A Quick Shout Out to Laurie and Jordan...and Ross. And an Invitation to Parents

   Today, the day after the Huskies put BYU in their proper place (losers), I had a very pleasant swim down

The Next Generation Knows, "Its Great To Be a Husky!"

 at the pier.  Following that momentous bowl win, I was sure that this day would yield something good for a loyal  Husky.

   At two in the afternoon, it wasn't too hot and the water was clear and calm.  Calmer than my living room the previous evening, I'll tell ya. 

   And the fish were good. Immediately, hiding in the coral just past the sand, I saw a small Milletseed Butterfly.  He dodged back and forth in his coral chunk, never allowing a picture.  I have such a soft spot for the (now uncommon) Milletseed.  Awww.
 
Shortly thereafter a large fish appeared fifteen feet in front of me.  My first thought was that it was a a big barracuda.  But no, it was a milkfish.  As I pursued him, it was apparent that he had at least five friends

Milletseed Butterfly, Kailua Pier, 2012

(named Chocolate, Silk, Goat, Homogenized and Butter.)   Just as I was gearing up for the chase, I spotted a Shortnose Wrasse.  It was a tough choice , but you know old 2% and his five friends can swim a lot faster than me, so I stopped to look at Shorty.  This little fish may be the prettiest fish on the reef.  And even though I saw my first one only a couple years ago, he is actually not terribly rare.  But being so small, he is difficult to photograph.  It was my luck today that I got a good look but he got away before I could get a picture.

 As if all these unusual fish weren't enough, I looked up to the malecon and spotted my good friend Ross MacArthur scooting by, his Hawaiian flag flapping jauntily in the breeze.  I yelled,  "Ross!" (What else would you yell?  Herman?)   But I guess the traffic noise on Alii Drive  was too great and he scooted on by.  If I was a really, really good friend  I would have aborted the swim and headed in for a chat.  As I am apparently a mediocre friend (what can I say?), I headed on out to the palace.

The Shortnose Wrasse out on the PAR,  October 2012

     There was nothing spectaccular out there ( a bunch of Black Durgons herding some large scad) and soon I was swimming back in.  Right by the first swim buoy I got a Blacktail Wrasse.  We have seen this unusual fish several times in this location, close in at the pier, and its obviously something you need to be prepared for.

    You may be thinking, that's a pretty good outing, but the best was yet to come.  Just as I was peeling off my fins I noticed two girls of ten or so.  They had matching pink masks and were obviously looking at the fish, albeit the ones very close to the pier.   I cautiously introduced myself and asked if they were looking at the fish.  How pleased I was when Laurie and Jordan started telling me what fish they had seen!  I pointed out to the first swim buoy and explained that there were better fish right out there.  Then they asked, "Aren't you going to swim out there with us?"

Blacktail Wrasse, December 28, 2013, Kailua Pier

     Well, be still my fish watchin' heart.  Luckily, a benevolent grandmother was nearby to give permission and off we went.  There was a school of scad and four handsome ulua just off the sand, and Iexplained that they were like the gazelles and the lions.  (or is it the Huskies and the BYU Cougars?)  Then we saw some threadfins and the Blacktail Wrasse swam by.

    At this point, it was obvious that Jordan had dropped out.  We checked on her and then continued, seeing a pair of Oval and a pair of Lined butterflies, finishing off with a nice pair of Barred Filefish.  I was convinced that Laurie was actually keeping track.

    As we headed for home, we were apprehended by Laurie's mother, who was very nice about a stranger swimming away with her daughter.  We shook hands and I told her what a pleasure it had been to show her daughter the fish.  She said it was probably very nice for Laurie, as well.  Exhibiting a modicum of good judgement, I didn't get any pictures of the girls.  But it was an honor to be able to show an interested kiddo our fish.  Maybe she'll grow up to be the next Jacqueline Cousteau.

    I'll add pictures tomorrow, but if Laurie and her very understanding parents are out there and they would like to have another snorkeling lesson, it is no secret that I can be contacted at jhill257@gmail.com.   And if any of you other moms or dads wants to send your precocious child on a quick fish watch, don't be shy.  Send me an email.

jeff

Christmas Wrasseing A Musical Yuletide Adventure

  OK music lovers.  To thoroughly enjoy this blog, you need to sign on to YouTube and listen while you read our totally true Christmas Day Adventure. set to the tune of Christmas Wrapping by the Waitresses.  To help you along, here's a you tube link:  https:  //www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARq6uYSsUq0


"Bah Humbug," Sandra yelled.
"The Boat is in! It makes me crazy!"
I said, "Merry Christmas, Peace on Earth."
"Let's celebrate the Christ Child's birth."


