Torrance April 18, 2005 Howdy Everyone, ( A Message From Shelly McConn ) Tracy and I are back from New Zealand. As you probably guessed, we had a great time once we got there. Tracy and I were lucky enough to get delayed in Los Angeles at the airport. First our gate was changed (twice). Both times Tracy was in the bathroom. Then our flight got canceled, although they did not decide this until about 2:30am. We found this out only after we went up to get a coffee. When we came back everyone had gone, except the flight attendants. Do you see a pattern here? If you fly any where with Tracy, do not let her go anywhere - especially the bathroom. The airline did put us up in a hotel. And they even gave us Pajamas to sleep in. We took off for Australia the next day and, of course, we missed our connecting flight to Christ Church. So, the airline put us up another night, this time in Australia. But this time we also got a free dinner. Even though we had a great time getting to New Zealand, it was even better to get off the plane and finally see our parents, and Todd. Todd had his own travel adventures, and maybe he will tell us all about them some day. Once we saw each other we could not stop hugging, and we were all talking a mile a minute. We were actually asked to carry our conversation on somewhere else, we were in the way. Unfortunately, the weather kept us from doing any sailing on the trip, but we were able to do lots of sight seeing. We went to go see Cape Reinga, which is at the northern tip of the North Island. We had fun at the Te Paki Sand Dunes. I slid down one hill and almost landed face first into a stream. We also got to see the Waipoua Kauri Forest where we saw the largest living Kauri. Kauri wood is a very popular wood in NZ. We saw so many interesting things there, but the best thing we saw was our parents. And, I think the days we spent just hanging out at the boat were great. It had been so long since we had seen them; it was just nice to be with them. We have been hearing about their adventures for a year, but it was great to listen to their stories first hand - not just read them. We could see on their faces that they are having a great time. They said that they miss everyone and will send another Email soon. We should also have some pictures from the trip up on the website pretty soon. Take care of yourselves, Shelly McConn a guest of the S/V SpanishStroll New Zealand May 01, 2005 G'day Mates, Hope this finds everyone in good spirits. Spring and summer in Southern California. Something we both look back on fondly as we try to stay warm and prepare the boat for our upcoming journey. We hope to be on our way in the next week or so and headed for the warmth of Tonga. We just finished a whirlwind tour of the north of the North Island of New Zealand. New Zealand may look like a small place on the map in comparison to places like Australia or the US, but there is at least as much to see... get in a mini van and start driving.....you can only see a fraction of the points of interest that you've read or heard about. We were with such wonderful company, Shell, Tres and Todd, that the 11 or 12 days that they were here came and went fast. We traveled a lot, but it was relaxing and the scenery is so beautiful that just driving around is a pleasure. Nothing better than traveling with your family, once the kids are "mature" adults (he,he)! We put on about 1200 kilometers. We started off by driving the farthest south we had been in New Zealand, to Auckland International Airport. It's a small, user friendly airport. Karen and Horst our friends from the S/V Flo are living in Auckland for awhile. They were kind enough to host our stay for a couple of days as we picked up the kids from the airport. The girls ran into many snags on their flight to New Zealand. They left on Friday, the night before Todd and were hosted by Quantas spending one night each in Los Angeles, and in Australia on the way to Auckland. We picked Todd up at 11:30am on a Saturday and the girls arrived at 4:30pm that same afternoon. Then it was up early Sunday morning for a drive to the Bay of Islands. We all just relaxed for the next day or so. Burger's and a beer at the Roadrunner Tavern were the height of our ambition. Was nice to just hang around and catch up on everything. It had been over a year since we'd seen the kids. We took a day trip to visit the Kauri Forest on the west coast. The Kauri wood is beautiful and also impressive in it's native form, a tree. We saw the oldest/largest one in New Zealand. It's named Mutu Mutumutu. Big, but no General Sherman. Most of New Zealand's well preserved wooden boats are made of Kauri wood. It's durable and attractive qualities are responsible for bringing the explorer's of old, like Captain Cook, to New Zealand. They loved Kauri for things like masts and boat repairs. Jim and