Luangahu Island 19.52.2S 174.28.3W
Salsa af Stavsnas
Ellinor Ristoff Staffan Ehde
Mon 28 Oct 2013 16:28
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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...
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