Adelaide -- Port Lincoln -- Streaky Bay

Last night I had a dream that I was holding a chubby baby, and when I woke up, I realised that I had moved lower down in the bed and I was snuggled into Kristy’s bum! This is a true story! Honestly, if I had of been conscious, there is no way I would be close to that bum (since the diet, her “wind” is a bit lethal, and OMG, I cant even talk about the breath!).

Well, we have left Melbourne, been to Adelaide, left Adelaide (we wish we could have taken Elle with us!) and are now headed to the Western Australia border. Along with us are two buddies from Yulara, Megan and Nicole.

Our first stop was five days in Port Lincoln. We were camping on the banks of Boston Bay and, God, it was beautiful. Once I got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night (yes, again I have to get used to freezing my ass off to run from the van to the toilet block) and saw the moon reflected in the sea - stunning. The sunrise would happen right in front of us, and Kristy and I would look at it through the curtains of the van as we woke up each morning to see it. Of course we went straight back to sleep after that, because, no matter how beautiful, who gets up at 7.00am when they are on holidays?

Whilst at Port Lincoln, Kristy, Megan and myself went on a fishing charter. OMG! We caught a lot of fish, and also saw dolphins and seals playing. And when we fished! Almost every time we threw a line in, we caught one. We ate fish for days after that fishing charter – well worth the money. AND... we were the only ones on the boat! Yay! So it was like a private charter just for us. First we went squidding. Kristy caught the first squid, and she did not know that they squirt ink! So, after she proudly brought the squid over the rails of the boat, it squirted black ink all over the front of her favourite shorts – basically got her right in the crotch! (I have since tried to wash the ink out (once she took off the shorts people!), but to no avail. I have heard it will fade out, but I kinda like the squid memory on her shorts, so I hope it doesn’t). We then went trawling and caught 2 snooks (Megan and I did). I have never even heard of a snook before, let alone seen one. It is a very long and skinny fish! But then the real fishing began – whiting (huge and we kept them), sea bass (threw them back), rock fish (threw them back too), flathead (too small, back they went), leather-jackets (as if we kept them), mullet (as if we kept them either!), and reef cod (think we threw them back). Hmmmm, just read over what I wrote, so ok... we only kept the whiting, threw the rest back! Kristy nearly sprained her wrist as she was bringing in her big whiting, however this is no reflection on the size of the fish, as she does have weak little wrists (poor fragile Kristy).

The following day we went swimming with the Tuna far out in the bay. I have not really seen tuna outside of a can (I’m such a city gal!). Well, the tuna that we swam with were just adolescents, however they all weighed between 40kg and 70kg – and they looked like mini sharks! Kristy was the first one in the ocean with the tuna – she is the bravest one of us. Megan went in next and I followed Megan. The ocean was so cold that I honestly think my heart stopped beating for 10 seconds when I hit that water – Bloody hell! I followed Megan, who had followed Kristy, which was to a rope we could hang on to. Nicole was behind me (and once Nicole had grabbed that rope, she did not let go of it for the whole time!).

With my head above the water, it all looked mostly peaceful (occasionally a fin broke the surface), but the second I put my snorkel under the water, I saw all these huge tuna swimming around, in touching distance! Hairy scary! They have sharp looking teeth and fins! And did I mention that they were big!! Eventually I was snorkelling around and looking at the tuna swimming, and it was actually quite peaceful and really a really amazing experience. I only got touched by one tuna, and it just brushed against my leg.

Then the Charter Tour owner started throwing pilchards! The tuna loved them and they went into a feeding frenzy all around us! Unreal! Sometimes he would throw the pilchards really close to our heads and the tuna would dive and swim and churn up the water all around us, and snap up the pilchard right in front of our noses! We even hand fed the tuna with pilchards, but we had to be careful, because their teeth are very sharp. Only one person on the charter tour got a tuna injury, and of course that was.....Kristy (who is surprised by this?). One of the tuna grazed her hand as she was feeding it. I think it is fun to have a tuna injury – how many people can say that? (She has since added to the injury on that hand by trying to pull out my stay-sharp knife that she had put upside down in the holder!)

