LORELEI'S SAILING ADVENTURES
Bonjour!
French Lesson 101:
ilot, ile and isle is island and baie is bay. That’ll help
wonders….
At the end
of Episode 8 we had made it safely to Noumea
On Tuesday
26th June we re-provisioned Lorelei after going to the local F&V
markets and the supermarket. It was pretty funny with our limited French
phrases.
Tuesday
was a busy day in the city with the P&O liner the “Pacific Pearl
Wednesday
we departed Noumea
On the way
we passed a small resort with some lovely over-the-water style bungalows.
Coming into the Baie of
Maa
That arvo
we had a fish and enjoyed a beaut sunset.
Thursday
was supposed to be overcast and windy so we decided to stay in the bay and put
the kayaks in to go for a paddle. Well 5 minutes into the paddle, what little
wind there was died and left us with glassy flat seas. So we paddled out of the
bay and around the headland to a reef system with a small island.
The glassy
conditions made for some fun photos.
Lisa
caught 5 fish including 3 coral trout by trolling a soft plastic. At one stage
we both got nearly spooled before being busted off by Mackeral.
Today we
opened one of the 2x 1kg packs of shredded cheese we brought for $9AUS each at
the supermarket. It is finely shredded and tastes just like they grated up a
block of Jarlesburg which is Paul’s favourite. Its soooo good compared to the
processed stuff we get back home.
On Friday we
took Lorelei out to Ilot Signal. The conditions were perfect with a sunny day,
no wind and glassy seas. From there we put the big RIB in and went a further
5nm out to the reef edge to the wreck of the Humboldt which is a 220ft long Japanese
Longliner that was scuttled in 2001. It is completely intact and lying on its
starboard side on sand in 22m of water. It was a fantastic dive with excellent
viz. We were able to do full penetrations right into the engine room and
freezer sections. The accommodation and wheelhouse areas were full of small
fish.
The winches on the bow
Fish under the Bow
Lisa in the freezer
In the
arvo we went and explored Ilot Signal.
Note the Aerial Photo on the board…
The limestone signal marker built
in 1860. This is where the island gets its name.
Saturday
we took Lorelei further out to the outer reef edge and anchored her close to Dumbea Pass
so Paul could surf Dumbea
Pass
It is a
righthander that starts over a shallow coral reef and breaks into the deeper
channel. Being the weekend it had a few locals and SUP’s but they all appeared
to be sitting wide in the deeper water. It looked like you could take off heaps
deeper inside over the reef if you were confident but was there something we
didn’t know? After studying it for a while
it got the better of Paul and he put his booties on, dived in, paddled well
inside everyone else and got some great waves.
Paul waxing up his new 6’9” Wayne
Lynch Tuflite for the first time
Saturday
arvo we went spearing for the first time in New Cal
The
biggest concern with eating fish here is the high risk of Cigutera poisoning
from the large reef fish. After doing a lot of research we discovered the fish
with the highest risk are the predatory reef fish such as Coral Trout, Mackerel,
All Lutjanus Species (Emperors, Snappers, Mangrove Jack, etc…), Jobfish and
Parrot.
Basically
most of the good eating fish!!!
We had
also noted that there were none of these species at the fish markets in Noumea
Sat night
we returned to the Bay
of Maa
Sunday
seems to be the best day to take time out as the locals come out with their
boats in droves on the weekends so we left the surf and dive sites to them on
Sunday while we caught up on maintenance, washing, cooking, etc…
Lisa made
lots of yummy treats and Paul’s favourite chocolate peanut cookies!!
Monday it
was up early and back to Dumbea Rights for more surfing. We were able to anchor Lorelei very close to
the break. The swell had dropped to 3-4 ft and the lagoon conditions were
glassy with no wind and lots of sun. The surf was clean with long waves and
Paul was the only surfer out. After a long wave Lisa simply motored in to pick
him up in the RIB and tow him back out thru the channel – easy (more like lazy…!!!)
Monday
arvo we freedived the Humboldt wreck and speared the surrounding reefs for more
Tuskies.
