Best job in the world promoting Great Barrier Reef includes a bonus

by Jamie Rhein on

Ben Southall, the British guy who won the “Best Job in the World” contest is now busy at work care-taking and exploring the islands of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia to promote them as destination hot spots. In case living on one island for six months sounds claustrophobic , there’s no need to worry about Ben.

His girlfriend, a former Canadian gymnast, went with him for this gig that comes with a sweet deal paycheck. Perhaps the $121,000 total rings a bell.

As a person who has lived in a remote place on my own, I think it’s great that his girlfriend is along with him. I can imagine that as the days pass, no matter how glorious paradise seems, it can get pretty lonely, particularly as tourists come and go since most visit on day trips..

His girlfriend has already added some excitement.

Just last week he had to carry her for awhile awhile after she hurt her right foot when doing cartwheels on a beach during a meet and greet with the press.

Here’s the link to Southall’s blog, “Island Caretaker.” I must say, he looks like he’s having a blast. It’s work, mind you, but fun.

10 things to do on Jost Van Dyke, the “New York of the Virgin Islands”

by Willy Volk on

Only five miles from Tortola, the main commercial center of the British Virgin Islands, minuscule Jost (rhymes with “toast”) Van Dyke is a little island with a big reputation. The scant 8-square-mile island — dubbed the “New York of the Virgin Islands” because it offers so much nightlife — probably packs more fun per square inch than any other island in the BVIs.

Most of the action occurs on the south side of the M-shaped island, in either White Bay (to the west) or Great Harbour (in the south-central area), though rugged Little Harbour, way to the east, is making a play for adventure- and fun-seekers, as well. Moving roughly west to east, what follows are some of Jost Van Dyke‘s brightest, shiniest hot spots.

One Love Bar and Grill
This ramshackle restaurant (left) seems like it must’ve been cobbled together from junk that floated up on the beach, but the fact is: this place serves painfully cold Carib beers and heaping, open-faced lobster rolls ($20).

The dining area — if you can call it that — is the part of the beach under a sprawling sea grape shading scattered plastic chairs and tables. If you plan to visit, don’t worry about your outfit: you really can’t be dressed too casually for this dive.

Soggy Dollar Bar
If you’ve been to this place (large image, above), you know how fanfreakingtastic it is. If you’ve only heard tales about it, let me break it to you gently: it’s seriously more fun than your friends told you. If you’ve never heard of it, well … you lead a sad, sad life.

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Named for a patron who reportedly anchored his boat, swam to shore for a drink, and paid for it with wet cash, the Soggy Dollar is probably most famous as being the birthplace of the potent yet refreshing cocktail known as the Painkiller.

If you’ve only heard tales about the Soggy Dollar, let me break it to you gently: it’s seriously more fun than your friends told you.

Shaded by massive sea grapes and cardamom trees, this nautically-themed open-aired bar boasts one of the finest, whitest beaches in the Virgin Islands. It offers ample space to relax — both actual chairs (if you can manage to hit the seat) and hammocks (if you just need to collapse). The bar has several ring-toss games set up, and the competition gets fierce as the rum flows. Alternatively, the property’s scattered tiki huts offer plenty of space for private chats, and there’s food grilling in back if you’re feeling peckish. Mercifully, if you’re just too tired (read: too drunk) to make it back to your boat, the adjacent Sandcastle Hotel offers delightful cottages ($190-$295/double, depending on the room and the season).

Don’t think the Soggy Dollar could really be this wonderful? Check their beach cam and get back to me.

Ivan’s Stress-Free Bar
Owned by Ivan Chinnery, the Stress-Free Bar (left) ranks several notches lower on the “Wild Scale” than the Soggy Dollar (most of the time). From the water’s edge, Ivan’s is nearly obscured by clumps of puffy sea grape bushes. However, as you approach the building, you quickly realize it’s really a giant piece of folk art. Decorated with hundreds of thousands of shells, Ivan’s is a sprawling, cozy, covered bar that offers a BBQ (on Thursdays, in season) and both campsites ($20-40, depending on season and amenities) and very basic cabins ($45-75).

