Atua

Today we hired a car, which was in the shape of a Herman Munster vehicle. We drove around the coastal route heading west then south to the bottom and east along the Main South Coast Road. Then north and onto Apia.
During the day we stopped at the To Sua Ocean Trench. Tosua literally means a Giant Swimming Hole. It is 30 meters deep and is accessible via a long ladder to the pool. Overlooking the ocean is a beach called Fagaoneone meaning white sand whereas opposite is a lava field with blow hole, tide pools and walking paths along the rocks near the ocean’s edge.
We also checked out the Robert Louis Stevenson museum which was the Scottish author's former residence, an enchanting estate. The mansion, substantially destroyed in the cyclones in the early 1990s, was rebuilt and opened as a museum in 1994 on the centenary of his death.
He is buried in the adjacent Mt Vaea National Reserve. It is a fairly steep climb and at the top are views of Apia which Ange, Ann and myself climbed.
Whilst touring around we went through small villages where there were more houses with memorials to lost family, and little local stores with friendly owners and staff.
When school was out for the day there were different groups of girls and boys walking home in their pristine crisp white shirts and barefoot. Some skylarking and chasing each other through the jungle beside the road.
There were different things to see including the adult only resort called Sinalei Resort with its own 9 hole golf course situated on the south coast. Along the beaches there were also Beach Fales for rental accomodation.Read more