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Lord Howe Island & a dream re-entry to Australia!

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

In 1992, I met a girl at university from Lord Howe island - Monica's stories and her then boyfriend's stories of the island inspired me to make it a must visit spot. It took me 19 years to get to "THE ISLAND" as it's affectionately called by the friendly locals. The island lived up to all of my expectations and some, it could not have been a more perfect stepping stone into Australia! - Great beaches, incredible scenery, fishing, diving, snorkeling, hiking, good food, a bowling club, friendly people and we even got a great surf in... it's good to be home! I would like to dedicate the Lord howe island edition to one of our most valued supporters, Andy's grandmother. Lila, thank you for your support and kind words over the past year or so. I hope you enjoy this latest 'journey' from the comfort of your home in Qld. Don't throw away your computer yet though, there may be one or two more blog editions to come. First night at sea en route from New Caledonia. It was weird looking at the chart plotter and seeing Squander pointing at the familiar shape of Australia Heading south - the weather got colder with every mile sailed - are we sure we want to be leaving this life behind?? Powering along... giving the wet weather gear and hoodies a workout! By Day 4, Lord Howe island appeared on the horizon - the main peak is almost 1km high - we're were still some 25 miles away G'day mate! Speaking of mates... the greeting committee numbered in the hundreds! Follow us! Happier in mid air then in the water! Some of the most playful creatures in the sea - we never tire of seeing these guys! the flying torpedoes! Andy, the dolphin whistler! As Lord Howe continued to rise out of the sea in front of us. Suddenly the fishing line went OFFFFFFF.... It took a while to reel it in... the biggest Wahoo i have ever caught! Andy had the awesome death grip around the throat as we wrestled with the unhappy camper... Finally under control... yeah baby!! 1.5 metre Wahoo - yum!! With the fish safely onboard it was time to contemplate the significance of what was happening....I was about to set foot on Aussie soil.... Hello Australia!! A BIG thank you to Clive Wilson, the harbourmaster and voice of "lord how Maritime" on VHF 12, who expertly guided us in through the narrow and shallow north passage. Squander safely attached to a mooring in 2.4m of water... We had heard about the bowling club, and when I asked Clive over the VHF if it was far away, the standard Lord Howe answer followed "nothing is far here mate", but if you like I'll meet you at the dock in an hour and give you a lift to the club... we were sold! I filleted and cleaned the Wahoo as quickly as I could, somewhat surprised by the 8+ foot "Galapagos whaler" sharks that soon started circling Squander... they were far from shy bumping the stern with their huge dorsal fins as they tried to get closer to the fish scraps... hmmm... snorkeling was going to be interesting! We had a sensible 2-3 beers and a burger at the bowling club and retreated back to Squander for a good night's rest. The next day we hired bicycles and went about exploring the island.... most people get around on bikes, and the few cars that are around are limited to driving at 25km/h the local fuel station doesn't get much use. On a sunny day Lord Howe island is spectacular... rolling green hills, forests and mountains surrounded by crystal clear blue water - there seems to be enough of everything for everyone - small herds of cows graze happily, oversized vegetable patches growing enough produce to sustain the needs of a few locals, a couple of fishing and diving boats sharing the expansive lagoon and only two cruising yachts attached to the moorings inside the reef. Getting some shade from the midday sun. Plenty of grass to go around. The island is roughly 10kms long and 2kms wide. We soon got our bearings and like kids who just got their first bikes for Christmas, we raced around the nooks and crannies of the island checking out the sights. Jose and Andy tackling the steep hill! One of many pristine, deserted beaches! Sofi enjoying the windy roads. Lord Howe island has no mobile phone reception and only one place where you can get access to the internet - when it works... The internet access point is at the museum, and I'm not sure if it is some sort of in-joke, but the access speeds are definitely pre historic! So whilst Jose and Andy caught up on their facebook and email messages, I decided to do something rare - I visited the museum... and loved it! It is largely dedicated to the history of accessing the island - from the early days of sea planes from Rose bay in Sydney that used to take 4 hours, to the ships that were tragically wrecked on the island. The Ansett airways sea plane ready for take off from Rose Bay in Sydney. Qantas Empire airways Little has changed in the legroom department, however it seems the early days of flying were a lot more social. (...and thanks to Matt C and his keen eye... how's the guy holding onto his rifle!) The sea planes used to draw 1.5 metres which meant they had to plan to land and take off within 1 hour of high tide, causing flights to often take off from Sydney in the middle of the night to ensure a safe arrival at high tide. The big, heavy planes would then be attached to a mooring overnight in much the same way that yachts are attached nowadays. On a number of occasions strong winds caused the moorings to break and planes to end up on the beach. With locals chipping in to dig the planes out, only one plane was lost due to too much damage. Some ships weren't so lucky, if memory serves me right this was an American Tuna vessel