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Pictures of the second visit of Vanuatu - with our car in Oct. 2008 – Jan. 2009   
 
 
 
 
 
     
  Vanuatu Map              Map of Efate      
 
 
                  
 
         
                             Map of
                           the Pacific
 
 
 
 
 
 
latest picture: Jan. 9, 2009
  • click a picture to see details
 
 
 
 
 
 
25  The dancers from the island of Tanna,
whose traditional performances we
attended in Bourali in New Caledonia,
return to their home country Vanuatu.
We seal our personal contact with a
picture on deck of “MV Havannah”
 26  After a three days’ sea journey
from Nouméa via Tadine on the Loyalty
Island of Maré, We on Lifou and Wadrilla
on Ouvéa our LandCruiser leaves the
“MV Havannah” in the harbor of Port
Vila in the morning of October 24, 2008,
and is already circulating on
Vanuatu’s streets in the afternoon
27  Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu
with its population of 38’000 is
greeting us over the Vila Bay
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
28  The tropical coast near Erakor Island
glows in the warm light of the evening sun.
A free ferry is leaving regularly from a
small jetty near the Hotel Le Lagon
29  The sun is setting
over the Erakor Bay
with a unique color
combination
30  Can life be better than that?
Liliana is settling to the pace of
the Pacific way of life
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
31  This huge Banyan tree with its wide
canopy and the clutter of aerial roots
falling from the branches to the ground
is situated along the road to Pango
village. It belongs to the fig family
32  Surrounded by a bread fruit tree,
even this dwelling made of corrugated
iron looks somehow attractive
33  A forest of palm trees nestles between
the tropical hill and the sea along the
Devil’s Point road, where many luxury
villas of expats – mainly from Australia
and New Zealand – are situated
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
34  The totem pole is part of the
culture of the Ni-Vanuato people. These
three “guardians” are standing in front
of the Michoutouchkine Foundation
Art Gallery en route to Pango village
 35  From Klem’s Hill Lookout, 650ft.
above sea level, we enjoy a magnificent
view over Mele Bay and the Hideaway
Island that invites to snorkel and dive
36  The performers of a TV
commercial, adorned with flower
garlands at the Mele-Maat
cascades, give the place the
special flair of the South Pacific
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
37  In the Southeast of the island, we
follow the white string of the heavily
potholed gravel road. Apart from a few
pickup trucks loaded with fresh fruits
and vegetables for the market in
Port Vila, there is hardly any traffic
38  We pass an abandoned tourist
resort in a coconut palm grove,
where the roofs of the bungalows
are slowly rusting away
39  The road gets narrower and the
vegetation more dense towards the East
and Northeast - here near Forari. The
85 miles long ring road will lose a lot of
its island charm when the new highway,
managed by New Zealand and financed by
the USA, will be finished in two years time
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
40  Life in the villages in the interior is
simple and peaceful (Eton on the East
coast). People have time for each other
and live in harmony with nature
41  Even a washing machine
has found its way into the
bush at Pang Pang in the East
42  Most of the huts in the villages are
made of wood with a thatched roof, like
here in Eton on the East coast. But
corrugated iron is used more than ever
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
43  In the remote interior, all kinds of
sects are spreading. Some work in simple dwellings, others already built lovely
churches. In Pang Pang the Seventh-Day-
Adventists try to attract the attention
44  There are no school busses
(Baofatu in the North). Children
walk along the road. There is
hardly any traffic anyway
45  Women in colorful dresses
are assembled in front of a building
near a church in Erakor
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
46  Offshore islands are mostly on the
North Coast. We enjoy this beautiful view
towards the island of Emao at the Bamboo
Beach Bungalow & Camping in Onesua
47  An idyllic spot near the
Bamboo Beach Bungalow &
Camping in Onesua on the
Northeastern corner
48  There are not only sandy beaches
in Vanuatu, but also rocky coast lines,
like here in the Southwest at Pango Point
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
49  The path is narrowing the deeper
we penetrate into the dense forest.
The road conditions in Vanuatu
match those of a third-world-
respectively developing country
 50  The lovely Ewor stream with clear
water meanders through tropical greenery
51  In the East, close to the abandoned
manganese mine of Forari, we drive
through lush tropical vegetation: Each
inch is covered with trees, bushes, grass,
wild bananas and especially creepers
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
52  The Tiaré (Frangipani) blossom is the
flower of the Pacific. It adorns the hair of the
beautiful ladies and is often put behind the ear
 53  The Ginger Torch flower
looks unique in the wilderness.
It is also called wax flower
54  The blossoms of a tree of the
bottle brush category are slowly
withering, but still attractive
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
55  The boy shows us proudly and
with a happy smile his self-made toy
 56  After romping in the sea, these tree
trunks offer a good opportunity to relax
57  The young man is on the way
to his forest plantation and is
happy to stop for a chat with us
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Three typical South sea resorts in and around of Port Vila:
58  Iririki Island Resort: The luxury
bungalow complex is on a small offshore
island and is connected by a free regular
ferry to Port Vila. Day visitors are however
forced to purchase a voucher that can be
used in the resorts for drinks and food
59  Hideaway Island in Mele Bay
near Port Vila: “Robinson-Crusoe-
Life“ in a more exquisite way
60  Le Meridien Port Vila Resort:
The over water bungalows on the
shore of the Erakor Lagoon are
awesomely beautiful, but also
awesomely expensive –
one night costs US$ 880
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
61   In the colorful Port Vila market
locals sell their fruit, vegetables,
coconut crabs, almonds,
shells, flowers, artifacts .....
62  ..... and peanuts
63  Displayed on banana leafs and
wrapped also in it, food is sold at lunch
time at the market: One pile consists
of sweet potatoes, some vegetables,
topped with a chicken wing
and costs 200Vatu ~ US$1.75
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
64   From the hill Elluk with luxury villas,
about 1 mile South of the center of
Port Vila, we enjoy a beautiful view
over Erakor Island and the blue and
turquoise waters of the Pacific ocean .....
65  ..... over the waterfront of the
capital Port Vila with the green hills
around Mount Bernier in the
background .....
66  ..... and over to the bungalows
of the Erakor Island Resort that is
connected with the main
island by a free ferry
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
67   Liliana and Emil are standing at the Elluk
viewpoint overlooking the harbor entry and
the docking of the big cruise ships .....
68  ..... that call at Vanuatu two to three
times a week, originating mostly from
Australia and visiting also New Caledonia
69  Beautiful clouds catch
the rays of the setting sun
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Vanuatu has been voted recently the happiest place in the world.
The twin pillars of a classically happy life are: Strong family ties and a general absence of materialism
70  Strong family ties: Blades are peeled
from palm leafes and bundled to brooms
71  Free from materialism: A
fisherman is looking for his next meal
72  Simplicity: What more is
necessary to provide shade?
 
