tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47522691788346247032024-03-05T18:47:10.648+00:00The Travels of Nautilus Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-91197615866411245602019-11-17T03:37:00.001+00:002019-11-18T03:26:30.613+00:00Back to New Zealand<font face="Arial" size="4">By the time we left Clare and Jamie in Denerau our Fiji season was almost over - we worked our way back up to the north of the Yasawas for a quick visit to The Blue Lagoon, the location of a 1980’s film of the same name. Although there are now several resorts in the bay, ranging from low budget backpacker’s up to exclusive with private beach frontage it is still possible to walk round some of the island and appreciate the views from the high point.</font><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_1abb_99e_dee3_5f5" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/nkJXZG4RLUcqqdMrVT4uD74W0ZQ43g_yEqRm34HLa6NZADGEA9iJYN-3dKA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_b27d_77b5_91e1_8bc5" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/cwKo3Jk9rd-H40KbHFZ46ReCpn_-T40KKzFrP5tlM0-9j7sMOe4JN4cKMi4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font size="4" face="Arial">The Blue Lagoon, Yasawa Islands</font></span></div><div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We needed to clear customs and provision for the trip back to New Zealand in Denerau so we headed back south, persuading Bernd and Birgit to make a stop in Mana Island on the way to enjoy a walk and watch the fire dancing show put on by the Backpacker’s resort there. </font></div></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_b169_dfce_41ca_a01b" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/IWaPyC1sJSy62S1OjGoNdYI952RzDT2zSDYpIFMyfUhht9y5PeApXw8we98" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_7056_2983_fb2e_c519" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/M0fmnqGqPh3du_eZMCYIUc6BWxLy4wChHM4xsOyAXsiKqk-fcvWBxWOR8vA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_7910_1c19_57c4_b118" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/XI0NtgRODXH1RBObSqnEWJwQO1lTLRE1mhgqVRJsSQsQxe_CFYAg18HfmL4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The batons are dipped in petrol - this definitely overshadowed the Beqa Firewalking!</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Our final stop was back in Musket Cove, probably the most popular destination of all the yachties in Fiji - excellent shelter, a huge anchorage so well protected by reefs that it is always calm regardless of wind strength and direction and there is also an excellent bar and supermarket. A cruiser’s dream.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_b490_4ea6_9bb7_57dc" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_8kMbcXKUQXcTKDxN-_uBvfzst2t5kKkwOS8HEZWLVFwS4KWYgjbLu3NbQ0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Musket Cove, Malolo Island - Nautilus is one of the tiny dots in the far distance!</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Musket Cove afforded us a final opportunity for a dive in the warmth of the Pacific, but also is the site of a world famous surf break - Cloud Break. We took the yacht to within a safe distance of the massive waves and set off in the dinghy to watch the experts at play.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_2117_e8ea_6887_5296" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/AGKMKgQac6k8Xb_C42zK8Bkpn0kbH6G0Me-qEUo-DMKzUuxBGW87lMzYhRE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_8762_b7c2_ecb6_5afe" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pwwJQSr1bvBhoMLY9T4L2L5saHyrPbUzvmTjKHgJBwa6u8y_qvWCGTPklYw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The surf height was about 5 metres, and the break ends on a very unforgiving reef.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Our travelling companions, Bernd and Birgit on Rebell were staying a couple more weeks in Fiji but we decided to head for Denerau and wait for a weather window to sail back to New Zealand - there is a constant progression of deep low pressure systems that head up the west coast of New Zealand creating some very unpleasant sea conditions and also the South Pacific Convergence Zone mid way along the route where you can be becalmed for days. This passage is amongst the most tricky we have come across since leaving the UK 6 years ago, especially as at over 1000 miles it takes longer than a forecast can reliably predict.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">On this occasion we sought the advise of Met Bob, a professional forecaster who advises on suitable weather windows across the Pacific - he suggested one much sooner than we expected so 48 hours later we were on our way. Rain was predicted, but it rained day and night for the first 5 days, our sails have not been so clean since they were first hoisted!</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_b18_e111_1f45_a0de" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/V2wS2nDW533tsT5XrZFbPqcfmG8t9yg_HysQ3D_WMnSbZLyG7jAonHqIO5U" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The view from the cockpit - grey and wet all day, incredibly dark at night. </font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">During our passage it became clear that there was a big low developing within the next few days - fortunately we made excellent speed, taking only 7 ½ days to reach the safety of Opua, just 36 hours before the forecast storm hit New Zealand. Tragically a yacht heading from Fiji to Opua sank just 27 miles offshore during the storm, claiming the life of one of the 4 crew on board. We must never underestimate the power of the sea.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_907a_7c5_98cc_4fce" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Y-NzGVYxWX4kQAMFWcHfTzr783Panyx2gWvPpDXkb6N84n6k9pB5YCxu6g" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">This is a screen shot showing predicted gusts over 50 kts - not what you ever want to see on your route!</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We arrived in Opua several weeks earlier than the majority of the cruisers - we booked into the Marina for a month, giving time to fix our windlass which was in need of expert help, and after all the rain we’ve sailed in we wanted to have a complete cockpit enclosure made to keep the elements out of the boat. The main reason we left early for New Zealand was that my sister Rose Anne and Phil were coming to visit for my birthday - I didn’t want to risk being delayed by the weather and not being there when they arrived - a good decision: Bernd and Birgit left after us and took over 11 days to do the journey that had taken us 7 ½.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_6d7a_2fb4_e2e8_7f02" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/BWRrN4K03u6vOkf7EYpIkyKxzCEbJ4bfYlkDi0u7uBF8YFX459BJGDUF9dA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Birthday celebration at the Opua Yacht Club, with music provided by Martin, Pelle and Lisa - a lovely start to my next decade!</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Having done so much diving in the warm Pacific and Caribbean waters we were keen to experience diving in New Zealand - Phil is a very experienced and keen diver and wanted to dive the wreck of the Rainbow Warrior which was sunk as a dive site not far from Opua after the French blew it up in the 1980’s. </font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_d54f_6b85_da14_b53a" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/aLRdcS21JcwSRApcRsHT_jFuj0eviKGmdkokgE7zPinGg_KQkwYdPhdVI4E" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_5c5f_fc15_c55b_e7f6" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-XNtuo8rSQ_9qZHrjpDrVLu9N1P7abPMng-OJWT3heIbku6ryjYnXo4RsxA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The Rainbow Warrior - lying in just under 30 metres of water in the Cavalli Islands, we rented 7mm wetsuits complete with gloves and hoods from Paihia Dive Company who organised the dive. The water was 14*C, 7mm was only just enough but the dive was wonderful, the wreck is completely colonised by anemones and other marine life.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">It was a two tank dive, the second dive was totally different - we were in much shallower water in thick fields of kelp - we saw several Eagle Rays and Stingrays and our presence provided a young seal with much entertainment.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_fe15_ba77_4fb0_989e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ko3NsgcbOt4E6Vv6U9DGny5BEyR6nqLY40e_3RVhYH_8N1Aih-cKQbexW_M" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_254e_f2cf_2859_cc25" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/QytE-lREFGy_xKgTNc8lVzYXT6OR2ozj62sAtAszQ8zckeoW5oEfLhf1by0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_beae_733a_97fa_4717" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/bZCAmhRXRMIbgovcj_GkFkvlujay0lUHnxI1CQ4gZig64C-ryhkdhSL1pPQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_2532_cbc2_ba78_dc01" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/t4hkM2zrwr-E9kGFf9ukZVw1inQ0MqeyZlAB0SaCl_-bi2efeAwkNrKlz-o" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We’d not been further north than Opua, so Rose Anne and Phil’s visit was the perfect opportunity to explore the Far North by car - first stop, a view over to the Cavalli Islands, site of the wreck we’d dived a couple of days earlier.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_a417_db8f_1369_e7e2" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/iAeyds2G8f4JULQ4rDsQwKMMZlEFc4fzDI9bjgPYggDe1Doni2KvVCytDFg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The Cavalli Islands - we plan to sail to this area later.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The drive north - we went through some fairly remote areas!</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_9554_6f74_59bb_91cc" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/HuqToK-OOVMrxna-wax95Pe9gk1RKnMTUrUEvVj092LU3Bj7pe5olKRRzt0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Houhora - the Information Centre did not look as though it had been open for several years, and even the Tavern behind, which advertised itself as The Most Northerly Tavern in New Zealand, was closed and up for sale.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_8c8a_f75b_a98a_c21e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0kI70iKaH5l7Z_Rqt_tTEqKC31kwKjtik8zFZESXgdzJuss4jmVrTqMfMyU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Houhora Hotel, if the sign above the door is to be believed!</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Fortunately we had made other plans - we booked a lovely Air BnB on the outskirts of Te Kao.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_cb27_7111_a19d_4bec" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/5Wb1iZAxT25_0UnDF5pUl2hyqomZ8EGa6RpYKqgg4Bf_-_GH8JKEEbr_XKI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Our Air BnB, it made a nice change to stay in a house after all the time on the boat.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Heading on north we visited Cape Reinga, the north west tip of New Zealand and where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific. </font></div><img id="id_2477_9bd9_5ae0_f95d" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/tWBTTgsK4YhdOGL67KiUMmjkvfSvn2SgDMaW4Fpntv59A0QSVrwtFnfBBAs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_443c_a7bd_b475_c103" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/81_9LPUFrWYSSMhUFYnXtaBr5fsPBZeLbTY94y3ogw4IAZo3JgHNJsnj31U" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_8229_3ad5_e564_f75f" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/gQKkJT4uC13lNgpGeAVXug6-nucji5kL71YqkRAYGTjk3PMXQXYsL-NooAg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_1199_c1f5_779a_f2dd" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/eD98kbYwOSrIA7OGYAqiyhKclvTSXpXIGdG1tpJOCTN-HjVT-sVTXOZYMQY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><br></div><div><br><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Cape Reinga - there was a surprisingly large police presence in the car park at the cape, we learnt that we were there at the start of the Te Araroa Trail, a 3,000 km walk from Cape Reinga at the far north to Bluff at the far south. Two of the officers were planning to complete the whole walk accompanied by disadvantaged children over the many different stages of the walk. We decided on something rather more modest, just the first few kilometres of the trail down to the beach.</font></div></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_899d_2fe1_7855_32d5" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/vQpct8MIwS_uWCS4SIH9qGw-PLZFspilsksKYqynJzyMJa_51dSL5L8ba-w" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_b0b0_7a82_1ac1_a5fb" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ae7v3FPs4zBf55P9L_yNs__ikVLN7M5zmGV4QZ2OStIkdmwXtqj1uR9SxT4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_66d7_d2e6_b559_bd67" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/fDu71CmWCPI4MdsVSWF1WmG8veiVRmroK03s-j4_5jUGZ8MsltNvnZc3qRg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The start of the Te Araroa Trail, it runs along the cliff top then disappears out of sight along the beach in the distance.</font></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The north west coast is incredibly windswept, the almost constant westerly winds have created the massive Te Paki sand dunes, 1 km wide, stretching 10 km along the coast and rising to 150 metres. Several groups were tobogganing down them on plastic sledges but we opted to walk instead.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_2c66_ea27_3830_dbfe" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/edK_3Ai3S8dvekHC8B6OQOonx9HC_G9-NDnmJYLBkRZD4_em1-f7UYNcuhY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br><font face="Arial" size="4">The Te Paki sand dunes.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">No trip to the Far North would be complete without stopping at the 90 mile beach - although it is actually only 55 miles (88 km) long the name apparently dates back from the early settlers who travelled by horse. It took 3 days to cross the beach so they assumed it must be 90 miles long. Distances in NZ are now always given in kilometres.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_b2a4_31b1_6c58_72a3" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/uZZbRtWgXkTJsVw5RswcMdGVIrR4nK4ke3xFh_pCQ1ghZh0m5wAQYTtslOM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font size="4" face="Arial">You can drive along the hard packed sand beach, but make sure you are aware of the tide - the beach is covered at high water and there are only a couple of access points along the whole beach.</font></span></div><div><br><img id="id_1c14_e67e_c231_f5bd" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/PG7EHgL1VnuyBA6-gHhMU7wAHHmkF4f2ZieS5OtobtSDXlE98HDvdsI8Mk8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_441a_1ac3_c7d1_397e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5yupSduekxurh8OQMeQfygPFFWZr-Ybahdl7dP-V4rVm4gFubN3v3OkOqMM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_7639_5bb4_c205_1a71" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/us2oR3UIWs7oh4GQSA8b6drg30KcqQuF_8olGNaPlHgKgdxG_dL5j21vYeo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The beach may not actually be 90 miles but it disappears out of sight in both directions.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Rose Anne and Phil’s visit was at an end so we went back to Opua, stopping at a Kauri forest on the way. Unfortunately we were unable to walk in the forest due to restrictions imposed in an effort to control Kauri die back, but the trees by the access road were very impressive.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_9816_7a82_dd2b_dd5" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/36ytoQ8VjvQauyvEhBMtpDklP2ANfFXAodxPvAI1ndIpCePBnRm6sTAWBU0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_56ad_d6d0_1e7f_325" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/bCGx_9NjoZNxcBDPJ8Nx53SBWNi68yIuYbNLIxde4XI6cFd4-OtT_xZ7to4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Kauri Trees</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Our final day in Opua we visited the Waiomio Glow Worm caves - the land owners had constructed a walk way inside the cave and access was only permitted on an official tour. The caves were beautiful, filled with stalagmites and stalactites and in places the ceiling covered in a Milky Way of little glow worms - unfortunately photography was prohibited in the caves which was frustrating as the caves themselves were as impressive as the glow worms.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We stopped for lunch at the old railway station cafe in Kawakawa and then insisted Rose Anne and Phil’s trip would be incomplete without a visit to the Kawakawa Hundertwasser Public Toilets - one of the more unlikely tourist attractions in the area!</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_36d1_e13b_b619_3c36" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/x76S57vJQ8I3CTbtzFb8nguZ5Hv_999oGPkh0SCCW0G6iAU7i-7kKC8xSl4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_e937_73dc_d6a6_f5c8" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/5NIrJcZ7Yrbxxzj-M9mJKh78tuK5oO8QVDIX3ZyLmFJzEBnKVhHXAUv4hps" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_74c9_772d_49ee_7885" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/x7KZ55PZpn04FlNdSN017RM5qohHI-aNo5eiv75bQ806IooEZZf2kcFDMww" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The toilets were designed by a reclusive Austrian artist, Freidensreich Hunderwasser who lived in Kawakawa from 1975 until his death in 2000. The toilets were built using recycled materials and bricks from a former Bank of NZ. All vegetation removed for the construction of the toilets which were opened in 1999 has been planted on the roof of the building as per Hunderwasser’s instructions.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Rose Anne and Phil headed south back to Auckland for their flight home and we headed back to Opua where we were shortly to meet up with Steve and Lynne from Aztec Dream, our sailing companions throughout much of the Mediterranean and Caribbean.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">At this stage we planned to sail round New Zealand anticlockwise, stopping at New Plymouth and then heading for Nelson on South Island but like many sailing plans the weather intervened and our plans changed accordingly.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Next - sailing in Northland</font></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-44583822959473537842019-09-15T23:19:00.001+01:002019-09-16T03:43:30.325+01:00Diving with sharks and the Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands<img id="id_103_9c1f_2181_669c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WfbXZDX_TU37YGoA-515w6DS-TYV3pNJwlCBcPYsvyxWLEkE4L1kG2DgnkU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">With our stores replenished we left Suva and headed for Beqa, the home of Firewalking, according to legend this special power was gifted to the Sawau Tribe some 500 years ago in exchange for the freedom of a captured God. A fire pit was duly prepared - large rocks were covered with branches and leaves and set alight. </font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">With great ceremony, over the next hour or so all burning matter was removed from the pit and the rocks carefully re arranged.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_1768_109d_3dc4_c96c" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/CjeLKtQ7LqVl9r6GL4ckWqdVDoeF28M3V0yfUK4j0V7OsrpZAwz426KWdHg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_71f5_80be_38fb_932e" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/JxLvb_46q1XE_LKXlbmyI0b45UrVJGq95sdbfih3v3KAakyjerX4RkVEbEQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">And then they really did walk on the rocks - the rocks were certainly still hot, it was an entertaining spectacle but maybe not quite ‘Firewalking’</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_df1b_d72f_460e_27ac" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/cWF_TVPRXpODQFe8D4XGRKeHxbdzvmoEb2PkGJa3opTscK8YrPTpTrlI-N4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">Posing with the Firewalkers, Beqa </font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">Beqa is not only the home of Firewalking, but also of the Shark Reef Marine Reserve which was originally created to study the shark population and aid long term shark conservation worldwide. They offered diving with Apex predators - Tiger and Bull Sharks, we couldn’t resist: We were in a group of 20 divers plus 10 Dive Masters who were there to feed the sharks and look after us. By far the largest group of divers we’ve ever been with but very well organised so we all descended to 28 metres and knelt behind a rock ‘wall’ whilst the sharks were fed Tuna heads from a large wheelie bin suspended overhead by one of the Dive Masters. It was an incredible experience - luckily the sharks prefer dead tuna to live divers and it did feel strangely safe down there with 40 or so fully grown bull sharks!</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_dde7_afa9_8a6d_7f13" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/7JYd_5s6Vx3tI2d5RrQ2ujjRsSO_eXSBU-My9CjfjYK9Mn46hu7xmS0Ag3c" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_cdd7_a9bb_227c_6ce9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Tl1vXkM_mPp20yPhKY9UQzWjDNPvWF1MDiBUWLWmHMyqErx6CdsfhFovuMg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><br><br><img id="id_9b7_2efc_a797_a634" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Fi6S_Eckue1_dvogIUMfjckBXR5mUnOBbupBDAPxvWZoSwpjF4f8pAh8t94" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_2748_7870_6369_eb2e" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/X82kufl-sTuSpGfBwUQ-19NSAsbMxK5B9Ytexm0SGaJpeZKCNcHtkkpUhrE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">After the excitement of the shark dive we headed on to the neighbouring island of Vatulele, one we had also visited last year. We anchored off the beach inside the lagoon - the wrecked small cruise ship is still on the beach much the same as last year, but the resort which closed in 2012 is in a far worse condition: Previously one of the most exclusive resorts in the Pacific and employing most of the islanders, last year there was still a security guard on site and rumours of a $24million refurbishment - this year it really was a wreck, the security guard had gone and the place has been ransacked - furniture and fittings dragged outside and left to the mercy of the elements.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><img id="id_477c_51ea_ea58_5ffa" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/6ugu-HNmG5QR6G99LnQ9jYLdyKa53wciREPDj9pFkWOnGgmtgW66of3QRks" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">Vatulele Beach, with the abandoned cruise ship visible in the distance.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_d29_ef0d_d94f_980b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/4Pjdwg24h4wy5aCmJhlS35vTRa3hKfkZKF9CJ3N2rQ6-JrQtUqfq9FScEiU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_29be_4287_13f3_859" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Q-g5EpM_7VZeaWrZOMycHSQkQzmCayKE9xAo4SsyhBDZEg7EBn7KlwrUBxU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_8df6_9f8c_a02c_75b3" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/I5gvRNtoFhsep8n48LhvQHA3GDjbbEIV2ZWs9UUvF606pZlpzAWdzkTtqmM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">The remains of a once very high spec resort - now more of a rubbish tip.</font></span></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">We walked across the island with Bernt and Birgit, our sailing partners on the Yacht Rebell, to present Sevusevu, passing the now very disused airfield on the way. Again, we had visited last year and been shown the foundations of the new church they were planning to build - this year there was a huge concrete base and major steel works erected for the walls and roof. An absolutely vast construction for a small village which doesn’t even have running water.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_b507_b3c3_6237_cf59" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/fCOk1WfwT0scwPZhD1lUNyZx4oP1wJFNRyUNB138YxGN3s7iVSSjaT8vjZ0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">The new church taking shape. We’d met the Pastor last year but he, along with the Chief were away from the island when we visited.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">In much the same way as Fulaga is known for it’s wood carvers, Vatulele is known for it’s Tapa cloth. Initially used for clothing and bedding it is now purely ornamental, the women spend literally hours beating narrow slivers of mulberry bark with wooden sticks on a low bench whilst sitting on the floor.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_f54f_b615_7885_3fd9" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/yQTjNEteI9-2avef6DVvPCh5iMAMJHYG9A7qf80tszvt8gRZ5NAiQu1CIhs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_222_b6f2_342b_395b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/TchP7MGx5lzy1ijw4dIR-SxFzG6tzggFq7rUXrDmc7UtVUBLOVz6IxHAt6c" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">Several layers of freshly beaten bark are layered together and dried on what ever is available before being sent on to the main islands to be decorated and sold to tourists and used in local ceremonies.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_1eaa_eb07_44ba_5832" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/UEDB2BFTSZkaNlz6o7t0w0tDbK8aafMVg_gyXg_CfCKs5zveP0dPRFb1bQM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">These two young girls showed us round the village, and behind them Tapa cloth is drying on a water butt.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_5a05_14ca_9d97_532a" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/1Xu7dHZS9UHaiSn4Z1gJXUNErEYGO36ucp2AmHSF7sZrqIIV2Ns2hOmLk9I" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Our route from Suva - first to Beqa then to Pacific Harbour where we did the shark dive, on to Vatulele and then via Denerau for supplies before meeting Clare and Jamie in the Mamanucas.<br></span><br>Clare and Jamie arrived in style, by sea plane. We went to record the event, paparazzi style, before leaving them to enjoy the first part of their honeymoon in Paradise Cove, Naviti Island in the Yasawas.</font></div><div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_143_a7de_83ab_2411" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/BclFTZjXHNWs3uNBFAUjOcYEr754W4SfrqMg35d4xC_cgtq-bHrjzvN2DvM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 715px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_da1_dbf0_b465_a867" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/5UkW1CVBz7QEXyO367_NMUOgp6bND0JAWM7ts06JLorjEzrvSjWk4H4EuDQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">Arrival by sea plane - apparently built in the 1960’s!!! Diving with sharks might be safer ...</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_d415_11fe_9d95_2cef" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/5RTZ_QOR_Z3qjRIWNYsc6BTG-mzJ82VKIBF2-6YCyzdZW1CpHzZXNxlBI1w" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_d8d3_93c_65b8_21ca" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3gFu8auzo-hKnR1wT4C0mws8jufaFZ4-i8JQa5zDBKcW3FfoHCsRgKyYsDQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">We spent a few days round Naviti, staying in Somosomo Bay where a local climbed a coconut palm to give us a drink.</font></span></div></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="Arial" size="4">There is a pass between the islands where Mantarays are known to regularly feed, we were lucky enough to see them whilst snorkelling.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><img id="id_8b08_5233_c729_2675" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/N_2iHiv_miFlcSDMKOgFgq_W09tAT5h2zRBzFIOQoGeoQ3DxY12Sese3hq0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></font><br><br><img id="id_5d59_620d_79ec_4e79" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/r9apgvlEBISHJK-SpKLQMPrpqgr-pYNJ7jZGZ0Gp9p001S4JYkHnfDWEQp4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_d4d_737d_2144_fd79" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ph8_GleUMZn7Ys21GusvTqwHKyt8OgNJ5xlRbyWJaDtfOm4wPICPGrcb9jk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Jamie trying to keep up to take a photo - they are very graceful and very fast.</span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We all dived the wreck of the Glory, sunk as a diving site in 2016 so no coral growth but a great dive.</span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><img id="id_187f_ee2_ac57_19c7" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/T1N3EB-zz85QXNt6lw0HdtPQSqFm9Y1ooIHhtzsSXy2szpbOiKnr58NGLxU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">Mother - Daughter time, underwater.</font><br></span><br><img id="id_cab5_e915_b0af_c3e6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/UVX0HNy8v1OPAJ_55AfAAFGXh-1E9AjR4BEt9qyCtKJv7hHM89UC8MryhaM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><br><img id="id_7bc9_122d_96ed_e508" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/E9covhau-bqZ3IphEeVKjgVJGkrf95a337S7UdkpkwD9fNnCJ27kPwRykdY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Clare and Jamie blowing bubbles.</span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Having been so impressed with our own shark dive we wanted Clare and Jamie to experience one as well - and discovered a dive centre in Waya island also offered Bull Shark Dives. A smaller outfit this time, we were in a much smaller group of 11 divers. The sharks were just as spectacular.</span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><img id="id_df2c_7294_8c90_6b48" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/VXqhoodp8_KCY0DXgmYHGOlyMa0n80XhbZpZ-xw1wUqpXT5fL8K_LJdwnR0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_7621_35d8_d469_ba4b" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/9rXep0Qd5KY1SRLC9Y6D5EYd5loYZCc_sdF_OTYBPFcbZwyZubIe1k-JvPg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_c4b3_79d7_2da8_b5e3" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_IePq3HdZnRJB1X0tAZFz0eE5DVcjI3HY8UrYasdr6LM_D0eTtDTx7VqdZw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_8db0_ac4b_4086_87dd" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/VUVabFAIY7wmi-qffhZWpgZxSKMtupFnpotakZRhSmG-bMcKYH5u_EJ7tHY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">This one had just swallowed a tuna head.<br></font></span><br><img id="id_741e_6b42_2201_be3d" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/mMT-tKsB3Tb83h-dN8myFiVmJmTxuoL0VYk3W-Dl2fqLgqCZM_OkD3pxW6U" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">Again they were so close you could have touched them. We heard later that earlier this year a diver in Beqa ended up with their head in a tiger shark’s mouth, fortunately he only sustained minor injuries but I don’t think we will be going on another shark dive now!</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Our time with Clare and Jamie was sadly coming to an end, we stopped for a couple of nights on Mana Island (where the American Survivor TV programme is filmed) and we hired a local boat driver to take us on a couple of dives on the outer reef and coral pinnacles then headed on back towards Denerau, stopping at Musket Cove and lunching at the Cloud 9 floating Pizza Restaurant in the crystal clear waters of the lagoon near the famous Cloud Break surf site.</span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We were joined by a pod of dolphins who came to play in our bow wave.</span></font></div><div><br></div><div><br><img id="id_2292_212f_34d4_a24a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Cvqg9kYtF_HRJvbWJNKsJh5xauMum-9JlxMwW_0EvRbkWM3F9It4lyMvggE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_48d3_33bf_d1f1_f0cb" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_aIxyNoqWK3iC_0rRCbUBOQWmk7Kv9SoK-AxFSkCl-3j-AgenLrSTCgf1dc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">Cloud 9 Floating Pizza Restaurant on our last day with Clare and Jamie.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Our season in Fiji has now almost come to an end, we plan to head back up to the Mamanucas for a week or so before we head back to New Zealand for what we expect to be our final hurricane season there.<br></span><br></font><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font><br><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><br><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><div><br></div><div><br> </div></div></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-88516668977308884132019-08-14T05:35:00.001+01:002019-08-14T20:53:55.337+01:00Matuku, and back to ‘Civilisation’Three days of almost continuous rain in Fulaga was enough for us - we decided it was time to head back to the main Fiji island of Viti Levu, despite breaking the journey with a stop in Matuku, we still had to do an overnight sail to ensure we left one island and arrived at the next in daylight.<div><br></div><div><img id="id_5836_beb_96cd_d73e" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/XO7Oclopx9O-BVr0hdhEVCxfjVyCC25G0OpOOEMsXutKmxzxQ2otVGeypf4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Our anchorage in Matuku - we took the dinghy ashore to the village of Lomati to introduce ourselves and present the Kava for the Sevusevu. Unfortunately we went at low tide - there is only a tidal range of about 1.2metres, but this exposed a good 250 metres of deep sticky mud. Access to the village is only really advised at mid to high tide!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_dd60_6367_66d0_4cc0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ILOImWOYAcDLwPCQ9Yky1RO_PuJeG1OFBRomzb0mvPOxUP_ljDbQJbAP4LU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_30b7_8157_ec40_6520" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/SGbhabj5Dh2Yh1r3Qq_Y1paILsfHYaE8q5-TZ9dqCoXwXs-1mgkCP5kCXb0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Lomati Village, bundles of Pandanus leaves dry out on a line prior to being woven into mats.</span></div><div><br><img id="id_b1b4_1d7f_ba7d_6bf4" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Q-L6E535rtCoj2AiyOVQB-Fn3_iVZtDGjWjhGWpsCD2Cc75531mWemubJY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The population of Matuku is approximately 800, spread out over 7 villages. Although still a very remote island and lacking internet, cars and mains electricity, a supply ship visits two or three times a month enabling the locals to visit and trade with the main town of Suva on Viti Levu. The village Ladies kept busy weaving mats, and many of the families also grew Kava and other produce to sell in Suva. There was a small shop in the village, tiny, but compared to Fulaga it was very well stocked with basic foodstuffs, cleaning materials and interestingly lots of black hair dye. They do not sell any fresh produce as everyone grows their own but they were very generous and our Host Family kept giving us bananas, papaya, cooked fish and cassava roots. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Everywhere we’ve been in the islands the locals have used fibreglass longboats for fishing and travel. Our host family were making a quick visit to the main village of Yaroi and offered to take us with them.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_f9c9_6b98_1673_b145" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/KI5slQWmLNoiiXYpOimdJgmIYlXgsgAzmU2RDlDGQe6RqQJVgEJZMtUtA5k" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Yaroi is the main village on Matuku, and the first place in Fiji to ever have a hospital. Interestingly, after a period of 15 years with only a nurse they have just appointed a Doctor at the clinic. We arrived in Yaroi at the end of the school day, at the local primary school the children were formally lowering the Fijian flag, after which they turned round and gave us an official welcome.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_75e_72d1_dd85_2584" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/LJIlxmgZyN36JeN1-_WNA8df2xGmt7COV0um7xszvENMBNImJQLZFI2qg1w" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_3adf_2279_efb9_8e53" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/u4vDNubZgpUh_bqU43Hl_EbZuaflgGzmhGIvL5cbgPHl78zjPjzbsSFReZQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">At the time of our visit there were several other yachts visiting Matuku and we arranged for a local to guide us up to the top of a mountain overlooking the bay. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_2c27_c4d3_373_c718" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/MyJKe9uzLlLFzs5Zx-Sr8V2uefGKXgR_ZCesiI1uSaM59bQ2MWYkgITeQv0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_a1d9_84c0_23d8_14eb" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/T2O7bO_7WOirw0KkurZFGTy71gW2N7kxZHjGBFD3L5IPxPA7E28scu9tmVA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">It was incredibly steep - our guides had brought a rope with them and without it (and them) I really don’t think we would have made it up to the top or even back down again.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_d695_f0c7_e994_d3e3" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/mazlYSVro4FMjdewWX1kHKxr9O7pzuTsETEfr8uH0cHUqSHfSClUF2MciKg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The wind blowing my hair on end as we clamber up to the top of the rocky hill.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_e682_b0eb_58ab_efd1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/wCVD-51G0nCVO32OmsVJ25M9KXeGQF68j5pXSaFxt3_qtehXC6f_P6Q2ZWo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">It was a cloudy day so the view is not as dramatic as it could have been, we’re anchored in the large bay in the centre of the photo.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_160f_a19c_9490_7000" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/wQRA8ODL4zOGdPHFi_kwpIsF71c7vVqrYmnOAiVdSn9cYxDel7QyyatMgDw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">These are Kava plants - we were asked to walk round them carefully, they take about 5 years to grow to maturity and each plant yields about ½ kg of Kava which sells for FJ$120/kg (£40/kg).</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_e025_6087_a936_cc31" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/zvpEuvBs91_Q5AZ8z2xzhdanOsjS6gq5lJz01JgCA1CAWr2e_NGou6L3bg0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_7442_775f_2cbb_c55" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/7F1DVnuypZSgYrhBzw3Q0LHusrtyjMGzpcRx1B8k0Q08Ul-iIB2V2qAkW-8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_a337_faf1_6a10_805a" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/LBdjPtTWGhtbg1Dg1Vg_r1UPPXFTOSdujtjp3XDqV_I9OxQjA5ypXuGWgmU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">At the end of our walk one of the guides literally ran up a coconut palm and threw down a load of coconuts - they chopped them open for us with the ever present machettes they carry at all times.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We left Matuku late afternoon for yet another night sail to the next island of Kadavu, it was high tide, when the surf in the pass is at it’s most dramatic - several of the other yachties had gone there for the surfing, but with the unforgiving coral reef just below the surface it certainly is not a place for the novice!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_e51c_8af0_3b79_c5e9" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/R4wHzliXYV2Y6tVb4zKxND0i5YDnEM0U-FPqvPgs4lYlB7Ubt_PGiCRSl4w" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The view out of the cockpit as we head for the pass on our way out of Matuku.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_d6d5_b41c_6368_6ba9" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/aKVB7GqwPQNPVsMCugN64lUwYBEkXWCawK4HVPeU_1_rTWVqhxYP4vFOYvk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The surf breaking on the edge of the pass - you do not want to get this wrong!</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We had planned on spending a few days in Kadavu Island, walking and diving the Great Astrolabe Reefs - it’s an area we’d visited last year, but this time the weather was against us. After 3 days of rain and strong winds we gave up and headed on to Suva, the Capital City of Fiji, and the largest city in the South Pacific. We anchored in the very shallow muddy water just off the Royal Suva Yacht Club, now rather scruffy but a large framed photo of The Queen and Prince Philip hangs in the doorway, a momento of their Royal Visit back in 1954. We joined the Yacht Club as temporary members and enjoyed a few cocktails and cold beers - back in the modern world after our time in the islands.