Happenings 2006 Number 1

Brisbane to Cape York

Saturday, May 13, twenty nine days ago, Audrey and I left Brisbane to commence our 2006 cruise to S/E Asia, and for 19 of those days “ENVY” has been screaming up Queensland’s stunning island dotted and reef studded coast, with hardly a spare moment to stop and smell the roses.

Hotly pursued by brisk Southeasterly trades for most of the trip so far, it certainly has been a dream run, sailing ‘wing to wing’ (with a sail poled out either side of the mast) achieving seldom seen daily averages (for our cruising yacht) of 6 & 7 nautical miles per hour, though not surprising considering some gale force gusts over 35 knots at times. But it hasn’t all been beer & skittles, with some hard work heavy-weather sailing, middle of the night sail changes, and associated sleep deprivation.

Leaving Brisbane, we made non-stop overnight ocean passages until we reached more protected Barrier Reef waters, from whence “ENVY” commenced day hopping between sheltered island anchorages, with most of these ‘day sails’ being fairly long hops of from 50 to 80 N/Mls, so it’s a full days work, with some early pre-dawn starts.

Time off rest days were enjoyed at Great Keppel Island, The Whitsundays, Magnetic Island, and then four days in Cairns. There’s just enough of ‘old Cairns’ left to show what an interesting old frontier town it was, but now it bustles with young foreign backpackers here to discover the reef. “Rusty’s”, the local fresh food and crafts market is one of the best we’ve seen anywhere, with its excellent, well priced produce. Both fruit and vegetables were awesome, so we stocked up.

Next rest stop was 2 nights at Lizard Island, one of the prettiest and best anchorages anywhere in Queensland, but more historically famous for its hilltop site to which Cptn Cook climbed to search for a passage out through the Barrier Reef, after repairs to the “Endeavour” at Cooktown. He gave the island its name because “All I saw here were lizards”, and they are all that we saw too.

We made the pilgrimage up 1100 ft high rocky hill to enjoy the great 360º views from the summit. The climb is no Sunday stroll in the park, having to often scale large boulders, wet rock face and slippery granite paths. There is a 3 metre rock pile at Cook’s Lookout, where traditionally each new visitor places another rock, which we did. The view back down to Watson’s Bay beach and the Resort in the next bay is picture postcard stuff.

Lizard was also the home base of beche-de-mere fisherman Robert Watson, whose young wife Mary, in his working absence, escaped attacking aboriginals with her baby and Chinese servant Ah Sam, in a steel ship’s tank in 1881, only to perish from thirst on a nearby island.

Today, Lizard Island boasts one of the more exclusive Tourist Resorts of the GBR, and a young employee we met up on Cook’s Look told us rates ranged from $700 to $3000 per night. (Bloody expensive sleep as far as I’m concerned).

We also had a great day with other yachtie friends at the “Cod Hole” 14 miles from Lizard at the outer Barrier edge, snorkeling amongst the coral and a myriad of colourful schools of fish. We’ve seen it a zillion times before, but never tire of its beauty.

Once you leave Lizard you find yourself in true far north tropical waters and even though its winter, days, nights and sea temperatures here are all noticeably warmer, with boat fans running all night as we sleep.

Another place of interest is Cape Melville, where the land is comprised totally of huge round stones and boulders, and where the wind reputably ricochets off the hills in frightfully strong bullets, so we had been warned; but it was OK when we went round.

Today is Saturday 10 June as I write this note at sea just north of Cape Grenville, from where we and 6 other yachts departed in pre-dawn darkness this morning enroute to the Escape River, a 71n/m run to the north. Another large southbound ship is about to pass us, one of several we’ve had to dodge in these narrow shipping lanes between the reefs, and the radio is crackling with traffic as yachts and the ship’s bridge discuss dodg’em tactics. Audrey’s in control so we’re in good hands!

For a sailor come fisherman, who absolutely loves eating fish, I’m a strange animal indeed. Even though fish is a favourite, I seldom troll a line because, well, frankly, I’m scared I might catch one!!

They only ever seem to strike a lure when it’s blowing a clacker, the yachts heeling heavily and if you’re lucky enough to get the writhing, slippery thing on board, thrashing wildly to escape from the hook in its mouth, then as you fillet and skin it there’s blood and guts all over the ship; ugh, where’s the nearest fish shop please!

Anyway, our mates Trevor and Joan Long on ‘Been-A-Long’ caught a nice mackerel recently and, being the good friends they are, gave us half the fillets, enough for two large meals. We devoured them with delight and, like a busted alcoholic, that was it. I had to have more! So out came the trolling gear with a bright coloured lure, and that afternoon in came a big Tuna. Being late in the day and red fleshed Tuna not one of our favourites, it happily returned to the deep, after being photographed, very much alive and unhurt.

The next day bang on noon, with a bright new silver spoon lure following at 6 knots, my trolling reel sang as it flew out at great speed. What a strike! It was big, and very hard work reeling in the line, but finally a truly magnificent 1½ mtr+ Spanish mackerel was on my gaff, the biggest and best fish I’ve ever caught. As Audrey bent down to lasso his tail, he gave one almighty flick and was gone, without even a photo to show you ‘doubting Thomas’s’. I don’t think there are enough tissues on board to mop up my tears!

But this morning at 0700 I proved there is a God when, in light airs and friendly seas, at 11º 43 S x 143º 04 E the Alvey trolling reel sang its sweet song again and in came another brilliant Spaniard. Though not as big as the previous Houdini, a fine mackerel nevertheless, and already in the freezer.

There’s anticipation & excitement in the air for us these past few days as ‘Envy’ edges northwards.

We’re only a tad of a day’s sail away from the tip of Cape York, 20 miles tomorrow, to the Vidgen and Jardine families Australian roots at Somerset… my middle name… and I’ve never been there yet in all my 62 years. A monumental cairn to our parent’s memory sits at the old Jardine residency hilltop site, overlooking Somerset Bay and Albany Passage. My father purchased Somerset from his uncle Chum Jardine, and lived there until he sold it in 1948.

Twin brother John now lives and works on Thursday Island, so it will be good to see him again also. But they are other stories for another day.

"Happenings" Number 12 - 2004

‘Envy’ Discovers More Missing Links

Following ‘Envy’s’ cruise through the South Pacific during the past two seasons, we cleared Customs and departed for New Caledonia and Vanuatu last August after long and protracted delays, but an Alternator malfunction forced our return before we’d hardly started. By the time the problem was remedied, it was imprudently late to head off into northern latitudes across the Coral Sea, so we opted for plan ‘B’ instead, a return cruise to the Whitsundays.

Though we’d cruised the Coral Coast several times before, there were still numerous places un-visited, so we decided that our 2004 route would take ‘Envy’ to places new to us, to discover some of our ‘missing links’ along the central Queensland coast, and the new anchorages they offered.

Our previous pattern had us bolting up the coast from Moreton Bay around the outside of Fraser Island, non-stop to Lady Musgrave Island, then on to the Capricorn Coast with barely enough time to stop and smell the roses along the way.

Mid September was a late start as we sailed to Mooloolaba for an overnighter in ‘the pond’ and off again next morning beating into a 15kt N/E as a whale put on a diving display for us off Coolum Beach. But the breeze died during the night to very light E/NE, as it continued for most of the next two weeks, with ‘Envy’ motor sailing most of the time.

Arriving in Lady Musgrave lagoon, we were disappointed to see a newly placed line of zoning buoys prohibiting anchoring within 1km from the island, supposedly to prevent boats lights from spooking the hundreds of turtles that seasonally lay in the dunes. There is talk the zone may be relocated to 500 metres from shore. Being the breeding season, there was much turtle activity all through the Bunker Group.

Following eight good days at Musgrave we moved on to Fitzroy Reef, a few hours’ sail further up the Bunkers, and another ‘first visit’. We almost don’t want to talk about it for fear of spreading the word, for it is indeed a very attractive lagoon with fewer visitors, good anchorages, excellent coral and fish, and we enjoyed continuing perfect light weather for our 3 days there.

