Winding Down in Niue
02 August 2010 | Niue
Alison
Before I forget, we put up some new pictures in the Photo Gallery entitled "Rarotonga, Beveridge Reef & Niue." I'll add a few more photos in the next 24 hours I hope.
We had a nice Sunday here in Niue, after a raucus night in the anchorage Saturday night with winds gusting up to 35 knots. Allan and I gave up on sleep and watched a movie until 2am, periodically going out to see if the boat in front of us, who was anchored, was still at a safe distance. Down below, it was like being at sea on a bad day. So we just turned up the volume and got lost in a movie adventure which was distracting enough to keep us occupied. By 2am the storm was slowly abating and we got some sleep, but slept through the church call the next morning.
The supply ship that was due in Sunday was delayed a day, having been diverted on a search and rescue mission. They arrived today with the recuees, 2 men from a large catamaran that was "turtled" (flipped upside-down) in huge seas and winds in excess of 62 knots. They are unharmed, the boat is still afloat, upside-down and drifting west. Not sure if they'll be able to save the boat or not, but in the meantime, the two are being housed and fed here until Air New Zealand flies out on Friday to whisk them home. They are full of adventure stories and in need of some clothes. The guys on the supply ship gave them something to wear, and loaned them some money. I haven't heard the whole story so I won't relate unfounded facts or speculations. Just glad they're okay.
The whales we'd hoped to see here, and dive with, have not arrived. Some say the water is still too warm. We could wait for weeks for them to arrive, and have decided, reluctantly, to press on to Tonga tomorrow, a two-day voyage.
We'll have about 4 weeks in Tonga, which, according to many, is just barely enough. The maps of the Kingdom of Tonga make it look vast and complicated, with lots of nooks and crannies to explore. We understand over 1000 boats visit Tonga yearly, but it's still possible to have an out-of-the-way anchorage all to yourself.
Tonga is the last place we will see many of the friends we've made in the last 10 months, as most are headed next to New Zealand, where they'll wait out the cyclone season and then come back up to cruise Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Australia next season. Some are also going north and heading toward Melanesia. Only a few are going our way, to northern Australia. But who knows -- we changed our minds once, and turned right instead of left. Who's to say we won't go south instead of west?