Fiji 2005 Wedding - Fiji, Fiji
Fiji, Fiji
11th October
The start of our Fijian Holiday!!
We left Adelaide Airport at 6.30pm and reached Melbourne Airport in 55 Minutes. Before we got off the plane, the Stewardess announced to everyone that we were getting married and that it was my first flight- how embarrassing! Melbourne Airport was huge and built like a rabbit warren.
I decided to take Quell for the next flight. It made a huge difference and I could look out the window without feeling dizzy! The plane was bigger but only half full.
12th October
Bula from Fiji.
We arrived at the Airport in Nadi at about 4.00am Fiji time. As soon as we got off the plane, we could feel the humidity and warmth. It was a nice change from cold Adelaide.
The Airport was not as modern looking as Australia, but the people were very friendly and even at 4 m in the morning, you get serenaded by Fijian Singers playing Guitars. They gave us a shell necklace.
We were picked up by a huge bus and there were only 4 people on it, including us! We were the only couple dropped off at the Outrigger. From what we could see, (it was still dark) the houses are very old fashioned and poor. The Indo-Fijians like Colour but their tastes date back to the fifties in style, not my cup of tea! We drove for about 50 minutes through many of the villages along the way – not what I had expected. Dilapidated little rusty sheds – some painted and some with flowers in their gardens, (a small square in front of the shack) and many with bits of rusty iron or wood piled up, and one or two with car wrecks decorating their front yard. As the sun came up fully, we could see how beautiful the lush tropical plants were - stunning!
We were however, getting a little nervous when we saw all the accommodation places along the main road – quite basic and not what I would pay a lot of money for!
Then we turned up at the Outrigger. It was like we had stepped into another world. - Five star luxury and decadence.
An Outrigger Canoe was hanging from the ceiling. With tropical flower displays everywhere.
After we had picked our mouths up off the ground we were welcomed with a cold glass of orange juice which was great because we couldn't buy anything on the plane because we had no Aussie money. You can’t walk from one area to another without ten staff saying "Bula" to you. The people here are very friendly and softly spoken, and sometimes lacking in perfect English which adds to their charm.
We were given our door cards to room 526 so we dumped our bags on the floor and fell on the comfortable King size bed and fell asleep. One of the maids came in to clean the room at 10.30 am and we realized that we weren’t meant to be in the room yet and the desk clerk had made a mistake. After getting up, having a shower and going for a walk, we came back to find the door cards didn’t work anymore. We had to go to the front desk and get new cards to get back into the room to our luggage. We then decided to have lunch at the “Sundowner Bar” - one of the 4 restaurants, we were starving! We both had the Crustacean Salad – delicious!
After more exploring we went for a swim in the fantastic pool. It was then time for a shower and dinner in the Vale Ni Kana Restaurant. The food was outstanding and definitely Silver Service. We had a waiter called Tomasi who kept watching us swap our dinner and was pretending to be annoyed, so we kept waiting until his back was turned so we could share our meals.
Entrée
Scallops with Salsa
Calamari with chili dipping sauce
Rolls with whipped butter
Main Course
Yellow Fin Tuna encrusted with sesame seeds on tomato and cucumber salsa with chili and lime.
Fillet Steak served on Bok Choy hash browns and mouthwatering dressing.
Dessert
Tropical Fruit Salad with home made ice cream in a brandy snap basket.
13th October
Phil woke up early but I wasn’t about to get up yet, after the lack of sleep from the night before so I slept in to about 9.00 am. We had an appointment with the Wedding planer at ten o’clock so I got dressed in record time because we needed to have breakfast before meeting her.
The breakfast was in the Vale Ni Kana Restaurant with everything you could possibly think of. We both had Bircher Muesli, tropical juice and at least 3 cups of coffee. We soon learned that 10 o’clock Fijian time means when we are ready so we gave ourselves indigestion for nothing!
After looking at Wedding photos we chose the flowers and type of ceremony and were taken by taxi to Sigatoka for the paperwork. All the drivers seem to be Indo Fijian and most of the Hotel staff Native Fijian. It was a bit of a culture shock to see just how poor the average Fijian is and how run down every building is. Everything in the tiny office was done manually and then faxed to Suva, to be put on computer. While we were there we saw a Fijian who was having trouble with his paperwork. He was being blessed by a Fijian minister who was also in the office. The Fijians seem to be very religious.