With only 2/3kts of E/NE breeze ‘Envy’ motor-sailed on to Heron Island, another ‘missing link’ where we anchored in 15 mtr beside the island resort. Being within a totally protected ‘no fish’ zone, we marvelled at the size and quantity of marine life in the small man made boat harbour, counting numerous large fish and 29 Stingrays, all quite undisturbed by our dinghy’s presence. Heron Island is a most attractive coral cay with a Marine Parks Office and UQ Research facility in addition to the Resort. The M/Parks living coral and reef fish displays are well worth a visit.

Then we headed for North West Island, another ‘first’, a very popular fishing and camping destination four hours north of Heron. We again anchored in light airs adjacent to the reef on the SW corner, went ashore to reef walk at low tide, and were rewarded with some of the best coral varieties around, with numerous live baby Clam Shells so amazingly beautiful with their bright colour combinations of orange, brown, green, purple, blue, turquoise, yellow and white.

The next day we arrived at Great Keppel Island early after noon, having sadly lost two strikes on our trolling line, so we changed the lure in the hope of future success. The continuing E/N/E breeze made Monkey Bay an ideal anchorage for a couple of days before a N/W change sent us around the corner to Long Beach where we spent time happily reminiscing with cruising friends from our 2001 Louisiades trip. We went ashore and walked the airfield track to the resort for the usual newspapers, bread, emails and ice creams, enjoying a pleasant 4-day stay.

After constant light northerly sector headwinds and much motor-sailing since the start of our trip nearly three weeks before, at last a S/E change was forecast. We departed Long Beach GKI in early morning pre-dawn darkness and had a marvellous day’s run sailing wing to wing, doing 6’s & 7’s in the 15/20kt S/E breeze, along this most picturesque, island dotted coast with its picture postcard small sandy coves, and entered Island Head Creek by the southern channel to join the sixteen boats already there.

Island Head is a large, attractive sandy anchorage with good holding, and apart from a sandfly or two, our stay here was wonderful, and all the better for the oysters and fish that we feasted on, and the new yachtie friends made during our three days of perfect weather here.

Then it was off to Hunter Island in the Duke Group, where we spent the day hiking all over this relatively small island whose grassy ridge tops offer scenically stunning panoramic views over the surrounding islands.

After another lovely quiet night at Hunter, ‘Envy’ moved on to Curlew Island where we came upon the heart-wrenching sight of a yacht high and dry up on the western coast rocks, having been lost there just a few days previously.

We heard it dragged anchor when the wind changed direction & strength during the night, putting it onto a lee shore. During evasive action to motor off, a loose trailing line caught and fouled the propeller, immobilising the small yacht and causing it to be swept onto the rocks. Being steel, it was salvaged a few days later, slightly broken and dented, though engine, electrics and contents were all thoroughly immersed, no doubt resulting in considerable loss.

On our way to Mackay, we sailed through 33 bulk coal ships anchored in the greater roadstead off Hay Point coal loading facility, awaiting their turn, and reflected on the costs associated with this idleness. Nevertheless, this mammoth display of tonnage and variety was very interesting.

Mackay Harbour Marina was home for three days for laundry and watering requirements, and the obligatory visit to town for provisions. With a fresh Northerly blowing, our marina outer edge berth proved to be more rolly and less comfortable than most of our island anchorages, and furthermore, we had to pay for the (dis) pleasure.

‘Envy’ enjoyed another good day’s sail as we ran at seven knots up to the Whitsundays, where we arrived mid October, 33 days since departing Brisbane, and having crossed many yachts already heading south on their way home.

We spent the next two weeks cruising around various anchorages, some of which we had not visited previously, including Macona Inlet, where we enjoyed beach BBQ’s, playing Petanque, and ‘Club Margarita’, with other CCCA members. Dugong Beach, Daydream Island and Shute Harbour were others, before turning our bow southward for the 500+ nautical mile trip home.

Following overnighters at beautiful Thomas and Curlew Islands, our next destination was Middle Percy’s West Bay, considered by many as a ‘must see’ stop on the Whitsundays run. After a nostalgic look-a-round checking out our earlier signature plaques in the beach ‘A’-frame and Woolshed we retired around to White’s Bay, a beautiful picture postcard anchorage, from where we walked the track up to the homestead to visit Mick, who purchased the lease from Andy Martin for $10 a few years ago. The walk from White’s to the old homestead is more interesting than that from West Bay, and the panoramic vistas it offers to the south are music to the soul.

With a 30 kt S/E change forecast, everyone headed for protected anchorages, and we bolted out of the Percys for the refuge offered at the extreme top end of Island Head Creek where ‘Envy’ spent the next several days in comfortable solitude, before heading southwards once more.
On the run to Great Keppel we caught another of the several School Mackerel that our new spoon lure lured along the coast, which compensated the losses of our blue Rapala lure that took many large strikes but couldn’t hold the catch. It’s now tooth scared all over with a broken tail.

Around this time it occurred to us what a splendid entrepreneurial opportunity presented itself for weather forecasters to have equity in Marinas, as the VHF crackled out with request after request for berths immediately following a storm or strong wind forecast. Five days were happily spent socialising with other yachties at GKI, avoiding afternoon storms, whilst awaiting tide conditions to suit our run through the Curtis Island Narrows and visit Gladstone, both of which we’d never done during previous years’ long day’s runs from GKI to Pancake Creek.

Badger and Graham Creeks were both excellent anchorages before and after the buzz of the strong tidal race on our first negotiation of the Cattle Crossing, enroute to a very hot Gladstone, where we found the Marina well deserving of the many acclamations of other yachties. After four days here visiting friends and the surrounding district, it was again time to move on, topped up with water and diesel.

A light N/E breeze found us motor sailing again, dropping anchor in busy Pancake Creek during mid-afternoon amongst several old friends. Next morning we walked up to Bustard Head Lighthouse to meet Stuart & Shirley Buchanan and Dudley Fulton, both ex lightkeepers who’ve recently superbly restored the vandalised houses at this, Queensland’s historic first lightstation.

Then off to Bundaberg where being land gypsies with ‘rellies’, playing golf, going to the movies, touring the district and some boat maintenance, followed by four days of 25/30 kt S/E winds, kept us domiciled there for a pleasant ten days, meeting and making new friends.

Finally, conditions improved to the point that we could scamper out of Burnett Heads and head south to Hervey Bay. A favourable windy start soon petered out, necessitating the ‘iron sail’ again til mid afternoon when a very fresh sea breeze started to build, soon after which we tucked in behind Big Woody Island, which proved to be another (first) excellent overnight anchorage.

For some time now we’d been keeping an eye on the tide times to run through the Sandy Straits which, with their several shallow spots, require some navigational prudence, as does the crossing of Wide Bay Bar, and decided to do both given suitable conditions the following day.

Departing Big Woody anchorage, we ran with the morning flood to pass through Boonlye Point shallows where the Straits tides merge, towards the top of the tide, then continued on with the south bound ebb to for a quick and easy run to Elbow Point at the bottom of Fraser Island, where we anchored mid afternoon to await the tide for our passage across the Wide Bay Bar that night. Weighing anchor about an hour before high water, the notorious I mile ‘washing machine’ was not working at all, and we motor sailed across a relatively smooth bar at 2200 hrs in company with others, enjoying a pleasant easy overnight sail to Mooloolaba. Five days were spent here catching up with overseas yachtie friends and visiting the Eumundi Market, whilst awaiting the next weather window through some showery weather.

Light breezes found us making a slow passage down into the Bay, anchoring off the Sandhills at Moreton Island, where a N/E breeze developed overnight. Next morning the N/E’er was blowing 25kts against the strong ebb flow which, together with very heavy rain extended a dubious wet–n-wild welcome back into home waters, and a quick run down to our Karragarra Island mooring.

Whilst our 2004 cruise was only 1100 miles over four months, ‘Envy’ visited many new islands and anchorages, discovering more of our ‘missing links’.

