Luangahu Island 19.52.2S 174.28.3W

Salsa af Stavsnas
Ellinor Ristoff Staffan Ehde
Mon 28 Oct 2013 16:28
Sunday, I was really down have not been so sick since I don't know when (maybe when we had our first days crossing the Atlantic).
Fever and headacke. We hanged on the anchor and the rest ejoyed the day.
Monday, I felt much much better but tyred after the "fight" with the flue. After breakfast we moved into the little Pangai Village on LIfuka Island. We had to check in and that was done in 2 minutes at the combination Postoffice-Customs-Island Review. The village is very runned down, lot's of abandoned houses. Very friendly people, and a scenery that sort of reminds of an old US wild western village in the 50:s.
The boat was for once at a dock tied alongside since we are the only visiting yacht here. In Hapa'ai you can really sense that we have left the big sailing area in Vava'au. Here the waters are truly scattered with coral reefs. We sail all the time with someone on the bow to watch for reefs. Lot's of them are chartered but there are some unchartered or at the wrong place.
Aftrer check in and lunch at Mariners Bar, we watched a fisherman throwing a net on a school of fish. Anders was asked to choose the next destination and he did choose well. We trockled ourselves out of the reefs and sailed down to an uninhabited island that is in the middle of a big formation of reefs. It was quite tricky to get in and without a pilot we would nevere had made it.
We anchored in 4 meters depth with white sand. The corals are pristine, there is a lot of fish.
Ashore the shell collectors went "bananas". This was a truly beautyful island with white sand all around it. In the middle there is a forest full of birds and flying foxes. Big big crabs run away as we approach and dig themselves down in the sand.When we came ashore there was not one human footprint. Here we could very well use the word Paradise if we wanted. But even in paradise there is a snake...
Erika asked, begged, demanded that we took the opportunity to start a fire and barbeque.
So we went on board and prepared items for BBQ. Well ashore we walked to the other side of the island so we could see the sunset and get the wind from the right direction. The kids started to collect firewood. Soon we had digged a hole in the ground and there we started a fire.
While it was turning to coal we prepared sticks with different vegetables, squash (marinated in salt water), small tomatoes, onion, green pepper, etc. It was served with couscous and olives. Very good indeed. As a desert the kids BBQ:d apples, they loved them.
The sun went down and as it was getting a little bit darker a big seasnake came out of the water, crawling towards the forest. The birds where screeming like crazy. As darkness fell the bats, the flying foxes came out and they are BIG!
We walked in almost total darkness along the water back to the dinghy, and Ellinor almost stepped on another sea snake!
They are supposed to be the one of the most venomous snake in the world. If anybody can check it out we would be grateful. They are black with rings of white or yellow along the body (striped?). Beautyful creatures. We have learned in Niue that they are not agressive.
Back on board sanitation of sand took off. And the stars twinkled from a totally black sky.The last thing we did wasthat Anders and I tried to figure out the different star formation you have "down under". Well the is an app for that...