Efate - Vanuatu

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9/6

After a nerve racking start – I’ll spare you the details of my anxiety attacks, we left Adelaide at 6.00am on Qantas. They even serve breakfast on the 1 ½ hr flight. There was a reasonable amount of turbulence because of the rainy weather, but I survived. From Sydney, we caught Air Vanuatu and also had a 3 course lunch, - which I actually ate and it was delicious!

We touched down in Pt Villa at about 3.00pm Vanuatu time and were surprised to find that it was warm but not hot and humid like we expected, however we had travelled a lot earlier in the year than we normally do.

Coconut Palms Resort was lovely but almost deserted. We went for a swim in the pool and despite the lack of sleep, we were well and truly awake because the water was cold! After a shower, we were too tired to go anywhere else, so we had tea at the restaurant in the resort. The food was excellent and the steak in Vanuatu was great!

It was cool enough not to need an air conditioner or fan, and quite noisy outside with barking dogs and people laughing till all hours.

10/6

Time for breakfast at 7 am, because we woke early and were ready to explore. The main town was a 15 min walk, all down hill. The shops are just as colourful as Fiji, only no-one hassles you to buy anything. The locals are friendly but just a little more shy than the Fijians, much like the Samoans. The fruit and Vegetables Market was full of exotic fruits and unknown veg, and bottles of coconut oil.

The craft markets were full of brightly coloured sarongs and shell necklaces like Samoa. The only difference is that no-one wears sarongs here. The older women all wear Mother Hubbard dresses, and the young girls wear jean skirts. We were still surprised by the coolness of the weather. It was cloudy most of the time, but when the sun came out, it was quite warm. We found a place to buy a Smile Sim Card for our mobile phone. It worked for Shane’s phone and no-one else- not sure why! So we are not smiling!!

After checking out all the shops in Villa we walked up the steep hill back to the Resort and went for a swim.in the cold pool. At night we walked back down the street to town for dinner at The Flaming Bull Steakhouse and the food was great. Organic steak for Phil and Calamari straight from the sea that day with chili and ginger for me! After dinner, we stumbled back up the hill in the dark.

The Resort is a lovely place to stay but the noise at night is terrible. There is a Nakamal out the back (a place where people to drink Kava) and men clear their throats and spit every minute – revolting!! Between men spitting, women giggling, bottles chinking, dogs barking, and lap boy doing laps in the pool every morning at 6.00am, we didn’t get much sleep.

Breakfast was lovely again and we found that we couldn’t go on the round island tour, so we did more sightseeing on foot again. The Museum was only a block away from the Resort, so that was our first stop. A Ni-Van showed us some sand drawings and explained about the history of Vanuatu. We were there for about two hours.

My sandal broke so we bought a pair of thongs at the local corner shop, and continued walking down the hill again. We had lunch at a place called Jill’s Café- an American Diner, but very nice! We then paid for the round Island trip in the Paradise Adventures Office.

It was 2.30 in the afternoon so we caught the bus to the fire station which was also located in the Military Base. The buses in Vanuatu are all mini vans and you can flag one down anywhere at anytime, and ask if they are going in your general direction. If they aren’t, then the next van will and it only costs about $1.20 each. The Ni-Van at the station was happy to show us around and it looks like not much happens around there very often.

The hardest choice was deciding where to have dinner every night! It was raining a fair amount but we decided to walk anyway, to try and find a Japanese Restaurant called Kampai Sushi Bar. It was in the Lonely Planets guide and it turned out to be a marathon walk as we walked up and down kms of roads only to find it had moved a year or so ago. By then we looked like drowned rats, but the food was worth it!

12/6

We started our tour around the island at 9.00am with our guide called Robert. The van was an older model because they don’t like to use the newer ones on the rough roads. We only had one other couple in the van for the day so it was great.

