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:

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!

The following morning we were up early to enjoy a breakfast of freshly baked croissants with homemade paw paw jam and coffee at "Le Café du Village". Then, it was time to explore Port Vila, starting with the Catholic Cathedral.

Estimated to have 280 000 inhabitants, of whom 45% are under the age of fifteen,  the population of Vanuatu is comprised mainly of Melanesians, but, in our opinion, with a much greater resemblance and mannerism associated with the African than what we witnessed with the indigenous Fijians. Two thirds of the population is distributed amongst the four major islands of Efate, Santo, Maleluka and Tanna. Given that 85% are Catholic and all the beautiful Catholic Cathedrals and Churches we had seen around French Polynesia and Samoa, we had a preconceived idea of what we might encounter in Port Vila, and decided that the hike up the hill was well worth our troubles. Finding the Cathedral locked was the first clue of things to come. Perseverance paid off, though, when we found an unlocked side entrance. It is fair to say that, unfortunately, neither of us had been in such a "soulless" holy building. The feeling was overpowering to be honest. Regardless, we took a moment for our prayers before making a hasty retreat. Very strange indeed!

Next stop was the war memorial overlooking Port Vila Harbour and Mele Bay, where we meet a delightful lady in her brightly coloured traditional dress, who was obviously trying to educate us on something, but we hadn't a clue what she was saying. In these circumstances we've found it best to simply nod, smile and say thank you. After visiting the very fancy Reserve Bank building, we met another lady and a gentleman when asking for directions to the Erakor Lagoon. Turns out they both worked for the Foreign Investment Services and, were not only happy to give us a lift to the nearest bus stop, where we arranged a ride to the Holiday Inn Resort and Spa, but provided us with a very interesting background to Port Vila and plans for the future.

Our arrival at the resort revealed a surprisingly upmarket establishment, including a well maintained golf course. After a mid-morning coffee, we decided to walk the 1.2 miles back to town, where we enjoyed a lunch at the "Thai Restaurant and Massage Parlour". There was absolutely no way Elaine could convince Roy to follow lunch with a Thai massage after he had eyed out the masseuse and was unable to establish "her" gender for certain. 

It's thought that the first people to reach Vanuatu were the Lapita from Papua New Guinea who arrived around 2000BC. Clan-based villages separated by mountainous and jungle-clad terrain resulted in the development of numerous languages and localised customs. Trade as well as battles occurred between villages and a victorious village often claimed a hostage who was later presented as dinner to the other chief as a show of the victorious chief's status and power.

Spanish explorer, Pedro Fernandez de Quiros was the first European to arrive in 1606. Cook arrived in 1774, who drew the first charts of the region and named "Efate Island" ("Sandwich Island"), after his benefactor, the Earl of Sandwich.

"Vanuatu" means "Land External" and the population are called "Ni-Vanuatu" meaning "of Vanuatu". In "Kasdom" ("Custom") orientated areas, traditional ceremonies still form an integral part of village life. Status and power are still earned by taking "grades" through the "Namangki" system. For example, wealth is shown in elaborate ceremonies with feasting, dancing and ritual pig killings or by men and boys diving from wooden towers with vines tied around their ankles, known as "land-diving". "Nekowiar" is a spectacular 3-day gift exchanging ceremony where attempts to outdo each other are made with lavish gifts, dancing and ornate make-up and the "Rom Dance", featuring dancers wearing tall, conical masks and a cloak of banana leaves is another grade-taking ceremony.

For us, however, we decided on our own grading scheme that definitely did not include cannibalism; a gastronomic tour around Port Vila, starting with breakfast at "Au Peche Mignon", where we savoured "straight out of the oven", chaisson pomme and Danish swirls. This was followed by a long walk along the newly opened promenade to "Chantilly's on the Bay", where we had planned to sample a few treats at "Organic Paradise", but, given that we were still full from our breakfast, we opted instead, to lounge around in the comfy chairs of the hotel reception area while enjoying the views. This part of Port Vila was surprisingly sophisticated, with a very French ambience. For dinner we had decided on a seafood platter at the "Waterside Bar and Grill".  After making inquiries as to what time food was served and whether we needed to make reservations or not, we were definitely looking forward to this particular treat.