Tues we woke
and looked out to check Dumbea Rights and it was flat. The swell had dropped
and what little wind there was had swung to the SSE from the SW which was
perfect for where we wanted to go next – Amedee Island
Amedee is close
to the Bolouri Pass
and a popular day trip island with the tallest lighthouse in New Cal
We motored
for 2.5 hours from Dumbea to Amedee stopping on the way to pick up a nautilus
shell we saw floating. We then stopped 1.5nm short of Amedee to use Lorelei’s
high powered sounder to locate the wrecks of the French Warship La Dieppoise
and the Japanese Longliner Toho 5. We are pretty sure we have located them both
and will take the RIB over to dive on them later on in the week.
Tuesday
arvo we went ashore onto Amedee and walked around the island and climbed the
lighthouse.
Looking up the spiral staircase
inside the lighthouse
The view from the top. Lorelei is
the only yacht there.
On the
walk around the island we found a Stripped
Sea
At dusk we
kicked back and opened a bottle of French Beaujolais
(Red Wine) which we can pick up at the supermarket for $5 aussie. It’s great
for the price….
The glow on the skin is from the
sun not the wine – honest…!!!
Paul woke
Wednesday and stuck his head out to check the surf break on Boulari Pass
One thing
we are thankful for is our new Generator. We brought this off friends Dave and
Rebs just before we left Brisbane
Thursday
was looking much better so we loaded up the dive gear and headed over to what
we thought was the La Dieppiose warship wreck. It took us a while to find it as
someone had moved it from the co-ordinates we took two days ago. We also found
a mooring just below the surface so we simply tied up and off we went. It was a
superb dive and one of the better wrecks we have done. The confusing thing was
when we went below decks we found big freezer spaces and the clincher was when
Paul went into the engine room and all the signs were in Japanese!!! So it
looks like we dived the Toho 5 Longliner. A look at a few articles on our
computer that we saved off the net confirmed that we were definitely not on the
Warship. The good thing is we now have another wreck to dive tomorrow… if we
find it this afternoon.
We
are trying to get a bit tricky as we have now put our first video clip onto the
blog. It’s a 2:30 snippet of some of the footage Lisa got from the Toho. We
hope it works for you all and would like some feedback if it doesn’t. We hope
to do more in the future if it’s a success. Enjoy!!
Our
favourite u/w photo so far this trip…
Lisa coming around the bridge
Anchor winch on the bow
In the
arvo we did go out in the RIB with Lisa’s Ipad & sounder and managed to
find the Warship. With a mask on and a quick dunk over the side we could make
out the vessels wheel house and shape to confirm that it was definitely the one.
It is only 300m for the Toho and the same depth which is why we got a bit
confused this morning. Our other mark which we thought was the Toho is further
away and must be something else.
Can’t wait
till tomorrow now!!
Friday -
it’s another flat day, the suns out and we dived the Warship!! It was awesome
and had us buzzing all day after it. Even though it’s a scuttled wreck for
diving it is not nearly as clinical as the way they prepare the wrecks in Australia
Here’s
Paul’s photos and Lisa’s video.
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The Bow from the Sand
Lisa and Fish in between the props
Lisa in the Wheelhouse
To avoid
the weekend crowd, went back to Lorelei, packed up the dive gear and set sail SE
to Baie Ire which is in Canal Woodin between the Mainland and Ile Ouen.
On the Way
we sailed past a stack of wind farms on the hills and some amazing terrain.
The anchorage
was deserted and beautiful.
The Canal looked very small from a
distance
Anchored at Baie Ire which we have
nicknamed Jurassic Bay
Saturday
morning we washed all our toys from the last week and filled the scuba tanks.
In the
afternoon we put the kayaks in and were amazed by what we saw both above and
below the water.
We had
been warned about the red mud in the bay and how it stains so we assumed by the
dark red beach around the shoreline would be the same.
When we
paddled in closer we found up against the shore pristine and diverse coral
gardens that are so far the best we have seen in New Cal
On the shores
edge was a mix of pines, palms, mangroves, pandanus and banksia’s all growing
well next to each other. It was surreal.
The amazing Baie Ire coral. Not at
all what we expected.
They’re Brain Corals in the water –
not rocks.
