The Month That Was

We got to August and it seemed we were past the worst of the rain and wind and that maybe, just maybe, the sun would come out and we could go diving again.  But the Powers That Be had other ideas….

Our first August challenge revealed itself after we got back from a trip to Sorong. The bag of flour I’d left on the kitchen bench had a big hole nibbled out of it. Well, that’s weird – in the almost 3 years we’ve been here, we’ve never seen hide nor hair of a rat or mouse. Could it have been a lizard or even one of our cheeky coconut crabs? Then the bananas hanging from a hook got chewed, as did the plastic lid of the rice cooker. OK, it was definitely a rodent, no doubt about it. We removed everything edible, and then he started chomping through the silicon sachets we use in our camera housings, the lead pencils, and god knows what else. Knowing how much damage these rodents can do to electrical equipment and cables, we declared war! But – there was one small problem – we didn’t have any weapons: no rat traps, no baits, nothing.  As always, Google came to the rescue with several homemade remedies and ideas.  The bucket trap seemed promising, so we smeared peanut butter on an empty plastic water bottle and threaded it through a metal rod suspended over a bucket of water, even making a convenient access ramp for our ratty visitor. Alas, he was too smart – he managed to take the peanut butter off the bottle without falling in the water, and obviously enjoyed this particular “It’s a Knock-Out” challenge far too much. OK, time for Plan B. It’s a bit gruesome, but apparently if you mix instant yeast and flour and add a bit of parmesan cheese for flavouring it works a treat. The rat gobbles it up, but then the yeast ferments in their gut, and…well, let’s just say it’s not a good outcome for Monsieur Rat.  So we put out trays of the delicacy every night, and every morning they were gone…seriously, how much could one rat stomach??  Quite a lot, obviously.  But by the third day, the trays were untouched and we haven’t been troubled since, so we can only assume our dastardly concoction was a winner.  The war is over! Nevertheless, we’ve since stocked up on rat bait just in case we ever get another undesirable visitor…

Our fridge was the second August challenge.  We’d just got back from Sorong with enough supplies to last us a month, raring to have a crack at some consistent diving, and the fridge decided to kick the bucket.  I can’t begin to describe what a huge logistical problem this is when you’re living on a remote island.  We weren’t sure if it was the compressor, a refrigerant leak, or something else, but it definitely wasn’t something we could fix ourselves.  So I cooked up as much of the fresh food as I could and put it in the freezer, together with anything else that could be frozen, and the remainder we donated to Hans and his family before heading back to Sorong with the fridge on board (wrapped in a tarp and lashed down in the middle of the boat). Then it was (just) a matter of getting help to unload it at the other end, and transport it to the repairer.  Although our fridge is less than 18 months old, we’re rapidly learning that white goods bought in Indonesia (particularly the Aqua brand made in China) are, by and large, pieces of shit. Did I mention that we’re STILL waiting for our Aqua washing machine to be repaired nearly 6 months later? Apparently, the parts have to be shipped from China as there are no spare parts in Indonesia…..

We waited in Sorong for the fridge to be repaired – the technician reckoned it was the compressor, so he fitted a second-hand compressor (his reasoning being “why spend the money on a new one when the fridge will probably rust out in another 18 months”), re-gassed it, and four days later we were able to make our way back to the island with the repaired fridge on board.  A little help from Hans and Haja’s muscles to get it off the boat, and we were back in business with a working fridge.

OK, let’s get back to diving… We had a couple of nice dives and saw some cool stuff…

The beautiful and sparkly Chromodoris willani
Pretty yellow fan coral
Close up of a sea whip
The colourful male ribbon eel

But, just as we were thinking we could explore some other dive sites further afield, the dive compressor filler head gave up the ghost. And then, just to completely stuff it, the fan belt broke.  We have spares for just about everything you can think of, but not, it turns out, a spare fan belt for the compressor.  It would have to be ordered from Jakarta and could take a week or more to arrive in Sorong….at this point I confess my patience with life in general was wearing a little thin.

