Ball’s Pyramid – man overboard – still on Lord Howe

Today I am not at the museum battling with the weird-o computers. (The museum, open 10-2 daily, is the only internet access on the island.) Calloo callay! Instead I am in Bill's office, plugged into his cable, with my very own beloved computer at my fingertips. If you ever come to Lord Howe, stay at Arajilla; it is just beautiful, set in the thick forest, calm and peaceful.

This morning we set off early to Ball's Pyramid so that John could see it before his flight back to Sydney at lunchtime. I was sitting happily on the deck, all drugged up with two lots of chemicals – scopolamine AND Kwells – and it was all very nice, sailing past the beautiful mountains of Lord Howe, looking at the seabirds, going lalalala in my head when suddenly… MAN OVERBOARD! Well that brought us out of our early morning trance, for sure. Yo and Ho! Nick had decided we needed an emergency drill. He had thrown the lifesaving ring up and away into the waves, and we had to retrieve it. My role was to keep an eye on it at all times; not so easy, in the big surging waves. We did rescue our man, and were flushed with achievement.

Did we get to Ball’s Pyramid? Well, no…we got closer and closer but…we had to turn back, otherwise John would have missed his plane. But…it is extra-spectacular. We took 2XS right into the jetty instead of back to our mooring, so that we could load and unload stuff (Beloved Bikes, washing rubbish, groceries,) and there was Bill, waiting kindly for us.

We are supposed to be leaving tonight, to arrive at Elizabeth Reef by dawn. This reef is way out in the ocean, with a sandbar and a lagoon, and we are all very keen to go and swim, snorkel, play for a day. And from there – New Caledonia!! But…the weather is not propitious so we will probably be here another day. If no new blogposts appear, it is because we are at sea, and I think (gulp!) it takes about seven days to get to Noumea…