Lovely Liapari
05 December 2012 | 07 56.874'S:156 42.809'E, Liapari Island - Solomon Islands
Andy
Wednesday 05 December Being en route to somewhere means we are always leaving - we don�'t fit the mould of some cruisers we have met who have been travelling for years and are able to spend weeks in each place, getting to know the locals. So even though we would have liked to spend more time in Gizo, the weather forecasts are showing it could be a long slow passage to Kiribati, with periods of calm, and we need to keep on the move. We had heard a lot about Liapari, a small island on the southern end of Vella Lavella, and of the warm hospitality offered by Noel and Rosie Hudson. Irish Melody had spent some time here in November 2006 and Dave and Linda had highly recommended a visit. Liapari is only 19N from Gizo, a pleasant 3-4 hour sail. On Tuesday morning we headed off, arriving around 1.30pm, perfect timing to wend our way through the passages cut into the protective reefs and into the 16-20 m deep lagoon.
As in Gizo, the calm deep waters allowed us to anchor close enough to shore to row the dinghy in. Noel, an expat Kiwi from Tokoroa, also runs a shipyard servicing larger ferries and building/fitting out large boats, in addition to assisting passing yachties and providing cyclone season shelter - four yachts and a motor vessel are currently in storage at the wharf. At one stage, when a possible volunteer job in Honiara looked interesting, we had looked up this spot as a place to leave IM, and were keen to check it out for future visits. Liapari is beautiful, serene, a real haven. Noel and Rosie and their assistants have helped numerous weary and dispirited yachties who have turned up on their doorstep over the years to repair their boats, enabling them to carry on to the next destination. The impressive visitor�'s book is a fascinating read, as yachties with dismasted and engineless boats, some with holed hulls, tell how they were able to restore and fix their boats, and recover their flagging spirits at this special place.
You can imagine our delight when we found several photos of IM on Noel�'s office wall - Dave and Linda had sent them through as examples of different haul out methods. Noel even remembered the type of engine IM has - no mean feat once you realize the number of boats that he has �'tinkered�' with over the years.
We were only going to stay for a day or two, but as Liapari works its magic we are already contemplating another night. Sitting here in 35 degree heat, I am just thinking about a dip in the lagoon. Three canoes have come and gone over the last hour, each occupant trading a different vegetable or fruit �- home delivery in paradise!
Photo Note: Kenshi holding up his payment for two lovely green coconut drinks he bought us.