I arrive in Port Vila after a challenging transfer from the Solomon’s and a missed flight out of Fiji…... First World Problems are the worst!!!
Splash ! I’m on island time.
Port Vila is a metropolis after Honiara and the Solomon’s. The wonderful walkway on the harbor is lined with coffee shops and café’s. Cruse ships stop here – so the infrastructure is light-years ahead of its neighboring Solomon. Staying at a marvelous hotel – The Grand – just a 5 minute walk to a dive shop. Walking the local main street is welcoming and the vibe is interesting. A heavy French feeling everywhere. The Food market was crazy cool – huge and overflowing with fresh vegetables.
I always felt safe and free to explore everywhere. People were open and friendly. Airport transfers simple and safe. And the population density here is curiously low. Vanuatu still has a long way to pull itself out of 3ed world status – but it’s definitely on the right path.
I dive with Nautilus while here on the island of Efate, and Port Vila the Vanuatu capital. Diving 2 wrecks – The Star of Russia and the Semil. Adding two reef dives completes my dive time there. Unfortunately, the visibility is disappointing compared to the islands I’ve just visited. But, as always – the dives add to my experience. Always a different boat configuration, different dive profile, currents, different sea-life. But all-in-all, unless the vis was much better…its not a repeat adventure.
Not having a plan clear plan for diving Vanuatu, I’d heard a-bit of diving the SS Coolidge wreck on Espiritu Santo – another island about an hour away. So, I arrange for an island hop. Packing the absolute minimum, just taking dive equipment. Turns-out to be a Brilliant plan.
Diving the Coolidge has been a world event for me. Deep deep dives requiring Decompression planning. Wow!!!! I’ve learned a ton about deep diving here – nothing like real life experience to teach what PO2 really does for Deco time and safety. Dives of 177,156,144,135 and several more 100+ foot dives of is massive wreck are stunning. Tons of deep penetration into the interior decks. The Lady and the Unicorn, the Engine room, cargo holds, B,C,D,E decks, the swimming pool, medical supply room, ammunition littering the decks, and so much more. If you have never read the history of this amazing ship – take some time and do-so. A great history lesson from WWII. I dive mostly with Allen Power, but did jump in with Pacific Diver at the start of my time here. The history of Allen Power (recently passed) and diving the Coolidge can be consuming for some divers. How lucky I am to be here.
But adding a night dive here – without using a torch was a once in a lifetime event. Dropping to 135 feet in the dark to see the schools of phosphorescent Flashlight fish was crazy crazy amazing. Thousands of these fish schooling around you. Their florescent light form rivers below, above, in front of your you. Moving in unison – they look like a futuristic flying car’s in the night sky. Mesmerizing. Its hard to tear yourself away from the experience…but 135foot night dives don’t leave much bottom time. I surface to a view of the Milky way like I’ve never witnessed before. My eyes are completely adjusted to the dark, and there an NO lights anywhere. Its heaven on earth. I’ve blogged about night diving during this journey – this dive just reinforces those thoughts.
I’m fortunate to get my Coolidge dives in – the holiday schedule has the 3 dive operators booked. Allen Power squeezes me in. I added an interesting dive of Million Dollar point while here. M$P is a grave-yard of old US military equipment that was too expensive to ship back to the US after WWII. The gather it up and pushed it into the sea. Hundreds of trucks, tanks, bull-dozers, jeeps, and countless war material. Pilled high at 25 meters. The tires are the most obvious remains, but even covered with coral – the immense fields of equipment are amazing to behold.
I take advantage of a free day in Espiritu Santo before my return flight to Port Vila. Touring the island with Sandy – a local guide and friend of the hotel manager. Sandy was a former member of Vanunatu’s Parliament, and an marvelous insight into the growth of this island nation. Sandy introduces me to the Coconut and Noni plantations on the island – amazing and gorgeous. Very interesting the Chinese investment here in Vanuatu – hundreds and hundreds of acres of Noni fruit trees…ready to drop money.
We stopped for a swim at Jackie’s Blue Hole – a crystal spring similar to what we find in Florida…but crazy jungles surrounding the waters bring the beauty alive. Wow.
But the highlight of the day tour was a stop at Port Ory. A small community of families that operate a private beach on a pristine harbor/bay. They have several restaurants and tree-top cabanas for rent. The setting is the most ideal I’ve ever seen. South Pacific paradise found. This place is a MUST return one day. Stay here, but dive the Coolidge. The perfect vacation.
I packed in one more adventure in my Vanuatu visit. After my return flight to Port Vila, I arrange a one-day turn-around trip to Tanna. Another Vanuatu island 1 hour south of Efate and Port Vila. The trip is to visit and active Volcano – Mt. Yasur. Flying in a small prop plane again – a Piper Chieftain, just 10 seats. The 23 & 24th flight of my journey. Once on Tanna, we have a short visit at a beautiful hotel for lunch and a 90min jeep ride to the Volcano – every second was a joy. Racing across hard-packed volcanic ash, crossing rivers. People waving every few minutes as we pass; more Bayan trees then I’ve ever seen, scenery out of this world. The climax - an exploding volcano below my feet. Standing at the edge of cauldron as it spumes smoke and ashes and lava into the sky. The booms of the explosions echo in the steep cauldron mountain side. Scary, powerful. Once in a lifetime to be so very close to a volcano.
These South Pacific nations are impossible to explore in just a few weeks. Each will take months of exploration to understand fully. Guess my future is to return and return. Someone has to…might as well be me
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