Thurs, 13th Nov - Tubing the Ditch

We set the alarm for 7 am as we have to be on the dock at 7:50 am for today's excursion, which is called Tubing the Ditch.

On the dock we meet our driver, David Sweet, called Sweet for short. It's only a short drive to the warehouse,, and on the way there Sweet gets us all to sign the usual waivers. He points out the mountain, which is normally covered with vog (that's volcanic fog) and says we're lucky as it rains nearly every day here and it's rare to see the mountain not covered with cloud.

At the warehouse we make one last visit to the restroom, and then we are issued with shoes, helmet with light, and gloves. We meet Brooklyn and Eli, our guides, and pile back in the bus for a 20 minute drive through an old sugar plantation. Brooklyn has us introduce ourselves and what superpower we would choose if we could. She tells us about tubing. It turns out that most of our journey will be through tunnels dug through the volcanic rock so that that water can be channelled to the sugar plantation. That's why we need the lights on our helmets. She says the f- and c- words are not permitted (that's 'freezing' and 'cold') as they are bad for PR - we should say 'exhilarating' etc instead.

At the launch site we strip off everything except our bathing suits, and put on our safety gear. Eli demonstrates how to sit in the tube and gives us some safety tips. Then we go down to the ditch and one by one get helped onto our tubes.

The water is clear and very 'exhilarating'. We have no control at all over our tubes and they spin around, bumping into each other and into the clay walls of the ditch. The surrounding scenery is lush and green, with lots of ferns - it's beautiful. Eli takes the lead and Brooklyn follows up behind, and we float down the ditch. There are five tunnels to go through, and they each have their own character. The water is moving quite fast and there are a couple of small drops along the way which add excitement. In total we travel about 2.5 miles, through open stretches and then back into the tunnels.

At the end we dry off, change into dry clothes (which have come with Sweet on the bus), and have crisps and cookies and water. We all agree it was a lot of fun and we'd like to do it again. Then it's back in the bus to the warehouse to drop off the tubes, another opportunity to shop, and then back to the ship.

Jo and Deborah can't decide what's been more fun: the helicopter ride, snorkelling, or tubing. We're very glad we signed up for these excursions. Tomorrow should be more sedate, as we're doing the Wailua River and Fern Grotto.

For now, Jo is having a nap and Deborah's borrowed another book from the ship library to read on the balcony. Tonight at 5:15 we have to be dressed and made up ready for the show, as we're having a technical rehearsal first.

More about the show later!