"Happenings" Number 11 - 2004

Canberra Crawl

Nothing of much excitement has been happening around here of late, but that’s all about to change as we start to crank up preparations for our 2004 cruise. It’s getting closer every day to ‘sail-away time’ once again, but the boat’s had little use or attention since our return last November, so we’re a long way from being ready for our next offshore episode.

Plans are to depart Brisbane in July and sail to New Caledonia, then on up through the several islands that comprise Vanuatu, as we discover this highly rated destination, before returning home late November. It’s quite a long way to travel for the relatively short period of 4 months, but we don’t want to miss a season in the Pacific by getting bogged down on Karra through the never ending list of demands consistent with setting up home and grounds here.

Audrey has just commenced (a month ago) another temporary job in suburban Brisbane, which runs through until June 30; this will no doubt benefit both our coffers and preparation time, as we delay our departure this season to help celebrate Audrey’s mothers 80th birthday in July.

We’ve just had a 12 day holiday sojourn driving to Sydney, Bowral and Canberra to try out our newly acquired, rebuilt and R/H converted 1986 Pontiac ‘Fiero’ sports car, and we had a very enjoyable time visiting both friends and relations along the way, whilst discovering the new car.
I’m not surprised a ‘Fiero’ was used as the starting vehicle at the famous ‘Indianapolis 500’ for a couple of years – they are America’s only mid-engined sports car, and go like a rocket! We did over 165 K/hr on two occasions to ‘try it out’, and it just stuck to the road beautifully! Seems that someone is suffering from a bit of late middle-age crisis behaviour.

Sydney certainly is to us a very interesting place to visit, but to our dismay, Taronga Park Zoo was a disappointment with several exhibits closed, as several extensive refurbishment projects are under way. Many of the animals were unable to be seen, but no doubt it will be a very worthwhile experience following completion in a couple of years’ time.

Bowral (and adjacent areas) arguably comprise one of NSW’s elite rural districts, not to overlook this town as the birthplace of Sir Donald Bradman, and our stay with Audrey’s aunt there proved to be just as auspicious, as we discovered both the scenic beauty and historical significance of this early settled area; and some of the local aristocracy as well, at a lovely welcoming cocktail party hosted by Aunt June. A lot of ‘old pastoral money’, and ‘retired prominent Sydneysiders’ make their homes on acreage in this toffy district. It’s almost as pretty as New Zealand.

Canberra (an aboriginal name for meeting place) is a wonderfully interesting place to visit, and we had no trouble packing our few days here full of memories. The Australian War Memorial Museum is universally acknowledged as being the most complete and all encompassing, combined warfare exhibit in the world. The recently opened extensive extension featuring WW2 fighter aircraft and bombers further expands its appeal, and the museum’s multitude of displays which seek to honour war, not glorify it - cover every conflict in Australia’s warfare history, from the Sudan and Boer Wars to our involvement in Iraq today. It is certainly very well done.

Another morning we sat in the gallery of The High Court of Australia with its five Presiding Justices during a working trial, and also enjoyed a boisterous and noisy afternoon in the House of Representatives during a Question Time session. We took tours of both the New and Old Parliament Houses, and Audrey took Bruce’s photo sitting in the Prime Minister’s Chair in the PM’s old office. Powerful stuff, eh!!

ENVY is now at Manly Boat Harbour where she’ll remain until departure as Bruce prepares her for our off shore cruising this season. Regards from us both.

"Happenings" Number 10 - 2003

Homeward Bound – 2003

It is now almost 400 days since Envy commenced her South Seas odyssey, and with the cyclone season fast approaching, our thoughts are homeward turned as we prepare the ship and ourselves for our last ocean passage back across the Tasman from New Caledonia to Brisbane later this week.

Since our last contact via ‘H-8’ from Fiji’s Malolo Islands a few weeks ago, we have made two more land visits to Nadi (Nandi) and one more to Lautoka, enjoying more of the sights, culture, food and shopping experiences that add to this country’s charm, and of course, took a few hundred more photos on the digital camera to add to our book of memories. Audrey and I really enjoyed ‘the differences’ of Fiji, and would readily return and recommend it as a cruising destination.

Even though Fiji has both the most challenging navigation, with its multitude of coral reefs, sand cays and tiny islets, and the most petty crime of stealing from yachts throughout the South Pacific, we gratefully avoided all of this and safely took our leave after 43 wonderful days there, clearing from Lautoka on 16 October with the forecast of a favourable 15/20 knot breeze to commence our passage to New Caledonia.

But there was a localized stationary front just west of Fiji that was not mentioned in the forecast and so we battled strong winds and a rough sea all that first night, and indeed most of the way, and arrived in New Caledonia 6 days later after having spent the last 36 hours tacking into a strong westerly wind to cover the last 50 miles. Shades of the New Zealand to Tonga passage. But as usual Envy handled it well, whilst we got a bit more experience in heavy weather sailing!

We ducked into the first sheltered bay we came to after negotiating the dreaded Havannah Pass at the southeast corner of New Caledonia and, though strictly improper, dropped anchor and took a well-earned rest overnight, before continuing on the 40 miles to Noumea. Arriving there late in the afternoon, we anchored out in Port Moselle and ‘cleared in’ with Customs the following morning.

It all proceeded very efficiently with Quarantine and then Immigration, but a misunderstanding between the three very busy Customs teams led to us being overlooked and after waiting many hours before we initiated our concern, we had a quick visit from four senior officers who apologised profusely and cleared us in without so much as a look!

Wow!! What a great place Noumea is. We’ve neither of us have been here before and had no idea what to expect. After the lesser developed and poorer places we’d seen, New Caledonia is rich, modern, well developed, expensive, and French. Everything runs like clockwork here, though they still indulge the French colonial habit of closing for 2 hours or more in the middle of the day, and the Parisian syndrome of driving their mostly new Peugeots, Citroens, and Renaults at hair-raising speeds around the town.

The main island, Grand Terre, was discovered and named by Caption Cook in 1774, is 400km long by 50km wide, has been a French possession since 1853 and a penal settlement (as were most French colonies) from 1872 to 1913. Its successful economic background is principally due to mining with its hilly red volcanic country being rich in nickel, (the worlds third largest producer after Canada and Russia), cobalt, chromium, and iron, and together with coffee production, all add to the coffers of this nation’s economy.

Around Noumea and the mainland’s southern end, the coastline, with its several adjacent islands, is a continual jigsaw of bays, coves and headlands, running back to quite parched though scenic high hills of volcanic country, intermittently clothed in stunted green shrubbery, offering a stark vista of the contrasting monotones of red and green alone, quite striking and very unusual.

The capital, Noumea, is a modern city of over 70,000 people, principally native Melanesian Kanaks and French Europeans; the national population is 180,000 and comprises a racial mixture that additionally includes Asians, neighbouring islanders and West Indians.

After spending a few days being ‘townies’, we bolted out of expensive, bustling Noumea and sailed down to Baie de Prony for an overnight stay enroute to ‘the jewel of the Pacific’, New Caledonia’s famous Ile des Pins (the Isle of Pines).

Located 40 miles (65km) south of the main island, but still within the huge lagoon that surrounds New Cal with 1600 nm of barrier reef, the Isle of Pines is picture postcard pretty with its clear water, fine white sand, countless coral reefs and little sand cay beaches. Also discovered by Cook and named for the native pines which are indigenous to this island alone, these trees are tall and more needle shaped than Norfolk Island Pines, though they share a similar type leaf or frond.

The island is quite small – you can drive around it in half an hour – but steeped in New Cal’s early history, for it was here that 3000 deportees were incarcerated following the Paris Rebellion of 1871, thus commencing its period of penal servitude, and the numerous stone buildings of the prison infrastructure and many other public works, together with the well kept cemetery, speak to the misery of hard labour that no doubt proliferated here.

Envy was anchored 200 mtr off the main sandy beach at Baie de Kuto which, together with the adjoining Baie de Kanumera, separated only by a 200 metre wide isthmus, are two of the most beautiful places we have seen. Our anchorage here afforded us a view of the old penal era colonial residences of the governor and the doctor with their privileged waterfront locations, contrasting the adjacent new public wharf and huge offshore catamaran that spews out hundreds of tourists three days per week, bound for the many modern tourist resorts which occupy the Isle of Pines.

