Jo goes underwater

Since Dee’s departure from Meander Mike and I have been quite busy. The courtesy car from the Marina may only be taken as far as Yeppoon and as we needed to do quite a few chores so we decided to rent a car for the day and head into Rockhampton. We went to the dive shop just outside of the city where I bought a wet suit and some snorkelling gear. Mike bought me (as a wedding present) all the gear I need to do some scuba diving. Oh yes, I must mention, Mike and I are getting married on 16^th October. We have talked about it for some time and decided now was the right time to do it, mainly because we discovered that we needed to give one month and one day’s notice beforehand. We are not sure when we will be anywhere again for one month and a day, so now seemed like as good a time as any!!

We’ve been out at anchor around the islands of Great Keppel, mostly snorkelling….. how fantastic!!! Today we anchored off a reef and took the dinghy closer to the coral and snorkelled around. Mike has taught me to snorkel (which includes duck diving, something I have never been able to do before).[not to mention getting back into the boat in a somewhat more elegant manner than impersonating a beached whale! (Mike)] Excuse me!!!! After a couple of days of practice I can now dive down and look at the many fish and the beautiful coral. I even saw a turtle today as I was duck diving!!! I nearly drowned trying to get Mike’s attention so that he could see it too. I must remember to come to the surface next time before I start yelling and screaming and getting excited underwater.

Jo impersonating
a duck

Jo impersonating
a beached whale

Mike discovered that his dive computer had given up working, and on top of all this other dive gear, he sadly came to the realisation that he needed to buy a new one. Now he is busy working out how to use it – and, needless to say, I will be busy for the next decade trying to work out how to use all my stuff!!!

Of course I needed to try out my new dive gear. Mike took me for a shallow dive which I really loved (didn’t like the idea of hurling myself backwards off the boat though!!! But even that wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated) So… now I am in the process of undertaking a dive course and I am very excited at the prospect.

Jo the intrepid
diver!

My daughter Sara, her husband Marcus and their three-year-old Matilda are coming to join us on the boat next week. In anticipation of this visit, we are attempting to make Meander child friendly and adult stress free. Hopefully the weather will continue to be as glorious as it has been for the past two weeks and we can spend lots of time in the water and on the beautiful beaches around the Islands.