wrecked in the 60's - its remains are a popular snorkeling spot. Squander is moored next to another yacht in almost exactly the same spot as the wrecked ship in the picture above. With the wind swinging offshore , the snorkeling conditions could not have been better - crystal clear water, although slightly cooler then what we were used to, provided a perfect opportunity for some more underwater photos. the cooler water seems to allow a lot more green plants to flourish underwater. Andy spotted this Butterfly Cod and called me over. he was interestingly stubborn and would not move even if i shoved the camera in his face - he would simply flare out all his defenses in a bid to threaten me out of sight! Snorkeling the Tuna Boat ship wreck the Pacific Rock cod. The elusive Doubleheader A school of locals - the lord Howe Butterfly fish Sofi and the yellow Green Wrasse. The supply ship was in - it sails from Port Macquarie every couple of weeks bringing anything from barrels of fuel to run the power station to fresh fruit and veg . One of the many highlights of Lord Howe is hiking - we chickened out of the 8 hour power hike to the highest peak, instead tackling a â€˜strenuous enough' 2 hr stroll. Eight and a half minutes into it, having a much deserved break! That's where we came from - looking north! I wish we had had more time to dive some of these outer islets. This seems like such a distant memory after 1 month in Sydney.... Looking South. Surf's up on the outer reefs... testing out the Macro function on my camera Looking towards New Zealand! The modern way to arrive - a small Qantas plane approaches the runway. Almost at our destination... swim time! And a quick snorkel before lunch! With fresh Wahoo in the fridge, we came up with an idea to get up at 6:00 am and make fresh sushi before setting off on our hike... and so we did! Devouring the fruits of our early morning labour! Being the only current crew member from the northern Hemisphere, Josie occasionally feels upside down! we enjoyed the beaches... the slow pace and the pristine waters....but our minds were elsewhere, or at least mine and Andy's were... we were ready to head home! I would have dearly loved to stay longer in Lord Howe, but the weather gods yet again played their cards and it looked like now or in 10 days time... we had only been here for 4 days, but we heard our calling and decided to set sail... We knew we were going to get a fast and bumpy start with some decent Nor Easters forecast, and according to the bureau of Meteorology it was going to be a slow finish with light southerlies.... hahahah... since when do you get "light" southerly changes offshore from Sydney... but I was willing to take the risk... worst came to worse we would head for Newcastle or even further north. And so we took off from Lord Howe in 20 knots, which built to 25-30 fairly fast and with our trusty second reef in the main and not much stay sail, we got into the counter current and screamed along at 9 knots towards Sydney! After 36 hours of high fives and close to record breaking speeds the wind went north then west the died then kicked in from the South West and gave us a last kick in the pants....! With confused seas and a short and sharp swell, poor Squander was falling off waves and doing it tough.... Andy trying to wash up as we beat upwind into the southerly... I spent a solid stint on the wheel in the rain trying to massage Squander through the peaks and troughs, taking my mind off things by recollecting the months and months of amazing adventures that were drawing to a close! And by early morning on the 17th of November 2011, Sydney heads were only 5 miles ahead (according to the charts) - I struggled to see the coastline through the fog, mist and rain! North head... it was emotional seeing that familiar headland that I had sailed past on so many occasions on various boats... The crowds stayed in bed, but my mum, Dad and my old mate Foz braved the elements and welcomed us with great fanfare! We could hear fog horns coming down from above and as we looked up.... we spotted the sign.... Welcome Squander... ahh it felt good to be home!!! hey girls..... wake up, check out the Sydney skyline!! hahaha Are you kidding, we left Fiji for this??! Stoked....! ... and proud!! With Virtuo Michael braving the elements, we got a phone call from the Real Michael who had brought the whole clan down for a look... We diverted course to Rose bay and dropped by the wharf to say G'day! Ava, Che , Michael and Rebecca... so great to see you guys!! before long the fog started lifting and incredibly within 1.5 hours of arriving we had cleared customs, Quarantine and wee free to enjoy the rest of the day... Yeahooooouw!! Jose putting on a brave face! we sneaked into the RANSA dock at Rushcutters bay and managed to get a great shower before leaving Squander and heading next door for lunch at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia - the institution that i sailed out of for so many years. With our welcome home party scheduled for a 5:30 kick off we all decided to get an after lunch siesta, before sailing to Manly for the party. By 5:30 we were anchored off Manly Wharf and getting stuck into the first of a number of rums... Thank you to Fil Tejszerski for the the next series of Photos! getting ready to head ashore! Mum (centre) and friends Dorota (left) and Ania (Right) here we come Sydney!! Woah... so many familiar faces in one place!! G'day Dad.... a feeling of relief to be home safe and sound! yep, I think Mum was happy to see me! But even happier to meet Andy!! Original Squanderers Nath (Strike!) and Simon (Action!) were there to welcome us home! and after 10+ drinks a speech was made... for those of you who didn't understand my slurry words, here's what i really tried to say!