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We spent a few days re-provisioning the yacht, wandered the shopping mall and bought as much fresh produce as we could manage before heading south west to the island of Beqa - the home of firewalking!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_7a05_ace4_a65_ef60" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/AYaAYBS5Nu6QZld-DimhBLux-D-axq7xuIY3XaiWyt5giambnndXKzJvNF4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Our anchorage in Suva - the large object in the water is the rusting remains of one of the many wrecks in the waters around Suva.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_6882_b098_7811_b9c9" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/PlRjXhBd27umfoW3nu1MpKxbD-imBELUOt-UNPFuTp_yar5yT_gSvrGegus" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Another ship that came to grief on the reef.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_8a52_42f5_1b94_62df" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/wp46uZssrjSeI84GzOi4Coe2wdpOBCbb8_yY7DN5gwgllYmgESeK_1JwTus" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Our route through the Islands of Fiji.<br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><br></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-91886694890034530032019-08-03T10:09:00.001+01:002019-08-03T23:35:29.956+01:00Fulaga - An Island Paradise<img id="id_1931_80d4_1890_8b0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/r4W4LYxJ_6iBRwaFpXFmQeQw55s30Eu9pCj0yHnmtMwQAXd8MXzg42l7VeA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br>Moon rise, our first evening in Fulaga.<div><br> <div>The final and most southerly of the Lau group of islands is Fulaga - we had heard so much about how wonderful is was, we were keen to see if it could possibly live up to it’s reputation! We arrived after an overnight sail from Vanua Balavu, finally sailing with the light from a full moon. Unlike Vanua Balavu, Fulaga is a a low lying limestone island surrounded by a coral reef - erosion has caused the formation of wonderful mushroom shaped islets throughout the lagoon.</div></div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_bc37_3c31_62d8_2f47" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/q_dAegLDG1oxWavOtMDRfHEIurj3M5DTVcxtA_T8oDqLN9r5b9fSwhX-aqQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_4418_9447_5844_8d50" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/imUI8bkTDc2sSeyI-ycfjP1l_-TQ5OR1yRarMDTFAqtf5Y7UEaflwZldgz4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br>Google Earth image of Fulaga, showing the land and surrounding reef. The second picture shows the outline of the land and islands from our chartplotters - yet again, relying solely on the chart would not be a good idea! The purple line is our track - first into the anchorage nearest the village, then across the lagoon near to the pass.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_7f29_9317_c963_67fe" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/wH9pcudxGomJYlR1F_ijuDb0HHGbpOwx8mwssVw1oRrzgXRs9IVFryKW4Zo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br>In the traditional communities on Fiji, the first thing a visitor must do is head ashore and find the Chief or Village Headman to present Sevusevu (Cava) and be formally welcomed to the village. On this occasion we were allocated a host Family - in our case the Chief himself. He invited us to walk round the village and prepared a coconut for us to drink. He also explained that due to the porous limestone ground although they can grow bananas, papaya and various other fruit and veg, the crop that grows exceptionally well is the coconut - the average yield for a coconut palm is 35 coconuts per year, in optimum conditions you could get 70 - in Fulaga not only are they huge, but there must have been 100 on one tree alone.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_c6ac_c35a_5e18_df19" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/nxFXsIvRNZt3nSv45ytowcOvdNCAcltwe2Y6oWDrPuC3mIo0XZeqwK4vsUs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_3f0e_ff8e_8e85_91e4" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pwukFpfuUrqNzRJuFO3JGOVlsDaPidyTuOBrGaz9pZyE7wlwFPQ7a3T6Zeg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Birgit and I enjoying coconut - first you drink the juice, then use part of the shell as a spoon to eat the soft young coconut inside.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_71e7_d811_e91d_4f04" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/FqTL6qtg4zDMqZnExcZqFQ-cVBJHFqSho9AgTO4dKxHdFdem7A3C0_EvcxY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">A treat enjoyed by the children as well.<br></span><br></div><div><img id="id_c90c_177f_ad4c_2776" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/jNyrt5KxdSrLO28mrdgTj5wPyEqLFpUuKaFOWlf1MWwTl7IBo490tN-7Zaw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_1e74_c1b7_36b7_a95f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/iG0Aj8b6kPi9g7LeWlOwfcsr-76iozPUqukq48hCuPwwzDE_HeC_aYznce0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><br><br><img id="id_a496_dec3_8399_3085" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0-fMRnAMs-eU4L8RumP2tnfxkM94_7znck4NeWNceQ38Ly1FuIwuMzvLiDg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br>The village is very tidy, but also basic - the houses are all corrugated tin, although many do have bottled gas for cooking, they use this as a back up, preferring to cook on open wood fires in one end of the house with a well ventilated, raised domed roof serving as a chimney.</div><div><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Fulaga is the only island we have visited where cruisers are asked for a FJ$50 (approx £20) donation per yacht for community projects - although very remote, they do get about 90 yachts visiting per year. Apart from this contribution, they support themselves with wood carving, a male only preserve, and mat weaving for the women. </span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_5538_b256_99b8_bcf7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YjtNaXuguP08bn7Tfp4lU-uSxyoWKt3QtZ5XOgNUD9uXVOr14RANw9aLEPE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_51d1_f605_e4b9_19aa" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/BVQIkYxSBdzLehHKmS08oHT2aFZTniYcE0VV1lGDsOi2q8ESIUnjJ92lk9I" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_6762_9af_21e9_11c9" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/VQhomVrWUyeTTBA32MJo8dio3HBUDnFZS-YzdoesoaJYKp9hpEdvlvFxC0w" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br>The carvers all work sitting on the floor, using very rudimentary tools - held together with fishing line. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_fa37_a615_dedf_a62b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/m3Z7QS1FL0_mv57wzEwo79Q4rGgGALjL67Rq0CywPJeBWypr0f3Gtxdeoxc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_ba8a_bdab_321_fc76" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/bobaflR3VL-wiYXnKaGhgZvWAxlTxSjoEMseGC10e6utsXjfIKyfb4T8EL8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We wanted a Nautilus shell carved into one of the bowls - the one we’d chosen had been made in the next village - Ian was wearing a t-shirt with our boat logo on, the carver wanted to copy it - so borrowed the shirt, and loaned one of his own to Ian so we could walk round the village while he worked., sitting cross legged on the floor surrounded by evidence of his wife’s mat weaving activities. Apparently this South African Springbok shirt was one of his favourites. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_574d_450_d040_d4e3" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/fvNVxUiuY4yOw6NbKt5QHsUEiCknErv1LpEJoDzrGlsSUYqlTpP-wU7zvH4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Village Shop - flour, yeast, Chinese noodles, tinned fish and very little else for sale. The cargo ship comes once a month and clearly hasn’t been for a while!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_af76_9d7b_9c8f_2fb6" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/7cxMeNiZbeSMjrQ2SKVbKIl0xO-Dyy4Q0U7Nc8m1kRdLP0nzmyiDoHf8cd0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Medical Centre, but no Doctor. Follow the advice: Drink well, Think well, Breathe well, Eat well, Exercise well, Rest well and finally Reproduce well! The island only has a primary school, those who chose to go on to secondary school have to go to Suva on the main island - many stay there to work and don’t return to the island. They may be following the advise, but they’re doing it elsewhere - the island population is still falling.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">There are no cars on Fulaga, the villagers usually use fibreglass ‘longboats’ with 40 hp outboards to fish and visit the other villages but there are a few very overgrown walking tracks hidden in the hills. A young local guided us up to the high spots for a view over the lagoon.</span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_d6a7_4036_e3a0_150a" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/FljMNjCJCPkYqKAIqFoUuvBsA_xKc-7PH0_Xt62fxPE0SDtvguwZ_sPQ05M" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_2a2_ea7b_7b2_6e35" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/DKMiI8SNglOYXVKZkh8B8-swXTyaY0_KZ7_MFqJ8ukJ5ulOxA2lBSfr4du0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">There is no way we would have found the ‘track’ without him.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_9fdc_f553_cbfb_f5ef" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8035Ft49OPggvZDNLtREtQNkds6Dk7HwDKog-E3hbTownRt-ZYPCyXN_GYM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Our walk took us past this small cave, which contained human bones and skulls - our guide told us they were the bones of the ancestors but later we asked the Chief about them and he said the bones were the remains of cannibal feasts. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_4040_c8ba_802f_9889" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5aVZ-Cso3PeIyge7iaQHVrZQdj5hzat6o_BDG9NxhCQXG0-1kWQpQSY8EaA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The view from the top of the hill - you can see the surf breaking all round the island on the outer reef and the shallow turquoise water in the lagoon. The village is down there near the beach.<br><br><img id="id_b1f6_78ee_d820_9717" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/2FX5NHQR0kZPTiYpeAat0zf4w5tUCLq_kg_nvkYUwQsonyV1AXzueG-_TjY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Looking down into the lagoon, we are one of 4 yachts at anchor and you can see anchored amongst the islets.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">From the top of the hill you can’t appreciate the wonder of the limestone islets in the lagoon - they are just fantastic.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_d1a1_849e_11bd_56bd" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/3KPmeI6xdAsBjsOYsaffmDTHFodA6cTCIVnaumHFlGQLKq0EJpBpmLGZXm0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_765c_c3cd_7096_9f78" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/8qgIDL8P_XeqpMpLti-__meAr009bgjpRj1wbBaaw0HOvCwz4vmq-k76SDg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_a8d5_3856_ca1d_895e" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/SwMzu11eAjZyGx-Xc9L87PqGLOQj4OrK2RKRX6ErHfd4Ogi_10Gheg1WLlE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_f958_818b_66a3_854f" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/58zbscyYAMKJVLx1USMhfOzH85-nW1_6g0teDkFAtyPN6y-raCXyzd9Bd1U" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_6d55_1d75_3f71_afbb" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ebKbQ2inUbPpmmNhZ_aXG9bhNvc4rYitNw6wXqPyQFLy0--9ddaYrSGGiY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">There are literally hundreds of these islets of all shapes and sizes, eroded away by the sea. It is amazing how the palm trees and other greenery manage to survive on what seems to be bare rock.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Of course we managed to do a few dives on the edge of the fringing coral reef by the pass - twice Birgit from the Yacht Rebell came with us and looked after our dinghy, but otherwise we just tow it along with us. That way we can be sure of finding it at the end of the dive, regardless of current and wind.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_f6b_2cc3_a11a_c990" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/QblA1FCdgxdi6Ttmp6lE2aJa95UmJxFiqAXjhC1TXJagfxzycWwKeva2Bho" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Diving from our dinghy - we each have a line on a reel to make sure it’s still with us at the end of the dive.<br><br><img id="id_5be9_208_a4a0_a157" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Mw18-fg9RBLVXQtKugnI2tp_iBbLGeQpxud2-UwKm0w_2Yd8Z12Khs4NLFo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br>Looking up through 20 metres of water - Birgit with the dinghy.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_661f_b6b8_613e_8ae9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/78ElZeeaIH3Pc9Zxvb58MFmZQaXamVPS1fGAuGd6uY9feAoeuDjZTWWL-_o" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_b3a2_7ad8_d4e4_1e05" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/U04F98S96wbN7pjQTVoUA89aknGC2Ud73mOimNFP8qm28RCgpL9mMCiM5To" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_ced1_3a1b_dd39_87e1" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/7Qg9kbENIJau__ZWH2vv-wUGOT9ZwEvpmFg-s9jmpvkWMje1ETHV6ODr3-w" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_e0c2_701a_ec23_d4d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/M0zEWnW4NoPgQVMXdbqpwKSJeBdiYZzN6Hft-fb3oRaARKUzrnkmG6fss74" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_5690_cefc_9ec0_b0ed" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/fJqFfNibkewdXLh9HokJuOi2hrUAubOoyUbrOjdnUtV1VGrX0md0R9x6bvw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_9b7a_e341_59f9_7a16" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ip_LzBgUtXgAv6Ut91Fcqz_iHTbmR8OxFOr6dUCWZWLEeW6UwQh_0gEB7tQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Scuba diving - A few photos of the reef.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_1f37_2be5_ab1b_b2aa" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-PfjlLb5DaWQX9ELd4KPdQ8in8McWNqKjx33PfeY71Yn0vytpkB1FtJxj_I" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Nautilus anchored in the lagoon.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_9a76_e47b_a75f_a98f" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/mrOVEz-xJbl0U9kO8U4j2St_8AUS5MhKaztMrs5WsvSEPs0w4B9B19LzZJE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">You don’t get all that lush vegetation on land without a lot of rain - and it certainly did rain while we were in Fulaga, in fact it rained at some stage almost every day but that is what made it a tropical paradise!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Making our way towards the main Fiji island of Viti Levu our next stop will be Matuku, the last of the really remote islands that we plan to visit this year.<br><br><br><br><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><br></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><br><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><br><br></span><br></div></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><br><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><br></span><br></div></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-42164147710383469012019-07-13T07:00:00.001+01:002019-07-13T07:48:13.276+01:00Matangi Island & Vanua Balavu, FijiMatangi Island is really just a steep sided bay formed from the rim of an old volcano - an idyllic spot. We were aware that it was a private island, there was an exclusive resort on the other side and they deposited select holiday makers in the bay for a few hours on their own ‘desert island’. We were politely requested not to go ashore, however we were permitted to go by dinghy round to the resort for a walk. There was a path of sorts through the jungle, and we were rewarded by a spectacular view down over Nautilus in the bay.<div><br></div><div><img id="id_895c_944d_551_db44" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/f6qh3JBOfQEqfoTteWM0_NVyT8Wqv_m6kwgaYcWIFIx4oayuFqXzkUrtUFY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Matangi Island. We were allowed to swim and kayak in the bay, but not go ashore.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_e424_cc1a_7a24_33dd" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/4Suzb4aIOK6_rMuyDMC8gKC1ad74B2NOS-kjK1bGpC39Bdk1m5LTjgvDuVo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_1578_b446_5991_3534" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/LGs2BtC-5_UQ_2zMzAO3ggvgRhmZensWkNueUAfNDI0QUKIRWii-EHsKtEU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Following the path signs round the top of the crater - we diddn’t come across any wild pigs!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">After a couple of days in Matangi we set off for Vanua Balavu, the most northerly of the Lau group of islands. We had heard such glowing report of the place it was going to be hard for it to live up to expectations. We entered the lagoon through a small gap in the reef and carefully made our way down to the town of Dalitoni where we were to present our Cava and do the Sevusevu ceremony with the village chief before visiting the island. One of the yachts that had been stuck in Minerva Reef with us had very recently hit the reef outside Dalitoni so we were proceeding with even more caution than usual!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_d688_e5f7_bde2_3e7c" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ADXdKpmzyHIp1hlnSP_s9aiiAzyt4L40GJatLFNCyP74k8nAmjBQcmimFz8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The yacht Acapella on the reef outside Dalitoni - another reminder not to trust the Chartplotter! Amazingly, with the assistance of the villagers and two other yachts they managed to pull Acapella off the reef that night at the next high tide, in complete darkness. Even more astonishingly apart from smashing the rudder there was only cosmetic damage - the rudder was later removed in a calm anchorage and rebuilt by Eva from the yacht Atla using home made play doh and covering it with fibreglass. The temporary repair got them safely to Suva, 160 Nm away, where they had the yacht lifted and a more permanent rudder built. The locals are now naming it The Acapella Reef.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The village of Dalitoni had taken a direct hit from Cyclone Winston in 2016 and much of it had been rebuilt - unfortunately for them the Vodaphone Mast had been destroyed and they were still waiting for repairs. Internet was unavailable unless you took the thrice weekly ‘bus’ to the main town of Lomaloma on the other side of the island.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_b91f_98db_af82_8087" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/BnqvnxYsFffqUayIyDBULBFcTbHfsy3aLSSYFaFyVsFq4dUaVTPn2IZZPZU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Dalitoni Village - approximately 125 people live here, the main source of income is fishing although when we asked to buy fish, none was available.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_8db5_e060_d7a2_ae2e" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/KZRnccdU2Tms7cF8KobjVdtDoQkv8h1FQBU4SnGni9qVUhrJ7Os-wvmxuq4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The village store - tinned fish, milk powder, rice and instant noodles are the main staples. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_1724_7f62_dfcb_f59" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/emlZg_xh6K4vgZFenDojfTDpg5mYBQVfwpuQa9tfM8TZk93w5uXBIlQbfaQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The villagers are very self sufficient, most grow their own vegetables - this is Taro, the leaves grow to about 1metre across - the whole plant is eaten, including the very dense, bland white roots which are the local alternative to potatoes.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_ae46_51ca_dffd_d65f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/NKG42n2V1RdiUlG8_uxwWiln8ni--hlUh7t_LjuNW9Pm3P96k6pzaxarBB0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_f520_a95_2bd0_76bd" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/T6c27fTTKtoqHBDXpw8fg_YU7XQMsoYX_scqsFxWncXXA7V8_IvHrojIYoI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The only airport on Vanua Balavu is an hour’s walk outside Dalitoni - there is only one flight a week. We walked there with Bernt and Birgit from Rebell.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_abbc_8a_f692_c38a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xCtAwqVXtWdqPnNue2mh25kRSmxgKhMpDJY9YvfI65L1C_7oS77k1xPDMBU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_3408_b4b2_3cbd_beff" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/f2s8uOpxGnEpayCU2cmxskIPHRI4lWuUpl_hikAyO8JqAZjDkzex5y4VCF4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The next day we braved the ‘bus’ to Lomaloma, the main town on the island with approximately 200 inhabitants and more importantly for us, a slightly larger shop where we could buy a local Digicell SIM card. The bus was an hour later than expected, and absolutely packed - literally standing room only, there didn’t seem to to be official bus stops, and just after it set off on the return journey someone wanted to return to the shop for an ice cream so the bus reversed back up the single dirt track to the shop accompanied by much shouting and general hilarity.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The local children enjoyed showing us round the village, they keep pigs and as usual there are chickens roaming free - although the quicker of the children could catch them, the locals don’t keep them for eggs. Eggs come by boat from Suva - the first lot we bought must have come from Suva several months ago; it was not a pleasant experience breaking into one!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_a916_b0ac_9bae_368e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/XYYo1iKTB9_uKx7qGt3eHVy8EJes-g19xE6-CY-ileu_hveTr8KHXb779tg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Having spent the afternoon with the children, they then asked if they could come and have a look at Nautilus - they were very well behaved but I sas still very glad that we had Sara, a ‘responsible adult’ from the village with us to keep them under control.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_4b43_2d18_86_99d0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/LOP_5qI7aAkdd4me28T2YrpvDkKsT_w-tfVMKR3ZGkdNizREBZM0NobuNXM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_a297_4d9a_b1bc_7ed2" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ZYO6sUuHrF53mrSQFFpebhL3l-Me0znwgum6GjBBm9uoWUmRjCl4xQD_fKM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">‘School Outing’ to Nautilus, with Sara keeping the children under control.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_6424_9b52_18af_1616" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/UNkTeoc2nNZv2WAEKL-_NM2A4S0RBxGl5GbUd9JufCCNl1Q50II5Cmj7XFs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">A Google Earth screen shot of Vanua Balavu, our track shown in red. We entered the reef through the pass in the north, heading first down the west side of the island, back up through the Bay of Islands and then over the top and on to Avea Island, a quick stop in Lomaloma for some supplies and our current location on the southern tip off the village of Suisui. The arrow shows our intended route out through the reef.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The highlight of Vanua Balavu is reputed to be the Bay of Islands - it really was beautiful: dozens of mushroom shaped lava plugs, many heavily forested, forming a huge and beautifully calm anchorage.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_aaea_290a_be9a_8dca" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/1dpTVCZOzIDzm_Nfxx8uJMCLTGSfufAGXJ-C4U3HcSPIdordmltmy3N2nrw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_b44e_b546_f0ae_b2f6" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/oEO80MOCEjXxnHCVZFhRnhrCONHTBpCoRiuheIN4lwDTE-knDQxHTW9spGk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_29ca_2bb4_86ac_638b" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/g848Y7KGYqEmReoQ61yiDuTno3sq03yh3Jmuy9eOPdHJN4xAhQI5cdqtIRA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_5b16_e912_eca7_db3d" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-CYpDQwhJelacK1wuUPgjZYMWLeI7XVi70gcff7hBEGdMWaez6YGGJJlRJ0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_853f_b8b5_c17a_a8c2" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/zlSQ23vVYK-dhzbG7Ajjjw7YFWp4MFJYpnSVs2lzT1T8Jg0JqG0vfiRwa3E" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We explored by Kayak. Vanua Balavu certainly lived up to it’s reputation - it was stunning.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_389b_6b44_5512_da34" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/rWsxnYYlswa1_aegJeqDEpk-hp6UF8uj5MRvsFhHEYE6ztFV7KyaBdV8Em0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_f665_7126_5145_da97" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/nDe2EfGelfaisu3inJKfXGNz1KVlq7uG3NszW2HYQCrK7YOAunVrTIBal98" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Under water in the Bay of Islands. It’s hard to believe it’s real.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We spent 4 days in the Bay of Islands before threading our way through the islets, round the top of Vanua Balavu and on to Bavatu Harbour, which is not really a harbour at all. Bavatu is a large inlet only accessible by boat, the land owner, Tony also owns Vuda Point and Copra Shed Marinas and is in the process of rebuilding a very small yacht club in the bay, free for the use of visiting yachts. He has a beautiful house on the hill overlooking the bay and employs a team of locals to look after the 100 sheep, 7 horses, 30 or so cows, pigs and chickens he keeps basically as pets. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_3415_105e_7b7e_e099" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/drd5wfddWBFWEDJaj95BLEFVS04dyK2owrWoNAIRlISYZ-1sjGipkvfk8-8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_b9fc_149f_30c1_f3f6" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/L5EyBaGmE23ebVnO270kdC_lL5EJK2JEXxRXCq7xrDGSXqRp6Q8I9KGL4M8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The sheep are a self-shedding variety, their fleece falls out naturally so no shearing is needed. Walking through the farm with Bernd and Birgit from Rebell.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_e4b6_bd65_3ae7_a1be" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/3I5_d1LB6y7TXtrlNFDbix9RjvPdehMDgq_t80dcIQFscpW7Fr0fConAGeM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The view over Bay of Islands - we’d been anchored at the far left of the bay, probably just out of shot from this point.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We left the main island of Vanua Balavu for Avea, 8 Nm away and still within the main outlying reef area. Avea had been badly hit by the 2016 Cyclone Winston - the corner of the island, including the local school, had been effectively washed away. We were told a graphic tale of how the head teacher and his family had sheltered in the collapsing building, unable to brave the winds to get ashore. Fortunately apart from one girl cut by flying debris there were no injuries during the cyclone.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_79d7_c03f_1dbf_4bda" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/NuZe3Sj-CC8i_xisR98-0-FPJ-0oum1tt6RdSkmiJ7lNEy0lXwijGqoT7mk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div>A small corner of one of the classrooms still stands in the sea - even the area where the head teacher sheltered has now been claimed by the waves.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_4565_f097_4dd6_d0b6" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ETH7fpgrwLBpICGAU2rqt2iZfAdmEvtQGVOUKIqD2pUTwYSPXIXlq62Ibxs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">A vast new school and kindergarten are very slowly being built, apparently paid for by foreign aid from Japan. The locals told us that each household is given FJ$7,000 (just over £2,000) to rebuild but many of them are still waiting for the money two years down the line and they have all now rebuilt using salvaged materials. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">After Avea we made a quick re-provisioning stop in Lomaloma and then headed to our final Vanua Balavu destination, Suisui back on the main island. The town has a population of about 80 people, of which 20 are primary school aged children. This part of the island is only about 250 metres wide, we walked across the island and were able to walk back round the coastline at low tide.</span><img id="id_249f_c3fe_bff_6b5a" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/P0PPRk8p6MgyzXWxnxEUI4plw37FMOhmeolFwlq7VlA6xTAOuee2siy4hys" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_7293_6a82_f969_3fa" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/J9fFCn09C9zyY0srgLFqbpRdAWOoheKzo5XlLU-KJJmn3xjD2EYvnPSmYzg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_656_3a53_2cc5_466c" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/5V9paemgkhH1MFF4IEjn2IwYjl4uD5bb0BJp95hLxB1R02rRLF50T_i-2Ns" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">A coastal walk - only possible at low tide.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_b409_99c7_26ec_eec2" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/AS8TVuAPzJzoO4_25FHwA5rlaTH3pu1PIBCx_afUqYrLTIfzkukYxRYNUiA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_71d1_df0a_c006_b152" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/xheGpMBWbCKO1rr896hJQv6rlDNVlXRWyhh3OBZBrOXoQPa59JBlrYZ7seQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">There are absolutely massive trees growing right up to the water’s edge - these ones presumably casualties of the cyclone, but there are plenty still growing well seemingly out of the sand.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_37de_1d20_7618_d20c" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/QKo68JwHZFYLr37B6cRu8y9JucxSHe39mEZWJ4KKimfogrnwYmmHeUZNBBw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Since we have been in Fiji we have been given a couple of Nautilus shells, but this was the first time we have actually found an intact one ourselves.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">When we got back to the village a young girl was removing the husks from coconuts with great ease and efficiency - it took her about 30 seconds and she certainly didn’t break a sweat. Ian had a go - a good 5 minutes and considerable effort later the coconut was finally extricated from the husk.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_9dfa_2f9b_81ce_908e" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/jXyrLD4bNTpC_dBCrcNNLO-RXto_OtCT2XZF3DO4vudNB7wdrVYo-kvMXzw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">There are 5 yachts in the bay, including us and The Rebells, and several of us went along with the village spokesman, Joseph, for a Fiji style bbq on the beach in a nearby ‘hidden lagoon’. We were dropped off on the beach and the 4 locals went off to collect oysters from the mangroves and hopefully catch a few fish.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">On their return a fire was lit, the oysters briefly placed in the embers to facilitate the opening, flicked out with a stick and then broken open. Still raw, they were rinsed and covered with lemon juice and chilli. </span><img id="id_93bc_efff_40ae_e6d8" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_TqDRyts8aNUX6pOqzOGL4y-aiQI4uVfkCgd2v9zS-SeQD9kWrnCxJxyja0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_3294_cd30_fe5e_fd10" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Xd2wvQOOWL0BQbhVou5I9SBZBDt-yfsKgPiNj4GwDWmpaokgM3XRoBZ-ltY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_7bca_49ba_adeb_210" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/bqSRqPTgoJyomOyeVZzB4bPEPtqQYh7b4n-JCuLDTa2XdnhhLyjOWqTqSH0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Apparently they were very good - I declined to try one.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The fish were much more to my taste - surprisingly good considering they were simply chucked on the flames and flicked out with a stick when they were totally charred and black. The ash and charcoal was washed off in the sea, and again they were served with lemon juice - delicious, if a little tricky to eat as no cutlery or plates were involved in the process.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_f971_6ab2_966_c57e" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/b7X09Ry7GpneJaSYSdLrZazp6EK32XJazKO68O5KI0145CJJwJo1JUvOwFs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_9c3c_d806_7c7b_264c" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/frEWog6IT_Io58D98V7osIM9mAUiVvxH2QGQv0z1A9gqNCuMF2eNEaxy1P8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">You an just make out a fish in the top photo, Joseph and another fisherman are washing the fish in the sea.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_a479_2d09_cf49_ba6a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/JS8u7Q-nqqptMRmFleXRc5DhtE0GA4pI8wDRS5G-BOJW9OOMnVm_yDRR0w8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">This was far more to my taste - I’d asked Joseph if I could buy some fruit and this is how he delivered it, in a palm leaf basket.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_29f0_d94a_111a_ac89" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ABnbf_DcaQQXzEc2H_jJ5I7wLzuvtNYVsJvty2idTbSQ4u8y08ysjt-A-ag" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_8ccc_57c8_d202_7856" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/JUrfaqFvkUT-ZlqOe3McFct7ampKUG0uUAus2yHeo1uu-lzHYl1FjlSt1OU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Wash day in Suisui village - these are all school uniform shorts hanging on the line.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Tomorrow is Sunday and we have been invited to go to church and have lunch with Joseph and his family - weather permitting we will leave for an overnight passage to Fulanga at the southern end of the Lau group on Monday, as usual it is important to arrive in daylight and preferably at slack tide for the entry through the pass in the reef.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_a15c_3baf_6432_eae" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/hoKAo7epV9I3PMD1pnq9TrP094O398PRAyQrSTnNDEfDI7Q4xK0PiSKOFww" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_27b_9a62_25d0_2de2" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/XTr26c_t2dTCC34pDryjqfddecI7b2HHgfkUsPbUZe-Y57YXrIQBnq_En9s" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_752e_c379_cefb_fe8e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/4dOFUCRK_mPVHZtIKCfcAnmOnKy7xmhfM6bBcYjeySHKf0C4XqQg-pB7ftE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_39e2_5da_9ab4_e8f4" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ip7oMolSuFE4OsaVsrl9TJxy1_k4FpltrM_s9kZcuRgYusiIwa3h0QMMfg4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">As usual, we have been diving here - the photos above are a close up of some coral, a jelly fish caught by an anemone, a clam and some soft coral.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><img id="id_2f47_5201_69f8_43d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ySM1LVvf3L2be13NTo5hJHKbU7GMLYjFwOmCrGj2MkcHUeJ3rUPZgMzZtwg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Our anchorage in Suisui, and Joseph’s wife weaving a new mat for their porch. The work is done sitting on the floor - they can sit cross legged for hours with no discomfort at all and find it amusing that most of us can’t!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_17ce_8bd7_f311_7b19" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/S6etNRUoCL18hQDU_gjhbCzaNTukcU2u4UGjyWjrQ6jHSkYtN0waHlJVkWo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Next stop: Fulanga, then heading on towards Suva the main town on Viti Levu.<br></span><br><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"> </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><br></div></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-39497438126517765232019-06-21T21:23:00.001+01:002019-06-21T22:44:24.974+01:00Fiji - The Rainbow Reef to Matagi IslandOur mooring in Taveuini at the Paradise Resort was very exposed, there was a high wind warning and a quick departure was necessary. We headed for Viani Bay on the main island of Vanua Levu - we’d visited last year and dived the White Wall, so this time we wanted to try the Rainbow Reef - again we were going with the local dive school as the reef is too far from the anchorage for our dinghy.<div><br></div><div><img id="id_d353_6eca_6447_b753" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/AGohZVsdWfvDccAjDffA05W3Xpm0hc4jg7KrZriTrnbUEvQU34S_VnTS6Xo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><br><div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_378b_7b21_9c7c_9df4" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/tMTkOjsUmiYDOHPBUcXPe0px3iPgqCxyBFarBMzsuvvEwOQekUwv_wuh50I" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><br><img id="id_3563_3505_ead3_d011" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/sISyxTBr86kPPzv0panbnuxJw45mxkGCZZeu_jrrEp7O_IQh6VwZsnAluFs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_3af8_c373_b458_7c25" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/opQ6xMw3Tfo5W0yaXEPZn9OgR2ea8DGediueD4rblCiJ-ruKuBuFph6gLVs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_cc52_7811_81ec_6279" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ZoP4dXVSSTz5W19KzwuZNbOlcaN4toFgyI6WeqRXz26w0nRLIShNsrn0C3c" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_181d_b176_f6ad_83d7" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/AFAVeLcQTUPsQGv2DmeGH6m71UQ9kbHbGmq0y0Z-51bAVDTkH6wJL38Dd5s" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_365_66b0_7197_3be1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ndBv1oTqwgla9Tb_BsTTWpSvcgEwWk8UTsxlcyxaRF5MjlfE1C8fhfsW_Vg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The dive centre organised a Lomo which is a local feast - a fire is lit in a rock filled pit, once the rocks are sufficiently hot, cassava roots are placed over the rocks, then a selection of fish and chicken in baskets woven from palm leaves were placed on the oven, along with a vegetable and coconut dish. the whole thing is then covered with palm and banana leaves and left to it’s own devices for the next couple of hours.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_814f_2c4a_9cb0_eef3" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/AfIUTvzsqM2xV5XuavDz35cGIM7e2gj-ZNk-rlwBBMpEYoYqUF4evVx3ZYA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">White cassava roots are placed in the centre, and the fish and chicken round the sides of the Lomo fire pit.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_5072_3c20_f38d_1203" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/MjLMdrCPtWXiae-dGSBewolk7JCyMIKNv9tJgjCUyTyNVoj93WEb4Ny5obU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Coconut shells filled with green vegetables and a cast iron pot of pork stew were also placed in the Lomo before it was all covered with the leaves.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_caa6_e38a_81c_d406" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/9mUjlui7z42iuGrdsp_N75o9JhFhsq-WK6nFRwqZTdy4AA6rkrsOoN2hKao" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">A couple of hours later the Lomo was opened up and diner was served!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">There is a small village in Viani Bay and of course a school - most of the children had gone to Taveuini for a 7 a side rugby tournament - it’s the national sport - and this little girl showed great potential.