Our first stop was supposed to have fire walking, but the Ni Van’s grandmother had died so we had someone else explain about the customs of Vanuatu. They explained about herbal medicine and showed us their traps that they use to catch animals and fish. It turned out to be just as good. We even had to join their dance.

The next stop was miles away on the extremely bumpy road which was exaggerated by a full bladder. The first half of the island was on the open side of the sea. There was a lot of grazing land for very healthy looking cattle. We stopped at a small place about half way around the island and had lunch. The food was traditional and yummy, and four young boys/men played music and sang for us while we had lunch.

After lunch, we drove to an old USA airstrip left over from WW2. The place is going to have a resort built nearby and the airstrip will be redone for easy access to the resort. We drove past Beachcomber Lodge which is one of the places we had planned to stay at.

We passed many villages along the way and we saw women doing their laundry in the running water along the side of the road. I think we all take our modern appliances for granted but with all the extra work, the Ni Vans are still more content and happy than people in the developed countries.

The second half of the island was much calmer looking since it was on the sheltered side. We stopped at a place called Havannah Harbour where Survivor Vanuatu was filmed. It was a stunning location and owned by a Ni Van Chief called Gideon. We would have never guessed that he was a chief because he was young and dressed like us. He had self contained bungalows there and we were tempted to go and stay there in the following week. I bought a woven bag from the woman there who I think was Gideon’s wife. She explained that the bag was made by her mother on one of the outer islands.

After the harbour and many back jarring bumps later, we came past the Mele Cascades. After a quick glimpse we could see that this was definitely a place to visit. It was breathtakingly beautiful. We could also see Hideaway Island in the distance, also on the place to visit list!

It was only a short drive and we were in Pt Vila again. We dropped the other couple off at the ferry to Iririkki Resort, and we then asked Robert to drop us off at the money exchange as we had run out of money again because we were going to the Melanesian Feast that night.

The bus picked us up from Coconut Palms and this time it was a modern bus and already full of people who were also going to the feast. There were about 80 people there of all ages. Everyone was either Aussie or Kiwi - strange!

The food was all cooked in an underground oven and once again was great! Our host Solo explained about the different types of vegetables and how they cook underground. We had chicken, pork, beef and all sorts of veggies.

Even the Bananas were cooked and served with fresh fruit and ground toasted coconut in coconut cream for desert. We were given a drink of Kava first and then fresh homemade lime juice with our meal. The women and men put on performances for us and even the children sang.

After the feast which lasted a few hours, we were taken back to our respective Resorts which were about 30 mins from Mele, where the feast was held. It was a great night and well worth the money it cost us. The money collected stayed in their village which was also nice to know.

13/6

After a leisurely breakfast again, we walked down to town to find the tourism office and look for things to see and do. We decided that unless you have a car, there is not much to do unless you want to pay heaps for a taxi. Travel within town is cheap, but once you leave town it gets expensive because no car or bus wants to drive on the rough dirt roads.

At lunchtime, we decided to eat with the locals at the back of the market. The food was good and very cheap. It only cost us $3.00 for a plate full of rice and vegetables with steak, fish or chicken. For dessert we bought a bunch of bananas – yumm!

We had lunch at the market a few times and the couple where we ate, waved to us whenever they saw us. If they didn’t have something, they would try to get it for us. I like watercress and because they didn’t have any left, they quickly bought some so I could have it for lunch. They cook it like a vegetable.

After lunch, we hired a taxi driver named Joel, who took us to Pango Point which is a stretch of land owned mainly by Aussies. The Aussies buy the land along the coast, and the Ni Vans move into the middle of the island, sometimes not having access to the beach anymore. On the way back, we got Joel to drop us off at the car hire place so that we could have a car for the last week from Sunday to Sunday. As it was only Friday, we still had a couple of days of walking left to do.

After leaving the hire place, we stopped at the newest French supermarket called Dom Marche. It is very modern and looks out of place here in Vanuatu. It does however have a huge range of French wines for sale and even a couple of Aussie wines. We bought a couple of bottles of Tusker for $2.00AU and had them back at the resort.