Phil spotted the Fire Station and decided we had to go back to Sigatoka the same day so he could see it properly. The Taxi driver drove past the markets to show us before taking us back to the hotel. Then we had to choose the setting for the wedding – we chose the garden setting.
It was time for lunch so we went to the Vale Ni Kana Restaurant again and I had the best chicken Caesar salad ever, and Phil had a gourmet steak sandwich with mushrooms and first grade steak. After lunch we caught a taxi back to Sigatoka, a 10 minute ride, and went to the fire Station, a small shed with only two rooms. One contains bunk beds so that there are 3 firefighters always on duty 24 hrs a day. Because of the humidity, there are no windows only shutters and an open carport where the uniforms are hung up. One appliance was a Japanese Canter Pumper with no water tank and another was a Hino that was built in Fiji and the crew was very proud of.
We then went to the main street and onto the markets. It was a very scary experience for my first time because all of the people try to make you buy their wares. All the Indo Fijian women loved my sandals. They wanted to know how long we were staying and where we were staying (probably to work out how much money to charge us) and then insisted we should buy something. Phil had to save me. We were also there in peak hour time when all the shops shut down. The amount of people and cars were incredible for such a small town.
When we returned to the Outrigger, it was still hot so we went for a swim and a relaxing spa before having dinner at the Sundowner Bar. We had gourmet Pizzas- Smoked salmon with crème friace and herbs, and a pepper steak with spinach and mozzarella pizza. Dessert was Bavarian Chocolate Mousse with Berries (to die for) and Passion fruit brulee with tropical fruit salsa – the best. I would be surprised if I haven’t gained 5 kg by now.
14th October
The Wedding Day
We woke up early and decided to go for a walk to take more photos. The smell of food and the thought of coffee (yes real plunger coffee) were too much. So we had breakfast, Bircher muesli with tropical fruit salad, tropical fruit juice, coffee and mango.
At 10.00 am we went to Kula Eco Park. We were picked up at the Gym and taken under the road through a tunnel to the park by Golf Buggy. It is an amazing Tropical Rain Forrest with many different birds and Iguanas kept in immaculate cages. The plants were beautifully manicured even though it was an eco park. We were able to walk through the Forrest by the longest boardwalk. Each plant was labeled with names and the Fijians knowledge of natural medicine made from these plants (roots, bark, stems and flowers).
The walk took us about 2 hours and on the way we met a local Fijian who lived and worked in the park, and offered to take us into Sigatoka for their Beauty pageant festival finale. Everyone was going to dance and have bbq’s on the side of the main street. We declined the generous offer which under normal circumstances would have been fun. We could have stayed a lot longer, but I was a bit anxious about getting back to get ready because of the humid weather, even the hair doesn’t dry very quickly.
We walked back to the hotel which took a while and made us hot, so we decided to have a quick swim before lunch. Lunch was a Mongolian pool side meal, which we make up ourselves and it then gets cooked by a chef, and it tasted much better than Aussie Mongolian.
After a Fijian Bitter with the lunch, we went back to the room to start getting ready for the big event! The flowers arrived ½ hour before I was picked up from the room.
Phil had to leave 15 minutes before 3.00pm and walk down to the beautiful garden setting that we had chosen. He had a chance to talk to the Minister and found out that he was a wonderful person and very active in the community not just the church.
The Fijian people are very genuine devoted people and that is why we opted for a Fijian Minister rather than a celebrant. My bridal transport (a golf buggy) came to pick me up at 3.05pm drive me down to the garden. It was very hot just at that time, but it was still a beautiful ceremony with beautiful flowers and a stunning cake which went missing for a couple of days until the last minute.
The photographer did a great job even though I haven’t seen the photos yet.
He took a photo on the beach and unfortunately a wave came in at the wrong time and wet the dress and shoes. Phil calls it the kiss from Fiji. Even the photographer got wet. After 36 Photos we were left to our own devices and we took the flowers back to the room and took our own camera and took more photos.
Just to be different we went to a little bar just outside the Resort, which we could get to by walking along the beach, and had a beer. It was happy hour and a Fiji Baby cost only F$2.50. We had lots of stares because of our clothes and the flower tiara in my hair. Everyone congratulated us and a couple of people took photos of us.
