New Caledonia was not part of the World ARC itinerary and remains the case; however, two events provided us with the opportunity to add it to our list of destinations. Firstly we learnt that New Caledonia is a French overseas territory and we love the French islands. Further investigations revealed that it consists of the main island, known as Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands of Atoll d’Ouvea, Ile Lifou, Ile Maré and Ile Hunter to the east, Isle de Pins and Ile Ouen to the south and the Iles Belep to the north. It is the fourth largest island in the South Pacific, exceeded in size only by Papua New Guinea and the North and South islands of New Zealand. New Caledonia is located at the southerly portion of Melanesia and, although tropical, is neither too hot nor damp. Captain Cook was the first westerner to find the islands in 1774 and named it New Caledonia because, to him, the pine-clad ridges bore a resemblance to Scotland. It became a French colony in 1853 and was essentially used as their penal colony, in a similar way to how the British colonised New Zealand and Australia. It is also surrounded by coral reefs, bathed in the world's largest lagoon and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008. Together with the fact that, besides being the second largest reef in the world, it also includes a very rare "double barrier reef" and a great diversity of coral forms, extensive turtle nesting sites and breeding areas for emblematic and / or threatened species like the dugongs, humpback whales and a variety of marine birds, including the osprey.
Secondly, when we officially left the rally in Tahiti in order to have a slower pace through the South Pacific, there were three additional destinations that were added to our adventure for the 2016 sailing season; American Samoa and Somoa and then New Zealand for the 2016 / 2017 cyclone season. That meant we were able to return to Fiji during the 2017 / 2018 sailing season, but also add New Caledonia to the list of destinations before sailing onwards to Australia for the following cyclone season. What we weren’t expecting was to have the opportunity to return to New Caledonia during this past sailing season, given itinerary changes required again as a result of an unexpected medical issue uncovered soon after our arrival in Australia. New Caledonia is the only other island destination we returned to and we are glad we did.
During our first visit, given it was the last of the islands we visited prior to the start of the 2017 / 2018 cyclone season, our time was limited to a very short six weeks. As a result we had to select a subset of the areas we wanted to visit and be content with the sampling we received. These primarily included the south and south-western parts of Grande Terre Island and Ile des Pins, still on the top of our list of favourite islands in the South Pacific.
On the morning of Monday, 18th September 2017, we were up at daybreak to weigh anchor and set sail for New Caledonia from Anatom Island, Vanuatu. With full sails up, under glorious sunny skies, dotted with fair weather cumulus, we enjoyed a fabulous sail all morning. By the afternoon, though, the winds had started to pick up, bringing with it very lumpy and confused seas. With that, it was time to reef. We'd no sooner put one reef in the main, when it was time for the double reef and a reefed headsail. By midnight we were double reefed on both sails and still making excellent timing, doing around 8 Kts. We knew this speed would mean an earlier arrival at Canal de la Havannah, our first hurdle, but we'd decided to hove-to, if need be. As things transpired, we arrived exactly at slack water on 19th September 2017, but turned around after our first attempt at transiting the entrance, given the surprising and extremely strong outward flowing current. So, while bobbing around and the arrival of a second yacht, Cavelo, who also decided to bob around, we enjoyed lunch and waited for flood tide. Then we spotted a third yacht, Lucy, on the AIS (Automatic Identification System), but coming in the opposite direction and we couldn’t believe what happened next. Suddenly, Lucy appeared out of nowhere. It looked like she was launched from a rocket as she was spat out from the mouth of the channel towards us, going from 2 Kts to 7 Kts in as many seconds. After overhearing a brief chat on the VHF radio between the crew of Cavelo and Lucy to understand their experience and conditions better, we decided it was our turn and what an unusual experience we had. It was like trying to sail across the surface of a giant jacuzzi, with a 4 Kt current against us, even at flood tide. Parts of the surface were slick while other parts had breaking waves, but we made it through safely, with Cavelo close behind.
