First I will say that we are very fortunate to be able to go ashore.  I have heard that there is only a 1 in 10 chance that we would be able to go ashore.  Winds, tides and the fact that most of this island (it is really almost an atoll) is mostly surrounded by a “fringed reef.  It is made up of  a series of islets called “motu” coming together in the shape of a fishhook.  We will be tendered through a channel that was cut through the reef, by the Americans during WW 2.  Recently it has been dredged further by the locals making it possible for frigates to come in.  Otherwise nothing could get through to shore.  As it is, only one tender at a time can get through with no 2 passing each other in it.  It is so narrow that the coral is probably off the sides only 8-10 feet.  Check out the Google map picture.  Beyond the reef, the ocean is so deep that the ship  cannot anchor.  It is too deep!!!  And so we drifted.

What to do on this island that you cannot book a ships tour on???  Friends Mary and Lindsay took a boat tour of the lagoon with snorkelling and a stop at “One Foot Island”, so some people could get a stamp in their passport.  I would have liked to see the lagoon but…… Judy, Greg and us two, took a local taxi ($20NZ but US$ 20 if you only have US cash…hmmmm, not fair.  But if you have a Visa card, they charge you in NZD).  They aren’t  really taxis but everyone that owns a car when a ship shows up, put their cars up for hire.  We were taken to Pacific Resort.  Oh My….absolutely beautiful!  I wouldn’t mind coming back here.  We swam in the warm tropical water, snorkelled, had drinks and lunch at the hotel restaurant bar and then went back into the sea for more water activities.  What a wonderful relaxing day!

The snorkelling wasn’t the absolute best but pretty damned fine with coral and a fair number of fishies….one variety of fish, which I would say was quite spectacular, bit all three of the others but when it came to me, kept advancing on me probably saying get out of MySpace.  I would keep putting my had up when it was coming towards me, it would then back away but would continue to come at me.  It finally gave up and went away.  It was maybe 8 inches+/- so not really a threat…..funny though. I later looked up the name of it. It was a Picasso Triggerfish….very aggressive. Apparently we were not the only people that had been attacked by them.

It was a spectacularly wonderful day.