I was in the bath earlier, listening to the local FM radio station hoping to hear results of the council elections which were held last Friday, by postal vote.
Rather than go back and change yesterday's post I must make a correction. Not that anyone would be aware unless you were there at the time, but of course my mate Ian (Punjab) would know, but Andy Mitchell did not get engaged to one of the Cantillon twins, it was Kay McCauley, a sultry blonde, sister of Pam who was in my class at school. The radio station was playing rock and roll songs of the era of my adolescence such as Johny O'Keefe, Gene Pitney and memories flooded back, especially the correction I mention. I knew Punjab would pick up on the error. His mum, who died last year, remarried to Reg Cantillon, the Cantillon twins' father, some time after her husband and Ian's father died. It was the music bringing this back to me.
But the news is - EX COUNCILLOR AND MAYOR ED CHATWIN was dumped.
He did not stand for Ranges Ward, depriving me of the pleasure I would have had to put him last on the ballot. He stood for Central Ward in some sort of cunning move.
I'm enjoying a bottle of Beresford cab sav, a top drop.
Below is from the Berwick Leader -
UPDATE 7.37pm: CARDINIA will have five new faces in its nine-seat council chamber at its next meeting.
Voters dumped Mayor Ed Chatwin, who tried to switch from Ranges ward to Central, but welcomed back a former councillor and mayor, Kate Lempriere.
Cr Graeme Legge failed to hold his seat in Ranges ward.
Voting went to the wire in several cases, with preferences deciding the outcome and overall shape of the new council.
The end result appears to be a largely independent mix of councillors, elected mainly on local issues.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Saturday, October 27, 2012
I Can Hear Music
I spent most of this afternoon on the shed roof. First I raked off the sticks and leaves, Then I swept off the dirt, then I scraped with a steel brush, then I swept again. Then I painted the bad spots with killrust fisholene oil. I had my small transistor radio on the racing channel, and I was half listening in between the noise of brush and broom.
I had done this cleaning of the roof six months ago, but didn't have any fish oil, so I purchased a tin of it but didn't get around to applying it to the roof and the leaves and sticks built up on the roof again. I knew it would be a job requiring a number of hours which is why I hadn't managed to do it.
So it was good to get at it, after trips to Fiji, Wangaratta, Lakes Entrance and numerous storms adding to the litter build up on the roof, even if it was at the expense of cutting grass and getting vegie seeds in and constructing rabbit barriers which is also pressing on my to do list.
For some reason I had two songs going through my head all afternoon, Beach Boy music, 'I Can Hear Music', and 'Wouldn't it be Nice'. This evoked strong memories of my youth. I remembered a carload of us driving to Ballarat to get some Ballarat Bitter which wasn't available in Melbourne. It would have been in 1969 I think, and it must have been a Sauturday as the pubs weren't open on Sundays back then. We were in Laurie Mitchell's Zephyr sedan. It was hotted up with twin carbies and extractors and supposedly a racing camshaft but this may have been bulldust. The car was previously Laurie's older brother Andy's, after previously being their mum's. Andy became engaged to one of the Cantillon twins who lived in our street, and he moved on to more sedate and appropriate wheels.
There we were coming back from Ballarat all necking from bottles, including the driver, big bottles, stubbies were not yet invented. There was no 0.05 law. The rest of us were not yet at driving age and of course did not own cars. The Mitchell's were quite wealthy. Their father Mort owned Spaceline Homes, a prominent building company of the time. We had a billiard table at home and both my parents worked which was unusual then, and many of the neighbourhood youths congregagated at our house as a base. We played pool and billiards, cards, watched TV, drank coffee and tea. Everyone smoked and boozed at every opportunity. The boozing was not done at our house. My parents were wowsers and disapproved but were working long hours and frankly we had little to do with them. It was a bit of a wild time.
It's funny the things you remember while working on a shed roof, thinking back more than forty years ago. There was a certain freedom of youth, the Vietnam war was in full swing, all of us youths faced the marble ballot, I think that added to gungho attitude we had. Laurie did get called up later. I haven't seen him for more than forty years I'd say. We all sort of got scattered about as you do as you become adults. I met Andy and Mort one day in the Austin hospital, must have been 1985 as I was visiting my father after his heart bypass surgery. They were doing a bedside vigil, Mrs Mitchell was dying and not expected to live more than a few days.
