Exploring more of the Ha'apai

Just after Patrick & Linda left we had a weather window to head to the southern Ha’apai group of islands.  These islands were mostly uninhabited, but several did have huts for the men from nearby islands to stay in when they came to fish around these islands.

Even though the Island Cruising NZ Rally boats had arrived in the Ha’apai we found these southern islands on the eastern reefs to ourselves.  It great just to hang out anchored off our own bit of tropical paradise.  We’d go ashore each day around low tide and do a lap of the island beachcombing.  Everyday you would find something different brought in on the tide overnight.   A daily swim off the beach was in order before return to Lettin’Go. 

This would have been one very big crayfish

Just about every beach had its hermit crab community

They appeared very social, gathering in groups

While beachcombing we become very aware of a growing problem throughout the Pacific, the management of waste.  Unfortunately the traditional method of disposing in the sea was OK when they just had organic waste but this doesn't work with the waste from today including plastics.  The amount of plastic we find on the beaches is alarming and a new issue we found this year is disposable nappies washed up on the beaches kilometers from the nearest village.

We found a number of fridges and iceboxes on beaches.  Not something you'd want to hit in your boat.

The reef system around these islands were not as extensive as the ones further north and as such the swell would wrap around the island and produce surf on both sides of the island.  These made getting ashore in the dinghy a challenge.  We couldn’t land the dinghy and pull it up the beach as it would get swamped by a wave and then would be too heavy to move once full of water.  We have developed a system using a stern anchor on a rope and bungee cord.  Timing between wave, we would drop the stern anchor and motor onto the beach stretching the bungee cord, jump out with our gear and the bow anchor, then the stern anchor bungee cord would pull the dinghy out beyond the wave break.  When we timed the waves and getting out of the dinghy just right it worked a treat, when we didn’t get it right we got very wet…!

The other thing that the swell wrapping around the island did was to produce “blind rollers”.  These are waves that form over the reef on the protected side of the island when the swell comes in over the shoals from deep water.  Lettin’Go was anchored between 2 of these reefs on the protected side of the island and while we were in relatively calm water we had waves breaking just 10m off the back of the boat.

See the surf on both sides of the island

Makes snorkeling on the edge of the reef difficult

No fish were caught while Patrick & Linda were with us even though Linda fancied herself as a fish whisperer.  We did have 3 strikes and lost the lures but nothing was brought onto the boat.  Maybe Linda was just talking to the big fish…?

Once Patrick & Linda left our luck with fishing changed.  We landed the largest fish we have ever brought on board, a 1.4m wahoo.  It was a big fish with a lot of flesh.  Too much for us travelling on our own with no other boats to share it with so we took half of the fish to a village near where we anchored.  Fresh fish for dinner, fish in the freezer and smoked wahoo.  Life was good.

Another hard day at the office

Wouldn't want them much bigger

And they got to keep the bucket

A well balanced snack, fresh smoked fish, olives, crackers, beer and bubbles 

The King of Tonga was coming to Ha'apai as part of his birthday celebration and Pangai was a hive of activity getting the town spruced up prior to his arrival.  Buildings were being painted, gardens and lawns tidied up, one road sealed and welcome banners everywhere.  It was quite a transformation in the 2-3 weeks since we arrived.

Freshly painted Miraculous Cross

Government buildings

Trees dressed for the Kings procession

Tongan Navy in town for the Royal visit

The Rally boats were in Pangai when we got back and we were able to catch up with Mike and Glenda off Manuhaeu for a couple of days before all too soon it was time to leave the Ha'apai and head north to Neiafu in Vava'u, but not before one more sunset drink ashore.  Mike and Glenda were on the rally with us last year and enjoyed so much they joined the rally again this year.