4.1.18- Dollie’s diner & gearing up
There was an American diner next door where we have Brunch as I now is 11am. I have the most mammoth salad, Leon has loaded potato skins with chilli & cheese.
We head on our way to find a snorkel hire, names Snorkel Bobs! We kit ourselves out with the midrange clobber, Leon gets an espresso from next door and we set off on our way to Black Rock as recommended by the snorklette.
The nonchalent snorkeller of black rock beach
We get to black rock beach and there is no parking .. so we set off a little bit further an find a pretty beach with a little too much surf and jagged rocks. There is hilariously a lady who has snorkel gear that we ask where she has been and if any good, and she was the most depressive downbeat snorkeller ever. She responds with, ‘nothing there, saw a few turtles but nothing special’(!!!) We ignore her & do get in and see some colourful fish but can’t really get out far enough without lacerating ourselves!! Back in the Jeep. We find the most perfect flat sea and stop up to peer inside, and wow what a surprise! Steep drop off to reveal MASSIVE coral reef with all manner of fish.
Another hero in a hardshell
We find the most perfect flat sea and stop up to peer inside, and wow what a surprise! Steep drop off to reveal MASSIVE coral reef with all manner of fish.
Little yellow ones, big rainbow ones and some inquisitive stripy butterfish. After two snorks, we have one final attempt to see the elusive sea turtle, or honu as the locals call them. After 10 minutes Leon is a bit shivery due to a lack of clothing, I say I will have one last swim and you go sun yourself. Leon can’t resist on missing out and joins me for one last scout. We enter a terrain that is so mysterious and beguiling. The soft sparkling ripples of sand directly below with towering columns of intricate coral either side. A kingdom of light and shade. The tiny otherworldly fish nibble and play with the tendrils of the teasing corals. To the left I see a larger being gently flapping from the corner of my eye. I turn and see a majestic young female sea turtle! I pop my head up and signal to Leon, and he joins me. We swim along with her & I mimic her actions, staying a good few metres away, bobbing my head up to see her surface, like a stone, and also dipping down to watch her take a bite of some tasty morsel. We then leave her to carry on with her business and get out the water, elated! The journey back flew by with the chatter of the day & before we knew it, we were back in Paia and I tucked into a local dish of a sweet Hawaiian chicken and sticky rice with island potato salad at the Rock & Brews.
Noel’s house party?
We took our bumpy journey back to Noel’s House (no Mr Blobby!) & enjoyed telling him of our day, as the tiny geckos laughed around us, as if listening and chiming in! We got through quite a few subjects such as pros and cons of American gun law all the way to why humans can’t grow back limbs as some reptiles can! Tomorrow, we are going to Steve Tyler’s house (from Aerosmith, you know, the band that did ‘I don’t want to miss a thing’ in the film Armageddon) in Big Beach, and probably some more snorkelling.