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MAY 14: Monday

7.30am. Getting ready although just about everything has been done.

9.30am. At airport, baggage took ages, departure tax quick. Not much time for goodbyes but probably better that way. Everything went smoothly.

10.45am. Here’s Ian Wright sitting on the plane, it is miles long and took ages to get to the back. Back here it’s pretty tight but nice. I can see the right wing from behind. You can understand the panic in an emergency. I’m not scared but only a little excited. Actually I think it’s terrific. I can see mum and Mechelle over on the verandah of the departure lounge.

Engines suddenly roared and the plane almost lunged forward, it didn’t take long for it to leave the ground and zoom did it go!

At about 12.50pm I could see what looked like a coral reef, it is green and garlanded with waves. Lunch was lovely. I can see what looks like small islands miles away. This all has given me a feeling of excited satisfaction, I can feel it inside.

Man Oh man! What I’ve been through. At the moment I’m sitting under a wooden shelter that has coconut palm branches as tiles but since landing until now i was in nowhere land. Went through customs, they wanted to know where I was staying, I didn’t know. They worked me out a bit and asked me to make a reservation at one of the hotels, that being done at the airport. Could not get into anywhere, because it took awhile the custom guys came over to see what was going on. The best I could do was to go to a hotel and if it was booked out I could go to the campground. I worked out which bus to take and sat on the floor near the door. At the hotel which was booked out I got instruction on how to get to the campground and took a taxi there. On the way you would see the native people walking down the roads, shops were still open and palm trees emerged from the darkness.

The campground is a good few kilometres from Vila and it is just someones backyard with a toilet, a sink, a dribbley shower and this shelter I’m sitting under. Until getting here I was confused and amazed and, as I said, nowhere. It was so crazy but it worked out. At least it’s only a dollar a night. The stars are out and the moon has risen. It’s nice and cool. The lady that came out to see me was so nice. Simple things like when I asked how much she said “Oh, one dollar”. “One Australian dollar?” I asked, “Oh, Australian, Franc, don’t care.” she replied. She said to pay when I leave, just didn’t want it then. She told me different things I wanted to know.

There is only one other tent here, they are a young French couple who have been travelling for two years. Now and then I can hear natives singing. The snails are huge. I used an old coconut to hammer in the tent pegs, why not I thought. I have nothing to eat and won’t bother to have a shower until the morning, there are mosquitoes here.

I have written ten pages today but could have written ten more if things didn’t happen so rapidly. The first moments at the airport and even the first flight seem like days ago but not forgotten. I’m very happy to be here and think of everyone. Tomorrow I will get things worked out.

May 15: Tuesday

It’s about 9pm now after another hectic day. Nothing went bad just that so much happened. First I woke up after sleeping on the ground half of the night, my airmat deflated. I decided to go to Vila early (7am). As I walked passed the house the old native lady asked me in for a cup of tea and some bread, it took a bit to understand her (and vis versa) but she was a lovely person. This bit of food was just in time and enough to satisfy my hunger. I went out to the road and waved down a utility, he took me some of the way and another lift got me to Vila. This was great fun (and cheap) and I met and talked to some nice people. One driver was taking pawpaw to town the other had some big roots for a hotel.

The cars here are all dirty, mainly small and many are utes, there are a few bikes as well. Anyway I got to town and walked the main street about five times and just tried to find things and look at the shops. The street runs along the waterfront and you can see some islands and the headlands. The water is so clean you can see the bottom. I talked to some young boys there. In one of the shops I met a guy I had only recently met once in Sydney, he told me about a church mission and there I met a guy named Iann who was working there as a volunteer. I’m staying in his room probably the rest of the week, he has told me and taught me so much already. He will help me to learn the local language.

I stayed at his place most of the afternoon then went back to Melemart and walked much of the way, it was good. By the time I had packed up it was sunset. Said goodbye to the old lady and hitched a ride in a red ute. A man with his wife and child were in the front so I got in the back. He was only going to Mele (two miles) but he went past it and said to me “Me think me take you to Vila” which was at least twenty kilometres out of his way. In the back of the ute it was nice and breezy but also dusty, driving through town it felt funny sitting in the back of a dirty old ute while all the tourists walk or go on guided tours.

After a long exciting day I could have a shower and a good fed and can sleep in a bed. Spoilt rotten but loving it.

Points of interest: Mandarins and bananas etc don’t colour they stay green. The bush or jungle is so dense and plants we think are fancy are common here. There is touch sensitive grass, millions of coconut palms, different types of bananas, grapefruit and pawpaws. Almost anything that grows can be eaten. Tons of fish. Avocados are five cents each. Lizards with bright blue tails.

May 16: Wednesday

Had lovely sleep in a bed and weet-bix for breakfast. The French bread makes lovely toast. We went straight to town to see the market and what they sell. There are many fruits and vegetables for sale also beads and junk. I bought a pair of things as shoes are no good for walking around here anyway. We also bought 10 coconuts, pawpaw, mandarins and 2 grapefruit. We also bought two green coconuts, they are full of milk but with almost no flesh.

We came back in a bus and then went out in ‘sunshine’ a small yellow outrigger canoe. Nothing special but good enough. It’s a beautiful day with a cool breeze. The water is a lovely blue, many different blues. You can easily see the coral from the boat so you can pick a good place. We paddled across from our place to a large island and went to the other side. Snorkeling there is the best, you don’t really need the flippers. The fish are everywhere and every sort, mostly small and amazing colours. There are also large sea cucumbers and the sand is white.

Coming back via the other side of the island, you go opposite Vila, we just cruised slowly back. Some native guys on the island thought we looked so funny, two white guys paddling a canoe, not normally seen. Two boys fishing from the shore told me to put my feet up which were dangling over the front because there were harks in the area, not to worry though.

Spent the rest of the day writing letters and relaxing. Also made lunch, it was nuts and soft coconut fried in oil then yesterdays combination of macaroni, cheese, peas and egg was added and heated. When serves out a lavish helping of tomato sauce was applied. Dessert was pawpaw and sugar banana. I did two sketches from the waters edge, nothing great. On sunset I walked up the road and collected one of every type of flower, about ten in all.

Points of interest: No sea birds at all. People don’t shout out names, they let out a load Pssst! At low tide the coral is exposed.

May 17: Thursday

Today I went around the island on a Yamaha 80 motorbike. Well, it was a strange ride. A guy named Frank owned it and he directed me out of town and I started on my 50 odd mile cruise around the island. I went anti-clockwise. I saw beaches and palm trees and cows and all that. It rained for half an hour but you don’t worry about that. The weather stayed overcast all day but still warm. On a long beach I searched for shells but could not find a good one. The type of vegetation did vary from area to area though it was always dense and green. There are many coral foreshores which are nice.

You have to wave and smile to so many people but it’s good fun. The villages look really interesting, they are not totally natural but do have some modern influences but mainly the same as years gone by. A lot of natives go out to the bush to get food. Early afternoon it rained again, I didn’t appreciate it so much this time. Sometimes you see small fowl like birds run into the bush. I also saw 2 crabs and a rat. I was late because this 50 mile cruise turned out to be 150km! And the last stretch was the hardest. The west and southwest coast of Efate are beautiful. There are several large islands offshore, villages, beaches and palms everywhere. Anyway the last stretch consisted of steep uphill climbs which the bike could only make by standing/leaning forward in first gear or walking it up. I fell off once, it was near sunset when I finally reached the top where I could see right over Vila for miles. The road came down in one long steep slide down to Melemart. Form there it was just a matter of getting back soon. I startled 3 women washing their clothes in a stream. It was dark by the time I hit Vila. It was black, it was pelting rain and I had to drive on the ‘wrong’ side of the road, but I made it. I am so tired.

The people around the island usually thought it funny to see me drive this crazy bike. Especially with a rotten old orange helmet on. You can’t normally see any inland mountains but when you can they look great. Tomorrow I’ll take it easy. When I get to Tanna I will get away by myself and draw, I need to get alone for awhile.

May 18: Friday

Today I’m at the market with some kids, they watched me draw some bananas. They are funny kids, fairly shy. I talked to an old man about his yam, it cost 300F but he will cut it and plant it to grow more. He was easy to talk to and I used what Bislama I knew. This old man he knew me because he saw me in the morning. I can even meet people I know in the street, almost one of the locals now. The weather has gone bad but at least it doesn’t get cold. I bought some green/blue material with white flowers on it to make my ‘dress’. Iann made a sponge cake with 4 eggs, it was solid and tasted like egg! The grapefruit which are red inside are so nice.

May 19: Saturday

The people here are so strange, like they don’t do anything together, you never see a family together. The men stay by themselves, the women get together, girls play with girls, boys with boys but that’s it. At home sure but otherwise you don’t know who is married to who or what kids they have! Some people are born on a small island and they live and die on it.

There are Tahitians here, usually women because the French bring them here. They are attractive and totally different in appearance to the locals. They are usually intelligent as well. You can get a bike or car license for life here and the rego for a bike is $2.50 for life? Last night we had pancakes and ‘egg loaf’ and we finished off the pancakes for breakfast.

It’s after lunch now and I’m sitting by the water. It is quiet here, no one doing anything, just one yacht on the still water. There is a mass of black tadpole size fish in the water. Wow, what I’ve just seen. First a mass of about 10 small fish jumping out of the water , then 2 keep going, the first a small fish, the second chasing it a pipe shaped fish, they kept jumping out of the water until the pipe fish caught the small one, gulp!

Everyone is unique, none look the same, even different islanders look different. The half breeds usually have curly hair instead of frizzy. A few of the younger women try and look westernised, they do look better for it. As much as I like it here it would be better to have my friends and family as well. I miss them but still definitely want to stay on.

May 20: Sunday

Today everyone came to cut the grass, once everyone got started they would take over now and then on the mowers. Near the end they mostly sat around eating grapefruit and coconuts. I was talking to Frank for awhile about Australia and here, comparing them. Over here if you have a girlfriend you only see her at her parents place and nowhere else. And you don’t tell anyone except your best friend. Everyone says that Tanna is really good, better then here, I hope so. It was good to do some work for awhile, breaks the monotony of doing nothing.

I had lunch with everyone, they all sat on the grass, of course then men sat separately. We had tuna, taro root, sweet potato, cabbage, tapioca which is taro root or some other baked, ground up and fried. It is in slabs and thick and chewy. Also a root that was purple, bread, some spicy stuff etc. They eat tons of it. My plate was covered and heaped up. It was really nice though. We ate with our fingers. It was good how they knock down a few coconuts and pick some grapefruit and eat them. So natural. The coconut was the first I have had since arriving.

In the afternoon I went to watch the guys play soccer. Most play in bare feet, they play good. The people live in simple small square houses. They keep them neat and clean. Some of the cars are so rough it’s amazing.

A guy named Hollingson Issahar came to visit in the evening, he told us about his island of Atchin off Malakula. He said there used to be fighting on Malakula and because of it people would move to small offshore islands like Atchin for safety. They used to practice cannibalism, if they killed someone in a tribal fight they would eat them because of their anger. Hollingson’s grandfather did it. He also talked about his fathers death, he believed he died by witchcraft though it would have been a heart attack.

May 21: Monday

Today we went down to Vila to get some stuff and to find out about a boat. But they don’t know where it is as they have not heard from it. Bought this stamp cause it shows the New Hebrides (picture). We saw some young Australian girls walking around, all they want to do is buy stuff. Some of the shops are pretty weird inside, especially the Chinese shops. It rained for awhile and did it pour. Some of the people I know are Timothy and Frank (brothers), Nasa who is the chief of police, Bradley, Wesley, Hollingson and others. Pastor Simon and Sid who is a French guy.

Hollingson came around tonight and we went for a drive in his car, I drove back and it was crazy driving on the other side of the road. Most of the people here look older then they are though they look good. I get the feeling I am living here now. I am not just touristing but living here.

Most of the people here come for other islands, this is the only place where you can get a job so they all come here. It seems strange when you think how you are on a small dot of an island in the middle of the pacific. This island is smaller than Sydney! Yet the locals think that this is it, this is the place.

May 22: Tuesday

Nothing. That’s today. It rained really heavy last night and some in the morning. When there is no breeze here it gets really muggy and hot regardless of the weather conditions. I went to Vial again, not much else to do. I bought the small cassette player I wanted so I can record any singing or dancing I hear. Couldn’t find out much about the boat to Tanna. Should go tomorrow night. I took the canoe out this afternoon. The water was like glass and I saw a school of herring like fish swimming with their heads out of the water. I saw another guy in a canoe going home, nice to watch.

May 23: Wednesday

Today ended well at least. We went for our usual morning walk to town, the market was bigger today, the weather as bad as usual. The weather was good and sunny so we took the canoe out and luckily took the snorkeling gear. Out in the harbour we met an old guy in his canoe. The sun was out and the water lovely and the water shallower then normal. The variety of fish is amazing. In the sand you can see small trails, these are where the shells move just under the surface. If you dig at either end you find the shell. Tomorrow we may go out in the morning. When I found the big shell I was surprised cause it looked so big. Another thing to do is to dive under the water turn upside down and look up, it looks great the clouds and sun and bubbles. And before we went I found this giant elephant bettle walking through the grass, it was huge. Paddling back we really got into it and were tired when we got back. The people upstairs asked us up for tea.

Looks like I’ll be going to Santo via many smaller islands on the ‘Pacifique’ that’s the mission boat. Sid has to be taken around to several islands and then it keeps going to Santo. If so I will see all of Santo then work my way down through all the islands back to Vila. The weather is 100% at the moment, hope it stays that way.

May 24: Thursday

Well today evolved around doing a sign as a favour for the accommodation and a soccer match. The match was between a church group and a team of French ex-professionals. The French guys showed real skill but got tired quick, it was a 3 all draw. Today was fast and filled but didn’t achieve anything, I will go on the boat next wednesday but that means more waiting. Tonight me and Iann either told each other our troubles such as him wanting to go to Australia and see his girlfriend and me wanting to get moving or else we tried to cheer each other up by talking about the promising tomorrows or making hot milo.

Even though it is getting a bit boring sitting around here I have learnt almost everything I can around and about this place so if I have to do anything I’ll be set Ah!

May 25: Friday

Today was really good. The weather warm and sunny and some good fun. Of course we went to town in the morning. I bought 10 postcards and a pair of scallop shells. We found out that the locals who sell shells here walk along the reefs at low tide and just pick them up!

We went out on the canoe and found some shells. Because the tide was really low and the reef bare we walked on it for awhile looking for shells, didn’t find much but saw some good things. The coral is all crunchy under your feet. We snorkeled in water that normally was much deeper and it was so different. I scared off a 2ft stingray though it scared me more cause I didn’t see it until I was right over it. We also saw a lovely butterfly cod all soft and lovely, brown and white mainly. You always see some new fish and if you dive down they look at you. We didn’t find many shells at first but had some luck near the end. I found a scallop shell which I had to cut off the coral. Also lucky to find a large thronged shaped shell on the surface of the sand in shallow water, I didn’t expect it to be much but it was lovely! Also a big fat clam which we threw back. I’m getting better at staying under longer, it’s good going down and just staying there for a long time. Paddling and swimming around is good exercise but tiring as well. My beard is going OK, almost looks good, bit more yet.

I don’t wear my sandshoes just thongs. Over here they cut off branches off trees and trim them up and stick them in the ground to make fences. And they grow! Today made me feel good again, yesterday was boring but today was happy and fun so I’m OK again.

May 26: Saturday

The mission did some street witnessing today near the market, everyone liked it including the tourists cause of all these black people singing away. I had some lap lap for lunch, Timothy bought it down this morning, it was good but you had to cut it up and add to it. Tonight they had a social which was ouside under floodlights, they played games and it was pretty good. I finished writing 11 postcards. Also have a guitar to play, really like that. It’s late about 11pm, raining heavy and we are just laying around for awhile until we feel like sleeping.

May 27: Sunday

Today was a good day. After finishing off the pancakes we got ready to go snorkeling, there wasn’t a soul to be seen, the water was calm, cool and ours. Perfect weather all day and we got a good tan. The reef was slowly being exposed while we were out. We weighed anchor and got into it. The water was colder then normal. Not too many shells, one big clam type shell that you could see through a bit. I found one with a real vicious barb on it probably the ‘killer’ on everyone tells us about. Also found two of the long slender pointy ones. I had a swim with four of the pipe fish, watched them change colour as they went along. After awhile we both laid back on the canoe and soaked up the sun. So good, quiet and calm and warm, just lazing about. Back in the water I sometimes had to swim in a maze or coral, it was either just underwater or some out. We also saw an old clam shell about 4 feet across buried in the sand. Slowly paddled back, looking at Vila it seemed empty, the yachts were moving around enjoying a good day. We saw two boys on their foam raft “Sailing to Australia”, they had a sail and rudder. When we got back two guys were waiting to use the canoe for some fishing. They hang the net parallel to the shore and each guy swims in towards the shore making a lot of noise to scare the fish. They gave us two parrot fish, nice.

In the afternoon I played guitar with Manou she is Tahitian and sings and plays guitar so good I was amazed. Tahitians really have a beautiful style.

