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Dive below the surface with the Underwater Photographer of the Year awards

<p>There's a world beneath us that we don't know much about, and photographers around the world have all tried to capture its beauty. </p> <p>With over 6,500 photos submitted for this year's Underwater Photographer of the Year contest, one photo captured the panel of judges' heart - Alex Dawson's 'Whale Bones'. </p> <p>The image shows a diver swimming among the enormous skeletons of slaughtered whales off the coast of Greenland. </p> <p>"Whale Bones was photographed in the toughest conditions, as a breath-hold diver descends below the Greenland ice sheet to bear witness to the carcasses," Alex Mustard, Chair of the UPY Jury said. </p> <p>"The masterful composition invites me to consider our impact on the great creatures of this planet," he added. </p> <p>"Since the rise of humans, wild animals have declined by 85%. Today, just 4% of mammals are wildlife, the remaining 96% are humans and our livestock.</p> <p>"Our way needs to change to find a balance with nature." </p> <p>Lisa Stengel from the US won the title of Up & Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024, for her shot titled 'Window of Opportunity'. </p> <p>The photo captured the beauty of nature as a mahi attacks a swarm of fish, an action shot that captured "high speed hunting at the decisive moment."</p> <p>Nuno Sá from Portugal won the award for 'Save Our Seas Foundation' Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year 2024 for his work titled Saving Goliath. </p> <p>The photo showed dozens of sun seekers working together to try and save a stranded sperm whale off the beaches of Costa da Caparica. </p> <p>UK residents Jenny Stock won the title of British Underwater Photographer of the Year for her work  'Star Attraction' and Sandra Stalker won the title of Most Promising British Underwater Photographer 2024 for 'Midnight raver'. </p> <p><em>Images: UPY </em></p> <p> </p>

International Travel

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Diving deeper into generosity: Cave diver's charitable gift shines a light on giving back

<p>Josh lives in Adelaide and is an avid cave diver, loves writing funny books about science, and spends a lot of time reading and studying online. He recently chose to include a gift to Lifeline Australia when writing his Will online with Safewill.</p> <p>“It was an incredibly easy decision to make,” says Josh. “As soon as I saw it was possible to allocate a portion of my estate as a charitable donation, I thought it was a perfect idea, and when Lifeline popped up as a recommended charity, I remembered the times when friends and family had so desperately needed their support - it was as easy as clicking the Lifeline logo.”</p> <p>For a lot of people, writing a Will can feel confronting and daunting. Josh explains how he approached it.</p> <p>“I had been putting off doing my Will for a while now and had brought home Will packs previously thinking I'd get to it eventually. COVID-19 triggered fear in many people around me, and I've had several close calls with diving accidents over the last few years, so I figured it was long overdue. It turned out to be much easier than expected - I already had a sense of what I wanted to happen when I pass away, so filling it out online concisely made the whole process remarkably quick and painless.</p> <p>“For me, a Will is less about enforcing my wishes and more about making things easier for the folks I leave behind. Instead of having loved ones wonder or argue over what I would have wanted, I've laid it all down in clear terms. They might still disagree with different elements of my Will when it's executed, but the important thing is that I don't cause additional grief by leaving ambiguous directions.”</p> <p>Josh was previously unaware that he could leave gifts to charity in his Will. “I certainly didn't think it was an option,” he says. “Until Safewill asked if I wanted to allocate a portion of my estate to charity, I'd never really given it much thought and figured I'd never have enough to make it worth mentioning. I knew how much donations are appreciated, I'd just never connected the dots to realise that what I leave behind could also go towards helping organisations I value.”</p> <p>Josh shares what he’d say if someone was considering leaving a gift to Lifeline in their Will.</p> <p>“They’ll be helping a much wider range of people than if they simply gave everything to their partner or family. As important as our loved ones are, we're ultimately all on the same team when it comes to humanity, so why not support those in need regardless of if you know them or not?”</p> <p>By leaving a gift in his Will to Lifeline, Josh wants to help create a world for people who might be struggling where they can get the support they need when they need it. “We all struggle in different ways, but for many just getting up and surviving the day can be the hardest part. We're incredibly lucky to have an organisation like Lifeline that is there for anyone to reach out to and get support whenever they need it.”</p> <p>Lifeline Australia is a national charity providing people in Australia experiencing emotional distress with access to 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services. Lifeline exists to ensure that no person in Australia has to face their darkest moments alone.</p> <p>Lifeline has partnered with Safewill to offer you the opportunity to <strong><a href="https://safewill.com//lifelineaus?utm_content=ptnr&amp;utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=enewsletter&amp;utm_campaign=lifelineaus_sep_2023_iac_week_over60_newsletter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">write your Will online for free this Include a Charity Week</a></strong>, which runs from the 4th – 10th September and is dedicated to raising awareness of how anyone can make a lasting impact to causes that they care about through a gift in their Will. Your Will will be reviewed by their affiliate law firm, Safewill Legal, to ensure it has been filled out correctly, and comes with a year of free and unlimited updates.</p> <p>While making a Will online may not be for everyone, particularly those with complex estates, thousands more Australians have been able to write a Will within the comfort of their own home in just 20 minutes.</p> <p>Safewill's online Will-writing service allows you to appoint guardians for your children, set out how you want to divide your estate and leave gifts to charities that mean the most to you - like Lifeline.</p> <p>After you've provided for those closest to you, leaving a gift to Lifeline is a lasting and meaningful way that you can have an impact for years to come. Even 1% of your estate can help save lives and prevent suicides in future generations.</p> <p>If you would like to learn more, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Lifeline Australia’s Gifts in Wills Specialist Abi Steiner via email at <a href="mailto:GiftsInWills@lifeline.org.au">GiftsInWills@lifeline.org.au</a> or phone on 1800 800 768.</p> <p><em>Images: Supplied. </em></p> <p><em>This is a sponsored article written in partnership with Lifeline Australia.</em></p>

Caring

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Why the nose-diving British pound matters for Australia

