Zinnias Birthday, Espiritu Santo

Pacific Bliss
Colin Price
Fri 15 Nov 2013 09:19
IMG_2851-001
The Oyster Island resort was recommended to us as perfectly protected spot with a beach and things to do.  We sold it to Zinnia about a month before her birthday and got there the day before.  The resort is a step above the normal Vanuatu hotel and had a great restaurant and charming staff.  We made a bee line there from Ambrym overnight and wiggled through the poorly marked, shallow passage into the inner lagoon, in the early morning.  Quite a ‘lux place to have your eleventh birthday – after all I think Colin’s was probably in Camberley!
IMG_2810
 
Santo
The Blue Hole was a 40min kayak ride up river passing through mangroves and woods as the water got clearer and clearer.  The river turned into a weed fringed stream and then popped out into a spring hole 40m diameter and 17m deep with crystal clear, fresh water that has a very blue look about it.
IMG_2811IMG_2884IMG_2847
IMG_2881IMG_2823IMG_2850
IMG_2892Birthday lunch of steake frite  IMG_2900
String band played that evening and Zinnia had a Happy Birthday Vanuatu style IMG_2906
 
The next day we gave a family whom Cosmo had brefriended staying at the hotel a lift up to Champagne Beach about 20nm North.
IMG_2919    Champagne beach IMG_2937 has crunchy brilliant white sand and spectacular snorkelling – every bit the tropical beach