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.