<p dir="ltr">As the British pound hit its lowest value since 1971, experts are warning it could serve as a dire warning for those of us beyond UK shores.</p> <p dir="ltr">On Monday, it was reported that the pound was worth as little as $US 1.037 ($AU 1.60 or $NZ 1.82), its lowest since the currency was decimalised in 1971.</p> <p dir="ltr">It comes amid concerns about the state of the global economy, with central banks working to slow the rate of inflation, and economic changes the UK government has introduced.</p> <p dir="ltr">After Liz Truss became the UK’s new Prime Minister on September 6, Treasury chief Kwasi Krawteng released a controversial mini-budget including hefty tax cuts for the wealthy and an increase in borrowing to spur economic growth.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, many economists warn it’s more likely to increase inflation even further, with the British central bank expected to increase official interest rates in response.</p> <p dir="ltr">Since the announcement of the tax cuts on Friday, which come as the biggest cuts in 50 years, the pound lost more than five percent of its value against the US dollar.</p> <p dir="ltr">Along with the cuts that are set to total £45 billion ($AU 75 billion or $NZ 85 billion), the government also plans to cap prices for electricity and natural gas for homes and businesses to cushion the impact of price rises caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.</p> <p dir="ltr">With the caps to the tune of £60 billion ($AU 100 billion or $NZ 114 billion), Kwarteng said the government would be borrowing the funds needed to finance it.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>How does it affect us?</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Though that could mean your next UK holiday is cheaper, economist Jason Murphy points to it as a warning for what could be in store for the Australian economy.</p> <p dir="ltr">Australia’s new Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is expected to release his first budget in October, which is expected to include his proposed tax cuts that will mostly benefit high-income earners, known as “stage three tax cuts”.</p> <p dir="ltr">These cuts are a hand-me-down from the Turnbull government’s 2018-19 budget, coming from then-Treasurer Scott Morrison, but they could pose some issues as Aussies face inflation everywhere from the supermarket to keeping the lights on.</p> <p dir="ltr">Tax cuts encourage spending and that spending encourages businesses to increase prices, resulting in inflation.</p> <p dir="ltr">With debts from the payouts delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic, <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/markets/world-markets/british-pound-hits-a-record-low-in-big-warning-for-australia/news-story/36c1a1c7b5c3431147948a9dcea5395a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Murphy argues</a> that steering clear of tax cuts will also help reduce the country’s debt, which is significantly higher than when Morrison’s budget was first announced.</p> <p dir="ltr">As we continue to watch what happens in the UK, senior investment and markets analyst Susannah Streeter said it’s difficult to know just how far it will fall.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It depends, I think, now on what the Bank of England does in response to sterling's most recent fall," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"There's been this dramatic loss of confidence in the government's economic management. But now the ball is in the Bank of England's court."</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-19b322b4-7fff-8924-d47a-aa1b491be78d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Money & Banking

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“I had to reach the island”: Aussie mum recalls terrifying turn on cruising scuba dive

<p dir="ltr">A NSW woman has said a cruise company should have been better prepared for adverse weather after a holiday scuba dive nearly went horribly wrong.</p> <p dir="ltr">Justine Clark and her sons, 18-year-old Felix and 20-year-old Max, resurfaced from an offshore dive in Fiji to find that their boat was nowhere to be seen.</p> <p dir="ltr">The trio were on a seven-day cruise in Fiji when they went on an afternoon dive at an offshore site called The Supermarket with another cruise-goer and the divemaster, who worked for a company subcontracted by Captain Cook Cruises Fiji.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though the weather began to worsen as they travelled to the dive site, the party pushed on.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We travelled into an approaching storm and out into open waters in what appeared to be a large channel about 20 kilometres from any island," Ms Clark told the <em><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-21/fiji-dive-turns-into-nightmare-for-newcastle-mum-and-sons/101448116" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a></em>.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-45b5dc65-7fff-d402-b20f-7e845fe45b14"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">When she resurfaced with her eldest son after a dive of about 40 minutes, she said the boat was nowhere to be seen and the weather conditions were rough.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/justine-cruise-nightmare1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>A tender boat took Justine Clark, her two sons, and others in their diving party to the dive site. Image: Justine Clark</em></p> <p dir="ltr">"No tender boat was visible on surfacing, the swell was 2 metres, it was dark with grey clouds and high wind," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Clark, who has over 30 years of diving experience, said their divemaster was the next to surface and realise what had happened.</p> <p dir="ltr">"He was shocked at the events and stated this had never happened in his 27 years of diving," she recalled.</p> <p dir="ltr">When the divemaster then advised the group to start swimming for an island they could see in the distance, Ms Clark said she was determined to stay calm.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I can't impress how concerned I was for everyone's health, sharks and the sense of determination I had to reach the island in a calm manner," she continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The maternal drive in me was something I had not felt since the birth of my first son."</p> <p dir="ltr">After about 50 minutes, a small boat was spotted travelling towards the group, with the divemaster telling them to inflate their surface marker buoys so they could be seen more easily.</p> <p dir="ltr">The boat’s operator, a garbage collector who had been picking up ocean rubbish, noticed the tip of one of the buoys.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We were all smiles and I was blowing a kiss to the Fijian who saved us," Ms Clark said.</p> <p dir="ltr">They were quickly found by the tender boat driver.</p> <p dir="ltr">"He apologised and told me he was so scared and he had radioed the captain that he lost us," Ms Clark said.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a written response shared with the outlet, Captain Cook Cruises Fiji explained that the tender boat had blown away from the site, with the surface conditions making it difficult for the operator to find and follow the divers’ bubbles.</p> <p dir="ltr">The cruise operator said the situation was unprecedented and that changes were made to the “already tight” safety procedures following an internal review.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though rare, Ms Clark said cruise companies should still be prepared.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I think it's really important that operators are prepared for those situations that may be rare but can still occur," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">It isn’t the first time bad weather has caused strife for cruise ships this year, after wild weather prevented the Coral Princess and other 20 other vessels from docking in Brisbane for several days in July, prompting 2,000 cruise passengers to be stranded onboard.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-1132f612-7fff-01a0-e883-6eb88fbf4626"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Justine Clark</em></p>

