Extras

I'm pretty determined to get the most that I can out of my stay over here in Oz. In aid of this, this week I have been out kayaking in Shoal Bay with Doug (my first time kayaking in a long time - it's harder work than it looks!).. 

Doug, Jenny, and I took a drive out to Boat Harbour to watch the whales go by..

And today in the lunch break at work Kyle decided it might be nice conditions for a bit of free diving and I was invited along! So we quickly headed off to grab our stuff and actually went back to Boat Harbour (where we were watching whales a few days before) and jumped straight in from the rocks! (I've not really jumped in from rocks when there's been a fair bit of swell before so this was a new experience - a little daunting at first, but it was fine really, not nearly as scary as it looked). Kyle did a bit of free diving and found some critters, and I snorkelled and had a look around. The water temperature here at the moment is on the colder side for this area (around 18ºC), which I found really pretty comfortable after diving in Plymouth in February (about 9ºC). The sea temperature in Plymouth at the moment after the 'heatwave' is 15ºC. I think they have it pretty good here really for messing about in the water - although they do have a multitude of sharks frequenting the coastline I suppose.. I try not to think about them..

Obligatory selfie

Its pretty scary watching someone
disappear down into the
depths, and stay there for minutes!

Everything that we caught was actually caught by Kyle. My aim by the end of my time here is to be able to free-dive
for long enough to catch some beasties!

I think this is an Eastern rock lobster (Jasus verreauxi) - there is a catch limit and so we brought back 2 individuals.
They also have to be a certain size (so that the babies don't get caught). Kyle was generous enough to donate the 2 he
caught today to me! (Although I'm determined to catch my own before leaving). And I am planning on trying to
cook them tomorrow! I have been given instructions and I am feeling confident that I probably won't ruin them
 (Results to follow soon...)

Also there were lots of little fish everywhere

Lots and lots!