THE SPIRIT OF SANTO
At 6am, rather than my alarm clock offering
up a pan-pipe melody chosen to gently ease
me into another day at the office, I hear the
flap of wings, a splash of water and then a
rustling sound. It repeats, rhythmically, so I
peer out the screen door of our jungle-based
villa to see the Vanuatu king fisher — aka the
chestnut-bellied king fisher — having a bath
in our plunge pool. The fun-loving king fisher,
that’s only found on the islands of Espiritu
Santo, Malo and Malakula, is having a grand
old time, diving from the fence into the pool,
having a splash about and then flying back
up to the fence to ruffle up its feathers in
preparation for another dive and dip. I quietly
tiptoe away from the door so as not to
disturb its playtime. What a lovely way to
greet the day.We’re staying at Barrier Beach House on the
island of Espiritu Santo (otherwise known
as Santo), which is under three hours’ flight
from Brisbane. It’s a place where technology
takes a backseat — there is some
intermittent internet — and the abundance
of wildlife, the thick jungle enclaves and
the many intoxicating water worlds on
the island, are at the core of memories
made here.The architect-designed Barrier Beach House
is managed by Australian couple, Calvin and
Julie. In this quiet beachfront niche of Santo,
they have created a haven where eight
luxurious, spacious farés (all with their own
tropical gardens) capture the true feeling of
relaxed luxury. The couple relish in the
details and strive to continually maintain a
peaceful place for guests where they can
breathe deeply, sleep, wander, swim and
explore at their own pace. Staying in their
little pocket of Santo is like taking part in an
ongoing meditation class where there’s no
need for calming music or natural oils to
permeate the air — it’s all there in the lapping
of the ocean on shores where the enormous
trees have thankfully not been removed, and
in the natural scents that come courtesy of
Mother Nature.BLUE HOLE CALLING
The first day disappears in a balmy, slow and
inspiring haze of snorkelling, kayaking just
out from our beachfront, wandering along the
sandy shores and lying under the enormous
tree that the Barrier Beach House is
renowned for. On the second day, we borrow
the resort’s mountain bikes, and hit the road
for a 4-kilometre ride to the famous Riri Blue
Hole, where Roy awaits with his hand-carvedRELAX & REJUVENATE
Fast fact
The Vanuatu national
anthem is “Yumi, yumi,
yumi” (which means
‘We, we, we’).Clockwise from top
The dining deck at
Barrier Beach House;
The modern, airy
suites at Barrier Beach
House; A plunge pool
made for Kingfishers at
Barrier Beach House.