Then it was back to the room, to quickly freshen up before heading down to the very elite IVI Restaurant. After being seated, we found out that they had forgotten to book us into the restaurant for our wedding dinner – whoops!, but the waiters are very quick at fixing things up, and after a quick change of menu, we chose our meals and as usual shared it. The food was fantastic, and so good we couldn’t eat dessert even though it was already paid for. As we were eating we had quite a heavy shower of rain which was great when you are sitting inside and looking out of the open windows listening to the frogs in the surrounding ponds.
On the way back to the room you could see the toads on the paths, they were big!
The room was specially laid out with flowers every where it was beautiful!
We also received a Beautiful gift basket full of great smelling lotions and potions – sorry Phil missed out!
15th October
For some reason we thought we had to leave today and it was a great relief when we realized that we had one more day. I desperately wanted to have a few braids in my hair so after a great breakfast In the Vale Ni Kana Restaurant; we walked out of the resort along the beach where women braided hair.
While I was having my hair braided, we had a rain shower but because it was so warm it didn’t matter. The braiding was done outside the cheap bar and restaurant so we had a beer because we had run out of lunch vouchers as we had used it on the first day before we were meant to be booked in. Since breakfast was late, we decided a liquid lunch was enough. The weather was overcast but very pleasant so we went for a walk east of the resort. We soon came to a village. I couldn’t believe my eyes as well as dogs running around freely, there were pigs, obviously pets, running through the whole village.
We also noticed that the pigs had much better road sense than the dogs because they waited and listened, then when there were no cars coming they trotted across the road complete with little piglets in tow. The dogs tended to wander all over the road and make cars swerve and stop.
Fiji had just had a Rugby match and the amount of people driving past singing and shouting and saying Bula shows that it is their main source of entertainment. There were many people in their houses (not much more than little sheds) probably listening to the rugby. All were friendly and the children ran out shouting Bula! As we walked further, we saw a few graves on the side of the road with large concrete coffin- like headstones most of them covered with brightly coloured fake flowers and sarongs held down with rocks. Further down the road were a woman and her daughter selling water melons on the side of the road. We saw a dirt road leading up the hill off the main road near her, so we asked if it was ok to walk up the hill and she said yes, as long as we come back down again. The view from the top was awesome.
It was then time to walk back to the Resort before it got dark. There was just enough time for a quick swim and then shower before tea. We had a poolside pasta meal which was our own creation (Shrimp with all sorts of veggies, garlic and ginger and a white wine cream sauce).
Better than any pasta I had ever eaten! I write this as I sit on the balcony sipping champagne! (The Complementary Wedding Bottle)
16th October
Last morning at the Outrigger! We have used up all our food vouchers so we decided to go down to the Sundowner for a coffee. Our Helicopter flight was booked for 2.00 pm and still no sign of our wedding cake. In the meantime, our room door card became invalid so we couldn’t get back into the room with all our things again. (Normally checkout is at 10.00 am) We had to get a cleaner to let us in. At about 1.50 pm we were taken to the helipad across the road from the resort, complete with wedding cake which arrived at the room ½ hour before we left.
Phil and I got to sit in the front of the helicopter with the pilot who happened to be an ex CFS volunteer from Maccelsfield Station. He was a real character and made us laugh which made me feel more relaxed.
The flight was awesome. The view was stunning and you could see for kilometers around, with all the little villages and then all the little islands in the beautiful blue water. As we flew over the ridge, we hit a ridge soaring type “up draught” which made me panic a little and grab Phil’s arm. The pilot said sorry I should have warned you.
We flew around Castaway Island and banked sharply to come into land on the smallest helipad I have ever seen, with steep drop offs all around. The wedding cake rode in the front with us on the floor and the pilot was hoping that we would forget it. The Island is not huge but after a couple of days we still hadn’t explored it because there is so much to see and do.
The check in was at the main bar, where we got a large glass of cold (real) pineapple juice, and filled out the appropriate paperwork. The bures were beautiful. Simple but clean and flowers everywhere. After throwing the bags into the rooms we wanted to go snorkeling.
