2004MAY25

1 We're up at 6AM to get ready to go out on the bay to check Darky & Jude's oyster leases.	2 Darky looks every bit the Kiwi farmer. All rugged up, beanie and all, propped up in the drivers seat.	3 And away to work we go.	4 Jude, Fluxy and Sonia trying to keep warm.	5 Smoky Bay's primary industry is oyster farming.	6 We're not the only ones up at sparrows fart to catch the tides.
7 All be it a little chilly it was a beautiful day to go out on the water.	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18 Check out the wisps of "smoke" on the water. Pretty neat I reckon.
19 About 20 minutes on the water saw us at our first oyster lease.	20 This lease is where Darky puts his oysters to slow down their growth during the off season.	21 All up, Jude & Darky have about 4 ½ hectares (11 acres) available for oyster production. Here are several leases other oyster farmers have in the same area.	22 Here Darky is checking out a spat bag which is just about ready to go into a unit of it's own.	23 Do I look like I know what I'm doing??? Huh, c'mon fellas I need to know!!!	24
25	26 Here we have Pacific Oysters which are the local flavor.	27 I know it's early Darky, but you're going to have to open your eyes sometime mate!!!	28	29 We shot over across the bay to another one of the Darke's other lease.	30
31	32 These oyster beds are called the long line style. Yeah, I know it doesn't mean much to you, but it's the new way of oyster management.	33 What you have here is two baskets that make a unit. A unit will hold about 10 dozen mature oysters.	34 One of the locals getting a bit of sun in the morning.	35	36
37	38 Hey Jude, you salty sea sheila thing you!!!	39	40	41 Captain Darky at the helm. He doesn't look like a fella who spent 20 odd years in middle of Australia's desert, does he?	42 Check out "first mate" Fluxy would ya. Looks more like a rear admiral to me!!
43 After a morning on the water, we head back to Smoky Bay for a bit of breakfast.	44 This jetty was filled with thousands of bird catching some sun on a chilly morning. I like this photo a lot as it's so simple, but says a lot.	45	46 Yeah, OK Sonia, you look like a fisherwoman now!	47 Have a look at me would ya, the big galoot in a rubber suit!!!	48 Darky, Sonia and Fluxy at the helm of the good ship A-One Oysters.
49	50 Here's a better shot of just how many birds are on the jetty.	51 Back on dry land and Darky's bringing the tractor down to load the barge.	52 As I keep the pointy end pointed ahead, Fluxy drives the barge onto the trailer.	53	54 Here I'm shucking razorfish hearts.
55 Tania's young fella Jai's giving me a hand like the legend that he is.