May 28: Monday

Popped my Malaria tablets on schedule. Yes, we went to Vila as usual, I bought some film, cassette and batteries. Because a cruise ship was in the market area was full of clothes ‘stores’ and some shells and junk, no foodstuffs were being sold. Man you can spot the tourists, some are real suckers. At least they have perfect hot weather. The buses and taxis were doing a roaring trade. The tourists only get one day in port, enough time to buy some junk and go.

When we came back we got dressed up tourist style, sunglasses, camera etc and went around to the ship. We looked at the things for sale then walked toward the ship. On our way a hostess asked us if we wanted to go on a 3 hour tour to Hideaway Island. We asked about the place and said we’d think about it. We walked straight onto the ship and explored for awhile. Quite nice inside but no big deal. We saw the pools and went up front, good fun. We had a good look around then left. We knew the guy driving the bus back. Talked to two Melbourne guy who didn’t seem to be enjoying it at all. I got off in town to get a few knick knacks, the shops closed as usual (11.30-2pm).

We went out in the canoe about 3pm, we went right out to the outer reef. There were some men fishing with nets, it was real nice out there and different. No shells though so we went back to our normal spot and dived for about ten minutes right on sunset which was nice. Then us two ‘native’ boys just sat on the canoe in the smooth still water eating a coconut and mandarins watching the beautiful sunset and the ship going out. I laughed that we had it so good. Had tea which included frozen chops! Relaxed and played guitar.

May 29: Tuesday

The boat came in at 9.30pm last night! So that’s good news. We went down to see it, just down from the house and we went to go aboard. We took another canoe which was slightly smaller and lighter then the yellow one, but it started sinking and we just made it back. Then we took the other and went on board. It’s a nice boat and should be good fun.

I tried to do a drawing today of the boat but it looked second rate, I don’t think I’m cut out to draw. Today have done next to nothing, Iann’s been sick, must be from the macaroni, tomato sauce, chips and bread we had last night.

Should have received a letter or two from home but have not, don’t know why. Got some good news tonight, the Pacifique is leaving at 9am tomorrow morning, so can leave early and see things. I have packed my pack. Played some table tennis in the afternoon, good change.

MAY 30: Wednesday

Got up early to get ready cause the boat will leave at 9am. We had time to go to Vila for the last time and luckily received a letter from home just in time. Everyone started to get ready to put luggage on board, people having been coming and coming, will be standing room only. Most should get off today and tomorrow. It’s about 12 o’clock now I think. Good to be going but will see Vila again later.

Actually we left at 11.40am. Sad to leave good friends behind but must go. It felt lovely sitting on top of the boat going through Vila harbour. Everyone waves from the shore. Vila looked really clean and nice, the water beautiful. It seemed real slow to get out of the harbour and when we did the water was quite choppy. We were always in sight of land but the boat rolled around. We had some food, maybe a bit too much I feel.

The boat is going up the east coast about one mile off shore. Because of this the water is calm comparatively and so the boat does not rock at all. I’m staying at the back. I felt drowsy for awhile but now I am writing while I have a chance. It will be rough soon when we leave the island.

Sid has already caught a fish, a mean looking silver fish about two feet long. Vicious teeth but nice fish, sleek. We are going past Hat island, it looks like a hat. A few people just saw a dolphin swim with the boat. We can already see the Shepherd Islands on the horizon though they are a long way off. It’s 2pm and we are going past some small islands. Sid caught another Sawfish, slightly bigger. I saw a flying fish, really amazing. Lovely just to sit on the roof talking to people. Everything is beautiful so far.

You see quite a few flying fish, we are still following Efate, can see many islands ahead. Sid caught a big Sawfish about four feet long, great excitement. Sunny weather. Sailing was easy and always nice islands to see. We are later then expect so are staying at Nguna (“Noona”) for the night then move on early tomorrow. We are anchouring off a nice beach which is where the village is situated. It is the island with the extinct volcano. Beautiful deep aquamarine coloured water. The dingy has gone to shore to see if the women and children can sleep on land tonight, hopefully we will go ashore at least for awhile. The village is right on the beach with the volcano behind it, it faces west. It’s covered with beautiful tall trees, except the top of the volcano. The name of the village is U-tun-lang.

The passengers include numerous small children, chooks and a cat named Tommy. We, that is myself, Sid and Pastor Simon went ashore but too dark to see much, though it did look very nice, thatched houses, trees, some houses were triangle shaped, good for hurricanes they say. The beach was made of coral bits, no sand. This years price for Copra 29000F per ton. Plenty of coral right up to the shore.

Mrs Chitty, Sid’s wife radioed through, said that there was a letter from mum, just missed it! The sun set behind clouds so I missed my first sunset at sea. For tea we had fried eggs on toast which I made, also the captain of the boat cooked up some of the fish, beautiful in curry. Sid is trying to catch a fish, he really likes fishing. Pastor Simon is such a nice guy and can he laugh. It’s nice and peaceful on the boat now, relaxing, very dark out to sea. I have the moon outside my cabin window, it’s just a thin hanging crescent. The boat only rocks slightly so should sleep. I’m up top, Pastor Simon and Sid below. It has been a great day.

May 31: Thursday

It’s 5.20am. At 3.15am they sounded the shell horn they have to tell the people on shore to get ready to come aboard. They have raised the lifeboat and will be away soon. I didn’t sleep much because of snoring or the roll of the boat. It was warm enough without using my blanket.

We are travelling north, west of Nguna, Emao island can be seen behind it. The water was fairly rough, I sat on the roof, it was good up there. My stomach wasn’t feeling too good and I chucked up twice though I felt just fine.

We reached Mataso island at 7.15am. It is two islands, but one, they are joined by a small area of sand. There are only two villages on it. It’ll be hard to land because of the waves, some people get off here. Weather is overcast. Next stop Buninga. Sicked up for the sixth time. Water rough, caught two fish. This island has almost no shore, one main beach which is made of large stones, volcanic and there is ash soil as well. Many boys in canoes came out, two girls swam out. It was good to touch soil again. We had to climb up to the village along a bush track. Village was quiet and really good to be in. Chooks and dogs eat anything they can find. Tommy will live here. Most of the trees bare some kind of fruit. The village has hedges, unexpected. It is in three stages, each separate from the other, higher as they go.

While waiting for the others I walked over to a family cooking and grating coconuts. The older lady gave me two bananas and showed me the correct way to peel them, around and down. I could mange one and a half but then the old man came over with a plate and fork with 5 hunks of yam on it, very nice but I could not eat all that. Then he came over with a coconut drink. Other people gave us some yams which we took to the boat. Had to say goodbye to these lovely people of course! A lot of the buildings are made with wild cane, the walls that is. The roofs made of coconut leaves are up to fifteen inches thick.

Tongoa next stop, it’s not too far away and can see it plainly, and Epi behind it. Calm water and nice sailing, they caught one fish as before and two tuna, one a good size. This island has one beach of black sand, the beach we embarked at was the same round (usually black) stones as on Buninga. I went ashore so I can sleep in the village, took a few basics. Six of us went ashore including a guy I was talking to on the boat, I thought he was one of the crew but he wasn’t. He’s been to New Zealand, ended up his wife and baby son are here in the village.

We walked up a dirt track to get to the village perched high on a hill overlooking Epi and plenty of ocean. He pointed out the different trees bearing food. We met a few guys one of them the chief, I don’t think he is sure about me but he is friendly. This village is not like the last which was ‘real’, this one is made mostly of concrete or steel buildings, it slopes slightly up and we’re near the very top. I had a shower in the longhaus, a thatched ‘shed’? With a raised wooden floor and a big bucket of water. I was a bit too tall for it but managed. A real experience, they gave me a towel. You are always looked after so well. Have a bed to sleep in! No rolling around. A bunch of children are enthusiastically singing chorus’s in the village somewhere. Wonder what’s for tea? Did I mention the big volcanic plug sticking out of the ocean at Mataso? Straight up, birds everywhere, caught two fish here.

I have now seen all of the Shepherd group of islands. Stopped at four but could see all the others, something few whites have done.

Went to the church where they were singing from memory. Not many white guys come up here (especially dressed sloppy like me) so they all looked shy. You always shake everyone’s (adults) hands. I’m still rocking with the boat, I really enjoyed it and more to come and felt fine except my stomach is just too suburban and needs to toughen up. No sunset again, been cloudy but pleasant most of the day.

Tonight I wrote by the light of a lonely kerosene lantern, should eat soon I hope, I’m hungry. Tea with the chief, great slabs of Manioc (laplap) with a thin layer of spinach (?) and some chicken. And a couple of cups of tea that was nothing more then tube carnation milk, maybe some water! Lovely.

To these people this is the world, these small villages on small islands of a small country!

June 1: Friday

Slept so well last night and really needed it and feel good today. Breakfast with the chief, something like picklets or pancakes, but chewy and plain with of course the ‘heated milk’. One guy came up with a large plate of rice and fish, looked lovely but I couldn’t eat that as well. Walked down to the boat with two boys, they had a mean and powerful slingshot and were after birds to eat, they didn’t get one but came mighty close. Went on the boat for awhile, it’s raining about 8am I think.

It was a long day on Tongoa, a lot of moving around in the village. I went ashore again, they were unloading bags of cement, it was really pouring but good fun sheltering in a shed with all the bags of copra, even the chief was with us. He’s a pretty stern sort of person but does his job well. Anyway, someone cut down some large leaves which we used as umbrellas, native style! We trudged up the hill with them. We sort of hung around the village seeing different parts. The best part was a double wedding they held in the church. Very much a strange event compared to ours. Nothing much was arranged beforehand, anyone could come to the church and there wasn’t any fancy stuff around. The guys came in and sat at the front on the right, the brides and bridesmaids on the left. They all had some powder on their necks and shoulders (custom) the guys had old baggy suits and any shirt, the girls had white on, wedding gowns but their own stuff added. Apparently they have another marriage according to custom , feasting and songs etc to all hours. A real experience.

Left for Epi about 2.15pm and arrived at about 4.30pm after easy sailing and two more tuna. Epi is large compared to the other islands but apparently few people live there. We went around to the north west corner, it has a long black beach. Very overcast and much of the island is shrouded in cloud, looks eerie.

I didn’t get off the boat, no need to. I will sleep on board, hopefully it will stay calm. The boat rocks a little but sleeping on your back helps. Tea was laplap and chicken. The locals can eat so much. That’s about it for today.

June 2: Saturday

Quiet day today cause we stayed in one spot. Had a shave and washed my hair so I would feel good and clean. Talked to a kid named Eric, he’s been on the boat since Vila and is going to Ambrym.

The village is about one mile from the boat, the boat is anchoured opposite the school. We walked through the boys dormitory, it was like a prison camp at first sight, just a cane building on the outside and inside it was full of bunks two or three high all made of a maze of cane very close together. The floor was of cane and about two feet off the ground.

Lunch in the village, more of the same. Lovely village on level ground with plenty of different trees. Sardines everywhere in the ocean. Walked along the beach and saw a guy on a horse! A lovely sunset with a big orange sun on all these cool colours. The island has been in a white haze all day, weather clearing.

June 3: Sunday

Sleeping on board can be good if it doesn’t roll too much. Last night it was quite warm so I didn’t use my blanket ’til in the morning. On this beach you can stand in the water and watch hundreds of sardines swim by. If they get excited they disturb the surface of the water so much it’s noisy. They have a large shell on board with a hole in it they use for calling to shore. You have to blow it so as to vibrate your lips and the sound is amplified. We are leaving for the other side of the island.

Rough seas for awhile but good for the rest of the way. Laid around on top of the boat for most of the time, nice and sunny. A school of dolphins swam around the boat. Travelled for four and a half hours and landed on the other side of Epi in a nice small harbour.

There is a volcanic island out to sea which is always in clouds and always active. The locals can’t live there anymore. Staying in a village tonight while the Pacifique goes elsewhere for a day. Coconut palms everywhere and coconuts all over the ground.

Saw a mangy old pig in the bush, it looked horrible. There was a long road to the village which is neat and large. Can’t see anyone though, a lot of flies. I have a swelling on the forearm near my left elbow. A little pus but nothing on the surface otherwise but hurts if you touch it. Never get a chance to go swimming.

They use coconut leaves to make walls and baskets etc. They weave the spines on one side together, then the other side, join them up to make a basket and split the centre stork!

These places are boring when you are alone and can’t do what you want to do. Just have to sit around until I can leave on the boat. Travelling on the rocking boat is boring now also. I want to be in the bush doing what I want to do. Two days to wait. I keep thinking of red apples. Won’t spend any money from Vila to Atchin, six days but will only pay for the boat, $10 I think. I am sitting in a chair with a back, pretty rare. Me and Pastor Simon have beds while the boys sleep on the floor, they do anyway.

June 4: Monday

Food here is monotonous, some places have Manioc all the time, some places here eat yams all the time. Boiled yams, hard dry yams, soft yams. Maybe some rice and canned fish otherwise very little else. I can eat it but I’d hate to eat it forever.

I’ve just been singing songs with three boys here in the hut. They are on the boat also. We have little to do cause it could rain. So we sing terrible but fun, I correct them on some of the words, they don’t mind. They don’t have any games they play so I don’t know what they do. Sometime I think that life here is too simple, they don’t use much imagination or do anything different thus they limit themselves.

I’m letting the three boys read my letters, they can read english but I don’t think they ‘savvy’ much. We sang a pile of songs and ate coconuts for something to do. Ric, Joel and John. When I first got here Pastor Simon said “Oh, sorry, no orange juice”! Ha Ha. I’ve wanted ice cream all day.

These kids are fun, they comb my hair on my arms and legs a well. Discuss my sore elbow and generally fuss over me a bit. People here are quite clean, have a wash (swim) quite often. Some use baby oil! Their hair is real dense and curly. There is going to be another wedding then a feast, probably of yams and rice and chicken and fish. Hot tin milk of course!

Surprise, surprise tea wasn’t as expected. They bought some food down to us and it was beef and lap lap with some chicken. A nice change but the same lack of variety.

June 5: Tuesday

In the morning we drove down in a Landcruiser (in the back). A nice drive on a tight twisting dirt track through dense forest. It was quite slippery at times. We are on the boat going to Lamen Bay then Ambrym. The volcanic island off the coast of Epi is very active, it’s called Lopevi island. It has a black streak from top to bottom which is a lava flow which must have happened recently. It would be a few miles across. Ambrym which has the most active volcano in the New Hebrides is quite large on the horizon, Paama is between us and Ambrym. Going into Lamen Bay (Lamen is the name of the small island at the mouth of the bay). Smooth sailing. Picked up a glass float. Malakula can be seen west of here.

Lamen Bay was very nice and had white sand beaches. Pastor Simon and Mr Chitty got off here to catch a plane back to Vila. On to Ambrym, for a short while we could see the top of Lopevi. A bunch of dolphins swam with the boat while going to Ambrym. If they wanted to breath they would go away from the boat.

The three boys have taken the rowboat to their school at Maranata, a tricky landing at a beach with some waves. The boat is heading west along the coast, the volcano is huge and well inland. Apparently it has no trees and takes a day and a half to get there. I hope to come back and try it!

We dropped off the young married couple who have been on the boat all the time I think. They live on Ambrym, I went ashore to take a photo of a shed full of statues, they sell them in Vila. The rocks here are black and so is the sand.

We’ve stopped again for fuel, Malakula is large on the western horizon. I’m sick of hearing people coughing and sniffling, you’d thick they’d be healthy. Which reminds me, the swelling on my elbow is a little better. Saw two fish splashing around on the water surface, showing a fin now and then. Looked like small sharks but not sure.

Refueled by 7pm and heading west to the middle of Malakula. I’m sleeping in the captains room tonight, letting a pile of people use the other room. Slept while we were moving but it didn’t worry me.

June 6: Wednesday

Boat started sailing up the coast of Malakula early in the morning, it’s about 7am now. While approaching Atchin which is only one small islands amongst others yet well known, I saw a stringray about 4 feet across do a backflip out of the water, don’t know why.

Went to shore on Atchin, small island but plenty of people and many canoes. People live on Atchin and work land on Malakula. Canoes everywhere and they are good at moving them. I’m packed up ready to go though I’m going to have to lighten my load. All boats work the same, they have a basic aim like going from Vila to Santo but take some detours and pick up people and cargo as they go.

Sailed to Santo, there are many small islands around it, we went through them. Aore on the left. The water can be such a vivid aqua colour here. Santo is a dumpy town, plenty of Chinese, people are friendly but don’t look it. Weather is still overcast and raining, apparently the rainy season ends in July proper. Captain Richie took me to a mission (related to the one in Vila) and I have a room to myself downstairs. Also a shower, toilet and laundry, a good chance to put things in order.

Had a lovely Australian dinner for lunch and Australians to talk to which was good but as Mrs Townends pointed out, the blacks don’t look black after awhile. True. A guy named Frank is here, he’s Australian but has lived here for 30 years or more. He knows the place backwards, filled me in on details such as no roads on the west coast, there are still violent natives (one American was tied up), he is going to show me where the best places are. So I’ll be travelling up the east coast and back again. He said in July he’ll be going bush to photograph a tribe of nomads which have only just been discovered inland and I might be able to go. I doubt it but wouldn’t it be good. I could also go through the Banks group of islands later, I’d like to.