New Caledonians boast the sand here is the finest in the world, and that claim may well be true, for it is very clean and talcum like, though perhaps not as white as the silica sand of Whitehaven Beach in Queensland’s Whitsunday Islands. Nevertheless, the clean sandy bottom could be clearly seen 4 metres below us, as could the fish and turtles that chose to keep us company.

With no public transport, we hitchhiked the 6km of good bitumen road to check out the principal village of Vao. Its lovely old cathedral features numerous carved statuettes and an ornate ceiling comprised of many different species of timber and, high on the hilltop beyond it, up to which we climbed, is a tiny chapel containing a statue of the weeping Madonna. Peopled principally with local Kanaks, this little village comprised a mixture of small western and traditional grass-roofed houses in well-kept grounds, but as in French Wallis Island, its few shops were not close together.

Other highlights of our time here included our 3km round-trip daily walk from Kuto Bay to the only bakery for excellent baguettes (French bread sticks), we enjoyed local cuisine for lunch, and one fine windy morning struggled up a very steep stony track to the islands highest peak at 262mtr, then hiked along its narrow bare ridge for several kilometres being rewarded at every step with continual magnificent views over the entire island and its fringing turquoise reefs, sandy beaches and islands.
Fortunately (for us) there’s been very little rain anywhere we’ve been these past few months, which is good for we tourists and our camera but has left village gardens quite bereft.

Each late afternoon we played Petanque (French style bowls) on the beach with our new friends and fellow CCCA members Neil and Ley, “Crystal Blues”, usually to the inquisitive observations of the Japanese tourists who strolled by. As a result of this daily idleness we now have our own set of steel Petanque balls, to hone our skills and continue our enjoyment with visiting friends on the little sandy beach back home on Karragarra Island.

We were told by Jean Paul, a French expatriate living in Noumea and fellow yachtsman whom we met at Kuto, that New Caledonia is too distant to attract many tourists from France and that most tourists are Japanese, followed by Aussies and Kiwis.

We had a marvellous sail back the 40 n miles from the Pines and spent another couple of days in Baie du Carenage, at the top end of Baie de Prony, enroute back to Noumea. It is all red soil country around there, which clings to shoes and feet and tends to stain everything red and, with rain showers about, we shied away from the walking tracks, but we did get to enjoy a visit by dinghy to the ‘hot springs’ pool in the eastern Carenage, though it wasn’t flowing. Then it was back to Noumea.

Today is Armistice Day, a public holiday in New Caledonia, and we’re hoping to find an Internet Café that’s open to send this off.

Meanwhile, Envy rides at anchor in Noumea’s windy and overcast Port Moselle harbour as we attend final preparations and maintenance prior to ‘clearing out’ and departing later this week on the 800 nautical mile (1483 km) trip back to Brisbane, which we estimate will be a 7 to 8 day passage. At the moment our weather faxes suggest fairly good conditions of 20+ knot easterly following winds, so here’s hoping for a favourable run.

Most of this season’s Pacific cruising fleet have already arrived at, or are in transit to their summer (cyclone season) stopover destinations of Fiji, Australia or New Zealand, with not many of us stragglers yet to depart, but with a bit of luck, Envy will be back safely at home soon after a simply wonderful year in Paradise.

"Happenings" Number 9 - 2003

More Landfalls in Paradise - 2003

‘Envy’ didn’t leave Samoa for Fiji “in a few day’s time”, as per our assumption in concluding ‘H-7’; indeed, we stayed a further 2 ½ weeks, principally researching Bruce’s Samoan ancestry, and what a revealing and exciting pastime for us that turned out to be. As brief as possible, here is the story.

With no intention of being pretentious, some of you may be unaware that Bruce’s paternal great-grandfather, Australian explorer and pioneer of Cape York and Somerset, Frank Jardine, met and married there, in 1872, a Samoan Princess, Sana Solia Sofala, niece of Malietoa the ruling Suzerain of Samoa from around that time.

Those details have long been historically documented, but not much was known concerning her family and background, so our visit to Samoa provided the opportunity for genealogical research. As the result of a frustrating morning pouring over complicated and confusing mid-eighteenth century local historical records at the Apia library, I decided the best approach was to go public, so contacted the major ‘Samoan Observer’ newspaper, who thought it newsworthy enough to initially run a full page story with photos, then followed that up with a further four articles over the ensuing two weeks, which got the telephones ringing, and an offer of research by a local consultancy agency free of charge. (They were newly established and wanted the associated press exposure and publicity).

Acting on a suggestion to contact an 80+ years old retired Minister who was writing the early history of The London Missionary Society in Samoa, he gave me, a few days later, a letter that his wife had since discovered in an old church magazine from an aging Sana Solia sent from Somerset in 1907 seeking news of her family in Samoa, with whom she’d had no contact for 37 years. It documented her family history, which I won’t bore you with, and that they came from Falelatai Village on Upolu, to which we have now visited twice. For us, it was a very interesting and exciting couple of weeks.

The harbour at Apia, Samoa’s capital, must be one of the busiest in the South Pacific, for frequency of shipping arrivals was one every other day, not to overlook the 30 yachts which were anchored all around the harbour there as well. The most interesting of the large ships was the up-market cruise liner “Tahitian Princess”, with almost as many crew as passengers (who oozed wealth), though a large Oil Tanker was the biggest by far, discharging its bulk fuel cargo through an underwater pipeline from the centre of the harbour.

We had intended to visit only the main Samoan island, Upolu, then sail down to Fiji, but somewhere along the way plans changed to include a visit to the tiny French possession of Wallis Island, so we stopped off for a few days at Samoa’s other major island, Savai’i (sar-vie-e), enroute. It has the reputation of being the most scenic of Samoa’s islands, and we spent six very pleasant days discovering Savai’i by bus, totally circumnavigating the island and passing through all its main villages.

Savai’i is very different to anything we’d seen; though volcanic like much of the South Pacific, it differed with its considerable areas of jet-black lava rock bare of any vegetation, including an extensive flat barren area running to precipitous cliffs on the north shore known as the Lava Fields. This coastline featured some stunning coastal cliffs and maritime scenery, plus picturesque sandy beaches with backpacker resorts. Asau Village on the northwestern end of Savai’i is a small, clean and pretty place with modest western style housing scattered throughout the undulating, hot, black lava rock terrain, skirted with sandy coves and turquoise waters. It has an excellent harbour with a large concrete wharf, and a small but modern all-weather airport, but neither ships nor aircraft call here any more. Such a waste of valuable resources in a country lacking in them both.

But it’s a South Pacific story of repeated regularity. With limited employment opportunities and little else to keep them there, Asau’s younger generation, as have many Samoans, gravitated to the cities and/or overseas, and we often heard the claim that there are more Samoans living abroad, principally in New Zealand, the USA, and Australia, than reside within their homeland.

Nevertheless, here as elsewhere, the locals were very friendly, and we had several children come aboard Envy for a drink of cordial, a biscuit and a ‘look-see’, which they absolutely love to do. They would hail us continuously from the shore until we went in to collect them in the dinghy, or if ignored, sometimes even swim out to the yacht.

We departed Asau Harbour late one afternoon with Envy scorching along at 8.6 knots (15km/hr), an exhilarating buzz from our usual 5 to 6 kts, having the benefit of a strong ocean current along the top of Savai’i Island, heading for Ile Uvea, the main island in the small Wallis Group, a tiny speck surrounded by its huge lagoon, lost in the middle of the Pacific. Its narrow entrance channel has large tidal ‘overfalls’ during mid-tide runs, so it must be negotiated at slack water, hence our late afternoon departure from Samoa, but that passage was quicker than anticipated and we found ourselves ‘hove-to’ for an hour at 4am about 20 miles offshore awaiting daylight and the tide to make our entry into the lagoon.

