Thursday, October 16, 2014

Palmerston Island -

Palmerston Island was an interesting island in the Cook Island chain. They have no airport, but do have a supply boat that comes every 3-4 months (apparently give or take). Their history goes back to the 1800's where their great, great grandfather (I don't know how many generations back) married 3 women (I believe from Penryhn, another Cook Island). There are now 3 families on the island, 61 people total. They have 16 house structures. They live on a little inland and have 4 roads that make a square throughout the island. They were much more developed than most other remote islands we've been to. They have a very nice schoolhouse with multiple rooms for their 23 students. It has a volleyball court, a playground with climbing structures and trampolines, and an indoor/outdoor arena area. They have 3 full time teachers, and 3 part time teachers. 

Most of the teachers are locals, but one is a woman from England. Her father was shipwrecked on this island in 1954. He was here for 9 months repairing his ship. They helped him and hosted him during his stay. He had a best friend on this island with whom he continued to communicate until he died. She came to see the island and brought his ashes to bury him next to his friend. She then decided to stay and because she's a special education teacher, and there's a student with ADHD here, she was given a grant to stay for 3 years. She's really been enjoying it. Fascinating story.

There is a nurse on the island from Fiji. She orders supplies, can test blood sugar, cholesterol and basic vital signs. She manages all patients on the island unless she needs to transfer out. They can't do it by helicopter, but they send a boat. She has about 24 hours to manage a patient that she thinks needs transfer until transportation arrives. Not promising for a heart attack or stroke. She has transferred a diabetic foot infection causing sepsis and an acute gallbladder. Things she could improve/treat, then wait. Good for her, and I'm sure her liability isn't too terrible with her limited resources, but it's a lot to take on if things get bad!

The islanders live mostly on collected rainwater and it hadn't rained in a couple of months, but there is also a well that they can use, they water gardens with, etc. and can boil it to drink it if necessary. They have a generator for the town, it runs 6 am - noon and 6 pm - midnight. One family had 9 freezers. I wouldn't be surprised if that was similar across the board. They get foods from New Zealand for months at a time. And they catch parrot fish on the reef to export when the supply ship comes, which they fill the freezers with in the weeks before it's arrival. They get $10/kg for them. The boat then sells them for about $16/kg in Rarotunga. Most family's also have a generator in case they need more power. Their houses were made of brick and concrete for the most part. They have a solar program going sponsored by humanitarian work of New Zealand mostly, some from the Cook Islands. That is nice. They said they spend $28,000 on fuel for the generator per year. They do get money from the Cook Island government based on their population, infrastructure and services, etc. He said this year they got about $350,000, which is about $5,000 per person, which is in-line with other industrialized nations. It's fascinating to me how these economies work. I understand catching fish, but that doesn't explain the imported chicken and ice cream and 9 freezers from New Zealand! Each child gets a stipend. Each adult over 60 also gets a retirement check. Then there's many government paid positions, like the teachers, and the administrator of the government, and Courage said there was a police officer?? And so it works. 

Rarotunga apparently makes 90% of it's income on a VAT tax, and 8% on income taxes. I just don't see that they are producing what they are consuming, so I am fascinated at the sustainability of it all. But, they are living more meager than most, certainly planning ahead longer than most people do!! They were wonderful people and very hospitable!!

The pass was crazy!! It was narrow and often had breaking waves across it. Of course the waves come and go in size, but we took it with our dinghy once, and that was enough. We would not have made it back out without their escorting us with their bigger metal boats. You have to come in full speed riding a wave, pointing at a channel marker dead on. Just before the channel marker, take about a 45 degree turn left into a 10 foot wide coral lined channel. Then at least you were out of the breakers, but there was a reef in the middle of the channel. Then you must turn sharp right at the final channel marker. The first time, we ALMOST hit a reef at the end! I was front row to it and wondered if I should/could say something. Finally the guy next to me, a local, started hollaring. We turned at the last second. I thought it was too late to miss it and I cringed for the impact, but somehow, we missed it!!

We were tied up on a mooring ball, which was nice since it was all coral bottom, not good to anchor on/in. Anchor won't hold, if it does, it gets stuck, and it whacks up a bunch of coral. Courage dove on it, and one of the shackles was wearing very thin. It was big and we didn't have another one to replace it. He tied a rope to span it so at least it was a back up plan if the shackle failed. There was a shipwreck from 2011 here, RiRi from Philadelphia. Apparently they tied onto the mooring with a single line and as they rocked back and forth, it sawed through the line. It was 3 am that they washed up. They called on the radio, locals went out and got them, they got the boat off in the morning, but it was torn up on the side. It's shell is still there onshore. Reminder to trust nothing and be careful!!

All in all, it was a very interesting visit. We attended their church, they hosted us for an excellent lunch of terryaki chicken and rice and squash, etc. We paid money for our government fees, but we paid them in gasoline for the mooring ball, which they were very happy for. I also made them a new umbrella cover. Sewing is not my forte, but they had a weathered and torn up cover for their umbrella stand that a young guy from Ireland was going to replace. He billed himself as a sailmaker and didn't want to pay for his mooring ball since he thought money was the root of all evil (a long and fascinating conversation). He then gave it back to them, said he didn't have time to do it, and left. They were looking very forward to it since it was for the school or something. So, I found some cloth I had and sewed a copy of it as best I could. It was a touch small, so I had to add a patch to make it fit, but once it was done and on the stand, it looked great! Patch and all. I told them it wouldn't be professional looking, but it would keep the sun out. Always new challenges out here. Different people need different things. It was fun to see if I could do it. And after all of their hospitality, it's the least I could do!

Shannon

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