The Supply Ship Arrives at Takaroa

Yesterday was a busy one in the village as a second supply ship arrived in the afternoon. Unloading this one was a very labour-intensive affair as it just had very old-fashioned derricks (a long pole hinged at the bottom of a mast, with long block-and-tackle lines to control it) rather than a modern crane. We was everything from wheelbarrows to bicycles to plants being unloaded and it seemed that the whole village gets involved.

The school kids (school starts at 8.00 and finishes at 12.30 it seems) wasted no opportunity to use the ship's mooring lines as a climbing frame and were very keen to show off for the camera. No health & safety controls here! They all came crowding round to look at the images, chattering away in French; if we get time, we'll make some prints and take them to the school before we leave:

Graham chatted to one of the mothers who was keeping a gentle eye on them all and checked that she was happy for photos to be taken but she was a keen as the children to see the pictures and seemed completely unperturbed as the kids scampered up the ropes. Meanwhile, back on Maunie, Dianne could hear the shrieks of laughter.