Houses of Tristan...

There are many old traditional island cottages in the Settlement of Edinburgh - although none are thatched with New Zealand flax any more. Many of the island homes that are used today were built many years ago, and have been modified more recently to meet the demands of modern life. These houses are cut deep into the ground, with front doors and windows facing north. The strong, tall gables are built on the east and west sides of the house so that they take the brunt of the strong gales that blow throughout the year.

The islanders have recently built a new thatch house museum out near the New Volcano. This allows one to see what the original Tristan houses looked like in the past. The photo at right is of the new thatch museum. The islander's homes are lovely, solid buildings that are built to last!

There are newer buildings on Tristan too - many of the government buildings are of more recent construction. There are a couple of photos of these further down this entry.

This is the house my Grandfather lived in when he was on the island in the 1940s.

Another pretty island home...

And another one!

This used to be the island Post Office.

 Built low in the ground to give protection from the weather.

Volcanic stones used to build the gable.

Prince Philip Hall and Albatross Bar - Tristan's community centre and pub.

Administration Building.

Tristan's Police Station.

Arrival at Tristan da Cunha...

We arrived at the anchorage off the Settlement of Edinburgh, Tristan da Cunha, in the early morning on the 12th of September 2013. The sea was very rough and a strong wind was blowing, which meant that we couldn't immediately land. The authorities deemed that the wind was too strong for the helicopters to operate, and so we spent an uncomfortable few hours being tossed around as we waited for the weather to moderate. But late in the afternoon, just after 17h00, the call was heard on the intercom for all Tristan passenger baggage to be taken to the hangar, and all passengers to be ready to be flown ashore. The wind was still pumping, but it had evidently dropped enough for the helicopter blades to start to rotate, and the first of many flights over the next hour-and-a-half took to the air shortly thereafter.

I was a bit nervous as we boarded the Starlite Aviation Bell 212, but I knew that the crew were professionals and the helicopter was powerful enough to handle the strong westerly wind. We took off at around 17h30 and within minutes we were walking out on the American Fence, the landing field in front of Tristan's school. After a week at sea, dry land felt very good - as did the embrace of both old and new friends eager to welcome visitors to their happy island home. Our luggage arrived on several flights after the passengers had been landed, and a long human chain formed to transfer luggage from the helicopter to a safe distance from the whirring blades. We found our own bags and were soon whisked away to enjoy some amazing Tristan hospitality with our hosts, Brian and Peggy.

The Agulhas only stayed for a little over a day before hoisting her anchor and sailing on to Gough Island the following afternoon. She was able to offload many stores by island barge since the weather was much better than the day we arrived. We spent this day exploring the Settlement and familiarising ourselves with the location of important landmarks. We saw the "Welcome to the Remotest Island" sign as well as the ABC Stone. This stone was painted by my Grandfather in 1962 when he was on the island as part of the Royal Society Expedition to investigate the new volcano that had erupted in 1961, forcing the islanders into exile. He did not know whether the islanders would ever be able to return, and so he painted the stone with his initials and the years of his association with the island. Of course, the islanders returned the following year and my Grandad visited again in 1984 and maintained a close relationship with Tristan until his death in 2007. But the stone remains, still painted to this day.

And so ended our first full day on Tristan. We were happily anticipating many more exciting adventures over the next three weeks - and Tristan didn't disappoint! Stay posted for more!

It was a stormy morning when we arrived off Tristan.

The wind was blowing very hard!

But after a few hours the helicopter powered into life.

Waiting in the hangar to board the helicopter.

Flying to Tristan...

And leaving the Agulhas behind!

Passengers land on Tristan da Cunha.

Bell 212 with the ship in the background.

We'd made it!

The ABC Stone near the Big Watron.

The last barge of supplies comes ashore as the Agulhas sails on to Gough Island.

Welcome sign down at Calshot Harbour.

Sailing to Tristan...

