Home Sweet Home

Its Saturday night, and we are safely home.

And its good to be home, as I sit here and start to think about our journey over the last 2 months, I realise we live a very privileged life, in a very beautiful part of Australia, we are very very lucky.

However the blog doesn't stop yet, we still have photos and video to upload that we couldn't get to work while on the island, so over the next couple of weeks we will make them available.

As well, it will take some time for all of us to come to terms with what we have experienced, as we feel able we will share with you how we feel about the last 7 weeks.

Thanks for following us over the last couple of months, hopefully some of the wonderful things we experienced will have rubbed off on some of you.

All I can say at the moment, is, if you ever have the opportunity to visit Christmas Island, seize it with both hands, as this is a very special part of Australia.

Dave...

Almost home

Arrived in Melbourne on Prue Blue without any issues.

Caught the Gull bus.

Now we just need Recover from the reverse culture shock.

(Just a few small things like traffic lights, 3G internet and shops that have food in them.)

- Posted from my iPhone

Location:Western Ring Rd,Keilor East,Australia

Leaving Perth on a Jetplane

Got on the plane in Perth and it's the plane that brought us back from Christmas Island yesterday.

We only realised due to it's name,

Prue Blue.

- Posted from my iPhone

Location:Adelaide St,South Guildford,Australia

Just made it to Perth

We had five great last days this week, sun shining, just beautiful.

Then today the weather changed, the rain started and the visibility dropped and kept dropping.

As the plane landed a huge downfall started and the plane arrived in a spectacular fashion down the runway.

Then visibility dropped to almost nothing but we didn't care because we knew we we leaving.

We had a quiet flight and arrived safely in Perth.

Friday back to Tulla and then finally home.

- Posted from my iPhone

Location:Horrie Miller Dr,Perth Airport,Australia

Farewell Christmas Island

Well the time comes in every journey, when the urge to return home reaches its peak, and so has occurred with us.
This is the last entry from the island.

The island has been a blast, we have done things we couldn't have believed we would do before we came.

• The kids swimming 200 meters off shore is still something I can't believe occurred.
• Going into Caves, in the middle of nowhere and finding an electrical  switchboard is another

We have seen some of the most amazing wildlife on the planet, they call this the Indian Ocean Galapagos, and it is true, there are things here you will never see anywhere else in the world.

• The golden bosum, really is golden
• The Robber crabs are just so blue you can't believe it
• The Red crabs are like ants, you can hardly turn around with out stepping on one.

The Island itself is beautiful, and dangerous, on one hand showing off its amazing sights and experiences, and in the other taking away lives on its razor cliffs.

• The view from the golf course lookout was amazing
• The fallout from SEIV221 will be long lasting.

The locals where amazing, friendly, and accepting, I wont mention names, but they where all just great, often going out of there way to include us in local activities, thanks guys for all you generosity.

As a family we have all grown (some taller) as we experienced the island and its sights.

So goodbye Christmas Island, we are leaving on a jet plane, don't know when we will be back again.......

Australia Day on Christmas Island

Australia Day on Christmas island was very special, the Island Council put on a barbecue breakfast at the cove.
I think the entire island community turned up with their kids, so people where eating breakfast kids where jumping off the pier and swimming in the surf of the beach.

It was a picture perfect day (and I forgot to take photos)

Breakfast consisted of sausages, bacon, eggs and onion on bread, followed up with the Australian staple, lamingtons.

It was great to see all the various island communities getting together to celibate in such a positive way.

Chrismas Island Cinema, take two

On Saturday, due to a failure of the lamp to light (I talked to one of the guys at tea last night and he told me they charge a capacitor for 30 minutes before the show starts, and then use that charge to ignite the lamp) the movie was canceled. We had just sat down to watch it, and we had to come home.

So we went to reshowing, this time , it was re-shown a day earlier on Tuesday, normally its on Wednesday, but this week, Wednesday will be Australia day.

So Nathan, Zach and myself trooped up to the open air cinema, this time with wet weather gear, pillows, and jumpers.

