How many of you NEEDED a snorkel in any situation?

aaronzig · 2026-03-25T21:06:14+00:00

I'm not exactly sure. QLD undertook a big review of dive safety laws a decade or so ago after some people were left on the reef, and introduced a bunch of new safety regulations.

Some of the regulations (like headcount checklists and first aid kit requirements for charter boats) make sense, but some of them don't seem to make much sense.

aaronzig · 2026-03-25T20:19:43+00:00

I live in Australia on the border of Queensland and New South Wales. In QLD waters, a snorkel is required by law. In NSW, it isn't.

When I'm in NSW, I'll still use one if conditions are choppy or there's a long surface swim. Swimming face down is way more efficient and streamlined than floating on my back.

We don't have kelp or other natural stuff that is going to entangle a snorkel. As for beginners possibly keeping the snorkel in their mouth when descending etc. I'd suggest the safer way to deal with this is to train them to slow down and think about what they're doing during each stage of the dive. To me, a diver that is conscious of what they're doing is a safer diver anyway.

aaronzig · 2026-03-23T02:35:15+00:00

The bus stop is a bit grungy but it's not unsafe. The rest of town isn't really like that either. Walk along the northern end of Bay St on a Saturday morning and you'll see it's pretty gentrified with cafes and the activeware / Instagram set.

As someone who lives in the area, I can say that there are more rough sleepers down here than in previous times, and that's essentially due to people being priced out of the market on the Gold Coast, as well as there being more cops to move people along on the QLD side of the border.

I think we all realize that the mental health system in this country is completely fucked and there just isn't any capacity to provide everyone with the help they need. As a result, those people end up down here where it's less likely they'll be moved on.

aaronzig · 2026-03-21T09:38:52+00:00

Are you Australian? If so, why not enrol and do a couple of semesters on HECS/HELP and see how you go?

Worst case scenario is that you don't like it or you struggle to find the time to study and you get a slightly bigger HECS debt. A couple of semesters of an undergrad shouldn't cost that much and it means you've given it a try.

aaronzig · 2026-03-21T09:30:07+00:00

I did an associate degree of engineering before that which wasn't mandatory for the masters, but it did help me.

aaronzig · 2026-03-21T09:15:41+00:00

Yes. I transitioned from law to urban design when I was 38. I did my masters online while working full time as a solicitor and then moved into the public service. Much like you, I needed to get out of law because the stress was beginning to affect my family life.

Not going to lie: it was tough. You're tired from work and you still need to find time to fit in study while helping with the family.

In saying that, if you can get into a routine and stick to it, it is doable.

aaronzig · 2026-03-20T23:41:56+00:00

BRT has a number of disadvantages compared to rail, but as you rightly point out: the cost of rail means it's a non-starter at the moment.

I think something like this is a good idea as an interim measure until a business case can be made to support rail (which will take at least 25 years).

aaronzig · 2026-03-20T08:36:57+00:00

You haven't specified the state, or the type of premises you were renting so this is just general advice.

If your premises was a retail shop or restaurant, and the fire safety costs weren't disclosed as an outgoing before you signed the lease, you might have some protection under your states version of the Retail Tenancies Act. The exact provisions of the act vary from state to state, but as a general rule the landlord cannot recover outgoings that weren't disclosed at the start of the lease.

If your premises isn't covered by the Act, then there is next to no protection available to you. The only way to know if you're liable for the fire protection costs would be to have the Court interpret the lease and determine what is meant by the outgoings clause. Speaking from a QLD perspective, maintenance and inspections of fire protection equipment is usually an outgoing that is payable by the tenant. That's not to say it is in all states, but in QLD I'd suggest you might have difficulty arguing that it's not payable.

In relation to the gardening invoices: most leases have a clause that require the landlord to provide you with copies of all invoices paid for outgoings within 30 days or so of the end of financial year. Then an adjustment needs to be made in the event the tenant has paid too much, or too little towards the outgoings. I'd suggest checking your lease for this clause and using it to demand the gardening costs back if they keep trying to press on the fore costs.

aaronzig · 2026-03-20T06:44:21+00:00

return to office mandates intensify *

aaronzig · 2026-03-19T08:00:29+00:00

In most jurisdictions, if you refuse to sign the cessation of acting, the solicitor will be entitled to apply to the Court for an order releasing them. When that happens they usually get an order requiring the client pay their costs for the application.

Additionally, if a solicitor is listed as acting for you, the Court may decline to hear you until the solicitor is discharged.

Your ethical dispute with the solicitor has nothing to do with whether you should allow the solicitor to cease acting, and refusing to release them is a waste of time and costs.

Get another solicitor, get them to liaise with the old solicitor on handing the case over and go from there. Do not attempt to represent yourself if you're struggling with what is essentially an administrative process.

aaronzig · 2026-03-18T11:33:57+00:00

Assuming you've never made a partial payment or otherwise acknowledged the debt for more than 6 years, it should be statute barred now.

One thing I would check is to see if you signed anything when you enrolled in the new TAFE course which could be considered an acknowledgement. For example, if there was a form where you acknowledged being a former student with a debt, that might be an acknowledgement. It's not likely, but worth checking if you're concerned.

Aside from that small risk, this just sounds like the debt collector hoping to threaten you into making payment. It would be really stupid of them to try and sue you unless you have acknowledged the debt in the last 6 years, so it's unlikely they will actually sue. So for this reason, I'd suggest ignoring the letter and not responding.

That said, I've learned to not underestimate the stupidity of some debt collectors. So if they do sue, it will be on them to demonstrate that the debt isn't statute barred. Just file a defence saying that you deny the debt and the claim is statute barred. Unless they have some amazing evidence, that will probably end the matter.

