Vanua Balavu - the Lau Group …

July - August 2018

This remote eastern group of islands is purported to be one of the best cruising grounds in the world – if you are looking for resorts, shops and bars then stay away – you will find none of those here - but you will enjoy great fishing, snorkelling, picturesque scenery and rich cultural experiences. Island life is simple, the people being poor in material terms but rich in others, family and church playing a very important role in their lives.

Northernmost in the Lau Group is Vanua Balavu a long winding island of coral in the north and volcanic rock in the south. A 130km barrier reef, surrounds this island and the famous Bay of Islands with the village of Daliconi our first anchorage, and our first sevusevu, so we presented ourselves rather nervously but with that hurdle crossed we knew the next time would be easier!! For sevusevu the women must wear a skirt that covers the knees – or a sulu – traditional Fijian dress, and not have shoulders exposed, men a button shirt and long shorts or sulu, as well no hats or sunglasses are worn in the villages.

Church on Sunday, of course, after which we were invited to lunch with some of the villagers – a table laden with food – fish cooked 3 different ways, kasava, sweet potatoes, steamed greens in coconut milk, followed by fruit salad of banana and pawpaw, then back to the boat for a rest!!  

The village truck/bus

8am next morning saw us back in the village waiting for the village truck to travel to the nearby village of Lomolomo, the truck supposed to be leaving by 830 but the driver had to stop off to watch the closing minutes of the Rugby 7’s match (Fiji beaten by NZ, so I had to hide my NZ heritage and accent much to the amusement of all on the truck!!). On a bus, you ring the bell to tell the driver you want to get off at the next stop - on the truck you ask someone up the front to bash on the roof and he jams on the brakes - anywhere along the track!!

Lomolomo had been one of the villages hit hard by Cyclone Winston (the most intense tropical cyclone to make landfall in the Southern Hemisphere on record) in 2016. It reached category 5 intensity with recorded winds of 306km (190 mph). The village is in two parts – one side Tongan the other Fijian – separated by a small creek although the village functions as one. There were three stores (all carrying the same limited range of goods), post office and small hardware which also sold pre-mix petrol (50-1) and diesel. 

Bay of Islands, Vanua Balavu, with its mushroom islands, created by the erosion of waves and wind

Next day we entered the “Bay of Islands” an incredibly beautiful area with many islands poking like mushrooms out of the water. We got out the paddleboards and did some exploring of this magical spot, staying here two days before we left for Bavatu, a pretty big harbour which is well protected and has, in the past boasted a yacht club – now abandoned and in rather poor shape but the bones still remain leaving us to wonder how good it would be to resurrect it and host the visiting yachts-people and live ‘the good life'

Locally made headwear - not the Melbourne Cup - but....

Also in Bavatu is a track up the side of the hill which leads to a grave site (Kenneth James Allardyce 1881-1937). Kenneth was a Scot who settled here and established a plantation. The best part was not the grave but its situation – walking just a few metres behind the grave to the edge of the cliff is a lookout with views that stretch for miles, we saw SOL at anchor way below us in the harbour, and looked right over the Bay of Islands - the aerial view gave such a spectacular sight of the coral reef surrounding the islands and photographs just don’t do it justice – but I took loads.

From the lookout atop the hill at Bavatu

After Bavatu it was off to Little Bay, where we squeezed into the small anchorage with another two yachts and went to do our next sevusevu. Tui and Bui welcomed us and after presenting our Kava (Yaqona) and other gifts (flour, rice, sugar, noodles, some T-shirts and reading glasses) they invited us to join them for a Lovo that evening so along with the crew of Kattum and Josida we enjoyed the traditional Fijian earth oven feast. 

Bui fishing off the stern of SOL

Tui had a meeting in Lomolomo and was going to be away the night so on Monday Bui came out and slept the night on SOL with us – being keen to fish, and to show us the local way of fishing, we sat for many hours with lines dangling and caught a creditable number of fish (salala, doulu, and trevally) certainly enough that she took a basketful back home next morning and we had quite a few meals tucked away in our freezer. It was extremely informative and entertaining - she would drop in her hand-line, hook a fish, squeal in delight then pull it aboard where she would quickly dispense with it by wringing it's neck (well snapping it's spine at gill height !!) then chuck it in a bucket beside her and returning the line to the water to catch the next one. We discovered that she had never been and slept on one of the visiting boats before so felt rather special.

