01 Nov 2015
Champagne Beach and Million Dollar Point
Our morning began early enough to catch the excitement associated with the All Blacks winning the Rugby World Cup and early enough to have the birders ashore as dawn broke over the beautiful shores of Champagne Beach. After a slightly more leisurely breakfast, the rest of us went ashore to explore Champagne Beach above and below the waves as well as relax and enjoy the serenity of having such a beautiful spot all to ourselves.
Later in the morning we sailed southwards along the shores of Espirito Santo headed for an anchorage in the vicinity of Oyster Island. Here we joined our transport and toured the sights of Lugainville including Million Dollar Point, several WWII airfields and the bustling markets. Our tour ended at the Metevulu Blue Hole for a refreshing dip in the crystalline waters before we returned to the Spirit of Enderby. Meanwhile our birders had been out to the Vathe Conservation Area and had a very successful day with sightings of the elusive Vanuatu Megapode and a completely unexpected sighting of a Vanuatu Pigeon!
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