Friday, March 27, 2015

Fantastic Fantail Bay

DSCF6862
I know….another boring sunset shot!
So I am still here at Fantail Bay and will be here through to the end of April when I move up to Port Jackson until the end of September. This is all on a month by month basis in case I don’t like it or they don’t like me! But so far the feedback has been fantastic not only about the camp host but about how great a little campsite it is. So I am chuffed that I have found a little niche that suits me and I suit it.
So we have been doing all sorts of bits and pieces while here. I had to do a mad dash into Auckland the other week to deliver a seminar and took some time to visit FCO (Fishing, Camping, Outdoors) which is closing down and I managed to spend a little money on a new solar shower as the old one which was passed down from Brenda and Roger finally decided to give up the ghost at the handle from which it hangs. So while I was there they also had a nice little 12v shower system on very good special so that went into my basket as well as a fish finder and battery! I also managed to pick up a very good little 12v battery charger and it all seems to work after a bit of sorting out faulty cigarette lighter connectors. So now people know it is me in the shower due to the little motor. It gives me a great shower, I empty the solar shower into the bucket and off I go!
Also the install of the fish finder was a bit of a mission, but finally got the kit and managed to successfully fit it.
I have hung the battery inside the hull until I can get somewhere and make a battery holder for it. Works well until there is a large swell and the battery thumps the side!
It is fun to now see what I am paddling over and to see the huge drop off that is just off the bay.
DSCF6855
Bread making the other day and instead of making loaves to go with the fishes I made buns and that went really well. Managed to make 8 very nice buns. Easier to freeze and keep and don’t end up eating half a loaf of yummmmmy bread for lunch or afternoon tea.
Have finally said farewell to one of the long term ‘residents’ of Fantail Bay. John from Taupo headed off this morning in his lovely old green 1968 Bedford bus towing his 4wd van. He has been a wonderful addition to the camp and his stories are amazing. He has written two books, one about his trip from London to Africa on the safari from hell and the other about his life farming sheep, cows and then goats. Both wonderful reads and I recommend them if you can find them. His name is John Mather and most libraries have copies of “Bitten by Africa” and “Two Kiwis and their Motorhome”. I will miss him and his ‘happy hour’ stories, but he is off home to Taupo.
So life is quietening down here at Fantail Bay as the summer departs and Autumn starts to chill things down. Tonight we have one motorhome, one tent and one van and me in the camp so very quiet, but we are now in the lead up to the Easter weekend so anything can happen.
We have had some more amazing sunsets….
Have spent two days now working with my boss Karl and the camp manager Tim from Fletcher Bay in re-routing the water supply for the camp after it got a bit damaged last week with Cyclone Pam as she passed. So we have hauled the pipe down from the hill and re-run it on a better gradient, put the end back into the water (doesn't work well when it is sitting halfway up the bank about 4 metres from the water!) and after two fills of the tank with the fire pump we now have our water supply back only 12 days after it was damaged!
I am pretty knackered after lugging huge 50m lengths of pipe through the bush so an early night for me and hope to get out tomorrow for some fishing before the next load of foul weather arrives. Have been out a couple of time but not been very successful but hope things might change, but everyone is in a bit of the same boat with the fishing, some days it is on and the next nothing. The sea has been very dirty but full of krill so we have huge numbers of terns feeding and the kawhai have been running but everyone is very well fed and not taking bait either live or soft. Still there has been enough caught to keep us all in fish at least one meal a day for the couple of weeks or so.
Enjoying a few quiet days of weeding the garden dividers here,
DSCF6936DSCF6937
and making the most of the peace and quiet.
Safe travels to you all!

No comments:

Post a Comment