Block printing Sun 5th Jan

January 06, 2025

Today was a sleep-in and slow start for most. Our rooster sensitivity is dropping exponentially due to constant exposure so it was just the sticky heat to contend with overnight. We asked Uncle Google why roosters crow - basically anything and everything, eg, feeling threatened, warning away predators, indicating safety, establishing territory, or telling his ladies it's time to wake up and make breakfast (!). My favourite description of why a rooster crows was this: "A rooster crowing is often simply announcing his presence, because he is perfect and certain that everyone wants to know he is there." At least they pause in the evenings. There are roosters, hens and chicks everywhere around the island. And dogs. Dogs everywhere, running on the road and having swims and hanging around. We have instructions to keep our balcony gate closed to stop the dogs coming up and ruining the outdoor furniture!

We were a soldier down in our activities today with Shannon coming off second best against the heat yesterday. While she rested at home, we went off to our fabric art workshop. Our host had seven tables set up with 3D block designs cut out of them, and it was our job to apply fabric paint onto coloured fabric in the most artistic way we could manage. The helpers were so positive and encouraging, and it was a fun way to spend a couple of hours. It's definitely one of those activities you feel you could do a lot better at if you had a second go.

After lunch we went in search of Muri Beach for a swim. It's a little bit tricky to know where the best beach access is if you don't have local knowledge, but we eventually found a way there. The lagoon at Muri is calm, shallow, and picturesque, and there are several resorts right on the beachfront. The closest island in the lagoon there is Motutapu, easily swimmable, and Peter walked around it in about 5 minutes. Caelan even managed to find another turtle (he is becoming the turtle whisperer!) who was chowing down on sea cucumbers. The rest of us saw a few fish in the coral including a coral stone with a super cute fish nursery - lots and lots of mums and tiny babies hanging out! They seemed mostly unbothered by our presence so we watched them for a while. The only downside of Muri lagoon is the density of sea cucumbers on the bottom. They look a bit like poops and there were so many that we had to carefully pick our way through them while walking - like a tremendously poorly cared-for dog park. I'm not sure what exactly sea cucumbers look for in a home, but Muri Lagoon certainly seems to tick all the boxes.

In the evening we tried out the Muri night market for dinner. Arriving at around 6.30pm, many of the stalls had sold out before we had even completed our reconnaissance lap, so we have resolved to go back again later in the week at an earlier time. We did all manage to find something delicious to eat, (in an inedibly huge portion size).

Compulsory cannonbombs have been achieved this evening, and we're heading off to bed shortly. Tomorrow is an early start, with some of our party doing a snorkelling trip starting at 7am (meet time 6.30!!) and others going diving at a more gentle 8.30am. I sense naps in our future. And maybe we'll be up early enough to shout at the roosters for a change.