The Island

 

It felt like today was the culmination of all my Pacific Island related fantasies.  Remote (ish) Island (well the bit we went to), reef snorkelling, beach BBQ, quite simply, this is what its all about and this is probably what will lead me to finding a way to return out this way, whether it be Tonga, Samoa, so many more to consider.

Sailors Blythe, Cook, Tasman they all traversed and provided a bit of cartography around here, so many islands dotted around, we have hardly scratched the surface, but we did set course for one today, it was called Yanuca.

Bryn a day ahead of us and in full backpacker mode with his new mates left us to it, trust this experience gives him real confidence to be creative with his sandwich/gap year.

Our captain for the day got us and kit aboard his vessel, a couple of other people from the backpackers joined us and we picked some more up down the coast.

Was then full steam ahead with a bit of marine wildlife spotting. Turtles on the starboard, Lloyd 7 Chrissi 0 They flashed by in a magical moment, diving for cover as we cruised towards them.

Flying fish also darting out of our way and occasional looks down at the reef all added to the experience. Trying to capture anything marine on camera almost impossible so you will have to follow my descriptions.

Until that is the Wales met the Whales, a pod of 4 pilot whales (who strangely are the largest member of the dolphin family) chilling on the surface, plenty of time to take some pictures before they slowly decided it was time to Dive, Dive, Dive...

Our turn to 'dive' was a little while later, kitted out with flippers and masks. Without an underwater camera you will have to just stay with me, spongy brain like reef with glimpses of green, glowy, blue, gold fish darting in and out, adding splashes of colour to the more mundane backdrop. They complemented each other perfectly, also various schoals of more traditional fish caught our eye too, although that was when I wondered whether they may also be catching other predators eyes!

Too warm for Great Whites apparently, although the Bull Sharks sounded quite menacing, they only steal your fish apparently. I didn't want to 'chance my arm'!

Our first mate did a bit of fishing as we travelled and caught us a massive tuna which we would later have cooked up as part of our lunch.

This was a little later when we arrived on our island, beautiful blue inlet, a different blue to any of the ocean I have seen so far. And we washed up on the sands, having a little doze whilst our BBQ was prepared. Perhaps this where we were a little bit less in the wilds than I have been suggesting, great spread of food, 3 different meats, coleslaws, potatos, fruit and a bit of that tuna I mentioned.

Fortified, I opted to go for a jungle trek which turned out to be a very difficult climb. Bryn did it yesterday and had warned me; was all ropes and loose footing. I'm not sure I'd have been covered by insurance if I'd taken a fall, which did happen a couple of times, but the ropes and good recovery saved me.  Re-opened a few old wounds done on a very tame half marathon a few weeks back. What an experience though, exhilarating, adventurous, glad I wore my hat, I deserved it!

Washed my wounds in the sea and then it was all aboard for the direct, fast journey home, just getting back before sunset. To top it off Carys and I got to ride in the back of a ute for the last mile after the boat had dropped anchor.

Couple of ciders well earned at the Beachouse, and it has to be catch of the day kokoda, fijian specilaity for my dinner, Now a man of the sea as well as the land, it had to be done.  Was a cold, gingery. lime and coconut sauce with juicy chunks of fish all mixed in. Most delicious and taste stimulating dish I have on this isle.

Great way to see out the day, washed down with a few South Australian ciders.

(Carys)

Today was, for me, one of our most enjoyable days yet in terms of activity. It's been quite busy, a turnaround from yesterday. I had an early breakfast, stacking up the toast slices with jam, and we set out on our boating adventure from the beach. I absolutely loved the boat trip - it was a beautiful day out with a calm sea, as expected really, so the winds as we coasted along were lovely and cooling. 

The water was clear, and we got to experience even more wildlife, seeing lots of fish in the reefs, and the odd big sea turtle, which truly made my day. They'd be chilling with their shells on the surface of the water, and as we'd slowly approach, would dive underwater, and we'd often see them swim away. There were also plenty of flying fish and, best of all really, pilot whales. 4 of them were just floating along with their fins up, and then would gently dive and come back up again. They were truly beautiful. 

We arrived at a large reef where we were to go snorkelling, I'd been looking forward to this for a long time, as it's such a beautiful way to observe sea life. The water was great, and the corals were amazing, with some really bright purples and blues. The fish were even better, all different colours and sizes. I find it so mesmerising, I could watch them for hours. The snorkels were a bit hard to navigate, and I soon abandoned my fins back on the boat as they were a struggle to get used to, and sadly  no sight of any turtles or sting rays when underwater but it was an all round great experience. It wasn't long until we arrived at our destination, Yanuca Island, which somehow was even prettier than the beach at the Beachouse, with whiter, softer sands, and clearer, crystal waters. 

There were countless little crabs, with and without shells which were a bit odd, and made me cautious to step. 

I enjoyed a bit of time in the water, and then spent the afternoon drying and reading in the shade, and enjoying the beauty of the island. 

Lunch was great, and well anticipated as we'd worked up an appetite. I made a boiled egg, salad and mayo sandwich, with baked potato halfs which had been grilled on the BBQ. There were two kittens on the village too who made good replacement company from our usual Beachouse dogs. 

I decided against going on the hike, which seemed the right choice in the end, after hearing of the perils endured by those who did go. Soon enough, the sun began to set, of course, and it was time to leave. We said goodbye to the island, and enjoyed a cooling, but mostly wildlife-free trip back. We docked in the beach across from ours due to the low tides, and another wish of mine came true - I got to ride in the back of a ute! We were picked up in the truck ad driven the short journey back to The Beachouse, which I thoroughly enjoyed, having wanted to ride in a yute since we got here.

 Tired out from the day, I had some chocolate to boost my energy, showered and got ready for dinner. Food was up there with the fried eggplant in terms of being some of the best since we got here. Mum and I shared a potato and spinach soup, and I had the same almost the same type of pasta as a couple of nights before, but it was tastier today for some reason? 

There was also plenty of garlic bread between us too which is a bonus. Now feeling very tired again, am hoping for a good night's sleep to enjoy our last couple of days here. 

It makes me so happy that everyone is so friendly. From the kind staff at the Beachouse, to saying 'Bula' to people you pass in the street - it's such a warming feeling.