Wot ain't we got?

My version of 'South Pacific'

We got sunlight on the sand,

We got moonlight on the sea,

We got mangoes and bananas

You can pick right off the tree,

We got ECG’s and Xrays

And a lot of funny names!

What ain't we got?

We ain't got waves!

We get referrals from the surgeons,

We get x-rays with no dates,

We get speeches from our skipper

About patients all unwell,

We get patients in with typhoid

We get dizzy from the smell!

What don't we get?

We don't get swell!

This part of the island chain seems to sit in the swell shadow on New Caledonia, so all the pumping swell that marches out of the southern ocean and hits fiji doesn’t wrap into Efate unless the conditions are just right.

There needs to be a number of coincidences to ensure good surf here. It needs to be around high tide, as the reef pretty much dries out at low, the high tide needs to coincide with the morning, as by 9.30 the trade winds have picked up and blown everything out, there also needs to be a hefty and quality swell coming out of the southern ocean to force it’s way past New Caledonia and make it up to Efate. I’ve seen photos of the reefs looking amazing here, but those days are few and far between.

I’m flying down to Tanna next week, an island that is one of the most south easterly of the chain and appears to be exposed to much more swell. I’ve toyed with the idea if heading to Fiji for a week at the end of my elective to get some quality waves, but the cost is prohibitive and time is limited.

To keep myself occupied I’ve been swimming in the harbour most mornings, there are a group of swimmers that call themselves the “master-bathers" a looses association of swimmers that meet and swim a few mornings a week.

I tend to swim a little earlier than the group, as I have t o be on the wards by 8am. However swimming from 6.45-7.25 over a coral reef the stopping for a coffee in the ‘nambawan’ café before starting ward rounds is a pretty good way to start the day.

The route goes out from the northern end of the quay, round the floating helicopter (master mix blong Jesusu Christ) landing pad, down the reef, round an exposed coral head and back again.

Not sure I’ll be doing the same thing next month when I start my rotation in Torquay!