The ribbon eel pretty much sums up my mood at this stage

And then, the final “coup de grace” of August’s gifts  – a small, somewhat innocuous-looking lump appeared on Bruce’s lower leg. It was still 2 1/2 months before we were due to head back to Australia, but given his history of skin cancers we weren’t sure it could wait.  I researched skin specialists in Sorong and elsewhere in Indonesia, but the reviews were pretty terrible. We emailed his specialist in Cairns and sent photos and the verdict came back that it was most likely a fast-growing squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) that needed to be dealt with.  We umm’d and ahh’d whether Bruce should fly back alone while I stayed in Sorong, but in the end we decided we’d both go as we didn’t know how long he’d be away.  So back to Cairns we went. Bruce’s specialist is great, and the surgery was done within a couple of days of our arrival. Unfortunately, it’s another large chunk gone from his leg, but better that than the alternative. As Bruce jokes, his weight loss program is working well because every time he goes back to Cairns he loses another pound of flesh.  We thought we might be away for 10 days or so, but it turned out to be nearly 3 weeks, so I’m very glad I made the decision to accompany him.  And of course, it was also an opportunity to spend time with Nick and Sally, who’re expecting their first baby (our first grandchild!) in November, so there was a definite upside to going home.  It would probably have been more cost-effective to have stayed in Australia rather than coming back here only to go again, but we have friends coming to caretake Toucan’s Retreat while we’re away for the 2 months in Nov/Dec, and there are several things still to be fixed and taken care of before they arrive.

So now we’re back on the island, the weather has settled and the sun is making more of a daily appearance.  My plants are coming along, and I’m learning to grow hydroponic herbs and veggies.  So far I have mint and kangkung that are doing well, and I’ve just started some basil and capsicum seedlings.

A simple “kratky-style” hydroponic setup for the mint and kangkung

The grass is growing, and BBQ’s on the back beach are once more on the agenda.

Looking greener every week…
The marigolds give a splash of colour, set off by a sprouting coconut palm
Enjoying some solitude on the back beach

And everything is now working, including the dive compressor. Yay! So all I need to do is shake off this nasty cold/flu virus I picked up in Sorong and maybe, just maybe, I can get back in the water again…

The challenges of August have been a good reminder to enjoy every day when you can, because you never know what’s around the corner…

26 Replies to “The Month That Was”

  1. As usual, beautiful photographs Di and your blogs are always captivating. So sorry to hear about Bruce but but so glad he is on the mend now. Can’t take any chances these days and we never know what tomorrow brings. But on the upside a big congratulations to you both and becoming grandparents. It’s just an amazing and exciting time ahead for you. In a is now 4 and Dylan’s and Clea 16 months. Time flies and they grow so quickly. We are still mesmerised by Our FP trip – it gave us a little insight of what your island living would be like well almost if only for the motus that were uninhabited- we had an amazing trip with the group snorkelling, swimming with rays and black tipped reef sharks. – it was awesome Rob also came face-to-face with a humpback whale, a male who was singing delightful tunes to entice the females to him. Rob‘s eyes were almost popping out as he got back on the boat. He had had a shoulder op just a few weeks before we stepped on board. Torn bicep and rotator cuff tear. Not pleasant but I take my hat off to him for being so tenacious. He had no problems snorkelling. He swam 200 metres one armed to see that humpback . It was one of the most beautiful experiences visiting the islands and learning about the history and their culture so much history and plenty of temples and of course lots of Poisson Crü the national dish of Tahiti. it was pleasing also to know that 95% of their fish remains in FP as it is there main protein source. . Dogs everywhere too wandering the streets even had road sense looking left and right to see if they could cross the road was quite funny. The story of the coconut crabs who feed on the coconut are apparently delicious – they appear to be in abundance – what strange little creatures. Rob is now in Idaho for the first time meeting his new granddaughter Mindi visiting Dean and Miss . it was a quick turnaround for him. We came home Sunday evening around 8 pm and he flew out Wednesday morning around 1030 returning and flying over to where we had just come from. I see that you’re not coming down to Sydney this trip but hopefully will see you in the new future somewhere sometime. You’ll be busy holding a new little one. Meanwhile take care of yourselves and hope things run a lot smoother for you. We love reading your blogs and hearing your stories. Such a great writer. Enjoy the island living, the photos are really beautiful and your home Looks very homely and your garden is growing and the love and effort you have put into it is now showing . Xx Wishing you better months ahead without any misbehaving rats or any other mishaps xx