"when you're old and frail, you're far more likely to regret those things that you didn't do, then those that you did"

For many years, I used to walk into my office and read that quote by Mark twain. It gave me the courage and inspiration to attempt to try and fulfill my dreams and to do it without being slowed up by the fear of possible failure.

Three years ago almost to the day, I finished work and set my mind on exploring the world. 2 months four wheel driving around parts of Australia that I had never been to, surfing in Indonesia, 2 months sailing in the south pacific between Australia and Vanuatu, 2 months road tripping through the middle east and north Africa, 1 month of visiting all my family in Europe, and 2 months hitchhiking by sea on various yachts. Sailing from Europe to West Africa and eventually completing my first of three Atlantic crossings.... And that was all before I bought Squander! I feel like the luckiest person alive.

When contemplating these good fortunes, the thing that kept on reoccurring to me is how lucky I have been to be supported by so many good friends and family.

Most individual pursuits could not have been achieved if it weren't for the support of others, and the voyage of Squander is no different....

Thank you ALL - your support has made this trip so much more rewarding, meaningful and it's been awesome to share it with you.

And if the people involved from afar have been the supporters, then it stands that the Squanderers, the 25 or so individuals that have sailed on Squander, have been the amazing team, the players that I will forever be grateful to.

Amanda, Simon, Dimitri, Nathan, Todd, Luis, my sister Agatha, the duchies Kiki & Allard, Jenny, JB, Aaron, my mum n dad Matthew and Elizabeth, my cousin Stefi, Stefis friend, Michelle, Andy, AJ, Caitlin, Mojgan, Scotty, Elyse, Brento, Sofi and Jose

At various stages of the past 20 months, we chose to share a living space equivalent to half a small studio apartment between as many as 6 of us at a time. Our home was often rolling and rocking, sometimes tipped to one side, sometimes wet, sometimes stifling hot, but rarely unhappy!

We gave up our personal space, forgetting our day to day needs and focusing on enjoying the journey, helping each other, giving each other space when needed, but mostly sharing the good times!

Everyone contributed to the journey in their own way and I wouldn't change anything about it.

There are however two legendary guys that do standout as having been instrumental to the overall success of the journey. They both know Squander as well, if not better then I do, they committed countless hours to night and day watches, making critical decisions that ensured our safety and comfort whilst at sea, ticking off the ever present TO DO and maintenance lists, coming up with creative solutions to problems when needed and probably the most impressive of all achievements - putting up with me for so long!!

Simon Fraumeni, with whom I first discussed this trip some 14 years ago, came onboard for 6-8 weeks in April 2010.... He stayed a year and 2 months! in Tahiti, he jumped onto our â€˜sister' ship MAD and continued sailing as far as Fiji. He crossed the Atlantic Twice on Squander and sailed almost 5000 Nautical Miles of the Pacific with us. Punching out a joke a minute when in form, Simon kept the mood on Squander a solid 11 out of 10 at all times, never taking anything too seriously, and finding THE BEST in all things that came across his path.

Andy Patrick joined us in Morocco over a year ago, and at only 25 years of age he was instantly the most experienced sailor. His enthusiasm for anything to do with wind, water and waves made an instant impact- with Squander's toy repertoire swelling almost overnight.

Andy lead the charge and inspiration to Dive, Surf, kiteboard, spearfish, skurf, freedive and keep us moving fast! Aside from being a gun sailor, he's a pretty damn good sparky, pours a mean rum and has become the best cook onboard!

To both of you guys a MASSIVE thank you - I owe the success of this trip to you both and absolutely could not have done it in such style and comfort without you!

And last but not least - there are two people to whom I owe the biggest of thank you's - MUM N DAD!! they introduced me to the spirit of travel and adventure at a very young age, gave me the most incredible of childhoods and forever changed my life when Dad hand built me my first sailboat when I was 8 years old.

They have supported and even encouraged my crazy antics ever since! THANK YOU MUM N DAD!!!!!!

The party wound up at a reasonable hour and we somehow made it back to Squander for a nightcap! La Boheme anchored next to Squander. the following day the Sun came out and we moved Squander to her new home at Middle Harbour Yacht Club The days started rolling as we washed, scrubbed and cleaned Squander... a huge thank you to Andy, Sofi and Jose for helping out! A short week after arriving in Sydney, it was time to say farewell to Andy... we miss ya mate and look forward to hearing more updates on what's happening in QLD! Andy heads home...!

New Caledonia… then home!

