I've done it again!

Tuesday night means that it's time to set off for my semi-regular night ride through Tallebudgera Valley. This is always a beautiful ride once escaping the lights of the city and the humidity of the coast. Tonight, however, I noticed some "other" lights at the far end of the valley, shimmering in the waters of the bubbling Tallebudgera Creek. Of course, it didn't take long to realise that 1) there are no street lights in the northern bank of that creek, and 2) this can only mean one thing...

I had found another glow worm colony, and it was massive -- thousands of them! There are few (if any) things more inspiring than discovering a glow worm colony. Seriously, tourists pay ridiculous amounts of money for guided "tours" to places like the Natural Arch to see these things, apparently they aren't common in many parts of the world. Yet in the last 18 months, I have discovered three colonies that the tourists (or the overpriced "tour guides) don't know about.

I have to admit I'm not entirely sure this is a "permanent" colony. The glow worms may have only taken over that area after the higher water level in the creek from the recent rains. Nevertheless, I'll be back to check it out again in the near future. I have now been here 11 years, and I'm still making discoveries like this. And to think, I'm supposed to be setting off on a bike tour in another country in 24 1/2 days.

Now back to the real world -- I'm having a wisdom tooth pulled out on Friday. Actually, I'd been feeling a little down about the hole this was going to make in my spending money for the tour, but after what I discovered for free this evening, I realise that life will go on. It's little discoveries like this that make bike tours, or indeed tours of any kind. Consequently, it was important to be reminded of that fact this evening -- even if I have to tighten my belt a little in New Zealand as a result of this (for those not sure what I'm talking about, dentists in Australia at least charge like wounded bulls), there will still be much beauty to take in. Ultimately, the lesson to be learned here can be applied to life in general -- don't sweat the small stuff.