Starfish rescue

The sea has had a heavy swell for a couple of days, and the strong currents have dislodged things from their places and thrown them onto the beach.

I found this starfish half hidden in the sand, and idly turned it over.


It's little legs were still moving, so I carried it to a rock pool. It didn't appear to move, but twenty minutes later it had found it's way from the center of the pool to the edge, hiding under a ledge as much as it was able.


Starfish have no eyes, so I wonder how it knew which way to go? Or was it just lucky?

Coffee at the wharf on a fine spring day

Today was a beautiful warm spring day, and Diana at Wharfside Cafe had the windows pulled open, so I sat inside and enjoyed the view and my coffee. You can sit outside in the sun too, under the umbrellas, but I enjoyed the way the windows frame the view.

There are several cafes at the wharf. The Wharfside is my favourite, but the others are friendly places to be too, and they all have good coffee.

The wharf is a working port facility, so in addition to tourists, you'll find people from the Port Authority and Customs having morning coffee or lunch here. The fishermen from the boats at the wharf are more often to be found around the corner at the ice creamery, which is also a cafe and souvenir store.

Rock pools and seafood!

I was walking along Asling's beach, trying out my new camera phone and enjoying the rockpools, when along came Darren with a freshly caught crayfish. He had a couple of abalone too, but he complains that the legal bag limit of 2 is too restrictive, as that is not enough to make a curry for his family!

If you're not keen on braving the cold water like Darren but you still want some "bush tucker", you can always catch a few snails like the ones in the bottom photo. They have a flecked brown and cream coloured shell which is a bit smaller than a walnut. I haven't eaten them, but I know someone who has and she says they are good steamed.

How do you eat abalone? They are kind of rubbery and I haven't tried them myself, but I hear they are good pounded, coated in breadcrumbs and fried (like a schnitzel), or made into a curry.




See the snails in the bottom of the rock pool? Enough for dinner! Just joking, I like to leave the wildlife in peace.