    1. Thanks so much Pen – always so good to hear all your news, and your recent trip to FP brought back wonderful memories for us too – one of our favourite places out of all our travels. Yes, I’m sorry we won’t get to see you this time we’re back but as you know we have a very special arrival in Cairns – can’t wait to meet her! Will give you a call once we’re back for a catch-up. Much love to you both, and I hope Rob’s shoulder is coming along well. He’s a real trouper. xx

  2. Great blog and good to hear Bruce is on the mend, good decision to get it sorted asap. And your first grandchild on the way !! Very exciting news. Big hugs from us all on Rehua xxxxxxx

  3. In spite of the difficulties you are still living our dream. Especially relaxing on the back beach. Just beautiful. So happy Bruce had his leg seen to straight away and is all good now. Congratulations on your up and coming new role. Grandparents. What fabulous ones you will be. Xx

    1. Thanks Adrienne, lovely to hear from you and to see such wonderful photos of your cruise to FP – you’re both looking fantastic, so travelling obviously agrees with you! Yes, we’re both so excited to be joining the grandparents club soon, very special indeed xx

  4. Awesome photos! I can see why you get frustrated when you can’t get underwater. We got a taste while swimming with sharks & eels & snorkelling the coral gardens in Bora Bora. Paradise!! 🐠🪸🐬 Happy to hear u both survived August’s challenges with your humour intact 😂. Hope Bruce’s leg is going well. See you when ur next up this way xxx

    1. Thanks Deb – what a great trip you guys had, and I loved seeing your beautiful photos and reminiscing about those fabulous places in FP. Will be in touch when we’re back in Oz soon, although I don’t think Sydney is on the agenda this visit, hopefully next year xx

  5. My oh my, I feel your frustration we have been back on the new power cat now for 8 months. Our challenges have been very different but frustrating none the less. Glad things are back to working. We haul out tomorrow and drive back to TX with a stop in Tennessee to see my sister.

    1. Thanks Cindy – yes, cruising and living on a remote island are pretty similar really! It looks like you’ve seen some wonderful places on your travels, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy some family time now for a bit. Love to you both xx

  6. Whew! Now what retirement is supposed to be. I hope the next chapter — with a grandchild! — is more fun. You’re right to enjoy every day as it comes. Let’s hope you’ve seen the last of Bruce’s cancer cells.

    1. Thanks Marce – I guess like you two, life is never dull. But I wouldn’t mind a quieter life for a little while! Yes, we’re all very excited about the arrival of our granddaughter very soon now, can’t wait to meet her xx

  7. Great to hear you keep bouncing back from equipment and health problems and finding enjoyment in life.!This is ultimately what is all about!Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos of that undersea world!

    1. Thanks Suzanne, I’m hoping that soon we’ll get a clear run for a little while without any problems, but maybe that’s wishful thinking! Onwards and upwards…so glad to see you both enjoying your cruising, and I’m loving your photos too xx

  8. Omg! What a month for you both ! Glad Bruce got his skin cancer sorted.. I have just had 9 stitches on my shoulder with the same ! Do hope you get some relaxing time in before you head back to Aus.
    Send me your email address so I can fill you in with our news as I don’t seem to have it.
    geraldinedawes65@hotmail.com xx

  9. Gorgeous sea creatures Di and the island is such a beautiful setting, it really is paradise. Tough few speed bumps though and glad they’re all sorted successfully..sounds a tad frustrating 🤨 Very exciting news about Nick and Sally, congratulations to them and to your upcoming status as grandparents. Hugs xx

  10. Yet another great read!
    Sorry about your issues; hope all’s good now.
    Enjoy your piece of paradise & take care.
    cheers.

  11. Always so interesting to read. Frustrating with all the equipment failures but we all face those but obviously not without all the challenges. Hope Bruce is ok and recovering. How lovely to become grandparents. Join the club. Had a great cruise with all the usual RPAYC crowd. We are all hooked on cruising now. Take care. Brook and Adrienne

    1. Thanks Brook & Adrienne – your cruise to FP looked amazing, one of our favourite places on our travels and how lovely to share it with friends. We’ve all just got to keep on enjoying life! xx

    2. Thanks guys, your cruise looked absolutely stunning, one of our favourite places in the Pacific. And lovely to share it with a bunch of friends. Keep on keeping on, and will be in touch when we’re back in Oz at the end of year xx

  12. Your tenacity is amazing ! Looking at your beautiful photos I can understand your love of the underwater world .
    Glad you took action on Bruce’s leg 🙏
    Xxxx

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