Hey guys, welcome back to our island life
We have lots to share with you this week. Mum and Dad are leaving, we have tons of resort jobs to do
And we need a BIG adventure..
This evening we are doing something really fun, something that I have never done
in the whole time that I have lived at Uepi.
So stick with us as we head out into the dark to discover one of Uepi's most interesting land creatures...
When 50 years old they'd be the size of Filly.
We have got about 5 different job sites running at the same time trying to get everything ready to reopen the resort
It's happening and we're now on this crazy... I think we have about 72 days left before we open
and yeah there's lots to get done
It's so nice having some of our family back again on the island helping us get ready
How you going there Rob. Good. Get some gutters on. Yes
It's funny, like, even seeing toilets go in is exciting because finally the bathrooms are starting to look a bit more complete
So for me now, it's feeling a little bit, ah surreal yeah. Knowing that we are going to be opening in a really short period of time
I guess life is going to change for us again having clients back in house is really going to change... yeah Uepi for us.
The time that we have had has just been so incredible over the last 2 and a half years..
Although it's probably been the most difficult 2 and a half years of our lives.. ah in a lot of ways it's also been the most fulfilling
Yeah wouldn't change it for the world.. so,
Yeah it's a bit of a bitter sweet thing, knowing that we're going to loose a bit of that
a little bit of the ah family life we have um and just be a little bit more busy but also have more contact with people
and be able to share this place with all the people that we love and that's what Uepi is all about so..
Because we have been working on these cabins and these projects now for so long and no one has actually seen them,
For me, it's like, so exciting to finally have people in house to see all this hard work pay off
Yeah, it's been years now and a lot of the time, just me and a couple of guys slogging out to get this stuff done
to actually have the opportunity to have clients see it and appreciate it, I guess validates it a bit.
Really excited for that.. to actually have people come and see and feel and enjoy what we've created.
Because it truly is magical
*Jase and Kemuel laugh*
[Jase] A what?
ohh no
and what happened?
Good job Mirri!!!
You're welcome..
The kids getting stung or bitten by a centipede is like my biggest fear.. eww
It's excruciatingly painful and the poison lasts for 24 hours, it's horrible
Good job Mirri.
[Katie Voiceover] In case you are new to our channel, we are an Australian family living on an ultra remote island
called Uepi in the Solomon Islands
Usually we run a SCUBA diving resort but with 2 and a half years of border closures
we have been surviving and trying to continue on with our plans to rebuild the resort and a new off grid family home in the jungle
We share our stories here to inspire you to reach for a less conventional lifestyle.
There is so much to be discovered...
So what are you waiting for?
We very recently returned from a medical / family vacation back to Australia
and now that we are home again and settled, Grant and Jill take their turn.
For them, I know it is bitter sweet as life here on the island is hard to leave
But they are also heading towards those long awaited cuddles with family in Aus and meeting their newest Grandson for the first time.
[Jase] Who's going to carry it? Papa or Nana? Who do you trust the most to carry.. huh?
[Ophelia] Nana [Jase] Ohh Nana haha *everyone laughs*
[Grant] I do too haha
There you go the evidence is there if it gets lost in route it's Nana's fault
okay.. oh hang on..
[Katie] Arlo mate you've got to explain what to do with this one..
You need to open that one on the plane..
oh that's a... [Jill] A surprise.. [Jase] oh can I have a look..
A surprise.. oh wow!
It's to make your travel day more fun!
And who are you going to give that one to?
[Grant] Nana too I think..
[Arlo] Papa *everyone laughs*
*kiss* see ya sweetheart
awwww biggest cuddle
[Katie] Enjoy having someone else make bread for you.. [Jase] yeah enjoy the bakeries.. yeah
[Katie] okay swishy swashies like an elephant
and a manta ray wooooo
[Katie] Have a drink Filly.. oh you're eating it, yummy
Cheers!
Cheers to the camera... cheers!!!
[Arlo] Hello camera, bye bye camera. [Filly] Hello camera, bye bye camera
[Arlo] Kiss kiss
okay so I'm going to make a lime ginger coconut cake..
Filly is supposed to be helping me but she is too busy making worms out of her coconut
*Filly giggles*
Looks pretty good.
Say hi? [Ophelia] Hi.
It's so many. Yes it's so much, it's going to be a big cake.
So this evening we are doing something really fun. Something that I have never done in the whole time I have lived at Uepi
the kids have never done this before... I don't even know when Jase last did it. Probably over a decade ago
What are we doing tonight kids?
Going for... Come here Arlo...come tell the camera. Going for the coconut crabs hunt!
We are!! We are going looking for coconut crabs! So to do that it's best to go at nighttime and to guarantee that we see them
we're putting out some freshly cracked open coconuts so that we can meet the coconut crabs on the path!
[Katie] Who wants some cake?
[Kids] Meee [Katie] Who's got some manners?
[Ophelia] Please
[Jase] ohh lovely..
How's that one Filly?
Filly how is it? Good
What do ya reckon Arlo?
Good.
[Katie] Woah
How good is that?
[Katie Voiceover] Lately, we've been really enjoying the sunsets
Giving our minds a few moments to slow down and admire the sky changing colours.
Funny how it happens everywhere, everyday.
It's up to you to notice it.
[Katie] Hear that, hear the frog?
[Jase] Here we go guys, look
Look where he is..
Filly, Filly..
There he is.. good girl
Come on mate.. [Ophelia] oh he's got a leaf too.. mmm
See..
[Katie] it's got an interesting......
body... like underneath
*Filly makes a frog noise* [Katie] Is that soft under there? [Jase] Yeah
So this guys is actually tiny. He is probably only like 5 years old.
and they grow to 50+ years old, so when they're 50 years old they're the size of Filly
Wow
Look at that beautiful colour though. It is gorgeous
So the part underneath there is soft?
yeah it is soft under here, well it's kinda like a crayfish tail
[Jase Voiceover] Coconut crabs are the worlds largest land crab.
They have a strong sense of smell and do most of their hunting at night, foraging for fruits, nuts and small animals.
These crabs have the strongest pinch of any crustacean, allowing them to effortlessly crack open a coconut
Sadly, their biggest predators are humans and today, they are considered a vulnerable species.
Even on Uepi we have seen a reduction in the average age of these crabs due to illegal poaching.
When I was a young boy it was common to see coconut crabs much larger than a dinner plate throughout the Uepi forest.
We do not encourage eating of coconut crabs if you see it available at local markets as it fuels the over harvest of
this beautiful species already under threat by rising sea levels.
So that claw right there, that one there, that's the one he uses to open coconuts.
How cool is that?
Holding on maybe.. Holding on to the coconut *laughs*
Yeah. [Jase] How many did we see? [Arlo] Lots and lots.
[Jase] Maybe how many? [Arlo] I think six.
[Jase] Six? I think ten, easy.
[Jase] You ok there darlin? [Katie] I know.. but imagine if it fell on my head Arlo
[Jase] What happened? Coconut just dropped like right here.. that was crazy.
[Katie] Wow not at the camera Arlo
[Katie] Hello little bo peep...
?Little bo beep? What's her name? Bo beeb or bo peep...? *laughs*
You look very cute in that hat Filly.
[Jase] So he can actually climb up or down trees... or he can go.....
all sorts of directions *everyone laughs*
[Katie] oh sheep