Paul
climbing the Palms for green coconuts
Sunday
morning we left Baie Ire and continued through the Canal Woodin and onto the
Baie de Prony which is the southern most bay on the mainland. The Bay is a
large system with many protected anchorages & small arms offering loads of
things to do both on and off the water. The guide books liken it to Sydney ’s Broken Bay and Hawkesbury
River
With a
large high bringing SE trade winds for the next 5 days, it is the perfect spot
to hangout until the wind swings E/NE for the 45nm run down to Isle de Pines.
When we
exited the canal we copped some strong winds and ugly short sharp seas that put
water all over the boat. Luckily it was only a 30 minute run across this
stretch of water before entering the Baie.
When I
mean bad conditions – the seas were over 1m and maximum wind was 17 knots - the
strongest we have see since arriving here. We wouldn’t even blink at going out
in those winds in The Whitsundays. This place is making us soft!!!
Monday was
a jam packed day. In the morning we got up early and put the kayaks in and explored
the bay Lorelei was anchored in – Anse Majic. We then went and explored both
bays either side of us as well. It was a huge morning and we estimated we
paddled over 7 km’s.
Paul took 100’s of photos to get 4
good half and half shots today.
This is our favourite one.
See the coral thru the reflection…
After
lunch we hopped back in the kayaks and paddled to shore with 3 dry bags full of
our hiking and camera gear. We got changed on shore and then hiked up to the
Lighthouse on Cape
Ndoua
Just one of the massive slippages
we can see on all the hills from Lorelei
Looking West to Ile Ouen and Canal
Woodin
Looking East…
Looking South. Note: Whale Spotting
station and soil colour.
Looking North to Baie Du Prony.
Lorelei is just visible at the bottom.
The only yacht in the bay…again!
Look!! We spotted a whale…
Tuesday we
decided to move again and this time went right up into the Baie Du Prony and
anchored in Baie Du Carenage. It is very protected and well known as a cyclone
hole during the Monsoon season. On the
way we went past heaps more Wind Generators. They are huge and must be at least
8-10 stories high. We counted 57 on one ridge that we could see.
Just some of the Wind Generators
The small entrance into Baie Du
Carenage
In the
arvo we put the kayaks in and explored the eastern arm of the bay. The water
around the mangroves was very clear and we could see lots of small Mangrove
Jack, Trevally and other fish. Lisa found a Giant QLD Grouper which was pretty
cool.
We
followed the river up to a hot springs
The Hot Springs
It is
interesting to note that the fresh water cascading down was warmer than the
salt water of the bay which is unusual and probably indicates we are anchored
over one big underground system of geo-thermal activity.
Wednesday morning
– Well the French Carrefour food brand has come through again for Paul. First
it was the cheese and now it’s the Caramel X’trem brekky cereal. Lisa thinks they
are far too sweet but Paul with his sweet tooth thinks they are the goods.
Roddy I wish I could mail you home a pack - just think what these would do to
your kids…
Wednesday
it rained and it blew and it rained and it blew. We were sort of glad because
the boat really needed a good wash – and Lisa needed a day off from Hogger boot
camp.
So we used
the time off in the morning to do research and planning on more dive spots and
places to explore both here in New Cal and Vanuatu
Thursday
morning it was in with the kayaks again to explore the Western arm of the bay which
promised more hot springs
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How’s this for an impassable wash
out on the road near the river…
Up one of
the small inlets we found the remains of what we think is part of one of the
old Penal Colonies.
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Friday morning
we loaded the scuba gear into the RIB to go and dive the Aiguille De Prony or
the Prony Needle. The needle is a tall spire that was created by freshwater
erupting from an underwater volcanic hot spring. The base is in 40m of water
and goes up to 2m under the surface. It’s located in the small channel that leads
up to the Baie Du Carenage.
A good
analogy – think of putting Steve’s Bommie in the middle of Smiths Creek in the Hawkesbury River
When we
got to it we found the top of the needle was only 2m across and had very steep
sides. 10m either side of the top and the sounder was showing 40m. The viz was
also terrible at around 4m and that was 1 hour before high tide. More than one
of our guide books also indicates that this is a well known spot for
Hammerheads and Tigers. So with that in mind, crap viz, steep sides, a deep
bottom and being Friday the 13th we finally decided to abort and
live to play another day…
Back on
Lorelei Lisa went bezerk in the galley over lunch and made a stack of yummy
things for the rest of the week.