The Beach Boys seemed to capture the zeitgeist of the late sixties early seventies. It was freedom music to my generation.
I had done this cleaning of the roof six months ago, but didn't have any fish oil, so I purchased a tin of it but didn't get around to applying it to the roof and the leaves and sticks built up on the roof again. I knew it would be a job requiring a number of hours which is why I hadn't managed to do it.
So it was good to get at it, after trips to Fiji, Wangaratta, Lakes Entrance and numerous storms adding to the litter build up on the roof, even if it was at the expense of cutting grass and getting vegie seeds in and constructing rabbit barriers which is also pressing on my to do list.
For some reason I had two songs going through my head all afternoon, Beach Boy music, 'I Can Hear Music', and 'Wouldn't it be Nice'. This evoked strong memories of my youth. I remembered a carload of us driving to Ballarat to get some Ballarat Bitter which wasn't available in Melbourne. It would have been in 1969 I think, and it must have been a Sauturday as the pubs weren't open on Sundays back then. We were in Laurie Mitchell's Zephyr sedan. It was hotted up with twin carbies and extractors and supposedly a racing camshaft but this may have been bulldust. The car was previously Laurie's older brother Andy's, after previously being their mum's. Andy became engaged to one of the Cantillon twins who lived in our street, and he moved on to more sedate and appropriate wheels.
There we were coming back from Ballarat all necking from bottles, including the driver, big bottles, stubbies were not yet invented. There was no 0.05 law. The rest of us were not yet at driving age and of course did not own cars. The Mitchell's were quite wealthy. Their father Mort owned Spaceline Homes, a prominent building company of the time. We had a billiard table at home and both my parents worked which was unusual then, and many of the neighbourhood youths congregagated at our house as a base. We played pool and billiards, cards, watched TV, drank coffee and tea. Everyone smoked and boozed at every opportunity. The boozing was not done at our house. My parents were wowsers and disapproved but were working long hours and frankly we had little to do with them. It was a bit of a wild time.
It's funny the things you remember while working on a shed roof, thinking back more than forty years ago. There was a certain freedom of youth, the Vietnam war was in full swing, all of us youths faced the marble ballot, I think that added to gungho attitude we had. Laurie did get called up later. I haven't seen him for more than forty years I'd say. We all sort of got scattered about as you do as you become adults. I met Andy and Mort one day in the Austin hospital, must have been 1985 as I was visiting my father after his heart bypass surgery. They were doing a bedside vigil, Mrs Mitchell was dying and not expected to live more than a few days.
The Beach Boys seemed to capture the zeitgeist of the late sixties early seventies. It was freedom music to my generation.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Busy Day
The dogwood was early this year. We picked sixty bunches for today's pick up and some snowball and mollis to go with our mixed bunches and bits and pieces.
I took four photos on Meredith's camera, Roger emailed them to me, I have so far only been able to upload two onto this post, the process seems to be playing up, but I'll try again now. If not successful two is better than none.
Robbie helped me. He's reloading everything onto the computer I use usually as it had been playing up for a while. I started a computer course on Wednesday night, for eight weeks, intermediate level at the Emerald Community House, so my skills should improve. I started learning about Excel this week, Robbie has installed it for me so I can do my work book at home.
The dogwood looks beautiful but as I said yesterday it doesn't show up well in a photo.
I took four photos on Meredith's camera, Roger emailed them to me, I have so far only been able to upload two onto this post, the process seems to be playing up, but I'll try again now. If not successful two is better than none.
Robbie helped me. He's reloading everything onto the computer I use usually as it had been playing up for a while. I started a computer course on Wednesday night, for eight weeks, intermediate level at the Emerald Community House, so my skills should improve. I started learning about Excel this week, Robbie has installed it for me so I can do my work book at home.
The dogwood looks beautiful but as I said yesterday it doesn't show up well in a photo.
Friday, October 19, 2012
More Photos for Lesley
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| At Laurie and Joyce Begge's |
Today I came across some more spring colour, better than the photos of the previous post.
