up the back

This post has been steeping in the mystifying pot of the internet for a week, where I have been unable to access it. After many long frustrating hours it has finally loaded and I am pleased to send it on its way with images from an early morning walk; the old architecture and the new, locals doing their thing, and a couple of four legged friends. 

The season is changing - as southern Australia heads into spring our winds shift onshore and the humidity heralds the beginning of the build up. After 45 days straight with waves Aquaman has been spending a bit more time at the desk this week, where he is dedicated to learning Revit  (computer aided design) and moving out of the dark ages of a pencil and drawing board. No more crinkled drafting paper on humid days or scratching off pen lines with a scalpel. 

double overhead

When I look up from my screen, the high tide is an aqua sheet over the lagoon bed and the waves are cracking the horizon. Double overhead down the line, light offshore, water 22 degrees, air temp a very pleasant 28, with enough humidity to keep my skin from cracking and condense water on the outside of a cold smoothie glass, but not enough to induce perspiration. Homeostatically perfect. Aquaman is in the office on his 6'8" board. It should be a good giggle session and there will be plenty of happy water boys in the camp tonight. 

Now to more important topics, like running water. Having progressed over the years from a bucket in the well to a tank, pump and taps, we never take this precious commodity for granted. Almost everything we do regularly requires more than a few drops - wash the dishes, brush our teeth, water the garden, boil the kettle, paint a picture, wash the floor, blend a smoothie…without it I might as well read a book and sleep until it is reconnected. All it takes is an insensible shovel blow to the pipe (trust me, I only did this once) and it is back to the bucket. Until one of the rotten posts holding up the tank stand falls down and pierces a hole in the bucket, then it is a very dry argument, dear Liza, dear Liza. 

The architecturally designed steel and timber tank stand is set to become a tourist attraction, and is receiving positive feedback from the locals. Going to the toilet is no longer a death risk, and the push button flusher is one step closer to reality. Then we'll really be sitting in style. 

tropical showers

It finally rained, short and sweet, but enough to wake me with its joyous sound.  The last rain was 78 days ago on the 11th May, so the dry season is certainly living up to its name.  The ground water was replenished with abundant rain through January, February and March, and our well is still providing us with fresh water for the garden and shower. 

Our outdoor shower is walled with a 6 foot dry stone fence, but I was concerned that the nearby coconut trees may provide a viewing platform for sneaky boys, and I didn't want to give the neighbours an eye full whenever I walked up the back steps into the pod.  So we put the rampant vine to work, and in two months it has created a privacy screen and secret garden.  It is a beautiful space by day or night.  Morning sunshine or a sky full of stars.

when the water falls part 2

The area around Munduk in north-central Bali, offers a smorgasbord of waterfalls and streams.  All that is needed are strong knees and lungs for the hike down and back up again.  East of Munduk is a little visited cafe with a backdrop akin to the Pixie Photo booth that used to move around regional shopping centres.  We had been alerted to the cafe by a small article in Bali's Insight magazine (thanks Andrew).  

Look out for the small roadside "waterfall cafe" sign, park up, and the "gatekeeper" will greet you with wooden walking poles to support your descent; well worth the 3000 rps entry fee.  Descend through regenerated spice gardens, cacao and coffee, cross the slatted bamboo bridge and take your seat at the modest cafe.  

 Fresh juices, smoothies, tea and authentic dishes are on offer, including lak-lak, a delicious Balinese dessert, like a small rice dumpling, cooked on an open fire, and topped with palm sugar syrup and coconut.

If you are game, this could be the cheapest place to try authentic kopi luwak, widely reported to be the most expensive coffee in the world.  Freshly shat from the intestinal tract of resident civet cats, it looks like a turd full of coffee beans, and is  claimed to  have smooth "intertwined" flavours with a lack of bitterness.  The question begs to be asked - why gave the coffee growers the initial urge to try this "delicacy?" 

when the water falls part 1

Beyond the Bukit, the Bintang and the Bounty, Bali has some magic natural landscape for those who dare venture out.   The high rainfall feeds innumerable waterfalls that tumble off the volcanoes and through dense rainforest.  When you find one free from day-trippers and single use plastic, there is nothing but to leap in and let the life giving waters tumble over you.