Wallis and Futuna Islands are a French possession lying west of Samoa and northeast of Fiji and, at 13 º south marked the northernmost extent of our cruising. The main island of Wallis, Ile Uvea, is only 12km long by 6km wide, peopled by French speaking Polynesians, and you’re hard pressed to find many who understand any English. The pace is pretty much laid back, with all shops and businesses closing at noon to re-open sometime after 2pm. Surprisingly, the island has no tourist industry at all, nor is tourism sought or encouraged. There is not one single Taxi on the island, nor any public transport whatsoever, though there is no shortage of motor vehicles. We hitchhiked or walked everywhere, and almost always got a ride with the first vehicle that came along and though everyone was friendly, communication was difficult since our French is sadly lacking.

We were fortunate to share Uvea’s only protected anchorage at Gahi (Nar-hee) with another ‘cruising yachtie’ from England who’d been there for 3 weeks and who spoke French fluently, so Chris Smith gave us a good introduction to the local scene and customs. We also met a few French expatriate professionals there on 2-year postings who informed us that Wallis Island has no domestic product or export income at all, being entirely dependent on French handouts of total aid and support. Medical, dental and hospital care are all free to the locals, and imported food lines are subsidised. Even so, the cost of everything in the provincial centre of Mata Utu except bread and some cheap French red wine was quite expensive, but the baguettes were the best bread we’ve tasted since leaving Australia.

After six wonderful days there soaking up the local culture, touring around and visiting some sights of interest including the little known but immaculately preserved ancient stone fort dating back many centuries, we departed this exciting landfall on the afternoon tide to clear the lagoon, with a nostalgic farewell to Polynesia, and commenced our 3 day passage to Fiji filled with exciting anticipation of what lay ahead.

Our destination there was Savusavu, on the southwestern corner of Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second large island, where we arrived 72 hours later after a pleasant passage, though we motor-sailed for part of it due to a lack of wind. Sometimes when the wind dies away in the ocean the sea swell continues to roll on through, resulting in a most unpleasant motion as the boat rolls from side to side with sails loudly slatting, so in these circumstances we run the engine and motor sail to ease the discomfort.

Our ‘clearing in’ at Savusavu reminded us of Fiji’s colonial heritage with the copious paperwork, all in loose carbon paper triplicate, of Customs, Health, Immigration and Quarantine requirements standing proudly as a legacy of old Britain, and far outdoing any other entry experience. The annual cost of ink and paper must be staggering, but it no doubt benefits Fiji’s employment situation.

For us, Fiji is different again to the rest of the South Pacific of our travels, and in a nutshell, the following ‘thumbnails’ are our observations to date.

New Zealand is a developed cosmopolitan society and its Maori are Polynesian. Tonga is also Polynesian, comparatively poor and pretty much embraces a subsistence lifestyle; we found it mainly a ‘sailing experience’ of wonderful tropical island cruising. Samoa is Polynesian, bustling, clean and progressive with a higher standard of living, and for us, an excellent ‘on-land’ experience, somewhat determined by its relatively few suitable cruising destinations. Wallis Island was again mainly a ‘people and land’ thing; Polynesian, French, expensive, and ‘un-touristy’, yet so very interestingly different and unusual.

Fiji is pretty much a combination of it all; lying west of 180º longitude, it is Melanesian, but has an absorbing mix of ethnic Fijian and Indian Fijian cultures. Comprising over 300 islands (only 1/3 inhabited) it offers great inter-island cruising comparable to any, but is also very much a ‘land and people’ experience and, away from the main tourist areas, comparatively inexpensive.

Vanua Levu has never shared the glitzy tourist reputation of Viti Levu, Fiji’s main island, and this made it all the more appealing to us. Having only the two towns of Lambasa and Savusavu on the entire island, (but numerous villages), with a large Indian community, many sugar cane plantations, and a character reminiscent of ‘old Fiji’ in so many ways, we generally immersed ourselves in both ethnic and Indian experiences and enjoyed our ten days there immensely. The municipal market in Savusavu offered the best vegetables since NZ, cost of living ‘across the board’ was comparatively cheap, and the unpretentious Indian Curry Cafes served unbelievably good dishes at Aust$3.00 per meal. You couldn’t cook a similar meal any cheaper!

We took a local bus over the 80km of rough bitumen road, through farms of drought-stricken sugar cane, up to the main town of Lambasa with its majority Indian population, where we fortuitously arrived in time to witness a major annual religious procession down the main street, honouring a Hindu deity. About thirty men all clad in white physically towed a very ornate float garlanded with leis & flowers, and featuring a mural of an elephant-trunked female deity, no doubt the subject of this colourful celebration, which contained a very serious, young looking priest who was having a lovely time playing with fire and blowing flames everywhere. All this excitement, together with the crowds of women dressed in their bright multi-hued saris, made this a most memorable spectacle of colour and mystery indeed.

Departing Savusavu, Envy sailed west through narrow coral reef passes and boisterous Nasonisoni Passage with its mile-long 2 to 3 metre high standing tidal surge, for overnight stays at Nambouwalu and Mbau Bay before leaving Vanua Levu for Yandua Island. Now somewhat off the beaten track, our three days in this splendid anchorage offered the best reef snorkelling so far, and our digital camera, safe and dry in its underwater housing, worked overtime among the pretty tropical fish and the coral gardens. Most small tropical fish maintain a ‘comfort zone’ of a metre or more but here, with much less human contact, they inquisitively checked us out at a much closer range than that. The long hot climb up to the top of the narrow isthmus ridge behind the anchorage rewarded the hardy with some truly awesome views of either side of the island, a panorama of several idyllic coves whose multi-hued blues, turquoise and green waters lapped shallow coral giving way to palm lined beaches. Real postcard stuff, and very pretty.

It was time to see something of the main island, Viti Levu, so we sailed south into a 15/20 kt south-easterly averaging 6 knots for the thirty miles across notoriously rough and windy Bligh Water to the reef strewn entrance to small Nananu-I-Ra Island, where we anchored in a long sweeping bay that fronted a lovely sandy beach lined with several up-market homes, which we later learned were the property of international absentee landlords, and that foreign holiday home ownership is a growing trend in several areas of Fiji.

The entire northern coast of Viti Levu is fringed by almost continuous barrier reefs, as well as many more lying further offshore, and Envy cautiously picked her way in short day hops around the top of the island inside these reefs, to Lautoka, our home for the next five days, and where we had to again ‘clear in’ with Customs. So much bureaucracy!

Being now the sugar-harvesting season, each night in our anchorages around this coast we were treated to the spectacular vision of cane fires illuminating the night sky as nearby farmers burnt their fields preparatory to hand harvesting the next morning, but this spectacle was not without cost. Since all the mills were crushing daily and non-stop, our anchorage in Lautoka, Fiji’s ‘sugar capital’ and second largest town, for both Customs and sightseeing requirements, had all the yachts there clothed in a blanket of fine black ash, which floated down day and night and covered everything with soot.

But Lautoka was otherwise a great experience with its colourful busy street scenes with their mix of multi-cultures, the buzz of the large municipal market, the aromas of the cafes and fragrances of the Indian shops, and better still, perhaps even less expensive than Vanua Levu. The government’s Public Service Information Week and the Annual Sugar Festival added further appeal to our time there, as did our indulgence in their culinary delights plus the occasional ice cream or two. Here, as elsewhere, we almost always shared our visits ashore in the company of other cruising yachties.

We also took the one hour bus trip to Nadi (Nandi) for a look around this touristy gateway to the nation, and were pleasantly surprised to discover our visit coincided with day 1 of a four day ‘town-wide’ “sale”, in which most of the shops were participating, with much merchandise reduced to half price; what good fortune, for we had intended to shop anyway! That afternoon we visited the nearby up-market Denarau Island Resort and Marina, a 20-minute trip from Nadi, which in addition to its pristine maritime environment and beachfront, features superb resort accommodation, championship golf and tennis facilities, and two new residential estates. Having been shown around these facilities and the modern Marina, which are both still ongoing developments, we are very impressed and decided that we could quite easily live there, being only a 2 hour fight from Brisbane.

