When I arrived in Vancouver a fortnight ago, the weather was pretty much the same as when I left Melbourne. I’d been traveling for a whole day and even the date and time hadn’t changed much! Surprisingly, the ocean temperatures were warmer around Bowen’s shores than at home. I am starting to think that winter surfing on our coast requires the same bravery and thick skin as it does in Tofino’s summer on Vancouver Island. Arriving home on Tuesday morning was a shock to the system! Melbourne was basking in sunny skies but the temperature was only 6°C! The wind …

I am currently staying with friend Chris Corrigan on Bowen Island … this place is simply stunning folks! Before making the journey across the pacific, I promised Chris to take him SUP’ing (Stand Up Paddle Boarding). Today it happened. The local water craft rental business on Bowen Island (Bowen Island Sea Kayaking) have cleverly added a quiver of 9 SUPs to their stocks and we hired boards this morning. Last night we enticed another local (Rod) to join us on the water – and it so happened he had the perfect SUP transport vehicle … Tunstall Bay (on Bowen) was …

… the middle of nowhere! After months of watching 2nd hand camper trailers come and go, today we stumbled upon this off-road camper. These things are basically a canvas tent mounted on a 6 x 4 trailer with a few bells & whistles, but they do go almost anywhere. As parents, we want our kids to remember the adventures we shared … the remote places we witnessed … the people whose stories we got to know. We want their learning and education to be real and tangible, where they get to touch, smell and feel the things that fill text …

Around Aireys Inlet, the sight of me on my SUP (StandUp Paddle Board) cruising the river or riding waves in the surf, is a common occurrence. I am passionately addicted to SUP’ing. It’s a physical workout and a mindful retreat wrapped into 1 activity. Today, the surf was terrible … so I was drawn to the river which was was calm and tranquil. Today, like every other day on the SUP, I discovered something new about my paddle technique and my position on the board. Tiny changes in my feet and head position and my visual focus have dramatic impacts …

The team at the Do Lectures pointed to this little quote and it’s worth remembering for our own health and sense of vitality. I’ll add a little extension to this quote … Doing things, or just doing something and starting somewhere, is the best response when the unexpected happens. When our best laid plans turn pear-shaped and we become wracked with uncertainty. When the fear of failure dominates our being – this is when letting go and doing things is the only way forward. Never know, it might even stop you from growing old and slowing down 🙂