Noumea - October/November 2007

Cool Bananas is still in port and the weather is not playing the game for us. Leaving today would have meant head winds much of the way and then not a great angle to sail into NZ. So we will have to suffer another week or so of sunshine, swimming and snorkelling etc until it settles. We have had a lovely time here in New Caledonia but we're looking forward to being back in NZ.
We will be in touch again when we know more.




Hi All

Finally the day has come. Daryl is filling the water tanks and getting ready to fuel up with duty free fuel. Cool Bananas is setting sail for NZ. The forecast has stayed stable for a few days and is looking very promising for a great passage. We should be in Tauranga in about a week.

See you soon from the Team on Cool Bananas






The crossing home was not a simple one. We left on a good forecast but missed catching the back of the high so winds were lighter than hoped. Then a few days out we got warnings that the cyclone off Fiji may cross our path. We made the decision to stop in mid ocean and watch what happens. We kept ourselves 2oo miles away and watched it move south. Once it had passed we continued on our way. After 24hrs of lumpy seas we had a great run to the top of NZ, down the coast and into Tauranga.



Mid ocean swim. The team to NZ

Best Wishes
Laurel and Daryl

Noumea and Loyalties - October 2007

Bonjour to all

We have just come back in to Noumea after three wonderful weeks sailing in The Loyalties. We sailed in the company of two other yachts – Tropical Cat and Aurielle both with couples aboard. We were all pleased we had buddied up before leaving because we hardly saw another cruising boat the whole time we were away.

The weather and seas have warmed up since I last wrote, so water activity is back on the agenda. With no dive buddy Daryl hasn't done much diving but we have snorkelled. The waters were so clear were sometimes seeing the bottom from the boat when we were in 100 ft of water.

The Loyalties are made up of three main islands, each quite different in its geography, so the scenery has been varied. I have decided Daryl has a thing for caves, especially those bordering the sea. I think he has been a pirate in a previous life and is still looking for the treasure!!!

I, however, have to own up to getting a little addicted to shell collecting. It all started with these remote islands offering the opportunity to find a perfect nautilus shell, which incidentally we didn't find. Sue from 'Aurielle' was already a skilled collector, so we spent many pleasurable hours combing the beaches.

The last island we visited was Ouvea, a sweeping curve of white sandy beaches and turquoise water, about 50 kilometres long. We thought we had arrived in paradise. Never had we seen such a postcard perfect place. The local stores sold the most gorgeous bread, so we were set. The guys took turns at doing a dinghy run in to the shop at 6.30 in the morning to get the bread.

There is no daylight saving hours out here so we have adopted the local lifestyle. We have been getting up soon after daylight - 5.30ish and in bed around 9pm. We still haven't got used to everything being closed between 11.30 and 2pm though. Someone recommended a patisserie that I trudged my way to one day in Noumea only to find it was closed between 11.30 and 3pm. Isn't that when you'd be most likely to want it? I don't know!!

We are now heading back to the marina to reprovision, charge the batteries, use the internet, wash the boat down inside and out and stock up on fresh fruit and veg. If the weather is kind we would like to do one last trip down to Iles de Pins before being back in mid November to prepare for the sail home. At the moment I haven't found an excuse to take the easy route and fly home, so it looks like I'm one of the crew for the passage back. From Noumea to North Cape is only 700 miles – no sweat.

Hoping everyone back home has shaken those winter blues and is enjoying the spring sunshine. We are both really looking forward to being back ourselves.

Au revoir from Laurel and Daryl.

Vanuatu/New Caledonia - September October 2007

Hello Again from Cool Bananas

We had an uneventful sail between Vanuatu and New Caledonia. There was a notorious passage we had to come through just off New Caledonia which I had done much research to get wind and tides right for. We sailed through there at dawn, with the seas a slight roll, doing 10 knots!!

When Jenny arrived we headed to Isles of Pines. On the way we had a fantastic experience with some whales. We had stopped to watch them and they came up close to us. They hovered for quite a while until we decided they were getting a little too curious. Such huge creatures!!

The water is a little bracing to get into, (25 deg.), but we brave it a few times to make sure Jenny got the New Caledonian snorkelling experience. The water was soo clear. We saw turtles above the water and turtles below.

To get the lay of the land we hitch hiked around the island. Yes - what we tell our children not to do - we did!! We were picked up by fantastically friendly people, some with little English, but we got there. So much fun.

On the way back we stopped at Amedee Lighthouse, which Daryl and I last visited 20 years ago. The snorkelling there was great, a reserve, so the fish were generally big. Met some cruisers there, got invited to a birthday celebration, and have spent time with them since, which has been nice.

We are feeling well travelled when we invite a cruising couple, that anchored in a bay with us, over for a drink and then establish we last saw them in Antigua!!! It is a small world. They are also from Hamilton but were on a friend's boat in Antigua and now cruising on their own. It was like a reunion.

