28th May 2010
17 35 S 177 26 E
We sat in Opua watching one storm after another pass through, waiting for a ‘weather window’ to take us to Fiji. Finally a gap opened up and we were off into the rough sea left behind by the last lot of turbulent winds. It soon eased and we began to enjoy the trip until, on the fourth day, another, unforecast, low pressure system came through making it impossible to make our course. The big winds pushed us much further east than we wanted and left us feeling battered and bruised. With the forecast showing another storm heading straight for us we decided we would take ourselves way off course to Minerva Reef, a remote atoll nearly 500 miles from Fiji, and sit it out there. Once the storm had passed we made a dash for Fiji and for the most part had a pleasant, if a little feisty, sail.
Our Port of Entry into Fiji was at Port Lautoka on the main island of Viti Levu. From our first encounter with Customs officials we met the warmth of the Fijian people. This is probably the friendliest place we have been. Despite a recent history of political unrest and it being virtually a police state there is very little evidence of tension on the surface. Everywhere is welcoming and friendly. It is a real pleasure to go into town and visit the market.
The population is roughly 50 50 Fijian and Indo Fijian giving this island group a strong ethnic identity. The vibrant atmosphere in Lautoka is quite different from anywhere else we have been in the pacific. The town centre is a hive of industry with the latest DVDs being burned and garments flying off sewing machines in every other shop. The bustling market is packed with a good variety of local produce and sacks of richly coloured, fresh spices. Food stalls sell delicious curries and spicy treats. And the best of it is that it is so cheap. We can eat out for less than 5 quid for the two of us and buy fish, such as mahi mahi or wahoo for about 2 pounds a kilo! I have stocked up on spices and treated myself to an Indian cookery book and am turning out some delicious meals.
As soon as we arrived here, in what seems to be becoming a habit, I had to fly home. This time it was for a happy occasion, the marriage of my son, Tim, to the lovely Naomi. It was a fabulous day and I was so proud of them both and delighted to welcome Naomi as my new daughter. It was also a good opportunity to catch up with friends and family. I have been feeling a bit homesick since I got back, these trips have made me realise just how far we are from home!
Back in Fiji we got straight into exploring. Sailing around Fiji can be tricky. There are so many reefs just below the surface and most of the area has not been surveyed. When moving about someone has to be on close watch at all times. Several times we had to make a quick u turn to avoid a bommy. It was worth the effort though to get out to the outer islands where, in places, we enjoyed the most amazing variety of corals, probably the best we have seen anywhere. Such healthy reefs are absolutely teeming with fish and we have spotted several that we had not seen before. We discovered that, a few years ago, Fiji had a project to restock its reefs. They made nursery beds where they planted pieces of coral, taken from a struggling reef, to encourage new growth before transplanting them back onto the reef – in much the same way as we would tend young plants. We saw some abandoned frames from the project but don’t know if it is still in operation elsewhere. The evidence is that the project was successful but there are certainly still some reefs which could do with some help.
Poor Andy picked up a flu virus which then turned into some strange infection. A swelling, the size of a tennis ball, came up on his neck and he was incapacitated for nearly three weeks. A course of strong antibiotics sorted him out but we never found out what caused the problem. He didn’t even touch the beer for over two weeks... now that’s bad!
He was, however, sufficiently recovered by his birthday to manage one beer. The highlight of the day was opening a card from home with family photos showing how his nephew and nieces have grown from the children he left behind into fine looking young adults. A stark reminder of how time is passing. A tear was shed.
We took a bus ride into the town of Nadi which is much more developed than Lautoka and has all the trappings of tourism. It lacks Lautoka’s atmosphere and there was a lot of hassle from shopkeepers. Despite that we enjoyed our day and particularly the bus ride which gave us a first class view of the Fijian countryside.
The main export for Fiji is sugar and it grows as far as the eye can see. The fields are divided into small plots with the cane at different stages of development to ensure continuity of harvest. Once reaped, the remaining stubble is burnt off to make way for the next planting. A feature of the main island is the permanent smoky haze from the fires which can be seen, and smelled, in every direction. The boat was constantly covered in sticky black smut. It can’t be healthy. The sugar processing plant is right beside the main wharf in Lautoka, where we anchored on our supply trips. A small train runs each night bringing in the freshly harvested cane. Lorries come from miles around to deposit their load. Unfortunately the plant is forever breaking down. The last breakdown took three days to repair and dozens of lorries sat idle beside the road, halfway to town, waiting to offload. We talked to one of the drivers who told us they just have to wait their turn. He was quite philosophical about the situation, despite losing time and money and having to sleep under his lorry. “It’s Fiji time.” he told us.
When we left New Zealand we left behind many of our cruising friends. Some were seeking residency in NZ, some returning home and others heading out in different directions. The community that we enjoyed from Panama to New Zealand has broken up and we have really missed bumping in to familiar boats and friendly faces. We are looking forward to making new friends as we continue on. Next stop, Vanuatu.