admin — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 07:31:22 +0000

Two and a half years ago, I sailed past New Caledonia on the way to Vanuatu from Sydney. I was sailing aboard Moksha, a Hanse 540 and had just completed my first 1000 Nautical miles of cruising. All of my previous offshore experience had been on racing yachts... now, a short 30 months later, the cruising lifestyle is coming to an end right where it started. Sailing out of New Caledonia for Australia will mark the 25,000th Nautical mile of cruising - for those of you not familiar with nautical terms - I've basically been drifting around the world for 45,000 kms at about 12kms per hour. The experiences we've had in new Caledonia are just a small part of the reason why! Land Ahoy... we sight New Caledonia after 4 days at sea en route from Fiji. Happy faces... Sofi and Jose (asleep) complete their first international offshore passage. With the weather looking below par, and temperatures in the low 20s, we decided to anchor for the night in a small bay and continue the following day to Noumea to go through formalities and check in. Ok, OK... so we HAVE to drink a rum n coke and say thank you to Neptune and whoooo?? the girls reluctantly partaking in the traditional Squander arrival ceremony. After so many months in the tropics, it was strange to be wearing jumpers and hiding down below to stay warm. The girls suggested we should do something French seeing we were in a French territory... we scoured the bilges and found an old jar of pate, a tin of canned Brie and a bottle of Beaujolais that had somehow previously escaped out attention... Bienvenue a Nouvelle Caledonie. the next day the sun was shining again, and although not hot it was a lot warmer... we went for a morning swim, ate a slow breakfast and by the time we left for Noumea, we realised we wouldn't make it there in time to go through Customs.... so... we found another small bay just outside the city and anchored for our second night in new Caledonia... the full moon was out in force. and we cooked up another French feast - baked mahi mahi with the last of our vegetables from Fiji. Dead calm - it's almost midnight as the city lights merge with the full moon to illuminate the night. Woke up early the next morning and pointed Squander at Port Moselle in Noumea. Andy ready to lift anchor. Every city has the keen early morning fisherman... I want to be one when I grow up! We soon had Squander in the Marina and were told that customs, immigration and Quarantine officials would be along shortly and the whole process should not take too long... True to their word Customs arrived soon after and began by asking for our passports, boat papers, port clearances and so on... it wasn't unusual, but I had a feeling these guys were on a mission... They meticulously analyzed our passports, and hammered me with questions about where we had all met, why we went here, there and everywhere and I guess something about our ages, travel patterns and the answers i gave them made them very suspicious. They curtly advised that all crew have to stay above deck but cannot leave the boat and i have to stay down below with them as they proceed to do a full search of the boat... one of them left and returned with tools, snake camera, remote microphone and all sorts of cool gadgets. Nothing was spared, panes were unscrewed, underwear drawers turned upside down, freezer emptied, sealed powdered milk bags sliced open, cake mixes smelt, cameras shoved into every nook and cranny, under the water tank, the fuel tank - it was actually a really interesting experience to see how these guys operate and if it wasn't for the three hour ordeal - it would have been fun - I got to see a lot of Squander that I hadn't seen before! Sofi snuck in an action shot as I answered the questions down below. The customs guys were professional, but in no way rude or unfriendly - France was in the world cup final and the conversation soon turned to Rugby and the best beer to drink in New Caledonia... they considered fining us for stopping for two nights without checking in, (they asked me to turn on my chartplotter and examined out tracks!!), but they accepted my reasoning and let us off. We picked up some supplies and bailed out of the city for Illot Maitre, a small island 45 minutes from Noumea... What now??! a Coastguard vessel and helicopter head for us! hahaha... got them!! turns out they were just practicing... We picked up one of the Free moorings and relaxed.... No Andy, they're not my Buddhist prayer flags.... With the laundry out of the way, it was time to Kite! The winds were light, so Jose took the opportunity to give Sofi her first kiting lesson. Ready to go, but the wind totally dropped out... the girls amused themselves with a game of Pallet. Strike a pose for the cameras. Andy playing umpire And finally the wind kicked in - time to kite!! Woahhh... where did everyone come from??! With smiles all around, we returned to Squander for a great dinner and fireworks show right in the anchorage. Still not exactly sure what the occasion was... but hey... why not??! the next day we were up early and decided to head further afield to explore new playgrounds. Saying goodbye to Illot Maitre - we will be back. Jose getting ready for action! la capitana Argentina is in charge! Calm. Andy Spots our destination. And soon the friendly locals arrive to greet us... following the dolphins into the anchorage Parlez vous Francais?? Andy decides to get amongst the locals for a swim. An island to ourselves.... anchored off Illot Kouare. Speeding off towards the nearby reefs for a snorkel. Incredible visibility - I don't think we have ever seen water so clear. Sofi wastes no time exploring the depths - her new favourite sport is spotting sharks and sea snakes - not bad for a city girl! Our trusty dinghy awaits patiently as always. a fiery redhead - never seen anything that bright underwater before. Jose opted for above water snorkeling - with water so clear you don't even have to get your hair wet. Looking East Looking west Looking South And as the day drew to a close, it was time to hang up the bikinis, and enjoy a sunset drink. the wind kicked in early the next day, so we headed ashore to check out the wildlife, explore the island and do some kiting. Andy was straight in the water making the most of the 20+ knots of wind, the girls caught up on some tanning, whereas i decided to try