I have added to the deforestation by having our tiller made of laminated Kauri and Mahogany. Hey, it's our only Kauri souvenir. On the way to the Kauri Forrest, we stopped at Bayley's Beach on the west coast. We walked along the beach and waded in the Tasman Sea for the first time. It's a long way from home. We made a loop and stopped in the town of Opononi on the way home. There's a true story about a dolphin who came close to shore back in 1955 and befriended the children of Opononi. It played ball with them and even let some of the children ride. They have a statue depicting Opo the dolphin by the beach in town. Close by there is a takeout that may make the best fish and chips in the North. If so, then Chris's at the Opua Yacht Club are a close second. As a matter of fact, we ate at the Yacht Club while the kids were here a couple of times and we'll let them be the judges. By Thursday everyone was totally recuperated and we took a ride into Kerikeri, for a shopping trip at the New World Market to prepare for "The Big Road Trip". We are busy getting ready to go and our list of things to do (like writing email) is thankfully growing smaller. Tonight is a bon voyage gathering with some friends at a local restaurant and then a push, for us at least, to leave by the end of this coming week. The trip from New Zealand to Tonga will take about 12 days if everything goes well.....so probably longer. I'll write again soon with more highlights of "The Big Road Trip" we did with the kids. Take care of yourselves, Jim and Barb S/V SpanishStroll New Zealand May 05, 2005 G'day Mates, Here's the next chapter of "The Big Road Trip" that we took with the kids. We left from the boat on Friday, first thing (McConn Time), after we were all rested and ready to go. We drove north to Waitiki Landing with a stop for lunch once we reached the Aupori Peninsula. Waitiki Landing is the most Northern overnight lodging available in New Zealand. We booked a two nights stay in the Holiday Park Campground at the end of the paved road on the way to Cape Rienga. The local's take their tramping and camping very seriously. Aside from tents and camper spots, the campgrounds have simple cabins available that are inexpensive, but very comfortable. Some are just beds, some have bathrooms attached and some have kitchens. All the Holiday Park's have have a communal kitchen and showers. Reminded us of the old Lazy River Lodge at the Kern River. Saturday morning we had a delicious "brekie" at the Waitiki Landing Cafe and drove the 22k of rock/dirt road to the lighthouse at Cape Rienga. As you stand there looking out towards Three Knights Island off the north coast, you can see where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean. We were lucky to have such beautiful weather. The view was spectacular. We stayed at the cape for hours, taking pictures and enjoying the surroundings. Bus loads came and went. Man it was beautiful, our pictures don't do it justice.... As we drove back to the Park, we stopped at a beach on Sandy Bay for refreshments. While Todd was visiting, our ice chest was always in excellent working condition. Jim and I had bought some cheap little white plastic chairs for everyone at the end of summer sale and we sat on the beach and relaxed for quite some time. Believed to be the point that spirits take flight from New Zealand, we must have gotten some good vibes from them, as we left feeling refreshed. The drive out and back on the dirt/rock road was dusty and felt as though it were shaking the van apart. We had almost made it back to the paved road when Jim spotted another turnoff and insisted we drive out to Te Peka. We were not disappointed by the most amazing sand dunes and shrubbery, split by a small stream running to the ocean in the distance. It is the beginning of 90 mile beach, which unfortunately can only be traveled by 4 wheel drive. Just the small part we saw was spectacular. We ate dinner at the cafe and spent a second night at the Waitiki Park. Jim and I were really enjoying a double bed with bath and shower attached! The kids were sports and took the twin and bunk room! We headed off the next morning, first thing (McConn Time) and stopped at a souvenir shop and cafe called the Kauri Kingdom for breakfast. It was an amazing place, with the centerpiece being an ancient Kauri tree that was hollowed out with stairs to the second floor. It was more like a museum of all the incredible things that are made of Kauri. Good food too! We got back to the boat in time for a meal at the Yacht Club and a good nights sleep. Over a week already gone and still so much we wanted to do. Will send this on and have one more installment to you soon with the last of "The Road Trip". Getting closer to being ready to leave. The marina is chock full of boats waiting for the "perfect" time to leave for various tropical