GSDs!
30 June 2010 | Ile Uere
John and Shauna
Having shoved off from the marina last weekend we have had a great week full of Gold Star Days (remember? 1GSD = 1 day without expenditure) - we first made it down to Ilot Maitre, then a day sail to Amedee Lighthouse. We stayed a couple of days there, enjoying the myriad sealife - turtles, giant garfish, reef sharks, rays, colourful coral trout, millions of small fluorescent-looking reef fish, bigger surgeonfish and large lobsters. The light itself is spectacular - it was built in the 19th century to guide French ships into the lagoon and is a very tall, elegant, Napoleon lll tower with interesting decorative detail. Yesterday we came up to Ile Uere which is a sunken volcanic caldera within the lagoon. It is perfectly protected and we had a pleasantnight here, We will return to Noumea tonight or tomorrow and will then do our Customs and Immigration clearance so that we are able to take advantage of what looks like some favourable breezes next Monday and Tuesday to make for Lifou in the Loyalties and Tanna, Vanuatu. It looks like we'll have moderate SW to S breezes turning SSE midweek, so the seas should be both low/moderate and favourable in direction. Sailing up here from Amedee, as we approached the island, we were startled to see a lone windsurfer appear from the distance, reaching across the 20 knot ESE flow at what must have been 25 knots of board speed. He came in very close astern of us, grinning and showing off for Shauna's camera, when Shauna yelled out to him - "The fishing line!!!" - we were trolling a heavy sinking lure on a solid wire trace. He saw this, presaging imminent indignity if not partial decapitation, the grin turned to high anxiety, and he dropped his mast and sail, and fell under the trace as we sped past. Thankfully he surfaced grinning. When we get back to internet land we'll put up some pics of the week and will detail our plans for the trip north. Cheers from us.