Our first night, we "yellow flagging it" while anchored in a lovely tranquil bay just off Canal Woodin. While enjoying the peace and quiet, after having the ocean roaring in our ears for 30 hours, we were struck by how desolate New Caledonia seemed and by the striking coppery colour of the landscape, which appeared to be the aftermath of surface mining. We later learnt that, while parts of the exposed landscape was a result of cobalt, chrome, nickel and iron ore mining, the vast majority was soil erosion. Regardless, while the sights and, particularly, the smells of Vanuatu made us feel like we could have been anywhere in Africa and, therefore, not really a new experience for us, we were definitely looking forward to a different experience in New Caledonia, especially the French culture we both love.
It was yet another early start as we weighed anchor at daybreak in order to make our way to Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia, for our clearance. Our first sighting of the New Caledonian capital revealed high rise apartment complexes as well as modern homes and arriving in the Port Moselle anchorage area reminded us of Le Marin in Martinique; yachts everywhere. The marina was a modern facility with very helpful staff who pointed us in the right direction to clear Immigration, Customs and Biosecurity.
After a lovely long walk along the waterfront to stretch our legs, we found the Immigration offices just before they closed for the day, which is around 1100. A brisk walk to Customs in the hope of catching them before their lunch break didn't payoff, however. Unfortunately we were a few minutes too late so, instead, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Restaurant Captain Cook, where Elaine had a steak accompanied by a Roquefort cheese sauce and Roy had octopus in a creamy tomato based sauce. Unbeatable French cuisine and the perfect start to our stay! After completing Customs and en route back to the marina to meet the Biosecurity official, we couldn’t resist the temptation to stop in at Les Petits Choux patisserie to enjoy a “grande café au lait” (large coffee with milk) and some French pastries.
What never ceased to amaze us about any of the French islands we visited in the Caribbean is that there was never any fuss during the clearing in and out processes and the most it ever cost us was a small donation to cover the cost of the ink and paper for the printed clearance form or, in most instances, it cost us absolutely nothing. New Caledonia was no exception. It didn't cost us a single Franc, not even the cost to have our leftover organic produce incinerated by Biosecurity. That evening we bumped into Discover II (Gillian and Dirk), whom Elaine first met in Fiji and enjoyed a rather extended happy hour with them. We had definitely commenced our stay on the right foot!
With nowhere in particular to go the following morning and the fact that it was rather chilly, getting out of bed was definitely not a priority. When we eventually did surface we enjoyed a breakfast with the last of our bacon from New Zealand which hadn't been confiscated and the last of our eggs that had to be removed from their shells the day before so that the shells could accompany the rest of our organic waste for incineration by Biosecurity, after which we dinghied ashore and commenced our explorations in earnest.
First stop was the marina office at Marina de Port Moselle to inquire as to where we could get our usual list of amenities required; laundry, garbage disposal, groceries, propane, diesel, petrol and a data service plan. We also took the opportunity to get directions to other patisseries in town so, armed with a map and directions to all, we set off. Of course, the next stop was one of the other patisseries to enjoy another “grande café au lait” and some French pastries. From there we made some additional inquires at a local cell phone store on what data services were actually available, given that we had been told so many different stories, including one that indicated we would be unable to buy a service plan at all because we weren't residents or that any available plan involved a six month contract. That meant we'd be bound to using the extremely slow wifi facilities offered by various businesses in return for using their services, like purchasing a drink or ordering something to eat. Surprise, surprise, we discovered that we could, in fact, purchase a data plan that didn't involve any contract. All we had to do was find the right person with the right information and voila!
Once that little issue was resolved, we visited the local Casino Johnson supermarché (supermarket) and discovered a very well stocked store full of all our favourite French goodies. We were also very excited to learn that there was a Carrefour supermarché, having had the pleasure of one in Tahiti, an experience that still has fond memories for us, given that we have never been so excited to see a tomato or a piece of beef or a lamb chop after our Pacific Ocean crossing and time in the Marquesus Islands and the Tuamotos. Unfortunately, we were very disappointed to find the bulk of the products American rather than French, not to mention extremely expensive. On our second visit to New Caledonia, however, we decided to take another walk to Carrefour supermarché and on this occasion we were pleasantly surprised to find a vastly upgraded facility full of French products, although just as expensive, making Casino Johnson supermarché still the far better option for us. En route back to Paw Paw from Casino Johnson supermarché we discovered a number of waterfront restaurants and cafés which we were definitely looking forward to visiting at a later date. Last stop was the obligatory visitor's centre, which provided us with a host of tourist information on the area.
