Suva (Fiji Times) – CREW members of Fiji’s Uto ni Yalo are getting ready for their next big voyage to Bougainville, Papua New Guinea and Wellington in New Zealand.
The journey, titled “Chocolate Voyage”, is expected to take two months.
With only a few days left before she sets sail once again, preparations for the journey are now underway.
Uto ni Yalo Trust secretary Dwain Qalovaki said they would leave the country to accept delivery of organic cocoa from farmers in Bougainville before heading to Wellington to deliver the products to the Wellington Chocolate factory in New Zealand.
Mr Qalovaki confirmed they had also welcomed recruits who would be part of the two-month journey.
He said a basic training program was conducted for the recruits yesterday so they could familiarise themselves with traditional voyaging history and safety procedures.
“The Uto ni Yalo Trust was set up to advance sustainable transportation as well as to regrow our traditional voyaging culture,” Mr Qalovaki said.
He said they were hoping to return to the country before Independence Day.
There are 16 crew members who will be part of the Chocolate Voyage. The Uto ni Yalo is expected to leave for Vanuatu tomorrow.
The Uto ni Yalo will visit:
Vanuatu;
Bougainville (PNG);
Wellington;
Naipier in New Zealand;
Tauranga also in New Zealand; and
Opua, NZ before returning to Fiji.