Suwarrow: Paradise Found and A Gift

[hoops name=”break”]Where to begin??   We’re currently on passage to Niue, and for the last couple of rockin’ and rollin’ days, I’ve been trying to decide what I wanted to say about Suwarrow (Swa’-row) and how I could possibly say it to convey my thoughts and feelings.  Having come up with no answers, I’ve decided I just have to write it and hope, somehow, it comes through…..So…..

There’s this place…This very special place where peace and tranquility reside, spreading itself like a protective veil over those who enter….. 

Making our way from the turbulent Pacific through the pass into the atoll that’s known as Suwarrow in the Northern Cook Islands, I sensed it immediately.  We powered through the white-cappy current between the reefs and turned to starboard to get our first good view of the lagoon and the islet known as Anchorage Island.  Eight boats bobbed peacefully at anchor in the crystal clear waters, the colors graduating from the dark blue of the deep lagoon to the turquoise of the shallower water, to the shades of green and then the browns revealing the reef encircling the islet.  The islet itself was lush, vivid green in the newly risen sun, fronted with a swath of white sandy beach.  The coconut palms swayed gently in the breeze.  Paradise found, I couldn’t help but think to myself…..

As we poked our nose around the anchorage, looking for a suitable spot to drop the hook, an aluminum skiff came buzzing out from the shallow stone jetty, and the driver, waving at us, guided us to a nice spot right in front of the island.  Giving him the thumbs up, we dropped the hook in 60 feet of deep blue water, watching it fall to the bottom.   Coral bommies were clearly visible, and as I let out chain and set the anchor, I could hear it skipping over top of some smaller ones, until it finally found purchase and we settled back into 80+ of water.  Looking overboard, I could clearly see the bottom and the bommies beneath us and knew that we would have our work cut out for us whenever we got ready to leave.  Then I noticed the 6 good-sized black-tipped reef sharks circling toward to the surface of the water right above our chain, and realized it would be interesting work indeed!

And thus began our stay in Paradise…..

That was also the day that we first met Harry and Charlie.  Harry and Charlie are the two rangers that the Cook Islands government sends out for 8 months of the year to oversee and protect the atoll, and also to welcome and oversee the yachties who make the effort to visit this special place.  They transport the rangers by ship, usually at the beginning of March or April, and drop them here with some supplies, not returning until they pick them up again at the beginning of November.   In the interim, the rangers live off their meager stores, supplementing them with fish and coconuts and whatever else the visiting cruisers may offer them.

Harry and Charlie are interesting guys.  Interestingly, they are both from the northern island of Manihiki and have known each other for many years.  They both played rugby, but couldn’t be more different!  Harry is a bit reserved and has a very dignified demeanor.  He lives in Rarotonga, but spent many years working in New Zealand.  Harry was the ranger last year, and this is his final year before he returns to Rarotonga.  Charlie’s family is from Manihiki, but he spent a good number of years growing up right here in Suwarrow with his father.  He lived and worked 25 years in Australia, but has now returned home to the Cook Islands and has signed on to be a ranger here in Suwarrow until 2017.  Charlie is affable and gregarious.  Both of them love this place and are excited to share it with anyone who really wants to experience it.

Along with that, the other thing you need to understand is the history of this island regarding Tom Neale.  Tom Neale was a Kiwi who fell in love with Suwarrow and lived here on Anchorage Island, off and on, from 1952 until 1977.   He wrote a book called “An Island to Oneself”, and is somewhat of an icon amongst cruisers.  Apparently, there is more to this history than is recorded in his book!

Anyway, s/v Bravo came in shortly after us, and after pointing them to an anchoring spot a bit behind us, Charlie (the man in the “tinny”) returned to shore to pick up Harry and begin the check-in process for the boats to Cook Islands’ only National Park.  Several boats had come in late yesterday evening ahead of us, so they started with their check-ins first and finished up with ours.  That gave us plenty of time to tidy up the boat and have our celebratory Bloody Mary’s after our passage!