Satisfied with our morning explorations, we returned to Paw Paw to enjoy one of our favourite lunches, al fresco-style dining in the cockpit under glorious sunny skies, surrounded by turquoise waters; French brie, fois gras, a freshly baked baguette, a granny smith apple for Roy and a pear for Elaine, accompanied by a refreshing glass of Sauvignon Blanc. Our gastronomic delights carried over to our dinner onboard, following an afternoon nap, given that all our sailing of the past few weeks seemed to catch up with us all at once. While we watched the sunset and the locals out in their pirogues, something we haven't seen since leaving French Polynesia, we enjoyed our dinner of tuna sashimi for starters, then a delicious tuna steak on the barbecue, accompanied by a fresh salad for our main course, all purchased from a cursory stop at the fish market in Le Marché de Noumea (Noumea's Market).
On 26 August 2017, with very heavy hearts, we eventually sailed out of Fiji, leaving our “happy place” behind. Thinking of the beautiful Fijian song, “Isa Lei” (“Farewell to Fiji”) and in particular the words: “Isa Lei, the purple shadows falling. Sad the morrow will dawn upon my sorrow. Oh! Forget not, when you’re far away, precious moments beside dear Fiji Isles.”, we wonder if we will ever see these shores again, having returned, unexpectedly, once before. It was, however, our time to move on and with every inch sailed, we were closer to seeing our family and our beautiful grandchildren.
Being on passage, in many ways, is a welcome break from life in general. No more officialdom, yacht maintenance and projects, daily chores, touring, dealing with landlubber matters, etc. It takes a few days to get into the routine, but you enter a "bubble"; one that revolves around the watch schedule and includes activities, amongst others, like keeping a lookout, updating the deck log, plotting our position, providing regular position reports, downloading weather information, monitoring radar activity and getting sufficient rest.
On this particular passage, though, getting sufficient rest became somewhat of a challenge. For some inexplicable reason, no matter how much sleep we had, we were exhausted. As a result we had to "tag team" during the day. Instead of our usual six hours on, six hours off, neither of us made it much beyond two hours, before a nap was needed. Feeling a little "green" due to a rather rolly sea state was obviously not helping either, but we soon got our "sea legs" back thankfully.
During any passage there are a few constants though. For example, during a night watch, there is always a sense of insignificance, vulnerability and loneliness in the vast ocean, feelings which are magnified on a very dark, overcast, moonless night, with barely a star for company. One does, however, have a strong sense of presence and peacefulness at "being in the moment”, something that is unattainable on land. During the day the occasional bird or two sweeps down to take a peek or something pops up on the AIS, but one is still left with the profound sense of being totally alone. Enjoying the journey and not getting "destinitis" has been our challenge on every passage thus far and with lighter winds, which translate to "slow", we definitely needed a dose of patience on this one.
Fortunately we were not running the "gauntlet" or trying to beat a weather system. Knowing we didn't have a downwind sail and knowing the forecast was for light winds, we had originally decided to either sail Paw Paw wing-on-wind or change course and jibe all the way to Port Vila, Vanuatu, if necessary. At one point we even discussed changing our plans to head for Port Resolution on Tanna Island, instead of Efate Island, given the possibility of a better angle to the wind. The one thing we both agreed upon, though, was to take our time, enjoy the ride, do some fishing. Basically take the four days our Float Plan depicted and not rush, which was certainly an improvement on our last ordeal.
