2022 SA Agulhas II Visit
Photos individually credited
During its annual voyage to the islands, the SA Agulhas II dropped off passengers and cargo at Tristan da Cunha and then headed off to Gough Island to relieve and resupply the meteorological station there, before returning to Tristan to pick up passengers for the journey back to Cape Town. This means that visitors got about a three week stay on Tristan. It was therefore a good voyage for medical specialists such as dentists, for people undertaking Tristan projects, and for islanders living overseas to visit their families on the island. This article reports on some of the things that passengers did during their stay.
It was a good trip for the visiting annual dental team. The majority of Tristanians kept their appointments and received treatment - many a sore face from fillings and other unpleasant dental procedures.
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| A 'must have' photo for every visitor - Paula Swain, Sue Ivory and Tracy Tough at the international signpost Photos: Sue Ivory & Tracy Tough |
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![Visiting the Thatched House Museum [names needed]](images/fk-2022-09-01-agulhas-ii-thatched-house.jpg)
Visiting the Thatched House Museum (L-R): Greg Kessler, Martha White & Sue Ivory with curator Shirley Squibb
Photo: Jason Ivory
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Above: Paula Swain on the 1961 Volcano |
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Left: Another 'must have' picture Photos: Tracy Tough |
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| Tracy outside the Albatross Bar - Photo: Tracy Tough | Tracy and Paula with Vera Glass (centre) during a tour of the hospital - Photo: Paula Swain |
Lunch at the Tourism Centre
Expats' and visitors' lunch at the Post Office and Tourism Centre.
Back (L-R): Martha White, Kumi Joubert, Linette Van der Merwe, Rev. Margaret & Manie Van den Berg, Dr. Alex & Sally Wonner, Nicolas Brahy, Nicolas Berlot, Georgina Jones, Father Dominic Helmboldt, Gerhard Kapp
Front: Robert Urquhart, Tricia Granger, Sue Ivory, Jarkko Rautiainen, Jason Ivory - Photo: Fiona Kilpatrick
Island Food
Visitors and newly arrived expats were able to sample Tristan dishes. This was of particular interest to the new Administrator and his wife, Jason & Sue Ivory. Sue tried her hand at making pastry made with mashed potato the Tristan way and made little vegan pasties.
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| Edibles - only available on the island Photo: Sue Ivory |
Crayfish Tart Photo: Tracy Tough |
Potato pies with potato pastry crusts Photo: Sue Ivory |
Geocaching
Tourism set up a British Garrison Geotrail in 2016 following a suggestion visitors who where keen geocachers. Paula Swain on this trip is also a geocacher, and she was very pleased to have found all six caches.
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Above: Paula Swain seeking a geocache on Hottentot Beach Right: Success! - Photos: Tracy Tough |
Participating in Daily Island Life
While the visiting specialists were busy with their tasks, visiting family members were able to spend time helping their resident relatives with their daily activities, including tending livestock.
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| Sisters Paula and Tracy cradling their cousin Eugene & Kirsty Repetto's lambs - Photos: Tracy Tough | |
Craft Day
One of the activities organised at the Post Office and Tourism Centre was a craft day, where Jane Repetto, Jeanette Lavarello and Judy Green demonstrated the carding and spinning of Tristan wool, and Brian Rogers showed off his model longboats. Visitors were encouraged to have a go.
Craft Day at the Tourism Centre - Photo: Kelly Green
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| Jeanette Lavarello spinning wool - Photo: Tracy Tough | Judy Green carding wool - Photo: Tracy Tough |
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| Linette Van der Merwe carding wool with Judy Green at the craft day - Photo: Kelly Green | Brian Rogers (centre) explaining how he makes his model longboats - Photo: Tracy Tough |
Landslides Project
Volcanologist Anna Hicks and her colleague Neil Golding undertook a project to map in detail the geology and topography around the Settlement plain, Patches and coastline, using specialist drone mapping and photogrammetry techniques, and taking geological samples. Their data is the first step in forming a baseline to assess geological risks including locations of potential rock falls, landslides and wash-outs from the gulches, and so forth.
A bird's eye view of Hottentot Gulch looking north, where washed out debris is crossed by the Patches road - Photo: Neil Golding
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| So just how windy is it on an average day in Tristan? Neil Golding trying to deploy the hand-held anemometer (Anna-mometer?) in strong wind. The meter measured a wind speed of 53.9 mph (86.7 km/h) - not a day for flying the drone! Video stills: Anna Hicks |
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A 3D model of the Back Fence, with the 1961 volcano on left hand side and Hottentot Gulch on the right, with rockfall scars on the cliffs in-between. This model was created from 2667 drone images stitched together through a process called photogrammetry. - © data copyright Tristan da Cunha Government/ FCDO 2022.
Disastrous Fire
On the 10th September, a few day before the Agullhas II left Tristan, visitors sadly witnessed a tragedy when the home of Eugene and Kirsty Repetto and their children Aiden and Ella was destroyed by fire in the night. Fortunately, everyone escaped, but the family lost all their belongings as well as their home.
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| The house well ablaze | The gutted shell of the house the next day. |
We have reported this fire more fully elsewhere. Visiting cousins Paula Swain and Tracy Tough, who benefited from Eugene's hospitality during their stay have set up a fundraiser to help them get back on their feet. All donations much appreciated.
Calling at Gough Island
Because the Agulhas II had unfinished business there, returning visitors and passengers had the bonus of an unexpected visit to Gough Island.
Approaching Gough Island
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| The aptly named Church Rock off Gough Island | A Tristan Albatross at Gough |