These past few days have been filled with dolphins!

Last Saturday as we sailed down Cockburn Sound, the entire Cockburn Sound dolphin pod surrounded us while catching fish. They were leaping and chasing. One dolphin swam upside-down beside us, and we wondered why until it ducked under a weed patch and came out with a fish in its mouth. Every so often 2-3 dolphins would leave feeding and play in our bow wave, jumping and diving around us.

Magic!

The next day, as we sailed back to Fremantle, 2 dolphins from the pod raced in from one side and frolicked in the bow-wave, seeming to guide us north…

Then this morning, what joy! The Swan River dolphin pod has been dying, poisoned from old chemical dumps beside the river which must have been leached out with all the winter rain this year. I’d been worried that the whole pod was gone, as I hadn’t seen any for weeks and the terns, pelicans and gulls which normally feed with the dolphins haven’t been doing so well. But this morning, just off the fore-shore, there was a mother and young playing. In the picture they are playing in the boat’s bow-wave…

Joy! They will recover:-)

On our walk this morning in Kings Park, we could see something ahead in a dead tree…

It was the osprey chick that had fledged some weeks ago!

It had caught itself a fish and was eating it.

It’s parents had taught it well, and we were happy to see that this little being whose progress we had watched for some months was well towards adult-hood.

A very special wild gift to start the day:-)

Today was momentous.

Not only were getting ready to go sailing on Dusky Dolphin, but also the summer sea breeze was forecast. So for the first time since last autumn we folded away the first reef of the main sail, so that the boat wouldn’t do any nasty things when the sea breeze whipped up later.

Ahhh…summer sailing just around the corner:-)

We were approaching “Platypus Walk” in Geeveston, Tasmania. Our experience of this type of walk is that we would see anything but a platypus. But you never know…

As I walked towards the start of the walk, closely followed by Rob, I could see the Kermandie River. There was something floating in it, a small log. It was end-on to me, with small, round yellow-rimmed eyes and a small brown beak on the nearest end.

It was a platypus, and it was looking at me!

“It’s a platypus,” I called to Rob.

“It must be a rubber one,” he replied.

And the platypus disappeared beneath the water.

We hugged with joy at having seen a platypus. Further along the river we saw another platypus, nuzzling along the banks for crustaceans and water worms. Wow!

And then we saw yet another one, doing the same thing.

What an amazing gift!

The images of these precious little creatures stayed with us for a long time – we had shared time with not one but THREE platypuses:-)

Most people never see even one!

How lucky were we?

Rob and I were staying in an old cottage at EagleHawk Neck, Tasmania, just along the beach from the Tesselated Pavement (see pic). This morning as we enjoyed brekkie by the huge window looking out to sea (the Tasman Sea, to the east of us which was strange to us from the west coast), I saw a big bird fly towards the coast. It got bigger and bigger. I pointed it out to Rob.

“It’s a sea eagle!” Rob’s camera was out in a flash and we flew out of the door to watch as it elegantly flew over the beach and the trees behind us, and on across the isthmus (the Neck).

That evening, plovers flew onto the grass of our back yard, calling their piercing calls to each other as they landed. Rob remembered that Paul Scaife (his NZ mountain guide) had thought they were paradise ducks when he’d heard them in the NZ mountain valleys…a nice memory of Paul who is sadly no longer with us.

This morning there was an amazing sight on the Swan River! I could see 4 largish birds swimming in single file in front of the pine tree where the ospreys were. When I got closer I could see two adult swans leading 2 young’uns:-)

I can’t remember when I last saw swans on this river.

Magic!

Today was fledging day in Kings Park, during my morning walk:

1. 1.The osprey chick that we have watched since it emerged from its egg in the next in the top of the highest pine tree next to the river wasn’t there today. It’s been there for months, growing at an enormous rate. In my mind I wished it well on its journey:-)

2. 2.The tawny frogmouth wasn’t on it’s nest, like it was last week – see pic. I looked around the tree and there it was on a branch, nestled close to another frogmouth which was smaller and fluffier – the chick has fledged!

What magic gifts!!

Well, as well as having 3 days at Rotto in the first sunny, warm weather since May, we have marvelled at:

Whales! 3 groups of teenage whales 1 mother and calf pair swam right near us as we sailed along the north side of Rottnest – what a treat!

Ospreys! The osprey pair in Stark Bay flew around us a lot, and 1 sat on the entrance/exit channel marker as we sailed out – see pic. The next day, as we let go the mooring in Porpoise Bay, an osprey did a “fly-by” over our mast!

Rainbow bee-eaters! We’ve heard them for a few weeks since they arrived back from their annual northern migration, and they always bring joy to my heart, but this was the first time we’d seen them up close – catching and eating insects – magic!

So during our lunch on Sunday, we were serenaded by ospreys and rainbow bee-eaters – how often does that happen!

What a day!

Up at 6am to farewell Rob for work, then get ready for the telephone/cableguys to arrive at 7:30. Pulled the furniture away from the walls where the cables were and put dust covers over the furniture and computers.

They arrived, did a diagnosis on our continued problems with the home office fax – the elderly (20 years old) PABX system needed to be removed! I called Rob and he agreed. So out it came, making a LOT of dust.

Then we had to put in a new system. The telephone men suggested a brand and style which I discussed with Rob, with reference to the internet using my MacBook. However when walking through the house with my MacBook the first disaster happened – I tripped and dropped the MacBook. One of the men kindly came and helped me up. He looked at me, then the MacBook. “Oh madam, I am so sorry,” he said. I looked down. The MacBook, that had travelled around the world with me, was well and truly broken!

However by then we had decided what telephone system to buy so I left them working to re-arrange the wires and raced off toe Harvey Norman. I got there so fast that I had to wait for 10 minutes until they opened. The purchase was quick because I knew what I wanted – 4 wireless handsets.

Back to the house and the men started the installation. However it all took a long time so I could see I wouldn’t get to the farewell morning tea at 11am so called and apologised for that.

They finished just in time for me to race into town to my weekly Rotary meeting. Good thing as I had to meet and greet 2 guests that day!

I attended the committee meeting after lunch, knowing I needed to leave by 3:30 to get back home for another meeting about the leadership program. The meeting finished at 2:45. I had JUST enough time to get the Apple computer shop to buy another computer before racing home for my meeting. I grabbed a taxi and raced to the computer shop. There wasn’t much choice, really, so I bought a MacBookPro, which is hardier than a MacBook. As I had worn out 1 keyboard and was well on the way to wearing out another, I thought a tougher replacement was called for. I called a taxi, then waited out on the footpath by the highway. The taxi arrived and drove right up onto the footpath to collect me! As I sat in the back seat while the taxi drove me home, I chuckled to myself what I must have looked like when he’d arrived: green “town” jacket and black pants, new backpack (that came with the MacBook) over one shoulder, handbag over the other shoulder, MacBookPro book in my hand…

Got home just in time to tidy up the back room ready for my meeting and put the kettle on. Alfred arrived and I took some deep breaths to calm myself and listen well. Surprisingly we had a good meeting:-)

After Alfred left I did a frantic tidy up from the telephone installation so that Rob wouldn’t come home to too much mess.

By the time Rob arrived, hot a sweaty from riding his bike home, all was calm and tidy and I was ready for a drink!

PS The MacBookPro is indeed sturdier than the MacBook, which had served me as well as it could. However I learned from that day’s experience that the took is only a tool. As my MacBook lay dead on the floor after I’d tripped and dropped it, I realised that the only important thing on it was my writing…

Rob had his fancy new camera when we went for a walk in Bold Park this morning, which we try to do once a week. This is one of our favourite trees:-)