The water was warm and the fish and coral were amazing. After an hour it was happy hour at the bar and that meant cheap beers, so it was time to have a shower before dinner and drinks.
The Island produces its own water by a desalinization plant, which tastes better than any mainland tap water that’s for sure. But the draw back is that there is limited water pressure for showers as we found out while trying to wash shampoo out of our hair with a trickle of water. It’s better to shower when no one else is. Since then we also found out that the island ran out of water and needed to bring extra in by a barge.
After the Fiji Bitter, we went for dinner as we hadn’t had any meals that day.
Again the food was divine. The Entrée was seafood. 'Kokoda’ - served in a half coconut shell and tasted so good I had to have it again the next day. Phil had ‘Seafood dynamite’ and the dynamite, was the extra strong chilli, but yummy.
The main course was steak and chicken both served and cooked elaborately. The dessert was a fancy strawberry meringue and a strawberry Pannacotta-yum!
The welcome fruit basket didn’t arrive that day as it should have. At night we hear a bit of screaming in the trees above from the local fruit bats but it’s not too bad. There are many bures on the Island and again the Fijians love children and spend a lot of time with them.
17th October
After a sleep in until nine o’clock, we fronted up for breakfast which was the same variety as the Outrigger, with Danishes, cooked eggs and bacon, toast, but all we ever want is the fantastic Bircher Muesli, tropical juice and coffee. It was already fairly hot so we went snorkeling again. This time, when the tide was out the reef is closer and the fish where so good it was like swimming in a giant tropical fish tank. I never knew so many varieties of coloured fish existed, from tiny to over a foot long. We even said hello to Nemo and his friends.
After spending so much time in the water, we were both a bit burnt (a bottle of sunscreen costs around $20) but the shampoo’s and lotions here are complimentary and they smell wonderful. Lunch was fish and chips (gourmet style). The lure of the catamaran was too strong; Phil had to sail after lunch.
Phil insisted I come out with him but after a while, getting drenched and blown away by the wind, I actually got cold and decided to get off and lay in the sun so Phil could relive his childhood and sail till his heart was content. After snorkeling again it was time for a shower and dinner.
Entrée
Chicken and Prawn on sugar cane skewers
Kokoda
Main Course
Seafood Crepes
Steamed fish in soy and ginger
Dessert
Pannacotta
Kokoda
Serves 4 Cold Fish Hors d’oeuvre Starter Appetiser Fiji Oceania Gluten Wheat Dairy Free Egg less
Ingredients
4 White Fish Fillets, e.g. Mahi-mahi, Cod, Halibut Walu
Juice of 3 large limes
½ teaspoon salt
240ml Coconut Cream
1 Onion, very finely chopped or minced
1 Green Chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 Tomatoes, finely chopped
Lettuce leaves to serve
Instructions
1. Cut the fish into bite-size pieces and place in a non-reactive mixing bowl together with the lime juice and salt. Mix well then cover with cling film, refrigerate and leave to marinate for 6 hours.
2. When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator, add the coconut cream, chopped onion, and chilli and mix well.
3. Place the lettuce leaves on individual serving plates, top with the fish mixture and garnish with the chopped tomatoes.
The other couples who arrived in the helicopter with us also didn’t get their fruit basket and champagne yet either, so they jumped up and down for us too and it arrived at 10 00pm. When the Castaway staff sing the farewell song to the people who were leaving that day, they do it better than anywhere else. They have powerful, beautiful voices.
18th October
We got up at a pleasant 8.30am and went to the dinning room for breakfast. Same again, Bircher Muesli, I still can’t believe that with all that variety we still opt for the muesli, it was the best. It was an overcast day but always warm and humid. I could cope with this weather very easily. After a quick snorkel, we went for a bush walk to the top of the island. We thought it was going to be quick 20 minute walk to the top, but it turned out to be about 2 hours. The view from the top of the Island was breathtaking. Unfortunately, Phil got a bad ear ache so we had to get drops to put in them from the island doctor, which made our last night in paradise a little painful for him.
We got our fruit basket and a bottle of bubbly late the night before, so instead of happy hour at the bar we had our own at the Bure. The basket was made out of woven palm leaves and filled with pineapple, pawpaw, watermelon, orange and coconut. We chopped up the fruit and put it in the bubbly. Despite the ear ache, Phil still enjoyed it. Dinner as usual was superb and this time when they sang the farewell song, it was for us.
