Tranquility

Amelia Ahring, University of Copenhagen

Greetings! Amelia at the helm

The day we had today was unlike any other. With an early wakeup to chocolate chip pancakes (Ashley and Kylie, our beloved stewards, are the best <3), still being anchored in the Bay of Islands, we prepared to make the trip to Urupukapuka by 0900. In small groups, we made our way through the clear turquoise waters in the dinghy, arriving on the island as the first visitors of the day. Urupukapuka lives off tourism, and with its six residents, all working in the island’s restaurant and conservation center, the tranquility was all consuming. Apparently, back when European settlers first arrived, the island’s birdlife was so vibrant, the birdsongs were deafening.

Conservation efforts have been made in the last decade to restore the island’s wildlife and natural ecosystems, and they have been officially pest free since 2009. For us, this means not bringing in foreign objects, animals or seeds, and leaving nothing behind–not even the oh-so-compostable apple-core.  Urapukapuka offers amazing viewpoints, and we spent our time hiking above the cliff faces, relaxing at the white sandy beaches and ‘baa’ing back at the sheep. When we wanted to return to the Seamans, we just made a call over the walkie-talkie and we would get picked up at shore. Even with the excitement of sailing and constantly learning here at SEA, it was nice to have a day off.

I hope everyone back home has had a wonderful day, back home for me would be Copenhagen, Denmark, and I’d like to send an extra little shout-out to my mum, sister Laura, brother Daniel and the cats Ricotta and Cornelius!

Sol og kærlighed/Sunshine and love

Amelia and the rest of S-289