and have an up close look at the local residents. Inspiration for a fighter plane??! Ahhh... Pierre, zer is some human coming to ze nest??!! I've never been much of a bird watcher, but these guys are cool! preparing for landing. They fly out to sea and back all day collecting seaweed to make nests out of. and the fighter planes share the island with these weapon birds... ....nice fuselage, and well designed landing gear stows away seamlessly. With the bird watching out of the way, it was time to get a quick kite in before the storm rolled in. Andy heads back to shore as the clouds roll in... I followed soon after... We are going to miss this life - #1 The next few days are a blur as I lay in bed with some serious stomach bug, pretty weird as no one else got it - maybe it was the birds??! after 3-4 days, we sailed 10 miles north to Illot Mato for some more kiting and in my case some more recovery time , eating plain pasta and catching up on some movies. Anchored in illot Mato - Squander on the right and "El Regalo" from the USA on the left Andy and Jose attacked the bay throwing double back loops, grabs, back loop transitions and all sorts of funky shit - nice work guys! Jose spots a back loop landing as Andy charges in the distance that afternoon Andy and Sofi decided to hike to the top of the island and managed to get some incredible shots. the Dinghy anchored down below. El Regalo and Squander dance at anchor. Sofi trying to pick up Squander Need good light to get into these anchorages - would hate to do it on a cloudy day... The next day we decided to head back to Noumea to pick up some supplies, catch up on emails and decide what to do next. The dinghy spinning out of control as we sail in 30 knots - probably should have pulled it out of the water for the trip. I went to Uni with a guy that used to eat MARS bars with a knife and fork, and now another phenomenon right before our eyes - Sofi eats Oranges with a knife and fork! Fish heads for $6 a piece... we were a bit late at the local fish markets! mmmm.... yummy! Traffic, street signs, paved roads - all seems quite hectic! What happens when you leave Jose and Sofi for 15 minutes in a shop.... First officer Jose Surfer Jose.... Baby Sofi... what the?? having dragged the girls away form the shop and the shop keepers who were loving the entertainment, we decided to try and do something unusual - some urban sight seeing! a meeeewwZeeeeeUm.... we almost went inside! With the weather forecast being spot on for kiting, we moved back to Illot Maitre. The stainless steel balustrade reflecting the sunset.... We kited all of the next day and didn't take a single photo! As the day drew to a close, Scott. Nancy and their young son Seb pulled up in Traveler and invited us over for dinner. We gladly accepted and had a great night - thanks guys!! The mornings are often glassy - Jose getting ready for a morning swim! back flip off the bow to start the day! We enjoyed another great day of kiting, before the wind finally backed off and allowed us to head south again towards baie du Prony and onto ille de Pins (Isle of Pines) Ille Montravel, at the entrance of baye du Prony. It.s about 5 miles â€˜in land' to get to the anchorage we were heading for. We eventually dropped anchor and transferred to the dinghy to go in search of the hot springs for a sunset nature bath! Such a contrast to the reefs and blue water that lies only 5 miles away. We eventually found the hot springs and quickly jumped in for a self timer photo, before.... ...the girls commandeered the hot tub for some important business! French hot springs have never smelt so fresh! Another sunset announces the beginning of night. Heading back to Squander - you have to look out for crocodiles after sunset and hit them in the head with an oar so that they don't bite your dinghy! oooops.... sometimes you miss and they swallow your oar! with so many attractions, we weren't sure what to do - eventually we opted for a hike... We navigated as far as we could with our dinghy Tied her to a tree and went exploring A rare sight - everyone wearing shoes! Sofi decided she need a quick swim before continuing. Bonjour messieur, can I borrow you rally car for an hour or so?? No shit sherlock.... yeah follow me, the path is this way! ok... maybe it's not... anyone got any ideas?! Follow the light... back on track! reminds me of some new logo - like a BHP re branding??! Andy ready to roll - an early departure for Ile de Pins. the anchorage sleeps.... as Squander glides towards the open sea again. We were only a few miles offshore when all three lines went off at once!!! we lost one, but managed to reel in 2 decent Big Eye tuna Model number 1, likes Sushi and teriyaki seared tuna steaks. Model number 2 prefers sashimi and curried Soy fillets. Arriving in Kueto Bay, on the Isle of pines. Anchored in Paradise The peak is calling, Andy and Sofi make the early morning departure... Vamonos! The view from half way up. Andy checking out the sights. Squander anchored in the distance. Sofi hoping a BIG plane will land and save her a walk back.... We will miss this life shot #34578 Morning walk. Lunchtime swim Afternoon sight seeing Sunset drinks we will miss this life shot #45234 should we have another beer... hmmm... nah the tide is rising and the dinghy is about to float away, may as well head back! That evening I checked the weather and the window we'd been looking for was coming. It was Wednesday evening and it looked like Saturday would be the perfect day to leave.... it was time to head back to Noumea and checkout... but not before we checked out one more island. Sofi has developed into a keen fisherwoman! We had a relaxing day, catching up on blog writing, reading, and making a wish list of all the fish we wanted to catch on the 60 mile journey the next day! And what a day it was... 2Tuna, 1 Mahi mahi, 1 Golden Jack and two Spanish Mackerel! Andy bagging the Mahi Mahi! the first Spanish mackerel was huge and we decided to throw it back. The second one was a more manageable size - they look very similar to Wahoo! Sofi continuing her fishing education! We got back to Noumea on Thursday night and early on Friday morning went into the marina for a night, provisioned and checked out... we're expecting to set sail on Saturday and should be in Lord Howe Island on Thursday - our first landfall in Australia and only 400 odd nautical Miles from Sydney!! See you soon Australia!! x

