fiji

beach scene

lily pond from bedroom

rural housing

Poor old Fiji- in the middle of a political mess, under a state of emergency and as a result its tourism was down to only 30Do the Fijians deserve it, when they rely on tourism for their income-absolutely not. Fiji really is a haven for holiday makers who yearn for fun, easy traveling, picture postcard islands with turquoise seas and sunshine. There is a brilliant infrastructure making adventures so readily available, the people are very politely friendly but not pushy. They are happy, laidback, fit and hard workers. Their first language is English, there is no time change for New Zealanders, there is no rubbish anywhere- and we never saw a soldier or armed policeman all our stay.  Our 10 days there were absolutely perfect- we had an idyllic time.

After a great 2 ½ hr flight from Auckland to nandi with air pacific, (including a very fitting Mr Beans Holiday- what a giggle) -our first night was courtesy of some free points wed earned from buying our fitted kitchen. Very luxurious indeed and a great way to start the holiday. The next 4 nights were to be on islands in the yasawa group. Our budget lodge accommodation and ferry had been pre booked via the internet, so we had a pretty tight schedule to keep to. So, of course do the lodges, as they have to cater for 20 or so backpacker type guests daily (each demanding 3 meals a day)- and there are certainly no shops outside nandi- the largest town on vita levu. Everything has to be shipped out to them. And dont forget-these islands have only generators for limited power, bore or rain water and no mains sewage etc. The ferry company has a great setup- they pick up by bus from all hotels, transfer onto the huge catamaran, and sail off northwards for 4 ½ hrs in the pacific, stopping at each of the islands to drop off and pick up. Each manouvre has to be done mid sea- the islands lodges sending out little motor boats to ferry people and baggage to and fro. At the farthest island, they turn around and repeat the whole procedure again. 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. And it really works. For us this was like a cruise- deep blue skies, calm waters that changed from blue to green to azure, to turquoise. Some islands we passed were tiny coral atolls just like the brochures, others much larger built on volcanic rock.

Nacula island, right up in the north, was our first choice for 2 nights. . Id read that the waters were more turquoise here than anywhere else, and the sand whiter, purer and the fish more beautiful! The blue lagoon, a film starring brookie shields was made in this area. Our lodge, Nabua lodge was simple but comfy and clean. Fijians respect the elderly, and as this type of holiday was definitely for young backpackers, and those that had booked through agencies, rather than as we did- directly; we found that due to our seniority we were given the best rooms! No complaints from us of course. We looked out over the peaceful beautiful turquoise seas, either watching it from a hammock or from 2 easy chairs under a little porch. Gentle seas breezes cooled us down from the hot weather. We even had our own loo and shower (cold aaagh).

Food was ok- tinned veg and rice mixtures with homemade cakes and breads. Quite adequate---and with copious amounts of rain water to drink- no alcohol here. Meal times were announced with the beating of drums. Our entertainments; walking around the island watching the locals go about their daily tasks of collecting coconuts or fishing, going off on a tiny boat to visit a large limestone cave with underground swimming waters, snorkeling in the blue lagoon,  and chatting to all the youngsters about their travels. The guy in charge taught us the bula dance- quite a giggle really- got us all talking and mixing after dinner.

All too soon, we were transferred away from this idyllic setting; back onto the yawasa flyer and traveling 2 ½ hrs south to Wailailai island. This was slightly bigger, and Id chosen it because Id read that the lodge there was totally owned by the village, with all the proceeds remaining there. This was definitely a more organized place and with great food. Us oldies were given the best room again- with en suite facilities even though wed not paid for them. That evening the chief and his family danced for us in traditional clothing- and we had to give in and drink the welcoming cup of kava. Yuk- ground peppercorn root mixed with water and supposedly spit! An hypnotic rather than alcoholic. Fortunately neither of us ended up with side effects- just a numb mouth for a few minutes!  Our 2 days here were quite lazy. Our sun deck only encouraged us to sit and read under the shade cloth. (temp still in 80s).  We chatted to a couple from Gainsborough (lincs) what a small world- befriended a Japanese couple- did some washing- watched Sean Connery fly overhead in a sea plane- swam and snorkeled- climbed  with 10 others to the top of the island 1000 through cassava bushes, to watch the sunset. What a windy evening that was- then we had to slip/ slide down rocky ravines by torchlight. Bit dangerous- but what a view- over the whole island and up the coast to other islands.  Then after 2 nights, as the weather started to change we were hearded back into the sea for a rough ride out to meet the catamaran to take us back to Fiji proper. A rather bumpy 2 hrs journey, relieved to get into dock in one piece. This wonderful company bussed us to our next chosen accommodation- a new very plush but cheap hotel- soft clean bed, hot water, ensuite and colour telly, restaurant by the pool. Civilization can be bliss

