After a beautifull sail from Ogea to Lomaloma on Vanua Balavu island in the Northern Lau group we pick up Elaine who is already enjoying the island for a few days. Welcome on board! The three of us sail to the wide “Horse bay” just before “Plantation bay” where we anchored last year…

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stronger winds are coming so we move from Horse bay to Raviravi bay
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we can almost step off the boat here in Raviravi bay on Vanua Balavu island
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Raviravi bay
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that was a bit too close to shore for the night so I move the boat a bit further away from that beach with a beautiful reef
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meanwhile captain Neptune amuses the crew with the captains bread
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and the captains falafel and hummus

Nobody lives here, it is all just for us and our neighbour...
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but there is a small one family village at the base of the next bay. The head of the family shows us the scenic road to Mavana village
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Approaching Mavana. Patti wants to do another art project at the primary school here, just like she did in Ogea
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Patti talks to the head master and so it happens, the next day...
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the results are proudly demonstrated
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we sail from Vanua Balavu to Paradise Taveuni for diving on the Rainbow reef but they only have space for us on July 4 and 5

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so we motor to Vanaira bay close to Rainbow reef to dive and snorkel by ourselves with the dinghy
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Vanaira bay is here
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snorkeling by dinghy at Rainbow Reef at a dive site called Jerries Jelly
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all sorts of strange fishes in the water, even a black one with very long fins...
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welcome back at Paradise Taveuni
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out on the Paradise dive boat
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happy faces coming back from diving the White wall at Rainbow reef
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Look a new crew member! Yasmin just arrived in Paradise!

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Paradise resort is highly recommended: good dive trips and they offer free moorings for yachts
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really a pity that our time in Paradise is over, we will now sail to Vuda marina to bring Patti home