Finally, the bagasse ash from the sugar mill got the better of us so we moved a few miles down the coast for an overnighter at Saweni Bay, another popular anchorage, before moving on to refuel and take water at Vuda Point Marina, enroute to the well-known yachties haunt at Musket Cove Resort and Marina on Malolo Lailai Island, about 20 miles distant, where F$1 secures life membership of the Musket Cove Yacht Club, for whatever it’s worth. In order to qualify you must have sailed to or from a foreign port to Musket Cove, and by all accounts, it seems very few yachties do not sign up.

Envy is currently cruising Fiji’s highly regarded Yasawa Islands, having spent the past nine days visiting the islands of Navandra, Vanua Levu, Waya, Naviti, and Matacawa Levu and as we were writing this at anchor in The Blue Lagoon yesterday, snugly enclosed by four islands and famous for the film of the same name, we watched a film crew in action shooting another movie, much to the pride and delight of Var, Kara, Bill, Bei, and Semi, residents of this tiny island with its million dollar location and views across the lagoon. The night before Semi built us a fire on the beach for another memorable BBQ and sing-a-long with guitar and banjo accompaniment, with our Fijian friends joining in. Thanks again for the memories.

This morning we commenced our move twelve miles southwards down the chain as we slowly make our way back to Lautoka in preparation for our ultimate departure from Fiji later in October. Today finds us in a rolly anchorage at Naviti Island’s lovely ‘One Dollar Beach’, reputedly so named since it featured on the old Fijian one dollar note. On the way up here off Waya Island we were approached by some local fishermen in a small open boat offering us the two largest crayfish we’ve ever, ever seen for $45 each, which we reluctantly declined. This afternoon here in One Dollar Beach we purchased two large Crays for their asking price of $10 each, not quite as big as the others, from a boat full of young boys who just dive for fun. Yummy, yummy, guess what’s for dinner tonight!

Perhaps we’ve mentioned it previously, but one of our biggest surprises and laments has been the scarcity of marine life we’ve encountered during our cruising since leaving Australia. One whale, one sea snake, comparatively few ocean birds and not a single porpoise until a few days ago when a pod of around 12 of them put on a great show for our camera as we cruised along in the Yasawas.

It’s a couple of days later and Envy sits at rest back in Musket Cove as we plan our last few days here in Fiji before sailing off to New Caledonia next week. Tomorrow marks 1 year to the day since leaving Australia, so we’ll probably pop a celebratory bottle of Champers then.

The annual ‘Cyclone Season’ is fast approaching, so we must turn our thoughts towards home. Regrettably, we’ve run out of time to visit Vanuatu this season, but perhaps that is something to think about for next year. Nevertheless, we are looking forward to discovering French New Caledonia on our way back to Oz, and hope the weather favours a trip down to its spectacular cruising grounds in the Isle of Pines.

Malolo Lailai, Fiji. 12-Oct-03

"Happenings" Number 8 - 2003

Landfalls in Paradise

‘Races to the swift, Fortunes to the brave’ - goes an old ‘saw’ (adage) to which one might add, certainly in our recent experience, ‘Paradise to the seekers’, for wandering about and going the extra mile off the beaten track brought us its rewards in northern Tonga. But I’ll come to that presently.

Continuing on from our last report, ‘Envy’ spent a further two weeks moseying about more of Vava’u’s sheltered island anchorages, indulging the marvellous scenery of small secluded bays with their palm lined beaches, whilst enjoying making the acquaintance of both the local village peoples and some newly met fellow cruising yachties. However, not every day is a Valhalla in paradise, for we must admit to some yucky unseasonal wet weather, and a few horrible windy days as well, which kept us holed up in snug anchorages.

Captain Cook named Tonga ‘the friendly islands’ (although unbeknown to him the local chiefs were planning to kill him) and that moniker holds true today, for we met such friendly people everywhere we went. Whilst village lifestyle, away from the towns, is basically one of subsistence, these Polynesian peoples are a picture of beaming health and happiness, and their smiles, so pleasing in themselves, are further enhanced by the nicest pearly white teeth you’d ever hope to see. Such a contrast to their beetle nut chewing Melanesian ‘cousins’ with their orange and black stained teeth.

After 35 days of sailing around the many islands of the Vava’u group, we departed these excellent cruising grounds sailing out from Port Mourelle (not a port at all – just another lovely small sandy palm lined cove) on a moonless night at 2:30am to arrive in daylight the following afternoon 177 n/miles away at Niuatoputapu Island, the administrative centre of Tonga’s isolated far northern Niuan Islands group, and whose unlit dogs-leg entry through the reef is a ‘daylight only’ exercise.

The 33 hour trip was good sailing until mid morning the following day, just 15 miles out from our destination, when we entered the ever moving Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and it rained so heavily out of almost black clouds that we couldn’t see 100 metres ahead (on and off) for the next two hours and, fearing it may not stop in time, we took the decision to abort Niuatoputapu if necessary and sail on the further 180 nm to Samoa, but then the rain cleared 5 miles out and we had lovely sunshine and light airs to negotiate the narrow channel into the lagoon.

What a magic place this turned out to be. Very few yachties, or anyone else, bothers to go to Niuatoputapu, in their hurry to reach Vava’u or Fiji. It’s so small, so undeveloped, and so well off the ‘tourist track’ that almost no one’s ever heard of it, but little do they know what they’ve missed. Mind you, not much really, since there is not much here – no Bars, Restaurants, shopping opportunities or Hotels, etc. other than the small Palm Tree Island Resort, which seldom has many, if any guests, on tiny adjoining Hunganga Island, to which we waded across at low tide and were towed home in a motor-less dinghy at high tide, with the resort employee walking across the 200 mtr wide clear sandy channel with water covering his shoulders and only his head showing above it!

But what Niuatoputapu does have is a superb lagoon surrounded by a tropical island with a most excellent anchorage that looks across royal blue water to the perfectly conical volcanic island of Tafahi five miles away. It’s an absolute picture postcard setting and the perfect epitome of what our romantic “South Pacific” fantasy is all about.

Niuatoputapu has no sealed roads, indeed most are just 2 wheel grassy tracks, but then there are only about 1000 people on this small 9km by 4km Island, and very few vehicles. We walked 4.5 km each way from our lagoon anchorage at Falehau village, past Vaipoa village and on into the principal village of Hihifo to ‘clear in’ with Customs, and saw only four cars the whole time.

The few official government administration offices are located in old single level timber buildings, sorely in need of maintenance, paint, and ground works, but they ooze charm and character like something out of a Mitchener novel. Hihifo, with its grassy wheel-track streets, just wouldn’t have the same ambience if the place were ‘tarted up’!

The attractions here are nature and people, and especially the people, who were so ‘down-to-earth’ friendly that it was a pleasure to be with them. We noticed very few domestic pigs running around here, in contrast to the rest of Tonga, nor is there any television or internet cafes, but you can ‘phone anywhere in the world from the local TCC office.

The tropical scenery matches the beauty of the lagoon, with a high hill a little back from the sandy beach offering magnificent views of it all if one can survive the steep climb up. These three villages are the only places we saw in all four Tonga Island groups where traditional housing of bush material construction dominates. We felt privileged to be here in this wonderful ‘out-of-the –way’ part of old traditional Tonga.

But time and a good weather window beckoned us on, so after an all too short a stay, we sailed on a further 185 nm Northeasterly arriving in Apia, capital of Independent (Western) Samoa 40 hrs later, having lost a day enroute as we crossed the International Dateline into the Western Hemisphere. It was exciting to see all the village lights as we traversed the northwest coast of Upolu Island at night, and to arrive at Apia just after sunrise.

And what a surprising difference we found here. Clean, bright and on the move is the way we see Samoa, a nation that has reversed its fortunes in the past decade from having one of the Pacific’s poorest economies to being one of its success stories, and in that respect such a contrast to Tonga. Apia is buzzing with commercial activity, has numerous new buildings, mostly newish vehicles and a smartly dressed business community. And, of course, there’s a McDonald here, which Tonga doesn’t have, so we figure that’s another economic barometer as well.

