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Published: August 17th 2014
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Sunrise, Sunset
The skies were beautiful at 6 am, and at 6 pm. In the morning we dive in the dark and suddenly everything we look at underwater starts to glow with the morning light. It is like birth. KANGAROO EXPLORER VOLUNTEER
8/05/2014
I’ve been on the Kangaroo Explorer now for a day and a half, as a volunteer (vollie). The digs aren’t as nice as I had before, but it is snug and I don’t have to climb up on a top bunk. There are two other women (girls) sharing the little tiny room. We share the bathroom (postage stamp size, but adequate) with the men who work the boat. It is up just three stairs and if you are careful you can turn around in it. The best, most important part is that the shower is hot, and since the water is on the cool side…I wear my 3 mil long arm and leg suit plus one of their 5 mil suits with short legs and long arms over it…it is nice to warm up after the last dive.
I have washed a lot of dishes and pans, big serving size pans. Also done a lot of vacuuming, sorted food in the freezer, carried garbage, etc., etc. My lower back is broken, but I know a great Thai massage place and I am going to indulge in massage the
Giant Clam
This clam is host to numerous other life forms. Truly amazing. last three days in Cairns. Can you believe it? In ten days I will be back in the States. I am getting psyched to see my family again and go hiking in the Cascades with them.
Later: There isn’t much time to write or read so I get interrupted, or just fall asleep. Morning comes early. I usually am up at 5:15 for morning ablutions and to set up my camera for the day. Maybe I have time for a cup of tea before the 6:00 dive.
This is day three of my eight day stint…hope I can make it. It is very fatiguing because I am no spring chicken anymore. I have a little break. I decided last night to not dive at all today. We continue to do the same dive over and over again and getting back on the boat I am on my own…nobody helps you by getting your gear aboard and I am exhausted swimming back to the dive deck, getting my fins off and getting up the ladder. It is a great ladder, all said and done; a real ladder with rubber coated steps and side rails. Still
Wobbegong Shark
Probably my favorite shark. You can clearly see the tassels on his chin. Beautiful? Yes. it would be nice to have someone there to take your gear, especially my camera.
We have only two paying guests today so it should be a little lighter work, except the captain thinks the time could be used effectively doing more, deep cleaning.
Yesterday I finally was able to cruise the shallows and the reef is pretty, but there are not many creatures…haven’t seen a single moray. Rather than list the multitudes of life I haven’t seen I will say I have seen several turtles and the wobbegong shark, lion fish and a couple of crown of thorns sea stars (star fish) and some yellow nudibranchs. But I can list the sightings on the fingers of both hands. I had a couple of really nice dives yesterday…dove with a young Spanish woman and we just snooped. It was fun. Her husband sat out the second because he was feeling a bit sea sick.
Later… We had a great dinner since there were only three paying guests. Libby made fish with a wonderful lemon white sauce, oven baked potato wedges and a huge pan of onions, tomatoes, zucchini and dried tomatoes.
The Dining Room
Back behind the counter is the kitchen; you can see one of the volunteers at the sink. This space seems to be always occupied. Sometimes we had 36 guests so the dining hall could be quite packed...and the dishwashing never ends. The plate was so pretty. Then there was apple/berry crumble with vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Finally my friend Florien (who in real life is a musician…drums) and I finished the dishes and he scrubbed the floor while I crawled around trying to scrape up the grease around the oven legs. We are done. Yes!
Can’t read because one of the guests accidentally picked up my Kindle and towel and carried them onto the transfer boat. No guests today so it is still on the boat. Hopefully tomorrow it will be back. I have played so much computer cribbage that it bores me. Only five more days of Cinderella work and perhaps fifteen more dives. Sure hope the weather breaks eventually so we can do some other sites. But every dive is different…I enjoy taking photos of the corals.
Got a long nap today so I plan on doing the 6 am dive tomorrow.
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