But, of course, “a leopard doesn’t change it spots” and, of course, we didn't do that. Paw Paw loves to "fly along" and so do we. So, out the window went all those fabulous ideas. Motor-sailing at an average speed of 6.5Kts seemed like a far better idea, considering we would shave 12 hours off the passage. The plan was succeeding until Elaine took over the watch at 2200 that night and a 1Kt counter-current raised its ugly head. Even with both engines running at a higher RPM, we weren't doing more than 5Kts. That meant a night time arrival in a strange harbour, which as a rule, we avoid. By the time Roy came on watch at 0100 that morning, the decision was made; pull back on the engines to keep enough momentum so that we weren't just bobbing and resign ourselves to another night at sea.
This following morning, we had the inevitable "coulda, woulda, shoulda" conversation, leaving us both frustrated at how badly we miscalculated this passage. However, we did have beautiful sunny days, in relatively flat following seas, with a current that eventually came back around in our favour and we were enjoying a peaceful sail, albeit at an average boat speed of 4.5Kts. The fishing line was also out, with the hopes that we might get a nibble and enjoy sushi for dinner.
Well, there weren't any nibbles on the fishing line, so that meant there wasn't any sushi for dinner. We did, however, settle for "boerewors on the braai", given the really light winds, accompanied by bacon, mash potatoes and baked beans. It was definitely a much needed "comfort meal" after Elaine got the biggest fright of her life on the afternoon of our third day at sea.
She'd decided to go for a nap, but then couldn't sleep. About ten minutes later she went back up to the saloon, but there was no sign of Roy. After checking below deck, then above deck, including the coach roof and still no sign of him anywhere, she started screaming for him. Still nothing! By then, in floods of tears, she realised the only alternative is that he'd gone overboard. It was her worst nightmare come true. Trying not to panic and think straight, she started both engines to turn Paw Paw around and commence the MOB search pattern. It was then that she heard Roy's voice wanting to know what on earth she was doing. Confused as to where he was, she then noticed his head sticking out of the starboard forepeak cabin; he'd decided to run the watermaker, something we never do on passage, and, with the noise, had not heard Elaine screaming his name. The relief was beyond words. Needless to say, it took a while to calm Elaine down. Lesson learnt; check the starboard forepeak cabin before panicking! Roy, however, received an absolute blasting for going forward without Elaine present.
After a stiff gin and tonic, again something we never do on passage, and the panic over, dinner went down like a treat. We were ready for our last night at sea and by 0530 the following morning we were entering Mele Bay, where we bobbed until sunrise, before entering Port Vila and heading for the quarantine area.
It never ceases to amaze us about the amount of junk information we read in various cruising guides or hear from other cruisers about a destination we have never visited. For one, we were told that the water is so dirty in Port Vila that we would definitely not be able to run our watermaker. Well, we've never seen clearer water. In a depth of 30Ft we could clearly see our chain and our anchor resting on the seabed while peeking over the bow. Then, we had been informed to contact Port Vila Radio to announce our arrival and await a visit from Biosecurity before being allowed to head ashore to complete the officialdom process by visiting the Customs and Immigration offices in town. Well, the actual procedure was to dinghy to the commercial dock and visit the Customs and Biosecurity offices there, then head to town to the Immigration office.
There was just one small problem when we arrived at the commercial dock; there was no way Elaine, the "official" captain, could actually get out of the dinghy to complete the procedures. When Roy went to the offices to inform them of the dilemma and ask whether he could do the clearing process, he was informed that the captain had to do it. They were kind enough, though, to inform him how to get Elaine ashore; we had to tie the dinghy alongside the pilot boat, climb on the pilot boat and then scramble over the pilot boat to access the concrete steps alongside the dock. With that our adventure of Vanuatu commenced.
We were also previously informed about the fresh produce we weren't allowed to bring into Vanuatu, as well as the alcohol limits enforced and that no foreign garbage could be landed. Turns out Biosecurity wasn't even remotely interested in what fresh produce or alcohol we had. They didn't even ask. They did, however, request that we please dispose of our foreign garbage in the specially allocated bins on shore. Sometimes we really have to wonder where these cruisers and guides get there information from.
