On Sunday, September 03, 2000 4:44 PM, Sherry wrote:

>Hey Gang,
    We had a great dive today, the water was a balmy 14c which isn't too bad
now that we are going into spring here.

Sherry!  I shiver at 16 deg. C!  :-)

>We did a shore dive there at Leigh our deepest dive today was 4 meters
(tide was going out) We don't ever have to worry about sharks not there is
any but everytime we go down we have an entrouge of fish following us. The
usual Snappers, Blue cods, Blue Mao Maos, Kelp Fish, Goat fish, Red Moki
etc. I saw a star fish today that was actually moving not just staying
still, also saw a huge cray fish it was not sleeping usually in the day they
are hiding and sleeping.

It sounds as though you had a great dive.  I don't know about you and Tim,
but for me the nicest part of diving is being able to identify the marine
life - and then learn a little about their bizarre behaviour!   (And then
being able to say - after the next dive - "Hey!  Did you see that
Iggle-Oggle Box fish?  You know, of course, that they mate in a very weird
way?) :-)

(snip)

>Tim came up beside me and I told him I was going to walk out, he look just
a couple of feet away there was a huge sting ray just laying there in that
shallow of water. Needless to say I did not take my fins off just gave him a
wide berth so if he got spooked he wouldn't sting me. I have heard of people
almost stepping on them but I didn't think they would be in that shallow of
water. It was indeed a great dive.

They're not usually aggressive, but there have been instances of people
standing on their heads and then, sudenly, winding up with a barb struck
into them!

> We got a new dive vehicle too a Mazda Proceed Marvie. It is wonderful and
it will pull a boat real well and we will get a boat soon so no more shore
diving for us which will be great.

It sounds as though your new wagon's on a par with my "Beast"!  :-)

Are the two of you intending to make the hop across the Tasman Sea after
Crusty's visit? :-)

BTW!  It's Father's Day here in Oz.  My daughter, Sara, gave me a card that
said: "Now that she was grown up her and Dad could agree - she had been a
lovely baby, apart from being a screaming, whinging little gobshite."!!!
<BWG>  To be fair to Sara - she's a great diver!  :-)

Strike