Well, it was another one of those evenings that definitely did not go according to plan. When we arrived at the restaurant we were informed that they were in the middle of a shift change and to please come back in an hour.  With that, we took a short walk to "La Café du Village", where we enjoyed sundowners accompanied by a snack of salt and pepper calamari, before returning to the "Waterside Bar and Grill". After our drinks were delivered and we placed our order, we were informed that there was no seafood platter on the menu due to an absence of lobster. Our disappointment was evident and, although we perused the rest of their menu, there was nothing else we both felt like eating. So, after finishing our drinks, it was back to "La Café du Village", where we managed to salvage the evening; Tuna sashimi (Roy) and mussels (Elaine) for starters, tuna steaks with mint sauce for our main course and a chocolate fondue for dessert certainly hit the spot.

During our walking tours of Port Vila, we'd come across a number of very unusual wood carvings which we eventually discovered were "Tamtam" or "Namangki". A "Tamtam" (“Split Drum”) originated on the island of Ambrym and was used by the High Chief to bring villagers together on special occasions or to send different messages to neighbouring villages, using the different vibrations of the drum. Messages included notices of deaths, tribal war, feasting ceremonies or announcing the arrival of a High Chief to the village.

"Namangki" is feminine and is used for peace and unity. A "Tamtam" and "Namangki" are used side by side and both carvings are found in every chief’s "Nakamal" ("Place of Peace") throughout Vanuatu where "Kava" is drunk at night. Strangely enough, though, here in Vanuatu, "Kava" is only permitted to be drunk by men in a formal setting. Woman partake in the privacy of their homes while entertaining friends.

Wood carvings are traditionally a man's domain, but a man is prohibited from carving either a "Tamtam" or a "Namangki" unless he has gained the "Right of Custom". There can be up to six faces on a single "Tamtam" or "Namangki", each associated with a level, where each level requires a separate "Right of Custom", gained in order.

To gain the right, a man first has to find a willing teacher, negotiate a price and then obtain permission from the chief of the teacher's village, following which a custom ceremony takes place. This includes the killing of a pig, supplying fresh "Kai Kai" ("Food") and paying the teacher his asking price. This process is repeated for each additional level, thereby providing the number of faces that the carver is allowed to carve. It is believed that there are only one or two people left in Vanuatu who can carve six faces, a "Right of Custom" that may become extinct.

We ended up spending two days longer than we had intended to in Port Vila because we had to wait for our laundry. Nevertheless, we took advantage of the extra time to complete our provisioning for the remainder of our stay in Vanuatu. Since we were prohibited from taking any animal or vegetable products, fresh or frozen, into New Caledonia, it meant some rather precise shopping so as not to be wasting food at a later date or worse, running out of supplies. Roy was up early to head to "Traverso's" butchery for our meat supply, following which a breakfast of freshly baked French pastries was enjoyed before heading to the fresh produce market, where amongst other products, we purchased the sweetest raspberries we'd ever tasted, known as "tropical raspberries".

Our first sail out of Port Vila took us to Havannah Harbour, particularly to explore, one of UNESCO's World Heritage sites, Chief Roi Mata's Domain on the northwest side of Efate Island, listed since 2008. It comprises three sites connected to his life and death; his home at Mangaas, the location of his death on Lelepa Island and his place of his external rest on Artok Island (Eretoka or Hat Island).

According to the oral traditions of the central islands, passed down through the generations, Roi Mata arrived in Vanuatu in a canoe around 1600, following which he set out to conquer Efate and the neighbouring islands. He then introduced a matrilineal lineage system based on totemic lines of descendants between whom no war could be waged. This system is still in force more than 400 years later. The French archaeologist, José Garanger, excavated the various sites in 1972 and discovered Chief Roi Mata's tomb together with skeletal remains of 47 other people on Artok Island and was able to confirm the local oral legend.

Having reviewed the weather, we decided that moving to Mele Bay may result in an uncomfortable night, so we opted to spend two nights just on the outskirts of this site, in the picturesque, Matapu Bay. This afforded us the opportunity to do a little exploring by dinghy and ended up at the lovely Havannah Resort, where we were made to feel very welcome, while enjoying a coffee, freshly baked pastries and a much needed walk around their grounds to stretch our legs.

