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Published: September 21st 2010
Hi ya all, been off internet for two weeks as been living on a Pacific Island with no internet and little or no telephone signal. So this blog a bit longer than usual to cover the past two weeks, publishing it after arriving in Sydney today.
Also apologies to not sending any birthday wishes, especially to my partner in crime Gibbo for the 7th and also for not thanking people for sending me birthday messages.
Also found out after I left Fiji that there was a 6.2 earthquake day I arrived!
Arrived at Fiji airport in Nandi on the 7th September, with no accommodation booked. When you arrive at the airport you are welcomed by some guys singing and playing the guitar, cool. Once through customs, immigration and picked up my bag I headed to a tour agent to sort out somewhere to stay.
Had decided before I arrived that I was going to head for the Yasawa group of islands, popular for holiday makers and backpackers island hopping. You can buy a Bula pass which allows you to travel up the Yasawas and stop off at a number of resorts on the
different islands.
Found a travel agent and told the lady I wanted to stay at a couple of different resorts but had decided not to island hop after travelling around New Zealand needed a rest and chill in same place for a while.
She suggested two resorts, Barefoot Lodge on Drawaqa Island and Walu beach resort on Malolo Island. She booked these, my ferry tickets and also a night at Nadi Bay hotel for the first and last night of my stay.
Caught a taxi to the hotel had a couple of beers and went to sleep! Next morning I was picked up by a coach at 0700 to take me to Port Denarau where the ferry leaves from, only a ten minute journey.
Checked my bag in and paid my ticket and got on the ferry quick to get a good seat on the top outside. Soon got chatting to some Welsh guys and some English girls.
The weather, as expected, was fantastic nice blue skies and warm, about time! Fiji has 333 islands and a population of just under a million people, was part of the commonwealth until 1970.
The ferry stops at around 15 resorts, where small boats come out to pick you up and take you and your luggage to the island. It was about three hours to my resort, most people on the boat were travelling another two hours to the northern most point of the Yasawas.
My stop was the same stop as Manta Ray resort but pick up boat was on the other side of the boat, the resort islands being close to each other but different islands. The Manta Ray boat was full and my boat was just me! The boatman was called John and he took me,e in towards the island and told me it was an exceptionally low tide so about 50m out we had to wade in to the island!
The resort has Bures (huts) to stay in but as I was on my own I may have to share with someone else, but as you read on you will see I had it all to myself!
The Bure has two single beds pushed together, a mosquito net, electric fan and light.
Headed to the main Bure where we would be eating dinner
etc and checked in with the friendly Mika. Also new doggy friend! Setter.
This is when I found out I was the only guest! Drawaqa island is 17 degrees south of the equator, about 0.5km wide and 1.5 km long and is leased by Captain Cook cruises from a village on a nearby island. Most of the guests tend to come on a schooner which does one 3 day stop and one 2 day stop to the island each week.
The island has about six beaches around the island but two directly accessible from the resort, the others only by boat or kayak. One side has quite a strong wind so good to cool down the other more calm. There are hammocks dotted around amongst the palm trees, snorkelling gear available and kayaks, all included in the resort price 99 Fijian dollars (about 35 pounds) which includes three meals a day.
I went for a walk along the island, as you know by now I like to have a wander around when I arrive. Followed a goat trail along the island, the path stopped after a while and had to climb over and around
fallen trees from previous storms and hurricanes.
When I turned round to head back I had to guess the way! Took about three hours round trip, jumped into the sea when I got back!
That afternoon another guest arrived, Maureen from America, but lived in France. We had a chat and both went for a snorkel, as soon as you get into the sea you can see fish in the clear warm water, with a reef just off the shore.
At night time the paths are illuminated by diesel candles and the main bure lit by kerosene lamps.
So we were the only guests for that night, sat and had dinner then had a welcome kava. Kava is the Fijian national drink, mainly used for welcome ceremonies but also drunk all night as a social event rather than alcohol.
Kava is made from a pepper plant Yaqona but now commonly know as kava. It is crushed in a large pestel and mortar and mixed with water, looks like muddy water! The taste is strange but I quite liked it and it makes you feel a bit groggy if you drink
enough of it.
The custom is to clap before receiving the coconut shell cup, say Bula as you take the cup, drink down in one pass back the cup and clap slowly three times.
This routine is mainly for proper ceremonies but laxes when just chilling and drinking.
After dinner we sat around the kava bowl with the 4 staff drinking kava chatting and listening to the radio, the guys also sing and play guitar. Slept well that night!
In the morning Bio woke us around 0645 to go and see Manta Rays, it turned out that the end of our island nearest the resort end was called Manta Ray point, where the channel between us and a nearby island created a strong current at high tide churning up the plankton which the Manta Rays fed on. Bio had already popped out and checked to see if they were there.
We jumped off the boat and saw three different Manta Rays, they are so elegant sweeping their wings and they glide effortlessly along taking in plankton filled water through their large mouths, the largest had around a 3m wingspan! Amazing.
The beach
My footprints only!Later that morning a couple arrived, Dulcie from England and Matt from Australia and later that afternoon the schooner arrived with eleven more guests with a mixture of nationalities, Norwegian, German, British, Swiss, New Zealanders and Australians.
