19 – 30 April

Hawaii

Tuesday:

It’s an 8 and a half hour flight to Honolulu, but along the way we cross the international date line and land 14 hours before we took off.  We get to have Tuesday over again.  Amazingly enough for the USA we’re out of the airport within 15 minutes of landing, having cleared both customs and immigration and picking up our luggage.  We get a shuttle bus to our hotel.  It’s too early to check-in, but we dump off our suitcases and head out for a couple of hours. 

We’re not sure what to expect of Waikiki but first impressions are good.  It’s big and it’s busy, but everything is clean and well-maintained and every shop you could possibly want is here.  Oh, and gloriously sunny too, but we’ve almost started to take that for granted.  We’re a bit too tired to take it all in and we don’t even make it down to the beach.  After a short stroll and some lunch we head back to the hotel for an afternoon nap.

Feeling only somewhat refreshed we eventually brave the somewhat carnival atmosphere on the streets to grab some cheeseburgers across from the beach before deciding we definitely need more sleep.

Wednesday:

We set out to explore properly today.  First stop: the beach. 

Yes, it’s a little busy, but it’s also long, palm-lined and lapped by turquoise waters.  Oh, and there’s surfers everywhere.  There are skyscrapers, but there are also lots of grassy green parks and plenty of open space.  

We have a swim and try to look glamorous, then pay homage to Duke Kahanamoku (pretty much the father of modern surfing). 

We find a sandwich shop and enjoy a picnic in the shade of swaying palm fronds, then keep walking until we’ve just about run out of beach and are hot enough for another swim.  Once we’ve tired ourselves out with the walk back we do a little bar-hop along the beach watching the sunset.  I can’t resist the ridiculous cocktails or anywhere with cheesy live Hawaiian music.

As night falls we find a pub/restaurant for pints of just about any beer you can think of and ridiculously large portions of food.

Janet adds: forgot how much I love American food (apart from the super-sizedness):  sweet potato fries and pickles with practically everything. 

Thursday:

We decide to be a bit more energetic today and walk over to Diamond Head for the climb up the volcanic crater.  It’s almost 3 miles to the base of the crater and then a short, steep climb to the top.  We’re rewarded with panoramic views over Honolulu, making it well worth the slog. 

We also get our first glimpse of some native Hawaiian birds.  They tend to look like they’ve had accidents with paint pots: solid bright reds, yellows or greens. 

We break up the long walk back with a stop at the beach for a swim.  I’m lured into Yoghurtland.  It’s brilliant: a help yourself frozen yoghurt shop with about 10 different flavours, countless toppings and you pay by weight.  The round trip is over 7 miles, so by the time we get back to our hotel we’re ready for a bit of a relax. 

In the evening I drag Nick out for some more sunsets and cheesy music.  We’re hoping to catch the legendary Auntie Genoa Keawe – a 90 something falsetto singer - but she died about 3 years ago (that's what happens when you use an out of date guide book).   

Janet adds: I’d like to be tackling Ohau a bit more head on, but my body is objecting (probably at being slam-dunked into a kayak once too often) and demanding a slower pace.  Oh, the joys of being over 30… (on the plus side, we get id-ed every time we order a drink, I might become an alcoholic just for the ego rush).

Friday:

It’s our last day on Ohau and we probably should be ambitiously exploring.  Instead we decide to just enjoy being in Waikiki.  We spend the day shopping, eating in the restaurants and watching crap American TV.  Tomorrow we’re heading to the Big Island where we’ll have a whole week of exploring.

Janet adds: I got respect for my tan today.  In a surf shop.  In Honolulu.  Oh yeah.

Saturday:

We asked the front desk to order us a taxi to the airport this morning.  We’re mortified when a massive, white stretch limo turns up.  Nevertheless, there’s nothing to do but pull our caps down over our eyes and slink in.  This is how Waikiki rolls. 

It’s only a 30 minute flight over to Kona on Hawaii (otherwise known as the Big Island) – the kind that goes straight up and then straight back down again.  The Kona airport is in the middle of a lava field.  It’s a pretty bleak and eerie landscape.  It’s also my first open-air, outdoor airport.  That’s got to say something about the weather. 

We pick up a car and start driving north.  We’re headed for Hilo, on the other side of the island.  We could’ve flown straight there, but thought it would be more interesting seeing the scenery on the way round.  At first there’s not much to see – it’s pretty much semi-desert, with the odd irrigated oasis signalling where the big resorts are.  Soon we turn inland and start crossing over to the ‘wet’ side of the island.  The dry landscape turns to pasture land and we stop in a cowboy town to get some lunch at the supermarket. 

