5 May - part 1: not everything goes to plan…

Up early to catch my flight, which involves reaching Bauerfield International Airport at 6.45 a.m. for my 7.30 flight to Tanna. I make it easily enough, check in and wait for something to happen… and wait… and wait… before there is a scurry of activity, and the airport fire engine heads out towards the runway. Air Vanuatu’s pride and joy, its only Boeing 737, has had a fire warning light activate, and they’re heading back to Port Vila. Naturally, the runway is now closed and we’re going nowhere.

Fortunately, the flight lands safely and, some hour or so late, Air Vanuatu flight NF242 to Dillons Bay is called. I admit to some confusion at this point, as I’m on flight NF242, and according to my Air Vanuatu supplied itinerary, it’s meant to be a non-stop flight to Tanna. Apparently not… but I head out of the terminal building to be confronted by a metallic mosquito with ’Vanuatu’ painted on the tail in red. I admit that I am aware that the plane is an eight-seater, but I hadn’t realised that it would be quite this small.

Edward, our pilot, gives us the safety talk, I.e. asking us to use our seatbelts, and we are off into a grey, damp sky. This clears quickly, leaving an outrageously blue sky to fly in en route to the island of Erromango. Soon enough, what I can only describe as an emerald green mountain emerges from a stunningly azure sea which must mean that we’ve reached Dillons Bay. Looking for the airport, I note an area without trees which looks as though someone has taken a strimmer to it. This, I am advised, is the airport. There is nothing as fancy as a runway, although someone has kindly removed the cows (who have left plenty of evidence of their previous occupation).

Dillons Bay doesn’t get too many flights and, given that the island has two airports to serve a population of 1,500, comes as no great surprise. However, there is an Air Vanuatu agent and a baggage handler, and we all get out for a wander whilst loading and unloading takes place. We drop off four passengers from Vila and pick up one for Tanna before setting off again.

The plane scurries through the air at about 3,000 feet for the twenty-three minute flight, and I decide to forgive Air Vanuatu for the total lack of inflight service, magazine or, for that matter, entertainment of any sort other than the view out of the window. On the other hand, it is a sensational view…

And so, to Tanna. There should be someone waiting for me. There isn’t. Hmm… Vanuatu time kicks in again. Various kind strangers explain that they’re sure that someone will turn up eventually. An hour later, and two hours after my scheduled arrival time in Tanna, a young man wanders up and explains that they thought that I wasn’t coming in on the early flight… I smile sweetly… it’s going to be that sort of day…