New Caldonia - Bonne Anse

We've been here only a couple of days but I already love New Caledonia. Blue water, white beaches, colourful country, french language (fun to talk again!), great baguettes and affordable cheese….and: playful dolphins. It happened on the way to Noumea. Dolphins stopped by to say hello. They seemed lovely and one started with fun and swan on bis back so that I could see his white belly. Then I remembered that my uncle keeps telling me I should have a ball for them to play with. I saw a line where I was standing and quickly knotted kind of a ball and held the line into the water. What came then absolutely amazed me. They started moving their heads with the line and repeatedly nodded to me. Thank god Marcus brought me my small camera so I filmed them while playing with those 2 cuties. I was in heaven and still am every time I see the movie. I can't believe it. In the meantime I have two prepared balls on deck in case they come back...

Here is a picture of Mt. Yasur leaving Vanuatu:

A view from the lighthouse in the national park at Bonne Anse: a typical picture for New Caldeonia. There are thousands of little islands with white sandy beaches and a reef around them. 

By the way: new Caledonia has the second largest Barriere Reef in the world. Over 1000 km long.  

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I took a picture of an aerial picutre showing the southern part of „mainland" New Caledoniy. The first bay on the bottom is Bonne Anse. 

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Marcus having fun

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Colourful, red soil and a totally different vegetation in comparison to all other south sea islands. One can see that this part of the world once belonged to Australia, the red continent.

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Haha, Marcus put a jacket on. It got cooler here in New Cal.

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Safely arrived in Nuveaux Caledonie (New Caldedonia)

This morning just before sunrise we put the anchor down at Bonne Anse (Baie Est) on the south end of the main island of New Caldonia and gladly went to sleep after a beautiful sail over from Vanuatu. My last night shift, from 1am to 4 am this morning, was the most interesting one in a long time. I had to enter the "Canal du Havanna" which can be really mean but is very wide. Ok, that was not the real challange. But the current did change directions of Alita so I had to do a constant look out and look onto the map to make sure we're not hitting any of the multiple reefs here. I love communities, but I did not want to add to the reef-wreck comunity. Just when I thought everything is calm, I can sit down and read a bit I looked around and saw some big lights coming: a cruise ship was heading our way and I was exactly on the recommende ship track that the cruise ship most likely will also follow. So I decided to get off the track as we can go in shallower waters than the cruise ship with its 40m beam and 9m draft. Well, once he was arond the corner from he next red "traffic" light, he also went off the track a bit and we passed in a distance of about 150m/yards. Nice ship.
Here in New Caldonia they are quite friendly with checking in so that most sailors who arrive spend the first day at anchor somewhere to relax and then go to Noumea to check in. We will do the same. We spent the day at anchorage today, did a wonderful little hike to a spectacular look-out and we will continue our trip to Noumea tomorrow morning. You can see the French influence already without having sen a person: marked hiking paths, look-outs, observatories, information boards. You do not find this anywhere in Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu - and not even French Polynesia.
Off we go to sleep (again). I had (have) diarrea now (it showed up on the first night of the crossing so I did not have such a great time), I need lots of sleep....

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A day in the life of Tanna / Vanuatu

Typical kanu. It takes them 3 days to make it

 Kids paddling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

huge Banyo trees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alita under the palm tree

 

 

 

 

Who says there is a limit to how many people fit on a pick-up truck? Note: these „roads" are bad! Holes with rocks, horrible already with just one person driving, let alone 15!

 

 

Yasur - the last pictures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rock'n roll - the volcano Yasur

I couldn't help but go up there again. Marcus had told me that they had seen the „eye" so I had to try to see it as well. I wanted to see the fire bubbling. 

Yippee, the wind helped us so yesterday we were allowed to go over to the other side, take a deep look into Yasur and look into his majestic eyes. Being a proud man, Yasur showed us quite some spectacle. Yasur, the wild dragon, has lots of energy and let us know when we had seen enough. He spit out magma high and far, it almost reached the people standing on the eastern side so they quickly left. I loved smelling his odor, feeling his soft heat and the danger arising from it. You don't trust him for a second and yet he's like magic and makes you not want to leave. It was love at first sight for me. I love his deep dark voice when he grumbles and shouts and like his blowing like a wild dragon who is being tamed. I could stand there and watch for hours and hours. When he finally spit into our direction as well we filmed it and left. Wohooo, what an experience!

 

 

 

 A look into his eyes

 

 

 

 

 

I could not imagine a more spectacular fireworks... 

 

 

Yasur

 

 

 

 

Volcano Yasur

Today was the day why I came back to Vanuatu. To see the active volcano Yasur. When Marcus was here 6 weeks ago it was level 3 of 4 active, they had a gorgeous view and were able to go tot he other side to actually look into the volcano where the heat is bubbling. Well today I went up in the back of a pick-up truck, and as we drove up it started raining. And it stopped when we left the volcano. Because of all the smoke that the rain caused we were not able to go to the other side and look into the bubbling. But on the other hand the smoke made it more beautiful. The noises of the volcano are an amazing experience. At first you think there is a dragon blowing out and then an incredible rumbling starts which lets you think a space shuttle starts right next to you. The whole floor is moving and let me tell you, this volcano has a tremendous bass. At last you hear the magma ash falling which sounds like a cracking fire. Just such an amazing adventure! I will never forget this. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leaving Vanuatu

So here I am, back on Alita. My flights were good, all worked fine and on time. By the time we were supposed to land I was already left the arrivaly building with my bag. In that moment Marcus arrived with the bus so we could drive back right away. It was in that moment that I really realized that I am back. Now, 1,5 days later, everything feels like I never left. But: I arrived, Marcus got sick. Some kind of Salmonellas or other stomach/colon infection. After one day in bed with fever he is up today, but still a bit weak. Anyways we will be leaving this afternoon and heading south over night to Tanna, where Yussur, the volcano, awaiits me. Life is good. Bye bye Port Vila. 

 

Coming back to Alitania

2 very busy months have passed. A time full of family, friends, work, dance, home and home repair AND: a time with Oktoberfest. It's a different life at home, but I enjoy it. I love the work and the people there, love my home and everything and everyone around it. But I also love Marcus and Alita and the sailing life, so here I am now in Fiji - Port Denerau - waiting for my connecting flight to Port Vila - Vanuatu. In a couple of hours the three of us will be reunited - unfortunately only for 3 weeks! Then I need to finish my project before I can go back to sailing for a longer period. 

So, Vanuatu here I come! And you can look forward to pictures from Yassur, the active volcano that we'll be visiting in a couple of days. I can't wait!

Coming back to Alitania

2 very busy months have passed. A time full of family, friends, work, dance, home and home repair AND: a time with Oktoberfest. It's a different life at home, but I enjoy it. I love the work and the people there, love my home and everything and everyone around it. But I also love Marcus and Alita and the sailing life, so here I am now in Fiji - Port Denerau - waiting for my connecting flight to Port Vila - Vanuatu. In a couple of hours the three of us will be reunited - unfortunately only for 3 weeks! Then I need to finish my project before I can go back to sailing for a longer period. 

So, Vanuatu here I come! And you can look forward to pictures from Yassur, the active volcano that we'll be visiting in a couple of days. I can't wait!