26 May 2010
For our last day here we walked round the other half of Anchorage Island. Around every corner there was something new to see and we now understand why it is a nature reserve. Walking through the shallows on the reef, dozens of baby black tipped reef sharks came darting in to investigate when we agitated the surface of the water. My, they can swim fast! Rock pools were teeming with white eels, sea cucumbers, brittle stars, bright orange coloured crabs and purple rock lobster.
We came across the two tamanu trees that the islanders tied themselves to when the 1942 hurricane swamped the lagoon with five metre waves, still there, still standing. With enormous bases and roots that looked immensely strong, it was no wonder that these two magnificent specimens saved their lives. Ciao and Liza joined us that evening for sundowners when we toasted our successful stay on Suwarrow and added a few more words to our Slovenian vocabulary. We thought the San Blas islands were pretty special, the Tuamotus too, but Suwarrow has been simply amazing. We would not have missed it for the world. I long to be here longer but it is not possible. Several of those among us said we wouldn't mind the job of caretaker's here!
But tomorrow our 72hours time limit is up and we must leave. On our exit from the pass, (David does not know it yet) I am going to cast my 'lei' into the sea and we shall see what happens. On the last occasion, four years ago, I threw one from Stella into the pass as we left Tahiti and sure enough we did return. I would like to think that we might return here one day. We shall just have to wait and see.....
Susan Mackay