However, following on from the deep dive course in Dahab I’ve completed the TDI Advanced Nitrox and Decompression procedures qualifications.

A handful of deco dives to 45m using various mixes up to 72% (very nice indeed) and I’m ready to move on to the Extended range course.  Hopefully, this should open up the Blue Hole arch swim through, Thomas Canyon and much much more. A big thanks to Cat (Catherine Bates), Pit Kuiper, Deniz Aymer and Francesco Germi to name but a few!

I’ve added a handful of photos to my flickr stream, with samples below.

With a quick google of “moyo island diving” returns a number of similar results all indicating that I should expect spectacular coral and crystal clear waters for good diving possibilities. However the island’s reefs do suffer from the effects of dynamite fishing.

Angel Reef

On the west coast of Moyo lies a healthy coral reef with a vertical wall dropping to over 40 meters in depth.The wall is covered in soft coral however evidence of dynamite fishing can be seen in places. Marine life generally include longfin bannerfish, redtooth triggerfish and batfish. Blacktips may also be seen in the deeper sections of this dive. Although, on the dives I made a rather large moray eel and fantastically well behaved sea snake were in residence.

Panjang Slope

Located just north of Angel Reef is this submerged coral reef. This is one of the few places that a patient and observant diver may spot the deadly yellow blue ringed octopus. Fully grown adults reach the size of half of your thumb, and carry one of the most toxic poisons to be found in the sea so don’t touch it!  Unfortunately (or fortunately) none were sighted on the days I visited.

Shoreline sea wall

The Sea Wall, which is just off the beach and can be accessed by the boardwalk, has a reef wall that descends 40 metres. Turtle Street is just to the right of the camp in front of the music pavilion, where a reef ledge drops away to a sandy slope.  If you don’t fancy the swim out to the pontoon then one of the extremely helpful staff will take you out on the boat.  However, be warned that they’ll drop you off some distance from the pontoon so you get to snorkel up turtle street.  We saw several hawks bill turtles but the ever present black tips were well hidden from sight.

Only eight degrees north of the Equator, Moyo benefits from a year round tropical climate with the driest months starting from May through to October.
Once collected from our villa in Seminyak, we’re whisked off to Depensar airport to catch our flight to Moyo. The check in process is rather odd as no tickets are issued and the only means of identifying us as passengers is a large plastic tag. One of the benefits of taking the seaplane is access to the lounge – a must have given the heat.
A short wait in the lounge and we’re ready board for the short hop over to the island. Take off is surprisingly smooth followed by a gradual turn for an easterly heading over Lombok. After a very comfortable flight we arrive at the island with an exhilarating landing in front of resort, coming to a slow stop at the jetty.

Luckily, there’s space in Val Thorens – one of my favourite resorts.  With 25 out of 29 lifts already open and the Frog and Roastbeef  promising a fantastic NYE party, the countdown has started.

Appearing Rooms by Danish artist Jeppe Hein

It’s nearly a year on since the operation to sort out my back following my less than successful visit to whistler and I stumble upon a very fitting tshirt from zoozoo2.

Air Bali operate a phenomenal private charter service in and around the Island of Bali.

On this occasion, we were picked up from the beach outside KuDeTa and whisked off to Lembongan island. The trip which would normally take 3-4hrs by car and boat took only 20 mins and provides a unique view of the islands.

It was so good we arranged to have them take us back at the end of our stay on Lembongan!

Will it be Maldives, Bali, India, Mauritius, Austria Australia or a caravan on Isle of Wight?

Seriously, you’re more likely to be killed by a falling coconut that a shark. That got me thinking. What else should I be looking out for? We all know the “more likely to be hit by a bus” line, but what else?

Ok, so I’m not supposed to go out on my bike (‘cos of my back) but I am supposed to go swimming. As shown below there’s more chance of be checking out while swimming than on my bike!!

Time to recover? enough? lets see.

Arrived at Heathrow on time but had to wait for a high-loader to get me off the plane as we’d been parked away from the terminal.

Straight through VIP customs and collect my baggage (well, the chap pushing me through did!).  Meet Ali and my driver as we pass through customs.

