictly prohibited. Like Besut, people here generally speak Kelantanese Malay.

*** Taken from Wikipedia

Roadtrip 2010 – Margaret River & Augusta

If I was given a choice to migrate, Margaret River would be an ideal place for me. The town is simple and very laid-back. People there were friendly and somehow, I just felt safe when I was there. Not to mention, the white sandy beaches were awesome. Anyway, I lost my Espirit glasses while swimming along the beach.

*** Taken from Wikipedia.

Margaret River is a river in southwest Western Australia. Although small and unremarkable, it is the eponym of the iconic town and tourist region of Margaret River, famous for its surfing, caves and wine.

The river arises from a catchment of just 40 square kilometres in state forest. For much of its middle reaches it passes through land cleared for agriculture, especially viticulture. There is a weir across the river just above the town. The mouth of the river is a small estuary, closed to the ocean by a sandbar that opens only seasonally.

Margaret River is presumed to be named after Margaret Wyche, cousin of John Garrett Bussell (founder of Busselton) in 1831.

Augusta is a town on the south-west coast of Western Australia, where the Blackwood River emerges into Flinders Bay. It is the nearest town to Cape Leeuwin, on the farthest south-west corner of the Australian continent. In the 2001 census it had a population of 1,694; by 2006 the population of the town was 1,068. It is within the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River Local Government area, and is in the Leeuwin Ward. It is connected by public transport to Perth via Transwa coach service SW1.

Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park mainly on the ridge to the west of the town.

*** Taken from Wikipedia.

Roadtrip 2010 – Denmark & Northcliffe, Western Australia

One of the few boring towns in Western Australia. The people there were friendly and approachable. Nothing much happened while we were there.

*** Taken from Wikipedia.

The Shire of Denmark is situated on the south coast of Western Australia, about 50 km west of Albany. The urban area is located on the banks of the Denmark River, which flows into the Wilson Inlet, seasonally connected to the Southern Ocean. There is a lot of pasture, but the major part of the Denmark Shire consists of bush land and wilderness. The 100 km long coast line has over 15 beaches, surrounded by dunes, rocks and cliffs. Denmark has a Mediterranean climate with relatively dry summers and wet winters. The average annual rainfall is about 1,000 mm. The average day temperature in summer is 25°C, in winter 16°C. Denmark was named after the Denmark River in 1896N1. The inhabitants are sometimes called Denmarkians.

Northcliffe is a town located in the lower South West region of Western Australia, about 28 kilometres (17 mi) south of the town of Pemberton. It is largely surrounded by karri, marri and jarrah forest and is close to the Warren, D’Entrecasteaux and Shannon national parks. Both logging and conservation interests are represented in the town.

The town was the centre of a Group Settlement Scheme in the 1920s, and was surveyed at the request of the Premier of Western Australia, James Mitchell in 1923. It became the terminus of the Bridgetown-Jarnadup railway, and was gazetted in May 1924. Mitchell named it after Lord Northcliffe, owner of The Times and the Daily Mail in London, and Director of Propaganda in the British government during World War I, who had died in 1922.

Contemporary community organisations in Northcliffe include Northcliffe Pioneer Museum, Northcliffe Streetscape, Northcliffe Telecentre, Northcliffe Arts Association, Southern Forest Arts Association, Northcliffe Workers Club, Northcliffe Recreation Association, Northcliffe Visitor Centre and Northcliffe Town Hall.

Locations of great natural beauty close to the town include Mt Chudalup (a granite monolith), Northcliffe Forest Park and the beaches of Windy Harbour. Sites of importance to Aboriginal people include Tookalup.

The town boasts a school, a Post Office, a shop, an electrician, two plumbers, and a public playground with barbecue and gazebo.

A significant and well known local business is the Bannister Downs dairy. The dairy sells milk and related products in biodegradable seaweed-based containers through various local, regional and Perth-based outlets.

*** Taken from Wikipedia.

Roadtrip 2010 – Albany, Western Australia

It took us 8hrs to drive from Perth to Albany. With the help of the GPS that we have rented, we drove almost 450km to our destination. Along the way, we made a couple of pit-stops. One of it was in the middle of nowhere and we had no mobile coverage. If something were to happen to us, probably no one will ever find out. Anyway, we managed to reach our destination safely. By then, it was already 10pm local time. We had to sleep in the car by the beach as we could not find a proper place to check-in.

*** Taken from Wikiepedia.

Albany (pronounced /ˈælbəni/) is a port city located in the Great Southern Region of Western Australia, some 390 kilometres south-east of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany’s population is estimated at approximate 33,600 making it the sixth-largest city in the state.

The city centre is located at the northern edge of Princess Royal Harbour, which is a part of King George Sound. The Central Business District is bounded by Mount Clarence to the east and Mount Melville to the west. The city is situated in the Local Government Area of the City of Albany.

The city was founded in January 1827 as a military outpost of New South Wales as part of a plan to forestall French ambition in the region. The area was initially named Frederickstown in honour of Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany. In 1831 the settlement was transferred to the control of the Swan River Colony and renamed Albany by Governor James Stirling.

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century’s the town served as a gateway to the Eastern Goldfields and for many years was the colony’s only deep water port, having a place of eminence on shipping services between Britain and its Australian colonies. The construction of Fremantle Harbour in 1893, however, saw its importance as a port decline after which the towns industries turned primarily to agriculture and timber and, later, whaling. Unlike Perth and Fremantle, Albany was a strong supporter of Federation in 1901.

Today the town has a place of significance as a tourist destination and base from which to explore the south west of the state and is well regarded for its natural beauty and preservation of heritage. The town has an important though somewhat controversial role in the Anzac legend, being the last port of call for troopships departing Australia in the First World War.

Albany is the oldest permanently settled town in Western Australia, predating Perth and Fremantle by some two years.

*** Taken from Wikipedia.