tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2425463862377926642024-03-05T08:12:30.363+02:00Tristan TravelsJim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-30661664140353052862012-06-12T13:19:00.000+02:002012-06-20T18:50:26.165+02:00Goodbye TristanOk the sun is shining and ship is finally being unloaded, after a few days of poor weather. Passengers are due to board at 4pm this afternoon. The weather forecast doesn't look bad for the week ahead so I think we should arrive in Cape Town on schedule, in 6 days time.<br />
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While I'm really looking forward to seeing Simon (and Sandy & Ali) in Cape Town and everyone back home, after nine months here it is sad to be leaving too. The people are extraordinarily kind and generous and I've made a lot of friends here. Most of whom I'll never see again, I guess. I know one or two follow the blog, so I'd like to take the opportunity to thank them for welcoming me into their very special community. <br />
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It has been the most amazing experience of my lifetime. I called the blog Further than the furthest (thing) after the screen play of the same name, about the evacuation of the island in 1961 due to a volcanic eruption. But the work has been harder than the hardest thing, because of the remoteness and isolation - not to mention the landscape, weather, vegetation and the plants themselves!<br />
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Interestingly I visited the summit of the 1961 volcano yesterday afternoon to investigate a reported rare plant the endemic fern (<i>Asplenium insulare</i>).
I eventually found it deep in crevices and fissures in dark recesses,
between 0.5 and 3m below ground level. Surprisingly there was a lot of warm suphurous air coming up from between the cracks. I
guess 50 years since the last eruption is just a blink in geolgical time. Or maybe this is a good time to be leaving...<br />
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I'll update the blog next from Cape Town. <br />
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<br />Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-27550087781787739602012-06-08T13:14:00.001+02:002012-06-08T13:21:25.401+02:00Leaving Tristan - this time?This might be my last blog from Tristan. The Edinburgh - the ship that I'm leaving on has just arrived. But as soon as it has unloaded passsengers, cargo and diesel for the island's electricity generators - and that can take anything between half a day and a week depending on weather and sea conditions - we'll be off! And I still have some (re-)packing to do!<br />
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I'm leaving the island under a pall. There was a terrible tragedy at the weekend. One of the young island men was swept out to sea and lost his life. He leaves a one year son and fiance who had a joint birthday party the night before the accident, and as usual the entire island (or so it seemed) was there. You can read more on the Tristan website <a href="http://www.tristandc.com/">www.tristandc.com</a><br />
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As a result most of our
Diamond Jubilee celebrations were cancelled or postponed - except for the
bonfire. You might have heard the chief Islander, Ian Laverello, on Radio 4 News at One the other day talking about it.
Apparently we were the last Commonwealth country to light up before the queen
lit the touch paper outside Buckingham Palace. We're 12 degrees west of the UK (about 1 hour) and they went
from east to west around the globe. Our bonfire was made out of non-native invasive trees, which had recently been cleared from around the Settlement.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bogfern or Blechnum palmiforme - one of the most important species on Tristan.</td></tr>
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I had a great day out on Monday - a walk to The Ponds. Where we surveyed the 100th 1km square - which sounds much better than 99! Still leaves 21 - but many of those are coastal and mostly sea, or on the Peak and mostly scree. It is a pity we didn't quite finish but we do have a very good sample. On with the data analysis and report writing now...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKopueXXzjFXphHxQGtCSEp6TF2CNJPO65n1zphbSUGWKFAZ9lhMu2AQQ2Lt_nuxuYuNpgz1ao9rHufX3k31ZtM1592wYBHEPwuJXaSZAqGeono0hjbtp2YXVUer2FJvzTtl3nh2Ca49TV/s1600/IMG_1338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKopueXXzjFXphHxQGtCSEp6TF2CNJPO65n1zphbSUGWKFAZ9lhMu2AQQ2Lt_nuxuYuNpgz1ao9rHufX3k31ZtM1592wYBHEPwuJXaSZAqGeono0hjbtp2YXVUer2FJvzTtl3nh2Ca49TV/s400/IMG_1338.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trigger showing us the road home.</td></tr>
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There is only one butterfly species commonly seen on Tristan. I've been trying to photograph it all season, and have at last succeeded - probably due to the cooler weather making them less active. Its the Southern Painted Lady, which as far as I can remember what the Painted Ladies look like back home in Europe is pretty similar!<br />
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I'll keep you posted on exactly when I leave, but if the call for passengers comes suddenly, there might not be enough time to give you an update. In which case my next blog will be from Cape Town in a week or so. </div>
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Bye Bye Tristan...</div>
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</div>Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-49847419535350651572012-05-27T12:31:00.000+02:002012-05-30T16:34:36.981+02:00Inaccessible<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Tristan da Cunha archipelago
comprises three islands – Tristan itself, the biggest and only permanently
inhabited, and two smaller islands some 30-32km to the south west, Nightingale
and Inaccessible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yesterday I visited
Inaccessible with some island men and fellow ex-pat Adriano in the Wave Dancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is always good to get away from the
Settlement given that you can’t normally go much further than 5 km at most.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a stunningly beautiful day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was good to see the 2000m high Peak, now with
a light dusting of fresh snow on patches of older snow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The high escarpment around the island makes
it impossible to see it from anywhere on coastal plains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sun is low in the sky and much of the
western side of the island is in shadow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I decide to wait until the return journey before taking a photograph,
foolishly as it turns out because by that time the island is cloud capped.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBMvK2l88fK4TVkMFw8fv7YopnClq-LTPS7ajmECLZNNX6TPYq4tvBXJJ0dTetg2-pZVLMuHyECHqjr5v7SiGfQl8FOdvuUJ6APdxs_hBaWwdko6557bV6igY4Pgq3OnT4TYCVLp8g7VZ/s1600/Tristan2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBMvK2l88fK4TVkMFw8fv7YopnClq-LTPS7ajmECLZNNX6TPYq4tvBXJJ0dTetg2-pZVLMuHyECHqjr5v7SiGfQl8FOdvuUJ6APdxs_hBaWwdko6557bV6igY4Pgq3OnT4TYCVLp8g7VZ/s400/Tristan2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tristan with cloud cap from Inaccessible</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It doesn’t take long in the
Wave Dancer at 22 knots – maybe an hour and an half, even with a short pause to
set four crayfish (lobster) pots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
carry a small RIB (Rubber Inflatable Boat) half on deck, and half hanging off
the back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is used to make a beach
landing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which turns out not to be as
inaccessible as the name suggests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently
there are four places where you can land, depending on sea and weather
conditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The name might better
describe the fact that once landed there is only one easy route up the
escarpment which entirely surrounds the island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unusually we make the landing with dry feet and haul the RIB up and
secure it, disturbing some snoozing Sub-Antarctic Fur Seal pups in the process.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inaccessible from the boulder beach, Blenden Hall</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We land at Blenden Hall, a small
coastal plain at the westernmost extremity and make for the hut used by
visiting islanders and scientists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
really well equipped with cooking equipment, mattresses and sleeping bags.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It even has solar powered lights and sockets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A stream runs nearby conveniently.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The plain and lower escarpment
are almost entirely covered by coarse, dense and tall Tussock grass (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spartina arundinacea</i>). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well apart from Skua Pond, which like many
Tristan da Cunha ‘ponds’ isn’t actually a pond but a floating bog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This one is dominated by Big Bog Grass (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Isolepis sulcata</i>) with Pig Dock (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rumex frutescens</i>) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hydrocotyle filipes</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And true to name there is a gang of loafing
Tristan Skuas - a local subspecies of the Antarctic Skua.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which is remarkably similar to the Great Skua
(Bonxie) in the northern hemisphere and similarly vicious and murderous.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFn7PN9fSlXAYefh9vBsiM9Po6LMFsLRoPPjuLKAz78JHcIe5T6B50MIqcAjVg-IcCelZj_qTprhtuCvS5DZo6pKQEitCgbNtOdvj50OA00blbjqbLjV8GmwIo_evb3-B5ORKJCK7U2H-Q/s1600/Adriano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFn7PN9fSlXAYefh9vBsiM9Po6LMFsLRoPPjuLKAz78JHcIe5T6B50MIqcAjVg-IcCelZj_qTprhtuCvS5DZo6pKQEitCgbNtOdvj50OA00blbjqbLjV8GmwIo_evb3-B5ORKJCK7U2H-Q/s200/Adriano.jpg" width="133" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After exploring Skua Pond and boulder
beach combing, we return to the hut and continue up to the orchard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A collection of old gnarled windswept apple
trees with masses of fallen apples with only a few still on the trees – due to
last weekend’s storm no doubt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The air
is full of the sweet smell of rotting apples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But we still manage to fill 6 huge grain sacks of reasonably sound fruit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I said the Tussock is tall – I meant <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tall</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Up to 2.5m in fact, and this makes carrying the heavy apple sacks to the
shore difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Here is Adriano taking the strain...</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">While we’ve been on the island
the skipper and his mate have been fishing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They’ve caught some massive Bluefish (Southern Butterfish), a beautiful
Cape Mackerel and a dozen Five-fingers, a bream like fish which is my
personal favourite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We return to Tristan
only stopping briefly to collect the lobster pots we set earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We land a great haul of lobster, fish, apples
(and beach-comb fish trays).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After scaling, skinning, gutting and filleting the fish – the haul is
divided equally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The highlight of the
day is going round everyone’s house dropping off the fish and apples and
stopping for a celebratory drink - or two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s a late night...</span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">News Headlines<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The worse storm in over 10 years
lashed Tristan last weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
awesomely violent. The noise of rain, wind and sea prevented much sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 100 foot TV mast collapsed, narrowly
missing offices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otherwise there is not
too much damage – just the usual leaky house roofs and some damaged huts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, TV pictures are restored in double
quick time because of the UEFA Cup final between Chelsea and Bayern Munich!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOo17uRxC6_K1OoAThMeYBR-pyVn6-LfUytXyiNkAj8OfCuFoyFoRNfVhkUyPybc6BEln_BHGnGnq26ONX8rtTxrVNrMxIJVrKGN97uiV_z3MCqFsh2lk4fNm5x0N31Uuz2mLWvMMDnfQh/s1600/IMG_1082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOo17uRxC6_K1OoAThMeYBR-pyVn6-LfUytXyiNkAj8OfCuFoyFoRNfVhkUyPybc6BEln_BHGnGnq26ONX8rtTxrVNrMxIJVrKGN97uiV_z3MCqFsh2lk4fNm5x0N31Uuz2mLWvMMDnfQh/s320/IMG_1082.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hottentot waterfall above the village</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It's pretty unusual to actually see water in waterfalls or in gulches when it's not actually raining as the ground is so porous. But water flowed for a whole day after the storm.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHffGE3mV2UsQHL_pV-w4xtKVTnZqN8atptLLZ4tJNnBmYIA4eMaD_un-wrFK_OKtd77oQcVONxyG6qoazkHLt8bTyEDdg6CiTiuyYdtMHb3lVZC7fIFSBKUdQNq6HbFD-hFatsVHjviS/s1600/IMG_1080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHffGE3mV2UsQHL_pV-w4xtKVTnZqN8atptLLZ4tJNnBmYIA4eMaD_un-wrFK_OKtd77oQcVONxyG6qoazkHLt8bTyEDdg6CiTiuyYdtMHb3lVZC7fIFSBKUdQNq6HbFD-hFatsVHjviS/s320/IMG_1080.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main road out of the village.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not long now until the next scheduled sailing to Cape Town - just over two weeks. I </span>had hoped to do some additional
fieldwork in this period of Extra Time on Tristan, but it is getting more
and more difficult as the weather worsens and the days shorten and get colder.
