We arrived by moonlight. Dropping the hook in 10m of water off the just visible river entrance of Williams Bay, otherwise known as Dillons Bay.

Williams Bay made famous for the undoing of John Williams the tireless Reformer from LMS with in the pacific islands.  The islanders for the past 200 years have believed the island has been living under a curse since that fatal day.   Williams, had failed to heed advice when in Manihiki, to avoid Vanuatu as the sandalwood traders had created a lot of bad blood.  The day he arrived he was killed and eaten. 

 

A few years ago the extended Williams family were invited to a reconciliation, where upon they where presented with a young child from the island, an exact lesson from the good news book Williams was originally carrying with him,' an eye for an eye'.

Cosmo up Coconut – he’s getting better. He’d have gone to the top if I’d let him

Lush

Our welcome was a little bit warmer. We're finding much to our frustration that in Vanuatu on land you’re often assigned a guide.  It's taking a bit of getting used to as we're not given the right to roam.  David turned out to be a rather inspired man with next to no money and no western building skills,he's managed to construct a very attractive western building which when finished (it's taken 5 years so far) will become a yacht club with simple sleeping rooms.  We ended up rather liking Erromango the folk were generous and allowed you time to give rather than producing a list of wants. We've promised to return to assist with the construction of the club, cooking lessons etc, in return we've been given family status.

New canoe - New yacht club

 

Church with David's family was all very happy clappy.  Ni-vans interpretation of the ‘good book’ is very literal and the women having been told to cover up all exposed body parts 200 years ago have not been allowed to evolve.  I was given a rather dirty pungent all covering 'mother Hubbard dress' to wear over my already smart church dress, it's all rather ironic really.

Liz dressed for Church ‘Church of Neil Thompson’ congregation on Sunday

 

David with Yams and Maniyok – and so we were able to do ‘ Yam school’ with the kids