Lord Howe Is, Balls Pyramid, 2001
Lord Howe Is, Balls Pyramid, 2001

Australia, Lord Howe Is, Balls Pyramid, 2001 - Balls Pyramid is a spectacular sight, a massive cliff jutting out of the ocean 1843 feet above sea level, making it the tallest such "stack" in the world. It lies 13 miles off the coast of Lord Howe Island, a possession of Australia. July 5, 2001 - Novi and I hung out in the airport from 845a till 1135a, when we boarded, along with a score of Japanese tourists, the plane for Lord Howe. When we landed, I could see that the island was really beautiful, picturesque. I asked a Pinetrees staff if they had rooms, and they did, so they led us to their lodge. I had read about this lodge in the TCC bulletins. Novi and I made love. I slept a little. At about 430p, I went out, while Novi slept. I rode my bike to the far beach, then ran, with some walking to Kim's Lookout. It was getting dark, but I decided to continue along the ride. I got to Malabor peak, and now it was nearing darkness. The moon was yellow and encircled by clouds. I let out a whoop, standing so close to the cliff's edge, I felt a little afraid. I saw the sign to Ned's beach, and I took it. I was concerned that it would not drop down to the side of the island where the settlement is, but, now it being dark except for the light of the moon and the airport, the trail finally dropped down. I stood there for a moment, soaking in the breeze, the moon, the clouds, the sound of the waves off of Ned's beach, the whole panorama of dark hills. I felt at peace. I soaked it all in and I envisioned a future world that I could help to mold, in which women could run free and naked, where there was much more love and much less frustration, where life was more like heaven and full of the mystery of the ages. I ran back to my bicycle and rode along the dark roads back to Pinetree. It was exhilarating. Novi and I dined in the dining room, after watching a bit of a performance by the resident musicians. Lani behaved herself very well throughout. After, we laughed, while I danced to "Besame Mucho" with Lani. We retired to our room after dinner. Novita and I talked and laughed in the dark. We made love before sleeping. July 6, 2001 - Today was a banner day. There are few days that are as full of excitement and pleasure as this one. After a not-so-good bfast, I went to call the pilot, but he was already on premises looking for me. He said he had already flown this morning and it was a bit choppy but we could go if I wanted. At 10a we went to the airport and donned our lifevests. We flew out the 12 miles to the Pyramid. Ball's Pyramid is truly one of the world's wonders, a "stack" jutting 551m out of the ocean. On almost every side it is a sheer drop from the top fo the ocean floor; nearly vertical cliffs!! We circled around it twice. I shot lots of photos. There was a rainbow to backdrop it to boot!! Just flying near it filled me with a sense of satisfaction. When we returned we flew to the south of Mt. Gower, around the island over the settlement and then touched down. Stan, the pilot, tipped the wings many times in order for me to get the appropriate photographs. I thoroughly enjoyed the flight, as did Novi. Stan asked us to his house for a coffee. The coffee was terrible, but the house was beautiful. He had redone the inside and outside of the house, the house having been inherited from his father. He said had chosen colors as follows: "I figured the sea did pretty good, the sand and blue of the water." The walls were a yellow and the trim a light sea blue. The floor was a resurfaced yellow cedar, which had so much patina to it, it looked synthetic. "What time is it?" I asked, looking at his watch, which said a quarter to twelve. "We've go to go!" I said; we were on our way to the glass bottom boat. We got a ride back to Pinetrees, went to our room for a minute, then we waited on the beach for the boat. The boat pulled up ten minutes later. Dean led the trip. It was interesting. He knew a lot about the wildlife, having been a ranger for 15 years here. He said there were 100 species of coral, but said there 500 on the great Barrier reef. The information I'd received so many years ago from the guy at Uepi Island who I went diving with seemed to be errorneous. He had said there were something like 47 species on the Great Barrier Reed. When it came time to snorkel, I went without a wet suit. It was brisk, about 19 degrees Centigrade. The dive was very lovely. There were corals everywhere. I also met what is probably a big puffer fish, hiding in a hole. There was also another hole in which there were many large fish. Back on board after about 20 minutes. Dean hammered on two sea urchin to reveal their orange interior, then tied them to the underside of the glass bottom. The fish, mostly small parrot wrasses, fed in quick succession, until the urchin had no more insides left. We returned to shore. I took a long hot shower. We enjoyed a hot coffee in our room. Then we went, under gray skies, for a picnic. We cycled as a family, Lani on my chest, to Ned's beach. There was no one there when we got there. I made a fire in the BBQ pit, and we roasted lamb chops and beef sausages. It started to drizzle, and we finished our blackened repast under the protection of the small shelter there. Then came some white folk, then a group of Japanese tourists. I went for a walk down the beach. Down the other end of the beach, I shot a photo of a mask-like face carved into the hard sand wall. I saw the man with the fish feed bucket coming and I scurried back. He threw gobs of leftover table scraps into the water, but virtually no fish came. The seas were too rough today, he said. Indeed the sea was rough, threatening and pounding its way in. Not long after, I resumed my walk down the beach. It started to rain hard, and I came back, partly soaked. Novi and I waited till the rain stopped. I stopped next to the BBQ pit, even though it was drizzling, without my shirt, just to feel its warmth. Not long before dark, we cycled back. We arrived around 515p. I showered again, a long, hot, lovely shower, soaking it in, reveling in its warmth.

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