Pacific Island Paradises

— V a n u a t u — – 177 – www.paradises.com The waters surrounding these beautiful islands provide some of the most spectacular and varied underwater exploration in the South Pacific and experienced divers come from all over the world to swim amongst the WWII wrecks which lie scattered over the seabed. A tropical paradise, only three and a half hours from Sydney, Vanuatu means 'the land that has always existed'. It is made up of 83 islands formed in a Y-shaped archipelago which stretches over some 1,176 kilometres of the Pacific Ocean, half way between Australia and Hawaii. Capital and major centres Although Captain James Cook explored and chartered the Vanuatu archipelago in 1774, which he named the New Hebrides, he ignored the island of Efate and thus missed discovering one of the world's most beautiful deep water harbours. Today Efate offers safe anchorage to those who visit the capital, Port Vila, by boat, and there is Bauerfield, the international plane terminal, which is 10 minutes from the capital. Thus Port Vila is the gateway to Vanuatu and offers visitors a wealth of tourist activities. Free of skyscrapers, the town is set within a magnificent natural harbour, hibiscus dot the surrounding hills and the air is redolent with the scent of frangipani. A boat trip around Efate and the other island retreats reveals a place untouched by modern civilisation. Tanna Island has almost 28,200 people who inhabit 92 villages in a 565-square kilometre area. The islanders have remained relatively unchanged by a century-and-a-half of explorers, missionaries and traders. Pentecost Island is a beautiful unspoilt place, home to a spectacular ritual, the Pentecost Jump. Espiritu Santo is the largest and oldest island with the largest population and the greatest number of natural sights. The movie South Pacific was inspired by this island and Bali Hai is named after Ambae, located to the east of Espiritu Santo. The people Predominantly Melanesian, the people speak English, French and Bislama, a form of pidgin. The Ni Vanuatu have populated these islands for centuries and with more than 115 distinctly different cultures and languages still thriving, Vanuatu is recognised as one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. History The first European to visit these shores was Spanish navigator Fernandes de Quiros who landed at Big Bay on Espiritu Santo in 1606. The French explorer, Bougainville, arrived almost 160 years later and in 1774 Captain James Cook charted all the islands and named the archipelago the New Hebrides. In 1839 missionary John Williams attempted to impose Western ways and Christianity on the Ni Vanuatu and was clubbed to death and eaten. However, the locals had no defences against the slave traders, known as black-birders, who shanghaied more V A N U A T U V A N U A T U V A N U A T U Port Vila Santo ESPIRITU SANTO MALAKULA PENTECOST AMBRYM ERROMANGO TANNA EFATE

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