This web site titled The Good Oil will be my means of keeping friends up to date with our goings on in Vanuatu that is, from the perspective of Jeremy Thompson. There will be the challenges, joys, triumphs and set backs of helping to build an efficient supply chain for Coconut Oil and other products. Then there will be the building of relationships and recreational life on Santo. Throughout, life will be enriched by the interplay with Louise as the “Bucket and MrT” team progresses along our two year adventure in Vanuatu, based on Santo. Louise’s perspective will be posted on her own site which I will be able to note on here in the near future.

Extricating ourselves from our entrenched lives in Canterbury proved to be a lengthy process, culminating in the final week “at home” which was intense. On the Tuesday we moved ourselves to the cottage of our friends and neighbours, Ken and Averil. On the Wednesday the removals firm took our retained house possessions off to a 40 foot shipping container. On Thursday and Friday we got the house set up for the Big Farewell Fundraising “Off to Vanuatu Party”. Thank you to all those members of family and friends that helped make this 90 people bash such a success. The photo above shows me with an introductory “thank you” (“Tanku Tomas” in Bislama) speech to sponsors and gathered guests.

  The photo alongside shows the Auction in full progress with Jono engaging with the warmed up guests, exhalting them to ever higher bids, sometimes for items they did not want, while Louise and I parade items for sale.

After a massive clearing and cleaning exercise over the weekend, it was finally time to exit our home of fifteen years, say goodbye to Rocklands (photo below) and head into Christchurch to hand the keys to the real estate firm. Between then and our departure for Vanuatu on Sunday 12 July, we have been homeless nomads, hosted by friends and happily looking ahead to life on the island of Santo, one of eighty-something islands making up Vanuatu.

You are very welcome to learn more about New Zealand’s Voluntary Service Abroad (VSA) by clicking here on the website.

The views expressed on this site are Jeremy’s own and do not necesarily reflect those of VSA.

On Monday afternoon 18 May 2015, it was finally time to leave Rocklands and our beautiful home there.