When you look at the date above don't forget that we are a day behind, so I am not as late as you think.
It is the 5th today but 6th in NZ and it is Adam A's bithday. Happy birthday Adam. Hope you had a great day.
We left the hotel at 8.15am to drove to the top of the island to do the A5 Tours at 9.00am. Meet Tony who took us out to learn all about the plantation on the island.
We started of at his house eating mangos cut and soaked in coconut milk. Very nice. Waited for another couple to come but they didn't turn up so it was just the two of us.
Tony took us through their villages plantation spot and explained all the variety of the local crops, tasting everyting as we went. Today was a little cloudy so much more comfortable out in the field. He took us in his old 4x4 wheel drive disappearing down all these little tracks then just across the plantation. Bumpy as hell.
This is his villages plantation. He was explaining that it is very hard to get the crops growing as they haven't had any real rain since April. All the crops are just scattered amongst all the other growth.
He brought some coconut crabs - Uga along to show us. They are the largest living arthropod in the world weighing up to 4 kg.We are having crab night in the hotel on Thursday night. These are land crabs, they cannot swim and will drown if immersed in water. Although the females migrate to the sea to release their fertilized eggs as they hatch. They live on coconuts, hence the name, seeds and any nuts. He doesn't look big here as I am holding his large claws in, real tight. If you put a twig between his claws as Tony did he will just snap it into two. Would break your fingures.
A big surprise Tony our guide went to his van and pulled out a rifle. I had just asked him if he climbs the palms to get the coconuts and he said why would I climb a tree when I have a gun. He loaded it up (didn't like that feeling out in the middle of nowhere) and told Pete to aim at the top of the part that holds all the clump of coconuts and they will all come down whole. His first shot he got one right in the middle and that landed to the ground split in half. No good for anything. His second go it got it just in the right place and the whole bunch dropped to the ground. Tony then had a go and missed three times, got them on his fourth. I didn't like being right next to the gun when it went off.
Pete aiming at his coconuts!!!!
This is the one he split in half with his first shot.
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Tony picking up the coconuts Pete shot down. I didn't like it when he kept swinging around and that gun was facing me.
Tony has this playgrownd all set up for his boys to play when he takes them out into the plantation while he works. I am sitting at a desk with a computer and keyboard. There was radios cars bikes all sorts of bits and pieces. Imagine our boys getting fun out of a pretendy old compter in the middle of a paddock. They would only be happy with the real thing. After the tour we went back to his house and had a walk all around his back garden and he showed us mango, melon trees, his free range hens with heaps of babies as they can never find the eggs. Had a smelly old pig run with a very pregnant pig, another big pig and a small pig he had brought at the markets for $50. Kept cutting off fruit from the trees also bananas and giving it to us but in the end we had to say that we had had enough. Couldn't eat anymore. Spent about two and half hours with him and found it very interesting learning all the ways they live off the land. His wife was a Australian girl and they had four kids. Big change of life style for her.
After we left A5 Tours we went out to the northern coast at the top of the island. Walked into this cave where there were a few dug outs.But looking at the size of the sea on this side don't know how they would ever get their boats out. Maybe they have some calm weather sometimes.
This is the northern coastline.
Up to the northern coastline we went over the highest point of the island which ws only 69m high.
Drove back down the west coast and stopped at the Matapa Chasm. Just a short walk down to the beautiful little cove with a lovely swimming pool coming in from the sea.
MATAPA CHASM
When you drive along the road everyone waves so Pete has his hand ready and his fingers just goes
up whenever anyone is approaching. Just like in Norfolk Island.
We had another good day Very busy.
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