destinations. We have met at least 10 or more boats that will be headed to Tonga, as we are. It looks like at least 4 or 5 days before a good low develops for our passage. We'll see.... Take care of yourselves, Jim and Barb S/V SpanishStroll New Zealand May 12, 2005 G'day Mates, This will be our last installment on "The Big Road Trip" we took with the kids during their recent visit. We had such a wonderful time visiting. Following dinner at the Yacht Club and a good nights sleep, we all got up first thing Monday morning. We had breakfast on board and then shuttled the kids and the luggage over to land. The Spanish Stroll let out a sigh of relief. She'd heard people talk of taking on crew. She enjoys being the center of our attention (and doesn't realize how small she is). Our next adventure, Auckland is about 250k south of Opua. Opua Marina, in the Bay of Islands, is where we have been living for the last five months on board. On our way down, we stopped in Whangerie to have McDonald's for lunch and shop a little. We've never really been too big on McDonald's, but for some reason they taste good here. Tastes like America? We arrived in Auckland, crossing the Auckland Harbour Bridge, as the sun set and the lights were just coming on in the high rise buildings and the Sky City Tower. What a view! We drove on further south to the town of Manukau where we'd made reservations at the Manukau Holiday Park. This stop we had a kitchenette in the cabin and shared communal bathrooms and showers with everyone. The locals were celebrating ANZAC (Veteran's) Day weekend and it fell in the middle of a two week school holiday so it was a busy place. We made our meals in the kitchenette on several occasions. Spaghetti one night and ham steaks, instant mashed potatoes and broccoli the next. Breakfasts of rashers and eggs, even French toast. It was all delicious and quite a challenge on the two burner electric counter top appliance. Auckland. Wow, such an international city in the South Pacific. We drove to a parking place off Queen Street, downtown, and stopped for lunch at an all Asian Food Mall. There are many in the city. After lunch, we started at the top of Queen Street and walked downhill. It's a mix between the old Hollywood and Vine experience and Universal City Walk. Grand Hotels and Backpacker's Inns stand side by side. We stopped in places along the street, slowly making our way to the bottom. We crossed the streets diagonally with the crowds. We drank Tanquery Martinis and Caramel Frapacinos (yes, Starbucks). The people got thicker as we got closer to the harbor. It is such an exciting city! Queen Street ends at Auckland's waterfront.....then came the long, hard walk back up hill..... Seriously, we took a bus from the bottom, back up to the parked van. On our way back to the Holiday Park we stopped at Cornwall Park. The park surrounds a monument in Southern Auckland called One Tree Hill. We could see all of the city and surrounding harbors from a stone structure at the top. You can do the same thing for $18.00 per person on the ride to the top of Sky City Tower. One Tree Hill, however, honors important historical figures from both White and Kauri ancestors (and it's freeeeee). The girls caught their flight the next afternoon. :-( We went back to the Holiday Park afterwards, ate Chinese takeaway and got some more visiting in with Todd. After breakfast the next morning we took a drive around the Coramandel Peninsula. It is opposite the city of Auckland on the other side of the Hauruki Gulf. The scenery, like most of New Zealand is awesome. We drove along the west coast of the peninsula out to the town of Coramandel and stopped for lunch. Then back down the east coast and arrived at the airport about the right time for Todd's flight. It's weird to be able to sit together over a beer within an airport itself....we shared one last one, with Todd, before he boarded. :-( As I said in the beginning, it was a WHIRLWIND TOUR. Made us realize just how relaxed our lifestyle has become. We haven't been this busy since we left Redondo. It was sad to see them all leave. We got to work on the Spanish Stroll and it made our goodbye easier. The ocean takes it's toll. We have just as many projects waiting to be done on the boat as ever and although we're ready to leave, we still have plenty to do to keep us busy. The Spanish Stroll has never been in better condition and all provisioning has been done. We turned over the van (it had been pre sold) on Saturday (05/07/05) and just need to clear customs and then we can get our duty free wine and diesel. We thought we would have left New Zealand by now (05/12/05). We have been ready since Monday, but the weather hasn't been good for our passage yet. Customs checked out over 25 boats in just ONE DAY (05/07/05). We've heard their crossing hasn't been too bad, but they