what to do after school?

After school is out here on Norfolk Island, we have over 4 hours of warm sunshine to enjoy.

These afternoons are our favourites, so instead of rushing home to do homework, our kids come down to the beach and can swim, surf, snorkel, fish, ride their bikes and just play on the sand for many hours to unwind from a day in the classroom.

After Sienna's first day at Kindergarten, we came down to Emily bay for a walk and a swim before heading home.
 

Teddy and Sienna decided to go for a walk across the headland that looks out to Phillip and Nepean Islands, I asked if they wanted me to come with them, Teddy replied " we're o.k Mum, we are just going to have a little brother/sister time" he held his sisters hand and looked after her on the rocky walk. I think he is very proud of her starting school, it was very sweet.

We walked back around to Emily bay where we played on the sand, Brandt joined us there for a swim.

 

 The next day, we took our bikes down after school and rode to the Kingston pier. Some fishing boats had come in and were filleting the fish.

The fishermen throw the fish skins and carcasses back into the water for the food chain cycle.

It is usually at this time that we see a whole lot of sharks (bull or bronze whalers, not sure which) and maybe a turtle coming in close for a feed. Today though the tide was so low that the sharks couldn't get through the reef (niggerhead) so we were treated to a show of all the tropical reef fish coming to the surface for a fish feed.

There were these amazing long trumpet nosed fish, they seemed to change colour from soft blue and grey to deep purple and blue.

There was another family there waiting for their charter boat, they were taking their son and his friends out to the Phillip Island fishing hut for the weekend as it was his 12th Birthday, what an amazing party idea!

We enjoy our life here on the island so much, we are so grateful to have the opportunity to live here where fun isn't always expensive like going to theme parks and malls and electronic gaming arcades, instead it is about the simple pleasures and discoveries and natural wonders and healthy activity choices all only 5 minutes from home.

It won't be long before afternoons start filling up with all those extra curricular activities like horse riding and my dance class for littlies and Tahitian dancing and ukulele lessons, but in the meantime............

We still have another 2 or so months to enjoy this warm weather by coming to the beach after school or in the early evenings, quite often we will stay for some alfresco dining, by ourselves or with friends. Either way it is always pleasant.