Very busy since our arrival in Nouméa where we are settling for a year, here are a few belated lines about our 3-week sailing trip in the Lau Islands to the East of Fiji.
After a week in Savu Savu, the entry port of the North Island of Viti Levu, the weather window is favorable to reach the island of Vanua Balavu, 80 miles to the East within the Lau archipelago, very little touristic (open to sailors since 2012); unlike the West of Fiji.
We anchor in Mbavatu with Pierre, Lili, and Lucas, friends from the sailboat Vanille met in Polynesia. Grandiose anchorage with steep cliffs and dense vegetation that can be admired after a pleasant walk on the heights within a property where horses, cows, and pigs graze under the coconut trees. 2 days later we reach the small village of Susui a few miles to the southeast where we are warmly welcomed by the village children after "performing the custom or sevu sevu in Fijian" with the chief. The custom consists of presenting ourselves to the village chief with dried Kava roots (a euphoric plant widely consumed here) as a gift, in exchange he welcomes us and allows us to wander around the island, fish, swim... We are invited by the village teacher to share the Father's Day meal the next day, during which we feast after some snorkeling in the beautiful neighboring "hidden lagoon."
So with our stomachs full, we weigh anchor for a night sail towards Fulaga, our favorite spot in Fiji. Sheltered lagoon with crystalline water dotted with tiny rocky islets resembling small mushrooms with beautiful sandy beaches. Numerous pumice stones stranded on the beaches testify to the volcanic activity of the area. We reach the village after a 20-minute walk and are directed to the chief's house for the custom and the assignment of our host family responsible for meeting our needs during our stay! We get acquainted with Zuka's family who offers us welcome tea, beautiful carved wooden objects for the girls, and invites us to share the Sunday family meal following the mass. Damien offers one of the family men a spearfishing session, he is delighted, as fuel for outboard motors is precious in these remote islands. The atoll's pass offers magnificent snorkeling with an impressive diversity of fish and corals. Diane and Nina are thrilled to see their first white-tip sharks through their diving masks! According to our friends from Vanille who know Pacific diving well, it's one of the most beautiful snorkeling spots!
A week in Fulaga, time flies in this charming atoll but we must move on, as Libertaire's haul-out is scheduled for early October in Nouméa. So we head to the island of Totoya after a night of sailing downwind. After a short walk, we leave the next day for the island of Matuku in front of the small village of Lomati. Another warm welcome with our "host family" and all the villagers, pleasant walks to the small school on the island and one of the summits of the "4 fingers" of the island. 3 days later we leave for Suva, the capital of Fiji, a mandatory stop for the exit formalities. On September 25, we leave Fiji heading for New Caledonia, 800 miles away, and arrive in Nouméa on September 30 after a smooth downwind sail.
Libertaire has been out of the water for a few days, the girls enrolled in school, Damien working at the hospital, and Perrine resting for the end of the pregnancy. We are becoming land dwellers again for a year and are already eager to set sail again... as a family of 5!