Blog 49. 19 August. Wangi-Wangi and Hoga. 05.28.85S 123.35.5

Alcedo
David Batten
Tue 20 Aug 2019 10:03
We did the 45nm to Wang-Wangi by lunchtime, thanks to help from the iron topsail and negotiated the narrow channel into the anchorage with the help of Gino, the boss of the WIC or Wangi-Wangi Information Centre. After much confusion on his part about which boat of the 3 coming in, Sharmily-Jay, Sky Blue Eyes and us, we established an order and we anchored in approx 5.5m in clear water and a well sheltered harbour.

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The harbour at Wangi-Wangi, Time Bandit, Grey Nurse and CV from L to R. Sharmila-Jay and Sky Blue Eyes out of sight to the the right and Vaa Nui to our L.

We went to the WIC to give Gino our crew list and cruising permit and were introduced to our guides for the stay. They were charming as always and took us to the night market that evening, then the morning market and central market next morning. The latter is about 2km from the harbour, a long walk for them as they clearly used motorcycles all the time and considered walking a very odd thing to do.

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The central market in Wangi-Wangi

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Our lovely guides, enjoying a much needed and much appreciated ice cream on the way back from the market.

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After lunch they all came back to the boat for tea and photographs, which you can see from their faces, they really enjoyed. Back row from L to R, Bill, Skipper, Ship’s Boy and Fadil. Front row, L to R, Tara and Freddie.

Wangi-Wangi is another place where littering is being tackled. We were told by Gino not to throw litter off the boat, as if, so we responded with “we are Trash Heroes”. Must get the T shirt. The guides were all rubbish savvy and the harbour area was quite clean and on Friday am we saw this:

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“Council” employees picking up litter on the harbour wall.

There was litter in the streets and apparently the “field” that the independence celebrations were held in was a mass of litter afterwards, but the seed has been sewn. In the market, we refused plastic bags for carrying our purchases and the enthusiastic cry of “no plastic” from the women sellers reverberated around every time we refused one.

Now we in Hoga, a tiny island with a good reef for snorkelling and an easy to access lagoon for anchoring. R and R are the order of the day and a haircut for the Skipper, Ship’s Boy and Bill. Much regret, no photographs except this one:

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Ship’s Boy with Judy from Pit Pony providing a much appreciated hair cut. We are anchored in the lagoon and Hoga Island is in the background.

Alcedo
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