Vanuatu - The Holiday!

5th August 2006
On a bright winters morning we set off for a ten day adventure in Vanuatu. We could hardly wait...warm, sunny days...snorkeling...romantic walks along the beach...indulging in freshly caught and cooked tropical fish...it was going to be a fantastic break away from the cold (well, reasonably cold) winter weather of Brisbane in August.
After just over two hours flying we glimpsed a spectacular green island surrounded by white beaches rising out of the deep sea. As we flew closer and lower we spied lush pasture and coconut plantations with the odd column of smoke rising from scattered settlements.
We landed in a sky-blackened and heavily humid Port Vila. It looked like the sky was going to break forth with a tropical storm any moment! As we made our way across the airport tarmac and entered the small (but well-kept) airport we caught our first view of a string band. All clad in Hawaiian shirts, this unlikely group of Ni-Vanuatu were playing an up-beat song of welcome to us tourists. It was a brilliant first impression of Vanuatu, but one which would prove to follow us around the island, wherever the tourists are - string bands appear.
We made our way through immigration, customs and baggage claim, eagerly awaiting our hotel transfer to take us to our booked hotel just outside Port Vila...after 30 minutes of searching for the mini-van and asking airport staff we realised we weren't going to be picked up. If we were going to get to Bluewater Island Resort, we'd have to find our own way...ah...the adventures of travelling in the Pacific!