Kids Aquathon is back on.

With the departure of Dom and Hannah, Non Rugby John took over the kids Aquathon for awhile and now that John has left we stepped up to run it, so here is our 1st Kids Aquathon for 2012. The kids love it, of course they have their better days but it's a social thing for them to do and it surely can't hurt them fitness wise. Over the holiday period Alo, who runs Friendly Island Triathalons (FIT)  and FIT Kids organised a huge concrete slab to make entry and exit into the water easier. The local kids are getting heaps more out of it as a jumping platform though. We usually talk a few of the local kids into competing both as teams and individuals. Some of these kids may have been there all day and they have no shoes but they are machines and usually leave the normal competitors for dead, then it's straight back to swimming and playing with their mates.

 Small numbers for the first day back but we were off and running.

 Jodie does the books and time keeping.

 Dyl started the year off competing individually. Here he is running up for transition.

 Em teamed up with Naomi for her last outing as she leaves next week.

Blaize in transition.

 Hunter came along to support the Esler team.

 Sam chasing Dyl down on the last leg but he didn't quiet get there this week.

 Em digging deep for the team.

 The tank is empty!

 No one is left behind as the rest of the kids go back to support Cooper across the line.

The aquathon may take 10-20min depending on who you are but it's always the swim after that can take forever.

Blah Blah Owners finally set to sea, together

With the total loss of Satisfaction and her inevitable sale looming Jodie has once again become a boat widow. But with repairs and modifications on Blah Blah nearly complete, because boats are never finished and with us all in town we finally squeezed in a Pangi Is trip with Lano our new partner in crime and boating. It turned out to be a shocker of a day weather wise but as usual Big Mumma had Pangi's force field up and we all had a ball. Lano was catching up with other mates and even did a few runs to bring out an umu.

 Lano and Lyndon at the Helm, possibly planing their next fishing trip already.

 This was as close as the Irish should get to deep water, so Stephen tells us.

 Em and Lyndon found this two very inquisitive little fellas.

 They had some cool friends too then Nemo joined in.

 It was like he new we needed some good shots.

 They all wanted in "Take a picture of me!" We stayed for ages then move on.

 Dylan and Lyndon went out to the wreak it was chokers with fish too.

 Dyl had a ball chasing the fish in and out of the boat.

Dyl playing the underwater sea captain.

We took the easy way home but the waka guys slogged it out into a head wind all the way home.

Ben Hits the BIG 4-0.

Ben (AKA The Boss or MSA) has finally caught up with the rest of the team and celebrated his 40th with a small group of people at a local cafe "Fresh". Most people live there for their coffee, (not that Lyndon would understand) and Beau's smiley face.  Charles, her brother, and one of his friends have taken over from the day business and are now catering for night functions. It was a magical night with the best sunset we've seen in ages and with the local boys playing touch rugby in the bitumen car park next to us until the sun went down it was also quite entertaining. 

 These stickers turn up everywhere, John and Annie even have one on their bumper.

 People beginning to gather in their best Tongan casual dress.

 The sunset was a cracker and everyone spent the start of the night in the car park trying to avoid the rugby boys.

(L-R)  Nga, Rose, Em, Moti, Jodie and Belinda

(L-R)  Paul, Karen, Judith, Racheal, Mal and Jen.

(L-R)  Tiani, Dave, Solomone, Thomas, Frank, Lyndon, Ben, Jason, Carl, Paul and Mal. 

 The entire gang thanks to some happy snaps by Charles (the girls favourite ALL BLACK).

First visit to Malinoa for 2012

We woke to a picture perfect day so while Jodie got the kids ready Lyndon readied Blah Blah for our first Malinoa run of the year. Glass was the weather prediction. "Glass my arse" said Jodie and she was closer than the bloke at the weather station. But after a lumpy ride out we hit the beach and explored. Not long after we arrived a group of Manta rays came into the lagoon area. That's about the same time the camera battery died. Next in the bay was a reef shark cruising the shallows. We departed Malinoa and headed for a new Island Nuku but due to the tides we only made a sand cay just out of the island. Picture perfect and you could see 30+meters above and below the water. After that we headed back down Piha passage for lunch at Pangi before heading home.

 The kids had a ball in the small break on the boogie board. Lyndon was spewing it wasn't a few feet bigger as it wrapped around the tip of Malinoa.

 We managed to snap this one off before the battery died again but the kids thought the sand cay was straight out of Pirates of the Caribbean.

 As luck would have it the very next weekend was again picture perfect so we packed up the boats and the McKee's to head out again to Malinoa. This time we took three boats, the BBQ and a few beers.

 It was a day of comedy! First off Mal's trailer broke at the boat ramp, then Paul's boat blew out their anchor so he tied up to the back of Blah Blah but then she blew out the sand anchor after a forenoon of swell dragging two boats around.

 As soon as we had made it out to the island the team hit the water. Here with all three boats behind.

 The Quirke tribe and Blah Blah at Malinoa for the first of many joyful days out at the Island in 2012.

 Thanks to Mal and Karen who bought along the Baby Q (BBQ), it was real roughing it with prawns and bangers for lunch.

 As usual Lyndon went chasing fish with his fly rod. Three dart fell pray to the prawn fly.

 Blaise and Jess enjoying their first views of the Malinoa reef.

Lyndon did his best coral hugger impersonation and swam down to release the anchor after our final snorkel before heading home after a perfect day. This was of course followed by a debrief at the fishing club.

Pangi Floatila 2012

Big Muma decided to kick 2012 off with a floatila day at Pangi so she invited the Waka and sea kyaking clubs out and any one else who wanted to join in. Despite being a windy day and the rain threatening, it turned out to be a ripper of a day. We simply kicked back in true Pangi style. Sal and Rochelle talked us all into having a paddle (rowers go backward!) in the waka in an attempt to get Jodie out of bed early (05.00am) to join them for early morning paddles. They even got the barge from Fafa and dressed it up for all the kids to jump on.

 Jodie and the girls going out for a paddle, Jodie was put in the engine room (as Sal calls it).

 Entertainment for the kids included treasure hunts - some items were a good metre down too.

 Jodie after her little outing. No more photos get me a beer! 

 The floating Banana tree and a million kids.

 This is actually Big Mumma paddling out with the kids.

 All she needed was a beer and a good book. What else is there to do?

 Lyndon was another engine room casualty. But heaps of fun.

Sal the master Paddler! Em and Dyl are jumping off the wreak, as usual.

The previous week we even managed a day out in Blah Blah for some bottom bashing in the sun but as we returned to Nuku'alofa the black clouds gathered.

By the time we got home the boat didn't really need a fresh water wash down and the compound had turned into a water park.

What else should you do but get the board out and show the kids some new tricks.

 Mush Dyl, Mush!!

Dyl pulled out some extremely long runs.

Em wasn't being left behind but Mum didn't join in as she was busy cooking dinner (as usual).