So I’m concentrating on extracting and analyzing the data we’ve collected and
writing up the report. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was the observer at a
Major Incident Plan exercise to test the island’s emergency response on Tuesday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A fire at the school injured a teacher and
six children and would lead to the death of another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main thing it revealed was the lack of
resources (beds, equipment, nurses) at the hospital. Some of the patients had
to stay on trolleys or even share hospital beds!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Culinary
feats this week include another batch of Cape Gooseberry Jam – the biggest I’ve
made to date (4kg), the best ever loaf of bread, and some new firsts: lasagne
and sweet corn and butterbean soup.</span><br />
<br />Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-44737447800561880742012-05-13T15:37:00.003+02:002012-05-13T15:37:42.093+02:00Another 6 weeks on Tristan...It's maybe not going to be as easy hitching a lift on a passing cargo ship as I thought. Not many pass one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world. And much of what little traffic there is goes right past South Africa and onto the far east - to Hong Kong and Singapore. These ships travel at up to 25 knots. So we've got to make contact with them, or their head offices, well before they appear anywhere on the visible horizon - or even on the VHFradio horizon (about 100 miles). To allow enough time to negotiate and agree passage with HQs.<br />
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The Tristan government has been using a professional ship tracking system that shows realtime position of ferries and all ships over 300 tonnes around the world. Particularly for ships in South American ports that might be coming this way. There is a similar but free system on <a href="http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/">http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/</a> . Check it out to see what's happening at your nearest port. Another website <a href="http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/">http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/</a> uses satellites to track vessels further out in mid-ocean. But a lot of what I thought were ships near Tristan turn out to be floating weather bouys. <br />
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Amazingly, some shipping companies advertise berths on their cargo ships. I've been in touch with several asking if any of them are going near Tristan. Generally though that is going from port to port - and not making unscheduled stops. You can cruise the world on a cargo ship. (About $100 a day full board if you are interested.) One passes Tristan every 77 days - and it picked up another stranded visitor and took her to South Africa a few weeks ago.<br />
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Anyway we've just heard back from a shipping company which is due to send a 268 metre long container ship from Brazil to Port Elizabeth, South Africa in a few weeks time. They gave us a quote of £30,000 for passage to South Africa. A bit steep, I think. That apparently is the cost of a 500 mile diversion for a 268 metre long container ship.<br />
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I guess my best chance is the next scheduled sailing of the Edinburgh. At least I'm seventh on its passenger priority list of 12. So travelling is more likely. I'm slowly getting over my disapointment at not getting home as planned and gradually becoming resigned to another month on Tristan. Which is not so bad - it's a pretty amazing place after all!<br />Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-82705717784184617332012-05-04T19:55:00.002+02:002012-05-12T16:25:14.701+02:00The Edinburgh leaves - without me!I'm packed and ready to go. But today I waved goodbye to the MV Edinburgh - which left without me. A sad moment.<br />
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The island is trying hard to find a ship that might divert and take me to South Africa. One shipping company has responded to say they are looking and has forwarded the request to sister companies. So quite promising but no definite yes's. I've also e-mailed websites that organise cruises on cargo ships and wait to hear back.<br />
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My plans to meet up with Simon in South Africa for a week's holiday and travel back to the UK together are starting to slowly unravel. Tomorrow he will have to postpone his flight from London to Cape Town. Deeply depressing. I was looking forward to that so much.<br />
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I've been restocking my food supplies which I'd run down. Its hard to know how much to buy - especially fruit and vegetables which will sell out shortly (a consignment arrived on the Edinburgh earlier ths week). I need to start to plan what I'm going to do while on this extended stay. I guess I can't go too far from the Settlement in case a ship arrives suddenly... Maybe tonight I'll go to the pub to drown my sorrows, well have a few pints. Tomorrow morning I'll do some cooking - which is always therapeutic.<br />
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<strong>Other news:</strong><br />
A birthday card from my sister in America arrived this week which cheered me up. Thank you Catherine. But sadly still no sign of the outstanding Christmas present.<br />
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I took groups of school kids for a guided walk and talked about plants this morning. They were excited about getting out of the class-room - and probably because this is the beginning of a two week school holiday.Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-33490972260780126172012-05-02T10:44:00.000+02:002012-05-04T10:45:19.355+02:00Stranded on Tristan...<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve been dropped from the passenger list on the MV
Edinburgh which was due to leave for Cape Town today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is due to a medical evacuation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m re-booked on the next ship leaving on the
12<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> June in 6 weeks time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But it’s a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">major </i>spanner in
our travel plans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simon was due to fly
out to meet me off the ship in Cape Town and after a week’s holiday we were to
fly back to the UK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All our flights,
accommodation and rail travel will have to be postponed or cancelled. It is
such a disappointment as I was so looking forward to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And a major anticlimax after hectic weeks of
finishing off and packing up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Although I’m higher up the list, there is still no guarantee
I’d get on the June ship either as medevacs always take priority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andy, the Tristan Radio Operator, and Kobus,
the Chief Executive, are contacting passing ships to ask if they could divert
to Tristan and give me a lift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yesterday
they made three enquiries – including one to the British Antarctic Survey,
whose two ships are currently in transit between the Falkland Islands and the
UK after their Antarctic summer season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A little excitement to temper the disappointment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As it turns out the Edinburgh is not going to leave on time
– poor weather has held up off-loading until today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also has a bit of fishing to do before
returning to South Africa. They predict taking passengers tomorrow afternoon
and departing on Friday, weather permitting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Meantime I’m packed up and ready to go – and I’ve got to
stay ready as there might not be much notice of a ship arriving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll
keep you posted ...</span></div>
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<br /></div>Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-86445511906741510372012-04-08T23:18:00.002+02:002012-05-12T16:33:51.499+02:00Roast Mutton, anyone?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last Tuesday was an ‘all hands day’ on Tristan. All able bodied men are expected to help with the annual sheep round-up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even visiting botanists!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I volunteered to help Nicky, Barry, Barny, Derek and Kevin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, men and dogs round up the entire settlement plain flock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All 1,000 ewes, lambs and rams. (A few hundred sheep live wild on the Base and are not included.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sheep are corralled into pens near the potato patches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then they are separated into family flocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No easy task when you have 1,000 sheep to select from!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Nicky’s sheep are relatively easy to identify with very distinctive bright orange and black lines right around the sheep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See the photo in the Sheep Shearing Day blog back in December.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Kevin’s paint has faded faster and his sheep are harder to spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though spotting does become easier amongst the dwindling collective flock – but not the catching!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After much noise, bustle and banter the job is done. We’ve got our 28 sheep. Time for a cool beer! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then Neil, Head of Agriculture, comes round to inspect the flock and apply the quota. Every person is allowed two sheep, including children and extended family members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those sheep that are over quota must be culled to prevent overgrazing of the limited pasture. The rest can be released, after a quick shear if they missed out in spring, and after being re-marked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I help with both tasks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d never sheared a sheep before despite being brought up on a farm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main problem is to know where the wool stops and the sheep starts. I err on the side of caution; and the sheep is left with a long haircut and only a few bloody nicks. If a sheep could be thankful it probably was - as winter approaches and now is not the time for a short back and sides!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another (slightly less) cool beer and a slice of excellent home-made pizza.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we truss the feet of the twelve sheep to be culled and load them into the bakki (pick-up truck) and head off to a quiet spot beside the potato patches for culling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lambs are never selected for slaughter – it is always sheep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Islanders think – unlike in the UK - that it would be wasteful to cull animals which aren’t fully grown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, in any case, mutton is much tastier than lamb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the sheep are only two or so years old at slaughter – so the mutton is still quite tender.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have always said that if you eat meat you should be prepared to kill it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well now was the chance to put words into action. Not that I was looking forward to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a man who hates accidentally running rabbits over in the car, how was I going to cope with deliberately cutting a sheep’s throat?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then skinning and gutting it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well you don’t really think about it too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a job to be done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You just do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A quick cut through both jugulars and death soon follows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is amazing how far the blood spurts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Sorry was that too much information?)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The men work in pairs methodically and deftly with razor-sharp knives on each animal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I help Nicky and Derek and it takes less than half an hour to skin, gut and process each carcass.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">No part of the animal goes to waste.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Livers, kidneys and hearts are all used.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stomach and parts of the intestine used for tripe or sausages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trotters and heads are used in soups. Only the fleece, stomach contents and lower intestine is put aside for fertilising the potato patches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a long hot bloody afternoon. Thirst slaked with another beer, we finish off and take the carcases and buckets of sweetmeats back to the settlement for dividing out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The carcases are washed and hung for overnight before being butchered and frozen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Like after all major Tristan events men celebrate by going round everyone’s house chatting and having a drink. It’s another late night!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The following morning Emma, Nicky’s wife, pops round and very kindly gives me a huge joint for roasting and half a dozen ribs of mutton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roasted on a bed of coarsely chopped potatoes, carrots and onions, it was really tender and absolutely delicious! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perfect for Easter Sunday!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">NEWS HEADLINES</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We don’t have much survey work left to do but very frustratingly the weather and sea conditions continues to thwart progress.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We’ve just had a three masted sailing ship called the Europa visit the island and that has enlivened Easter weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The shops, museum, pub have all been open and various events have been laid on for its 35 working passengers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It started in Terra del Fuego.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> T</span>hen visited the South Shetland Islands, where it temporarily got stuck in sea-ice, and South Georgia before arriving at Tristan da Cunha on Friday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s currently rigging its sails and getting ready to depart for Cape Town.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spotted a martin (similar to a Sand Martin) flying over the village this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A reminder that this is migration time, though I’m not entirely sure where this bird was going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Talking about birds, as dusk falls the air is now full of strange whistling noises.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Made by Black haglets, or Great-winged Petrels, I believe, as they return to their burrows in preparation for breeding over the coming winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are nocturnal to avoid the attentions of predators like Tristan Skuas. But that doesn’t stop nest predation by rats and mice.</span></div>Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-90543339844116119732012-03-31T18:00:00.002+02:002012-04-01T12:57:19.676+02:00One month left...<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sorry for the hiatus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t have long left on Tristan. So I’ve been concentrating on completing the survey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m due to leave on the 2<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup> of May on the MV Edinburgh to Cape Town - weather and sea conditions permitting. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can never rely on departing and arriving on time, so I’ve re-arranged my return flight to allow for up to nine days over-run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just hope that is enough. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been known to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>take two weeks longer than scheduled. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Brilliant news - Simon is now flying to Cape Town and is due arrive at the same time as me - so <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">if</i> all goes to schedule we’ll have a week’s holiday in Cape Town before returning to the UK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We plan to chill out in Cape Town and visit my cousins Sandy & Ali nearby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BTW we are returning to an excellent B&B we stayed at on the way out called Black Heath Lodge. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are ever looking for accommodation in CT I can’t recommend it highly enough!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See </span><a href="http://www.blackheathlodge.co.za/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">www.blackheathlodge.co.za</span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m feeling a bit homesick today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My sister, Catherine, and her family travelled over from the USA last weekend to help my brother, Peter, with the lambing on the family farm in Perthshire. They’ve been there all week – in glorious spring weather I hear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tonight there is a big family meal at Mum’s before they jet off tomorrow morning and I wish I could be there too!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve had a busy morning in the kitchen – baking bread rolls & tea cake and making mince and Cape gooseberry jam. This afternoon I’ve been out visiting islanders. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And tonight I’m going to Steve’s 21<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup> birthday party at the village hall.</span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not long back from a camping trip to Stony Hill in the south of the island where I surveyed 15 coastal 1km squares.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that we have 28 squares left to do – out of a total of 118. Some have been partially surveyed but need another visit. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many are coastal and are relatively easy to pick off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are planning a trip round to Sandy Point at the eastern extremity of the island next week. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are 12 squares to do there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few of the remaining squares are on the Base near the ponds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But many are on the peak, where there isn’t much vegetation to survey, the ground is easy and you can do a lot in a day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good weather is vital for that – but becoming increasingly rare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To date we’ve made some 5000 individual plant species records across Tristan of approximately 132 non-native and 76 native species. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I say <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">approximately</i> because we are not entirely sure about the identity of several plant collections we’ve made and I’ll take those to experts at Kew or elsewher for examination.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwxBXbYPBoMFDOy9lIA-QIuRqC-hdJJxfsvNtwGbWgDe2eCf92F6yidm-uGQHU2ZFLfY3_N7HcvoLRLVx9bxsyGuJcXxiAk7tFg3O6L-FMVpT0F10WMpoLCw5LLhQaQ0S57toJ9FL-QN4/s1600/Holcus.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwxBXbYPBoMFDOy9lIA-QIuRqC-hdJJxfsvNtwGbWgDe2eCf92F6yidm-uGQHU2ZFLfY3_N7HcvoLRLVx9bxsyGuJcXxiAk7tFg3O6L-FMVpT0F10WMpoLCw5LLhQaQ0S57toJ9FL-QN4/s320/Holcus.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dmap 1km UTM square distribution of Yorkshire Fog, or Farm Grass on Tristan (to date).<br />
