OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
From Funafuti to Nanumea in the far-flung atoll nation of Tuvalu.
{ AT A GLANCE }
REGION: Pacific Ocean
COUNTRY: Tuvalu
POINT A TO POINT B: 475 km (295 miles)
DOMINANT LANGUAGES: Tuvaluan [both Northern and Southern]
DOMINANT RELIGION: Protestant Christianity
MODE OF TRANSPORT: Foot, taxi, motorcycle, boat
TIME OF YEAR: Between March and November
TRIP SLOGAN: "Hurry"
TAKING TO THE UNBEATEN TRACK
Funafuti, the capital island of Tuvalu and home to almost half of its already minuscule population (just over 9,000), is POINT A. Four hundred seventy-five deep blue ocean-filled kilometers to the north, Tuvalu's remotest island, Nanumea, is POINT B. As the trip slogan suggests, time is of the essence when it comes to journeying to Tuvalu; indeed, it may not be around much longer. Even the country's government (usually the last to recognize such things) may be reacting to this, as it has begun to hold talks with at least New Zealand regarding the possibilities of relocating its citizens (though a source from TuvaluIslands.com told AJ that "nothing has materialized" in this regard, a statement confirmed by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade). According to a Nature article by S. S. Patel, the entire nation could be completely uninhabitable in less than 100 years. So, it's time to visit. Let's take to the unbeaten track.
{ DANGERS }
+ Storms. Thanks to a complete lack of natural protection, Tuvalu is particularly susceptible to the violent effects of ocean storms (mostly between December and February).
+ Rising seas. I know it's been covered elsewhere here, but seriously--how can it not be included in our "Dangers" list when a mere 8-inch sea-level rise could mean no more Tuvalu?
+ Shark attacks. Just be smart and you'll be fine.
EXPLORING FUNAFUTI
Walking Funafuti means either going forward or backwards; side-to-side is severely limited. In fairness, some parts of the long snake of an island are almost 400 meters (1,300 feet) wide, but others stretch barely 20 meters (65 feet). It's like being in a place with only one road--and whatever happens to lie right next to it on either side. Dimensions aside, the island is home to a population which, like its cousins spread out across the Pacific, is carefree and relaxed. Indeed, the locals seem almost proud of the fact that their tiny island nation has no mountains. No rivers. No streams. No waterfalls. Only little wisps of land interspersed amidst the all-encompassing sea. The ocean never seemed so big.
ONE OF MANY
From the airport (which, of course, is nothing but a few shacks), it's a short walk to the village. From here the intrepid wanderer can dive into the Funafuti lagoon, surrounded on all sides by the narrow islands that make up the atoll. The lagoon is like Nature's own swimming pool, except that it's 252 square kilometers (157 square miles) in size: ten times the size of Tuvalu's total land area. Apart from the lagoon, Funafuti (interestingly) boasts a Philatelic Bureau that is famous among stamp-collectors around the world. Mostly, though, we suggest that the nomadic explorer revel in the oddity of it all--unless one lives here, chances are small that one will ever be in a place like this again no matter how many islands one visits. We recommend sojourns to the outlying islets (easy to arrange with the locals) that surround almost every atoll in Tuvalu--they present a more pristine mini-island environment than the main islands.
{ JOURNEY CHECKLIST }
+ a killer camera
+ Tuvaluan: a Polynesian language of the
Central Pacific, by Niko Besnier
+ a pocket-sized travel journal
+ sunscreen (hard to find anywhere once there)
+ a wad of spare Australian dollars (don't count on credit cards!)
+ the "7 Must-Haves for Hygiene"
OUTRIGGER
THE JOURNEY TO NANUMEA
The only time an airstrip existed on Nanumea was briefly during World War Two, when U.S. Marines used the island as a staging point for attacks on the Japanese. That airstrip hasn't been in use for ages, so the adventure journeyer must come by boat. If the journeyer in question happens to be loaded (financially speaking), then a private boat would work fine, but if he or she happens to be a regular Joe like the rest of us, then the only option, apart from a dangerous oceanic swim (doable, but not recommended) or a dangerous oceanic raft float (doable, but also risky), is to board the Nivaga II or the Manu Folau, Tuvalu government-owned vessels that regularly make voyages to this, the country's most outlying island. Actually, another--cheaper--method would be to hop a ride with a local who is traveling there (or at least in the right direction) as well; just bargain your way to the best price possible before you go. On the way, the journeyer in question will pass the atolls of Nukufetau, Nui, and Vaitupu, and the islands of Nanumanga and Niutao. The whole trip will take a couple days.
{ ESTIMATED COST FOR A TWO-WEEK JOURNEY }
+ Food: US$100
+ 6 nights on Funafuti: US$180-330
+ 6 nights on Nunamea: US$0-180 (camping, anyone?)
+ Voyage from Funafuti to Nunamea: $100-400, depending on your bargaining abilities (unless you have a private vessel, in which case you can move from atoll to atoll at will)
+ Misc.: US$100
+ TOTAL: About US$480-1010
ON TUVALU'S NORTHERN TIP
The remote island of Nanumea and its accompanying islets are home to a population of just over 600. As such, the place is a wonderland for those seeking the truly "unspoiled" South Pacific--though war relics left over from past U.S. Marine presence and WWII Japanese bombing raids can still be seen here, usually put to some practical use by the locals. Some of the more interesting relics include a wrecked cargo ship and the remains of several military machines, including a Navy bomber. There's less than four square kilometers (1.5 square miles) of land here, so you should be able to explore the entire island during your stay.
{ GETTING TO POINT A } By plane: the round-trip flight from Fiji costs US$1100 (ouch), but the Nivaga II makes the five-day journey four times a year and at a much cheaper rate.
{ WHAT NEXT } You're in the South Pacific. There are a million places to go, and they aren't all little islands; Australia and New Zealand aren't too far away.
