Anatom / Aneityum Island is pretty darn remote and there is not much to do besides enjoy the beauty it has to offer. So, when another cruiser mentioned an all-day hike to a beautiful waterfall we were all in!
Unfortunately, I had a massive leg infection and I was told by my doctor friend (Rena on the boat “Moana”) that I need to sit this one out. I was heartbroken, but I made them tell me every single detail so I could share it with you!
Rena, her daughter Helena, and Matt left around 0730 and walked up the one main logging road (the logging company that used to deforest the island built the road). They met their guide Elisha and his brother John at the last village at the end of the logging road. This is about a 45 minute walk from the beach.
This is where Elisha and his family live which is a really beautiful home! He has an immaculate and flourishing garden with both flora and vegetables!
Rena is like me, she loves flowers! Anatom is super lush and covered in over 80 types of orchids. I am so grateful to her for taking so many beautiful flower shots!
Here are a few more shots of his very extensive garden. He even has an old piece of equipment from the logging days. Matt said it was an old bulldozer.
And the Hike Begins
The beginning of the hike, well after they made it up the hill to the last village, was pretty easy. They walked along a wide road until it turned into a dirt road. Most of the river crossings had “bridges” and the trail was obvious.
Then the trail became more in the moderate to advanced level where you crawl under fallen trees, cross low rising rivers, and trapse through the forest.
At this point, Elisha decided to start handing out pieces of sugar cane. He had been carrying it with his machete and cut it up for each person. This kept everyone hydrated and sugared up.
Then the challenging part begins. Elisha had to use his machete a lot to clear the path that was severely overgrown. Not a lot of locals come up this path and very few tourists make it up this far.
Lots more challenging and difficult. Now, you are balancing on very wet, slippery rocks/boulders to cross the river and or go up the river. It made for slow progress, but the water was crystal clear and very refreshing.
The Reward
After 4-hours, the group made it up to the beautiful waterfall. Pictures don’t do it justice, but everyone was in awe of her beauty.
It did not take long for everyone to jump in and cool off after the long hike.
Then it was time to get some lunch. Elisha and John caught crawfish / prawns in the fresh river! They caught the larger ones under the rocks and the smaller ones in the falls. They simply scooped their hands up the falling water and put them in a bamboo shoot.
Then they made a small fire, steamed them, and served them up for lunch.
On the way back, which took 2.5 hours, they stopped at Elisha and John’s village to load up on fruits! Elisha literally climbed up the trees (barefoot) to shake down the pomplemouse, passionfruit, and bananas.
He also showed off his new vanilla plantation. We all scored with the fruit!
The Results
- Distance: 12 miles / 20 km
- Elevation: 1200′ from sea level
- 8hr and 29min moving time
This shows their track into the interior of the island.
And then they were blessed with an amazing sunset.
I sure missed out on an epic adventure. I hope I did it justice for you all. Elisha said that they were the 2nd group to do this hike since covid. Not surprising since the cruise ship people who visit aren’t really going to go on an all-day hike and the villagers have other things to do.
Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind actual live events. This blog post occurred in mid-June. Don’t miss out on our last blog to the very famous Mystery Island.