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_8181_40d0_b483_d123" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/rdQrTQa1vP0RY9KTrS_ihZ7Mp9f5sOPX_LNWfO3aLogGjFJ1_jrF84FXkzk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_fa7b_3f1a_788f_8c2e" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Us8UAavoRKOw8Cx7mInRBa50m1mvD3SOZqi1Q-gN_tMhM4hYMk-EFoZAauA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">After a few days in Viani bay we decided to move on - a slight delay was caused by our friends on Rebell who managed to get their chain wrapped round a large piece of dead coral. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_17c8_16_4f13_5875" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ChzOXA4K1xftgdCx6D59fi25UwyED-XYLINHj0gTphAt9s3c-vdJ0KgvejA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">It was so well wrapped that Ian ended up swimming over to help un hook it.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Our next stop was in Albert Cove, Rabi Island - another place we’d visited last year, but certainly worth a second visit. There are a couple of basic houses here that are occasionally used during coconut harvests, but apart from that the place is fairly deserted so it was a surprise to suddenly find 50 or so people turn up for a picnic. We went to introduce ourselves and learnt that a small group of students from the University of the South Pacific were touring the villages on an environmental education field trip.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_a5f1_ceb_26de_871a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CGePqOr1b7HBYEcr6z_abQ3kEEmB4RxLBUObGN357VGJi5uSbiexImbNJEw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">From what we could see, there was considerable emphasis on Cava consumption on this picnic! The Cava roots have been placed in the sun to dry, the larger roots have been sliced up.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_4fdc_9e04_4ae3_b188" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/TicY-WqR_8D25wC7gzDsvjfPnXLWInpeuDbQlw7CoxJSoLEalWbm33ys8zU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Once the fire is ready, the drying process continues in this specially constructed oven. The dried roots are then ground, mixed with water, drained and finally drunk - usually from a coconut shell or other round bowl.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The island is very lush, the interior virtually impregnable, but at low tide we did manage to walk round the bay.</span></div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_cc5c_a1bd_7560_58ca" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/S3Q4kiiKqFwHs59-T01zR42JIq0VhWYiK9uiqCX1kqpYWs0hS0ovq0OEfo0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Low tide in Albert Cove, there is a fringing coral shelf around much of the bay - you have to step carefully to avoid walking on the coral. Nautilus is one of the yachts in the distance.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We knew from our last visit that there was an excellent coral wall just outside the bay - we headed off in our dinghy for a dive.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_89aa_78a6_db43_3dd0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Fki4NpIiIMbPUACoz8oBFdw7VqJjkr__JjwTrcnB5SMWHf2w9DDmzZRY5ZA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_7f29_2561_1ad3_453" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gMh2tK54L4S1tUPnjy8Aaul_czCznlrTi0WQGvQhGCuMGUYavoKKxOUo02s" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_9459_5ea3_27fb_f961" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/lM8KHxClXG9Ik5ZPvdJCfE6SPiSRen8DzC-IfWqvSOjQX3akHe51WCBHvyc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_ff8f_92e6_11f8_303f" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/n4Fre1bMkZPEauXFnj3CeydLvRqNXRd3eZyk6h9KjBQ8XZFql4jt7AL-BLs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_f520_ac06_c137_ca49" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/I8S4m97J11HoITrNYpPxSl5B2Pre3ymSI_lvV8-MM96nmEqlHBx8s4-RPag" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_4225_e168_db3c_4e75" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/6gLri4MiYOsACheKBY5Ru8yhH_quj-XjSF2CIVsyoV3gvQguCHlrhPaAAwc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_c3ea_8032_73cb_b861" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/XAaf-P-S99d9Mayuw5wFQP-QVXdvYjERky_SNqfqv6yygpCRP4_sqdaLAUE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_692c_900e_9bdf_2a7d" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/HQcecWpxA59vEaEVVtQ1rpHr06wHcTgAJhROslDl8z_H6MN0gRJRU5sWeog" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Diving in Rabi Island, Albert Cove - There is so much to see it’s hard to know which way to look! </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_c33a_ce81_a41e_cc0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/RODNmcc-DwS2l7M5HoksBamh_vxVNT-7e2xHhuckf9N6o80YcvsHnf8t-IE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Albert Cove in the rain - it’s tropical, and you don’t get all that greenery without a lot of water.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">After Rabi Island we wove our way carefully through miles of reef to Yanuca - a tiny island with a population of just 65 people. We anchored in School Bay, and with some difficulty managed to get ashore through the shallow coral reef.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_cad6_5976_f05c_290c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/irD0Mv3x7j6ck3wnKPIOmDLqLo4Y_qntntsTDRcISooXFh01Z-SmGCm59Aw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_deb9_ff43_6fb0_226f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/iHp394kvh63QVgHR-2BABTfexLg3vb7hcsQ1Nn2r_g_7tYMrvgejiVEhIVc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">School Bay, Yanuca Island - what you can’t see is the swell: it was a rather exposed anchorage, anything not tied down fell over on board Nautilus.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We finally made it ashore just as the school day ended, the 15 primary school children were thrilled to be able to lead us to the village, practicing their already very good English on us as we walked along.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_5df5_a2a_a3e2_4465" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/IXpk1BZJRn9JTKsvPSvK_wy0Q1tdDyjcMkMdxSdMOGfSeOE1L7KLsSlUCHQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We followed the children to the village where we met Willy, the acting Chief, and presented our Sevusevu - a gift of cava. Due to the difficulties of getting ashore and the extreme roll in the anchorage we turned down his offer of a cava ceremony as we really didn’t think we’d be able to make it back to the boats afterwards. Willy was also keen to take us to one of the other islands, Cobia, for a hike and some snorkelling and suggested an anchorage for us over there. Bernt and Birgit on Rebell were not keen on this suggestion so headed off in search of a more peaceful anchorage and we headed off on the 2nm trip to Cobia.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The anchorage was tiny and surrounded by multiple reefs, but it was beautiful - we took the kayak ashore and walked around as much of it as we could.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_5331_4e2b_7cab_8dc1" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Fb4KYqyH-v0PwBNJJWFOYUrxzd7Vu98UY2P-g_CUYo7_IDjc9UdJkg4E1lI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_3c73_a531_5c89_7fa" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/qnBgRGRYdST4kLIDFYXF09F1mH8lZFIihj84PCbuKmZhqY0F95KTtzVr5Io" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_8936_7cf9_5d0e_5096" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/l7_nDZjvl4Nu3rsPPU1c5y-IC69XwIm-16HpI1Vw6-Fo97miG6Lt7mY6pMw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_b504_a6e1_5730_b3a2" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/iFde11Dy2R81ZEeTOFWP2Esa7clKffh-5BkTG_D9Pdg5ZNwag18MAdIyNOc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_1d5f_b195_9973_a817" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_oCS9jX8aptYgl1sQjPPe_4qsZiZyVqTGUzfwoIpUwuGdfASeiFzj8_IFrg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Cobia - Yanuca is the bigger island in the distance.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Our decision to stay the night in Cobia was not a good one - towards the end of the afternoon the wind began to shift, there was very little swinging room between the coral reefs so we put out our 16kg stern anchor in an effort to hold ourselves in position (our main anchor is 25 kg with 80 metres of chain, the stern anchor has only 10 metres of chain, the rest is rope). With absolutely no light pollution, there is a whole new level of darkness on the Pacific island and although the moon was almost full, it was not due to rise until a good 3 hours after sunset, so in that absolute blackness we experienced a series of fairly strong squalls complete with torrential rain and a 180 Degree wind shift. Every alarm we had on board was going off - we were way too close to the reef, it was windy and shallow, the stern anchor was dragging. Anyway - an impressive level of calm was maintained onboard as we managed to winch up the stern anchor and then our main anchor and very carefully retrace our track through the reef to School Bay on Yanuca. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We re-anchored at midnight, by that time the sky had cleared and although it was still blowing 25kts the moon light made everything seem much more manageable. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_b096_1cb0_f326_309e" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/GDXPWKTbKPjMxrk6JybDZHj9O0of3PaDCzLF1YJrllD1vkYRLYIoG7IwHGY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">After two uncomfortable nights in Yanuca and the excitement of the trip to Cobia we have now headed to Matagi, a volcanic crater again surrounded by coral reefs. Apparently it’s a private island belonging to one of the resorts, but we’re hoping to get ashore for a quick walk and also hope to go for a dive before heading further south to Banua Valavu in the Lau group.<br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><br></div></div></div></div><div id="_blog_touch_end_br_for_reorient"><br></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-18828128634821498152019-06-12T01:19:00.001+01:002019-06-13T09:40:01.769+01:00Back to FijiAfter 5 months away from the boat, we returned to New Zealand in early April, flying straight to Christchurch to spend some time in South Island. We arrived in Methven to find Mount Hutt already snow capped, it’s not long until the start of the winter ski season this far south.<div><img id="id_e734_11fc_7b89_b9d3" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/GFQ5ExBXG2fJ-DJQgTlnrKyAlqWzxqQx4s_WRmteyuCpp3rMGNRiVNmN2aI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br>The Canterbury Plains, with Mount Hutt in the distance<br><br></div><div>With Greg as Tour Guide and Leonie as Chauffeur we set off towards Queenstown, stopping for a night in Wanaka on the way.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_cdc4_a111_1bc8_65df" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PFroVTvUThrkIF2E7tDR9Tutzsus4w546_3SQ6ma8BmbxqJ8TNVN3DqXYQ0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br>Wanaka - a very beautiful tourist haven, bizarrely famous for having a tree growing out of the lake - this must be one of New Zealand’s most photographed trees!</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_fbd8_d049_77ca_19e5" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/6kWutrls1jzypvt68WrI9u5v6Fa3u1j-vP2T8fKStW9o-PopAORfiLnoCtE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br>As we left Wanaka we made a quick visit to Puzzling World where we experienced intriguing little collection of optical illusions, one of which you can see from the photo of Leonie and Greg. </div><div><br></div><div>We stopped at Te Anau and then took the Milford Road through the Fiordland National Park and on to Milford Sound itself. The Milford Road certainly deserves it’s reputation as one of the world’s most scenic highways, it was spectacular</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_dd21_21a7_a1b_357b" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/7AfVCO0zpOPrYbFLZT9q7BfUtD2gbl_QoAukqQt01pPj4CmbjesKoRmqgS4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br>The Alpine Scenery on the Milford Road, Fiordland.</div><div><br></div><div>The annual rainfall in this area is 7 metres, there are an average of 180 rainy days per year, however when we visited there was not a cloud to be seen - 5 consecutive rain free days and it was considered a drought. Milford Sound is a 16 km long fiord, surrounded by 1200 metre cliffs - apparently it’s more atmospheric in the rain, but it was wonderful in the sunshine!</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_3c7b_5eed_a3eb_4237" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/OMloNGLQLA8ykKoPUPV0uSYeAv5nx4VA1i9VIJ1p3FiDNkZwDHsxywbndsM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br>Our Milford Sound Cruise Ship - although you can bring a yacht here, anchoring would be incredibly challenging due to the depth, and the surrounding 1200 metre cliffs regularly funnel winds of over 100 km/hr down the fiord.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_9fad_4605_48da_bf79" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/50DI_JVCzj5SIDrEmC8nlj2T9T50lMSMozPiPh-YiwYrizSjwC3Yf13wHkE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_9947_a464_e8dc_b9d7" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Un57QWjaEtNzWSoG9SDAO4BXaBL20TgCPj0apiC6Lnz2LamcOPsswUOIxLY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br>Thanks to the unusually calm conditions we were able to go all the way out to the Tasman Sea at the end of the fiord. We thought it couldn’t get any better, but we were then accompanied by a pod of dolphins on our way back along the fiord.</div><div><br></div><div>Heading back from Milford Sound we stopped at Curio Bay to see the remains of the 180 million year old petrified forest in Curio Bay - also the home to a colony of very rare yellow eyed penguins. Unfortunately we didn’t see any penguins, however the petrified tree stumps and logs were very easy to spot.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_9cd3_c509_81ce_df62" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/fs9e1qY4VbONtzNlydLFWaE-27dGEIkA4vAK3ndvqu6KP1v7DVMdJUI-4c8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br>One of the many petrified logs in Curio Bay, believed to have been caused when the forest was covered with volcanic ash which later became impregnated with silica turning the remains into stone.</div><div><br></div><div>Another natural phenomena I was very keen to see were the Moeraki Boulders on the Otago coastline. Although not unique to New Zealand, scientist claim that they are formed over millions of years in marine mud and are gradually exposed as the coastline erodes. Maori tradition dictates that they are the remains of eel baskets and gourds washed ashore from a giant fishing canoe, and the cracks and marks on them caused by the fishing nets.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_174f_e328_5ef0_9943" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/rARcaH6vMH9YGAgqRT-j1qW9Vuph8uhwitbuNARt-nmOt5hO66-FWWSdcho" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_ebfb_d852_4248_38c7" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/hH6f7IDXcktIev2p_4n4PsJfCwj9JAV_B5ffxXqyywTZhOyfywjgyBnpeBQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_353d_5a49_63db_9b49" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/NJXcPhpyVMmivObDjDoB0Fli4ckWzS53-k9X0GXFzA-wk4ltwIseoT7Vb7M" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br>We spent a few more days in South Island with Leonie and Greg before heading back to Auckland and returning to Nautilus.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_45cd_d0e3_bdd3_1ead" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/mdtvXJRmmFTbJD8bzPIM7s7-DFIMyOCUEhKkEmIRUO4H2YixEY_TXDBZ9lE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br></div><div><br></div><div>New Zealand from above.</div><div><br></div><div>We returned to Nautilus and spend a hectic couple of weeks re-stocking the cupboards, cleaning, antifouling and generally sorting out Nautilus after leaving her on the hard standing for 5 months. Even getting the sails back up is quite a laborious job as we’d taken down and washed all the halyards and running rigging before we’d left the boat.</div><div><br></div><div>Once we were back in the water, we headed in to Town Basin Marina, Whangarei to have some canvas work done on our cockpit enclosure and to wait for a weather window to head for Fiji. All went according to plan - dozens of boats were preparing to leave for Fiji and Tonga, some from Opua in the north and others, like us, from Marsden Cove . The forecast looked good, we all cleared customs and were literally at the point of releasing our mooring lines when we realised there was a problem with our hydraulic rudder control box. We couldn’t leave - an emergency search for hydraulic engineers revealed one in Whangarei - and within 24 hours Craig from Mc Raes Global managed to locate and fix the problem and we were ready to clear customs again.</div><div><br></div><div>Our delayed start meant that we were a couple of days behind our travelling companions, Bernt and Birgit from the yacht Rebell. We first met them in Sicily in 2014 and sailed with them in much of the Caribbean. We arranged to meet them in Minerva Reef, 6 days and 850Nm later we duly arrived - and so did the wind! </div><div><br></div><div>Minerva consists of two reefs, only visible at low water, located about 450 Nm south of Fiji - we were there for 7 days, but we were certainly not alone! By the time we left, there were 22 yachts sheltering with us, all waiting for a weather window. Most had access to forecasts - they were the subject of much of the VHF chatter amongst our Minerva Cruisers Community.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_3783_2c51_c089_72cb" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/3jCOdm4a2V44ct6zPSGo0QglaSown3K5J7htICPjR7vnMZX2-Iwu2B19TGA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><br></div><div>Anchored in the middle of nowhere! Minerva North - there were 4 ½ metre waves breaking on the edge of the reef.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_14d3_e04c_8ec8_3df2" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/KNC_Nk55nuHEO1wXsP-Wx4WRXX9qlVG_MKcAoaDt56eOgZayWDTSsYFZrhc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Photo from Rebell, Nautilus is the yacht on the left.<br></span><br><br></div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_f909_71a8_39a0_65e6" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/D17OkPEfSdlWjA9kZKbKbgvdyK6b8_xAptAkJeViCW1aFtQ82z9-bB3L-6A" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">One of the many forecasts we got whilst in Minerva - it did not look welcoming outside the reef!<br></span></div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_b856_d95b_c42c_1634" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/10lCvwalfgPYXqhEQ7FlvkcqrmEQkemMlH90xefHEslsBj_6CjAiX6Frayk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br>The weather finally settled down, and much as we would have liked to spend time on the reef itself, we wanted to get on to Fiji - we headed for Savusavu to clear customs - and the wind died completely.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_331b_9feb_a670_15e" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/cwCQjw-B2lYq8bye6GvVBXEgGlc4lRk_-MC3X-966R8eUaXP1dBAZZ7vSnQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We motored for 24 hours - there was not even a ripple on the Pacific Millpond.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_c185_b8b1_adef_188" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/LhQTOsR6S78HqUV5Ju4TuVUSoqWs61TZZFfsSghu6f3XWOMaWjHxOyh7iRw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Savusavu, we are one of the yachts at the left of the photo. </span></div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_7c1d_f414_6fac_232f" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/DDsEnq9tUMWaw24gnjOIzIsOYreDatUHc6xXgK7hFbondtj16Ff9hHnkpHU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_daa7_f39e_25f5_8445" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Lsn6O1XyvNAHMccvWt5A2ReLDEU-yNJPRTZbwnl4lT7L-JD0aeVcejqZzFg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Customs formalities completed, we restocked with fresh fruit and vegetables from the local market and headed a few miles along the coast to anchor off the Cousteau Resort - finally able to enjoy some of what Fiji has to offer.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Our next stop was Taveuini island. We had caught a large Mahi Mahi on the way across, far too much for us to eat, so we presented it to a resort there - they cooked it far better than I could have, and the four of us ate a delicious meal in exchange for them keeping the rest of the fish. We felt it was an excellent deal!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_4e9b_7894_8d5f_48fa" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/QHYcrIA8Vqg1ioDQrkto1GDpFYRqA7jJMwuYA8bSPf9m6mYGf9LUH84MtBE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_1658_7578_1825_c058" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/EEtqqGnfM-2ihLItt8KBaE0QKiuzTwd37Rg0qPo1l5lPE09Wa_p0aQYoyj8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_3708_b4a4_b965_a956" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8XDT1LET8I4Dqq5vuL4JH4E76t0dq8tx-cX3Ur_zlMJJcwBNRPtikyX7QTE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Our plan is to continue heading round Taveuini island and then make our way on to Vanua Balavu in the L’au Group, an area relatively untouched by tourism due to its inaccessibility.<br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><br><br></div><div> <br><br></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-7342065466187356092018-11-27T18:51:00.001+00:002018-11-28T04:38:21.696+00:00Back in New Zealand - the travels without Nautilus!<font face="Arial" size="4">We made our way back to Suva to complete the exit formalities for Fiji and wait for a weather window to head for New Zealand. There seemed to be a constant procession of big low pressure systems heading up from the South, the last thing we wanted was a repeat of the conditions we’d had on the way up to New Zealand but we also needed to arrive before the 1st November.</font><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">After several days deliberating and looking at weather GRIBs we set off on 13th October - and again the new sprayhood was put to the test by the conditions we met in our way south.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_f08_549d_e994_6578" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YufwzUfX7os/W_2SQXAMZ2I/AAAAAAAAGZk/U48xWAyQbiUWHoj-PeC1Y4_2baIUTH-3wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;">"</div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Despite big seas for the first few days we had a good trip, we seemed to have the ocean to ourselves. The wind gradually eased and we motored the last 12 hours, after 8 days and 1080 nautical miles we arrived in Opua in the early hours of the morning and tied up on the Quarantine dock to have a well earned rest.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We caught up with friends in Opua, in particular Bernt and Birgit on the yacht Rebell who we’d last seen in the Caribbean. It was lovely to see them again and we’re looking forward to sailing together again next year</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_3e0d_2beb_bec2_7647" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1rMvqEybWjo/W_2SQvCghNI/AAAAAAAAGZo/ph3io1lxftcZM-UMZPKyy2S2CnsGzPVTgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">Tied up alongside Rebell in Opua Marina.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">We spent a week in Opua before heading a bit further south to Port Whangarei where we have </font></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">had Nautilus lifted out of the water and stored on land - another week spent stripping sails and ropes off and generally servicing and tidying and we were ready to finally see a bit of New Zealand from land.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">We headed first to the Coromandel Coast, on the East where we caught up with more sailors from our past: Gavin and Lica, New Zealanders we last saw in Licata, Sicily in 2014! After that, we headed right across the country to New Plymouth on the West Coast - and the best reunion of all: my childhood best friend Shelley moved here when she was 19, our first catch up in a very long time.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><img id="id_a35b_13f0_e284_92cd" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QaBME7x7_dM/W_24-vyK_RI/AAAAAAAAGaQ/pn0cSXedGO0FuwZxngLNh1ftWzcVE7TkgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Relaxing on the New Plymouth seafront with Shelley.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_ce92_837e_b10c_f769" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fsZ5M0tWd8k/W_2Y-NJzDII/AAAAAAAAGZ8/HWcmMLM-VDgiRBO-LcjDq5whe0uzbVOyACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_c1f_996a_2344_b786" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5OnPzoWY3_jc8q04m9yeSI4Ng8jTxmVvpxwvr2GfTZ8tOTAutDZ4dnfITb2vtAI2gF0FJSOJZfxYh-29JBvonXPSpn_0V0-1gY3HAW_ghe-JMAcBpNPD00WVRhk4FAAvaNx70GI-1R59j/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Shelley took us on a whirlwind tour of New Plymouth, including a walk half way up Mount Taranaki, the huge volcano that dominates the skyline there.</span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br></font><img id="id_c9cb_4c0f_483_c99e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KPm2Cq3dLkE/W_25C5ZIvEI/AAAAAAAAGac/2Ojts8_ZDT0jfruvjujurfE450bH0qfngCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_67b3_103e_53fa_da1e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WmqJ8Bm6_ww/W_25AbHv-UI/AAAAAAAAGaU/RMeD0Nx0epwmbsYPrwGhhEVPRvkURKJPQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_1ee4_9c84_d691_c6d9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dzi_XV7PezQ/W_25A3UEqaI/AAAAAAAAGaY/jc6ztdH8kuQRXcrtKXja-dCuJ8CN3_j4wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">We made it up to the snow line, it was still a very long way to the top - perhaps something for another visit!</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><img id="id_ca15_9f13_c39d_3280" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-obNF4FB0OyM/W_26CI0CHTI/AAAAAAAAGaw/lTgm_P_3paw961GtapShVTifAwmH5kktwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 753px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">A final view of Mount Taranaki, seen from the Te Rewa Rewa Bridge, designed to resemble both a breaking wave and a whale skeleton.</font><br></span><br><font face="Arial" size="4">We left Shelley with a promise to return and headed back towards Auckland, stopping to visit all things Geothermal at Rotorua in the centre of North Island.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">There really were pits of boiling mud and steam rising from the ground - and at times a very strong smell!</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_dcfc_fafb_bf89_c4fa" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tYb_qA0ouRk/W_3BIT9slTI/AAAAAAAAGbQ/u86C6bejhXc2x9zoR5gaNyf7jljRth6_ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_823a_86ee_5dce_d311" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aXKqSPAIers/W_3BHzmHYfI/AAAAAAAAGbM/GNL-BAhbxJE1AOryuqgv3WeD5wRGohbFwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_7e4b_d0a7_ac0c_6a26" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Q-DyJ3wjMNg/W_3BGGfwK8I/AAAAAAAAGbA/z06zqWftCz8AcRK0TjRCP-dqWV7Yp2vswCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_47f_5796_5eb_5ce3" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WEgnI3m76_E/W_3BGa7pQTI/AAAAAAAAGbE/8wT7dRCqFJIwBQNesuCG3T-IyuoP8Z-hQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">Wai O Tapu Geothermal valley. The Pohutu Geyser erupts many times a day, apparently up to 30 metres, but t was a bit more tame while we were there.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><img id="id_93f6_7f_15c0_e649" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2nFn-YyorjY/W_3Gqj_dmmI/AAAAAAAAGbo/z2ZJlOPPtocPnl25xvfPedST63VKx_2zACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><img id="id_2547_5260_9647_27cc" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZRaHgsX1Vao/W_3BG47s5AI/AAAAAAAAGbI/Q0eEEiqnxgUG0wKS2auRWHtqZnM_PJrMwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_be73_411e_6209_91fb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cX56yXPTC1s/W_3BBEg9KvI/AAAAAAAAGa8/6YXDa7OoVg40gL6A-RRqtVrW9yLTnAxyACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">The area was dotted with ponds of bright green water, boiling mud and water - not the place to stray from the marked paths!</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">While in Rotorua we also visited the Redwoods Treewalk, 28 suspension bridges have been hung off the giant Californian Redwoods. Back in the 1900’s over 170 species of trees were planted in the Whakarewarewa Forest as part of a commercial trial, few still stand, but the Redwoods thrived and are a fabulous way to appreciate the trees themselves as well as the many native tree ferns, the largest of which grow to 20 metres tall.</span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><img id="id_56b4_6a8d_fdb6_9a40" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0aMxtPzbHkM/W_3GxDXwfVI/AAAAAAAAGb0/q7fzQS7AQtQBfpTX4mcQLq77eJTxcEEHACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_5507_36c6_aa7e_3e13" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fpGmblXmwKs/W_3Gw2qy-VI/AAAAAAAAGbw/HTRlLNW7AfQ7FXSJTzVNMGMAzbHXLWtCQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_2b88_66f2_f117_de23" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mWAZMcaDe04/W_3Gu1affPI/AAAAAAAAGbs/1OyypMZ3u_s4O7zFFXxb1oTVy-JWzO67QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><img id="id_c158_bdad_bc0b_6f1b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-T7Z_vuYuxTc/W_3JaI6GN3I/AAAAAAAAGcI/H5vMvrABkwY6TagXXkrLdbL_oXKaR47agCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Tree ferns and Redwoods in the Whakarewarewa Forest, Rotorua.</span></font></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Our next destination was Auckland Airport, a flight to Christchurch and a weekend with Leonie and Greg in Methven before setting off on a trip round central South Island.</span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We stopped for a walk at Arthur’s Pass on the way to Hokitika on the West Coast - a very scenic spot.</span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><img id="id_7e55_c38e_7e50_4a85" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ehg8GIjKgc0/W_3S_PzL6hI/AAAAAAAAGcg/tjAK3z9k2g064US2bGX8GcZrYNHkl_zKgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_a13e_262_ef5f_588c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JUNjkAZCRW8/W_3S9M7Ua4I/AAAAAAAAGcY/qgIKhruDHaUZFVDMOssm7tPjUFCkWDdDACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_478d_54f9_f45f_1dc0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D9-QXdPhZo4/W_3TBjoGsCI/AAAAAAAAGco/ighJM6OI6Kwx9jhGYyZM_MN1d-nzZAEXwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_bad9_e5d7_b681_4308" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4gDNxZtGv48/W_3S58WfHbI/AAAAAAAAGcU/H117-j3ojc040QOl557yuwHSpFwf1W5TgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Even by west coast standards, there has been some exceptionally heavy rain and vast tree trunks have been washed down the rivers and ended up on the beach. Hokitika is known for its driftwood, but this time there really was a lot of it.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Hokitika Gorge was our next tourist destination, the usually bright blue water was muddied by all the rainfall but still an impressive sight.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_7f1e_eb14_9a60_cab0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_nvLLc3mSBA/W_3TBPj8tsI/AAAAAAAAGck/STQq4h8HFtc54_qc7LVs0XsSfr1OFd2zwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_f304_1857_f8dc_e94a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Qg5e7KqxRq0/W_3S-uT2_3I/AAAAAAAAGcc/2ZcmpEYdoNQTnbRT3K7MHLr53N1yAdwrACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">The Department of Conservation does a fantastic job providing and maintaining paths and boardwalks all over New Zealand. The Hokitika Gorge path.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">The big excitement of our South Island trip was to be Ian’s Skydive over the Franz Joseph glacier - another stunning drive in the New Zealand scenery took us to Franz Joseph, the town was surprisingly small but every second business seemed to offer helicopter trips to the glacier - we got very used to the drone of helicopters over head.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><img id="id_98be_4040_9391_c007" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-he333Eb4YJo/W_3XRk47JhI/AAAAAAAAGdE/CJNeAIkv30g4VbEauVlVg9qXCdHl5f-xwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_333a_91d_8541_4226" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jW2-71g49no/W_3XRvH4VAI/AAAAAAAAGdI/BoYip9ZwoWQVCO3N5t_fXe9oWXo_gcVCQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">A tandem flight, it was supposed to be from 19,000 feet but it was too cold so they had to make do with 16,500 feet instead.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><img id="id_6b9e_64fb_76a7_237d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2go0QCJxjRQ/W_3XRzqyHWI/AAAAAAAAGdM/OB5qNcRnm2o7uI1l8_dG8cyEmueRASQyQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_bb71_403c_9a79_670d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TgoL05yFU64/W_3XQqo-vuI/AAAAAAAAGdA/o0OAiTsUKcIE-ZLOce3PhfZiW9nZlmN8QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">65 seconds of free fall.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><img id="id_e2c5_f64d_1fff_e48f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zkxZ6eZQg3c/W_3dEyWl-TI/AAAAAAAAGdo/tTFDOlqlC6INQ6m3RC6KCPYo8AZcfPjNwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_34bf_6ff5_fef3_73ca" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EotF5R1Z7v8/W_3dENYTF_I/AAAAAAAAGdk/4wXHor7pnC0viiIzxey1usB5_68iEwk5ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_822d_aa3a_cf88_e0d0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bbxiCU2To4Y/W_3dFIlYeHI/AAAAAAAAGds/zYsfzsOC9L45YZn2BL1n6-DrDsbNiy1WACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">And some stunning photos of Franz Joseph Glacier from the plane.</font></span></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We did the 1 ½ hour walk, initially through lush forest then on gravel and rock to 750 metres from the face of Franz Josef - to get any closer you have to take a helicopter and a guide, it’s the fastest moving and steepest glacier in New Zealand and pieces of ice frequently fall off it.</span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We attempted to see the Fox Glacier as well but a land slide caused by the recent heavy rain had closed the access roads. Instead we walked round Lake Matheson, once the clouds lifted you could see Mount Tasman and Mount Cook in the distance - yet more spectacular New Zealand views!</span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><img id="id_5258_af00_eef5_f5b1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hGZuJT1Ik2s/W_4XYEnKIzI/AAAAAAAAGeM/-PFLu8-3P2A5IzaK3G2s8fN4eOn0LRehACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">Lake Matheson, with Mt Tasman just visible in the distance.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><img id="id_41ab_c8eb_8386_bdeb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JalXbvNej_M/W_4XXfp98nI/AAAAAAAAGeI/fi-uqwUkwN8T470Ukf8mg6kSk6dCvJkfACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_94e9_53dd_37f6_ca01" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-t4ltgobtyzc/W_4ZNWT5JPI/AAAAAAAAGec/xsdCw3ALLrQXWVyvTSBkVmdKmp51aQ_LACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">Lake Matheson, the mountains hidden by clouds in the distance.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">We are leaving New Zealand shortly, by air, but plan to return to the boat next year, sail back to Fiji before returning here and spending a summer in New Zealand. There will be no more blogs until we get back to Nautilus in April 2019.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span><br><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><br><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span><br><font size="4" face="Arial"><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><br><br></div><div><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-79340139351112274872018-10-08T21:03:00.001+01:002018-10-09T04:44:29.337+01:00Fiji - Heading round the northern tip of Vanua Levu and back to Suva<div><img id="id_d157_94b8_6152_98dd" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-H6xSu7TpiK8/W7u39XYF_6I/AAAAAAAAGVo/eb87KcxahXgKFnZQ_31YcEMvmGTlURZ0gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><font face="Arial" size="4"><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div>We enjoyed the hospitality of the Kia Islanders for a few days before reluctantly heading back to the mainland. First stop was Labasa town - it is about 5 miles up the river, so we were unable to take the yacht there, anchoring instead off the tiny port of Malau where we were lucky enough to find a bus that took us to town for the princely sum of 68 cents (£0.25) each. </font><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Malau port is next to the sugar cane processing plant, and there must have been a 2km line of little trucks, tractors and trailers piled high with sugarcane waiting for processing. <br></font><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_cbc3_941e_ff8f_2b9b" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Kki8Fg6Avj07nNZTnhkYHIwOhKORKw6l6_gK3drOUXKHm-ldAwLRsoMEeXI9gwaHju_qmvl6FQg3iUfry0tY5QsOzfvuoJbm3LQu5nl5fktzxD8FqqiGfaNrz_BEkm9yQWE6WTGf62Kz/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial" size="4">Our Route.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Fully stocked up, we headed on round the north coast of Vanua Levu, tucking ourselves into the mangroves for the night. As we had discovered in Labasa, we were in the heart of sugar cane country - the cultivation method is to literally set fire to the fields, burning away the outer dry leaves and leaving the hard central stem. The cane is then cut, often manually, and loaded onto the trucks for processing, with 10kg raw sugar cane producing 1kg sugar.</font></div></div></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Sailing along the north coast, the air is thick with smoke, little particles of blackened sugar cane covered the boat - at times you could hardly see the land.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_11ef_3af0_f715_a816" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jvREcg_BLkU/W7u38m3LcRI/AAAAAAAAGVk/mad7Nr_e7ygTREeu8gNmbQ5-v6pM9wh9gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br><font face="Arial" size="4">Burning sugar cane prior to harvest, North coast, Vanua Levu.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_2292_c1b2_c4cd_c05" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-o9HiL0DEG0g/W7vjjDF1hdI/AAAAAAAAGV4/mLf9zYb2BxoeLL58tlxTh13zNqI3KA_bwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We headed on round Vanua Levu, taking the inner route between hundreds of coral bommies - with the sun on the water they were very hard to see. Occasionally they were marked with posts, as in the photo above. It’s hard to believe the reef extends a couple of miles out to see here.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Our final stop on the north coast was the most interesting - the conventional chartplotter had practically no detail of the reefs and we had been using satellite imagery as well as simply keeping a good lookout. The tip of Vanua Levu crosses the East / West meridian, it’s literally the edge of all the charts ... and the software couldn’t cope. Eventually the system caught up, having had to work it’s way round to the other side of the world to find us. We anchored in a very shallow ‘indent’ in the coral reef.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_7b19_2619_81d8_fce7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-y53YC1pAd_s/W7vno_Piv2I/AAAAAAAAGWE/JvlBIIm9WoIedKpn8myHZU39pVXoKYRrACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Our anchorage - right at the tip of Vanua Levu. Much of the surrounding reef was awash at low tide, we’re the blue dot in the screen shot above.