Week 16 - My last week

My last week started with the seventh wettest day in the previous thirty years, with 157.4mm of rainfall over 24 hours. But in a couple of hours, after it stopped raining, everything had dried out and looked normal again. It certainly put paid to any paving happening as the stockpiles were saturated.

We use this sophisticated 3D model to track progress.
Made by the TuSRAP Interns using paper and monopoly houses & hotels

During the rest of the week, we only got two shifts of runway asphalted due to further rain, leaving a little over half to do next year. Saturday was a tidy-up day, and we prepared everything for the Christmas break.

Last Saturday, a small Piper Navajo Chieftain DQ-LIA arrived as a medivac plane for the Google Cable Project. As we still occupied the old apron, the alternative parking area for planes, I suggested the Piper could park in front of the Air Traffic Control building as we had done our asphalt trial there. The levels were all good for pushing a light plane around.

Piper Navajo Chieftain in front of the ATC building

The plane was a backup for the divers working on the Endeavour support vessel laying the cable. It left on Friday as the cable came ashore on Wednesday.

The Endeavour support vessel metres offshore

Coincidentally, the cable comes ashore adjacent to the newly constructed Tuvalu Bank.
The cable comes ashore

FNE Fiji has been on the island laying fibre cable along the main roads and crossroads for the past couple of months. Local builders have been upgrading a small annexe to the airport terminal building to accommodate not one but two ATM machines.

The new home for two ATM's

Behind the plywood


I said my farewells at the last project meeting with the Client on Tuesday. They thanked me for my contribution and wished me well.
TuSRAP Project Office.
Note the 3d model on the wall.

A goodbye to the Filamona girls 

The last plane out!

A parting shot of Funafuti's main island, Fongafale

The end











            


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