We try to go to a different place for tea each night so we chose the Waterfront and Grill. The place was nice enough but it had too many sailing snobs in there and it was so busy, that we actually got asked to leave when we were finished so they could fit more people in – how rude!

14/6

Last day without a car! After breakfast, I needed to do some washing, but one of the staff said that she would do it for me, they are so nice. We walked back down to the main street to see if we could find accommodation for later next week. Most of the places were a bit on the expensive side. We ate at the market again and as it was Saturday the place was winding down for the one day that it shuts which is Sunday. It will be good to have a car on Sunday and the best day to start driving on the wrong side of the road as the traffic is a lot quieter than the usual bedlam.

After a rest for a couple of hours and using up the last of the internet credit, we walked back down to town and had dinner in a place called Shooters Bar. Shooters was a lovely place and you used to be able to look over the harbour while you ate, but the view was blocked by a great big ugly Sebel Hotel. As we walked back up the hill, you can see groups of youths standing around in the dark. In Australia this can be a bit daunting, but as we walked past them they all say goodnight to us – it was a nice safe feeling.

15/6

After a lazy start, and a lovely walk around the back streets, listening to the singing coming from the churches (some were just sheds in peoples back yard) we were picked up by the car rental place and went to get our little car.

It was a tiny 850cc buzz box which looked like it has had a hard life, and its life was about to get even harder with us behind the wheel. When we both sat in there, our shoulders were touching and I couldn’t help laughing every time we get in the car and we usually park next to a flash 4WD.

The first place we drove to was Devil’s Point, another area where many blocks of land were for sale, and being snapped up by the Aussies. Most of the land was volcanic cliffs, and a small section had black sand. It was amazingly soft to walk on and a little coarse so it left your feet clean.

We then booked our next night’s accommodation from Coconut Palms and went to dinner in a French restaurant called Le Houstalet. It was the best place we had eaten in so far. The steak was Hilton standard – wow!

16/6

It was Monday morning and time to move on. We were packed and leaving by 9.30am. The place was lovely, but I won’t be missing the sleepless nights. Driving on the right hand side of the road is nerve racking in heavy traffic, but Phil did an excellent job. We stopped in the main St to get more money and then at the supermarket to get a few supplies.

Our first night around the island was spent at Bluewater Resort. It was a gorgeous place with a lagoon right next to the bungalows, but the place was deserted. We met Richard, the older Aussie owner who ran the place and was with a young Ni Van girl and father to two young kids. We arrived in the middle of a mass walkout. Only two staff members stayed. The rest of the staff wanted their families to come and stay for free. Richard offered them all accommodation if they pay their way with chores but they declined – so they quit!

Richard seriously offered us both a job there if we wanted it – don’t tempt us!!

As the staff and chef had left, we were not sure about meals but one girl made us a couple of sandwiches for lunch. After lunch, she took us to feed sharks and turtles. It was an awesome experience. We also snorkeled in the lagoon which was tidal and quite low at the time.

At dinner we went to the dinning area to find all the staff waiting for their final pay. Luckily no problems arose, but a military person arrived later just in case.

Richard’s partner cooked our dinner which was very nice. She was very friendly and happy to talk to us. She was going to Uni and quite clever.

Richard looked after the two kids during the week while she stayed in Vila. Due to the lack of staff, we had no water in the bungalow until late that night and no power because they didn’t turn the generator on. It was very quiet and I think we had the best nights sleep so far. Richard kept apologizing for the inconveniences but we said don’t worry!

17/6

After a lovely sleep in, we had fruit and French toast for breakfast and took the resident dog (a miniature poodle with dreadlocks) for a walk with us to feed the sharks and turtles again. We found out that most of the staff had decided to return again so all was well at Blue Water Resort.