On Thursday, September 5th 2013, we rushed down to the South African Department of Environmental Affairs berth near the Waterfront in Cape Town. Here we boarded South Africa's newest research vessel and ice-breaker, the SA Agulhas II (henceforth in all my blogs Agulhas). Candace and I, along with my Mom and Dad, were all sailing down to Tristan da Cunha, a remote community in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean. We were going not only to have a holiday, but also to explore my family's connection with the island and follow in my Grandfather's footsteps. We were looking forward to experiencing this isolated outpost of the United Kingdom. Soon after clearing customs and having our passports stamped out of South Africa, we were casting off our mooring lines and sailing out of Table Bay Harbour, bound for Tristan da Cunha!

The Agulhas is essentially a research ship, and so while the amazing crew does a great job keeping passengers well-fed and happy, oceanographers and other experts take water samples at various depths of the ocean and perform other experiments, including releasing weather balloons every night. One of the primary reasons that the ship sails to Tristan every September is to take a new weather team to relieve the previous team at South Africa's weather base on Gough Island. (The photo here is of the new team at a ceremony on the dock prior to sailing.) The ship calls at Tristan on her way to Gough and performs other scientific work in that region for several weeks, before returning to Tristan to take on passengers and sail for Cape Town. All in all, passengers to Tristan can expect a full three weeks on the island.

The voyage was a little rocky at times, but Candace and I soon settled into the routine of shipboard life. We visited the ship's gym, read in the library, and relaxed in the lounge. We also had a tour of the bridge, the engine-room, and the ship's well-equipped hospital. It was interesting having served with Mercy Ships to see another ship in action! I particularly enjoyed being out on deck watching the albatrosses soaring above the wake of the ship - when I was not getting blown around too much by the strong winds into which we were sailing! We even saw Rockhopper penguins swimming near the ship, as well as whale spouts in the distance. It was a great sail!

After a week at sea we arrived off the Settlement of Edinburgh, Tristan da Cunha - but I'll leave that for the next blog post!

 Sailing out of Table Bay Harbour.

 Leaving Cape Town behind.

 Candace and I in front of Table Mountain.

 Our four-berth cabin - quite similar to the Africa Mercy.

Working out in the ship's gym.

Engine Control Room.

 The Hospital onboard is equipped with a surgery...

And a ward with space for four patients!

View of the bridge of the Agulhas as seen from the bow.

 An albatross bobs along on the ocean... Also visible are two Rockhopper penguins swimming just below the bigger bird!

 Albatross soars overhead.

Close-up view.

 The ship's helideck at sunset.

Sunsets at sea are so beautiful!

Back from Tristan!

Apologies for the blog silence over the past five weeks. While we did have Internet on Tristan da Cunha, it didn't allow for frequent blog updates. We were also quite busy during our time on the island.

That being said, I will now be going back in time to share our photos and stories from Tristan da Cunha. (Once I've finished sorting out our photos, that is!) I hope you will enjoy travelling with us to the world's remotest inhabited island.

Common pictures...

The Rondebosch Common is a vast open area close by our family home in Cape Town. We often enjoy walking on or around the Common. It's a great place to relax and enjoy a little bit of nature in the middle of a large city. Candace and I had our wedding photos taken here in 2012. We took a few more photos on our walk last week.

 This is the view towards the bottom of Norfolk Lane from our house. Norfolk Lane is named after the large Norfolk Pine at the bottom of the road.

 The Common is rather wet from all the recent rain Cape Town has had.

 Table Mountain and Devil's Peak shrouded in cloud.

Candace and I on the Common.

AFM Update...

The Africa Mercy is currently in Pointe-Noire, Congo. She arrived several weeks ago and had a very successful screening/patient selection day last Wednesday. (28th August.) Over 7,000 people arrived to be seen by the fantastic Mercy Ships crew! Surgeries onboard started this past week. The ship will be in the Congo for the next ten months. We're thinking and praying for you, ship family, as you begin another exciting Field Service. God bless you all!

Photos here from last week's screening thanks to my friend Jay! You can read his blog here.

This photo says more than any words could ever say. Compassion and mercy in action!