We have been plying the waters of Raja Ampat with little interaction amongst the locals but the few encounters we have had have been memorable. First off, Indonesians seem quite fond of paperwork. When AVATAR first cleared into the country … Continue reading →
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Waterlogged in Raja Ampat
After nine years (!) of cruising the South Pacific, we have moved into new territory. The Solomon Islands marked our entry into the Coral Triangle of the equatorial Pacific, which includes the … Continue reading →
Solomon Reflections
We are aboard a Boeing 737 en route from Guadalcanal to Nadi, Fiji – a day late because yesterday’s flight turned back due to bad weather at its scheduled stop in … Continue reading →
Nono Lagoon
We have been exploring Nono Lagoon for a few days. The official significance of its name is unknown to us but for AVATAR it stood for no rain and no wind! The … Continue reading →
Head Hunters
On the subject of skulls (last blog – crocodiles), from Lola Island we were given a tour of nearby tiny Skull Island. Solomon Islanders have a history of headhunting and cannibalism that … Continue reading →
Salt Water Crocodiles
The one big dampening factor for cruising in the Solomons is the man-eating salt water crocodiles (not kidding!) that live in the mangroves, especially at the estuaries where the big rivers empty into the lagoons. Needless to say I have … Continue reading →
Munda
We have sailed to the vicinity of New Georgia Island and anchored off the Zipolo Habu Resort on nearby little Lola Island. Rod is reliving old times here. On his travels through … Continue reading →
Customs Clearance
We have been wandering a bit through the Solomon Islands in search of legitimacy. Our information indicated we would be able to clear into the country (both boat and crew) in the … Continue reading →
Nature Appreciation At Sea
600 nautical miles from Santo to the Russell island group in the Solomons translates into 3 days and nights at sea on passage. We motor steadily making around 9 knots, trading watches, … Continue reading →
The Blue Hole
After two days of intense diving activity we were dived out; it was time to move on. We cruised over to Oyster Island and anchored in a stunning bay next to another … Continue reading →