We plunged into the circus rush.
A Chinese guy and his pretty wife
Took our Christmas Beachside Photo 
Sheh sheh and Sheng Danjie. Its Christmastime in Kona.





Paddle boarders, kayaks
Boat people waist deep stop to yak.
The inner harbor full of silt.
And Sandra says it looks like milk


The Christmas Wrasse on Christmas Day
Is our mission each December.
We found him here in Twenty Twelve. (2012)
But could we call on Santa's Elves?

Refrain







Last year the tempest brewed.
The waves were high and  the sky was gray.
We didn't think to miss our date.
The Christmas Wrasse is here to stay.


Bouncing on the storm tossed sea,
We searched one end to the other,
Was the coral of  Paul Allen's Reef.
The stocking for our Christmas treat?

Christmas Wrasse, Kailua Pier, August 2013

 Heading in, no fish to show,
We might have been felling pretty low.
But at the bay its, "Tally Ho!"
Sandra found the wrasse at last!

We chased through the shallow reef.
He'd stand for no photography
But we'd  toast him later anyway
"Here's to Sandra's Christmas Wrasse!"







Merry Christmas!  Merry Christmas!
Will we see the Christmas Wrasse this Year?

Merry Christmas!  Merry Christmas!
He's been getting rarer. Won't you cheer?

Merry Christmas!  Merry Christmas!
Won't you sack your spear and have some beer?

Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
Will we see the Christmas Wrasse this year?







Christmas  Day is blue and bright.
The currents strong but so are we.
We kick our fins as if to climb,
And  clear the rocks in 4 4 time.

Bird Wrasse, Saddle Wrasse
Ornate  and  Pink-tail Trigger.
No Christmas Wrasse is here my dear.
Will Christmas come?   I start to fear.

 

Our Phoenix Island Damsel hangs proudly on the Tree

The Marian is on the sea.
Glass bottom boat so you can see
The skipper waves as he sails on by.
Merry Christmas to my honey pie.


We've never failed to find our fish,
Shall we swim a little further?
The water's  warm, the water's clear.
We'll find that Christmas Wrasse this year. 

Trumpets

 

Our Octopus Changed Instantly from Brown to White

 We're holding hands, watch the reef
When what to our wondering eyes should appear
An octopus full of Yuletide cheer.
With eight little hooves like Santa's deer.


Prancing, pawing eight little hooves.
Changing Shapes, he's got the moves.
Turning white like the new fallen snow
He gleamed with the luster of Christmas  below.

 With a steed of this molluscan kind,

The Christmas turtle Bids You Peace on Earth

Can a miniature Sleigh be far behind?
 Then off he swam like the down off a thistle,
Into the reef, as clean as a whistle.

Time for home, we both  agree.
And we swim back to the heiau
A turtle led us in through the bay
'Twas a very Happy Christmas Day.


Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas.
We'll see the wrasse another year.
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas.
We know he's there we bid him cheer.

Merry Christmas Merry Christamas,
We'll see him later in the year.
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas
We know he's there. We bid him cheer

(fade)

 In the words of the great Barry Kripke, " When one is celebwating Chwistmas in Kona, it is appwopwiate to weah Wed Dwagons!" 
                             Mele Kalikimaka and Maka Hiki Hou from Sandra and Jeff. 

The Christmas Octopus wishes you and yours a very Merry Fishmas.  And a Halibut New Year.

Birding New South Wales, Dorrigo National Park

Here in Kona, we are experiencing a prolonged bout of high surf.  Two days ago, it washed away the pier in Puako, ordinarily a sedate bay just south of Beach 69.  This seems like the perfect time to tell you a bit more about our Australian adventure.  This episode will deal with Dorrigo National Park, in the mountains a couple hundred miles south of Queensland.    

One of the better granite boulders in Cathedral Rock NP

     On our way east, we made a translational stop in Armidale, cutting the long journey from the Warrumbungles to Dorrigo in half.  Armidale was far less quaint than we had hoped.  Unable to find the pubs to which our host directed us, we dined (if you can call it that) at a McDonalds where the food was at least twice as expensive as in the States. 

    Also we provisioned for our two nights in Dorrigo at one of the big grocery stores.  We were getting the hang of shopping in an Australian grocery, finding that some of the things we like were cheaper in Australia.  Potato chips, real butter and  beef pies four to six  package.  And buying a half kilo of ham from the deli for sandwiches was actually no more expensive than buying a pound back home.  We also purchased a half dozen plump links made from lamb and Indian pickle, that I doubt you will find in the U.S. 