A reasonable size storm came in that night and they lowered the wind breaks and every one ate undercover. The boats were being tossed around in the sea like little bathtubs and I was glad I wasn’t in them. Early the next morning, it rained steadily for about ½ an hour and then it cleared up beautifully. I have never see the weather change so much and so quickly as here in Fiji, but it was always very warm.
19th October
Last day in Paradise
Up at 8.00am for another perfect breakfast and a quick snorkel before we had to check out and pack up by 10.00am. The bags were taken away but we had use of the day Bure where we could shower before we were picked up at 4.15pm. We had our last gourmet lunch and were thinking that we may not have decent food for the next 9 days! The boat - Tiger IV picked us up on time and the Castaway crew sang goodbye. The boat was a 3 story small catamaran and we sat on the top.
We visited 3 islands to pick up and drop off people at each island. You literally have to jump on as the boat moves slowly.
We arrived at Port Denarau at 6.20 pm as the sun was going down. The bus took us to a hotel that we chose while we were on the island. The Sandalwood Lodge sounded like a great place to stay. It was a lot older than we had expected, but the air conditioner worked, and it was clean. Unfortunately Phil’s ears were still playing up, and he had a fever. After taking Codis, he felt better so we went for a walk to find somewhere to have tea.
While we were walking down the main road, we were asked at least six times did we need a taxi! We saw a few places to eat but we decided on a restaurant called ‘The Bounty’, which had a few Aussie people eating there. Phil had a steak which more gristle than meat and I had a Caesar salad which was ok but unfortunately you can’t compare this food with five star resorts. When we came back, we checked out the Motels pool. (Small but very nice)
Tomorrow is laundry day if I can find the washing machines. Then we found out that we couldn’t have the room a second night because the whole Lodge was booked out. I don’t think you are meant to do your own washing because there are no laundry sinks anywhere!
20th October
The Fijian women at the reception were very nice and told us to go and have breakfast while they found us another hotel and a rental car at a bargain price.
We walked down to the main street of the suburb that we were in, and couldn’t find anything except for an overcrowded deli/general store so we bought a bottle of water and went back to the Sandalwood Lodge. It was very humid and I was saturated when we got back. Phil’s ears were still playing up so I put more drops in them and then went for a quick swim to cool off.
In the meantime we were told we had a place to stay just up the road, West Motor Inn and a rental car was on its way.
Finally we were free to go where we want, so we went into Nadi to check out the main street and burn photos onto disks because I had run out of space on my memory stick.
The main street of Nadi looks like peak hour traffic all the time, and the drivers are a lot worse than Adelaide when it comes to courtesy. Everyone tries to pull you into their shops to sell you outdated things or Fijian souvenirs. When you go into an up market shop the assistants are one step behind you and breathing down your neck, asking you where you are from etc. We bought bread and butter only to find that the hotel room had a kettle, but no toaster. The room was very basic, with a pedestal fan stuck to the ceiling which they call a ceiling fan. It worked very well too, I might add. The hotel pool was very nice and the restaurant looked very nice.
We decided to eat in that night and had the worst meal so far. My seafood platter definitely did not come from the sea! The Wedding Photos arrived at the Hotel that night, they were great!
21st October
We left the West Motor Inn at 10.00 am which was check out time and discovered our hire car was covered with Mango puree. As there are Mango trees everywhere in Fiji and if you park your car underneath, the fruit bats eat the fruit and make a total mess of everything. The smell of rotting mangos everywhere has unfortunately put me off my favorite fruit for a while, the smell was pungent and stuck in the back of you nose for hours.
We drove into Nadi and posted the CD’s we made of all the photos we have taken so far because our memory sticks were full. We also posted the negatives of our wedding photos just in case anything happened to them. Phil went to check out the Nadi Fire Station of course, which was better equipped than Sigatoka.
Now it was time to head off to Lautoka. Lautoka is well known for sugar cane, and there small are train carriages full of cane everywhere. Between the two towns was a place called the ‘Garden of the Sleeping Giant’. It was a magnificent Tropical garden full of Orchids and Palms and trailing paths. When we walked in, the woman gave us a tropical juice and another one when we finished, which we needed because it was very hot and humid. The walk took us about an hour.
