Tuesday 6th October

Hibiscus flower in the Nursery




We’re slowly moving everything to Ranandi, to the Hasting-Deering site. It is looking like we may be able (yes I know, there are a lot of looking like, and maybes in there) to set up permanently at the rear of the paddock. Huge paddock, 200 metres by 180 metres not being used for anything other than storage by one of the building firms for their scaffolding at the moment.

The front bit we have got till it is all decided isn’t too bad, a wide narrow strip with a couple of shade trees, and room for 2 containers, one for storage and the other we’ll convert into a temporary office once we can get power hooked up to it. I spent a bit of time this morning with Hendry laying out plastic for weed control, and the first plants started going out this afternoon. Watering is going to be a problem for a while, we’ll have to use our water tank on the truck, fill up from the fire main and hand water samesame as usual.

Bruce and Keithie like the look of the site, Bruce is keen, and can see the possibilities of turning this whole mess around. Keithie was away to the Japanese Consul this week to try to find some way we can still be eligible for the funding grant from them, which would really set us off to a good start in the new place.





I’ve been watching a Custard apple tree (Annona muricata) along the driveway for a while, it finally set some fruit a couple of months back, and I was hoping to finally get one. Jepthtah arrived at lunchtime with the biggest fruit from it, the pest. Anyway, we all got a piece of it, deliciously smooth and creamy flavour, I suppose you could say it had a custard taste, but with a hint of sweet spice in it as well, messy things to eat though, your face gets a wash from it.



Jacinta with Custard apple (Annona muricata)

I’m away with Steve from Wednesday till late Thursday, maybe Friday to the Rural Training Centre in East Guadacanal. We’ve got the boat organised properly this week, I was told to bring the fishing rods, and I’m trying to find mask/snorkel/fins to do a bit of diving as well. My distaste for going to several shops for one thing from each is a bit of a burden though, one shop had good fins, but nothing else, another had snorkels, and fins, I’m still trying to find a shop that has decent masks, not the cheap plastic ones before 10 am tomorrow.

I’m using rechargable batteries in my hearing aids now, finally got a pair that recharge. They are meant to last only 1 day, about 10 to 12 hours, I’m getting 2 days out of them before recharging which is good. I won’t have to worry about going deaf while we’re away, and naturally you can’t get the disposable ones here.

I’m still waiting for the phone Rose sent me 3 weeks ago, Steve and I both believe it’s gone missing at the post office sorting room, along with anything else that was in the parcel. The concept of honesty is taking a long time to filter through here, and now having said that, it will turn up tomorrow in all likelihood.

Although you do notice a tendency for everyone here to prefer to take things, rather than ask for the use of them. The last time I was on Savo half my fish hooks, lures went missing, which got me a bit jaundiced, I did have plenty to pick from, the intention on my part was to have left them with the people I was staying with, and anyone who wanted them, after they just took stuff, I changed my mind.

I’m expecting the same thing to happen down in East Guadacanal as well, so long as my rods and reels don’t go missing I’ll wear having the hooks, lures and traces go missing. Still not cheap though.

I may get a soft bait set when I go back to NZ in February, and try it here. I haven’t seen anyone using soft baits, H.Longs have a few packets, but not the rod and reel combination and braided line to really make the most of them.



Tiffany at the Memorial Gardens, new sign and a big clean up.

To say the Government Finances are in a mess is an understatement. Various Departments now owe the Electricity Department $1,300,000 in unpaid accounts, but the MPs find it perfectly possible to grant them selves a $400,000 termination grant if they fail to get re-elected, to give all past and present PMs a house, car and full pension for life, even if in one case the person was only PM for 8 days till the riots and unrest forced him to stand down, a grant of $50,000 to every MPs wife at the end of each Parliamentary term, and an increase in MPs salaries to $180,000 per year.
It’s a good demonstration of grab it while you can, and to hell with the consequences.