Regardless, once we'd completed the necessary procedures, we enjoyed a light lunch at the Jungle Café, stopped in at Digicel to arrange our local data service, and then headed back to Paw Paw to move her to our allocated mooring ball. With a 23M mast, motoring under the 27M high cable running from Efate Island to Iririki Island on a rising tide was a little daunting, but before long we were safely moored and enjoying a lazy evening aboard.
After a good night's sleep we were up early for a breakfast ashore of coffee and French pastries at "Au Leche Mignon", before taking a stroll around the "Au Bon Marche" and the fresh produce market. Although we thought the fresh produce was very inexpensive in Fiji, we were astonished at the prices in Vanuatu. A single lettuce for the equivalent of 50US cents, eight lettuces for $2USD, a 1Kg bag of tomatoes for $2USD, a medium sized paw paw for $1USD and on it went. Just incredible!
While sailing around the South Pacific Islands we've found at least one quirky aspect of each area. In French Polynesia it was the mesmerising, gyrating hips of the Tahitian dancers. In the Samoan Islands it was the funky buses with their upbeat music. In Tonga, particularly Neiafu in the Vava'u group, it was the creative and fun names of the various businesses. In Fiji it was the friendly "bula" we received everywhere we went and in Vanuatu we were completely intrigued by the local language.
Located 540Km northeast of New Caledonia and previously called the New Hebrides, Vanuatu is made up of 80 islands, separated by 900Km Aneityum Island in the south to Torres Island in the north. Since the days of the early explorers, Vanuatu has remained a timeless archipelago, steeped in tradition, regardless of the fact that, prior to independence in 1980, it was simultaneously governed by both the British and the French. As a result, it has a fascinating mix of cultures, including the language, known as Bislama, the lingua franca spoken through the archipelago, in addition to English, French and over a hundred vernacular languages or dialects. Giving our blog readers a glimpse into this language was a great deal of fun and helped us "toktok" a little Bislama. These included:
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"Hello" - "Halo" |
"Goodnight" - "Gudnaet" |
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"Good morning" - "Gudmoning" |
"Maybe" - "Ating / Maet / Mebi" |
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"Please" - "Plis" |
"Excuse me" - "Skiusmi" |
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"Thank you very much" - "Tank yu tamas" |
"Keep off the grass!" - "No wokbaot long gras!" - |
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"Where are you going?" - "Yu go wea?" |
"Airport" - "Epot" |
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"I Want..." - "Me watem..." |
"Horse" - "Hos" |
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"My name is Elaine" - "Nem blong mi Elaine" |
"Table" - "Tebol" |
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"Do you talk bislama?" – “Yu save toktok bislama?” |
"Finger" - "Fingga" |
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"How much?" - "Hamas?" |
"Barometer" - "Glas blong hariken" |
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"Money" - "Mane" |
"Unconscious" - "Haf ded" |
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"I don't know" - "Mi no save" |
"Womb" - "Basket blong pikinini" |
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One to Ten - "Wan", "Tu", "Tri", "Fo", "Faef", "Sikis", "Seven", "Eit", "Naen", "Ten" |
"Fins" - "Dakdak sus"
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"Number one" - "Nambawan" |
"Mi laekem kokonas" - "I like coconuts" |
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"Prescription medication for children and everyone" - "I gat specel medesen blong pikinini mo evriwan" |
"Can you take me to town?" - "Yu save tekem mi go long town?" |
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"Goodbye" - "Ale Tata" |
"The airport is close to the sea" - "Epot i stap klosap long solwota" |
Prior to arriving in Vanuatu we had read a few accounts from cruisers on the very high quality of the local beef. Then, when we received a recommendation from Blue Summit (Kate and Steve), to try the beef fillet at the waterfront restaurant called "Chill", our curiosity got the better of us and we were not disappointed. Two beef fillets with mushroom sauce, mashed potatoes for Elaine, fries for Roy, a side of broccoli and cauliflower gratin to share, a glass of wine for Elaine and a few beers for Roy, was not only a delicious dinner with steaks that tasted better than a number of top restaurants we'd frequented in the US, it was all for the bargain price of roughly $42USD. Unbelievable!