The further across we go, the more lush and overgrown everything gets.  First stop is the lookout at Waipi’o Valley – this is a typical Hawaiian steep-sided valley. 

We don’t have time for much more than a quick look and then we’re off down the coast.  Next stop are the magnificent Akaka falls.

We arrive in Hilo in the late afternoon and get checked into our motel.  I love it.  It has a ‘jungle’ garden and we’re encouraged to pick any fruit we see (there are avos, mangoes, papayas, bananas and grapefruit).  In reception there is always a big basket of papaya and bananas waiting to be eaten.  Even pineapples are growing in the front. 

The only downside is the ferocious mosquitoes – a quick 5 minute amble through the garden costs me 13 bites.  We pick up some supplies to see us through the Easter weekend and get settled.

Janet adds: In the supermarket today I got asked if I was Indian.  Perhaps I’ve taken the tan too far? 

Sunday:

There are no chocolate eggies for either of us today, so we have to make do with scrambled eggs for breakfast.  We’ve decided to go lava hunting at Volcanoes National Park.  Except that the volcano that has been spewing out lave for the last 18 odd years has decided to take a pause in its lava production just in time for our arrival.  Still, there’s plenty of other volcanic action to take in.  

The Halema’uma’u Crater is spewing out gases and ash, closing half the crater rim drive.  We can’t hike anywhere near it, so we hike the Kilauea Iki Crater instead.  The crater is steep sided and surrounded by rainforest.  It’s quite a contrast to the crater floor, which is a mad jumble of cracked lava. 

There are even steaming vents in the ground, releasing blasts of heat around our ankles.  At the end of the trail we get to walk through a giant lava tube.

All this before lunch.  Next we drive the chain of craters road which, true to it’s name, follows a serious of craters and lava flows down to the point on the wild and rough south coast where lava has covered the road, cutting it short. 

It’s fantastically post-apocalyptic.  On the way back up we stop for another walk that picks it’s way over the lava flow and climbs a cinder cone for some good views that reveal just how many craters are around.  Our final stop is to get a better look at the eruption of the Halema’uma’u crater and then it’s back to our motel.

Monday:

Today we’re exploring the sights of Hilo and the southern beaches.  It’s a bit cloudy and rainy when we get up (we are after all in America’s wettest city) so we decide to put off the beaches until later.  We head first for rainbow falls.  There’s not enough sun for a rainbow, but the falls are beautiful, especially with the surrounding banyan trees. 

The day starts to brighten up so we set off along the coast.  The lady at our motel pointed out some beach parks that she said were turtle hangouts.  We took that to mean that if we’re really lucky and our timing is right we might just see a turtle.  The beach we stop at has a lovely sheltered natural tidal pool.  It’s not very deep and the water is clear and calm. 

We picnic on the banks and I get a brief glimpse of a spinner porpoise doing its thing out in the bay.  I convince myself I’ve seen a head pop out of the pool, so we head in for a swim and snorkel.  Sure enough, just a couple of feet in front of me is one of the biggest turtles I’ve ever seen.  It doesn’t seem bothered by us at all, so we get to swim alongside it for a while.

Next we drive right down to the southern coast to some more natural tide pools formed by lava rock.  These make for pretty weird snorkelling.  The pools are so perfectly formed and the water so clear that it’s like swimming in an aquarium.  There’s nothing too spectacular to see, but it keeps us entertained.

Our final stop of the day is a little black sand beach.  It’s a pretty little crescent of sand, well hidden at the foot of a cliff and backed by palm trees.  It is also completely ruined by a couple of nudists (why are nudists never young and attractive?) and a misguided hippie twirling some ropes.

Back at our motel there’s just enough time for a short run before dinner.  It’s my first in at least a month and boy does it hurt…

Tuesday:

We’re driving back to the Kona side of the island today, taking the southern route to complete our circumnavigation of the island.  Our first stop is at another black sand beach: Punalu’u.  Luckily this time everyone is fully clothed!  The beach is beautiful and there are turtles everywhere you look: lazing in the sheltered rock pools, swimming in the surf and sleeping on the beach. 

We stop again briefly at Ho’okena beach, before pushing on the Kealakekua Bay.  This is meant to be a hangout of spinner porpoises, but there are none about this afternoon.  We do get our first glimpse across the bay of the Captain Cook monument, which marks the spot where he died.  We’re hoping to get a closer look at it, but that will have to wait for another day.