Unfortunately our ideas of snorkelling the reefs went out the window as we only had one sunny day since arriving in Vanuatu.  The remainder of the time was overcast, rainy and definitely on the cooler side, which didn’t exactly entice us into wanting to swim! The water was so clear, though, that you didn’t actually have to snorkel to see the underwater world. We were still able to see the most unusual fish, including a very unusual starfish, just by peering over the edge of the dock at the resort.

From Havannah Harbour we had an early departure to coincide with the tides in order to reduce the impact of the standing waves at "Devil's Point" en route back to Port Vila and were delighted to see dolphins again. Our return to Port Vila was brief with the only purpose of officially clearing out of Vanuatu, but with an "undeclared departure date". This allowed us to still visit the islands to the south of Efate Island. It was so refreshing to encounter officials who accommodated cruisers in this way, making it so much easier to visit parts of their country that would otherwise be off the beaten track. Also, to receive a level of service beyond that which we have encountered elsewhere was amazing; the customs official actually delivered all our paperwork to Paw Paw so that we didn't have to hang around and wait for it. That's service you can't beat!

On Friday, 8 September 2017, we woke to another rainy, miserable day in Port Vila, so rather than both of us slugging through the mud and getting wet, Elaine stayed on board to ready Paw Paw for our overnight sail to Erromango Island, while Roy headed to town for some last minute provisioning, dinghy fuel and to the fuel dock to purchase our very expensive duty-free diesel to top up the tanks.

Fortunately we had the favourable winds with a more northerly component that were forecasted, which meant we were able to sail straight to Dillon's Bay on a beat, but without having to tack. We, however, experienced rougher than expected seas for the first few hours which, thankfully, settled down as we approached the island. On arrival, although we were surprised to find two other yachts in the anchorage, encountering a beautiful lush island which reminded us of the Marquesas in many ways, was definitely unexpected. We had no sooner anchored and had breakfast, when Chief Jacob came to visit.

Representing the largest village on Erromango Island, he welcomed us, we exchanged "gifts"; Fruit for us, sugar and rice for him, along with some left over "Kava" we had from Fiji, before spending an hour or so chatting. We learnt that the village is situated along the William’s River and has 500 inhabitants. There is no electricity supply, except for the village freezer which has solar panels and batteries to run it. Cooking is done on an open fire; rain water is captured in tanks, but also piped from the river. There is a primary school, a secondary school and a clinic with a full-time nurse, but a doctor had visited the village twice since January. Their diet comprises of fish, wild pig, chicken, fruit and vegetables. The main mode of transportation is a dugout canoe which takes approximately three days to make. The staggering aspect was the seven different denomination of churches represented. Fascinating!

Since arriving in Vanuatu, we had been focused on the historical and cultural aspects of this country. However the diversity became more and more apparent with each new area or island that we visited. Port Vila was a noisy, busy and a very cosmopolitan environment. Havannah Harbour was very tranquil, but Erromango Island gave us the best insight into life in Vanuatu.

First off, our arrival in Dillon's Bay revealed that we could only get "Edge" data, but after the initial grumbles, we soon learnt that having "Edge" was definitely better than nothing, especially when the service went down the first night we were there. Miraculously, though, it came back on the next morning when the sun reached a certain height in the sky. We then realised what was happening; the tower was solar powered and, therefore, went off every night.

Putting these technology constraints aside and, besides what each island has to offer the tourist, apparently each island also has something different to contribute to the overall economy. We discovered that Erromango Island contributes lobsters. Every night the men from the village dive for lobster, which are then flown to Port Vila every morning. The proceeds from these sales are then used to purchase school supplies for the children, as well as to purchase any items that the village requires. Any other needs are acquired through their practice of "trading" with either other villages or other islands or through cruisers like ourselves. We had acquired so much fruit in the short period of time we were there, simply by trading sugar, rice, powdered milk, fish hooks and fishing line. Of course, at the mention of lobster, Roy didn't waste any time in suggesting a trade of lobster for fish hooks, but although we waited patiently, unfortunately no lobster arrived! Very disappointing, considering we had already “paid” for it!