When Harry and Charlie finally did come aboard Mystic Moon, it was already noon, and you could tell that they were tired of the paperwork and check-in officialdom required of them.  They were extremely pleasant, though, and went over the rules of the park, listing the things that we could and couldn’t do, and then those things that they might be able (time allowing) to take us to do and see.  We filled out our paperwork, paid our fees and mentioned that there were several things that we’d like to see before we left the atoll.  Charlie nodded, assuring us that we would find time for everything.  After they left, John expressed his disappointment in the whole “rules” thing and was a little discouraged that we would get to do half of what we wanted to do, but “No”, I told him, “This place is special, I know it….I feel it…It’ll all work out….Just wait….”

And work out it did.  By the next morning, after a very good night’s sleep, John was his old self and full of his usual optimism and enthusiasm.  After a leisurely morning, we did a late morning snorkel over at “manta reef”.  We knew we were a bit late to see the mantas, but enjoyed the snorkel and being back in the water nonetheless.  In the afternoon, we relaxed in the cockpit, reading and taking in the stunningly beautiful views in every direction.  Our friends on Bella Vita came in during the day, along with a couple of other boats, a Happy Hour was announced for the evening on shore, and the stage was set for the rest of our stay here…..

At happy hour, Charlie was in rare form, or so we thought!  This was the first we heard of his boyhood here in Suwarrow.  It was fascinating listening to his stories and what his life was like here.  Tom Neale alone on this island?  “Boo-shit!!”  Charlie would say; There were three other families living on the island at the same time!  Tom Neale welcome cruisers here?  “Boo-shit!!” Charlie would spit out; Tom Neale tried to chase the cruisers away, while Charlie’s father would welcome them.  Tom Neale had a wife and child he left behind in Rarotonga??  “It’s all Boo-shit!!” Charlie insisted; Tom Neale had 3(!) wives spread out between New Zealand and Rarotonga and had 29 kids!!  (Yikes!)  And so it went….A great (and late!) evening was had by all, and the cocktail conversation was absolutely riveting!

The next morning, after we had finished breakfast and were relaxing in the cockpit, Charlie buzzed by in his tinny, awaiting the arrival of yet another boat that had just radioed their nearby position.  Well, they weren’t as near as we all thought, and so we spent a good amount of time just sitting in our cockpit, chatting with Charlie about the previous night, his life here now, and what he’d like to show us here in Suwarrow.  He mentioned that he and Harry wanted to have a BBQ/potluck on the beach for all of us on Friday night, and that he needed to go out and catch fish for the BBQ.  Well, as you can imagine, YB jumped all over that!  John said he and Adam (on Bravo) would really like to join him for the fishing and would that be okay.  Charlie was thrilled, so long as we could provide the gasoline for the tinny. (Sidebar:  For whatever reason, the CI government provides these rangers with very little provisions, including not nearly enough fuel for their outboard and generator.  They already were running out of fuel for their gen, and here it was only August 1st!  They simply had no extra fuel to spare to take cruisers fishing or out around the lagoon without their help.)  No worries, John assured Charlie, we could provide fuel, and a plan was made for the 3 of them to head out of the lagoon on a fishing expedition early the next morning.  We also laid down some tentative plans for a tour of the lagoon with Charlie on Saturday.

The rest of the day was spent snorkeling with Bravo, Bella Vita, and Mazu, and again enjoying the incredible scenery, birds, and sharks surrounding our boat.  Just around cocktail hour, Adam and Cindy were chatting with us on Mystic and it was a perfect evening, so we retired to the flybridge for a sundowner to watch the sunset.  Soon, there was the sound of an outboard approaching, and before we knew it, Charlie had joined us up top for what turned out to be an impromptu evening of conversation, laughter, and good fun.  It was only a sudden rain shower that saved our asses from a too-late evening and a nasty hangover!

And so it went for the duration of our stay in Suwarrow.  As John has mentioned, the fishing expedition was a resounding success, and the potluck was an extraordinary experience, with great food, great music by Harry, great dancing by Charlie, and wonderful camaraderie amongst us all!  The days were filled with NatGeo experiences everywhere we turned!  The full-day tour on Saturday with Bella Vita, Bravo, us, and Charlie was spellbinding!  On Bird Island, birds were literally everywhere!  Frigates, Sooty Terns, Boobies…..No, I mean birds in the hundreds and hundreds, eggs everywhere, on the ground, in nests, in the bushes, all different ages of babies in nests, birds soaring overhead.  The sound alone was practically deafening and unbelievable!