have not been comfortable. Gentlemen (and Women) never sail to weather. There have been boats leaving almost every day since late April but there are still quite a few boats waiting to head out. Some of our closest cruising friends are still here waiting, like us. It's probably our maturity and intelligence as a group (he, he). Several friends have been here more than two or three seasons and are familiar with the weather pattern(s). We are watching a LOW pressure system that is currently below Australia. If it tracks over New Zealand and all conditions look good we plan to leave on the tail end. Maybe next Monday. Hope you're all enjoying the beginning of summer. It's been beautiful here the last few days, but it gets very cold during the nights. We can't wait to hit the tropics again! We'll let you know when we take off. Take care of yourselves, Jim and Barb S/V SpanishStroll At Sea May 26, 2005 G'day Mates, We left New Zealand on 05/23/05 at 06:30 UTC. Our current position today, 05/26/05 at 16:30 UTC is 30.41 S, 178.11 E. We are 362 nm (nautical miles) NW of New Zealand. We are on our way to Tonga, and hope to make a stop at Minerva Reef on the way. We have 449 nm to go to Minerva Reef and then approximately 280 nm to Tongatapu Island, Tonga. So far we've had fair weather. The wind is pretty light and the seas are calm. Once we reach 30 degrees latitude and above we should get the trade winds and and have smooth sailing. We've been receiving weather faxes several times a day and everything looks good for a safe and comfortable trip. Our last day in NZ was very busy. We got up early to do our last load of laundry. We checked our email and then called home. After we filled out the 5 page form for customs we checked out. Next, we went to the general store to send some CD's home and while we were there Jim bought a beef and kidney pie and Barb a Hokey Pokey ice cream. We both gained a few pounds eating all the delicious and rich foods here. Hopefully, a fresh fish diet is in our future. We called the Roadrunner Tavern to let them know we had checked out and they delivered our duty free alcohol (there goes our diet). We rode out to the boat in our dingy and somehow found places to pack all the last minute things away. We saved breaking down the dingy for last. We ate a light supper then cruised out of the marina under a full moon at 6:30 UTC. We should be in Minerva Reef early next week. We sent pictures when we stopped at Minerva on our way to NZ and if you remember, there is no civilization there, just a reef. We plan on bringing a fish in with us and will try for lobster while there. We will keep in touch. P.S.May 31st - We have successfully escaped from New Zealand and are safely anchored in South Minerva reef! The water is crystal clear and the sun is shining......yahoo After eight days at sea, it's time for a swim and a much needed nap. We'll be in touch soon. Take care of yourselves, Jim and Barb S/V SpanishStroll Tonga June 12, 2005 Malo e Lelei, We are in Tonga after our brief stay in South Minerva Reef(SMR). SMR is twenty miles southwest of the North Minerva Reef (NMR) which we stopped at last year on our way to New Zealand. SMR is two attached lagoons shaped like a figure eight. Only one lagoon has a pass but it's tricky to enter, with a lot of coral heads. As a result there were only two other boats there at first. They left and we had the place to ourselves (skinny dipping) for most of one day before another boat came in. At the same time, judging by radio traffic, there were probably fifteen in NMR. Once inside past the coral, it is calm and beautiful. We were anchored in fifty feet of water and you could see the bottom as if it were only two feet deep. The reef is low and always slightly submerged which makes it a little rocky at high tide but it sure is kool to sit in the cockpit and watch the waves breaking on it all the way around with some pretty big surf on the south side where we were anchored. We stayed a few days and relaxed, swam, cleaned the bottom, and explored the reef between the two lagoons. We saw the usual colorful reef fish, as well as a turtle and a couple of curious reef sharks. Doesn't take us long to get back into "island time" it's much like "McConn time". We left after four days fully rested. Instead of stopping at NMR we decided to take advantage of the favorable winds and head straight up to Tonga, 275 miles north east. Oh, by the way, we made the 800 mile leg from N.Z. to SMR in 8 days. Much better than the 12 days it took us to get down to NZ last November. We had some calms where we had to motor and a few gales that tore the sun protection layer off both our head sails (one we just had replaced in N.Z.) but we're always happy to make a hundred miles a day and we can get the sails fixed in Tonga. All in all not bad for one of the most feared crossings. We