Return to Blue Lagoon – the Fijian adventure continues.

admin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:44:18 +0000

One of the countless things I have loved about this journey, is the rich array of crew that have made Squander home... The 25 or so Squanderers (defined as having spent at least 1 week sailing on Squander) have hailed from Australia, Russia, Spain, The Netherlands, Poland, England, America, France, Iran and Argentina. Whether they stayed 2 weeks or 14 months, each crew member has added an extra stitch or two to the complex fabric that we have weaved since starting our journey in early 2010.. Food has always been an important thread and our newest Squanderer has already thrown in a few keepers. JosÃ© (pronounced Josie) rushing around organising lunch. Lunch is served. We motored out of Port Denarau, where we had said goodbye to Simon who finally made the decision to return to Australia, after his 8 week holiday that started back in April 2010. It's possibly the longest holiday extension in history... it lasted one and a third years and involved sailing across the Atlantic twice, a good part of the Mediterranean and most of the Pacific. JosÃ© settling in on Squander. Having spent a bumpy night anchored off Beachcomber island, we set off early pointing at the Northern Yasawa islands. We had good breeze and covered the 60 or so miles easily. We managed to hook three tuna along the way, one I lost whilst being lazy and not gaffing it properly, one got eaten by a shark as Andy was trying to reel it in and the third one we got to keep and eat for dinner! if we had any doubts as to whether there were sharks in these waters, we don't anymore. All that was left of our tuna once Andy reeled it in. We soon arrived in Sawa-i-Lau, home to some famous caves, deserted beaches and crystal clear waters. We relaxed and watched the sunset having the entire bay to ourselves save for a small cruise ship anchored in the distance. The next day was somewhat gloomy and overcast so we watched movies, caught up on emails, finished the blog and read books. 3G Internet is available just about anywhere in Fiji - Jose catching up on emails thousands of miles from home. Ready for some DIY hairdressing A joint creation for lunch, Sashimi, salad and Sushi.... The next day we all got up early and headed to the beach to find the Sawa-i-Lau caves. The early morning caving team is ready to go. The first cave is easy, you basically walk into it and jump in the crystal clear water. Jose and Sofi ready for some exploring. Enjoying a moment of solitude. Jose contemplates the second cave. You have to swim underwater through the hole in the bottom right of the above picture. Eel cam - yep apparently there are eels in these waters - ready to swim into the next cave? Taking deep breaths, torch in hand... let's do it! Andy and Jose pop up in the pitch black cave. We explored the second cave for a good 15 minutes before diving back under and into the main chamber. Hey Andy what are you up to....?? Andy spots the entrance to "pregnant woman's cave" so named as the fissure in the wall is so skinny that pregnant women cannot squeeze in. The entrance is above and to the left of Andy. the girls relaxed as I followed Andy into the Abyss. Once inside, it's an amazing (and very dark) maze of tunnels that makes you feel like you're about to tickle some monster's tonsils. We had luckily borrowed two torches at the last minute which made the exploring of this maze possible. Andy spotted a small pool of water and reasoned that he may be able to swim out of the cave rather then backtrack the way he came in. It took him two attempts, returning the first time for some extra air but eventually he negotiated the longish underwater tunnel and popped out back in the main chamber. Left alone in the small pool, I figured what the heck, took a deep breath, sunk to the depths and searched for the beam of light that would indicate an exit was in sight, I swam around the first corner and soon spotted my guiding light.... Popping out in the main chamber.... With the main activities ticked, we weighed anchor and headed for our next destination - Blue Lagoon - the setting of the eponymous 1980's movie about a ship wrecked young couple.... Dropping anchor in Blue Lagoon. Despite still being relatively un-spoilt, Blue lagoon is no longer deserted. In fact one of the reasons we came here was because of a little boutique resort called "Nanuya island resort" which is widely reported as having some of the best food in Fiji... we were ready to treat ourselves to a night out. Andy and Sofi exploring the local reef as Jose and I went to make dinner reservations. the dive shop next to the resort. Tying up the dinghy... ready to book ourselves in for a sumptuous dinner! As it turned out the resort had recently introduced a "No Yachties" rule - you can imagine our disbelief when we were told that not only we weren't allowed to dine there, but we were requested to leave the premises immediately... when I asked why (there was a big sign saying outside guests welcome!!), we were informed that a "Yachtie" had recently sexually harassed a guest and as such ALL yachties were banned. It was obvious that the new rule had come from above, and the ground staff were visibly uncomfortable enforcing it... but there was no point arguing, they were just doing their job... Thumbs down to this joint....! Tomorrow is another day... we enjoyed a great home hooked BBQ aboard Squander and were greeted the next morning with a pearler of a day. Andy jumped in the dinghy and soon returned with a big smile... He'd found a near perfect kiting spot across the bay. Nice work Andy... My ankle was till far from good, so I was happy to take photos and keep Sofi company. Perfecto! Sofi all smiles. Speaking of smiles, Jose pumping up her Bandit ready to carve up the lagoon. Is that Sofi's twin sister??? or is Sofi doing exercise...??! As the morning turned into afternoon, we were all famished and decided to pack up the gear and head back to Squander for lunch and an afternoon photo shoot. We met the local family who lives next to the resort in some traditional Fijian huts. They grow their own fruit and veg and offered to sell us anything we needed. We bought some limes, bananas and oranges from them. I also asked if they knew where the Blue lagoon film was shot as we needed to recreate a scene from the poster... the lady pointed us up the hill.... we discussed it amongst ourselves, our actors were looking nervous. Soon some help arrived as the original location scout from the 1980's classic arrived back on land and pointed us to the correct spot. spot the difference - Return to the Blue Lagoon! Having some new found Street cred, Andy managed to shake his Yachtie status and was allowed to order drinks for us at the resort as we hid behind a tree - but alas still no dinner! A quiet evening followed as the wind was predicted to be even better the next day. the girls were up early cooking up breakfast in anticipation of another great kiting day. and we were in for a treat. A super low tide, 18 to 22 knots and crystal clear flat water. Sofi working hard on her suntan following an early rise... she may also be contemplating how to make it up to