A couple of days ago we left the seclusion of the north Ogea anchorage to go and visit Ogea Driki - a small uninhabited island to the south, still within the same lagoon. The attraction for us was the lure of good snorkelling. Four of us boats went down together and anchored in the lee of the island. The snorkelling was pretty good - the best we have had since leaving the Rainbow Reef. The water was crystal clear and there were plenty of colourful fish. The reef looked like it had sustained some damage in the recent cyclones.

We four boats were anchored in clear shallow turquoise blue water, with the surf on the reef to one side and the wooded cliffs of the island on the other. We went exploring round the island in the dinghy and found an inlet forming an inner lagoon, surrounded by mangroves. We could get Barracuda in there (she would just fit between the rocks in the entrance) and it would be an idyllic setting… but we reckoned the mosquito factor would be severe, so decided to give it a miss.

We all had sundowners together later and said what could be our last goodbyes to Dan and Marlene of US SV Trance. They are heading for Indonesia soon and need to start heading north. We have been travelling with them since Tahiti. Fair Winds, Trance - it's been a lot of fun.

There is some strong weather coming in over the next couple of days so this morning we headed back to our super-protected anchorage on north Ogea. Just us and Venture Lady here now, loving the quiet and calm. G spent an afternoon paddle-boarding around the inlet enjoying the stunning wildlife that lives here, and got back to the boat just before the heavens opened.