The Soko Donu Chocolate Voyage
In early July I got offered an exciting opportunity to document the acquisition and transportation of cocoa beans from Bougainville to Aotearoa – in a waka. Initially I thought this sounded like a crazy idea but, after investigating what this project was all about – and the integrity of the waka, I was sold.
Within two weeks I had got together all the gear I would need to film on the high seas and was off to Fiji, where I met up with the rest of the crew from The Wellington Chocolate Factory. We interviewed a number of people in Suva about sustainable sea transportation and the re-invigoration of vaka voyaging and traditional navigation in the pacific. I realised at this point what an exciting project this was to be involved with and how many boxes it ticked for me in terms of it's social and environmental endeavors.
Within two weeks I had got together all the gear I would need to film on the high seas and was off to Fiji, where I met up with the rest of the crew from The Wellington Chocolate Factory. We interviewed a number of people in Suva about sustainable sea transportation and the re-invigoration of vaka voyaging and traditional navigation in the pacific. I realised at this point what an exciting project this was to be involved with and how many boxes it ticked for me in terms of it's social and environmental endeavors.
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I had never really sailed before so, initially, I was quite apprehensive about the journey ahead. Meeting the crew and familiarising myself with the Uto ni Yalo vaka however soon put most of those concerns at bay. The first leg of the voyage from Fiji to Vanuatu was pretty rough. We were catching the tail of a cyclone to accelerate us north which involved a lot of rain, large swells and 40 knot winds most of the way. There was a lot of vomiting on my behalf as I gained my sea legs – and the added gastro bug from the kava leaving ceremony didn't help much either!
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It took us about 6 days to sail to Vanuatu and, after a few days there replenishing our stocks, enjoying fresh water showers and catching up with friends, we set sail again for Bougainville. This next leg was a longer sail, taking about 9 days, but we had stunning weather with good winds and moderate swells to push us forward. I captured lots of great footage of life aboard the vaka including interviews with all the crew, some great ukulele performances and a number of fish sacrificing their still beating hearts.
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Our arrival into the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea was outstanding. There was sing sing and dancing, ceremonial foot bathing and a beetle nut ritual that left my head spinning for the entire duration of the speeches!
We met a number of great people during our stay including James Rutana, who grew the cocoa beans The Wellington Chocolate Factory purchased. It was great to take a journey inland to his farm, meet his family, and interview him about the prospects of sustainable agriculture as a viable industry in Bougainville. Still recovering from a 10 year civil war, Bougainvillians are trying hard to develop an economic future that moves away from the devastating mining industries of the past. |
Whilst in Tinputs I ran an impromptu art class with the kids at the local school, sharing with them the gift of creativity – art supplies courtesy of The Learning Connexion School of Art and Creativity. You can read an article about that here.
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At this point of the journey my involvement in the project was suspended as I had to get back to Wellington for work. I look forward to meeting up with the Uto ni Yalo crew again in Wellington and wish them well for the rest of their journey ahead.
Vinaka Crew!
Check out The Wellington Chocolate Factory blog for more extensive coverage of the project or follow the progress of the Uto ni Yalo vaka on their facebook page.
Vinaka Crew!
Check out The Wellington Chocolate Factory blog for more extensive coverage of the project or follow the progress of the Uto ni Yalo vaka on their facebook page.