On the Sunday, while we could hear the various church bells ringing in the village, Chief Jacob had assured us we could still visit the village. So, after a meander up the William's River in the dinghy and finding a suitable spot to land, we were greeted by a very pleasant gentleman, David, owner of the Dillon's Bay "Yacht Club".

Our walk through the village revealed traditionally built homes tucked away between the lush vegetation, fruit trees galore and very friendly villagers, particularly the children who greeted us with huge smiles and enthusiastic waves. One little girl in particular, who was no older than three years old, walked straight up to Roy with her outstretched hand to be shaken; just the cutest. Another youngster, who captured our interest because of his hair, turned out to be a real character as he posed for some photographs.

We learnt that each family in the village has their own section where they live and are responsible for tending to the grounds / gardens of that specific area, but the communal areas included the clinic, the schools and a small shop. The churches, however, seemed to be spread throughout the village. Four different languages, French, English, Bislama and their native dialect, are taught in school, as well as mathematics, science, geography, etc. We also learnt that there is a guesthouse above the "Yacht Club" that provides additional income for the village. It is used by tourists who visit the island to see the enormous Kauri trees, some of which have a circumference equal to fifteen people forming a circle. David spent ten years building his "yacht club". Of course, the term is used very loosely. Consisting of a single building with the guest house on the top storey, it contained a table, a few benches and a book swap. The pathways and gardens leading up to the building were lovely and it has a magnificent view over the bay. His future plans included the construction of an awning over the balcony area and putting out tables and chairs where cruisers would be able to relax and enjoy the ambiance.

We understood the building has been used for potluck gatherings when groups of cruisers or rallies have arrived, but also for an exchange of gifts, which was a little unexpected, given that we had already undertaken the traditional gift exchange with Chief Jacob. Nevertheless, we were grateful for the hospitality, so Roy returned to Paw Paw to gather a few more gifts to present, as well as some stationery enabling us to update the visitor’s book. What was a lovely surprise for us, though, were the flags attached to the rafters. Particularly those of cruisers we knew; Into the Blue, Corango, Barbara Jean, Belefonte and Overseas Express who have all completed their circumnavigation with the World ARC 2016 / 2017 rally. We also spotted the flags from Take off and Ain't Fancy whom we'd just said our goodbyes to in Fiji as they headed west with the 2017 / 2018 World ARC rally. Needless to say, while there was a South African flag on display, we rectified the fact that he didn't have an Irish flag.

On our last day on Erromango Island, after completing a few chores, we headed ashore for a much needed walk. Our route took us along the river bank which reminded us a lot of the Salt River Canyon and our "tubing" days in Arizona. A little further along we were reminded of rural South Africa, when we came across the women of the village doing their laundry in the river, slapping the cloths against the rocks in exactly the same way as the Africans. Unfortunately we hadn’t realised we had crossed ground that belonged to another chief, who was out of town. That didn't stop one of the villagers calling after us on our return to request a gift exchange. After a steady flow of villagers in their dugouts coming out to Paw Paw over the previous three days, bringing fruit that is now running out of our ears in exchange for rice, sugar, powdered milk, cloths, fishing hooks and fishing line, we had to decline politely indicating that we had more than enough fruit and had nothing else to give. We're not too sure he was very pleased with the response, but it couldn't be helped. Of course, having David arrive with two more Paw Paw's that evening in the hopes of obtaining some books from us, certainly left us with a feeling that "enough is enough" and he left empty-handed as well. We then realised why no one was approaching the French yacht anchored next to us. The only thing the villagers were getting from them was a "God Bless You" and a prayer. The villagers obviously realised that Paw Paw was the local gift shop. Regardless, it was another experience and a perfect example of yet another community in the South Pacific thriving without any modern amenities and leading a simple, but fulfilling life. Certainly makes you wonder who's got it right! We, however, knew we’d definitely be making paw paw jam so as not to waste all the fruit!