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| In Fay Gerber's garden |
Lindy lent me her camera to take these shots. It had a zoom lens. I should have zoomed in on things. The lilac, purple in the background, was stunning but doesn't show up in this photo. We picked all our lilac at the farm as I did at home so couldn't take a photo. Lindy picked most of the waratahs and took them to Fay yesterday. Dogwood doesn't really photograph that well from a distance but it's a most beautiful flower up close. Lindy's partner Ian put the photos on a 'stick' for me. The truth is photography is not a subject at which I am skilled.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Gardener's Delight
The six weeks since our holiday have not been idle ones for me. At the farm we have busied picking spring blossom including prunus, lilac, viburnums, pieris, malus, rhodie, mollis azalea and dogwood (I will have left something out). Our garden here in Gembrook has astounded me with its colour and beauty. As well as the above mentioned the flowering of camellias, mintbush, and waratahs, things we no longer harvest for sale, has been prodigious, and with the luscious splurge of new green foliage, I have commented to myself numerous times that this is surely the best spring show I have ever seen. Or maybe it's just that the older you get (now at 60) you appreciate things more.
How wonderful it is to be 60. Old enough to have a lot of memories, but still young enough to be effective and productive, there's little I can't do that I once could and that which I don't I probably never should have anyway. More ladies look more beautiful to me than they ever did, from young to old (although I wish they'd drop the tattoos). By and large I have more empathy for my fellow man than I did in years gone by and I have clearer picture of what I find acceptable or otherwise, and how I like to conduct myself, with less chance of stuffing up.
A highlight for me this week was Robbie's 25th birthday. He's nearly finished his honours degree. It was a pleasure which suprised me with its depth as I lit the Weber for our Sunday roast and reflected on our success, to have our youngest child reach a quarter of a century. Both Gord and Rob are fine citizens. We are all in good health, touch wood. There's much to be thankful for in our bountiful lives and garden. And not least is good friends and neighbours.
There's nothing remarkable about our achievements, many people raise kids successfully and have harmonious families, including grandchildren which Meredith and many friend's enjoy, that we have not as yet, but I'm pleased when I reflect.
The two young fools who sped past me on trail bikes in Cockatoo this evening on my way home, missing me and an oncoming car by inches, made me realize it can be over in a flash. It would only take a car or truck coming the other way to deviate a few feet. It happens. I watched Australian Story last night. Rod Laver had a stroke at aged 60 and would have died had he not been 100 metres from a specialist emergency hospital. I'm happy to go to bed each night, and get up in the morning. I have no great expectations from here on.
Goodnight.
How wonderful it is to be 60. Old enough to have a lot of memories, but still young enough to be effective and productive, there's little I can't do that I once could and that which I don't I probably never should have anyway. More ladies look more beautiful to me than they ever did, from young to old (although I wish they'd drop the tattoos). By and large I have more empathy for my fellow man than I did in years gone by and I have clearer picture of what I find acceptable or otherwise, and how I like to conduct myself, with less chance of stuffing up.
A highlight for me this week was Robbie's 25th birthday. He's nearly finished his honours degree. It was a pleasure which suprised me with its depth as I lit the Weber for our Sunday roast and reflected on our success, to have our youngest child reach a quarter of a century. Both Gord and Rob are fine citizens. We are all in good health, touch wood. There's much to be thankful for in our bountiful lives and garden. And not least is good friends and neighbours.
There's nothing remarkable about our achievements, many people raise kids successfully and have harmonious families, including grandchildren which Meredith and many friend's enjoy, that we have not as yet, but I'm pleased when I reflect.
The two young fools who sped past me on trail bikes in Cockatoo this evening on my way home, missing me and an oncoming car by inches, made me realize it can be over in a flash. It would only take a car or truck coming the other way to deviate a few feet. It happens. I watched Australian Story last night. Rod Laver had a stroke at aged 60 and would have died had he not been 100 metres from a specialist emergency hospital. I'm happy to go to bed each night, and get up in the morning. I have no great expectations from here on.
Goodnight.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
FIJI DAY15/16
Friday 31 Aug was our last full day on Naigani and we were determined to make the most of it. We rose before dawn to wait for Toka the fisherman to come at the appointed time of 6.00am to take us out deep sea fishing, the trawling with heavy gear stuff that we'd never done before. At the shore in the dark Paul from Christchurch was waiting with his young son. Toka came from the direction of the village loaded with fuel containers. He'd started the generators at the rear of the resort on his way. It was daylight by the time we took off, heading east towards Ovalau Is.