Our next anchorage was Susui. Susui is the southernmost village in Vanua Balavu and here we stayed for the next three days, visiting the school and playing volleyball with the children. After the volleyball game it was time for coconut drinks - nothing more refreshing than a newly picked coconut, the top cut off so you can drink the  cool water. 

Later that afternoon we were taken to the Hidden Lagoon and Turtle Pond by Jacob, in his longboat. Oysters grow at the waterline in the mangroves and on hearing how much I liked oysters, Jacob went back the next day and came back with a huge number he collected and prepared for me – I was in heaven!!! 

There is a moratorium that prohibits the killing and eating of turtles here in Fiji and the locals, in Susui, when they find a turtle they catch it and release it in the Turtle Pond which is slightly inland from the Hidden Lagoon. They now have 30 or more turtles living peacefully here – hopefully they will continue to do so even after the ban on killing/eating is lifted!!

Along with David, Linda and Mel from ‘Josida’ we left about 9am on Friday 3^rd August bound for Fulaga, 120 nautical miles away, and an overnight sail.

Plantation houses, Bavatu, with lovely rock walls and the 'Sometimes' Store - it was not one of those 'sometimes' when we were there !!

Yamahama to the Rescue - fellow yachtie being towed back to his boat in the Bay of Islands

Village of Daliconi, Vanua Balavu

Tui and Bui preparing traditional food for our Lovo (earth oven feast), Little Bay

A quick check of the doneness of the food in the Lovo before taking it to the table

Rudimentary method of pounding the Kava roots before mixing with water then drinking the muddy looking brew

Salala, covered with banana leaves, cooking over a smokey fire - the end result - delicious

A traditional mat being woven from pandanus leaves, at least two women work together on it,

the pandanus leaves being soaked, boiled and dried before being split into strips.

 

No, not dugout canoes, but village drums, beaten with the stick to announce church times, school times etc., the drums, always two, are kept in their own house

To Fiji now . . .

June - July 2018

When we made landfall in New Zealand back in December 2017 we entered the port of Nelson, at the top of the South Island, and cleared customs there. Near us in the marina was an American registered boat “Rendezvous”, a Balance 445 catamaran, and we chatted with her owners, Phil and Jean, as people do in marinas, they were American and had bought “Rendezvous” in Hong Kong and sailed for the last couple of years from there down through the Philippines, Indonesia and the East Coast of Australia then to New Zealand. They were also going to the Pacific Islands like us, and, as one does, we both said we may catch up again - never actually thinking we would!!

But, we did, in Tonga. As we were moored not far from them in Neaifu, we stopped to say hello as we were passing out to anchor back in Hunga Lagoon for a couple more days – Neaifu harbour was so well protected there was very little breeze and we needed to get out of the heat and humidity for a while. Hellos exchanged, they asked our plans for the next week or so – we had been looking at the weather and felt that either Tuesday or Friday would be a good window to set off for Fiji – they had the same weather window in mind so we made plans to meet up with them again Monday 25^th June to recheck the weather and maybe sail in convoy to Fiji.

Monday we were back in Neaifu, last load of washing done, last fresh fruit and veges bought, weather checked – tomorrow we were off to Fiji.

Customs cleared by midday, Tuesday 26^th June, and along with “Rendezvous” and another catamaran, “Distant Sun” (Rob and Nicola) we were on our way.

Simply gorgeous view behind us en route to Fiji

A cold local beverage and glass of red after arrival

The wind was almost behind us, on our port quarter, so after we cleared the harbour we raised the mainsail, pulled out the genoa and were off – expecting a two and half to three-day sail – we were flying along, at one point the speed log showed a great 16 knots boat speed!! We made the passage in just a speck over two days, arriving in Savusavu, Fiji just after lunch on Thursday and were tied up to the rather ramshackle looking marina awaiting customs – luckily for us we made such good time as Friday was a public holiday and so clearing-in charges were considerably more Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Formalities over we showered, washed the salt off SOL and waited for Phil and Jean, who arrived and were moored by 9pm.

