8th August 2014
We continued along Malakula Island to Port Stanley where we literally surfed in at 8kts scattering flying fish in all directions. Dropping 70 mtrs of chain was a little daunting amongst the reefs and short of the bommie line of Sakau Island. But it held fast and we were able to watch the loading of Copra with cargo nets from a small barge to a freighter off Litslits and the wharf of Lakatoro. They loaded all night! No doubt no overtime here! From there the steady south east trades took us to Luganville on Espiritu Santo Island where the Americans were during the battle of the Pacific in 1945, Million dollar point a testament to their departure where there is millions of dollars worth of discarded machinery now making an artificial reef for some of the best diving in the world. Luganville while exposed to the trade winds is a neat town not as busy as Port Villa, the wide streets we assume made by the Americans have nice but old shops, and the same scattering of chinese shops, local supermarkets and Ni-Van music to keep us jolly while we shop. For those interested, Vanuatu's economy runs on most things starting with "C" - Copra, Coffee, Cocoa, Cattle, Cruise ships, and recently Cheap labour for agriculture in NZ and in a smaller way Australia. Last evening we made our way across the bay and took up a mooring in front of the "Aore Resort" on Aore Island, we chatted to the Marine Biologists aboard "Ocean Watch" as they told us of their job to educate the locals of the devastating effects of the crown of thorns star fish. Today we will kayak around the sheltered reef, and watch the tourists come and go, maybe have a Vanuatu beef burger and check out the best anchorages north. Maybe Champagne Beach or Oyster bay?
From the Resort.
Carol and Sam