So it falls to me to blog about our last day of diving. I feel before this, the events of last night should be shared.

After the final dive of the day, I ascended up 128 steps to the room for a shower. Richard went to the bar.

Well, I had my shower, turned off the water, looked down and saw a centipede sharing the shower with me.

Ok, I though. What now?

I remembered the trick with a glass, worked for the scorpion.

So, ok, glass in one hand, towel in the other. Deep breath and I move forward. It wasn’t until I got to the point trying to place the glass over the centipedes head that I realised my folly!

The opening of the glass was about 3 inches across.

This critter was a giant, literally a giant centipede. 12 inches of pure menace…

I can only put it down to panic that I couldn’t stop myself. The glass continued towards the centipede, the centipede writhing somehow ended up on the towel in my other hand.

Arrrghhhhh!

Everything was thrown to the floor.

Where was my Knight in shining armour? At the bar, drinking Red Horse.

What to do?

A call to a laughing receptionist got two young men to my room within a couple of minutes. Just enough time for me to cover my modesty with a towel.

One young man held a very large can of insecticide the other a broom and pan. They didn’t get anywhere need it until it had be subdued. Quite a lot if spray, a couple of bangs on the head, they felt it was ok to sweep the monster on to the pan for removal.

I tried to get a picture before they took it way, I was shaking, the young man was shaking, so it was a very poor picture.

This creature was the type of thing weird people might keep as a pet. Big enough to stroke, if you wanted to feel a pain so bad, that you wished you would die!

Dreams of being eaten by insects kept me awake last night, I wonder why…

On to today…

Another beautiful morning, blue skies and sunshine. This morning we went over to the island for out first two dives of the day.

Daryl Laut

Back to the Casino Wreck.
Lovely dive. Down to the bottom of the wreck, back up through the wreck and on the lattice work on the top.

Spent quite a while photographing Christmas Tree Worms.

We saw
Porcelain nudi
Pink eye gobis
Mantis shrimp
Ribbon eel
Xmas tree worms

Between dives we stopped by a tiny village where the boat crew picked up their tea, octopus. Octopus is not so beautiful in a white carrier bag.

Some of us went ashore, Darrall made a friend.

The others relaxed on the boat.

Minilog

Very enjoyable bimble.

Gentle slope with coral outcrops.

Lots of everything to look at.

Mantis shrimps
Pink eye gobis
Slugs
Tiny posing fish

We almost had an international incident on the boat on the way back! Darrall and Dianne, our Aussie friends, are very good at bringing lollies on the boat.

I know!

They’re not lollies.

Lollies have sticks.

So you see our issue.

Sweets =🍬🍬🍬🍬🍬🍬Lollies = 🍭🍭🍭🍭🍭🍭

Possibly the final BLT and coleslaw of the holiday, for lunch.

As a special treat, Richard arranged with Nanie for our last to dives of the holiday to be back to back (obviously with a surface interval) without coming back to the resort in between. This meant that we could go further a field…

Just the two of us on the boat.

Agahuta

Very pretty reef, covered in brightly coloured featherstars.

The reef slopes downs to about 18 metres, after which the sea bed becomes sand and levels off a bit.

We had some pretty big thermoclines on the dive, even had an ice cream headache for a short time. Temperature, like time, is relative.

Coleman Shrimps on fire urchins
Various nudis and shrimps.

Richard was quite distressed at the end of his dive. Couldn’t get a tune out of his head.

Follow this link if you dare.

Not you Jen!

Jen, don’t do it, or this will be imprinted on your brain forever!

Oh, and thanks Darrall, really! We shall have to find a way of repaying you for this… 🤔🤔

During the surface interval, we spoke to Nanie and the crew about diving in the cold. Explaining that the ‘cold’ is 4 degrees, not 24!!!!! We, of course, offered for them to come and experience our ‘cold’ but to say that they weren’t interested, would be an understatement.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Our last dive of the holiday…

Top of the reef is at about 5 metres. Gentle sandy slope to rubble at about 15 metres.

This area was so full of life. Lots of little fish
Nudis
Shrimps
Very pretty mushroom corals, very purple

Fantastic last dive!

Back at the resort, dive gear, washed by Nanie and Jake, whilst we break down our cameras. Some planning will be needed to make sure that we don’t carry anything up the 128 steps unnecessarily.

Our last dinner with Darrall and Dianne. Tales of the Great Kangaroo Skin Robbery kept Richard awake for a short time. Unfortunately, nothing was able to keep him awake for long…