Got mums letter, good. Bought a few things including a machete. Will send some junk home. Hope the weather clears up, if so I’ll leave tomorrow. Had a nice dinner and cleaned myself up ready for tomorrow.

June 7: Thursday

Woke up early to go to the market and bought some fruit to take with me. Will leave via the post office to send letters and parcel.

Packed up and went, told the police what I was doing just in case. My backpack weighed a ton and my shoulders ached and ached. I had to stop often to rest, leaving the post office was up a hill, Ugh! I think I walked about 4 miles and luckily got a lift from a French guy in a Landcruiser, he had been in Australia during the war. He told me how the Japanese bombed a place close to here and killed one cow! Anyway it ended up I was on the wrong road so he took me to where I should have been and dropped me off at a lovely beach. It has a cane picnic table and white sand, coral, shallow water and a small island I can walk out to. Just right, I’ll probably stay here for a few days, I need to rest after the boat and this walk.

My body is starting to fall apart. I still have the swelling on my elbow (have medicine), my little toes have been chewed up by my sandshoes and my backpack digs into my lower back. Sores over here can get infected easily and take a long time to heal.

This side of the island is nice, the coast is lovely with white beaches and offshore island and inland it is covered with coconut groves and cattle as well so they get two things out of the land. There’s a constant breeze from over the ocean, without it it would be tops. To carry back coconut husks for firewood you get a pole and hang them on it (two halves are joined), that way you can carry a few. I’m collecting green coconuts for water as I haven’t got any, there are plenty of coconuts, survival at its ultimate! Coconut milk makes even a glass of powdered milk taste good. You can use seawater to boil food in. Apparently there are watersnakes here (coral) and if they bite you they are bad, though they have a very small mouth. Things like carrying back coconuts makes you feel like you know what you are doing. Being alone in a strange place you think you hear voices in the distance.

While cooking I’ve been remembering little things along the way, or thinking for once. Like splitting the firewood with the machete, making scones etc so I can have ‘bread’ or soaking the dry food to help them cook. Silly things but you do forget them.

June 8: Friday

Put everything inside the tent to protect it from the weather or else animals. Last night’s tea was awful as I used too much salt in both the dried stuff and the dough. Resorted to oats and half a coconut. Relaxed in the tent after dark with my candle.

My airmat got another hole in it so I had to sleep on the ground which is hard to do. I’ll fix it again. I have a pineapple from the market. The sunrise was very nice and very bright, the wind still blows, during the night there would be loud strong gusts or bursts of wind lasting one minute or so, high in the trees luckily. Washed my face in the seawater, the only choice of waters here for me is seawater or coconut. Plain water can be a luxury Ah!

Last night while cooking one of the green coconuts split by itself and a burst of juice almost shot me. Yesterday on the beach I found a dog tag belonging to an American but I lost it again. Could it have been from the war? I don’t really know. Tides seem to change quickly here. After yesterday morning I am feeling good again.

While walking on the exposed reef I saw a coral snake! It was about 14 inches long, less then half an inch wide with black and white bands though it could change to sand colour. Also found a shell which is very colourful inside and dirty outside. Crabs with bright red eyes.

I suppose I didn’t do much, swam a bit, laid around and saw the area, collected coconut juice. Took awhile to cook tea as well. It’s raining outside (afternoon). Nice just to lay around in here . . .

June 9: Saturday

Airmat only went down very slowly last night so I pumped it up once and OK. Slept to fairly late, maybe 8 or 9am (according to the sun). Rained a lot since last night but cleared up to a lovely day, actually the sun is so so hot, the low tide exposes plenty of sand and old coral. After waking up and having breakfast I saw a person fishing then soon after 3 guys walked along the beach and said hello “people!” I thought.

Later went for a walk southward, found a nice shell (seem to find just one every time) and came across a beautiful clear stream only about 200 metres from where I am, why didn’t I look days ago! Anyway tomorrow I will wash all my clothes and me! Met two guys about 18 years old while walking back, one native and the other probably half French, we could talk in Bislama which is good. Funny thing if you meet a French person you both can’t speak each others language but both know Bislama! He said he will bring some Kakai around later. So I came back feeling a lot happier, mainly because of the stream.

Yesterday I sewed up one of my shirts, only have two so I should look after them. Looking after or doing little things is quite fun, I suppose it’s because people need to work a bit. Things like sewing the shirt, packing up the ‘pantry’, cutting firewood even attending my five bandages I have at present. Tomorrow I will be washing everything. Just realised that this year is almost half finished.

A beautiful vivid sunset today, though I am on the wrong side of the island to see it! Also a full moon though I can’t do much with it because of the mosquitoes and the beaches are covered by the high tide. Cosy in my tent though. Mosquitoes everywhere tonight because of last nights rain. The two guys have not turned up with the Kakai so I have made my own tea. Must make more of my ‘flat bread’ tastes good, just flour and water, a little sugar and salt, knead out flat and heated in the frypan. Wish I had a canoe. To make grated coconut which can be toasted and added to the flat bread, I get a bit of coconut and chew it up, suck it as dry as possible, spit it out then toast in the frypan. Well, what do you expect out here in the bush? Tastes lovely. I like eating my oats with powdered milk, sugar and raisins, easy to make and tastes good I suppose.

June 10: Sunday

Didn’t sleep too badly considering I slept on the ground, went for a walk along the beach to wake myself up. Breakfast was half a pineapple, a big one at that, I had to finish it off, also the last of my oats. Pulled everything out of my tent and cleaned it all up, swept the floor and repacked all the junk. Very good day all day, got all my clothes together and washing gear and headed for the stream. The stream would be about 10 feet across and 2 feet deep, just where it leaves the bush to go out to the sandflats, the banks of the stream here were of sand. Perfectly clear water. There was a log (only thin) right across the stream and it was quite good for scrubbing my clothes on. I used my “great lump of soap” and my hair brush and scrubbed all my clothes. Hung them up on the bush nearby. Gave myself a good wash and shave and dried off by the sun while walking back. There were several people around from the nearby village, they were mainly fishing, some with nets. I managed to skin a coconut properly for the first time and cracked it open neatly.

Started a small painting of a coconut, some of the guys fishing came around to watch. When I had finished I went to the stream to get some water, they all followed of course, we could speak but not much to talk about so it felt kind of strange walking along with six others following. Anyway they asked me up to their village so I did. It was situated up on the road and on the stream, some neat cement houses and some grass ones behind them, some people were swimming in the stream near the road bridge. Felt a bit crazy when I got there, they ask you up to their village cause they are being polite but you can’t communicate too well so what do you do!? Fun anyway, I got one of the guys to sharpen my blunt machete, he did a real good job with just a file. I was given a bottle of lemonade, just flat sugary water. I was also given some food inside a hut (most came in to watch of course) the food was tons of rice and two fish heads! We joked about it because I couldn’t find anything to eat off them but they did. So we talked a bit and they took me back, very nice people. Had dinner early to go with the rice. Went for a walk to the road and found an orange tree on the other side, though they were real bitter. Now I’m in my tent early because of the mosquitoes and have no airmat. Will leave first thing tomorrow.

June 11: Monday

Today I woke up right on sunrise and immediately prepared to leave. Walked up to the road then along the road for about 2km. The first car that went by I didn’t want to stop, just didn’t feel like it. The second was a red Nissan driven by a guy named Daniel who was 23 years old. Lucky I stopped him because he went to Hog Harbour about 10km south of Port Orly which is a long way. It was a rough road and we passed some lovely places, I wouldn’t want to walk that far. Anyway he dropped me at Hog Harbour and I walked another 2km and a blue ute pulled up and I rode in the back, left my pack on and used as a cushion. Luckily the road was smooth and I ended up at Port Orly a truely beautiful place. It’s Catholic, big for a village and not too many pigs. Doesn’t feel too friendly, might later on. The chief of the village will be here in the afternoon so I have to wait to see him. One guy in this hut I’m in, ended up he owned a small store but he directed me to the co-operative which is the big main store so I could buy stuff there, what a nut! It’s still early so I’ve had it real easy. So if I needed to I could always get to Santo in a day.

Tonight I must eat and write at the same time as I haven’t much candle left, hope I can buy some tomorrow, surely the Catholics will have some. Eventually saw the chief who couldn’t care much so I set up down along the beach. I sketched a bit today and sulked around but soon got out of it. Couldn’t get any food so I was hungry all day. Watched a guy fishing from his canoe with a net, they just catch little fish usually. Seems to be a few different type of people here, maybe there are some from different islands like the Gilberts etc. I’ve been talking to myself out loud today, going mad with no one to talk to.., can’t talk with the French even. About 3pm a fairly strong wind blew up from out to sea and I had to look after my tent and check all the ropes because it could have been blown away but all was well. I ended up getting some food around 5.30pm, that’s when the shop opened, bought some Arrowroot biscuits! And mackerel fish, not much variety at all. I’m going to splurge on food a bit because I’m not spending any money elsewhere so I should eat better. I think what I have been eating is good but not enough sometimes. Lady gave me two oranges, no mosquitoes so far.

There’s a girl here, probably 19 who is half cast, she’s a bit different because besides her colour all her features are European. She looks so out of place and the look in her eyes suggests she feels that way. She had one child at least. Looked almost pitiful to see her because their lifestyle isn’t anything exciting and she deserves something better. Plenty of others I suppose.

I camped at the end of the beach away from the village, gonna eat biscuits and milk after tea!

June 12: Tuesday

Well I’m almost used to sleeping on the ground, isn’t t hat bad but I hope I don’t get any sores out of it. Elbow is as good as fixed. During the night it rained heavily and the strong wind blew up also. The store was open in the morning so that was good. Breakfast was cold leftover tinned Mackerel (ugh) and a cup of milk, 3 Arrowroot biscuits and a lolly! There’s an old airplane engine embedded in the sand on the beach, it’s got to be from a WW2 plane, probably a Japanese Zero but who knows. Fascinating to look at and think about its past. I asked for a fish off a guy on the beach and he gave me one, I’ll use it for bait. Looks like I’ll always wake up on sunrise, seeing as I go to bed early it makes sense. I’ve bought some kerosene while I’m here as it’s a great incentive for a fire, beats battling to get it going, just a little luxury for me to have!

An old man came by about 10am and I talked to him for awhile, he seemed to understand my ‘half Bislama’ quite well. I asked him about Big Bay and he said it’s about one days walk though that could mean anything really though he would probably know. Said there are plenty of mosquitoes also. So I might go on thursday, stop there friday and saturday and come back sunday. Hopefully I can leave the unnecessary junk here with someone.

Had a swim and a bake though the sun is so hot, hot today. Went out onto the small island which is connected to the mainland by a sandbar at low tide but proved tough going for my feet. It is rough on the island with its dense undergrowth and rough floor as on the reef and old coral that surrounds it though I got around. This place has so few shells, the beach is bare of them. I saw another Coral snake, should have taken my camera. When I came back I found that my fish had been stolen by some animal, probably one of the starving dogs. I bought some peanut butter and made some flatbread with it though I wanted a can of apricot jam they sell to make jam rolls. So I made a few this time, some for later. It’s really little things like making these ‘cakes’ or discovering that coconut palm leaves make wild fuel for the fire that makes this holiday fun. Going out to the island wasn’t much compared to this.

Went along the beach and saw two men taking their catch out of the net, they said they had gone out once, dropped the net, circled and came back with hundreds of fish in the net. They must have gotten right onto a school of these fish, they are 7 inches long and similar to sardines and have big eyes. These two guys were very happy. I borrowed a canoe and went back and got a fish off the guys and my tackle all set to catch a big fish. Actually I didn’t catch anything and the canoe was a bomb. Regardless of what side you paddled it went in the same circle, I had to keep correcting it plus it wanted to capsize. After the canoe at Port Vila I should know something Ah? But it was good, I saw a school of sardines swim under me and sure I saw a turtle come up for air, only for a second but didn’t see him again.

I went for a walk through the village and went to the Catholic area, I asked a nun dressed in white for a candle, if she had any, eventually got the message across, “Bu-shzee” in French. She had ‘nun’ ha ha in her house so we went up to the church and she got one out from there! A large nice one, I gave her a bit for it, she could put it in the offering I said. So I’ve got my candle for tonight. Walking through the village I kept telling children and a few ladies about the candle” Name belong em Bushzee, name belong em i englis candle”. Some thought it was fun, me too. Bought some jam for the bread I make, should be nice. Eat me tea on the beach to get away from the mosquitoes which come out after the rain I noticed. Nice to eat on the beach, can look at the clouds as the sun sets behind me, see some fish jump maybe. The water is so light in colour.

French is the big language in Santo for sure. This candle is burning so efficiently, no waste! Had a good day today I think because I kept myself busy and did some work.

June 13: Wednesday

This morning I am waiting for a lift into Santo, it’s arranged just a matter of when he comes. While waiting on the side of the road a family drove past in their green Toyota Shout which blew a tyre just past me, any wonder as it was so old you could see the canvas. I helped him change it with a less worn spare. Didn’t get the lift so now I’m in a bad mood, but it’s happened before, probably do nothing today. Life isn’t always a pleasure while travelling, it can be boring and lonely at once, you don’t have to be lonely in Sydney, I never am, but here you have no choice, even if you are with the locals it is lonely because you can’t communicate . If I’m bored in Sydney it’s much easier to occupy yourself.

I went for a walk to the south end of the beach and went on the rocks at low tide and looked for shells, not that I went there for shells but I just happened to see a nice one and that started me off as usual and I kept looking. Only found small ones I think because of all of the rocks here and there any big shells get wrecked before reaching shore. In the afternoon I had a cold shower and went back to my tent and ate a ‘cake’ with jam and peanut butter on it, very nice I must say, good to do your own cooking even if it’s only simple things. Then I sat at the tent door facing the bay, sat inside the tent with the flap rolled up. I combed my hair and trimmed my beard, even picked a couple of blackheads which wasn’t easy cause I still had to hold the mirror. Even looked at my teeth and cut my nails. You don’t have to get ‘involved’ with a place like this to enjoy it, like it is a good place to do the above, I can look out if I want to and watch the locals fishing or see the fish jumping and catch the breeze as well. So there are many different things to do here either directly related to the place or not at all but still good because it’s here.

Well the afternoon was a change of pace today, firstly I went up to the village via the beach and decided to have a good look at the airplane engine there. Knowing there were a few bits of rubber back from the engine I dug around and kept finding more plane! It was in surprisingly good condition after all these years. About 5 feet back from the engine were some metal struts, heavily bolted, flat also. Going to one side I found the start of the right wing, the plane is upside down, I saw where the wheel would have been. Unfortunately I couldn’t dig much but I took some photos. Tomorrow I’ll look some more. Mum would love to be here! Very exciting actually sitting on top of a bit of history. I ask an old man of the village about it, he saw it crash after being shot down and the pilot died. It’s a Japanese Zero by the way.

Then I went hunting around for fish but none were caught, then I thought eggs would be a good idea but could not find any even from the nuns. Anyway I was talking to the half Chinese lady I knew and she tried to help me get some eggs or fruit, managed four mandarins for 20 cents but no more. She will keep on trying, she also thought I might be going to live here! Walking on I passed some other ladies, all in their twenties (‘married finish’ for sure) I could tell they wanted to give me the two oranges one of them was holding, so I accepted, they didn’t want any money. I explained I wanted some foods, pawpaw, yams etc, we also talked about Manioc, lap lap, which they didn’t seem to like as much as I did. One went into a house and came out with a yam about twelve inches long and five inched thick in the middle, perfect for me I thought. I really wanted to pay for it but a lady in the house yelled out quite a firm “no” (which amazed me) I yelled back in the same tone “yes”, all the others laughed. So I gave her 40Fr. I was about to leave when a boy came with a pawpaw, they had apparently sent him, then I got sugarcane so I loaded with all my foods for 60Fr. Said goodbye and was off. Lucky to find three kids willing to have me take their photo. Half way home a herd of kids came along most with foods from their gardens, we talked a bit and I got some cabbage (really like spinach) so I did well and even gave a mandarin away. So now I have plenty of fresh food instead of junk. If you make a bit of an effort to talk to these people they’ll do you good.

June 14: Thursday

I realised that from yesterday afternoon the people are starting to accept me and realising I’m staying around and living here. I’m sort of part of the scenery, new in different ways but here nonetheless. They are willing to talk to me and want to, I think the women show it more whereas men will talk if you talk to them, children are usually shy. Dogs are negative here, tons of them mostly skinny and sickly. Now I know what to do and how to act and get on with these people.

Breakfast was small, only a pawpaw, an orange and some sugarcane. Lunch was early, it was boiled yams which I loathed on Epi but love today and some spinach boiled with it. Also a ‘cake’ with peanut butter and apricot jam. I used to get sick of apricot jam when I was a kid cause that’s all mum would ever buy. Also a cup of milk. Today everything is so still, dull start with no wind and the people seem quieter. I happily settled in with it and have done little though I’ve enjoyed today. I think that after one good day the next is good if it’s quiet.

