The Banks Islands are in the Northern tip of Vanuatu. They consist of 7 main islands and several smaller islets. The three largest islands are Gaua (formerly Santa Maria), Vanua Lava, (with the capital of Sola) and Ureparapara.
This post will cover our beautiful visit in Gaua, Vanua Lava, and the Rowa Islands.
The first island we visit is Gaua which has a rugged terrain rising to an active volcano called Mount Gharat in the center of the island. There are many fresh water lakes. This is the most popular island in The Banks because it is known for its stunning landscapes, active volcano. In addition, it hosts Vanuatu’s largest lake and highest waterfall.
Vanuau Lava is taller than Gaua at 946m and it too has an active volcano. This one is called Mount Suretamate. What sets this island apart is its lush rainforest, waterfalls, and active volcano.
Ureparapara is the third largest island and is to me the most exciting. This island is an old volcanic cone that has been breached by the sea, forming a bay, known as Divers Bay and we will get to sail into the volcanic crater! And if you look at the photo below this island looks like Pac-Man!
Gaua Island
The first island we visit is Gaua (formerly known as Santa Maria). Our primary goal was to see the famous Water Music, but we also wanted to hide from an upcoming weather system. We anchored in Bushman’s bay and had the anchorage to ourselves which was good as we moved all over the place with the high winds.
We went ashore and to our surprise found out that there are four villages in this small bay. Two are on the main beach directly in front of the anchorage and two are located to the East behind the beach and trees. We just happened to stop at the main village where we met Chief Willy, his wife Charity and daughter Samantha. They were so very welcoming and kind. We had a gaggle of kids and the chief greet us with floral leighs.
The village was by far one of the prettiest villages we have seen in Vanuatu. The homes are raised above the floor, the grounds are clean and orderly, and the bamboo siding was gorgeous.
They are in the process of building a new primary school (top) and a new Anglican church. Unfortunately, the church and government do not participate in the costs so the village has to raise the funds to get supplies to build both buildings.
The women were preparing for a wedding by weaving baskets, siding, and flooring for the special occasion. The chief will marry the young couple. A week later they will have a second ceremony at the church. The village was in the process of also building them a new home.
Exploring Gaua
Matt and I attempted to walk around to the next village which was about 3 miles and in a different bay. You can only access it at low tide and you have to traverse over lots of rocks, boulders, and fallen debris. We didn’t make it all the way around, but we did see lots of beautiful black sand beaches and caves.
Water Music
Water Music is a unique artform and a sacred practice performed by women. Watch and listen, in awe as the ladies move their hands beneath the water creating an amazing range of sounds! Originating and perfected in Gaua it is a rare gift to see it performed. The women gather in the shallows of the lagoon and prepare to wow their audience.
A small troupe in Efate will perform a type of Water Music in a green pool which completely takes the magic and mystery away from this cultural tradition.
At first we did not know what to expect despite seeing a few clips. This was an unofficial performance where the ladies gently placed flowers in their hair and casually walked into the water wearing their regular clothing (no costumes).
They make different sounds by cupping their hands and going lower in the water (bottom picture), slapping the water, swishing the water, and pushing the water around. It sure looked like they were having fun, despite being soaking wet.
The entire village came out to watch. The children sat with Matt and I and the men sat under the tree.
Matanda Bay (Gaua Island)
The winds gave us a break and stopped blowing 35-40kts which gave us a small opportunity to move to the next bay over where we could more protection. We moved less than 2nm to Matanda Bay and it was so much more comfortable.
Chief Michele and his father, Chief Richard are absolutely the best host families we’ve met. Their village is located up the small hill to protect it from the elements. They have a very abundant garden, a beautiful Anglican church, lots of animals roaming around, and colorful homes.
We greeted them with a bag full of reading and sunglasses and a small bag of assorted medical / health items. In return, they gave us pamplemousse, papaya, green beans, green onions. They asked us to fix a boom box and small charging device. Unfortunately we could not fix either of them, but Matt tried really hard. They then gave us more green onions and stopped by to give us 3 freshly caught lobsters. They were literally hunting bugs right behind the boat (see the flashlights in the water)?
Outgiving with the Locals
Well, we could not let that be given without giving them something in return. So, we gave them a soccer ball, sewing needles/thread, and some batteries. The morning we left, Chief Michele came by and gave us an entire stock of bananas, sweet potatoes and taro root! Seriously, they win!
Here are some drone shots of Matanda Bay:
We enjoyed a beautiful walk over to another village 4 bays over. Came across a lot of stone carvings and some paintings. We actually found a street sign in the middle of the jungle…this totally cracked us up!
And we found a beautiful blow hole to cool us off.
Vanua Lava
We stop at Sola the main town at Vanua Lava. Our main purpose was to clear out of Vanuatu and see if we could get some diesel. Lucky for us, we were able to do both fairly quickly. The anchorage was really uncomfortable and rolly so we stayed less than 24 hours. No fun photos as the village, beach and community was kind of dirty with trash around. However, the locals were incredibly lovely, friendly and super happy to see us.
The Rowa Islands
Just 12nm from Vanua Lava are a group of uninhabited islands called the Rowa Islands. The islands are a natural border between Melanesia and Polynesia and are said to be the most beautiful place in the South Pacific. They are a vast system of 15 coral keys or atolls and reefs.
It was far too windy to fly the drone but this would have been an ideal shot to capture from up above. We managed to go ashore to the beautiful long beach and enjoyed one night here before heading to Ureparapara.
We enjoyed a beautiful walk around a few of the islands on their white, soft, sandy beaches full of beautiful, colorful sea shells. Came across 16 crabs and critters eating off of this one coconut shell, Matt lounged on a tree stump and then posed as a tree.
We ventured to another one of the uninhabited islands and to our surprise found a turtle nest! First we discovered the mother’s tracks up the beach (she came at mid-tide), then the tracks down the beach (she left at high tide). And her nest awaiting the little beauties to rise.
Stay tuned for our next adventure where we embark on a 1300nm passage from Vanuatu to the Marshall Islands.
Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind actual live events. This blog post occurred in the first week of September. Did you read about our visit to Ambae, the Volcanic island?