The road to Waitangi Sunday 23rd November 2008 On Friday morning we collected our Toyota campervan and set off north towards the Bay of Islands and Waitangi. The camper isn’t as new as we had hoped. In fact, it is pretty well-worn and hasn’t been well-cared for. A lot of backpackers hire campers in New Zealand so they get thrashed about a bit. The fridge door flew open half way up the motorway because the seal is broken but we have managed to sort that out by wedging a tree branch between the fridge and sink. The gears are crunchy, the [View Full Entry]

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Chief John Sunday 16th November 2008 We left Lautoka on Wednesday and came back to the Travellers Rest on Nadi Bay, where we stayed for our first two Fijian nights over a month ago. We were well remembered and that night the staff had a little Kava ceremony and proclaimed John as Chief for the occasion. There were eight of us, John and myself, five Fijians and one Maori visitor. We put away four large bowls of Kava and I went to bed feeling rather sick and dizzy. The Kava didn’t affect “Chief John” at all, and he drank bigger bowls [View Full Entry]

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Through the heart of Viti Levu to Rakiraki Monday 3rd November 2008 The alarm went off at 4.15 a.m. and we groped around in the semi-dark dressing and getting our gear together (by torchlight) because one of the guys from Rukuruku village was picking us up at 4.45 a.m. to take us down to the ferry in his truck; somewhat early because it is only a twenty minute ride and the ferry wasn’t due to leave until six but he had to get back by 5.30. The ferry didn’t get away until nearly seven and the bus that was supposed to [View Full Entry]

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Bobo and the Bats 7. Bobo’s farm, Rukuruku, Saturday 1st November 2008 The journey here was a test of nerves and quite uncomfortable. The scenery however was superb, although we only caught glimpses of it out the back of the covered truck since we were seated midway along facing inwards. The truck was rammed with too many people, shopping, oil cans and a large box of ice. The road was an unsealed track winding up and down some steep gradients. It was just a case of hanging on and sweating! Yet again, we were the only travellers; our fellow passengers were [View Full Entry]

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I have been unable to get online so haven’t been able to send any of my blogs for over one week so what follows is the backlog! Before that, however, I have a message for my cousin, Veronica in the USA: I was SO delighted to get your email through the travel blog and hear all of your news after so many years. Unfortunately, my replies to you keep getting sent back so if you have another email address please can you send another message. I would love to get in touch. Now for the journal… Levuka, Ovalau Island, Fiji Tuesday [View Full Entry]

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IT IS 27TH OCTOBER, WE ARE IN LEVUKA ON OVALAU ISLAND, FIJI. WE ARE ONLINE AGAIN AFTER 6 DAYS SO WE CAN NOW SEND THE BLOGS WRITTEN PREVIOUSLY! Colo-I-Suva Forest Wednesday 22nd October 2008 We have been in Fiji for one week now and have seen more rain than we get in a year on the Costa Blanca. We are in Colo-I-Suva forest, about 10 kilometres north of Suva. It is beautiful despite the fact that the “rainy season” which normally starts in about the middle of November seems to have arrived prematurely. We are on the eastern side of the [View Full Entry]

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Leuleuvia Island Friday 24th October 2008 Yesterday we journeyed here to Leuleuvia and are staying three nights until Sunday. The journey was quite an experience. We left Rain Tree Lodge at 8 a.m. and got a bus to Nausori. The bus was full of local children going to different schools so it detoured to different villages; this was great because we saw so much of the local culture, the kids, some as young as six and travelling alone, were so polite and well behaved (very different to hoards of English or Spanish schoolchildren) and the countryside was stunningly beautiful. It wasn’ [View Full Entry]

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Moturiki School Fair Saturday 25th October 2008 Today was probably the highlight of our whole trip so far. We got up, chucked the hermit crabs out of our sand-floor bure hut, had breakfast and then Elena and Simosi invited us to go with them to Moturiki island, where the children go each day to school by boat. On Moturiki there are just three villages, no tourist accommodation, one school and three village churches. Today was a special fund-raising event for the school, to buy library books and shelving to put them on. We felt very honoured to be invited. Many tourists [View Full Entry]

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“Bula” we are on “Fiji Time” Friday 17th October 2008 People here talk about “Fiji Time” meaning you take it slow and everyone says ‘Bula” (“Hello’) with a smile. We are in Paradise and we’ve hardly seen anything yet since this is only our third night here. Fiji wouldn’t be everyone’s ’cup of tea’; unless you are in an excusive resort, of which there are several, it is a bit scruffy, very rural and inefficient, the public loo in Nadi is unapproachable if like me you have a sensitive nose and the loc [View Full Entry]

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Last days in Hawaii Monday 13th October 2008 Our last few days here in Hawaii Big Island have been idyllic; very relaxed and chilled out. We have done a lot of walking to various local rocky coves and beaches. The turtles decided not to grace us with their presence; however we saw some pretty fishes. Perhaps we’ll see some turtles in Fiji. Tomorrow, Tuesday 14th October, we leave here early, fly to Honolulu and then connect with an Air Pacific flight to Fiji via Christmas Island. When we arrive at Nadi airport in Fiji it will be 6.30 p.m. (approx) onWednesday15th [View Full Entry]

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