We have to say that things here are expensive. They have a 40% sales tax added to everything. A loaf of 'Natures Fresh' bread is $13, steak is over $40 a kilo, scallops $90 a kilo at the fish market, asparagus $50 a kilo. Needless to say we are not eating those particular foods and have found cheaper alternatives. The local baguettes are always good and the pastries a cheap lunch.

I gave myself a haircut yesterday. Oh how I miss my own hairdresser!! I braved it and had a cut in Vanuatu, but the language barrier here was a little great to risk it. Daryl thinks it looks fine, but I can imagine when my hairdresser will say when I get home.

We have had a bit of time in Noumea. I've enjoyed people watching - the French - they have such a 'stylie' way of dressing!!! Their clothes, fabrics, shoes are so…. classy.

We have had a change in our original plan. We have decided to stay on in New Caledonia, not go to Australia, and then sail back to NZ in mid November. That way we can continue to enjoy New Caledonia and hopefully get out to some of the outer islands which we missed coming in because we came in later than first planned.

Best Wishes

Vanuatu - August 2007

Cool Bananas in Vanuatu

Yes, we are still in Port Vila, Vanuatu.

Since our last communication we have sailed our way back down to Port Vila having two main stops. The first was Bannam Bay, Malekula Island.

Here we were in an isolated village with no tourism except the yachts. They were extremely hospitable and we had some great experiences in village life. They took us (that's all bar me) for a walk to a beautiful waterfall, picking ripe fruit from trees as they went. The children are so agile, shimmying tall coconut palms for their fruit. Their hospitality extended to an afternoon tea spread on the way back. The village put on their traditional dancing just for us. A real treat.

We then had a good run down to Lamman Bay in Epi. This is where you can swim with the dugong, sea cows. We saw and swam with one. Photos courtesy of Dynes.

The village there was quite large and looked relatively well funded compared with anywhere else. We joined in their Independence Day celebration - run on 'island time'. It's funny but you ask 3 locals what time something starts and you'll probably get three different times. We've learnt to just go with the flow.

From there we were going to visit a couple more islands but the wind was so good, and I was rapidly declining in health, so we ended up making a hasty track straight into Port Vila. Turns out I had a chest infection and asthma – nothing a good antibiotic wouldn't fix. No subsides here – a course of augmentin cost $60!!!

We then farewelled Lyn and Dynes from the boat, Dynes having had about 9 weeks on the boat this season. They have been fantastic crew and great company.

Debs got a great job in Australia which they encouraged her to go to, sooner rather than later, so she hasn't returned to the boat. So Daryl and I had a couple of weeks on the boat, catching up on maintenance and looking for crew. We now have Greg aboard, who has flown from the States to help us with the next two crossings. His friend Lena will join us in Noumea.

Friends from Opotiki, Julian and Nghaire Lowe have been on the boat for the last 10 days. John Connor also came and stayed locally, joining in the days activities. So we had a week of playing tourist and then went sailing for a few days around the coast.

Coming back we hit some bad weather on the notorious "Devils Point" at the bays entrance. The decision to tow the dinghy turned out to be a bad one. The rope broke and it was too rough to turn back and get it, so we had to let it go. A hard call and Daryl is still mourning the loss of a loyal friend.

The cruisers have been fantastically supportive in getting a replacement. One boat offered to swap us a dinghy (along with holes) for a carton of beer. The boat yard dug up an old motor he'd never got round to fixing up and another boat found some old oars belonging to his long- gone dinghy. We're back in business!! Great considering you can't buy a dinghy here even if we had wanted a new one. We'll choose a new one when we get to Australia.

The weather has been fairly wet and wild. We are hoping to leave for New Caledonia in 3-4 days time.

Laurel & Daryl _/)

Vanuatu - July 2007

Hi Everyone,

We have now had nearly two weeks in Vanuatu and are starting to get a feel for the place. From Fiji we had a quiet crossing, 450 miles motor sailing in light winds from behind with little to no swell. Certainly not a sailor's dream, but easy.

Vanuatu is surrounded in fairly deep water on most islands, so anchorages are few and far between. We had nearly a week at Port Resolution in Tanna. To clear customs and immigration we took a two hour ride on the back of a ute, across rough roads (tracks) to the other side of the island. What a way to see a country. We had struck market day so we were able to stock up on fresh organic fruit and vegetables, and sooo cheap.

Tanna hosts the most easily accessible active volcano in the world so you couldn't imagine us missing that opportunity. Even Daryl was checking the escape routes as the hot, lava boulders were landing within 100ft of us. Most impressive.

In Port Resolution we had opportunities to interact with the locals. Daryl repaired a few stereos and attempted a few torches. I took some family photos for a family, which we printed for them (we now have a printer on the boat). They are such lovely people. We came away loaded with gifts of fresh veges, fruit and hand woven bags.

