Wedding in Paradise

In our own way we Kate and I each took advantage of the location on the morning (and afternoon for me) of our wedding at Lagoon Beach.

Kate and the girls did some snorkelling around the lagoon followed by, what I'm sure was way too many cocktails (at least I was sober when I said my vows). An early disaster was averted when, after not appearing within a reasonable Island Time of the scheduled time Kate called the hair and makeup people to find that their booking had gone astray. No worries as they were soon organised and over to Lagoon Beach. As one of the ex-pats said, “here, you can organise a big event with a moment's notice but try to organise it a week in advance...”

Tim and I headed down to the Australian High Commission to see the passport people (the second passport disaster of the trip was for someone to wash and dry a passport with their clothes) and then to Numbawan cafe for a Tanna Coffee and internet access. Despite the persistent, sometimes heavy rain Tim and I went for a paddle up to Emden Lagoon.

While we were having fun the staff were busy preparing the resort (in the rain) by mowing the grass, clearing the paths, and decorating the Nakamal leaves and flowers from the gardens around the resort, not to mention preparing the Melanesian feast of fruits, Vanuatu salads, roast chicken, whole poulet fish, a coconut crab and Vabuatu beef.

In many respects the wedding and reception itself was like any other save for a few differences. Kate was supposed to arrive by outrigger Canoe but the rain meant otherwise so instead she arrived by one of the local buses (think maxi-taxi and you'll have an idea of what serves as the certainly tens, maybe hundreds of buses cruising around Vila ready to take you anywhere around town for 150 vatu). As planned her arrival was announced by conch shell while several Kastom warriors sang her to the wedding arch, which instead of being on the beach (as planned) was out of most of the rain at the edge of the Nakamal. Pastor Gideon conducted the civil service (after arriving late, organising his papers, and switching off his mobile after it rang moments into the service) much like any, he said some stuff, we said some vows, someone read something, exchanged some expensive bits of metal, kissed, signed the paper work yada yada yada...

It was then onto the nibbles and cocktails, photos in the now light rain, followed by our banquet. brief speeches, first dance, desert... like any other wedding. Throughout there was some table tennis and some beach volley ball. Then, somehow, almost everyone ended up in the pool, most sipping cocktails, wines or Tuskers, a few even smoking cigars, and Kate swimming in her dress (I'd dispensed with all the formal attire except for the tie). Just like any other wedding really, but somehow different.

Mele Cascades

Kate, will have to write something here. I was way too seedy from the bucks and hens the night before to stomach a bus ride anywhere beyond the short distance between my bed and the porcelain...

Vila Buggies

A popular way to see the area around Vila is an off road buggy tour. Six of us helmeted and goggled up (the roads are either dusty or muddy, or both so sunglasses don't cut it) for a morning cruising the streets of Vila and surrounds in 250cc off-road buggies. For Kate and I it also served as pre-marital counselling, as Kate questioned and I defended my approach to driving on Vanuatu's drive on the right, rough around the edges roads (or maybe rough everywhere roads). Anyone's enjoyment of this activity will largely depend on one, your attitude, and two, the mechanical soundness of your particular buggy. As we headed off road a couple of buggies had trouble getting up a steep hill, one eventually coming to grief. For me, who had been driving the front buggy behind the guide, it meant I was volunteered to go with the guide for an extra drive to pick up the stranded passengers while the rest had refreshments. I handed over the keys to my buggy to the stranded and cruised back to the refreshment stop on the guide's quad bike.

From there we cruised back out onto one of few bitumen roads and headed for Turtle Bay resort. I'd like to point out that I was suitably restrained with my criticism now that Kate was driving. But now our buggy was to become a casualty, which through a few coincidences (including a guide's quad bike dying) left us stranded by the side of the road for forty-five minutes. Still it was a pleasant experience as we met a couple of local girls who we had a good chat to while waiting. Eventually they called their brother/father who owned a bus and he gave us a ride to Turtle Bay. Shortly before we reached their resort we met the guide returning in search of us.

Kate continued to the resort in the bus while I returned with the guide to our buggy, a fun ride since speed was no issue now that we had no conservative drivers to wait for. By this time the support crew had arrived with another buggy for me to continue on in and the return was suitably quick and fun (less Kate in my ear about my driving ;).

