Pacific Adventure: ANZAC DAY Courage Endurance Mateship Sacrifice

ANZAC DAY – COURAGE – ENDURANCE - MATESHIP - SACRIFICE

On the preceding Friday there was an inaugural Twenty20 cricket match between the High Commision’s elevens. Check out the aussie team tee shirts (the words are from the Kokoda Trail Memorial). It was an excellent afternoon with the Kiwis short by 11 runs, although they were awarded the catch of the match with their team member literally losing a leg in the chase(he went down in fall, lost a leg and promptly repositioned his sock on his stump crawled to his leg and put it back on, stood up and returned the ball).
That evening we returned to the Blue Marlin so I could again check out the lobster and watch the sun set. YUM
Saturday it was off to the airport at 3.30am, the ANZAC Dawn Service at 5.50am as F got the students their accommodation, breakfast and Yacht Club for the start of a Laser checkout course for me from 8 to 11.30. Lots of go fast stuff to set up and drills to master.
This was actually my first dawn service( I have done a couple of day services) with a Police Contingent and Band, about a dozen wreath layers, lots of Samoan dignitaries with a short march from the main Great War Memorial(Clock Tower) to the Samoan Mother’s Memorial opposite the ANZ Bank. I was interviewed by TV3 afterwards as I waited for a lift home, no one I know saw the TV3 News and it may well have ended up on the cutting room floor.
There was am Official Reception and Flag Lowering Ceremony at the HC residence in the evening. The food was prepared and served by Tourism and Hospitality students from APTC. The flag was lowered by the daughters of the HC’er and the Ode read by the daughter of a RAN officer. Very moving and an excellent evening with the 2up school in full flight as we said our goodbyes and departed.
On Sunday, we took some friends to Sa’moana Resort for lunch and a swim in the pool, a very relaxing day. The Hash run on Monday had some problems with rain at the beginning of the run and finding the flour markers that were washing away. All was well in the end with some wading involved for those who actually stuck to the trail. The food was again exceptional with a pig, fish, chicken, sausages, salads and spag bol with cake for desert. Absolute feast !!!! I counted 56 in the circle and the keg was floating early with a large contingent going on to party at HQ (Alais - Cocktails on the Rocks). I have become the defacto photographer for Hash with lots of pics posted at www.apiahash.blogspot.com

Sorry that I didn’t post the above but the weeks have been hectic and the net was down all last weekend for an upgrade, still waiting for the fibre optic to kick in as it’s been connected to the island for a couple of weeks. I have completed a 10 hour course on sailing a Laser at the Yacht Club, is my body sore from ducking a raging boom that was trying to break my skull, a inherently unstable boat that capsizes at the shift of my weight and trying to compete with 12 to 14 year olds that are half my weight and have the flexibility of youth, my only advantage is I can just hold the center board on a capsize and up the boat came and I had lots of practice at that as ropes got tangles, jibes happened that I did not initiate while clearing the rudder of weed( a very tricky maneuver) – but it was fun and I was the only old guy.
My other project this week was doing a mapping and sounding survey for a friend. The GPS and software got a BIG workout and I was in the water for three hours on Sunday morning on the low tide driving stakes, running 30 meter lines and taking water depth measurements. It covered an area of 4500 sqmtrs with about 30 waypoints.

Cinco de Mayo Run - Hash Run 1464
I just have to mention Hash again as it was a Mexican Tequila night(lick the salt, shot of tequila, suck the lime, followed by the Valimia beer down down) with a sax playing. An absolutely fantastic evening, I took 180 pics and kept 132. I counted 46 in the circle and the run was up a mountain with climbing skills required, I missed a tree root and had a big slide, living up to my “Slippery” title and got to check out the tequila and beer combination.
Weather wise the “wet” this season was a “dry” and we are enjoying lovely tropical days and cooler nights (sometimes you need a tee shirt to stay warm).
All our best from the tropics
R&F

Lewinski POD HASH