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We launched the dinghy and made our way ashore. There was a little track across the island - we walked across and found a lone fisherman on the other side. He had been catching Herring, which he cleaned, salted and then spread out to dry in the sun. The whole process took about 4 days of sunshine, involving salting, washing and laying out the fish daily and packing it away at night. He explained it was a popular dish amongst the Indian Fijians.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_9d4c_59f_df09_91ef" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jlKoeHz4GJc/W7vnpcu6r-I/AAAAAAAAGWI/Fl2kX81rWW4GoEA5qHwi-IXGjtNe-XH7QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_c739_27d7_e02e_12b7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kX7Y2FurM6k/W7vnpUzAhsI/AAAAAAAAGWM/oMnrOo3TlbQQsEHKRc0jm6oSQ6cUOjMngCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Herring, laid out to dry in the sun.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We headed on round the coast of Vanua Levu, our next stop was a bay called Albert Cove. We had been told that we needed to do Sevusevu here, so we went ashore with our gift of Cava to find only one man lived there with his son, they collected coconuts and grew cava ... despite that he accepted our gift with due grace, and granted us permission to walk round the bay!</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_1b50_ceec_b006_45e0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0O45EYWIfcs/W7vtjTWAphI/AAAAAAAAGWc/qGDXe75tR0cQSIefViXffY-fbE4NIDxLgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_3665_9976_8b85_aa3b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eSD-C4m2Sv4/W7vtk3Ml9cI/AAAAAAAAGWk/AVAX2qJdvws5vMDiQnHpkn3kQwtNsK-eQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_7c94_e9a9_cac9_40b0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yaLUTTNd7jY/W7vtkcA6aQI/AAAAAAAAGWg/2HR5IczF150r576R1G2DSN7UkTndqn2OACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Albert Cove, Rabi Island. Huge trees as well as coconut palm fringed the waterline - a lovely spot.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Our next destination was Viani Bay, tucked on the South Eastern tip of Vanua Levu, it is the location of the Rainbow Reef, another prime dive destination. The reef was a fair distance from the anchorage so we went with a local dive operator - they had just had a cancellation due to the weather - the unseasonably early cyclone in the Solomon Islands has had a knock on effect here. Lots of rain, despite it being the dry season.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_50de_ce70_fa56_fade" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9QXXuI7NuW8/W7wH_Af71pI/AAAAAAAAGXA/YoIyUb5LFSEQqpY8bRvd1Kmy8AW3WRRxACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Jonas, the Dive Master drawing out the dive plan - starting with a descending swim-through down to the Great White Wall, a 50m long wall of coral, starting at about 30m below sea level, that literally blooms white at certain states of tide. Unfortunately for us, that was at about 4pm, and by then the light was poor and it was raining heavily - despite that, it was one of the most impressive sights we’ve seen, compete with turtles, colourful nudibranchs and anemone. No photos though, it was way too dark!</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The forecast at this stage was looking ominous, strong winds and yet more rain promised so we opted for proper shelter in the form of Copra Shed Marina, Savusavu. A wise move - we were able to take the last available buoy in the tiny marina, and not only was there a market and several supermarkets, but there was also a hot spring - boiling water just bubbling up out of the ground.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_2f5a_e73a_6392_5b15" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bo4LHc8j12Q/W7wKYm_41fI/AAAAAAAAGXU/XWWKLGT547UQU5Lxws6r65xvgSOkZZrpgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_c59b_ebc1_73f_69c0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KTh1XBWNlyU/W7wKYYop07I/AAAAAAAAGXQ/qqvsQvWwGJwFWup2NsGjnD0veqLhqU7ngCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Apparently the locals frequently use the heat for cooking, but not when we were there.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_c4e2_9a14_ff5e_4d91" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LChqlvlp5BY/W7wKYA-IMmI/AAAAAAAAGXM/8hVAO3WDIDoTdc3OTsI7XJYCaolbPWcbgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The spring passed under the local Doctor’s house, he had created a row of hot spring fed pools, like a hot tub but without the bubbles. FJ$15 bought you unlimited time in the pool - a good way to spend a rainy day in Fiji.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Once the weather cleared up we set off South again, heading for Namena Island Marine Reserve. The area seems to have been badly hit by a cyclone, the dive resort was closed for refurbishment, and the surge coupled with the damaged wharf meant we were unable to land the dinghy. The snorkelling around the boat was not particularly impressive, we tried to dive the reef itself but a squall came through and we couldn’t hold the dinghy so we abandoned and headed for an overnight passage of 90 Nm to the Great Astrolabe Reef, off Suva.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We arrived inside the reef in the morning, after a bit of a sleep we went for a dive on the outer reef then headed for an anchorage. On the way across the lagoon we saw a humpback and calf, they treated us to a display of breaching and spy hopping We liked the look of Namara Island, it seemed uninhabited, we dropped the anchor and swum ashore for a look around.</font></div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_e3e_5bf1_5e7f_2e69" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FfL1SmfV7aY/W7wROY0O8WI/AAAAAAAAGXo/rRi9kWMhOLkUTZzLOc8eLvq7T9avGCgLQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Low tide at Namara Island, the coral reef is exposed, even swimming ashore was quite challenging!</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Namara Island is tiny, about half a mile long and a few hundred metres wide so we were surprised to find a new and well maintained path across the island and along the ridge.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_dc99_4b44_5c5e_16d7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Fa1_vZjn2NA/W7wVbMZSa3I/AAAAAAAAGYI/RkRhYrRrxmsuZ2AXoM10aj1NCJAFCb3gACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The view from the top, Nautilus at anchor in the bay.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We continued down to the other beach, and found an empty camp and some workers repairing a metal jetty - we learned that the island has been used for the last 3 years as the setting for the French and Swedish ‘Survivor’ TV series, with the next contestants due to arrive in a couple of days.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_b9b_b135_783c_95a7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DxE7UIa50vc/W7wVahlD9EI/AAAAAAAAGX8/pH0qQ8CJz_E98xNj0eo-kxBDkB0xGFAyACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><font face="Arial" size="4">The ‘Survivor’s’ Camp, Namara Island.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Apart from coconuts and a few cassava plants there is very little that looks edible on the island, they will have to collect rainwater and hope that some of them are good at fishing! </font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Namara Island belongs to a local clan, the head of the Clan, Vuate Taletawa was supervising the workers on the island and came aboard to charge his mobile phone. Whilst on board the conversation turned to Cava - we admitted to not having tried it, although we had some on board - he then prepared some, and we drank it with as much traditional ceremony as we could manage. It had a bitter but not unpleasant taste, and definitely made your mouth go numb. It may have had further reaching effects because unfortunately Vuate dropped his now charged phone in the water as he got off the boat!</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_4aea_c6e4_775c_a9b7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iznw6YzHbbw/W7wVaw0zOAI/AAAAAAAAGYA/dht9_QH353QJJxM8xHOe7zzKWoZcJRv1gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_41ac_91e0_a58c_af29" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fNZqdwFV6_M/W7wVbNeYiLI/AAAAAAAAGYE/k3uR4Jg2yl037jmYoRM3vSTr9b3sGRIHwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_fca5_10f6_94ec_5d2b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rEwRXceE9nU/W7wVaeGTMpI/AAAAAAAAGX0/XRdR_JL3WLEAGzDVZv91YUocgCIxEitbgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_c398_cbae_8c20_196b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-q7wU24_5B1Q/W7wVajcP9iI/AAAAAAAAGX4/TQA7cbwJFocQ3cbST4OUdoP2Mxry2hzoQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The Cava Ceremony!</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We are now anchored off Ono Island, still in the Great Astrolabe Reef, waiting for a weather window to sail back to New Zealand. We have to go back to Suva (about 45Nm from here) in order to check out of Fiji, but once we have done that we have to leave Fiji waters within 24 hours. Our insurance requires us to be in New Zealand by 1st November - the season, which started very late for us, has absolutely flown by and we are really looking forward to returning to these cruising grounds again next year.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_b66d_16aa_92f3_ace1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bN2Hd0gC6jU/W7wYDetlRfI/AAAAAAAAGYk/UQJ_h3y3keok6xgADyJ_8qmvmicUv4MIgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><img id="id_5ad4_4222_e933_a907" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--vn_tsW8JLc/W7wYmslxFNI/AAAAAAAAGYs/vHnCveMRd1Ap9IBsVbNCDu4x6AzQf2E4QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-69117428523964641542018-09-21T09:17:00.001+01:002018-09-21T11:40:39.460+01:00Fiji - Heading North, off the Tourist Trail<font face="Arial" size="4">Having spent time following the tourist trail through the Yasawas, it was a big change to head North along the coast of Viti Levu - our first stop was an inlet called Vatia Wharf. There was not a soul in sight - the silence was complete.</font><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_eea8_fa3e_e86a_c64c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rNgxJCoIR6U/W6SpAJA_50I/AAAAAAAAGRg/fjh-p9wGTm8ZLRGAoVJ7gM027ItE38LcgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br><font face="Arial" size="4">Vatia Wharf anchorage - Fiji is a huge sugar cane producer and during this season it is cut and the stubble burnt. You can see signs of charred landscape on the hills and we ended up covered with ash.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_404_8377_3b79_60a7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-twg6wVscgY0/W6SpBFN-kII/AAAAAAAAGRk/eeLJqOHEhtUD4rCEClA-HUmGq2V9x_h2gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">A praying mantis landed on the boat - presumably trying to escape from the sugar cane smoke and ash.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_82f1_1bfa_71ab_c146" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GZdPpv_hfI4/W6SpBCxV6uI/AAAAAAAAGRo/zzq7rqosZp87ACoP8npo--cXJ9gCzcesQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Our final stop on Viti Levu was Volivoli, one of the few dive resorts on the barren north coast. We hired a local dive guide, Moe, who came out with us on Nautilus to dive the Nananu Passage - yet another beautiful underwater experience in Fiji!</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_efc4_d67a_356c_e5b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-n7cOhF6JJSs/W6SrW74VlxI/AAAAAAAAGR8/4wyFtcxPRSQF0IkbcoKS_kezDtHZvxiYQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_3620_8bbf_63c7_6872" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C7gtZHxjItw/W6SrZG7TBuI/AAAAAAAAGSE/I6iLdShBPKAWzVgl_UEfkZJ26CkK_qwIgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Looking up through 20 metres of crystal clear water at Nautilus and our dinghy which are tied onto one of the dive buoys in the Nananu Passage. We would never have found this location without Moe’s guidance.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_ce3c_ea32_6a94_3ef2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JQYSIjwnL30/W6SrZEDyYOI/AAAAAAAAGSA/0D8fs6Nc1Lo78yUK6HK5weVfCkVVj3kPACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Ian underwater </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We could easily have stayed a few more days diving at Volivoli, but we decided instead to head for Yadua Island off the west coast of Vanua Levu. Strong winds were forecast, but our intended anchorage would provide good shelter - there is a small village on the other side of the island, but our bay was uninhabited apart from by a group of fishermen from the mainland. They normally come over to Yadua to fish for 3 days before returning to Viti Levu with their catch but they couldn’t brave the winds in their open fishing boats so were waiting it out in shelters on the beach.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_6da5_7ad2_2c4e_49d7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XkfZ1JV2i0g/W6Sw8ysGbYI/AAAAAAAAGSU/yvDycCDkd74MXQCxLxuPNduhr2Wh4yfwQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Yadua Island, with a few fishing boats on the beach.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_5a17_e7a3_fc1_e10c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZVEC4Ac-21Q/W6Sw9ygOjAI/AAAAAAAAGSg/ZInhJ7tU9d0VDNrr_sfdBWZgfYWf3HT0ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">The anchorage in Yadua - Nautilus is just visible in the middle of the bay. It’s hard to believe from this photo that it’s blowing over 30kts behind us!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Épi, one of the fishermen took us up to the highest spot on the island - actually he almost sprinted up, a flash of red in the distance, while we struggled to keep up. After about an hour we reached the lighthouse. It has not worked for a very long time.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_bb5_5510_b3d0_6635" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-o7PSe-qIIL4/W6Sw9XHGTeI/AAAAAAAAGSc/PQHYAIM2wNU0dwf7wMM6C9UJSAvRyEFnQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Épi standing on top of the light house base while we try to catch our breath - the views from up there were well worth the trek.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_e_fda2_1c56_1e92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaZwopY87762ighoqqvVS-WIvdew6OyPbDhz6GozXGST8ON29xmcpUzd4dwgUKSMuuDgGj8OcKPs4V4Q9UXpIPx7futX89Vh3ALM2Bh2VhLJhE2yg8TqNV_YBtWJo6DJ4Bc53v-aVNHqo/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">The small island in the centre of the photo is Yadua Taba, an uninhabited Nature Reserve that is the home to the Crested Iguana. No one is permitted to land on the island after a visitor was caught stealing Iguanas for the pet market.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_ba7f_2bbb_d97_f26f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sH3b-t1WCWg/W6SzoHJ5e8I/AAAAAAAAGS0/JDy275-_TvwmJUNHuWUWkaHWv19SQowggCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">The little dot in the middle of the bay on the right of the photo is Nautilus. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_e6d6_e91_e2e7_9309" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fwv1geUsz88/W6SzoWarvKI/AAAAAAAAGS4/kgu-o9vBF5QjxEoIGhe8F1CHTnKmwQe-ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 724px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">On our last morning in Yadua the wind finally died down enough for us to explore the other side of the peninsular - sadly the beach was littered with plastic rubbish. This is an uninhabited part of the island - all the rubbish has been washed in from afar.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Our next destination was to be Kia, a tiny island north of Vanua Levu, nestled in the Great Sea Reef, the third largest coral reef in the world. We took the inner route, working our way between the reefs along the north coast of Vanua Levu. The water here is quite silty presumably from the many rivers in this area so you really have to watch out closely for the reefs.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_4262_c45f_3b3d_9416" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eq1ueV0I5TE/W6S3gxtzQBI/AAAAAAAAGTI/tXof411Aw_0my9g_O9B_bRJ_fMAzvnirgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Our anchorage, off the ‘island’ of Oadrau</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_4e62_1049_8cec_ef1a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YDrN3WP8Bb8/W6S3hHMs1iI/AAAAAAAAGTM/mgf7Er4IwzUQ6C5REpklEyLPXtX_PNlNwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">We took the dinghy ashore - it took about 15 minutes to walk round the island.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><img id="id_40e5_bc6a_39c9_a3d1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9WFlSlScZ8k/W6S3hYJUtDI/AAAAAAAAGTU/7PsZbEWWDQwB9o9KZu9r57LGKvzTYzdngCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_d3ef_3b90_d49c_2473" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0lr2SOZxzn8/W6S3hc2YbsI/AAAAAAAAGTQ/fGm9KCVpXDsAjRrbwQNohIgMO2_THeVBgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_5b17_9a63_fd41_fd9d" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy4Mh7u0pYKu_NROUC6qpIfwIzinOSlFO8BusE0Zxfg3WpzynGnBLtIuFDrHsl2bdtgIE1z5uu0_6ZW3-wOqoagZnemlg8_KqnbRf12FmeoVomaFzP7EMiQM5HwXLjCxT7S2P9ExiEq__s/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><div><br></div><div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Anchored off Oadrau Island, north coast Vanua Levu.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_a40f_acfe_1411_a3d9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FzLIxg7eElo/W6TCmCbyLkI/AAAAAAAAGT0/J4wr-zPtxO0T_WkPfkfN86kKhDsibOlCwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><br></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Kia Island is the northernmost island in the Fiji Archipelago, and although surrounded by the Great Sea Reef, like many reefs it is covered at high water - this would not be the place to find shelter in a storm! There are three small villages on Kia, with a total population of about 200. We anchored off Ligau, a village of 14 houses and also the location of the only primary school which has 52 students, 4 teachers and a headmaster. The teaching staff come for 3 year rotations from Vanua Levu and the older children either stay with relatives or board to attend secondary school in Lambasa on the mainland.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_3e43_e79f_c41_62a7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aBsLuNNcudc/W6TCmIljnEI/AAAAAAAAGT4/17wCQeZXlHkoSXUR_dKVy-X8uKzNoRW6gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Lambasa Village - the houses all have large rain water tanks but the government has also installed a desalination plant. Unfortunately the operation seems to be down to one individual who is apparently lazy - it is unclear if the plant is still operational but recently a water ship was sent over to tide them over until the rainy season starts in November.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">The only occupation on the island is fishing, there is a cooperative that takes the catch to Lambasa to sell, and the villagers either rent or borrow the 5 open ‘panga’ fishing boats that belong to the village. They also grow cassava, plantains and coconuts but although fertile, it is a very hilly and rocky island which makes cultivation difficult.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">The villagers were very friendly and hospitable, several came on board to have a look round the yacht, we were given a Nautilus shell, lots of cups of tea and pancakes and several fish. For reasons unknown, there is an old canon at the top of one of the hills - Eli took us up there bright and early one morning to have a look for ourselves.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_99a6_1941_fafb_b3f5" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mFrgNyEKSmg/W6TCl22ApKI/AAAAAAAAGTs/P5Zre2Y1NhQ43aemXtGlQU2q297mwivrQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_6db8_5869_5854_f6b9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-evB14eW31BM/W6TCmLxoIkI/AAAAAAAAGTw/IIx4fFmQkrQLmwAfaDjv1irDWS1T78snQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font size="4" face="Arial">Eli guided us up to the top, behind him you can see the mainland of Vanua Levu 25 miles away.</font><br></span><br><img id="id_45b0_9e6a_3f7c_bfe" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-v8kOR74mM2w/W6TCmkCB-LI/AAAAAAAAGT8/yi94x96ntocyIBRt1f3Jo8hb6LKQ-6kqACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_cd5_50d2_e975_134" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MJLXeiz6RU4/W6TCnLWBp4I/AAAAAAAAGUA/5c9KbBGAp-wCtk4ZiFNm86HnDpcE4CL4wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">It is a very narrow ridge - I’m holding on, not taking a selfie!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_d2d6_670d_fdb7_d95c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vU5MVs8NJGY/W6TCnCXxJTI/AAAAAAAAGUE/zwiv-KV5BwQSVHAmOfrrjz7mvcn-dzP5ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Looking down over the village you can see the school, which of course has a rugby pitch. Nautilus is anchored just off the beach.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_47e7_32bc_30db_9864" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-foyB0IKgP-4/W6TIOd4AtFI/AAAAAAAAGU0/snpTOdl2KY8mU_9R4tecxMfC7eW-0WWXACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The islanders are very religious - these canoe shaped drums are used to call them to church on Sundays and Wednesdays.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The final day of our stay on Kia was spent diving on the Great Sea Reef. </font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_c5cd_473_f9e4_707f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GVzt5WgwEdY/W6TIOltACFI/AAAAAAAAGU4/VOMwXR_XtLASMuBhUc5HxqZDrstlYHQGACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We saw several turtles.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_d020_25bb_ba42_2a55" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-82On8v5lxVY/W6TIPE7BC0I/AAAAAAAAGU8/K3vDEkyR46kvb2kJWM09uWYs3ZeSuZaDgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Clown fish guarding their anemones</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_cde2_ca0b_2904_6812" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-60RgdS5zCuo/W6TIPDLJv7I/AAAAAAAAGVE/i24-dJmI2Pcn38GEjCzdDx2aWr8da_jCACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Flower like corals</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_20b5_de5b_c756_83b8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1dfITa7lOCo/W6TIPNaK-mI/AAAAAAAAGVA/yvn8FI_EPvA1MsjRpsx51sYaloyphX-TwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">And lots of sharks - there were one or two circling us throughout the dive. </font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We now need to get some provisions and it’s time to head on round Vanua Levu - next stop Lambasa town which has a large produce market, banks and WiFi.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-52086388933396419292018-08-26T06:04:00.001+01:002018-08-29T21:00:28.725+01:00Fiji - Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands<font face="Arial" size="4">The Yasawa Islands to the North West of Viti Levu really are THE tourist area of Fiji - after the rural tranquility of Vatulele, it was quite a culture shock to head further round the coast and find Port Denerau Marina, complete with superyachts, a shopping centre and dozens of bars and restaurants. From Port Denerau you can take a FD$1 bus or a FD$15 (about £5) taxi ride to the main produce markets of either Nadi or Lautoka for provisions - we opted for the taxi, who will wait for you while you shop and then drive you back to the port.</font><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">While in the area we also spent a couple of nights in Vuda Point Marina - we had some friends stuck there with engine trouble, and it was also the marina that at one stage we had planned to leave the boat. Like all good plans, things changed, primarily because of Cyclone Winston in 2016 ... although there are ‘Cyclone Pits’ there, our yacht insurance no longer covered us in the event of a named storm. The cyclone pits were interesting though, literally a ‘grave’ dug in the ground for the rudder and keel and a collection of old tyres round the hole for the yacht to rest on. Having now seen them, I think we had a lucky escape! </font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Fully stocked up, we set off for Musket Cove, our first really ‘touristy’ island destination. We’d met up with our sailing friends on Jadean and headed out for a dive - it was spectacular! A pinnacle of coral rising up from the sea bed - being a tourist area, there was a convenient marker buoy there where we could tie up the dinghies - we have now done the same dive 4 times and it never fails to impress.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_4beb_e340_abc4_fa3f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-s-d9iQ5poNk/W4ZkqrdAD9I/AAAAAAAAGNU/4bsoAte9DXsJlMYnatShBf9AGAy7fDAVwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_2613_8680_4ae6_6be6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-s25N-RaciIo/W4Zkrj56p0I/AAAAAAAAGNg/R468UOUdNjoHy8hCqTqAQE7tbnbHt8YYACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_d3d2_cd4c_81b3_752b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TFzjMIj26-E/W4ZkrGRsDOI/AAAAAAAAGNc/-5YQoebGyOMLtg9xjm3TT9arTDc0GzXHwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_1652_dc9e_701a_d72d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PvLMkZFVW5A/W4ZkrElneTI/AAAAAAAAGNY/Cazf6Kuw0zEMSBExZZQaw7bRJiG5M50AACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_8547_8d47_880_3c8a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nPncx0TULtw/W4Zqe3Q7beI/AAAAAAAAGNw/r1T7hfb5WSs1XFi_JZeB2TH8LfovuK9jwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Musket Cove is a magnet for cruisers - not only for the diving, but also for kite surfing and board surfing, there is even a floating pizza bar on the outer reef, a cruiser friendly bar that serves great Mojito and for kids, a water park. Despite the obvious attractions, we dragged ourselves away and headed up to the Yasawa Islands.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Tourism is the mainstay of the Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands, there is hardly a rock above the high tide level that doesn’t have some sort of a Resort on it - all the ones we have seen are small developments, mostly concealed by the palm trees but had Tom Hanks arrived on Castaway now, he would have been able to stay in a well appointed Bure and escape by Hobie Cat!</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_308a_f40d_89c_d958" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-s_f1cLJ8yJw/W4Zqe0eR1_I/AAAAAAAAGN0/YY9rNiJAIGU-kS1vVJoa6xrIgM5xslzqgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><br><font face="Arial" size="4">Castaway Island Resort - Tom Hanks would certainly find more than his Volleyball Wilson to talk to now!</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Heading further north, it was delightful to be able to spend a few days in the uninhabited natural harbour at Navadra, not the place to be in a northerly blow, but fortunately we were able to spend a few days enjoying paddle boarding round the bay, walking on the beaches, snorkelling and even a dive on the reef in the bay.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_327_d63f_e5b2_59c8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5wZA2bpTchk/W4Zqfc9JHiI/AAAAAAAAGN4/DdAPbMY0h9AeTG6dwu2r8RxpZl5HB6t2QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Navadra and Vanua Levu form the bay, the blue dot is where we were anchored, we now regularly use these satellite images to navigate round the reefs - they are far more accurate than the charts we have!</font></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We snorkelled the lagoon on the left, and dived the reefs in the centre of the bay - lots of fish and coral.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_3520_8e2b_d96_5045" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0_zTx3zPU7c/W4ZqfgSP1VI/AAAAAAAAGN8/PzDR_2dIxm89RI2fAeOV3PVhn6gM9KugwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_638c_887c_6ffd_f3e5" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tKfQB7-wLZ8/W4ZqgU26FKI/AAAAAAAAGOE/5H0KxCtUxIE7mU4KEESGtYy7sC3-6iDMQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><font size="4" face="Arial"><img id="id_171_b152_206a_c94b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I17oGSgVkzc/W4ZqgbB70NI/AAAAAAAAGOA/ALh1oP9y5RoZ5wyd8ZQTpVlPpxmD-SepACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></font></div><div><br><font face="Arial" size="4">Our anchorage at Navadra - absolutely beautiful!</font></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Our next destination was Drawaqa, better known as Manta Ray Pass - under certain combinations of wind and tide, plankton are flushed through a pass between two of the islands, and the Manta Rays scoop them up, literally tumbling through the water with their huge mouths open, sweeping the food filled water in with their mandibles. We were incredibly lucky, we arrived during a period of perfect Manta Ray feeding.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_df2e_1651_6c38_e084" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tPYgl7h2syE/W4ZtxQ5CeLI/AAAAAAAAGOc/kprpsDuRsoQWthznG7e9coKFqXgXUlZwQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The water is literally thick with plankton, they look like little pink snowflakes in the water.<br></span><br><img id="id_2461_64d5_8cf7_61fb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--VXNHwIDfe0/W4Ztxr4qR3I/AAAAAAAAGOg/RTEunsdep4cNypup0t_yjqr_xkQ_bebXwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_8482_d8d4_2413_f5fb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0Gait8NMZVY/W4ZtxqgfROI/AAAAAAAAGOk/ExzwVCS-p0AE1Q3BWEkQp1kHrIEphxcZgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_d3aa_b83d_cb00_c503" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-exq02RBzbwc/W4Ztxg9lMRI/AAAAAAAAGOo/5Cst3iEKJqc_-3jodZADOM-lsjx_OvMEACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_5edf_32a_99fc_7edf" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Sbk5laH8JhQ/W4ZtyB2DebI/AAAAAAAAGOw/h_0gIneFpi4S6WqBxe4nvReoPh25eW0aQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_a482_c868_50af_c5ea" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pNR0yEzk2qk/W4ZtyOETjtI/AAAAAAAAGOs/DKJ_WJzj508_MzSvkIgKPKD1kkaMAOPOgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We stayed in the water for a couple of hours, there were quite a few other snorkellers from the resort there as well, and the Mantas seemed totally oblivious to our presence. When they head for you, mouths open, you do really have to remind your self you are not their pray!</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">As well as the natural beauty of the waters here, there is also the wreck of the Salamander, sunk on purpose in 30 metres of water not far from Manta Ray Pass. The wreck has been recently sunk so there is very little marine life on it as yet, however it is very atmospheric as it gradually emerges from the gloom of the depths.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_15ef_b6f4_1c37_d1cf" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-rAaYnlEUeksAdRwxJyT5gKmgwIYLj0NwPip01_qO0obCVnYRtoAOQSAHHA-mjKy69jnfVNoKwX8I_gcaaA4sP9m2mMg5S5fgo1J3bOTb9EwkONQNBWJnxmXM7sjcMSnwK8BC0nzIBzV/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_7257_9a6_72eb_f64b" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mDAP0itgGW1wCltpwZe4jT6ho6a-UNReHoQ1tQnf5R-Gemx5w7wi_ZncdCy3CYs9-BPGNUzBdTr5rPNCfQFBDDZume10jbhUArM78NoFHt70CIM9uV8gfLQyf_T2JEhMAGIyeGVUPIzY/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Heading north through the Yasawas, after a brief stop at Somosomo bay on Naviti when we walked across the island in search of the wreck of a WWII spitfire that had crashed into the lagoon on the other side of the island. We were unable to find the wreck, but our friends on Jadean managed to enlist the help of a local fisherman who took them there - the wings are gone, but the tail and fusillage are partly buried in the sand in a couple of metres of water.</span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We then headed on to Nanuya Sewa, famous as the location of the 1970’s film The Blue Lagoon with Brooke Shields. We anchored in the lagoon, very well sheltered, beautiful white beaches but mostly now private resorts. We did have an interesting time finding the local fruit and veg farm, tucked away in the mangroves it was only accessible at high tide.</span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><img id="id_cba0_408c_60e0_dcee" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OiZ1L5sGF1k/W4bv6Yyd7vI/AAAAAAAAGPc/TSTmlyBvc7AR5GqpnPRJQguV_OXQDz3KQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font size="4" face="Arial">Heading through the mangroves in search of a hidden farm.</font><br></span><br><img id="id_9943_f26c_4e59_daa7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9fdTsLpcZ1U/W4bv64B2vzI/AAAAAAAAGPk/tk2a-ORQTpA4OYQqtVvOcYYtGnpwmhhxACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_d7f2_cfe0_2536_1e55" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JzgmrtRpdgg/W4bv64XouTI/AAAAAAAAGPo/b4hrUOtAD2YVF_mmW7EnjtsU1T7dBcbwACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_8f8e_18c_e4aa_1e5" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gJaC4Gef_QM/W4bv6ky60KI/AAAAAAAAGPg/L0Ac36xRU8s6vivz_8vC3VV6rDma5uUiACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">It was very well organised with excellent produce - they simply picked a collection of fruit and veg straight from the ground and we bought it there and then. </font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Our most northerly stop in the Yasawas was Sawa i Lau on Yasawa Island - an absolute jem. Another fantastically well protected anchorage, much of the coastline is limestone which has eroded into amazing shapes.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_2da7_4f65_4a75_689a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hOBqS1IWM9I/W4b0PjCdAUI/AAAAAAAAGP8/TKTLcPLDttgT30SyTO9fr-KYbD1ZYaVFwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_321c_33eb_c410_aa2f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hPDqxsJUSJw/W4b0QXng3UI/AAAAAAAAGQI/y-C9qbvJQ983plT79__W4RnQIkvHblL8gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Perfect for paddle boarding, but we also walked up the hill with our friends on Jadean for a great view of the island</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_4000_9d96_8630_53a1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CaF29aZlKGc/W4b0QKaSORI/AAAAAAAAGQE/T-nE9uw0W9cRv81pVBHIL4FubhVgr12ywCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font size="4" face="Arial">Our yachts car visible in the distance on the other side of the bay.</font><br></span><br><img id="id_49f9_29e7_9c78_40ce" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gnHPSGysZfI/W4b0QLQYVmI/AAAAAAAAGQA/RxySscK0adkmTr8nGBm2wn2XuMfdhX0ZgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_a113_a369_2c43_f3a4" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YQ4EwzvnIcY/W4b0Qua76lI/AAAAAAAAGQM/7j0ecb8WR4Y1nlf7LrCqtdgtPLSxNvmrQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">At the top of the hill, with Kim and Jade from Jadean and their friends Ray and Deb.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_debe_dc6e_e894_70b3" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YxG-LzODVP8/W4b0Q1qSkYI/AAAAAAAAGQQ/w2nLTVDHxbUEZRDNixHWXH3tVVwoND2QACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The view along the top of the island - it became more barren as we got to the top, it’s not rained here for several months.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">There are two small villages in the bay, and our walk took us through the local primary school. There were no students there as it was a Sunday, but despite facilities being pretty basic, it still had a sports field complete with running track that any school in the UK would be proud of!</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_f1e_1d0c_2ec4_aa7c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h26SetrlgUw/W4b0RdmNFeI/AAAAAAAAGQU/qShD0joc55Y5XhibqHWvUNqvifEX1LFDACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The Timetable, posted outside the classroom door.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_8a8_4882_c842_f3f4" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2Q2s_HdDcEE/W4b0RXw6vDI/AAAAAAAAGQY/_8RviL4SUDo4IXe4gKDNjBRMVfvZu2jHgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Handwashing Drills! </font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_101b_2e0e_9ad3_4608" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kjmy0-rJ-C0/W4b0SCg_yCI/AAAAAAAAGQc/wNnHkWbExgQvGgy-XZa92Cky2-Cb6WgfwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><font face="Arial" size="4">And the ‘piece de resistance’ ... a full sized Rugby pitch! It is their National Sport, and is even commemorated on a specially designed $7 bill in honour of their Gold Medal in the 2016 Olympics.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_b4ae_82c0_308b_adc1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PEQKdkuR86o/W4b1waQutGI/AAAAAAAAGQ4/vBgMfcU_2pkQvFmHugaRSNE7GiO3XrkigCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We are loving Fiji, and can really understand why people spend years cruising these waters - so far we have only seen a tiny bit of what it has to offer, the people are lovely, the place is beautiful and the weather (apart from hurricanes!) is great.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">One final Fiji picture - snorkelling a coral reef.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_7e27_b72e_709d_614e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3MxWVULjTr0/W4b2hFmLSkI/AAAAAAAAGRA/9lF0oFVTHOQTM2f1wwd4LOenutuqDiSGgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-56447327142235798672018-08-05T06:28:00.001+01:002018-08-05T06:42:12.141+01:00Fiji - The Coral Coast, Viti Levu to Musket Cove<div><img id="id_e546_3c23_5b5a_5945" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Qg1G6L_y1mI/W2ZoyvExoRI/AAAAAAAAGFg/0e9IOcmmexgIThOSDVXHe3FVReRpJ0gLQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><font face="Arial" size="4">Nautilus at anchor in Vatulele Lagoon</font></div><font face="Arial" size="4"><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div>Fiji is a volcanic archipelago of over 330 islands and hundreds more islets - home to nearly 900,000 people, 90% of the population live on one of the two main islands (Viti Levu and Vanua Levu to the north). The ethnic Fijians were proudly cannibalistic - a deterant to many early visitors - the traditional greeting for a commoner to a Chief was apparently “Eat Me”. </font><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Fiji became a British Colony in 1874, and it was the British who brought in the Indian workers for their plantations resulting in two distinct cultural groups - the Ethnic Fijians and a minority of Indo-Fijians. Despite efforts to unite the two groups, there is still conflict at times and only Ethnic Fijians may be referred to simpoyt as Fijians.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Having checked in at Suva on Viti Levu we bought some fresh provisions from the huge market - there were literally hundreds of individual stalls, mainly selling the same locally grown produce plus a few with imported New Zealand apples and oranges.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_9830_570a_c60c_7295" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cEpr5v0kUMg/W2ZqarNzDkI/AAAAAAAAGFs/e-IPrwCC_lwA-A3kRZf2hNxOrJynPMKfACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><br><font face="Arial" size="4">One of the outside stalls that surround the covered market - there are tarpaulins overhead, but when it rains the preferred means of keeping your head dry is to use a plastic bag. We bought pomelos (giant sweet grapefruit) and cucumbers from this lady for a couple of Fiji $.