The new year started well for us in Tobago. We were invited to join the villagers on New Year's Eve down on the jetty where everyone comes down to "lime" and party. We weren't sure if we might be intruding a little but went ashore about 10pm to see how New Year would be brought in anyway. We were so glad we did. We were made very welcome and ushered into the community hall where free drinks and hot food were being served. We were dancing Caribbean style into the early hours of the new year. The people of Charlotteville were exceptionally hospitable and friendly to the yachting community and we had a great time.

Now we don't always just accept open invitations by strangers that we have only met for a few minutes but the other day we took a walk to Campbeltown fort which sits high above the Charlotteville bay. We met two ladies, one from New York and the other from Trinidad who were also holidaying on the island. They had organised a glass bottomed boat to take them to Little Tobago on New Year's Day and asked if we would like to join them. They were negotiating a price when we met them so the thinking was probably the more that go the cheaper the price! Anyway, we said yes and they kindly came and picked us up in their hire car at 10am new year day.
They drove us back to their hotel the Blue Water Inn which was situated in the most idyllic bay near Speyside just a few miles away.
After a quick coffee we boarded the glass bottomed boat from the hotel jetty over to Little Tobago. The island is a seabird sanctuary once known as the Bird of Paradise Island after its eccentric owner introduced 24 pairs of Papua New Guinea's birds of paradise. The birds survived and bred but in 1963 Hurricane Flora wiped them out. Bird watchers can still enjoy the abundant sea birds including the Frigates, Booby's and the Red-billed Tropicbird.
After walking and bird-watching around the island we went snorkelling off the reefs. Once back at the hotel we had a late lunch and then Sharon and Shelly-Ann took us back to Charlotteville. Once again we were blown away with the kindness and generosity of strangers. What a great start to the new year.

The next two days we explored the island further as we had managed to hire a dodgy car from one of the local guest houses.
Tobago is still in its wet season and we've certainly had some rain in between the sunshine. This though is a great time to see the waterfalls. We headed off to Argyle Falls and had great fun taking a swim in its pools and the were pummelled and massaged under the cascading water. We also visited a private house in the town of Adventure which opens its gardens to the public. There were several bird feeders for the hummingbirds and were delighted to see so many of these beautiful and colourful little birds at such close proximity. We also took a guided tour through one of the trails in the National Rainforest Reserve. Junior our guide was brilliant at mimicking the birds and we caught sight of the Mot-mot one of Tobago's national birds.

We move on Fri 5th Jan further along the coast to Crown Point but after the weekend we will sail to Grenada.