In the
arvo we went fishing. We threw lures and trolled around the bay and the
mangroves. Lisa has been using this one soft plastic for weeks now and won’t
give it up. She trolls it, casts it and bottom fishes with it and it works well
doing all three. She has caught a load of fish on it.
Today she
caught 2 large Wolf Herring that were jumping all over the place once hooked.
Check out those teeth…
Saturday
14th July – Bastille Day!!
To be
completely honest we are not exactly sure what Bastille Day represents and we
would have liked to join the celebrations in Noumea
We woke to
a clear sunny day which was awesome after 4 days of overcast and cool
conditions. We decided to move to a small resort Island
in the middle of Baie Du Prony called Ilot Casy. It has coral completely
surrounding the Island and there are mooring
buoys provided. We were the first ones there and we put the kayaks in and
paddled right around the Island which was a
heap of fun and much better for photos now we had some sun! We snorkeled and
towed the Kayaks for the last 400m.
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By the
time we got back to Lorelei the white locals had turned up on their boats in
party mode akin to Aussies on Australia
Late in
the arvo Paul paddled ashore and walked to the peak and had a look around.
We loved
it here and it would have been nice if we could have stayed for another day. In
hindsight we should have….
Sunday was
the day we set sail for the Ile De Pins (Isle of Pines ).
We had to
sail 45nm SE which at this time of the year with the constant SE trade winds is
no easy task. We have been watching the weather reports for over 1 week now
waiting for some N-NE winds and we have known Sunday was going to be the day
for the last 5 days with nice 13-15 knot sailing conditions – or so we
thought…!!!
We let the
mooring go at 6am and once clear of Ilot Casy, set the sails. The wind in the bay
was already 15-18 knots and we were a little wary so we put reefs in the sails.
Luckily we did as it got worse the further south we went. By 10am it was ugly
with ENE 20-25 knots and steep, short nasty seas. It was a hard slog south as
we had to weave between a lot of reefs and small islands all the while sailing
to windward. All in all it was damn uncomfortable and we got a lot of green
water over the boat.
Note the toe rail underwater and
Paul’s kayak and deck covered in water.
About 15
minutes after this photo was taken conditions went from bad to worse. We were
getting slammed and had to furl the headsail right in and put out the storm
jib. A wall of water smashed into the bow so hard it ripped Paul’s kayak free
and snapped the webbing straps holding it down. It was pretty full on for Paul trying
to get it put back into place and roped down while Lisa back off the sails and steered
us off the wind for a bit.
At 1:30pm
we sailed into a beautiful and tranquil Baie De Kuto in the Isle
of Pines . We were the second boat to arrive that day and we
watched another 4 boats come in all looking as disheveled as we had and with
their crew in full wet weather gear and boats looking a mess.
Just to
confirm we all weren’t totally dumb, we did log onto the New Cal Weather
Website in the arvo and yep its still saying today where we are is a
comfortable NE10-15 with less than 1m seas.
WRONG!!!
We spent
over 1 hour washing the boat and tidying up before getting some food, watching
the sunset over the pines and opting for an early night to bed with both of us
feeling a little off colour from the whole experience.
Aside from
our North West Island
Monday –
Well the weather gods must have felt sorry for us all as Monday was a fantastic
day with the best weather we have had since we’ve been here. It was over 27
Degrees, sunny, no wind and believe it or not – glassy seas!
We loaded
up the RIB with spear gear and headed 3nm offshore to a promising patch of reef
we found on the charts. While ciguatera is still a small risk here, it’s lower
than the local stressed reefs out from Noumea
The next
dive Lisa put a great holding shot into a bigger Spanish that would easily have
been her PB. Unfortunately during the tussle the rope on the muzzle bungie
snapped resulting in a lost shaft and fish. We finished the session with 5 fish
including a couple of trout.
On the way
home we stopped to visit some of the surrounding islands.
A bit flatter than yesterday...
Isle De Pins in the background
The arvo
was glassy and warm enough to jump off and swim around the boat which was
anchored in only 5m of water. We had Trevally and other fish under the boat
with turtles and manta rays swimming around Lorelei.
We also
went over and gave some Spanish fillets to the very appreciative guys on the
Kiwi mono next to us.
The sunset
was one of the most spectacular we have ever seen. Every 3 minutes the diorama
would change with different colours, reflections and cloud patterns both around
the sunset and behind us over the hills where the clouds went vivid hues of
pink.
