Christmas!

Happy Boxing Day! We had a great Christmas back in the house, with a huge real pine tree. And we no longer just have one pet, we now have two mice (baden's, but their male and female so it won't be long before we have more!), a fish (Fletchers), Bella our dog, Tusca and I'm waiting on a call from the pet shop guy so I can go pick up my Cockatiel that I picked out on Xmas eve. Haha, I've nicknamed him GPS, Guiding Parrot System. Plus it's a little bit of the life on the boat to have on land.

Nanna's House

Heya again. I'm at my Nanna's house in Mallacoota now, I spent a great week in Torquay with my Grandma and, after sailing on a mono for the first time, caught up with dad and Baden for the long drive down to Mallacoota. I lived here 'till I was about 6, haha, so it's good to be back. After 10 years not much has changed, but it's great to catch up with everyone again. Dad's got a 50+ year old Morris Minor, it's in great condition and I'm trying to convince mum to let us bring it up to Cairns on Easter, 'cos I'll have my Learners by then and Dad can drive up with me. Anyway I love that car, it's so cool. Dad hotted up the inside (haha, I mean the dashboard, not the engine) about 20 years ago, and it's just been sitting in storage since we left Mallacoota. But it still runs.
Anyway, at the moment it's wet and windy down here but it's a bit warmer than Torquay. I'll write again later!

It seems like we've only been back a few days, but really we've been back 3 weeks... It's so different from being out on the boat because when I'm out sailing, exploring and discovering each day counts. Each day something new happens so you remember each day. I feel like being back here the days all mold into one. They have no real importance to me I guess... haha, then again I haven't started school again yet. Anyway on a more positive note Dad, Baden and I are flying down for a week to Victoria, I'll spend a week with my Grandma while Dad and Baden do this course. Then we'll all drive down to spend the rest of the time with my Nanna and Poppy. I'm trying to convince dad to bring his Morris Minor up, so I can learn to drive it! Haha, Mum doesn't like it though because dad hotted it up when he was younger (it's about 20 years old but in really good condion). We probably won't end up bring it up this trip though.... Oh well, there's allways next time!

Land life

We're living on the boat at the moment because our house is still being rented out. But it's fun, because our house is way out in the beaches we don't usually go into town all that much, but now because the boat is right in town I can just walk to the shops, haha, it's great! Also there is a great bike track along the Esplanade, I took Baden on his new RipStik along behind my (well mum's 'cos mine is more Baden's now!) bike, he is so heavy!!

Massive Plate coral

This is my dad who is around 2m tall spread out over a giant Plate Coral, the water was a bit murky but you get the picture!

Tricot Ray

This is the french 'tricot ray' or 'sea snake'. We saw tones of these cute things on just about every island in New Cal. Fletcher accidentally stepped on 3 at once! They are very cute and provided lots of unexpected adventures for us all!

How cute is this stray dog from Ovea in New Caledonia?

This is a dog from Ovea Island in New Cal, we called him 'Sooty' because he looks like he stuck his nose in sot! We played with him when ever we went ashore, but mum and dad wouldn't let us take him on the boat... :(

We're back home

We arrived in Cairns a few days ago after the longest crossing of my life! Seriously! 9 days at sea 7 of those days with no wind and hardly moving. We swam into Australian waters off the back of the boat it was so calm! So now I can say that I have swum from New Caledonia waters to Australian waters!!! We arrived with our hands on our hearts singing the National Anthem - I've forgotten halve!! Once we had arrived and had done Customs and Quarantine (who by the way were great, any yacthies out there who read this, just to let you know they let us keep our turtle skull and honey- well they would have if we'd had any honey, she didn't ask though) The first things that we did were fill the boat with fruit!! Now we're in the Mariner in Cairns harbour, we'll be here for about a month 'cos our house is still being rented out. My biggest priority for our time here is school. I'm here to finish high school with marks high enough to get me into Vet Science, or at least something in the animal industry. I reckon that being the person who looks after the cats in Quarantine would be a pretty cool job... hm.....

Both ways...

Heya everyone, next time I send a post it'll probably be from Cairns. I'm gonna miss it all though. The novelty of being back home will probably only last 'bout a month, then I'll be dreaming of sailing and exploring the pacific. They both have their ups and downs though. But it's really annoying because when your out sailing you notice alot of the bad things and you miss being back home (not as much being back home, but I still catch my self wishing I could have my mice on the boat...). Then whenyou do get back home I wish that I was back out here!!! I guess you can't have it both ways so I've tried to get the most out of being out here. Well time to cast off the lines and prepare for another adventure. Beware you land lubbers - Chaotic Harmony is comin' home!!!!

New Cal!!!

Hey everyone, yes we're in New Calidonia now. It's great, everywhere is white sand, clear blue water and it's all french! We've even eaten snails - yuck, I know! I tried one, then I had to have another one cos everyone else was full. But I'm not eating anymore, although everyone else loves them! um, what else... I've still got tones more to tell you all but we're heading off to aus again soon (tomorrow) so I'm ment to be sending school work :P I'll write when I have more time!!! love of love, Estelle

me... and my brothers!!