We left at 11 am and started our way up the Eastern coast to Beachcomber Lodge, which is about half way around Efate. We stopped at a place called Blue Lagoon. (I think everyone cashes in on that name) We paid 300 Vatu each to go in and I think this is the only real Blue Lagoon! It was a stunning place where you can go for a picnic and a swim in the bluest water and the owner said he would like to build bungalows there in the future. We would have gone for a swim if we had more time but we weren’t sure how long it would take to get to Beachcomber.

We had to travel slowly because of the roads and we got there at about 2.30pm. The place is nice but very windy. The owners name was Alan Noppert who has lived in Vanuatu for 25 years and says he is ready to leave now. He talked too much and was a little negative, but we learnt a lot about the country and its ways.

The unit we had was about 1Km away from the main building and restaurant and pool. The outside thermal pool was just being filled with hot bore water straight from the ground and it is definitely too hot to go swimming in at first. Alan mixes cold water in also.

We had dinner eventually when Alan finally stopped talking for 5 mins, and then after dinner we were entertained by stories of the last 25 years. We decided that one night was enough, as the snorkelling wasn’t good on this side of the island and another night with Alan would send us around the bend! We packed our things and left the next morning.

18/6

It turned out to be a public holiday for the opening ceremony of the commencement of road works. A New Zealand company is about to build a new bitumen road around the whole island, funded by the Americans. We drove up to the ceremony and had to stop as the whole road was blocked with lots of people watching. We stood only a few feet away from the Prime Minister and other dignitaries. The graders were decorated with leaves and flowers, and two brand new trucks were ready to start!

After we finally got through, there were a couple of patches of road where I thought our little car was not going to make it up the steep sandy hills. At that point I had realized that we hadn’t seen any small cars on that side of the island, only 4WDs. We did however make it – only just!

We tried to find Gideons place in Havannah Harbour, but unfortunately missed it, and before we knew it, we were in Pt Villa again. First stop – coffee!! After coffee we tried to find cheap accommodation but it was too noisy in the lower class areas. We then went to a place called Seachange Lodge which we had found whilst on a walk when staying at Coconut Palms, and we loved it. The room was wonderful, the owner Rick was lovely and they had canoes. The tropical garden was stunning with a small pool in the middle. Rick showed us a bungalow at the bottom of the property which was five star quality.

We asked Rick to book a day trip to Lelepa Island for us for the following day, and because we were too tired to go out that night, we had corned beef on toast. I had tinned tuna on Salada biscuits and a bottle of French wine – Noice!! After dinner, Phil decided that he was well and truly over his tinned beef fetish because it was disgusting. (Actually I have my doubts that it even came from a cow.)

19/6

We got up early for an 8.00am start only to be picked up half an hour late – Vanuatu time. We picked up three other couples and 3 young children on the way. They were all staying at expensive resorts. The two year old behind us had already been to 5 different countries.

Brownie took us across Havannah Harbour to Lelepa Island in a long boat (only 15 mins) The island is stunning, surrounded by clear blue water. Brownie’s wife Fiona, was also our guide and they both live on Lelepa Island. The only downfall of the island is that there is no fresh water there, and every drop is brought across by boat.

Fiona took us across the island explaining about the medicinal plants along the way i.e.: Lantana stops bleeding. When we got to the other side of the island (15 mins), there were hammocks snorkel gear and a Bbq where our lunch was going to be cooked on. The beach was beautiful, and the fish and coral were also good.

Lunch was great and after we had eaten we were taken to a cave which was called the Nursing Cave. Back in earlier times, all the old Ni vans and the sick (leprosy) were taken there because it was a warm sheltered place and the families would take it in turns to come and look after the people.

The cave was long, narrow and stuffy and was lit by candles along the way. The Ni Vans are very superstitious and they believe strongly in Black Magic. If the candles blow out, it means that the spirits aren’t happy to have us in there. One candle did blow out and Brownie wouldn’t go in very far. There were also ancient hand prints along the way and bats flying in and out.