broke down and bought a big nine inch Rapala magnum plug in NZ. That's the one we have hooked all of our big fish on. We started trolling it as we passed near the Kermadic Islands. Of course, we hooked a fish that was like trying to stop a passing car. Just before the line was gone Jim cranked the drag all the way down and the 105 pound steel leader snapped like kite string. Oh well, another $30 plug gone in seconds. Don't think we're ever gonna learn. Caught a couple of Mahi Mahi afterwards on home made lures but they were small and released. In after thought, they would have made a few good meals each and we should have kept them. No other luck, yet. We arrived in Tonga on the 7th of June at 6:00pm. We normally would not have made the tricky entrance through the reefs in the dying sunlight, but we had entered last year and the charting program we use, C-Maps, was right on, so we felt we could trust it. After an excellent steak dinner on board we got a good nights sleep and headed into the harbor first thing Wednesday morning to check in with customs. Customs basically just takes your clearance paperwork from your last port and sends you over to quarantine. Quarantine has to search the boat. Our plan to anchor outside the marina in the choppy waters so that the quarantine agent would not bother to come out to the boat didn't work this time. He rode out to the boat in our dingy. Jim drove very slowly so as not to get his uniform or briefcase wet. Tongans are funny. Very quiet people and quite content to just sit or stand with you and not talk. He came on board and accepted Barb's offer of a coffee. After a few questions about our stores, he completed the paperwork and sat quietly drinking his coffee. We finally gave up on a conversation and just sat quietly with him until he indicated he was ready to leave. He never came below from the cockpit and just accepted our word as to what stores we had. Guess we don't look too threatening. After a wet ride back into the harbor, we walked into the town of Nuku'alofa, where we checked in with immigration. Took just minutes to fill in the minimal paperwork and have our passports stamped. We're good for a month. On our way back from town, we stopped in at the Bill Fish restaurant to have a late lunch. It was around 4:00pm. Too late, but they started serving dinner at 6:00pm so we decided to have a couple of beers and wait. Our favorite waitress, Melianna, still works there and there was a live band performing that night. Anyone who knows us will not be surprised that we arrived back at the boat after 2:00am the next morning. We danced the night away. Welcome to Tonga! The anchorage outside the marina was very rolly so on Saturday we moved over to Pangaimotu, a small island on the reef just a mile or so away. There is a resort and restaurant called Big Mama's on the island and that's about it. We had dinner on the island and shared a few beers with some of the other cruisers who are anchored here. The weather, although warm, has been windy and rainy since we arrived. Right now there is a wind advisory for all Tongan waters so we'll be right here for the time being......not too tough for us! Hope you're all doing well and we'll be in touch again soon. Take care of yourselves, Jim and Barb S/V SpanishStroll Tonga June 20, 2005 Malo e Lelei, Yup, still in Tonga. The weather has turned "very fine" and the out look is for "mostly fine". We had fun at Pangaimotu, and Big Mama's for a few days, but decided to move back over to the mainland and Nuku'alofa to take care of things and get ready to move on. One thing amazed us at Big Mama's (besides the high cost of beer!) was meeting a couple, Mickey and Anna, from New Zealand who actually knew of Willy Deville and were familiar with the song "Spanish Stroll". That's a first! They were there with their three children on a vacation to visit Mickey's homeland, Tonga. We enjoyed an evening of darts and good company with them. We took a tour of Tongatapu Island last week with some friends. A Dutch couple, Jelo and Chris (we had met Jelo in NZ) and a new friend we met in Nuku'alofa, Roman. He's from Georgia (Russia) originally, but from Texas, lately. It was correctly predicted that it would rain all day. We decided that a tour would at least get us out, so we took the shuttle over from Pangaimotu and met up with our tour guide, Joe. We saw the tombs of all the Tongan Kings, including the tomb waiting for the current king (who's in poor health). We got a view through the gate of the royal residence, too. The street that runs along by the royal residence is usually closed when the king is home, because the traffic noise bothers him. It's good to be king. He happened to be in New Zealand and we could drive by and check it out. A highlight, we thought, was the oldest church in Tonga built in 1829? We got to climb