Cruising

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William and Kate stun fans with "amazing" scuba dive

<p>Prince William and Kate Middleton have left their fans speechless with their latest "amazing" video from their Caribbean tour. </p> <p>The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took to Instagram to share a video of them scuba diving in Belize to investigate the second largest barrier reef in the world. </p> <p>Their trip, which is in honour fo the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year, has seen the royal couple travel to Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas. </p> <p>In their Instagram video, Kate and William are seen signalling "OK" to each other as they dive below the water. </p> <p>“Belize is home to the second largest barrier reef in the world,” the duo captioned their video on Instagram.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cbaf5RkFuwF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cbaf5RkFuwF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@dukeandduchessofcambridge)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“While the effects of climate change are evident, the Government of Belize and communities across the country deserve huge recognition for their efforts to restore this incredible marine environment - with a commitment to protect 30 per cent of it by 2030.“</p> <p>"On Sunday, we were lucky enough to spend time diving at South Water Caye, directly above the spectacular Belize Barrier Reef."</p> <p>"It was a privilege to see for ourselves the world-leading ocean conservation work being done here."</p> <p>In their video, the royal couple said it was clear to see how much the people of Belize value their environment. </p> <p>Fans were gobsmacked by the candid video with many declaring it “amazing”.</p> <p>“No words!” one fan wrote on Instagram.</p> <p>“Is there nothing these two can’t do,” another added. “Seriously impressed.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram @dukeandduchessofcambridge</em></p>

International Travel

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Woman’s angry post sparks debate about bin diving

<p dir="ltr">A Sydney resident’s Facebook post about a bin diver has made headlines, as residents of her south-Sydney suburb debated whether bin diving is ethical or not.</p> <p dir="ltr">Following the introduction of container refund schemes in Australia, which have served as a way to encourage recycling and money saving in kids, “bin diving” has seen a sharp increase, with people rummaging through others’ bins in an effort to find cans and bottles they can turn in to NSW’s Return and Earn program. The program gives residents 10 cents for every can and bottle they hand in, and there are reports that some are earning as much as $2000 a week through the scheme.</p> <p dir="ltr">A Mortdale resident learned about the lengths people will go to in order to collect recyclables this weekend, after finding an elderly man on her property on Sunday morning, going through her son’s collection of cans.</p> <p dir="ltr">Submitting her complaint to a Mortdale community group on Facebook, she wrote, “Was awoken this morning 21/11/21 to our dog barking, only to find this elderly man had entered our property (via the front gate) and was caught red handed helping himself to my son's recycle can collection, located up the side of our house.” She included a photo of the man, hoping the community would be able to identify him.</p> <p dir="ltr">The woman went on to explain that her “very large” husband came outside after hearing the commotion, and tried to take the bag of recycling from the man. The man refused to let go, and subsequently slipped. The woman made various claims about the man’s English abilities, namely that he was pretending he couldn’t speak English, and said he was “of sound mind and knew exactly what he was doing”. She finished, “If you know of this man, please let him know that trespassing on other people's properties is not only illegal, but may end up terribly for him, should a man of a different disposition to my hubby (or an aggressive dog) decide to take matters into their own hand!!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Many were quick to agree with her that his behaviour was inappropriate, with people calling him a thief and calling for him to be locked up. One commenter wrote that she should have “turn[ed] the hose on him”, while another wrote that there was “no excuse to steal”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Others weren’t as harsh, with several saying that there was no need to post about the ordeal. One commenter urged the woman to “try compassion”, while another said that she was not being “very nice”. One person said, “I do not condone theft but if someone is stealing veggies out of my garden, my first response is to find out why,” while another wrote that they would have given him the cans along with $10. “I am so blessed and feel for the old and elderly that may be having a hard time getting money for food.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Maskot</em></p>

Legal

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Popular diving spot loses its top

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Darwin’s Arch, the famed rock structure in the Galapagos Islands, has lost its top, with officials blaming natural erosion.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ecuador’s Environment Ministry reported the collapse on Facebook on Monday, May 17. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The post said: “This event is a consequence of natural erosion. Darwin’s Arch is made of natural stone that at one time would have been part of Darwin Island, which is not open to visits by land.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This site is considered one of the best places on the planet to dive and observe schools of sharks and other species.”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Informamos que hoy 17 de mayo, se reportó el colapso del Arco de Darwin, el atractivo puente natural ubicado a menos de un kilómetro de la isla principal Darwin, la más norte del archipiélago de <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gal%C3%A1pagos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Galápagos</a>. Este suceso sería consecuencia de la erosión natural. <br /><br />📷Héctor Barrera <a href="https://t.co/lBZJWNbgHg">pic.twitter.com/lBZJWNbgHg</a></p> — Ministerio del Ambiente y Agua de Ecuador (@Ambiente_Ec) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ambiente_Ec/status/1394397390384341004?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At 43 metres high, 70 metres long, and 23 metres wide, the rock structure is a popular spot for scuba divers less than 1km away from Darwin Island and 1000km from mainland Ecuador.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The unique plants and animals on the island are famed in part for inspiring Charles Darwin’s thoughts on evolution, and the rock formation was later named after the scientist.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The arch is also famous for its underwater encounters with sea turtles, whale sharks, manta rays and dolphins.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jen Jones of the Galapagos Conservation Trust said the charity was “sad to hear the news about Darwin’s Arch collapsing.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The collapse of the arch is a reminder of how fragile our world is. While there is little that we as humans can do to stop geological processes such as erosion, we can endeavour to protect the island’s precious marine life.”</span></p>

International Travel

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"I am not buying things": Why some people opt for 'dumpster diving'