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_5c36_205a_cc3b_cbe3" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YLg-8fy7Qug/W2Zsn8lAu7I/AAAAAAAAGF4/YqcbIW5StdQzgX8CFMXNhS5psX1vSVBtgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The produce is sorted into piles, each pile for a fixed price - it is a very simple, no haggling approach to shopping. The locals are incredibly friendly and have all been very happy to have their photo taken.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_2fc9_19a9_8e7b_ec8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MZ2-9zNNhfs/W2ZvJTKr7gI/AAAAAAAAGGE/1iyif5Ejs8Iu70CBl3-pyhXX19GyXdXoQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_7ee7_84c8_4f5f_6caf" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WVKA5mNgsWM/W2ZvJgkKYhI/AAAAAAAAGGI/-j7-rj4Qolw-9Er7krp5zRm1sN3CDstOQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div><br><font face="Arial" size="4">Eggs, spices, dried produce and Cava are all available in the covered area of the market.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Suva is a town of many contrasts - as well as the traditional produce market and crafts market, there are also large modern shopping malls and huge supermarkets. We completed our provisioning at the giant Cost-U-Less and headed out to the islands.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Our fist stop was Beqa, just south of Viti Levu where we entered the lagoon and and had a close encounter with a humpback whale ... no photos, but it surfaced literally 10 metres in front of us. Fortunately we didn’t make contact, but it certainly was close enough to give the helm (and presumably the whale) quite a shock!</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We anchored in Vaga bay and headed ashore with Hugh and Annie to present our first Savusavu at the little village. We wore Sulas (Fijian sarongs), covered our shoulders and removed hats and sunglasses as required by local custom and were taken by the Mayor to meet the Chief. The Mayor presided over a short ceremony, our gifts of Cava roots were gratefully received and we were given permission to wander around the village, swim in the bay and walk inland.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_f0b7_1197_7aaa_b676" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Wbz6PvzI3PI/W2Zy4jpp_zI/AAAAAAAAGGY/Q3cMe6kbt24JC4Y8e3hASwytkfUG2rF4gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_ded9_3e9d_73dd_824b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IL1zDvw5ltE/W2Z0FJEX8vI/AAAAAAAAGGk/2UjXCwKYRbgWXf4OmpWMQLpPictjb5z1gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><font face="Arial" size="4">The Mayor on the left, then Annie from S/Y Vega next to the Chief’s Wife. Ian is sitting next to the Chief in his house.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_22c8_db70_b324_28b1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-j5tKZD993C4/W2Z1woyea-I/AAAAAAAAGGw/KvM7oFnOYzglv-dwXXaaQvuedaPRa--qQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The local’s houses are almost always constructed of corrugated iron, there are well tended crops and always lots of laundry drying on the line. We walked up the hill for a view over the bay - a nice walk but the view was mostly obscured by the lush vegetation. That afternoon one of the locals took us all out in his boat to dive on the wreck of a large fishing boat in the bay.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_ec87_82bb_824b_a2f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6OQ7wJ5RnAs/W2Z2gk8W7PI/AAAAAAAAGG4/2I0VjnyIjVYEXPSUeF71zc7DHHQxzoowwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The primary school children are educated in a nearby larger village, but the secondary school requires a boat trip. As usual, the children were immaculately dressed in their school uniforms.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">After a couple of days in Beqa we waved goodbye to Hugh and Annie from Vega and headed on to Vatulele island where we met up with yachts Jadean and So What who we cruised with last year. Again, Savusavu was required - Barry, Greg and Ian set off by dinghy to the village round the other side of the island from our anchorage bearing the customary bundles of Cava Roots.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_2f07_b922_ac3c_24e4" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-thyrkSay1tg/W2Z6gTzyRfI/AAAAAAAAGHE/alFkj5T_TuAr1lQXw6dyvHQM206wq4T2ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Although the Navionics charts are fairly accurate in these waters, like many cruisers we also use satellite images - this shows the island and the surrounding reef on Vatulele. We anchored off the north west coast between the two beaches, you can see the village on the north east coast, and also the run way which is now disused and overgrown following a cyclone that destroyed the resort here some years ago.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_b138_fb11_ec67_7653" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7MXJaeN0ukU/W2Z8WU9Jn9I/AAAAAAAAGHQ/W5NkgJBptPMhMFKcezSxm9RHxNSFUOB-QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><font face="Arial" size="4">The cyclone not only destroyed a coastal walkway and damaged many of the resort villas, it also pushed the resort’s cruise ship, the ‘Reef Escape’ onto the beach - where it remains, gradually rusting away on the sand. Apparently the resort is under new ownership and will be renovated but the ship will probably stay where it is.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The coastline and surrounding reef are beautiful.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_1cb7_d3af_6b17_b27a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CAJWCmhBuYE/W2Z8W0UyVdI/AAAAAAAAGHU/A65_zdFtxaQ5Dy0Q3Sf2OE4ZZfenJTcGwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><img id="id_9c85_c6a7_38bb_8c91" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FRTDGV2447g/W2Z-QGm5TbI/AAAAAAAAGHg/ilpylIVr4uYztsPzLd5048MPFBTGIymIQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We met a family collecting edible sea weed at low tide. </font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_68ec_188d_94fd_4ce3" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-T8mphYjUVcc/W2Z-Q_sTOUI/AAAAAAAAGHk/sMvD7QLVp0gUWaY4JDnKwwGHNTNy3Oq2gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Not too sure how much help the kids were, but they were having a good time! The next day was Sunday so we walked across the island to church - Fijians are deeply religious, we attended the second of the three Sunday services, a Methodist service, conducted in Fijian. Although we couldn’t understand a word of it, the singing was wonderful and the concept of the Wrath of God came across loud and clear! </font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We were then invited to the Minister’s house for lunch, with food provided by various of the village families - we ate sitting on a large woven mat on the floor, visitors and the minister first and once we had finished his wife ate on her own. We were given chicken noodle soup, yam, smoked fish in coconut and interestingly a dish made from the sea weed we had seen collected the day before - also served in coconut milk but with added chilli and smoked fish.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We learned that the sermon was on the evils of drugs and incest, and the importance of education.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">The villagers were all in their Sunday best, and despite attending three church services in one day the 100 or so children were beautifully behaved.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_ad3f_70aa_156a_b078" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xICUTv2G4Mw/W2aIWqHhXSI/AAAAAAAAGII/W572NM0ERyMPCjeSIScroMqGU-FoS0cqQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><br><img id="id_2c8d_d4db_22d0_d928" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tc8y2Sv0idM/W2aIsbWYngI/AAAAAAAAGIQ/zI_DaAqTsYYumNhMTOn8ZPGF98jWul8mwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><br></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Indo-Fijians and Fijians children clutching their Fijian language bibles played happily together outside the church after the second service before setting off home for a meal and rest before the final service of the day.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We left for Musket Cove the following day, one of the major tourist resorts, but also an area reputed to have excellent diving.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">One final image - the airport waiting room, next to the disused and over grown airstrip - no longer used since the closure of the Vatulele Island Resort some years earlier.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_ac64_af36_2aa9_c6e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VFqjdi3zzQ0/W2aK39CdCpI/AAAAAAAAGIc/8bmh11NBmb8exLwvDaUsyAe_d3fPpuvggCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">Next stop - Musket Cove and Fiji Underwater</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-78861467700574862932018-07-21T23:24:00.001+01:002018-07-21T23:24:30.994+01:00Finally left New Zealand!<div><img id="id_fa69_9a57_be3b_fcba" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MBScKErJzEE/W1OPLPQZixI/AAAAAAAAGC4/rGIZXvNo40Ac9iuMGWHpRw6YCoPR9808wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><font face="Arial" size="4">En route for Fiji</font></div><font face="Arial" size="4"><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div>We arrived back in New Zealand and found Nautilus safely where we’d left her in the long term storage at Port Whangarei Boat Yard - covered in dirt and a bit mouldy but nothing a good scrub wouldn’t sort out.</font><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We had a few boat projects before we went back in the water - a new dinghy davit system for our smart new RIB, a dive compressor housing and the solid spray hood. The dinghy davits we’re done within the week: No more building the PortaBote to go ashore!</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_4849_7779_46a9_b95c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Nf1Gqk_ehnI/W1OGJtRxq5I/AAAAAAAAGCo/CHz326dEn4UMeWvoOE4raK9t6fFh6VFkQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><font face="Arial" size="4">The dive compressor housing took a bit longer - it had to be painted, and have a new table top made. Once it was in place you could hardly imaging it held a compressor.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_31b3_b9be_e499_6709" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mkvq3y2v7FE/W1OGJ4fDczI/AAAAAAAAGCs/LOgSUC_WG6YwfmbvNP9wO0Cd1Ycfa2L1QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The sprayhood took much longer - built from scratch, we can not fault the team from Northern Marine Machining - other than, perhaps, their optimism in believing they could complete the project in 12 days!! </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_4257_78e4_3e5a_534f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bGOco9l1G7A/W1OSza_d5vI/AAAAAAAAGDE/hCj80kEI10AboNGcy7A2LvolODsTQ1wbQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_5fd9_3ec_c69c_1b3d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-od9NeI8ejnU/W1OSzguwm5I/AAAAAAAAGDQ/LqmRznidWf8tWLesaBuyVNgXLvMgbEvUgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_3d96_f1fc_d6e5_56ac" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5DgbgGTPDSM/W1OSziz9rXI/AAAAAAAAGDM/4ahQ84669Iw4G7-ukPzOEtiU9EMHP1kbACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_c193_ad1_bd76_644" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AsjrGWb3dM0/W1OSzuetsNI/AAAAAAAAGDI/ihIdN8TDX4g8TLI3JWvSmGfWKySGXCx1gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_3345_a4f1_7993_119b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-L7TJjO3FKI8/W1OS0e5NH7I/AAAAAAAAGDY/nkGieNKt6aw8hvHfyvi-khZEomwUQojGgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_e51a_6239_a6cf_e4a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yqBUSbbXfY0/W1OS0SWFlGI/AAAAAAAAGDU/AvaZ34FbwZI5GnrDxtMDPertUkCpuONZQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">The final project took 2 months - we are fortunately very pleased with the results! Having toughened glass windows instead of plastic sheeting should mean a huge improvement in visibility from the cockpit, the height is such that we can stand underneath it and there are integral handles for added safety when moving around the boat.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">The countryside around Whangarei, North Island is beautiful - we did many of the walks around Whangarei Heights as light relief from being stuck in the boatyard.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><img id="id_514d_79b9_4275_3f21" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Sido0rDq8zU/W1OVkkB3seI/AAAAAAAAGDw/0iHTD09NJ5kz2_s1jjhXip0KDhRw5uGewCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_cb2_93dd_bd5_32ed" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-csSh-cKSzJo/W1OVkpY_ePI/AAAAAAAAGD0/jTC6vOSmIiAyE3kA2pd_0vO20ZVrYQoZgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_7852_ac05_19b7_507d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4-NazG_M9tA/W1OVk-GzL3I/AAAAAAAAGEA/q8KB7xdaPCEnR6XWdKl7w8KEyIhSAIITQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_f85d_87a2_d802_6d51" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RTX9-h5WjfY/W1OVk6bvepI/AAAAAAAAGD8/aoXh2ZPXwrMYrwuJ63CmLDsrWA34wqE5wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_6281_f30f_7e0c_33c7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rdpUxlQDd-8/W1OVkyr5msI/AAAAAAAAGD4/-ktCHUL2tKAY1BBfzplK0zvAUjPPoo6qACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_54b8_eb77_eb65_960f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zP6Eu-3UCcw/W1OVl_HaOlI/AAAAAAAAGEE/2MUGuwN_otQ63t8gQE_M7zc3Aq3gq1brwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><br></div><div><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We never saw the elusive Kiwi Bird, but we did see some fantastic Kauri trees - the Department of Environment works hard to prevent the spread of disease to these trees, there are antiseptic foot baths and brushes provided for use before you enter the forest paths.</span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div><img id="id_6a_6c5_373_5805" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IkaDNoA6GT8/W1OVmgJQyPI/AAAAAAAAGEI/4HIXJoqvTY4pzOg6LEbkyhU6PA6AITx5ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_4462_bbac_32a2_2364" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vy7dCpY9YvY/W1OVnGTx4tI/AAAAAAAAGEM/aOX5r67lJSMfppXCnMGNoV9HO5eHTeOewCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font size="4" face="Arial">Kauri Trees</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font size="4" face="Arial"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font size="4" face="Arial">We certainly had plenty of time on our hands to get the boat ready!</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font size="4" face="Arial"><br></font></span></div><div><img id="id_f99d_ab24_e587_5b34" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7FVbmqLZHCI/W1OXQhgXcEI/AAAAAAAAGEk/ZTtBfiQvT8cNdKx-LEREEPilbtuj1yS-ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font size="4" face="Arial">Dressed for anti fouling the boat.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_83bf_339_8f35_a61a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lhfA8m-nE10/W1OXQs0tFdI/AAAAAAAAGEo/2XD7jgRoG2Egr00-7ED0A_dBi_SH3oEtQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font size="4" face="Arial">And finally in the hoist - ready to go back in the water and head for the warmer waters of Fiji. We are next to the race yacht Poseidon, a splendid sight with a 4m keel the yacht used to belong to Dennis Connor of America’s Cup fame.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font size="4" face="Arial"><br></font></span></div><div><img id="id_ef1c_1b98_fc5d_8b71" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2W6Ku9Vmtjw/W1Ocas38YiI/AAAAAAAAGE4/z2Xf9gb7PPYE2RDQvnxCefNwV0BjdKeswCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><font size="4" face="Arial">Dion and Doug - the Hoist Operators were a ray of sunshine in Port Whangarei Boat Yard - lower us back into the water.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Arial">We completed the New Zealand Exit Formalities with Customs at Marsden Cove and set off on a blustery morning for Fiji - the weather threw just about everything it had at us: Torrential rain, huge squalls, winds over 30 Kts for at least 12 hours with a peak gust of 48 Kts, huge commercial fishing boats erratically changing direction in front of us ... and moments of blissful sailing.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">We sailed for several days in winds stronger than any we have experienced so far - and it’s always at night when conditions get really challenging! We were really quite relieved to find we still had a dinghy (stored on the foredeck during long passages so that we can use the self steering equipment on the back of the boat), and also that nothing (including us) got damaged during the crossing. </font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4">9 days and 1144 nautical miles later we arrived in Fiji - by then we were well into the routine and considering the conditions we’d experienced, quite well rested! </font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_40ed_f82c_b3f0_e9c3" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WApbhKOKhYM/W1OcbOwH9nI/AAAAAAAAGFE/J4SoGS5zZkwJzIZq9sdDkGM-TmnWuFFmACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_75b1_2bfc_d8f1_5266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIPAuIE7OiLyRIHZMeFPC99nz61WAo5-vps6HvUB-xTilsv3FhsyEXAmZdFO5yaT5dF0urGEoj42iqL_N8osURymcUF426P9j3MlNwdn0uQ5WbZi5qsYGKirBTNlPe-sWoAk-mOaJKfP2/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font size="4" face="Arial"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font size="4" face="Arial">We had time to do some fishing - we had fish for lunch and dinner for 4 days from this Mahi Mahi.<br></font></span><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><img id="id_8fef_d8e2_3034_6120" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-76_60AyN_so/W1Oca3oL3LI/AAAAAAAAGE8/tPVCkP1WXU4gTem73bdsA_SdzVCWF41MgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">F<font face="Arial" size="4">irst sight of land, and our last night of the passage - we are passing Kadavu Island, but unable to stop as we are obliged to first clear Customs and obtain a Cruising Permit from Suva before we can visit the islands.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4">Once we had been boarded by Health Officers and deemed safe, Biosecurity and Customs came aboard - the next day we had to go into town to pay our dues and collect our Cruising Permit. We are now free to visit the Islands of Fiji.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span></div><div><img id="id_27a2_6e5_3571_5ac9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zde1GpSXxoc/W1OcbZyMybI/AAAAAAAAGFI/elJoKzxrWRAmaKIneXdOSjNLc5ddTfMxgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font size="4" face="Arial">First stop: The huge Municipal Market to buy some Cava Roots to present as gifts to the island chiefs for the traditional Savusavu ceremonies.</font><br></span><br><font size="4" face="Arial">We have caught up with our friends Hugh and Annie here in Suva, and later on we will be meeting up with Kim and Barry as well - and then it’s on to the islands!<br></font><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></span><br><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><font face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-6205472786118397972017-11-26T00:25:00.001+00:002017-11-26T00:25:47.355+00:00We have arrived in New Zealand!With the Pacific Cyclone season approaching, we needed to be in New Zealand by the beginning of November so cut short our stay in Tonga. A three day passage took us to North Minerva Reef, a last opportunity to anchor in an atoll for the time being. Minerva Reef consists of two separate reefs, North and South, both are awash at high water - there is one pass into the lagoon, and at high tide all you can see are the waves crashing on the outer rim of the reef - and the lighthouse, which is a rather unusual sight on an atoll hundreds of miles from anywhere in the middle of the Pacific!<div><br></div><div><img id="id_ff0c_4be0_97c5_40d6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3kWlHS1wAnA/WhoJ4okL2UI/AAAAAAAAGA8/wEKeJK-0uvwYhficG4NndvjNzuy0YC0pACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br>Minerva Reef was named after the first of several whaling ships to be shipwrecked there in the 1820’s. It has an interesting history - in the early 1970’s an American millionaire attempted to create a Tax Free Sovereign Micro-nation on the reef, allegedly he had a budget of $100 million, barges of sand arrived from Australia in an attempt to create dry land. The surrounding Pacific Nations did not approve - Tonga was officially handed all rights to Minerva Reef. Undeterred by the first failure, another group of Americans attempted to occupy the reef in 1982 and were rebuffed by the Tongans. All was peaceful until 2005 when Fiji decided to have a go. In 2010 they blew up the lighthouse - the Tongans rebuilt it - the Fijians blew it up again - the Tongans rebuilt it and proposed a trade off with Fiji’s L’au group of islands for Minerva Reef. The debate continues!</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_ab2d_376_568f_4a81" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Y0e0y5t35Is/WhoJ5Io4NHI/AAAAAAAAGBI/r51wLT8qRGYY6eZtG4xnvc0BDihahymdgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br><div>The remnants of a previous lighthouse on the North Minerva Reef - Nautilus is one of the yachts in the background.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_c67a_a433_2089_d441" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSoK59kna5CBvO0cJMa3D3rb7x8aLOdp9quAJEXj78O0zXxwygHohv_GwmAlfKufESSIQm1dQDgwVA7htSqkiU8eRh4Edh8erB_hZdDh8_KlctIIjhjfRvr3PYCgBKAIeFAgKyQmTR9qFf/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">Minerva Reef at low water.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_4339_37e4_e8ea_4ab4" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5PFIqd7aR0qxeAVgrOJUYxI0pluC2CyjBSn-hVgKECX5cz_81F6wUW012E9rlAVr0hjW8yaCk1s3FmicAFAYeyPhqMnWwpT6UyGRnDy_CCk8Lzbt8gBb0KLddWXRvyvqHV-UKukb17MW/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Waves crashing onto the reef on the windward side of the atoll. This is all covered at high water.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_8d67_fbbb_8e99_a494" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-O92vws6i6No/WhoJ9HMTdQI/AAAAAAAAGBQ/Ysnrqm-MXN0P0iztm8TnQXhHXyw8RR5lQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Minerva makes a very convenient stopping over spot for yachts between Tonga and New Zealand - we were joined there by Hugh and Annie from Vega, as well as Rito and Angela from SheSan, and Pele and Ulla from Loupan. Along with Rick and Amanda on Duplicat, we ended up spending several days sheltering there from some very strong winds before we set off on the final push to New Zealand. The diving on the outer wall of the reef was absolutely spectacular - fantastic coral canyons and a drop off that almost gave you vertigo. Unfortunately due to the strong winds we were only able to do the dive once, with Rick.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Finally there was a break in the weather and we set off for New Zealand - a 915 nm trip. Having waited out the strong winds in the lagoon, we ended up motoring for 3 full days of the 7 day trip. It did however give us plenty of opportunity to sort out the boat in preparation for clearing into New Zealand. New Zealand makes great efforts to protect its agriculture and wildlife, and for that reason no eggs, plants, seeds, uncooked fruit or vegetables or meat that is not tinned can be brought into the islands. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_1d15_1d06_b984_76c7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gPkXcXpmoG4/WhoJ9Uo2qZI/AAAAAAAAGBU/ecLvUVnV5Zw75XsqwMMj99xUxnOjiTP9QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Ian was not at all upset to be chucking the last of our dried beans and pulses overboard before arriving in New Zealand!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_7f28_a7da_1d4d_5809" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2SAzF3wUDgw/WhoJ7BQaUeI/AAAAAAAAGBM/XIbFU1WdDKYEj9L2-FZ4kIFmk8uBPFZrACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Our instruments record the Longitude as we cross the Prime Meridian from West to East - we have sailed half way round the world!</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_4e61_716c_d5ab_974c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-V09XgyHIjoY/WhoJ9pHG8oI/AAAAAAAAGBY/xkuf1daodt8aMhPeLBKWCPQcrPZocZl7QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div>Our final Pacific Sunset before reaching New Zealand</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_8a1e_5ce3_bd35_45ee" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2ZlP_WiBL14/WhoJ-OYeMNI/AAAAAAAAGBc/ouz0-BK4Iz8OmSwRTJwS2K9RHs45hRMdQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Superbe sailing conditions (although rather chilly!) as we head for Opua, New Zealand. We even had a pod of whales guide us in to the bay.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;">We completed the paperwork formalities in Opua and spent several days in the marina before heading on down to Port Whangerei for a haul out and some repairs - sorting out the welding from the damage we sustained in Panama being one of the essential jobs on the list.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_80d1_37b4_265b_4273" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Vf4mQs2cNHc/WhoKCC1kgII/AAAAAAAAGBs/1x6y3Nf0zeIQgph30NJ3mimco7wFD2SSgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Nautilus dwarfed by the 100 ton Travel Hoist, she only weighs 12 tons.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_b2d4_a68_9bab_1a87" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VAxM67QaahM/WhoKB1t_rGI/AAAAAAAAGBo/e6y1lftXgPUcDW2plQ9pyr46uCnbnoVpwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Andre from Industrial Rebuilds Ltd cutting out the damaged area of the hull. It’s never relaxing watching someone with an angle grinder working on your boat.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_3255_9d49_50c8_93ca" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sIrocOr0rFw/WhoKB374WKI/AAAAAAAAGBk/GzScS9sUDZ0-_O4XceB6s2ADRtQEN2dwgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;">Job Done! The corner of the transom fully repaired and the fuel locker at the back enclosed by Andre of Industrial Rebuilds Ltd and new extended stainless steel guard rails built and fitted by Mark from Northern Marine Machining. We could highly recommend both of these companies to carry out boat works.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">And finally - our route to New Zealand</div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_3b10_397f_5bb4_a7cf" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--0yjbag8Jyg/WhoJ__393OI/AAAAAAAAGBg/JsPudCl6LiA6kZXW_riTdw2EaoH04SmUACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;">The statistics so far ...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;">Total miles sailed since leaving the UK: 26,423nm</div><div style="text-align: left;">Miles sailed in 2017: 9,195nm</div><div style="text-align: left;">Nights spent at sea in 2017: 55 nights</div><div style="text-align: left;">Longest single passage in 2017: 24 days, Galapagos to Marquesas. 3033 nm </div><div style="text-align: left;">Number of Countries visited in 2017: 11 (Dutch Antilles, Columbia, Panama, Galapagos, Marquesas, Tuamotos, Society Islands, Cook Islands,</div><div style="text-align: left;"> Niue, Tonga, New Zealand)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;">So now the boat is out of the water, sails and ropes washed and removed. We will be leaving her here for several months and heading home via South Island, catching up with friends and family and finally experiencing a winter again! We plan to return here at the start of the Southern Hemisphere winter, a few more things to sort out on the boat and then hopefully Fiji and maybe back to Minerva Reef and Tonga in 2018. This blog only covers sailing, so will be on hold now until we’re back on the water.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div><br></div></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-7949986714376088952017-10-10T07:16:00.001+01:002017-10-10T07:35:57.615+01:00The Kingdom of TongaTo ensure an arrival in Tonga in daylight, we allowed three nights for the 250Nm journey - as it happened, we had a very fast, albeit very wet trip as it rained for one entire night. We had to reef down considerably to arrive in Neifau in daylight. The Kingdom of Tonga actually consists of 177 islands, many of which are uninhabited, in four distinct groups - we did not visit the most northerly group (the Niuas) but started instead in the Vava'u Group, heading for the Official Port of Entry in Neiafu where we could clear into the Kingdom and also where we had arranged to meet Nick and Sally who were visiting us from the UK.<div><br></div><div>Tongans are deeply religious, the Christian church plays a central part in Tongan life - Sunday is a day of worship, eating and rest - all shops are shut and the streets are deserted. There are a huge number of churches on the islands, the Free Wesleyan having the most follows - much of a family's income is donated to the Church, and there are more Church Schools than Government ones, each with their distinct and very smart uniform. </div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_6c70_e57b_d1e7_c012" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-G7ZMJX7bm6E/WdxlpwtGx_I/AAAAAAAAF-s/OBJggK3WDk4OPJwciwc8bC-xQIL88Lh2QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div>Like most of the Tongan Churches, Neiafu Catholic Church is a huge and impressive building.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_545f_19_d3d3_8b88" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fXiDH9t7XmE/WdxltMfcEXI/AAAAAAAAF-w/uDLiYmMqpxgeS8kIxYuXxnHKizocZ5DHwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div>Nick and Sally check out the produce at the local market in Neiafu</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_d0db_a810_b279_be4a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CPpE4InviY0/WdxlumZP0aI/AAAAAAAAF-4/avebhEMNuPYWPLjheIQyWopg75LpFR73QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div>Locally grown produce is abundant - these lovely ladies sold us 13 papaya and the palm leaf basket for 10 <i>pa'anga, </i>less than £4.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_a7ec_ad5e_5c6c_4b7b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rGK1wbkNqBI/WdxltV6Q3BI/AAAAAAAAF-0/xN0GrOX5TP83TCdjIzZFQSzC9Fv2rVoIwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div>Apparently they all have owners, but pigs and piglets roam free on all the Tongan islands we visited - the piglets form a major part of the Tongan Feast.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_1302_c2f5_e252_faa4" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9TGsZ7aZ4o8/WdxlxwioPFI/AAAAAAAAF-8/tJP8jXLT_0ona1gFNGbkSc99ugCJ-qZFACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div>The harbour of Neiafu, at the left side of the lagoon in the photo, is a huge and very well protected bay - although you can anchor, we opted for a mooring buoy as it is over 20 metres deep near the town.</div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Vava'u Group consists of 60 islands and is considered to be the prime cruising area in Tonga. We visited 6 of the anchorages - they have even been given numbers to assist the many Charter boat cruisers who get lost and are unable to remember which island they are on! The water around Tonga is exceptionally clear and we enjoyed some wonderful snorkelling.</span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_8cea_371_74b3_33eb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-t_Pll1PA53Q/WdxmRNmXQGI/AAAAAAAAF_E/wteABJkz8AQf5k4UmKiYqobbYwr9LKE0wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sunlight through the water in Mariner's Cave, anchorage Number 7! (Also known as Port Maurelle or Fangakima)</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_9ae_b2ad_deba_3166" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yHha_IXBZ94/WdxmU91y-UI/AAAAAAAAF_Q/R76wpSVmBUIlVaWtl0VQQPlFQ057uo5KgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_afe0_4e38_dc6e_2e05" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UtdsBgdPYpA/WdxmSJYcIRI/AAAAAAAAF_I/4re80HwE2Vcw9f--JEI5VjV-j1L3NhKogCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A wonderful ball of fish, Swallows Cave, also Fangakima</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The absolute highlight of our time in the Vava'u group was a day trip whalewatching. Humpback whales migrate through the Tongan waters between June and October to calf and mate - in the 1800's there were around 150,000 humpbacks in these waters, but hunting and other human activity has decimated the numbers to a mere 12,000 today. Along with four other sailors, we were picked up from the yacht in a motor boat and set off out to sea at high speed, looking for any signs of whales on the horizon. For three hours we seemed to see whales in the distance, but by the time we got there they had moved off. We had an early lunch break, feeling a bit disappointed, and they they arrived ... first there was a 'Heat Run', a group of male Humpback whales rushing past, surfacing and breaching. The plan was to swim with them, but we were too slow - by the time we had got into the water, they had passed us. Next came the most amazing display by a group of four humpbacks.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_6ebf_ee17_7029_52c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ldR7H4iSvSU/WdxmW5oktTI/AAAAAAAAF_U/Px6dm_tvA5INJ06-l_mGofyYytmZoM-WgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_4d92_123f_1608_1a59" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aFkw8uLZHIs/WdxmYZ6yx6I/AAAAAAAAF_c/vxgUMHyhI70rLuBsrrAJCjyPkMtCqk6bACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><img id="id_c712_a727_78a7_80bf" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4LPoQyAwTp8/WdxmUtSAwRI/AAAAAAAAF_M/7IPZKJIZ9sYNDBzQ41sHmQMKPcsAZyB5gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><img id="id_7712_228e_aac5_6992" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VOeMfPkjrl0/WdxmXMJBQTI/AAAAAAAAF_Y/HwxP5bp_S6wwaAPSOTbc9b4ez7XXSdr_QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Fluking - they stay relatively still in the water, and just seem to splash their tails as hard as they can for several minutes.</span></div></div><div><br></div><div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_ec89_7adf_9068_a388" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-p25oqJ82N-o/WdxnYrGmm4I/AAAAAAAAF_g/es0jCFJGNo4t6TRyaSM2BA1yt5PVBARKQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">An adult breaching next to a calf</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_fae2_7722_6897_74ef" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c8bZV6_KW6Q/WdxnZVecXlI/AAAAAAAAF_k/8Z09oB6jADgOrLQ9OeNFxWFxevjTWzCLwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Flipper- slapping, the humpback is on it's side in the water, splashing it's long arm-like flippers.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_8ba3_77fb_acf2_a193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Ch4oCrdAQ73U0ZRmAbTGY_jzVBpzI1tp0dCgT4oXpN34a1bhTb6QRmYt51qZJ5pvOVeFbpNmCtgAaUozgyu29INCrenzHhQ96t5YEIdCBTAGWqoEg0EvJ0LiLVVUI7Iy2VJx_dDnJ7fK/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Spy hopping</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We did finally get to swim with the whales - this is not universally approved of as a practice, it may disrupt the whales. In Tonga only relatively few licenced operators are permitted to approach the whales and allow swimming, private individuals must keep at least 300m from the whales. We went into the water in groups of 4, with our guide who ensured we did not approach too closely - the whales did seem to totally ignore us, and it was rather more a case of us getting out of their way when they approached us.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_fc75_c612_ab5a_ffd6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9jTIL65vNwM/WdxnbRxs3EI/AAAAAAAAF_s/b1eKxOSgUgApYccE7_GzZIQstKoxz6KWACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br><br></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_4e32_c7da_684b_3f2d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-v7xmESTisJg/WdxncN9BSRI/AAAAAAAAF_w/Oh-yNcSDNAYcfV62EpDHRjHzWZ7shyGMwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Swimming with Humpback whales - the guide reckoned the calf was between one and two weeks old, the group consisted of the mother and calf, who stayed very close together and two male 'escorts', which we were told would probably not have been related to the calf. It was an extraordinary experience.</span></div><div><br></div></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We worked our way south through the Vava'u Group to the tiny island of Fonua'One'One, well protected by a reef the uninhapited island is only about 0.2 Nm from end to end. At low tide a narrow beach surrounded the densely wooded island - we walked round it in about half an hour. The next morning we set off at first light for the Ha'apai group, nearly 60 Nm to the south - we had excellent wind and made good time, arriving well before sunset. Our first destination was Haano where we had to check in again with the Ha'apai Customs and Immigration. We were also able to buy a few basic provisions and we even had a meal ashore in the Mariner's Cafe which is owned and run by a Polish lady who decided 5 years ago she wanted to buy a business overseas. She told us she found it online, made a two day visit to Tonga and then made the snap decision to move to the other side of the world and try her hand at the restaurant business. It seems to be going well for her.</span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Working our way south through the Ha'apai group we then stopped at Lifuka, Uoleva, Nomuka Ike - no numbers this time, as they are too far away for the Charter fleets from Vava'u.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_5b61_ac1e_25df_3890" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u6AunjRTC-M/Wdxn4tF5JbI/AAAAAAAAF_0/kEIAAKsIb80b2e24Zfgt6wwFahk8UHrbgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Nick and Sally in Haano </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_bf7d_bc99_5f79_7020" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mCD8wCSoBn0/WdxoPW89YaI/AAAAAAAAF_8/NGlq9lyNxpQGjSsTrRgOh5rq8u-dbJt5wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The beach at Lifuka - yet another island paradise!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We met up with Rick and Amanda from yacht Duplicat on the uninhapited island of Nomuka Ike and enjoyed snorkelling and a walk around part of the island with them. The island is thickly wooded, but part of it has been fenced off and wild pigs and cattle graze there - I was amazed by the destruction they cause to the woods.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_de88_f7a9_4ab2_9353" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-r8N_GH5mjtU/WdxoP0mzhxI/AAAAAAAAGAA/YNuS9fcCB0cSRoNaKkDfQVPEy7McAuPmQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Ground clearance by pigs - none of the fallen coconuts are left to sprout.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_fe7e_b693_df98_a3d9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NK2Tm_TBSWk/WdxoSIkywaI/AAAAAAAAGAE/fXR4sM-T8lEP1P6URYHVkbGfbHNHXNFOACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Cruisers are frequently asked by locals for spare rope for their cow - initially we were baffled by the concept, but now it all makes sense - the cows are kept tethered to minimise and control the areas they destroy with their grazing.