Megan, Kristy and I are all on the Dukan diet. Megan and Kristy are losing a good amount of weight, but I have only lost 2 kg. TWO KILOGRAMS!!!! FOR WEEKS OF DIETING!!!!!! I AM SOOOOO UNIMPRESSED!!!!!! Kristy has lost the most weight, and considering that before she left Adelaide, she had the following conversation with my daughter:

(Mel is making up a potato salad, she is in the last stages – stirring it all up)

Kristy: That looks good.

Mel: Thanks, I am making it to have with our dinner.

Kristy: Can I have a taste?

(Mel reaches for a teaspoon to give Kristy a taste)

Kristy (before Mel dips the teaspoon in): Can I have a small bowl?

But now that Kristy is on the diet – Kristy has not cheated at all, not once. I am very proud of her, and she is truly becoming a skinny mini (fortunately I CAN be totally jealous AND totally supportive at the same time – for how much longer, I do not know!). Megan, Kristy and I all now have a mantra which we regularly chant ---- “Bring on Vegie Day” --- because with the Dukan diet, every 2nd day we can have vegies with our protein. We do get a little sick of meat and non-fat dairy, day in day out. PS - Have to say that Megan’s hair is growing out of control and I think if she trimmed her hair, she would lose 5 kilo’s doing that alone!

Oh and I did promise Kristy that I would not mention her difficulty with bowel movements, but considering that we all hear about it a number of times a day (true!!!!), I do think it bears a mention here. Megan is shocked that Kristy mentions it so much! (Megan, I can hear you laughing!)

Since we have been away, the four of us have had killer games of UNO. Megan can’t shuffle, so Kristy and I do it for her (hence her card nickname “shuffle-uff-i-gus). Megan has extremely long fingernails, talons really, which look great, but do not allow for effective card shuffling. Nicole is a gun at UNO, however, she is yet to win (yes it is possible to be a gun, yet still not win!). I haven’t won a game yet either, which is causing me difficulty, and I will amend this state of affairs soon!

I have been doing lots of puzzles, and sometimes the four of us answers the trivia quiz’s or crosswords together. Oh, that reminds me, as Kristy and I were driving to Streaky Bay, I had a brain lapse on the question, “What is the symbol for the star sign Taurus?” I just couldn’t remember what it was (Me! Of all people!). Anyway, Kristy, in her helpfulness, said, “Isn’t it that man with the fork?” A man with a fork!!!! I laughed so hard, to imagine that the sign for Taurus is a guy grilling sausages??!! (Btw, for those of you who are not astrologically inclined, the sign for Taurus is a Bull).

Oh, and another thing Kristy said (gotta love the Kristy-isms), when she saw seagulls in Port Lincoln, she said, “I wonder why I didn’t see any seagulls at Ayers Rock?” Hmmmm. One of those questions that will follow us all to our graves.

I have been unwell, which has not been fun, yet I still managed to do the couple of tour charters. Just had a head cold sort of thing, but I am glad it is almost over. My brain was a bit fuzzy for a while there. Once I lost my sunglasses, and considering that they are Ray Banns, I was a bit devo about losing them. However, I eventually did find them! Kristy pointed out to me that I was wearing them! Duhhhh!

I may have a job when I get to Perth!!!! I applied for a number of jobs in Perth, and the main one I am interested in has already telephone interviewed me, and I have moved to the next stage for a second interview! It is between myself and another candidate. They are going to fly me to Perth for a morning for the interview in the next couple of days so everyone cross your fingers for me!

I am in a bit of a crazy place at the moment because I have no telephone reception. Kristy does, but I don’t – so not ok!!! Come on Optus!! I love my telephone, is hard to be without it! So if you need to contact me, please email – it is the best way to reach me.

Tomorrow we cross the Nullarbor! Excitement is reigning supreme! I am really looking forward to reaching W.A.! Bring on the Nullarbor! I am prepared and ready (sorry mum, I forgot the Mars Bars, but do I have plenty of water).

I miss my family! I miss my mum, Mel, Elle and Logan!!! Love all of you.

Our thoughts are with Annie and with Leanne. Lots of love and healing are being sent your way.