Day 39 (Friday 24th November 2006)

Determined to find the cricket somewhere on this blasted island, Marc was up early in time for the start of day's play. He searched every bar in Gili Trawangan, checking over 200-channels, but could he find it?...now that's not really playing cricket! What's up with these people and where are all the Australians???? Obviously somewhere where they can watch it and Marc, now seething, trudged back to the guesthouse. Sarah was just as upset to hear Marc's news, she'd been praying for a day off from his moaning!

Having hit the cricket for six, we headed to the beach. With Marc still having one day left to run on his snorkelling ban, it was down to Sarah to check out what Trawangan's marine life had to offer. Now a fully abled and self sufficient snorkelling machine (she's a scuba diver don't forget), she was off, even without the aid of fins! Even better than her new found aqua talents (she's a water baby of the sea), she now knows pretty much all of the fish names too and came running back up the beach to report to Marc what she had found.

Although the current was a bit strong, preventing her from venturing too far up the reef, she marvelled at the splendour of all the beautiful fish that teemed around her. Amongst them was a rather cute boxfish and a goatfish, changing its pigment from white to red (remember that Stevie), which has to be said is still leaving her gobsmacked!

After lunch she hired some fins and was back out there with the camera. She was gone for ages and as well as her favourite puffers, amazing large angel and butterflyfish, she found two turtles to snap...cool ay? She also took some pics of what she described as gorgeous vivid blue tangs...any idea what they might be Stevie? Marc had a sneaking suspicion that they may have been regal tangs.

It wasn't long before she was back in again and as if she hadn't seen enough already, she saw a further three turtles! Whilst with one of these magnificent, genlte creatures of the sea, she joined an elite group...the turtle touchers!! She stroked its gorgeous shell as it took in some air at the surface and just as Marc would say, they shared a 'moment' on top of the sea!!

The other two turtles were together, tearing up the seabed and once she was done hanging out with the turtles, she was busy spotting trumpetfish, puffers, of all shapes, colours and sizes (gotta' love those puffers), sweetlips and clownfish as well as getting lost within a giant shoal of fusiliers!!

Sarah went to bed that night like an excited child and Marc's mouth was watering over the prospect of another reef to check out, for in the morning, he could snorkel again...horay!!

PS Thanks for the TV update Kiki, doesn't sound like we're missing much!! A hurricane?!! Wow that sounds pretty cool...as long as the Spartans game isn't called off...god forbid!!!!!!

Day 40 (Saturday 25th November 2006)

Day 40!! It's going so quickly! Touch wood we're both feeling ok now and it was up, quick brekkie and in that water for a snorkel! Marc took no chances and sported two bright yellow earplugs as he made his way in to the water.

He got a sample of what a good reef this was too, but with the tide coming in, it was nearly impossible out there with the current and you just couldn't stay in one spot. It's no longer Marc pointing out stuff to Sarah and explaining what it is, quite the opposite in fact on this short, but pleasant snorkel. Sarah was pointing out all kinds of beautiful specimens to Marc, including a delightful large octopus, changing colour on the sea bed.

The tangs round here are especially nice and the reef contained the first unicorn surgeonfish either of us had ever seen. There's numerous hogfish, triggers, angels and butterflies out there...it's great!

After lunch and with the current now yielding, we went back in. Marc didn't return to dry land for over 2-hours and Sarah, a good 90-minutes herself! Once Sarah had shaken off two rather angry triggerfish, launching themselves at her in the shallows (why does the whole animal kingdom seem to bare a grudge against the poor girl, she never hurt anyone?!...she even turned a placid goatfish red for christ sake!), we found another turtle and tried taking some pictures of each other behind it.

We also saw another beautiful octopus, pair of large queen angels, lovely foxfaces, as well as a whole host of amazing reef fishes. Sarah, now quite the wildlife spotter, even witnessed the rare sight of a lobster out and about the seafloor in the daylight hours, this a spectacular large blue one...what they're not red she said...ok, not quite the reef expert yet then!!

When Sarah had retired, Marc carried on, stumbling across three more turtles, a dazzling emperor angelfish and at last these mysterious vivid blue tangs...which are of course the one and only and truly gorgeous regal tangs (aka Dori out of Finding Nemo...if that helps you Kaileah). They are simply beautiful and it was great for Marc to see them in the wild, having spent so many hours watching one in his tank back home!

Marc's earpluhgs only lasted one snorkel and the "I'll be safe and not dive down for a day" went out the window as soon as the turtles and octopuses came his way...so listen out for the next ear infection!!

We'll probably spend one more day on this island, Marc watching the weekends footy, before possibly going back to Bali on Monday. Looks like Marc's not missing much in the cricket then, Australia giving us a pasting! Go on McGragh (he found score on internet)!

Come on Arsenal tonight! What's the odds on Stelios, or definitely Anelka scoring a goal??

PS Well done Marc's mum for quitting another job...that's surely more than him!! Hope Enzo doesn't want a walk in the hurricane!

Can't wait to see the pics of Honey and Amber's new hair do's!

So we can't watch the cricket, well at least we have the opening day of the second test in Adelaide to look forward to...oh no that's gone as well!! Good job we didn't build our whole around-the-world ticket around that then!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We're not angry Ian, just hope you can find time to visit us at least once while we're there, that or get us some aeroplane tickets for a short trip to Perth maybe...even if it's just to see the crocs!

Keithy poohs, hope everything's still ok for Wednesday ol' chap. We'll email you the flight stuff again soon just in case...

Can someone please explain the whole Tubes scoring a goal thing...we still don't know!!

..and of course...Happy Birthday 'Roslin' (Gabby)!!!!!!!