    It was a pleasant drive from Armidale on Waterfall Way, which stretches all the way from Armidale

A large male Gray Kangaroo

to Bellingen.  Mostly we passed through rolling farmland, but we had two delightful stops.  The first was at Cathedral Rock National Park.  I knew before we turned in that the eponymous monolith was going to be far away from the roads, hence beyond the scope of this mornings meanderings, but I hoped that as it was a national park, there might be something interesting for us to see.  Certainly there were plenty of large granite boulders in a variety of shapes.  But far more wonderful for us, there were lots of Gray Kangaroos.  This being a park, the 'roos realized that they did not need to run for their lives.  Several times we were treated to one or more who stood a few meters off the road quietly considering us while chewing a mouthful of grass.  There were big males and also several females with joeys in various stages of independence.  It was interesting to see a large joey crawl back into the mother's pouch. 

    On a couple occasions we were treated to fine looks at Red-necked Wallabies, about half the size of the big grays, their fuzzy pointed faces peering at us just over the top of the tall meadow grass.  What a relief it was to be in Kangarooland at last.  Up to this point, I was worried we might return from Oz without a good picture of a 'roo.  Oh, the shame of it all.  

Mother 'Roo with Joey

     We took a short walk in the cool morning, beginning at a campsite at the end of the road.  Cathedral Rock was several kms down this trail and I could imagine that it would be a very pleasant walk in the cool mountain air.   But the hours required for  that hike wasn't on the agenda, so we bid goodbye to the rocks and  kangaroos and headed west. 

    Only a little further along, Sandra and I stopped for an early lunch at Ebor Falls, which I had 

discovered while playing with Google maps.  The falls weren’t quite Iguassu, but were every bit as impressive as we had expected.   There were a few dwellings and a motel where we made the turn off the road, but right at the falls there is a fine wooded park devoid of commercial intrusion.  We shared the trail beside the Guy Fawkes River with a few other travelers who had stopped to enjoy the view and we shared our lunch with the resident Pied Currawong, who in return granted us the privilege of a killer photo.   Currawongs are, at least to my eye, extremely handsome birds.  But they are not universally loved in Australia as they are known to be nest predators.  I hope this fellow was satisfied with a portion of our sandwiches in lieu of someone else's babies. 

     After Ebor Falls, it was a pleasant drive through rolling countryside to Dorrigo.  As we approached our destination, the hills became steeper, but the traffic was light and my brave co-pilot did not complain.

     As you may recall, we had exchanged  countless emails with Allan Richards planning  our route in order to have the best chance to see the birds of New south Wales.  Allan is the current president of the NSW Field Ornithological Association, which I suppose is much like the audubon society back in Estados Unidos, with the notable exception that this group is more interested in actually watching birds than political activism.  I addition to giving us good advice, Allan had arranged for us to hook up with a couple accomplished birders along our route.  

The Pied Currawong at Ebor Falls

    The first of these contacts was Pierre Charbonneau, who lives in Coff's Harbour.  Pierre had graciously volunteered to come up to Dorrigo from Coff's.  This didn't seem unreasonable when I 

encouraged him to come up and go birding with us.  It wasn't until we made the drive down the steep, windy, narrow road to the coast that I appreciated what a really nice guy Pierre is.  By the time we made it to Bellingen, just thirty treacherous kms from Dorrigo, I was ready to nominate Pierre for sainthood

     We met Pierre for the first time about 9 AM.  Our connection had been a bit tenuous, as we did not have a cell phone.  Fiona, the owner’s wife back in Armidale, had permitted me, in the morning as we checked out,  to use her cell phone.  I had spoken to both Sandy and Pierre and made arrangements to meet around nine at the Dorrigo Mountain Holiday Park. Fiona also directed us to  Waterfall Way, which departed Armidale differently than I thought.  

    I didn’t  feel comfortable asking the Dorrigo Mountain Park manager if we could use his cell  (I wonder if he cultivates his reputation as a curmudgeon just to fend off such requests.) but as there were only two occupied cabins that morning, Pierre found us easily.

The boardwalk into the rainforest, Dorrigo NP

     Arriving at our door, he introduced himself in a charming manner with an accent identical to the one I would use to impersonate a Frenchman in an anecdote.  But of course!  He did what he could to coax Sandra to go birding.  “But madame, ze trail is easy and we will not need to go into ze wet forest so zer will be no leeches..”   

