Savai’i (kind of)

Today’s excursion to Savai’i didn’t exactly happen as advertised. Our guide Chief Tai (yes he really is a local chief) picked us up from our resort at 6:40am. The early start was scheduled to ensure we caught the 8:00am ferry to Savai’i. The weather forecast wasn’t ideal with passing showers forecast. However, our guide thought we’d be ok.

As we arrived at Mulifanua wharf the rain started falling. Our guide then discovered that the ferry company had swapped one of its larger vessels for its smallest. The smaller vessel has limited indoor seating. In other words, we’d be exposed to the elements as we crossed Apolima Strait, the 20km of ocean separating Upolu and Savai’i.

However, to our surprise, Chief Tai arranged for us to join the crew on the bridge. As a result, we stayed sheltered from the weather and enjoyed a bird’s eye view of cars and trucks being loaded on board. Below is an image of the ferry I later took during our return sailing. 

Once on Savai’i we made our way along the southern coast towards the island’s iconic Alofaaga Blowholes. However, as we ventured west the weather deteriorated rapidly into heavy showers. Our guide became increasingly agitated. He explained that after heavy rains the road is often blocked by localised flooding.

Apparently, heavy rain falling on the slopes of Mt Silisili, the island’s highest peak, can quickly overwhelm streams along the entire coast. At first, I thought he was exaggerating. That is until we encountered a fast-flowing dirty brown torrent surging knee-deep across the highway, less than a kilometre from the blowhole turnoff.

Needless to say, our guide promptly abandoned the tour and turned his minivan around. Understandably, he was now worried that streams were flooding in other locations. Fortunately, his fears proved unfounded and we made it safely to the ferry wharf. However, we passed over bridges with wild waters raging below so his distress wasn’t entirely misplaced.

Along the way, we stopped briefly to admire Mt Pagoa Waterfall in full flood. The fall is an impressive sight. It flows over an arcing five metre ledge of black volcanic rock directly into the pounding ocean. Access to the waterfall is across private land, which isn’t signposted from the road. We later learnt that thanks to this hidden access very few tourists actually see it. Even fewer witness it in full flood.

Our guide decided to return on an earlier sailing as poor weather often causes cancellations. As a result, we soon found ourselves disembarking in Upolu, hours ahead of schedule. Ironically, the weather on Upolu was only partially overcast, dry and warm.