What makes this place stress-free? Chinnery keeps the vibe mellow, but Ivan’s also boasts an “honor bar.” Feelin’ thirsty? Head behind the bar, mix your cocktail, and leave some money in a jar. No lines, no dealing with snotty bartenders, no watered-down drinks. If you time it right, Chinnery may even play some tunes. He’s no slouch, either — he’s played with Kenny Chesney, who filmed his video for No Shirts, No Shoes, No Problem here.

Foxy’s Tamarind Bar
Over in Great Harbour, situated at the base of the tallest hill on Jost Van Dyke and hidden by a thick mask of coconut palms, sits this shanty institution. Foxy (Philiciano) Callwood is the unofficial mayor of Jost Van Dyke (population 180), largely because of the interstellar success of this bar.

Decorated with dangling t-shirts, bandanas, hats, and underwear, Foxy’s (right) has an on-site brewery; mixes wickedly strong cocktails (a single $6 “Wrecked on the Rocks” will send you reeling); boasts live music on the weekends; and offers the islands’ best “all you can eat” ribs, chicken and fish on Saturday nights ($28/person). Be on the lookout for Taboo, Foxy’s adorable black lab, who doesn’t have time for head-scratches … though he’s always got time for a rib bone.

Not everything on Jost Van Dyke revolves around drinking and eating, however. Other things to do on the island include:

  • Jost Van Dyke Scuba offers both scuba diving trips and eco-excursions around the island.
  • Stroll barefoot through Jost Van Dyke’s “city center” (though this’ll probably only take you 20 minutes, even with a strong headwind).
  • Head to the far east end of the island to slip into the “Bubbly Pool,” a naturally-formed tidal pool.
  • Just east of the Bubbly Pool is a small, uninhabited island, Sandy Spit, perfect for picnics and snorkeling — the shallow waters surrounding the island literally boil with small bait-fish.
  • Tame the winds and the waves on a windsurfing kit.
  • Explore the island on ATV.
  • Why do anything at all? Just Sit and soak up all the beauty from the room of your villa.

Learn more:

Bowermaster’s Adventures — Pirates in Seychelles

by Jon Bowermaster on

Five a.m. on the Indian Ocean, a quarter mile off the small granite island of La Digue. Daylight is still an hour away, the sea flat and quiet, still too early for the call of morning birds and too dark for pirates.

And pirates are on everyone’s minds and lips here. Just days before Somali pirates had grabbed a tuna boat with a crew of 29 just to the north of where we motor, near Denis Island. A few days before that they’d taken a commercial dive boat and before that a private sailboat. Apparently being thwarted in waters closer to home – the Seychelles are easily six hundred miles from the coast of Somalia – due to an increase in navy ships patrolling, the brash pirates have headed here for new booty.

Walking the hot-hot streets of the capital of Mahe yesterday it was hard to avoid the subject. Headlines in the daily “Nation” claim “Piracy at Top of President’s Agenda.” Lunch of garlic prawns is at the Pirate Arms (right next to the Pirate Arms Shopping Complex). On the docks, fishermen tell me they’re not going out to sea, for risk of being hijacked for ransom. In the Museum of Natural History literally the first exhibit in the door tells the story of the Seychelles’ very first residents: Pirates. From sometime in the 15th century to 1730, these islands were the hideaway of some of the most notorious, most famously the celebrated Olivier Le Vasseur, alias “La Buze,” who was said to have been the best of the best, or the worst of the worst, dependent on your take on pirates.

Last month I was a thousand miles to the east in the Maldives; I’ve come here to continue exploring the boundaries of what was once called the Sea of Zanj. Who knew that the news-garnering Somali pirates would show up at the same time?

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Here, quickly, are a few things I know about the Seychelles, other than their pirate history: A 115 island archipelago, a mix of granite islands and coral cays, stretched over 700 miles (all its land combined makes the entire chain about twice the size of Washington D.C.). Arab traders were most likely the first to spy them; officially Portuguese Admiral Vasca da Gama first recorded them, in 1502. A former French and British colony, the country has been independent since June 29, 1976 and boasts the smallest population of any African state. Independence brought a 30-plus-year dictatorship, endemic corruption, and a thriving black market and near bankruptcy; only a recent IMF emergency loan kept it from sinking.