The size of the dot is proportional to estimated abundance.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"> </v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:formulas> <v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"> </v:path></v:stroke></v:shapetype></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Recently I’ve installed Dmap and got it set up to display their distributions against a map of Tristan (thanks Alan).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is fascinating to see the data mapped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s amazing how widespread some of the non-natives are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most widespread is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Holcus lanatus</i>, Yorkshire Fog (known as Farm grass locally) which is found in 89 squares.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most widespread <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">natives</i> are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Empetrum rubrum </i>(Island or Peak Berry), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blechnum penna –marina </i>(a Fern) and the endemic<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Isolepis bicolor </i>(Little Bog-grass).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All three are found in 91 squares from sea level to near the summit of the Peak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So far the rarest native is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cardamine glacialis </i>(known locally as Scurvy grass): just three widely separated populations with only a few plants in each.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is fascinating to see how some plants prefer low ground, while others like high ground; some only occur on the Base and others prefer the coastal plains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dmap is giving us a new way to look at our data.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also proving invaluable in spotting errors and omissions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvdVQAYQUoZJFF_rQ_6gfHPxMhOG-q4M-KXOU5CBS41g4h636UMlKEL3EQw2MU2__Cwz35hSkAxdy9HascFA1b_6rEXNk2DJ27CVXT-3UUZqTGxjMGIFCC4iD6eD7Ez5hJUA9xMfSX-0K/s1600/Empetrum.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvdVQAYQUoZJFF_rQ_6gfHPxMhOG-q4M-KXOU5CBS41g4h636UMlKEL3EQw2MU2__Cwz35hSkAxdy9HascFA1b_6rEXNk2DJ27CVXT-3UUZqTGxjMGIFCC4iD6eD7Ez5hJUA9xMfSX-0K/s320/Empetrum.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Distribution of Island or Peak Berry on Tristan (so far).</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"></div>Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-34796132046782360922012-03-10T21:46:00.002+02:002012-03-10T22:27:06.713+02:00Life on Tristan<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">Social Life<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">Tristanian <span style="color: #00000a;">society </span>is very sociable<span style="color: #00000a;">, caring</span> <span style="color: #00000a;">and close-knit</span>. Famil<span style="color: #00000a;">ies are extended</span> and friends <span style="color: #00000a;">will have known each other all their lives. Everyone knows everyone. (What you'd expect in an isolated population of just 280!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Old folk are looked after by their families. And children have a very special place on Tristan. Everyone watches out for them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">F</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">riends and family help each other whenever there is major work to do. Like working in the patches (allotments), sheep shearing or something more major like house renovation or building. People </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">are always dropping in for a chat – often with<span style="color: #00000a;"> a couple beers</span> <span style="color: #00000a;">for the hosts.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such is Tristan generosity tha<span style="color: #00000a;">t</span> when I go visiting I seldom leave empty handed. I've <span style="color: #00000a;">very kindly </span>been given <span style="color: #00000a;">all sorts of things - </span>cakes, eggs, fish, vegetables<span style="color: #00000a;"> - even entire meals!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">The Albatross is the focus for much socializing<span style="color: #00000a;">. The outside tables are popular on sunny Sunday afternoons or warm evenings - especially with the young crowd. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: #00000a;">Inside men stand chatting at the bar whilst women prefer the comfortable chairs. A TV goes unwatched in the corner. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">The Saturday night dances<span style="color: #00000a;"> in the village hall next door are always fun. They are very lively and a bit like dances at weddings back home - with a weird selection of music and folk of all ages. K</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">ids dance with parents and grandparents and children tear around playing with each other.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">There is a Café beside the swimming pool which opens late afternoons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s not the sort of café that sells tea or coffee (well unless there are tourists on the island). Tristanians don’t go out for tea and coffee. Rather it sells beers and spirits and soft drinks for the kids.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">TV & Radio</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">I mentioned TV. Reception is pretty ropey but on a good day t</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">here are two channels: BFBS<span style="color: #00000a;"> (British Forces Broadcasting Service) </span>1 & 2. Which are <span style="color: #00000a;">selections</span> <span style="color: #00000a;">from</span> the five main UK channels designed for 18-30 year old squaddies. <span style="color: #00000a;">L</span>ots of sport, reality TV programs, <span style="color: #00000a;">soaps, </span>quizzes and <span style="color: #00000a;">films. A weekly diet of Eastenders, </span>Top Gear<span style="color: #00000a;"> and Tool Academy! Weekends are particularly dire when there are often two channels of sport and virtually no news. On weekdays I watch BBC1 Six o'clock news and have enjoyed Frozen Planet and Downtown Abbey - some of the better offerings. Strangely we get the local news, travel and weather for London.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Seems odd to hear about <em>t</em></span><em>raffic jams</em> on the M25 on Tristan, a place where the phrase is seldom heard!</span></span></div><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">There is a radio station on VHF FM. BFBS Radio - except for two hours on a Sunday morning when it becomes Atlantic Radio with local programming and news. BFBS Radio itself</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"> is a lot like Radio 1 but even more puerile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For intelligent radio I occasionally listen to the news or ‘From our own correspondent’ on BBC World Service on a small Sony radio attached to long-wire aerial over the garden. There is usually a good signal from the BBC transmitters on Ascension.</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><br />
The Rectory<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR1Cp1FWUUy2gUTyTDXZK1XRbTCK4fDQfgIK7o7PGhXuvUy-aX4rnHN1pX2XGnM08aLySvyScGvDAxxtewJRLZhlTjRA72K-rJISX7IpDdk9N0Xiln5iGvku3PaLgUetLVs6go1smuorAc/s1600/P1000641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR1Cp1FWUUy2gUTyTDXZK1XRbTCK4fDQfgIK7o7PGhXuvUy-aX4rnHN1pX2XGnM08aLySvyScGvDAxxtewJRLZhlTjRA72K-rJISX7IpDdk9N0Xiln5iGvku3PaLgUetLVs6go1smuorAc/s400/P1000641.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rectory, with the 700m high escarpment beyond.</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">Several people have asked where I’m staying on the island. Well I’ve got a three bedroom self-catering detached house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The third bedroom has been converted to an office – and we use that as the project office and we use the second bedroom as a camping equipment and food store. The house is one of the closest to the sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s between The Residency, the Administrator’s house, and the ‘main street’ with the Island Store and government offices and workshops. It would normally be occupied by the Anglican priest but the position has been vacant for almost two years now. Apparently it is hard to recruit clergy to tend such lonely flocks.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMB0MAaWmntKzdAoQ9lU1c1EJ6EL6C38Yum1z7m9bgkOrHCfH-5FxKAtwelpyoPqpbsbryMdyQYnf0cEw2E-uhOs-zSyDSLVpVBYeH4OERvbYYEsm2M-RxT3eavhnEQDdJB40sNoLMH6jm/s1600/P1000643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMB0MAaWmntKzdAoQ9lU1c1EJ6EL6C38Yum1z7m9bgkOrHCfH-5FxKAtwelpyoPqpbsbryMdyQYnf0cEw2E-uhOs-zSyDSLVpVBYeH4OERvbYYEsm2M-RxT3eavhnEQDdJB40sNoLMH6jm/s320/P1000643.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the front door</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">The Sun<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">Frequent stormy weather can make it easy to forget that Tristan is near the equator. A similar latitude in the northern hemisphere would be North Africa. So the sun and its UV are intense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almost every day I wear a sunhat and sun cream. I carry lip sun block at all times and re-apply it regularly – but even then it is easy to get burnt – especially when it’s too windy to wear hats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an extra precaution I’ve only cut my hair once in 6 months.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">The Sky at Night<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">On a clear night the southern sky is fascinating – quite different from our northern hemisphere night sky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there can be few places with less atmospheric pollution than Tristan for a pristine view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly the settlement has streetlights. These go off at midnight - except for a particularly bright one at the end of my garden!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Occasionally when camping on the base I have seen and been awestruck by the stunning clarity of the sky at night: the Milky Way with more stars than I've ever seen before!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #00000a; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;">PS I'd have taken a photo of the Milky Way if I could but here are a couple more photos of the house instead:</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Ix4VJ3iUJlmm_jZzt1OFiA-JAmDBtYXNKiMJqmfQRRDlKTzzIVel66ThhKQtKBMMh8Wws-8XehRth3EJETQG02U2WD4s2cFCkgL7ZBtcpra41VaqszRPNf5ZUoraifb7-rnDd-wXdqWi/s1600/P1000645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Ix4VJ3iUJlmm_jZzt1OFiA-JAmDBtYXNKiMJqmfQRRDlKTzzIVel66ThhKQtKBMMh8Wws-8XehRth3EJETQG02U2WD4s2cFCkgL7ZBtcpra41VaqszRPNf5ZUoraifb7-rnDd-wXdqWi/s320/P1000645.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJz-ASI_ihU3nrOGyzC6Gv7AlGDX8gNrE7L45KEPC4uxIu5GXTnR2UxaQ5TLpJ8MQZ8Oqk_LTD3myJPqEqfqjZPkJK009W51GNg2QQ1UmXFGhR84oTISgxNrGflITJOY8X4R7NrTGxqeTk/s1600/P1000648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJz-ASI_ihU3nrOGyzC6Gv7AlGDX8gNrE7L45KEPC4uxIu5GXTnR2UxaQ5TLpJ8MQZ8Oqk_LTD3myJPqEqfqjZPkJK009W51GNg2QQ1UmXFGhR84oTISgxNrGflITJOY8X4R7NrTGxqeTk/s320/P1000648.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-61832282542894010602012-02-26T00:54:00.000+02:002012-02-26T00:54:59.175+02:00Deep Gulch<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51oW3fehgA4yCjj2JyYTkH_CNZyKzL25DRhLZGj3mMwSk5zaFVYZ_ttJoWANUn-AG6C2ssF-7Xv60kOlDJnLWIipY8asUfWThKeC7N2ch5vIuIxOIoC6BXpwUr6n8ppUWIG06rdfAjD3t/s1600/Tristan+211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51oW3fehgA4yCjj2JyYTkH_CNZyKzL25DRhLZGj3mMwSk5zaFVYZ_ttJoWANUn-AG6C2ssF-7Xv60kOlDJnLWIipY8asUfWThKeC7N2ch5vIuIxOIoC6BXpwUr6n8ppUWIG06rdfAjD3t/s400/Tristan+211.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking up Deep Gulch towards the summit</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Deep Gulch is one of the most remote and revered of gulches on Tristan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no easy way to get to there and few people visit. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can’t get from the bottom up (from sea level) so you have to approach it from above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve just returned from an expedition to the area involving the ascent of the 2,000m Peak followed by a 1,150m descent to our campsite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> A</span> challenge – especially carrying food for 6 days, plus camping and survey equipment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Though we didn’t have to carry the tents and sleeping bags <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> the way; we’d previously left them at 1,900m.) </span></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmuvDAE44zApYhliUlwkLJdLwyVvMFeO5Z6bGGewA8IzKp2upSkCGQjpCN_CNElTULRP_2O4atR9nQXTGjdVAFLLLcKSey-yzney4bBR5uUtkGa-cosp0FoGeDoInpHhLbuB7OUWGqZcY/s1600/Tristan+194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmuvDAE44zApYhliUlwkLJdLwyVvMFeO5Z6bGGewA8IzKp2upSkCGQjpCN_CNElTULRP_2O4atR9nQXTGjdVAFLLLcKSey-yzney4bBR5uUtkGa-cosp0FoGeDoInpHhLbuB7OUWGqZcY/s320/Tristan+194.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's a blanket of moss on the ground (not snow!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We set off early on a beautiful morning. A couple of hours later the clouds gathered and we were in mist and murk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But near the summit we emerged into gloriously warm sunshine with deep blue skies, above the clouds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quite stunning. The only problem was that we then had to descend back into cloud, navigate to the right ridge and find a sheltered camp site. But not before encountering some lovely high-altitude springs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are like oases with water and vegetation amongst a desert of volcanic cinders. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here moss dominates. There are patches of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Empetrum rubrum</i> (Island or Peak Berry) with few other higher plants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those that do occur such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blechnum penna-marina, Lagenophora nudicaulis, Nertera depressa <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>and<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Agrostis magellanica</i> are quite sparse. Interestingly all of them seemed to be flowering or fruiting.</span></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEqJ5BWgNEoTzmh0j_DBzWjMaL0btCgVRdzhWzzC3jJ5FCFwSXlttfSrTckXufH63nCGqwNsYRbiIybckKr6z6LMNuQct2fomMhQ7r9VbqodFhUPYZzZUOhENFBzKWJq8_tnYVNq8hf6ZD/s1600/Tristan+298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEqJ5BWgNEoTzmh0j_DBzWjMaL0btCgVRdzhWzzC3jJ5FCFwSXlttfSrTckXufH63nCGqwNsYRbiIybckKr6z6LMNuQct2fomMhQ7r9VbqodFhUPYZzZUOhENFBzKWJq8_tnYVNq8hf6ZD/s400/Tristan+298.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise over the South Atlantic</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9K7zNfdmh9_2KNWUsV8GbkIVx-aDOCGmY_wob4BER9sd1vK2ZEG6m1U8Ya1YEq38QDYPE1OIr1XOLyte5_OMFvxOWcZz3Hdaq9bnA2zV-vBbm-1-oMoaw1LNyYafOA452aJ3r43hulXE/s1600/Tristan+363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9K7zNfdmh9_2KNWUsV8GbkIVx-aDOCGmY_wob4BER9sd1vK2ZEG6m1U8Ya1YEq38QDYPE1OIr1XOLyte5_OMFvxOWcZz3Hdaq9bnA2zV-vBbm-1-oMoaw1LNyYafOA452aJ3r43hulXE/s200/Tristan+363.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Gamochaeta thouarsii</em>, <br />