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| As the sun rose |
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| Lib and Paul, Naigani in the background |
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| But you can see clouds building |
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| The bush behind the beach |
Saturday 1 Sep after our last meal in the restaurant we packed in our bure and went to the boat loading area. It was overcast windy day. Some staff gathered to farewell us with a traditional song and we departed Naigani about 10.30.
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| We will remember these people with fondness |
Our man and driver was not there to meet us as he said he was but another Indian fellow with a van was so we had room to give Mark and Tracy a lift to Suva. They were intending to catch a public bus but were glad of a free ride in comfort for the 80km or so. We said goodbye to them in Suva where our driver left us for an hour to have lunch. An hour or so out of Suva, our driver Vinnit who took us Nadi to Natovi two weeks earlier met us and we transfered to his Forester for the trip back to the Novatel Hotel where we had our final night.
Next day we took a cab to Port Denarue, a very upmarket resort area with a boat harbour with many expensive yachts and cruise boats. It was worth seeing but not to our taste so we didn't linger after a lunch and some shopping and caught public buses back to Nadi and the Novatel, where our bags were in the store room.
Our flight was at 6.00pm. We managed to get a bottle of water on board with us. It was uneventful and totally boring except for the spectacular lights of the big city of of Melbourne as we descended on a perfectly clear night. The cold air was a shock leaving the plane but there was something welcoming about it. Gord and Rob picked us up, it was well after midnight when we arrived home much to the delight of Snow and Pip.
BULA VINAKA
Thursday, October 11, 2012
FIJI 13 /14 - Something Strange
Wednesday Day 13 of our Fiji holiday saw us looking for pippies again in the morning, so much had we enjoyed the previous day. We were quite good at finding them this time and quickly had a good bag. It was low tide and a villager was catching fish by sneaking up to the water's edge and throwing a net out to where he saw surface disturbance and then pulling in the net. I went over and he had a dozen and a half little fish in the net that he was sorting through. They were only about 12 cm long but he kept them, I guess they have a way of utilizing fish that size.
When we went back to the bure we put the pippies on the table on the verandah and Lib took a photo of them. We then took the pippies to the kitchen, offered them to the cook or kitchen hand who accepted them gratefully but made no suggestion of cooking them so we went back to our bure for lunch and a read. The room staff made up our bure while we did this, they came in each day and made the beds and swept and filled the water filter. The power was off as it was every afternoon till about five, and we went for some afternoon exercise,walking to the summit. We were away for about an hour and we couldn't understand why all the lights in our bure were on and the ceiling fans were going, and the air conditioner. We hadn't used the aircon once till this point, the temperature always being warm but comfortable.
Our joint conclusion was that the man (usually it was a lady but this time it was a man) who cleaned the bure must have turned everything on as he cleaned without realizing it as the power was off and nothing would have turned on with the switch. I couldn't work out how someone would accidentally turn on every switch, but it seemed like nothing to worry about.
The next morning I woke fairly early and got up to enjoy a cup of tea and read in the front room. Lib was still asleep in the bedroom, I was wearing underpants and a singlet only, when about 7.30 Weiss was on the veranda and he knocked on the glass sliding door.
"Your early checking the water Weiss," I said, feeling a little odd in my underwear as I let him in. I had no clothes handy so I just acted normally as if it was not unusual to have someone knocking on your door unexpectedly while you weren't dressed.
"No, I haven't come to check the water, i just thought I'd pay you a visit and have a talk," he said.
I told him to sit down, and I did too, and we made small talk for a few minutes, then he said nervously, "Actually Carey, there's something I want to ask you."
"Go ahead Weiss."
"Would you be able to lend me ten dollars? I owe Heppy ten dollars, it's pay day tomorrow, but he wants his money back today, I'll pay you back tomorrow."
"Yeah no worries Weiss." I went to the bedroom to get wallet. I only had F$50 notes. "I've only got a $50."
"That's alright I have change." I gave him a fifty and he gave me two twenties. I told him he didn't have to pay me back.