The economy is based on the twin Ts: Tourism and Tuna. A world leader in sustainable tourism, more than fifty percent of the island nation is nature conservancy. As the sun begins to glow along that line where blue meets blue, it reveals a smattering of tall green islands, rimmed by boulder strewn and white sand beaches.

By the end of the day yesterday there were rumors on the streets of Mahe that a French navy ship had attacked and freed the Taiwanese tuna ship and its crew; rumor also has it that a U.S. military ship is on the way from patrolling near the Gulf of Aden.

In the last few weeks the Somali pirates have roamed far from their own coastline, moving south and east to the Seychelles and Comoros Islands, where there are no international naval patrols. They want bigger, more expensive ships to hold for ransom and tuna boats to use as “mother ships” to town their speedboats. These are not all rag-tag independents; there’s talk of a “pirate mafia” and suggestions that one reason they’ve come to the Seychelles is to distract its Navy thus making sneaking drugs into the country easer. The pirates are trained fighters who frequently dress in military fatigues; their speedboats are equipped with satellite phones and GPS equipment and they are typically armed with automatic weapons, anti-tank rocket launchers and various types of grenades.

At the moment a total of 14 vessels and about 200 crewmembers are currently under their control, despite increased patrolling by warships from China, the U.S., France and India. They are gambling that warships will not be sent this far south. The fact that the seas have been calm has allowed them to roam too and they have come back in force, seizing five boats in a 72-hour period from Somalia to the Seychelles.

“We’re going to end up probably playing a cat-and-mouse game in the next six months,” said Graeme Gibbon Brooks, managing director of the British company Dryad Maritime Intelligence Service Ltd.

From where I sit this morning, looking one hundred eighty degrees over a calm sea, it looks like a very, very big arena for playing games.

Read more from Jon at Bowermaster’s Adventures.

Undiscovered New York: Bike tour of Governor’s Island

by Jeremy Kressmann on

New York is a city dominated by islands. Most of these islands, like Manhattan and Staten Island, are easily accessible and fairly well traversed. Yet in a city this densely populated, so well-known and discussed, there still remain pockets of isolation; islands of mysterious calm and forgotten charm that make a visitor feel as though they’ve stumbled upon the ruins of some grandiose civilization. One of the most iconic examples of this phenomenon is Governor’s Island, a tiny droplet of land in New York Harbor situated teasingly close to the hustle and bustle of New York proper but worlds-away in pace and temperament.

Governor’s Island began its history as the exclusive province of the British colony’s royal governors. It was an isolated piece of land off-limits to commoners, reserved for those of privilege. Soon after American Independence in the late 18th Century the site became home to a U.S. Army base and later a Coast Guard installation. It wasn’t until more than 200 years later, in 2003, that control was transferred back to the City of New York and the Governor’s Island National Monument was established.

It’s now 2009 and Governor’s Island is a radically different place, free of its shroud of off-limits secrecy. The island is today a free five-minute ferry ride from downtown New York, a seasonal retreat that offers visitors a wealth of unique activities, beautiful vistas and fascinating history. Best of all, Governor’s Island is tailor-made for bike riding. The site boasts over five miles of car-free bike trails winding past opulent mansions, jaw dropping vistas of New York Harbor and quiet green spaces sparsely populated with visitors.

Ready to take a look? Join Undiscovered New York as we explore Governor’s Island by bike…click below for more.
Getting There and Getting a Bike
Separated as it is from the rest of New York proper, it seems difficult to get to Governor’s Island. In truth it’s a surprisingly easy trip. Pick up a free ferry at the Battery Maritime Building in downtown Manhattan. After a quick ten minute jaunt across New York Harbor you’ve arrived at the Island’s main loading dock. All visitors are invited to bring their own bikes along on the ferry for the ride.

