March 2019

Malo e lelei !

That's how one says "hello" in Tongan; north of the archipelago, Neiafu is a peaceful village this time of the year, it only comes alive from July to October when tourists come in large numbers to watch the whales. Banana Split has been hauled out high and dry on a lawn, and will stay there until the end of the hurricane season, in April, well away from any disturbances, like the one who hesitates to make up its mind these days to the west of the archipelago.

Yes, horses eat noodles!

I've already had fish and cetaceans of all kinds under the platform of Banana Spit ... but this is the first time I found there a horse; it belongs to one of the creators of the Vava'u Boatyard, and it roams freely between the stored boats; the other day, I had left at the foot of the boat a bucket containing a packet of rawpasta visited by weevils ... a few minutes later, the horse had devoured all the pasta, together with the weevils !

Wine and alpaga...

In a few days I will join Francette in Auckland to visit some areas we do not know yet, Maybe we will have the opportunity, as I did last month by seaplane, to go taste the wines and olive oils produced on the island of Waiheke, off Auckland; or to visit the farm of my friend Franck, creator of a travel agency called Once Upon a Trip; he raises alpacas on his property (while on their farms the others still have only sheep); or to climb the Mangawhai dune: if you have the opportunity to do it on a sunny day, do not imitate me, keep your sandals: I did it barefoot, and I regretted it bitterly, the sand was so hot I ended up with big blisters underfoot.

And then we will find Banana Split to show the Tonga islands to Francette :she does not know them yet.

As every year I wish you a month of March anything but martial. Only tenderness!

Antoine