Savusavu is not much, just a main street, with many, many shops, a market, and numerous eating places. Most of which were closed on the Friday holiday but we did manage to find a bar that served us drinks and a very passable fish and chips (at only $6 Fijian each). 

Mahi Mahi !!!

There is a chap in Savusavu, Curly, who runs the sailors net here greeting all who care to listen with a cheery “Goooood morning, Sa-a-a-a-avu-savu” then proceeds to give all sorts of helpful information about the town and surrounds. He also holds seminars and sells fishing lures ’guaranteed’ to catch mahi-mahi – and, yes, Jamie and Phil went out and in a couple of hours had caught three of good size so even after sharing them three ways, we had fish dinners ready for the next ten days.

We caught the local bus (driven at breakneck speed with radio blaring) to the town of Labasa – a three-hour journey each way, one day - not that there was a lot to see there, but certainly a bus trip not to be missed. The bus was crowded on its return journey to Savusavu, it being 4pm and so it was full of school children - it was delightful to see the bus stop at each village along the way, children disembark to the welcoming calls from younger siblings waiting for them.

We visited the Savusavu markets for tremendous fresh fruit and veges and organised to buy our bundles of kava (yaqona – pronounced yangoona) from a local gent who had a shed full of the strange looking roots, necessary for sevusevu on the outer islands.

Sevusevu is a ceremony performed when you first arrive at a new village, it involves finding the Turanga-ni-koru (headman) who will take you to the chief. The Turanga-ni-koru talks to the chief for you, hands over the kava and any other gifts you have brought to the village then after the chief has accepted your gift of kava he welcomes you to the village, the surrounding land and waters. It is an essential part of going to each new village and also entails women to wear skirts covering their knees (or a sulu) and have their shoulders covered. No sunglasses or hats worn and backpacks can be carried anyhow except on the back!!

We had a great time with Phil and Jean then left to go in opposite directions – them to Suva and back to USA for two months and us to explore more islands.

At The Planters Club, an old colonial club, Savusavu, with Phil and Jean (Rendezvous)

Fawn Harbour then Viani Bay then heading out to Rabi Island to Catherine Bay and beautiful Albert Cove where we had been told was really good snorkelling, spending a few days there with Midnight Sun (John and Wendy) before we left for Taveuni then on to Matagi Island for a couple of nights preparing for an early morning start to make the long day sail to Vanua Balavu (leaving midnight in the pitch black but with a good 20knot breeze) as we must make the entrance to the reef by 2pm – in daylight so you could see the reef and coral bommies between there and the anchorage spot two hours motoring time away. We arrived at 2.09pm!! And were anchored happily by 3.45.

Another magical sunset to add to the memories

We had reached the Lau Group, and ahead of us were a multitude of magical islands to explore.

Young girl seen on the bus to Labasa (pronounced Lam-bassa)

School Bus Fiji style

Cathedral, Catherine Bay, Rabi Island - used now for youth group conventions

Simply idyllic...

Vava’u Group, Tonga

June 2018

An absolute feast !!

We have spent almost a week enjoying the various beautiful islands here that make up the Vava’u Group here in northern Tonga. Anchoring in a new bay each night where the water was so clear and clean each coral head was totally visible from the surface. The weather has been perfect, although rather hot and humid – requiring multiple swims to keep cool. The water is so warm it is a delight to dive in and check the set of the anchor.

We went into Neaifu Harbour on Tuesday 5^th June and after picking up a mooring visited the local markets for fresh fruit and veges. Meat is not easily obtained here and rather dubious looking when you do find some, but the fish markets have crayfish/lobster at just $10/kg – so guess what we have been eating!!!

My very good friend Barbara flew up for a 9 day stay and after meeting her we headed out again – I had made a list of the “must see” places I wanted to show her so we were on a mission.

Barbara and I enjoying Caesar's (vodka & clamato juice) after a hard day's

sailing, swimming, snorkelling and sunning

The first night we anchored by Nuku Island and were happily enjoying a cool drink when a local chap in his longboat came up and asked for $15 Tongan for the privilege of us putting down our anchor, he then tried to charge us to visit Nuku Island and snorkel saying he would take us there in his boat for another $7/person – needless to say we declined.