<p>Each year, Australian households throw out some <a href="http://www.foodwise.com.au/foodwaste/food-waste-fast-facts/">A$8 billion worth of edible food</a>, with those aged 18 to 24 reported as the biggest wasters.</p> <p>However, this household figure is likely far outweighed by the value of food waste generated by commercial retailers. In truth, our youth are but one contributor to what could be deemed a massive market failure.</p> <p>But some people are looking for different ways to approach food and waste. Over three months I interviewed 21 young environmentalists from Melbourne, exploring how and why they began “dumpster diving”: searching waste bins for food.</p> <p>While there are many reasons why someone might choose – or be forced by economic circumstances – to investigate trash, the young people I spoke to cited a range of motivations: to reduce waste; to create a sense of community; and because they did not want to support unsustainable food markets.</p> <p><strong>Understanding dumpster diving</strong></p> <p>Food waste is estimated to cost the Australian economy <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/protection/national-waste-policy/publications/food-waste-factsheet">A$20 billion a year</a> (this includes commercial and industrial sector waste, as well as waste disposal charges).</p> <p>The Australian government is <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/protection/national-waste-policy/food-waste">developing legislation</a> with the aim of halving food wastage by 50%. Effective solutions could result in tremendous savings and considerable environmental benefit.</p> <p>While dumpster diving is obviously not a wholesale solution to the problem of food waste, young consumers’ changing attitudes are an important part of our national conversation.</p> <p>My findings show that Melbourne’s young environmentalists regularly visit dumpsters at vegetable markets, supermarkets and bakeries.</p> <p>My interviewees were motivated to dumpster dive by a range of factors besides the obvious gain of free food and goods. Framing the deed as economic necessity fails to capture a variety of incentives.</p> <p>It’s worth noting that the limited demographic I studied means these results cannot be associated with those who dumpster-dive out of genuine need. Rather, those I interviewed wanted to reduce food waste and avoid supporting the “mainstream” food economy. One young environmentalist told me:</p> <blockquote> <p>I never in my childhood and afterwards had a shortage of food in my life. I think the reason that I started [dumpster diving] and one of the main reasons that I continue it is because I think it’s environmentally a good thing to do […] I am not buying things. I am not contributing to unsustainable food production.</p> </blockquote> <p>Several participants said they refused to buy from companies with unacceptable environmental credentials. For them, dumpster diving is not an occasional activity but a planned and ongoing way of life. They attempt to create an alternative “free” food economy based on minimising waste and sharing resources.</p> <p>However, members of the group are aware of opposition to the practice. Several had experiencd confrontations with retail staff, security guards and members of the public. One interviewee said:</p> <blockquote> <p>I think they [supermarket authorities] worry about losing business [as] people get food from their bins, not from the supermarket; it’s a part of their worry as well. They ask me to leave. I ask, ‘Why?’ It’s ridiculous. Why can’t they let me have this food that will probably end up in landfill?</p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Feel-good and fun</strong></p> <p>Dumpster divers are also motivated by the emotional bonds they form as a group. They’re part of a broader subculture of “alternative” consumers, who commonly share food; they describe themselves as “a community of free food people”.</p> <p>Several expressed a “feel good” and “fun” dimension to the activity. Acquiring unpredictable “finds” created a sense of novelty and surprise, and a feeling that the rewards were “worked for”. They mirror more traditional shopping habits like “treasure-hunting”, or the thrill of finding a bargain.</p> <p><strong>Retailers’ perspective</strong></p> <p>From a retailer’s perspective, dumpster diving presents a different face. Although one interviewee accused retailers of protecting their profits, there’s also the risk of a dumpster diver being injured, or getting sick from unsafe food.</p> <p>While some companies actively support or are empathetic towards dumpster divers, others call for the prosecution of divers whom they believe to be stealing. Diving is illegal in many developed countries such as Germany and New Zealand (although prosecutions are rare).</p> <p>Everybody involved in the food chain has a role to play in reducing food waste. Retailers can work to optimise their supply chain, reduce the amount of produce on display or accept less-than-perfect produce from farmers. Products approaching expiring should be heavily discounted, or donated to charities (although <a href="https://theconversation.com/successful-failures-the-problem-with-food-banks-86546">food banks aren’t a panacea</a>).</p> <p>We as consumers should also be willing to adjust our expectations of perfect produce, something explored in the ABC program <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/ourfocus/waronwaste/"><em>War on Waste</em></a> and campaigns like the United States’ <a href="http://www.endfoodwaste.org/ugly-fruit---veg.html">Ugly Fruit and Veg</a>.</p> <p>More fundamentally, we need to change our attitude to food. Thinking about why and how we create waste and exploring different perspectives – like dumpster diving – are all part of this process.</p> <p>Ultimately, the purpose of dumpster diving is to highlight and provide an alternative to the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/why-grocery-stores-throw-out-so-much-food-2014-10?r=US&amp;IR=T">food waste embedded in everyday business models</a>. At the end of the day, the way forward is for each of us to consider and reflect on our own habits of consumption.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/86536/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em>Written by <span>Chamila Perera, Lecturer, Swinburne University of Technology</span>. Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://theconversation.com/i-am-not-buying-things-why-some-people-see-dumpster-diving-as-the-ethical-way-to-eat-86536"><em>The Conversation</em></a><em>. </em></p>

Retirement Income

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The life-changing experience of diving the world’s largest sea cave