For the next 3 days wed hired a little car, so that we could circumnavigate the whole of Fijis main island. The rental company emphasized that the island was not totally navigable as some roads were only passable to 4wd vehicles. Ignoring this and the news of further political concerns about the state of emergency we set off northwards through fields and fields of sugarcane. This is harvested and sent to be processed on little trains, so the roads are full of tiny train tracks and the odd engine pulling freight wagons full of cut cane. There was very little traffic to be found, especially so when we hit a dry arid area before reaching the west side when the tarmac ran out! The Chinese had taken 6 yrs to try and construct a roadway through. Theyd failed in this very wet jungly area. We slipped and slithered through isolated villages, trying to picture the rental companys face if they only knew our antics. Bridges were constructed from flimsy wood, brilliant green lush foliage and deep red soil, all brought back memories of Uganda and Rwanda. The main difference was that these locals were well fed, happy and without grudges. Stopping to take photos or buy fruit, we would be welcomed with Bula (hello), had our hands shaken and be wished a safe journey. A bunch of kids giggled and took us off to see their Virgin Mary grotto, loving the attention rog was giving them and looking at their faces on the digital camera. Just as dusk descended we hit tarmac again and found a flower seller to ask where our nights accommodation was- our tourist map didnt cater for our journey. Besides giving us accurate directions, she also sold us a huge pile of freshwater mussels! Id booked us into a rainforest lodge- quite a find it was too. Built on top of a deep (110) water filled quarry, it was quiet, surrounded by rainforest and almost devoid of other travelers. Our simple room overlooked a lily pond, and our restaurant overlooked the actual quarry where hundreds of tilapia swam under the candle light and in the drizzle. What a romantic place. Awaking the next morning to birdsong in the surrounding jungle just topped it all. Whilst we walked in the dense forest, swimming in waterfalls, the chef cooked our mussels in a creamy garlic sauce. Yummy. But we had to move on-not in the least to clean our vehicle of all the forest mud! This we did in a river bed, using a polythene bag as a bucket! We then swam in the river ourselves to cool off! What passer bys on the bridge thought- we really didnt care! That night, the accommodation was ok, and we were up early to avoid the heat and humidity so that we could climb the nearby sand dunes. Sigatokas dunes have revealed Fijis first man from 3000 yrs ago, so will become a major archeological site in years to come. Amongst the mahogany trees we spied a barn owl, which the warden got very excited about later on. Driving on a bit rog spied some wind turbines on a nearby hill. It turned out to be a French wind farm with 33 turbines creating 10MW power. Rog was in his element, whilst I watched a goshawk on a nearby wire and panicked over the atrocious roads we had to descend down. There are more Fijian Indians than Fijians in this country wed heard, so curry was for lunch. These Indians were first introduced to cut sugar cane we believe. Blisteringly hot from this curry and the heat, we cooled off at a really posh resort- Fijis finest Sheraton hotel occupied the whole of an offshore island. No one stopped us as we drove across the causeway, and walked around the place as if we stayed there. Swimming costumes on- and we could have been anyone. Refreshed- definitely. On the way back to our hotel we passed a vibrant looking Hindu temple. Unable to resist the beautiful colours, we wandered around, talked to an artist there, who told us that he used only resene paint, but mixed the blends himself. They were truly startling. Back at smugglers cove, we relaxed and cleaned up, treating ourselves to a meal out in a local Fijian restaurant with fish in coconut sauce and big helpings of taro. Leaving Fiji the next morning was sad, we were that much richer from our action packed time here, but we ended up in giggles, as the car hire company had to come rushing up to rog before we got on the plane to Vanuatu- he had the car keys still in his pocket! Whoops.