After a quick stop for some groceries we check into our hotel.  We managed to get a good deal on a 1 bed self-catering apartment.  I’m kind of expecting something small and pokey, but it’s huge.  This is a fine bit of luxury for us and we waste no time in spreading out.  The apartment is part of a timeshare type resort and there’s a gym on site with views out to sea.  I’ll have to make good use of that while we’re here. 

In the evening we enjoy the simple pleasure of sprawling on the sofas to watch telly.  Not very exciting, but something we haven’t got to do for a while.

Janet adds: just slowing sinking in that Hawaii = turtles.

Wednesday:

After a slow, lazy morning we pack up some lunch and head north up the coast to Hapuna beach.  This is a typical white sand, palm fringed beach and we spend a bit of time soaking up the sun and playing in the waves. 

We have our picnic and then take a scenic drive through the Kohala region.  The road climbs up into the mountains before dropping back down to the northern coast.  On our way back we call in at Pu’ukohola Heiau, the site of an ancient Hawaiian temple. 

Our evening is spent much the same as last night’s: gym, telly and home-cooked food.

Thursday:

It’s another day of relaxed exploring today.  We drive along the waterfront near our hotel before heading back south to Ho’okena beach.  

Watching the waves break they seem to be full of yellow leaves, but on closer inspection these turn out to be dozens of bright yellow fish.  We brave the swell and head in for a snorkel.  The coral in Hawaii is pretty weird looking as it’s usually growing on lava rock.  There’s plenty to see, including another turtle that glides past.

After lunch we head back to Kealakekua Bay.   We hire a kayak to make our pilgrimage over to the obelisk marking the spot of Captain Cook’s death – the alternative is a 4hr hike.  Still, it’s a long way to the other side of the bay and we’re paddling into the wind, so it’s pretty hard going. 

It’s with aching arms that we finally haul our kayak out of the water at the foot of the monument.  We’re now back in England: the land on which the obelisk stands is officially part of England.

This is another prime snorkelling spot and we’re sharing the water with a tour boat.  Interestingly, passengers on the boat are forbidden from setting foot on the beach, so I guess we’ve got one up on them.   We don our masks and jump in.  The reef is excellent and shallow, but within a few metres the sea drops away into the big blue nothing.  It’s enough to inspire agoraphobia.  Once again there are dozens of the bright yellow fish and plenty more too. 

When we’ve had enough it’s back into the kayak for the trip back.  This time we’ve got the wind on at our backs, which makes it a bit easier. 

The USA (like most of the world) has gone a little royal wedding crazy.  There’s coverage on just about every channel (being 11 hours behind, the wedding is happening at midnight Thursday night/Friday morning).  Despite our best intentions we find ourselves getting sucked into it and stay up to see The Dress (yes, Nick too).

Janet adds: I hate to admit it, but we’re both getting a bit beached/snorkelled out.  I didn’t think it was possible.  There’s not much to do in Hawaii but go to the beach.  Nevermind, I’m sure we can put up with one more day of it if we have to.

Friday:

The royal wedding means we’re a bit slow off the mark today, but we do eventually head out to yet another remote, idyllic beach, Kiholo Bay.  This one involves driving down a mile long dirt road and then hiking for 20 minutes or so along the coast.  It’s worth the effort: we arrive at a gorgeous, sheltered lagoon.  Once again, there are turtles everywhere.  We give up on counting them. 

The calm, turquoise waters of the lagoon are surrounded by jagged slabs of lava – it’s quite a contrast, and quite a scramble to get into the water. 

We have a bit of a swim and a snorkel – hanging with the turtles mostly, then dry off on the rocks while we have our lunch. 

Once we’ve made it back to civilization we head to a shopping centre where we can grab a fruit smoothie and some free internet.  Then it’s back to the hotel to soak up the sunset, make use of the gym and get ourselves ready for the next leg of our journey tomorrow.

Saturday:

We're flying this afternoon to San Jose, California.  After checking out we head into town to kill a few hours and catch up on the internet.  

Janet adds: Hawaii has been beautiful, but that's the end of tropical islands for a while.  Not looking forward to digging out the jeans and long-sleeves again.  

