South Pacific

Our South Pacific crossing brought us to Galapagos, French Polynesia, Melanesia and finally New Zealand.

We spent a week in the Galapagos Islands. A proud sea lion is basking in the sun on the island of North Seymour, Galapagos.

All the Galapagos Islands are of volcanic origin. They are most famous for their association with Charles Darwin, who wrote his "Origin of Species" based upon observations made in the islands.

Male frigate birds on North Seymour. They blow up their red pouch in order to attract tthe female birds.

More frigate birds.

We found this bright red crab on a volcanic rock at South Plaza Island.

There are two main species of Iguana on the islands. The land iguana feeds on grass and small leaves.

And the marine iguanas feed on algae

Jennifer flanked by two marine iguanas. Isabela Island.

Flamingos on Espanola Island. They get their pink colouring by feeding on shrimp and algae containing a lot of carotene.

You could get incredibly close to the sea lions.

But Jen got scared by a curious sea lion puppy on Espanola.

A masked booby on Espanola Island. They get their names from the black mask around their eyes

The clear waters around Isabela Island makes it look like this sea turtle is swimming in a pond

The flightless cormorant son Fernandina Island have lost their wings because they don't need them. They catch their food swimming and diving and there are no predators. A proof of Darwins theories!

The crossing to Marquesas took us 13 days with little wind and very rolly seas. Here we are at anchor in the Baie des Vierges in Fatu Hiva

David aboard our tender, Ika, just off the island of Fatu Hiva, where Thor Heyerdahl and his wife spent a year together in the nineteen thirties.

Hibiscus blossoms beside red chillies. Jen picked the chillies for cooking on Adele

The Waipu waterfall inNuku Hiva with a height of 350 metres is in a remote vally that took us hours to hike to.

The Waipu waterfall closer up. It is protected by high mountains on all sides.

Marquesas is geologically a young island group. Erosion hasn't had time to polish the rugged mountaintops yet.

No coral barrier reefs have yet grown up to protect the islands. A strong swell will often reach right into the bays making them difficult to use as anchorages. This is the northern side of Nuku Hiva

This young man was only the second priest of Marquesan origin ever to be ordained. Everyone came to the church in Nuku Hiva to take part in the ordination and the celebrations that lasted for several days.

The largest Tiki, a stone statue of a Polynesian deity, in the world standson the island of Hiva Oa. He is 2.6 m tall.

The dramatic stone pillars of Ua Pou, reaching more than two thousand metres, are often obscured by the clouds that gather over the island.

We left Marquesas for Tuamoutus, atolls, where there are no islands left in the centre but only a ring formed atoll.Here Adele is approaching an anchorage in Fakarava with a tender guiding us ahead.

We had a BBQ on the beach of this Motu on the atoll of Makemo.

We awoke the next day to find that sky and sea had melted into one. There was no wind and inside the huge lagoon no swell either.

The only ripples you can see were created by my tender, when I went out to take this photo. Due to the mirrorlike sea, it was impossible to see anything underneath the surface and as we navigated by eyeballs to find the reefs, we didn't dare to leave our anchorage,

A dramatic sunset on the Fakarava atoll, Tuamoutus.

From Tuamoutus we sailed to Tahiti and the Society Islands.

Entering Huahine through one of its passes. The reef can be clearly seen to the right along with the deep channel between the island and the reef.

The church is both a religious and a social centre in Polynesian Society. This is a church in Tahaa.

Mark at anchor! (Photo Rick T)

Celebrating the Swedish National Day - the sixth of June. (Photo: Rick T)

Jennifer and our lady guests, from left Florence Hands, Katharina Kiss, Geraldine henry and Annika Tomlinson. Annika's husband, Rick, took the photo.

The dried vanilla pods are sorted. The polination must be by manual labour as there are no bees ithat can do the job in Tahaa.

Rick and Annika on their way in the smallest of Adele's tenders with Georgina at the wheel.

Fishtrap onn a reef in Tahaa.

Located on the sacred island of Raiatea, the Taputapuatea Marae is the greatest and most famous navigational temple. According to Polynesian oral traditions, Taputapuatea is synonomous with polynesian origins

Bora Bora, maybe the most famous of the Society Islands with its airstrip to the left and the pass to the right.

Sailing outside Bora Bora.

And beating into the wind

A reach with the assymetric spinnaker set

Adele shadows the reef of Bora Bora (Photo Rick T)

The winds were light allowing us to go very close to the reef.