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_981a_5ecc_71cf_687f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eXlWKfE-xuA/WdxoORvJTkI/AAAAAAAAF_4/fdZCIAx3UvQYtw4-XaoMrjFwJgzAd_WMwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The remains of the fishing vessel Takuo, washed ashore on Nomuka Ike over ten years ago during a storm. Nautilus and Duplicat are in the anchorage, the land across the bay is the larger Nomuka island with a population of approximately 1000.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Time was now running out for our visitors, we had to set off for the Tongatapu group of islands, 60 Nm to the south for them to catch their flight home. Another dawn start, but this time we were not so lucky with the wind. It was a beat - unusual for these parts, the wind was from the south, we had to motor sail in order to cover the distance in daylight. We did however manage to catch two fish, (very unusual for us!) so it would be tuna for dinner, and also we saw several whales, including one that surfaced about 50 metres from the boat and waved its fluke at us before diving back down to the depths.</span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The main port of Nuku'alofa does not cater for yachts - instead we anchored off the delightful little island of Pangiamotu approximately 1.5 miles across the lagooon, and home of Big Mama's Yacht Club, a beach side bar / restaurant that caters for day trippers from the main town of Nuku'alofa and the trickle of yachts that stop here on the way to New Zealand and Australia. The island is small enough to walk round in half an hour, and the snorkelling on a couple of old steel fishing boats wrecks as well as in the shallows next to the shore was excellent. We ate in the resturant on Nick and Sally's last night on the boat, and Big Mama herself joined us for a post meal drink - the island belongs to the Royal Family who granted her permission to run the restaurant, which she had been doing with her husband Earle for the last 45 years.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Nick and Sally's final day on with us was spent on a round Tongatapu trip (organised by Big Mama) - the highlight was the Mapu'a 'a Vaea blowholes, caused by the erosion of the coral rock, they extend for 5 km along the south coast of Tongatapu.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_a857_19b9_e1e0_e910" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z26HFpFiEZo/Wdxo62AkjaI/AAAAAAAAGAM/TPojHfvHxVAgykg7pvjHGq-cWSjaEPxHgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_73fc_f0a9_23c7_a3de" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LqrWOf9zvO0/WdxpAtXzKlI/AAAAAAAAGAU/drFvjf2qW4MYFpWsZ0UwigK55EUSE4TkgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The waves crash into the coral cliff, even on a calm day with little swell it was a truly impressive sight - almost hypnotic, you could watch it for hours.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In close second place amongst the island's attractions was 'Anahulu Cave, you worked your way down a poorly lit path underground, surrounded by dripping stalactites and stalagmites with small bats flying overhead hoping that the generator running the lights wouldn't fail until you arrived at the freshwater pool - a very strange experience, it sounds horrible and far too much like potholing, but it was actually wonderful, if rather spooky.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_4ddb_ac36_da7b_c206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVzFcEiE6XjTJ7QlKxcfqILeGX0icLSjIk0-0HsybLyV7ExI1XtOyRgujJd_mhMfC51JpWuIRWk84LD9JoQ7gaCPfYWsD_uyXmkt4KIiugC86EuRPG5hEh50819suIYZHPIwGTMOSWyed/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sally enjoying an underground swim in the 'Anahulu Cave.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_56cb_7bff_ed7e_ee49" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jq-d7feOOOs/WdxpA4T_9OI/AAAAAAAAGAY/JyvPRPoZvysaFvtcEp03x1Io57oX_nR5ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Another bizarre attraction was the Tsunami Rock - a single large coral boulder ripped from the reef and pushed over 100 metres inshore by an ancient Tsunami it is believed to be the largest rock of its kind in the world. We also saw the site where Captain Cook landed on Tonga, complete with a plaque commemorating a visit by Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and Princess And in 1970 - a rather murky area of mangroves, certainly not one of the island's highlights. We also saw trees full of Flying Foxes - large fruit bats with white furry heads and black ears and noses.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_808f_1092_7297_4b1f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SxOjWmdtsV4/WdxpJL1jCRI/AAAAAAAAGAc/FAJYpM8c6L0K1-v-D4j5uS7JzObKexGGQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><img id="id_2c84_d50b_e794_d8a0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eueb0y-ILqU/WdxpLj73acI/AAAAAAAAGAo/_IZyNMvYawIzR0XKAWhAmGX23tEYqkw1wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Driving round the island you can't but notice the amount of road side graves - our local guide and driver for the day, Wes, explained that burial can only occur on Government approved sites, but traditionally graves are covered with sand to keep the deceased warm and almost all were decorated with artificial flowers.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_c7b_b90b_b71b_a91" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I3_faT8dVgM/WdxpLSqgBhI/AAAAAAAAGAk/nSNAwmMYDUMnUHVj0Wgr_oz8AOZbZMinwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_693a_ae3a_e054_2316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilnkLBbvOW4d0GHlFfozQqZs2G3-rdxmWjxYkcX_If4mBX2JGGSq7UtlDrnMF1JPfxr9JfTrp7_TVM4s1J4E9VFEjmH-Eg_rDf8GvIiglTUZAYFp-e1tG_HF6GDDiiTLrKfBO8WFzU5h3i/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Roadside Graves - complete with flowers, sand 'blankets' and in many cases large decorated fabric panels.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We have enjoyed our time in Tonga, it seems to have flown by - you could easily spend months here. The people have all been welcoming and friendly, the sea quality is excellent and the snorkelling wonderful. Unfortunately we need to be in New Zealand by the beginning of November in order to avoid the cyclone season so there is no choice for us but to leave - we plan to head for Minerva Reef some 350km south of Tonga for a brief stop before New Zealand - the reef, which is awash at high tide, was claimed by Tonga after an American property developer imported tons of sand from Australia with the intention of building a Tax Free Republic on the reef. Subsequently Fiji has attempted to claim it, resulting in UN involvement as recently as 2011 - the dispute apparently continues.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_40dd_f241_26f0_6249" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ha0yOI-rjS0/WdxpP5HC8VI/AAAAAAAAGAs/Ju4Gf8SkXKEjsBDDgvB4QT7YkEjomyd9QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A final view of Tonga, underwater. A Red and Black Anemonefish protecting it's patch - the snorkelling in these waters has been exceptional - clear water and abundant coral. </span></div></div><div><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> <br><br><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><br></span><div><br></div></div></div></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-58233872986758408722017-09-13T03:24:00.001+01:002017-09-13T03:39:07.242+01:00Beveridge Reef and on to NiueConditions were still windy when we finally left Aitutaki - assisted by our neighbours on Jadean as we had spent the last week rafted up next to them in the tiny port of Aitutaki. The 470 miles to Beveridge Reef took us 4 days, well reefed down, initially sailing in 4 metre waves we experienced gusts of over 40 kts. Well aware that a catamaran had just come to grief on the reef, we approached in daylight - even knowing where the reef was it was very hard to see any sign of it. There were humpback whales in the pass, what a welcome!<div><br></div><div>There is no detail of the atoll on the charts, so we motored in cautiously, following Jadean, and made our way across to the most windward corner of the atoll where the sea state would be calmest due to the protection from the reef and dropped anchor. We later learnt that the Catamaran, which was gradually getting lower in the water, had been washed across the reef and then the rescuers had anchored it to stop it being washed across the atoll into the pass where it could have become more of a hazard to shipping. Apparently a salvage operation is planned, although several weeks have now passed and there is no sign of it.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_ba21_3f55_8fe6_2fc2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8I6xrJaaQXM/WbiWuXL1rKI/AAAAAAAAF8w/brZc5cTMxZYkENjxGVlB6XcDek0iQQUrwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">A dramatic ending to one family's dreams. The couple on board and their young children were rescued by the only vessel in the area, a whale research ship that was in the atoll at the time. The bottom of the hulls has been ripped off, but it's buoyancy is keeping it afloat.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_7c4_50_cda3_e3c4" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IcAT10w6oTg/WbiWxlrxSJI/AAAAAAAAF80/sSg9US84i-IIpXBsamyH3dEgjqzfSf8JACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_d2a4_e58b_dd7e_8350" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2VwGgMHk6H0/WbiWzc0qCAI/AAAAAAAAF84/dNE80KdJpkILWR4aF-Q33PJ4TxUY45XzwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">This sandbank was the only part of the atoll that was above the water when we arrived - by the next day the wind and swell had increased and the waves were breaking over it from both sides. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We were joined in Beveridge Reef by Ashley and Ben from Nahoa and Jenny and Greg with their children Oliver and Annnika on So What and enjoyed a wonderful fish BBQ on Jadean on our first night there - Ashley and Ben had caught a 2m yellowfin tuna en route, and Barry and Kim a Wahoo of almost the same size. Luckily both catamarans have sufficient freezer space to accommodate such catches!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Hugh and Annie arrived the next day, so unfortunately missed the BBQ, but we did all go on a snorkel and then a couple of dives in the pass the next day - fabulous underwater 'landscape', hundreds of barracuda and at well over 2m, the biggest grouper any of us had ever seen.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Conditions in Beveridge Reef deteriorated, and we ended up basically stuck on the boats for a couple of days in pretty uncomfortable conditions - being submerged, the reef does not fully block the swell and as the wind had increased the waves were breaking over it and into the atoll especially at high tide. We spent 4 nights there and then headed on to Niue with Vega. The others have headed straight to Tonga.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The trip from Beveridge to Niue is about 150 miles, the sort of distance we can frequently manage in 24 hours but yet again we need to leave and arrive in daylight so the only option was a two night sail - we approached Niue in the early hours, it was grey and swathed in rain clouds - it did not look particularly welcoming!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Niue is one of the world's largest coral islands, 14 miles by 12 miles and rising 60 metres out of the sea it is fondly referred to as "The Rock". It's nearest neighbour (apart from Beveridge Reef) is Tonga, 240 nautical miles to the west.</span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Captain Cook was the first European to see the island of Niue in 1774 but the he Natives did not allow him to land. By the mid 1800's the Missionaries had arrived and been welcomed, and in 1889 the Niue Chief wrote to Queen Victoria asking her to 'stretch out towards us your mighty hand' - in 1901 Niue was briefly declared a British Protectorate before being handed over to New Zealand the same year. In the 1970's Niue eventually became a Self Governing State in Free Association with New Zealand, and remains so today.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">There is only one possible landing place in Niue, the port of Alofi, and due to the coral and the water depth mooring buoys must be used by visiting yachts. We followed a pod of dolphins to one of the available buoys - later in the day a humpback whale and it's calf slowly made their way through the yachts towards the cliffs - an amazing sight.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_69b_9b8b_e623_16c9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZG6PCJxO09g/WbiXPp0RC2I/AAAAAAAAF88/7fvlZIoJGv8oFK3sjg27YD-2Z6_-qMGTQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Humpback whales in the bay - not a great photo, but wonderful to see - and to hear them calling to each other under the boat.</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The first challenge you face in Niue is getting ashore - the only option is to hoist the dinghy up with a small crane - a two person operation that involves hooking the dinghy up to a strop and hosting it out onto the quay. At times there is a large surge in the harbour which makes it a rather wet experience.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_ad27_429b_584d_f794" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2XDZ_2Iri7A/WbiXVYw8KyI/AAAAAAAAF9A/vXs4FPOqkS4CIix4ATeQLz1ZZ1lBbejVACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We're hired a car for a couple of days with Hugh and Annie from Vega - the island is incredible, there are over 50 'Sea Treks' down from the road to the sea where you can investigate the magnificent limestone cliffs and caverns and swim or admire the crystal clear waters around Niue.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_ae86_b777_5a8d_8758" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-za_XztI-Xac/WbiXlMMimvI/AAAAAAAAF9M/ZlOEEcjDbU0eoKT_c_mfk9acO8szJkJBwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span></div></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_f284_2f3c_c17f_b50c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cdzURbBa_K0/WbiXbcC04yI/AAAAAAAAF9I/9Xvdy5d7hl8SN7dv7-NV3nrL74oc0WdoQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><img id="id_8656_dd16_2c24_b105" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TrRHnw471N8/WbiXY2NdYHI/AAAAAAAAF9E/1jrijTakpqwSWsh_tRp4UJLxkr98JBVNQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">At low tide you can walk across the old coral platform and swim or snorkel in the pools.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_1e97_6d42_5676_73e3" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nID_hI1crqo/WbiXmjuq16I/AAAAAAAAF9U/L7yaDaD337ISnP4g7_r9zibgA9_JpIeLQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_1583_ee4c_7497_4d05" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3IC-MrII72Y/WbiXraLa47I/AAAAAAAAF9Y/_6OnFpCSy245nKrFVXBYePTvZs4MWOr2QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The coral has eroded into wonderful caves and caverns with stalactites and stalagmites.<br><img id="id_dda4_5b91_a3cf_ed65" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pMg8USXvlGE/WbiXl5C4frI/AAAAAAAAF9Q/tsM4HaEaxvIrdmp25UggQc-yReElhbnVACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Talava Arches - one of the many highlights of our trip round the island.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">One thing you could not fail to notice when driving round the island was all the derelict buildings - there were literally hundreds in various states of disrepair. </span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_99d3_d57c_6968_83c5" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6n7WI_uzK3o/WbiYT_3VbiI/AAAAAAAAF9k/2bijNoZOXMcyqEIciVrXyeffbfpxkapTwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">One of the many abandoned houses we passed on our trip round the island. We later learnt that much of the damage was caused by Cyclone Heta in 2004 which struck the island with 260km winds and storm surge waves which broke over the top of the 30 metre high coast around the main town of Alofi. The island population at the time was somewhere between 5,000 and 6,000 but as the locals are given New Zealand passports many of them left for NZ and did not return to the island. The population is currently approximately 1,600, and the island is struck by cyclones approximately once every 10 years. Like Aitutaki, the island was also covered with gravestones - it seems you can bury your dead wherever you like, maybe in their favourite spot on the island.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">On the west coast we took a small sea track from the village of Liku and found ourselves on the edge of the coral shelf around the island. The shelf is formed with long dead coral, and at low tide it is easy to walk on in the shallows, protected by the outer reef.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_cd1f_6fc0_cfc0_8632" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiir_-39Z_1Jt0aSNgBumfyxsXAqjrqxHjiAkywf_VDxyp6jtj7Q3sB_wRhNOZn89z8xvXb6V0c3LdshqolMtgG6r_asE698wJx69DJadiAdy9i3ioYjRD-GdqbB8_BD1bS_TlHpWq5iupA/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_ff4f_a638_c761_34e7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x5P8OC16qCQ/WbiYTWOMDxI/AAAAAAAAF9g/hJOoT7-Lj2Mz_mfw-W3J992lP6Yp8BOygCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Enjoying walking on the coral shelf with Annie.<br><img id="id_3b71_305a_cfe5_8c78" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sl8OpgOq6SQ/WbiYW1XMJvI/AAAAAAAAF9o/iAWOfdoHft8K3DeeY54IZ5xXC4kfZ0A7ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We didn't think the trip could get any better when we noticed lots of white Tropicbirds circling out to sea, and then we had front row seats to the sight of several whales breaching in the distance.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_7ff4_98b3_54c9_2eb4" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0T9YzRBJyU0/WbiYh1K6OaI/AAAAAAAAF94/aBr2BUFAw5IwQwqTatyIzVAYtE6lcNnKQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_f5e4_3356_5856_29ce" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IpNrt06ka-M/WbiYdpFQf_I/AAAAAAAAF9w/Hto8BH99d9Ip2a_TqH9VyHrfjusuOfggACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">One of the several humpback whales we saw on the eastern side of Niue.</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Our final destination with the car was a trip to the Togo Chasm, according to the information we had received from the Tourist Office, everyone should make at least one trip to Togo - they weren't wrong, it was again absolutely spectacular. We walked a couple of kilometres through the thick forest which gradually gave way to more and more outcrops of weathered spiky coral.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_7d08_6706_ce84_1197" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hYNPQMSvsT0/WbiYfoXk05I/AAAAAAAAF90/yPI7bGEQgq0W_tiuN1vzwRPRXo5KqdgegCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span><br></div><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The forest then gave way to the jagged pinnacles of black coral - there was a narrow concrete path you could follow down to the sea.</span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_7ab6_6bfc_2d3b_1f71" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Bjrz_7Tln_g/WbiZ2708PfI/AAAAAAAAF-Y/wIOM6BAFGcwiKV6H9gYzJp6_zOvu5WbZQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span></div></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_b18b_5f58_8c55_740e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QZ9TCYbpPPY/WbiZq97fwaI/AAAAAAAAF-I/--hjiY5LpYk4G5Xd_Arnv461qQm_6qJagCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A wooden ladder takes you down into a chasm, complete with a little beach and a few coconut palms, from there you can clamber through to the sea at low tide.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_9523_2fc9_73e2_b2c8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CO8HvKWzqSg/WbiZsjo_cWI/AAAAAAAAF-M/u-Xlssq0o8cnkq-lEK9e1k1z2wP4KZE6QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_1939_6511_4200_de12" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c2QBkUEqXog/WbiZqUrFnAI/AAAAAAAAF-E/uzWN1qe7QU8WDGt3_U-LzXWAl4m1dPXNACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The end of the Togo Chasm - the waves are breaking over a coral arch - this area would be underwater at high tide.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_e9e6_63ce_2223_b30e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c7OSIp-IedE/WbiZ2bTCVFI/AAAAAAAAF-Q/7EPxXr89uwEnOQFIHNVVFesSgiMfSYhoACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Heading back to the car past a skyline of weathered coral pinnacles.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We didn't only see the caves and caverns of Niue from land, we also went for a couple of dives with Magical Niue, one of the two local dive operators. We went into two caverns, in one we removed our scuba gear and walked around the extraordinary limestones shapes spotting the occasional coconut crab that makes its way in from some hidden entrance at the back of the cavern. The highlight was the water snakes - there were lots of them both in and outside the caverns, not something we have come across before.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_6312_2640_fed_7a10" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-W6ZNz1oNHQI/WbiZ21_QDhI/AAAAAAAAF-U/LoRGheUgYZQyA6h6xIAkZ-g_19hfV4nHACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Our time in Niue has now come to an end, we plan to head off to Tonga tomorrow morning where we will be meeting Nick and Sally, our only visitors to have braved a trip half way round theworld to come and visit us!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_a9e4_911d_e99a_2d4e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-R5W4zV8EyYE/WbiZ7nYeUII/AAAAAAAAF-c/Ldc6XrHWrwMuapYCDIAvdFtpTO2BIf_4gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> <br>Sunset at Alofi. Several boats have been put off visiting Niue due to the requirement to use mooring buoys (at a cost) and also the huge increase int he departure tax from NZ$35 to NZ$80 per head that has been levied this year - we are very glad that we came, it is a unique place and we have very much enjoyed our visit here.</span></div></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-64376890945794047492017-08-29T18:00:00.001+01:002017-08-29T19:56:39.603+01:00Aitutaki, the Cook IslandsWe left Maupihaa in the early afternoon for the three night sail to Aitutaki, in the Cook Islands - a windy and wet sail, with a horrible sea state - no moon at all, and raining during daylight hours. We did see a couple of humpback whales as we left Maupihaa, so it wasn't all bad!<div><br></div><div>Aitutaki is one of the Cook Islands - a group of 15 little islands. With a total population of approximately 13,000 people - they have their own Maori language which is widely used, the school system only intorduces English in Grade 3, until then Maori is the official language. </div><div><br></div><div>Aitutaki is not widely visited by yachts, not only is the so filled with coral bommies that it is un-navigable by anything other than a dinghy, there is very little space in the anchorage, and the only pass into the lagoon shallows to 1.7 metres which effectively stops most yachts from entering. As is the case with most of the atolls, it is way too deep and rough to anchor outside the reef.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_5a1e_3927_b740_9bb6" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVG2KspSPJyJx4tFIZi5UzHz80Ax5od4r3j-FInjwlMZridaek1UZRxaDXXfMdajDL-mGs6ieiuD8PHO5j89CAEPXGUxGFK4GQemc6KIbvRCf4Dw0piTSTBbZBSyJr6NZhMghO-gO5CsmQ/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div><br></div><div>Aitutaki harbour - we are in the middle of a raft of 5 yachts, three are shallow draft catamarans, and like ourselves, the other yacht has a lifting keel so is able to enter the shallow pass.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_4a1b_7c8d_c7b4_29d3" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DyVYyVl5vQA/WaWdnm3oiPI/AAAAAAAAF6g/qDDb3Iz0FM8sZZzOK9Ff02XW9E4I5Vc_wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div>The yachts are tied to palm trees and rocks on shore, each other, and also anchored. Leaving is going to be quite tricky!</div><div><br></div><div>The main income on the island comes from tourism, mainly in the form of kiteboarders - there are two areas in the lagoon where conditions are excellent, Ian did have a couple of lessons and did manage to get out of the water with the kite but not for long. Much like our time in Maupihaa, our planned 3 day visit to the island ended up becoming over a week due to the strong winds and 4 metre swell out side the atoll - excellent for the kiteboarders who had already mastered it, but a bit too much for the beginners. Unfortunately our visit to Aitutaki coincided with some newly introduced and undocumented rules - we were not allowed to use our dinghies, paddle board or kayaks to visit the lagoon independently, instead we were required to use water taxis that only did specific day trips at Galapagos prices which was not exactly what we had in mind. Hopefully the situation will be clarified, otherwise we will probably be amongst their last yacht visitors. Not ideal for an island that relies so heavily on Tourism for it's income!</div><div><br></div><div>We did hire scooters and visit the island - there are very few roads - we went to the highest point on the island, Maungapu Lookout, a height of 124metres with superbe views over most of the island.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_31d1_43d1_7df2_bfa" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3i5WO8AI3hY/WaWjRqqxz3I/AAAAAAAAF60/gFe13J53XoM-JaiWtveFKNhLJnhfAP1QACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><img id="id_f823_a37a_9fc3_d22e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qKfCH_DR0Go/WaWjrs_5oPI/AAAAAAAAF64/x12-6Gs0mok53N_A3nicAAVPKA4VsEOrACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><img id="id_48fa_b010_ea_22c9" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBrxtfTjY3Q_KroMHsgwZY4owXo_8NuOZA2MF_MhKt5csBToVujZMApZ0jbZqY8NT3R9ntndrOpBqzDgoISObd5bq0wVF0Hd2ol0WhzVxXLHAFzgIdtkCy6YM58W7m1HbdkJbr9EWYQpi/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></div><div><br></div><div>The views were stunning - lush green grass, turquoise water in the lagoon, the outlying little Motu and the outline of the reef. A local told us it was the most beautiful lagoon in the world, hard to judge but it would certainly make the short list!</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_c527_aed8_e6fd_338c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kJ1NTaQp8zw/WaWoW_jgjlI/AAAAAAAAF7E/D1Qfxv12OOYcUNNsZyLcAag2v3t2WAG8wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><img id="id_bb67_249e_fe1d_c1bb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Y2eRopXycS4/WaWooFl3JOI/AAAAAAAAF7M/RH-N8Wy_7hIfGiJGL-BOfbA8MKJKBwb6gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><div><br></div><div>We took the unsealed road to the end of the island where we met this young mother with her baby and her sister - they had been fishing from the shore.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_77bf_478d_7a26_2d7e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-V7zYLcWjomI/WaWo0HW3DgI/AAAAAAAAF7Q/bdLUUs0tZa8SD0Oj-uTQqeMki9cyeOUkACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><img id="id_1a66_3fd3_ae64_b35" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aRdFI75XTZE/WaWpVRSk3UI/AAAAAAAAF7Y/6LR74Ysz7Uc-1kQE8BkqZB31Ug6pyn46ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><div><br></div><div>We also visited the Aitutaki Marine Research Centre where they are rearing giant clams in concrete ponds and then placing them back in the lagoon - to try to help the recovery of the species in the lagoon - unfortunately the clams still form part of the traditional local diet which is not helping! </div><div><br></div><div>There are lots of churches on the island, and Sunday worship is a big part of island life and includes wonderful singing in the Maori language. Interestingly there are loads of individual graves and mausoleums on the island - it would seem that you can keep your loved ones in your garden or in their favourite spot on the island.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_f4f7_8bbb_d003_2a02" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UZe22gng-HA/WaWvFVpf7hI/AAAAAAAAF7s/C7JESTJ2BRIUIdT0SKlCyWU-wJadVSCkACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><img id="id_2eca_b097_2d4a_4705" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tNQZKn8-Vxs/WaWwTS1O6pI/AAAAAAAAF78/Lhqq99KX5X80VuzbELxgy3r3eXlP8qe4wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><div><br></div><div>During the Second World War the Americans built a runway on the island as part of their Pacific Defences - we noticed the Graves of WWII veterans on the island, and the runway is still in use today.</div><div><br></div><div>The trip to the outlying 'Honeymoon Island' motu (by water taxi) was definitely a highlight - there were Red Tailed Tropic Birds nesting on the ground, they appeared totally unaffected by the kiteboarders and other visitors to the island. </div><div><br></div><img id="id_a95_1017_ee32_1dfb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-E8g3oY55d_8/WaWvMNRq5qI/AAAAAAAAF7w/tmLAnN9x99gHgCF8jVAN-lUwnYlHfDvpQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The kiteboard school has put out some open wooden boxes for the birds, but they also nest on the ground amongst the palm trees - their are no mammals on the islands, and no dogs at all on Aitutaki so the ground nesting birds are left in relative peace.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><img id="id_aaa5_106d_3f11_244b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pDrojDDIrRI/WaWwAfELUpI/AAAAAAAAF74/Gu5UpypvK4IQ2qzp0Uwa3dejGqu18ClLACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><img id="id_f8a0_2805_37ef_1c56" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OB7gmZ047cE/WaWwoIyBSiI/AAAAAAAAF8A/uB5M-V89OgsIJ_c5vCbW9vlQ9wsmfaZMACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></div><div><br></div><div>Despite the irritation of not being able to go into the lagoon water unless on an official 6 or 8 hour tour, we have enjoyed out time on Aitutaki, we have watched a traditional dance show which included fire danciing which was a lot of fun.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_193e_27e0_25ff_f494" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hH-UicpqMfg/WaW1hG8WLLI/AAAAAAAAF8Q/TmkD5RziTy4ZtpV0LtXb_XKET06rRcOhQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div>The locals have been wonderfully friendly, we are leaving with a gift of a massive bunch of bananas and a couple of papaya, but despite their generosity, this is not a place to linger - the cost of living is truly astronomical. Almost all supplies are brought in by ship which is too large to enter the lagoon, containers are laboriously unloaded onto a barge which enters the harbour where it is unloaded by crane - the ship comes every few weeks and the whole unloading operation takes several days.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_898_e655_87f_d668" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzkwAGsuzaNteXfXNw4Or_4rRc8oCEpY_TWH-6CYejMCuP7Ktyprgn_t02EBZUWAxEmecbblsNJAzeICvMi7k6sTekhNGUKN-wXJA5k-E_Ha5TVo1uoJCjdBjFr0hIUq5cnpfhQGh5Z28/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div>The supply ship can not even anchor as the water is too deep outside the reef, and the barge, powered by a couple of large outboard engines, continues shuffling back and forth during daylight hours.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_fa50_e906_bd5d_54b2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-g1ijBBa5QvU/WaW3eByxFXI/AAAAAAAAF8g/5Ja487jGBU4_zw8vqDI_lyFqBJXWSRljgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">And this is what £60 buys you on Aitutaki......life in paradise doesn't come cheap!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;">We will be leaving later on today, heading for Beveridge Reef, 450 Nm away. We expect to be at sea for 4 nights, and have just heard that a 54ft Catamaran has hit Beveridge Reef in the last couple of days - the yacht is a write off, but fortunately all the crew are fine and a rescue is underway from Nuie, the nearest island, which is about 130 miles away.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-43997161224195752952017-08-25T21:25:00.001+01:002017-08-28T00:22:17.477+01:00 Maupihaa - our last stop in French Polynesia.<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We spent a week in the Bora Bora lagoon before deciding to head on with yachts Vega and Jadean to Maupiti, a day sail, but when we arrived there it became obvious that weather conditions were not suitable for entering the pass - you could hardly even see it through all the breaking waves - so we continued on to our last Society Island destination, Maupihaa a further 100 miles on.</span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">When we arrived, there was only one other yacht in the bay - within a couple of days there were 10. The wind had picked up and we were in a beautiful anchorage sheltered by palm trees and of course the outlying reef. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_b864_aecb_2859_42c9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pTEbaB-r3Bs/WaNSZESqSBI/AAAAAAAAF6E/N9TsSdqj5XoaQsOoz7PDqhrRPsMZZqYgwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div>A drone's eye view of our anchorage in Maupihaa, taken by Barry on Jadean, showing most of the Motu surrounding the lagoon. We are the second yacht on the right, with Vega on our left. The darker patches in the shallows are coral bommies.</div><div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_a65_8477_b81b_3212" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rNzLcsQ21-k/WaCHxI8_09I/AAAAAAAAF4w/859STQBphB4kd2pxZXy6eh0YUj_AesuwQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_100_8762_11f4_806d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-32sipvCjpQM/WaCHnc0W2YI/AAAAAAAAF4s/8XNjvonHZmgqC8e5gTkFtDiWuvZaGFhdwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><img id="id_dcb9_9fe_39a0_f94e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mbXE6REuehs/WaCHM9AqVSI/AAAAAAAAF4o/j683VfNJQdAZ24BMQpFhGsI5tTQXqwjEQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><div><br></div><div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We entered the atoll through the pass in the north east and anchored down at the south eastern end of the motu - the chart shows the outlying reef in green, and the land in yellow.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We spent over a week in Maupihaa which gave plenty of time to get to walk the length and breadth of the island. There are only a handful of inhabitants, all working in the Copra industry. They can lease a 200 metre strip of land from the Copra Cooperative for a one off payment of approximately US$50 which entitles them to all the coconuts on their section -i it takes several months to collect and dry a ton of Copra which then sells for $1,400. When the island as a whole has collected 35 to 40 tons of Copra a small ship comes to collect it for processing in Tahiti, usually this takes about a year, but even getting the ship to the island is a feat in itself, the pass into the atoll is only 25 metres wide, which gives 1.5 metres each side of the ship. </span></div></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_f39_562d_9b5f_3651" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1CuvXxbRtIs/WaCJVfc9gjI/AAAAAAAAF48/r5gW5e54VmI1G8kk43kGJwfr81wgyfB2wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Walking round the motu - even coconuts washed up on shore grow on the sand.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_45c7_e993_a367_13fe" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QN4Rck6go2o/WaCKnv8z_4I/AAAAAAAAF5E/JxSw8LlNvsM4ylghebjKZsymoblD0srtACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The outside of the motu, you can see the surf breaking on the outer reef in the distance.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><img id="id_b866_bc62_ef0c_ac02" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-d0ORPl1t_cg/WaCK8kOGmqI/AAAAAAAAF5I/CA6cegLzQH8-A8ymi9hloLLu0S9Q_7B3ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The outer reef - the waves look like icebergs, there is no way we want to be sailing in that!</span></div></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Maupihaa does not receive many visitors during the course of the year, less than 25 people live on the island, there is no phone signal or internet, and the only communication with the outside world is via a single satellite phone held by the head of the Copra Cooperative. Most of the inhabitants come from nearby Maupiti where they still have family, provisions can be sent across by motor boat when the weather is calm, school age children are sent to stay with relatives for extended periods - life revolves around coconuts and fishing and they were very pleased to be able to chat and pass the time with us.</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><img id="id_6a82_3f25_86bd_9b00" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NQF8ae_KoJk/WaCPHMKmK0I/AAAAAAAAF5U/89fE9ET4URImHfEIV74JytJ_DJWFxWunQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div>These two sisters have taken about five months to collect a ton of Copra - one of them has been living on the island with her husband for the last 4 years, and the other sister has just moved in and is setting up her own Copra business with her husband.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_b594_b42f_90c5_5cae" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yWBSolGteM4/WaCP7seawfI/AAAAAAAAF5Y/mH7c5Jp1oa4MBUwMZMD_z3Oob71eIlLbACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div>Another newcomer on the island, this gentleman is still clearing his plot in order to actually collect the coconuts - he lives with his wife and two year old daughter, as far as we could tell she is the only child on the island.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_80c1_f33e_f862_6d5e" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_ObLTzhwBFARWn762K0BoOVvg9rhQ4J1QV14KbYmpXj5tClJrFjdb4jBB3YxfvhM5AFlLbNBLi1I4beVgg6Ae26_0Kv8iJFYASMvwAmts8mm58bmihCggR7ppp-i12FlhYz5pxdCyOPX/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div>This lady has been living here with her husband for about 15 years, they have four children, none still live on the island, one is in France, one in the Army, one married and living in Maupiti and the youngest who is 11 lives with grandparents also on Maupiti. As Maupihaa is in the cyclone belt, when a cyclone warning is received (by sat phone) the islands can choose to be evacuated to the safety of Maupiti - they dismantle their houses and bury anything that could be blown away or damaged. Fortunately they have not been hit by a cyclone for some years, but the last one destroyed the majority of the coconut palms when a surge of water covered much of the motu.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_a075_8d69_a7f2_ea07" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HtGs1iD6RcU/WaCakCKbECI/AAAAAAAAF50/JZO0U9053dEYpt2vriX-CBOaN2mcdMwgACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div>Island transport - it must have been quite a challenge getting this Land Rover onto the island - there is a single sandy track that runs the length of the motu, we did see a couple of other vehicles but this seemed to be the only one that still works. Most of the islanders had bicycles.</div><div><br></div><div>We played Boules with some locals, and they built a table so we all had a 'pot luck' diner together one evening, but mainly we spent our time walking around the island and chatting to anyone we came across. After a week the weather calmed down sufficiently for us to leave for the three day sail to Aitutaki, the first of the Cook Islands. We motored out of the pass and were met on the other side by two humpback whales - a spectacular sight.</div><div><br></div><div>Our next destination will be the Cook Islands - a group of 15 islands with a total population of about 13,000 they are self governing but with a unique relationship to New Zealand described as 'self governing and in free association', the locals hold New Zealand passports and although English is universally spoken they also have their own Maori Language. We will be spending our first ever New Zealand Dollars, and breaking out a new Red Ensign - the current one has done its time!