 
 
 
 
 
73  Women are selling fresh vegetables
and fruits in the shade of a
flowering Flamboyant tree in Port Vila
 74  Liliana is relaxing at the pool side of
our lovely "Blue Pango Motel", situated 3
miles outside of Port Vila in Pango Village
75  Locals take a real interest in our travels.
Where ever we park, they admire our "house
on wheels" and ask us many questions
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
76  Families came in big numbers with their
children to the public ground in Port Vila
to see Santa Claus, who – to the children's
joy – is distributing plenty of candies
77  Santa Claus is sitting
under the tropical sun
between palm trees and
an artificial christmas tree
78  The "Band of the Vanuatu
Mobile Force" is touching the
heart of the people with some
lovely christmas songs
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
79  
 80  
81  
Faces that reflect a nation, which will always keep a special place in our hearts
 
 
 
 
 
 
82  Also on the day when we containerize
for the 14th time our LandCruiser, people
stop in Port Vila, this time to shake
hands and to say good-bye
 83  The "Pacific Islander II" of the
Greater Bali Hai shipping line is docked in
Port Vila's harbor. She will carry our Land
Cruiser to Suva in Fiji, its 162nd destination
84  On our last evening in Port Vila
the sun sets beautifully behind Ifira
Island. The next day, we find
ourselves in the floods of Fiji
 
85
View from Elluk hill outside of Port Vila over to Erakor Island with the turquoise sea of the South Pacific
 
More websites from Vanuatu:
1st Visit: Without vehicle in July 2008
 
Articles in newspapers about us in Vanuatu:
Article: "World Record Travelers in Vanuatu", Daily Newspaper "Vanuatu Daily Post" - October 30, 2008