Children at school preparing for Bastille Day dancing

After the Society Islands, Jen and I went back to Europe to receive Showboat's award for Best Sailing Yacht over 40m. Here with Jan Vitters (builder), Andre Hoek (designer), me and Jen, Louis Hamming of Vitters (builder) and Nigel Ingram (project manager).

We flew immediately back and met Adele at Samoa. The picture shows the blowholes on the south coast of Savaii in Western Samoa.

Manono is a small island in Western Samoa. There are no roads or cars and the inhabitants live a very conservative life. The main island of Upolu is in the far distance.

A traditional Samoan Fale, with a grass roof and no walls to allow the breeze to cool the house down.

Andre Hoek showing one of our local guests how Adele had sailed around the globe.

From Samoa we crossed to Fiji. Here we are at anchor off the village of Koroinasolo. We had a lot of wind sailing both to and from Koroinasolo, but in the bay we were well protected.

At every village you have to introduce yourself and bring a gift of kava to the chief. He received us sitting on his veranda. This is the island of Savu Savu

And this is the view from the chief looking towards his guests. Nigel and Ella are flanking Jennifer and to the right are Ineke and Andre Hoek.

A traditional Bure with a thatched roof.

The chief in the village is coming to meet us from his slightly more elegant bure.

A typhoon destroyed part of the village of Koroinasolo and with New Zealand help several of the buildings were rebuilt but in a modern way.

The wife of the chief at Koroinasolo

Albert Cove on Rabi Island, northeast of Vanua Levu. This was one of the most beautiful anchorages we found in Fiji and we had a stern line tied up to a stone boulder to prevent us swinging to much in the confined anchorage.

Kava is made from a root that is pounded. Here Jen got the honour of preparing kava. Rabi Island.

The powder is then mixed with water and the remaining root chips are filtered out. Vanua Balvu, part of the Lau group of islands.

Our tender is guidingAdele making sure we don't hit any reef. The islands in the Lau group are made of limestone.

The prime minister, Ratu Lasenia Quarase. came to visit the Lau islands. He was later that year deposed of in a bloodless coup. We were honoured to be invited as well. Here the prime minister is presented kava to drink as the guest of honour.

The kava is prepared traditionally in this kava bowl by a master of ceremonies.

War dances in Mavana village, Vanua Balavu performed for the visiting prime minister.

The dancers came from the nearby village of Daliconi, and we had see them practise the week before, when we sailed to their village.

The lagoon at Komo island at sunset. The whole lagoon was unchartered and it was nerve-racking to enter the lagoon and find an anchorage.

A student at a school at Komo island.

Children on their way home from school. Oneata island.

Following closely the limestone islands in Lau

Breakfast with my daughter Ulrika and her friend and Lasse and Bittan.

And dinner the same day - the anniversary of our wedding a year before.

Leaving Fiji for our crossing towards Vanuatu.

The market in Luganville, Vanuatu

This is the waterfall at Asanvari village on the island of Maewo, Vanuatu, hometo the charming chief Nelson.

Chief Nelson's son, Nixon,paddles me out to Adele. Evey time I moved a finger I was afraid the cnoe would capsize.

Asanvari village huts.

Children with Jennifer at the foot of an old Banyan tree, Asanvari village

Some of the Adele ladies. Claire, Liesel and Jennifer

This beautiful smile belongs to a kindergarten teacher in the island of Maewo.

Waterfall at Pentecost Island

Jen at the waaterfall

These warrior dancers are approaching us through the jungle at Ambryn, Vanuatu

To walk barefoot on the black volcanicsand on the island of Ambryn was burning hot.

Jennifer chatting to the locals

Rom dance performed to our honour

The chief met us and showed us our seats before the dancestarted. Notice the boar tusk that he is wearing as a badge of honour.

Ranon Village, Ambryn, Vanuatu, 2006The remarkable costumes are made mainly from banana leaves. The volcanic dust swirling around the dancers gave it a menacing edge.

Rom dance at Ranon village.

Birgitta and Lars are walking on the beach in Lamen Bay, Epi Island.

We are approaching Yasur Volcano on Tanna Island in Vanuatu in a car we succeded to borrow.

Yasur has a short explosive eruption every five minutes or so. The cloud can be seen behind the palm tree.

David in front of the volcano.

The beginning of an explosive eruption captured at sunset. The exposure time is 2 seconds.

Two seconds later the lava is starting to fall down on the rim, while some gowing stones are still shooting up.

And a further 2 seconds later the rim is covered in red hot lava stones

And8 seconds after the first exposure the eruption is over.

Adele has left Vanuatu on her way to New Zealand. We have taken in a reef in both main and mizzen.