Visitors in Noumea, New Caledonia
Quartermoon
Mike Share & Sammy Byron
Wed 27 Oct 2010 06:10
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It has been a strange time here in Port Moselle. We
have been so lucky to have our friends on 'Ghost', 'Go Beyond' and 'A Small
Nest' here and although we feel so sad about QM they have tried in everyway
to make our time here with them as fun as possible!.
Brad and Kat pulled out all stops again and hosted
a dock party for all the visiting boats which was great fun. Everyone is trying
to diminish their booze supplies before hitting Australia as the rumours say
that any excess will be confiscated! I think the whole dock was suffering
from a sore head the next day.
 
 Gav and Akio arrived on Saturday, a few days after
we arrived in Noumea. Unfortunately for them they were thrown into the midst of
us trying to sort Quartermoon. Not the holiday they had in mind I'm
sure.
Mike was very glad to see them and I am sure
Kronenberg were happy to see their New Caledonia beer sales sky-rocket to
an all time high!
 We did manage to escape the stinking marina (reeks
of urine as apparently the sewage pipes go straight into the marina -
3rd world style) as Brad and Kat kindly offered to take us all out to Isle De
Maitre on their yacht "Ghost". That is testament to the fact they hadn't
seen Mike, Gav and Akio in full effect before. It was a great way to spend
a Sunday afternoon, eating smoked Salmon, drinking Champagne and a BBQ
onboard.
We almost ended up eating a 20 tonne fish
that Akio nearly caught (with a chicken drumstick as bait) but it
was so huge that when it took off it snapped the heavy line, taking Brad's lure
with it! I think we may have been in serious trouble if he had managed to reel
it in.... we have since found out it is a marine sanctuary,
Oops! 
We found a few good bars and restaurants and it was
great to catch up with the guys as well as Casper & Maud from "Sueno
Azul" and MAds & Elin from "Go Beyond".
 Just so sad we couldn't show QM in her full colours
and get the boys out for a sail. Even so, they seemed absolutely
content to consume more beer in 3 days than the average Frenchie drinks in
his lifetime. We also got out for a dive near the Amedee lighthouse pass on
the lagoon's outer reef. (That is where we should be leaving around now en
route for Oz). The first dive was average with
current against us but some big fish. Luckily the instructor was
saved from later abuse at the last minute as there were 2 HUGE
manta's hanging in the current which turned a quite average dive
into a spectacular one. The 2nd dive was really good; we were expecting some
lame wreck after the Coolidge but it was a reasonable sized Japanese fishing
trawler (best place for it on the sea bed....) in great condition with plenty of
big fish and tons of opportunities to explore tight places. The poor instructor
had panic on his face as he tried to keep his eyes on 7 of us who were
dead set on penetrating different parts of the wreck and had no interest in
where he was showing us outside! (Oh did we mention Akio stayed home on QM to
try and grow us a new mast. Diving was secondary to consuming yet more
beer!)
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