[password] zara1010
[status]
:position 22 20.4s 166 24.33e
Whoops - I thought I'd emailed that last lot, but I hadn't addressed it correctly.
Back at Ilot Maitre for the windsurfing.
We had read about another lovely marine reserve on the edge of a pass, dolphins, rays and hammerheads abound it said, so we set off for Ilot Tenia - 22 00.22s 165 56.52e - and snorkled, but were really disappointed with the coral and fish - perhaps we needed to have been nearer the pass and diving? But there were a couple of good bits, we saw a huge and beautiful painted lobster - the first we've spotted other than in the fish market.
And as we were in the dinghy heading to the coral nearer the outer reef we saw a dark shape, slow moving shape in the shallows. Perhaps a dugong? So far we've almost-not-seen one four times; a dark shape disappearing when we're snorkeling, motionless logs that suddenly disappear, a furry log that breathed - before disappearing. Perhaps this time we'd be lucky, but I hadn't noticed any grass beds here. Anyway we followed a little whilst I put on my mask, and it didn't seem bothered. I slipped over the side and saw - a sleek spotted shape with a dorsal fin and the longest vertical tail fin, such an amazing sweep of fin - a thresher shark.
Si says I ejected out of the water like a penguin, but it was not the dumpy vegetarian I was expecting and I got a shock.
[status]
:position 22 04.79s 166 07.28e
:date 27/08/2013
In gusty Baie de Saint-Vincent, perfect flat water and Simon is windsurfing - well at times he is, otherwise he's either floundering waiting for more wind or being catapulted when he's overpowered.
Yesterday we anchored at Il Ronde, an island that is not a marine reserve - and we saw just 4 fish, admittedly we didn't snorkel, but the coral looked disappointing and with no inhabitants there didn't seem much point.
We went for a walk around it instead and saw 2 pairs of nesting sea eagles. A while back we saw one above us with something in it's claws, but couldn't see clearly what it had. But then one flew so close that we could see he was gripping either a puffer or box fish for his chick(s?).
Perhaps the eagles tend to visit the reserves as the fish stocks are better?
[status]
:position 22 11.72s 166 14.36e
:date 26/08/2013
Just baked some bread and thought I'd share the recipe with you as we were given this brilliantly speedy recipe by a lovely lady in Doves Bay Rd, here it is:
Get 750ml warm water (I always need to use around a litre with my flour)
dissolve 1tsp sugar and 4 tsp yeast and leave to froth.
Meanwhile in a large bowl put:
4 cups strong/bread wholemeal flour
2 cups strong/bread white flour
1 cup seeds/oats/nuts/etc - additions of choice
4tsp salt
Stir well.
Pour in yeast mix and 1 beaten egg.
Mix thoroughly. It should be a gloopy, thick porridge-like consistency.
Put into 2 loaf tins. Smooth tops with water. Place in oven then turn onto 200 degrees C.
Voila! Around 45-55 mins later you will have baked 2 delicious beautifully risen loaves.
[status]
:position 22 16.6s 166 26.4e
:date 24/08/2013
Saturday was carnival in Noumea and the theme was The Sea. The first float was brilliant with fabulous pink jellyfish created out of enormous helium filled ballons, marine themed acrobats twirling on revolving seaweed and a very convincing fish and octopus on stilts. After that the floats were more homemade, but so much effort had gone into the costumes and energy into most of the dance routines, that we really enjoyed the parade. With the lagoon having UNESCO World Heritage status I was disappointed that pirate and mermaid themes dominated and I didn't see a float with a conservation message.
We eagerly awaited the fireworks, but I think the Battersea Park firework displays have made my expectations a little too sophisticated for the Pacific islands.
[status]
:position 22 16.6s 166 26.4e
:date 22/08/2013
Back to Port Moselle marina for laundry and stocking up at the great weekend market.
Took in 2 washing machine loads and also did a couple of buckets of handwashing. The weather seemed sunny enough, so we put up several washing lines through the rigging and managed to hang out the lot. Roxi looked quite jaunty, but not at all elegant, smothered in an array of flapping colours
Then it started raining and didn't stop, we looked more daft than optimistic as everything got thoroughly soaked, but night hid the drips and it all dried the following morning.
And a correction to an earlier assumption: the dinghy from the yacht in the bay by the Meridian Hotel was not stolen after all, rather an inexperienced crew member didn't realise that he'd mistakenly set the dinghy adrift, and by the time the skipper knew about it, it was morning and the dinghy was long gone.
[status]
:position 22 19.38s 166 18.89e
:date 19/08/2013
There are several marne reserves near to Noumea, we picked up a mooring buoy at Ilot Nge, and immediately pulled on our wetsuits and jumped in - to be greeted by around 15 very large bold fish happily in the shade of Roxi's hull, we were astonished, both by the size and by the speed they had gathered. We swam to the reef fringing the anchorage and had an amazing snorkel, we were close to one of the passes through the main reef and the coral and marine life were impressive. Again we had beautiful clear water and the time flies by when there's so much to see. We paddleboarded at low tide and there were at least a dozen smallish black-tip sharks in the shallows of the reef, initially scared of the boards, but then coming back to take another look, I was glad to be on and not in the water.
[END]