Hello All,
The time has come to head back to cooler climes. The temp in the north of Vanuatu was over 30 deg and humidity over 60%, so we are on our way back to Port Stephens.
After leaving the Beachfront Resort in Luganville, we went around to Surundu Bay to get a head start for Gaua Is in the Banks Group. We had heard that Chief Henry from Dolov Village at Lakona Bay was looking for a ride back from Luganville, but the phone contact we had been given was always switched off. Henry contacted us just before we left, so we loaded him and his nephew Christopher and all their gear aboard the night before to get an early start. They had the trolling lines out before long but there was no result. The wind dropped off so the spinnaker came out and was pulling us along well until the bottom decided to part company from the top. We motor sailed the rest of the way, arriving at 7pm. There was much carry-on from the shore, with torches flashing and canoes coming out to welcome all. Luckily the locals can see in the dark, so we could safely anchor and deposit our passengers on shore.
The next week was a mixture of feasting and work. Geoff again put on his plumbers hat to get the water supply to the clinic running again. He had a supply of new taps for each house so the water didn't run to waste all the time, the ball valve in the header tank was repaired, the fittings at the clinic put back and the many breaks in the supply line were repaired. All this took over a week, and involved at least a dozen walks around the circuit to find the next problem after the last one had been fixed. 
Cherylle presented the clinic with new mattresses, pillows, mattress protectors and sheets. There were also bags of goodies for each female in the village, heaps of books and games for the Kindy, more books for the school and various tools for the men. Even a new pair of crocs for William, who was wearing a worn out sandal (right foot) on his left foot and a blown out croc on the other.
The mangoes were ripening and were easily procured by the locals tossing a coconut or stick up the tree at your choice.
On the social side, there were birthday parties, welcome feasts, and farewell feasts, not just for us but the other yachties who happened along. These included Dave & Heather (a dentist,more extractions than fillings), Paul & Frances (optometrist assistants, 100's of pairs of glasses from a Brisbane Lions Club), and Natalie & Lesley (marine biologists checking reef health).
Paul also has a portable recording studio on board, so the local string bands from Dolov and Ontar lined up to get their repertoire put on CD and played on Radio Vanuatu.
We were giving Henry's wife Martha a ride back to Luganville to be with their very pregnant daughter (twins), so on the morning of departure we loaded Martha and 7 baskets of market goods (water melons, mangoes & sweet potato) aboard and headed back. The wind went south so we anchored for the night at Hog Harbour and motored the 35 miles back to Luganville next day in glassy conditions.
When we got back to Luganville we heard that the Gaua volcano was starting to belch gas & ash, and was on level 1 alert. Some of the ash had landed in the source for the Lakona Bay water supply, and there would need to be a good rainfall to cleanse the stream.
We then moved round to Petersen Bay & Oyster Is for some resort activities (fine dining) and then Surundu Bay (free wireless internet on board courtesy of the local ex-pat) and finally back to Luganville to pick up Penny Dawson, who was 3rd crew member for the trip back. It finally rained, so we had to sit in the Beachfront bar drinking Tusker beer to use up the final few Vatu.
This trip we stopped at Huon Is, in the far north of New Caledonia, for 2 days. The island is home to countless boobies, noddies and terns, all nesting on the treeless landscape. There was also evidence of much turtle nesting activity. A couple of good specimens of Nautilus & Cowrie shells presented themselves for collection.
Currently we are at Chesterfield Reef enjoying windless sunny weather. More boobies, noddies, terns & frigate birds nesting, and all very raucous. Still some turtles. Also eels, crayfish & parrotfish swimming in the shallows.
Expect to get into Bunddaberg around 23rd Oct and back to Port Stephens mid-November.
Geoff & Cherylle.