<p><em><strong>Sue Halliwell is a New Zealand-based travel writer from Whangarei, specialising in eco-adventures and travel for the 60-plus age group. In this piece, she returns to the spectacular Poor Knights Islands off New Zealand’s Tutukaka Coast to fulfil a dream and conquer a deep, dark fear. Find more of her work <a href="http://www.facebook.com/60plusadventures/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">here</span></a>.</strong></em></p> <p>I had just emerged from the waters of the world’s largest sea cave.</p> <p>Helping haul my wetsuited body back on board Pacific Hideaway, boat master Glenn held his hand up for a congratulatory high five. I obliged, although he couldn’t have known how big this actually was for me. Not only had I just fulfilled a long-held dream, but I had also conquered a deep, dark fear - or more correctly, a fear of the deep and dark.</p> <p>This was my second trip to the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve. Five years earlier, I had left this extraordinary place feeling disappointed - in myself, not the islands. This striking 12-island archipelago punctuating Northland’s eastern horizon can’t fail to impress, but I was less than happy with my failure to do what I had yearned to do there. So, when offered a second chance at it by Yukon Dive, I grabbed it.</p> <p>Since reading about the Islands’ famous Rikoriko Cave decades ago, I had longed to sing there. I’m no Kiri Te Kanawa, but I dreamed of filling all 200,000 cubic metres of the biggest marine cavern in the world with song, and hearing it chorus back to me off the walls. What’s more, I wanted to sing Amazing Grace in this cathedral-like natural sound shell, because it seemed the most appropriate choice of song.</p> <p>However, to do this would potentially mean swimming in the cave’s inky, fathomless water, a prospect that terrified the flippers off me. Now sitting on a boat bound for the Poor Knights about to get that opportunity, I wondered if this time the joy of soul singing would conquer my phobia of being in shadowy water. I hoped so.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="497" height="330" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7266210/image-1-sea-cave_497x330.jpg" alt="Image 1 Sea Cave"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><em>Aerial shot of the Poor Knights Islands. Photo credit Ian Skipworth and Yukon Dive.</em></p> <p>I spent the journey distracting myself by looking for the many whale and dolphin species that swim this coast. Yukon Dive’s stable catamaran, Pacific Hideaway, provides the perfect platform for whale spotting, and is a popular choice for visitors wanting to explore the Poor Knights Islands in comfort. Making the 23-kilometre voyage there from Tutukaka every weather-appropriate day in the summer season, Yukon Dive owners, Jo Thomson and husband Noel Erickson, know the route and the islands well.</p> <p>“To us the Poor Knights offer an unparalleled experience, both above and below the water,” Jo says.</p> <p>“It is a place of huge ecological, historical, cultural and geological significance, with something new or different to see on every trip, and we love that we get to share that with others.”</p> <p>Those others are increasing in number.</p> <p>“Our passenger numbers are up on previous years,” Jo says. “Our customers include Kiwis wanting to see and be in a place they have heard so much about, as well as travelers from every corner of the globe with a Poor Knights adventure on their list of New Zealand must-dos.”</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="334" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7266209/image-2-seacave_500x334.jpg" alt="Image 2 Seacave"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Taking giant strides into the water from the steady platform of Yukon Dive’s catamaran, Pacific Hideaway. Photo credit: Yukon Dive</em></p> <p>They come to experience one of the world’s iconic diving spots, rated by Jacques Cousteau as among the ten finest in the world. The eroded remnants of a gigantic 4 million-year-old rhyolitic volcano standing 1000 metres high and stretching 25 kilometres across, these craggy, steep-walled, cave-riddled islets and their waters out to 800 metres provide legal sanctuary for its terrestrial and marine inhabitants.</p> <p>The fish, at least, appear to know it. Since the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve was created in 1978, their numbers have exploded. Department of Conservation fish monitoring over the first ten years of Reserve status revealed snapper numbers had increased 14-fold, with large numbers of other fish species also arriving in the islands’ temperate waters and staying, including sentinel species like hapuku, or grouper.</p> <p>This pelagic profusion was very evident on our first dip into the water at ‘The Gardens’, to the left of Rikoriko Cave. Donning the supplied wetsuits and snorkel or dive gear, we slipped into a surprisingly clear ocean, to be greeted by huge schools of milling blue maomao and pretty pink demoiselles.</p> <p>As I got closer to the undersea cliff walls, varietal seaweeds came into view, bending and bowing with the swell, and harbouring fish of all size and description. One large and curious snapper even hung out within touching distance of me for at least ten minutes, an intimate fish connection that I have never before experienced.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="333" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7266208/image-3-sea-cave_500x333.jpg" alt="Image 3 Sea Cave"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><em>Milling schools of fish like these demoiselles greeted us as we entered the water. Photo credit Ian Skipworth and Yukon Dive</em></p> <p>Back on the boat and after circumnavigating the second largest island, Aorangi Island, my moment of truth and Rikoriko Cave arrived. As the Pacific Hideaway slipped quietly into the huge cliff cavity, Noel came to the front of the boat holding a beautifully carved Maori trumpet, or pukaea. Lifting the traditional instrument and blowing, the cave’s natural acoustics gathered up and hurled the haunting sound to its perimeters and back again. I was captivated.</p> <p>The boat’s thirty or so passengers fell completely silent, and had I wanted to break the spell I could have launched into Amazing Grace there and then. But the moment was too sublime to fracture with singing of my quality, and I remained silent. Looking into the cave’s black waters I knew that swimming back into them would be the only way to achieve what I had come to do, and tried hard to swallow my fear.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="497" height="330" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7266207/image-4-sea-cave_497x330.jpg" alt="Image 4 Sea Cave"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Assorted anemones, starfish and gorgonians , pink maomao and a splendid perch enjoy the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve. Photo credit: Ian Skipworth and Yukon Dive</em></p> <p>Outside the cave and the boat at anchor, I watched as other passengers prepared to explore Rikoriko’s delights for themselves. Sensing my trepidation, two onboard friends invited me to join them. Buoyed by this support, I took a deep breath and dived into both the ocean and my phobia.</p> <p>On the short trip from boat to cave, laser-like shafts of sunlight pierced the water in every direction, highlighting the translucent scales and colours of the fish around and below us. It was an exquisite sight, however the rays died suddenly just inside the cave entrance, and with it my courage. Fighting panic, I sidled up to one of my pals for comfort, swam alongside her into the cave and watched in awe as a magical world opened up to me.</p> <p>Despite the dark, I could clearly see the multi-hued and multitude of sea urchins and anemones on the cliff wall, the schooling blue maomao and another snapper shadowing me as if in protective escort. Further and further into the cave I went, until I found myself at its centre feeling surprisingly calm.</p> <p>Throwing caution aside, I opened my mouth and sang the first verse of Amazing Grace with all the gusto available to someone who must also tread water. While I can’t claim to have created the spectacular effect of Noel’s pukaea, I could still hear my voice echoing round the cavern and hooted in celebration.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="438" height="328" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7266206/image-5-sea-cave.jpg" alt="Image 5 Sea Cave"/></p> <p align="center"><em>The world’s biggest sea cave, Rikoriko Cave on the Poor Knights Islands, from the inside out. Photo credit: Bryan Halliwell</em></p> <p>I then surprised myself further. My friends had swum deeper into the cave to look for the sunken jaw bone of a whale that Noel told us rested on the sea floor, and I followed. The bone located, I swam slowly back toward the light, revelling in the growing richness of colour and life around me and also that I’d had the courage to be part of it.</p> <p>So, when Glenn congratulated me, he didn’t know the half of it, and I suspect that’s the case with many of his passengers. In exploring one of New Zealand’s most intriguing and significant island chains, they venture into unexplored places in themselves – perhaps as big as Rikoriko Cave itself – to find that the dark and deep, once conquered, become delight.</p> <p><strong>Waters around the Poor Knights Islands to 800 metres are a marine reserve, which means:</strong></p> <ul> <li>No fishing of any kind</li> <li>Don't take or kill marine life</li> <li>Don't remove or disturb any marine life or materials</li> <li>Don't feed fish - it disturbs their natural behaviour</li> </ul> <p><em>For more information on Yukon Dive’s scenic, snorkel and dive trips to the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve, go to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.yukon.co.nz/" target="_blank">www.yukon.co.nz</a></strong></span></em></p>

