Thursday 22nd – Sunday 25th May 2025
After checking out of Breakers Resort on Thursday morning we jumped in the hire car (VW Jetta all-wheel drive) and headed through Port Vila city and then north along the ‘ring road’, to take the clockwise direction for a full circle of the Island of Efate.
Dave rode a 125cc motorbike around the island in the mid 80s, so he was keen to do it again and see what had changed.
In the 80s, the road was unsealed and, honestly, it may have been better to leave it that way!
The roads in Vanuatu are not great and probably have ended up in this condition through a combination of factors, including poor maintenance and the impact of high rainfall and natural disasters. Apparently challenges finding local contractors is also an issue, and I assume inadequate funding, training expertise, low-quality repairs, and a lack of specialised equipment also contribute to the issue. We did see some roadwork on our trip and the equipment certainly didn’t seem anywhere near like the quality you would see in Australia, and in fact, in most places we’ve seen in the world.
While the 160km of road we travelled along was nearly all bitumen, much of it had lots of deep potholes, broken and caving edges and occasionally landslides that covered a portion of what is their ‘main highway’. While the poor road conditions did slow us down, it didn’t deter our enthusiasm or our enjoyment of seeing the beautiful landscapes that cover this island.
Dave and I have a general rule that we share the driving, even in Australia, with Dave doing the ‘country’ roads and me driving in the urban areas. On our big holiday to South America, Will did all the driving, which worked well as many of the hire car companies now restrict hiring to those under 65, so Dave wouldn’t have been able to drive anyway. Will is also an excellent driver – and particularly adept at driving on the right-hand side of the road, which was very handy!
Vanuatu also drives on the right (wrong) side of the road, so it was not only the poor road conditions that made things challenging for us.
I also have difficulty (read personal issue) with being in the passenger seat when the car is on the other side of the road. I try very hard not to lean to the left and make wincing sounds every time it feels like we are close to something. Surely others reading along have the same issue 😉 Needless to say this was probably a little annoying for Dave, although I had eased myself into it a bit by the time we stopped after a couple of hours about 3/4 of the way around at the gorgeous little ‘Cafelery’ Beach for a paddle and a walk. We had planned to stop at Blue Lagoon for a visit, but there was lots of people there and they were charging about A$20 per person, so we picked Cafelery where, while there was a sign indicating a charge, there was no one to collect it. The beach was totally deserted, and it was lovely to paddle knee deep in its beautiful turquoise water and look out at the stunning view of the Pacific Ocean.
Yes, my feet were wet and sandy when we got back to the car, but, like my issue being in the passenger seat, I grinned and bore it, at least until we stopped a short while later for lunch where I carefully brushed every last grain of the now dry sand from my feet 😜.
We chose a little spot called ‘Banana Bay Beach Club’ to have lunch. It boasts a spectacular waterfront location, with our table in a small private courtyard right on the water’s edge. We shared a serve of fish and chips, and Dave stuck with a pot of tea, while I chose the mixed fruit smoothie. The bill was just over A$40, so I guess not too different from what we might pay in Australia, especially with a view like this!
(There’s a story about the lunch bill, and the issue with 100 times $42 (i.e. A$4200!) being taken from our WISE bank account, even after the correct amount had been approved. It is now resolved, after many overnight conversations with WISE, the resort, and ANZ Vanuatu, where the issue was eventually tracked to…)
After a very ordinary first night in Vanuatu last Sunday at a less than salubrious ‘resort’ we really enjoyed our three nights at Breakas, a smallish boutique-style resort about 10km from Port Vila on the Pango Road. The road goes all the way to the end (about 20kms) of the small peninsula that juts out westward from Port Vila. About 2km on the Port Vila side of Breakas is Nasama Resort, where we moved to on Thursday for our remaining three nights.
Nasama resort is similar in size to Breakas (around 50-ish rooms), without the traditional bures, but with a larger pool and two restaurants rather than one. We really only moved to get some variety, with both resorts about the same price, and both including breakfast. There are plusses and minuses to both, and it’s one of those situations where it depends on what you are looking for. I liked the traditional style of the rooms at Breakas, but also rate the air-conditioning at Nasama. I prefer the restaurant at Nasama, but Dave really liked the food at Breakas. Pillows and mattress comfort were superior for the first three nights, but no sand between the pool and the room was a major advantage for the subsequent three nights. I wish there was a website that easily allowed you to compare these things, where you could choose only the most important factors for yourself and then compare. Pillows, windows/aircon and restaurants would be my top three, but I’m less fussed about towel size, televisions, or kids club. Anyone know if there is such a thing or wanna start one?
