Hello from Wala Island - Malekula (17th September)

Mustang Sally Cruising
Mark Lawrence & Dianne Jackson
Mon 17 Sep 2018 02:48
We are currently anchored off a delightful little island called Wala on the NW side of Malekula.
Current position is at 15:58.60S 167:22.45E
 
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                               One of many visiting dug outs at Uri Island
 
During our two night stay at Uri we did many things.  Marsin took us on a tour of the village and showed us his new house that is being built.  It is great to see that a number of the homes are now being built out of concrete and bricks and not so much pandanus.  Marsin has now spent three seasons in Australia working on farms.  His last two visits have been up at Tully picking bananas so we may get to catch up with him during our trip up the coast next year.  We have found that many of the Ni-Van they have been to Australia or NZ working on farms which usually gives them enough funds to build a modest home.  The main thing is that most of them are coming back to their village rather than heading for the big lights of Port Vila.
 
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                                      Marsin on village tour – Presbyterian Church
 
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We had a trip over to Litslits Wharf on Saturday morning to have a look at the Copra Boat and Ship being loaded, which looks like very hard work.  We were also in search of bread but failed as the shops all shut as 11;30am.  We have also renamed Uri to Turtle Island as they are almost in plague proportions with at least two or three turtle heads bobbing up wherever you look.
 
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Yesterday we motored up to Wala Island and are now anchored in 5mts of crystal clear water not too far off the wharf and beach. 
The weather is definitely starting to get warmer as we head north and get later into the season so are spending more time in the water which is not a hardship around here. 
 
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                                               Anchored off Wala Island
 
 
This morning we went on the village tour with Elizabeth.  She showed us around the village and gardens and also the meeting place for the chiefs on the island. 
Wala Island used to have a fairly regular visit from cruise ships.  Unfortunately it looked like their visits stopped around 4 years ago over a land dispute however, a number of the locals still have some $AUD so this morning Mustang Sally became a bit of a money laundering operation changing their coins and notes into Vatu. 
The good news is that it looks like the cruise ships may start coming back to Wala as next year the Le Laperouse’ expedition ship is scheduled for a Wala Island stop in April so hopefully this could be the start of good things to come as it provides a good source of income for their community.
 
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                          Elizabeth and her niece on the village tour – Chief Meeting spot
 
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                               Every cruise ship island has to have a Cannibal Soup pot!!
 
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                                               Local bus to Malekula
 
Tomorrow we will be on our way early to catch the current, as it flows to the north during the flood, for the trip up to Ratua Island which is just south of our final Vanuatu destination at Espiritu Santo.
We are also hoping to meet up with our fellow Safety Beach SC travellers Barb and Terry from Whiskers for a bit of a Vanuatu rendezvous.