"Oh no I must pay you back," he said. He thanked me and went on his way. After he left it occurred to me that it was strange he had forty dollars to give me change when he asked me for ten, but then he might have been ten short for what he owed Heppy. It seemed a bit odd though. Some days earlier at Lib's insistence I had given Weiss F$50. We liked Weiss, he impressed us with his politeness and assistance and how he made us feel so welcome. Lib had spent some time talking to him on our boat trip to Levuka the previous week. He was on the trip to go to the hospital to get medicine, he didn't say what for. He had a long term plan to go to Australia and do floral arranging, he said, and he was saving all the money he could for that purpose. Lib wanted to give him $50 for him to save to go to Australia one day. He may be 18 or 19 years old, I'm not a good judge.
After breakfast the tide was well out and it was overcast so we decided we'd go for a walk and gather more pippies. We looked for the camera and couldn't find it. We looked hi and lo and couldn't find it. We always left it on the table in the front room. We remembered the last photo we took was of the pippies at lunchtime yesterday. Lib said she put the camera on the table, as always.
It must have been stolen we concluded. We never locked the bure, in fact we didn't have a key, we weren't given one. My wallet was always with me, and I hid it if I went snorkelling. It didn't seem like a place for thieves.
We went to Heppy's office and reported the stolen camera. He said one was handed in yesterday, some kids had found it on the beach, he went to get it from lost property. Sure enough it was our camera. The kids had left with their family this morning.
We'll never know for sure how our camera got from the bure to the beach, or how everything in our bure was turned on when we went for a walk the previous day. The kids that found our camera on the beach were in the bure next door to ours the first day they arrived, but their parents asked for another one nearer the pool so they moved. We reckon the kids got in our bure and stole the camera and turned all our switches on, but when they found the screen was broken they handed it in saying they found it on the beach. The bure next to ours where the kids family had been, also had lights on in it even though it was vacant, when the generators worked, so the kids had probably been in there and turned things on too.
And it may explain Weiss turning up early to ask for ten dollars, to see if we'd had our money stolen too. He knew our camera had a broken screen, Lib told him about it on our trip to Levuka, so when it was handed in he would have recognized it as ours. Maybe the kids told their parents they found a camera or were seen with it and their parents made them take it to the office. They were young kids, under ten. The family was English, but had lived in Suva for 9 years. He had a diving business.
I hope this has not been too boring. I did want to write about this, and the whole Fiji holiday. It was a memorable and fantastic holiday. Weiss didn't give me the ten back.
Pippies
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| Fisherman |
When we went back to the bure we put the pippies on the table on the verandah and Lib took a photo of them. We then took the pippies to the kitchen, offered them to the cook or kitchen hand who accepted them gratefully but made no suggestion of cooking them so we went back to our bure for lunch and a read. The room staff made up our bure while we did this, they came in each day and made the beds and swept and filled the water filter. The power was off as it was every afternoon till about five, and we went for some afternoon exercise,walking to the summit. We were away for about an hour and we couldn't understand why all the lights in our bure were on and the ceiling fans were going, and the air conditioner. We hadn't used the aircon once till this point, the temperature always being warm but comfortable.
Our joint conclusion was that the man (usually it was a lady but this time it was a man) who cleaned the bure must have turned everything on as he cleaned without realizing it as the power was off and nothing would have turned on with the switch. I couldn't work out how someone would accidentally turn on every switch, but it seemed like nothing to worry about.
The next morning I woke fairly early and got up to enjoy a cup of tea and read in the front room. Lib was still asleep in the bedroom, I was wearing underpants and a singlet only, when about 7.30 Weiss was on the veranda and he knocked on the glass sliding door.
"Your early checking the water Weiss," I said, feeling a little odd in my underwear as I let him in. I had no clothes handy so I just acted normally as if it was not unusual to have someone knocking on your door unexpectedly while you weren't dressed.
"No, I haven't come to check the water, i just thought I'd pay you a visit and have a talk," he said.
I told him to sit down, and I did too, and we made small talk for a few minutes, then he said nervously, "Actually Carey, there's something I want to ask you."
"Go ahead Weiss."
"Would you be able to lend me ten dollars? I owe Heppy ten dollars, it's pay day tomorrow, but he wants his money back today, I'll pay you back tomorrow."
"Yeah no worries Weiss." I went to the bedroom to get wallet. I only had F$50 notes. "I've only got a $50."
"That's alright I have change." I gave him a fifty and he gave me two twenties. I told him he didn't have to pay me back.
