Aloha friends,
Nature, sailing, and travel are some of my passions in life. The right opportunity has manifested for me so I am going for it and taking a work-break to explore the Pacific Ocean.
My plans are to fly to Tonga, a Polynesian island in the South Pacific – a mere 21 hours of flying, 4 planes and 3 days to get to there! I will be meeting Gary in Tonga. He graciously sailed there from Florida over the last 7 months. Gary is in his 2 year of circumnavigating and has over 22,000 miles of experience on his boat Illimitè. This is a beautiful 45-foot Allures sailboat built in Cherbourg, France. By the way, the name Illimitè is French and means ‘a ticket that allows unlimited travel’ …. And guess who loves to travel??
My journey starts on August 15th and will be around 1,500 nautical miles, exploring the continent of Oceania. We will spend several weeks sailing Tonga a nation of 170 islands. My first destination will be Neiafu in the Vava'u Group. I am hoping to swim with humpback whales, this time of year the mothers nurse and educate their calves in the warm water. In September we will sail to Fiji not sure where we are anchoring but there are some 236 uninhabited islands out of the 332 islands. After Fiji we will continue South to New Zealand. Land excursions to be planned, NZ is a geological playground.
I am pretty sure I can get you on the boat ; ) If you are not ready or small enough to fit in my luggage, I hope you follow my sail plan via my Satellite messenger. Here is how it works, you will be able to see my GPS location on a map, view boat speed, and send text messages to me. My plan is unlimited so feel free to send messages often. I will rarely have internet access and will be disconnected from news, family and friends, so I hope you reach out to me along the journey. I would love to share this experience with you as I travel!
It is later than you think, get out there explore, discover, and love Noelle
You, my mermaid lifelong friend are an inspiration to us all. Your journey is far beyond the scope of my imagination yet absolutely the definition of who you are. Wishing you a safe and beautiful exploration. Will be watching for more posts and texting you often. - SG
ReplyDeleteNoelle.. you are a rock star... Way to follow your passions, embrace the unknown and live your dreams... You are and inspiration to all! I am hoping to meet you somewhere on your journey..
ReplyDeleteAre you still planning on coming back to the States? We are heading to Florida at the end of December through the 2nd week of January.
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