Tranquil WEE Places you have visited in MN

[Richard Quartermaine]

Norfolk Island in the late 1940s. Mutiny of the Bounty descendants at their Bounty Day Picnic. Each extended family had their own table. The McCoys is on the right. Note the beautiful Norfolk pines towering over the scene. Like most Camelots, changes from what we remember are not compatible with the memories. Richard

[Ivan Cloherty]

Jeez Richard, with those cars I was expecting to see Elliot Ness!

[Richard Quartermaine]

Well Ivan, Elliot Ness was from Chica(r)go!
There were only a small number of vehicles on the island and wasn't she a beauty.
Richard

[Laurie Ridyard]

In 1959, I was a deck app. on M.V." Trelawny "on charter to Nedlloyd. Because of a dock strike, we were diverted from Colombo to Trincomalee, where we spent 4 weeks at anchor, discharging.

This is an amazing port, being a flooded caldera; entered via a narrow channel with high cliffs on either side.

We had the jolly boat and the lifeboat out to take the crew ashore.

One day, I had to take the Ol' Man and Ch,Eng ashore to the beach for a picnic. I heard a splash at the side of the boat and a huge manta ray about 9 ft. across came out of the water and over my head !

We were working cargo 24 hrs a day. I was doing nights and there was a winch just outside our cabin, causing aracket. Also the dockies were yelling at each other all the time.

One afternoon, I was sleeping and suddenly woke up/ I realised there was a dead silence, which had woken me. I went outside and saw all the dockies looking over the port side. I went and had a look.

There was a shark slowly swimming alongside the ship. It was at least 40 ft. long. It certainly was not a whale shark !!!

That night I had to get the life boat ready to take the crew ashore. The mooring rope had somehow jammed between the stanchion and side of the gangway. I tried tugging at it , but it would not shift, so I gave it a real hard pull. It gave way and I fell into the water ! Well, I can tell you I am sure I got out faster than I got in !!!

Whilst we were there, a fleet of Commonwealth Navies ships came into the anchorage, including an RN destroyer which had been in collision with a Pakistani Cruiser, and was heavily damaged. It had to be towed to Singapore for repairs, and this task was allotted to a NZ frigate.

As the frigate and tow went past us; I dressed only in working shorts and boots, had to go and dip the ensign. I was looking down on the frigate and the Officer on the bridge stood to attention and saluted me ( or the ensign ) !

In 1990 I learnt that my cousin Rosemary , an SRN, had emigrated to New Zealand; wherre she had joined the RNZ NS, become a Lt. Colonel and married a RNZN Lt. Commander. I wrote to and her husband relating my encounter with the RNZN frigate in Trincomalee.

Turns out he was the Officer on the bridge who had saluted !

ATB

Laurie

[Chris Allman]

The one that fits the bill for me Frank is Sao Francisco do Sul in Brazil - a lovely little timber port.

[cappy]

###noosa heads oz and lautoka in fiji in the late 50s

[Captain Kong]

Pitcairns Island.,
only 48 people on it, no traffic. peaceful and lovely Jackie Christian to talk to.
I will be there again next month.

[happy daze john in oz]

In New Zealand the port of Akaroa looks as peaceful as any on earth.
Set in a small cove it is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places you could wish to retire to.

Only about 500 live there, but in the summer it rises to over 2,000 with the tourist trade.

Fantastic drive into Christchurch from there.

[Keith Tindell]

I spent 7 lovely days there John, even went sailing on a beautiful yacht in the bay, Its also the birth place of Frank Worsley, famous from the Shackleton expedition. While i was there i was lucky to attend a lecture in the tiny theatre there, and it was a talk on that expedition, by the guy who has all of the original photo plates from that fantastic story. Apologise going off thread, kt

[Trevor Bodiam]

When home on leave always found St.Margarets Bay near Dover a beautiful spot. The pub at the bottom of the cliff road called the Coastguard claim to fame as the nearest pub to France has a seating area only a few metres higher than the sea. It is a great place for a quiet beer and watching the channel shipping.
Very little else there only a car park and sea-gulls.