The last two days for us, Brett and Jen have been ones we will talk about for years.

We left the Cousteau Resort on Tuesday bound for Dakuniba Pass and the Loaloa family's home - the family whom we gave a 90kg striped marlin to last October. We sailed in to find members of the family boating towards us calling "No shoes Dave and Carolyn, you came back!"

When we met them last year seven of the eight Loaloa siblings and their families were at the family bure to celebrate an aunty's funeral. This time we were able to have a wonderful reunion with the oldest (Sele) and the youngest (Jone) Loaloa siblings and their families. This time we arrived with mahimahi and tuna, and a storybook for Martha (four) donated by Dave's uncle and aunt.

That night they insisted we joined them for a dinner of tuna prepared in coconut, grilled reef fish, marinated clam and cassava. After dinner Carolyn read Martha her storybook and we showed them photographs of our 2011 trip - including the photos of their family, and photos of Dave's passage back to New Zealand - especially his sailfish, and Matt and Chris' hapuka and snapper. In the morning we returned the favour by bringing the whole family out to Riada II for a cup of tea and "keke". For all of them it was their first time on a yacht, despite having hundreds visit their bay.

When we arrived at their "beach" we spotted a section of the cockpit of the yacht 'Touche' which had so tragically been wrecked on the nearby reef. Two of the Loaloa ladies had paddled out to the reef and brought it in. As a result Wednesday was spent sailing to the reef where sections of 'Touche' had come to rest. It was a very sobering reminder of the power of the sea and the need for care at all times! We took Sele, Jone and Sele's sons Tavite and Mateo with us, and so they all had their first ever sail.

Jone, his wife Eli and daughter Martha had travelled over from Taveuni for the funeral of Sele's wife in March, and when the rest of the Loaloa family departed afterwards, he and his wife and daughter stayed on for a while. Well that while had become three months as the weather had prevented a friend coming over from Taveuni (in his little boat) to pick them up. So yesterday we brought Jone, Eli and Martha back to Taveuni. Riada II was transformed into a ferry with bundles of wood for their first fire, papyrus grass for making mats, raw Tapa cloth and dyes, coconuts, pawpaw, citrus fruit, chillies, and coconut oil - as well as their bags ☺.

Martha loved being on the helm, and her Mum was fascinated by Riada II's organisation and technology, while Jone - a trained surveyor - was fascinated by the GPS and chart plotter.

When we had gone to leave the family presented us with beautiful pieces of tapa they had made for us the day before, a new sasa broom for Carolyn and bundles of fresh produce in coconut leaf baskets. We were over-whelmed by their generosity and hope one day to be able to return and help them by providing solar power and a fresh water pump.

For today's adventure we will cross back over the Somosomo Strait to Viani Bay where Dave and Brett will enquire about a dive on the nearby White Wall - reputedly one of the seven best dives in the world. We'll let you know how the boys find it.
Until then,
Carolyn and Dave
(the photo is of Eli and Carolyn with their gifts of produce, about to depart on Riada II for Taveuni and their first ever sail)