On Tuesday, 12 September 2017 we departed Dillon's Bay at daybreak for our sail to Tanna Island. With the wind, waves and current on the nose, we motored the first leg then got some reprieve from the current and swell in the shadow of Tanna Island, which allowed us to motor-sail. We knew it would be slow going, so we'd planned to only go as far as Lomanloma Bay on the northwest corner of Tanna Island. However, with the southeast to northwest orientation of the island, the swell was basically coming up both the leeward and windward sides, making Lomanloma Bay a less than desirable choice. With that and enough daylight remaining, we altered course for Waisisi Bay. We were rewarded with two separate whale sightings for our trouble.

It was dusk by the time we anchored. We'd no sooner settled down with our sundowners when we heard some giggling. On further investigation we encountered a group of children who had paddled out to Paw Paw in their dugout canoes. We felt so bad that we had no sweets onboard to give them, but then Elaine remembered we had packets of Ginger Snap biscuits. The delight on their little faces at receiving two biscuits each was priceless. Of course, it didn't take long for word to spread and, just as darkness fell, two more children, who couldn't have been older than five years old, paddled out for their biscuits. In many ways, it broke our hearts, but we later learnt that yachts rarely visit Waisisi Bay, so the entire experience was new for these children.

We soon discovered the reason yachts seldom stop at Waisisi Bay. Every inch of Paw Paw was covered in a thick layer of ash the following morning. Knowing it would take us the best part of the day to clean the mess, we decided to get an early start and motored the last 6NM to Port Resolution, our intended destination on Tanna Island and the single reason we had sailed to Vanuatu to begin with; Mount Yasur, an active volcano that we could visit. En route to Port Resolution we had another sighting of whales, but this time it was a female and her calf, breaching beautifully as they approached us. It was the start of the most spectacular day.

Of course, there's always the "piper to pay" and a significant leak in our portside water heater was our payment. It drained about a quarter of a tank of our much needed freshwater into the bilge before we heard the bilge pumps activate. Once that issue was isolated, we tackled our mess on deck. After trying to sweep it up, then trying to wash it off with buckets, we were getting nowhere. It was time to bring out the "big guns"; our 8000 gallons / 30000 litres per hour emergency pump with a 3 inch fire hose attached. While we hate to give Paw Paw a saltwater wash down, we had no choice in this instance and the pump worked wonders. We then spent some time giving the stainless steel, hatches, etc a freshwater wipe and, fortunately, Mother Nature helped out later in the day with a decent amount of rain. By then we were scrambling to get ready for our trip to Mount Yasur, only to discover our transportation was running late, so we ended up with an hour to spare. With that we enjoyed a walk around the very pretty gardens and grounds of the Port Resolution "Yacht Club", as well as a chat to Scott off Morning Light, who was also joining the excursion. Before long, an experience of a lifetime commenced.

After a very bumpy ride, fortunately in the comfort of a 4-wheel drive supercab, we arrived at the entrance to the operations, but by now the similarities between Costa Rica and much of Vanuatu had definitely surfaced. The roads were essentially mud tracks. The vegetation was thick and lush, but seeing steam coming out of the mountain side as we approached the volcano was incredible. After paying our entrance fee, we were escorted to the staging area, where we meet our guides, heard the story of the legend, received our garlands as a welcome gift and witnessed the traditional ceremony, which included the presentation of "Kava" to the chief, receiving his blessing for a safe adventure and some traditional custom dancing and singing. The latter was very different to what we had seen elsewhere in the South Pacific Islands. It resembled African dancing in many ways with regard to its simplicity and pounding of the feet.

Nothing really prepared us for the experience that awaited us though. It was beyond what we had ever imagined. We were both simply in awe of what we were witnessing. The Mount Yasur volcano is one of the most accessible volcanoes in the world. The 4-wheel drive vehicles took us to within 200M of the crater, following which we hiked the remainder of the way to the rim. Standing on the ledge, where, in one direction you could slide straight into the molten rock and the other, straight down the outer cliffs, was rather unsettling, but seeing the magma explosions as the sunset was beyond words.

Mount Yasur is steeped in legend: "Once upon a time, the volcano-man, Yasur, found refuge with two old women on Tanna Island. He liked it there and decided to stay forever; swallowing up the house and its occupants and that is where the two craters stem from, one for each of Yasur's victims". Most local people, however, believe it is the "House of the Spirits" and, to be honest, we can relate to the latter. The noise and rumblings sounded really angry and menacing. With smoke and steam pouring out, the magma explosions sent pieces of molten rock the size of cars flying skyward.

