The Western Pacific - Pacific Crossing Notes: A Sailor's Guide to the Coconut Milk Run - page 409

You Can't Have It All: Comparing Two
Routes from Vanuatu to Australia
Throughout our Pacific crossing, we were hounded by a recurring dilemma: which way to
go? From the Galapagos Islands, we could set a course for either Easter Island or the Mar-
quesas, but not both. It was difficult to choose between the widespread atolls of the
Tuamotus, just as we later struggled to decide which of the Cook Islands to call at, or
whether to sail to Tonga via Samoa or Niue. At every juncture, we seemed to face an either
/ or situation. You simply can't have it all, not without multiple seasons and a lot of upwind
sailing.
So it was no surprise that a last set of choices confronted us at the westernmost end of the
South Pacific, raising the inevitable conundrum once again. We'd already spent a month in
the southernmost islands of Vanuatu. Should we devote several more weeks to exploring
the fascinating island cultures of central Vanuatu or divide our time equally with New Cale-
donia? Visit remote reefs like Huon and Chesterfield en route to Queensland or sail a direct
course for Sydney in New South Wales? Many questions, no easy answers.
Night after night, we of Namani and our friends on Victoria (Kay and Heike, with sons
Hannes and Niclas, ages five and seven) hashed over the choices. Both boats were moored
in Port Vila on the island of Efate in September, and both were ultimately headed to Bris-
bane, Australia to conclude our cruises. But which way to go? Compromise hung thick in
the air like one of the daily rain showers we came to count on in Port Vila.
Ultimately, Namani's route was dictated by two factors. First, we were scheduled to meet a
relative in New Caledonia, and second, the image of a spectacular New Year's Eve in
Sydney (front-row seats guaranteed!) called to us like a siren. That meant less of Vanuatu
and by-passing the remote reefs - a tough pill to swallow. On the other hand, we would get
a good taste of New Caledonia's incredible lagoon, not to mention a lovely family visit,
plus insight into French-Melanesian culture to round out our Pacific experiences.
Victoria's crew couldn't quite drag themselves away from Vanuatu. They also liked the
idea of visiting remote reefs and breaking the passage to Australia into shorter chunks.
Therefore the Vanuatu - Huon - Chesterfield Reef route seemed a natural choice. Since
they were planning to tour Australia by land after putting Victoria on the market, a long
sailing detour to Sydney didn't appeal.