Day 52: (4 July 2011 (-1 in time zone)):
- After some breakfast, cycle south. Stop @ Matavai for map & arrive Washaway just before 11am. On way: idyllic church on lawn & ocean in background. Ppl. dressed in white inside.
- Brian say not going to Washaway as forgot to put diesel in truck. Usually throws picnic table in, so can take lots of people.
- Clayton’s & other bar. Hospital blow away 2x, build inland.
- Heta has huge impact, destroying Alofi South.
- Willy & person setting up. (Didn’t realise it was Willy at first) Ask if OK to snorkel on Sunday, especially with church across from driveway hill. No prob. Apparently Willy is quite a rebel, working on Sunday (only café open), encouraging ppl to swim. Pastor complained a few years ago.
- Swiss family.
- Snorkel. High tide, quite rough. Good coral & fish to watch. Flounder.
- The Coral Gardens couple arrive on beach.
- Large waves in distance. Remember Ana Ana. Big splashing.
- Sit under the roof / picnic table & write. Meet a tourist reading Assasin’s Creed novel.
- Order fish foccacia for lunch. Heard is good. Wait ~30 min. Sit with couple. Multiple warning signs of slow service. Should order before hungry. Big. Fresh. Tasty. Bread very good, bit crunchy outside. Willy makes his own bread.
- Self service bar seems to be self service only for locals. Brian says when busy with many tourists, Willy sometimes brings his (neice?) to help.
- Avatele pronounced “Avasele.”
- Someone greet me enthusiastically by name, I have no idea who it is. Island too small, re-meeting too many people.
- According to Willy, walk along coral to right @ low tide, can swim to snake gully @ buoy.
- Rough & choppy. See buoy, but no safe way to get out. Tide going out, but not lowest. Another advised swim back through channel. See clear pools with coral, water going up/down & spurting out of channel/holes/arches by me scary. Rock-boreing urchin.
- Cycle to Matavai. Quick visit to deck. Nice pool & great view. See point past Avatele that is tapu (found out later on). Meet the reading guy again. Staying just down the road.
- Eventually meet lots of locals & tourists. They greet me by name often.
- Leave Matavai with 1 hr before 5pm, when Kololi girls getting ride to Washaway.
- Ana’ana not signposted. Dirt loop. Big wave splashes. Loud whooshing. Almost missed overgrown trail. Down to coral rocks. 2/3 places with big splashes. Sound reminds me of volcano in Vanuatu. Spinner dolphins spinning. Large waves/swells. Jagged coral.
- Start back from 4:30. Check again around quarry, phone missing. Quarry: big story / deal from Ira & Alexa (hard to find way through), older girls & me found not bad. They indicate loses road.
- Tell police, they patrolled for me, according to them. Brian & Ira impressed, as they have not interviewed them about Brian’s expensive missing tools yet. Stolen by locals or gypsy yatchties? Story of someone setting “traps” for thiefs. Specific shoes put outside, then look for them at airport. Alexa recommended me tell tourist office as they might “put out a broadcast” for it. Never got a chance to do that.
- Bump into Brian at central services station. He say will drive me to Washaway. Leave just after 5pm.
- Stay for beers until girls show up. Wouldn’t let me pay for his beers.
- Meet Jim & Wife. They have no problems with me changing. “I forgot... well, not really forgot, Neal didn’t call me in the morning!” They were having drinks the day before.
- Nice sunset & crescent moon.
- When girls’ food arrive, I realise they ordered when they arrived, 1hr. I order @ ~6pm/6:30, get burger @ 8:30. Confusion over if order is mine or not too, I had to check with ppl who arrived after my order get theirs. Missed ice cream @ Israel Mart.
- Talk about possible car tour tomorrow. 4 Kololi girls. The car they had: never lock cars in Niue. They pick up from airport, unlocked with key in ignition.
Photos available at: http://marklitraveljournal.blogspot.com/
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