To be that close to an active volcano will truly remain one of our most memorable experiences and made every inch of ocean that we had crossed up to this point, worthwhile. It certainly stands out with our diving in Bonaire, Elaine's dive with the dolphins in Curacao, visiting the historic St Pierre on Martinique destroyed by Mount Pelee, visiting the devastation of Plymouth on Montserrat caused by Mount Soufriere, the hundreds of dolphins that came to frolic in Paw Paw's bows on our sail to Colombia, our trip up the Chargres River to the Embera Indian village in Panama, our snorkel excursions in the Galapagos, our snorkel at the "Aquarium" in the Rangiroa atoll of the Tuamotus, feeding the sting rays in Moorea, seeing the manta rays in Boro Boro, the isolation of Surwarrow, the To Sua Ocean Trench and snorkelling the crater of the underwater volcano in Samoa, the humpback whales in Tonga and the mud pools and hot springs in Fiji. An experience of a lifetime for which we are immensely grateful!

On our second and last day on Tanna Island, we headed ashore to explore the local village, where we found Chez Leah's "restaurant". Again, the term is used very loosely, but we were able to enjoy a delicious mug of Tanna coffee, some cream biscuits and a few complimentary slices of paw paw. After wandering around the village, we headed back to the "yacht club" where we meet a number of the cruisers from the yachts that had arrived that day. We also signed the visitors log book and happened to stumble across Andy and Paul's name, with their yacht Talulah Ruby II at the time, signed on the 2008 / 2009 World ARC rally flag which was on display, the very first rally. Of course we couldn't resist adding our names to the 2016 / 2017 World ARC flag, given that we'd paid for this leg of the circumnavigation, albeit that we arrived a year after the rest of the fleet.

To stretch our legs we then walked to White Bay and discovered a fabulous, but wild and rugged coastline, fringed by a white sandy beach. Being on the windward side of the island, though, it was very windy, but would have made a great place for a beach picnic / barbecue otherwise. Unfortunately, our time in Vanuatu was coming to a close, so we decided we would have to find another suitable beach in either New Caledonia or Australia.

We weighed anchor at daybreak to depart Tanna Island for Aneityum (aka Anatom) Island and another long motor-sailing day. Beating to windward not only stresses us, but stresses the yacht, so having light winds and slighter seas was far more preferably for the last of our windward legs. In winds of less than 10Kts, with a lazy swell, lake-like seas and a boat speed of around 6Kts, we enjoyed a reasonably fast trip. For a mid-morning snack we tucked into some of the fruit we still had left over from all the "gift exchanges" we had to participate in on Erromango Island and, since we'd run out of bread, Roy excelled in the galley once again by baking baguettes for lunch. Elaine, under supervision from Roy, tried her hand at making paw paw jam, after getting an idea of a recipe from one of the locals. En route we also made a temporary repair to the headsail where some stitching had come loose. It certainly was a rather unusual industrious day at sea!

Vanuatu, like most of the islands in the South Pacific, has a very small carbon footprint on our planet, but they seem to suffer the most from the effects of global warming and climate change; specifically, the devastation caused by the horrendous cyclones that have occurred over the past few years, Pam and Winston, just to mention two. During our first snorkelling excursion on Aneityum Island, we saw firsthand some of the storm damage inflicted on the coral reefs surrounding the southern part of Aneityum Island. The coral that was healthy, though, was fabulous and included varieties we'd not seen before. While there weren't too many fish around this particular snorkelling site, we did see the largest Angel and Parrot fish we've ever seen, even larger than those we'd seen in Bonaire.