Cow Pudding Grass</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With five days of successful surveying complete we begin our return walk to the settlement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Around the base this time, but keeping high to make gulch crossings easier. The route takes us through some amazing landscapes of volcanic rock eroded in bizarre shapes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a long and tiring walk, especially with a detour to drop of tents and sleeping bags near our next major survey area – Big Gulch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We survey as we walk, and that slows progress a little but makes it more interesting. The highlight on the return journey was another population of the little endemic rush, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rostkovia tristanensis</i> – at a new altitudinal record of 1380m.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGbhh_j9i67EJNgz7jqPBzpjOf6FJZq6KmwHLXg8MWONk2u_4CPLwaDlCj_lR7daJzhyphenhyphenIotFGucBEMIS-VuyPJw3T-w45ge5tRe9FbWrBdHHKQ9Xc6kjoAhaz3HImN0eacOaCe76R2HHV2/s1600/Tristan+368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGbhh_j9i67EJNgz7jqPBzpjOf6FJZq6KmwHLXg8MWONk2u_4CPLwaDlCj_lR7daJzhyphenhyphenIotFGucBEMIS-VuyPJw3T-w45ge5tRe9FbWrBdHHKQ9Xc6kjoAhaz3HImN0eacOaCe76R2HHV2/s320/Tristan+368.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Late Christmas presents</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We’ve had a week at base since then, waiting for the weather to settle before the next big adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been an exciting week as the MV Edinburgh arrived with some new people, fresh fruit and vegetables and lots of mail for me - well not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">just</i> me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Including two more Christmas presents from back home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of them via Vancouver and possibly New Zealand. Both full of lovely bits and pieces like chocolates, puzzle books, oatcakes, shortbread, fudge, a mini-calendar and a newspaper from November last year!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">many</i> thanks to Dot and Den and Rob and Janet. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last two editions of BSBI News and the New Journal of Botany also arrived this week – keeping me in reading material.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Thank <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i> Gwynn.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Talking about mail, I gather the postcards I sent last October arrived this week!</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The days are getting shorter and it is starting to feel like early autumn here now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fields have a good scattering of mushrooms. The Cape Gooseberry bushes are laden and the Peak berries are starting to blacken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been collecting and busy in the kitchen making Peak Berry crumble, Cape Gooseberry jam and mushroom soup. </span></div>Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-46831634946746860582012-02-07T08:13:00.003+02:002012-02-09T12:08:12.743+02:00Camping on Tristan<div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">Day 1:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">We<span style="color: #00000a;">'</span>re camping <span style="color: #00000a;">on the base at 750m in a grassy gulch. It's 7.30pm and the sun has disappeared behind a thin sliver of silvery-edged cloud low on the horizon. Immediately below there is a gaping chasm, and the broad expanse of The Base covered with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Phylica arborea</i> (Island Tree) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blechnum palmiforme</i> (Bog Fern). In the distance and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">far</i> below I can just make out and hear waves on the sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Behind me and above our sodden tents, the peak, tinged red by the setting sun.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">We’ve had a 4 hour walk with heavy rucksacks in driving mist and drizzle. We arrived just before midday soaking wet and pitched the tents - and stayed there until the wind and rain eased off - four hours later. Unlike Scotland you can't survey in bad weather because of the complex landscape and vegetation. Maps are not detailed or accurate enough to navigate with safely. You must be able to see.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">It's now a fantastic sunset. The clouds have turned red. The flow in the waterfall above our tents drops noticeably. There is not much flat sheltered ground for pitching tents. So we had to use this gulch. It was dry when we arrived but water soon began to flow and puddle perilously close to our tents. We cut drainage channels. The vegetation in the floor of the gulch is entirely non-native. Quite depressing really. It comprises of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Holcus lanatus</i> (Yorkshire Fog) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Agrostis capillaris</i> (Common Bent), so I don’t feel bad about it. Lourens compliments me on my moat - which seems to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We used Island Tree branches as extra strong (and long) tent pegs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we're now secure for the night. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Silent but for the sound of trickling water and distant sea.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">Day 2:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">We had planned a first-light start. But it has been drizzling and misty since 5am. Now it's 10am and we're still in the tents. This hasn't happened often but it is very frustrating when it does. All the effort getting here wasted. A blink of sunshine. Maybe it's clearing... An hour later blue sky appears and we breakfast and set off and have a really good day despite the late start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We happen across the right ridges and gulches for once and cover a lot of interesting ground without huge effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our route to the edge of the base is enlivened with rare encounters with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Radiovittaria ruiziana</i> (Bootlace Fern). From there we walk along the exposed edge, where the vegetation is wind blasted and easier, into the next square. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">We return at 7.30 – with just enough time to prepare dinner before dark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spaghetti and mince (again).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With enough saved for tomorrow’s lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pudding is a thick slice of home-made tea-cake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sun sets on a crystal clear Peak tonight.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kfoJVC7fAcjJkRMgNPdXQLsuwqKN0eUCTSmjsJVB8IuuPZerDAF4jcxbqHk3DYQvMJ7Onp6qhLz1j8eNn6Wbku76JaycL1ZBZ2VDnUQu86avOjypZqOiT11lBiCK0bk2KRbe0lthrZyL/s1600/IMG_0059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kfoJVC7fAcjJkRMgNPdXQLsuwqKN0eUCTSmjsJVB8IuuPZerDAF4jcxbqHk3DYQvMJ7Onp6qhLz1j8eNn6Wbku76JaycL1ZBZ2VDnUQu86avOjypZqOiT11lBiCK0bk2KRbe0lthrZyL/s320/IMG_0059.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Peak in evening sunshine</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">Day 3:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">The day does begin with blue sky, but I can’t see the peak or the sea and the mist quickly closes in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We breakfast, break camp and return along the boggy path towards Burntwood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s at the end of the only road on the island and where we parked the quad bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t have to make a final decision on whether to survey for a couple kilometers. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">It seems to clear and we decide to survey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over much of plateau the vegetation comprises of no more than 25 taxa. I hope we chance upon an interesting gulch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But here the gulches are narrow, weedy and scrubby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Progress is slow and the botanising disappointing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">We reach the edge of The Base eventually and see waves crashing onto Anchorstock Point far below. There is an even scattering on non-natives amongst the vegetation on the escarpment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most noticeably <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Leucanthemum vulgare</i> (Ox-eye Daisy) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Holcus lanatus</i> (Yorkshire Fog) but less obviously <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Aira caryophyllea</i> (Silver Hair-grass), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vulpia bromoides </i>(Squirrelltail Fescue) and<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Cerastium fontanum </i>(Common Mouse-ear).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a landslip, there is a large population of the native <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Apium australe</i> (Wild Celery) in flower.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">The weather closes in again and our return is windy and wet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stop and monitor <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Deschampsia flexuosa</i> (Wavy Hair-grass) by the path.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As far is known this is the one and only population on the island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How it got here is a puzzle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">Just before the final descent, I collect <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Empetrum rubrum</i> berries for Peak Berry Crumble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The berries are just beginning to blacken and sweeten. (I’ll let you know how it tastes).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The highlight of the Burntwood descent is a 700 foot scree run. For once <em>easy </em>ground! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">(Written in the field)<o:p></o:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-80578623290315720722012-01-31T17:59:00.002+02:002012-02-05T19:03:04.522+02:00Christmas presents arrive!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My Christmas presents arrived today!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never have Christmas presents been so eagerly anticipated – and gratefully received!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks to Simon for Christmas pudding and Panettone and David & Nicky for a lovely warm jumper and socks - sent in October when it was really cold. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to mention all the Christmas cards with nice messages inside. And a special consignment of food, kit and a copy of The Economist – the first newspaper I’ve seen in 5 months – kindly put together by my cousins Sandy and Ali in Cape Town. Thank you all <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">very</i> much!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One present remains in transit somewhere – I’ll let you know if and when it arrives!</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWvZGeseiNpTrAAgtHD6X4T_ExnJ0uoyavScpNUeDC3cVFzZa7k5lb7nhnGn1tIc3CEb5dHiGpFGx619Lds7Rgg8Gh_-jvJZcke2CKEA0NMeBhwx-RxYKEC3GLDvo2NKF9wcM3rfh-AA3f/s1600/Carex+insularis.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWvZGeseiNpTrAAgtHD6X4T_ExnJ0uoyavScpNUeDC3cVFzZa7k5lb7nhnGn1tIc3CEb5dHiGpFGx619Lds7Rgg8Gh_-jvJZcke2CKEA0NMeBhwx-RxYKEC3GLDvo2NKF9wcM3rfh-AA3f/s400/Carex+insularis.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Carex insularis</em> - one of only two <em>Carex </em>(sedge) species found on Tristan.</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Actually the presents arrived sometime last week, but we’ve been out of town on an eight day expedition and are just back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such long camping trips are only possible with the help of islanders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are only able to carry food for about four days - as well as our camping and recording equipment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We take cameras, hand lens, binoculars, GPS, handheld PDA (miniature computer), batteries, solar panel charger and recording forms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weight of the rucksack makes difficult terrain even more difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So it was great to have a food drop to our remote 900 metre campsite on Soggy Plain.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We live on spaghetti and mince, meatballs or corned beef, and make enough each night to have for lunch the following day. Breakfasts are Weet-bix, sultanas, condensed milk mixed with boiled water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Treats include crisps, chocolate and a few apples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tristan is a severe test of camping equipment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two nights it got down to freezing and there was a dusting of snow on the Peak (remember it’s mid-summer). Another night there was storm force winds and it rained torrentially.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And one day it was so wet, windy and foggy that we just stayed in our tents!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3N6mJkhJVpNgaLqoxTLR_9eeHS5VY2CETZqZjIW0-GdI6Yu6ijGFX354sZsb9PHHaUSy4R0NuYoAYI_fS0j-nIoySIikzza0FApohuTTvsNrJnOkuO9uhcnqLNm4H5BJ9zQSDrnApEqRP/s1600/Soggy+Plain.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3N6mJkhJVpNgaLqoxTLR_9eeHS5VY2CETZqZjIW0-GdI6Yu6ijGFX354sZsb9PHHaUSy4R0NuYoAYI_fS0j-nIoySIikzza0FApohuTTvsNrJnOkuO9uhcnqLNm4H5BJ9zQSDrnApEqRP/s320/Soggy+Plain.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soggy Plain (we camped by the pools)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Despite this we covered a lot of ground. Difficult ground. And made some exciting discoveries – big but local populations of the rare ferns <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dryopteris wallichiana</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hypolepis rugolusa</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Asplenium insulare</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And new grass and sedge species which don’t seem to have ever been previously described for Tristan – as far as we can tell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it is always hard to know what the natural range of variation is for each species.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grasses and hook-sedges (<em>Uncinia</em>) continue to be difficult at altitude as many have yet to flower. Several pairs of closely similar species are being particularly difficult to separate, such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Grammitis magellanica</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">G. poeppigiana</i>, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Elaphoglossum campylolepium</i> and <em>E. succisifolium</em> (all ferns). Eagle-eyed Lourens spotted yet another population of the rare endemic rush<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Rostkovia tristanensis </i>this time<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>actually<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> on</i> Soggy Plain. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Prior to our project its only Tristan record was ‘above Soggy Plain at 1100 metres’ by the Norwegian Survey Expedition in 1938.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUxikUWP_iS1tEgLpjIaYUFf9nPPnJBgnaOE6Mg42ZlPr_K8MxZGm9hKUxNTwF0_rXufMs_4NjvMtkhu165QopTu7vGD2eYlFDnP-sSS2IBF3mh4Us4Sr6akltL-CDpZpuaA5F4SE1AAX/s1600/Empetrum+rubrum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUxikUWP_iS1tEgLpjIaYUFf9nPPnJBgnaOE6Mg42ZlPr_K8MxZGm9hKUxNTwF0_rXufMs_4NjvMtkhu165QopTu7vGD2eYlFDnP-sSS2IBF3mh4Us4Sr6akltL-CDpZpuaA5F4SE1AAX/s320/Empetrum+rubrum.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peak Berry, <em>Empetrum rubrum</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had a few mishaps. I slipped 20 foot into a deep water pool, skinning elbow and leg and soaking my camera.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was OK. More than I can say about the camera. In a separate incident we lost the GPS. Intensive searches were unsuccessful and we were almost benighted on the long circuitous return to camp. We keep the GPS on at all times to record our tracks, and download them to the mapping program Memory Map Navigator on our return to record our precise routes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the main loss was the track data for 7 days and not the machine itself (though that was bad enough).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also rely on the GPS for the UTM 1km square reference and as a back up when the less sensitive PDA GPS fails to lock. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then there was a near-death incident involving the machete which I won’t recount as just thinking about it still makes my toes curl! </span></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAoN0cU9lVnqPNJPvK-KrFoaXKgq0y9TjaOVImJgNOvptUKHXxIcyoJ6cSh2Ks7YzaTsefym24NuiIBi7fvd2zOg_6bDwBi3YtdP5JcIZ7XBXWh1phlsVrKzbka5v_NSWicDY6qCFooqW_/s1600/Cow+Pudding+Grass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAoN0cU9lVnqPNJPvK-KrFoaXKgq0y9TjaOVImJgNOvptUKHXxIcyoJ6cSh2Ks7YzaTsefym24NuiIBi7fvd2zOg_6bDwBi3YtdP5JcIZ7XBXWh1phlsVrKzbka5v_NSWicDY6qCFooqW_/s320/Cow+Pudding+Grass.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Gamochaeta thouarsii</em>, better known as Cow Pudding Grass!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our return to the Settlement was equally exciting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was hot and sunny with storm force winds and big waves. This made landing the rowing boat tender very tricky and our return on the Wave Dancer slow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Family and friends gather at the harbour to welcome their menfolk home. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the boat is unloaded, winched out of the harbour for safety and the work is done, the men go round the houses celebrating their safe return with a drink or two. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It quickly gets boisterous and women flee when the men invade. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About six houses (and hours) later we end up in The Albatross.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A good day after an eventful trip!</span></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUOlZ27dkJZxXSnwP7cGGBw7TspYnx7w70Ep-3eHL_ElNDKcKJL5p8afu58jhIqJ94HplBykHPLKMXkWzv41lHpU11rQe-mU_2b2hrN3tMAaIeMjHzhI368gtBMxXT6OdVuYSWNneq0cD/s1600/Infinity+Pool.