We were pretty tired after the crossing from Fiji, so took things as gently as possible to start with. It was necessary to check in with biosecurity, immigration and customs. Tedious, but it got done reasonably quickly.
We left our RIB tied up at a wharf. Some bastard moved it to a spot over a spike of reo which punctured it. More repairs...
Then some provisioning at the Luganville market, before heading off around the coast anti-clockwise to a sheltered spot near a resort at Oyster Island.
The Rocket Guide to Vanuatu is very helpful, especially with tricky coral entrances.
Another useful text if you are coming this way is the Vanuatu Cruising eBook.
Sign in the customs office
Locals crossing Segond Passage
Girl in market
Nimrod at Oyster Island resort
Dave recuperating after the crossing from Fiji
Near Oyster Island is a beautiful river up to a Blue Hole. We took the RIB up.
Boy swinging into the Blue Hole from a big banyan tree. A similar tree features in the movie 'Tanna' which is a 'must see'. Trailer here.
Nearby is a tour to Mount Hope, a reserve owned by Cate Blanchett. It features a lovely guided river drift down rapids using life-jackets and neoprene boots. The drive to it was also interesting, and we passed some 'kastom' villages.
Ni-Van kastom village on road to Mount Hope.
Under the lip of the cascade.
Fascinating to see the locals dressing and conducting their lives seemingly untouched by Western civilisation. Looks like the highlight of the journey so far. Safe travels to QLD.
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