We didn't need any of those things, it was a perfect night under the stars watching a reasonably good movie (The Town). Of course every-time a car drove by its lights interfered with what was showing on the screen, but the sound was good, the screen was ok (The joins in the plywood, did interfere in some scenes), and the crowd was fantastic, that is until the people behind us (and you know who you are) accidentally dropped once of their scotch a colas on the floor with a loud crash, as the glass broke !

Christmas Island Cinema, I give it Two Thumbs Up.

Settlement to Tai Jin

 

An Ultra-wide photo showing Settlement , the phosphate loading wharfs (with ship loading),  Flying Fish cove,  and Tai-Jin

Monday night at Rumah Tinggi and the carpart party afterwards

We decided to got out as a family on Monday night with nobody else accompanying us, as every time we have eaten out so far has been with lots of other people. With the Chinese New Year rapidly approaching and the shortage of food only two places where available. We choose to go to Rumah Tinggi (The Tall house, Chris Freeman had told me, and tall house it is in fact)

We had an amazing night eating beautiful food, under the tropical night, that was cooked perfectly, it was as good as the food we eat at home. The photo to the right shows the lawn below us, and the the palm trees, you can not see, there is a extremely large cliff down the the sea.

Chris and I discussed with the kids, what the favorite parts of the trip had been, and got really interesting answers.
Both kids, loved the jumping off the piers, seeing the crabs, exploring the caves, snorkeling off the coast.
Chris loved the walk to the Golf course look out, the people she got to meet, and the friendliness of both the locals, who love their island, and the imported workers who are here for just a short period of time, and yet are willing to open up and be friendly.
I loved the openness of the island, the amazing friendliness of the locals,  and the fantastic beauty of this island.



After we returned home, we interrupted a car-park party with the interpreters who had all decided to have a cook-a-thon, and then dance the night away, so the special night was extended as we talked to people from all round the world, who at this time and place had been brought together because of a job, and yet took the time to share their culture with everybody else.

I was full from Rumah Tinggi, and despite the smells from the food being overpowering, I was unable to cram anything else into my stomach, so we just danced


We had a great time, before we retired to bed.

Food on the Island

Well to partially confirm the story on the ABC, the island has not yet run out of food, however its starting to get "Dire", most of the restaurants are starting to close due to lack of ingredients, and they have run out of wholemeal flour for the bread.

The fabled ship with all the food and other stuff is currently sitting in the lea of the island, awaiting a part for its engine. It seems it can run the engines for a short period of time, but then it has to turn it off. A spare part is being flown from Germany and will arrive on island on Tuesday and will be fitted by Thursday. Until the part is fitted the ship is not allowed to dock.
Looks like it will not be until the weekend at the earliest, after we have left.

Meanwhile we have the calmest seas we have had for a month and perfect summer weather, just right for unloading ships, probably blow up a storm by the weekend.

To make up for the lack of a ship, a 737 cargo plan arrived on Saturday, and unloaded tons and tons of food. Most of it was for the detention center (3000 people is a lot of food each week), but the local shops were there picking up fresh fruit, veggies and eggs. Apart from the basic foods that come in on the plane, the shelves are getting very empty in the shops, especially the supermarket.

The locals are now saying an air-force refueling plan may arrive next week if the ship has not docked, as the SEIV221 incident used up a lot of jet fuel undertaking emergency flights, refueling military flights, etc.

Luckily we leave in 4 days, and we should be able to hold out with our supplies at home, although the red wine is starting to run a bit low :-(

Sunday / Golf Course lookout

On Sunday, Chris finally had a day when she wasn't working (Its been busy out here).

So for breakfast back to the Malay club for the last Sunday breakfast with the Doctors (and not just for us, they have run out of food, so they will be closing from next week until the ship docks)

After Chris and the kids went for a swim at the Rec center, while I had some kid free time.

In the Afternoon, we went for a walk to the Golf course lookout, it was an amazingly steep walk through the rain-forest past a cemetery in the middle of the jungle, halfway down a cliff (I have no idea how they actually carried the coffins in there).

When we got to the end of the track, the view was well worth it.
Below us we could see the golf course, and there where birds everywhere flying around us. It felt like Jurassic park, the birds where surprisingly large, we have only seen them from the ground, and its hard to judge the size from that distance. The big ones where had a very large wingspan, (looking it up on Google, the say up to 1.5m and that's big in a bird flying just over your head)

In any case this photo was taken facing North West Australia, which is just 1600Km away.

