Diving Britain - The South Coast

The south coast of England is one of the top holiday destinations in the UK and rivals the South West for stunning coastal scenery and beaches. The Jurassic Coast that runs from East Devon to East Dorset is a World Heritage Site and the south coast is also home to the busy ports of Southampton and Portsmouth and the vibrant scene of Brighton. This area of England is home to the Royal Navy, is a mecca for wreck diving and offers a range of dives that are suitable for experienced and technical divers.You can enjoy the second in my series of Diving Britain articles for The Scuba News here:http://www.thescubanews.com/2016/04/22/diving-britain-the-south-coast/ 

Mangrove Matters

When it comes to scuba diving it is hard to beat exploring colourful tropical reefs, history-filled wrecks, sun-dappled kelp forests and foreboding caves. Every scuba diver has their favourite type of diving but what of mangroves? What diving opportunities are there within mangroves and why should we care about these dwindling and vital forests?Read more in my latest article for The Scuba News.http://www.thescubanews.com/2016/02/17/mangrove-matters/

Diving Britain - The South West

If you mention the South West of England to most people, they think of Devon and Cornwall, of rich cream teas, sparkling apple cider, hot Cornish pasties, surfing, old English pubs and a laid-back lifestyle associated with decades long gone by elsewhere in the world. Did you know that the South West is also home to some of the best dive sites in Europe?Enjoy my latest guest blog for The Scuba News at:http://www.thescubanews.com/2016/02/15/diving-britain-the-south-west

Great White Sharks: Fact vs. Fiction

Great white sharks, which are often thought of as terrifying killing machines, are particularly charismatic. There is a great deal more to these magnificent animals than meets the eye. Did you know that their eyes are not black? They’re actually midnight blue, and express deep curiosity and intelligence.In this article for Scuba Diver Life I take a look at the reality of these mysterious creatures.Read more: http://scubadiverlife.com/2016/02/11/great-whites-fact-vs-fiction/

Dive Site: Beqa Lagoon, Fiji

Looking for a world class shark dive this year? Look no further than Beqa Lagoon, Fiji and enjoy my recent article for Scuba Diver Life.My heart pounded as the choppy ocean slapped me in the face repeatedly and my mask fogged up like a coastal winter’s day in Cornwall. I was kicking like crazy as the Fijian waves threatened to dislodge my regulator and sense of dignity while I, a grown woman, prepared to cry and bolt to the dive boat. This was not my happy place. I was about to descend in Beqa Lagoon, the world’s reputed No.1 shark dive, as rated by the legends of the underwater world Ron and Valerie Taylor, and I just wanted to go home.Beqa Lagoon, just off Fiji’s largest island of Viti Levu, is renowned for its world-class shark diving. It’s home to the Shark Reef Marine Reserve and a healthy population of bull sharks...Read more: http://scubadiverlife.com/2016/02/06/dive-site-beqa-lagoon-fiji/

Valentine's. Who is it really all about?

This Valentine's Day, fall in love. Not with the promise of adoration from somebody else and a box of chocolates (though that is always nice).Instead fall in love with LIFE. Go on the greatest journey of self-discovery and fall in love with YOU; spiky parts and all. The most important relationship you will ever have is with yourself. What better day to begin appreciating you uniqueness and the world around you than Valentine's.

Hello February

February is one of my favourite months of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, where I used to live, the promise of spring is just around the corner and in the Southern Hemisphere, where I now live, it is summertime and life is in full bloom. Add to that the prospect of Valentine's Day and Shrove Tuesday (everybody loves a pancake) and what's not to love?January is the month when we're all high on the promise of New Year resolutions, we're tired and broke post-Christmas and slumping when we realise that maybe those resolutions haven't made their way to the fore yet. January kinda sucks let's face it.February though is far enough away from Christmas that it brings hope and more realistic new beginnings. It is a month of opportunity to choose the resolutions you want to stick with guilt-free and a chance to create new adventures.This month I will be focussing on wellness in my life. Here are some of the things I will be doing to keep my mind, spirit, body and soul ticking over:*Continuing my mindfulness meditation journey with HeadSpace. By dedicating just 10 minutes every other day to meditation I am already seeing an improvement in my emotional and mental wellbeing, which of course translates to physical health as well. The mind is where our entire experience of life occurs.*Getting to grips with Pilates for better spinal health, which I thoroughly recommend to anyone interested in improving their flexibility and core strength. Just 30 minutes twice a week is plenty.*Walking and breathing in nature for an hour every day. Not only is walking great for fitness but it also energises our minds as well and is a great way to process the day, reconnect with nature and unwind.*Getting creative! After a long break from writing and creativity whilst emigrating to New Zealand, it's time to step up the pace and focus on my true passion; writing. Creativity is pure soul food.*Reading. It allowa our minds the freedom to dream and rest, it gets the imagination fired up. Is there anything nicer than reading a book with a cuppa?Have a great month and remember to take time for your own journey.What will you do to for wellness this February?

