Sailing gives us many new experiences and this is one for me - Dave's Blog! Basically I will be giving an overview from my observations and hope I don't repeat what Joanne has written. Hope the spelling corrector works well.

I'll start with my trip up the Ile Ape Volcano. I've been up a few volcanoes, both dead and alive and every one has been quiet different. Rising at 3am to catch the transport which was a bit of an overkill because a bemo and a 20 seater bus arrived to take us, we split into two groups for our hour and a quarter ride to the mountain 3000 metres high and steep as, to boot. We arrived in pitch black after being lost for 15 minutes, and then spent ten minutes while one English couple argued over the extra $3 we had to pay the guide and the village which own the mountain. Yes we have those people cruising too! Five hours later we reached the top after a very interesting journey. Half way up we went through a village of about 150 people. They carry their water from the bottom. One of their customs is to present the brides family with an elephant tusk. They are valued at 44,000,000 rupiah ($A5500). After reaching the top the sight was breathtaking, both inside the crater and the view around. The crater was about 1-2 kilometers across and the bottom was a sea of fine pumice which looked like water from a distance. Climbing down we were enveloped in a cloud of sulphur fumes for a few moments as the cone of the volcano was spewing liquid sulphur and fumes making it impossible to climb to the highest peak. The climb down was even more treacherous as the footholds were few and far between. The twelve of us who reached the top were strung out over half a mile as everyone picked their way down as there was no track to follow. Finally down, and absolutely knackered there was only one bemo to pick us up, however another arrived an hour later. Certainly a highlight of my journey thus far!!!

Moving on to a few observations which Joanne may not have mentioned. So far the topography is not dissimilar to the Marlborough Sounds, very dry but beautiful mountains and volcanoes, thousands of pristine beaches with small villages, some a few hundred people others a few thousand. There are some seventeen thousand Islands here and we pass or visit one almost every day, other than when we stop at a dedicated port. Every where is covered in smoke haze just like most of Queensland and NT, there are small fires everywhere, so far not enough to worry us. There appears to be no industry or mines like in Australia except for the offshore oil rigs just before Kupang.

As I finish this we are approaching what they call Sea World. We don't expect anything like it sounds, Joanne will no doubt fill you in on that in a day or two.