Some of the boys here play with those hoops (usually off 44 gallon drums) which you push around with a stick. People do nothing in the middle of the day because of the heat. Well it’s been another wild afternoon and into the night. I went up to the laundry, a wide beam of wood for a table outside a building and washed my two shirts, there was a basin and scrubbing board there. It was at noon so no one around. So I had lunch and decided to have a dig at the plane. I eventually borrowed a shovel and really got into it, photos will show you. I dug up the left wing then the middle then the right wing with some help. My first audience were the school kids which was fun, I kept scaring them with stories of dead bodies in the plane or I would scream in horror at nothing and they would freak out, I just laughed and laughed. They had to go back to school and I eventually got an audience of young guys, the unemployed I think, they helped a bit. Apparently the plane crashed in the sea and got washed up onto the beach in a bad hurricane. Also there are some in the bush at Big Bay I hope to see. SO I dug up heaps and took photos. Didn’t find any special items though. I kept talking to the guys about this and that. It seems to marry a girl here the customs is to pay her parents about $250, a lot of money here.

Getting late so I went back to my tent and low and behold a herd of about thirty boys came along the beach and up to me and watched. We talked a bit and I mentioned a fruit ‘Nukavika’ and off they went all these mad kids screaming through the bush to get me this fruit. I could see them climb the tree and I ended up with about 60 of them. They look like little white cucumbers on the outside, they have streaks of pink when they are ripe. Inside is white like apples but not so solid and taste real nice. I was going up to the village for water so all the boys came too, us all eating the fruit when a kid came with a ukulele, I managed to get him to play it. Also I tried to get them to sing, at first they wouldn’t but suddenly they burst into a tune for one verse, they were shy but loud and I didn’t know what to do either. Anyway we went on, I bought some meat from the butcher (I found out about) and went back alone, luckily I thought. I started cooking when they came again! We talked quite a bit, they said there’s a live bomb over on the bigger island and tomorrow we’ll go have a look. They eventually went scared off by two men one of whom gave me two pawpaws, will they ever stop ! Ha Ha. Tea tonight is stewed meat, yams, peas and carrot with rice. It’s thick and good but the meat still chewy but like home. Another good day, nice and funny people and found a great shell surprisingly. These people are really taking to me, I might stay longer.

June 15: Friday

There wasn’t much left of the plane though what was there was in good condition. The wings are the fold up kind for an aircraft carrier and this is where they finished, the body only went a little forward and back, the motor was in good order and almost whole. If it was up the right way it would have been more interesting. Last night I finished my tea under the stars on the beach, you could easily see the white haze of the Milky Way and I saw a shooting star. I then went up to the shop and bought a can of drink and sat on the verandah listening to the radio. Also talked to an old guy there. All the guys hang around the shop and all the girls in the house opposite. Do they ever meet ? The story behind the plane is that it’s American and was flown from the Solomons by 3 Americans, it had engine trouble so they ditched it and one guy broke a leg. Later a seaplane came to pick them up.

This morning a few guys were fishing and they caught plenty of mullet. But the strange thing about it was the fish were not swimming around they were just idle in the water while the men just speared them from canoes. Some fish on the surface and some on the bottom. Maybe they were dying or dead or finished breeding, I don’t know. I got one which I will boil and eat with yam, spinach and rice. I don’t think I did much through the day, cooked a fair bit. School finishes at lunchtime on friday so all the boys came around. When I had finished cooking me and four boys went across to Dion island which also can be reached at low tide. There we saw the ‘bomb’ which was just an old oxygen tank then we went into the bush to get mandarins and oranges, they get them by throwing rocks and sticks at them. On the reef we saw what looked like a tiny Moray eel about 6 inches long. Also there is a wrecked ship there from Noumea, it’s just a bit visible at low tide. I got two more candles off the sister, I hit her with a bit of French(“Ze vou play du bozee”) Also bought 2 eggs and could have bought a giant pineapple, also got a hand of bananas and three giant fat bananas and some spinach!

June 16: Saturday

I’m glad I get on with the people, thus I have someone to talk to and stir around with but hopefully today I can get away by myself, I really want to be alone. Went for a long walk and came back at lunchtime, pretty much alone all day. Very quiet in the village, no one doing much. I read a lot, that’s about all. Some of the boys came around in the afternoon, we sat on the beach and they made boats out of nuts and sticks, clever too. I think that living in a ‘basic’ surrounding they are more creative to occupy themselves so they make things out of bush materials, they also walk around and explore to some degree. A machete here is like a second pair of hands, everyone uses one and good too.

Lunch was some bread and a banana, a giant one that is! I rode around on a kids bike in the village, they all thought it funny. The boys don’t own shoes or long pants etc but don’t need them. They all have no TV, electricity, running water, beds, few radios but everyone is happy and clean. Few possessions, few worries.

June 17: Sunday

It rained all through the late night and into the morning, stopped a while then started again. The tent holds up quite well but gets stuffy with me, my clothes and the fruit all smelling together. I threw out the ‘Nukivikas’ and the spinach which were no good anymore.

Under the next big tree there is a bunch of guys, they are drinking beer and singing songs. They asked me to join in but didn’t mind that I didn’t. Some went up to confession before joining in. The songs they sing sound quite nice, they are still there despite it teeming with rain. I managed to boil my two eggs in the morning which was a nice treat. I’ll have trouble cooking and packing up today but will go tomorrow if it ain’t raining. For now it’s me stuck in my tent. 9am.

The rain let up during the day enough for me to take a walk and stretch and to clean myself up a bit. Sometimes I forget to wash and you feel uncomfortable and dirty. I went for a swim. Couldn’t really do anything, I doodled a bit and ate too much as usual including a coconut which I felt like breaking open. I managed to boil some rice and yam for tea, had to use extra kero to get the damp wood to burn bu tit worked OK. I went up to the village and got stuck in the rain and had to hide under big trees while it poured around me. It’s afternoon and a new lot of rain is falling.

June 18: Monday

Today the same as yesterday, rain all night and rain in the morning and probably more later, I’ll have to change my plans it seems as the tent is too wet to pack away. I don’t like being stuck with nothing to do except lay in my tent, would be better off if I had an airmat.

What can I write for one rainy rainy day? It didn’t stop to often though it has now (early night) but I’m sure it’ll come later. Went looking for shells, ate another coconut but little else. Found a nice shell and tried making a shell horn out of it by boring a hole in it. Knew it would not work but why not? Finally finished off all the bananas at breakfast though I got more in the afternoon which I wanted actually. Yesterday afternoon was the only time I’ve seen any of the native kids swimming and playing in the sea water, normally they don’t bother, I suppose they are used to it.

Nothing much to eat variety wise as I can’t make a fire so I stuff myself on bananas, pawpaw, milk and ‘Lee’s Cabin Biscuits’ which are big and hard and solid. I can crunch them up and they become cereal.

June 19: Tuesday

Third day of rain, not quite as bad (yet) but enough. I managed to get out a bit more today but it’ll be another day of doing nothing. The little hermit crabs here are hard up for shells, many are far too big for the shell they have, one even dropped out when I picked him up because he knew he was so unprotected. I hope I can find something to write about and fill up the page.

Well I read a lot today and although I am trapped by the rain for the third day I was quite happy regardless. I can always tell when it’s going to rain by looking a t Dion island, I don’t look at the sky. If Dion is misty then I’ve got about two minutes to get into the tent. It always comes form the east (out to sea). A good cooking method is to get the fire going good and bake your ‘bread’ on the flames. By the time it is cooked the flames are near gone so you make a hole in the embers and put the billy into it pushing the embers up to it. Forget it for awhile and when you come back, Pow! Well boiled rice or whatever. Rice for tea for a change. I have two ants of a kind fighting to the death it seems. One has the others antenna but not much else happening. Won’t fill my diary at this slow rate.

June 20: Wednesday

Last night I got a nice surprise. A man and some of his children came down in the dark with some food. I explained to them that I “Kakai finis” had eaten but took it for breakfast. These people are so nice, probably think I am starving because of the rain. The food was a plate of spinach with meat, very tasty, and a plate of 3 slabs of something like Manioc but made in a pot this time. I love it. So plenty of food with some variety, actually yesterday I was wishing I had some native food, mainly Manioc.

Well it rained some of the night but cleared up to a nice day, fairly cloudy but no rain and some sunshine so I could be off tomorrow if it keeps up like this. In the morning I just cleaned up a few things or aired them for awhile.

I just keep eating and eating at lunchtime, I don’t know why. I had a big hunk of Manioc, drink, bread and biscuits with jam, plenty of it and could have kept going not that I mind. Also made tomato soup but it tasted off. Feel a bit tired today though I have no reason, even though it is sunny I haven’t been out in it much. Saw four seabirds diving for fish, good to watch but rare to see surprisingly. Went shelling again and noticed that the plane is very exposed after the big waves lately. Hermit crabs get in groups and fight over an empty shell, they don’t jump straight in I think because they are unsure about the new shell and don’t want to loose their shell to another crab. I separated one crab and the shell and watched him change. Hermit crabs come in all sorts of colours, you notice this when they are together. I’m reading through this diary to see if I remember it all, so far I do. But you read where something was strange and new but now after being here so long everything is just normal, it’s hard to think of anything here as different, probably when I get back to Australia I’ll notice it again.

I ate a small pineapple this afternoon, it was all yellow on the outside but ready to eat, it was lovely and didn’t have too much bite to it. Later Fredrick the bearded school teacher and his wife came by to talk a bit, they are French but speak a little English. They didn’t know I was staying for awhile otherwise I could have gone to their place to shower etc, too late now. I went to the village with my camera to take a couple of photos of the place, the kids (boys) were fighting with little slingshots which had quite long elastic and green bent twigs for ammo, they were very good slingshots. I went back to the tent to get Eric’s plates, that’s the guy who bought the food around last night. He was helping to build a house. I also talked to a nice guy I know, he always wears a big silver cross, he was making baskets to take food to Santo tomorrow. His wife and other ladies of the village probably sell stuff there on market day. I had fun stirring the kids with my thumb trick and scaring or chasing them, they all scream and run off. To say goodbye when you’ve been talking to someone you say “OK, me go”, they usually reply “OK, goodbye”. When I left the basketmaker I went up the side and around the back leaving all the kids around the front, then I ran down the other side and let out a big “Baaaa” (not like a sheep) and the kids freaked and I laughed my head off, so good. The parents think it’s good and laugh also. I went to my tent only to come back again just before sunset. I saw a few of the kids I knew and found out that the smaller shop had some bread which I wanted. We walked up to the shop, that is me and about twenty kids. Coming back was good, we stirred around, I tried the metal hoop gizmo and played the ukulele which they thought was great and really laughed. One kid (J. Brabham) had a tyre and two sticks, with the sticks they push and steer the tyre and squeeze them together for brakes, really smart. Anyway I told them a joke and we yelled out or talked my little French. I got one of the kids to teach me one of their songs on the ukulele which they thought was tremendous, we really caused a stir. I sent them off because it was dark, we yelled out “fairdinkum” a few times. Really sorry to leave this dump, I like it so much. It was nice to have fresh bread for tea.

June 21: Thursday

After awhile (like now) you don’t have to think much about what you are going to say, in Bislama that is. It just comes out. Not saying I talk it good but they usually understand the first time.

I now feel I want to stay on, I didn’t two weeks ago but now I have really settled into the lifestyle and as much as I miss everyone back home I don’t feel any great urge to get back quick. I have made a lifestyle to suit me and my environment and I like it. I don’t care to get back to Santo quick like I did before, I wanted to get there quick so I could finish a part of my journey off but now I’ll stay as long as it’s good.

Today was very good, I packed up everything after breakfast and set off. The pack wasn’t heavy and the weather warm. I walked a few miles cause there wasn’t any cars going by but I eventually got a ride in a yellow ute. 3 guys in the front and five in the back most of whom I knew, they gad watched me dig the plane. It was a fair few miles to Hog Harbour but a nice drive sitting on the back tailgate. They left me at Hog Harbour and went on and I went down to where some men were sitting under a tree. While walking down an old man said “Ah, you come back”, he had seen me pass through earlier and remembered me. I talked to the man and had a go of the kids slingshot, here they speak English which is a nice change. The village is quite nice but different to Port Orly though I’ve never seen two the same anyway. It slopes down to the sea and has a church on the hill above. Two boys helped me find a place which wasn’t easy cause the village was not situated on a beach, it has two small coves which are very bushy but after walking through some dense forest along a track we came to a clearing just on the edge of a large beach so I set up camp there. I went back to get a few things but the one store had next to nothing.

After coming back I went for a walk along the beach, very nice photo too, I knew there were some buildings here and that they were unoccupied. Ended up being an old holiday hotel that had closed up or failed, most of the buildings were open and bare of anything. There was a cupboard of receipts books which dated from late 1968 to 1970 otherwise there was nothing to look at. Why would anyone want to come here.

I continued along the beach which had an old barge on it, probably from WW2. I spotted five men scrapping out copra and went up to talk to them. They looked a bit wild compared to everyone else, they only spoke Bislama but we talked good. Not much to talk about of course, found out they have one tabu place up in the bush which are big stones with drawings on them. Also found out about a yacht which has stopped at a small bay just around from the beach. Australians they said so I talked for awhile and went to see if the yacht was still there.

It was there but a different yacht, a lovely white boat called Chantalain owned by Patrick and Kay, him French New Caledonian and she a New Zealander. It was the most beautiful place I’ve seen yet, truly paradise. I yelled out to them (not knowing what to expect) and the lady came to get me in a rubber dingy powered by a little engine. I swam out a bit. Stayed on board for awhile and talked about all things and had sardines and rice for lunch, they also boiled two crabs. They have been travelling for ten years like this, working sometimes and seeing so many places. At the moment they are working their way up to Japan, may take them twelve months but why not? They told me some good places to go and had maps of the islands to look at.

We went back to the beach where my shirt and shells had been washed into the water but I found them. The sand here is smooth and white and hard packed. Going back to the village we stopped at a cookhouse where the copra was being heated to dry out. Along the road we helped to get a car going again, it had so many things wrong with it yet had only done 23,oookm. I showed them the hotel and village then they went back to the yacht. I stopped at my tent. I have so many ants in my tent! Must get cleaned up again tomorrow and do a few little things.

June 22: Friday

These two boat people have given me some new ideas and inspiration to do something different and really given me a desire to stay on. I might work it to go to the Solomons and maybe New Guinea from there but will have to work it out in Santo! For now I don’t care how long I stay where, if I go to the Solomons I’ll fly over Santo island so I won’t take a plane back from Big Bay. If I go to the Banks which has an amazing volcanic island then I have no reason to go back through the New Hebrides which (as I realised before) has little to offer. So it’s “move on” for Ian!

Last night I heard an animal called a Bush Baby cause it sounds like a crying baby, really does too. It also knocked down some dead branches and really made a noise.

Today I went for a long walk which didn’t reveal anything, just gave me sore feet. Drizzly rain then it was still, hot and humid. I got some bananas just like Australian ones bit longer and green though. At the small cove and the big beach fresh water seeps out of the sand and into the sea, handy for washing clothes. I lazed around a lot being tired. Wrote my sisters a letter each. I’m going to wear my sandshoes from now on, my feet suffer without them more than with them.

June 23: Saturday

Today was mostly boring and lonely. I went for a walk and it was really hot but I didn’t see or do anything. It was hot for the whole day, too hot in the tent so I mainly sat outside on my blanket an the shade though the flies are thick here. The day just dragged on, I did what I could but still the sun was high in the sky. These sort of days you really want to be back at home and you think about it all the time.

But nevermind, I’ll have to forget about it. I also felt off and had bit of a headache probably because of the heat. The only good thing I saw was a twister, a large bank of clouds came in from the sea and kept coming and the twister hung under and for a little while I could see it suck up some water but when it went over an island it died off. Two more followed but died off early. Otherwise a nothing sort of day, if the weather isn’t much tomorrow I’ll move on otherwise I’ll go snorkelling.

June 24: Sunday

Quite an interesting day today which was good though it could have been boring. First I went straight to the village to buy some food as I had very little. An old man bakes bread here and it’s very good so I was able to have toast with peanut butter and it was a really nice change. After breakfast I washed some clothes again so now I have the rest of the day free.

I packed up some odds and ends and went to the nice small beach, it was a cloudy sort of day but hot with sunny breaks. So I swam a bit and while I was laying around I saw a large white yacht come around the point. It was bigger then the last one. While I was waiting to see who was on it a young French guy and his girlfriend came to the beach. They swam around and it ended up they knew the people on the yacht. It was obvious that I was sitting where they wanted to be so I quietly left going back to my hovel. I went for a swim in a large rockpool just down from where I am staying cause it was still hot and muggy. Five young boys came around to watch or whatever, we talked and I almost got them to take me to the tabu place in the hills but they didn’t, but we went up to where most of the gardens are right up on the hill, quite a distance from the village. They call the plantations but when they say it they say “plentysin”!

Anyway we walked around up there stopping for a ‘spell’ at every fruit tree. We just gorged ourselves on fruit, ‘coco’, mandarins, pomaloes, ‘naus’, coconuts, sugarcane, pawpaws, we didn’t bother with the oranges. All these really nice fruits for nothing, I would eat a fruit then throw the skin away (usually over my head) as if it was nothing, just a great feed of free fruit.

It was hot walking up and on top you had a perfect view of the harbour, could see the beaches, the reef and the yacht. So we went back and I had an early tea, don’t know why. A twenty year old guy turned up and we talked about whatever trouble is there is never anything to talk about. Seems like the big thing on a Saturday night is the dance hall in Santo town.

