Central Vanuatu - North to Espiritu Santo

Sunday, 14 August to Wednesday, 24 August 2016

We had 3 nights in Port Vila to wash, reprovision and have a very enjoyable lunch with my golf friend Regina and her husband Andy. From Vila we went to Ai Creek in Havannah Harbour then 67nm to Lamen Bay on Epi Island. We had moderate to strong breezes all day and were amazed to pass small fishing dinghies miles offshore oblivious to the conditions. We had started with a double reef in the main but soon shook them out and goose winged the jib. Seas were slight initially which was a bonus as they can get quite messy around here. We had a number of squalls pass through bringing rain but also a boost to our speed. We eventually dropped anchor in Lamen Bay at 1650. That night Sam paddled by in his dugout on his way home from nearby Lamen Island and invited us ashore to visit the village. He is the chief of Lamen Island and we met his wife Mary and baby Emily.

We heard about his family and life and gave them some of our donated first aid supplies and clothes which were much appreciated. After our visit we upped anchor and headed across the passage to Malakula Island. It was 32nm to Banam Bay which was a lovely calm anchorage. We had an early start next morning as we were headed to Palikulo Bay on Espiritu Santo, the largest island in Vanuatu. It is a tricky anchorage but we followed the Vanuatu Rocket Guide and anchored in the outer anchorage at 1700 after 63nm. On Saturday, we were going to join some of the other Island Cruising yachts at Oyster Island. We had a paddle around the bay in the morning as you need a high tide to get to Oyster Island. We had 3 nights at Oyster Island which is a gem.

We had dinner at the resort on Saturday with 3 other ICA boats to help Lyn (Windflower) celebrate her birthday.  On Sunday, John had organised a minibus to take us to Champagne Beach and one of the blue holes nearby.

It was a relaxing day with a swim (nearly with a dugong but we thought it was a shark so hesitated at first!)

On Monday the ICA boats left while we kayaked up to nearby Matevalu blue hole for a swim. On Tuesday we motored around to Luganville and picked up a mooring at Aore Island Resort for 2 days. The channel is deep here and we wanted to catch up with former neighbours Debbie and Alan who live on Aore. Sundowners at their place last night turned into dinner as we soaked up their advice about places to visit. There are so many options we will have to come back another time.

Today we did the Millennium Cave tour, highly recommended by Brett who did it last year when Wind of Change visited. We were not disappointed. We were picked up at the Luganville wharf at 0800 and taken to the tour office for a briefing and to sign indemnity waivers. From here it was a 45 minute bus ride (I have learnt to grab the front seat) to the first village.

Village kindy supported by the tours

The money raised by this tour directly benefits 8 local villages as they have built schools and community centres. From the first village it is a relatively easy 20 minute walk to village 2 where you leave your backpack and start the 2 hour trek to the cave.

Warren and Yen on the bamboo bridge

The tours have run since 2000 after rediscovering the cave in 1997. We spoke to one of the chiefs while we were waiting and he was one of the ones who found the cave that had been described by his grandfather.

Before we could enter the cave, all first time visitors must be painted with symbols of rocks, bats, waterfalls and zigzags to show respect for the ancestors.

Cave entrance

It takes 30 minutes to walk through the cave, clambering over rocks, torch in hand and hoping you don’t break a leg. It is pitch black when we turn off the torches. We see bats, an eel, stalactites and small prawns.

We have lunch after exiting the cave, refuelling for the canyoning and swim down the river still to come. Canyoning just means more scrambling over rocks using chains and wire handholds in the rocks. My guide for the day was Yen, a tourism trainee on work experience that was worried I might fall so stayed close by. His favourite phrases were – Go slow and don’t worry! The other 3 couples who made up our group were young French tourists who also enjoyed the day. Many of the local Ni-Vans speak French as this was a shared British/French colony before independence and many of the local schools still teach in French.

The final swim/drift down the river between steep walls was the perfect way to finish the day (although we still had 4 more ladders and 2 ropes to climb back to village 2 and a 20 minute trek to village 1 and the bus. We arrived back at the wharf at 1700. We got a lift back with the Ratua Island boat taking one of the French couples back to their accommodation as we had missed the last ferry back to Aore. We will sleep well tonight.

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