“We started the day very excited and happy as we were all keen for a snorkel. We left the vista at about 8ish and got onto the water at 8:30. The water was calm and refreshing, I thought a great way to wake up. The boat came to a stop to snorkel but the reef was a bit dead, but I still had the greatest time ever. We headed to our second snorkel spot and the reef was a lot livelier. I saw many types of fish. I would love to go snorkeling again. After a few hours we headed back to the vista to get ready for our hike and left at about 12:30. We took the usual boat over to the mainland and then had a 30 min drive up to where we were hiking. We walked for about 20-30 mins to make it to the village called Malindog. We got there and received a warm welcome of their smiles and their excitement to see us, it was a great feeling. The chief was having a meeting with the village ladies so for the time being some of the kids and elder ladies showed us how to make a snake out of strips of special leaves. Some of the boys and I then went to go play the village’s basketball team while the others did the feeding program. The basketball game was first to 20 and every score only counted as 1 point. We started our basketball game slow and at half time were down by a couple points. The second half we played really well and managed to beat them which was the first-time Swan has ever beat the village’s team. We were all really happy and really sweaty, but I had the greatest time and would love to play them again. The day overall was a blast and I had a great sleep in the car ride home.”
Jay
“Today was a packed day for everyone, with snorkeling and jungle trek on the agenda. After a busy few days of construction and sports carnival the team looked forward to spending time exploring the reefs. Some of the reefs were dead, however a number were flourishing with marine life and corals. Everyone had a go in the water and appreciated the beauty below. Then it was a quick change back at the Vista then off for our jungle trek. The village we visited was called Malindog. As Jay mentioned, students had the opportunity to be taught how to weave leaves by the local people. While some of the team played basketball the rest of the team administered basic first aid, read a bible story, sang two songs, and were creative in their balloon making. We also presented the local chief with a gift of a small digeridoo as a thank you for allowing us to visit his village. Later that evening back at the vista, we were treated to a delicious meal and began to prepare for our final day at the Masa Ati School. Again, everyone contributed in their own way, thanks team!”