Rowan has a 2am board meeting so he needs to be near the town so that he can have good phone signal, just in case Stinky loses connectivity. We picked up the anchor after breakfast and realised that our swinging a full 360 degrees meant that we were wrapped around a bommie. We tried a few manoeuvres to get off but with no success, so Rowan had to get in the water with his goggles and see how we were wrapped. He shouted precise instructions to me while I steered the boat gently around and finally got the chain off the bommie. Thankfully there was no wind which made things a lot easier and we were soon off. It was only about a 40 minute motor to Pangai. There were 4 boats when we arrived, 3 left as soon as we arrived around midday. No sooner had they gone when 2 new boats arrived. The boats are here to do the inter island check in and out, otherwise not much reason to come here. It is not the nicest anchorage, the town is rather run down and tatty, the dock looks like it has taken a hammering, and no chance we could refuel here. Quite a few boats are checking out of Tonga here, for NZ.
We headed into town to do our inter island checkout at customs, even though we plan to go to a couple of small islands nearby. We are heading south towards the main city/town of Tonga, Nuku’alofa. Rather sadly while we sat in the little customs building a kingfisher kept bashing into the window fighting his reflection. He looked a bit like the woodland kingfisher in S Africa but much bigger. He was a beautiful colour blue, but the staff were pretty unimpressed saying it is an evil bird, poor thing!
We then headed to the shops for a few provisions, besides eggs, chocolate and crisps it was a very unsuccessful shop! Nothing fresh, even at the market, all we could find was bananas, no tomatoes this time! Not too serious, we are slowly making our way through our tins of food, it is quite good to be using them up.
It was a very early supper so that Rowan could have a very early night, as he has to be up at 2am for his board call. Lovely sunset colours came through the clouds this evening, and for the first time we saw this huge volcano, we must have just missed it in the hazy light beforehand.
Leaving the lovely beach of Uoleva
Me concentrating hard to keep us on track through the shallow waters, headphones on while unwrapping ourselves from the bommie
The volcano which we have only spotted today
Looking over to the town of Pangai
Gorgeous colours in the sky, so dramatic
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