So that evening bit busier at dinner, starting with a welcome kava ceremony so the new guests could learn the custom and the taste! I mingled a bit but ended up sitting down with the fijians drinking kava, some of the others joined us. Another good nights sleep!
Next morning the schooner gang went off snorkelling off another island, back for lunch and then off to visit a village school. Matt, Dulcie, Maureen and I went to see Manta Rays again, this time there were two large ones swimming together.
Matt managed to take some pictures with his underwater camera but when we got back it had leaked! Hope he still manages to get the pickies and send to me.
The following day was my birthday and I had let a few people know! Did the usual snorkelling, fishing and kayaking in the day time plus Matt Dulcie, Maureen and I went to
see Manta Rays again, this time there were two large ones swimming together.
When I went to the main bure for dinner Mika had made lots of decorations from palm leaves and Hibiscus flowers, including one to go around my neck!
After dinner the fijians sang happy birthday Fijian style, cool birthday!
Next day Matt, Dulcie and I joined the schooner gang to go visit the local village, about 45 minute journey in the schooner. Attended a kava ceremony at the village, walked around the church and village and then a small open air shell market before returning back to Drawaqa on the schooner. Maureen did not come as she left the island that afternoon.
In the evening it was the last night for the cruisers and was international night. Each country had to get up and do something about their country. The ozzies did waltzing Matilda while the rest of us just talked about our country customs, except the Fijians who sang their really cool national anthem, then we were given three bottles of champagne and sat by a fire on the beach.
Early the next day the schooner left to
return to Denarau, Matt and Dulcie returned with them leaving the island to myself again.
I was getting into a routine now of going fishing, meeting the ferry to pick up parcels then more fishing, lunch and snorkelling in the afternoon, dinner and drinking kava, island life!
That morning a new guest arrived, Katie from England just staying the one night and the following day the schooner returned with 14 people staying two nights plus we picked up a couple from England (Sam and Sarah) from the morning ferry.
At the welcoming ceremony the fijians got me to sit with them and wear the grasses and flower garland in the ceremony, I was almost now one of the staff lol! They had also started calling me Marika, allegedly Fijian for mark but I need to check that! Lol hearing Marika called out to me from the crew on the boat and the staff.lol
They found it strange a 41 year old travelling for a whole year and with no wife!
Now I was due to leave Barefoot but asked Mika to cancel Walu beach resort for me as I wanted to
stay for the full 12 nights at barefoot!
The staff were great, good food, an island almost to myself, fishing, kayaking and Manta Ray swimming all free (other resorts charged for all of these). Think they though I was mad as Walu beach had a pool, private bathrooms, hot showers etc!
On the last night of their stay, international night, the English did head shoulders knees and toes knees and toes!lol
Chris and Sam from England who were on this cruise had decided to stay on the island and return to port with the following cruise, so now there were 5 of us!
Need to tell you more about the snorkelling, as I said the water is clear and the corals are amazing plus loads of fish and different species.
Snorkelled off various parts of the island, best snorkelling I have ever done even better than Utila! Saw many things I have never seen before including sea snakes, stingrays, Manta Rays, reef shark and a 3m white tip shark!
Oh also seen a turtle a couple of times while out fishing!
On the Thursday Sam and Sarah left to go
to Octopus resort, they did not want to leave bless em but they had to as they had given their credit card number to the resort. Chris, Sam, myself and Setter came out to the ferry with them to see them off, doing the manta wave to say goodbye lol!
Later that afternoon the schooner was back, quite weird when another group of people arrive on my island! Only 9 this time.
Funny thing was the next day Chris Sam and I were on the beach, I had not gone out to meet the morning ferry today and Cookie came back with Sam and Sarah!
They said Octopus resort was nice but not the same as here, 70 people their organised events like quizzes etc Funnily enough they won the quiz winning a champagne breakfast but wanted to leave spoke to the manager and left that morning!
Since seeing the Manta Rays in my first few days they had not returned so nobody else got to see them, lucky me!
This time for international night I suggested to the others, including Vicky and Guy who arrived on the cruise, we
should do something more musical and dancy, we did the hokey cokey!! The fijians loved it and lots of people joined in!
On the Sunday morning the schooner left once again leaving just Sam, Sarah and myself with us leaving on the Monday afternoon. When Sam, Sarah and I got back to Nadi we met up with Sam, Chris and her sister and travel buddy Claire, for an Indian curry.
All of us were travelling from Nadi airport on the Tuesday morning. Chris and Sam travelling to Tonga, Sam and Sarah to Santiago via Auckland (travelling a similar route to me but in reverse) and me off to Sydney.
Been fantastic chilling in Fiji, got a nice dark tan again and fully recharged ready for my Australian adventure! Once again had to say goodbye to the nice people I had met on the island and doing my blog realise I don’t have picture of some of them!
If anyone reading this blog as you are going to Fiji, I highly reccommend Barefoot Lodge if you want to chill and see real Fijians living, if you go tell them you know Marika! lol
Larf
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Sandie
non-member comment
too much fun
you need to get back to work, you're having farrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr tooooooooooooo much fun!