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUOlZ27dkJZxXSnwP7cGGBw7TspYnx7w70Ep-3eHL_ElNDKcKJL5p8afu58jhIqJ94HplBykHPLKMXkWzv41lHpU11rQe-mU_2b2hrN3tMAaIeMjHzhI368gtBMxXT6OdVuYSWNneq0cD/s400/Infinity+Pool.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Infinity Pool with the sea 2,000 feet below.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-61991745553263281712012-01-18T22:20:00.001+02:002012-01-18T22:32:50.249+02:00The Peak<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Just back from a four day trip to a remote part of the island. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We camped on the Base at 1000 m above sea level, on the boundary between Island Tree (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Phylica arborea</i>) scrub woodland and short sward <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blechnum penna-marina </i>(a fern) and heathy <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Empetrum rubrum</i> (similar to our Crowberry, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Empetrum nigrum</i>). We pitched the tents in a small clearing amongst Island Tree for shelter, pegged well down and guys tied tightly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Necessary because of near galeforce w</span>inds for much of the time. But weirdly warm, sunny and very humid. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Quite</i> nice in sheltered ravines (gulches) and in scrubby woodland. And it was great waking up and finding you’re above the clouds!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXBzx9QYNrDnCj9cepA0zy1PJZsPzF42g3YZVYdu6eER9JBlpGzXFt09F9z3KugYFTbeqlIH8nVWRbCz2kQ6ERMFTfovGZECttFB9weUQSbAElyzsPg-yCKDECFKDx5VrkmmseMpl-TOL/s1600/AA+Mollys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXBzx9QYNrDnCj9cepA0zy1PJZsPzF42g3YZVYdu6eER9JBlpGzXFt09F9z3KugYFTbeqlIH8nVWRbCz2kQ6ERMFTfovGZECttFB9weUQSbAElyzsPg-yCKDECFKDx5VrkmmseMpl-TOL/s320/AA+Mollys.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sooty Albatross chick line-up...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is not easy to describe just how difficult the terrain is. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> One kilometre</span> on the Base can take anything between one and three hours. Every step and handhold requires a calculation on how much weight it can take. Nothing is certain. Even the rock is unreliable (but rarely exposed). The uneven spongy peat surface is covered by dense leaf litter and prostrate branches. All of which are hidden by ferns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amongst the scrubby tangle there is much deadwood which despite looking solid enough snaps instantly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Green wood is more reliable but surprisingly brittle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At times all-fours is the best way to squeeze through the tangle of branches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is just as well my work partner, Lourens, is adept with the machete!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unwooded slopes are climbed by grabbing handfuls of vegetation. I’ve just about figured out how much you can trust different species, but there is a lot of trial and error (and cuts and scrapes). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29EJ2LBUiRqi86EalABjV2RaLDN3Ck5r5AP0CF1eg8PZuA0-fTaV1f_1FnjWeWFzr3pnVaKXosCkG4f8CPI8nFT7-eNGO3rLSTRVKz0FNxw-jNf3tKl9_uHrId9yrsPKirDM44vmNhXcp/s1600/AA+Gulch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29EJ2LBUiRqi86EalABjV2RaLDN3Ck5r5AP0CF1eg8PZuA0-fTaV1f_1FnjWeWFzr3pnVaKXosCkG4f8CPI8nFT7-eNGO3rLSTRVKz0FNxw-jNf3tKl9_uHrId9yrsPKirDM44vmNhXcp/s320/AA+Gulch.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bottom of a small gulch</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The main question is ridges or ravines. Exposure sometimes makes ridge vegetation more open. There are also short peaty paths made by Mollys (Yellow-nosed Albatrosses) to commute between their sheltered nest sites and exposed launch-pads. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But otherwise they can be almost impenetrable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ravines (gulches) are often better for covering the ground as there is less rank vegetation and the rivers are usually dry unless it is actually raining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Few streams flow constantly on Tristan as the terrain is porous.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But gulches are invariably steep-sided, deep and have periodic dry waterfalls - some hundreds of feet high - that are only bypassed with difficulty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The gulches are certainly much more interesting botanically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example last week we recorded 65 species in each 1km square on the days spent in gulches. But only 35 on a 1km square in which we ridge walked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have only ever found the rare endemic fern<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Asplenium insulare </i>once so far on Tristan – and then a single population with just a few plants. So it was good to find a second much more extensive population<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It likes humid and sheltered conditions – so gulches are perfect. Especially narrow, sheltered ones with overhanging edges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its constant associate is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trichomanes angustatum </i>– itself a rare endemic.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>The secret appears to be to find the right habitat then look under other bigger ferns. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_Em_8MHZhJ_j0HIFHru5Z7VUTHUvauqlRAhuzfYqo0rbKRdTES5gs9dvy-i4xeHq5USotGVsqjY068Zmaujv1UylSXz0PIs32iaV14ldEruD2dJD3C4d-LlfC2N-gr9-3lf-goCX3gCV/s1600/AA+Dryop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_Em_8MHZhJ_j0HIFHru5Z7VUTHUvauqlRAhuzfYqo0rbKRdTES5gs9dvy-i4xeHq5USotGVsqjY068Zmaujv1UylSXz0PIs32iaV14ldEruD2dJD3C4d-LlfC2N-gr9-3lf-goCX3gCV/s320/AA+Dryop.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Dryopteris wallachiana</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Calibri;">These gulches are home to other rare endemics such the buttercup <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ranunculus carolii</i>, the starwort<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, Callitriche christensenii, </i>and the Floating Sweet-grass<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, Glyceria insularis.</i> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amongst the bigger ferns we occasionally encounter <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Athyrium medium</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hypolepis rugulosa</i> but the real surprise was to find the biggest population of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dryopteris wallachiana</i> seen to date. This is a lot like our<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>Scaly Male-fern <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Dryopteris affinis agg.) </i>and<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>produces splendid yellow-green frond shuttlecocks.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>That is not to say that wooded ridges are without interest. We saw more of the rare endemic and well-named Bootlace Fern<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> (Radiovittaria ruiziana) </i>than ever previously. But generally they are less diverse, and you don’t cover as much ground.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">However the highlight of the trip was an ascent to the 2,060 metre peak. This carrying our camping gear and surveying as we went. (Another day that would make SAS training seem easy!) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The peak has concentric vegetation bands that change with altitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blechnum/Empetrum</i> sward quickly gives way to a heath dominated by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Empetrum</i> and the moss <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rhacomitrium lanuginosum</i>; vegetation very similar to that found on the Scottish mountains, but rarely in such fine condition with so little sheep trampling and grazing damage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Around 1200 metres, my eagle-eyed work partner Lourens spotted another population of the rare endemic rush, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rostkovia tristanensis</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(If you remember this had not been recorded since the 1938 Norwegian Survey Expedition.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_XB6zUCa8uR8ereHQ_RfYOogj35BbC3adPUbO_s7979Lqz_6nBteW3PQGe7catthlupwynSwcOvzP6jbWGrLXNZIaivAE5rAsMZEu38R24TP7ncrcUHxTwJYDhmNO8KbSwkodu3Pc-Ya/s1600/AA+Summit+Plateau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_XB6zUCa8uR8ereHQ_RfYOogj35BbC3adPUbO_s7979Lqz_6nBteW3PQGe7catthlupwynSwcOvzP6jbWGrLXNZIaivAE5rAsMZEu38R24TP7ncrcUHxTwJYDhmNO8KbSwkodu3Pc-Ya/s400/AA+Summit+Plateau.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The summit plateau</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The spongy <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Empetrum-Rhacomitrium</i> sward becomes increasingly patchy with altitude. Eventually the ground becomes too unstable, loose and dry for any but the hardiest of mosses. This is the Alpine desert cinder scree zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All plants at this altitude form dense mats or tight cushions – adaptations which create a (relatively) warm and humid microclimate that helps to minimise water loss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We find the highest flowering plant at 1970 metres, just above Crater Lake – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Empetrum rubrum</i> again! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The view from the top is spectacular. Its like looking out an aircraft window on a brilliantly sunny day - down on distant clouds and blue sea. Closer in the Base looks surprisingly extensive and several other water-filled crater lakes are evident. But no where is the coast visible due to the steep escarpment. We have a quick dip in crater lake - a beautiful and sheltered spot - before continuing our survey on the descent to the settlement.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUaRWTBgkZsWiIcTgLeoiyftoo-74BrEMQI5XY53kWFB3SfWZtRserRMV8OKxLGK_C-devjP1bjcIX5b57zrK9PsKG7si-T1YqtEqxE325REjRaGlBeK343ZN8isQ0t7QDa9lUDtUvBbX/s1600/AA+Crater+Lake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUaRWTBgkZsWiIcTgLeoiyftoo-74BrEMQI5XY53kWFB3SfWZtRserRMV8OKxLGK_C-devjP1bjcIX5b57zrK9PsKG7si-T1YqtEqxE325REjRaGlBeK343ZN8isQ0t7QDa9lUDtUvBbX/s400/AA+Crater+Lake.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crater Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a few day's specimen pressing, data entry, battery charging - literally and personally, cooking, shopping, clothes washing and with a good weather forecast we are getting ready to go on another camping trip early tomorrow morning..</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">News Snippets:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The island went back to work on Monday – after the three week summer holiday. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This meant the Island Store re-opened for the first time since Christmas. I’d only run out of cereal and coffee but was also running dangerously low on beer supplies.</span></div></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The MV Edinburgh is due to arrive from Cape Town tomorrow – hopefully with my Christmas presents that didn’t make the last ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And with some emergency supplies that my cousins, Sandy and Ali in Cape Town have kindly bought and despatched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How exciting!</span></div></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Simon is in Edinburgh this week catching up with friends and family. Unfortunately the Alfa Romeo is playing up - I think through lack of use!</span></li>
</ul><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mum is making a great recovery, after breaking her leg in October.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is able to drive again and can now get to the shops and to her normal full program of events and meetings. </span></div></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My sister, Catherine, and her family are coming over from America to see mum and help my brother, Peter, on the farm with the lambing this spring.</span></div></li>
</ul><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"></div>Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-60857042605441286352012-01-09T15:25:00.000+02:002012-01-09T15:25:55.021+02:00Old Year’s Day and the Okalolies<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDE9i0WE5xf37q1UYYG68hX0TGjlefolmfaMWRjnDJLPj4s6EEYg-Z8_76GPfp1QDvQ8h5q21oXToc-1LGuQSyC2YNyQoU6GxQ8H0OUMaIWhYuugZ_sEUhqCgkff1sbzA8tnOKDaUSQZE5/s1600/Residency.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDE9i0WE5xf37q1UYYG68hX0TGjlefolmfaMWRjnDJLPj4s6EEYg-Z8_76GPfp1QDvQ8h5q21oXToc-1LGuQSyC2YNyQoU6GxQ8H0OUMaIWhYuugZ_sEUhqCgkff1sbzA8tnOKDaUSQZE5/s320/Residency.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had an excellent Christmas Dinner on Tristan at the UK Government Administrator’s Residency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sean is a great cook and kindly invited the ex-pats round for a delicious Christmas roast dinner with loads of vegetables and Christmas pudding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A visit to the Residency is always eagerly anticipated – it is by far the biggest and poshest house on the island; warm, bright, comfortable and with deeply plush armchairs. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Tristan equivalent of Buckingham Palace, I suppose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(In return Sean and his charming wife Marina came round to my humble abode for dinner last week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just the impetus I needed to spring clean the house and cook a nice meal. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>French onion soup and home-made bread, Roast Chicken and potatoes, peas & cabbage with lovely red wine!)<br />
<br />
New Year plans were a bit uncertain, but it developed into one of the best I can ever remember. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though to be fair, I only have a hazy recollection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I visited and met loads of people throughout the day, evening and night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there was a fair bit of drinking too. In fact from 10am on Old Year's Day (the local name for New Year’s Eve) right through to the small hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The highlight was another visit to the Residency for drinks and nibbles. Folk stood around in the garden and chatted in the warm summer’s evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Rockhopper penguin surveyed the scene from the corner of the garden rather disapprovingly. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpngucQN9myLIQsNm7jxOftVAjk4YjA5OJ9OOvMSK7PEb3nEoEFUszY64O3G2B2q0y6qTds3sN8jj3FYRFjyNZDEUiDqvssWWQvXRGmwaovgbF7e983y4tx87yIgRzdDDoptgyGajjBw9/s1600/Okalolies+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpngucQN9myLIQsNm7jxOftVAjk4YjA5OJ9OOvMSK7PEb3nEoEFUszY64O3G2B2q0y6qTds3sN8jj3FYRFjyNZDEUiDqvssWWQvXRGmwaovgbF7e983y4tx87yIgRzdDDoptgyGajjBw9/s320/Okalolies+2.JPG" width="251" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is an Old Year’s Day custom on Tristan that young men dress up in frightening disguise, wearing horrible masks and go from house to house terrorising the islanders. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Women and children are locked up for safety by their men folk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the Okalolies, as they are known, are devious and have been known to go up into an attic in one house and down through the hatch into the next! Anyone caught out can expect a prank to befall them: like being thrown in a paddling pool or at the very least squirted by water-pistol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Initially I thought the penguin in the Residency garden was yet another Okaloly prank. But no. Rockhopper penguins leave the sea at this time of year and head to higher ground inland to molt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This one just happened to gatecrash the party!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next stop is Prince Philip Hall for the Chief Islander’s party. It is traditional that only men are invited. Well, except for the women who serve the food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then it is off to one of the many braais around the settlement, with an unscheduled stop to ask for directions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am invited in and treated like a long-lost friend, and eventually lead to my destination by my torch-carrying host.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The barbequed lamb and beef is well marinated in some delicious concoction, probably involving Mrs Ball’s fine chutney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The heat from the braai is welcome as the evening begins to cool. We visit other braais, with more delicious food, drink, and convivial company.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Suddenly its quarter to midnight and we make for the Dong, where a large group has already gathered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At midnight we take turns to hammer the Dong – an empty gas cylinder (well I hope it is empty!) that is more usually used to signal a fishing day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sean invites everyone back to the Residency (fantastic – another visit!) to continue the New Year celebrations and there is much chatting, music, drink and dancing - right through until morning.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Happy New Year everybody!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-89184579592563860842011-12-28T23:11:00.003+02:002011-12-28T23:44:34.339+02:00Christmas onTristan<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicS-Vnkt1CdHcdAsmop2ve-j58pdepuxw3n7wGfyExkCQpUmac9JKp6Fvrt7fWaZdBY4US_GLNEITzxMlNCbl1V0p7K7LY82V9KNarGck6g_pCsr5urAbsDmcHxqZTXSEjL8xwsmy3_pWh/s1600/Island+Sky+at+Night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicS-Vnkt1CdHcdAsmop2ve-j58pdepuxw3n7wGfyExkCQpUmac9JKp6Fvrt7fWaZdBY4US_GLNEITzxMlNCbl1V0p7K7LY82V9KNarGck6g_pCsr5urAbsDmcHxqZTXSEjL8xwsmy3_pWh/s320/Island+Sky+at+Night.