up into the belfry, which is the highest spot on this coral island. There is a large bell made by the French in 1894 and given to the kingdom along with an intricate set of weights and gears that cause the bell to ring "automatically" every half hour. We opened the cover to take a picture of the workings just as the clock struck 1:30. The statues of Jesus and Mary at the front of the church were a little plump and even decked out in woven skirts (Tongan style). Our guide, Joe, said that the church is still packed with worshipers every Sunday. We visited the blow holes on the southern coast. They were very impressive and due to the poor sea conditions, the swells were very high and made for good blow hole material. It was really pouring rain at that stop, we didn't have enough time to get a good picture. The same for our stop at what they call the Tongan "Stonehenge". Because of the rain, we all wanted to be under the stone and no one wanted to be the one to take pictures. Ditto for our stop at the sight of Captain Cook's johnboat landing on the inner lagoon of Nuku'alofa. It was interesting to learn that one of his small boats had come inshore, but with nothing much more than a marker to see, we all stayed in the car. We had lunch at a surfer hotel on the southwest side of the island. We could see the huge breakers hitting Duff Reef to the west until poor visibility obscured it. We had sailed by Duff Reef on our way into Tonga and remembered seeing the hotel and imagining what it might be. Neither of us guessed - a surfer hotel that served a tasty chicken teryiaki dish. After lunch we drove by the "flying foxes". They turned out to be two trees full of bats who pretty much just hung there in the pouring rain (poor things). When we got back to the dock, the last shuttle boat to Pangaimotu was just pulling away. Joe beeped his horn and we ran with our arms waving to catch his attention. He turned back and we jumped on as he came along side the dock. Perfect timing. McConn time! We enjoyed the tour mostly because the company was such great fun. We've had beautiful weather since. Perhaps we should have waited. Back in Nuku'alofa, we were pleased to have our friend Thomas, from the vessel Wet Spot, come in and drop his anchor next to us. We had been worried about him, as there was some very bad weather affecting the boats who left New Zealand behind us, and he was one. He does not have a ham radio so we had no contact with him. He had quite a strenuous trip, but not too much damage. During the last few weeks, at least five boats were lost, two in North Minerva reef. Our friends Ken and Kathy on the vessel Music had a horrendous trip to Fiji and sustained considerable damage. They do have ham radio and we were able to stay in contact with them, and hopefully gave them some moral support. Our friends Malcolm and Helen had a "very lively" sail to Vanuatu that also left some damage and took their dingy. It's amazing that we've heard of no serious injuries. There were seven rescues with some people in life rafts. We were so happy that we had decided to skip North Minerva and head on up to Tonga when we did! Jim got to decide how we spent Father's Day(s). Sanding down and re-varnishing all the wood in the galley and the companionway. It took two days, but as we're a day ahead he figures he get's to "celebrate" both days! We plan to leave within the next day (or so) and head for the Ha'apai Group. Still Tonga, but more remote and pristine. It's been fun coming back to the Tonga we know, but exciting getting ready to head for new places! We'll be in touch soon. Take care of yourselves, Jim and Barb S/V SpanishStroll Tonga June 27, 2005 Malo e Lelei, We checked out of Nuku'alofa on the 22nd of June. Paperwork was quick and easy, especially seeing as we were only leaving the island, and not the country, yet. We popped into the duty free shop and were able to buy some beer, too. What a deal, just 56.00 a case (which is still 28.00 US!) We decided to pull our anchor and move over to Pangaimotu (Big Mama's) to say goodbye to our friend Thomas on Wet Spot before we broke down the dingy and took off. After a relaxing swim together, Thomas invited us on board for one last cocktail together.....we left Nuku'alofa on the 23rd of June. The sail to Numoka Island was too short! We left early afternoon on what we miscalculated to be an overnight sail and had to heave to when we arrived in the middle of the night. Didn't want to come in and anchor in the dark. There are two islands side by side, Nomuka and Nomuka Iti with a lot of reefs around the islands and in the surrounding waters. Once the sun came up we anchored off Nomuka Iti. The village is on Nomuka, about a mile away and an easy dingy ride. On Saturday we drove the dingy over to the village. A beautiful little place. The inhabitants seem to be poor, but