June 25: Monday

Wow what a day! I’m thankful I can sit here in comfort and write this. Firstly I packed up at Hog Harbour and walked out to the main road, after a few minutes I got a ride in a red Toyota Stout to the junction of the Big Bay road. From there I proceeded to walk along the dirt track with the weather being sunny and warm with very little breeze. I past two villages then had to walk up a fairly large hill. I hoped to have a good view of the place from up high but no way, just jungle forever and it was the same all day.

Soon I came to a junction and of course took the wrong road which wasn’t too long and ended at a village. It was deserted, everyone being out working. There I had a drink of water and quietly left feeling uneasy in an empty village. I went back to the junction and went the right way meeting some of the village people in their gardens, they were quite friendly. Going on I passed two guys just sitting around, they didn’t look so friendly, one with a spear but they were OK.

No more humans now until Big Bay. I walked and walked and never stopped walking! Boy was it long, I did rest of course but so many miles. Early in the piece Mr Hammond the American everyone up here knows about came roaring past in his 4wd, he had two guys in the back and his woman named Tracy in the front. He seemed a cool guy, strong character I’m sure, he was friendly enough. Good that I meet him as it would come in handy later in the day. He is going to Vila so I might not get to meet him.

So I walked on, I came across a large tree which had a strange fruit, looked like a small brownish pear and on the inside like a mango the seed being like roots! It smelt just like passionfruit and tasted almost the same, I only ate two not being sure. I also ate a couple of pawpaws along the way and had lunch under a tree, tin fish, biscuits with butter and peanut butter. Stopping to rest was good, usually in the middle of the road, the only good spot. But starting again was painful as my feet would hurt until they settled in again.

The bush was pure thick greenery and if you could see through it saw more of it. Many birds singing and other noises and flies. The road was fairly level overall and a dirt to mud track weaving through the bush. So I walked endlessly, the first 80% was OK, hard but I was walking it well enough but the last 20%, wow, like 220%! Having no water didn’t help, my body ached, shoulders, lags and feet. My brain could not believe it, so thirsty! I came to a big drop in the road and could look over all of Big Bay and all that I still had to walk. Walking down the hill was hard also, then more walking and a dirty river, couldn’t drink, then more walking. It rained but not enough, I came to a junction and went the longer way! Eventually I came to a place (Mallana?) and got a drink and rested, this being at 5pm. Luckily it was Hammond place and having met him made the guys accept me easily. I found out a bit then three of us went in a 4wd to a river via an airstrip to wash. One went home from there, the water was so good seeing how I ached and stunk so much. We went back and the guy driving told me he hadn’t driven a car for 10 years, very obvious. And on a rough road!

Tea was terrific, A great lump of ‘bullock’ cooked on an open fire and basted with a garlic mixture, also rice and taro, really lovely in an open sort of building. I’ll describe this place tomorrow as it’s quite interesting. Also tomorrow I’ll rest! Tonight I have a real bed! Wow!

Here they have wild fowl, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen a chicken fly, also the pigeons are large and nice, the chickens (roosters at least) are very colourful. When I was walking down the steep hill earlier in the day, the pigeons would swoop down and they sounded exactly like jet planes, not the volume of course. They have a plant here whose roots smell like Quick-Eze. Bushmen too and I should be able to get some real native stuff from them, the only one’s I’ve seen in the New Hebrides. So after walking myself half to death (no joking), I have it very good here. Get what I can while I can! Nice starry night.

June 26: Tuesday

Didn’t sleep all that well being too sore but still nice to have a bed. Had wild chickens crowing all night plus the young calf here that sounds like it is spoilt rotten. I slept to 8am, from the shop I bought thongs again, milk powder and oats for breakie, also a packet of cream biscuits for a treat. I spent some time organising my things and trimming my beard also writing letters I didn’t have energy for yesterday. Drank plenty of water also.

Beautiful hot day with the air cooled by a slight breeze, everything calm and peaceful. I went for a walk along the beach which was really easy and nice, had a cassette player as well. The beach is black sand and stones which make it easy on the eyes. No shells at all, just a few junky ones. Soon came to where the river meets the sea which flows quite fast over the stones and the water is all confused and choppy where they meet. I just sat there for awhile and looked at the mountains while soaking my feet. There is tons of driftwood up on the beach, mostly cane, roots and pods for seeds. Many weird shapes and objects the roots being in weird confusion. Some have stones in them where the roots have grown around them. I got two small ones and Mr Hammond has one large example, he also has one that looks like a demon, it has a face etc. There are seed pods here that are hollow and clank nicely together and the locals make anklets out of them for custom dances. Out to see is always hazy, the mountains very tall. There are two cats here and two pigs and dogs. There are two Bushmen here amongst the workers, they don’t wear much and smoke pipes (grow their own tobacco).

Lunch was manioc and a pot of boiled cabbage with red peppers, nice and hot. The Australian Rice mob have sent Mr Hammond up here so he can do all the technical studies for growing rice here. He’s got a good setup here with lots of small luxuries so he is happy I’m sure. Neat place, small and facing the ocean. No coconut palms which seems strange. One American warplane in the bush but too far away to bother to see. I asked about a tabu place and the Bushmen seemed to be going to say yes but a younger guy would jump in and say no!

I’m living it up here in an easy way, sit in the shade, play music and drink cold water and soft drinks. This place is all the same so I won’t move around any large distance, just take in this place. Didn’t do anything special in the afternoon, tea was good, four eggs with fried rice, onion and tomatoes plus a hot drink. The bush guys just eat taro and cabbage but the two young guys from Pentecost have been influenced by white man’s good cooking so they had rice with real nice fish fired with onions. We washed where the river meets the sea. Robbed of a good sunset by clouds, the moon is a thin hanging crescent. My room has glow worms on the walls. Flies bad today. Think I have an Australian radio station on the radio.

June 27: Wednesday

Today should be easy as there’s not much to do here which suits me fine. Last night it took along time to get to sleep as my brain kept going. I’ve got all these ideas for artwork for when I get home. I wrote them down as they came. Oats for breakfast, I have bought a flute off a guy, they call them ‘bamboo’. He is going to get me some arrows hopefully, 20F each, how cheap, I would have paid 200F!

All my toes except the middle two have cuts on them! SO I did little for the rest of the day, just walked out to the airstrip but nothing much else. Don’t really mind, tomorrow will be the same then I’ll move on.

June 28: Thursday

This morning the guy with the ‘souvenirs’ came around he had one bow and two fishing arrows which I bought for $5, also he had a large gourd and one stone axe head but I didn’t really want them and I didn’t have enough small money. No good buying too much anyway. Later on when I was in the shop the bush man offered to sell me his pigs tusks for $100! Bit much for me I thought. Then another guy came around with a pigs jaw for 60c only but so what, even if it was worth buying the tusks were only short. Couldn’t get the feathered arrows I wanted.

At about 10am two French doctors came and they took a boat to a village where there is an epidemic, anyway I will go back to Santo with them which is good.

Sat around for awhile and Fredrick from Port Orly came here. A woman from the village the doctors have gone to took ill and they took her to Port Orly by boat yesterday. Fredrick had taken her and her husband and small baby to Santo hospital but the next day (today or last night) she died and they sent her and her husband and child back to Port Orly whereas they could have sent them with the doctors. Fredrick took them here and found out that the boat had gone to where he wanted to go so now he is waiting.

Last night I found a parrot in the kitchen, ended up being Mr Hammond’s pet. Today it came flying out of the bush and I got it on my hand then it climbed up to my shoulder and squawked really loud and nibbled my hair and bit my ears. For a good while I had him and even took a photo then he just flew off again. He must have thought I was Mr Hammond, crazy but fun.

The doctors came back early afternoon and we went straight away, riding in the back was really rough all the way and cold too. Going up the big hill was great. I got dropped off at the hospital in Santo town and walked along the main street to where I stayed before, this time I stayed in another flat and have a stove so I can cook for myself. Everything has worked out just fine it’s amazing. Met two people today who said the Philippines are really amazing so they’re my target and later on we’ll see how I go.

June 29: Friday

Today was rotten and a discouraging day, one that makes you want to pack up and go home. Started alright with a good breakfast then went and chatted with Frank. But then yuck! I found out that going to the Solomons costs twice what I thought and the Philippines costs too much as well so it’s not worth the money to go north or anywhere, just stay here then New Caledonia then home. Then to make it dig in a pile of little things like a roll of tape cost 360F, cashed two travellers cheques and got 7551F whereas in the shop I could have got 8000F. Then I couldn’t post my bow and arrows then buying junk western food at rip-off prices. What a dump!

So just when I was really happy and enjoying the travelling I’m now forced to go home early and I don’t want to go back.! Maybe something good will happen but it will have to be good or else I’m slowly heading home.

June 30: Saturday

Good old weet-bix for breakfast then trying to find decent clothes to wear to the church here, everything was creased, I thought last night I would iron them but there is no power at times. Lunch with the Townends was good, she cooks everything and really good. Later we went for a drive to the south west of Santo to see an old lady friend of hers, she lived in an old dumpy house though full of curious things and it had a lovely view out the back.

Drove back on sunset and Mrs Townend made thickshakes. So good day though still feeling a bit down. Some cassettes tonight and nothing to eat, I’m full anyway.

This holiday is on the downturn, still will be good but starting to end early. Now I’m really planning the next one which will include more money and better planning.

July 1: Sunday

Well this week should prove important in determining the rest of my holiday. I’m waiting for the ship to the Bank islands to come in later this week, if it does then the Banks could keep me busy for a month, if not it will be back to Vila and I don’t know how much I can occupy myself from then. So I really want to at least see the Banks islands and hopefully stay there for awhile.

So far today I’m just tidying things up, that is me and my clothes. I’m not in a rotten mood or a good one just neutral and I don’t feel like writing any letters for awhile. So today I’ll do little and relax, tomorrow I’ll go somewhere.

For the rest of the day I laid around and felt sick in the stomach. Met some people who came over from Aore where they do volunteer work and I might go over tomorrow. So ends a three day stint of rotten days.

July 2: Monday

Some rain last night and cloudy and overcast today but not raining. Stomach feels normal today. The generator was turned on in the morning so I ironed some of my clothes, I also washed my hair and trimmed my beard and felt nice and fresh. About 11am I went down to the wharf to see if the Pacifique would come in. It was nice to just sit there and look at the rusted war junk and watch some guys fishing. Also to relax and think for awhile.

It didn’t come because I was at the wrong place and it’s another boat they use but I really didn’t want to go today. I looked at some of the Chinese shops which sell the oddest things like really crumby toys or glasses and Chinese crockery, quite interesting. Got a letter from Janet in the afternoon which was a good boost. I talked to some guys at the main wharf, there is always a boat going somewhere. I think my pen is finally running out. Found a dead Elephant beetle (will keep it). Not a bad day in the finish, I’m in a good mood now just a matter of having something to do.

July 3: Tuesday

Went straight to the market as soon as i got up (still half a sleep) they sell some really interesting vegetables, would be good to have them in Australia. Very still and overcast day but pleasant temperature. I wrote a reply letter to Janet and will post it on the way to Million Dollar Point. Must hurry.

I went there alright, walked for awhile then thumbed a ride in a red mini moke, ended up being driven by a young Sydney couple here on holidays. We had a good talk telling each other what we know about this place. They took me right to M D Point.

It was high tide so could not see much (must come back and snorkel here) though what I saw was strange enough. M D Point is where the Americans when the war was over dumped everything they had into the harbour at this one spot. They were going to sell it all at a set price to the French but the French wanted to bargain and the Americans couldn’t be bothered so they dumped it all. Everything from a nail to a small ship, engines, trucks, cranes, planes, everything. The most obvious from the shore is glass, coke and beer bottles, tons and tons of them, they even make up the soil here being mixed up with sand then it sets hard. The coke bottles are quite unique, in those days each bottle had the name of the place it was manufactured in. Imagine what’s under the water!

I got a ride back in a ute carrying a big load of timber, if it had shifted to the right I’d had been squashed to death! I bought my first ice cream since Sydney, a Drumstick and wasn’t it good. PS: I also found a (American soldiers?) belt buckle.

Well I got the boat to Aore, it seemed to want to sink and the water was very shallow at times. It was a nice ride and into the early dark. Rode up to the top on the back of Guy Riggs bike. Tea at his place and I got to sleep in a small house with a guy named Noel. This place is a school and mostly staffed my Australians.

July 4: Wednesday

Didn’t sleep too well, from over eating I think plus thinking too much about travelling. Breakfast was soup and bread, it was good. Apparently there are none of the original natives on this island. There are two stories as to why. The first one is that years ago (probably) the French police in Santo had some prisoners and they dumped them here to get them out of the way. They then thought they should supervise them a bit so they then sent some police back over but they were ambushed by the prisoners with the help of the local natives. So the French police came over and killed them all except one old man who was on another island. The other story is that there was a French landowner growing copra and he was having arguments with the natives about who owned the land. So eventually he asked them all to a big feast and he poisoned them all except the one old man on another island. One story is true and there were six villages so it was a lot killed. The big generator here cost $5000 a year to run for 4 hours a day.

Went up into the bush for a look see and all I found were big spiders, little spiders, one mouse and gardens. The gardens look abandoned and overgrown but it is just that they grow things in any order or arrangement and the overgrown look is yams and potato vines all over the ground. When I came back I just rested for awhile, I feel really tired in the body.

Went down to the wharf and the Pacifique was there and an old guy I knew fishing off it. We stayed awhile then he took me to his daughters place for tea (Ellie and Malcolm). A baked dinner with yams that tasted like real potatoes. Nice people here that really look after you.

I’ve been told some good (and true) stories about this place. Spiritism is still around, the natives have the power to turn themselves invisible or into sharks, dogs or pigs. One story was about a Catholic priest on Pentecost island (most stories seem to come from Pentecost or Malakula) he wasn’t liked by the second tribe so while he was netting on the beach in calm water a wave (or person) swept up over them all and when they got up only the priest was gone. He was taken by the ‘wave’ to the next village where they ate him. The most recent story of cannibalism was of a man who took a 5 year old for a walk in the bush and cut him up in small pieces and bought him back to make laplap out of him. They found out because someone found a few fingers in the bush, now the guy is in jail.

During some fighting one old man with some power was able to push a small island away from Pentecost. A French man who lives on Aore, his father in the 1930′s used to trade from his boat with the natives on Malakula but he would go to shore and just before leaving he’d steal a woman or two for wives. Later when he came back ( I don’t know how often he did it) and while in the hull of the boat he was passing up a box and the native above shot him, he tried to get out but when he reached up with his hands they hacked them off then speared him to death! True.

Went out to the reef to go snorkelling with Noel. Guy who owns the boat (a small outboard) took me out and showed me how to use the boat and exactly where to go. Then I had to bring him back! I managed alright, me not being the sort of person who likes to suddenly take on something of this nature. So we went back and we picked up Noel. The coral here is really fantastic far better then Vila and more types of fish. The water was warmer to.

I had a look around the place, it’s quite a big set up with over 200 students. Tea was at Ellie and Malcolm’s place again, good to eat real food. Here they have real milk and tomatoes, very rare indeed. I met some people her I knew in Vila and on the Pacifique so it is good to know someone though you still have nothing to talk about. The sky is clearing and there is a half moon, this place has so few flies or mosquitoes.

July 5: Thursday

As soon as I woke up it was breakfast and down to the boat to go to Tutuba, a small island off Santos southeast corner. It was about an hour and a half trip through small islands with beautiful water and weather. There were areas in the water about 20 to 30 feet deep where the water was perfectly calm and flat fringed by the moving water that would suddenly die down and turn into whirlpools. Here you could see every detail and the bigger fish, really amazing, all the coral and sand and everything.

We stopped off Tutuba over the same sort of clear water and went over to the village. The purpose of the trip was to take Malcolm who is a doctor and a nurse to this village to do vaccinations and any sicknesses, I went along for the ride. I sat on top of the boat so I could look down and around. The village was nice and spread out so you couldn’t see much of it. There was a nice long ‘eathouse’ where we set up in and everyone came there. A few of the adults and a really old man who dresses up crazy were first then a pile of school kids with their scabs and sores usually ulcerated which was the majority of the treatments given. All the kids would stand on the outside looking in (half walls) and they’d laugh and carry on but when it was their turn for treatment they changed to scared little kids. Most would cry and the one’s getting needles (usually in the rear) would kick like mules and had to be held down! I had fun by helping, either cutting up plaster or swabs, taking the money or holding down the kids. Once I got a bit dizzy and had to sit down, a headache plus the sun and the kids ugly looking ulcers were a bad combination. After treating 55 people they got 2500F so they don’t ask for much.

They fed us and we left about 3pm and went back to Aore. The Pacifique followed us some of the way, I could see Aoba which is very big on the horizon, also Pentecost which can just barely be seen. Me and Noel ate at David’s place (French teacher) we had egg, potatoes, carrot, tomatoes and an apple, real luxury! Even some car magazines to look at.