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Island Sky at Night</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The islanders put on a great program of events for visiting cruise ships. We had two over Christmas – the Island Sky and the Hanseatic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The highlight is always a visit to Nightingale – a small island 30km to the south-west - where there are Rockhopper Penguins, Fur Seals with pups, Yellow-nosed Albatrosses, Tristan Thrushes and Nightingale Buntings that are all happy to pose for the camera! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I travelled across on the Island Sky, with its 85 passengers and some island men who guide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seldom will islanders (or me) have travelled in such style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It takes a couple hours to make the crossing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which gives plenty time to sample the luxuries on offer. Like a delicious <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a-la carte</i> lunch with wine, or (on the return journey) beer in the lounge or afternoon tea with exotic cakes on the deck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even simple (but rare) pleasures like real coffee, newspapers and a fruit bowl with nectarines. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A great experience – a little luxury in an austere lifestyle!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDNA2YN4te2s6Reg-vF0kuUjExBaNYb6ezRAg1Q0RJuUkI64wDtMCLGzqbcip5B8jWWy-FD5x5gNonQyTYMxmv-CvwNlUmKyazHaJSVjl5XTTA6CxWxwM1rLEo8oaKic00wgT3Oo3bkLQ/s1600/Fur+Seal+Pup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDNA2YN4te2s6Reg-vF0kuUjExBaNYb6ezRAg1Q0RJuUkI64wDtMCLGzqbcip5B8jWWy-FD5x5gNonQyTYMxmv-CvwNlUmKyazHaJSVjl5XTTA6CxWxwM1rLEo8oaKic00wgT3Oo3bkLQ/s200/Fur+Seal+Pup.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fur Seal Pup</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ashore, the focus of attention is the penguins (Pinnamins, in the local dialect).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They must be the most attractive and comical of all penguin species, with their flashy golden-yellow head plumes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Humans share the same landing spot as penguins, and from time to time a great surge of penguins leap from the crest of a breaking wave onto the rock beside us. They hop up a rocky path (hence the name) to their breeding grounds amongst the dense and high (2.5 metres) Tussock Grass (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spartina arundinacea</i>) which dominates the island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We follow the penguins up past noisy Fur Seals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Occasionally sleeping seals lie hidden in the Tussock Grass and when disturbed bolt seawards across the path, snarling and barking aggressively, sending penguins hopping in all directions. They are big and can give a bad bite and so our guides go ahead to ensure safe passage.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Remains of dead Broad-billed Prions (Nightbirds) litter the path and soon the culprit swoops low and menacingly over our heads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I should have guessed - a Skua. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually a Tristan Skua, the local subspecies of the Sub-Antarctic Skua, but quite similar to our Bonxie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Nightbirds nest in burrows under the Tussock Grass and can only safely emerge under the cover of dark. But the days are long in summer and many are caught taking a chance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tristan Thrushes (Starchies) feed opportunistically on the carnage. </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuW00F10pzk2M39Bq8QOpdj4Hzfjlz2hN8b7SHJg27iNKaWu98lv6IY5DCAoM8UEqaHpKuu4hltRO-rfOYB7ul75U0uz8kjcij3u04sR6UgxVOCT0fbrAZxVTYDQh7rzTA2sM1ytvMJRNC/s1600/Molly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuW00F10pzk2M39Bq8QOpdj4Hzfjlz2hN8b7SHJg27iNKaWu98lv6IY5DCAoM8UEqaHpKuu4hltRO-rfOYB7ul75U0uz8kjcij3u04sR6UgxVOCT0fbrAZxVTYDQh7rzTA2sM1ytvMJRNC/s200/Molly.jpg" width="170" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Further on we encounter Yellow-nosed Albatrosses (Mollys) sitting on huge white fluffy chicks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A major photo-opportunity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I’ve seen breeding Mollys before on Tristan and am more interested in Nightingale Buntings (Canaries) feeding enthusiastically amongst the Tussock grass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Superficially like greeny-grey warblers but with an unmistakable finch-shaped bill. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the name suggests they are only found on Nightingale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are two endemic buntings on Nightngale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we don’t see the other one; the Wilkin’s Bunting, as it is critically endangered with a population of just 40 pairs.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Though the main interest is obviously the birds and seals, I answer a lot of questions from visitors about the flora.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are interested to see the endemic species <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nertera homboei</i> (Fowl Berry), and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cotula moseleyi</i> (Nightingale Brass Buttons) neither of which I’d seen before myself as they don’t occur on Tristan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am puzzled to see so many populations of the fern, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hypolepis rugolusa</i>, along the path side. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my experience this species is rare on Tristan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After Tussock Grass, sadly the next most abundant plant species is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Holcus lanatus</i> (Yorkshire Fog). It thrives in bird-enriched soils. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We return along the muddy path and over slippy rocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stand still to catch breath for a moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within a few minutes a large crowd of muddy Pinnamins appear from the dark recesses of Tussock Grass and begin to hop past, gingerly at first but then faster as confidence builds. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8fRGvetZUSf1SNrGNNKqE3FjpYawqBwU_ROMF-zFuLu6Wyt9WRlvFPFGn5WXdLMDWolGrly5E76qpEnK6Gr2gNRz9GdTWr4-KJAlNlqam3fM42Gm8MHtyIJk26b5ubYvqj425KblJC9f8/s1600/Edwin%2526Brian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8fRGvetZUSf1SNrGNNKqE3FjpYawqBwU_ROMF-zFuLu6Wyt9WRlvFPFGn5WXdLMDWolGrly5E76qpEnK6Gr2gNRz9GdTWr4-KJAlNlqam3fM42Gm8MHtyIJk26b5ubYvqj425KblJC9f8/s200/Edwin%2526Brian.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edwin & Brian with longboats</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The visit to Nightingale is just one of many events and activities organised for visitors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of whom stay ashore with island families for Christmas. They are joined by day visitors from the ships and there is a tremendous buzz around the village. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The programme includes a carol concert, a film show, guided walks at the Potato Patches and volcano and demonstrations of sheep-shearing, carding and spinning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a craft show in the village hall where knitted penguins can be bought – along with many other handcrafts. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Albatross Bar, Island Store, cafe, Post and Tourism offices are all specially opened. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A great opportunity to do a little last-minute shopping for emergency presents, home-made mince pies and things I’d forgotten to buy adequate supplies of (beer, mainly).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, of course, the Christmas Eve and Christmas morning church services are very popular.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the</i> highlight is local kids singing Christmas carols. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A great moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Afterwards Santa is to arrive by donkey (reindeer are in short supply on Tristan) to hand out Christmas presents to the children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However due to a donkey malfunction, Santa has to walk and five strong men restrain donkey at Santa’s side. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tourists’ reward is many photographs to remember a happy visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The children are rewarded with ice-cream, a rare luxury, which they enjoy in the warm summer sunshine. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">PS Knitted Rockhopper Penguins and Edwin and Brian's model longboats are available on the Tristan da Cunha website - <a href="http://www.tristandc.com/handicrafts&souvenirs.php">http://www.tristandc.com/handicrafts&souvenirs.php</a> Order now for next Christmas!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div>Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-66070011338886674862011-12-27T11:59:00.001+02:002011-12-28T23:35:32.897+02:00Happy Christmas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPF9UGQYC94x4yZg3ZsOWd31GNIGpD2sFIgKpgaQqfc4xxNzXxI9L8l39U5ovvLPFwzn4VHeaMpDxJYhfs0KHeg7KTjeu0FWEMlUgFdDQeUIQz_w9qKuWcpty6okNXkB-jvBZVPtGel0p/s1600/Santa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPF9UGQYC94x4yZg3ZsOWd31GNIGpD2sFIgKpgaQqfc4xxNzXxI9L8l39U5ovvLPFwzn4VHeaMpDxJYhfs0KHeg7KTjeu0FWEMlUgFdDQeUIQz_w9qKuWcpty6okNXkB-jvBZVPtGel0p/s320/Santa.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>Which well-known Scottish naturalist is dressed up as Santa here?Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-49200682596048953392011-12-22T22:03:00.001+02:002011-12-22T22:06:30.138+02:00Breaking-up Day<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yesterday was one of the biggest days in the Tristan calendar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone celebrates going on three weeks summer holidays over Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Staff at each of the government departments and the fish factory start off with a communal breakfast – of (variously) eggs, bacon, sausages, beans, bread, toast, tea coffee and beer!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that is then followed by all-day office parties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Everyone except us that is – because we need to make the most of any good weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had originally planned to squeeze in a camping survey expedition before Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The morning was promising and we were set to go a 6.30 when my work partner, Lourens, suggested we ought to go to the Conservation Department breakfast and set off afterwards. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So while having breakfast (at my house as it turned out) the weather turned suddenly nasty. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which was just as well as we could then participate in the day’s celebrations with a clear conscience. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The idea is that you circulate from party to party. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went round five different office parties. The liveliest was the Post and Tourism Office party – where people were dancing. The best food (delicious homemade pizza) was at the Comm.s Dept. party in the Internet cafe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most drinking seemed to have happened at the Admin Dept. party judging by the number of empties lying around by the time I got there! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a short interlude it was off to a braai in the evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tristanians certainly know how to party!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The weather is still bad today so sadly our expedition had to be postponed yet another day (phew!)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div>Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-27817010343615493972011-12-17T18:00:00.009+02:002011-12-22T21:23:13.563+02:00Sheep Shearing Day<div style="text-align: right;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKP8xnjiYy8GtvW_WtRu1shTtnHn5ZP1Bc5TiNj-d4UJQi2P0MN7lBLyDteoFvhZYeHG3UCCN2ExfkOo-17UAK1QzGzhcx_CYWsDSEPq9Lz3foPWbMuOLsO3zrrJMnivGi0mrtbd5Om1H/s1600/Shearing+Sheep.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKP8xnjiYy8GtvW_WtRu1shTtnHn5ZP1Bc5TiNj-d4UJQi2P0MN7lBLyDteoFvhZYeHG3UCCN2ExfkOo-17UAK1QzGzhcx_CYWsDSEPq9Lz3foPWbMuOLsO3zrrJMnivGi0mrtbd5Om1H/s200/Shearing+Sheep.JPG" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wayne in action</span>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today is sheep shearing day on Tristan. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> F</span>amilies work together to shear, dose and mark their sheep quota of two sheep (plus lambs)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>per person. Everyone helps out – grandparents, men, women, children - even visiting botanists. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a family day out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Men use hand shears in a deft operation that is made to look easy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But judging where fleece stops and sheep starts is tricky. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wisely, I was given the task of catching and holding sheep down and not shearing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Otherwise there would have been a lot of blood.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Old men</span> are on light duties such as operating gates. Grandmothers sit knitting in strategically parked bakkies watching events, while younger women supply tea and sandwiches. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Children play together and collie sheep dogs run around excitedly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a lot of beer, banter and playing. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeY4QswgayJ-QO-VvvvesBK80OgUhGEsoKA-u-bxpRp5PKATkGMBRK0ScvZDFyimLdkaI59auzOPCZXJJ8ITztWCT6JWiMYvHk7P3el1uQbbtKQLVj8uljMcysSyqMrH1HojJU_s2KnwEW/s1600/Marking+Sheep.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeY4QswgayJ-QO-VvvvesBK80OgUhGEsoKA-u-bxpRp5PKATkGMBRK0ScvZDFyimLdkaI59auzOPCZXJJ8ITztWCT6JWiMYvHk7P3el1uQbbtKQLVj8uljMcysSyqMrH1HojJU_s2KnwEW/s200/Marking+Sheep.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No mistaking this one!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the final tasks is to select sheep for slaughter to bring the flock size back into line with the family quota that includes all one year plus sheep – and increases with last year’s lambs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is essential to limit overgrazing of the island’s pasture – which is shared with 600 odd cattle and 14 donkeys. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The limiting factor is the availability of winter grazing as there is no supplementary feed available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thin soils, frequent storms and extensive salt spray make growing hay or silage difficult if not impossible, and the cost of importing fodder is prohibitive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only exception is that milking cows are given boiled potatoes as supplementary feed – otherwise there would be little milk and no cream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the way I get milk delivered to my fridge straight from Sylvia’s hand-milked cow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The top two inches of cream is a breakfast highlight on my porridge or Tesco Frosties. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway I digress. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The over quota sheep have to be slaughtered before Easter. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And generally it is sheep that are slaughtered and not the lambs as mutton is considered much more flavoursome and killing growing lambs seems wasteful. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The traditional Christmas (and Easter) dinner is stuffed roast mutton which sounds really delicious. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Earlier in the week I went to the Tristan School Christmas Nativity play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was standing room only in the school hall as all 32 school kids performed to parents, families and friends. I counted 140 in the audience – about half the island’s entire population.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Many others had seen a previous performance specially laid on for the island’s pensioners.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was an entertaining show. But I was thinking how difficult it must be to teach such a small number of kids of all ages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After short speeches by the Head teacher and Sean the Administrator and a rendition of the National Anthem the audience repaired to the Albatross Bar.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I mentioned last time that the Island Store closes for a month at Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I hadn’t appreciated is that absolutely everything closes over the Christmas holiday – including the Albatross. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I now understand why bakkies are so popular on the island – they are needed to get the Christmas food and drink shopping home!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Considering the average income is about £2000 a year I saw some big bills being rung up – like £140 - and that was probably only one instalment! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My Christmas shopping included a couple boxes of posh biscuits to give folk who have been particularly kind to me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And a 2 foot artificial Christmas tree, complete with decorations and 20 lights - bargain at £4.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Snippets:</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span>Last time I told you about a very exciting Christmas present arriving – a hard drive with loads of films.