Savusavu to Rambi Island
Storyteller
Wed 8 Jul 2009 05:43
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Position 16.46S 179.19E
A warm, humid afternoon in Savusavu, Storyteller V
and occupants (Sue, John, Grant and myself) are settling in
for post-journey chores after a fantastic trip that took us to Rabi
Island and back.
But just to recap - Grant and I flew in to Savusavu
on Sunday June 28. A great flight with terrific views of some of the countless
reefs and 322 islands that make up the vast Fiji Group. On landing in
Savusavu, Grant and I and the other passengers were whisked away to a
little shed to be checked out by a couple of masked nurses and a doctor for
swine flu symptons!!! "are you feeling OK?" "do you have a temperature?".All
checked out we were greeted by Sue and John and set off for the village and the
boat. Having been in Savusavu some 15 years earlier, it was great to see
familiar sights and have that memory of a special time spent here slowly
re-emerge!! Unpacked and settled onboard Storyteller, with Sue and John happy to
receive the bits and pieces we had transported from NZ (parts for the boat,
mail, NZ papers and mags, Easi-yo and booze), we joined crew members from
the other boats in the rally for a de-brief on 'cruising' in Fiji. For G and I
this was particularly informative. We heard about 'clearing in ' and 'clearing
out', waypoints and Curly's notes, how to avoid hitting the reef and most
importantly, local customs and the tradition of sevusevu. Sevusevu involves
giving kava root to the chief of a village in exchange for anchoring in his bay,
snorkelling, swimming etc
The next day most of the rally crew joined a one
hour bus trip for a walk in the rainforest. Our guide, Jay, did a great job
talking over the roaring engine of the bus, making jokes about the lack of
synchro-mesh!!! and telling us about the area. He described the local
plants and their uses, the nature of village life and kept us entertained with
his big cheery fijian smile. Everone in Fiji is so friendly, 'bula', waves and
smiles are the order of the day.
The following morning we did some last minute
preparation for our journey - buying supplies and purchasing our bundles of kava
root from the local market for sevusevu. In no time we were anchored off Jean
Michel Cousteau Resort at the entrance to Savusavu Bay, and where G and
I had stayed on our previous visit. We tried to go ashore for lunch but
fortunately for our wallets, they were fully booked!!! Here we were joined by
Lady Kay and Harmonie and readied ourselves, checking the weather and maps
continually, for our departure north. We were soon in blustery, rolling seas,
20-25 knot winds, the roughest seas I have been in but no doubt nothing compared
to what Sue and John have experienced. Sue sensibly suggested we all take
seasick tabs, but within half an hour Grant had succombed, sharing his
breakfast with the ocean and flaked on a bunk for the next few hours!!! Sue gave
me the job of tracking our route on the map, which was a good distraction from
the challenging seas and the rocking and rolling of the boat. Fawn Harbour
was our first stop, and all eyes were on full alert as we looked for markers and
John skilfully negotiated his way through the narrow pass in the reef. Lady
Kay and Harmonie close behind, there was great joy when Michael (LK) radioed to
say they had caught a sizeable mahi mahi on the way. We had our lines out but no
bites. But we did pass a large pod of pilot whales and were entertained by the
flying fish, which skim along the top of the water at great speed.So that night
we all gathered on Storyteller for a huge feed of kokoda and BBQd fish.Almost
forgot to mention that on arrving at our anchorage I discovered I hadn't latched
the portholes correctly and so had some soaked clothing and pillow and
passport!!! just hoping the airport officials believe my story when they
see what remains of it!!!
Sea conditions the next day were totally different
and we had a great journey passing between the mainland and Taveuni Island
and eventually reaching Buca Bay. The binoculars are well used on the journey,
checking out other boats and property along the coast, looking for landmarks and
signs of FISH!!! we had our lines out again but this time only managed to
capture a blue beaked boobie!! - took both John and I to reel it in and
untangle it from the line, while Sue and Grant kept an eye on the GPS and our
proximity to the reef. Thankfully the bird flew away appearing unharmed
from its ordeal. I also managed to lose my sunglasses overboard, even tho they
were on a band to stop that from happening!!!