We were on the southern tip of the southernmost island of the chain of islands comprising Vanuatu and we were the only yacht in Anelghowhat Bay. In fact, we think we might have been the only yacht visiting Aneityum Island at that particular time. That didn’t stop us from undertaking our dinghy explorations which revealed the most magnificent scenery, particularly around Inyeug Islet, commonly referred to as "Mystery Island". It reminded us a lot of Huahine Island in French Polynesia and Niuatoputapu in Tonga with the powdery white sandy beaches, volcanic rock and fabulous shades of turquoise and blue water. While the water was absolutely freezing, we'd had sunny blue skies since our arrival and it was wonderful having all the remoteness and stunning natural beauty to ourselves. The stars were so bright at night we thought they were lights onshore and we had a beautiful sunset, the first in quite some time. It didn’t last long, though, as we were informed by one of the locals that a cruise ship was arriving the following day. We would be back to plenty of company again, whether we liked it or not! Elaine did, however, finish making the paw paw jam, which was enjoyed with freshly baked crumpets for breakfast. Unfortunately a downside of the eco-friendly environment we'd enjoyed in Vanuatu was the lack of grocery stores, so no fresh bread, which meant we got to bake a lot. Fortunately fruit and vegetables could be traded for fish hooks and line, of which we had plenty!

Just before sunset on our penultimate day, we had a local boat stop by. There was a Digicel employee onboard who was from Pakistan and who had never been on a yacht. He was there to service the equipment on Inyeug Islet and wanted a photograph taken of himself on Paw Paw. Needless to say, we then had all the locals onboard the boat wanting to do the same thing. The delight and joy, though, when this gentleman discovered that Roy knew his home country and had visited it years ago, was touching. It was dark by the time memories were recalled and stories exchanged. A fun ending to a fun-filled day and, once again, stressed the fact, that no matter where in the world this sailing adventure takes us, it's the people we meet under the most unexpected circumstances, that make the difference to our experience. Our paths will probably never cross again, but he, nonetheless, invited us to his home in Port Vila, if we ever passed this way again.

The cruise ship arrived as expected, anchoring right in the middle of the only exit to the anchorage. We thought it would be a bit of a laugh if we hailed them and asked them to move so that we could get out, but decided against it. Turns out they were leaving that same night anyway. Once we'd finished entertaining some of the local children on board, who arrived around mid-morning with some grapefruits and bok choi for us, for which we exchanged fish hooks, line and biscuits, much to their delight, we decided to head back to Inyeug Islet, to enjoy the entertainment and merriment laid on for the cruise ship's guests.

After enjoying "tea for two" at one of the traditionally built huts, it was time for Elaine's "massage". Once again, this term is loosely used. It appears she is definitely still a sucker for Roy's bright ideas. It was the longest 45 minutes of her life and felt more like torture. Lying on a homemade wooden table tilted to the side, with no cushioning, besides a clean piece of material as a cover, which had been placed there for her "appointment", Elaine received what could more accurately be described as a thorough rubbing down with coconut oil from head to toe. Although she had informed the lady of her sensitive knees and ankles, it appeared to fall on deaf ears and she later realised that it was probably a language barrier. The good news is that she was still able to walk afterwards, barely though! We also learnt that many of the cruise ships only come to this southernmost island of Vanuatu before returning to the Loyalty Islands off New Caledonia, and then head back to Australia. It seems a pity that they skip Tanna Island, in particular, Mount Yasur, but the threat of malaria and the dangers associated with visiting an active volcano is probably more risk than the organisers care to accept. When we returned to Paw Paw, Roy snorkelled her bottom to remove the barnacles which had accumulated since leaving Fiji, while Elaine poured herself a stiff gin and tonic. Fortunately, prior to returning to "Mystery Island", we had completed all our preparation activities for our passage to Noumea, New Caledonia the next day, because Elaine was definitely in no mood for anything else by that point.

It was, however, a fun day to end our stay in Vanuatu, a rather strange place in our opinion and one that reminded us of Africa in so many ways. We had originally only wanted to visit Vanuatu to experience Mount Yasur, but had subsequently decided to make the best of our visit and explore at least the southern islands, thereby keeping out of the malaria region. It is difficult to summarise how we feel about our experience in Vanuatu. We definitely didn’t enjoy aspects of Port Vila, especially some of the sights and smells. We didn’t enjoy what felt like harassment on Erromango Island with the constant solicitation for “gifts”, but it was in Vanuatu that we had the experience of a lifetime at Mount Yasur and where we stumbled upon the laid back and welcoming people of Aneityum Island, all experiences that never fail to enrich our lives and provide memories that are unparalleled!