We docked in Neifafu,the capital of Vava'u at 08.00 on saturday 5 October.The date is becoming important as we move towards the International date line,and I try to work out when England play Argentina in the rugby world cup.Because I am told that we will have saturday 5 october twice !!
The ship had to traverse a long channel through this collection of coral islands to reach the destination.Another welcome from a brass band and as it is a saturday there was a busy market in the town.
Although quite what some of the vegetables on display were ?? and how would one cook them?
An attractive sight anyway.Elizabeth and I walked along the road above the town,listening to the 'happy' singing coming from the ladies at a funeral and enjoying a view over the harbour.
Neiafu has a population of about 5000 and boasts one of the residences of the Royal family.A chap in the market told us that the king will visit next month.The harbour was busy with lots of yachtsmen from Australia and New Zealand.All the boats have to be taken out of the water for the cyclone season,so many ,we were told,will be sailed back to New Zealand every year.
As we walked along the road we saw a multitude of pigs,large and small,rooting around and an equal number of dogs.Both species took no notice of us!
Whilst we had lunch the boat moved a short distance to a beach
Elizabeth took a ride around the bay and had a short snorkel from the beach,whilst I went off to snorkel 3 different sites in the bay.The weather was cloudy and the sea a little disturbed ,so the ride between sites was cold wet and exciting.
On the shore at the last site were a colony of fruit bats,in the picture below the black dots hanging from the left of the central tree are the bats.
We also ,surprisingly saw a herd of wild goats meandering through the foliage,but not seen well enough for a photo.
Back to the ship rather cold and wet,but warmed up with a shower as the ship moved off into a rather heavy sea that disturbed E enough to cut short her dinner and retire early.And saturday again tomorrow!
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