Cocos Keeling Islands

We snorkelled The Rip, Direction Island

We stayed at anchor at Direction Island until 15^th August. My leg became very swollen at the site of the injury and my ankle and foot changed colour to dark blue/black. There was no open wound so I suppose the internal bleeding had to go somewhere.

Coconut damage

Two days later the wind eased sufficiently to allow us to take our dinghy on the 40 minute trip across reefs to Home Island. We topped up our food supplies at the supermarket, had lunch and went to the medical centre in the afternoon. I saw a nurse first, followed by a doctor from New Zealand, who was called Gary. 

Using the WiFi at Pondok Indah, Home Island

They decided to scan my leg and foot. I was amazed to see an ultrasound scanner in this remote place, that is just a dot on the world map! Anyway, the scan confirmed that there was no fracture. I was reassured that my body would absorb the internal bleeding and my leg and foot should return to normal in about two weeks. The risk of infection was small as there was no open wound.

Socialising with Ted and Mia

Later in the day we met up with Ted and Mia from Serengeti and had delicious chicken stew ashore in one of the shelters on Direction Island. Over the next few days we had sundowners on each other’s boats and enjoyed chatting. It was good to be socialising again.

Dark interior of Direction Island

Unfortunately, Ted and Mia’s outboard motor motor stopped working and could not be repaired. This meant they were isolated at Direction Island, unable to go to Home Island for supplies except by ferry on Thursday and Saturday. We helped out when we could.

Kathy at West Island

We went to West Island on the Friday before our departure date and checked out at the police station. First we had to take the dinghy to Home Island, then we boarded a ferry to West Island followed by a bus to the village. Every two weeks a supply plane arrives and the supermarkets on Home and West Island stock their shelves with fresh produce. We saw the plane arrive but we knew nothing would be for sale until Saturday.

Jeremy at West Island

On Saturday, we took the dinghy to Home Island once again and stocked up for our passage to Rodrigues. The next day a catamaran called Begonia arrived with Kyle and Maryanne on board. They had to stay on the yellow quarantine buoy until Monday, but we were able to talk to them on the VHF.

Sal Darago with the lagoon beyond

Monday 15^th August was our departure day. Jeremy went over to Home Island to have our cooking gas bottle filled and I made a three day chicken stew in the pressure cooker. I had been wearing a compression sock on my injured leg. When I removed it, there was blood trickling down, so we now had to deal with an open wound with a risk of infection and a crossing of the Indian Ocean to Rodrigues 1,981 miles away.

Sal Darago anchored at Direction Island