.....The afternoon starts off with a civilized cup of tea but soon degenerates into a rowdy drinking session, complete with pirate hats and Paul�s notorious margarittas (killer strength), a few bottles of white wine, lashings of rum, and a stuffed parrot.... Then somebody decides it�s a good idea to go hunting for coconut crabs, so we stumble into the dinghy, somehow get through the reef without a torch and spend half and hour crashing around in the bush, walking into trees and falling down holes. Needless to say, we return empty handed, any self-respecting crab having made for the hills at the first cry of �arrrrr me hearties�.

Over the next couple of days, when the hangovers have subsided, we enjoy some excellent diving, including a fantastic drift snorkel along a wall and an amazing dive site with caves, swim-throughs and coral gardens. The water is so clear, visibility is about 40m, and full-on fish plus hard and soft corals and fans, turtles, dolphins and sharks.

Hans and Paul also enjoy some testosterone time together here, and are frequently to be seen (or not) as specks on the horizon zooming up and down the reef in their dinghies, fishing lines trailing in their wake, or diving and spear-fishing, hunting and killing � it�s a guy thing, like the pirate hats and the abused parrot (which is now under lock and key)� but it�s nice to have an endless supply of fresh fish.

Click BACK.