Towards the end of our stay in Hanavave Bay in Fatu Hiva,
our Italian friend Giorgio decided to “sail” around the island and invited a
few of us to join him. We had barely left the bay on his awesome sailboat Hoa
Motu (which means “friend of the islands”), when he and Mark let out two
fishing lines. We had been craving some fresh fish for ages and were not going
to pass up any occasion to try our luck. While the steep cliffs and mountains
were blocking any kind of wind, the engine was propelling us forward. Pretty
quickly, two fish simultaneously caught the lures we were trawling.
Mark pulled in the hand line, to find a
medium-sized barracuda – no good eating here. Giorgio struggled for a long time
with a massive creature on the reel. Our anticipation was growing and growing…
Maybe it was a big tuna or a mackerel? It didn’t seem to be a mahi mahi
(dorado), since no jumping out of the water was going on. Finally, a big shape
appeared near the water surface and we all cramped around Giorgio to have a
better look, cameras ready. It was a huge “great barracuda”, another fish prone
to having ciguatera, a disease that is harmful for people.
The wind was light and we tried to make some northern
progress along the west coast, before tacking up the north side. It wasn’t
working too well, but we had a very yummy and comfortable lunch, without
heeling. Mark and I barely believed we were on a monohull! The rest of the trip
we were forced to motor, if we wanted to circumnavigate the same day. We
followed the impressive and craggy shoreline and rounded another corner.
Although we did not have to do much in regards of sail trim, we were
entertained nonetheless, by the impressive scenery, our friendly host and … the
arrival of a pod of small dolphins, playing with Hoa Motu’s bow for half an
hour. We stuck our nose into Ouia bay, which Mark and I had spotted from the
mountain trail a few weeks earlier. Once “outside” again, we kept moving over
relatively flat seas. Another pod of much bigger and rounder dolphins joined us
this time and I had a blast, just watching them on the bow, encouraging them to
stay and jump, and taking movies.
When the dolphins had left us, it was time for another big
catch - a decent size wahoo. Score! Mark hauled the slim fish with obvious
markings in and gaffed him into the cockpit, where Giorgio killed him in a fast
manner. Dinner for five, and then some! Rounding the last “corner” on the
approach to Fatu Hiva’s biggest town, Omoa, another fish decided to swallow one
of the lures. It was a skipjack, closely related to the tuna; tasty dark meat.
The sun was beating down on us and we were having a great time, enjoying the final
stretch of our spontaneous excursion. Unfortunately, Mark and I lost our last
lure, without even noticing it. Another giant must have just bit through it,
without letting us know. No more fishing for us for a while! It made us truly
enjoy the ceviche, Birgit assembled that evening, and the sushi and fish BBQ
the following night. With full bellies and a bit “socialized out”, Mark and I
were finally, kind of, ready to leave Fatu Hiva and sail to the “big city” of
Atuona in Hiva Oa.
Giorgio at the helm of his boat Hoa Motu, leaving Hanavave Bay
Great barracuda with a grand head
Decent size wahoo - and tasty!
Pod of small dolphins playing with the bow of the boat
Rugged coastline near Omoa
Giorgio and Mark dealing with the skipjack
Back in Hanavave Bay near sunset
After charging our computers’ and our own batteries in
Alexandra, Mark and I drove to the east coast of New Zealand's South Island
again. From Palmerston, we made a slight detour to the north, before following the coastline southwards
with our rented camper. Along the way, we stopped to see a few interesting
sights. Before spending the night on a parking lot in the city Dunedin, we
explored the rugged Otago Peninsula. Here are some of the images we captured. 