   I don’t know how she resisted, but Pierre and I, sans madame, were soon on The Skywalk at the National Park.  Sandra and I had visited The Skywalk the previous afternoon.  I was expecting an elevated bridge of cables and ropes ascending into the canopy.  This skywalk is a single pier of planks extending from the back of park headquarters out about 100 feet.  The land drops away precipitously below and by the time you are at the very end of the pier, you are possibly 100 ft above the forest floor.  High enough to give us acrophobics pause.  My friend pointed out a flowering tree hat Australian birders refer to a s a crab apple, which he said would be good for birds the following morning.  But, as was the case the previous afternoon,  no birds were seen from the skywalk.  

   Authors note: in the description of the birding adventures, we are including pictures of the birds that are not our own.  It is very difficult to photograph wild birds, but I include these pictures as they permit you to identify and enjoy what we saw.  A picture is truly worth a thousand words.

     Pierre’s reputation as a talker preceded him.  Allan, in one of our inumerable email conversations,  had noted that Pierre was not an accomplished user of the internet, but was indefatigable on the telephone.  And indeed, the previous morning returning Fiona’s phone to its rightful owner required a 

Southern Logrunner

bit of a forceful adieu.  It was only a few steps from the lodge to the boardwalk leading down to an asphalt trail.  In the midst of his non-stop soliloquy, Pierre stopped to look for a lyrebird and spotted a pair of Southern Logrunners just beneath the boardwalk.  These birds were much more like towhees than I had expected, fossicking in the debris on the floor of the rainforest.  Even their plumage, black and orange with white accents, was similar to the Rufous-sided Towhee of the PNW.  We enjoyed the logrunners and then moved on down to the asphalt trail.  

    Sandra and I had made it this far the day before.  It was afternoon and the forest was quiet.  We had a pleasant  walk in the trail, along with a few other couples, enjoying the cool shaded trail through the rain forest.  Its great the that the national park service has set aside this land and created the trail so people have an idea of what is being preserved, but to be honest, finding birds in a forest is really difficult.  We had a pleasant  walk in the trail, along with a few other couples, enjoying the cool shaded rainforest, but aside from a brush turkey, we saw and heard nothing.  I'm certain that like Sandra and I the day before, the vast majority of the people who take these trails see very few birds.  We had a pleasant  walk in the trail, along with a few other couples, enjoying the cool shaded rainforest, but aside from a brush turkey, we saw and heard nothing. 

     It was similarly quiet today.  As we walked, Pierre shared his personal history.   Origianally from French Cananda, he had met his wife and moved to Australia twenty years earlier.  When he found out that I was from Oregon, he stated that Charbonneau, the husband of Sacajawea, was a distant relative.   I explained that there is now a suburb of Portland named after his distant cousin and he was very pleased.  As they say in the Enchanted Kingdom, "It's a small world after all."

    The woods remained quiet, but Pierre was armed with his iPod (in which he carries the calls of every bird in Australia!) and he knew what bird to expect in that exact spot.  Before we set out, he had made sure I had no problem with using a tape.  I could have told him about walking through the snowy mountains of northern Idaho at night playing the call of the Boreal Owl while sharing some Cutty Sark with Mike and Ken, but, “Absolutely play the tape.” was sufficient.

Noisy Pitta from below, perched for a mating call.

   “Zees iss de good place for Peeta. “ he whispered.  And we began searching for that very difficult bird.  Mike and I had missed the Noisy Pitta twenty years before, not for lack of trying.  Lamington Park a couple hundred miles to the north has great habitat well inside the Pitta’s range..  Here in Dorrigo, we were on the edge of the pitta’s range.  But today we had a supreme advantage.  In the quiet forest Pierre began playing the pitta’s call.  It was a little late in the nesting season, he said, but it was worth a try.  Within a few minutes, we could hear a bird answering.  It was well uphill.  In the dappled sunlight I searched through the dense foliage, concentrating on the forest floor, as the pitta is primarily a terrestrial bird.  “The calling bird perches in ze trees.”  Pierre corrected me.  a moment later  he whispered, “Zer it iss!”

   The call from both the tape and the approaching bird had been louder than I expected.  And the bird was bigger.  The Noisy Pitta was thirty feet in and twenty feet above us.  Thus we were looking at this colorful bird from below.   He was big as an American Robin, but fat like a quail.  The breast was the color of Dijon mustard with a glob of dark brown tapenade in the center.  Just behind, the vent wasa on orange patch to color of sun dried heirloom tomato.  What a delicious bird.

The Pitta was an early Christmas present!

     Just at this point, an older couple came down the trail.  I was tempted to show them the bird Pierre had acquired with such skill and cunning, but as he was muttering vile epithets, I ignored them and they passed on with a  quiet G'day.  The pitta, however, stayed for two or three more minutes, long enough for me to make a futile effort at a photograph, before he disappeared into the forest. 