Seven Island, our next stop, was a very special island because Charlie’s Aunt gave birth to the first of her seven children (Charlie’s cousins) on this island.  It also happens to be what is probably the most beautiful, quintessential South Pacific island I have ever seen!  Simply breathtaking in its beauty, the colors so vivid as to make you feel as if you are standing in a postcard that can have only been photo-shopped to this perfect image, white Fairy Terns wheeling above the island in the clear blue sky, doing their perfectly synchronized mating dance and nesting in the trees.  And inland of the beach, the ground and trees alive with coconut crabs.  Having never seen actual coconut crabs before, we were surprised that they looked more like a lobster with crab legs than a crab. And finally, rounding out the day, we snorkeled an Alice in Wonderland terrain of coral formations, with wonderfully alive corals and interesting fish.

And always, Charlie…..Tom Neale buried in Suwarrow?  “Boo-shit!  Tom Neale buried in New Zealand!  Tom Neale brother buried in Suwarrow!  See dat wreck over dere on de reef?  Dat Tom Neale brother fishing boat wrecked on the reef trying to leave at night.  Mistake dat for de entrance!  Seven people on board – All dead!  My father and me, we go get de bodies.  All rest, all gone, de sharks ate, but Tom Neale brother still dere, ‘cept for leg and (big pause) …..  Me, I get Tom Neale brother body out of de water and my father and me bring him back and bury him on de island.  Tom Neale….Dat Boo-shit!!”   And then Charlie would take in our wide eyes behind our sunglasses, say “All Boo-shit!” one more time, and break into his infectious laughter, causing all of us to giggle hysterically with him.

And Harry…….While Harry was most certainly more reserved than Charlie, I don’t think I’ve met a nicer man.  Somewhat soft-spoken, I can’t imagine him ever raising his voice in anger or saying a cross word.  He plays guitar, sings like an angel, and has the most beautiful smile and melodic laugh.  Getting him in a one-on-one conversation was a treat and pleasure indeed!

The days flew by….Snorkeling in the pass, snorkeling in the lagoon, snorkeling with the Mantas in gin-clear water, long walks around the island, happy hours ashore, wonderful dinners with other cruisers, conversations with Charlie and Harry.

Cruisers came and went, and we just couldn’t make ourselves leave yet.  Finally, when we were back down to about 9 boats in the anchorage, the weather window we wanted to but couldn’t ignore presented itself, and we sadly prepared our boats for an imminent departure on Thursday.  Seven of the nine boats saw the same thing, and there was practically a pall hanging over the anchorage all day Wednesday.  Water toys were stowed, last snorkels were had, and with heavy hearts, John and I went into the island in the early afternoon to check out of Suwarrow.  As always, Harry was very nice and had all our paperwork in order, just a few forms to fill out and our exit papers to be issued.  Charlie served us fresh coconuts to drink while we did the paperwork.

After the formalities were done, John and I gave Harry and Charlie each a Mystic Moon t-shirt and cap to remember us by.  I had also printed out some fun pictures of our times with them and gave them each some to keep.  For Charlie, I found an unused bound journal that I had on board and gave that to him, along with some pens, to write down his remarkable stories.  In the note written just inside the cover, I reminded him that he had “stories to tell and a book to write” and “THAT is no Boo-shit, my friend”.  Charlie laughed his wonderful laugh, and even Harry was smiling and laughing out loud at that one.  We left a laminated picture of Mystic Moon at anchor in their lagoon in the open-air office, joining the other memorabilia and burgees already hanging there.

We also left them more gasoline, flour, fish hooks, lures, and fishing line, fruit, chocolate bars, books, and sugar for some coconut concoction Charlie was brewing (it smelled deadly! 🙂 ), and agreed not to say good-bye until the evening.  All the cruisers leaving wanted one last happy hour ashore on Anchorage Island before leaving the next morning, and so it was planned.