Once you’re off the ferry, jump on your bike and off you go to explore the island! Didn’t bring your own bike? Fear not – just left of the main ferry landing is a bike rental station, where bikes can be rented on Friday-Sunday. New York has also implemented a special Free Bike Fridays system, allowing cyclists to rent a bike for up to one hour at no charge.

Let’s Bike – Heading South
We begin our biking tour of Governor’s Island by heading left down the road out from the bike rental station. This area is one of the more densely developed part of the island, housing most of the facilities used by the U.S. Coast Guard during the Island’s stint as central command for the organization’s Eastern Seaboard activities. At its peak, the Island was home to around 3,500 full-time residents. Don’t worry, we’ll return to this area for a look before the end of our biking trip.

Along your right you’ll be able to see the elegant facades of Nolan Park peeking through the foliage, including the Commanding Officer’s House. The residences were once home to some of the Island’s high-ranking officials. They are now largely uninhabited though still retain many of their beautiful architectural details like colonnades and gabled roofs.

Off to your left, across the channel, is Red Hook, a shipping port that is now home to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. If you’re lucky you’ll get a bird’s-eye view of a massive cruise ship like the Queen Mary 2 docked at the station.

After about 10-15 minutes of biking we’ve come to the island’s southernmost tip, also called Picnic Point. The southern end of Governor’s Island is actually man-made, composed of the land dug up during the construction of the Lexington Avenue Subway line. It’s a great place to relax and chill out, offering green grass and sweeping views of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge and Statue of Liberty.

More Biking – Heading North
As we head back up the Island’s other side, you’ll be treated to spectacular views of New York Harbor. As you bike along, you’re likely to gaze out at teetering sailboats, meandering their way through the Harbor. To the north lie the twin peaks of glass and steel, with New Jersey off to your left and Manhattan off to the right, split in half by the coursing Hudson River.

Just before completing the Island’s outer bike loop we’ll cycle past the imposing bulk of Castle Williams. Erected in the early 1800’s, this hulking stone fortress one stood as the main line of defense for New York Harbor, menacing would-be attackers with heavy artillery. It later served time as a prison in the early 20th Century.

With that, you’ve made it all the way back to the starting point. Return your bike or continue on and explore some of the Island’s lesser known side streets and back roads.

Other Activities
By now you’ve returned to the ferry landing. Nearby lie a whole range of monuments and activities to keep you occupied until that next ferry arrives. Just up the hill from the main landing is Fort Jay, one of the Island’s oldest forts.

Behind Fort Jay is a former military parade ground. These days its a beautiful open green space dotted with trees. At one point it even harbored a 9-hole golf course, now demolished. Off the parade grounds is Nolan Park, home to the Commanding Officer’s House as well as Colonels Row, another area of beautifully preserved mansions. The area is dotted with tables and benches, making it the perfect spot for a lazy Summer picnic.

If you’ve had your fill of forts and mansions, make sure to stick around for one Governor’s Island’s many planned summer activities including Jazz concerts, film festivals and polo matches.

Bowermaster’s Adventures — Welcome to the Sea of Zanj!

by Jon Bowermaster on

Six to seven hundred years ago the very first to explore what we know as the Indian Ocean were Arabs, from Persia and the northern deserts. Searching what every sea-faring explorer of the time was seeking – trading routes and new lands to colonize – they explored what came to be known at the time as the Sea of Zanj, the Sea of Blacks. From the Maldives to the east coast of Africa (Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, the Seychelles islands, Mauritius, Reunion and more the Arabs put down roots, built sea ports. During the 1600s pirates, who used the islands off the coast of Africa as both temporary hideouts and permanent homes, followed the black Arabs. It wasn’t until the late 1700s that Europeans – sailing from Spain, France, England, the Netherlands and more – first explored the region. It’s a rich history, going back nearly eight hundred years; this past spring I spent two months exploring the seas between the Maldives and the coast of east Africa, in search of all those roots (and routes) and coming up on a sizable number of a species that it turns out is not so new to the region: Pirates.

Stay tuned over the next few weeks from dispatches from Jon at Bowermaster’s Adventures.