Next day it was off to Hunga Lagoon. The rather daunting entrance is through a narrow pass with coral bommies ahead and to the side – Barbara and I were on the bows on lookout duty – we made it with room to spare. The coral just behind our mooring was spectacular, we can certainly understand why there are moorings available to pick up in these places as to drop your anchor could damage the coral or worse foul the anchor and chain making it difficult to pull up again.

Just another incredible pacific island, clear clear water and white sand

SOL from the Lava Bar & Grill balcony

Next day, Friday 8^th June, we went around to Foeata Island, anchoring in the beautiful blue lagoon there for a lunch stop in the calm water which sadly was full of jellyfish so we did not swim. Leaving Foeata we sailed around to Vaka’eitu (where we had enjoyed the Tongan feast last week) and swam and snorkelled there.

Saturday saw us anchored out the front of the Lava Bar and Grill, inside of Mala Island, exploring the wonders of the Japanese Coral Gardens by snorkel by day and enjoying dinner at the restaurant that night – the cerviche fritters were delicious!!

Lava Bar & Grill

Sunday morning, of course, was off to church. The church service on Kapa Island was incredible, you have heard that Tongan singing at church is enough to lift the roof – well the congregation consisted of 9 women and 6 men, the women did most if not all of the singing and WOW it was amazing – if you closed your eyes you would think there were 100 women not just 9. I have no idea which denomination they were and as the service was all in Tongan we couldn’t understand a word of it however it was a totally uplifting experience.

In the afternoon we zigzagged through the Fanua Tapu pass and anchored off Kenutu, another long white sand beach which when we walked down its length we found a little lagoon swimming hole and some more New Zealanders – Grahame and Lynne (Toronui) and Craig, Lauren and little Maya (Revilo). We also walked over the top of the island and stood watching the waves crashing in from the ocean. We stayed in Kenutu for two nights.

Anchored off Kenutu

Back to Neaifu and again on Beluga Dive mooring #40, we organised to go out on their dive boat to Mariners Cave and Swallows Cave the next day – we could not anchor out as it is too deep and it would be no fun to take turns staying on SOL while the others went in. It was a good idea too – we went to Mariners cave first, geared up, took a practice swim under the dive boat then snorkelled to the entrance. A big breath, quick duck dive down a metre or so, swim hard and fast as you can forward for about 3-4 metres then look for the lighter colour water above, so you know you are ok to surface. On surfacing all appears misty and kind of gloomy, but when you look down it is magical – there is an entire beachscape visible below through about 50 metres of clear, clear water. Rumour has it that a young nobleman fell in love with the daughter of a chief but was not allowed to marry her so they ran away and he hid her here in this cave, bringing her food and water daily, while he built a canoe to take her far enough away to Fiji, Thomas Mariner told the story hence the name.

Next stop Swallow’s Cave, this was not a dive down enter through a hole in the wall but a simple swim straight in, but just as magical, maybe even more so with bird’s nests stuck to the roof, stalactites and rock ledges. We climbed the up on the ledge and looked down to a pool over the top of the rocks. Sadly, some previous visitors have scratched and painted their names and those of their boats on the rock walls which kind of detracts from the natural beauty of the cave.

Entrance to Swallow's Cave

After the caves we went snorkelling at A’a Island, the edge of the island is sheer cliffs fringed with coral and huge numbers of brightly coloured fish and we swam along just marvelling at the beauty for what seemed like half a mile before Mata picked us up in the dive boat and took us to yet another incredible snorkel spot. Lunch of papaya and coffee then back to Neaifu, all agreeing it was a splendid outing and that we’d have not been able to see as much had we gone out alone.

Barbara left us on Thursday 14^th June and we escaped the heat and humidity of Neaifu going back out to anchor for the next couple of days – luckily where we chose to anchor was not far from Neaifu as the anchor winch switch decided to jam up so after taking it apart we had to go back and find somewhere to repair or replace it so it was back to our favourite mooring and a quick visit to the Boat Yard (a couple of km walk but Jamie was loaned an old slightly dodgy looking pushbike by a local man and he doubled me about half a km) where one of the guys there fixed it (for nothing!!)

We spent time here in the harbour catching up on laundry, buying more stores, and checking out the weather reports to figure when we would leave these islands on the next stage of the trip – Fiji – and it looks like next week could be a go….