Soon after arriving we visited ‘Vailima’, the former residence of Robert Louis Stevenson, located 4km out of Apia, and it took an hour to climb up Mt.Vaea to Stevenson’s tomb with its magnificent hill top vista overlooking Apia and the sea. Stevenson was a small framed sickly man most of his life, dying at 49. We’ve all heard his requiem inscribed on his tomb, but it warrants repeating here.

“Under the wide and starry sky
Dig the grave and let me lie
Glad did I live, and gladly die
And I laid me down with a will.”

“This be the verse you grave for me
Here he lies where he longed to be
Home is the sailor, home from the sea
And the hunter home from the hill”.

That evening we went to the weekly ‘Samoan Cultural Dance & Fire Show’ at Aggie Grey’s Hotel, a famous institution in its own right throughout the South Pacific, dating back to WW2 when Aggie ran a burger joint here for US GI’s. It is now a new, modern up-market ‘5*’establishment.

Then we rented a small 4WD Suzuki and spent a day driving around the eastern end of this main island of Upolu. Stopping to chat at a few of the numerous coastal villages along the way, we came across some very interesting places and met some interesting people. All roads are bitumen sealed, and many villages have clean, white painted rocks lining both sides of the road, which looks quite striking, supported by their well kept lawns and colourful gardens.

All the waterfront land is privately owned either by individuals or the village, there are no public beaches as such, and you have to pay to go onto any nice white sandy beach. The usual rate is 10 Tala each (Aust$6), and by the time you’ve got out of the car, there’ll be a local telling you that if you stay more than 2 minutes then you’ll have to pay.

Other highlights included swimming in waterfront ‘cave pools’, where fresh water springs bubbled up into crystal clear rock pools at such a rate as to prevent salt seawater from flowing into them. We visited two different waterfalls up in the hills, sat and chatted with village chiefs, and inspected a large church three years under construction by local village tradesmen.

The villages comprised a mixture of both traditional and western style housing, but spotlessly clean and often painted in bright colours. The traditional Samoan houses were totally open, with no fixed walls, and a large overhanging thatched roof. There is little furniture in them for the people sit, eat and sleep on woven Pandanus mats on the floor, though some do have wooden easy chairs.

Each village has its own privately run bus service, and there are scores of them around Upolu. What these (tray-back truck) buses lack in their modest design and construction, is more than compensated for in their livery. Like the taxis in Manilla, Samoan buses are a blaze of colour, with no two the same, and the central terminal beside the seafront fish market is a kaleidoscope of colour and design as the buses constantly come and go, on the right hand side of the road, as in the USA. We rode one back the 4km to town following our visit to R.L. Stevenson’s ‘Vailima’ house, and they sure look better than their hard seat ride.

This time of year is known as the Dry Season here, rather than winter, since it’s always warm to hot in these latitudes (13º S), with daytime temperatures of 30º+C reducing to a warm 26ºC overnight. Thank goodness we have fans in the yacht. There have been a few showers but generally the weather has been favourable.

We plan to depart this vibrant South Pacific jewel in a few days time and, hopefully, from here onwards it’s the downhill, mainly downwind run back to Oz, albeit over 2000 miles of ocean sailing.

Our next stop will be at Savusavu, in Fiji’s northern island of Vanua Levu, and we expect the 580nm passage will take five days. We will probably spend several weeks cruising Fiji, so we’ll tell you about that later on.

"Happenings" Number 7 - 2003

Into The South Pacific - 2003

April 23, coincidentally six months to the day of ‘Envy’s’ arrival in New Zealand, finds us departing Auckland and heading the 50 nm to Great Barrier Island, and the beginning of the next phase of our South Pacific adventure. A few days there at the Barrier resulted in 32 fillets, mostly Snapper, going into the freezer before sailing overnight back up to The Bay of Islands where we relaxed and slowly re-adjusted back into ‘sea mode’ for two weeks, prior to clearing New Zealand Customs at Opua.

Light breezes were forecast for the following few days as we farewelled New Zealand from The Bay of Islands on May 13, in brilliant sunshine and friendly seas bound for Tonga 1080 nautical miles away, concluding a wonderful 203 day ‘kiwi experience.

By noon the next day ‘Envy’ was close hauled and bashing into squally 30kt headwinds, which blew continuously for the next 36 hours (so much for the forecast), after which they turned gale force E/NE gusting 40 knots (74 km / hr) ‘on the nose’ for the following two days, so we ‘hove to’ with tiny storm sails up (as did other yachts), drifting at 2 knots in the wrong direction going nowhere, but at least it was more comfortable than taking a pasting, and we caught up on some sleep.

And so it was to be, beating close hauled all the way to Tonga, 16 days and nights at sea with mostly strong headwinds and sailing zigzag more than 1300 nautical miles to get there. Merely balancing on the toilet took the strength and agility of a gymnast, to say nothing of Audrey’s balance skills whilst strapped into the galley reheating prepared meals, and having to hang on to avoid being thrown about with the boat’s constant pitching during the worst of it. By now we’d become accustomed to the ship’s noise and movement so sleeping wasn’t too difficult, and the only time of any decent relaxation.

Crossing the notorious Tasman last year was child’s play by comparison. Fortunately we don’t suffer seasickness to any extent, we ate well and slept well, and I hasten to say that at no time did we or the yacht feel compromised from a safety point of view; indeed “Envy” handled it very well – t’was just the crew that found the going tedious and uncomfortable.

The one highlight of the passage was on day 12 at sea when we stopped overnight in the large lagoon of North Minerva Reef, out in the middle of nowhere in the ocean and the only passage break on our entire route. We treated ourselves to a roast beef dinner that night, and 9 hours of ‘watch-free’ deep uninterrupted sleep!

We sailed into Nuku’alofa, capital of the Kingdom of Tonga, refreshed and happy on Wednesday 28 May, the passage taking 5 days longer than expected. By the time we were ready to ‘Clear In’ with Customs later that afternoon, seems like all three government officials wanted to finish early, so they all just stamped our entry papers ashore, without even coming aboard to check our quarantine items!

We’d been told Nuku’alofa, on Tongatapu Island, was a fairly ordinary place that many yachties don’t bother to visit but since it’s the first landfall coming from New Zealand and a Custom’s entry port as well, it seemed a logical stop for us. The town appears old, tired and dirty, like so many developing countries, yet offers the contradiction of a well-maintained causeway along the scenic reef strewn waterfront, and isolated pockets of civic pride.

The King’s Palace is an attractive 19th century, architecturally grand three-storied iron roofed timber complex, occupying extensive open lawns on the beachfront at the edge of town. Nuku’alofa’s business centre comprises a half dozen blocks of one and two storey mostly old poorly maintained shops, cafes and government buildings, interspersed with large shade trees, with the focal point of the large central market where locals sell a good variety of fresh produce, including fruit, green and salad vegetables, eggs, clothing, arts & crafts, woven baskets, mats, carvings and all sorts of local cultural artefacts.

Nuku’alofa’s topography is quite flat, town streets are basic bitumen sealed, there is a general profusion of broad leafed tropical green trees and colourful variegated flora with small grassy-lawned house blocks neatly aligned, and domestic pigs, scrawny half-starved dogs and happy, smiling children are everywhere. Several large churches dominate the town area, whose size and grandeur by comparison with all other town buildings reflect the importance of religion to this pious nation.

The Tongan people, though quite conservative but very friendly, and often big framed, are keen Rugby fans, live in small modest western style houses, drive mostly old Japanese wrecks of cars and enjoy a fairly easy-going lifestyle; they are very devout with church the only thing that happens throughout the nation on a Sunday, and though they sing with gusto and superb harmony, by all accounts many embrace an indifferent work ethic with a commercial culture frustratingly ‘laid back’, not that there’s any depth or variety of business activity here beyond the basic necessities.