     As we started to walk Pierre pointed into the forest near the trail.  There was another pitta scratching the soil about ten feet off the trail.  The brush was so dense that our looks were difficult, but no doubt it was a second pitta, this one foraging on the ground in the prescribed manner.   On the ground, even in this dense cover,  the green wings, black face and chestnut cap were more obvious.

       The second pitta was soon gone and we walked along, identifying small dickeybirds, like the Large-billed Scrub Wren,  (whose bill is not large enough to make the bird of interest to any except the most devout birdwatchers.)  A short while later we spotted a pair of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos well up in the canopy.  This large  bird is found in a variety of habitats, from the savannah to the coast.  And, as it turns out, in the rain forest.  I had seen them many times at a distance, but this pair was close enough for a good look as they tended their nest among the bromeliads.  

The Much Beloved Sandy  and the Canuck that followed her home.

    As we continued our walk towards the Glade picnic area, Pierre continued to fill out his family history.  He had met his wife, Sandy, on Vancouver Island a few years after the summer of love.   An Australian girl, she was visiting relatives in western Canada.  He had moved west from Quebec and was working near Victoria.  They were introduced in a pub by a mutual friend, their immediate hook up had something to do with Pierre's dog (he identifies strongly with Kerouac and the beat generation) and they ended up traveling the west coast as far as California, before returning to Oz as man and wife.  Someone should make a movie.   Sandy now handles the correspondence and Pierre works nights as a nurse and watches birds on his off days.   

     There's more birds and adventures to come.  And if the ocean settles down I'm sure we'll see some more fish.  In the meantime have a Merry Christmas,

Follow Skippy to the exciting conclusion of the Dorrigo Adventure.

jeff

Its Christmas in Kona

Cute girls with cuter Pit Bulls.  Does it get any more Christmas than that?

   Its Christmas in Kona!  There are a few houses and condos decorated with lights, but there are signs far more sure.  For one thing, we had the Kona Christmas Parade last Sunday evening.

   There were lots of dogs decorated for the holidays, along with the usual mix of inhabitants in various stages of derangement and undress.  This place is certainly great for people watching.

We all showed up for the Christmas Parade.  Rummy tum, tum.

   





And before you ask...Yes!  I resemble that remark.

    The parade itself featured the local girls roller derby team (the Kona Outlaws) in full regalia and some sweet little girls doing the hula on the back of a flat bed truck.  The local hospital and the Aloha Theater were well represented.  And of course there were racing canoes, some of which bore  kids instead of the actual rowers.  Marching bands played Mele Kalikimaka over and over.  And at the end, St. Nicholas himself made an appearance.  Ho, ho, ho!



      "Wait a just a stocking stuffin' minute!" you might ask indignantly.  "What is a  Christmas parade in the 

Paul Allen's Boat: a sign of Xmas in Kailua Kona

21st Century without the Grinch?"  Well, here in Kailua the G Man doesn't require a parade.  He arrives (as of yesterday) in his very own yacht.  Or possibly two.  That's right kane and wahines, Paul  Allen is back.  Some of you out there may disagree with me.  If you are a fan of the Seahawks, Sounders or Trailblazers you may value Mr. Allen as a necessary evil, or maybe a source of civic pride.  If he had owned the Sonics, they might still be in Seattle.

   Here in Kona, among us less fortunate, and without any major league sports affiliations within 3,000 nautical miles, he is known as a frugal tipper and one who does his best to keep his distance from us menehunes. If he is going to give away his gazillions, doesn't it seem reasonable that he could drop a little here in the community he loves (I assume) to visit.   For most of us, all we have received is a lungfull of dust when his whirlybird lands on his estate near the pier.

    Yesterday I went snorkeling off the pier with Paul Allen's yacht gleaming nearby.  I was lucky.  Swimming way out in front of the Canoe Club (formerly Don Drysdale's Bar, may he rest in peace) Santa put a

Scribbled Filefish,  Aluterus scripta  Kailua Kona,  Dec. 2013

Scribbled Filefish in my stocking.  Mr. Scribble isn't truly rare...yet. But every time I see him, I wonder if its the last time.   Will I ever see you again  in these very Sandwich Islands, my fine freckled friend?  This fish was spooky, as they pretty much all are nowadays, and I had to struggle to get the photo you see here.  After I got the picture, I sang to the fish.   And then, being in a musical mood, I composed the following Christmas carol for Mr. Allen.  (You can sing along to the tune of O Tannenbaum).