On putting down the anchor in Buca Bay we
noticed that the seemingly idyllic waters were alive with bright blue frilly
edged jellyfish!!! and then the generator suddenly stopped, ,jellyfish having
been sucked into the intake filter!!! so dreams of swimming and staying a few
days were dashed. Thinking we wouldn't need to go ashore to do sevusevu if we
weren't going to stay more than a night in the bay, we suddenly noticed a dinghy
heading our way....the chief came to us!!! Mr Esala Qalivere from Loa Village
was soon on board, introducing himself and assuring us it was OK to do sevusevu
on the boat... and also trying to assure us that swimming with the myriads of
jellyfish was OK!!! Sevusevu involved us all sitting in a circle on the back of
the boat, John gave Esala the kava root, he smiled, said a few words in his
language and clapped a few times. He translated for us, telling us he had
welcomed us to Buca Bay as his friends, had given thanks for our safe
journey and invited us to come ashore and join in his village
life. In no time, we were sitting in the galley with him drinking tea and
sharing cookies, an experience I won't forget.
The next morning all 3 boats limped out of Buca Bay
on ancilliary engines for fear of more jellyfish misadventures. A short 3 hour
motor and we really were in Paradise - Albert Cove on the north western side of
Rabi Island - a hilly, lusciously wooded island with an interesting
history. It was purchased in March 1942 by the British Govt for the
resettlement of the the Micronesian inhabitants of Ocean Island (Banaba) in the
Gilbert Islands.Craftily tho, the BG used 25,000 pounds of phosphate royalties
from the Banaban Provident Fund to purchase the island from the Lever Brothers,
who had earlier purchased the island from the Fijians and were using it for
coconut plantations.So, the 4500 inhabitants of Rabi Island are Banaban, and
live according to a different set of rules than the rest of Fiji. They have a 9
member Council to administer the island, the local language is Gilbertese, but
they do drink kava!!!
Coming into the bay, once again through a narrow
coral pass, we were greeted with turquoise blue water and a white sandy beach
lined with palm trees. It wasn't until we were quite close in that you could see
a few grass huts among the trees and the odd person on the beach, only five
families live in the Bay. With Don and Michael, Sue and John, we went ashore for
sevusevu, this time sitting on the sandy floor of a low grass hut!!! The
next few days were filled with snorkelling, swimming, kayaking, sunbathing,
reading and socialising. July 4 saw us all on Harmonie for drinks, with American
hosts Don and Ann complete with our American flag, a card made by Grant and a
lttle poem by Sue A. We were a bit dismayed when we saw 9 other boats from the
rally heading our way, but miraculously there was room in the bay for everyone
and they only stayed one night!!! Grant and I went ashore one morning and had a
great chat with the chief and his family ( see the photo below). The tarpaulin
we are sitting on is exactly what we buy at the Warehouse, only it has seen
better days!! Their living conditions are unbelievably primitive, cooking is
done on an open fire, the pigs and chooks roam freely, fish are caught with
handlines from outrigger canoes. When hurricanes come they have to take shelter.
They are friendly, happy smiling people. They have to walk for 2 miles along the
rocky and sandy shoreline to get to Nuku bay where there is a Post office and a
mission house, Catholisicm and Methodism are practised. We could have stayed
there forever but our good skipper John was watching the weather and yesterday
we motored the 9 hour journey from Albert Cove to Savusavu, in all
conditions from perfectly flat seas to rough, lumpy seas. Just as well tho
as the sea and wind today is far worse. We had the excitement of landing a huge
mahimahi which we ate last night - 2 ways, sashimi and grilled steaks. Its a
beautifully moist white fish.
For Grant and I the holiday is ending, for Sue and
John, their incredible adventure on the sea continues. We have
become used to the gentle motion that sends you to sleep each night, the
compulsory beer when we reach a destination, the happy hour on different boats,
listening to the NZ and Aussie news on the shortwave in the morning, playing
rumikub at night, Sue's delicious meals, John keeping us up to speed with
weather and boat conditions. It has been wonderful to have another Storyteller
experience.
While writing this on the laptop in the wheelhouse,
a tiny twin prop seaplane has landed alongside us in the marina!!! There's
always something happening!!!
Mothe, Sue Alexander
Fiji 296.jpg |
