Beez Neez now Chy Whella - Buakonikai Bimble

Buakonikai Bimble

Beez Neez now Chy Whella

Big Bear and Pepe Millard

Wed 1 Jul 2015 22:57

Buakonikai Bimble

After settling Beez and a bite to eat, we picked Chris and Steve up to go and stretch our legs. Buakonikai High Street.

Rabi has four main settlements – all named after, and populated by the descendants of, four villages on Banaba that were destroyed by the invading Japanese forces in the Second World War. Fijian, is the administrative centre of Rabi. Located in the far north of the island, Tabwewa boasts administrative buildings, a wharf, a post office, court house, a hospital, and a guest house – the only one on the island. 14 kilometres to the south of Tabwewa is Tabiang (formerly Siosio), the home of Rabi's only school and an airstrip. Other major settlements include Uma (formerly Wiinuku), between Tabwewa and Tabiang, and eighth largest island of Fiji. We’ve decided to brave the truck-bus at eight in the morning to explore Nuku.

We found all the houses were solid, some a bit dilapidated but all with well marked gardens. This one had grass drying in the sun ready to be made into mats. Then a ‘one careful owner’ engine.

A poorly looking house but an immaculate vegetable garden.

We bimbled along the track away from the village and up over our left shoulder stood the impressive Church.

Up on the right we guessed at a Community Hall, once inside we saw it was pretty run-down.

The end of the Community Hall definitely showed wear and tear...... Turning a hundred and eighty degrees, the Church looked rather sad. We met Mister Twuani who told us that the roof was destroyed in Cyclone Tomas in 2010, the roof was repaired two years ago but more maintenance was needed to ‘bring her back’. The lower level of this massive building is used for meetings. Our new friend set off to ask the Minister if he could show us upstairs. Grinning from ear to ear, he put down his hacksaw and led the way.

We were told that about fifty people come to worship in this humble House of God.

The Altar and the happy decorations.

We loved the music painted high up on the ceiling panels.

The outer room sported a home made ladder, wouldn’t put too much trust on those rungs. Our new friend told us the stained glass window above the door had come from England.

From outside we had a great view across the grounds complete with tiny graveyard and across the Bay. Downstairs we looked up at the bell-tower and wondered why the rope was outside..... A closer look at the resting.

From further back the Church looks rather splendid.

We walked to the far corner until we reached the windward side and boy was it windy. From here we saw the starts of a new mangrove and could see the reef behind. I saw one of the doves in red pyjamas as it flew overhead, really need to see one of those chaps up close. We stood to one side to let the truck-bus pass and feel our trip tomorrow will be a bit of a laugh. As the crow flies the journey is little more than three miles but it wiggles snakes around the hills, it should take forty minutes, can take an hour and a half and has been known to take half a day, cushions are recommended along with a drink and snack.

A house, a wheelchair and the access bridge over the ditch.

We stopped for a chat with the lady in the store. Opposite was Esterael the Boutique.

Further along the road the pig pens and wash day.

These village children all thanked us for taking their pictures and showing them.

This young man was fishing when he saw us approaching, immediately he left his net floating on the water and paddled over to help hold Baby Beez steady and walk us out away from the coral chunk wall.