From Tanna we sailed north to the island of Erromango. Because the wind direction was from the west (unusual) and very gentle, we chose to sail up the eastern side of the island. The village in the bay where we stopped had seen only two yachts this year, us being the second. They were very excited to see us, especially the children. We had caught a big tuna on the way in, so we presented it to the chief as a gift. Probably 50 people came to greet us when we came to shore in the dinghy. The only contact the village of 400 people has is a trading boat visit once every three months otherwise it is a 21 km walk over the hills to the next village. They had dolphins living in the bay which we swam with briefly. The dolphins were very wary of us, which makes us suspicious that they may be hunted by the locals. In Fiji and Vanuatu the locals in the villages were quite open about the fact that they hunt and eat turtle. Sad. Our stay of two nights was far too short but we needed to move on.

In Port Vila we waved goodbye to Debs who has gone back to the UK for about a month and picked up Dynes and Lyn who are back on board for a short 3 weeks. They are fantastic crew and we thoroughly enjoy having them.

Leaving Vila we did 2 day sails to get up to Santo in the north. Yesterday Daryl and Dynes went on 3 commercial dives on the Coolidge wreck, a luxury liner commissioned in the Second World War. They felt it deserved its reputation of being one of the best dives in the world. Daryl took our new underwater camera and is pleased with his shots. They will dive on it again tomorrow.

Today we have had snorkeling and diving at 'Million Dollar Point' where the American forces pushed all the machinery, vehicles, equipment, tanks etc at the end of the war. Santo had seen 500,000 military here during the war - 40 picture theatres. We have enjoyed the history.

We stopped a some remote little islands on our way back to Port Vila. Aitchen Island was very interesting. It is known for the building of canoes - there were hundreds of them. It was relatively highly populated (1000 people) compared with other islands. We do wonder how long since cannibalism has been practised?? The cook houses looked pretty well maintained. Leben, a local school teacher gave us a wonderful tour of the island. He gave us alot of interesting local history and information. There is obviously still much grappling between westernised religion and their old cultural beliefs (custom beliefs). There are still practising witch doctors who can influence the death of an individual. The locals are still using natural medicines more than doctors. Due to isolation the beliefs and practises between islands varies considerably.

I took photos of some elderly people and when I offered them the camera screen it became evident that they had no idea to look for their image on the screen. The children knew however.

It had to happen!! I have had my first unplanned swim while attempting to get into the dinghy from the yacht. The good news is: the bag with the camera in it didn't get wet and my shoes float. The bad news is I clipped my tail bone on the way down and am having trouble sitting down. The good news is: after a few drinks Daryl and Dynes devised a doughnut cushion in the form of a life jacket. If I sit with my tail bone in the head hole there is no pressure. So keen were they to have my company at dinner that Dynes walked into the restaurant with the bright orange life jacket on his arm!!

It has rained a lot up here but we are not letting it stop us. The water is warm and clear.

Cheers for now

Laurel and Daryl, Dynes and Lyn

Fiji - May 2007

Hi All

The unanimous consensus from all aboard 'Cool Bananas' is that: Fiji is fantastic. We have spent three weeks here, mainly cruising the Yasawa group of islands. The local people seem so relaxed and friendly. They have so little and yet seem so happy. They base their lives around the principle of sharing and it seems to work well.

When we first arrive at a village we take the chief some kava roots, which is our gift to them. After a small welcoming ceremony we are then free to wander the village, swim, snorkel and fish. We have been invited to local homes for meals which have been a highlight. I stocked up on extras like clothing and biscuits before leaving NZ, so we have an ample supply of gifts to give them in return. What they seem to want most though is the 'Cool Bananas' tee-shirts off our backs!!!

A bonus for me is that the Fijian people seem to love to have their photo taken, so I have had some wonderful opportunities for getting local shots.

We have found a couple of resorts that welcome cruisers, so we have had time by the pool sipping on pina coladas. Nothing like some abundant fresh water now and again to wash off the salt!!!

We have been able to get our adrenalin fix by swimming with huge manta rays, free diving into dark caves and the usual swimming with sharks.

Did you know that less people are bitten by sharks that New Yorkers are bitten by each other? This is reassuring, considering Lyn and I had a shark come with a few feet of us as we were snorkeling. Luckily for me Lyn didn't tell me about it until he had gone.

We are still really enjoying the snorkeling and diving. The fish life here is amazing and we never seem to tire from spending time observing. There have been gorgeous shells here, so wandering the shores looking for treasures has been added to the activity list.

Dynes and Lyn have been fantastic company and crew, but sadly their time with us in Fiji has come to an end. They will, however, rejoin us in Vanuatu for some cruising there.

Katie, also, has departed. She has gone back to the UK to pursue her career in marine biology. While we will miss her immensely we are pleased to see her advancing her studies and it's good to see her finally considering getting a 'real' job!!

So numbers aboard have dropped to three. We are looking forward to exploring the islands and popular diving spots close to the mainland. On the 20 ^th we are joined by a young German girl, Miriam, we met in NZ. She will be with us for a month before leaving from Vanuatu.

Cruising has been more isolated than we imagine here, so we are relying on you to update us on local, national and international news. The rugby and Americas cup results have been about the limit of our contact with the outside world!!

Sorry to hear that winter has arrived in NZ. You won't want to know that it is bordering on being unbearably hot here, but we're coping.

Warm Wishes from Laurel, Daryl and Debs.