Saturday night at the Movies

The one thing we hadn't done so far was get to the cinema, to a see a movie.

Tonight was the night, as it is only on Saturday nights that the Movie is run (unless it rains, then they show it on Wednesdays), and this is our last Saturday on the island.

So Nath, Zach and myself trooped off to the cinema (Chris was on call, and had been called back to the detention center).

We turned up, and paid our $9, ($2 for kids, and $5 for Adults, its movies at 1970 prices) to the lady with the red bucket, lined up at the kiosk, got our $3 Chock-tops (Home made, with lots of Chocolate), some $2.50 microwave popcorn, and sat down on our wet bench (Did I mention it is in the open air, with no roof.)

As I sat there I noticed a large number of people with waterproof ponchos on, hmm mental note, next time bring ponchos.

The pre-movie music blared out of the surround speakers, which I noticed all had special canvas covers that could be dropped down from the projection booth, I assume in case of rain, hmm mental note, next time bring ponchos.

The 7:30 start time came, and went, the music continued, Zach mentioned there were no clouds in the sky, I pointed out there where no stars either, hmm mental note, next time bring ponchos.

Then it started, with an announcement that the projector didn't seem to be working, and there would be no movie tonight, and that to see the lady with the red bucket, and she would refund the ticket admissions.

So we came home with the popcorn, and watched "The Fugitive" on TV, not quite the same, but a good movie in any-case.

Satuday

Woke up this morning and decided to go and have breakfast with Marnie and David (Their last morning)
Went to the Barracks Cafe (Run by Captain Don O'Donnell, whose previous job was Harbor master at Port of Portland in the last 80's early 90's, gee its a small world), and ordered breakfast, only to be told,
Oh, by the way there are no eggs on the island, so all breakfasts will be with out eggs, the breakfast was nice, but no eggs is a bit hard.


Then we took Marnie and David  to check in Marnie's luggage, and Dave put in the "I need to get off the island with my girl friend, are there any free seats" story, and was told, "no not yet, we will give you a call."

So Marnie checked in her luggage and we went for a drive with the kids.

Went down the to Ella beach and took a walk we hadn't done for about 1km along a boardwalk, came out with a small viewing platform on the clifftop from where we could see heaps of fish swimming around in the sea. Was very nice.

After that we took the kids up to the swimming center, so they could have a swim while I dropped Marnie off at the Airport.

On the way, David got a phone call and was told, "yep we can fit you on," so that made everybody very happy.

Turns out they couldn't fill the plane up with people due to the lack of fuel at Christmas Island, but the pilot had radioed that they had used less fuel than expected, so they could take extra people back.

While we where there a cargo plan from Perth arrived, and we noticed heaps of vegies and stuff being unloaded, so as soon as the boarding call was made, I high tailed it down to the local shops and got there just after the delivery truck from the airport.

Picked up a lettuce, some tomatoes, cherry tomatoes,  strawberries and eggs. Only cost $38 for all that!!!! The lettuce was $12 !! We won't know ourselves once we get home. (Although not sure how much lettuces cost on the mainland ,after the floods)

Anyhow, we are off to the movies tonight, provided it doesn't rain (its outdoors on the side of a hill)

The day after chaos at the airport

Well, we learnt a few things yesterday.

1. If your flight is canceled, ring the airline as soon as the final attempt has failed, and book for the next day or you may be stuck here for quite a while.
2. If a flight is canceled, the next flight will carry nothing  but passengers and their luggage, hence no fresh food delivered, and as the last flight didn't arrive either, its two flights of missing food.
3. Eggs are the most important ingredient on the island (lets just say there are no eggs left on the island).

As it turns out, Marnee (Marnee is one of Chris's fellow doctors) is now flying out on Saturday (which is fine, as she will get home in time to start her new job), her partner Dave, on the other hand is flying out next Tuesday, which is a bit of a problem, as he needs to find accommodation from Saturday to Tuesday somewhere as Marnee's flat will have a new tenant as soon as she leaves, I'm sure we will all work it out, but not something I'd like to occur next week, when we need to leave and return home.