 Paul Allen's Boat, Paul Allen's Boat.
How proud you ride the water.

This is a Christmas Parade!  Not a Bar Mitzvah, You Putz!

Paul Allen's Boat, Paul Allen's Boat.
The Grinch is quite a plotter.

When Christmas comes, We'll thrill to see,
Your Helicopter in a Tree.

Paul Allen's boat, Paul Allen's Boat,
How white upon the water.

  Well, you got a look at the yacht, my friends at the parade, a really cute girl and her dog and our good friend Mr. Scribble.   I'll leave you with some cute kids in an outrigger on wheels and wish you all a Merry Christmas.

Jeff

What's better than a parade?

A Kona Update and a Trip to Sapphire Beach

   Life has been pretty much the same here on the beach.   the wind has been blowing 10 to 15 out of the north for about three days, making the surface water cooler.  At least in Kailua it hasn't churned things up, so what fish there are have been delightfully visible.  And Sandra is keeping nice and warm in her shorty wet suit.
 
    The Christmas crowd is arriving and yesterday we had a chance to visit with our friends Cece and Gregg from PDX.  They're staying in Puako for a week or two and we are planning a swim and visit on Sunday.  Hopefully we will have some choice tidbits for you from the giant tidepool.

   Recognizing that this isn't much of a blog, I thought I would treat you to a tripadvisor review that they refused to publish, for heaven only knows what reason.  Their editorial staff was as enigmatic as the sphinx. 

Tripadvisor Review for  Sapphire Beach Holiday Park  

 Near the end of our two week drive around NSW we spent two nights in Coff's Harbour.  We stayed at the Sapphire Beach Holiday Park, about 5 km north of the small city.  My overall impression of Coff's Harbour in November, was that it reminded me of Hawaii, where I live.  The air was soft and warm.  Everywhere I turned I recognized plants like bougainvillea, various palms and tropical lilies thriving unattended.  

   

   The really cool thing was, that in some ways, the Sapphire Beach Holiday was way better than Hawaii!  

Home Sweet Home at Sapphire Beach

    We were given a small trailer for our two night stay.  Michelle, who was manning the desk upon our arrival, moved us down to the end of the row, which was a more peaceful location.  The trailer was clean.  Being from Hawaii, we understand how difficult it is to achieve immaculate in a seaside climate.  Most importantly, there were no bugs.  It was a bit small, but we payed less for our stay here than anywhere else on the trip.  And we were offered a larger trailer for a very reasonable rate.  

   

    You may get the sense that I take perverse pleasure in being thrifty, but at least I recognize what things are worth, and this small trailer was an incredible bargain.

     

The trailer had a comfortable double bed and a set of bunks, so I was afforded the opportunity to continue to bump my head while messing with the luggage.  It had a very nice dining table and chairs. Everything you could hope for was in the kitchen.  The WC was really small, but bigger than you would find on a sailboat.  Best of all, there was a modern recliner with a reading lamp.  Ahh! Home at last.  

Sandra enjoying beautiful Sapphire Beach

    Had we wished to sit outside in the evening, we had a small verandah with a view of the grassy car park that backed onto the barrier dunes.

The grounds of the Sapphire Holiday Park are amazing.   This is how a caravan park appears on the other side of the Pearly Gates.  There were large eucalyptus and other trees, neatly trimmed patches of grass and two welcoming pathways to the beach.  Our first morning I was returning through the far pathway when I encountered two kangaroos on the lawn!

There were birds to die for including a family of Black and Yellow Cockatoos. 

    On one of my morning strolls I was returning from the far end of the park. There  I had encountered a small swampy area with curiously croaking frogs (they made a double plopping noise) and a Shining Bronze Cuckoo.  By the trailers under the tall eucalypts, I ran into a nice gentleman a bit younger than myself.   Jacob was dressed Hawaiian style (sans chemise) and carrying a bowl of porridge.

The Red-backed Fairy Wren

   He was on his way to have breakfast at the beach, but he took time to say hello and introduce himself as the grounds keeper.  Seeing my binoculars, Jake told me of a small red bird in the dunes.  (Australians are much more interested in birds and bird watchers than people elsewhere.  It isn't particularly unusual to be walking with binoculars and be approached by a stranger who wants to talk to you about a local bird.)

We wandered through a small gap in the brush and over the dunes to where he had a plastic chair perched amid the heath with a killer view of the beach.

