Ailsa and Andy’s Travels: Day 20 Swings and Beach Things

The sun was out again today so after breakfast we had a stroll along the seafront, looking at the boats and watching the little foot passenger ferry come in. We also checked out some restaurants to scout out where might be good to go for tea. On our wander we found a swing dangling from a tree on the seashore, which of course had to be swung on…..multiple times!

We had a wonder through the little town - it’s just one main street so that didn’t take long but we popped into the post office for postcards and stamps. The post mistress could only be described as a character! She was full of life and took great joy in showing us the calendar on the wall behind the counter which had big red cruise ships sharpied on every day they were due in near by. She took great joy in telling us that the cruise ship tourists keep buying all her stamps and she’s had to limit them to no more than 10 stamps per person! She also told us that she wished they’d all go to the loo on the ship before they come to visit Russell as they just don’t have the local conveniences to cope with them all in the town.

A local man with a little dog had been out to get his morning paper and was walking in front of us as we wandered along the street. It was like a scene from Neighbours as he said G’day to the people working in each shop as he walked past. I just about ended myself in giggles when one of the people was called Madge.

We decided to pop over the hill, which took all of 2 minutes in the car, to a beach called Long Beach. It was beautiful and very quiet. After getting wet bottoms sitting on some soggy sand, we relocated to the dry sand and watched the world go by for a couple of hours. There was one man paddling in the sea, probably knee deep who was doing something really quite peculiar. We watched him from afar for ages trying to work out what he was doing. He was feeling around in the sand with his feet, and every so often he would find something, retrieve it with his hands then throw it back in the sea again. This went on for ages. Periodically, he would venture up the beach to his wife and then return to do his strange feely thing with his feet again in the water. I have no idea what he was looking for. He did at one point bring down a container, fill it with sea water and plonk it down on the beach. I gave up watching and read my book so I can’t tell you if he ever put anything in his little container.

The rest of the afternoon was spent reading and watching the world go by on the balcony. Andy has spotted his dream boat which apparently would be perfect for fishing trips. He’s taken a picture and will consult with Dad to see what kind of boat it is!

When we flew from Santiago to Auckland 3 days ago, there was a man sitting a couple of rows behind us who was coughing and sneezing over everyone. Andy seems to have picked up the lurgy and we are most definitely blaming the man on the plane! I think on this occasion it can be said that sharing was definitely not caring! Fingers crossed that Andy starts to feel better soon.