Wind Dancer - LOG 30: Take That Jules Verne

The Wind Dancer crew decided before departing Oz, it was necessary to go away from the coast, leave the boat for a few days and explore the outback. The team flew to Uluru (Ayers Rock) to view the infamous red center. We began by sampling a bit of Aussie cuisine and chose the kangaroo, which actually turned out to be quite tasty. Next on the list was a camel ride in the desert with Uluru in the background. This was a fantastic way to see the landscape and really how iron-filled the soil is. The colors of the sunburnt sand, the greenery of the desert shrubs and the blue of the nearly cloudless sky is almost good to be true. And to top the camel ride, we enjoyed and sunset viewing of the rock that evening, seeing it change colors from red to blue as the sun went down, and then found. read more...

Wind Dancer - LOG 31: Catch of the Day

With the forecast of little wind to get us from Darwin to Benua, Bali, we filled our tanks with diesel and prepared for the possible 950 nm motor. We started off with enough wind to get the white sails up, but unfortunately it was only strong enough to last the first few hours. With engine on, we pushed north west towards our destination. The upside to not sailing (if we are forced to choose an upside) the batteries stay nice and charged, the showers are really hot and it gives ample time to do boat maintenance. We gave dancer some good TLC and got her back to running a little more smoothly as well as nice and shinny. The second day out, motoring in the flattest of seas, we were passed by Gunvor who informed us on the VHF that they had a bit of luck fishing and had caught five tuna in. read more...

Wind Dancer - LOG 29: I Heart the Barrier Reef

Wind Dancer arrived to Port Mackay on the 25th of July after a nice sail over from Pt Vila, Vanuatu. Once clearing customs and quarantine, we organized a tour to fly over the Great Barrier Reef. We drove from Mackay to Airlie Beach about a two hour drive north to catch our plane. About a 12 seater plane, we took off and cruised over the reef for a quick spin. We could spot dolphins, turtles and whales amongst the turquoise waters. Our pilot even gave us a touch and go landing on the water. We then got to fly over the famous heart reef which was a cute find. This was a great way to start Oz off for us all.The Wind Dancer Crew. read more...

Wind Dancer - LOG 28: Dancer v Volcano v Nambas

Our first stop in the New Hebrides was the south island of Tanna. This is by far the most removed society we have visited on this trip. With Mt Yasur in their backyard, they are a great community of people in Port Resolution. They are so welcoming and allow visitors to explore every area of their village. We were most excited about taking the truck ride up to the volcano at sunset to see the spouting lava. There aren't words.After a quick visit to this island, we have moved north to Pt Vila on the island of Efate where we will stay for the next few days. In the future; island tours, WWII wreck dives, but no kava!!Wind Dancer Crew. read more...

Wind Dancer - LOG 27: Bula and Moce

Fiji went by in a flash. We had a great sail over from Tonga with the crew of Ensemble on board, and quickly (well on Fiji time) cleared into the port of Lautoka on the northeast side of Viti Levu. We turned south to join some other World ARC boats down at Port Denarau Marina where we were able to meet up with some friends we had not seen since Papeete. A definite highlight from this stop was going into Nadi and checking out the local market. The fusion of Fijian and Indian culture is such a sight to see and a great mélange of cultures. Plus we have never seen so much Bok Choy in one pile! The greatest aspect of the market is how friendly the people are. You are never far away from a Bula, the local vernacular for hello.Our next move was over to Musket Cove about ten nm west of. read more...