30 July 2011

We've now got the bikes out for the kids, so at least (for them!!) the walk to town is not too bad. Goody, our friends from South Africa arrived at 1am the other night and we were able to guide them in in the dark, so their older son who is 4 has spent the last two days with our kids and now can even ride his bike by himself as a result of wanting to keep up with Lochy! Two days in a row, Jacolette and I took the kids into town as we had it on good authority that there was going to be Polynesian dancing and festivities, but unfortunately, we either had the wrong time or we were misinformed, so we'll have to hope we see some on the other islands. Mark is feeling very sorry for himself - no angry with himself as another boat had a spare prop he was going to buy off them. As he was putting it on to see if it fitted, it fell into the sea and despite him snorkelling and Joop from goody then Scuba diving, they couldn't see it. Just as well Mark's mum is sending us one. We have a couple of jobs to do this morning, then we are going to Tahuata, a little island just an hour away, where we can just chill out and do jobs around the boat. The kids will be able to swim with mantas and we can have fires on the beach at night. There is no village nearby so no provisions or internet, but we'll get the hull scrubbed and stuff like that. So we'll be on sailmail and then back to Hiva Oa to drop Whit off for his flight in a few days, when the provisions run out!