Vanuatu General Update 28 September 2017.

The Chimere has left Luganville, Santo Island and sailed past Ambae Island (the one that is in the news and the active volcano). Towards the south end of Maewo Island by the village of Asanvari.  They are off the grid so there is no cell phone or internet available.

Here is a map with the Chimeres location Thursday night. They are moored of the coast by Asanvari village on Maewo Island. Ambae Island is the island to the left of Asanvari Village

Meanwhile life goes on in Vila.  I met up with two doctors that were on the Chimere (they left the Chimere in Sola and flew back to Vila) and were on their way back to Australia  I had lunch with them on Tuesday, it was good to catch up with them and find out a bit more about the Chimere and their travels.

The photo left to right Dr Graeme Duke, his wife Sue and their son Dr Jeremy Duke. Sue had flown up from Australia to spend a few days in Vila with Graeme and Jeremy.

Meanwhile I am encouraging some local motorbike riders to take up trials. They are living in Vanuatu, and they are all enduro riders. So it will be a bit of a change in approach from the faster enduros to the more trickier skill of mototrials. There are two trials bikes in Vanuatu, (both Spanish Shercos for you in the know) with a third (a Yamaha TY350)  being repaired so not actually working. On Thursday a few of us went out to check out a property beside the Vila Airport where we will hold the first trial in Vanuatu this Saturday. We will call the trial the first round of the Vanuatu Trials Championship (no point fluffing around may as well start out big) . We hope to get 6 to 8 riders competing on Saturday. We will share the two Shercos.  Here are some of the areas we are looking at for sections.  All very dry, with some sharp coral rock.

When we left the sun was setting, again the sky was beautiful

This morning I went down to the town to buy some work boots (for the trial, they wont be as good as motorbike boots, but they will suffice) and looked out at the beautiful view over the harbour and the beautiful waters of Port Vila

The Seasonal workers from Vanuatu.

Every year thousands of Ni-Vans travel to New Zealand and Australia for seasonal work. In New Zealand the scheme is referred to as Recognised Seasonal Employers (RSE). Each time they travel to New Zealand they work for 6 to 7 months in the seasonal industries that include the wine industry and fruit industry.  Many go every year for 6 months or so, they may return to New Zealand for 6 years or more. leaving their wives and children behind in Vanuatu. 

When they return to Vanuatu they bring back money for their families and villages. Some workers put their money into building a family home, or purchase a vehicle.  They also buy items such as home appliances, sound systems, gardening equipment or personal items.  The purchases are consolidated by a shipping agent into a container and sent to Vanuatu.

We have 6 returning RSE workers staying in a flat beside ours. Last night a truck turned up with the items they had brought back to Vanuatu. Included on this truck are, beds, fencing wire, pig netting, spades, shovels, chainsaws, tool boxes, bulk washing powder, soap, mattresses. plastic baskets, bins. sound systems, and lots of other items in boxes and bags.

Time to unload the gear and store it for the night.  Most of these guys will return to their home island of Pentecost Island on Wednesday.

Now where do we store it all for the night?

Medical Sailing Ministries Mission 4 Update 

26 September 2017

The Chimere is now heading back from the Banks Islands to Port Vila. Most of the medical team left the Chimere at Sola, and flew back home via Port Vila. The Chimere is now at Port Orly Santo Island.

This is off the coast at Sola.  This is where the medical team departed to return home. Somewhere in the sky the departing plane can be seen.

This is a little island off the coast near Port Olry , Santo .  Annette described it as one of the cutest islands she has seen.

Beautiful coast line Port Olry. The sands are lovely along this coastline.  There is a very popular and famous beach called Champagne Beach which is further to the South of Port Olry.

Annette and I had lunch at this restaurant when we visited Santo in 2015. Its right on the beach, and looks out into a beautiful bay with several small islands in the bay. The remaining people on the Chimere went to another similar restaurant further along the beach on Tuesday night.

The fishing canoes, are carved out of logs.  This one has been painted with various flags,  Annette and I saw this one in 2015.  So it has survived since then and is still used. It still doesn't have a NZ flag though 😞

PCV Health Presentation of a Defibrillator to the Vila Central Hospital 

26 September 2017

Today PCV Health presented a defibrillator to the Vila Central Hospital. The hospital had a defibrillator but it was not operating, and was too old to be repaired. 

The VCH could use more defibrillators, for example to have a unit in each of the ambulances. So if anyone is looking for a fund raising project, this may be one for you.  Contact Phil King at Global Missions PCANZ, to find out more information.