Andy after accidentally letting go of his kite the day before... kite ended up in the trees and has since had a successful trip to the kite doctor to patch up the four large holes! I stretched my ankle as best i could, taped it up but it was still feeling very tender... "Andy you may as well take my kite..." and stop bashing that poor innocent tree! Andy back in good spirits riding the black Wainman! Jose and Andy charging up and down the bay. Sofi was on Dinghy driving duties, as we chased out protagonists of the day trying to get the money shot. Jose was pulling some nice tail grabs... Whereas Andy was working on his back rolls. looking for a landing....preferably the right way up! getting some good lift. Josie commences launch sequence.... .... launch successful.... ... grab and land! Andy was spotted trying a new "no board - feet only" maneuver! Jose Wipeout! before long the photography team was back in position to enjoy the spectacle from afar. beach dog! The next morning we sailed onto Manta Ray bay, where you can occasionally swim with Manta Rays - as it turns out September is not that time of year and all we got was a torrential downpour and a rolly night's sleep as the weather came in. We anchored Squander three times in an attempt to get a comfortable night's rest. First we dragged anchor and almost ended up on the rocks, then we got the shaken not stirred anchorage as squander bounced around in the swell and eventually we moved around the corner and anchored on the west side of the island facing out to sea with a stern anchor to keep our bow into the swell. the next day, the calm seas had returned and we sailed on to Waya island. Approaching Waya on the right By early afternoon we were anchored off Yalobi Village and decided to pay them a visit. Our united nations diplomatic mission heading ashore. We happened to arrive as one of the families was moving house to another island where they had got jobs. Many of the villagers were by the shore waving goodbye and helping pack the small aluminum boat with their belongings. Eventually we were invited to visit the village and taken on a guided tour. First the local gym, sport and rec club. Then a stop at the local bakery to buy a chocolate cake The baker hard at work waiting for her cakes to boil. we bought a cake and proceeded with our tour. Our host showed us her home... and garden....complete with pineapples, Cassava, sugar cane, bananas, papaya and taro. She also introduced us to her granddaughter... and promised that when her fisherman husband returns she will bring us some fresh fish to the boat. we spent half an hour talking and buying some fresh supplies before being welcomed to continue our visit on our own. Muuuummm, there are strange people taking photos of our house! the village coconut husking station. Our favourite piece of real estate - complete with great views and outdoor kitchen. Sofi found her own favourite house and was ready to stay. Before returning to Squander, we visited the local school where the kids were busy building new steps from the beach to the playground. Busy collecting sand A quick photo break when the teacher's not looking. Sofi getting involved... "what can i do to help?" Is this little girl the future prime minister of Fiji ? she didn't stop working and was always smiling! Jose ready to return to Squander. Sofi and Andy ready to roll too... Squander awaits in the distance. As promised, before sunset, our new adopted grandma delivered us her husband's catch of the day! Happy days - that will be $10 bucks thanks!! We woke up early the next day with the news that our spreaders (broken part of our rig that helps hold the mast upright) had arrived from France and were being held by customs until we returned to Denarau. Our taste buds were still dancing from the previous evening's BBQ fish feast , when we sadly weighed anchor and left Waya bound for Port Denarau. Sunny where we were - a small island cops the brunt of the rain from this awesome cloud in the distance. We arrived back in Port Denarau, and as is often the case in these kinds of â€˜hubs', soon ran into people we knew... Sarah and Stoff from Takalani whom we'd last seen in Tahiti, the Onghiara crew (whom we'd last seen in Bora Bora) was also in town ready for a charter and the biggest surprise of them all - Rebecca from MAD had returned from Norway that very morning to deal with the ongoing issues with putting MAD on the market - not to mention La Pelicana was getting ready to set sail for the non-stop 1800 mile journey to Bundaberg in Australia and the girls were here too. Trouble personified - The girls (AJ , Gabi & Ashley) were ready for a night out. As you can imagine, with the social crowd easily swelling to over a dozen people a night out was inevitable.... I guess the spreaders would have to wait. Pre-dinner drinks at the pool bar - living it up in Fiji! Nikita happy with her chili mud crabs! Sofi, Jose and I, joined Nikita and Kyle for a great dinner at the Hilton, before re-uniting with the boys who had managed to make short work of a case of Fiji gold and a few other chasers on Squander... Nikita, Sofi and Kyle befriending the dinner show performers. Sofi completed the awesome troublesome foursome! The decision was made - time to check out the infamous Ed's bar.... it was way past midnight before we left the marina... and aside from a few sensible souls who chose to not go out, most of us returned home in the early hours of the morning ready to not do that again for a while! Andy and Kyle suffering from the effects of one or two Vonus... Speaking of Vonus, seems they have positive relationship mending qualities! Andy demonstrating one of his secret weapons - the sympathy card ! Kyle and Nikita strutting their stuff! Mixing it up with the local crowd! The next day was all about the Hilton swimming pool, watching Australia play Russia and enjoying the cloudy day - both literally and figuratively speaking. One of these girls didn't go out last night. Nothing like sneaking into a resort and charging it to room 2345... another banana smoothy please! Sunday was all about replacing the broken spreader. I managed a solid 5.5 hours suspended up the mast - but the job was finally done! We had heard of an incredible shark dive you can do on the southern coast of Viti levu.... observing at close quarters up to 10 species of sharks being hand fed in the wild - The brochure promised tigers, bulls, black tips, white tips, lemons, silver tips and greys... it didn't take long to sign us up! We hired a car and left at 5:30am on Monday morning bound for Pacific Harbour some 2 hrs away. By 8:30 am we were on our way.... Andy's not one to be shaken easily, yet he was spotted looking into the distance, murmuring a few words under his breath with hands tightly clasped... Sofi and Josie managed to sneak into the pilot house and got a ride to the dive spot with the captain and his daughter. We soon arrived at our dive site and two full size SULO bins, filled with fish guts and massive TUNA heads, were lowered some 25 metres to the ocean floor... the remora sucker fish arrive at the scene first followed by the rest of the gang... trying to keep a lid on things until we reach the bottom. The punters follow. Hmmmm....throw