I grew up on Maroubra beach in Sydney, Australia during the 40s - 60s, where I developed a deep love for swimming and the sea. I was a member of the local Surf Life Saving Club and did beach patrols on weekends. I body surfed, caught waves on a Malibu surfboard, paddled a surf-ski, rowed in the surf club boat and participated in surf carnivals up and down the NSW coast. My greatest claim to fame was being a member of the South Maroubra crew that won a silver medal in the 1962 NSW Junior Surf Boat Championships.

I'm now 65. I've retained my love of the sea and swim year round on Sydney's northern beaches. When I'm in Indonesia I swim whenever I can. In Sulawesi I seek out waterfalls to cool off under.

I graduated in Commerce from the University of NSW in 1965. At school and university I played Rugby and toured New Zealand with Australian Universities. I was a teacher in Malaysia (1966 - 1967) with Australian Volunteers Abroad. It was there that I became attracted to the Malay - Indonesian culture and language. I've taught at various Australian universities (1975 - 1993), have written several textbooks on South East Asia and over a 35 year period I've organized more than 30 group tours to Indonesia.

Sensing a commercial opportunity between Australia and Indonesia, in 1994 I set up Indonesian Cultural Communications, an educational management business that provides consultancy services to the Indonesian government.

Feel free to email me at cycle_indonesia@bigpond.com.au