Fiji

12-19 April

Tuesday:

It’s a short and sweet 1hr25min flight from Port Vila to Nadi.  The Fijian immigration are hesitant when they see my green passport, but when Nick flashes his red one at them we’re through.  Henry meets us at the airport and drives us the 30mins or so to the marina.  Here we switch onto a boat for a 40 minute blast to Navini Island where we’ll be staying for the next week.  It’s dark so we can’t see the island – that’ll be a treat for morning.  We’re taken straight to the dining room for a cocktail and a toasted sandwich (good combo), then it’s bedtime for us.

Wednesday – Monday:

Navini is another slice of heaven.  The island is tiny – you can walk around it in 10 minutes (it’s approximately 0.6km round, depending on the tides).   It’s an oasis of vibrant flowers and swaying coconut palms surrounded by picture-perfect white sandy beaches.  Best of all, it’s surrounded by its own coral reef. 

We seem to have brought some good weather with us too – we get a week of perfect days, whereas it’d been raining before we arrived.  We have a gorgeous bure with it’s own veranda, hammock and sun loungers.   

There are only 10 rooms on the island so there are never too many people about.  Meals are laid-back communal affairs, which we were a bit hesitant about, but end up really enjoying.  It is fun meeting everyone else and having little chats (especially after having only each other to talk to for the last 6 months or so!).   

We’re even treated to a private candle-lit dinner under the full moon on the beach one evening. 

There’s plenty to keep us busy.  Every morning there’s a complimentary trip.  We join it one day and get taken out to a reef for some snorkelling.  Afterwards there’s the chance to fish.  Nick gives it a go but doesn’t catch anything (on purpose he says, so as not to upset me). 

And finally a stop for a swim.  I’m getting pretty good at throwing myself off boats into the middle of the sea. 

Most of our time is spent lazing about or snorkelling.  There are baby reef sharks that seem to spend all day patrolling the shallows around the beach.  They’re cute and it’s a great opportunity to get a close-up look at a shark. 

As we’re coming into a full moon, the tides are extreme: when they’re low they’re very low and when they’re high…  At low tide we have to take a kayak out to get over the reef and then tie it to a buoy and snorkel from there.  Even so we get caught short one day when the tide hits its lowest point and have to get thrown shoes to walk back in for lunch as there’s not enough water to float our kayak.  

The snorkelling is amazing:  loads of tropical fish, giant clams, rays and bigger reef sharks (babies are cute, mummies a little more of an adrenaline rush – even though they’re pretty harmless too). We even spot a turtle and a manta ray, which has to be one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen. This little family of clown fish were firm island favourites – tough dad got very protective of mum and babies when we came poking about their home.

When I got thirsty one of the helpful gentlemen knocked a coconut down from the tree for me.

Nick gets a lesson on the hobiecats and sails us around the island whenever the wind picks up enough.  And 4.30pm is volleyball time for the boys.

In the evening we’re treated to glorious sunsets

and equally dramatic moonrises.

Once darkness falls an army of geckos emerge from the roofs and jump into the trees.  Then it’s dinnertime, followed by kava drinking and a game or two of vidi-vidi.

Tuesday:

All too soon the week is over.  Our flight it not until one minute to midnight so we stay on the island for the day.  In the morning we join the boat trip for snorkelling, fishing and swimming.  Then it’s lunchtime and a lazy afternoon.  After a week of perfect days the weather is starting to turn, so that makes leaving a little easier.  We brought the good weather with us and we’re taking it away with us too.  At about 5pm we’re loaded onto the boat for the trip to Nadi.  We blast across but have to slow down just before the marina to let this paddle boarder and his passenger past.

Henry meets us at the marina for the drive to the airport and the 6 hour wait for our flight.

Janet adds: my new favourite holiday destination.  Just a little far from the UK…

Port Vila, Vanuatu (part 2)

10-12 April

Sunday 

We’ve got another action packed day today: a sailing/snorkelling trip.  We’re picked up just after 8am for a half hour drive round to Havannah Harbour.  We’re going out on the Golden Wing, a trimaran.

We get the boat loaded up and chug our way out of the harbour.  There’s not enough wind about to sail, so we’ve got to make do with the engines.  It’s a bit bumpy – there’s been a lot of bad weather about which has stirred things up – but not too bad.  We’re headed for Hat Island:

You can see where the name came from.  It’s a World Heritage site and has got some pretty interesting history.  If you’re interested have a read here: http://www.sailawayvanuatu.com/indexs.html

We anchor just offshore.  The water is beautifully clear and blue.  Some of the others are diving, but us snorkelers just jump in.  There are a couple of big fish kicking about and almost straight away I spot a turtle.  It’s beautiful.  We spend an hour or so snorkelling along the long reef and then back again. 