FRIDAY 23rd MAY
After Thursday’s drive around the Island, we opted for a quiet day on Friday, spending most of it lying by the pool (in the shade), swimming and reading. It had rained a lot overnight but had mostly cleared by mid-morning and settled at a humid but lovely 28C for most of the day. The room has a kitchenette, so we had a simple lunch but did have an excellent breakfast and dinner at Cafe Vila, one of the on-site restaurants. Breakfast at Breakas was buffet style, but here you chose from a menu, and it’s cooked to order. On Friday I chose the corn fritters and Dave had a breakfast burger. Both were pretty good, although the fried egg on top was rather overcooked for us both. (7/10)
Dinner on Thursday night was also Cafe Vila, as was dinner on Friday. Both nights were delicious, with lovely warm and friendly service from the Vanuatuan staff. On Thursday I chose the marinated Tuna Ceviche followed by an entree-size serve of Asian Beef Salad. Both dishes were light, not overly dressed, tangy and full of fresh local salad ingredients. I’d rather have two entrées than one main, just so I can taste more things, and I’m glad I did in this case as they were equally good. Dave had a scotch fillet steak, which, while it was cooked less than requested, he enjoyed with a good version of sweet potato mash and some greens. I’ve learned that Vanuatu actually grows quite a bit of beef and in fact exports it to a number of places including Japan, PNG, New Zealand and even Australia!
Friday night’s dinner was shocking, but in a good way.
Some of you will know that I’m a bit of a risotto snob. I adore eating a well-made risotto, but a bad one is really terrible. If at all in doubt I don’t order it, but if there is some hope that the Chef has risotto making skills, I’ll give it a go. I have been known to take a mouthful and leave the rest, so I’ve got to be reasonably confident to order it, because I hate waste!
On Thursday night I had seen a waiter carry a serve of risotto past and it looked pretty good (I’m sure others use these preview opportunities to make menu choices?). The menu read well, the kitchen was clean and tidy and well organised (yes, I’m a sticky-beak) and the chef had somewhat proven himself with my ceviche and my beef salad the evening before. The risotto flavourings on the special menu were ‘seared tuna, scallop and watercress’ and while I’m not usually a huge fish fan, tuna is caught right here off the coast and if it’s fresh it can be fabulous.
Fabulous is what it was! I would have had hundreds (if not more) of risottos in my time, and this would be right up there in the top few. Well-seasoned, tender but still firm rice, flavoursome, moist without being gluggy and perfectly cooked fish and scallops… yum, yum, yum. Risotto should be like pasta with the rice grains being individual but coated in sauce – and this was exactly right. Who knew Vanuatu would rank so highly on my list of best ever risotto locations 😉
SATURDAY 24TH MAY
A little rain again overnight, but we woke to a gorgeous and sunny day, with a top of 28 expected, again. Pretty much the temperatures here stay steady across the seasons and this week every day has shown 24-28C in the weather app.
Another good breakfast (pics above), and then a drive into town for a massage for us both. After an hour of bliss, as we emerged, we both looked at each other and simultaneously exclaimed that it was one of the best massages ever!
Our afternoon was equally blissful, finding a lovely ocean-side spot at the resort where we could read in the shade. What a life, hey! (we do say that a few times a day)
A quick walk to the very basic shop across the road, then a room-made lunch of Solomon Islands tinned tuna (4/10) on crackers, plus a cornetto style ice-cream (7/10) made up our lunch time, followed by a little bit more R&R before heading back to town to meet Annie again (herewith known as ‘Aunty Annie’😉)
Annie had hand-made us each the most wonderful ‘Island Shirts’, Dave’s even featuring twin button-up pockets, just as he likes them. (It’s unlikely many of you will have ever seen him in any other design of shirt). What a lovely gift from her!
Pryce, wasn’t with her for this catchup. I said in the last blog that Annie and my lives could not be more different, and I’ve been thinking about that a bit more. Annie’s smile in the pics above, with her gorgeous gift of shirts shows she has the same feelings as I do when I cook for someone else. I wish I could cook for her (she hates cooking!)
Pryce, Annie’s only son (Annie also has four daughters) is coincidentally in a similar line of work to Will (he’s employed as a Technical Assistant at the Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation) and like Will is also 29. While he obviously likes the work he does, he doesn’t have the same wonderful opportunities Will (and most Australians) do. Pryce has pre-approval for a Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) so is busy applying for roles in Australia. I’m not sure his Cert IV in Electrical qualification will cross-over, but he seems to be willing to take on other jobs, and from what I can see would be an asset in Australia. How good is it to see these types of schemes supported by the Australian Government? Hopefully he will find something soon.
While I’ve been thinking a lot on this trip about the similarities and contrasts in Annie and her family’s lives compared to ours; and also comparing our two hotels and what makes them better or worse, it’s reminded me about how often things are similar, but not necessarily the same. Not better or worse, but just different. Each of us has our own priorities, and our own preferences, and of course circumstances in life not of our own choosing.
SUNDAY 25th MAY
We are about to head to the airport for the journey home.
First stop Brisbane, then a few hours later Sydney, then tomorrow morning back to Wagga. Australia’s weather is crazy at the moment, and I’m not looking forward to it, but at home at least we don’t have to worry about severe cyclones, or earthquakes, like they do here. In saying that however, extreme weather events are more and more common in our part of the world, with the drought in southwest NSW a long way from being over.
Same same, but different.
Sara