Good to be Alive!
22 June 2008 | En route to Tanna Island
John and Shauna
It's nearly 10pm, and we're motor-sailing in light breezes to the anchorage of Port Resolution on Tanna Island, in the Southern part of Vanuatu. We've just had a casserole of our last Noumea meat - some excellent French style pork and veal sausages. We don't normally have wine when under way, but it is quiet tonight, with a flat calm sea and no other vessels within cooee; so we broke our own rule - just a small one however! We have done some maintenance today (some planned, some not!) while the wind has been low. The wind is warm but refreshing; the moon is 2 days past full, and is throwing that beautiful cream-coloured dappled reflection towards us all the way from the horizon - it looks very beautiful. Notwithstanding the moon, we can still see millions of stars, and far from city lights the Milky Way is a thick, translucent veil behind them all. We are 30 nautical miles from Tanna, but we can already smell the land - it's amazing how far off you can identify the earthy smell of an approaching landfall. In fact, we were concerned earlier, having our dinner up in the cockpit, about a funny acrid, burning sort of smell, until we realised it was from the Yasur Volcano, still very active and about 40 NM from us, straight ahead. We should be in Port Resolution mid-morning tomorrow (Tuesday) but then have to get a ride in the local taxi (in the back - it's a ute!) over the mountains to Lenakel to do Customs and Immigration. All in all, things could be a lot worse!