International Travel

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Vanuatu's incredible land diving festival

<p>Ever wondered who was crazy enough to invent bungee jumping? The answer may lie in this amazing traditional festival in Vanuatu.</p> <p><strong>What is it?</strong></p> <p>The Naghol Festival celebrates the start of the yam harvest in Vanuatu and is an ancient tradition that is still celebrated today. Islanders build large wooden towers, up to 30 metres tall, that will be used for land diving. As the name suggests, boys and men tie a vine to each of their ankles and dive head first from the tower. If done properly, the vines should be just the right length so that the divers can curl their head up and their shoulders just brush the ground.</p> <p><strong>What does it mean?</strong></p> <p>The festival was originally meant to ensure a bountiful yam harvest for the village. The ground was said to be fertilised by the divers’ body brushing the ground as the came to the end of their jump. It is also a show of great courage from the men and boys taking part.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GzDTOToe2JY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><strong>Where is it?</strong></p> <p>The festival takes place on the island of Pentecost in Vanuatu. Pentecost is one of the country’s 83 islands and sits around 200 kilometres north of the capital Port Vila. It is small and pristine, with virgin rainforest, tumbling waterfalls, clear swimming holes and sparkling beaches.</p> <p><strong>When is it?</strong></p> <p>The Naghol Festival is held every Saturday in April and May.</p> <p><strong>How can I see it?</strong></p> <p>There are limited accommodation options on Pentecost island, so most visitors come for a day trip from Port Vila. The flight takes around one hour each way and there are packages available that include airfares, transfers and entry to the festival.</p> <p>Have you ever been to this festival?</p>

International Travel

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Diving with sharks in the Bahamas

<p>Sharks. We splashed into the clear waters off Grand Bahama Island and immediately saw what we came to see: Lots of them.</p> <p>We were nose-to-nose with them. They were so plentiful that we encountered them on each of our 17 dives - as many as 20 on a single dive. In fact, we saw more sharks than people on remote reefs and shoals.</p> <p>There were high-action dives with nurse, lemon and Caribbean reef sharks. And some of them got very cosy. The six-day trip also included dives down to a 100-year-old molasses barge called the Sugar Wreck, as well as exceptional night dives.</p> <p>We also had beautiful encounters on the reefs with a variety of critters such as loggerhead and hawksbill sea turtles, trumpetfish, invasive lionfish, angelfish, snappers and grunts.</p> <p>Our first dive on the Sugar Wreck was among my favourite dives ever. It was a shallow dive - 25 feet down - that allowed us to enjoy this fabulous old wreck for about 90 minutes.</p> <p>We had beautiful light, hawksbill turtles, nurse sharks, hundreds of grunts and snapper, a white-sand bottom off the wreck and an easy current. This is classic tropical diving.</p> <p>After a few extraordinary dives on the Sugar Wreck we were off to find what we came for: tiger sharks. Our first spot was a remote sand shoal called Tiger Beach.</p> <p>We were not lucky enough to find tigers. But we did encounter other sharks, mostly lemon. We never felt threatened, but the many large sharks did get a bit frisky.</p> <p>They bumped some of us with their fins or noses and pulled on our fins. One diver had a small toy dangling from her air tank; a shark snatched it, put it in its mouth and then coughed it back out.</p> <p>We spent hours with these sleek and beautiful predators but we also longed for diversity.</p> <p>The night diving was spectacular and another exhilarating way to experience the reef. Night is when the beautiful and bizarre creatures emerge.</p> <p>And Sugar Wreck looked like a completely different place after dark. The countless number of fish including porcupines and nurse sharks; there were also huge loggerhead and hawksbill turtles, prehistoric-looking slipper lobsters and a gaudy, spotted Caribbean lobster.</p> <p>We stopped at several other spectacular spots, including Shark Paradise reef, where we found several lively and curious Caribbean reef sharks that had no fear of us. They bumped us to understand the odd intruders.</p> <p>El Capitan was a drift dive at 89 feet - probably the deepest dive of the week. It was my least favourite. We wound up soaring 30 feet above the reef, trying to keep the group together in hauling current.</p> <p>Mini Wall was a gorgeous pair of parallel reefs with a 80-foot-deep sand channel between. The first tops out in about 30 feet of water, then you cross the sand to the second reef, topping out at about 60 feet.</p> <p>The landscape of the reef at times towered above the divers. Many of us were surprised when an extremely large and curious lemon shark suddenly appeared out of the darkness and within feet of us.</p> <p>The aptly named Hogfish Reef was home to many Spanish hogfish and several large Caribbean reef sharks, trumpetfish and angels. It was another spot of nice topography with a lot of relief and sand edge.</p> <p>Then it was back to Tiger Beach where the lemons were getting more familiar. Their growing comfort with our presence let us see some extraordinary behaviour up close.</p> <p>One lemon seemed to tolerate, if not simply ignore, my close approach as it laid on the sand. It opened its formidable mouth wide and waited while an 8-inch remora swam in and out, cleaning around and between the serrated teeth.</p> <p>We ended the trip with another breathtaking night dive on the wreck where we began our adventure. There were more huge loggerheads and one was being constantly harassed by a pair of large remoras.</p> <p>Finally, the turtle squeezed beneath some steel plates of the wreck to force them off and we headed for the last time to the dive ladders. Our logbooks were rapidly filling with once-in-a-lifetime adventures.</p> <p>Have you ever been to the Bahamas?</p> <p><em>Written by Ken Riddick. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><em><strong>No matter where you’re travelling to, making sure you know how to access your cash while away – and in the most affordable way – is very important. Easy to use and with countless benefits, the Over60 Cash Passport allows you to securely access your cash in the same way you use an ATM or credit card­. <a href="https://oversixty.cashpassport.com.au" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">To apply for a card today, click here.</span></a></strong></em></p>

