England, Sweden, Australia 2005
March, 2005
London, Stockholm, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Mt. Gambier, Cairns
March is difficult diving in much of the world, leaving many dive show
organizers to choose this time as an ideal chance to schedule diving
shows. On March 3 GUE president Jarrod Jablonski set out for a whirlwind
tour, conducting 10 presentations in 7 cities around the world, joining
Oztek, teaching a Fundamentals course, diving the local caves in Mt
Gambier (Australia), and taking in some of the local diving on the
Barrier Reef.
Jarrod found the hospitality of everyone along the way was remarkable;
noting that it is impossible to embark upon such a trip and not be
immensely grateful for all the kind and generous people inhabiting these
areas. The London and Stockholm dive shows provided a chance to catch up
with good friends and meet many new divers. Jarrod conducted a wide
variety of presentations, ranging from GUE to exploration diving; this
provided a great chance to interact with many passionate divers. After
many grueling days of travel he was afforded the chance to dive a range
of caves and reefs in Australia.
Excerpt from Jarrod's notes: "There remains something
especially intriguing about exploring caves on a different continent.
Caves around the world have a unique combination of formations,
structure, constituents; these somehow to combine magically to form what
can only be expressed as a personality unique to that cave. Generally
speaking, caves from different countries seem to take that contrast to
the next level. Taken together with their local culture, the means of
accessing the cave, and the many people revolving around the diving these
excursions are one of the most rewarding experiences in my life.
It would be hard to select one or even several things that I found most
rewarding about my time in Mt. Gambier. The people were all remarkable;
the list of people to thank seems boundless. From the wonderful
hospitality of Warrick and Jane McDonald to Steve Trewavas endless
assistance to the generosity of spirit found with George and Tanya Yara
to the great energy of Chris Ross and Terri Allen. There were so
many great people in Australia that even casual reflection leaves me
grateful.
Then of course one must consider the caves; these were actually more
dramatic and unique than I anticipated. I most particularly enjoyed the
variety found in Tank Cave. I was also impressed that the cave was
holding up so well given its extremely fragile structure. This seems a
testament to the efforts of the CDAA and the general ability of the local
divers. The Shaft was truly the dive that took me most by surprise. At
first I thought perhaps I was the victim of a cruel Australian joke-
bring the daft American to a lonely paddock and then tell him to find the
mud hole (we do something similar in the States). After locating the
small entryway and beginning preparations I became more intrigued.
Finally I was lowered to the water and my anticipation had grown
considerably. After sinking below the surface I was very impressed by the
dramatic size and breathtaking beauty of my surroundings. In American
terms it is a lot like Eagles Nest (local Florida cave) but bigger,
clearer, and prettier. With a final dive in Pics I was ushered off for
another trip to Barrier Reef. I could not help being a bit annoyed by all
the fish and color and looking forward to my next return to the caves of
Australia. Thank you to all of you for your remarkable
hospitality."