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well it transpires that only part of the consignment arrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All were posted at the same time in the UK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly there is no sign of the other packages – one of which contained Christmas pudding apparently! I hope they arrive in January, but I’m told it can take up to a year... if ever!</span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> Anot</span>her milestone in Tristan history this week – the internet is speeded up from 32 to 64 kilobytes/sec – between all 280 islanders and shared with 12 voice-over-internet telephone channels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So it’s still slow but not quite <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">as</i> slow! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had a haircut this week. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not easy you might think in a place where the nearest barber is 1500 miles away!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So when one of the Conservation Team lads appeared one morning sporting a neat haircut I asked how he’d done it, and arranged for Kirsty, the office clerk to cut mine too. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I previously mentioned that it’s rare to see (or hear) jets over Tristan. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learnt this week that there is actually a scheduled service which goes over twice a week from Cape Town to Buenos Aries. But its at altitude and not always visible or audible. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div>Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-10195817716220370862011-12-06T19:18:00.005+02:002011-12-06T21:20:24.247+02:00News Headlines<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a lot going on just now so here are the headlines: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mum is well on the road to recovery after breaking her leg. She got out of hospital two weeks ago and is adjusting to living at home with the help of family - including my sister, Catherine who flew over from America - friends and health visitors. Take care mum!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Baltic Trader has just returned and I got the first mail from the outside world today since September:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> a</span> letter from America - thank you Catherine - and a Christmas present of a hard drive with loads of films - thank you Simon and Chris – it’s brilliant!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The microscope I ordered from GX Microscopes in September also arrived today. Excellent machine – thank you Bob!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last day for posting Christmas mail is the 9<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup> December. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But given that none of the Christmas cards I sent back in early October have arrived yet, I don’t hold out much hope for the cards I'm posting now!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Official last day for shopping is the 15<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup> December when the one and only shop shuts until the 16<sup>th</sup> January.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A military-precision shopping expedition is being planned.</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A technician has just arrived on the Baltic Trader to speed up the internet connection. Fantastic!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was invited to Cedric’s 18<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup> birthday party on Saturday night in the village hall. Just under half the entire island population turned out. It was a bit like a highland ceilidh with every generation represented including kids and grandparents. The women tend to sit along one wall and the men stand around the bar or by the stage. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two long trestle tables were laden with savoury food and a vast array of cakes - all home made. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> There was also one of the biggest birthday cakes I've seen in a long time! A great night with lively dancing and music.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, back home we've got a new puppy - Rannoch.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidNR1AsrfVed3fc-380PS2Y_q_I4JhaKBbmFFPf3OxhhrKCs2YzLxzQMto0MZYFcbsBECh-xFamWw1ff0beMKlGHpC5Oe-Y_RwgzucAD3V-YyK6agM0__f5Kag3SbezQwpwl0KE74ZpEPE/s1600/Rannoch+%2526+sock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidNR1AsrfVed3fc-380PS2Y_q_I4JhaKBbmFFPf3OxhhrKCs2YzLxzQMto0MZYFcbsBECh-xFamWw1ff0beMKlGHpC5Oe-Y_RwgzucAD3V-YyK6agM0__f5Kag3SbezQwpwl0KE74ZpEPE/s1600/Rannoch+%2526+sock.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"></div>Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-81181695731239210832011-12-06T19:10:00.006+02:002011-12-06T21:14:30.143+02:00Base Camp<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sorry for the radio silence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been camping on one of the remotest spots on the remotest inhabited island in the world!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the plateau above Sandy Point - the easternmost point of Tristan. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We travelled from the settlement by small boat, leaving just after bad weather cleared – and returning just before it set in again five days later. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in case we got stranded (which we nearly did!) we took enough food, clothes and kit for a fortnight.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Carrying heavy rucksacks with survey equipment, tent, sleeping bag and food up the steep escarpment was hard work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially going through Bog Fern (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blechnum palmiforme</i>) and dense patches of Island Tree (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Phylica arborea)</i>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve already mentioned how difficult it is to get through Bog Fern but that pales compared with Island Tree which forms a dense scrubby woodland tangle with fallen and standing deadwood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Island Tree is a member of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rhamnaceae </i>family and native to Tristan da Cunha group and Amsterdam and St Paul in the Southern Indian Ocean.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s just as well my South African work partner is pretty handy with a machete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I followed him in a hail of wood chips and cut branches!</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhanET_c_KkIzEERnLbE04hC-ALsjuLzxJXM9k3o9e0STdmpPfLJxgbSjcCx3kSjGMOnL_VY2xfDu54nG-RoaQcD9ZukG8jjpd4d_sW8nMlw0Dcwxf9NqI8NDvscysfUTRos6yahA1yrIp/s1600/Dawn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhanET_c_KkIzEERnLbE04hC-ALsjuLzxJXM9k3o9e0STdmpPfLJxgbSjcCx3kSjGMOnL_VY2xfDu54nG-RoaQcD9ZukG8jjpd4d_sW8nMlw0Dcwxf9NqI8NDvscysfUTRos6yahA1yrIp/s400/Dawn.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise over Tristan</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The soft spongy ground also makes the going hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is quite amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Slow-decaying mosses (including <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spagnum recurvum</i>), lichens, ferns and flowering plants make a dry light peat. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It sinks 4 inches with every step and makes normal tent pegs useless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pity we hadn’t anticipated that!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> So w</span>e improvised with long wooden stakes and guys tied to trees and ferns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A nesting Atlantic Yellow-billed Albatross (Molly) and several tame house mice shared the site.</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fpxYlLOgE2G1VSMPGurhFVJbJVdqa3KPyD3X_zQ_15U3_GDXZ4ja3Qq7xMyVgqfM_gBtsEXkJ0y3nIHik5aecZMBVT2mPIZ0sLt0tLH1bdF4q_4h8xkj5ejJj3gkK0ZhB_CIJCLwXk2l/s1600/Dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fpxYlLOgE2G1VSMPGurhFVJbJVdqa3KPyD3X_zQ_15U3_GDXZ4ja3Qq7xMyVgqfM_gBtsEXkJ0y3nIHik5aecZMBVT2mPIZ0sLt0tLH1bdF4q_4h8xkj5ejJj3gkK0ZhB_CIJCLwXk2l/s320/Dinner.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner with mice and mollys.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a good night’s kip and a breakfast of porridge oats and cold water we set off at 6.30 for a full day’s survey work. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apart from the wildlife and scenery a highlight of the day is lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s amazing how good 5 day old sandwiches can be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mind you, home-made brown bread, with cheese, roast tomatoes, lettuce and Mrs Ball’s fine chutney does make an excellent sandwich. Oh aye, and big slices of home-made fruit tea cake! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We return 12 hours later after only covering a few kilometres to write up notes, process data, press plant specimens and have dinner (spaghetti al ragu) before dusk. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx2v6SdVCy2_22EXSz0f_obyad5jAhFLPlWbNKieA-DxfZbiMMz8uXGbr0YmZB4KJyF5ypzzSYzvmAYRMFGzhNoCcB_ZQsctk1O3Jt7zC58CYbOkVUMVaIxetlQsbikc_zhjBT91DRZ1LX/s1600/Bootlace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx2v6SdVCy2_22EXSz0f_obyad5jAhFLPlWbNKieA-DxfZbiMMz8uXGbr0YmZB4KJyF5ypzzSYzvmAYRMFGzhNoCcB_ZQsctk1O3Jt7zC58CYbOkVUMVaIxetlQsbikc_zhjBT91DRZ1LX/s320/Bootlace.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bootlace Fern (<em>Radiovittaria ruiziana</em>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The flora was different from what we had seen elsewhere. This side of the island is in the lea of the prevailing westerly’s and the vegetation is more luxuriant, creating a humid microclimate – particularly in narrow gulleys or ‘gutters’ – for some of the rarer ferns like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Athyrium medium</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hypolepis rugulosa. </i>Though both of these were still unfurling and may have been overlooked previously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the first time, we saw <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cardamine glacialis</i> and the endemic <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ranunculus caroli</i> in flower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was great seeing several big populations of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trichomanes angustatum</i> and abundant <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hymenophyllum tunbrigense</i> but puzzling to only very rarely find the brilliantly named endemic, Bootlace Fern (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Radiovittaria ruiziana</i>).</span></div><br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Typically we recorded about 50 species in a 1 km square. A few are dominant (like Bog Fern and Island Tree) or abundant (like Island Berry (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Empetrum rubrum)</i> and fern species <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blechnum penna-marina</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ctenitis aquilina</i>) but most are only occasional or rare. In this area there are few non-natives. The most widespread is Yorkshire Fog, locally called Farm Grass (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Holcus lanatus</i>). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All others are rare and only found in the gutters and gulches. They include Mouse-ear Chickweed (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cerastium fontanum</i>), Sheep’s Sorrel (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rumex acetosella)</i> and Common Dock (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">R. obtusifolius</i>).</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gB7S0cjUYXFv0kIcoIP73e7niWq0RsD61qDLEcnw7U8t-Uqnn1MRxazkAlCs99opoDd-MVYoIJK-7QuZ2dC0wGzd54HFwh6fsP3YRGHrSy8BFvKH352iVM-ZuGnaGSSqJdo14VTTa-TN/s1600/Descent+route.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gB7S0cjUYXFv0kIcoIP73e7niWq0RsD61qDLEcnw7U8t-Uqnn1MRxazkAlCs99opoDd-MVYoIJK-7QuZ2dC0wGzd54HFwh6fsP3YRGHrSy8BFvKH352iVM-ZuGnaGSSqJdo14VTTa-TN/s400/Descent+route.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Descent to Sandy Point<br />
<br />
<div align="justify"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">After an exciting boat journey, we returned to a ritual round of everyone's house to thank the crew and skipper and celebrate a safe return with a beer (or two). And, for me, presents of home-made cakes, bread, mutton and even a roast beef dinner! The islanders are amazingly kind and generous. </span></span><br />
<br />
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</tbody></table>Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com0Tristan da Cunha, St Helena-37.1129151846424 -12.233738487499977-37.315703184642395 -12.491230487499976 -36.9101271846424 -11.976246487499978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-47003763671527686942011-11-25T23:06:00.004+02:002011-12-04T19:16:14.941+02:00Sounds of Silence?<div style="text-align: justify;">You might think that the remotest inhabited island in the world is a silent place. Far from it. Wind noise is pervasive. The mean wind speed is 40km/hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the wind is strong the New Zealand flax shelter belts makes additional thrashing noise. Rain frequently accompanies wind – and it sounds really heavy on the village’s corrugated steel roofs. If you can't hear wind or rain then almost certainly you hear the South Atlantic Ocean swell crashing onto Tristan's rocky volcanic shores. The ocean is very rarely calm and it’s a very peaceful noise to fall asleep to. The sound travels far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> One of the few times </span>I've not heard wind or waves was 1100 metres up and well back from the edge of the base.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tristan has one of the highest rates of vehicle ownership of any country in the world. Surprising you might think when there is only about 4 km of tarred road and a similar length of dirt track. All the vehicles seemed to be owned by men and I’m sure it is a status thing. The vehicles are mostly 125cc motorbikes and 4x4 bakkies (pickup trucks). So for about ten minutes every morning there is regular traffic noise. Fishing days, when government offices close and the men go fishing, are heralded at 4.30am by the ringing of the ‘dong’ - an old red gas cylinder near the Albatross pub. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly there is a stream of traffic heading to the harbour and later in the day, when the catch is landed a siren calls workers to the fish processing factory.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxe9QqoWNTde-ktyB01wUVeQAT0xB04NYo3p-H3zzZqjyg4kfe1FMhS0KfxMomTo9EiaK9zSo3QbDyyIrNwwAkp1d4V_zfRR_zQOyMA9Trk4aal0qymJ8m-IlQTxfvZbKAYn0yuYLwfd4/s1600/Men+at+Work.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxe9QqoWNTde-ktyB01wUVeQAT0xB04NYo3p-H3zzZqjyg4kfe1FMhS0KfxMomTo9EiaK9zSo3QbDyyIrNwwAkp1d4V_zfRR_zQOyMA9Trk4aal0qymJ8m-IlQTxfvZbKAYn0yuYLwfd4/s320/Men+at+Work.jpg" width="279" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tristan men at work</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">We heard a very rare noise this week - a jet! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tristan is not on any scheduled flight path and it is very unusual to hear jets. Such events are reported in the local newspaper. While jets are rare we do have a natural equivalent - the low-flying albatross! Which makes an astonishing and beautiful whooshing noise. They seem to aim for humans but unlike the Antarctic Skuas there is no menace – just curiosity. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s spring here but there is no dawn chorus as neither of the two breeding landbirds on Tristan nest in the settlement. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I’ll tell you more about Starchies and Island Cocks another time - both of which are quite noisy.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">On Wednesday we heard another rare sound - gunshot - as we watched island men kill then butcher a bullock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are no abattoirs on the island, so when the meat supply runs low a sheep or bullock is culled – often in some remote part of the island. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No easy task as livestock is very wary of men with guns (sensibly) and runs fast in the opposite direction. But the men seem to enjoy the hunt. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In less than 30 minutes deft work with knives and axe, the beast was skinned, disembowelled, quartered and bagged up for the return journey to the settlement by boat. We were camping in a hut nearby and were kindly given some beef for our braai (barbeque). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very nice too - if a bit chewy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">We fell asleep to the sound of breaking waves, distant fur seals and rats rustling round the hut.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8Jrx3pW5-i1WCKP-T-ZNlkFPcz14-qPj9dJ9mk2H2246JNwDuc9_DSAZjRN5vF5NQLctpKgd3Ik0HoayoY-4ic6AlE8DRkWFum4k6mQ9MKm1J17O2DLhOm_m_jjXnbrI5PVCOYWzmtFR/s1600/Seals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8Jrx3pW5-i1WCKP-T-ZNlkFPcz14-qPj9dJ9mk2H2246JNwDuc9_DSAZjRN5vF5NQLctpKgd3Ik0HoayoY-4ic6AlE8DRkWFum4k6mQ9MKm1J17O2DLhOm_m_jjXnbrI5PVCOYWzmtFR/s400/Seals.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fur Seals taken a little earlier in the day.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">PS Exciting news – visitors from the outside world! A broken down round-the-world racing yacht is due to limp into Tristan harbour tomorrow morning. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">For full story now see <a href="http://www.tristandc.com/newsmarmostro.php">http://www.tristandc.com/newsmarmostro.php</a></div><br />
