In Prosider’s last issue we heard of Jodi’s time in Flores in Indonesia, where she met Komodo dragons she had studied at university, face to face.

In this second part of her voyage Jodi recalls the magical island of Bora Bora in French Polynesia where she swam with sea turtles, watched manta rays and studied for her scuba diving certificate.

“Bora Bora was absolutely gorgeous,” exclaims Jodi. “I have never seen water so warm and so many shades of blue. It was definitely a place for rest and relaxation.”

She spent the majority of her time there getting her PADI scuba diving certification, advanced open water and an underwater photography specialty with Nemo World; diving twice a day and studying at night.

She also did one of her courses with the underwater torpedo machine. “Think James Bond underwater,” she said. “The staff were amazing, my instructor was fantastic and this made my entire trip. I’d love to go back again to dive. I saw a humpback whale, dolphins, a turtle, LOTS of sharks – lemon and black tipped, octopus, lion fish, eels, manta rays, eagle spotted manta rays and tons and tons of fish. I can’t imagine there being any better diving in the world.”

One of Jodi’s first days she went on a shark and manta ray feeding tour. “The staff were so much fun; singing and playing music all day,” she recalls. “I did the full day tour and would fully recommend doing this. In the morning we went in the ocean and did a ‘wild’ black tipped shark feed where I had to stay inside the rope while I watched them eat. Sharks and rays everywhere… Then my group went to the lagoonarium and had lunch, suntanned on the beach, played with and fed the manta rays (SO much fun and really cute). We played with sea turtles, swam with sharks (lemon, black tipped) and many, many fish. The tour guides fed the sharks when I was snorkelling behind them in the water. The sharks would come up and eat a few feet away so it’s scary but again… for the adrenaline junky, it’s a thrill. This was a fantastic day.”

A sunset cruise was a fitting end on the last night in Bora Bora. Jodi remembers it fondly: “It was so relaxing, watching the fish and manta rays in the water, birds flying and a beautiful sunset in the sky. It was a fantastic way to end my trip.”
The last week of her trip was spent in Tahiti, staying in an overwater bungalow. She enjoyed the local dinner theatre with traditional Tahitian dancers and a “very cool” fire show.

Jodi describes her experiences there. “Touring the island, I saw brown, white and black volcanic sand, locals surfing and went to enormous waterfalls and various historic sites around Tahiti. One night I made a reservation at Le Belvedere, a fondue restaurant that had a gorgeous view overlooking Papeete; the city lights were stunning. There I met some locals who took me to Les Roulettes, overlooking the harbour in Papeete for traditional poisson cru (raw fish marinated in lime juice and coconut milk…which is really delicious).

“To experience the local food and nightlife at Les Roulettes on my final night in Tahiti was a great way to end my trip. Pleasantly exhausted, I went back to my hotel and fell asleep to the sound of waves crashing against the shore.”

Summing up her voyage of a lifetime, Jodi says: “My trip was pretty surreal; sometimes I can’t believe it actually happened. But when I go through my pictures, they bring back so many amazing memories and it feels as if I’m still there. I’ve met some amazing new friends throughout my travels and can’t wait for my next adventure.”

The journey began in August 2008 with Jodi flying via Los Angeles and Sydney to Flores in Indonesia, Australia and ending on the idyllic tropical island of Bora Bora.

We join her in Indonesia, where she came face-to-face with Komodo dragons which she had studied at university.

Jodi begins the tale: “I spent my first day snorkelling in the clear blue waters beside a secluded island. The friendly boat crew prepared fresh fruit, drinks and traditional Indonesian meals. I dined on barracuda, red snapper, rice and spicy noodles,” she recalls.

The next morning Jodi arrived at Komodo Island National Park. “After hiking for an hour, I had seen 16 deer and two wild boar. As I turned the next corner, I came across a komodo camouflaged amongst the leaves on the ground. Three more dragons were walking around, tongues flicking the air, smelling us and the deer in the area. What an incredible experience to be able to see these creatures in their natural habitat!”

There are only 2700 komodo dragons in existence. Despite being the heaviest lizards on earth, they can run up to 11 miles per hour and are good swimmers. Their main source of food is water buffalo, deer, boar and baby komodos.

The next leg of the journey was the Bali Marine and Safari Park in Gianyar where Jodi stayed in a tree house. She took a safari tour around the park and had her picture taken with a white tiger, orang-utan and a lion. Jodi recalls: “I also got to ride a camel and an adorable elephant. I ate my meals at the Tsavo Lion Restaurant where the only thing separating me from the legendary lions was a glass wall.”

The final stop in Indonesia was just outside the flourishing town of Ubud where she luxuriated in a traditional Balinese massage – the verdict: “120 minutes of relaxation and pure bliss.” Jodi remembers the temples were breathtaking. “At Tanah Lot the cliff tops overlooked the Indian Ocean and black sand beaches. Watching the traditional dancers and musicians playing their gongs and drums was absolutely mesmerizing.”

From there it was on to sunny Australia. At Cairns she threw herself into more adventures such as white water rafting on the Tulley River steering through huge rocks and rapids.

Then there was a two-day jungle tour. Jody explains: “The first day we drove up to Daintree to feed kangaroos, birds and wallabies. ”

“The next stop was a Crocodile Adventure tour when I met a baby crocodile and got to feed a cassowary (one of the ten most deadly animals in Australia). The crocodile attack show was fantastic; the trainer showed the audience how the crocodiles snap their jaws and perform the crocodile death roll.”

The Great Barrier Reef was Jodi’s location for snorkelling and diving in clear waters surrounded by beautiful, brightly coloured fish.

From there she risked a four-day shark tour in Port Lincoln. Jodi remembers: “I was floating in a cage at the back of the boat while staff threw bait to lure the sharks in closer. There were a few times when the great whites slammed into my cage and bit it. Wow! What a sight to see…it was so exciting. Every time I think about sharks now I get the biggest adrenaline rush.”