Vanuatu

Vanuatu

This beautiful island was the destination for one of Lis's 4th year electives for 4 weeks (yup, it's a tough life being a med student!) and then a 2 week honeymoon/holiday once Craig arrived.

(For those on the northern side of the world, Vanuatu IS a country; it's part of the pacific islands, about a 2 hour flight east of Brisbane between New Caledonia and Fiji. Check it out, it's beautiful http://vanuatu.travel/)

Accommodation for most of the 'Baby Docs', as we're called


Port Vila is the capital of Vanuatu, and the country's main hospital is the Vila Central Hospital. I spent most of my time doing anaesthetics and participating in trauma courses and conferences.
It was very interesting seeing how medicine works on donations and a developing world budget.



The hospital is the large cleared area in the centre of the picture, with accommodation a short 5 minute walk away.



Theatre set-up


Anaesthetic recovery room with the AusAid doctor from Brisbane


Port Vila Harbour


Around island tour with other baby docs
Efate island is 80 kms around. There are 83+ islands that make up Vanuatu

Mel and Alex, fellow baby docs

And Elias and Molly














Dinner menu: Lis
Ni-vans used to canabalise their enemies. the last ritualistic cannibal killing occured in 1969


The baby doc family

Market stores along the foreshore in Port Villa

















Iririki Island and Resort in Port Vila Harbour


Happy hour with our local Air Vanuatu pilots...








Bia Blong Yumi

(translation: our beer)

Sunset pirate sailing adventures

(note: some photos stolen from facebook. thanks guys)

Sunset from Numbawan Cafe

After what was obviously a relaxed, but interesting elective Craig arrived to join in the fun



24hr local produce markets, Port Villa














Resort hopping is good for cloudy weather and checking out beaches

Eratap Resort


Plenty of diving being done, lots of fun and great tropical fish.




Resort hopping again - Breaka's


Hideaway Island Resort



Craig and Molly

Great snorkling

Tanna Island

Off to Tanna Island to check out the active volcano!


Part of our accommodation costs was the transfer fee from the airport to our cabins on the other side of the island. This was an amazing 1 1/2 drive over the mountains, for Craig on the back of the ute with the groceries we picked up along the way.

At the petrol station in our Bungalow beach accom transfer.


Our local guide Donald

Amazing scenery!





Village market along the way,
me and my cabbage friend "wilson".






Mount Yasur Volcano


Friendly Bungalows





...very relaxing black sand beach stay








Children from the local village
always happy to smile for the camera


Volcano - Mt. Yasur at 361 m


Downwind of the volcano was a sand dune and plains of volcanic ash



This is an active volcano with 3 vents side-by-side. We were there on a Level 1 (out of 4) activity day, so apparently it was fairly tame...


That said, we still had to watch out for flying lava blobs, and were standing amongst plenty of fresh stuff. The explosions shook the ground impressively.



Awesome sight

Espirito Santo Island

Mellinium cave hike on Santo Island.

About a 250 m hike through a cave that cuts right though a
mountain. Torches a little dodgy.



















The hike then moved into canyoning along a river and finally climbing back up through the jungle to end in one of the mountain villages. A great day!





Lis's pineapple, and
the village veggie patch.
(who knew that's how pineapples grew!!!)






Along with the pineapples, kava and yam were growing





Blue Holes, near Oyster Island












On Oyster Island, Craig perfected his husking of coconuts



So proud


BBQ with other Baby docs back at Vila



Last night cocktails with Alex






A great vacation!


Flying over the northern tip of New Caladonia
on our flight home via Brisbane