The boss was off fishing and I was meant to have a quiet day doing essential admin! Yeah right!
Within 15 minutes of the boss (Xiaoli – the wife) leaving at 6.30am with my best mate up here to go fishing 50km up the beach I get a wechat message from her. At that stage I was about to head back to bed with 2 of the dogs so we could catch some more sleep. Second morning in the row she has had me up in the dark making her and Robin coffee so they can go fishing. Yesterday the boat, today the bluff up Ninety Mile Beach. Yesterday no fish. Bugger
Anyway back to the 15 minutes later and the wechat message just as I was about to head for bed again. The beach there is prolific seaweed. Bring the trailer and load up for the garden. Ok. Were her and Robin going to wait and help? Don’t be stupid, fishing for them was priority. So yours truly sleep ideas went out the window. Instead its stay dressed and go hitch the trailer to the 4wd. The dogs felt sorry for me so 2 pleaded to come. Well truth be known I didn’t give them the choice.
So off we head to fuel up first. My poor 4wd had been sitting since I went to China so didn’t turn over fast initially but it fired up. A bird flew out from underneath so guessing there may be a nest under the bonnet. Not a first so must lift the bonnet later. Grabbed a pie for breakfast at the fuel station. Not sure who ate more of it, me or my 2 companions.
Stop at our beach accommodation. Put the rubbish out as we have been busy and guests fill the wheelie bins up and sometimes if I forget to put out weekly the smells that come out are not pleasant.
5 guests checked out yesterday so strip beds and get the washing machines going so when I come back off the beach I can hang them up. So much for admin!!!!!!
On to the beach and sure enough head north and the seaweed is abundant. Get the trailer half full then think well it will be all the way up the beach so head to where Robin and Xiaoli are fishing then she can finish collecting the seaweed why I fish. Yeah right! There is no seaweed further up the beach.
There were a few fish on the rocks so dinner today taken care of. Yum, sashimi. And if still hungry a fresh fillet friend in lemon and garlic lightly seasoned. Yum. And Xiaoli will cook the head with ginger etc and devour it as fish head soup. Eyes and all.
Said my hello. Let the boss cuddle her dog and off back down the beach at a more leisurely pace. Realised there was a few items washed up covered in growth from a long time at sea. Where did they come from? The tidal flow comes down around Africa across below Australia and up between them and us. As photos infer these had been at sea a very long time before beaching on our beautiful Ninety Mile Beach for me to photograph. And are they not beautiful? I think so.
I collected more seaweed then a few shells. Yes living where we do we always have plenty of shells but our customers tend to help themselves to ones we leave on display. Personally I would not touch what is obviously displayed as a collection, but our customers don’t think like me. So given our beach business is niche marketed to the Chinese market I guess some of our Ninety Mile Beach shells now reside back in China.
I flew the newly acquired drone on return. Easier than I thought to fly but did spend several hours yesterday upgrading software to the drone. I had to purchase a new cell phone as my model for the drone software was outdated. But will now dedicate the new cell just to the drone. Photographs I took are not great but not the drone camera fault. My inexperience. Winds have now come up quite strong so the drone just needs sit until I have chance again to fly.
A China travel consultant we met on our China trip is chasing for unique tour routes and costs. Not a 5 minute job so told them they will have by the end of week.
The bank is chasing me to sign mortgage application papers for a property we are looking at buying. I told them I will get it done, just not today. If we miss on the property, so be it. Shortly I will be full on with tours down country and Xiaoli will be pushed hard with our accommodation business so if we cant acquire the beach property we look at so be it.
Days are just not long enough
Peter and Xiaoli Tours 