Mission Report No 10

 Monday 23rd May 2022

This was our first "fun day" with Miriam and Taylor here. The wind was forecast to blow up at Port Douglas and we wanted to go and visit our friend June and go out to lunch with her, and then go kiting, and that is exactly what we did! Lovely lunch at a hotel, eating semi outdoors - I had a beautiful chicken and prawn salad. I think it was the Courthouse Hotel - highly recommended if you are looking for a nice meal there.

If  you really want a job these days, you can get one.
Just don't be too fussy and be willing to take risks.

But, nearly forgetting this as I write up this on Saturday, we visited Hartley's Crocodile Farm. Well worth the visit, very educational and a bit exciting too, watching the croc keepers in the compound with them, tempting them with bits of chicken.

Taylor kiting at Port Douglas

Taylor and I kited down the southern end of Four Mile Beach, which is where June lives, so she was able to come to the beach with us for a little while and then she walked home. Taylor used my 12m kite and surfboard, I used my 9m and foil. With me learning to foil and Taylor still learning to use my surfboard, we were both going downwind at the same rate, but fortunately Margot and Miriam both helped carry our gear back up wind when we came in. For you non-sailers out there, going downwind is not the preferred option. Coming back in at the same place you went out, staying upwind, is the better way to go as you don't have to walk back with all your gear!

Tuesday 24th May 2022

We had a Mission Conference with President and Sister Ence this morning. We "northerners" participated via Zoom, but it was still really good.

Back to Port Douglas today for more kiting. The wind was not quite as strong as yesterday unfortunately. I went much better on the foil today, but still, kite foiling is like learning to kite surf all over again. I'm not sure I will have the patience to learn something new. It's a definite challenge and it's a pain doing the "walk of shame" back to our starting point. Margot didn't come with us today - one day a week at the beach is enough for Margot.

Wednesday 25th May 2022

Getting off the back of "Evolution" to go snorkeling

Miriam and Taylor booked themselves and me to go out with Down Under tours on the Evolution, to go snorkeling today.

I've done a little bit of snorkeling in Tonga and Samoa, but I'm not an expert by any means. I can't seem to de-pressurize my ears on the way down, so I have about a 3 metre depth limit before the pressure in my ears builds up too much. But, to go snorkeling on the reef you really don't need to go very deep to see an absolutely incredible array of fish and coral. Because the locals in both Samoa and Tonga fish the reefs there to feed their families, there is nowhere near the amount and variety of fish that you see on our Great Barrier Reef.

10% of the world's coral reef 

is in our Great Barrier Reef  

Three happy snorkelers at the end of
the day, with "Evolution" in the background

Thursday 26th May

A Mission Presidents conference with Elder Ulisses Soares from the Quorum of the Twelve was held in Sydney this week. This morning there was a special meeting for missionaries, which we were able to Zoom in to. It was very good - instructional and motivational.

Barron River near Mt Hypipamee Crater

Drove to Atherton via Mount Hypipamee Crater and waterfall (upper Barron River) and also the Crater Lakes National Park where we had scones and jam and cream, which was delicious. Then we went to Mareeba in the afternoon and drove back to Cairns via Karunda.

Friday 27th May

Taylor and Miriam went to Palm Cove this morning and then in the afternoon Taylor and I went kiting at Yorkey's Knob. It was really a bit rough and windy for me learning to foil so I watched Taylor mostly. Taylor is starting to get the hang of going upwind. I did have a couple of attempted runs on the foil, but mostly went downwind pretty quick. Had a quick run on the surfboard. It takes some adjusting getting back on the surfboard after trying to ride the foil, mainly because the surfboard is so buoyant and sits high in the water when you are trying to get your feet on it to take off. (solution - fly the kite higher at that stage, then fly kite lower once you get going.)

Saturday 28th May

Early start today, getting Miriam and Taylor to the airport by 5.20am to catch their flight back to Melbourne. Back to bed when we got home to catch an extra hours sleep.

Sunday 29th May

Started the day with a missionary correlation meeting at 8.15 a.m. with Bro Thomas Gosney in Cairns 2, then the Sacrament meeting, before driving up the range to Kuranda to pick up our friend Jan Akkerman, who I have mentioned previously, to bring him down to Cairns 1st Branch Sacrament meeting. It was his first time at Church in about 2 years, since the Covid lockdowns started. Jan is nearly 80 and his hearing is quite bad (worse than mine!) so we sat right up the front, where he could hear. We are finishing off today with another correlation meeting with Cairns 1st Branch Mission leader, Br James Gardner.