Summer 2010

We've had a very busy spring and early summer here on Pine Cay. Guest occupancy is up this season in general and we had two large groups come to celebrate significant birthdays in June and early July. One good thing about The Meridian Club is that even with all hotel rooms occupied, the island is never crowded. One can still find our spectacular beach deserted at various times of the day or hike along back roads without seeing anyone. This sets us apart from most other destinations.

Although our resort caters to adults and families with older children, June and July are our "family months" when families with younger children are welcome. This provides a great opportunity for family reunions or groups of friends to come to celebrate with their children and grandchildren. The seas are generally calmer and the water warmer. It is a terrific time of the year for youngsters to enjoy the beach and the ocean.

We close for the season August 1st to give our staff a well deserved break. The respite is a brief one for many of us as it will soon be time to start maintenance and capital projects. Projects this year include the final touches on our marina upgrade, new flooring in the dining room and lobby and improvements to the staff facilities.

November 1st will be here before we know it and a new season will begin. If you have particular dates in mind to visit us, please don't delay in making reservations, as some periods are filling in quickly already.

In the meantime, we'd like to share with you some of the highlights of the last several months.

Warm regards,
Bev and Wally Plachta

Caicos Pine Tree Rescue Project

Special Occasions

Spring Flowers

Musical Talent

Fishing Update

Our Precious Iguanas

Improved Pastries? Is it Possible?

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As many of our repeat guests know, the Caicos Pine Tree, for which our island was named, is severely endangered due to infestation by the pine tortoise scale insect. This tree, which is indigenous to the Caicos islands, is also the country's national tree. Almost all of these pines on North and Middle Caicos are now dead. Many of the trees on Pine Cay also died, but for some reason, there remains a small population of healthy trees here which appear to have developed a resistance to the insect. Experts from the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew (England) who have studied the infestation feel these resistant trees provide the best hope for survival of the species.

For the past several years the Turks and Caicos National Trust has been harvesting seeds from the resistant trees on Pine Cay to place in an ex situ seed bank and to rear disease-free seedlings in a conservation nursery for eventual replanting. The TCI Department of Environment and Coastal Resources recently secured a three year grant from the U.K. to continue this work and has assumed a leadership role in the project. We have committed to work closely with the DECR, the National Trust and the Royal Botanic Gardens in this important undertaking.

There is no better place to commemorate a significant birthday or other memorable event than Pine Cay. If you've never experienced a Meridian Club Birthday celebration, you haven't lived.

We have some flowers that bloom almost year round, but those readers who haven't visited in the late spring and early summer have missed some of the most brilliant displays. By way of consolation, we offer the following sample of photos taken by some of our recent guests.

Many of you know that our Resort Manager, Beverly, is a multi-talented lady and she's regularly demonstrated her sense of rhythm on the dance floor. However, no one knew until recently that she knew how to play an instrument:

By the way, our very talented one-man-band, Quinton Dean (above on right), who regularly plays at jump-ups, was seen playing at a nightclub in Provo by none other than the entertainer Prince, who was so impressed that he invited him to appear with him in concert in the U.S. The above photo was taken at a June jump up after Quinton returned from an event in Minnesota. Just wait until Prince gets a load of Bev.

Action warmed up along with the weather in late April as schools of mahi-mahi appeared in force and snapper fishing hit its peak.

Bonefishing has been good all season with the exception of a brief period this spring when they were spawning. However, this type of fishing is generally regarded as a cut above other forms, requiring great stealth and exceptionally delicate presentation. Until now, that is.

Our head of security, John Patrick, who'd never caught a bonefish before coming here, has now exploded that myth and exposed the highly prized fish for the lesser beings that they obviously are. Seems John was armed with a big spinning rod one evening, intending to cast a very large heavy lure in the shape of a small fish off the marina dock for jacks when he noticed a disturbance in the water at the shallow end of the boat slip. Standing on the concrete walk some four feet above the area in question he dangled the lure in the water and immediately hooked a large bonefish which he landed quickly on his stout tackle following some manuevers to avoid a moored boat. After releasing the fish he reprised the procedure and promptly caught three more.

So much for the wily silver fox of the flats. John wonders what all the hype is about.

The Turks and Caicos Rock Iguana is threatened with extinction as development and recreational use have steadily encroached on prime habitat. For example, Fort George Cay once had a sizeable iguana population which disappeared completely once tour operators began bringing large boatloads of tourists there on a daily basis. Pine Cay, on the other hand, has maintained a healthy population of the marvelous animals, which actually has been increasing over the past several years - a testament we believe to our policies of limited development, controlled occupancy, ample green space and no motor vehicles. Visitors to Pine Cay can be assured of seeing iguanas on virtually any sunny day.

Our outstanding Pastry Chef, Amy Caffarel, attended a large food show in Miami this spring and will be doing an internship this summer to learn new techniques from some middle-eastern pastry chefs. Although everyone raves about her creations, Amy is never satisfied. Fair warning - expect some new and even more delectable offerings next season.

Previous Newsletters: Spring 2010 | Fall 2009 | Spring 2009 | Fall 2008 | Spring 2008