Noumea oddyssey

We are still here. We were going to go up the island last weekend but Gina wasn't so well so postponed until this coming weekend. In the meantime we are enjoying Noumea; went to a well known local restaurant last night - La Chaumiere. Had a very pleasant meal but bit hung over today!! We are still going to the market every morning and enjoying the local produce. Otherwise getting onto little maintenance items on the boat and general housekeeping. Caught the bus to Anse Vata Beach on Sunday where there are many high rise hotels. Noumea's equivalent of Waikiki!! Visited the aquarium there which was well worthwhile. Amazing collection of sealife - impossibly coloured fish and corals. Nature's diversity at its most flamboyant. Because we are over 60 we got in at a discount - about the only discount we are ever going to get in this place I think!!

Yesterday a beautiful Athol Burns designed motorsailer arrived next to us - name of "Windora". They are off to Vanuatu in a few days. Athol Burns was Wellington based and designed very capable and chunky boats - probably for Cook Strait conditions. "Windora" is no exception and is an absolute credit to her owners. We went on board this morning and she's impressive to say the least. The owner, Phil said he alone had spent 6000 hours during the course of refitting and this is by no means an isolated story. So many people have spent countless hours building or refitting their boats. They have just arrived from Sydney, were in Tasmania for the wooden boat show and heading for Vanuatu before back to NZ. Then the plan is to sail to Chile. It's all encouraging for our plans for SE Asia.

Well, more later when we get on the move again.

Cheers from us