Another place I had heard about from other crew and was eager to see. Ureparapara, or also named 'that island where you sail into a volcanoe' certainly made a first impression. A volcanic island, the harbour was created millions of years a go when the volcano exploded out. What was left was a perfectly sheltered harbour with a small gap going out to sea. Great for anchoring up, however as crew we had to use our sailing skills when the engine decided to play up just as we entered the harbour's mouth. We had all sailed onto anchor before, yet the pressure of almost 360 degrees of surrounding land certainly got the adrenaline pumping.
Three words sum up my first impression of Ureparapara - King Kong's home. With the steep surrounding hills, constant cloud coverage and drizzle, I was expecting to hear roars and stomping from the jungle. However, a big ape did not appear to fight with a t-rex at the harbours shore. Instead The Soren Larsen received visits from outriggers and the local chief.
As permanent crew must only have rostered time ashore (enough people must stay aboard to get the anchor up) I had an afternoon on Ureparapara. However, my time was not wasted. Although I did not hike up the hills to get an awe inspiring photo of Diver's harbour, I did;
Watch the kids show crew members a thing or two about football before taking part in a crew vs villagers football game. We won but I think this was due to our 'extra' local players.
A walk in the rain, later sheltering in a kid's playhouse.
Watching a custom dance complete with special head wear.
Then making our way back through the village, meeting new faces.
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