Following our flurry of activity in Port Denarau Marina, completing some of Amelie's maintenance, we headed off to Navadra Island. We gingerly navigated the reef and entered the protected bay by mid afternoon. We had been advised that the electronic charts should not be relied on in this area and the paper charts showed areas of 'unchartered information'.
Amelie arrived in the marina on Tuesday morning to an initial unhelpful “welcome”. Debbie put on her ‘bad cop hat’ and managed to persuade a better outcome - enough said.
Anchoring far enough away to avoid encroaching into his space, put us in the sight of rocks, the sound of breaking water and the uncertain of unknown territory. We did end up having a comfortable night, catching up on much needed sleep and respite from the high winds and enormous seas.
We eventually made it to port on the Saturday afternoon and completed the formalities with the Tongan officials in a friendly and welcoming manner. Welcome to Tonga.
Bula or Cola (pronounced thola, in western Fiji).......Hello.
We arrived late last Monday afternoon in Vanua Balavu (Long Island) in the northern Lau islands, Fiji. The Lau group of islands are remote and there have been restrictive permits in the past - as a special dispensation the OWR fleet were cleared in and out of Vanua Balavu. The islands are off the tourist track - no shopping, stores, restaurants, bars or resorts - completely unspoilt. The Fijians on these islands follow strong traditions passed down over the centuries and as visitors, we had strict guidelines to respect their culture.
We navigated the picturesque Tongan passage into the lagoon using old fashioned navigation skills - binoculars and eyesight. The electronic charts are not accurate for this area and there were plenty of hazards to avoid i.e. rocks, coral heads, shallows and the stunning reef.
We anchored in the fjord type harbour called the ‘Turquoise harbour’, Mbavatu, surrounded by the Bavatu plantation. After customs clearance ashore at the ‘Royal Exploring Isles Yacht Squadron’ (the only yacht club in the world that doesn’t sell beer, in fact it doesn’t sell anything at all but the welcome was exceptional) which was opened and given royal approval by the late King of Tonga in the last decade, we settled down on board for an early supper and a good night’s sleep.
Once upon a time (last Wednesday) on a hot, sultry day on a mooring buoy in Bora Bora, the crew of Amelie were completing their last minute inspections of the boat before venturing out to sea to Tonga (1,300 nm). The crew (always prepared!) checked the generator oil, fan belt, wasting anode and impeller and happily turned on the generator to test its function.