Further more, the ship has yet to dock and the shops now have entire shelves that are empty, ( I'll try and get some photos, but it is a bit suss, to have somebody walk in and take photos of the empty shelves.)

The locals are telling me that the ship has been told its not to leave until it has unloaded, as there are a lot of things on the containers that are needed to keep the island running. It will be interesting to see if it actually docks, as the weather is not looking good for the next week.

Finally the food issue, the island is running out of food and Chinese new year is approaching, what does this mean on an island that ships and planes can not deliver to ?

1. No eggs, if what you order requires eggs, then you will be getting it with out eggs, which for somethings is fine and for others can be an issue.
2. All the Chinese based food outlets closed yesterday (about 80% of all the food outlets), as they all needed to fly out today on the Kuala Lumpur flight so they could be with family for Chinese New Year.
3. The other 20% of food outlets all have limited food options due to using up all their supplies and the ship and planes not landing.

Oh well, six more days and we return to normality (what ever that is)

Hi-jinks at the Christmas Island Airport

Today, a number of fellow workers finished their tour of duty, and where due to ship out.
Last night we had drinkies with them, and the normal jokes where shared, such as
where are you eating tomorrow night we will come and join you,
have you got travel insurance, in case you can't make your next flight, etc,etc.

Today, we dropped off one of the Doctors and her partner for check-in, and then said we would be back in an hour or so we could say farewell before they board.

As we drove off, the rain started to fall, and the clouds could be seen drifting between the tree's.

We went down the bottom of the island and went shopping, continuing to see clouds hitting the side of the island, and stream up the side to the top, and more and more rain continued to fall.

After the shopping, we went back to the airport (which is at the top of the island), as we drove up the hill, we entered into the cloud zone, and the rain was so heavy we could hardly see out the windscreen.

On arrival, we where just in time to see the first go-around, we just saw a flash of plane, and heard the roar of the jet engines as the plane climbed for height.

Many the passengers came running out of the airport to see what had happened.

The next attempt occurred about 20 minutes later, this time, most of the passengers where outside the terminal looking for the plane, and wishing it on to the ground, all that happened was we heard a jet fly overhead, we couldn't see any of the plane at all.

After another 20 minutes, the jet was heard again,  this time, the entire passenger list was outside, looking and wishing the plane to land.

The roar was heard, everybody strained to see the plane as it approached to land.

The wind dropped, the rain stopped, and everybody held their breath

then the plane flew past out of sight.

Two go-arounds / three landing attempts is the limit.

The grown from the crowd, as the plane could be heard heading off back to Perth was depressing.

The airport guys, opened the doors to the baggage hall doors and drove the baggage trucks outside for all the passengers to get back their bags, a line was created to get every bodies phone numbers, and the realization that they are here for another night slowly dawned on the passangers.

We helped our drop offs to get everything sorted, drove them back to the room allocation building, and then once they had their old keys, returned them back to the room they had vacated just a few hours before.

Now I am sure all the phone lines out of the island will be chocked, as plans are reworked and flights are re-booked.

Just another day on Christmas island, and we are now just hoping that that next week is not a repeat.

Wednesday 19th

Another day of rain, the island has now provided rain for the last 25 days in a row
(Well it is the wet season).
As such today, Nathan decided he would stay at home while Zach and myself went exploring.
We went out to Tai-Jin (the Island governors home for 90+ years) and while we were there, a local who undertakes engineering works, was fishing and we got talking. He told us about the Navy mooring points further round the coast.

So we  got into our car and followed him round to the mooring points. The waves were so huge that it's hard to believe that in the dry season, the navy pulls up here and refuels all their ships, rather than returning to Darwin or Perth.
The guy we were talking to had put in the land based anchors for the deep water mooring point and he showed us, how during the dry season, they paddle out of the cove past Tai-Jin house, past the mooring buoys, to some caves. It seems that you can paddle into the caves from the sea and then go swimming inside them, he said it is amazing, I guess its just another reason we need to come back.

On the way back, we had to stop at the only traffic lights on the island, the road out to Tai-Jin house is a single lane road, blasted into the cliff after the war (along with sections that are cement infills about 50 feet high)

Finally after all this Zach went and joined in with the Lego building competition.