Unfortunately, the insurance company (who organised the car) forgot to mention the snowboard.  Off to left luggage with the board and then we head home.

Friday flew by and finally meet up with Furniss. Apparently a quiet week in whistler but the snow was good. Turns out that Cameron joined the wounded on the second day by tearing his ligaments in his shoulder – not bad…. two down in two days. No more incidents though.

Sent Furniss out for extra supplies of medication for the trip home. Hospital went out of their way and organise an ambulance to transfer me to the airport (apparently a limo might of been too low and difficult to get into… yeah…..)

Arrive at airport and check in with a large audience. (that’s the cattle class for you…) A cheeky beer with furniss and I’m wheeled into the lounge (after discussing why I can’t walk through the metal detector with a very understanding security guard…??)

Several Kokanee beers later, I’m wheeled onto the plane and start on the champagne. Take off and bed is laid flat. Homeward bound.

Arsenal 0 – 0 Madrid – and we’re through….  Good start to the day.

No shortage of physiotherapists today.  Medication taken and the brace fitted.  Not that comfortable, but should stop me flexing my toight body and impacting the burst fracture.

Quick wheel down to xray to may sure the fractures look stable while standing and then back to Canadian TV.  Ice hockey isn’t too bad …

Doc turns up around lunch and ok’s the mobilisation.  Saturday return home now looks promising.  A quick walk around the reception area and back to medication.

Nice view from my hospital room window today, appears to have stopped snowing.  Shortage of physio’s today so no brace fitting.

Time to lie back and enjoy Canadian TV – luckily they’ve got the Arsenal vs Madrid game on.  Asked for some beer and end up with some water. C’est la vie….

All attempts are called off and a prescription for Apo-Diazepam (Valium…) to control the spasms and the fitting is rescheduled for tomorrow. Oh joy…..

Rooms nice, given that it’s $2500 a night which includes food. Doctor arrives early to deliver the news, which is good. Only fractured two vertebra (the other one was a past accident) and both look pretty stable. Here’s a link to the CT scan showing both fractures to T10 and T11. The fractures are highlighted in red as shown above.

Given that both fractures appear stable, I’m getting a Jewett Brace fitted tomorrow and seeing a physio to get mobile.

Given some more shots of morphine and scheduled for a CT scan around midnight. Couple of other skiing accidents and a number of drunk drivers in pretty bad shape.

Have my scan around 11:30pm and moved into the spine ward to await the results.

Choice of routes down – either Shale slope or Doom and Gloom…… Lunch beckons so Doom and gloom will have too wait.

After skiing almost blind down from the top of the peak, we join onto Franz’s meadows for some nice powder and jump on to Wild Card. Really should have gone for Doom and gloom…..

The rest, as they say, is downhill from here. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the infamous “Dave Murray Downhill” – although he may have had some similar experiences…..

New lenses for goggles (to improve contrast..), hat and ski pass. Original plan was to meet at the whistler lift for 10am. As it’s 9:30am, Furniss and I get on the lift and guess we’ll meet the others for lunch.

Several runs later we stop for drinks at the Roundhouse Lodge at the top of the village gondola (12 ish). Impressed with the snow although the slopes are still quiet – got no problem with that! Off to the peak and take a run down to resort for lunch.

Day started very well with Arsenal beating Fulham 4-0. Checked in around 5ish, a breeze with the first class desk – even the board bag was whisked off (no looking for oversized luggage.!) and into the lounge.

Couple of drinks and then a couple more. Check the map, vancouver just 2 1/2 hrs away. Time for breakfast or is it dinner. Running a little late, but the transfer should be fine.

Plane lands, straight through customs and pick up tickets for the perimeter express. Furniss is in the bar, so a quick couple of beers for the next journey and grab some classy polystyrene cups for the in-transit refreshments.

Arrive at the Crystal-Lodge around 10:30pm, check-in and locate Marshall et al. in the hotel bar. Furniss, Keith, Cameron and myself are the only ones to venture out to sample the night life. All pretty quite, but then it is a transfer day.