The Western Pacific - Pacific Crossing Notes: A Sailor's Guide to the Coconut Milk Run - page 359

11. The Western Pacific
• Fiji: Flirting With the Date Line
• Fact File: Dispelling the Myth of Sevusevu
• Lessons Learned in the Southwest Pacific
• Paradise Unplugged: Southern Vanuatu
• Fact File: Vanuatu
• Introducing New Caledonia's Idyllic Lagoon
• Fact File: New Caledonia
• You Can't Have It All: Comparing Two Routes from Vanuatu to Australia
For all that we had dreamed, researched, and prepared for our voyage, the western end of
the Pacific remained a mystery to us until we cleared out of New Zealand and headed
north. Of course, we'd heard of Fiji, but had only the vaguest notion of where to head once
we got there. Vanuatu and New Caledonia are places the average landlubber hasn't even
heard of, let alone found on a map. We felt very much as if we were heading into the great
unknown.
So what did we find? Warm, generous people. Incredible natural scenery, above and be-
neath the water. Vibrant Melanesian cultures that embrace tradition while welcoming out-
siders like us. Last but not least, we found challenging cruising in reef-laced waters. Now
we understand why some lucky sailors linger in this magical part of the Pacific for years on
end.