After the cave, we were taken to the best ever snorkelling place by boat with deep blue water. We fed the fish with bread from the boat first and then jumped in the water. Brownie threw in the left over chicken bones from lunch and we were right next to the large fish that ate them. It really was like swimming in a huge fish tank! Brownie and Fiona looked after the three young kids while all the adults swam.

We were then taken to Fiona’s village and given tea and coffee and of course shown the local handicrafts for sale. Phil bought an outrigger canoe which was made by Andrew, the older man who had cooked for us at lunch time, and I bought a photo album which had a turtle and a little picture of Lelepa Island on it which will bring back fond memories.

It was almost dark when the boat dropped us off at the mainland. We then had a bumpy ride back to Seachange Lodge. We opted for dinner at Le Houstalet again, Yum!

20/6

After a slow start in the morning, we left Seachange to spend a night on Hideaway Island and another night elsewhere because Seachange was booked out for the next two days. We were able to leave some of our baggage behind because we were coming back in a couple of days for our last nights stay in Vanuatu.

We organized the following night’s stay at Villa Hibiscus, and had lunch at the market again, and left for Hideaway. It was a bit above our budget but Phil could go diving from there and the snorkelling was also good. We left our little buzz box at the wharf and caught the boat for the short ride over to the tiny island.

The bungalow was gorgeous and large with a private verandah and French doors and hammock (which we broke when we both swung in it because the string was a bit rotten.) Dinner was expensive but lovely, but breakfast was ordinary for such an up market place.

Phil went for his first dive in Vanuatu and I went on the internet to try and organize a lift home from the airport when we get back. While Phil was out on his second dive, I went snorkelling and then sunbathed – Noice! We had an earthquake which shook the chair I was laying on, and Phil felt it underwater while he was diving.

After the dive we snorkeled down to the underwater post office to post a couple of cards to ourselves because we know that the mail takes so long that we are usually home for a week before it even gets there!

After the snorkelling, we packed up our gear and had lunch. We then encountered a minor problem – no car keys!! As panic set in, Phil took the boat back to the car and I waited with the bags. After ringing the car rental place and organizing a spare key, he happened to look on the ground and find the keys right next to the car – how lucky were we?!!

After leaving the island, we drove to Mele Cascades. It was the bluest and most beautiful waterfall I had ever seen. The water was slightly milky due to the high calcium/magnesium content in the water. The rocks we walked on weren’t slippery at all because of the mineral content, so it was easy to climb the rocks in the rushing water. Phil went swimming at the very top, and the walk took about 30 mins one way.

Back in Pt Vila again we booked into the Villa Hibiscus which was a fancy name for a low budget hotel. It was ok but the towels were very mouldy.

22/6

Last Day!!

We had breakfast at Nambawan Café, coffee and raisin toast. After a leisurely walk through the almost empty main street (It was Sunday) we went for one more drive and returned the car. They dropped us off at Seachange Lodge again.

We took the canoe out for a paddle in the lagoon. It was made entirely of clear plastic so we could see what we were rowing over, but it was the hardest canoe to paddle and steer. At night, we went out to the French restaurant again because it was the only one within reasonable walking distance. An Aussie surgeon (doing Aussie Aid Abroad for a month) and his wife who were staying at Seachange, had dinner with us and it turned out to be a great night.

Time for an early night because our ride to the airport was booked for 5.15am.

The first leg of the trip was good but crappy Sydney Airport had a strike on so we never made it to the domestic terminal on time for our flight. We weren’t amused so we sneaked into the Qantas Club lounge where all drinks and food was free – pity I wasn’t hungry though, but the bit I had was fabulous.

Back to freezing Adelaide again!!

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Photos

Pt Vila Markets
The Markets in Pt Vila were alive 24 hrs a day 6 days a week stopping only on Sundays

Hideaway Island
Night view from Bungalow

Hideaway Island
Underwater Post Box