falklands

wavelength · 08 March 2004, 22:04

Just back from Falklands doing some boat training. A few of the things you might meet when beaching the boat.

wavelength · 08 March 2004, 22:05

some are not quite as energetic

wavelength · 08 March 2004, 22:06

and some are a little better looking

wavelength · 08 March 2004, 22:10

that was a Gentoo
Big white beaches to land on - make sure you dont go on the ones thought to be mined!

wavelength · 08 March 2004, 22:11

Graveyard of a lot of ships damaged rounding the Horn

Ian · 08 March 2004, 22:13

Maybe Gary should arrange his next trip there, the sea looks much calmer than his previous outings in Fleetwood.
Q. Has anyone told the penguins the beaches are 'thought to be mined'?

wavelength · 08 March 2004, 22:13

bit of boating practise in Chile first!

MeMe · 08 March 2004, 22:13

isn't a daft question. "Why is there a No2 painted on a rock in the first picture" ?

wavelength · 08 March 2004, 22:16

Has anyone told the penguins the beaches are 'thought to be mined'
They seem to be light enough to walk over them. I had the present Mrs wavelength walk in front at the appropriate places.

wavelength · 08 March 2004, 22:20

isn't a daft question. "Why is there a No2 painted on a rock in the first picture" ?
Conservations people's way of keeping track of the elephant seals etc populations (not the rocks they tend to stay put) Some of the elephant seals have i.d. marks sprayed on them as well - which although doubtless important does take away from the wilderness experience!

Ian · 08 March 2004, 22:22

Looks great, how long were you out there?

Mark Halliday · 08 March 2004, 22:38

Quote:

Originally posted by wavelength
Has anyone told the penguins the beaches are 'thought to be mined'

No one has told JSEODOC that penguins can't read.

wavelength · 08 March 2004, 22:47

hey that looks familiar! Is that Gypsey cove?

wavelength · 08 March 2004, 22:48

volunteer point - king penguin colony on the grass at the back of the beach

wavelength · 08 March 2004, 22:54

Hi Ian A couple of weeks in stanley and the islands another couple in Chile for Holiday on way there.
lots of wildlife but you dont realise how fragile til you get an event were we lost the use of the boat for a day while it took the vets out to an Island that had been set on fire by a visiting yottie's bbq. Peat islands may burn for a year or two underground- Sea lions were getting back on and cooking as they laid there! 'orrible injuries.

Mark Halliday · 08 March 2004, 22:58

Dave
You chose the right time of year to go. I would have loved to have been there during their summer.
I was out there for 6 weeks July/August 2002. All the wild life had gone south for the winter. Only a few native (Humbolt?) penguins around and I was told all the did was smell!
I asume you went the Lan Chile route or did you try the delights of the RAF Tristar?

wavelength · 09 March 2004, 17:09

went Lanchile - b****y awful flight really Lan Express is ok down the country and over to falklands but the lanchile flight for 14hrs or so had your knees up your nostrils and then they offloaded the baggage at madrid on way back with only 40 mins to our connecting flight. Complete cock up. Run the length of Madrid airport with suitcases to be told it was impossible but then good old BA was 30 mins late and they shoved the bags on for us. Still we got the holiday in Chile out of it and that was worth going for. I take it you went TriStar?

Mark Halliday · 09 March 2004, 20:19

Tristar both ways. It is a bit quicker and the military were paying. 8 hrs to Ascension Island, 1 1/2 hrs there and the 8hrs on. It is nice to get a beer at 6am outbound and 11pm during the stop-over. You need that when you spend 16hrs. in a cigar can with 350 army, navy and RAF types. At Ascension the plane is emptied and you are put in the "cage" where there is a cafe, bar, duty free the size of a broom cupboard, a place to have your passport stamped (£1) and most important - toilets.
We were escorted from MPA by this Tornado. The pilot's son was 4 rows in front of me, both were waving like mad, which was a bit worrying when the Tornado was about 10ft off our wing tip. He kept station on our wing for about 15 mins.
I don't know about you, but I would recommend anyone with the chance of going to take it. But best to go between November and March.

wavelength · 09 March 2004, 23:25

Yep- wouldnt want to go during our summer to get a dose of their winter. Much better to go in n hemisphere winter and steal a bit of summer down there for a while.