"Oh no I must pay you back," he said. He thanked me and went on his way. After he left it occurred to me that it was strange he had forty dollars to give me change when he asked me for ten, but then he might have been ten short for what he owed Heppy. It seemed a bit odd though. Some days earlier at Lib's insistence I had given Weiss F$50. We liked Weiss, he impressed us with his politeness and assistance and how he made us feel so welcome. Lib had spent some time talking to him on our boat trip to Levuka the previous week. He was on the trip to go to the hospital to get medicine, he didn't say what for. He had a long term plan to go to Australia and do floral arranging, he said, and he was saving all the money he could for that purpose. Lib wanted to give him $50 for him to save to go to Australia one day. He may be 18 or 19 years old, I'm not a good judge.
After breakfast the tide was well out and it was overcast so we decided we'd go for a walk and gather more pippies. We looked for the camera and couldn't find it. We looked hi and lo and couldn't find it. We always left it on the table in the front room. We remembered the last photo we took was of the pippies at lunchtime yesterday. Lib said she put the camera on the table, as always.
It must have been stolen we concluded. We never locked the bure, in fact we didn't have a key, we weren't given one. My wallet was always with me, and I hid it if I went snorkelling. It didn't seem like a place for thieves.
We went to Heppy's office and reported the stolen camera. He said one was handed in yesterday, some kids had found it on the beach, he went to get it from lost property. Sure enough it was our camera. The kids had left with their family this morning.
We'll never know for sure how our camera got from the bure to the beach, or how everything in our bure was turned on when we went for a walk the previous day. The kids that found our camera on the beach were in the bure next door to ours the first day they arrived, but their parents asked for another one nearer the pool so they moved. We reckon the kids got in our bure and stole the camera and turned all our switches on, but when they found the screen was broken they handed it in saying they found it on the beach. The bure next to ours where the kids family had been, also had lights on in it even though it was vacant, when the generators worked, so the kids had probably been in there and turned things on too.
And it may explain Weiss turning up early to ask for ten dollars, to see if we'd had our money stolen too. He knew our camera had a broken screen, Lib told him about it on our trip to Levuka, so when it was handed in he would have recognized it as ours. Maybe the kids told their parents they found a camera or were seen with it and their parents made them take it to the office. They were young kids, under ten. The family was English, but had lived in Suva for 9 years. He had a diving business.
I hope this has not been too boring. I did want to write about this, and the whole Fiji holiday. It was a memorable and fantastic holiday. Weiss didn't give me the ten back.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
FIJI Day 12
Just as we were turning into the bush Tracey's voice boomed, "Where are you two off to?" I don't know if they'd seen us and followed, but there they were. They'd asked us where the track was before and we'd told them but they were keen for us to show them how to get to Picnic Beach so up the hill we all went. We took them across the top through the bush farms/plantations to where the descent became steep and from where they couldn't go wrong, then we went our own way following a track through the plantations heading south hoping to end up at Sacred Bay.
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| Mark Tracey and Lib |
We didn't get all that far when came across a village farmer who was friendly and courteous but said politely that we were on his farm which was OK but there was no reason for us to keep going that way, it was just people's farms. We took the hint. He said his name was Toka (must be a common village name) and he told us the names of trees and edible plants and enjoyed answering our questions.
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| Toka the farmer with a bunch of Taro |
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| This lady was so nice |
Mark and Tracey came back quite late to the resort, after walking back around the shore not wanting to go up the steep ascent. They left it pretty late and had to go quickly to beat the tide they said.
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
FIJI DAY 11
Monday morning was the best weather we'd had on the island. Clear blue sky, no wind, calm sea. We decided to kayak round the north end of the island to Picnic Beach.
By now we were feeling relaxed and confidant on Naigani. We knew most of the staff and our way around and the routine, even getting a kayak off the rack and heading out did not have that self conscious element we felt the first week. We'd been waiting for a calm day to venture out of sight of the resort in a kayak around to the other side.
Mark and Tracey from Sydney turned up on cue just as we were about to leave. They were back from their morning scuba dive. They were out on the dive boat every day, except the one when it was cancelled because of the weather. They had a knack of finding us when they weren't diving, "What are you two up to," Tracey's loud voice would demand before you'd seen her.
