[password] Cowboys99
[status]
:position 22 22.92s 166 54.88e
Well, we've been enjoying a few days of well-earned rest here in New Caledonia after the trip up from New Zealand. We're presently in a giant bay called Baie de Prony on the Southern tip of the main island (called Grand Terre) having done a lap through the various coral islands between here and Noumea. Since I've been here before it's not quite such a shock for me, but everyone else is seeing things for the first time. Their reactions to seeing turtles, sharks, sea snakes, whales and dolphins - especially when we see these things up-close and personal - are hilarious. Even the fishing has been a big success with some whoppers being pulled aboard and devoured. Despite the weather being considerably cooler that I remember it, even *I* got in the water yesterday and gave our water-line a scrub (since it had never really recovered from spending so long in the barnacle-nursery that is Opua!) Sadly, it was harder work than I expected and I only managed to clean one side of the boat. Perhaps it's just my imagination but now it feels like we go faster on a starboard tack!

Tomorrow we're going to head back to Noumea after a quick visit to see how Monsieur Chien is doing on Isle Casy. I wonder if he'll remember me as the guy who, when I visited him last time, brought him a handful of carrots and garlic to eat?! Hope he forgives me :-) We're putting together a shopping list of groceries we'll need for the next 2 week sail to Australia: 7-8 days to the Great Barrier Reef, and maybe 5-6 days to Thursday Island. The 10-day weather forecast for the trip is showing a constant 15-25kts from the south east - absolutely unvarying for the entire 10 days. So that would make it a *fast* 1450 miles!

We met a lovely young Australian couple - Jessie and Claire - from Australia aboard their gorgeous boat called "Sprout". Their first time cruising, they left the Gold Coast a couple of months ago to spend the cruising season in New Caledonia and plan to head up through the Solomon Islands later to avoid cyclone season. They seem to be having a great time, surfing and exploring New Cal. They're recording the details of their trip on the internet (Facebook and YouTube) under the heading of "Adventures of Sprout" - check them out. What they may not have published on the internet is their surprise at learning from the helpful locals, that in French speaking parts of the world, the word "Sprout" is mildly obscene! I think it's a super name :-)

So it's back to Noumea tomorrow for grocery shopping, buy diesel, change engine oil, try and get the sat-phone working again, clear out with the authorities, lash-down the dinghy, one last weather forecast, one last criossant, and some quality time with the internet. I'll check-in again before we go :-)

Tony
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