July 6: Friday

A cold night and morning today. I caught the boat to Santo, we saw two turtles in the shallow water, one of them big. Also some big fish and two stingrays and one puffer fish splashing about. It was mainly cold going over but warm and sunny when we got there. The boat got stuck on the bottom at Santo though it was easily reversed out. In Santo I checked up on the boat that goes to the Banks Islands but it will be in dry dock for a month so I don’t look like going. It’s amazing how dumb these people can be, no one ever knows when there is a boat going and you usually get a wrong answer or two. So it’s back to Aore for the weekend. Today I met James who ended up being Timothy and Franks brother, I thought he looked like Frank too.

I picked up a few extras to take to Aore. The boat ride was good and some nice egg rolls for lunch and a good talk also. We went back via a stop at the opposite island and caught two fish just before coming in. A lot of guys were snorkelling for fish. Noel and I decided to go out in a canoe to catch fish but got nothing though it was fun. When we got back we talked with Captain Richie who later came around and gave us some baked bananas and breadfruit which were not as nice as I thought they would be. But some fresh bread and milk, first in eight weeks, was great. We threw out two pawpaws cause they weren’t so good. Here I’ve done stuff that are not really holiday stuff but a terrific experience nonetheless. Met plenty of people I will be able to meet later in Australia.

July 7: Saturday

We slept in until 8am this morning instead of our usual 5.30am. Breakfast was made from bits and pieces but was great, boiled potatoes with onion and cooked bananas fried together and a fried egg and bread. Later lunch was at a Europeans house which are interesting because of their collections of curios.

Myself, Noel and two guys went for a walk across the island, first up through the bush then along a road. The island is flat which is a surprise. We looked at an American plane that crash because it ran out of petrol ( one person died) and we found some bullets. Saw some bats hanging in a tree and later one flying over our heads. On the way back it was dark going through the bush but the guys knew exactly where they were going. We stopped at a rock shaped like a turtle which is where the natives used to meet, it also has ‘magic powers’ but no one knows because they were killed off. Saw the dairy, Met a boy named Ian, will be doing more tonight which I’ll describe tomorrow.

July 8: Sunday

Last night ended up being one of the best parts of my holiday. The girls dormitory was open for inspection by the boys and everyone else. Just a fun time where we could all have a look around. Firstly we divided up into 13 groups, one for each room and starting from one room we moved to the next at the bowing of a whistle going around and seeing all the rooms. The building was long with a hallway down the middle and a large hall at one end. So going through was a great stir of crowds and noise. The rooms of four girls each were so so good, they decorated each one with creped paper in really smart shapes, photos and streamers, shells, beads and flowers etc. Some food, music and coloured lights. The boys were able to looked into the girls cupboards which were neatly laid out and they kept spraying all the perfume they could find also they threw around confetti and baby powder. Everyone ended up wearing streamers and beads and perfume and some got gifts as well. It was just a wild noisy but really fun time. Some girls made hanging vases out of old light bulbs. We then moved into the hall and we had a feed, just bread and biscuits and a drink (all the boys guts into it) while a group of girls played music and they sang. Two guitars, a ukulele and a tea box bass and they performed terrific everyone carrying on and I started them clapping and cheering at the end of each song. The lights went out to end it all but I sang a song with them, we all knew the first verse, they had their second verse and I had another then the same ending, really good fun. Too bad the lights went out and it had to end early.

Me and Noel later went fishing off the wharf using the moonlight, we only caught one even though plenty were jumping about. But it was nice to sit around and reminisce about the good day. It was interesting to note that the girls here are the same as any other place, they like to have perfume and a bit of jewellery though their range of clothing is limited. Some were shy but for others the excitement bought out their fun nature and they really liked to have a stir and the boys around. So we got to bed at the terribly late hour of 11pm.

Today we slept to about 7am but felt like staying in bed a lot longer. Due to diminishing supplies breakfast was pawpaw and milo only.

A way to get small fish here for bait is to whip the water with wire and it works. To catch wild fowl at night when the bird is roosting on a branch you put half an onion on a stick and put it into the birds eyes and it falls down and can’t see. The breadfruit and boiled bananas are good to cut up and fry with other things, they make up a lot of bulk and taste good.

Went walking around down to the water and to the school. At the girls dormitory some of the girls gave me some beads. I bought a tin of date roll cause I was so hungry at 10am. Talked to some boys and watched others play soccer. These boys would talk about the girls and told me who they thought were good looking, normally they are too shy to tell. Lunch at Malcolm’s and Ellie’s again, their father cooked some fish Chinese style and it was quite nice. From there we went down to the wharf to see if any fish were being caught on a set line, this line being set across the channel and has twenty five hooks on it. They caught one fish. I took four girls across to the other side two at a time in the canoe which stayed just above sinking if well balanced. I paddled around for awhile and found a nice shell that was a deep red purple colour on the inside and gave it to Malcolm. We had turns snorkelling and using the speargun. The water was murky and had a strong current and no fish though it was warm and I shot the speargun at nothing for fun. I swam right over a stingray who sat quietly on the bottom ready to react. I also saw a spotted stingray, a squid and an eel at different times during the day.

Me and Noel found some manioc in the garden and I boiled it for tea with spinach and had it with fired onions, baked beans and fish. The students work in the morning at various chores, up the back they have sheds where they cook their own food. It’s too bad I have to leave just as I was getting to know everyone.

July 9: Monday

Caught the boat in the morning and sat on the front and saw some turtles and coral again. It was nice and warm though the sunny was very bright. A taxi back to the flat then to town to post a parcel and have an ice cream and an apple! Checked up on the big French cargo boat in port but couldn’t get on it. I kept meeting people in town that I know from all over the island. The Chinese shops are amazing, full of old goods like toys and clothes and perfumes etc in really old fashion styles, even old ‘health remedies’ with Dr. Wong on the front. Came back for lunch and trimmed my beard with my little razor kit I bought for 70 cents. When I went back down to town to fix my visa I found a boat going to the Banks Islands and Aoba on Wednesday and Thursday so I am really happy again. I tries two Chinese lollies that were so strong and awful. A good day and achieved some important things so can now get ready for the next part of my trip.

July 10: Tuesday

Yesterday in a shop I saw a Bushman in his native attire and with a bamboo tube through his nose, he was trying on a pair of thongs. Down at the market some women were selling some large grotesque crabs while some other lady was selling flying foxes all nicely tied up and ready to go. Spent a fair while buying things for later on. I bought some Tiger Balm seeing it smells so nice and even a tin of baby food that was selling cheap and worth buying. Also two pairs of good Chinese shorts for $3 each. Found the Selwyn again and checked to see when it leaves.

It hardly seems like I’m in another country anymore, the people don’t look black or seem different (though they really are) and I don’t feel out of place but just another person though of interest to some people. In a country with two currencies, 5 languages and all types of people you have to fit in somewhere.

July 11: Wednesday

After a bit of sleeping in and a stroll I went down to the boat I rushed back in a taxi to get my gear then back down to the boat. It was ready to leave early today (midday?). I have a bunk in a tiny room which has no mattress and looks hard. This boat is bigger then the Pacifique. We left at 12.30pm and most of the guys I knew from the Pacifique and Aore were there to wave us off. Feel like I’m setting off to somewhere new and leaving ‘home’. Suppose I am to some degree. First stop Aoba.

Got the tired and weal feeling I always get on boats, you get so heavy and tired so I laid around on the hull cover, no one else to be seen. The ocean was extra calm just like in a well sheltered bay. No breeze and the air was so hazy we could not see Aoba until it was very close and Santo soon vanished behind us. I tried fishing for awhile but not for long. We sailed up the north coast of Aoba which took quite a long time. I talked to the guys for awhile which was good as they seemed to know something. Aoba looks the same as any other island, it has hardly any beaches, many coconut palms, one volcano (extinct) which is the main body of the island. Many ‘stations’ and a hospital or twp and a road all around it. I was told about an old man who can take you to a cave with a pool inside it and in the pool is a big ‘eel fish’. It’s a tabu place but I don’t know if it has a story behind it. Also at Lolowai where we’ve stopped there is a headland named after a spirit, If you think of a person (opposite sex and lustfully I presume) this spirit will come in the form of that person and have sex with you then you die, it still goes on they say.

The Anglican Bishop here is British and there are a few Aussies here, the people are friendly. This place is in a nice harbour also. It’s 7.30pm and we have just arrived so I’ll describe the place tomorrow cause it’s dark and I am staying on board, I’ve moved to another room with one bed and a mattress. Potatoes and corn for tea.

July 12: Thursday

Luckily this boat didn’t roll or move at all so I slept OK. This place is set up around one small bay which has some small islands at the mouth and goes around from it. It’s a nice cool cloudy day good for looking around.

The day was sunny with a nice cool breeze, I walked around the south side facing Maewo and Pentecost both easily seen including details. I got one boy to play a tune on his ukulele then walked along a beach and had a good look at the islands. Passed through the Police station also. Walking back I got a lift on the back of a Landcruiser then from the bay to the school I had a ride on a flat trailer pulled by a tractor. Not much to see at the school so I went along the beach there (all have black sand) and met a guy who told me that Mr Bruesch’s house was around on the next beach. He is an Australian who has been here for 48 years, he has a nice house with gardens but will be going to Sydney next year. We talked for a long time with his wife also and had lunch. He knew a lot about the place (too much maybe), they were nice people. From there I was driven to the main road in a rotten old doorless landrover, I walked along the road to get myself a pawpaw on the way. I also went through a dry old cornfield trying to get some corn with no luck but did manage to pull up a manioc for tea.

Got a lift in a ute back again then talked to a few people for awhile. I also went up to see the Bishop here to see about going to the Solomons on the Selwyn. HE said it was OK. He was the typical skinny Englishman in looks, nice man. Another ship is in and they have been loading and off loading for some time even into the night. How they ever know who owns what is a mystery. Tonight I used my candle as they haven’t turned the power on, doesn’t matter.

July 13: Friday

This morning is dull and overcast and little is happening yet. I’ve met one guy of the sort I have heard about, that is the sort that does not trust you at all. They think that all white men are here to get something and he would not believe me that I was just here for a holiday and thought I had plenty of money etc, real nasty type.

String bands are the thing here, they consist of a guitar or two, a ukulele and a teabox bass and singing, the ones I have heard sound good. They are going to have a contest here on August 3.

Caught a ride to the airport where I met a guy named Silas and he might take me to another village (Longana). We watched the plane come in then went on the back of a truck to Longana via the south coast. Longana is inland a bit from another village, it is there that they’ll be killing pigs for the 14th of July feast, we’ll go done and watch.

Silas’ house is one small room, half of a house really. I think I have put the wife of Silas out, she will sleep somewhere else. He seems a very humble sort of person, about 40 or so, and has one son left at home. They also have a cook house (or kitchen) which is bigger then their real house, everyone has one. Their kids play with real bows and arrows to hunt birds.

Silas and his wife are very modest, unnecessarily embarrassed about not having a table or the simple foods etc, I try my best to let them know it does not matter. They think that because we have a totally different lifestyle, that makes them feel, oh, I don’t know. Anyway they are terrific people and I will be glad to write back to him. Pigs here cause trouble in the gardens eating the things growing there, even the people who own the pigs have trouble so you wonder why they bother with them.

Me and Silas went down to the main road, Silas set his fire in the cookhouse and I went down to watch the pig killing. I’ll describe it later on, I have no time now. I bought Silas $2 worth of rice seeing he is being so nice to me. We sat in the cook house for awhile, had a talk to two guys and we talked about whiteman’s influence etc. Then we went back to the village and I washed. He has given me a pair of his shorts to wear, I don’t know why.

Peoples beds are made of flattened out bamboo with a mat or two on it. They build graves here, chiefs are large and round (made of large stones) and usually somewhere prominent like on a point etc. People here drink and smoke heavily compared to other islands. People here look different to the other islands, they all vary a bit.

July 14: Saturday

Last night and this morning were quite cold because of a southerly wind, a real change in the weather. Breakfast was lap lap and yams and rice etc, they always serve twice what you can eat. We eat on the floor with just a fork and fingers, me and Silas eat together while the wife and kids eat in the other room, it’s their custom. Silas reckons he is 53 years old though he looks 40. My elbow is sore again and swelling a little bit at the same place as before. They copy me a bit probably trying to make me feel at home, if I drink a bit first then Silas does, if I make my bed then he does too. Just nice little things they do. Silas’ birthday is on the 16th, his wife Letin, gave me a white shell as a present. In the afternoon we just laid around, it’s been sunny but quite cool at times.

Later we sat around a lantern and played guitar while the kids played games. Letin has cooked something different for every meal which is not the norm, she trully cooks well making most of the otherwise boring food quite nice.

July 15: Sunday

Happy birthday to me! It poured for a short while last night and today is cold and overcast. This morning I should get a lift back to the Selwyn. After a breakfast that included popcorn we went to Lolowai in a Landcruiser and said a few goodbyes. On the Selwyn I organised myself and cleaned myself up. We leave tonight.

Just went for a walk and sat around, nothing much to say. The boat will leave at 11pm and arrive at Santo at 6am. Weather improved from here and you can see Mere Lava. Hardly remembered it was my birthday at all, not to worry. A boy named James asked me for my Address so he could write to me.

The Pig Kill

Probably just a shadow of how it would have been in the past, little in the way of customs and the younger are not learning to follow on. Pigs are killed for a feast that night and the next day but it is also a time to settle debts so much exchanging goes on. There are three old men on drums under a shelter and everything goes on in front of them. The chief is involved a bit and his son also. The basic pattern is: pigs or mats are bought in (women only bring mats) and the owner talks for awhile. Drums play, chief’s son comes in and brushes them once with a branch and they are then taken away. Owner then trots across the open area carrying a special heavy spear held by the chief then more drumming.

There are some variations one being three huge pigs and many long mats with a long speech. Everything equals money. About twelve of the big pigs will be eaten, it ends with some women dancing as well and all the big pigs clubbed to death with an axe. The drums seem to be haphazard in beat but they do vary a bit and co-ordinate very well.

The old chief was quite happy to talk with me though I could not understand all he said. Basically is was an ugly event and took a long time and most of the guys didn’t seem to take it too seriously.

July 16: Monday

The boat left at 11.30pm last night, I may have slept a bit but I’m not sure. We talked for a fair while though that got on my goat as I was tired so I could not handle the language so much. The sea was very calm while we sailed near Aoba but the open ocean was rough and against us. The usual bout of sea sickness and not just me but everyone tried to find some sort of comfort from sleeping in the hull or the lifeboats or on the floor. I ended up on the front of the boat which was OK. It was hard but not to the degree of changing your mind. The sunrise behind Aoba was nice and we arrived at Santo about 6.30am. Spent my time doing bits and pieces and forever meeting people I now. Must admit my body feels off from no sleep and sicking up. We go again this afternoon and probably reach the first of the Banks Islands by morning. Besides seeing the islands this trip will toughen me up for the Solomons run which will be two days straight or more. Finally sent home all my unnecessary junk, it’s amazing how much I took. Will not write for the rest of the day as I could not be bothered.

Well I changed my mind. I roamed the town like everyone else does all day. The boat might not leave until Wednesday morning so I am sleeping in the flat again, seems I’ll never get out of this place. To date I have only cashed $230 in travellers cheques which is an average of $3.60 per day though I had a few hundred to start with. Most of the time you are an attraction, “there’s a white man” they say, I thought I came here to see them! There’s another Australian guy doing what I am doing, he is in the Hotel Santo. The people from Aoba and some going to the Banks seem to be very friendly but in a nicer way. I think it is more real and not just out of curiosity. They make an alcoholic drink here out of coconuts, they put it in old lemonade bottles so you would not know who is into it.

July 17: Tuesday

Luckily I had a really good sleep last night to recover from the night before though I still have a cold. Went to the market and bought a strange but delicious fruit then went to the Selwyn. I met a young French guy who looks like a typical Australian beach kid, he has been traveling for two and a half years. We talked for a fair bit if the day.

The Selwyn didn’t get fully loaded today plus these very strong south east winds have stopped us from going so it is the flat again tonight though that is fine as me and Mrs Townend get on well and talk and talk. The Selwyn was moved to its mooring and me and the French guy looked at some old boats and departed. I’m sick of Santo but have fun because I’m used to it. I joke with the boat crew about me being a tourist yet I help them load cargo or retrieve a thong dropped in the water. I finally convinced someone that not all us white guys are rich, they all think I have $10,000 for this holiday. These people can earn $150 a week with no big debts but most don’t bother but still winged about being poor. I still don’t know how to spell winghed?

July 18: Wednesday

Nothing today. The boat leaves tonight (?) so I went back to the flat to wash my clothes and read some travel magazines. But I did enjoy just relaxing and reading some really exciting stuff. Not leaving tonight again, I suppose it’s part of the game. Tonight I will sleep on the boat.

July 19: Thursday

Went into Santo to buy some food and watch the tourists off a Russian cruise ship. I can’t believe it but we are actually going! About 11am?

Fairly rough all the way but it didn’t bother me at all, we stopped at Hog Harbour over night. The weather very dismal and cold. We saw a couple of dolphins and they caught a strange big headed sail fish but that’s all.

