Budi Budi

SV Nalukai
Jeremy, Iona, Phoebe, Hatty & Willow Levinson
Sun 21 Oct 2012 10:47

Sunday 21st October

We have been in Papua New Guinea for five weeks now on the Louisades Rally which was fabulous. It was very busy with many cultural events on various islands. We all enjoyed making many new friendships, loved swimming and snorkelling in the warm, clear water and meeting many local people and getting a small insight into their lives.

We sadly said goodbye to many new friends and loved stocking up our fridge and pantry with many things they were unable to take home. Thanks for all those fresh vegetables and meat, we have loved lots of treats in the last week!

The sail to Budi Budi “09:17.213S 153:40.865E” overnight, buddied by Sea Glass, the boy boat from the rally and Muscat, the motor cat from Noosa was a little sloppy but everyone managed well.We’ve had some more overcast weather, which we will have to get used to with the approaching wet season,but plenty of patches of hot sun too! It’s fun for all of us to meet Totem who we will be travelling with for a few weeks and the girls have enjoyed playing with their girls, who are the same age. Chief William greeted us as we arrived in the lagoon, ringed by five small islands with the clearest water I’ve ever seen. We have visited the school, 70 children with one teacher, taught in English and topped him up a few supplies. A visit to one of the smaller islands for a play with the others has left us with many hermit crab homes and the sand cay this morning was lovely for making a sand city. It was great snorkelling where we saw an anemone fish bommie and deep valley of coral, but not many big fish as the lagoon appears fished out,being their primary source of protein. The traders have been fierce as they are very needy being so remote, having to go 50 nautical miles in open seas for basic supplies and only getting home when the wind is right. We have cleared the boat out pretty well and now have many carvings, more food supplies, a lovely paddle and a drum. Coconut is their main diet and there are many potty tummies, I assume from malnutrition. Smiling, happy faces and impeccable manners have been a delight. Church this morning in an open sided hut taken by William and his brother Towel, chief of the smaller island, was beautiful. I loved Sunday school under the tree with guitars and the lovely voices of the children singing, before we shook hands with all the villagers and had refreshments of coconut juice. Mat making with the local ladies covers textiles and hopefully a drum lesson on the new drum will do a the music lesson for tomorrow!

We will be here for a few more days before we set sail north when weather window is right, 300 NM to New Britain Island.