    Now most of you would be transfixed by this killer view.  Sapphire beach is a long sandy strand almost a kilometer in length.  A rocky cape to the right and an offshore island completed our view.  But just beside my guide's plastic seat appeared a family of Red Backed Wrens.  I am including a picture of this bird, so you can look for it, too.  Fairy wrens are one of the most prized birds in Australia and this one is dazzling.  The male raised the feathers on his red cape to make a more dramatic impression.  Wow!  (If this sizzling black a red number was back in Oregon he could replace the Blazer Dancers.  And the world would be a better place for it!)

    As if this was not enough,  Sam and her husband have created a lagoon in the back of the park.  Sandra and I wandered back there after dinner our second night and were treated to a Buff Banded Rail strolling nonchalantly beneath the trees by the water.

Buff Banded Rail stalks the trailer park lagoon

    At this juncture, I must tell you about the welcoming owners.  Sam and her husband (whose name I never got... shame on me!) are incredible hosts.  Not only that, but they maintain great control over the park.  While we were staying, a group 16 year old  girls from the Presbyterian Ladies College of Armidale, NSW were in several of the park trailers.  They were remarkably well behaved and quiet at night.  While this might speak to the fine breeding afforded by the Church of Scotland, I think the firm guidance of the park managers played a hand in our evening tranquility.  Kudos to the young Presbyterians and to Sam and her husband!

    Our hosts had great suggestions for local pursuits and were just plain fun to talk to.  And one of the things we discussed at some length was the highway situation....

    Two negatives must be addressed that have nothing to do with this nirvana of a holiday park.  First is the traffic situation.  Being from the United States, where the automobile is king, I was flabbergasted by Australian roads.  The lanes are narrow and they are poorly marked.  Coff's Harbour

lies on the Pacific Highway, the main road between Brisbane and Sydney, a distance of about 600 miles.  Back in Estados Unidos, this would merit two to  four spacious, fast moving lanes in each direction, uninterrupted by cities large or small.   On this Australian artery,  we encountered two lanes occasionally.  As one traverses the length of Coff's Harbour, he  is reduced to driving on city streets for several kms.  Getting to Sapphire Beach from what might be deemed the freeway had, during the period of our visit, been rewritten as a Shakespearean comedy.  So poorly marked were the turns required when arriving from the south, that we did it correctly only on our fourth attempt.  Sam and her husband were very patient with us, explaining just how to negotiate this Aussie maze. 

    This may be better by the time you visit, but the Australians do not build roads fast and it may persist in some peculiar fashion for quite a while.

    I suppose you will say that this is the beauty of foreign travel.  To some extent you would be correct.  But I gotta tell ya, the roads are way better in Mexico.  Not necessarily safer, but wider and better marked. Viva la revolución!

    Whew!   I got a little carried away there.   

Sam's Office.  Let's hope its there for years to come.

    

Last, I need to tell you about the development.  Some of my Aussie acquaintances made the point that this is a poor country and that explains the poor roads.  I submit that it is not a poor country, but one that prioritizes differently.  Building fast roads efficiently is not a high priority.  Having a big brother traffic camera and ticketing program is.  

  As Exhibit A for national wealth,  I will direct your attention to the fancy development that has crowded down upon the Sapphire Beach Holiday Park on all three sides.  There is a lot of filthy lucre represented in this development and I assume that somehow or another the Australian government taxes these wealthy home owners.   

    Back in the land of unbridled development, one could hear the death knell for our beachside oasis.  And you wouldn't need to listen all that carefully, either.   I suspect that moneyed interests have their sights set on this choice property with the nefarious aim of turning it into a dozen luxury home sites.  Rather obviously, a 150 foot ocean front lot would sell for millions.  I mean, that is one spectacular beach and God ain't makin' no more a them.   Sadly, the recent development will surely decrease the amount of wildlife in the park.

    So my advice to you readers is this:  the Sapphire Beach Holiday Park represents a tremendous bargain in travel.  There aren't too many places in the whole wide world where the sea and the hospitality come together in such unpretentious harmony.  I would make my reservation and grab a memory while the opportunity still exists.

    I can't imagine why Tripadvisor would not publish that review.  Are they the lackeys of the Australian Public Works Department?  Are they worried about a backlash from Young Presbyterian Ladies?  At any rate, I hope you enjoyed it.  If you would like to read more about our Australia trip, the next blog will might be entitled, "How I Spent my Summer Vacation Birdwatching Around Coff's Harbour."  Or something like that.

just keep swimming,
jeff  

   

From Oz to the City of Refuge

A Gray Kangaroo in Cathedral Rocks National Park, NSW

   I apologize for the hiatus in this blog.  Sandra and I returned about a week ago from Australia, where we watched birds for a fortnight.  We met a lot of nice people and managed not to get in a wreck while driving on the wrong side of the road.  We saw 167 species of birds in that time, which is about 50 more species than one might reasonably see watching fish here in Kona.  But you can easily see how the list is roughly of the same length, requiring the same amount of gray matter or cerebral shelf space for ready access.

