Mel in the Tropics: November 2006

Professional lifeguarding

Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island.

You can see the blue pontoon of the stinger net in the background. Turtles often play just behind it.

An italian tourist that came to chat to me also happens to in the background - he was a journalist for the italian senate and now studying a PhD at the University of Sydney looking at World Heritage areas. You really meet some facinating people here - tourists from all over the world. Germans curious about the meaning of "slip, slop, slap". I've had a few guys help me out with equipment at times that happened to be french - fabulous for me hey! A group of french were even from a Grand Ecole of Economics in Paris!!!

You can also see the yellow snadwich board that tourists even took a photo of - I will have to be careful of what I write on there in the future.....

In the pic I'm in a lifeguarging stinger suit post a check for irukanji jellyfish in the nets. The yellow and red is definately not sexy but I thought amusing! I will try and get one in the Arcadian royal blue pictured in a shot of Alma Bay at Magnetic Island on a nipper to the far left.

Oh I also made it in a colour shot to the front page of the local newspaper - The Bulletin. I was lifeguarding at the new Riverway complex - considered a lagoon but essentially a glorified swimming pool. The article was in regards to problems of gangs that we've been having there as there is no entry fee but a public facility with the lifeguards employed but the local council.

Rima's Birthday

Photo taken a while back but at Rima's birthday and house warming party......Masters students from "the room". Actually from all over the world - I'm the only Aussie there! Countries represented include: Greece/Lebanon, England, Mozambique, Japan and elsewhere.

Presentation night at the Yacht Club

Michelle basically won her engagement ring - a gold ring with a big saphire and little diamond for the female race (worth $800 - what kind of club does that!!! But she certainly deserved it as her family's been in the club for years and things are pretty serious with her boyfriend!)