13.15S; 163.07W
Around the world with the Aqualunies
Jonathan & Gabrielle Lyne
Fri 18 Jun 2010 08:50
SUWARROW, NORTHERN COOK ISLANDS. 17TH JUNE, 2010
We have arrived in what can only be described as another paradise.
Very similar to the Tuamotu Islands. It is described by Robert Louis
Stevenson's wife as 'the most romantic island in the world'. The only
downside was that having got here mainly under motor because of the lack of
wind, we arrived just as a howling gale started from the east, so would have got
us here in no time. As we dropped anchor in the sand, away from the
coral, numerous black tipped sharks and other fish swam around us.
Having safely anchored, the two wardens of the island James and Appi, New
Zealand Aboriginals, came out to greet us and do our immigration and customes
check. They came on board and checked us in and then gave us a rule notice
of what we were allowed to do and not do in this National Park. They said
it is safe to swim so long as you don't splash like a fish in distress!!
Well Donald is still learning to snorkel and still splashes with his fins
or swims backwards with them!! so he is not over keen on entering the water from
the yacht.
We went ashore after lunch and explored the motu they live on called
Anchorage Island. it is 0.4 sqaure Kms, full of palm trees and other
shrubs. In the middle is a small house with a tin roof which is where Tom
Neale, the hermit, lived alone from 1954 - 1963 before the island became
National park under the NZ protectorate. Next to it a wooden house on
stilts built 10 years ago, the upper half is where the wardens live
and underneath is the Suwarrow Yacht Club! lots of burgees hanging from the
rafters, a long kitchen table with stools, a small kitchen behind. Over
for drinks that eveing on board 'Miss Tippy' who was at anchor near us.
The following morning we arranged to go fishing and snorkeling with the
James and Appi in their boat, so long as we provided the fuel, their supply boat
with all their things had not arrived yet,( they had only arrived to take over
the wardenship two weeks ago by patrol boat they leave again in October before
the cyclone season starts) so they were short of fuel which is also used
to run the generator, which runs their freezer and many other things. So
off we set with the Miss Tippy family in the aluminum fishing boat to a small
rock atol, the idea was to look for lobsters as well as snorkel. It was
beautiful, we didn't find any lobsters sadly, but young Freddi and Appi went
spear fishing and came back with snapper, parrot fish and other edible fish
(sigaderia is not a problem here) Jonathan caught a small jack with his
rod, the fish got taken back and prepared by Appi and that evening we all went
for a BBQ on the island (3 yachts in total another is here from Hawaii)
Appi and James were really pleased to have gone fishing as the meat in their
freezer is going off because of the lack of fuel to keep it running.
Over to the island at 6pm bringing our own wine, beer, salads, cous cous
and other food. Whilst Appi was BBQing we went with the Tippy children
down to the seaward side of the island, where we watched Tiger Sharks feeding
(not an area to go swimming!) back for a fantastic feast, and then Charlie from
Miss Tippy played the guitar for us as did Appi with various songs to sing along
to.
Tomorrow we plan to help Appi and James clear the entrance in to the dingy
dock of rocks washed in there during the last Hurricane and to help clear
the island of debris, such as old palm leaves and coconuts. Sadly the
coconuts are infested with termites. There are huge coconut crabs so we
hope to try some at some stage as they are supposed to be delicious. It would be
ideal to stay here for at least a week if not longer to explore the 80km atoll
and the 25 little motus around it, it is a life that one could easily slip into
and forget the outside world completly.
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