At the base of steep, slippery stairs from Sarinbuana Eco Lodge, is this secluded gem.   The stream flows from Mount Batukaru, through protected rainforest, to form three pools and small cascades.  Just you, the birds, and the deep, dark jungle.  

 Aquaman found the water a little cool for lounging, so took charge of taking my photo. x

control of the high seas

Dawn breaks over the lagoon as we load Mick’s tri-maran with snacks, sunscreen, fuel tanks and an array of equipment for water activities. Surfboards : check. Stand-up-paddle board : check. Kiteboard : check. Mask and snorkle : check. A day out communing with nature is imminent.


The water is glassy and clear as we motor around the reef and into the open ocean. A brief interlude for a morning surf, then Mick unfurls the “screecher” and we sail to protected waters for a cuppa and cranberry muffins. The water is like Venetian glass, reflecting a cloudless sky over a white sand bottom. I do my best to channel Jacky Onassis or Princess Mary, lazing away a Thursday on the bow.



We push 6 knots across the channel to the leeward side of “Bat Island” for lunch. Sail, swim, eat, repeat. I’m getting the hang of this sailing gig. The coral garden beneath us is undamaged, a rare display in an area prone to dynamite fishing and a total disregard for preservation. Above us looms a grey, gaping cliff face; ancient reef exposed to the elements in another eon. The westerly on-shore wind has picked up and we punch into the swell under full sail. It is my first real sailing experience since lolling about in tiny bathtubs for school boating. If I stay on deck I can endure fairly rough conditions, but five minutes in the galley and I’m toast.


The red sphere hits the horizon as we enter the lagoon and glide home. The perfect clichéd end to a magic day.

extreme gardening

Enough about brave men on big waves. Back to the hardcore activity of extreme gardening. It is dry, hot and dusty. Temperature is hovering around 34 degrees C in the shade and as the wet season approaches the humidity will increase to suffocating levels. I have all but given up on the garden for two main reaons :

1. Being that there is no food around this time of year, every seed I plant is taken by either a hermit crab, ant or rodent. Snails are one thing, hungry hermit crabs are another. Out of a whole packet of marigolds, one seedling survived. My next plan of attack is to raise some seedlings in covered punnets to transplant when the rain begins.


2. At the end of the dry season our well goes a bit salty. It is still within the levels for safe drinking, however the plants are sensitive. The well is tidal effected, and without rain to replenish the ground water supply, the salt infilitrates the fresh water.

My vision of a lush Bali style garden is impractical. The reality is we live on the beach – a harsh environment of sand, salt, wind. Tropical exotics that love humidity and volcanic soil are not happy here, as much as I may coax them along. I need to think zen, scree and coastal salt tolerant heath species for next season.

solar water treatment

Our drinking water comes from the well, treated with a solar disinfection process (SODIS) as developed by the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology and Sandec Department of Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries. SODIS is recommended by the World Health Organisation and is promoted throughout the developing world as a simple, low-cost technology with great potential to improve the health of those without access to safe drinking water. The SODIS process is a simple technology that uses solar radiation to destroy pathogenic microorganisms which cause water borne diseases. Sunlight treats the contaminated water through two synergetic mechanisms: radiation in the spectrum of UV-A (wavelength 320-400nm) and increased water temperature. If the water temperatures raises above 50°C, the disinfection process is three times faster.

Transparent 1.5L plastic (PET) bottles are filled with well water and exposed to full sunlight for six hours (minimum), on a sheet of corrugated iron. Ah, but what about the nasty chemicals from the plastic I hear you cry…? Sunlight transforms plastic material into photoproducts. Laboratory and field tests however revealed that these photoproducts are generated at the outer surface of the bottles. No migration of these photoproducts from the PET bottles into the water was observed with the applied analytical methods.

It is a clean, green and simple technique for water treatment that sure beats boiling.