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On day eight, we returned to the sea. However, the sea was in no condition to receive us. Winds were generating choppy seas, an obstacle to two of our primary aims, sea kayaking and snorkeling. However, we can dream--here is mixture of what we did and what we would have liked to have done during this day.
Our
first scheduled activity was to learn the rudiments of sea kayaking but,
as mentioned earlier, it was not to be. The threat of strong winds and
rough seas (which never really materialized)
kept us on the beach. These pictures came from another interim trip
to New Zealand. To the
left are the sea kayaks ready to be launched, while
at the right is a view of the open water from a kayak. Although this is clearly
a demanding sport, it sure looks like
fun!
However, just because the weather was inclement did not mean we were not going down to the sea in ships. Following a hike from the sea kayaking spot to Dunsborough Bay, we were taken in an inflatable out to the Willy, a 84 foot pearl lugger sailboat, built in 1901. (The photo to the left) We weighed anchor and set sail for a tour of Dunsborough Bay. Following an on-board barbecue, we were invited to go boom netting. What is boom netting you may ask? It is a big rope net attached to the stern of the boat. By holding on to the ropes you can ride in the wake of the boat. Since the weather was threatening, we had but a few brave and adventurous souls surf the boat's wake. Unfortunately, their daring venture was not recorded, as the camera's battery failed. Curses, foiled again. So that you get some idea for what boom netting is, we have included a picture taken by Justin Leow of the other group riding the boom net--it sure looks like fun. The cruise itself, however, was fun, as we (Mr. Balabuck and Mr. Smith) enjoyed a light squall as the Willy sailed toward the drop-off point at the other end of the bay.
Most everybody decided to stay below deck because of the wind. But I decided to climb the mast (they had a harness) twice. It was really cool, except the wind was blowing you from side to side, which made it more fun. I stayed up there for awhile to enjoy the view and watch the storm roll in.
The
final activity that was nixed by the weather was snorkeling. The plan was
to sail the Willy out to a nearby wreck and dive. The pictures here are from the biology interim term trip to Australia.
The weather really forced us to miss a golden opportunity for adventure, as
Australia is home to some of the most beautiful of the world's remaining coral
reefs. I guess we will just
have to wait for next year's trips to get a glimpse
of the world below.
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