Monday, June 14, 2010

We did it together!



Today was really bright and sunshiny early on, so we got all packed up and drove 40kms north to a beach called 'The Docks' that has rock climbing.

First Dave and James went off snorkeling while Paddy and I fished. We caught 5 Wrasse that were big enough to keep, and must have put back about 20 that were too small. I swear we were catching the same fish again and again. Dave and James came back with 2 abalone and we had a lunch break, which I was needing by then.

Then Dave had a quick fish, just to prove he could catch a bigger Wrasse than we could, and then he and Paddy had a climb, using 'trad' gear. Dave led, and we heard their triumphant yells as they topped out echoing across the bay.


They both returned to the car safely where James and I, having caught a fish each, were resting.

It was a day of sun, cloud and then more sun, with a spectacular sunset to finish it off. But it was fantastic to be out and about with the boys again, and I certainly enjoyed the day. We sang all the way home, so the wallaby were scared off the road, and we got back without hitting any. (Touch wood, we haven't hit one yet!)

10 comments:

  1. Why do I imagine that you are singing "Tie me kangaroo down, sport..."?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I swear we were catching the same fish again and again.

    Look at it this way. If you keep feeding them your bait they'll soon be big enough for you to keep...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Didj'a ever think what that poor fish was thinking? From our new stream-of-fish-consciousness monitor... "Dang, I bit again? How many times is that, now? Man, what a ride! They yank you up, dangle you for a bit, yank on your mouth, and then toss you back to try again. I wonder why they don't like me? Is it my eyes? I'll bet they took Big Bob, everybody likes him." :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey - that's probably the same fish I caught!

    How come I didn't get to hear your singing voices while I was there:)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I wonder -- we saw a little bit about a nature preserve in Hokkaido which has recently added an elevated walkway to let people safely walk where the bears run. In talking to one of the guides, he admitted that he carries a can of bear spray just in case, but also carries his secret weapon for safe walks with the bears ... a bell. Looked like a small cow bell to me, but he says that ringing that while walking used to be the best way to keep the bears away. I wonder if wallaby run away from bells? You could start a new fad, car bells!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I forgot to mention I also caught a seagull, for a moment. It took my bait just as it hit the water! Obviously the hook pricked it, and it dropped the bait and retired to a nearby rock to click its beak and look sad for a bit.

    Actually a lot of the fish didn't even take the bait off the hook, so will not grow fast on what they got from us! But the ride was obviously worth the pain in the mouth, some even got up on the plane on the surface of the water.

    Apart from Paddy, our singing voices are not something we really take out in public! At least the engine noise hides some of the flat notes.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I understand that the wallaby move away from the bass notes, or vibration. So playing music with a heavy bass can work, apparently, but it all depends on who we believe. I fancy the idea of the bells, could we use panpipes do you think???

    ReplyDelete
  8. Try it! Of course, if you find them dancing behind you, you may want to reconsider...

    ReplyDelete
  9. ...bastard wallabies. I really, really hate the way they'll fake one direction, then do a one-eighty to get in front of you so as to do MAXIMUM POSSIBLE DAMAGE, if you're not quick enough to out-think and out-brake them.

    You'd think with the amount of roadkill on Tasmanian roads that evolution would be teaching the beasts a thing or two about dodging cars...

    ReplyDelete
  10. A quick blast on a Vuvuzela should do the trick.

    (If anyone complains just tell them it is a cultural thing.)

    ReplyDelete