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We checked into Fiji
in Savusavu, a great, seedy, little town which we knew from a
previous visit. Since time was pressing we hired a car and drove
across Vanua Levu to Lambasa, home of the sugar cane industry.
For miles along the road
into Lambasa the sugar cane lorries and tractor-trailers formed a
huge traffic jam, some had been there long enough to fall asleep under
their loads.
Carelbi in the anchorage at
Savusavu
Wonderful relics from
Fiji's British past, the lions outside Savusavu's Town
Hall...
On our way to Viti
Levu we caught a waloo, which is Spanish mackerel and really
delicious, almost better than mahi mahi although it is possibly treasonous
to say this!
A stunning
sunset near Lautoka
Sawa-i-Lau, our first Yasawa island and a typical Fijian coral sand
beach...
Chris got nobbled by
two little tourist guides who insisted on showing us around their
village.
We were walking across
what we believed to be the deserted island of Vanuayawa when we
suddenly heard voices, and discovered, in a small jungle clearing,
Moses and Shewita planting yams.
Our trip from Fiji to
New Caledonia was a bit of a nightmare as George, our automatic pilot,
failed twice in heavy seas and gale winds. Chris managed to cobble
together a working arm out of his old parts, almost never have we
been so relieved to arrive at our destination.The passage to
Australia was not uneventful either, we arrived in a strong gale, constant
winds of 40 knots gusting to 50 (80-100 kilometres per hour), seas of over
3 metres, visibility maybe 4 miles, not to mention the Russian freighter,
the Maxim Michaelov, who had no look out posted and almost
ran us down; we jibed at the last minute, not easy in those
conditions. |
Flame trees were burning
all along the road, and everyone, but everyone, waved to us as we passed
and many shouted "Bula! Bula!" which is Fijian for hello and sounds so
cheerful.
One of the little trains which used to bring the cane in to the
processing factory along the rusty old railway line, and still
do.
We do love going to restaurants and listening to Pacific
musicians. Here we are at the "Bula Re", which means welcome, and where
the food and the music was great. We bought the CD, so can prove the
latter statement.
and the market where our ancestors obviously did not
like the spitting habit.
When you move areas in Fiji you have to check in with Customs again.
Here Chris is in Lautoka, hoping that his impressive Fijian formal skirt
for men will bag us a hassle free experience!
... and another.
Musicians at the Nanuya resort, another great meal and an
unforgettable night's music. Note the large bowl of kava which was emptied
and refilled many times that evening, and as ever, the singing got better
as time progresses!
This is how you catch a ferry, Fiji-style...
Shewita had a home on the opposite side of the island to our
anchorage. His wife, Clara, had decorated the beach entrance with a
wonderful collection of driftwood and shells.
It is obligatory to go to Musket Cove if you are a yachtie in Fiji,
and this is an idyllic photo of the anchorage from
the restaurant/pool where we spent a couple of days before heading
off to New Caledonia and Australia.
We are now on our way back to Europe where we will be spending
Christmas at home in France. Carelbi is being pulled out of the water in
Australia and we rejoin her in April 2007 to continue on the final leg
back to Europe. Plans for next year are to sail gently up the Great
Barrier Reef to Darwin for mid-July where we will join a rally up the
Indonesian coast to Thailand, all the tedious checking in and
formalities are done for you.
Anyone fancying doing a bit of sailing
with us in 2007, do email us during the next 5 months and we can talk
about how, when and where! |