"Were off to Picnic Beach, perfect day for it."
Mark chimed in, "The young czech bloke kayaked round there last week. He reckoned it took him 20 minutes to get to the point."
Off we went, Lib in front, me in the rear trying to remember to co ordinate with Lib's paddling. The water was blue green and clear then deep blue as we were over deeper sections. There was a gentle swell right to left that hardly affected progress and I was surprised at how quickly we went. Checking the watch it was right on twenty minutes of steady paddling as we reached the point and turned left to travel the north of the island. It was much quicker than walking along the shore on the slippery rocks. The gentle swell of two or three feet was now coming from behind us and pushing us along. It was exhilarating.
We reached Picnic beach in about forty minutes or so since leaving the resort, again we we had it to ourselves and there are some times in life that you remember clearly forever and this day will be one for me. We decided to make use of the calm weather and continue around the island. We didn't take the camera for fear of getting it wet but we did on the following Friday, FIJI Day 15, so I'll put up a couple of snaps when I get there. This shot below is someone else kayaking in front of the resort but it gives an idea of the scene.
It was a solid paddle down the west side past Sacred Bay and then past Cannibal Caves. The sea became rougher as we rounded the south side back to the east side. Now we we were heading into a bigger swell coming directly towards us and a head wind. The last half hour or so past the native village and back to the resort was hard work. The circuit took us about two and a half hours of which half an hour was stoppage time on the beach.
As we returned Mark and Tracey were about to leave on an afternoon diving trip. "Did you go right round? Was it hard?"
"No it was good mostly, but the last bit was a bit tough, the sea was rougher and the wind stronger."
The Czech guy was with them. "I went round last week, it took two hours and the last bit was hard."
We had a little rest in the afternoon, well pleased with ourselves that we'd rowed around. We didn't set off intending to, it was meant to be a stepping stone for a circuit later in the week. Next time we said to each other, we'll take flippers and snorkels and camera and lunch at Picnic Beach.
By now we were feeling relaxed and confidant on Naigani. We knew most of the staff and our way around and the routine, even getting a kayak off the rack and heading out did not have that self conscious element we felt the first week. We'd been waiting for a calm day to venture out of sight of the resort in a kayak around to the other side.
Mark and Tracey from Sydney turned up on cue just as we were about to leave. They were back from their morning scuba dive. They were out on the dive boat every day, except the one when it was cancelled because of the weather. They had a knack of finding us when they weren't diving, "What are you two up to," Tracey's loud voice would demand before you'd seen her.
"Were off to Picnic Beach, perfect day for it."
Mark chimed in, "The young czech bloke kayaked round there last week. He reckoned it took him 20 minutes to get to the point."
Off we went, Lib in front, me in the rear trying to remember to co ordinate with Lib's paddling. The water was blue green and clear then deep blue as we were over deeper sections. There was a gentle swell right to left that hardly affected progress and I was surprised at how quickly we went. Checking the watch it was right on twenty minutes of steady paddling as we reached the point and turned left to travel the north of the island. It was much quicker than walking along the shore on the slippery rocks. The gentle swell of two or three feet was now coming from behind us and pushing us along. It was exhilarating.
We reached Picnic beach in about forty minutes or so since leaving the resort, again we we had it to ourselves and there are some times in life that you remember clearly forever and this day will be one for me. We decided to make use of the calm weather and continue around the island. We didn't take the camera for fear of getting it wet but we did on the following Friday, FIJI Day 15, so I'll put up a couple of snaps when I get there. This shot below is someone else kayaking in front of the resort but it gives an idea of the scene.
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| A Kayak in front of the resort, looking more or less ESEast |
As we returned Mark and Tracey were about to leave on an afternoon diving trip. "Did you go right round? Was it hard?"
"No it was good mostly, but the last bit was a bit tough, the sea was rougher and the wind stronger."
The Czech guy was with them. "I went round last week, it took two hours and the last bit was hard."
We had a little rest in the afternoon, well pleased with ourselves that we'd rowed around. We didn't set off intending to, it was meant to be a stepping stone for a circuit later in the week. Next time we said to each other, we'll take flippers and snorkels and camera and lunch at Picnic Beach.
