Tonight is Taranaki seafood feast night. Our neighbors dive for crayfish frequently. Now, we understand why. We thought they were talking about the little New Orleans style crayfish. Oh no, they are lobsters that would cost a small fortune in IA. We are lucky as they generously gave us a big one, at least 5 kg (11 lb). We have to borrow a pot because it is too big to fit in our biggest pot. Also, Al bought Gunnard, a long skinny fish at the fish market to cook for dinner. And now, our house smells like a fish market. Oh well it was worth it in spades.
Last weekend, we went on a small tramp at the southern route of Mount Taranaki. It was fun and we got an up close look at Dawson Falls. No one was seen on our hour long trek except a photographer. Our reward at the end of the trail was a gluten free lodge and a German chef. We hear that higher on the trail is a series of hot springs bath tubs... Next time.
We spent the next day on a boat cruise with Captain Chaddy. He was a typical salty skipper, full of many wild tales. No one argued about wearing a life jacket for fear of being thrown overboard. We were glad to be dressed like sturdy sailors in yellow rain slickers as the old lifeboat was tossed in the rough sea. Thick clouds were overhead but the rain held off. As the captain had predicted, no one got seasick and Gabe was delighted with the drenching waves.
Soon after we left the main harbour area, several seals were spotted near Moturoa Island. As the first mate, Gabe was happy as he piloted the boat around Seal Island, a protected marine island. No whales or dolphins were spotted on this adventure though we did locate several penguin nest houses. However, we will return with Alec and Emily for more Maori stories and another ocean voyage with Chaddy's Charters. He promised us fishing lines and more wild life next time.
If you are interested, there are recent pictures on Al's Picasa web album. I am having trouble downloading my pictures into my Blogger web page. Keep in touch as we miss ya all!
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