SA Visitors

The third week of May saw Kerry and Jenni arrive from Adelaide. Ants spent time showing them the sites of Majuro and environs. They arrived at the same time as some new AVI volunteers started so it was quite a social whirl of evenings out and day trips. Their first few days included the “AVI” dinner to welcome the new arrivals. The Tuesday yachties night out at Marshall Island Club (all you can eat pizza for eight dollars) a film night at Wallaby downs. A day sail/snorkel to Eneko Island. A bike tour around Rita and Delap, the shanty town suburbs of Majuro. At the weekend Ants arranged a “Australian” sail on Breakfree for Wally (AVI) leaving and our visitors to Enamonet Island so 10 people on a lovely day trip.

The following week, much to the amusement and curiosity of the locals, we put Break Free up on Mieco Beach to have its two yearly bottom clean and paint, many hands make light work.

On the beach in front of WAM canoe house

Putting our visitors to work

Jenni fishing at Airik on Maloelap Atoll

At the end of that week Break Free and crew sailed ninety miles north to Maloelap Atoll. We had a great time exploring Airik, Toroa, Piggiatto and Tjan Islands. Lovely people, interesting wildlife, lots of Japanese relics and good wreck diving.

Then we sailed south to Aur Atoll visiting Bigen and Aur Aur Islands. The same as at Christmas Bigens water was crystal clear (for divers info 30m visibility)

Even though there is a drought emergency in the northern Atolls, Aur Aur had great looking gardens and with the great fishing they are living pretty well. After ten days we were back in Majuro.

Playtime at Airik

Kitchen fire starting to burn

Ready to dry Pandanus

Cooking a typical breakfast

Collecting some greens for the pigs

Going fishing

It sounds like Anti Crabs (actually Handicrafts)

Areson and Kerry after antenna repair

Jane and Jenni on Airik

A fish lunch at a Copra camp om Kemar Island

A young Taroan at Maloelap Atoll

Old Japanese gun emplacement

Peeling breadfruit with a modified cowrie shell

Lovely bronze trunnion mount on WW11 Japanese gun

A resident of Piggeyato Island

Foreshore crabs at Chien (Tjan) Island

Tjan net fisherman

Rowing out to wreck on Taroa Is  Maloelap Atoll

Cable winch

Intrepid diver

Great banana grove on Aur Aur Island Aur Atoll

Mooring bollard 70 years underwater

Ants, Kerry and Jenni spent the last few days taxiing to Laura, walking and bike riding around downtown Majuro and the obligatory evenings of “wining and dining” for all.

Ants is taking no responsibility what so ever for getting K & J to the Airport after their flight to Guam had closed nor the fact they had old bullets (just projectiles) in their hand luggage. It is only a US federal offence to carry ammunition on an American plane (they were travelling on United Airlines) and the jail sentence shouldn't be too onerous. Ants has promised to visit them in jail!!!

On a lighter note Jane is right back into it as WAM's new trainees start on Monday....it has been hectic, to say the least, getting things sorted in a week after 3 months of waiting for government funding to be approved and then released.

'til next post, cheers J & A