PM 1st Spuddle
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Mon 4 Nov 2013 23:57
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Port Maurelle First Spuddle in
Tonga
 We had a fairly sedate start to the
day and after breakfast I was hammered at backgammon. Cross as a wasp, it put me
in an attacking mood – best time to take it out on fridge cleaning. Everything
out and washed, sounds straightforward, Mmmm. I can only just reach down to the
bottom and bodily have to organise myself. Skipper helped with the rinsing and
drying of all the beer cans, Diet Coke and Sprite bottles. Washing all the tubs
and storage boxes, guilt for beating me ??? Like
heck............. Mmmm. That done it was time to have a go at all
the cupboards, New Zealand is the strictest country for Customs, Immigration and
Biosecurity so far (just a shade behind Australia) – no fruit, nuts, unpopped
popcorn, flour, spices, herbs, feathers, shells, tinned meat, the list is quite
long, a boat recently commented on their roach hotels being taken and only being
left with one insect repellant as the contents were viewed not to be correct.
Isabel (Sonsie) came over
for a quick visit, they are off this afternoon for Auckland and we wish Jim and
Isabel safe winds and following seas and an email on their arrival with full
details of how the journey went.
Out came the computer, spreadsheets
at the ready. We made a pile of what has to be eaten and everything else was
checked off. Marvelous, time for lunch. Last job was to empty the freezer, audit
and reload, Bears job whilst I scribe, he says he needs to get tough to wedge it
all back in as it becomes a Krypton Factor to get it all in. You can begin with
quite a space but somehow you only just get the lid to close..... With the fish
fillets we caught and the gifts from Palmerston it looks like fish every other
day, yummy. Oh that sounds so lame Bear.
Just as the last bit of tidying had occurred, Gallivanter popped over
for a visit. Lovely to catch up with Adam, Tam, Jack and Katinka. They are off
soon and some of the conversation was a repeat of our sorting, it seems everyone
is doing exactly the same thing. At the end of the day, it is us that wish to
visit, so it is us that need to adhere to the rules.
Five o’clock we thought a short
spuddle was what was needed. Off we went to the cave at the end of the promontory Adam had told me of yesterday - over our
left shoulder. It was nice to be out and about and getting our first feel of our
rugged environment.
  We found the
cave and could see a big gap in the coral.
 The cave was
huge.
 The
colours were quite something and the swifts were dashing around in the
roof. Sadly we had only brought the little camera. A must do is to return here.
We need a few days in town after we check in tomorrow, no internet here, must
fill one of the water tanks and tick off a few more chores. We have a ten day
trip on the horizon, but for now we can enjoy a little while
exploring.
Shame about the graffiti.
  Back out into the
sunshine.
 A quick look around the
corner.
     Time
to get back to the anchorage.
 Beez always happy to be at the back.
 The
shallow, pale blue water to her right looked
inviting enough for a short snorkel.
 
 Baby Beez tethered to the back of
Beez, we swam from thirty feet depth and slowly made our way to the reef shelf,
at fifteen feet things came into view.
  The
shelf was in about five feet of water, must return in full
sun.
 
 Blue stars
lurking all over the place.
 
 Bits and
bobs that have become usual for us.
 Several
posers.
 
 Happy
colours.
 
 A brand new
chap to us (centre) would not pose at all. Home by six, shower and fish
supper........and a third loss of the day.......
ALL IN ALL QUITE A
DAY |
