A Day’s Fishing With Frans Van Aardt And Family

Bathurst  Island  Residents  &  Fishing  Fanatics

Frans &  Angelique  Van Aardt

Well my friends, today I would like you all to meet and learn just a little about a good friend I have made since arriving here  at the Tiwi  Islands.  Frans is the Shire electrician here , while his lovely wife and fishing buddy Angelique handles the cleaning of the building contractors quarters for Territory Alliance. They have two beautiful little daughters, Ashley 10 and Demi 7 who never miss a fishing trip with mum and dad.  A day’s fishing with Fran’s Van Aardt & family is  a great and fun day out, they always manage to find the fish which is a huge bonus.
Frans and Angelique are both South Africans who moved to Australia almost 5 years ago now, they first settled in Geelong  Victoria.  Where Frans landed a job with a company who traveled to the Tiwi Islands to carry out contract work, he fell in love with the place I am told and he decided to move here with the family.

The first couple of years, the two girls were taught by School Of The Air and then some tutoring also with the help of Skype and  Angeliques home teaching. They have an excellent school here now and they both attend this, an experience they can tell their children I’ll bet.

Ashley with her dad & mum fishing

Demi with just one of many she caught

The  kids both managed to out fish me on the day,and  I was amazed at the fact they both rigged up their lines and baited them also by themselves.  I have been on a few trips out fishing with Frans Van Aardt and family since this trip .  The fishing around the islands is fantastic and  the family go fishing most every weekend when the weather is acceptable, I will be bringing you many more stories of  fishing trips with Frans & family.

After this day out fishing in the straight between the two islands, we all had a ball bottom fishing for golden snapper and ended up with a large quantity, that we then distributed among the Tiwi aboriginals community when we returned. They appreciate it very much when you give them fish, and the older women could not stop thanking us.  I actually enjoyed giving them fish just as much as I did catching them, Frans also told me he has been adopted by quite a few of the aboriginal families here on the islands and says he is just sharing with family.

I  have been in the process of getting to know people on the Island and settling in with the administration at the Shire Council . I am so thankful to Frans and his friendship as I am still finding my way around &  now understand why Frans & Angelique love the place so much & plan to stay until the children need to further their education at college.  Well my friends,obviously I will be bringing you many more adventures as they unfold.

Before I finish up with this post I want to let you all know about some other good friends I have online who are about to set out on an around Australia adventure of a lifetime. David & Lisa Wood will be setting out with their 5 sons in a Bus they have prepared for the 12 month plus journey and they want us all to enjoy the trip with them by following their journey here >> http://www.facebook.com/NewLifeOnTheRoad or by following the regular posts of the journey  on their newly created purpose blog >> Here

Well friends & readers I want to finish up here by saying  just how grateful I am for the life  I live and the wonderful friends I have met in my travels , and those I am yet to meet.   After a day’s fishing with Frans Van Aardt and family I feel truly blessed with yet another group of life long friends, thank you both Frans & Angelique.

tight lines

Allen Sentance Fisherman