Back on board it’s time for lunch.  The scraps get fed to the waiting fish.

We cross over the bay and this time it is windy enough to get the sails up.  We’re more exposed here, so the sea is getting rougher.  We anchor just off some remote beaches.  The visibility is no good for snorkelling, but we swim to shore for a walk on the beach and a break from the rocking. 

After swimming back to the boat (this is the most I’ve ever swum in my life) we move to our final spot more or less halfway between Hat Island and the ‘mainland’ (Efate Island).  There’s a reef here, Paul’s Rock, more or less in the middle of nowhere with deep water all around.  This is probably the deepest and the roughest water I’ve snorkelled in, but it’s fun and we get to see bigger fish.  Once we’re all back on board it’s time to make our way back.   It’s been a gorgeous day, but I’ve about had enough of the rocking.

Janet adds: and still rocking (in my head) now that we’re back on dry land. Yurk.

Monday:

We’re both absolutely knackered and finding it hard to get going.  The weather isn’t inspiring either – there’s a downpour outside.  We decide to just take it easy and potter about.  There’s washing to do, photos to sort, a blog to write.  We’re sat in the apartment watching a telly on Nick’s computer when suddenly there’s a massive flash of light and what sounds like an explosion outside.  Lightning has struck just outside – it’s so close the soles of my feet are tingling.

It dries up enough for a walk to the supermarket, but it’s rained so much the road is flooded.

Along the way we see what is possibly the most evil looking fly ever.

And then it starts raining again.  It eventually clears enough for us to have a walk into down.  We do a bit of shopping at the market and then have a few happy hour beers on the waterfront.  The rain starts coming down again, so we make a dash across the road to a steakhouse – Vanuatu beef is meant to be good and I’ve been promising Nick a big steak..  It’s still raining as we leave, so we catch a bus home.

Tuesday:

We’re flying to Fiji this afternoon to spend a week on a beach.  We decided we needed a holiday from our holiday (it’ a hard life) and we’re going to be offline for a week.   We’re packing our bags and checking out, then we’ll have a few hours to kill downtown. 

Janet adds: Love love love Vanuatu.  Can’t think of a bad thing to say about it.  The people are lovely, the scenery is beautiful.  Busy planning when/how I can come back J

Pentecost and Epi, Vanuatu

9 April

Saturday:

Today we get to go to Pentecost Island to see the land diving (naghol).  Every year on Saturdays between April and June the men of south Pentecost Island jump from wooden towers with vines tied to their legs (like a primitive form of bungee jumping and where the idea of bungee jumping came from) in a ritual believed to ensure a good harvest of yams. 

It’s the main reason we wanted to come to Vanuatu and we’re so excited.  We’re both a bit nervous as well – the day involves being flown about in a tiny aeroplane. We’re not sure if we’re getting the 6 seater or the 10 seater, but when the bus arrives to pick us up at 7.45 with 3 other passengers in it that kinda answers our question.  

It’s raining and there are some nasty looking clouds about, so we reckon we’re in for a bumpy ride.  As with all things in Vanuatu, it’s a bit of a relaxed affair.  There’s no check-in process to speak of at the airport.  We get weighed (yes, the plane is that small that your weight determines which seat you get!), pay a small departure tax and then wander out to our plane. 

It’s tiny, but our pilot Alex looks perfectly competent.  We dump our bags in the back and hop in.  The safety briefing consists of being handed a life-jacket that we have to wear strapped around our waists (just in case) and being shown how to lock/unlock the door. 

And then we’re off.  I’m desperately trying to be nervous, but there’s so much to see that I’m soon distracted.  Port Vila is on the island Efate.  There’s one road that runs along the coast but in the middle there’s nothing but bush.  It’s beautifully green, rugged and overgrown.  Then we’re over the island and heading across the sea.  There are islands dotted about everywhere – all with lush interiors, gorgeous long beaches and surrounded by coral.  Vanuatu is made up of over 80 islands, about 65 of which are inhabited.   

Alex flies us right past a volcano.  There’s still a lot of cloud about but we get some good views.

Almost before we know it we’re landing on Pentecost Island.  Alex has somehow managed to avoid the worst of the weather and the flight has been wonderfully smooth.  A tarred runway and one small building make up the airport.  There are a handful of locals hanging out to watch the action.

We get introduced to our guide.  When we ask where the toilets are we’re led off down a muddy track to a little out building.   The toilets are perfectly clean and there’s a bucket and tap to flush them – you’ve got to have your own paper though.