Runaway Cave

Today we went caving with Dave (Marnee's partner). This first cave we went to was Runaway cave. It seems that during the war, when the Japanese invaded the island, some of the locals ran away and hid out in the caves for the duration of the war.

What was most amazing (and I forgot to take a photo of it) was the electric lights that had been installed in the cave at some time in the past. What we thought was a cable to help us up and down the cave, turned out  to have have carryed power down to a switchboard, which controlled lights which had been cemented into the roof of the cave.

Steps into the pool and up the side of the cave could still be seen.

Once again it is very weird that a cave out in the middle of nowhere had power, so where did came from when it all worked.

There were steps into the pool at the bottom of the cave

The water was so clear you could see all the way to the bottom

Looking back up the cave to the exit, you can see both the power cable on the left,and a hose that disappeared down a crack we didn't  enter

Saturday 15th / Chris Birthday at CLA

Chris had her Birthday at CLA, 35 people came, and helped her celebrate in style.

She as always, dressed to kill in her aqua top.

When we first turned up the wind was blowing and the rain was pouring down. The restaurateur suggested we move inside and I thought it was probably a good idea, however with-in 30 minutes the wind had stopped, the rain had gone away and a very pleasant evening had started.

We had a huge amount of food to eat and a fair bit to drink as well. Then at the end of the night, Chris's friends presented her with a number of very beautiful presents, including a large framed photo of Flying Fish cove, a silver necklace with crabs on it, some earrings and a special rock bracelet.

She was overcome by all this and for the first time I can remember was rendered speechless and then did something that we have all been sworn to secrecy about. Lets just say she was very emotional about the entire event !

Satuday 15th / The Grotto

After swimming at Gretta beach, we went to the Grotto, to wash off the salt water.The grotto is open to the sea but so much fresh water is running into it from the centre of the Island, its only
slightly salty.

It was Chris's first time in the Grotto. The rest of us have gone in it every day this week, after swimming in the sea, it really is like taking a shower and washing off the salt water and the kids have really enjoyed doing so.

Saturday 15th / Greta beach

On Saturday, we got up, gave Chris her Birthday Presents , had lunch at the Barracks Burger Cafe
Then we went to Dolly beach to meet some friends and go swimming (That was the plan)
On the walk into Dolly Beach, we met them returning, and they told us the swell had caused huge waves, and so we couldn't swim there.

So instead we went back to Greta beach, climbed down the incredible stairs to the beach













While we where there, Dave, on of the other Doctors partners, show us some rockclimbing, and it was quite increadable.

Even Chris got in the water and splashed about.

Friday 14th / Robber at the Dale

Another robber crab for Jenn , this time in the dales, we have seen so many that they are now loosing there uniqueness.  We needed somebody to walk in front of our car in some locations, to move crabs off the tracks, as there are so many, you can not even drive around them.

Friday 14th / The dales

After the Waterfall, we followed one of the dales all the way to the sea







The path went down the creek and involved much climbing down waterfalls and dodging crabs








The path ended up as a small crack in the cliff that went out to the sea.
The sea was amazing, and every minute or so, a wave would wash all the way into the gap, all the way to the Waterfall.


Whats more amazing, is the local history books record that one of the first landing on the island occurred here, in the 1600's by a boat needing fresh water. It must have been much smoother conditions, as there would have been no way you could have done it on the day we were there.

Friday 14th / The Waterfall at the Dales

On Friday we went walking in the dales, and visited the Waterfall.
The trees had the most amazing root systems.

The entire path in a boardwalk, the last bit vertical stairs up the side of the dale

At the very top, was a large shallow lake, that looked amazing

After viewing the lake, the kids got to stand under the Waterfall, and look down the dale towards the sea.

Religion on Christmas Island #1

This is one of a number of posts I will be making on religion on Christmas Island.

Christmas Island has more religious sites per head of population than anywhere I have ever been (Although Adelaide comes a very close second).Here are just a sample of some of the sites we have seen.