In order to keep the country’s economy viable and competitive, the Tongan Pa’anga (dollar) is well over-valued, being pegged close to the ‘Kiwi’ dollar, resulting in a not so cheap cost of living other than for those fortunate enough to have strong currencies like the US dollar or UK pounds to spend.

Our second day in Nuku’alofa fortuitously coincided with the annual ‘Opening of Parliament’ by the King. This occasion is celebrated with a public holiday and a large Procession through the town streets, led by the 85 year old King’s motorcade and Foreign Dignitaries, followed by several marching Brass Bands with the Armed Services, hundreds of colourfully uniformed school children, church groups and other civic bodies marching in the one and a half hour long procession through waving crowds. What an interesting introduction to Tonga, their culture, customs and traditional dress.

Next job was to find someone to re-sew our Genoa headsail that suffered some stitching failure during the gale enroute from NZ, but since there’s no sailmakers here, we settled for a Pakistani shirtmaker who did a good job on it. While ‘Med moored’ in the tiny Nuku’alofa boat basin we discovered a bunch of nylon fishing line wrapped tightly around the propeller and shaft and, believe me, the half hour it took diving down in that filthy water to clear it was excessive punishment for all my past sins. Yuk!

One evening we joined several other yachties and went to The Tongan Cultural Centre in Nuku’alofa for a traditional feast and cultural night where we were treated to a great meal of local Tongan dishes followed by traditional dancing. Another interesting experience for T$ 20 per person, incl taxi fare.

After 10 interesting days in the capital, it was time to move on and see ‘the real Tonga’ – the multitude of islands that make up the four main groups, Tongatapu, Ha’apai, Vava’u and Niuatoputapu, as they stretch some 320 n/miles northwards, in that order, to comprise The Kingdom of Tonga.

The central cluster of Tongan Islands known as the Ha’apai (Har/pie) Group are interspersed with numerous coral reefs and unchartered shoals, so many cruising yachties bypass them for the safer, less hazardous Vava’u islands farther north. However, we joined two other yachts, ‘Dream Catcher’ and ‘Paula’, heading northwards from Tongatapu and day sailed up through the coral to tiny uninhabited Tau Island (15 nm away) where we anchored off overnight, then another 35nm on to Kelefesia Island, (uninhabited & 3km around) where we stayed two nights, followed by a lovely sail 20nm to Nomuka Iki Island, uninhabited site of an abandoned prison, once again going ashore to look around as usual.

Next morning found us sailing 15nm in a gentle 15kt breeze to O’ua Island, with its ‘S’ bend entry 1km long through the coral reef, where we stayed 2 days. Going ashore to meet the locals the following morning, we found a team of men building an 8 metre wooden fishing boat out of ‘scrap’ wood, which they assured us would give at least 15 years of service. Amazing! Their village covered about half a sq./km and was completely boundary fenced to contain the scores of domestic pigs that freely roamed the village. We were invited to visit the primary school here, much to the enjoyment of the children, who gazed in amazement at instantly seeing their photograph on the screen of our digital camera.

Sailing at six knots the 19 nm to Tofanga Island the next morning, ‘Paula’s’ trolling line caught a Wahoo, a game fish of international repute. A powerful swimmer, it took a lot of time and effort to land this over 4ft. specimen, and we all enjoyed its high quality, fine-grained white flesh.

Word got around on ship’s radio one of the several yachties sailing ‘loosely together’ through the Ha’apai was celebrating his birthday with a beach BBQ, bonfire and sing-a-long on the magnificent palm-lined sandy beach at Uoleva Island (they’re all like that over here), about nine miles northwards, so several boats gravitated there for a night to remember. There were perhaps 40 yachties there from Sweden, Canada, USA, NZ, Australia and Switzerland, and it was a night to remember.

After three days there soaking up this sandy, turquoise part of paradise ‘Envy’ headed a further eight miles north to Pangai township, the administrative centre of the Ha’apai Group, on Lifuka Island. We anchored 300 metres off shore in 4 mtr of crystal clear water on a sandy bottom. Pangai’s an attractive small village with a grassy waterfront shaded by large fig trees, surrounding clusters of romantic old timber government buildings with shaded courtyards where women swept leaves off the well-kept lawns. Churches were again the dominant feature of the landscape, and the people always so friendly. Big brawny Tonga football players were warming up for a game as we passed by, and I mentally cringed at the thought of playing against them.

Then it was on to Ofolanga Island, a short 15-mile sail from Lifuka, and our last Ha’apai destination, where we spent two days. This is another typical tropical small sandy coral island with a fringing reef around which we walked in 90 minutes, and an ideal departure point for our next leg, a 63-mile sail overnight up to the Vava’u Group. Here again, as in much of Tonga with its volcanic origins, many anchorages are quite deep, 15 to 25 metres not uncommon. We weighed anchor just before midnight so as to arrive at the Vava’u group in daylight to negotiate the many small islands and reefs enroute, and enjoyed a perfect overnight sail arriving at the cosy anchorage of Port Mourelle around noon. Our anchorage here was 14 mtr deep (45ft) but you could clearly see the sandy bottom, and we slept well that night after the previous overnight passage.

Next morning we motored the five miles or so around to Neiafu, the administrative centre of these northern Vava’u islands, where we again had to clear in with Customs. Unlike most places in the world, even though one doesn’t leave the country, it is necessary to ‘clear in’ and ‘clear out’ with Customs as you travel between each of the 4 Tonga Island groups.

The harbour at Neiafu is considered one of the pick anchorages of the south Pacific, and it’s not difficult to understand why. It is very scenically attractive, deep, safe, and wonderfully sheltered from all directions; kidney shaped and about 2km long by 600 mtr wide, its clear waters are surrounded by low hills all around with the township built into them on one side, offering magnificent panoramas overlooking the clean harbour and across to a verdant landscape of coconut palms interspersed with various tropical trees on the other side.

Vava’u (Var-var-oo) is a Mecca for international yachties and, for most cruisers, Vava’u is Tonga. There are perhaps 35 yachts here at the moment, of which four are mega-yachts - two huge motor yachts and two huge sailing yachts, one of the latter being larger than any we saw in Auckland during the America’s Cup, more than twenty times the volume of ‘Envy’, and more than twenty million $$’s I’ll bet. How our heart goes out to those troubled people, we feel terribly sorry for them; so much to go wrong, so much to look after, so much to worry about !! We’re blessed to be poor!

Accompanying the food, fun and facilities of Neiafu, with its waterfront bars and restaurants, are over 40 anchorages just hours or less away. The nearby ones are situated amongst the fjords of the main island, whilst the others are small islands surrounded by reef. Vava’u is considered one of the worlds best viewing spots for Humpback Whales, and its hills and shorelines are riddled with caves and crevices. Most are little more than shallow holes, but two of them are unique enough to have obtained near legendary status, and we enjoyed the exhilarating experience to swim in both of them

Swallows Cave near Port Mourelle on Kapa Island is large enough to take several dinghies into. It is a very attractive cave, particularly when its eroded limestone walls and high cathedral like ceiling are lit by the afternoon sun, which shines down through its quiet crystal clear waters to the floor 10 mtrs below. Many thousands of baby fish make the cave their home, and their extensive schools all but hide the bottom from view.

Mariner’s Cave is the most famous of the Vava’u caves, and also the most difficult to find and get into. The cave entrance is about 2 metres underwater and, to get inside, requires a dive similar to swimming from one side of a yacht to the other, passing under the keel. Entering Mariner’s is mentally difficult as what to expect is unknown, and there’s little light inside until ones eyes adjust to the dimness. But it certainly is a buzz to achieve it.

As I write this we’ve now been in Vava’u two weeks, spending most of the time around several of the island anchorages in picturesque, sandy palm-lined bays, and have experienced a couple more Tongan feasts. Yesterday one of the other yachties went trolling and caught a 3 metre Sailfish, looks similar to a Marlin with its ‘sword’ bill, but generally fishing for table fish is not so rewarding.

We’ll depart here for Samoa in about 10 days’ time.