Hey everyone, for those of you who don't know me heres a face to put to the blog. Just a random pic of me :P Oh and Baden and Fletcher! p.s. Fletcher is the one with the white/blonde hair.

Fire dancing

Baden and I have undertaken an interest in Fire Dancing. Baden uses a Fire Stick and I use Poi's - the ones on the chain that swing. This is a pic of us preforming at Oyster Island resort in Vanuatu. As you can see mine are starting to go out...

pictures

I've finally discovered how to put pictures in my posts!!! I've always wanted to do this, anyway lets just test it to see if it works before I get to excited. This is a pic of one of the fish we've caught over our travels. As you can see my 11 year old brother Baden is having some trouble lifting it!!!

I'm back!!!

Heya,
I'm so sorry to have negated you! We'll we're in Vanuatu now, it took ages for my school boxes to arrive but they finally got here a few days ago and I am already up to date in English, maths and I'm all most caught up in science and SOSE. With is really good for me cos I'm ALLWAYYSS behind!! The maths is really easy this term though so I have to ask my teacher to send over some harder work.
There's been a few other boats around with kids on them this time, 'Carl' a Mono with 2 boys - one badens age one fletchers age, 'Drumbeat' a cat - two kids a girl my age and a boy badens age, 'Neptune 2' an Mono - a boy fletchers age and a two year old girl and 'Emelia' a Mono - two boys 16 and 18/19. And that’s just the boats we've meet so far.
Nothing much has been happening otherwise, just school work..
OH! I'm teaching myself to free dive, with the help of the people off Drumbeat. Haley's dad loves free diving and he can stay under for ages down REALLY deep. I dove down in a ship wreck at Million Dollar Point, as Mum took a picture of me :P Sorry I've no more news for you! we're at Oyster Island at the moment, C'ya!!!

Australia

Sorry guys, you'd think that they'd shut this blog down cos I havn't been on for so long. I reckon that it the internet could get spiders and cobwebs in it there would be one here. Anyway the reason that I havn't written is because I've been in victoria, my Nanna and Poppy had their 50th wedding party. It was sooo much fun. We went their a week early so that we could spent some extra time with the family. It was really cold though, at one stage it was 4 degrees!!
Dad, baden and I also climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and I have no idea how the hell you would steal the flag, you should see it, it's just about got its own record hight!! hey I got tones more to tell you but I go to go, C'ya!!

My 60TH POST!!!!

WOW, it's seems only yesterday that I was doing my 30th post and already I'm doing my 60th!!! Well Easter is almost here and I'm setting up a big Easter Treasure hunt for all the kids. The hunt will take them all over the mariner (not that it's all that big) and they have to dig in dirt, hop to Tahiti (no not the country, it's a boat :) and solve the puzzling clues. Hope they like it, just about all the kids here are boys so I'm planing on wearing them out!!! The final treasure is going to be some chocolate.. of cause! Well I'd better go and help mum make the pizzas!! yum!

Easter

Hey everyone, next weeks Easter! Is it? I think so anyway :) It's going to be so much fun because we're organizing a big Easter egg/treasure hunt for all the kids on the boats. Until then I'm just busy doing school, swimming and trying to keep my brothers in line!!
Dad left yesterday, he was only here for a week but we all went up to Suva for a few days to see the museum and do some shopping. It was lots of fun!

Scuba Diving

Hello everyone,
When we were in Australia Dad and I bought new scuba gear, including masks and fins. When dad gets back we can go scuba diving!! Yay!! We can finally dive on the amazing reefs that we discover!

No I'm not dead!

Hello again everyone, just thought that I'd let you all know that I'm still alive! I'm busy doing school work at the moment because I need to get at least 2 weeks ahead. In about a month it's my Nanna and Poppy's 50th wedding anaverary, so we're going down to Victoria. Well I'd better get back to work! C'ya!

1 hour of sleep in 24 hours

Hello everyone! we are back in Fiji now. We had a midnight flight out of Brisbane so none of us go much sleep... Both flights had some turbulence but that was fun! My favorite parts of flying are probably the take off and landing, but I love everything about flying so I'm not fussy. We met up with some of my cousins and my Aunt in Brisbane, they were coming over to Fiji with us. Well mum is asleep and my brothers are already out on Navini! I'd probably better go get some sleep to.. Bye Cairns and hello new SCUBA gear!!!

...The end

Well we leave tomorrow... I've had tonnes of fun catching up with everyone and shopping and having fun. We go back to the mariner and the boat, also to our 20 year old cats (whom I can't wait to see). Grandpa's birthday is on the 18th so the WHOLE family is coming over for that, so that should be fun. Well I should really keep packing.. and packing... and packing. Bye everyone!