</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_f3f7_85f0_c20f_634e" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfkyVII-rsZDmAff-H_orihykIsQffTxYRHR_gX_0MDfNced53QPDt390O3mWfNjL9BrLllWtN1_JfJARgRE9P46RIXd7WMNIIVak-a1ZpYgRtxPeDJuA0BvCGITHAIVKgwLi50AJzC9bf/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div>\</div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-24420815364821553812017-08-08T21:18:00.001+01:002017-08-08T22:01:07.069+01:00 Bora Bora - The Society Islands just get better!<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Whilst in Huahini we met some fellow Ovni owners who had spent several years cruising the Societies - they recommended we head for the Baie Apu and take a pearl farm mooring buoy, visit a vanilla farm and then head on to Bora Bora, which they considered the most beautiful of the Societies. </span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We set off with Hugh and Annie up the road towards the Vanilla Farm, a small family run enterprise where we learnt that the Vanilla plant is actually a variety of Orchid, native to Mexico, Central America and Madagascar and Indonesia - early attempts to cultivate it in French Polynesia failed as the flowers, which only last one day, need to be pollinated by a specific bee that does not survive here. A 12 year old slave in Reunion discovered the technique for hand pollinating the flowers in 1841 and the French imported them to French Polynesia.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_9b32_e61_44df_c45c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lZkVaKjnHao/WYocedViMPI/AAAAAAAAF0k/ifF1QanZCssae9HU2xw6HuW5GsN-N5yqgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><div style="text-align: start;"><font style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The vanilla vines have to grow in shade - either on posts or on trees. Left unchecked they will grow to enormous lengths with few flowers so they are trained back down the supports to encourage more flowers and keep them at the height a man can reach easily.</font></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The plants are inspected daily, after 6 months on the vine the pods are hand picked at a critical stage of ripeness.</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_e3db_384e_7fbb_b254" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-F2CH2vURA94/WYogsn7jx5I/AAAAAAAAF2M/6dtXiseDYx82DOOAU9pVPVRPeYntMRXwACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><div style="text-align: start;"><font style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Freshly picked vanilla pods - then the work really starts ... First the have to be 'killed' by being spread out in direct sunlight for several days to stop the pods developing further and splitting. They were also immersed in water at some stage as well.</font></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_e21c_8a90_7d00_e0d3" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J2HvtotRLmU/WYohCMAXQlI/AAAAAAAAF2Q/mif43myVqmApRffbNPmFo8jRxJVbGuH9ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div></div><div style="text-align: start;"><font style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">After 'killing' the pods have to be '"sweated" which takes 3 to 4 weeks and involves taking them spreading them out in sunshine and wrapping them up in the shade during which time they turn brown and get an oily sheen.</font></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_bef_2f4c_e27b_304e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dr_n-wVVE8A/WYohunx8PlI/AAAAAAAAF2c/6kgFDX2lu34YKkL4TdOhBZ6NbJAzofqawCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The final stage involves "Massage" which straightens the pods out and they are sorted according to size and general appearance. Short, curled or split pods go to the USA mainly for use in cosmetics, prime quality go to Europe for culinary use. Vanilla is the second most expensive spice - beaten only by Saffron. French Polynesia ranks 9th worldwide, producing a mere 60 tons of vanilla annually - Madagascar is top of the ranking producing 3,500 tons.</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_5ce5_13fc_cc78_d783" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z8aF7VLCV2M/WYohmfXhQcI/AAAAAAAAF2U/OcURZeSDd48p28OEH4Pwr76h5NxzJNK5QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">After our lesson in the reason Vanilla is so expensive (you could buy 7 low grade pods for $20 at the farm) we continued on our walk across the island. If it wasn't for the palm trees you could have been in the English Countryside!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><img id="id_7f70_5bd6_2c99_8df9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--pu4-p97OFI/WYohux4Hf3I/AAAAAAAAF2g/ZpgyR2bQ2vcrORml0G3s9ltrtY9f4kvbACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span><br></span><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Lunch Break with Annie, part way across Tahaa. We were heading for a Viewpoint but the trees had grown up so much there was no way to see the view.</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We only spent a couple of days in Tahaa, stopping briefly at its neighbour, Raiatae to collect gas and visit the supermarket.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_89ee_4d12_dc3b_4b42" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-acgGaKdAwx0/WYohuSCgQ9I/AAAAAAAAF2Y/ybY8jGcagr4-Q-8bRngE318cIT8fgYZTgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 960px; height: auto;"></span></div></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We have American style aluminium gas tanks from the Caribbean, which naturally have different fittings to the local gas tanks - the way to fill them is to buy a large local one, attach a jury rig of tubes and fittings to connect it to our empty one and then suspend it from a halyard and wait for the gas to pour down and fill our tank. One large local tank fills about 2 ½ of our tanks. Best done in a well ventilated area away from naked flames! Jade from Jadean is supervising the process.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">No trip to Tahaa would be complete without a look in the water - we enjoyed some excellent snorkelling off the motus within the outer reef.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_affe_9c58_ab68_1ee6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x578nWNbM_8/WYoiMJUlafI/AAAAAAAAF2k/tcbxGgAxAPoTAV5Grx4WGaNm0ohaFtlPwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><div><br></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_3dcc_bc34_c870_d65" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-acwLQvLAQzU/WYojH5Jj6aI/AAAAAAAAF20/68pjT8gdQZQ9s1A2C4eGU2cFwg59W5FeACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Huge anemone with three spotted dascyllus in the Coral Garden Pass, Îlot Tautau, Tahaa</span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_21db_4037_d49b_bdf4" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2AZWKf3UBPrE5aDsV95BqWYgP6ykb4LNzVCiWrl3bOD6Dr6Q14J3H9vvGrUIwd8StYiKM7P3MvGjkja8WtLOBZK4nlFmYTFSq7GZCMaR6-L42YMtdQZ2WNq5jOps9a1UBo4Isz58QNlM/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Picasso Triggerfish in the Coral Garden</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_ab46_1c9e_fd53_9d7f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ezDBfNFFXJM/WYojGxFFG0I/AAAAAAAAF2w/j4gTgQe8__o4JC7_0uGk3Tfz8ge76NX4ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Fantastically colourful clams, hidden in the seaweed, Coral Garden. <i>(Annie's Photo)</i></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></i></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Our next journey was just under 30 miles to the island that epitomises a Pacific Paradise, Bora Bora - surrounded by a crystal clear lagoon, protected by reef and several Motu (reef islands) and with a spectacular skyline. Despite the tourism, the vast selection of pearl shops in the main town of Vaitape, it is a place that has to be seen to be believed.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_a481_87d5_e444_c568" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-erxQPKXs1ds/WYoi-b8xFUI/AAAAAAAAF2o/tAl8w5frgOMWVHrJRvdtjmGW1W6n3g2KACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The outlying reef can be seen enclosing the shallow (Blue on the above chart) lagoon. The green areas are drying reefs, and the white is the deeper more easily navigable water. The red triangle is where we were anchored on 6 August 2017.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_655b_fcf9_e32_90a6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-W9b2ay7Zfxo/WYojFu1CnPI/AAAAAAAAF2s/jiTMmb_k-hwptL5YjRS4clLqFH0Y4BacgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><font style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Nautilus Sailing under spinnaker towards the iconic skyline of Bora Bora. <font><i> (Photo from Annie, on Vega)</i></font></font></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_52db_76b9_6250_d1b2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h7yuD2DGW5g/WYojyV0M2jI/AAAAAAAAF28/wXvxqhd_mx0q7RlCDoCLTbtdo2Yg9hoPgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It's only as you get quite close that you see the ferocious breaking waves on the outer reef. There is only one pass into the lagoon - don't try this in the dark!!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Our first night in Bora Bora we anchored off Motu Toopua just south of the pass - a snorkel off the back of the boat treated us to three Eagle Rays, two Stingrays and a Manta. We then headed for the main town, Vaitabe, where we took a mooring buoy and headed in to the Gendarmerie as we now need to clear out of French Polynesia - quite a slow process, six forms to compete, several in triplicate, a letter handed back to us to take to the post office to post back to Tahiti, and instruction to come back in 24 hours for the rest of the paperwork! We spent a very sociable evening in the MaiKai Yacht Club bar with Annie and Hugh from Vega, Barry and Kim from Jadean and Kerry and Ian from Weir Kraken drinking hugely overpriced beer! </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The beauty of Bora Bora is really appreciated from the surrounding lagoon - we motored cautiously round most of the island (the far south is too shallow for anything other than a dinghy) and enjoyed watching a local tour operator feeding the sharks - wearing a loincloth.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_5031_2c09_6ab7_4a18" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rs0nBEa_Vso/WYokN6hWDjI/AAAAAAAAF3A/2koRcAouH9QsIPfWmgiWKaFel58bxa0fACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He had handfuls of small fish held over his head, he threw them in the water and the result was a positive feeding frenzy - the Tahitian Stingrays and Pacific Double-saddle Butterflyfish have come to join in the fun.</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_d355_f879_1998_6aaa" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Lb5u8veFcUA/WYoksB2MHtI/AAAAAAAAF3E/mHo5bSWhsU42IFZtxLIudUxd6b8LS-3FQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Black Tip Reef Shark with a Sharksucker</span></div></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_6f07_b8e1_ff6b_75e7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c3uFrxOjzI4/WYoktRt08TI/AAAAAAAAF3M/U4-lHUZiH80vOdAxrcqb55IdipueSvuPACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_b39e_88f6_95a0_64a6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Drou9avZeGg/WYol5-C_1GI/AAAAAAAAF3Y/9U91It2p_u8M6d4-s9X02AY8N-Jqzqr-wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_201c_a62e_3759_e51b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_ONH46j89Lo/WYomIUAh0lI/AAAAAAAAF3g/K2cxBTbur4082KT76sWwSAVlLZvOlZ1SQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It's amazing how casual one can become about swimming with sharks!</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_99e2_2902_a00a_f9fb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cPpCp-jzdR4/WYomCtpVDtI/AAAAAAAAF3c/gj-ZGquUrlYngqDKt5teshhUYZF-lY9QwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_fb75_725f_333_57c6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-v9IpWK1-oqs/WYomJ3a5iqI/AAAAAAAAF3k/oPMVV1VyfJsuBdCgu-_gIUJJKFLXS2vnwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Bora Bora isn't all about the sharks - you can also feed bread to the Scissortail Sergeants or just admire the coral.</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_87c3_cabc_f816_a1df" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DXcSSqDtaOg/WYomQTSOjLI/AAAAAAAAF3o/fQXfz-xnwnUOruK5oP_IEVW6T3vjGlPQQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Paddle boarding in the lagoon - hard to believe the colours are real, and as a bonus Eagle Rays and Stingrays glide around under you.</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_e1be_f05c_628c_7e5a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Yca2aJvr59s/WYomRho9lnI/AAAAAAAAF3s/M7Yyl9h_5C0zlzGQ8Q0YCgVOCRKlNguMACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></span><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Not surprisingly it is a very popular tourist destination - these are the typical holiday cabins on stilts that can be seen along many of the Motu around the lagoon.</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_35b8_adfa_ea7d_7627" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fzjKIv8TILE/WYomZEdfJ2I/AAAAAAAAF30/PZQKpj4OINU0gl3i_o17ILQeFAN2JJPLwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">View from our anchorage on the East of the lagoon towards Tahaa</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_9d05_f59f_666f_de1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LSqLykSx4hI/WYomX6QWK1I/AAAAAAAAF3w/4ZWEcu1PRd4qxJD-2LjxByI3j_bZn7jvwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Bora Bora is without a doubt one of the more touristy places we have visited, there must be 50 pearl jewellery shops in the main town of Vaitape alone, but you can easily see why it's so popular, there is something for everyone - kitesurfing, diving, swimming, snorkelling, in the crystal clear lagoon waters to name but a few. There is also the opportunity to spend lots of money, the prices are truly staggering.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Once we have completed the checkout formalities we will head on through the last of the Societies and on to the Cook Islands - the start of New Zealand!</span></div></div></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-5959385123589524192017-07-29T21:10:00.001+01:002017-07-29T21:11:29.616+01:00The Society Islands - Tahiti and Moorea<font face="Arial">We left Toau in the Tuamotos in the afternoon for the 230nm trip to Tahiti - The electronic charts we have are known to have some inaccuracies in these waters, so unless you have local knowledge of an area approaching an island in the dark is certainly unwise<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">, so we planned a two night passage and arrived in Tahiti just as it was getting light. </span></font><div><font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></font><div><img id="id_68fb_48d2_a27f_8be4" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Csfqxu7m98c/WXzqXi1HNQI/AAAAAAAAFu4/ctUowfmVTAEG4jEy9gIixorhUX9ueW-mgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Arrival in Tahiti Marina, with a view across the water to Moorea</span></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">After the unspoilt beauty of the Tuamotos, it was quite a change to be in a marina, especially one located in the centre of the town! Papeete is a bustling place, there is a large daily market where you can buy anything from meat and veg downstairs to very expensive pearls upstairs </span></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_920a_b24a_2855_85a8" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBgbk33q3vZo6f8kIE8aP6WriIDH-e6Ucr2eEMMAEFxAUNcuwSurx9zK7GhQAeb6BrL0E9CM9Ja8HnHYukt6bvg89BKmeUJ4LOGJyVbaYkj25UZAunaSeP0_WJhMHLb-3oHkvcRj4Uuci/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_62d0_2610_4333_b6a1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXrkwxMS2aRZ_6VfWlc4WlDf7Z1MWLXnx0hmMtmk9CgL2rfGpkTNjzh1IeioMgdDLQQjuop16L48hvoJq8GcGP57ttrPz7MGXIvFMLZe7BDQpQDNqYUcO3RbBridHp00Wi0Exjg6THxBX/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Heiva Outfits - available in the market.</span></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial">Our stay in Tahiti was during the month of July, the Heiva Celebrations. Heiva is apparently the Tahitian word for Entertainent, it is a celebration of the language and culture of the islands and involves much singing, dancing and traditional sports. The event is opened with fire walking, open to anyone over the age of 10 - unfortunately we missed this as it happened before we arrived in Tahiti.</font></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial"><br></font></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_faff_1ae1_ead0_3681" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4e61vKshn9c/WXzqjiqZLXI/AAAAAAAAFvA/Bz0PewxF0qgyOxbAzThL2B399XaHV7mAwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div><font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></font></div></div><img id="id_53e3_813f_e6b1_b018" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ylRyYMq7It4/WXzq4HmsFPI/AAAAAAAAFvM/9yAyaM8ayagAhr15ir_DmL7OJPgqGCJZACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">Sand Wrestling, one of the traditional Polynesian sports played during the Heiva</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_75d_97f1_a419_bcd2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-E6PZhgB12_k/WXzq0FOAJoI/AAAAAAAAFvI/BI-m0JI9Av0rQGRrh2wDdw1S59tLJAelwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">Fruit Carrying - the fruit and vegetables had to be held on to specific sized poles using only vegetable fibres. There were several heats according to the weight of the contestants, and they carried between 15 kg (ladies) to 50 kg for the heaviest men. The fruit poles were re-weighed at the end of the run and penalties awarded for loss of fruit en route.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_930b_1455_4477_89de" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKWdjIJIPkgpCWS8LzaFT9vkov_xzn74RmB49VLM5F3V4sf4tIjvL6CEMEfMJ-9TU0oNTxaiXWzGqM3_lxWIs5XTVH8uE8tIasqw81iDKP5U73WcYBdbFRqg9RKtYteQxsc_gHF2iRvZ2/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">The contestants ran approximately 1km, although shoes made of vegetable fibres could be worn we only saw bare footed runners.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">The real highlight of the Heiva are the singing and dancing competitions - over 6 nights 28 groups of up to 160 dancers perform four or five dances and up to 60 singers compete in various categories before the winners are chosen to perform over three nights. We attended one of the early rounds and also one of the winners' performances - both were wonderful.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_6eca_fe29_9734_db3e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YBdgceYrWR4/WXzrEiokjhI/AAAAAAAAFvU/PxecTAWsiDoYDJxPYuYBzhuwFXent7tlACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><img id="id_8e1a_640_e030_2fbe" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrPLJ75yYImmF6sxq3nCeh94aeeDzSMflY1R6WSKt7rZIxqQdSlBcnbWU1cqr1f2lIyuapnxt5Ewd9WEqB4C3OKOADczqPk3dqbA0ZGsWLGAbeuCP2jdfZuVsvWsfHrj3lpK6LOF0E9-W/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">The dances all told stories of the history and culture of the Polynesians - it was spectacular. <font size="2"><i>(Heiva dance photos by Annie, thanks)</i></font></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><font size="2"><i><br></i></font></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">We rented a car with Hugh and Annie for a couple of days in Tahiti and drove round the island, stopping at Venus Point where Captain Cook was commissioned by the Royal Society of London to observe the 1769 transit of Venus across the sun and the distance from Earth to the sun in order to assist Navigators in establishing their longitude. The observation was carried out simultaneously in Norway and Canada, and at the time the results were considered a total failure due to inconsistencies in the timings - many years later, using modern technology, it was established that Captain Cook was only 8/10ths of 1% out in his calculations!</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_c7a9_bd43_523f_2ea0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Su_JTk8rLGc/WXzrT-lHJDI/AAAAAAAAFvg/osvqMvm-HoIFHOwKSqtHCP1vSlNJoc-7ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">Venus Point Lighthouse, built out of Coral stone in 1868 by Thomas Stevenson (father of writer Robert Louis Stevenson), the family responsible for the construction of most of the lighthouses around the coast of the United Kingdom.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_97d8_f063_75b4_11a7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pdE41kVEHPk/WXzrIFdYi2I/AAAAAAAAFvY/4-555oYfB6cHtHzlGX-1QyGZ7JtiFRbYgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">Venus point is now a popular place for locals with their outrigger kayaks, called <i>Va'a</i></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">When we set off from the UK over 4 years ago, the plan was to sail round the world and get a tattoo - Polynesia is famous for the quality of their tattoo artists, we decided that even though we have only been half way round the world it was time to have the tattoo.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_26d0_c135_de88_2e1d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MZ59y5cR-QQ/WXzrcdj50TI/AAAAAAAAFvk/91RcrvMcQX8FK6-Kp28ReSfOE-OcsHlbgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">Ian went first - the tattoo artist, Simeon, does the whole design freehand, designing the pattern permanently as he goes. You have to hope you like it! I had one on my foot - the story of a voyage on the sea.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">After two weeks in the marina in Papeete we set off with Hugh and Annie on Vega for Moorea, a mere 28 miles away and went to the lovely Opunohu Bay where we swum with Tahitian Stingrays. The stingrays are actually fed by one of the local hotels and are incredibly tame, wrapping themselves round you hoping to find a fish hidden in your pocket!</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_7fb0_fe07_c483_ce61" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjL63lct7P5Fl3tSdpJSYHxsuDsthkIIXbG4p_TTX7J8uYbxUm-rAcyAm0KMky5gxbiVQXwhtbXlEuwcA_tvy5A9C2TJgDwnW0xJx_FPk1Jzv3Gi8iyG2llhtXdI26rt9ADzyPh7nxVhsm/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><i><br></i></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><img id="id_2481_d2bf_e02b_7bb6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9zmMM9BJRqU/WXzreTTVjyI/AAAAAAAAFvo/jBYNmpM9AHgMPGEZhMGMr1X4xdh0s9EpwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><img id="id_25_7b5d_120e_5656" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7AHnwd4ePJo/WXzrqr69DsI/AAAAAAAAFv4/h7mTkrinthYwHhZwV-e7qMU7oarl_P79ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></div><div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">Paddling with Stingrays, with Hugh and Annie</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">The next morning we moved the boats to the head of the bay and went for a hike, the first exercise for weeks!</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_79a5_d5ea_50e1_113f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LG3Bp5D8Dqc/WXzrlnYdULI/AAAAAAAAFvw/f7fokcw3J2sqqjjlgTCPz6pErwwx7be8ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">Nautilus and Vega in Opunohu Bay, Moorea</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_c8d8_460d_e455_e82" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OlMJvV5_10E/WXzro1xcw4I/AAAAAAAAFv0/GqZFx5Qdjj8QfLXNZvGg62yKYGVkhdN_gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial">The view down over Opunohu Bay on the left, and Cook's Bay on the right. You can just see the line of breaking surf on the outlying reef.</font></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial"><br></font></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_7ca4_b279_9afe_ec30" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wCzkllD-5lc/WXzrvtqIN5I/AAAAAAAAFv8/Hvy8RqxOBnUSdOKrXlx_o2fL21-S0vBbwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial"><br></font></span><font face="Arial">A lovely walk, with well signed trails. Our walk also took us through a pineapple farm, the plants are low growing with incredibly sharp leaves - very thick gloves are needed for the harvesting.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">We left Moorea that afternoon for an overnight sail to Huahini to ensure we arrived in daylight. We were headed for the north of the island, to Fare bay, and on the way we passed the very sad sight of the yacht Tanda Malaika stranded on the reef - we had met them several times, initially as they passed us on the way across the Pacific but more recently we had been neighbours in Tahiti Marina. They had arrived in Huahini in darkness and mis judged the reef - the yacht is a right off, stranded in the shallows being ripped apart by the waves crashing on the reef, it has been stripped and is due to be dragged off the reef, weighed down and sunk. The family on board were rescued by helicopter but are all un injured. A sad end to their dreams, and a salutary lesson in exercising great caution when approaching islands surrounded by reefs. </font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">We plan to spend a few more days in Huahini before heading north west to Tahaa and the western end of the Society Islands.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-69458105479134384132017-07-22T21:43:00.001+01:002017-07-22T21:44:45.966+01:00The Tuamotos Continued ... Fakarava and Toau Atolls<font face="Arial">It is over 50 miles from Tahanea Atoll to Fakarava Atoll, and in order to arrive in Fakarava in daylight, we had to leave Tahanea in the dark ... very cautiously, with Ian on the foredeck armed with a high powered torch on the lookout for coral bommies and standing waves in the pass. Entering and leaving atolls in daylight is exciting enough, but in pitch dark the waves breaking over the foredeck really did seem huge! The rest of the trip was uneventful, we sailed in company with Jadean and Impulse - unfortunately there were no available mooring buoys when we arrived in Fakarava so we had to anchor and float our chain with fenders to keep it off the coral..</font><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial">Fakarava Tumakohua pass is famous for it's 'Wall of Sharks', mainly black tip, white tip and grey reef sharks, there are literally hundreds making their way in and out of the pass - a magnet for scuba and snorkellers, you time your dives so that the current pulls you into the atoll, past vast numbers of sharks. The water is incredibly clear, and the sharks just ignore the divers as they make their way in and out of the atoll.</font></div><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_6c5b_8bf1_2f7a_4735" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aPr2uHQ0PcU/WXO3g6SqHeI/AAAAAAAAFtg/lB5rNEFgbFkPk874Bf-_KQ-pXLKfYOYeACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_18ea_e770_97ad_c312" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LNO4D-mNECk/WXO3XwLTfQI/AAAAAAAAFtc/tvYlnMowrU8Gi5ik6K8Y81XK8jIGGH_agCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">The South Pass, Fakarava - and the Wall of Sharks. We ended up repeating the dive six times, and were never disappointed.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">We left the South Pass and spent two nights anchored off the village of Pakokota in the middle of the atoll before heading for the main town of Rotoava near the North Pass. Rotoava is the main town, a 2012 Census states that the population at that time was 809 people - there is a school, several restaurants, two supermarkets and Fakarava Yacht Services where you can rent Bicycles, get your Cooking Gaz bottles filled and use the WiFi. The WiFi was incredibly slow, but the bicycles were great - we rented a couple and set off to explore the island.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"> Our first stop was a small Pearl Farm, Hinano Pearls. Tahitian Pearls are dark in colour, but this is not the reason they are known as Black Pearls - it's because they are cultivated in the Black Lipped Oyster - a very labour intensive and delicate job involving the insertion of a small shell bead and piece of mantle into the gonad of an oyster. The oysters are delicate, and do not survive out of the water for long so the whole process has to be done rapidly, the oysters are returned to the sea, strung onto lines that are suspended 6m below the surface of the water where it takes appproximately 18 months for a sufficient number of layers of <i>nacre </i>to form around the bead. Oysters who produce good quality, iridescent and blemish free pearls are re-used several times - those that produce mis sharpen or poor quality pearls are discarded.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_11b0_f116_609b_c9f0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JZZFKaaD_w8/WXO3_zpvUVI/AAAAAAAAFtw/fFxbbDIux4w2Zp2zOpkbb2E7gZmiIjY5QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">The oyster was cut open, a large but low quality pearl was removed and the whole process explained to us. The pearls are eye wateringly expensive - even simple bracelets on elastic thread were on offer for $150 to $250.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_e175_e61a_f8fa_d3e2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Y41lsBO6f7c/WXO3oB1k3hI/AAAAAAAAFtk/khp0L-HbJDsZtcJJaq2hK14Ipy4nlbbgACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">After the Pearl Farm we cycled along the only road to the northern end of Fakarava, past coconut plantations. The last 6 km were on dirt track - the road had run out.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_62f3_7e08_2bf9_7933" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NM3MbEmK5D8/WXO37mYUPdI/AAAAAAAAFts/V_KS_FDMlZELoT3mF_iNifuoHlgwXP1RwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">The North Pass, Fakarava. One of the wider passes but also known to have some complex and unpredictable currents, so not suitable for diving unless in the company of a local guide. </font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_94d5_b77a_1bbd_17c2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--7t8R9RXeME/WXO30SjdQFI/AAAAAAAAFto/9r4BeW9Wu28y3lPN4RfGPxZH5SGiASS9wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">The final atoll we visited was Toau, an easy day sail from Fakarava - although we had the wind and the current with us in the pass, the waves are still pretty impressive - as was the fish we caught on the way into the atoll!</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_91e5_f585_a349_f7a7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-G0bPkoXsx5o/WXO4IeqX3_I/AAAAAAAAFt0/EBx5DJ-JJDMeNrv529ZYhp1fiyca9P7vgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">A Grouper - caught in the entrance to the Atoll, we let him go again.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">We met a local family on Toau, they farm Copra and showed us how to open a coconut and remove the flesh in about 10 seconds - when we have tried, it's taken about an hour!</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_ab45_44cc_476a_2ceb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zVzRcRs7zI8/WXO4XpW4skI/AAAAAAAAFt4/nO7lQ-aQ6L08qskEOgr6uc_89wWxNjAXQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">Very confident use of a large machete opens a coconut, and the husks are frequently burnt to keep the mosquitos and other insects away.</font></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_4ede_223a_9f1_a87" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUP2CbSpbIIqmTpPluPV_llwSdFgj8u-1u9fYFE0QJBTSd5t1I8_YoPNd2E9refcSm__mdfB9NvKMmH8qIMiufUxHs0EX-9WTkYeK07AQG3BPPQZW5wiTlZoYLhJ80sPUoM7gqEIeV7ha/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">The Coconut meat is dried in the sun for two or three days then sent to Tahiti for the oil to be extracted. We were also shown how to grate fresh coconuts to make coconut milk which forms a huge part of their diet. We have been sailing in company with Yachts Jadean, Impulse, So What and Nahoa who are all anchored in the beautiful turquoise water of the atoll.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">The locals also offered to take us all on a Coconut Crab hunt - Coconut Crabs are a species of terrestrial hermit crab, the juveniles use discarded shells for protection and as they mature they develop their own hard exoskeleton. Apparently they can grow to have a leg span of 1 metre, but the ones we saw were not that large.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_bea8_a436_77b9_6e45" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nxVI6uzqxi0/WXO4f8XhTqI/AAAAAAAAFuA/-IcT9wWUq9AFcgiqqKddHkcrYueX79J9ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><div style="text-align: justify;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><font face="Arial">Although the crabs have claws strong enough to cut their way into coconuts, the coconut is only part of their diet - they eat any fruit, nuts and any other organic matter they find.</font></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><img id="id_8394_2ab_5c28_6756" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fhO6aaWu2wE/WXO4gPYb2MI/AAAAAAAAFuE/HmGpcD8sgfc02iNpQPrmx_85cEp2T99tQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">The crabs are nocturnal, and have no difficulty climbing trees in search of food.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">We spent a couple of days at the South of Toau, then moved back up to the pass - the locals told us the sharks there were more aggressive, and we discovered this for ourselves when we were out in the dinghy. We were motoring across the entrance when a shark attacked the engine, it's second pass stopped the motor - apparently it was only about 1.5m to 2m long but we were much more focussed on getting the engine going again to study it closely! Needless to say, we did not do any diving in that location.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">Our final days on Toau were spent on Anse Amyot in the north - a beautiful calm lagoon with mooring buoys where we could do some diving without worrying too much about the sharks.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_56d6_ff6b_706e_a96a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-S4LSub1Qe04/WXO4nEXDBtI/AAAAAAAAFuI/WeTstZY8QswZTh2xqSP0s5BWt6MV2vA2wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">Diving the coral drop off in Toau - it's like a huge underwater cliff, dropping from about 10 metres down to hundreds of metres.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_f6b_d29a_e2e1_a9c6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KyyzJyeqFn4/WXO41gQIuuI/AAAAAAAAFuM/Q31gFNG75pkviNQjiA3MuxnT3HrCS_hywCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><font face="Arial"><br></font></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><img id="id_56d2_74b7_ba0e_33a8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ytq6Y1JIrgA/WXO448eqvMI/AAAAAAAAFuU/tMa1_zS0KWkR0KdSufHVypOURBkUeY12QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><img id="id_d87e_df20_161f_777b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UXuN2SI9EwI/WXO42UZJwLI/AAAAAAAAFuQ/CWNaqEQuaFUPO0eewkgA0Zwbqo2y9FGrACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div><img id="id_d340_dc93_ba2f_887c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OF2L6FminA8/WXO45_d0h6I/AAAAAAAAFuY/XgEW3GkDd4ghxKQ_wl5jSjlU7cKaubAQACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial">We have loved our time in the Tuamotos, and thanks to Kim and Barry on yacht Jadean who have been taking us out in their RIB and filling our scuba tanks we have done some spectacular dives that we certainly would not have been able to do with out them. It has been fantastic.</font></div><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial">Our next stop is Tahiti - where there are supermarkets and shops, and a marina with shore power and showers, and where we are going to be meeting up again with Hugh and Annie on sailing yacht Vega.</font></div><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-10099156193732035422017-07-12T22:23:00.001+01:002017-07-12T22:27:21.125+01:00Tuamotos - a Pacific Paradise<font face="Arial">We left the Marquesas in company with three other yachts - Jadean and Nahoa (both catamarans) disappeared off in the distance, and the other monohull Sula headed to a different atoll so we were soon back on our own, on a tight beat well reefed down in rather feisty conditions.</font><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font face="Arial">The 435 mile trip from the Marquesas was uneventful, but timing is critical - the French Polynesian Tuamoto Archipelago is a vast 1000 mile arc consisting of 77 atolls, broken rings of coral reefs formed on the remnants of ancient volcanoes. They rise suddenly from depths of thousands of metres, low lying, the tallest thing on the islands in the coconut palms growing no more than a couple of metres above sea level, they are only visible from a couple of miles away. The wind and waves force the sea into the atoll over many of the shallow reefs, and although the tidal range is only about 50cm, the current rushes at up to 9 kts in and out of the various Passes, or navigable entrance to the atoll. Timing your entry for slack water is the key.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font face="Arial"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font face="Arial">Although the Tuamoto Islands were already occupied by local Paumoto people, the first Europeans to sail here in the 1700's were not impressed, the only fresh water was occasional rain fall, the rocks and coral are incredibly sharp and unforgiving, the islands were referred to as 'island of flies', 'islands without end' and 'The Dangerous Archipelago'. The archipelago was annexed by the French in 1842, and in the 1970's to 1990's some atolls were used for Nuclear Testing. Today about 60% of the islands are occupied, the inhabitants making a living from Pearl Farming, Copra (dried coconut) production, fishing and now tourism.</font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font face="Arial"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font face="Arial"><br></font></span></div><div><font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">The first atoll we were to visit was Raroia, famed as the reef Thor Heyerdahl's <i>Kon Tiki </i>raft hit on it's voyage from Peru in 1947. We arrived well before dawn, catching up with the two catamarans who were drifting towards the entrance pass waiting for Slack tide. At 0600 we braved the pass, there was much confusion regarding the actual tide times, no sources seemed to agree, so we decided to give it a go - not our best bit of timing as we had as much as 5 kts against us, but the sea state was manageable, and if we couldn't make it we could just slow down and allow the current to carry us out to sea again. The section with the strongest current did not last more than a few hundred metres so we ploughed on, accompanied by early morning dolphins enjoying the turbulence. </span></font></div><div><font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Entering Raroia atoll is an incredible experience, far from being the largest atoll, it is still vast - 20 miles long, 6 miles wide, the water inside the atoll is between 20 and 40 metres deep but suddenly rising from the bottom are many coral heads, or 'bommies' that would be the end of an unwary navigator. You need to sail the atolls in good light, ideally with the sun either high or behind you and someone of the foredeck. Despite the crystal clear water, the bommies are very hard to see lurking about 50cm below the surface of the water.</span></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_bee7_fdf5_2472_eb46" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I_sZiL0HaqU/WWaS3Vrh5OI/AAAAAAAAFsM/RpLD1_jgrB8VSKCBYPJkz08TjDLz-k58wCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Sailing across the Atoll - keeping a good lookout for coral bommies as we head for our anchorage in the distance</span></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_8e6f_7f0e_9b33_34d8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qsYx1afWFys/WWaS3o32C2I/AAAAAAAAFsU/NGJLchL9WJ8FHIX4vRuwNGP79LVznSpKwCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Approaching the <i>Motu </i>you can see how low lying they are.