17:05.010 S  177:16.627 E

15/10/09  Naviti Island

I’m not sure how many of the last few entries have actually gotten through.   Will check when back in Denerau.  We came to this bay because we heard you could  walk across the  cape and there was a Spitfire which had crashed in 1943 in shallow water.  We found a sort of path and crossed in 20 minutes or so where we met a delightful couple in their late seventies who had lived there  for the last 20 years.  She said she had 7 children, 4 boys and 4 girls (which I found confusing) 18 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. She said she was 74 and he was 86 but when asked he said he was 78.  Go figure.

To get to the wreck meant swimming out  several 100 meters in quite shallow warm water. 

Demetri and Steve  were much faster than me and  when I got to where I thought the marker buoy was I realised I had missed it and consequently had swam much further out than I needed to. They meanwhile had gone back to shore and when I wasn’t there general panic set in.  They couldn’t see me and Demetri swam back out hoping to find me while Steve and the old  man did a 20 minute dash to a nearby settlement and enlisted a local boat.  I meanwhile came ashore and waved to Demetri.  5 minutes later the rescue boat arrived and I apologized for disturbing their lunch.  I was very touched by everyone’s concern.  Demetri was really upset.  The old woman waded out to greet me as I neared shore. She had been in tears at the thought that something had happened to me.  There wasn’t much sea but it makes you realize how difficult it is to spot someone in the water at any sort of distance. The old couple insisted on us having a cup of tea before making the trek back.