Back at the airport we’re officially welcomed with garlands and then led off through the bush to the jump site.  Along the way we pass the women and girls preparing. 

The tower has been build on the side of a hill that has been especially cleared off.   There are 7 platforms for jumping, getting progressively higher.  The vines are all prepared, the men and boys waiting around nervously.  Well, some of them are – others are just having fun.

I’d expected a touristy display, but everything is very low key – there are 12 tourists here in total and a handful of locals watching from a clearing in the forest below.  Finally we’re ready to go: the ground has been softened underneath the platform and the women and girls arrive dressed in grass skirts with flowers in their hair. 

They all start dancing and singing: psyching up the man who’s the first to jump.  The jumps start off fairly low, but it’s still hair-raising.  The man gets into position and the vines are tied to his ankles.  He raises his hands to the people

and then jumps, swinging out before landing on the soft ground below.

He’s helped up, the vines cut from his feet and there’s a palpable sense of relief in the air.

A young boy steps up for the next jump.  He’s clearly nervous throughout the preparations.  The crowd do their best to buoy him up, but in the end he can’t face it and has to climb back down.  Immediately another boy is up in his place, eager to prove himself.  But then he gets to the end of the platform and can’t face it either.  This jump isn’t happening.

Another young boy steps up for the third jump.  He’s a cheeky chappy – giving us a huge grin before throwing himself off.   Once he’s cut free he dashes from the clearing, overwhelmed, but returns soon enough wearing his dirt with pride to join in the dancing and singing.

The jumps are getting higher now.  With each one there’s a build up of tension – both in the jumper and the spectators.  The heart-stopping moment as he plunges to the ground and then the laughter and cheers when he stands up unharmed.

Then we’re on to the last jump: right from the top of the swaying tower.  Before the jump the chief and our guide say a few words.  The jumper stands on his platform taking in the views around him.  He seems almost in a trance, looking to the sky then looking to the crowds to carry him through this.  He gathers his courage with a few handclaps and leaps.

And then it’s over.  There are smiles all round as everyone relaxes.  It’s been magical and I’m exhausted just from watching. 

But it’s not even lunchtime yet and we’ve got a lot of excitement yet to come.  We make our way back to the airport, stopping to greet and thank the people along the way.

Alex is waiting to take us on our next scenic flight: a 30 minute hop to Epi Island where we’re due to have lunch.  Once again the flight is smooth and we fly past another spectacular volcano.  We come in to land on a grass landing strip at the top of a beautiful bay.  This airport is even smaller than the last one.

We’re running a bit late, so the boat that was meant to take us over to our lunch spot isn’t there.  Not to worry, it’s only a few minutes walk along the beautiful beach. 

The ladies at sunset bungalows have prepared a lovely lunch for us: rice, chicken, highland cabbage (basically spinach) and yam fritters.  They’ve even managed a gorgeous lemon meringue for desert. 

Once we’ve stuffed our faces we head back down to the beach to pick up the boat that’s going to take us over to Lamen Island in the middle of the bay.   There’s meant to be a resident dugong here and we’re hoping to snorkel with it.  The boat is a rather rickety, wooden affair.  Our skipper is steering with one hand and bailing out water with the other.  You can’t help but laugh. 

The water is rough and it’s quite a bounce to get out to the island.  We anchor up and jump in.  Despite being choppy the water is warm and visibility is still pretty good.  We spend a good 45 minutes snorkelling around the bay but unfortunately the dugong is not to be found. 

We haul ourselves back onto the boat (some of us with a little more difficulty than others, ahem).  Our skipper is nowhere to be seen, so we hang out for a bit.  The shadow of a flying fox passes overhead, and then suddenly there are more.  I’m not sure what’s roused them at this time of day, but they’re striking silhouetted against the sky.  Finally our skipper turns up.  He hasn’t found the dugong either.  We’re due back at the airport so our guide boats us straight over there.  It’s not a bad way to arrive for a flight. 

The rainclouds are pulling in fast and tight, but once again Alex manages to find a relatively bump-free route through them.  And once again there’s jaw-dropping scenery along the way: waterfalls appearing out of nowhere, 360 degree rainbows, shallow bays and long beaches.

We land safely and then it’s a quick drive back to the hotel.

Janet adds: tired but happy, it’s been the best day ever.

Nick adds: This was the reason for coming to Vanuatu and worth the effort in getting here.