The lunch break gave us an opportunity to snorkel, see and handle baby turtles and fill up on more great Vanuatu Beef, cooked to our liking, and salad. The resort also had a number of coconut crabs, who with their sharp claws chop the coconut off the tree and also apparently use rocks to break open the coconuts. The crabs are a local delicacy, with a ban on their capture and eating recently lifted.

We returned to Vila by a more direct route to end a fun day, despite our long wait by the side of the road. There was no trouble getting a discount for our inconvenience and since everyone drives the buggies like they're stolen across very rough roads I imagine it is a tough gig to keep the buggies on the road. Thoroughly recommend this as a fun way to see the area around the buggies, just don't expect the same ride and steering as your sedan and be prepared with the right attitude if you're one of the unlucky few whose buggy doesn't quite make it.

Coongoola Day Cruise

The Coongoola day cruise starts with a 40 minute bus trip from Vila across to the western side of Efate. Very pleasant if you're not feeling seedy from too many Tuskers, the local beer, from the night before. The ride affords elevated views of Efate's beautiful south western coast, tropical rainforest and cattle properties. We crowded into a small boat to go from shore to the Coongoola, dropping some divers with their dive boat.

Under Diesel power we cruised across to Tranquillity Island, sometimes with dolphins riding our bow wave, to visit the turtle breeding facility, which gave us the opportunity to handle the turtles and learn about them and the breeding program. After a short walk along the rainforest's edge we boarded the Coongoola to cruise around the island to the ocean side. Anchoring several hundred meters off a beautiful beach we transferred to the beach in two lots with our food and drink.

Some stayed on the beach to snorkel the reefs close by while a boat load of us cruised out to a reef further afield. At that time it was probably the best reef I'd ever seen (much more was to come over the following weeks) with strongly coloured corals and many different fish. The tide was perfect, affording enough depth to swim safely (for both coral, fish and snorkeller) above the reef but have an incredibly close view. We returned to shore for a brilliant BBQ lunch of local beef, chicken, salads and fruit. Once again a boat load headed out to another reef for a snorkel, maybe not as good as the first but still spectacular.

We boarded the Coongoola for the cruise home, initially under sail but as progress was slow and the winds not favourable so the sails were soon furled and made the rest of the cruise under diesel power. Still it was nice to see this boat, with an interesting history including the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, under sail. We can thoroughly recommend the Coongoola day cruise.

Vila arrival

We touched down in Vila's Bauerfield International Airport in the late afternoon, greeted by the familiar tropical humidity, less two travelling companions due to a passport problem in Brisbane. The airport is named after a posthumously decorated WWII American pilot, among many troops who stationed or transited via New Hebrides, as Vanuatu was known by before independence from the French and British in 1980.

Navigating immigration, customs and a reasonable taxi fare to our resort was an easy task compared to some of our previous destinations. The ni-Vans, as the locals are known, are incredibly friendly, always ready to help, and only rarely do you feel that you've paid for more than what you're getting.

Lagoon Beach Resort, between Errakor and Emden lagoons was a wise choice to stay and get married at. All of the staff were very welcoming and helpful and the apartments and bungalows well appointed. Since there was only two of us, as opposed to the expected four, they kindly upgraded us for the first night from the apartment to the beach side bungalow we were going to spend the rest of the week in.

Discovering our home for the week, with its own private beach, water, teeming with beautiful starfish, hermit crabs and fish, lapping at our front deck, we had a sense of happiness and excitement that we'd chosen the right place and that we were going to have a fun week.

Kate's Photos again

Kate's photos on facebook are now public and the links have been updated so that you do not need to be on facebook to see them.

Observatory of a different kind

A highlight of our few days in India's capital, Delhi, was the Jantar Mantar-A large naked-eye observatory built in the 1700s. Many large curious-looking instruments were designed to predict the movement of the Sun, Moon and Planets for the strongly represented Astrological elements of India's culture.

A large precision sundial indicated the time in Europe, India and Japan.


Two large circular instruments were used for the Solar and Lunar calendars. Shadows from the Sun or Moon, as appropriate, were cast by windows or gnomen. On the lunar calendar there are 14 open windows for when the moon appeared in the night sky.

Another instrument indicated a person's star-sign when they were born.

Several of these observatories were built by Maharaja Jai Singh II including another I visited on a rooftop in Varanasi.