Every
person on the surrounding boats and ashore was out clicking away with cameras.
Tues we
woke to find the P&O cruise liner the Pacific Pearl
We walked out
of town to the local bakery. They had sold out of Baguettes so we brought these
“Big Breads” which are only $2 each and huge.
Look at the size of these “Big
Breads”
Opposite
the bakery is the old jail. We had read about the history of the Island and how
in 1870 they kicked off all the indigenous Kunie’s (another reason why they
don’t like us…) and turned the west coast into an island prison for French
prisoners sent over on the ships. The prison ruins are well overgrown adding to
the somber nature of the place. Fortunately in 1911 the prison system was
closed down and the Kunie’s were allowed back to re-settle.
Wednesday
and we woke to find the larger Pacific Dawn now in the harbour for what is
surely to be a repeat performance of yesterday.
Unfortunately
for them at 8:30 it started to drizzle rain. By 10am it really started to pour.
We looked out to see a line at the P&O wharf which was over 250m long of
drenched people trying to board the ferries to return to the ship. We actually
felt quite sorry for them as this was their only chance to see Isle Of Pines
before departing for Brisbane
Paul spent
the arvo servicing our mountain bikes in preparation for when the weather gets
a bit better.
That night
as we downloaded the weather we noticed a large high over Australia
Thursday was
another amazing day in paradise with beautiful weather. Paul looked out to see large
waves breaking down the side of Ilot Moro 2 miles away. A quick look with the
binoculars confirmed a series of amazing right handers with spumes of spray off
the back indicating it was clean and offshore.
Well that
was enough to break out the boards, drag Lisa out of bed and into the RIB to go
surfing.
We sat off
and watched it for a while before Paul jumped in and surfed 2 different right
handers during the morning session. Both were pretty big with the occasional
bomb coming thru that would close out on the entire reef enclosed bay. He got
some great waves all alone.
After the
morning surf we went around to the protected side, found a break in the reef
and took the RIB in to explore Ilot Moro. This place was postcard stunning with
lovely beaches, crystal clear water and some fantastic limestone formations on
the rocky points.
Ilot Moro
While we
were there Paul spotted another right hander off a shallow reef point that was
a little smaller but producing clean hollow barrels.
On the way
back we just had to stop there for an hour for Paul to surf it. It was pretty
intense with a 5ft deep take off barreling all the way thru to a finish in only
3ft depth. You didn’t want to fall off or get caught inside.
We
wondered how many people have ever surfed these spots. It’s not a recognized
surfing area. Paul felt very lucky.
The sucky right-hand barrel Paul
surfed after the Island walk.
After a
late lunch back on Lorelei we took the RIB ashore on Isle De Pins and walked
over the spit to the bay on the other side, Baie De Kanumera.
This place
is stunning, being a pine and palm fringed shoreline with an amazing limestone
island in the centre called Le Rocher which is linked by a small sandy spit.
It’s a sacred spot for the locals and you shouldn’t walk on the island but you
can snorkel around it. While the viz was not what you would get on the outer
reef, it made up for in the diversity and amount of fish life as well as the
stunning above water topography.
The sacred Le Rocher
Baie De
Kanumera
Lisa in one of the many Bait Fish
schools around Le Rocher
A giant sea cave in Le Rocher
Family and
friends know that we are prone to do some pretty out-there things sometimes,
especially in the water. Well Friday was definitely up there with the best of
them!
We got up
early and packed 2 backpacks with every thing we thought we would need, loaded
the mountain bikes into the RIB and headed ashore. Our mission was to locate
the Grotto De La Troiliseme. This place is a subterranean limestone cave system
which we have read is filled with fresh water and is diveable. This is reported
to be one of only 3 places in the world where you can cave dive with stalagmites
and stalactites.
We left
Baie De Kuto and rode 8klms north along the main road and then a further 2 klms
of dirt road and walking tracks until we found it.
Arrived at the cave system entrance.
First we
took our torch and land camera in to explore and have a look around. The inside
of the cave system far surpassed any expectations we had as far as size and the
amount of limestone formations. It was breath taking. After climbing a long way
down we found the fresh water pools.
