Moving on in the Solomon Islands

After having enjoyed two weeks at Lola resort it is time to move on. We have had a lovely Easter here. The kids are ecstatic as both the Easter Bunny and the tooth fairy found us last night. Natasha had lost another tooth and the beetlenut fairy found it and left a red glass of water!! (If interested I can explain all.)

Next stop is Munda, then Rendova island group and then Morovo Lagoon. We will turn around there and retrace our steps whereas Pura Vida will continue on to Vanuatu via Honiara. It will be sad to say goodbye to our cruising friends of the last three years. We have been sailing together on and off since June 2007. Davids birthday is coming up before we split so I am sure it will be a night to remember. I have saved special treats from Malaysia, Indonesia and Papua New guinea to share, food and drink that we cannot purchase here in the South Pacific. When we get back to Australia, the supermarket will be an Aladdin's cave of treats that we have not seen for a very long time!

The plan is still to leave the Solomons around the end of May and head for the Louisiades in Papua New Guinea and then wait for a window to sail to Cairns June/July as long as the cyclone season appears to be over and the South East trade winds are in. Winter in Cairns will be a shock after and heat and humidity of the last three years but I have dreams of being cold so will enjoy the change I am sure!

Pura Vida ran on to the reef entering the Vona Vona lagoon to get to Lola and enjoyed the night at a bit of a list. John dived under the boat and chiseled some coral head away to make the pull off the reef easier. With Auspreys help, their engine doing the pulling and Pura Vida reversing, in minutes Pura Vida were free. David was embarrassed as he was at the helm after having asked Ginny for a cuppa, but no damage done, thank heavens for steel hulls and bilge keels.

Another rat had also found Pura Vida, this is number five - Gazza from Gizo. Pura Vida weren't in a marina this time so not sure how Gazza got onboard might have swum or called the dinghy taxi perhaps. Our cockroach problems seem to have come under control. It is always difficult with cardboard boxes and fresh produce from markets and dugouts to keep control of ants and cockroaches but Asian pesticides have done the job. We had a sea snake try to make a home in the main outboard housing but managed to discourage that. Squid though have been welcomed and many a meal has been hooked onboard by the kids. The yelling and screaming "I've got one" and then the pumping black ink I could do without. Squid ink and tropical sun are a bad combination causing the ink to dry quickly so the ink must be cleaned off the hull quickly, usually by mum or dad. We must have caught about 3 kilo's of squid while here at Lola. Yum "Cumi cumi goreng" and papaya salad are a regular meal.

Well life aboard Blue Moon is school, swimming, fishing, walking, kayaking, visits by dugouts with fruit and vegetables or wood carvings and occasionally crocodile heads......

All is well, more exploring to do.....