Fiji

For the past month, we have been enjoying the beautiful islands of Fiji. The sail from Tonga was a long 3 day sail because Lauren was sick, likely from holding Hika's baby in Tonga. We arrived at Copra Shed marina in Savusavu to check into the country, which took our Captain, Russ several days due to bureaucratic inefficiencies. The Fijian government required our boat be bombed for mosquitoes, as Fiji is still free of several mosquito born illnesses. We were free from quarantine after they detonated seven bug bombs in the boat... ick. 

In Savusavu, we were able to catch up with our families and meet the infamous and eccentric Curly Carswell. Curly is a New Zealander, but now a permanent fixture of Fiji. He has cruised the islands for years and does an animated morning broadcast on the VHF. Gooooooood morning Savusavu! For F$20 Curly will sit down (for hours and hours) with you and give you waypoints advice for the most beautiful places in Fiji. He also makes fishing lures that are GUARANTEED to catch fish between 3 and 17 knots.

The market in Savusavu is bustling with people buying kava and vegetables. We stocked up on kava, which is the root of a pepper plant and traditional gift presented to the village chief upon arrival. Kava is used by the locals to relax and tastes similar to dishwater the numbs your mouth. The kava ceremony is the sevusevu. There was quite a bit of Indian influence in Savusavu. Brian did a two tank dive at the Koro Resort, which he enjoyed. After finally checking into customs, immigration, heath, and bioquarentine, we were off to our second stop in Fiji, Viani Bay. We validated Curly's guarantee on the sail over which a 52” Mahi Mahi.

Jack Fisher is known in Viani Bay for his lifetime of welcoming the crusiers that make it to the bay. Before we were anchored Jack was inviting us to shore for a traditional Lolo. We accepted his invitation and arrived to find layers of food cooking in an underground oven. 

Brian did another two tank dive at Dolphin Bay Resort. According to Brian, this has been the best dive site on the trip. The resort is an ecolodge that can accommodate 8 couples with 4 burrows and 4 tents. Several women work the kitchen in their small oceanfront restaurant. While Brian dove, Lauren worked in the kitchen with the women making homemade pasta for the divers returning for lunch. We had a wonderful lunch with fresh bread, fresh pasta, and a delicious red sauce. We hope to come back to this little resort one day. 

We spent one day visiting the Island of Tevauni which is known as being one of Fiji's most lush islands. The day started off rough, as our first car broke down after 5 minutes. Meike came to the rescue with a new car and was a terrific tour guide for the day. While his primary job is driving cars, he also grows tarro and kava in his yard that he uses to trade. Pigs, cows, and chickens supplement their meals with milk and meat. A small pig costs 50 Fijian (around $25 US), a milk producing cow costs $1,200 Fijian (around $600 US.)In Tevauni, they are working on some strange science experiments. There is a farm that has created a hybrid coconut tree that fruits in 2 or 3 years, rather than 5 or 6. As a side note, they are also creating hybrid sheep-goats. We were unable the motivation behind the sheep-goats. 

Our next stop was Kioa, a friendly island of 500 people that were relocated from an island (Tuvalu) destroyed by World War II. It is our understanding that the US gave the people of Tuvalu some sort of settlement for destorying the island and the community used it to buy and move to their new Fijian Island. We presented a bundle of kava to the chief and his committee and were granted permission to roam the village. The generator on Nexus is ¾ the size of the generator that powers the entire village. A bell rings periodically during the day. At that time everyone must go to their homes and pray. Children pray at the pastors hours during the day and with their families in the evening. Prayer police roam the village to ensure everyone is observing the prayer hour. The people of Kioa were very welcoming. The gentleman showing us around the village gave us a demonstration on how the villagers make beer from the coconut trees. Women from all over the village set up their handicrafts in the town pavillion for us to purchase. The elders that first moved to the island are held in high esteem in the village. For a group that has had a rough history the past 50 years, villagers are friendly and everyone strives to contribute the community. The village is rarely visited by yachts and our presence was appreciated. 

We spent one night sleeping, anchored in Gilbert Bay in Rabi, but out next stop was the Exploring Islands, also known as Northern Lau. In the village of Delaconi we presented a bundle of kava to the chief who explained the history of their islands. The Lau Islands have been closed to tourism for many years, but they were recently reopened to cruisers in 2012. The Islands are very important, as the harbor the traditional Fijian villages and cultures. We were required to wear conservative dress for both men and women. During our visit to the village Delaconi, we met the people, visited the school, church, and compared notes with the fishermen. We gifted the school school supplies, the fishermen new hooks, and the women sugar and milk. Our new favorite gift to people is milk since we have a ton on board and will not be able to bring it into Australia. Milk and sugar are luxuries in these villages where diets consist of only what the people can catch and grow. A boat comes to the area once a month with minimal supplies, but since buying and selling things in the Lau Islands does not exist, no one has any money to purchase much. While chatting with one villager about health, we were told about this new medical practice in the islands that fix broken bones through massage. Him and his wife both swear by it and and injured villagers go out of their way to see the massage nurse that fixes bones.

As far as we can tell, the last chief of Fiji was big on selling Fijian land. Mel Gibson actually owns an island in the Lau Islands. We saw his plane while we were anchored in the bay. The villagers were well aquainted with Mel and seemed up to date. Another Island, was once owned Raymond Burg, but was sold to a cult from the US. Apparently, the cult is very strange and chase sail boats and local fishing boats away from their island. A villager said that the Fijians go spy on the cult from the water and bushes. When the leader of the cult died, the Fijians hid in the bushes and watch them encase the corps in a clear plastic box and wait for him to come back to life. 

The Exploring Isles of Northern Lau are breathtaking. The dramatic geography of rock formations and jungle is as unique as it is stunning. We anchored for 5 days in the Bay of Islands. Words cant really describe the beauty of this area and our pictures, of course, do not do justice to the milky turquoise water, scattered with coral around the steep undercut rocks. In the evenings, we enjoyed the seclusion by having movie night with Laurie and Russ. When the movie was over and the sky was completely dark we layed on the trampoline, watching the Milky Way, stargazing, and counting shooting stars. Our last night was pretty magical, as the water was so calm that the stars reflected perfectly off the water. Seeing the shooting starts zip by not only in the air, but across the water made for a really special evening. 

For one day, we stopped in Vuda Bay on the island of Viti Levu to reprovision and buy boat parts. Afterwards, we headed to Musket Cove Marina to rejoin the World ARC boats. After a week in Musket Cove, we are off to our next destination... Vanuatu!