International Travel

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Great-grandma skydives for 92nd birthday

<p>Meet Phyllis Guthrie, the great-grandma who just celebrated her 92nd birthday by skydiving.</p> <p>Anybody who knows Phyllis wouldn’t be surprised by her daring choice of birthday celebration. At age 78, Phyllis earned a doctorate degree in education. At 82, she climbed a mountain in the Alps. And at age 87, she acted in The Vagina Monologues. So it only seems fitting that the great-grandmother decided to jump out of a plane at age 92.</p> <p>Two days after her birthday, Phyllis wore her most sensible orthopedic shoes, had a coffee with her daughter, and then drove to an open field.</p> <p>"I feel kind of numb," the Texas woman said. "I don't feel nervous at all. I'm not afraid. I just feel sort of level."</p> <p>The retired professor – who has four children, five grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren – said sky-diving has always been on her bucket list.</p> <p>"I want to leave a legacy," she said. "Someday, people can say, 'Do you remember that lady who jumped out of an airplane?'”</p> <p><img width="508" height="286" src="http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/c/x/6/g/c/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1cx6ee.png/1468619112179.jpg" alt="A pleased Phyllis Guthrie after her descent." class="photoborder" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>And they certainly will, as Phyllis’ skydive went off without a hitch. As she landed, she exclaimed, "That sure was something.”</p> <p>As the instructors helped her untangle herself from the parachute, Ian Houchin, a fellow jumper, offered an arm. "You are my hero," he said. "Do you think you'd do this again?"</p> <p>"Well, yes," she replied. "But not now."</p> <p>Resting on a picnic bench after the adrenaline-filled adventure, Phyllis said, "I can't believe I did it. I'll tell you the strangest part. Getting pushed out of the plane. You don't have time to think. It feels like you're falling forever."</p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/06/how-to-build-your-legacy/">How to build your legacy</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/06/the-simple-yet-powerful-tool-to-plan-your-retirement/">The simple yet powerful tool to plan your retirement</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/06/retirement-doesnt-have-to-sap-your-self-esteem/">Retirement doesn’t have to sap your self-esteem</a></em></strong></span></p>

Mind

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Dive of discovery off the Great Barrier Reef