July 20: Friday

After ten hours of continuous rain, rough seas and near blindness from mist we have reached Gaua (Santa Maria) just another island in the Pacific. Except for about 5 minutes I spent all of the time on my bed because the conditions outside were dreadful. Felt fine all the way though I stank of course, this 1000 year old mattress doesn’t help. Ate little. Is this what ‘adventure’ or a relaxing holiday is all about?

July 21: Saturday

Went to Vereas Bay around the island with the usual rotten weather. I’m going home from here on, enough, enough. I’m tired of the islands and boring people and the lousy weather. Here they are loading off timber, we are staying here until Monday morning. Finally stopped raining in the afternoon and went to the village to wash and look around. Finished today on African yams and a good talk with the boys so things seem a bit better now.

July 22: Sunday

Last night after talking with a few guys about the typical Australia/New Hebrides topics, one called me a black man (in a friendly way) so these guys have accepted me, eating all their yams helped also. They weren’t too sure of me at first thinking me to be another tourist.

There are a few different things in this village possibly because of its remoteness. The houses are a different design and they use some different cooking utensils such as a large turtle shell shaped wooden plate and a ‘knife’ of wood shaped similar to a boomerang, also a solid wooden rod used for pounding food, it has a nicely carved head. The village isn’t laid out at all and looks messy and has many black volcanic stones everywhere which doesn’t help. There are two large coral shelves out to sea which have large waves hitting them.

Did nothing in the morning until lunchtime, the weather cleared to a hot day. Eventually we left for another village where they were having custom dancing and singing. We walked a good few miles passing houses along the way. Also many stone fences and some hedges. It seems most of the island has an outer reef with surf on it.

I explained quite clearly yesterday that I wanted to go to this sing sing but they left far too late and we only saw the last dance. Why didn’t they tell me so I could have left earlier!?! Anyway it was OK though they didn’t look authentic with their shorts on and smoking. I heard a tape of the women singing, it was truly beautiful, like African singing (so I think).

Walked back by myself, stopped at Steven’s place (a Welessian) to eat yams (big deal) then back to the boat at dark, a very dark night. So a mixed day of boredom, fun, ignorant fools and some learning. Almost everything these people do shows their simplicity, that can be good but these guys are too simple, they don’t develop anything and do not progress or improve.

July 23: Monday

Left Gaua at 10am and went over to Vanua Lava with some sunshine. On reaching there it was mixed rain squalls and wind, the top of the island in clouds. A big island with steep hills and black sand. Sounds silly but I won’t go to shore here cause everywhere is the same. Some are good so I have a look but some of these places are obviously the same old thing. Consistent bad weather.

We went around and over the top of the island that way taking advantage of its shelter. A very rugged island with some coastal waterfalls. Strange to see a coconut palm way on top of a hill here and there. It’s teeming rain. These people go crazy in the rain, last time the crew were out in it (and rough seas) living it up. This time the captain has got his soap and showering.

We sailed into the night and stopped at Mota Lava, the stars then came out. A bad nights sleep and a stomach ache. The fish in the water are like glow worms flickering in whatever light hits them.

July 24: Tuesday

Mota Lava is smallish with two very prominent peaks and the rest of the island very flat and low. Vanua Lava and Ureparapara can be easily seen. I hope Ureparapara provides a nice change this afternoon, I need something to happen besides boredom which is near. The islands would have been good without clouds.

We moved a few miles to the end of the island where they loaded and unloaded some stuff. The sun was out and the water looked good so seeing as I was sick of smelling and feeling uncomfortable I went swimming, it was really good. Deep water with plenty of coral and two big fish. Coming in I dropped my snorkel so had to dive deep to get it. We stopped one more time at a lovely spot then went to Mota. On the way we saw a great number, maybe one hundred, of dolphins. I’ve seen them before but this was the best show. We had them under the bow as usual but you could see more and more coming some swimming six abreast in a wave. They left suddenly springing into the air between sets of waves. They looked really great. The guys caught a huge fish at the some time.

We stopped at Mota for only a short time, it was nice but nothing extraordinary. Went north to Ureparapara via the coast of Vanua Lava but went on the west coast of Ureparapara so missed out on seeing the big bay which was so frustrating. Ureparapara is a very steep volcanic island with only three villages on it. The story is that when it exploded forming the bay Vot Tande was spat out. There is a tall plant here that has a cotton like fruit/flower (?) on it and they can make pillows out of it.

In the village I managed to get a nice basket. It is interesting that there are small differences in the design of all things from island to island. The houses in the Banks Islands show more thought and design then elsewhere. The people here are a little more ‘wild’ so to say, a few topless though saggy old women and more tattoos as well though most people speak good English. Very nice village, it has a nice feel about it being small and cosy.

July 25: Wednesday

It’s a good feeling when you know these people accept you more and more. Like today, two people both wanted my address and last night when talking with two of the crew they showed me their little ‘custom’ while joking. You both squeeze each others knuckles with your own (middle and index finger) and pull away laughing as you do cause something funny has usually been said. Now for one of them to do it with me is a breakthrough so to speak cause they just wouldn’t do it with anyone. I used the word ‘them’ loosely seeing as they don’t seem any different to me.

Easy sailing from about 6am to 1pm with the swell behind us and not too rough. Weather hot and sunny all day. We went to the Torres Islands stopping at the second or five islands Named Loh. We approached the main beach but promptly turned around and went to the other side of the island. The swell was going straight onto the beach but on the other side of the island it was calm and a beautiful blue you could see the bottom in sixty feet of water. I unloaded all my things as I will stay here for awhile, we took them across to the main village. This place has grass and nice soil for walking on. A beautiful place.

I ended up at the school teachers place then went back to the smaller village (where the boat was) via the store and kicking a hole in my foot. I finished writing two letters to send with the Selwyn as I heard many stories of the lack of boats that come here so I sent the letters while I could. I managed to get some yam and fish off the people and all the kids watched me eat and write. Later they had some custom dancing and music. The costumes were good and made of local stuff only the dancing was just a stuttering trot around the drummers. The music was the best being the drummers on bamboo and the bass guys, they really got excited. They had a trick of revamping the pace while still going, sort of like changing a gear and accelerating. They went until sunset. Then I said goodbye to the Selwyn crew and went to the teachers house (no one else around) and crawled through the window as the door was locked but the window had no glass. Cleaned up my foot, lit a candle and organised myself. The teachers son came and got some kerosene for the lantern.

There is a radical nut here who thinks he knows everything though having little education of his own. He complains about everything ‘whiteman’ though took their relief when a cyclone hit. He’d be a Bushman without his T-Shirt and without us. He didn’t want me to take photos but I talked to the chief and he said it was OK.

Another guy here is backward though apparently he knows when a boat is coming a day before it arrives. There is an albino kid here who the others don’t seem so keen about. They have many coconut crabs which are similar to lobsters but slightly different. This is the perfect place to live for a year or two, remote, small and everything else a tropical paradise should be. Good shells here too.

July 26: Thursday

Slept in the teachers spare room on the concrete floor with a mat and my blanket for a bed, fairly comfortable though. Breakfast was ‘number eights’ and tea then I went looking for a place to set up camp. To the eastern side of the village there is a lagoon, really a sandy stretch between this island and a smaller separate part. I set up near there under palm trees and on grass. I can see the lagoon and have made a stone fireplace and used some old woven palm leaves as a floor next to the tent, very cosy spot. Went shelling and found a few small ones, also cleaned up my cuts and hair.

Had lunch with the teacher (Stephen) and they gave me enough yams and ‘potatoes’ and flour etc for weeks. His wife and daughter bought them to the tent with me and she made me a mat out of a palm leaf, really quick and very nice of her. Later I bought some things and an old man came back with me and had a look around. I wasn’t sure if he wanted to stay for tea but he talked a little, helped me out and went back. I few people (and the rest later for sure) have come to look at my tent, they are quite fascinated by it. I made chips out of a ‘comara’ a little like a potato. So it’s back to tent living though it feels like I never left it since Port Orly. I could have stayed in a house but as good as that would have been it cramps you a bit and you have no privacy, this way I can do as I please. Their coconuts, bananas, oranges etc were wrecked in the last cyclone so they either have none or very few. The big coconut crabs live up on the hill I was told.

July 27: Friday

Yesterday the old man said I needed an iron for my fireplace (rod of iron bent like a U) so first thing this morning he was here with one. He was sure that I should be in a house in the village. This morning I made jam out of a pawpaw and it turned out perfect. Went for a walk over the small island but didn’t really do much today. The kids like to come around like everyone else and they are fun. One of them, Christopher, talks and talks telling me stories and singing songs. Crazy kid.

I am wallowing in these peoples kindness, you can’t help it as they give and give all the time. I borrowed a book to read, was given some food, some tomatoes, Stephen gave me two number eights when he was making them and also some milk powder because I mentioned it. I also borrowed a spare pillow which is a terrific luxury. So I keep getting things and even though you feel like you might be bludging off them, they just want to give anyway.

Strong winds but nice, mosquitoes not so nice. Crabs with one big nipper, small eels under rocks. Many things get washed up on the shore here, drums, glass balls from Japanese fishing boats, even a surfboard. The kids go surfing here, they use wooden belly boards and catch small waves. Almost forgot the best example of their generosity. I mentioned yesterday that I wanted any old woven basket, they take a fair bit of work but Stephens wife is making me one quietly, I saw it in their house. What they won’t do. ‘Number Eights’ are plain donuts twisted into the shape of an eight. They are chewy and nice. Stephen sells them to the people, smart way of making some money.

July 28: Saturday

Read just about all day and enjoyed it. I miss reading usually and it’s good to get something to read. These kids come around as usual, they can climb the coconut palms easily. I cooked some ‘pancakes’ and later Stephen bought me a loaf of bread he baked, also got four eggs off a man. I have Stephens radio for tonight to here from Radio Australia. The old man came around as usual, I think he’ll be around everyday to check on me. In the afternoon I went over to the small beach facing south, I just laid back and took in the sun and the surroundings. Usually I forget the nicer parts of this place and spend a lot of time on less important things.

July 29: Sunday

Today I hoped to be shown a good spot for diving but didn’t get it. I went up to Stephens and waited until they came home from church. Had a bit of lunch with them then waited for low tide. The men and boys of the village play a ‘custom’ game something like tag but with two sides and two poles, they took at least 30 minutes to get going but went all day.

We finally left, today was hot and sunny, we walked along the lagoon to the other side. A beautiful spot with calm water, rock pools and coral. Also deep long holes in the rock filled with coral, very mysterious looking. The water was very deep for diving so we mainly fished. The foreshore was made up of very sharp and rough coral rock.

Coming back Stephens wife found a lovely shell which she gave me. Stephen made some chips out of yams for tea, very nice. I told him how to make them. He likes to do new things. The people here who took their education serious and worked at it are the only ones with any real brains to do things, they are also the ones to speak good English.

July 30: Monday

Last night it rained heavily and I think it was windy also, my tent and things got fairly wet. Today I’m inside cleaning and drying up, it smells and is stuffy as usual. Not exactly what I had in mind for today but that’s the way it goes. We’ll see how long it rains for.

It cleared up quickly to a hot day, I hung out everything to dry. I later went shelling with a guy, after finding nothing for ages I found three in minutes in the same small area, really surprised. After I met Judah and went fishing with him, he used his spear and I watched. We went along the south side of the small island which was very rough coral rock all in rows with long rock pools in between. The surf was big and looked impressive. HE really used the spear well and could see the fish easily (somehow). He caught a big blue fish early then a smaller silver one later. I found another shell crossing the lagoon. A lovely sunset looking down the lagoon, got back late and rushed to cook tea with half wet firewood. Luckily a bad day turned good and I started to get shells.

July 31: Tuesday

A little rain in the early morning but a very hot day today. I went up to Stephens house in the morning for water but ended up staying for breakfast (a really good one too), he also gave me some biscuits. I am getting well fed here by me and by others, the only fruit is pawpaw though. I later made another batch of pawpaw jam. I went walking across the small island but could not find the track that goes right across so walked along the rough foreshore that I went on yesterday. Very hot so I swam a bit and looked for shells but found none.

When I came back, Judah came around and took me to his garden, actually the gardens are very small ones here and there through the bush. He killed a flying fox there, we collected pawpaw and he gave me some beans and shallots which were good for tea. When we came back we then went diving, Judah used his ‘speargun’ which was an iron rod and a piece of wood with some rubber attached and he used it like a bow and arrow. I held the fish he caught. I late bought some eggs and some shells off the kids. Fifty cents for four shells and the kid was happy to have so much money.

The shallots fried with rice was lovely. With beans and potato as well. The storekeeper was fishing in the lagoon with a net and caught about three hundred “Mang-carloo” I ended up getting five which was good. This was on sunset so I had to hurry to clean them then boil them. Apparently the custom is not to gut or scale these particular fish or else they’ll not come back or something. Christopher told me, he knows everything.

Another peculiarity about these people is that they don’t knock when they go to someones house. If they can’t see them they stay outside and make some noise like talk or laugh to get their attention. Yesterday the guy I went shelling with found a sole fish about 40mm long and transparent, the only part with colour were its eyes. Don;t know how he ever saw it.

The days are long and the sun stays high for hours though I usually have to rush around at sunset time. The mosquitoes are terrible and everywhere.

August 1: Wednesday

This morning I made fishcakes with my boiled fish. They turned out fine and I gave two to Stephen and his wife so they could try them. He came down and gave me a loaf of bread and some margarine which is really good to have. I sat on the small beach for awhile then went back to sharpen my machete. Soon after I went over to the small village and David (the guy I went shelling with) he showed me a good place to go into the water to have a look around. It was very nice but a bit scary when you first look over the edge into deep water with all the big fish swimming around but I soon got used to it and it was nice. David found me one different shell. We went back and he showed me his house, a nice one room affair. It had two beds, a table and bench, a water jug and lantern and a few other things.

Back at my tent we ate a pawpaw between us. This one was the usual yellow close to the skin but a vivid red/orange inside, it was nicer then usual. Now it’s noon and we are just sitting around, I wish they’d leave cause we’re doing nothing anyway. No mosquitoes for now, I’m very surprised.

Went walking in the midday sun, hot, hot, hot! Gave that away and stayed in the shade. On the small beach again I met Christopher and one of the other kids. Christopher as expressively as ever told me about when he caught a big wave while surfing and with “speed, speed” was swept up onto the beach. Boy that kids got character. Didn’t do much in the afternoon. Tonight in my tent it is very hot and I am being pestered by maybe hundreds of tiny bugs like click beetles. They are very small and mostly do nothing but there is always one or more crashing into me and annoying me!

I went for a walk to get away from them, I went to the small beach. It was easy to see because of the moonlight. The sky looked really deep and had clouds silently moving across it. Back in my tent I could barely hear Sydney radio stations on Stephens radio but couldn’t make out the words much. Good to know everything is as normal there.

August 2: Thursday

Today I thought I got up late though it was only about 7am. I had eggs on toast (!) for breakie then set off the the other side of the small island. I got there this time on the track that was through dense growth and hard to follow at times. It ended at a nice beach and rock pools where I swam. I could see the other islands straight ahead, I also saw a yacht way off but it went elsewhere. I found three shells the same as what I found in Vila. Another hot day. When I got back around noon I went over to the small village then a few miles further on and even went through some bush and I was really tired and hot. So I went back to Stephens house and rested. I washed with a bucket of water at my tent then went back, I had tea there and spent a lot of time with the kids. The moonlight was strong so we could enjoy the cool of the evening. We ate number eights and sugarcane and a big long banana. Earlier I watched them bathing in the saltwater, they are bathing but playing with surfboards and a canoe while they’re at it. They don’t care about running around naked together, very natural. I’ll miss these times with the people, they sung me a song even. It’s 8.30pm and I am very tired from all the walking in the heat. Good day today.

August 3: Friday

Today I did next to nothing. After a few days of running around and doing things I felt like doing nothing, almost bored. I made a little house of sticks on the small beach as I sat there for awhile. Later I made a pile of pancakes for something to do. It is cloudy but muggy and some drizzly rain. Otherwise I just read for a fair bit.

August 4: Saturday

Today I rested and did little. The weather is OK but overcast. I talked with David on the small beach for a fair while, he is actually quite smart having had a good education. Later a yacht went by to Hiu. My house of sticks was still on the beach.

I stood on a log overhanging shallow water and watched the fish swim around. I watched some boys surfing, they haven’t a care in the world. I wish I came here first, I want to stay yet I’m tired of islands but going to Australia doesn’t seem so hot either. But home it will be, don’t ask me why.

August 5: Sunday

Today was a long day which seemed to have a lot of free time and a lot of activity all rolled up. The weather was always cloudy and windy and a bit cold so it was good to do little and stay indoors a bit. Though I started today by going diving first thing in the morning in the cold and choppy ocean. It was good but when I was finished I ran back to my tent got inside and warmed myself up and stayed there for awhile and read.

The people here have trouble finding me at times because they won’t ‘knock’ or say hello when I’m in my tent so they think I’m not here. Howard came down with a loaf of bread and soon his mother came down to ask me up for breakfast. This was at 11am so I had it for lunch, they had a late breakfast because of church. Stephen made pawpaw jam and added lemon juice which really makes it. I stayed there until 2pm talking and reading a book. Neither of us wanted to doing anything because outside was cold.