The first one is the Temple at South Point, South Point was a town that was shutdown and dismantled in the late 1960's, located at the very South most Point of the Island. Nothing remains but the Railway Station, and this complete and functioning Temple, its a 20Km drive out here, and it seems people do it on a regular basis.




This is a religious memorial at the Chinese cemetery, made of fantastic jade and orange roof tiles, it has to be seen to be believed, it is so bright, and yet has been in place for more than 40 years.



Nui-Nui Temple, another Chinese Temple on the Northern most part of the Island, once again its in the middle of nowhere, has nothing near it (but the Casino, a few Km's down the road, yet its got running water, and power. Again, people seem to be here on a very regular basis.



 Di Zhang Pusa Temple, a Budist Temple in the middle of town, its got shops to both the left and the right of it.

Wednesday 12th to Friday 14th

The last few days, we have gone swimming or exploring in the morning, and then  relaxed in the afternoon.

On Wednesday we went swimming in the Waterfall beach/lagoon, and out in to the sea and saw heaps of fish.
On Thursday we wenr and explored the dales on the south side of the island, and also say some wonderful Waterfalls, I used another Docotors SLR, so once I've got a copy of the photo's I'll post them here.
And then today, once again, we went swimming in Waterfall Beach/lagoon, this time, there was quite a current running outside the lagoon, and so we told the kids to stay inside, the current caught us, and carried us quite a way along the cliff under the casino, the swim back was interesting, and the scenery below was magnificent.

Finished the day cooking a birthday cake for Chris's big birthday tomorrow.

Only on Christmas Island (Or our Navy at work)

Story doing the rounds this week on the Island, last weekend, one of the local guys, in an effort to impress his girlfriend, borrowed his bosses boat to go fishing in the lea of the Island. They go about 1km off the coast (in about 5000m's of water so no anchoring) and start fishing. Come the end of the day, the decide its time to go home, at which point they discover they can't start the motor on the boat.

 Only one thing to do, swim back to shore, and leave the boat in the ocean.
After a good swim they get back to shore, and ring the boss, he rings the police, and somehow the Navy is called.

 Next Morning, the navy turns up with the boat, which they had found between 5 and 10 km off the island drifting, got hand it to them, that's service.

Then today, another guy I know (Wayne) was out paddling his two man  red canoe with a Mate, looking for fish, about 1km off the Island, when the Navy (which is a bit further out to sea), start playing the Baywatch Theme song over their loud speakers. The guys absolutely pissed themselves when it happened.

I assume it gets pretty boring picking up refugees every second day, so every little distraction helps them through the day.

More Zach photos

On Tuesday, we went snorkeling off the Casino, there is a small beach called Waterfall Beach just behind the Casino (The Casino folk call it the Lagoon) , the water was a bit murky, but once again Zach got some excellent photos with his Liquid Image Mask.

The black fish, were is huge schools, I swam a bit further out to see, with another guy (David as well) and we saw one school that would have had a few hundred fish, all eating something of the rocks that are on the bottom of the seabed.

As we finished our swim, it started bucketing down rain, and then the entire lagoon, turned milky white as the rain water came ran through the limestone, and into the sea.

enjoy.

Another low (Weather that is)

Another tropical low is forming, ready to hit the West Australian coast. As such, the weather has been a bit wild, check out the photo of the pier from Tuesday. Waves where breaking over the pier.

A delivery ship is due in a few days, but as the tugs have to be launched off the piers crane, in order to tie the delivery ship up, I can't see any unloading occurring in the next week or so. The ship last called before Christmas, but again due to bad weather, only unloaded 1/3 of its containers.

The island has a crane on the other side of the island, but it has no deep water mooring buoys. So to unload there, the ship needs to bring a lighter with it (small barge), each container, is loaded off the ship on to the lighter, the lighter comes in near the cliff with the container, and then the crane lifts it to shore. Not something that they do unless they are desperate.

This is a bit of a problem as the supermarkets now have a large number of shelves which are empty. Still seems to be plenty of spirits and cigarettes for sale, beer stocks are looking decidedly low.

As well all the Jet fuel comes in on containers as well, and the last time the ship called, they forgot to put the jet fuel containers on last, so they could be off loaded first. Hence, with all the flights in and out out after the sinking incident last year, the island has run out of jet fuel.

