1st 2016 Spuddle

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Wed 2 Mar 2016 23:57
Our First Spuddle of the Year
 
 
 
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Bear launched Baby Beez and after a very unceremonious entry aboard, clearly out of practise, yes captain, I did just hurl myself in the end.....I know, I felt the need to say ‘good heavens’. Steady.  We set off the the shallow end of the bay to the rear of Beez. We saw a ray as it skittered by in the surprisingly clear water.
 
 
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From here it was smashing to look back at Bear and see Beez bobbing happily.
 
 
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We looked at this tree, impossibly clinging to a rock – where’s the mud for his roots.......
 
 
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Rock watching, that’s it, a new hobby.
 
 
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We went round the corner and in the distance saw Cottage Point.
 
 
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A seaplane went past, he soon picked up speed and took off in the fairway.
 
 
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Over by Cottage Point we saw rescue ladies parked, a sign for fuel and ice. A motor yacht club and a shop.
 
 
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When we pulled in on Tuesday we saw this lady, clearly patrolling. Today we watched as she left Cottage Point, later we looked her up. Seahorse Mercator is a navigational training vessel operated by Defence Maritime Services under contract to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). She is a modified version of the Pacific class patrol boat design and is based at HMAS Waterhen in Sydney.
General characteristics: 
Class & type: Pacific class patrol boat variant 
Displacement: 165 tons 
Length: 31.5 m (103 feet) 
Beam: 8.21 m (26.9 feet) 
Draught: 2.6 m (8.5 feet) 
Propulsion: 2 x Caterpillar 3304 diesels, 2 propellers 
Speed: 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) 
Range: 2,880 nautical miles (5,330 km; 3,310 miles) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) 
Complement: 5 crew + 3 instructors and 18 trainees. 
 
 
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Back to rock watching.
 
 
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Bear went closer so we could have a good look at the swirls and patterns.
 
 
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The shapes and colours are endless.
 
 
We are here
 
We are by the yellow arrow. Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park covers a vast expanse of 37,010 acres. The first inhabitants of the area were the indigenous rock engravings, cave drawings, paintings and stencils, axe grinding grooves and middens – debris of human activity including cooking, shells and other artifacts.

The park was first declared in 1894.

The television series, Skippy the Bush Kangaroo was shot here and the adjacent Waratah Park, that brought back memories for me as it was shown in England between 1968 and 1970.

Bushfires ravaged the park in January 1994.

 
 
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Back to Beez for a libation or two and a few games.
 
 
 
 
ALL IN ALL WONDERFUL TO BE BACK TO SPUDDLING
                     SMASHING TO BE IN BABY BEEZ AGAIN