I went back and met David and some other guys. For fun I borrowed one of their big spears to go fishing though I caught nothing of course but it was good. There were many of us by the lagoon fishing or just watching and talking and eating coconuts. With the net they caught a big fish which we had seen earlier and also many small fish. David later gave me four custom spoons and I gave him my fishing knife.

I later went up to Stephens house and sat in the cookhouse and talked to everyone either in there or elsewhere. They have three doves as pets in their cookhouse, none of them are in a cage but able to walk around with their wings clipped. It’s nice there in the cookhouse, bamboo walls, open fires, dirt floor and different things around the place. Tea include fried fish and later we talked about some problems they are having in their church. I left at 9pm, so late! A really good day, nothing exciting but fun and as if I am one of the locals.

August 6: Monday

I have trouble remembering what I’ve done each day, it seems so long ago or else I have done it so often I forget it. It was another overcast day but improved by the afternoon. I read a big book I borrowed, it being too cold outside. Later I went for a long walk with Judah around part of the island mainly it was through gardens, didn’t really see anything just bush but it was OK to go for a walk. Though I was tired when I got back. I wanted to rest in my tent but everyone kept coming to see me or just look as they usually do so I went in and out and in and out of my tent. It really annoyed me. The mosquitoes were dreadful outside also. I done a good deal today with Judah, I traded $7 and my sloppy joe he liked for a small but beautiful turtle shell he had, how cheap! Tonight I had the radio and read, I usually forget to do my diary until the last minute, think I’m getting tired of it but near finished anyway.

August 7: Tuesday

My good friend David was here early today, I don’t mind. We talked for awhile then went around to the small beach (I had been earlier also). The wind was blowing very strong today from one direction. I read a lot and also washed me and my clothes, a rare act. In the early part of the day there were no mosquitoes but later they were everywhere.

Sunny day, a nice warmth. Lunch was pancakes, I ate them as they were cooked. Someone left me a big cucumber today but have nothing else to eat with it. The high and low tides have been to their extreme the last few days. I played a guitar today and chased Hilton with a spear which all the kids liked. After tea I went to the village at night, the full moon is brilliant and everything easy to see. I stayed with the young guys for awhile in the windy house. Tonight I came back late, that’s what it seemed like but it was probably about 9pm.

August 8: Wednesday

David told me the Japanese and Taiwanese fishing boats used to stop here for women. They would pay for their ‘service’ but they were not welcome of course. He said they are (were) bad people, the villagers would start to hide all the women when they came. I think he said one woman tried to make too much money too soon and died in the process.

I was talking about earthquakes with Stephen, he said in 1914 there was one (his Grandmother told him) on Aoba and it lasted for one full week. Not just trembles now and then but one constant big shake. Also in one area if they have one everyone runs to this one particular place which does not shake for some reason. It’s high up and sounds like it’s directly above where the earthquake originates.

For a contraceptive here apparently they use the bark off a certain tree, mix it with water and drink it. The women have to take it of course and it seems to be very efficient.

In the morning one of the guys came around and just stood there for ages, what a pain. He woke me up just after sunrise to give me three crumby shells then just stood around. Later David gave me a big round watermelon, they are not native to here but just as nice anyway. Fairly nice weather, I just went for a walk over to the small island to take a photo, nothing much else. Today you can see Ureparapara on the horizon for the first time. I have next to no food so I’ll have to buy some.

While sitting on the beach, Christopher, Hilton and Reynold came walking by and two of them were wearing tin hats, just a square with a hole in it from the top of a biscuit tin.

Went fishing with Judah in the afternoon. I either got hard tugs but no fish or just nothing while Judah caught all the fish. There were many pipe fish splashing about chasing smaller fish. The full moon is beautiful and very bright. Spending more time thinking about home, really can’t wait though it feels like Australia is something new like I have never been there before. Today I dug up my shells.

August 9: Thursday

Last night was terribly cold, I really suffered and laying on the ground seemed to be painful whereas I usually don’t mind. I stayed under my blanket until the sun was well up so I could warm up. Later I walked up to the big cave to take a photo. Went for a swim but nothing much else. I’ve been doing little expecting to have to leave tomorrow. Tonight I heard there is a chance the boat won’t come, typical!

Judah and another guy caught a small turtle today and butchered it on the beach. Turtle soup tonight. I watched a beautiful moon rise tonight, a big yellow moon lighting up the clouds and the sea. The southern cross sits lower in the western sky. Stephen used the last of his flour tonight expecting the ship to come, everyone is getting ready for it, some packing copra and some catching crabs. Tonight will be another cold night I’m sure. Even though I really want to get home the chance the boat won’t come doesn’t worry me, I just take it as it comes.

August 10: Friday

After getting myself ready for the cold last night I was quite warm and didn’t suffer. Stephen’s son Howard came and woke me up to have breakfast at his place, we had bread and jam and tea. Everyone is talking about the boat as it is their means of getting supplies. Matthew their ‘wireless’ as they call him spent the night down near the beach and in the morning was very excited and singing which means the boat is coming. So far (11am) just waiting. The school kids are having a relay running race, they ain’t too sure how to do it but are managing. Perfect sunny day with a cool breeze. Examples of these people sharing and giving, the guys who caught the turtle fussed over their catch and its shell but gave it away to Stephen. Stephen made some bread with the last of his flour enough for his family but gave me a big loaf and almost all the rest away! Makes me feel really stingy and tight.

After lunch me and Stephen sat on his verandah and talked for hours, mainly about school teaching and local politics. The school kids have been sent out all afternoon to catch fish or find shell fish etc for food. People here eat anything from the ocean. The half French guy trapped a wild fowl and gave it to the teacher, I got one of its long tail features which people here (me too) wear in their hair.

They have been trying hard to contact the ship, it might come on Sunday now, typical. I went back to my tent near sunset and cooked tea. The kids were just coming back you can hear them singing and yelling when they come, some had to wade across the lagoon which was up to their necks but they enjoyed it. They caught eels, stingray, fish, shellfish, crabs and more and all they will eat!

Tonight in my tent I have all the little bugs again, hundreds of them and they always crawl on me which I hate! It’s a waste of time killing them and I don’t know where they come from.

Today I was given potatoes and pawpaws, also a loaf of bread and two bananas which was a surprise. Pretty much wasted today waiting for the boat that did not come.

August 12: Sunday

Yesterday was a nothing day so i didn’t bother to write. Today in the morning I saw the boat at last! It went up to Hui and will come here tomorrow morning. This morning I was going to have potatoes for breakfast but after eating a little I threw them away, I’m sick of them.

I decided to pack up everything and wait at the village, after three months away my backpack is very light and only about half full. I’m sleeping at Stephens place tonight. Me David and Judah went out in a canoe, it slowly filled up with water so me and David jumped out and swam around. It was fun to relax for awhile. I was stung by a Bluebottle coming out of the water, it stung for about 10 minutes. I later went out and sat on the reef with Christopher, boy can he be crazy and tell amazing stories! We thought that the ship had stopped on the other side of the island because of some excitement on the shore but we rushed back to find it was a sailing ship out on the horizon, it went to Hui.

Stephen made some pancakes from yams, they tasted good but greasy, with salt. He told me about the people around here who are still very superstitious though they are supposed to be Christians. He said that while he was on Ureparapara a man died and the next night some of the men of the village ate that mans liver! They did it because of superstition. He also said that people there won’t go out at night at all, afraid of spirits. Another story, one man argued with another so to get at him he ‘made’ a blowfly that went into the mouth of the other mans son. He tried to get it out of his mouth but he ended up swallowing it. He got a stomach ache and dysentery so they took him to a hospital but he died.

Stephens father used to own some stones, small ones each with powers over weather conditions. If he wanted it to be cloudy the next day he used his stone for clouds to make it so. He could make it rain etc also.

August 13: Monday

Last night (9.30pm) someone yelled out the same thing over and over so I went out to see the moon rising through clouds, but the moon was red. It looked like a volcano erupting at first with the yelling to excite my mind. It was amazing and eerie nonetheless.

At last I am on my way home. This morning was one long wait, I just sat around in the shade with David and we talked while we watched to see where the ship would come from. A hot day too. Matthew was excited, he sang and yelled and ran about or sat near the water watching. Slowly everyone came and the boat finally came around the point and everyone cheered and yelled.

I went to the house to get my things then we went to the mouth of the lagoon where the small boat would come. I had Christopher on one hand (he wouldn’t let anyone else hold it) and Reynold on the other. So I said all the goodbyes I could as we went quick.

Some of the men of the village went on board to buy things and when they went we said goodbye, very sad to leave this place and the people because it was really the best part of the holiday. We are sailing to Maewo and Aoba before Santo so that will slow me up a week. This boat the ‘Semly Federasen’ is very big and neat, the rooms are very good and don’t have that boat smell about them. I am sleeping in with some of the crew. The water is calm and the boat hardly rolls at all. Many nice people aboard.

The food is terrific including steak which one crew member complained about having too often but I loved. I could be getting fed for nothing which is good. They even sell ice cream on board. Some of the crew are Gilbertese (Gilbert Islands) they look just like Chinese only more solid, I was surprised. Some are Fijian. We stopped at Toga then went on to Maewo.

The cuts on my left foot although up to two weeks old are nowhere near being healed. They are only small scratches from sticks or stones but the water and flies and climate never let them heal. They even hurt!

August 14: Tuesday

A good nights sleep and some nice coffee and biscuits for breakfast. A red sun at sunrise then another hour to Maewo. We stopped about halfway along to get copra but they had none. I went ashore but we only stayed about three minutes. What I saw was very nice, lovely trees of different types, shady paths and a stream, tall mountains and valleys and nice looking people. But it’s back to the ship and off, we’ll stop elsewhere.

Next stop Lolleu on Maewo, a nice big stone beach and the village up a slope. A quick look then back to the ship again. We went over to Aoba and dropped off a speed boat just along from Lolowai. While one of the guys goes up to the village and they get ready, we go on to another place then come back. The place is the French Catholic school. I stayed on board.

Back to Lolowai for the night. There is no fresh water on the boat and on shore for washing and everyone is moaning about it. Talked with the crew after tea, nice and tired so should sleep well. Santo tomorrow.

August 15: Wednesday

Last night up on the top deck I talked with the Gilbertese man, he was very interesting to talk with and spoke good English. He said he was part Chinese and most of the other Gilbert Island people look that way. They are not very dark and have straight hair. There are many WW2 relics there and they even dig up skeletons still with their rifles and helmets etc. Not as hot as you’d think seeing it’s on the equator. He also said that Singapore was good and cheap to live there.

Early in the morning we headed around the point near Lolowai towards Longana but because of rough seas we are heading back to where we came from and will get some copra from the north side then back to Santo.

First stop Lolariki, a school of dolphins lazily swam with us in the calm ocean and we can see a tall yacht towards Santo way. We stopped at Dnuinaui I think then the last stop of Walaha then to Santo. I haven’t taken any notice of what we’ve been doing or where, they are all the same on this coast of Aoba.

Easy sailing to Santo. As much as I’ve hated this town time and time again it was good seeing it knowing that a stage of my return home was over. I realised coming back that this ship was a good experience as not everyone travels on a big copra boat you know! It’s about 7pm and the wharves were full so we could not dock but are anchoring in the bay. Most of the crew excitedly engaged in spicing themselves up for a night on the town, what would they do in a town like this though I know there are some women available here. I really wanted to go to shore and up to the Townend’s place to get any mail but it wasn’t worth the effort. The trip on this boat cost $12 which was good. Tea tonight was the same as lunch, rice, meat and spinach which the cook is talented enough to make taste like tomato vines might, not the tomatoes, just the vines.

August 16: Thursday

Fairly ‘excited’ day today. I left the boat early in the morning and went to the Townend’s house where seven letters were waiting for me. I was only expecting two so it was a nice surprise. After a bit of talking I put my stuff in the flat next door and headed off to Santo to do some bits and pieces. The policeman concerned with passports wasn’t happy about me being late and didn’t give me an extension on my visa but who cares, I’m going home! Arranged my flight back to Vila for tomorrow but will find out about Sydney flight (hopefully Monday) at 4.30pm. For now I need to rest my brain.

Confirmed my bookings today so I’ll be going to Vila tomorrow and the land of Oz on Monday! Received another letter in the afternoon, tonight I’ll pack up and organise. Every time I came to this flat I tear all my things apart and have paper lying around so it’s a mess but it’s so I can re-arrange it.

August 17: Friday

Well, spent most of the day readying for the flight packing and rapping. Also bought the Townend’s kids a book each seeing how Mrs Townend helped me while I was there. Sad to leave them but not Santo town. The taxi driver drove like a wild man but we got there. After giving in my luggage etc I waited outside sitting on a garden edge. I started talking to a lovely French girl there, she was sixteen but I wasn’t sure until she said.

Actually she did all the talking and was fascinating to listen to. She really had an amazing personality. Her father in Santo had a treehouse hanging over a beach on Aore island. She had been here for two months.

On the plane, a white UTA Fokker, I sat near the aisle as all the window seats were taken though there was little to see until the end where I could see Nguna and over Efate, very nice in the contrasting shadows and sunlight. I made sure I watched the tyres hit the tarmac though it wasn’t much. Actually it was a very short flight but nice.

At Vila I said goodbye to Claudia and then picked up my luggage luckily still in good nick. A taxi into Vila and able to confirm my Sydney flight. At at the mission I met Sid and Lolleta and Pastor Simon who were all surprised and happy to see me and me them. Had tea with them and in the flat downstairs settled in for my few days here. Even had a warm shower, my first for months. Another step completed in getting home, one more to come.

August 18: Saturday

Slept a bit restless and dreamt about being home. Put on my jeans which I had left here, first time I had worn long pants in two and a half months but they don’t feel funny. I’m hoping to have an interesting and filled day so as to make time go quicker, I haven’t much patience left.

I met up with a lot of old friends and later had lunch with Sid and Lolleta. They told me there was a big earthquake last night. They first heard a big noise off in the distance then came the shaking which lasted from midnight to 5am on and off and I never felt a thing! Stupid of me, I didn’t sleep too soundly as I said but still I never knew there was an earthquake.

Nothing much in the afternoon and evening, just happy to waste time and read. Time went quickly which was fine.

August 19: Sunday

This morning is just like and autumn morning at home. Sunny and still and the air cool, just a few birds singing and sounds of people going about their own business. Yesterday afternoon was the same.

Looked in the shop windows to get ideas for gifts to buy tomorrow. Saw some good stuff but don’t know what to get everyone though. I laid around on the wall at the waterfront looking at the yachts and the scenery.

Went to Manou’s place for lunch, played table tennis and had a nice pizza and natural yogurt. Drove around for awhile to kill time and avoid a wedding at the mission, even saw some things in Vila I never knew about. When I got back the wedding party was just starting but I stayed in my room too tired after running around all day.

So it’s finished, tomorrow I should be home God willing and the holiday will end on day number 99.

August 20: Monday

This morning is a dismal rainy day, only a drizzle but I don’t care. Just hope it will clear enough so I can get down to Vila.

Weather cleared enough and I went to just one shop where I could get everything. The shop owner was a British lady who proved interesting to talk to. She knew much about the islands and artifacts. Could not get the map I wanted of the New Hebrides. Had a late late breakfast then went back to pack up. Lunch with Sid and Lolita then I realised I should be going. Drove to the airport in Manou’s car, luggage weighed about 20kg. Same plane I came over in. Dull rainy day.

The plane moved fairly fast down the runway and I thought it would be funny if it couldn’t pull up in time then suddenly twp parts on the rear of the engine I could see started to fall off I thought scaring myself! But these two parts which make up the outer shell of the rear of the engine moved back and met blocking the exhaust thrust thus slowing the plane. Vila looked nice from the air.

We flew over the Loyalty Islands, the one I saw was an odd shape but very impressive. The sea looked so neat and orderly not like how I remember it from a boat! The centre of New Caledonia is a mass of tightly packed mountains, gorges and meandering rivers and roads. Quite an exciting landing banking heavily and a good touchdown.

The Jumbo ride was as the last. New Caledonia is beautiful from the air. The sunset I didn’t see but the light from it was the most vivid pink/red. Nice food etc, the stewards ultra busy and many young school age girls are forever running around. A nice Melbourne couple next to me who used to live in the New Hebrides. Nothing out the window just the constant rumble of the engines but hard to realise you are on a huge jet. Three hour and ten minute flight slowed by headwinds. Apparently the record time for Sydney to Noumea is one hour and fifty eight minutes.

Sydney from the air at night is something to behold. Wow! The plane went over and around again. Millions of lights, the coloured ones stand out. Could see cars and roads and everything. It was the perfect end to the holiday or should I say experience.

Disembarking and customs took about an hour or so. I could not keep my turtle shell due to regulations. It was fun joking with the custom guys, I didn’t worry much as it didn’t cost much and why bother. The big joke was that it cost me my most favourite sloppy joe. The airport was quite a good experience. Caught a bus full of tourists to downtown, went to the train station and bought a paper and a travel magazine. Nice to sit here and wait for the 9.30pm train, not very cold at all, I’m surprised.

Taxi home and woke everyone up at 10.30pm, we stayed up for an hour or so. The conclusion, Ian + 2 planes and bus, train and taxi = HOME.