Torres Islands

This is the northern most group of islands of Vanuatu and are not far from the Eastern Outer Islands of the Solomons (Santa Cruz). There are 4 main islands and the clinic is located on Loh. The airstrip is on Linua which is separated by a shallow creek that can be waded across at low tide. They are very isolated and have no electricity and no mobile phone contact. There is a plane twice a week and a boat comes about once every two months but not to any schedule. 
Here the plane flies over Loh with airstrip on Linua behind.Whilst the plane is unpacked I rescue a carton of vegetables we bought at Mota Lava airport, spring onions and beans spilling out of the top. The transfer beach must be one of the most stunning in the world.

It is difficult to get things and the government employees have difficulty accessing their money from their bank in Santo. However there is an abundance of fish and many coconut crabs which command a high price but are becoming endangered. They rely on subsistence agriculture and seem to cope alright.

Lucy, a VSO nurse based in Sola, the main 'town' of the Banks was up here with her counterpart Colenso to give a 3 day workshop on STI and HIV along with the nurse Zebulon. 

Role play

Sulusulus for Zebulon, Lucy, Colenso and even us

We helped her out with a couple of sessions but Colenso and Lucy are a very polished team and facilitated an excellent 3 days.

We spent some of the time in the workshop and sometime enjoying the beauty of the Torres islands.








There was a bay across the island which we went to everyday. It was stunningly beautiful.

It was lovely having Alice with us and to show her some of the ways of the Melanesians.

Nisa Sunset Bungalows Mota Lava

http://www.positiveearth.org/bungalows/TORBA/nisa.asp

These are set at the western most point of Mota Lava on the edge of a village. There are three lovely spacious huts under the shade of trees and 30 metres from the shore. They have great balconies and a glorious view, the sound of the breaking surf constantly in the background.

 

 The position means it is very private with hardly anyone passing along the beach.

Adele (who has excellent English) and her partner Jan looked after our every need. The food was plentiful and when we asked for more vegetables and coconut milk cooked food that was provided. It was served on the veranda and we eat by candlelight with the sound of the reef. 
Jan is a willing guide if you want his services and there is wonderful snorkelling off the reef, especially at low tide. Coral, fish and sapphire blue sea.

There was a good shower room with a huge bucket of water and a modern toilet that was bucket flushed.

It was an easy 10 minute walk into the village and to the clinic and store.

Ra island can be visited by walking 15 minutes along the shore and getting a water taxi.

Contact by Adele 5343199.

To get there from the airport, catch the one transport to the west end of the island. It takes about one and half hours and costs 1000 vatu per person. If coming by boat from Vanua Lava it is 15 minutes along the shore from the landing place.
Photo: George, Adele and Jan 

Mota Lava

We spent 4 days here relaxing in the beautiful Sunset bungalows. We went for walks and were constantly greeted by all and sundry eager to know where we were from and where we were going.

The people of Mota Lava are some of the friendliest we have have met in all Vanuatu. There was a sea mist for all the time so never saw the volcanic outline of Vanua Lava or Mota. The snorkelling off the reef was splendid with great collections of plate coral as big as tables with the clear sapphire blue of the deep ocean acting as a backdrop.

We crossed to Ra island by water taxi (20 vatu) and visited Father Luke's establishment Paradise Bungalows. It was lovely and they gave us a great welcome (but somehow we preferred the bungalows of Sunset.) There was a young American couple who were there for two years finishing off the translation of the Bible into the local language. It was something like a 10 year project. I admire their tenacity but do question the huge resources that are put into these grand works when there are so many other pressing needs. Vanuatu is full of overt Christian worship but the practice …

On our last night we almost burnt the hut down when a redundant blanket fell from the bed onto the mosquito coil in the middle of the night and smouldered away. Fortunately the smell of burning woke me and I put it out before it burst into flames. Of course with a leaf roof and bamboo walls there would have been a rapid conflagration!

Alice arriving!!!!!

 On Friday we had to get to the airport early as Alice was arriving from England. One of the only two trucks on the island had broken its springs so we used 'the blue one' and piled in the back. Annie sat besides the driver which was awkward as she was sitting over the engine and twice we had to stop to fill up with water. Hot bum! However we arrived in plenty of time and were delighted and overjoyed to meet Alice. We now continued up to the Torres islands flying over the uninhabited reef islands on the way.

Reef islands

Weul Guesthouse Namasari Gaua

http://www.positiveearth.org/bungalows/TORBA/weul.asp
This is about a 30 minutes walk north of the airstrip on the edge of Namasari village. A truck costs 1000 vatu or you can pay some lads to carry your bags.

Robert runs the Guest house supported by his wife and family. The meals were very good with lots of fresh fish, fruit and good aelan kaikai, produce from Robert's garden. There are two huts , simple, prettily decorated and clean. A shower house with bucket shower and a basic pit-latrine. Fresh rain water to drink and excellent bush tea. (Made with citrus leaf -- coffee lovers should bring their own supply). 

The bungalows are about 25 metres from a creek and 100 metres from the black sand beach with crystal clear water where the children swim.

Robert was on hand to chat if wanted with lots of local information or he would melt away if one wanted privacy. He is happy to organise tours up the lake and the volcano (if it is allowed due to eruptions).

The health Clinic was 10 minutes walk away as was the secondary school.

There is a bank in a nearby village and several stores.
This is a great place to relax for a few days.

Gaua

Back from Butmas for one day and we now had 2 weeks holiday and had decided to visit the Banks and Torres islands in the north.

First was Gaua, a round island with a lake in the middle and a volcano in the middle of the Lake. It last erupted two years ago and 1,000 people were evacuated from the west coast. Today it is quiet though for two of our days here it left a smoky haze in the sky.

We stayed at Weul's Guesthouse which I am giving a separate blog to as they are desperate for advertising and so have said I would arrange a searchable blog for each of the guesthouses we stayed in. So the blog may sound a little disjointed.

Namasari village

Vanua Lava in the distance

We did not do much in Gaua, went for a walk or two and visited the clinic for half day supervision and generally relaxed.

Then on Sunday visited the nearby secondary school which had it's annual visit from the Anglican Bishop. All were on best behaviour, all sang lustily during the service and incense was liberally wafted about.They had killed a cow so everyone was invited to lunch. We were about to park ourselves under a tree when the tannoy invited 'Dokta and Missus' to the top table. We had a good chat with Bishop Nathan who is from Guadalcanal in the Solomons.

After lunch we were presented with a splendid slapstick play depicting 'savages' meeting the modern world which had the audience falling off their chairs. This was followed by a dance routine to MJ type music.

 At the airport we met Whelma, country director of VSO and Jossie the finance officer who were on their way to Sola on Vanua Lava.

On Monday we caught the flight upto Mota Lava which took us 100miles NE to the Torres before flying back to Mota Lava. Hence the topup of fuel whilst the pilot sits back and chats to ground staff. Bushknives, chickens and bottles of liquid are taken on board and once inside the Twin Otter people lounge about and few do up seat belts despite advice from the pilot.