Fiji
Solomon Islands
Vanuatu

Samoa
New Zealand

We arose early to catch the 8:00am ferry to Savaii. We had to arrive an hour before departure and when we joined the queue at 7:00am there were already 8 other vehicles in it. It soon became apparent that it was a wise idea to purchase our ticket for the journey before hand, because before long there were more cars and trucks than there was room for, and most of those without tickets would have to wait until the next ferry. At about 7:40am we were allowed to drive the Sidekick onto the ship, parking it on the vehicle deck. Be careful because the roof of the deck is very low, and I banged head on I-beams that support the passenger deck above. We were travelling on the smallest of the two ferries that runs between Upolu and Savai'i, and once we were underway, almost bang on 8:00am the crossing took just an hour and a half.

We had decided that we were going to spend our first night at Stevensons at Manase, but before we headed around the eastern side of the island we drove west to the Lotofaga blowholes. The road to the blowholes passes across a desolate stretch of land formed from old lava flows. The lava stops at the sea, where it formed low black cliffs about 5 metres high which stretch off for several miles in either direction. As the lava cooled tubes formed in it and it is where these lava tubes meet the sea thatthe blow holes occur. I could spend hours just sitting there watching the waves carsh over the cliffs and huge jets of water shoot into the air.

We then headed back towards Salealoga and drove round the island on its eastern side heading for Manase. You will notice that the villages around this part Samoa are the prettiest you will come across. The villagers must spend hours weeding the plants along side the road and painting all the stones white. The churches seem to be larger, indeed some of them you can see as you approach the island by sea and they have been used as navigation points by which people can obtain their bearings. One part of the drive around this side of the island is particularly stunning. As you drive through Tuasivi, you head up a slight incline towards the new hospital, the road then turns to the left and as you go round the corner you are presented with a spectacular view of a gently curving 5 mile stretch of white sand fringing the beautiful aquamarine waters of the lagoon.

Because it is the low season the management of Stevensons at Manase have reduced the rate of their beach front villas from 300 tala a night to 150 tala. Stevensons is split in two by the coast road with the "villas" and a bar being situated directly on the beach and the restaurant and other accomodation on the island side of the road.

The "villas" are very clean with tiled floors and contain two large double beds. The toilets are situated behind the villa and screened with a flap made of coconut leaves. The shower, coldish water only, is located at the bottom of a high walled garden and allows you to shower under the stars. The beach is of a fine white coral sand and does not contain many fragments of coral or stones. The sand continues for about 40 feet into the sea where it is replaced by coral. There is a current of variable strength that tends to flow in an easterly direction along the beach and can at times make it difficult to swim.

After spending several hours swimming and snorkelling we drove further around the island and stopped to look at a fresh water spring that is supposed to associated with an interesting variation of the Sina and the Eel story. Admission to the pool cost 5 Tala for the Sidekick, but when we asked the girl that came to collect the money if she could related the story, she said she was unable because she was from Apia and did not know it.

In the evening we played a few games of pool in the hotel’s games fale. It was an interesting variation on the game since there were no tips to the cues and they had been frayed until they were about an inch in diameter.

The food served at the hotel was fairly expensive and while filling was not particularly exciting, being mainly of the fast food variety. We found out however that because it was the low season and they had hardly had an guests the chef was not in residence.