Team Testicle Munchers

Sunday was Annas birthday so Marcia headed up to Auckland on Saturday afternoon and we hung around the shop whilst Grant buggered around with the filter on the compressor so he could then top up my tanks.
We were standing at the counter, tapping our toes, waiting to pay when the moment arrived and I swooped in.
Grant looked up and said something to the effect of .. “hmmm Tara Testicles” … WTF??   then he looked over at Marcia and said “and Marcia Muncher, haha Testicle Munchers!”  Oh dear.

Marcia Muncher

We jumped in our cars – Marcia has the HOTTEST new Audi A3 and shot back to my place to throw the last of my gear in her car and we were off!  Hooning up to Tutukaka was loads of fun.  Marcia drives just like I do … and has Air Supply in her music collection just like I do.  We were singing sqwaking away at the tops of our voices and Nell should think herself very lucky that we just managed to stop ourselves from leaving voicemail messages for her to pick up when she woke up.

We (Anna, Andrew, Skip, Lee, Marcia and myself) were staying with Noel and Jo for the night and then planned to go out on the “Arrow” with Yukon Charters for the day.  So we arrived in Tutukaka and Anna said they were at the Fishing Club.  Of course.  After a days diving, there is no better place to ‘off-gas’ than the Fishing Club.  Cheap beers, old style bar leaners, packets of chips to munch on – choice!  We had a couple of drinks with the others that were out diving that day and then headed up to Noel and Jos for burgers and more drinks.

Coffee and Camera at dawn

Jo had gone bananas!!  There was food for Africa!  She had even organised a delicious carrot cake with cream cheese icing for Anna and combine that with the wine and daylight savings and we headed off to bed about midnight.  No one wanted to miss the next days diving.

We woke up and the wind had died down and the sun was trying its hardest to burn off the clouds and after tea, coffee, toast, peanut butter, jam …. and the organising of cameras, we headed down to the Marina.  Arriving at the boat, there I saw one of the Project Managers I used to work with at Vodafone – amazing who you crash into around these parts.

Out to the Knights we went and the first site Noel took us to was Bird Rock.  I love diving Bird Rock!

Skip (Red Beanie), Lee and Andrew (back to us) getting ready and gearing up with Jos help (on the right) at Bird Rock, Poor Knights Islands

Both Marcia and Anna were diving with their cameras and as I had my new BCD on and am still getting used to the DUI dry suit, I was going to play spotter.  We dropped down the anchor line and onto the rockformations on the eastern side.  We stayed around 20m and had about 10-12m visibility.  Not as good as a couple of weeks ago, but good enough.  And what was there to see … well!  It was a complete nudibranch orgytown.  The little buggers have been very busy and the ribbons are hatching.  One spot, no shit, there would have been 30 clown nudibranchs.  We moved around a little and there were three Spanish lobsters having a face off with a demoseille.  Anna gave one a tap on the bum and it got a little shitty but kept its eyes on the demoseille.  Honest to god, moving my eyes to the left, we had more Tamja Verconis nudibranchs.  We didnt even get around the rock on the part of the dive that I did.  About 35 mins into the dive, Anna signalled to me that my tank was bubbling and sure enough, I could hear it.  The O-ring had gone.  I still had enough air to complete my safety stop, so I ascended and finished on top of one of the rock formations cruising through the kelp looking at the few fish that were around.

Back on board, Andrew and Lee were up from their dive and Noel made me a super-duper Milo (I havent had one in years!).  I had a bit of a leak in the suit but no problemo, wearing my Fourth Element, I knew it would dry out soon enough.

We putted down the channel and around to the rocks on the other side of Dutch Cove which is Middle Channel (I think!).
I said to Anna that it looked gorgeous and then Noel stopped and held the site to a vote.  Yes! We all said and we geared up.
Marcia had extremely cold fingers after the last dive and so she passed on this one.  Anna and I dived together.  I was so overweighted!!  Kicking like mad and diving like a numtie but we did a 50 minute dive and it was beautiful.  More nudi madness and some eels too!

Such a great day and I hope Anna enjoyed her birthday as much as I did.

Upgraded!

i got it!!!

and i put it all together.
and then got a bit of help from anna to reattach my Air2 and then to Macgyver (or Mcanna) up my SMB to the tail.

my OMS baby

marcia will be here at 2 and then we are off to tutukaka for a days diving tomorrow for Annas birthday.
and i get to take my new OMS baby for a spin at the Poor Knights.  woop!