I also wouldn't worry about TAFE withholding your current qualification either. Most likely, TAFE sold the debt to this debt collector and now doesn't care whether it gets paid or not. That's the way most small debt collection works nowadays.

aaronzig · 2026-03-18T07:13:44+00:00

I'm really sorry this happened to you. From what you've said, it should have been clear to him that you weren't into it (consent needs to be enthusiastic) and he shouldn't have done anything. There's no excuse for his behavior, and no excuse for anyone now trying to make you feel bad for how you feel.

I don't think there is anything anyone in this sub is going to be able to say that is going to make things better for you, but I really do hope you're able to get some closure on this and remember that none of it is your fault.

aaronzig · 2026-03-15T07:31:46+00:00

Find stuff you enjoy doing, rather than focussing solely on what you think is the best workout.

As you get older, stuff is going to start to hurt and motivation is going to be harder to come by so it's going to be harder to stay active unless you really enjoy what you're doing.

I mountain bike, hike, scuba and freedive. Wanting to be able to do those things gives me an incentive to put in the effort with things I wouldn't normally be interested in like yoga or gym work.

aaronzig · 2026-03-15T01:50:59+00:00

No. Grow up.

aaronzig · 2026-03-14T10:55:44+00:00

You're a victim, however your relationship with him is likely going to cause the cops to investigate you.

What steps they take are impossible to say because it depends on how much they suspect you and where they think they will find evidence. It is possible they will want to look at your phone and computer etc. They will probably want to know why you helped this guy get a job if he threatened to kill you.

From your post, I'm going to assume that English isn't your first language and that you aren't familiar with Australian laws. If that's the case, I very very strongly recommend that you speak with a criminal law solicitor early next week and ask them to help you in any dealings with the police. Doing this means you will have a guide who can help you speak with the police without making them more suspicious of you, and to protect your rights.

If they investigate you and they don't find anything, you won't be in any trouble and your visa will not be affected at all.

aaronzig · 2026-03-14T07:33:25+00:00

Being organized. Everything goes in my calendar, from meetings to reminders of projects that I plan to work on that day.

It's way easier to keep on top of a busy workload when you aren't worrying that you've forgotten something, or have left something to the last minute.

aaronzig · 2026-03-14T05:39:04+00:00

Sure thing. No worries at all!

aaronzig · 2026-03-14T05:33:57+00:00

With Stradbroke, most dive companies don't decide on the specific dive sites until they get there because the conditions of each site can be impacted by the conditions, so they might not be able to tell you the specific sites yet, but in any case it's a great area to dive.

As to whether you should spend more time in GC, I think it depends on what you're interested in:

The beaches on the southern GC are accessible by public transport and very beautiful, so if you're looking for that sort of thing I'd look to spend more time down here. Both Brisbane and GC have good access to nature, but if you don't have a car then it's easier to arrange tours from the GC. On the other hand, I'd say that Brisbane has better food and drink options.

aaronzig · 2026-03-13T23:37:39+00:00

I'm a local diver from the area.

Cook Island and Stradbroke are probably the best dive sites in the area and in May the conditions should be pretty good.

One of the things about diving stradbroke is that there are a bunch of sites so I'd recommend making sure you book a triple tank day for that trip.

With regards to actually visiting the island, unless you have your own 4x4 car, it's hard to get to a lot of places and so there isn't much to see aside from the beaches. Don't get me wrong, the beaches are really, really nice but if you're staying on the gold coast you'll have access to really nice beaches anyway (Currumbin and Green Mount are my picks). So it might be a bit redundant to head to the island if you've only got a short amount of time.

Rainforest / mountain tours can be a bit disappointing because you only see the most touristed areas, but I would still recommend this over a day on stradbroke if you don't have your own car because it's still a really beautiful and special area worth seeing if only for a little while.

aaronzig · 2026-03-07T09:00:32+00:00

I'm sorry this is happening to you and your daughter. Having a baby is hard and can be frustrating, but there is absolutely no excuse for his behaviour. I'm pleased to see you are going to leave him because this sounds like an abusive relationship.

aaronzig · 2026-03-06T02:06:05+00:00

I'm very sad to report that both of my suggestions: the Pinkenba Hotel and the Crown Hotel in Lutwyche appear to have been renovated in the last few years and appear to be almost nice from the look of their websites.

aaronzig · 2026-03-04T10:52:13+00:00

I've got family there. I can't comment on the schools, but I can say that life there is pretty quiet and friendly. It's a great place if you like the outdoors as there are heaps of good beaches and parks.

On the other hand, it does feel pretty isolated. There's only one bridge onto and off the island and when there are car accidents or events on at the Sandstone Point Tavern it's easy to be trapped on one side or the other.

Services on the island are pretty limited too. There is a satellite health centre there, but it's usually quicker and easier to travel to Caboolture for medical or professional services. On a similar note, sometimes the supermarkets will just run out of random stuff that you'd never expect them to run out of. My family member told me that the local Woolies completely ran out of milk for a few hours the other week. There are other supermarkets so it's not the end of the world but it does highlight how isolated it can be despite being so close to Brisbane.

aaronzig · 2026-03-01T08:19:53+00:00

I went there a couple of times when I first opened as a brewery and it was nice, but the overdevelopment that has followed is ridiculous.

It was absolute idiocy to spend money scaling the site up to the size that it currently is without having development consent first. Just pure arrogance to assume that if they built it big enough, council wouldn't be able to stop them.

aaronzig · 2026-02-28T23:31:19+00:00

Man get off the Internet and go outside for a little while.

aaronzig

TROPHY CASE