I'm back in Paihia now the weather's improved and with the local dive company am heading out to Rainbow warrior- the wreck of a Greenpeace ship which protested in 1985 against French nucelar testing in the Pacific and was bombed by secret service agents of that country. It took 10 years for nuclear testing to stop but Rainbow Warrior was gifted to the sea and re-sunk in the Cavalli islands where it's formed an artificial reef.
We gear up and help launch our boat from the beach before hanging on as we speed out to the mooring. It's a backwards roll out of the boat and descending down a line until we see her- covered in seaweeds and encrusting anemones which look like flowers- it's beautiful. Inside there's many fish hiding in the gloom and silhouetting against the window holes.
After a surface interval on an island we head down to a reef, spot a really big stingray and see more of the kelp landscape.
I'm exhausted that evening and sleep soundly ready for another dive day.
This time it's the Canterbury, nearer Pahia, a navy frigate that's been down a shorter time than the rainbow warrior. I enjoy the dive more- perhaps just more used to the water temperature and gear. We spend a bit more time swimming through this one- narrow corridors and the bridge- it's peaceful, not eery but sort of magical. Swimming where feet were meant to walk- watching the fish go about their lives where people once did.
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