Resolute

Too much procrastination with this blog writing. Today is the catch up day!! 3 kids have come and gone .. and its fair to say we're both feeling a wee bit sad. They were great company. Lord knows they eat and drink like there's no tomorrow, and tease and squeeze and squabble, but for a week at a time we are happy to say we can still manage to feel like a family. Yay ... big thanks to Resolute, the drawcard to be sure.

Highlights?: Lifou. What a place! Postcard picture perfect Baie de Drueulu. THE anchorage.


Zenitude in Baie de Dueulu

Fortunately, Oscar, on his catamaran, Zenitude, was there to explain it all: the 7 am bus to town (arrives at 7:40), the strategy for acquiring baguettes (complex), how to find the Chief (we failed - we found village drunk instead, but went through the ceremony anyway) and the all the island highlights. Like Jokin - towering cliffs surround a perfectly protected bay with impossibly crystal clear water


Jokin - north Lifou

and Baie de Luengoni - supposedly the most beautiful bay in all of New Caledonia.


The Capt chilaxing at Baie de Luengoni

Lowlights?: The sail that I did not sign for: 120 miles: dodging coral at 4 am, then big winds x big seas = I want to get off.... What happened to idyllic cruising?


Naomi gets some fresh air during the 'big sail' to Lifou from Isle de Pins

Enduring memories? Baguettes. Edward saying he'll holiday with us when he is forty (!). Absolute Balderdash. That's a board game, and Gibbos, it transpires, all excel at balderdash. Who'd have guessed. Then there's Hannah's squeals as we hoisted her up the mast. Oh, and Naomi losing her driver's licence. (n.b. extra highlight: Janice finding it in Nay's wallet, after turning Ressie upside down).

Heading back to Noumea now, to meet the home-bound delivery crew. Capt. K keeps mumbling in his beard about sailing upwind tomorrow. I've bad feelings about this one....