Living on a remote island, Cambodia - what is it really like?

I have been thoroughly enjoying the past two weeks of staying on a remote island off the coast of Cambodia whilst volunteering and lecturing with Projects Abroad. The island we are staying on is called Koh Sdach and it is a small island with a population of approximately 3000 people and zero tourists. The village consists of stilted houses that sit above the turquoise waters and there is no mains electricity, sewerage or mains water. We are utterly reliant on rainwater for our shower and toilet needs and it is rustic at its finest!We are here for three weeks to educate the volunteers, staff and local school children about the plight of sharks and we are having a fantastic time. Admittedly, living in 30+C heat and high humidity without air conditioning is a challenge but being a part of this friendly community is a great opportunity. It saddens me that the island has no waste management system and that the majority of the waste generated ends up in the oceans. There is literally plastic everywhere...on local beaches and on the beaches of neighbouring uninhabited Islands. There are discarded fishing nets on the reefs that are killing corals and all manner of other waste to be found.But, this is the good part, Projects Abroad are working hard to tackle this with regular beach and reef cleans up, by educating locals and by hopefully introducing a waste management system in the future. The diving is incredible here and the project is making a very real difference to the health of the coral reefs and the marine creatures that inhabit them.I hope you enjoy my insight into a week living and volunteering on Koh Sdach, including an underwater discovery that had the volunteers smiling all day long:http://www.mytripblog.org/pg/blog/cambodia-social-manager/read/408119/a-week-in-koh-sdach-cambodia-by-kathryn-hodgson-friends-for-sharks

http://www.mytripblog.org/pg/blog/cambodia-social-manager/read/408119/a-week-in-koh-sdach-cambodia-by-kathryn-hodgson-friends-for-sharks

Deepavali Colour

The skies may be dark with thunder and the streets covered in deep puddles of rain, but the atmosphere today in Kuala Lumpur has been one of colour and light. As the city prepares for Deepavali, the Hindu Festival of Light, the Pavilion mall is being decorated with window displays and intricate artwork made from tiny, colourful beads. It was a beautiful sight to behold and Nicholas and I spent an afternoon exploring the artwork and two local temples in Chinatown.

Sadly my ancient iPhone didn't do either temple justice with its photographic ability (or lack thereof...) but hopefully the images give an impression of the colour that can to be found in Kuala Lumpur away from the main city hustle and bustle.  

Nesting in Kuala Lumpur

After a long and noodle soup-fuelled three days of flights I have made it from Fiji to Kuala Lumpur (via Melbourne, Auckland, Hong Kong and Singapore). I lost sight of which airport was which during the 18,000Km of flights but enjoyed exploring each airport during layovers and in a haze of sleepiness and hunger. Noodle soup and our colourful new travel cushions certainly kept us entertained.Kuala Lumpur is known to be a foodie heaven and it has already exceeded expectations with its endless variety of Asian foods from many countries, all at street food prices. I have enjoyed sushi lunches, more noodle soup than I can shake a chopstick at and avoided the pungent durians at all costs. A highlight so far has been our exploration of KL's China Town, which was typically decked out with giant red lanterns and a myriad of covered and open-air market stalls and alleys. The sights, sounds and smells of the alleys and bubbling Chinese pots of fish being stirred by ancient Chinese women were overwhelming at times and yet fascinating. Having already filled ourselves on local samosas we had little room for more food but will definitely return another day. We contented ourselves instead with exploring the bustling market stalls and admired local fruits, knock off goods, a street performer undertaking a very long headstand which turned his face purple and an endless array of flower bouquets containing teddy bears. An eclectic mix!As I am also approaching a move to New Zealand in mid-December I have taken to stocking up on some basic goods essential to a writer's life....my favourite pink Muji pens and a new journal. I have missed those simple items during my three years of being on the move and, as someone kindly pointed out, I am definitely 'nesting'. It feels great to be travelling and even better to be preparing to make a home.