Out in the blue

Writing in today's Sydney Morning Herald, Daniel Scott falls for 'the world-class diving, dramatic landscapes and laid-back lifestyle of Malta's sister islands'.

On the short ferry crossing between Malta and Gozo, the deep, blue Mediterranean is churning and tumbling, producing a mass of frothing white caps. The robust ferry can cope but our garrulous and "fearless" taxi driver, Tony, finds it all a bit much. Soon after the boat sets off, he disappears into the toilet and doesn't emerge until we are safely inside Gozo's Mgarr Harbour.

Driving off the ferry, Tony gives us a slight, green smile as if to say he is glad to be back on Gozo. As we head across the island it is as if our Maltese Lewis Hamilton has undergone a sea-change, slowing the car deferentially as we head through villages and speaking only to point out the lovely sandstone churches.

Tony's transformation is typical of what happens to you on Gozo. With a population of just 30,000 it is smaller and less crowded than its sister island Malta and its hillier, rural landscape demands a more reflective pace. In fact visiting Gozo feels like stepping back into a more gentle era. When we are on the island there is a minor crime wave involving the theft of a car, worrying community-minded Gozitans. In the local village square the police station, complete with 1950s-style blue lantern, has only two notices on display outside. One advertises the station's hours: "Thursday, 10.30-10.45am". The other concerns an unfortunate lost cat.

If you are not careful, Gozo can lull you into total inactivity. This is particularly true if you are staying at the Kempinski Hotel, San Lawrenz, with its swimming pools and luxurious hideaway spa. In order not to miss out on Gozo's history and natural wonders we plan something active for each day of our visit.

On our first few mornings I go diving off Gozo's coast, where I am rewarded by 60-metre visibility and some of the most dramatic underwater landscapes I have ever seen. It is not so much the marine life that divers come here to see - although we do spot moray eels, barracudas, schools of silvery sardines and colourful starfish - as the way the Mediterranean has sculpted Gozo's coast into arches, cliffs and grottoes...