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</div>Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-60897156467809266652011-11-19T17:40:00.002+02:002011-11-19T19:11:43.988+02:00Harder than the Hardest Thing?<div style="text-align: justify;">I've mentioned the landscape before - it is truly fantastic! A 2,000 metre high volcanic cone, often snow clad, surrounded by a high plateau (the base) around 1000m which is very deeply incised by numerous river valleys (called gulches) ending up with cascading waterfalls over a great escarpment which completely encircles the island and leaves only a narrow coastal plain in a few places. In places the escarpment plunges straight down to the sea or leaves only the narrowest boulder beaches. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The lush vegetation on the base and escarpment is dominated by ferns or trees. More specifically Island Tree (<em>Phylica arborea</em>) and Bog Fern (<em>Blechnum palmiforme</em>). The tree is rarely more than 3 or 4 metres high and forms dense thicket which are amost impenetrable - though we have yet to experience the most impenettrable <em>Phylica</em> on the more sheltered western side of the island. The Bog Fern is more like a tree fern - it can be 2 metres tall with a stem 15cm in diameter and has very stiff branches. More usually it is about a metre high and when growing close together makes walking through the interlocking branches tiring. The ground itself is spongey and very uneven and the fallen and hidden trunks of Bog fern are an additional hazard.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLGZC-2qlwmueLq8NPvlNUwcN4Bi1r9SKPNsaUuZBJutV8FwUjhhN9RdP8_tLgk2cA3wE0zVPMrVdY45YdWeu_Qj4TSg-2ZD3zcXlgPJ-BiBofQrqXu-4r57BbSewZjmjURla_P9qx1oi/s1600/P1000887b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLGZC-2qlwmueLq8NPvlNUwcN4Bi1r9SKPNsaUuZBJutV8FwUjhhN9RdP8_tLgk2cA3wE0zVPMrVdY45YdWeu_Qj4TSg-2ZD3zcXlgPJ-BiBofQrqXu-4r57BbSewZjmjURla_P9qx1oi/s320/P1000887b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Bog Fern is amazing as it is host to an entire community of ferns and flowering plants. These grow epiphytically on the 'trunks' getting support only but nutrients and water from the enviroment. They include some very interesting species - including one of the few native to both Tristan and the British Isles - Tunbridge Filmy-fern (<em>Hymenophyllum tunbrigense</em>). It is just one of three Filmy-ferns in that habitat.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We start early and finish late each day to maximise our time on the Base and with ascents and descents so steep that there are fixed ropes in places. We traverse Bog Fern and Island Tree habitats and the numerous deep gulches to get to and from our survey areas carrying heavy rucksacks full of survey equipment, food and clothes for four seasons that are often put to the test. SAS training must be easier! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In future we will set up camp on the Base (Base camp - literally!) to minimise commuting time and effort. But the weather must improve first and we need more grass and sedge species to flower to be able to confidently identify and survey - particularly at altitude. About a quarter of Tristan's flora are grasses or sedges - and many that are found nowhere else (endemic). At least our tents have just arrived - even if the microscope and other equipment from Kew have failed to materialise. Before then we hope to take boats to the remoter parts of the island and stay in privately-owned huts (holiday homes for islanders) and use them as bases for survey work.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirabpVQ7aHI1m-3leYjewSMft9E4kHBU0FA3rgET6yAPL-xH-HxXiJSL0Jg0oF_YcWEpGkv_i7JBeiqqkjreELYFFniAZ3C8tDl1jx1azUt_zKgKduzbfOh5UIBmJ9U8DyR5Ixv0xWu335/s1600/Tristan+b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirabpVQ7aHI1m-3leYjewSMft9E4kHBU0FA3rgET6yAPL-xH-HxXiJSL0Jg0oF_YcWEpGkv_i7JBeiqqkjreELYFFniAZ3C8tDl1jx1azUt_zKgKduzbfOh5UIBmJ9U8DyR5Ixv0xWu335/s320/Tristan+b.jpg" width="320" /></a>In Britain you take good maps for granted. There is no such luxury here - only crude small-scale contour maps and aerial photographs - none of which show the grid squares we are surveying accurately. None show paths accurately - and they are often the only way up and down the escarpment and the easiest ways around the Base. And none are georeferenced properly so we are not able to plot routes and plant populations precisely.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">My blog has made the island sound very exotic but the reality of working here is that it is hard. Very hard. Harder than anything I've ever done before. Maybe I should have entitled the blog <em>Harder than the Hardest Thing?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">PS I've got some exciting news. We think we found the endemic rush species <em>Rostkovia tristanensis</em> on Thursday. TBC but if correct the first time it has been recorded on Tristan since a Norwegian Expedition survey in 1938. It was in a completely different place from their first record. The species is also known from Gough Island some 350km distant. For the botanists amongst you it looks a bit like <em>Juncus biglumis</em> except that it grows in acidic wet montane heath with <em>Empetrum rubrum</em>, <em>Lycopodium insularis</em> and numerous small sedge and grass species.</div><br />
Here is a link to more information <a href="http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/43903/0">http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/43903/0</a>Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-74942442005406180912011-11-11T19:38:00.001+02:002011-11-16T00:02:51.848+02:00Further than the Furthest Thing<div style="text-align: justify;">You may have pondered the strange blog address. It obviously refers to the island's remoteness. But it is more than that; I first learnt about Tristan da Cunha by watching a play entitled <strong>Further than the Furthest Thing</strong> at the Tron ten years ago. (It was also staged at the Traverse and toured around the highlands and islands.) Here is a synopsis: <em>On a remote island in the middle of the Atlantic secrets are buried. When the outside world comes calling, intent on manipulation for political and economic reasons, the islanders find their own world blown apart from the inside as well as beyond. <strong>A</strong> beautifully drawn story evoking the sadness and beauty of a civilisation in crisis.</em> If you are interesting you can catch it at the Ljubljana City Theatre, in Slovenia in April 2012.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Talking about remoteness, it has seemed pretty remote here recently. My mum (85) fell and broke her leg badly a couple weeks ago. Just the sort of thing one fears most about being stuck on such an isolated island. Even in an emergency there is no medical evacuation. Seriously injured or ill islanders are patched up and have to wait for the next scheduled ship. Which is about once every month or two. Or hope for a passing ship - and there are not many of them! Anyway no sooner than I'd heard the news all communications were cut off for an anxious four days.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm very pleased and relieved to be able to report that she was up and walking the day after her 3 hour op and transferred to a local hospital within days. There it is much easier for the family and village support network to swing into full force. Apparently she has even been conducting WRI meetings from her bedside. (Get well soon, mum!)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the same theme of remoteness...I've been without any fresh green vegetables for two weeks now. But yesterday the MV Edinburgh arrived and managed to unload. The supermarket was bustling with excitement and activity today and full of such exotica as pumpkin, squash, peppers, avocados, tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, pears and pineapple. There were even some barely blackened bananas! I counted at least five bakkis (South African and local word for pickup truck) parked outside at once! So I went on a massive shopping spree. What I buy now will have to last until whenever the next ship arrives and unloads in mid December. I've unpacked my cache carefully and adjusted fridge temperature to optimise vegetable longevity. Two degrees Centigrade I think might do it - unless anyone knows better?</div>Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-53404524669617471752011-11-09T00:55:00.005+02:002011-11-16T00:25:21.306+02:00Rockhoppers and Fur Seals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYIOm7gNI5-iJOTzOar5iUxrbZcqSLK1QCKTz57ijvvM5K7w2EKxPerDz0cHB1uBmrBRdo3Jw7MILF4Er9_md6GV7QdUbNtAqCHPhb7O_FwCSpRFy38R1V34NSgsG_UaCnZzJQn6oriKa/s1600/P1010193comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYIOm7gNI5-iJOTzOar5iUxrbZcqSLK1QCKTz57ijvvM5K7w2EKxPerDz0cHB1uBmrBRdo3Jw7MILF4Er9_md6GV7QdUbNtAqCHPhb7O_FwCSpRFy38R1V34NSgsG_UaCnZzJQn6oriKa/s320/P1010193comp.jpg" width="196" /></a>I saw my first Rockhopper Penguin today. Well two of them to be precise. They really do hop around rocks - unlike the African Penguins I saw near Cape Town which tend to stroll around rather nonchalantly. But Rockhoppers are much more endearing - they have orange and red ear tufts and look pretty comical. I'll upload a photo when I get a chance. And I almost stood on a sleeping fur seal. (Not advised - they can be quite vicious!) I don't know who got the bigger fright. But when sleeping they look remarkably like rocks on the boulder beach.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWe_S_yhnMm6XM76yh8XmsC7CFkpZDNGktfJDpOpET8NgZEh-To39kHJS0pA14WPT8KtQj48cZVmhTRb8k9TZVFNicqeBP9cEknP2FB-tNU8AiqjMA6wYvm133cEZ397vMGyeOoPhodq4/s1600/P1010128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWe_S_yhnMm6XM76yh8XmsC7CFkpZDNGktfJDpOpET8NgZEh-To39kHJS0pA14WPT8KtQj48cZVmhTRb8k9TZVFNicqeBP9cEknP2FB-tNU8AiqjMA6wYvm133cEZ397vMGyeOoPhodq4/s320/P1010128.JPG" width="240" /></a>Possibly never in the history of plant recording has so much effort gone into recording so few plants. Today we decided to survey a 1km square which includes 'the ponds' - a series of three large lake filled volcanic craters on the north-east side of the island. Clearly visible on Google Earth - check it out. We set off at 6.45am and walked up the incredibly steep Pigbyte path. Its so steep that in places there are ropes to help you up. The going is hard because the ground is covered by a thin layer of peat and is very spongey. Anyway by 8.15am we were on the Base - the 2,500 foot plateau which encircles the 6,000 foot peak at the centre of the island (covered in fresh snow this week). The path then continues up to 3,000 feet before descending to the highest pond. It was great walking on a path on the Base - we've seldom had that luxury. We walked along the narrow ridge between the middle and the highest pond. What a great sense of place!</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRm1EOfNl1F_RdapMVQXWyBJibHDIoRHPBYpXl_mPfbMVhrblCBiK5LAPuCEiIIrwll096VMuqJ0wF7t-mMxfort9lZp5gRGh9g_zKFqSOYhUIPd42kiQ7buaGYPg7iyukbuBXtTN-G-9/s1600/P1010162comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRm1EOfNl1F_RdapMVQXWyBJibHDIoRHPBYpXl_mPfbMVhrblCBiK5LAPuCEiIIrwll096VMuqJ0wF7t-mMxfort9lZp5gRGh9g_zKFqSOYhUIPd42kiQ7buaGYPg7iyukbuBXtTN-G-9/s1600/P1010162comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRm1EOfNl1F_RdapMVQXWyBJibHDIoRHPBYpXl_mPfbMVhrblCBiK5LAPuCEiIIrwll096VMuqJ0wF7t-mMxfort9lZp5gRGh9g_zKFqSOYhUIPd42kiQ7buaGYPg7iyukbuBXtTN-G-9/s320/P1010162comp.jpg" width="320" /></a>After spending some time with a large flock of loafing Yellow-nosed albatrosses - you can almost stroke them they are so tame! - we descended through our target survey area. From about 2,000 feet to sea level - through almost impenetrable scrub on a landscape of steep slopes, deep ravines and sudden drops. The going is very slow, difficult and dangerous. In places my rucksack would touch the ground behind me because it was so steep - and because my rucksack is stuffed full of survey equipment, gear for four seasons and usually - although not by then - a big packed lunch!<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are not many species to record on Tristan - it is so remote not many made it here (at least not without the help of man). The flora has a high proportion of grasses and sedges, few of which are in flower. We struggle to identify them from remnants of last year's flowers and fruits. From there we had a level 3km walk back to Edinburgh of the Seven Seas. Easy you might think - wrong!! It was possibly even more dangerous than the higher ground. We had to walk along along a narrow strip of boulder beach, between a literally crumbling, near vertical cliff face and huge South Atlantic waves crashing in over the entire beach in places. It was here we saw the penguins and seals.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Stats: 12 hour day. 10 mile walk, 3,000 foot climb: 55 species recorded, plus a number of vegetation quadrats surveyed and 4 herbarium specimens collected. A botanist's lot is not an easy one on Tristan. Ah well, another of the 100 1km squares surveyed!</div>Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242546386237792664.post-23153737415013066432011-10-30T22:11:00.008+02:002011-10-31T19:57:55.309+02:00Tristan 3 - HMS Clyde 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Sorry for the hiatus. I've now got the key the internet cafe and can get online out of hours when it is a little faster. Well, less slow. I've got so much to tell you I hardly know where to begin. Anyway here goes. I'll fill some of the other gaps in future posts.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DVvOAJZRWlMSJ6QpTOFaXBZ_oV4K4opGXQGjiSEzryWVEGatp9tTTzLD0rCro9lGrrh3qUr9jntWFtjpkA_of6ZiwolpzKH3jB8SeRbPDAx-dJPIDCD9u25c5QnlNK7MI3c-eZrjVuZX/s1600/P1010021a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DVvOAJZRWlMSJ6QpTOFaXBZ_oV4K4opGXQGjiSEzryWVEGatp9tTTzLD0rCro9lGrrh3qUr9jntWFtjpkA_of6ZiwolpzKH3jB8SeRbPDAx-dJPIDCD9u25c5QnlNK7MI3c-eZrjVuZX/s320/P1010021a.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We don’t get many visitors! So Friday was a particularly momentous day for Tristan. The </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Royal Navy ship HMS Clyde visited and spent the day here. She is en route between the Falkland Islands and Cape Town. The Administrator, the UK Government rep, took the opportunity of an audience to unveil a plaque - on the summit of the Volcano whose eruption lead to the complete evacuation of the island 50 years ago to the month. And while the Administrator and his wife entertained the ship’s captain to lunch at the Residency, the Tristan football team entertained a team from the ship on the adjacent pitch, with a large audience of sheep and cattle and a few islanders watching. The island team won 3-2, maintaining its run of four consecutive wins. It was a beautiful day and only a few islanders turned out to watch as there was important work to do in the potato patches (allotments). Ensuring the continuity of food supply and ultimately survival on one of the world’s most remote islands is a deeply ingrained island instinct. </span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirF5BGCGu29ViT0sHEKg32ZMniedk24e8l__vuyPOFlc8T3tXEzNGXrPahySVaj3Fl_Ag2ysAgZHHI9_H1KCa5XNcMUbTQlvzIwURyYVdS4J-SWNlr5qIeqoXZGvV1uJkh_QOWYwXOCkab/s1600/IMG_8711+mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirF5BGCGu29ViT0sHEKg32ZMniedk24e8l__vuyPOFlc8T3tXEzNGXrPahySVaj3Fl_Ag2ysAgZHHI9_H1KCa5XNcMUbTQlvzIwURyYVdS4J-SWNlr5qIeqoXZGvV1uJkh_QOWYwXOCkab/s320/IMG_8711+mod.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In any website on Tristan you always see this welcome sign. But when I arrived I was puzzled because I couldn't find it anywhere. Apparently it is so windy on the island that unless there are visitors and it's calm they take all signs down - including the welcome sign, road signs and one telling you we are 5,386 miles from London! So it suddenly appeared again when the HMS Clyde was in port.<br />
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It’s been a busy week for island fishermen and the fish processing factory, with three ‘fishing days’. Let me explain. There are only two employers on the island. The Tristan da Cunha government itself is by far the biggest. It runs an administration office and a treasury including bank, and a number of departments, like agriculture, mechanical, electrical, carpentry, communications, shop, post office, health and education. The other is the lobster processing factory. But many of the government staff are fishermen and on one of the few days which are good enough to launch the boats and get in and out of the harbour safely, a bell is donged at 4.45am and normal island life is suspended for the day. Generally there are 60 fishing days a year. The number is variable and depends on catches and quotas as it is critical that the fishing is sustainable. Once offloaded the factory works flat out to process and freeze the fish catch as soon as possible to ensure freshness. <br />
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It’s been a momentous day in my kitchen too - preparing food for the week ahead. There is no fast or prepared food in the shop. I’ve made a loaf of brown bread, two mixed fruit tea cakes; butternut squash soup and a sausage and carrot casserole. But the really momentous bit is that I’ve used my last cabbage and carrot. There are none left in the island store and won’t be for at least another two weeks when the next supply ship unloads. The only fresh vegetables available in the 'canteen', as the supermarket is called, are onions and butternut squash. There are frozen vegetables but apart from peas they aren’t great - like tomatoes. I suppose that's one of the reasons every islander has an allotment. However the islanders are very kind and generous and I’ve been given potatoes, eggs, lobsters and a huge amount of beef and lamb – all delicious and produced on Tristan. I also get a bottle of milk delivered every other morning from Sylvia Green, straight from her cow, unpasteurised and still slightly warm. Its very creamy and great with coffee and frosties (when chilled). <br />
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The weather seems to have settled down here after last week’s deluge. We’ve had several dry and sunny days, and we’ve been up on the plateau at 2,500 feet called the Base, three times in the last week. We should probably be up there again today but it is pretty exhausting and we need some time to recharge batteries (literally and metaphorically!) The ascent is as steep as anything I’ve done in the Alps and even once you get up there the going doesn’t get much easier with deep ravines (gulches) to cross every few hundred yards. The plants are pretty difficult to identify – just to add to the challenge – with a high proportion of grass and sedge species amongst the 90 native and 130 non-native plant species. Because the season is late these grasses and sedges are almost impossible to identify with only last year’s remnants of flowers to go on - which are now frayed, battered or missing after a winter of South Atlantic storms. However it should get easier with perseverance and the advancing season</span>. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>Jim McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141176330467225860noreply@blogger.com3