This means all jets need to carry enough fuel to get to and from Christmas Island with out refueling on the island, so the Perth flight is now via Karnavin, where a refuel occurs in both directions, only adds a couple of hours to the 4 hour flight :-(.

(looks like we have some internet back, but its still got problems)

Our Internet Link (or lack there of)

On Sunday night, the satellite link failed, as of today, Wednesday, we seem to have some internet access, but its very flaky at the moment, going up and down, and taking ages to do anything. (like this post).

As such we will return with updates when it doesn't take an hour to get this page up and then another hour of trying to publish.

Dave...

Half way to home

Well we are more than halfway through our adventure, with four weeks here, and three weeks to go, and I've got to say, its been a blast.

The things we wanted to have experience have exceeded our expectations, the people on this island must be the friendliest in Australia, so now we start the countdown to our return to normality, and I must admit, at this point I am unsure if I want to return there.

Everything out here is different, and in some ways different in a better way and in some ways worse (I'll blog about the worst way before we leave), I know I've enjoyed the experience so far (and I think the kids and Chris have as well) as an example the kids yesterday were hard at us to decide if we could return at Easter for two weeks. (Not a decision we will be taking soon by the way).

So in three weeks we will return to a safe suburban life, the kids will return to school, I'll return the the University, and Chris will return to General Practice. Our friends list on Facebook, expanded with people we would never have met, if we had stayed at home.

It will be interesting to see how we handle the reverse culture shock !!!!

Zachs Underwater photos

For Christmas Zach got a diving mask that has a Camera built into to it. While Diving you can hit a button and get a photo.

Here are some of the first good photos we have got from it in the sea.
They are all amazing, the number of fish in the sea is hard to explain if you haven't experienced it first hand, other than to say, there's just heaps of fish everywhere you go.

We finally worked out if the conditions are bad on one side of the island, then they are probably good on the other side, so these photos are all from Greta Beach, on the east side of the Island, which is currently in the lea of the wind.

I was so proud of Nathan and Zach, as we swam about 300 meters out to sea, (with other people as well) to get these photos, and they handled it with ease.

We were in the water for more than and hour !

Being in the tropics has turned them into little sea people, at home they didn't like going in the sea at all. Out here, the just want to go swimming in the sea all the time, the transformation has been amazing.

Mosquitoes

Not everywhere on the Island has mosquitoes, but when they are around, theirs heaps of them, we have tried all sorts of things to kill them such as Mortein to kill them, but we found this is the best solution by far :-).

Capitalism on Christmas Island

Definition:
Capitalism is an economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and operated for a private profit; decisions regarding supply, demand, price, distribution, and investments are made by private actors in the free market;

Implementation:
Make things people want available were and when they want them, in order to make a profit

Example:
Go to local food shop on Christmas Island on any Friday, and buy a "Big Mac" flown in from KL on the Friday flight, for $5.20.

You can also get Cheeseburgers, Fillet O Fish, and sometimes, KFC, or Domino Pizza.
This week I counted  50 burgers on the Friday, on Saturday, 3 remained in the fridge.

Christmas Island Casino

The Christmas Island casino is amazing, its like a step back in time to 15 years ago, when it closed during the 1997 Asian Mini Finical crisis (from which it never recovered)

These days its fully booked by the Federal Governmental for staff that work in the detention center at a rate of $50k per room per year, we've done the sums, and its earning the current owners over $12m per year. Not bad for an investment 5 years ago of less than $5m.

The current owners are using all the cash to refurbish everything, and bring it all back on line, and are saying they value it at $125m, and that its one the market.

We went through the gaming floor, and its all been left just as it was the last day it ran, even with the current currency rates on the walls as of 1997, and stuff like that.


The locals claim that when the casino was running it was the best time the island has every seen, there were daily flights to Australia, and on Friday, flights arrived from Singapore, KL and Jakarta, locals could fly-out on the empty return flights for next to nothing, and return on Sunday, just in time for the high rollers to leave back to their cities of origin.
The pools still not filled, evidently, they are waiting on pool fencing to arrive on the next ship, (which is now been delayed again, and will not dock for another 10 days) and then the pool can be filled.