The entrance to the caves
Just some of the above water
formations.Those columns are over 50ft tall.
After we
had a good look around we went to the surface to get our snorkeling gear, suited
up and trekked back down to pool no.2. The craziest thing was we couldn’t
actually tell where the water’s edge began as it was that clear and not a
ripple! The underwater viz was endless with not a single particle in the water.
We spent over 1 hour exploring the many different arms and caverns. We found an
underwater shaft linking both of the main pools which we could just get through
as the stalactites from the roof of the tunnel made it very tight. Freediving
through submerged passages and tunnels using torchlight was a little freaky at
first but we did it safely and were rewarded with discovering some big caverns.
The underwater formations were just as incredible with thousands of stalactites
going down from the roof into the water. You had to be very careful when and
where you surfaced.
The first pool we discovered and
found an underwater passage back into from pool no.2. Note how clear the water
is…we threw a pebble in so you could see the water surface.
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Lisa underwater with her torch at
the entrance to Pool no.2.
Don’t be
fooled by the photos. With no torch light it was pitch black and these above
water photos were taken with a long 13 second exposure F3.5 with a 6400ISO
setting.
We tried
to take some underwater photos with our little contour camera but the 70 degree
angle of the torch and the 170 degree wide angle lens of the camera didn’t
match up too well. Below is about the best we have. It’s from underwater
looking up so you can see the mirror surface and the stalactites near perfect reflections.
After 3
hours below ground we were stuffed and hungry so we hopped on the bikes again
and rode a further 4 klms north to the Baie De Ouameo and had our peanut butter
sandwiches sitting by the pool at the Kodjeue Resort.
All in all
we were blown away by what we had done in the caves and no amount of photos and
text can describe how special it was. It is definitely one of the best things
we have ever done and topped of by the fact we did it all by ourselves.
In the
arvo we rode home sightseeing on the way. By the time we reached Baie De Kuto
we were stuffed. We are a little rusty from the lack of riding and the normally
easy 30klm ride did us in (plus the 3 hours caving didn’t help either).
That night
the wind turned to the SW earlier than expected and while it was only light,
the forecast now had SW winds for the next 5-6 days. This leaves virtually every
decent bay in the Isle of Pines exposed except
for right at the very top and we didn’t want to go there. We packed up in
preparation to leave at first light the next day.
Saturday
morning we pulled out of Baie De Kuto and headed NW back to the Canal Woodin
and anchored at Baie Ire (Our favourite Jurassic Bay
On the way
we trolled and were discussing how we really wanted to get a Tuna for Sushi and
Sashimi. In a perfect world a small Yellowfin would be the ultimate so we put
out the lures more suited to them. The planning paid off because ½ way though
the trip that’s exactly what we got. Stoked!! Fresh Sashimi for dinner…
Yellowfin Sushi and Sashimi
Sunday 22nd
July we motored the last 20nm thru the Canal Woodin and towards Noumea
The bay was
beautiful with a circular shoreline spanning nearly 270 degrees making it very
protected.
It’s
obviously a great spot for the locals and being Sunday arvo it was packed with
every sort of water craft imaginable. The weather was beaut and they were all
having a great time. By 4pm 95% of the boats had left and just 3 cruising
yachts remained.
Being the
22nd today means we have been in New Cal
So now we
are back in Noumea
We hope to
be out of here by Sunday 29th and on our way North.
For the
next 4 weeks (August) we plan to leave Noumea and head north up the West Coast
with the first stop being Baie De St Vincent and the area around Ile Tenia.
Tenia has a mixture of great surfing and diving and lots of protected bays very
close to the outer reef so hopefully we will spend some time there. From there
it is up to Bourail for more surf and to find some more placid waves for Lisa
to wax up her new board too.
All in all
things are great. The local Indigenious Kanak and Kunie’s we have met have all
been really friendly to us and everyone is tolerant of our limited French.
While the weather has been a little cool and overcast at times, there hasn’t
been a lot of rain and the wind has been mainly light aside from our one day
jaunt to Isle De Pins.
We are
both safe and well and Lorelei is going like a dream with pretty much any minor
teething issues all sorted out from the refit.
So that’s
it from our largest blog to date. Hope you enjoyed it.
We did!!
Cheers for
now from The Hoggers – Team Lorelei…