Much has happened, much has changed

This had to happen sooner or later.
Not the thing I would usually do. But this may see a change in my character and who knows I may even start to enjoy blogging :)
I enjoy telling a good story and enjoy writing. Now I get to do both. Here's hoping I can get half decent at it.
I will endavour to do my best at keeping this updated on a weekly basis.
Right! Onto the important stuff.

I need to appologise for not starting this sooner. But I will try and fill in what I can remember since September.
But I will start this post with something exciting and interesting.
My trip up into the mountains with the field biologists, Karen and Sylvain.
I have kept it fairly short and sweet.

On the way to Gonydale

They have to head off to do routine checks on the Tristan Albatross and Giant Petrel colonies in Gonydale and Lowhump. I figured it could be fun to tag along and see what it is all about. Finished up my usual duties at around 3am and was up again at 6. ready for the 6 odd hour hike up to Lowhump to ring Giant Petrel chicks and do counts on the nests and adults. Hike up was pretty grueling but very scenic. Once at Lowhump it was set up camp straight into ringing and counting the GP's. This is a very interesting experience when the chicks only defense is to throw up what there mother had only recently thrown up for them. So working with the stench of fish oil and struggling chicks was left to the experienced hands. Also due to the fact that my 3 odd hours sleep and long walk left me rather shattered and cautious about ringing the chicks.
Dinner followed the days proceedings. Quick and easy tinned chicken breyani. Nutritious and delicious...
Had my own cozy tent and enjoyed a good nights sleep with a brief shower of rain. Ah bliss :)
Up again early to head back to Gonydale to take a look at the Tristan Albatross colony and remove nest markers. Hiking on the island gets easier as you go higher up so the walking was pretty easy by this point and I was managing to keep uop with the Island walking machine Sylvain. Was well happy to get that one right! Haven't got fat and lazy yet!
Once at Gonydale we had a quick lunch and started our collection of nest markers. Left to my own devices I threw in the earphones and put in some hard graft. Got to talk to myself and enjoy the company of the Tristans. A decent sized bird, with a 3 meter wing span and adults weighing close on 15 Kg's.

Adult Tristan Albatross

Day ended rather late as we finished with the markers and scuttled off a luxury dinner prepared by our French chef Karen. Pasta and tuna. Then spent a couple hours looking out for the night birds.
Crawled in my sleeping bag just a tick away from midnight after a very intense day. Was a well deserved rest I felt.
Got cracking early on the next morning so we could finish up the markers and start making our way back to base. Managed to finish up at around lunch time and got everything packed up and we were on our way back.
Stopping along the way to photograph the Yellow Nose albatrosses that had set up camp for themselves and were protecting there chicks which were only a couple days old by this point.
Hike bike down was easy and brisk. Easier going down that's for certain.

Yellow Nosed Albatross with chick

We were all looking forward to a hot shower upon our return, but were instead greeted by the fragrant aroma of coals burning and a red light showing us that the water level was low. No shower! Sorry, but the bucket of rain water outside will have to suffice. Well, we do what we need to do to get by. So cleaned up and was off for a fantastic dinner of lamb chops and wors with some delicious braai broodtjies. Perfect way to finish up a long days walking and working.

All in all, a great trip and incredible experience. Hope to tag along for another trip sometime soon!