|
|
Though
a bit rainy, we were lucky on the short east-northeasterly passage to Wallis
from Savusavu, as we caught a brief spell of winds with a good deal of south
in them, saving us having to beat into the trades. Fortunately the winds had
turned more easterly by the time we reached the island, having lain offshore
overnight to have daylight, smoother seas and slack water to enter the
narrow, but clearly marked pass which opens to the south. Unlike Fiji waters,
the very beautiful lagoon at Wallis is extremely well marked. Brief visits to
the Gendarmerie and Douanes completed entrance (and clearance out)
formalities painlessly. Locals were quick to offer lifts into town from the
southern anchorage where we remained for most of our stay during a spell of
strong trade winds, when the anchorage off the town would have been at least
very uncomfortable if not untenable. |
|
|
The
French possessions in the Pacific provide a marked contrast to their less
fortunate island neighbours. With the exception of New Caledonia, few of the
French islands have any significant economic independence. Employment is
almost entirely governmental, yet the standard of living is very high by
South Pacific standards. The traditional house above was an exception to the
general rule of modern housing. Everyone has electricity and piped water. The
island seemed to have more cars than people. As we walked or biked around the
island we noted that there was active cultivation everywhere in neat family
plots. |
|
|
When we visited the main town we found as expected that the small supermarkets were well stocked with expensive, but tempting French delicacies. There was a single, well-disguised ATM, which was just as well, as at least one of the supermarkets could not digest our credit card. There
was an impressive Catholic cathedral built from the local volcanic stone. As
usual for these small island nations there was also a philateletic store. Fortunately
we had no need to get fuel which would have been difficult and expensive,
while water was grudgingly available from the gas depot on the jetty. |
|
|
|
|
Given the small size of the island we got out our bikes and cycled most of its length. Though most of the main roads were paved, many of the smaller roads in the interior were pretty rough. In the middle of the island there are a couple of striking and beautiful crater lakes, with tropic birds soaring above them. Surprisingly, toward the north end there was also a good deal of managed pine forest, to contrast with the extensive banana plantations elsewhere. When
the trades eased somewhat, we moved back out to an anchorage in the lee of
Faioa Island, at the southeast of the lagoon. The island is popular with locals
for its long white sand beach, which is well populated with inquisitive
land-crabs, while we enjoyed low-tide fossicking on the outer reef. |
|
|
|
|
Having
departed from Wallis, as we approached the equator, the trades grew lighter
and we had a slowish passage north, by-passing the islands of Tokelau further
to the east. While in Fiji waters we had only managed to catch one fish, a
smallish yellow-fin tuna. As a result we were delighted when we landed a
large wahoo the day before our landfall at Funafuti. The light passage also
gave us a chance to do a few small jobs, including repairing the Q flag for
our entrance to Tuvalu. Once
again we arrived too late to attempt the pass at Funafuti and so stood off
for the night – during which we were approached at one point by the Tuvalu
police launch, which we later learned is a combined Tuvalu/Australian
operation. Though
none of the navigational marks on the chart were present, the pass into the
lagoon was clear enough and any dangers inside the lagoon were also generally
visible in the clear water. There are a number of anchoring options. The most
convenient is in deepish water near the newer of the two docks – but not near
enough to obstruct ships approaching the dock. There are also plenty of spots
along the southern line of the island off the hospital or the hotel. There
were convenient steps at which to leave our dinghy at the newer of the two
docks, with the customs office nearby, though it was necessary to go to the
main government building in town to clear immigration. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
There
is a good reason that the Prime Minister of Tuvalu has been one of the leaders
of the group of island nations campaigning for greater action on climate
change. The highest point on Funafuti, the capitol island, is only about 15
feet above sea level. Any significant rise in sea level would be a national
disaster. In any case the island has a number of environmental issues. There
is no natural drinkable ground water. Effectively all fresh water is from
rain and must be stored in tanks. There is also very little fertile soil on
an island, which is basically a strip of coral rock rarely more than a few
hundred metres wide. Most food is imported. In addition, a large proportion
of the original fertile land was sacrificed during WWII to the making of an
airstrip. This is now Funafuti’s ‘international’ airport. |
|
|
In
order to create the airstrip, coral rock was excavated from a number of pits
around the island. These have never been re-filled and are now home to rats
and mosquitoes, as well as the poorest of the over-crowded island’s
population. As we rode the length of the island on our bikes two related
sights were particularly striking. Because of the nature of the island, there
is really nowhere to bury anything. As a result, the island is littered with
above-ground graves and rubbish. There are piles of discarded plastic and
metal everywhere. The situation was clearly even worse at one time, because
the New Zealand Navy actually created a huge tip at the northern end of the
island and moved much of the rubbish there a few years ago. All
this sounds very negative, but our overall impression of the island was
positive, mostly because the people were welcoming, friendly and cheerful. As
it happened there was a national election during our stay. There was a
genuine feeling of democracy at work, though it was a kind of democracy
adapted to the cultural traditions of a society based on extended families,
not the mass democracy of a large urban industrial society. |
|
|
|
In
a country of only a few thousand people, spread across a large number of small
islands, it was interesting to see most of the elements of much larger
administrations. The only sizable modern building on Funafuti is the main
central government building. There is also a Tuvalu Telecom and a Tuvalu
National Bank – the only bank. These and a few other agencies, such as the
police, hospital and schools, provide virtually the only significant
employment opportunities. There is very little tourism and though there were
two or three largish fishing boats, donated by Taiwan, these did not appear
to be active. The country’s income derives mostly from aid from Australia,
New Zealand and the EU. Though English is an official language of the country
with Tuvaluan, few of the islanders spoke much English, yet the ability to
speak English was clearly a passport to a job of some kind with the
government or one of the quasi-governmental agencies. Sadly, Tuvalu’s ability
to survive in a modern world must be in some doubt unless its delightful
people can find ways of coping with the considerable challenges that face
them. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All
this said we had a very pleasant time exploring the island. Unusually for us
it was almost impossible to get lost, with only one main road running the
length of the narrow strip. As in Fiji there were canoes cleverly made from
sheets of corrugated plastic and metal, this time painted bright orange. The
philateletic bureau had an astonishing range of stamps some of which
celebrated distant events and celebrities, which we found surprising. Felo
and Mennia, who befriended us during our stay, exemplify Tuvalu’s potential
strengths. They work for the National Bank and Telecom respectively. They
both speak good English and have a lively interest in world affairs as well
as those of their own country. We were very grateful for their welcome and
generosity. With more people like them, we feel sure that Tuvalu could have a
positive future. |
|
|
Next |