Fish and Pics

Not posted in a while but that's because 1) I have been uploading pics to Flickr (haven't done it for a while which is why it takes so long - bugs in Flickr don't help either) and 2) we've been out and about enjoying ourselves, which is kinda the point of the exercise.

So:

1) More pics are available via our Flickr page, including a few added to the end of the 'Auckland - out and about' album and some new albums such as 'Sheepworld' and 'Fishing in Northland'. I will try and add some photos to previous posts at some point too.

2) It's really good weather here, especially for early spring. (Have I said that alread? Don't get jealous now...). So good in fact that Alec got a little sunburnt the other day whilst out fishing, prompting a lecture on sun protection from the kiwi fishermen.

Alec has been getting the opportunity to fish quite regularly since we arrived in Paihia. He's mainly been casting off the rocks below the golf course here and catching a few snapper. Handily, the spot just below the golf course is quite a nice place to sit in the sun and read or write postcards, which is mainly what I have been doing.

Our next-door-neighbour, Jason, is really keen on fishing, not that that's unusual around here. What is unusual is that he doesn't like seafood. (He also doesn't like lamb, which is kinda strange for a kiwi too). Hence, when Alec went out in the boat with Jason just after we got here he came back with a bucketful of seafood - fish that Alec had caught and scallops, mussels and crayfish that Jason had picked up whilst snorkelling. (Pics in the 'Paihia Apartment' album on Flickr).

Mark, who owns the apartments, also owns a fishing charter in the bay and invited us out the other day, along with Ian Ruthven - an experienced fly-fisherman who's working on saltwater fly-fishing charters with Mark.

I was a bit scared of embarrassing myself as I've seen many pics in the swordfish club of women (and men) standing next to huge fish (like 6 foot long and more) that they have caught. Not sure how they do it as getting one little snapper out of the water knackers my arms out and I was slightly worried that I would get pulled overboard by some monster game fish.

Still - it was a gorgeous day (hence Alec's sunburn) and I ended up taking loads of photos for the website. I did do a bit of fishing and caught a pretty little wrasse, which was nothing in comparison to the 35lb kingfish the woman we were with caught on her fly rod... It was almost as big as her. I really thought she was going to end up in the water!

Great day all in though. We were fishing out by the 'hole in the rock' which is, indeed, a big hole in a rock. It's a big tourist attraction in these parts - I guess it's a destination for all the cruises of the bay. There were penguins in the area, but I kept on just missing them as I was always looking the other way, but we did see dolphins and seals.

However, the most amazing site (other than the hole in the rock, of course) was a really rough looking patch of sea near 'the rock' which looked for all the world like the sea was boiling. As we got closer I realised that it was hundreds (at least) of schooling fish, all swirling round. Pretty cool really - their backs coming out of thewater and the're heads popping out to have a look at us. They were doing this the whole time we were there Trevali feeding on Crill (apparently). There are some pics in the 'Fishing in Northland' album on Flickr, but it doesn't really do it justice.

As I say - a great day, and we had a BBQ of Melody's Kingfish that night, plus scallops and more freshly caught fish the next day courtesy of Jason, Ian and Melody, so I won't be needing my cod liver oil tablets for a while.

Anyhow - Alec is currently checking out the details of hostels further up north as we plan to take a few days off and head up there next week at some point. We've had a few day trips out around Northland and it's quite beautiful, so we're looking forward to going to the roads end. I promise we'll take pics, and I might even get them on the internet at some point soon.