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Places around the world

Efate is on Fire

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We leave Anatom (Aneityum) at 0630 to start our overnight passage to Efate, Vanuatu’s main island.  we have 170nm (as the crow flies) to get to Port Vila, the largest town in Vanuatu.  

Our friends on sv Moana (Rena, Chris, and Helena) are following us on their Lagoon 450. We expected a beautiful beam reach sail with moderate 1-2m seas.  What we got was a lumpy, bumpy sea 2+ meters on the beam and 25kts of wind forcing us to pinch hard at 35degrees.  I was ill prepared and did not take my sea sick medicine.  It was a miserable journey for me, but after 23 hours we covered 179nm and arrived at daybreak. 

Port Vila

Port Vila is the main town on Efate, the main island of Vanuatu.   Despite this being the capitol and economical hub for the entire country, the outer communities are low key and symbolic of true village life.  Normally, this is not the type of place we like to go (city-type) but we had to accomplish a few things here that required a stop.

Mainly, we had to get our cruiser permit which allows us to cruise to other islands.  The cruiser permit we got in Tanna was only for the “southern islands.”  This new permit will be good for the middle islands (Efate to Santo) and then we will have to get another permit for the Northern islands.  Fun, right?

We also needed some fresh produce and boy oh boy did we score.  They have a HUGE fresh market every day, although Monday, Wednesday and Friday are the biggest days.  People from the outer villages come on the big days.

This is what I would call a “proper town” in island life.  They had loads or Au Bon Marche markets which were well stocked!  It was so much fun exploring these markets and finding products we had not seen in over a year (like whipping cream to make ice cream). 

I gathered all the important intel for the Vanuatu Compendium (store hours, locations, contact details).  I also picked up some medication and medical supplies at the pharmacy as they don’t require a prescription (cool, right?) and pampered myself with a pedicure.

Efate on Fire?

One of the best things about coming to Port Vila, Efate is the famous fire show at The Beach bar on Mele Beach.  Our friends on Moana (Rena, Chris, and Helena) and another friend, Amy joined Matt and I for the spectacular event!  Be sure to check out our svSugarShack instagram account as there are some amazing videos from this fire show (posted 18 June 2024).

They warmed you up with some “basic” fire tricks like juggling and tossing the flame sticks around.  Each act was set to either “popular” music or local music.

Gradually the stunts got harder and more exciting to watch.

There are two people playing with 10 fire sticks at the same time in these photos.

Then really, really long fire sticks came out which they slowly and artfully lowered over our heads. The bright colors are the laser lights that they had on during the show.

Some of the fire shots came out really crazy on camera – but I kind of really like the effect.

They had a few women come out and do the traditional local dance with fire sticks. They also had a man who tried his best to do a silk contortion show.  Really it was clunky and difficult to watch but kudos to him for trying!

Efate is known for this famous fire show and I can see why!  They did the limbo, they had 3 jumping under a jump rope and had several mystifying stunts.

After about an hour the show was coming to the finale.  Lots of fire, lots of sparks, and lots of “oohs and awes.”

Sparks and fire were flying everywhere and all I could think of was the splendor in front of me!

And then the fire went out….

The dancers stayed around so we could take photos and play with fire ourselves. Lucky for me I did not burn my hair off.  But I was never a baton twirler….

Super fun night with good friends, tasty food, and amazing entertainment at The Beach Bar on Mele Beach, Efate, Vanuatu

Our blogs run 10-12 weeks behind actual live events.  This blog post occurred in mid-June.  In our last blog post, Matt walks 12 miles to a waterfall on Tanna.

A Massive Waterfall Hike

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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.

Why is it called Mystery Island?

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Mystery Island has the coolest name and creates such intrigue.  Rarely visited except by the few cruise ships that have Vanuatu on their itinerary.  This little island, Inyeug, aka Mystery Island, is barely 1km long and 200 meters wise.  It can be walked, slowly, in an hour.

An uninhabited sandy islet surrounded by coral reefs lies to the very south of the Vanuatu island chain and is known as Mystery Island.  The island’s real name is Inyeug, so, why is Mystery Island called Mystery Island?  Well there are a few tales of this little island got its name.

  1. The Queen

According to some locals, the island used to be referred to as Inyeug, which means small island. When Queen Elizabeth II visited in 1974, a reporter trying to find out which small island she was visiting got confused. In news headlines, he referred to the island as Mystery Island, and the name stuck.

2. The Cruise Ships

The local people believe that Mystery Island is inhabited after dark by ghosts, so no one wants to stay there after the sun goes down. The indigenous name of the island is Inyeug, but the cruise lines renamed it Mystery Island because tourists sure prefer mystery over haunted islands.

3. WWII Planes

It was formerly used as an Allied forces landing strip during WWII. The “mystery” is said to have derived from the fact that the air strip is impossible to see from the sea and therefore it took some time for the Japanese to determine where all the planes were coming from.

It is believed the Japanese were confused as to where the planes were landing and taking off which is why the island was called Mystery island.

Haunted Island?

It is believed that the island is haunted therefore nobody actually lives there. The traditional owners live on the nearby island but don’t go there after dark as they believe ghosts inhabit the island at night. 

On the days when cruise-ships call into the island, the locals come across from nearby islands of Anaton to spread their warmth, culture, and wares.

We were there during the day when the white beaches and turquoise waters sparkled with the afternoon sunshine.  The locals created a beautifully manicured path around the entire island.  It leads over several beaches, through the center of the island, by the airstrip, and the cruise ship dock.

Assuming they need loads of toilets when 2500-4000 people descend upon this little piece of paradise for 6 hours.  So, they have dozens of small, wooden toilet sheds (some with toilets seats, some just holes in the ground).

There is also a solar farm that powers the large antennae that supplies the neighboring island of Anatom with communication services.  Still sad to see on this beautiful island.

There is a small airstrip that was built by the Allied forces during WWII.  This is still in use today – albeit infrequently and rarely.  Especially since the one local airline is bankrupt.

Servicing the Cruise Ships

The long pier constructed for the cruise ship landing stands out like a sore thumb on the pristine beach.  It then leads to the interior of the island where the Anatom villagers sell their crafts and wares.  It is also where they offer massages, food and beverages, snorkeling and fishing tours, SUP, Kayak, and canoe rentals, hair braiding, and cabanas for rent.

We find the “cabanas” and the Tiki bar on the windward side of the island.  Matt was so sad that the Tiki bar was closed, but then again the entire island was closed.

Of course Matt had to boil me and then offered a passport stamp for $2!.

Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind actual live events.  This blog post occurred in early June.  In our last blog post we explore Anatom Island, the neighboring island to Mystery Island.