FIJI DAY 9 /10
Saturday was the day a number of our new friends were leaving. John and Jenny and Seth and Sarah from Los Angeles, Paul and Odette from Montreal, Terry and Kristie from Florida, and Andrew and Gill from Sydney all gathered about 10.30 to board the boat back to Viti Levu. The staff gathered to sing a traditional farewell song for them and Lib and I said our goodbyes.
Lib had come down with the very sore neck and swollen glands and had fever as well so after the farewell we went to the little store (which opened for half an hour each day if anyone turned up) to buy some panadol, then we went back to the bure to read and rest. Lib stayed resting till dinner, I took an afternoon walk to the summit before happy hour.
I'd stopped making diary notes diary notes by this point so my comments for the rest of the trip will be from memory totally and brief, but there's yet to come some interesting stuff I'd like to record and some more photos I'd like to put up so I'll persist over the next few days to finish my commentary of our Fiji trip.
Sunday was a rest day if I remember, with Lib still a bit crook. I took a solo walk in the afternoon, it was from memory the worst day weather wise, with the wind at its worst and some drizzly rain.
New people hadarrived on the Saturday return boat, Paul and ? from Christchurch NZ, Nobby and Ray and wives from Murray Bridge in SthAust and Jim and Patricia from the Gold Coast.
I just checked and we took no photos on days 9 and 10, probably because Lib was crook and we didn't do much anyway. I made a serious dent in Michener's 'Carribbean'.
Lib had come down with the very sore neck and swollen glands and had fever as well so after the farewell we went to the little store (which opened for half an hour each day if anyone turned up) to buy some panadol, then we went back to the bure to read and rest. Lib stayed resting till dinner, I took an afternoon walk to the summit before happy hour.
I'd stopped making diary notes diary notes by this point so my comments for the rest of the trip will be from memory totally and brief, but there's yet to come some interesting stuff I'd like to record and some more photos I'd like to put up so I'll persist over the next few days to finish my commentary of our Fiji trip.
Sunday was a rest day if I remember, with Lib still a bit crook. I took a solo walk in the afternoon, it was from memory the worst day weather wise, with the wind at its worst and some drizzly rain.
New people hadarrived on the Saturday return boat, Paul and ? from Christchurch NZ, Nobby and Ray and wives from Murray Bridge in SthAust and Jim and Patricia from the Gold Coast.
I just checked and we took no photos on days 9 and 10, probably because Lib was crook and we didn't do much anyway. I made a serious dent in Michener's 'Carribbean'.
Tuesday, October 02, 2012
FIJI Day 8
After breakfast we walked to the summit and instead of returning the same way we continued along the track which wound it's way back around the hill and came out back at the resort at the staff quarters, after which we took our books and read by the pool. Lib swam.
We had lunch in the bure and in the afternoon went on the village tour. Our escort was Weiss, I think all the resort guests came on the tour, perhaps 16 people.
A senior man, Raoul I think his name was, greeted us and gave us a talk about village and some of the history. The village used to be on the top of the hill where they were safer from marauding tribes coming by canoe as they had look outs constantly watching for encroachers, and a bit of a fort as a last resort. The missionaries came about 100 years ago and it took about 20 years but the chiefs eventually agreed to put away the war clubs and live in peace. They then relocated the village down to where it is now on the shore. Raoul gave a demonstration of blowing the conch which one man is elected to do for one year to call a village meeting. There were basket and mat weaving demos and a carva ceremony. The village was super clean and tidy and the villagers so warm and friendly. It was a memorable visit.
It was explained that before the resort was built in about 1980 the main source of income was dried coconut powder, the only commercial crop, their other farming of bananas, cassova, taro etc being for their own food. Going way back a white man lived on the island, an escaped Irish convict from Australia named George Riley who escaped by boat and befriended the chief on Naigani who allowed him to build a house there. Riley's descendants lived there right up till the resort opened if I remember rightly and the resort restaurant was once the Riley household, if I'm right. Since the resort opened the villagers have employment and income and electricity from generator a few hours a day for cooking and washing machines etc and even TV in many houses. The diesel to run the generators is costly.
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We had lunch in the bure and in the afternoon went on the village tour. Our escort was Weiss, I think all the resort guests came on the tour, perhaps 16 people.
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| Lib and Weiss |
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| Raoul with conch and kids under vessy tree |
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| Roaul and me |
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| Carva ceremony |
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