<p>I roll backwards off the pontoon boat and sink into the ocean depths. Fresh air and blue sky are forgotten as I descend into a silent world to meet whatever lies beneath.</p> <p>Settling on the fine white sand at 23 metres, I'm within sight of a kaleidoscopic coral reef outcrop known as the Lighthouse Bommie, so named because it's straight out from the old lighthouse on Lady Elliot Island, the southernmost island on the Great Barrier Reef.</p> <p>I'm torn between conflicting emotions. Being suspended in a weightless state in crystal-clear, tepid water, gives me a comforting back-to-the-womb feeling. But knowing that giant marine mammals are lurking in this vicinity brings a heightened state of anxiety.</p> <p>I'm conscious of a high-pitched sound, the hauntingly beautiful song of a humpback whale somewhere out in the ocean. Suddenly I catch a glimpse of a sleek, menacing silhouette at the periphery of vision. A  3m white-tip reef shark circles the bommie, scattering the resident tropical fish, before vanishing into the blue.</p> <p>This is an ecosystem of big muscle fish on steroids. When a giant manta ray arrives my heart leaps, as a great white blanket of underbelly passes straight overhead. The 4m wide monster hovers over the bommie, where it is instantly besieged by an army of hyperactive cleaner fish, the barbers and groomers of the reef.</p> <p>In this undersea metropolis, the Lighthouse Bommie is Grand Central Station, the foremost fish-cleaning base on the reef. The manta ray hovers like an inter-galactic space ship while the assorted nibblers remove every trace of dead skin and parasites from his mouth and gills. The stealth bomber of the seas then makes a sweeping turn and vanishes into the gloom.</p> <p>Witnessing this cameo of life beneath the waves makes me realise that inner space is a parallel universe as diverse and colourful as our own. The 1500 fish species on the Great Barrier Reef, the whales, dolphins, manta rays, dugongs and the 4000 species of molluscs live their lives in an ordered way with the same degree of connectedness and symbiotic relationships that humans enjoy.</p> <p>The submarine city certainly has all the colour and variety of an earthly metropolis. The scroungers, suckers, pickers, biters, scavengers and devourers inhabit a coral jungle. Some are timid and take shelter in the nooks and crannies of the reef.</p> <p>I particularly love the impish little Nemo of Hollywood fame. The tiny fish coats its body with the same mucus as its host anemone. The host has stinging tentacles with enough toxins to kill a small fish. When Nemo brushes against the blind anemone it registers as one of its own feelers.</p> <p>Invariably, I find myself drawn back to the Clownfish Hyatt, a coral outcrop festooned with waving anemone feelers dotted with the cute little orange faces peering up at me. Remarkably, they are bold enough to nip my fingers and even dart up to my mask.</p> <p>Moving in, I examine the coral outcrop closely but cannot see the clever little polyps that are the architects and builders of the Great Barrier Reef. It is astounding that the largest living thing on earth, the only structure visible from space, is the work of builders no larger than the head of a pin.</p> <p>Trillions of tiny jellyfish-like coral polyps form a thin living veneer on the surface of a solid limestone foundation of dead corals that is over 2 million years old. The plucky little mites beaver away over their short lifespan, sustained by nightly feeds of zooplankton, each polyp adding a few more grains of limestone when they shuffle off the mortal coil.</p> <p>Like their human counterparts all these undersea creatures are adaptable and resilient. The parrot fish sleeps in a cocoon of spun mucus, which hides its tell-tale smell from predators. The cuttle fish changes its colour and texture at will and has two eyeballs in each eye to focus on close and distant objects simultaneously. Survival in the deep requires super ingenuity and a large dose of luck.</p> <p>As I continue to circle around Lighthouse Bommie I encounter more and more of the multi-coloured inhabitants. There are bright yellow angelfish with sweeping tails, flighty butterfly fish, cheeky-beak parrot fish that dart up to my mask in a mock attack and, my personal favourite, the gorgeously attired comedians known as harlequin tuskfish.</p> <p>It's easy to lose yourself in this watery realm as the senses become fully engaged with the marine life. I'm swimming along an opening in the reef that is a main thoroughfare. A shimmering mass of big eye trevally, cautious and alert, are drifting slowly down the current navigating the passage like a convoy of VIP limos.</p> <p>It's clearly not rush hour. A swarm of fusilier fish, moving in concert, are flowing along the reef wall like a river of liquid mercury. As I approach they instantly divide, allowing me to pass. Then they flow back together in one fluid motion as if choreographed by some unseen hand.</p> <p>A large green turtle emerges from the gloom, paddling along at a leisurely pace, content in the knowledge that he has 100 years to complete his life's work.</p> <p>Next I spot the big boys lurking in the shadows. Maori wrasse with intricate moko-like markings on their face lie motionless like metro line commuters waiting for their train.</p> <p>The city dwellers on the reef have many roles to play. The big boys lord it over the reef as the predators. Pelagic baitfish and fusiliers form huge schools for their own protection. Marauders like eels and scorpion fish hunt under cover of darkness. Grazers like wrasse and parrot fish feed on sea grasses, and camouflage fish like blennies and sea horses blend into their surroundings and lie low.</p> <p>When the full moon lights up the ocean in September each year, the city stages a reproduction carnival that is even more colourful than a Hero Parade. Entire reefs of coral polyps simultaneously eject a multicoloured shower of egg and sperm clusters in a unique upside-down snowstorm that drifts far and wide.</p> <p>This is carnival time for whale sharks and other krill and plankton feeders, which cruise main street with wide open mouths. It sparks off a feeding frenzy for many species.</p> <p>When my dive ends I feel exhilarated. Our dive group recounts stories of our undersea adventures. Then realising we are very hungry we enjoy the smorgasbord of fresh fish fillets, mussels, scallops, salads and tropical fruit laid out on the buffet table.</p> <p>I can't help feeling that we're emulating the hungry citizens of that colourful city beneath the waves.</p> <p><em>Written by Paul Rush. First appeared on </em><strong><em><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span>.</a></em></strong></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/02/a-look-inside-first-class-cabins/">Inside 8 first class cabins that will amaze you</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/02/most-photographed-locations-in-london/">London’s 8 most photographed locations</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/02/holiday-ideas-for-animal-lovers/">8 holiday ideas every animal lover needs to experience</a></strong></em></span></p>

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These over-60s prove you’re never too old to take on extreme adventures

<p>Who says life stops at 60? Certainly not for these over-60s who are living proof that you’re never too “old” to start a new hobby – even ones that are considered too adventurous or extreme for over-60s. These amazing Over60 community members defy popular opinion that getting “old” means you should slow down. Instead, they prove these so called “twilight years” are the perfect time to discover new hobbies, passions and pleasures.</p><p>Just take Maggie Cameron who proves that age is no barrier for those seeking adventure. “Well, I might only be in my 70s but I have done a sky dive, three laps of Eastern Creek in a V8 super car, a helicopter ride, paddock bashed in a golf buggy and I am still planning more. All this after having three stents put into the main artery to my heart,” she says.</p><p><em>Many over-60s were keen to tell of their adventurous streaks that took hold later in life.</em></p><p>Jo Herring is just one of many over-60s who has discovered a love of dragon boat racing – a team paddling sport. She says there are “many over-60 paddlers and there are plenty of paddlers in that age group that are competing at race meetings all over our country and the world. It’s a great way to keep fit and you meet some lively and lovely people.”</p><p>“I went abseiling with my granddaughter in Vanuatu in the beginning of December and just loved it,” says 65-year-old Petra Van de Kamp.</p><p>Julie Wheeler completed her first skydive 12 years ago in her early 60s and “really wants to do It again.” Julie isn’t the only one with Sharon Bishop skydiving at 61 and Elaine Lorimer at 60.</p><p>Three generations climbed up the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Marie Hellmund’s 75<sup>th</sup> birthday. She reached the top with her two daughters and granddaughter by her side – an experience that we’re sure she won’t forget.</p><p>Lois McKinnon had her first motorbike ride at 72 and is looking to do it again. Graham Buddle took up snow skiing at the age 54 and scuba diving at 58. At 69, he’s still doing both with no plans to stop.</p><p>Margaret Owers and her husband, both 64, recently bought a kayak each and they just love paddling around in the nearby lake and rivers.</p><p>Golf grabbed Terry Aston in his mid-60s and as he says, fortunately won’t let go. He has some sage advice for anyone thinking it’s too late for new hobbies: “Never too old to ignite a passion and experience new challenges.”</p><p>It’s the same for Lynn Cooper who at 67 is playing golf and enjoying aqua aerobics. She says: “To me age is just a number, if you feel well and the joints are ok then do whatever makes you happy. My neighbour said to me, ‘Oh, I’m 62 and feel too old to join in a pool party.’</p><p>For Lynn, a number isn’t going to stop her enjoying a pool party – or trying new things. Just like it shouldn’t for any over-60s!&nbsp;</p><p><a href="/finance/insurance/2015/01/benefits-of-being-a-volunteer/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">If you're looking for something new, read about the benefits of being a volunteer.</span></strong></a></p>

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