The new equipment is a LifePak1000 for monitoring heart attack patients and treating life-threatening serious heart complications. This week staff at VCH are receiving regular training about caring for heart patients and will be trained to use this new equipment.

“In June this year I was very sad to hear of the death of President Baldwin Lonsdale. The staff at VCH did all they could to help. Last week we visited his memorial grave in Sola.” said Doctor Graeme. “When the doctors at VCH  asked PCV Health to help find new heart equipment we were keen to help. We are very thankful to an anonymous the donor for this new equipment. This will improve care of heart attack patients.”

In the photo below left to right

• Dr Graeme Duke from Australia
• Pastor Allen Nafuki Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu
• Paul Makikon - Acting General Services Manager Vila Central Hospital
• Dr Jacques Maurice - Nursing Services Manager Vila Central Hospital

Dr Graeme Duke explaining the benefits of the defibrillator.

Container Cafe Roof - Hibiscus Coast PCANZ 

25 September 2017

The roof has been completed in 3 and half days.  Well done to the Hibiscus Coast team, tank yu tumas, nambawan job. Tomorrow they will be tourists, they plan to go across to Iririki Island for some well earned R and R

Sunset shot.  That is a mango tree by the containers,  the fruit are coming along nicely.

On Saturday we went down to the Nambawan Cafe for lunch

Pastor Allen thanked the team from Hibiscus Coast for their work , and we had afternoon tea. A job well down thank you team.

On Sunday we went to the Rentapao River towards the Eastern side of Efate. A lovely swimming spot.

Building Scaffolding in Vanuatu. 25 September 2017

Things do not always go the way we plan, a length of timber support may not be long enough for the task. Sometimes we have to improvise.  These shots are of some scaffolding work. (not by the Hibiscus Team I might add)

This is a close up of the scaffolding leg in the above photo

 Medical Sailing Ministries Mission 4 Update 25 September 2017

Ni Van crew going ashore at Sola

Team photo on Chimere , mission almost over 

Chivalry isn't dead in Australia :-). Annette's hanky went overboard.  Rob jumped into the dinghy and rescued the hanky, and he fell overboard in the process. He was probably more concerned it didn't get sucked into either the water intake or the desalination plant 

Shampoo opportunity for Deb and Cathy 

Great swimming spot

Lets all take selfies and see how many people we can getting into  selfie photo bombs

Waterfall Bay West Vanualava

Vanuatu News Update 25 September 2017

Team from Hibiscus Coast were  working on the Container Cafe PCV roof this week.  I went down on Saturday and gave them a hand.  It was good to do some physical work

Neville has been busy getting building materials organised for the team before they arrived, and then helping while they are here in Vila. He makes several trips each day down to the Wilco Building supplies (Bunnings type building, and products.) to get things that the team need.

The volcanic alert for Ambae Island has been raised to 4 (out of 5) .  The Vanuatu Govt is planning to evacuate 5,000 people from the Island.

Medical Sailing Ministries Mission 4 Update

24 September 2017

Latest update , it has been a few days since Annette was last on the grid. As the Mission comes to a close and preparing for members of the team to leave the Chimere over the next day or so.

This is a Pastor Baise we met at the General Assembly in Tasiriki. He came on-board the Chimere to meet Annette. Annette and Baise had arranged to meet in Sola when they were both in Tasiriki.  This is the day Annette wasn't well , so Robert invited Baise on-board

3 kg salmon caught on route to Ureparapara Island. Annette didn't get to share the salmon as she was still recovering. The crew took the fish ashore to share with the locals and have a movie night.

Village of Dives Bay on Ureparapara Island

Jay hard at work.

Two storey house under construction.  Annette hasn't seen any other two storey houses anywhere else

Sometimes you have to use your ingenuity. You take

1 Gas bottle + Cooking ring + Pressure cooker = Sterilisation. For the dental extraction tools.

Medical class for the whole village

All Dives Bay (Ureparapara) Village with their toothbrushes and soap

Waiting to load the dinghy to go back to the Chimere

Team from Hibiscus Coast PCANZ 22 September 2017.

A team of 6 men arrived from New Zealand on Wednesday to build a roof over the two containers that serve as cafeterias at the PCV Offices. The team are Paul Fransham (Team Leader), Reuben, Caleb, John, Marty and Simon.  They are here for a week, and have been to Vanuatu several times previously to work on other projects.

The container cafe, mango tree to the right. (photo care of Neville and Gloria Jones own Blog)

The lads on the roof working hard.