OKIWI BAY CONVERT MISSION
Version 2 10th February 2007
"Be there at 5:30 in the morning?!!" This was to be our first dive with dive club and after staring shockingly at the email with unblinking eyes and my jaw around my knees, I finally came to the realization that this crew meant business. Dragging my sorry butt out of bed at 4:45am was no mean feat but I managed and after grumpily gutsing down some breakie (midnight snack more like it) we jumped into our loaded rig and headed down to the address given: North Road. No problem. Only a year ago we used to rent a room down there. Obviously people must be parked opposite the park, where we won't bother any neighbours, load up our gears and get out of there. Wrong. After driving up and down the road like some psycho's casing out the joint, we pulled over and convinced ourselves we must have had the wrong time? No, the wrong day? Or maybe the wrong North Road? Ok lets' call Stu. What if he's asleep? We might wake his kids? Tough, this is ridiculous, I'm calling him. Ok, so we're on the right road, at the right time and we're heading down the drive to the secret rendezvous (it's still dark) where about a dozen or so bleary eyed zombies grumbled hello and the bad news was given. "Sorry guys, 40 knot winds round Cape Jackson, it's not gonna happen." Damn! "So we're gonna go with Plan B to Okiwi Bay and the outskirts if the weather allows." I love these guys!
Now if any of you enjoy the thrill of a fun park ride, get yourself a ride with Stu in his Holden (god I hope it was a Holden and not a Ford). These vehicles are designed to do 55km corners at 100km easy (trailer/schmailer). Even managed to catch a few zzz's whilst wizzing round the windy roads towards Okiwi Bay. So we're there at Okiwi Bay waiting for the others with the third boat. I don't know, 2 hrs later? the word on the street is the boys can't make it, we're squeezing into two boats and before we know it John and I have buddied up and we're falling backwards into the warm waters north/west of Moukirikiri Island. So I fetch my first scallop, tangle myself in the float line a few times then mosey up to the surface to count the catch. Bevan (my fiancé) does the same and don't ask me how but at the boat manages to unclip Brian's catchbag attached to the float line. Goodbye scallops, goodbye catchbag, nice to meet you Brian J
Second dive and we're after crays. Never done this before, John I'm following you. Great spot, loads of massive rocks and good cray hiding places; John gives me my first glimpse of one just out of reach. At about 50bar I look under a rock and give John the big 10/4. He's got his arm in there, he's fighting, his eyes are bulging, he's definitely on it and at 20 bar to go he pulls out the biggest cray I've ever seen! Quickly to the surface we clamber in the boat and compare crays with Brian & Bevan. Unbelievably, they have an even bigger one plus an extra one. I'm well impressed and buzzing from all the action. The second boat pulls over and shows off their cray (not quite as big as ours - hee hee J)
We all head back to shore, quickly stopping to fulfil our scallop quota with a few bars left from the unsuccessful cray dive. After landing on shore and catching up with the other boat, it was obvious everyone had had a fantastic time. We're really looking forward to the next trip (D'Urville Island) and thanks guys, especially John, Stu & Brian for making our first trip so memorable.
Ang & Bevan.