    We did manage to get several wonderful mammals, which I had hoped we would see in the process of finding the birds.  However,  in the end that strategy was completely reversed; we spent a hell of a long time hunting for our wild platypus and koala.  On our last day of birding, this involved turning one of the best bird watchers in New South Wales into a Koala Hunter.  Penny spotted our koala perched in a tree over 100 yards away just as the heavens opened up with yet another deluge.  Through our binoculars we got a good look, but the photograph of that koala is little better than a smudge in the forest.  On the bright side, we did bring back that nice photo of the Gray Kangaroo to share with you.  G'day, mate!

 

Who's Been Nibbling on My Flippers? 

   Now its back in the water with our friends the fish.  Yesterday morning, we felt sufficiently rested and organized to take a snorkeling trip away from Kailua.  We made the drive to City of Refuge arriving about 9 AM.  This afforded us 45 minutes to look at the bay, as there were no dolphins, and to annoy our fellow snorkelers on the beach.  We ran into Tammy and Greg, two patient people visiting from the foothills of Mt Rainier.  

   As we were all fellow Washingtonians, the converssation inevitably turned to the fellow that succumed to a shark attack on Maui this week.  He was  retired, living in Washington in the summer and in Hawaii in the winter.  The story has evolved over the last few days from a fisherman in a kayak, to someone dipping fish from a bait ball while perched on a floating device that resembles a bath tub with external

Best rent the kayak with space for the feet inside.

 foot rests more than a traditional kayak.  His legs were outside the cockpit at all times and it was natural to dangle them in the water when resting.  Apparently, the shark mistook his dangling foot for an opelu.  

     While we were talking a Japanese lady in a killer wet suit walked by, perked up her ears and exclaimed, "Shark here?!!!"  Clearly you do not need to be an accomplished English speaker to be keyed into the risk of a shark attack in the  Aloha State.   Not this year, at least!  I assured her that, to the best of my knowledge, there had never been a shark attack at the City of Refuge.

    In his magnum opus, Hawaii, James Michener weaves a tale of a royal Hawaiian baby (right here in South Kona) with a birth defect, being left on the beach in the evening, with the intent of the Shark God coming in

Our Governor, like the Shark God, is no friend to the fish.

 the night to do the dark deed.  The Shark God refuses to take the boy and he grows up to be King Kamehameha....or George Washington. Would you believe Neill Abercrombie?

     Clearly, the current crop of sharks are not nearly so benevolent and it behooves all of us the exercize caution.  And I extend my heart felt sympathy to the the survivors of the fallen fisherman.  Aloha nui loa.



    Soon it was time for us to screw up our courage and enter the water.  The water was extremely clear and only moderately cold.  And it was full of fish.  We swam over to the north corner, where sometimes we

Orange Spine Unicorn Tang, usual coloration

have seen   Pyramid Butterfly.  There were no Pyramids or Businessman (as we are supposed to call Thompson's this week) Butterflyfish, but there was a most remarkable Orange Spine Unicorn Tang.   The body of this fish was essentially black with a bright yellow pectoral fin and forehead.  I grabbed the camera, swam toward him, but just as I came into range, his body and the pectoral fin faded to shades of gray.   

     If I have learned anything about fish watching in Hawaii, it is not to underestimate John Hoover.  In this instance, the Ultimate Guide states, "when chasing other fish, the body darkens, the yellow mark on the forehaed intensifies... and the pectoral fin turns yellow."  This can't be common and I hope I am lucky enough to see it again.  

   In reading the rest of John's text, I discovered that he regards this common surgeonfish as  the most likely to cut a curious observer with his caudal spines.  I have never seen anyone cut by a surgeonfish.  On  

Reticulated Butterflyfish.  A great addition for City of Refuge!

 Jeopardy a few nights ago they compared these spines to a surgeon's scalpel, to which I guffawed.  "He who laughs last, laughs best!"...replies Señor Cuchillo Naranja.   So, mui cuidado. Apparently.

     It being just the beginning of winter, we were still not shivering, so the Redoubtable SKG and I swam out to the island near the National Park.  While I was tooling around, Sandra came up with a pair of Reticulated Butterflyfish in the channel between the two lava ridges.  Clearly the best fish for the day (we had not previously seen this unusual butterfly at City) and a fitting ending to this very enjoyable swim.

Stay safe,
jeff