are all very friendly and their houses are very clean and tidy. The homes and other buildings are all fenced in to keep out the many pigs who wander through the village. There is one little store, with literally three shelves of goods all at 3 or 4 times the cost we found in Nuku'alofa. We would guess they mostly eat their own grown/raised foods. When we landed the dingy, we were met by a man named John. He was very friendly and spoke pretty good English. Very proud of the fact that he is 78 years old. He walked along with us and said he would show us the way to the police for our check in. He brought us to his home instead and asked us to take a picture of his wife, Ysale. We took a picture of them together and told him we would come back with a copy for him. He had his wife gather a bag of bananas for us and then asked us if we would come in the next day and visit his church. What could we say? of course..yes... He never did get around to showing us where to find the police station. After leaving his house, however, the next person we met took us not to the police station, but to the policeman's home where he told us that check in was not required until we get up to Lefaka Island. So casual. We took a nice long walk through the village and surrounding jungle before heading back to the boat. We printed the picture of John and Ysale and put together a bag of some used clothes we thought they could use or share and a couple of magazines. We also had a few good pictures we had taken of some of the children that we printed up. We headed over to the island Sunday morning in a rush to make it to church on time. Upon reaching the landing, Barb promptly jumped out of the dingy and fell on her butt, which soaked her from the waist down and gave Jim and the young village boys quite a laugh! Not enough time to go back for dry clothes. We passed three churches on our way to John's church. Everyone leaves their shoes outside on the steps. We entered and sat on the back pews and looked around not seeing John or his wife. We did notice, too late, that the men were all on one side and the women and children on the other. We couldn't understand the sermon but did catch the names, Jesus Christ and Abraham. They sang a lot of hymns. The islanders here, like everywhere, have such beautiful voices. It was interesting to see how well behaved the youngsters were, right down to the little ones in diapers. They fidgeted, but not a sound. After the sermon that lasted only a little over an hour, we were invited to lunch by one of the parishioners. We declined, thinking that we had gone to the wrong church and that we better look for John to explain. Turns out he hadn't gone to church at all. We found he and his wife in their backyard cooking mutton and octopus in a pit for lunch. They asked us to come inside their house, where we all sat on grass mats and they looked over the picture and things we had brought. They invited us to stay for lunch....mmmmm....mutton and octopus, tempting as it sounded, we told them we had just eaten before we came (which was true). We took one last walk through the village and gave the kids the pictures we had taken of them. They were happy and very polite in thanking us! Wish we had time (and enough photo paper) to take pictures of everyone. It is something that everyone both old and young seem to really enjoy in these more remote villages. Our first new unexplored (by us) landfall this season and we had such a great time! We just love it! We could go on and on....and will soon. Take care of yourselves, Jim and Barb S/V SpanishStroll Tonga June 29, 2005 Malo e Lelei, Here we are still in Nomuka. Didn't plan to stay this long, but the weather has been "lively" and not the best for traveling in these coral reef strewn waters. We took time over the last few days to take care of some things on board. Aside from preventive maintenance, we needed to do laundry and baking and such..... Sounds like work, but when you're hanging up clothes and look over at Nomuka Iti and the white sandy beach and palm trees, you just have to stop and be amazed at where you are. We did spend time a couple of days exploring Nomuka Iti. There is a pass in the coral that you drive the dingy through to land on the beach. A shipwreck lays on it's side close by. The beaches are beautiful with interesting coral formations here and there along stretches of pure white sand. The interior of the island, about fifty feet from the shoreline, is a dense jungle. Nomuka Iti used to host a prison, but that has since been abandoned. Two hikes on the island and we didn't really see any definite signs, aside from a cistern and a toilet. The abandoned prison plantation is overgrown, but there are still plenty of coconut and mango trees. We did a little harvesting. Life is good. Take care of yourselves, Jim and Barb S/V SpanishStroll