Happy hour was a dour affair at first.  We were all so sad at the thought of leaving…..Happy it was not.  But, Charlie soon came down to the beach bearing fresh coconut pancakes he had made to share with us, and before long had us all snapping pictures and listening to more stories and Charlie-isms.  More conversations and laughter shared, the evening ended as it had begun, sad and with many hugs, but so happy to have had the opportunity to have been here at all and to have shared it together.  One last hug for Charlie, but he insisted he’d come to our boat the next morning before we left….

The next morning we were up early, finishing up last looks at weather and stowing things for being underway.  Both of us were heavy moving and depressed, but went through the motions automatically.  Just as we were lifting the dinghy, Charlie came shooting out in the tinny and brought us a gift of 7 fresh coconuts so that I could make some of his coconut pancakes after we put to sea.  He carefully helped us stow the dinghy and then helped me on the bow with the nerve-wracking job of lifting the chain and anchor out of the coral.  After many expert turns and dances of Mystic by John from the pilothouse, we finally had our chain aboard and our anchor safely stowed in the bowsprit.  High fives and huge hugs from Charlie, Love-Ya-Man’s and huge hugs back from us, and Charlie dashed back to his tinny while I cast him off the stern of Mystic Moon.  And then, just like that, he was gone, and we were underway, slowly headed for the pass, to make our way out of Suwarrow atoll…..

You know, there are places you go and people you meet….And then there are places you go and people you meet.  Suwarrow was such a place and Harry and Charlie were such people.  I’ve been trying to think what it was exactly that made Suwarrow so special and Harry and Charlie so meaningful to us.  True, Suwarrow is about as isolated a place as you can go in this day and age; True, Harry and Charlie were the consummate hosts to all of us anchored there; and true, the rowdy passage to get there made the super calm and beautiful waters of the lagoon feel like Heaven itself!  But there was something more…..Something that I can’t seem to define that touched our hearts, and yes, our very souls at Suwarrow.  Charlie told us that before his father died, he had asked Charlie why he had abandoned his country for Australia.  Charlie said his father said to him that he should remember his home….”Remember Suwarrow and come home,” he said.  Perhaps that was it…..Perhaps it was Charlie’s infectious joy and pride at being home in Suwarrow that made it what it was.

Perhaps it was Charlie’s unabashed Charlie-ness or Harry’s unwavering Harry-ness in all circumstances and settings that touched us so.  Perhaps it was the fast friendship and bond that we felt with Charlie from the very beginning of our stay here.

Or maybe it was the gift.  When I saw the coconuts that Charlie brought us the morning we left, my heart just about burst and I had to blink back tears.  Because, he hadn’t just picked a bunch of green coconuts off the trees and put them in a bag, he had picked a bunch of green coconuts off the trees, carefully husked them, meticulously cleaned them of every piece of debris, and washed them clean of every piece of dirt and sand.  He had brought us coconuts that were perfect enough to be on the organic counter at the Safeway.  He had given us a priceless gift…..A gift of all he had to give in this most isolated of places…..A gift of himself and of the most perfect coconuts he could find…..A gift that was special and perfect in every way……

I’d like to think that perhaps we touched him and Harry in some special way, too.  I don’t know, though.  And, I don’t know if we’ll ever see them again, or if in a year or even a month from now, they’ll even remember us, but I do know we’ll remember them a month and a year from now and probably for the rest of our lives, too.  We’ll remember incredible sights, sounds, and colors; NatGeo creatures, animals, and moments; and amazing laughter and joy. But mostly, we’ll remember friendships, camaraderie and tranquility that probably would have been impossible in any other place in the world, except in the magical place called Suwarrow.

The pass loomed ahead of us, feeling for all the world like the proverbial gates of the Garden of Eden.  John and I both had tears in our eyes as Mystic took us quietly through the pass, and we had our last long look at Anchorage Island.  There was silence in the pilothouse.  And then the VHF boomed:  “Safe journey!!  I LOVE you people!!”  We smiled at each other through teary eyes and laughed one last time, the joy that is Suwarrow, swelling our hearts yet again….

We love you, too, Charlie….

And with that, we turned to port, away from Paradise, and back into the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, much the richer for the gift of Suwarrow.