</span></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_3508_bc51_462d_5b28" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zHTgiWCORs4/WWaS3vm4kXI/AAAAAAAAFsQ/WjOAxjqEFqoveE1nF5FxKI3RJdqlWH-xwCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 960px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">Anchoring in the Atoll - it's hard to believe how big they are, the yachts can just be seen in the distance</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_abf0_2a9b_8254_9182" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UyS0M8obkNs/WWaS02qQIbI/AAAAAAAAFsI/A_zCPIAAAeIE6cNj4h4jvz3k-pbfwvpdgCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Heading to shore in the dinghy - the grey lumps in the water are small coral bommies in the shallows</span></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_e4cb_a8b7_ced_b607" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-R6F-v29Yzag/WWaTDpzR_ZI/AAAAAAAAFsc/5szCZKDNdfE-6n33EqS2N-zq31C5BHr8gCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Taking a dinghy ride out through one of the (non navigable) passes between the <i>Motu </i>- heading for the outer rim of the atoll all looks deceivingly peaceful.</span></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_1a6f_9446_8f5a_c44c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Bgoy7y5GPPc/WWaS7q2Jl1I/AAAAAAAAFsY/THJepHfIFPwPPk8ur3Ss_n2V9p4wOYYxwCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">Black Tip Reef Shark - one of the dozens that we saw swimming in the shallows of the pass</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_a4cc_cc07_71d7_6846" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DX3hYwYgk7s/WWaTEKtIE4I/AAAAAAAAFsg/rV_rMCZ0mPgYWYbA5Q0nagfSmAcFtjNxACHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">The windward rim of the atoll is a word away from the peaceful beauty of the anchorage - the constant wind and swell, coupled with storms and cyclones gives it a very desolate look. The water is pouring into the atoll so fast that even walking in the shallows is challenging. There are huge banks of old smashed coral in the distance.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><img id="id_ee3_a178_a07f_99a9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KvkWkKghpas/WWaTM_Aql2I/AAAAAAAAFss/MNe5PBGv5uUE8b39PJv4vOYwt1Ii80zmgCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">This is a Pearl Farm float, washed up on the shore. The pearl oysters are cultivated on ropes that dangle from the wooden frame.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_d460_eb14_3d24_94d9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ndODwDUPHOU/WWaTWCyp1NI/AAAAAAAAFtA/5Oqiiw4E6IsfPUX1JlYi5j1vjsMQjPHcACHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_6bf8_30db_7d55_3628" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjEyTunlHCsQtpUYuBxivEFISrNDpBPUsokz4fyqVqU3MvASRKCB8HAKt4oqGzjK-WA5C1BNKBOJvZnw6t1SFFe86JH_kJ-dCtFI2MoF2ugHGBI19Kn9mhtDOUBer40XBi6u44sxfXH8xq/" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><img id="id_edc9_8d2d_4911_e063" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-P1FGT__NHxA/WWaTIHUmECI/AAAAAAAAFsk/8yZYKz8HlrgL1lebN30aPgjG-r0GCswAgCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <div><br></div><div><img id="id_3741_ac54_d0dc_dc1e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eqI53u5mUag/WWaTNKYstTI/AAAAAAAAFsw/XCsO-OvAdLkh7Brlbp0UQ5KqvXcEMKPgQCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <br></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial">As well as coral, sharks and coconut palms, there are thousands of hermit crabs on the islands. There are rats on most of the islands that climb and gnaw their way into the coconuts - these hermit crabs are taking advantage of the added food source.</font></div><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_75d8_ba2f_6597_864b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TyWFXrFqGyo/WWaTT5ajB8I/AAAAAAAAFs8/miSI21y2PE4M7sS2RlzB2AoLy57MNF65QCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial">Some atolls are affected by Ciguatera fish poisoning, a toxin produced by a type of algae found on coral reefs, and then eaten by the grazing fish. Although it seems to be harmless to the fish, the effects on humans are initially similar to food poisoning however there are neurological symptoms that can last for up to a year. This local family had been fishing over night - they clearly know which fish are safe to eat - and were very happy to exchange a few for some grapefruit we'd brought with us from the Marquesas. Later we had a fish BBQ on the beach with the other cruisers.</font></div><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_aa84_eab5_92dd_8c80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6m75bf705WA0SpzmTb4hSUPYQX5YzXMrHE8eo2nqMrjbLvll3gKsq2VxMmbeF_NZdj1cZA4O4CpbK5e8BaYWdhhzPYZCke9CSr4-0SWAAwIt8O8fRq5WOyRItnemkEe_hlZM4ngN8Xd6a/" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">The locals chucked the guts into the sea as they cleaned their catch - the sharks came in to help themselves to an easy snack.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><img id="id_aa23_fd95_352f_632c" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfKixW6jrizHwLbEn0PTy3NQfbF_jm0sIi8PI7VRuvxe_ema7bWnBvtcswgFAh7r_ZaolE0gZaKAEEJruz9reEuZZW8Otk8dqHbrDFyvOdnUnOf4dCn7f3BmUZg0yLmGpRj6MyoZ0KOZJ/" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <div><br></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">We visited four atolls in the Tuamotos: Raroia, Makemo, Tahanea and Fakarava. We spent our time snorkelling in the shallows, scuba diving, paddle boarding and just walking around on the <i>Motu. </i>Our visit to Makemo, one of the inhabited atolls, coincided with the visit of the monthly supply ship from Tahiti - we were able to buy some fresh produce on the dock, directly from the ship. There was also a Boulangerie in the village, so baguettes were on the menu again.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">The atolls have all been incredibly beautiful, wild and unspoilt. Not always peaceful though - we have just experienced 4 days of squally wet weather, there is very little shelter in an atoll, and when the wind backs through 180 degrees we can say with first hand experience that there is no shelter at all - the 25 mile fetch inside the atoll is plenty to build up a very uncomfortable swell! With the accompanying clouds and rain, navigation inside the atoll is really not to be recommended - no option but to wait it out.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_3923_93bb_c9c7_ff5e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1kvNmhDJ9LQ/WWaTZrNQN2I/AAAAAAAAFtM/uAmHZSeJeNc_ISu_H3WiSi4UjJhl0sjDACHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <br></div><img id="id_97ba_a925_893e_9cf5" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RCvLofgP4IE/WWaTZoeR7JI/AAAAAAAAFtI/G-h9_RBcQ-AFegVJ8joAQ22PuJ3B00OcgCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <br><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_506_eab1_815f_f83" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yLs7PkViafg/WWaTWIgjSRI/AAAAAAAAFtE/eXkjDHpS4Sgm0c-kZjCFOxoYbaIYXblOACHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <br></div><div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">Sailing in the atoll</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">The real highlight of the atolls is underwater - not only snorkelling in the shallows, but scuba diving through the passes. Nothing can really compare to drift diving through crystal clear water over forests of coral surrounded by fish ... and sharks. That's for the next blog. In the meantime we will shortly be heading for the north of Fakarava where there is the main town, out through the pass a quick stop at Toau Atoll and on to Tahiti - where we hope we will finally find some WiFi and be able to actually upload the blogs!</font></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-41481387573414635072017-07-12T22:16:00.001+01:002017-07-12T22:19:58.547+01:00The Marquesas part 2, Nuku Hiva<font face="Arial">The island of Nuku Hiva is approximately 90 Nm from Tahuata, which meant in order to arrive in daylight, we would have to do an overnight passage. Despite the forecast, we struggled through the night with light winds, resorting to the engine for much of the trip. The anchorage at Taiohae is not comfortable, there is almost continual swell and with the conditions alternating frequently between calm and squalls we never seemed to spend very long facing the swell which makes for an uncomfortable time on the boat. Nuku Hiva is the second largest island in French Polynesia (after Tahiti) and the Capital of the Marquesas - and there are three small supermarkets, a fruit and veg market. </font><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial">It is surprisingly difficult to buy vegetables in the Marquesas, the bi-weekly market opens at 0400 and we had been told to be there early - we felt to be ashore shopping before dawn was a pretty extreme way to buy veg, but when we got there at 0530, the keen shoppers had already left with most of the produce! We did manage to buy fruit and aubergines, and our early start meant we were also in time to buy some absolutely delicious French bread. Fresh fish are also sold at the dock, $5 for a kilo of freshly caught yellow fin tuna - too good to refuse!</font><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial">We were still sailing in company with several other yachts and fortunately had assistance getting our 30kg generator off the boat and ashore where we left it with Nuku Hiva Yacht Services with the intention of picking it up again in a few days. We had lunch ashore with Hugh and Annie from Vega, and Thom from Fathom - he's a single hander we first met in Panama and had been held up in Nuku Hiva due to a seriously infected cut on his ankle. The climate in the Tropics, coupled with the mud and the bugs mean that skin infections are a serious risk, any small scratch, cut or bug bite seems to take ages to heal and can easily become infected. </font></div><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial">Shopping accomplished, we left the muddy rolling anchorage Taiohae and headed along the coast to the west.</font></div><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_f54a_a9e6_c1de_7344" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fcfLqwQRJ4g/WWaRadgBYwI/AAAAAAAAFrI/Ut5Z9kyCrbcuIpnLRZqHRIazi2CSvF6RgCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial">Looking back along the coast of Nuku Hiva it's hard to imagine how the early explorers ever found anywhere to land!</font></div><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_2d60_8962_ae4d_1e6a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QyFAhr8yv-A/WWaRbLcFDJI/AAAAAAAAFrM/gZabWQJMhwc1oJot4lvAIt3ldwN8ZFahwCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">Our anchorage, totally hidden from the sea and wonderfully calm and sheltered.</font></div><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial">Many of the bays in the Marquesas go by several names, and our next destination was no exception: Baie de Taioa, also known as Hakaui Bay or Danial's Bay after the couple who have lived here for the last 60 or so years, and is the site of the ancient Fiefdom of King Te Moana and Queen Vaekehu. You pay the local family $10 to walk in their land, and follow the ancient Royal Road for a good couple of hours up through the forest.</font></div><div><br></div><img id="id_f375_cee_f849_5d73" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Tnlso5pr454/WWaRehmcKUI/AAAAAAAAFrU/FYcjPrrfg7AnKB7Y5W5SAPd56zSLQucsgCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> </div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial">Setting off for the Vaipo Waterfall through the immaculate garden of the local family - the plants lining the trail are all the giant cousins of those you find in a Garden Centre at home, thriving in their natural environment.</font></div><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_37fe_6fa_7621_62a6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xjmAKWQTVEg/WWaRcbmoKaI/AAAAAAAAFrQ/VZB9Rlbv60UWEkvtQ3JkNUhN20ec2_pFwCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">The Royal Road - it can be quite hard to find at times, reclaimed by the forest.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_de41_3694_3fa0_acc8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-k4TNsaDT6g4/WWaRh5fDSwI/AAAAAAAAFrc/5Dgevyq4ArccFTwVp3ByS06c7h-C5voagCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <font face="Arial">First sight of the waterfall - we eventually found our way there, which involved crossing the river four times - in places it was thigh deep, but at least it did temporarily wash the mud off! Well worth the effort though, it was very impressive as it thundered through the cliffs at the bottom of the valley.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">We spent a couple of nights in Hakaui or Daniel's bay then headed round to the north of the island to Baie de Hatihew, apparently a favourite of the author Robert Louis Stevenson who visited in 1888. Hatihew is one of the main archeological sites in the Marquesas as the area was densely occupied in the past and there are foundations and ruins dating back to the year 1250 - the site was occupied until the 1800's when it was abandoned as the population was decimated by European diseases amongst other things.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><img id="id_376b_e724_954b_8f8a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zcPPCbVvZDk/WWaRgTrXmwI/AAAAAAAAFrY/XOPc3OdXD0cGQ_ESGxVhp2a04zzfF4PBQCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"> Hatihew Bay, Nautilus on the left, next to Vega with Hugh and Annie. We were later joined by Kim and Barry on Jadean - their 8 yr old daughter acted as Water Taxi for us and ferried us ashore as the rough concrete fishing jetty was not really suitable for leaving a small dinghy unattended.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_2d41_2941_9347_a248" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cbGgbr9reR0/WWaRjJ4sC2I/AAAAAAAAFrg/PD4-s9IIp_8l2ukdvCLqXUltdapJLC0sACHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">There are ancient <i>Tiki </i>carvings along the shore, all have huge eyes and rather grumpy expressions.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><img id="id_bbd6_4041_e18a_abe5" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1GZwzH6GmpqobUdTCvwsqCPDbMySqhMHFQOh40rG12eN40Nkr1zzA2v6XZgDkLJVVuAKS1KvFIbwHDNxHYUwVtFHnYEBILQ_UI-5t5sJNitUzuBZcsniRI2er2_oOXDuXPpNy-oQdPvf2/" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> </div><div><br></div><img id="id_291_f7c4_c24f_f0ff" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6y95moq692o/WWaRkucydEI/AAAAAAAAFrk/ArKcdGG8axgwbJeuM5GcTjJDfgiyzzELgCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <div><br></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">Another <i>Tiki </i>standing guard outside the immaculately maintained Catholic Church, evidence of ongoing influence of the early Missionaries on the islands.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_9ccf_8ba1_3516_40d2" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxXzg1gY6-jg15vO5t1tT6-xPt9bhRotn_eJ3HgAp_FfJm37i4kF-HbRCIQlVAHV3PVt_e7J5w9PX43SYXTte18P9iynwMZELE3DjKYuYn3-1DjV6Dy1BbB8DSZw8pbXUJz5B0wJXFCZE/" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font face="Arial"> The view from the Church. On top of one of the cliffs in the distance there is a statue of the Virgin Mary, erected in 1872 and somehow carried 300 metres up the cliffs!</font></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_a83_145d_88ec_9081" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/---X6bwniMoE/WWaRrOnyi2I/AAAAAAAAFr0/2bJZnx6cbeAW3yDtiL1eC67sVyK-oYe0ACHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div> <font face="Arial">A short walk inland takes us to the first of the <i>Tohua, </i>the site of open air gatherings. </font></div><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_5060_ce36_2dd4_a197" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WOjbt8O85qg/WWaRslvN4aI/AAAAAAAAFr8/VE3UEgYPpkkDyp2hm4t9XnYB0FLTCiGugCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> </div><div><br></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">More <i>Tiki</i> - this time the male in the middle appears to be holding a female up by the hair with his right hand, whilst holding onto another female with his left hand. Not obvious from the photo, but there are several others they are sitting on.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">We continued on up hill a short way and arrived at the main site where there were further <i>Tohua </i>(for gatherings) and also many <i>Paepae, </i>the foundations of the old houses. The site was well maintained and there were a couple of reconstructed dwellings.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_7cf1_cff1_80ec_f9f4" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oARBPfMm1g8/WWaRvV4Rk0I/AAAAAAAAFsE/5Vv424ha1q89Lp_eCTR7_kW3_17qHXOgACHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">We are standing at the foot of an absolutely massive Banyan tree at the site - apparently it is over 600 years old so was at the centre of things when the site was fully occupied by the early Marquesans.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_333c_9ee7_d839_efc8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-w0xU8nPzon4/WWaRqHSUFpI/AAAAAAAAFrw/i1DwagmFEE8-tn-9b0PflvjPCAswtBzsQCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">The raised section of the <i>paepae</i> foundation is the habitation area called a <i>ha'e, </i>the roof is made from halved palm tree leaves and held up by wooden carved <i>Tiki </i>supports.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_9a2d_ca52_da47_6c3f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-P3bU_XzjuPI/WWaRsCJyd6I/AAAAAAAAFr4/657RdnTho_8B8DOllT9zI_hOw5zLX_yugCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">A final view of the whole Baie de Hatihew, the statue of the Virgin Mary is on the furthest left of the pinacles of rock - certainly not an easy place to effect a large stone carving!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">Our time in the Marquesas was at an end, we spent a total of 18 days in the island group, stopping briefly at Ua Pou Island on our way to the Tuamotos. I think it rained at some stage on every one of those days! We first had to collect our portable generator from the Yacht Services in Taiohae bay - another night in the rolly anchorage, the Generator had not even been looked at in our absence, however it was an opportunity to buy some delicious French Bread, Camembert and other supplies from the local shops.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">The islands are beautiful with incredibly dramatic scenery, and sailing round them we saw more dolphins than we have encountered anywhere else so far. At times we had them with us for hours, playing in our bow wave and leaping out of the water.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_5498_9228_affd_ee27" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CX-7eAsKEXQ/WWaRuHveSyI/AAAAAAAAFsA/p7n3b4hGCHUj-RNJCa4X1tH3J_PjqcYbQCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">They really are a joy to watch!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">We set off from the Marquesas with several other yachts and we plan to tour the Tuamotos together, although Vega has temporarily left the group to take a faster route to Tahiti where we plan to re join them. </font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">Next stop: Raroira, our first Atoll in the Tuamotos, 435 miles away.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial"><br></font><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div></div></div></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-76609454687665647922017-05-30T19:11:00.001+01:002017-05-30T19:11:17.784+01:00The Marquesas Islands, Fatu Hiva, Hiva O'a and Tahuata<font face="Arial">As a first port of call in the Marquesas, I don't think there could be anywhere more dramatic than The Bay of Virgins, Fatu Hiva. The coastline of Fatu Hiva looks totally imprenetrable,with incredibly steep mountains that rise straight out of the sea. Suddenly an opening reveals itself - the Bay of Virgins, with a tiny little fishing boat harbour surrounded by incredibly lush vegetation. Anchoring is a challenge, the wind literally howls down the valleys and the bay is deep, the land falls away in much the same way under water as it does above.</font><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><img id="id_20da_4954_3e74_201f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hW61MHUclEc/WS2mxkjI3MI/AAAAAAAAFmY/jjhb_R7YMsMn4d0WmbSF_eTyOsXP-EKDACHM/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">Bay of Virgins, Fatu Hiva</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_fc6c_5ce7_edac_dd42" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SbQFvzqNKJ8/WS2mwan8_PI/AAAAAAAAFmU/-5rmyJlMmLY8n3NlDbYd2MaSXwWofvNIQCHM/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">Apparently the bay was originally called the 'Bay des Verges' (Bay of Phalli) but then Missionaries arrived and disapproved - and changed the name to 'Bay des Vierges' (Bay of Virgins) - what a difference an 'i' makes! The rock pinacles that give the Bay of Virgins its name are frequently shrouded in clouds, and goats can be seen roaming around on the precarious rock ledges. </font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><img id="id_c1ec_ab89_9c98_838d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xf8udiy4BJo/WS2muTM7k-I/AAAAAAAAFmQ/bMYTF16G51YIUAfObynJh5G4C0oBexEygCHM/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <div style="text-align: center;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">We walked through the tiny village to the top of the hill overlooking the bay - there was a fantastic view along the coast and down to the port, Nautilus is anchored as close to the shore as we could get on the left of the photo. We spent a couple of days in Fatu Hiva enjoying some walks, nice to stretch our legs after all the time on the boat - the vegetation is very lush due to all the rain and of course there are plenty of waterfalls to be visited. Unfortunately for us, there are no Customs and Immigrations officials on this island, so after a few days in this little idyl we set sail again for Hiva O'a, just under 50 miles away, which is the Administrative Centre of the islands.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The main port of Atuona, Hiva O'a was not such a joy - there is a small breakwater, but the anchorage was crowded and we had to anchor outside shelter of the breakwater in continual and very irritating swell. Not only did it rain the whole time we were there, but despite being very accustomed to living on a rocking boat, this took it to a new level - getting on and off the boat was a challenge, staying on the boat was almost intolerable.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_edfe_2d58_105d_e585" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8k51Lu5GdRM/WS2mdNsTXzI/AAAAAAAAFmI/LSFcJ64WPIsVwKsl9_nvmEh7PvqV1AKZgCHM/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <span style="font-family: Arial;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">Nautilus in the middle of the photo, rocking around with the other yachts outside the breakwater in Hiva O'a</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">Once ashore, it was a 45 minute walk to the town of Atuona - we checked in at the Gendarmerie, after all the fuss getting the correct exit papers from the Galapagos, they didn't even look at them. The French Polynesian officials were only interested in our passports and boat registration / ownership papers. There was a decent supermarket in Atuna, and after the Pacific stocks were low - very fortunately for us, we met up with friends Terry and Jean on Little Dove who had rented a car so took our shopping back to the port for us, and then Hugh and Annie from Vega took our shopping back to their boat for us to collect later. We went out for a delicious pizza together that evening, very un-Marquesan!</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_9a5d_525b_4d19_27fe" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lpzMxMbwR5I/WS2msvHoH-I/AAAAAAAAFmM/gdoWIovB53ki5g-wQ9BaxMmsA4UnGdVVgCHM/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">Heading back to the PortaBote on the slipway - the muddy stream colouring the water brown. All the bits of wood and coconuts are washed down the rivers and end up in the port,where they then get deposited by the tide so the locals have to clear the slipway regularly and burn the wood (between cloudbursts!)</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">The Marquesas are famous for their <i>Tiki </i>carvings, traditionally either carved in wood or stone, these can be seen all over the islands - we visited the craft centre in Atuona where there were an excellent collection of modern <i>Tiki.</i></font></div><img id="id_33d8_945e_63d6_7a74" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-n1XIVAqYSzM/WS2nEEMZIgI/AAAAAAAAFmg/ETzqgKCmTeUzs3DaMcUPM77Wb3_jBA42wCHM/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <div><br></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font face="Arial"><span style="text-align: center;">In the Marquesas we were told the </span><i style="text-align: center;">Tiki </i><span style="text-align: center;"> alledegly provide protection, in Maori mythology </span><i style="text-align: center;">Tiki </i><span style="text-align: center;">is the first man created by their Gods and in the Polynesian culture represent deified ancestors and often mark the boundaries of sacred or significant sites. They are always in humanoid form.</span></font></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="text-align: center;"><br></span></span></div><div><img id="id_8a3a_e44c_94c1_c9e7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Lyr64eyGpaI/WS2nH1C54VI/AAAAAAAAFmo/DuJ-7G4sdUkkNKhPeU_xbmksi-cOUsn6QCHM/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <br><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">We bought this <i>Tiki </i> and attached him to our mast step in the boat where we hope he will offer us protection.</font></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">Two days rolling around in the anchorage of Hiva O'a was enough, the shopping was done and we'd had enough of the rain - the sun came out as we left. </font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">We headed north to Tahuata Island, this one really was a paradise - a calm anchorage with half a dozen yachts anchored, the sun was out, and it was beautiful.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_8739_ae75_5d31_589b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RZOXB4dOY9M/WS2nLH2PPZI/AAAAAAAAFms/XjjvSaEgu4s3ZSnUeTjr8l-uTH9NkIoMgCHM/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">Our first day was spent on the maintenance we had not been able to do in either the rain or a rolly anchorage - during the Pacific crossing the sun-strip along the leach of the genoa had partially detached and had to be sewn back on, and several seams on the sprayhood needed re-sewing. The trusty Sailrite machine was back in use. Unfortunately at this stage our portable generator ceased functioning, I went ashore with Hugh and Annie while Ian fraught with the machine but apart from diagnosing a fuel issue, he was unable to get it started so our stay in Tahuata would be brief - we knew there were some Yacht Services on the island of Nuku Hiva.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img id="id_96a9_5ae3_1bf_b334" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iMrjokYKA34/WS2m_nvrnOI/AAAAAAAAFmc/OuCavSQt7CcDWhwjTUnNgIYzeNXcvqnSQCHM/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">Hugh and Annie from Vega chauffeuring me ashore in their rib.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_4216_f98a_187c_b9ec" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MqlaqTBjCMo/WS2nH_YvuTI/AAAAAAAAFmk/3CM9KAalPjkBxZUqgUBvKmR80MCB0tKAQCHM/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">The stunning bay in Tahuata - Nautilus on the left of the photo.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_8c10_271b_ad8f_bb4b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tnIwlWZJKWs/WS21XknEEyI/AAAAAAAAFnA/m1KHNebhrMQYYnv-c4Wa4SQUWfdIHjVEACHM/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_7d83_3a4f_a26e_a7d" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RHr9XAguYe6cQY4W0hHjO1W5eLDCyuaiiD6jz72j1plHcH52NsjHo-94KjNja21Gw1kCLWfm7qMFvSoRv8WFHS1V7kn2lhTYq6PFUEYHUx-lqdNfe2ZaKDsB2zaBHoAQlDd7FN3xOy78/" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"> <br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial">Hugh and Annie walking along the wonderful beach in Tahuata</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_73ee_7b77_80ea_458f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fedMm2Mh2Go/WS21TAcbosI/AAAAAAAAFm8/Kl0mJ-NLxz45_748-iZTEJH1GRTFbRw9gCHM/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">While in Tahuata we also were fortunate enough to fit in a dive with Barry from Jadean, the South African Catamaran we have been sailing with since the Galapagos. The dive was one of the most beautiful we have done to date - the visibility was excellent, there were hundreds of colourful surgeon fish, moorish idol, butterfly fish and countless others as well as a wonderful underwater garden of mushroom coral. We finished our dive being circled by a hammerhead shark when we did our 3 minute safety stop, and as we were preparing to get out of the water a large manta ray came to check us out. Thank you Barry, for finding the location, taking us there, and refilling our tanks afterwards! Sadly no photos - we didn't take the GoPro.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial">We spent a couple of days in the paradise of Tahuata, then headed for the main island of the Marquesas, Nuku Hiva where we hoped to be able to find someone to fix the portable generator. It is much safer to arrive at any of the anchorages during daylight as the charts are not 100% accurate and the hazards very unforgiving, the island is about 90 Nm away, too far to reliably cover during a 12 hour day so we set off for Nuku Hiva as dusk fell for an overnight sail, dropping anchor in Taiohae, Nuku Hiva at mid day.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752269178834624703.post-73290648076197613532017-05-26T01:44:00.001+01:002017-05-26T01:48:50.329+01:00Crossing the Pacific<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We set off from Isabela, Galapagos, on 19th April on our longest passage to date: 3000 nautical miles (3,500 land miles) across the Pacific to the Marquesas Islands, our first landfall in the South Pacific.</span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Provisioning was fairly basic in Isabela but we were well stocked up with dried food and cans from Panama, it's hard to decide what to buy, we have very limited fridge space, no freezer and any supplies we have must be securely stored so that they will stay where they are and also be accessible on passage. Apart from the tins, the food is stored in plastic boxes - we have as many watertight 4litre boxes as we can fit tucked away under the bilges and behind the saloon seats - the boxes serve two purposes: firstly they keep the endless bugs out of the dried food, (or if they are already in the produce, which is unfortunately not that uncommon, they only contaminate one box) and secondly to protect against the very high levels of humidity in the Caribbean and Pacific.. We have two fishing lines, and were hoping to add variety to our diet with some fresh fish caught en route.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We knew from the forecast that the wind was initially expected to be light and had decided to use the engine to clear the island before reaching the open ocean, after that we would have to manage under sail as we only carry enough fuel to motor for a few days and would obviously be conserving that for emergencies. We settled into our first night of the passage - So far so good, until changeover when it became apparent that there was no water in our water tank - all 420 litres were in the bilges, where we not only store food, clothes and various spares, but they also house many of our electrical systems and connections. It turned out a water pipe had split, unfortunately the bilge alarm had been inadvertently switched to silent and neither of us heard the water pump over the noise of the engine. Not a great start! Several hours later we were dried out, had we not had a water maker on board we would certainly have turned back at that stage because although we have emergency bottled water on board it would only just cover drinking needs on a long trip. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Fortunately by the time we cleared the island the wind was as forecast and we made good progress which enabled us to run a hydrogenerator and power the watermaker, which produces 50 litres per hour. All our food supplies survived in their plastic boxes, but one container of UHT milk leaked, as did a container of washing up liquid - quite a mess!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The first week at sea passed in a blur - we were making fantastic progress, our best day we covered 175 Nm - our personal best - we had it easy with the boat almost sailing herself with a reeked mainsail and genoa. Fish were throwing themselves on our lines, fresh Mahi Mahi for dinner every night. By the end of the second week we had lost the wind, the boat was constantly rolling uncomfortably, sails were flapping and we had our slowest day when we covered only 98 Nm, even the fish were avoiding us. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_7a93_e492_29e2_6de6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Rk9j7JKtFVo/WSd57TlAAVI/AAAAAAAAFlk/ZWVqiAV4Wro56uJ6D7uD77tpqslcamfzwCHM/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Light wind sailing, mid Pacific, flying our larger asymmetric, 'The Wasp'</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We settled into a routine - we were heading directly down wind so over night we poled out the headsail to try to reduce the flapping in the light winds, as soon as there was a hint of dawn the kettle went on for tea, and we changed sail for the asymmetric which increases our speed by at least 1kt and hugely reduces the rolling of the boat but does have to be watched as it is quite prone to wrapping itself around the rigging in the light winds or squalls which is why we don't sail with it at night. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">After the hull damage and repair that was carried out in Panama, the Ovni Agent in the UK, Stephen Johnson from North Sea Maritime contacted us as he was concerned that if the repair failed in any way we should take steps to remove any water that was entering the aft bulkhead which fortunately is a sealed watertight compartment. It was on about the 10th day at sea when the wind was particularly light and we were sailing very slowly that we became aware of a sort of rumbling noise as we rolled on the swell. It was time to check the bulkhead - Ian drilled a hole through the fuel locker in the transom and sure enough, as we rocked water splashed out. We ended up using the oil change vacuum pump and removed approximately 100 litres of water from the back of the boat.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_3814_8443_cdcf_7ba3" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RGz1l1SAHU8/WSd6Be_8alI/AAAAAAAAFlo/gjmtlRqkV-U8vlgEapTdaTiQi3SHHeykgCHM/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Using the vacuum pump to remove water from the 'watertight' bulkhead mid Pacific</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We continued our way across the Pacific, using the Sat Phone to get weather updates which always seemed to promise more wind than the reality, and also staying in touch with the rest of the world which became a daily highlight. We emailed updates to our daughter Clare, who in turn forwarded them to various friends, and also we were in touch with our own little group crossing the Pacific within a couple of hundred miles of our position. It was wonderful to be in touch and receive emails and messages when we really did feel rather alone on the ocean and a very long way from everything.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Day 16 - Ian's birthday, 1000 Nm to go, and the first birthday for at least 40 years when he has not had a beer! By now our routine was very well established: sail change at dawn, fishing lines out, run watermaker if required, check emails etc, lunch, check sails, check boat, bring fishing lines in at dusk, sail change to conservative night mode as it got dark, dinner and Steph went to bed. Ian took first watch, we were using a 5 hour watch to give longer sleep periods - change over at 0100, Ian to bed and Steph on watch till dawn - get the kettle on and start again.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_552f_c862_d9a8_f26e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lRdvspqFDmg/WSd6aZs5siI/AAAAAAAAFl4/zsvOWmJDsB8I6Sxmu180dkGA5yDHzR2vACHM/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Just another day at sea</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_ce3e_64aa_235_8c8d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nYHIV0imC0U/WSd6SuQ1YZI/AAAAAAAAFlw/5n47nwmpiy4rjOofJ64o25jzpN4kcxkmgCHM/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Head sail poled out, ready for another night at sea</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We set off with a waning moon, which gave very little light and the stars were spectacular. By the end of the trip we had a full moon - the stars were less significant, but the moon itself was so vast and bright that it almost felt like daylight. The one night we were tempted to keep an asymmetric up caution and good sense prevailed and we dropped it just before a particularly short sharp squall hit us - even with the moon light they are not easy to spot at night and as we know from past experience, they rip sails!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">One mystery which remained unresolved was how squid ended up on the deck - flying fish we could understand, we even had one fly in through an open window and land on the floor by the chart table, but during the course of the passage we must have had a good dozen squid on board - we never saw them land, but unless you remove them quite rapidly they leave an inky stain on the deck. We even found one on top of the coach roof, a good 1.5 metres above sea level.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_81e6_b1af_b77c_af0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bRRnsOF-8Dw/WSd6KfeB2aI/AAAAAAAAFls/kMp0tzoB4WoJVYx3psUropl_JJI-wJwywCHM/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Flying Squid?</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Finally, on our 24th day at sea, land was in sight - we had reached Fatu Hiva, Marquesas, after sailing 3114 Nm. We ran the engine for a total of 23 hours during the crossing, apart from the day we set off we motored when we changed sails as it held the boat more stable. The time did seem to pass quite quickly, and although we both enjoyed the crossing and felt a huge sense of achievement I think I can safely say neither of us wanted to turn round and head back out to sea! The only fresh food we had left on board was some pumpkin and two onions, we wanted to set foot on land and walk further than 10 metres on a surface that was not moving, and be able to sleep for more than a 5 hour period at night.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img id="id_9f49_56e3_4ecd_148" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sSogi8OI3-U/WSd6XZI1DlI/AAAAAAAAFl0/OufXlmrkkzUyBRMQOqYTzh0RmBVEuh2tgCHM/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Fatu Hiva, Marquesas Islands. We have crossed the Pacific.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div>Stephanie and Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09438551284708498901noreply@blogger.com1