Hideaway Island

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Today we went snorkeling.  After morning errands we drove to a beach not far from here where we picked up a little shuttle boat to go to Hideaway Island, close to the main island of Efate.  This ride is free, but if you want to get off the boat, you have to pay.  There is a restaurant there to get eats, lounge chairs to sit on next to the sea.  There is sand, then solid coral.  There are steps into the sea, or you can just waddle down to the water slipping down the coral.  The water was refreshing and clear and the coral reefs were so close to the shore you didn’t have to go far if you didn’t want to.  The fishes were plentiful and all sizes and colors and the coral was beautiful in places too.  The most stunning thing we saw was a solid-colored beautiful, blue starfish. This was such a great day; one more couple met us there, E/S Stevens, the office couple—poor babies, they were in Auckland for 4 months and then got sent to ‘paradise’ she said...  Afterwards we drove up to the top of a look-out point to see some of the lagoons and shores and lands in between—it is so magnificent here.

Ferry boat to Hideaway Island 

 Lounge next to the beach.  Note the sand, then it turns to bleached coral and shells. 

The locals don’t bother to go to the island; they just jump in right there on the main island, and the water is fine!

Hideaway Island sports an underground post office.  I am not sure how it works, but you dive under the water to get there.  And someone retrieves your mail I guess.  I forgot to ask. 

There were a couple of yachts floating near Efate.  Up on the hill there are several very large homes owned by people that are not islanders. 

We are sleepy from our day in the water and the sun.  E/S Leben have been so busy they rarely take a day off, so it was also a treat for them.  They have children coming on the 15^th, so they will be taking a little time off with them, or at least she will be if Elder Leben has to keep working with Jim. 

I can’t stand much more suffering…

Love, from Hideaway Island.