September 8 – October 2, 2014
We spent a couple days preparing in Neiafu, and then Dad and Karen (Papa and Nana) arrived on Wednesday, 10 September, and the next day we went out to our spot on the island of Nuku for just one night. Then we made a quick day stop to Port Maurelle in order to snorkel at Swallows Cave before heading back out to our favorite spot out amongst the reef at Kenutu Island (anchorage #30) in order to catch up with Dafne and a couple other kid boats.
After a few days of hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, and coconut shucking, we made a day stop at a tiny island to the south, Fonuafo’ou, and since the anchorage was quite rolly we went back to Port Maurelle for the night. The next day we went back into Neiafu for some internet, restaurant food, and land tourism. On Thursday 18 September, we went back out to Nuku, once again to catch up with the kid boats. We spent just one night at Nuku before moving around near anchorage #16 to grab a mooring at Lape Island in order to go their famous Tongan Feast. On the way we made another snorkel stop at a small island of Lua’ofa (just of the tip of Nuapapu). When we left Lape Island we went to ‘Ovalau Island (anchorage #40) where we caught up with Novae. Our last stop while Dad and Karen were still with us was back at the Hunga Lagoon, and on the way, we did one last day snorkel at the island of Ovaka.
We went back to Neiafu where we enjoyed a couple more restaurant dinners (including an early birthday dinner for Brenden) and then sadly said good-bye to Dad and Karon on 24 September. The next day was Brenden’s actual birthday, and he requested to go back to anchorage #11 in order to buy a painting from the Ark Gallery for his birthday present. Then we sailed back to Neiafu in order to organize our inter-island group clearing out and do some provisioning. After we cleared out, we enjoyed one last dinner at The Aquarium Cafe then motored at dusk back to Nuku. Before finally leaving the Vava’u island group we made two more overnight stops at small islands to the south: Lua’ui Island (anchorage #34) and Fonua’one’one (anchorage #36). We said our final good-bye to Vava’u on Thursday 2 October and departed for the Ha’apai island group.
Gresham Family Exodus 