buckets-full of dead fish in shark infested waters and then dive down 25 metres to see what happens... what a great business idea! Breakfast is served. Let the feeding frenzy commence. As oxygen consumption from the punters (us included) goes up to max 10. A couple of the friendlier giants of the deep... A 1M+ Napoleon Wrasse and a giant grouper on the bottom right. Is that divemaster looking nervous?? Here sharky sharky....a BIG grouper follows an even bigger shark. Outta here!! - Hey tough guy, where are you going...?? oiii... come back here and feed the sharks! ahhhh ok... now hold that tuna head in your hands like a man! ....it's his first day on the job and he had a mild panic attack - wonder why?! Somebody say Tuna head?? tuna head???!! What do you do if a giant tuna head is being quietly transported towards your own head by a bunch of small fish.... Do you A: Act cool and pretend like everything is OK. B: Push the Tuna head away thus saving your head, but most likely losing your right arm to the shark that's just spotted it or C: Ruuuuuuuun!! option D: punch the shark in the nose and let the little guys enjoy their breakfast! One for the little guys. the Napoleon Wrasse. With the sharks well fed, they took off as fast as they came - unfortunately no Tiger sharks, as a consolation Andy and Miss "yellow lipstick" seemed to have struck a connection - seen here caught in the moment staring at each other for what seemed like an eternity. a remora sucker fish checks out a piece of fish skin as it drifts towards me. Here fishy fishy....want some fish skin?! Andy loses his girlfriend in a crowd... hey Big guy.... she's gone, but I"M HERE...! Yellow lipstick's the go in these parts! Following a solid 20 minutes in 24 m of water the food ran out as quickly as our oxygen and it was time to slowly head back to the surface the remora sucking up to the SULO bin - literally. The fish heads are gone and us humans are left on the bottom.... let's say, for arguments sake, that one of the big sharks missed out on a feed - what happens next?? Some questions are better left unanswered, let's go and explore the ship wreck. "hanging up" - The remora suckerfish equivalent of looking for a parking spot after a hard day's work. Meanwhile whilst we were busy diving, the captain entertained the girls by letting them fish for the highly dangerous, killer Remora "Sharks" We returned to Denarau on Monday night. Tuesday was all about getting Squander ready for the 700 Nautical mile journey to New Caledonia - Jose and Sofi went shopping, where as Andy and I took care of important things like updating our facebook status, filling the water tanks, paying the bill at the marina and topping up on Diesel. too late to leave... Our planned departure got delayed and we stayed an extra night in the marina - early on Wednesday morning we motored up to Lautoka, where we had to go through Customs and Immigration.... by midday our passports were stamped and we had the necessary clearances - we were underway - sailing downwind in a steady 25 knots towards the reef pass into the open ocean, at 1:00pm we caught a fish just in time for lunch, all was going to plan.... at around 4:00pm we had one of our first setbacks... as we were exiting the reef pass, a 40 knot squall caught us unaware with a full main up... rooky error... some quick thinking and we soon had all sails down and narrowly missed leaving our mark on the reef. We probably should have turned back and anchored for the night, but we're just not the type of people to turn BACK... We made it out through the reef pass in one piece, hoisted sails and were away again.... but soon the wind started dying and shifting to the WSW - the direction we were trying to sail in.... we were in less then 10 knots of wind and sails were starting to flog, when in a matter of seconds another squall hit us - 25 knots or so, then 30, 35, 40.... we ran away with it for 10 minutes - heading towards South America - then as suddenly as it had arrived, the wind dropped off to 8-10 knots. We pointed Squander at New Caledonia yet again, motor sailing, bashing into a sloppy sea.... BIG Black clouds everywhere.... then as the sun began to set I had a brilliant idea.... we don't have to be out here.... there's a a perfectly good anchorage only 8 miles back.... And so as the sun set we sailed back to Fiji for one more night's rest before trying again in the morning. The following day was gloomy, but the forecast looked good - we pointed Squander at New Caledonia and boldly motored away from Fiji. Some 10 miles offshore we spotted a vessel powering towards us, black smoke billowing from its engines. Soon after, the Navy boat captain called us up on the VHF and requested that we stop as we were going to be boarded for a routine inspection. The boys came over and it soon became apparent they were indeed just doing a routine inspection of our papers, we made a few jokes and before long the cameras were out and the conversation had turned to discussing who was going to win the Rugby world cup. Gotta love Fiji! Good on ya fellas - I wonder if they would be this friendly had we gone ahead with our harebrain idea of not bothering to check out properly??! I have a distinct feeling that the Patrol boat and all associated equipment may have been a fairly old , ex-Australian donation to Fiji.... either way, I hope these boys don't have to catch anyone trying to actually get away from them. soon after the clouds parted, and the wind kicked in - we were underway - sailing. A nice Wahoo caught on Day 2. Introducing Sofi to the Squander Spa - note the extra safety device around Sofi's stomach, cleverly engineered by Andy. With the "Pacific salt water spa treatment" out of the way, it was time for some hairdressing.... Jose ready for her first night watch - sailing from Fiji to New Caledonia. the passage has been one of the smoothest and calmest we have experienced to date, allowing the girls to establish command of the galley in great comfort! JosÃ© ordered the deluxe package at the Squander Spa - it includes unlimited supply of water buckets without having to lift a finger. She seemed satisfied! The multipurpose transom! Night 2 was a cold one, with some fresh winds blowing up from NZ. Day 3 - the Mahi Mahi was a highlight!! Happy days... it's been a while since we've landed one of these! Sailing into the sunset, as Australia plays South Africa in the Quarter finals of the Rugby World Cup.... We hoped that Radio Australia would transmit the game, but instead we were left listening to an American sounding guy who received a Nobel prize in Canberra this week... seriously, how un-Australian!! Thanks to the wonders of technology, we were kept updated via Satellite phone text messages... it was a nail biter to the end..... The excitement as the above email arrives in my inbox - through to the semi finals by a whisker - well done boys!! Yes, we are at sea, sailing at 7 knots in the South Pacific, during the night.... possibly the longest stretch of calme seas I have witnessed in the Pacific whilst still having enough wind to sail. keeping ourselves entertained on the last Day.... wind finally drops out as the sea glasses out and we motor the last 100 miles to new Caledonia.