We bid a bittersweet farewell to Vanuatu on Monday, June 4 after spending an interesting 30 days exploring the country. A last highlight before we sailed away was our visit to the incredible Mt. Yasur Volcano on the island of Tanna in southern Vanuatu. We booked a trip through Air Vanuatu that included air, one night lodging, transfer and entry into the incredible sand-spewing and magma blasting volcano on the eastern side of Tanna. The road up to the volcano itself was a wild ride, rutted, pot holed, at times requiring all the skills of our trusty driver to get us up and over the various hills and valleys we passed on our way across the island. From Tanna Evergreen Bungalows, the drive itself was over 1 1/2 hours, but the journey was well worth the extremes as we neared the black sands of Mt. Yasur. We were in a caravan of 3 or 4 other four wheel drive vehicles, and after parking at the base of the walkway, we hiked up the steep and narrow concrete lined path to the sum mit of Mt. Yasur. At first, we could hear the groans of Mt. Yasur, so Harry Potter-like, and then, as we reached the summit, the sounds of waves crashing on the shoreline would precede the explosions of Mt Yasur itself! The shock wave of each explosion was exhilirating, hitting us deep in our core, and then the fountains of magma would fly high above us and crash back down into the crater of the volcano. An hour or so passed as we each became mesmerized by the lava sounds, scents, and sensations. The activity level at Mt. Yasur was considered a "2", on a scale of 1 to 4, 4 being the most active and when the park will close for viewing. As the sun set in the distance, and the twilight settled over the massive crater, the reds and oranges of the magma became more defined as mother nature's fireworks erupted continuously. The videos and pictures of such an event will be our souvenirs for a life time, this finale to our grand visit of Vanuatu.

After we checked out of Port Vila, we set sail due south for the Loyalty Islands and Lifou, in New Caledonia. The sail south was smooth and fast, spinnaker sailing for the last 10 hours of a 24 hour crossing, covering 211 miles. We averaged 8.7 knots boat speed, downwind, as a front was developing over New Caledonia and bringing with it some nice north easterlies. We are now settled at a rather small marina, Marina De We, on the island of Lifou, waiting for the weather to pass (driving rains and thunder & lightening) so we can continue our sail to Noumea, about 140 miles away. We have been granted 48 hours to reach Noumea by the New Caledonian representatives, we only hope that the weather system we are waiting out will pass fast.

Lifou is a lovely island, wide streets and nice sidewalks for walking along the picturesque little villages. From Marina De We, we walked along the coastline noticing the small churches and other common buildings, noticing the similarities to Vanuatu in the co-op setup, but also the French influence in the green crosses of the pharmacies. There are conical shaped thatched roof structures scattered along the main coastal road, which reminded us of the kava structures of Vanuatu. Once we reach Noumea, we look forward to visiting the cultural center there to learn more about the unique villages of New Caledonia.