We reached Lautoka at about 2.00 pm and were starving because all we had for breakfast was a Mc Donald’s soft serve ice cream in a cone! We had lunch at a place called the Jolly Diner and had black bean lamb, and at that stage, I vowed to become vegetarian because it was disgusting. The hotel names all sound really good but when you actually see them, they suck. The first hotel we chose from the book could not be reached by car. We opted for second choice which was called Cathay Hotel. Very ordinary from the outside, worse from the inside, it had bars across the entrance desk. The room was early sixties, but it had air conditioning, the fan cooled rooms did not even have windows. The Hotel had a pool, very old fashioned but cool. Although covered by a layer of ash, as everyone in Fiji burns everything.
As for my last few experiences with food, the choice was either hotel food or downtown, and the hotel won. We decided to have Walu fish which is common on the menus of good hotels. It was fabulous to have real food again. It tasted great and was served with coconut sauce, fresh salad and rice. The bed was firm and comfortable as well, nice change from the last two places.
22nd October
We packed up and left by 9.30 am and couldn’t believe the amount of people everywhere. Everyone was well dressed, and were going shopping at the markets and then later we discovered it was national Election Day. Everyone had to vote. Every large town we drove through, had polling booths set up. We drove through Ba, an Indo-Fijian town which had a large Sugar refining mill and other industrial companies like Toyota, Nestle and a large cable making company.
Half of Fiji’s Muslim population lives in this province and it shows by the many mosques throughout the town. The next town was Tavua, which also had polling Booth’s everywhere. We then headed to Rakiraki. It was very hot and we hadn’t eaten yet. It was so busy with the usual Fijian style of driving, arrogant, horn blowing fast moving.
We decided to move onto Ellington Wharf. This is where the local boats take you to the surrounding Islands. We heard of a backpackers Island through the Internet and brochures so we decided to find out. A young Indo Fijian boy asked if we wanted to go and before we knew it he had rung the Island (Nananu I Ra) and spoke to the group of cottages he worked for and booked 2 nights. It was the weekend and everything stops anyway. We quickly went back to town to buy bread milk and cereal and water etc. The boy got a lift with us as he was having the weekend on the Mainland with his family.
Soon we were back on the Wharf, locked up the car, and travelling by small boat to the Island. After the hot car trip the Island was pure paradise. The only draw back was that the island has no power. The upside was that the accommodation was a whole cottage.
23rd October
Last night was very hot because we had no fan, but I can gladly put up with that if I lived in a paradise like this. The generator supplies power from about 9am to about 1.00pm (Fiji time give or take) and again at about 4.00pm to about 10.00 pm. The stove is gas and the fridge hopefully is cold enough to last through the night. Our cash had just about run out so we decided to make do with what little food we brought i.e. bread vegemite, jam, milk and coffee weet bix and beer and corned beef. We did have a very expensive hamburger $11.00 for tea last night but there is no ATM and they don’t take Visa on this island.
For breakfast, we had vegemite on toast. We then went snorkeling and a long walk on the other side of the island. The cottage is on a crest and you can see both sides of the island. You can see the sun rise on one side of the island and then set on the other side of the island all from the cottage.
While on the walk we found a coconut which we took back to the cottage and had for lunch with a bottle of beer, and a bowl of weet bix. We were saving the best for tea, corned beef on toast. And I still don’t care because when you stay on a beautiful island like this I would gladly give up a few creature comforts. The canoes you can hire from here are amazing; they are a 2 man outrigger canoe made completely of clear fiberglass so you can see the fish and coral as you paddle over them. Unfortunately Phil and I got a bit burnt while walking and swimming on the other beach so at night with the humidity and sunburn, sleep was almost impossible. It rained during the night. We decided to leave early in the morning because we still had many kilometers to cover. We left at 8.30 in the morning reluctantly.
24th October
Back on the mainland, the car was safe, so we left Ellington Warf. Our next stop was Suva. Most of the travel was inland and it was the best part of the whole mainland. The land is so lush with tropical the forests and the villages were amazing. They were nearly all indigenous Fijian and everyone was friendly, and smiled and waved. Each village had its own church and each dwelling has a fabulous garden with palms and flowers.
Everyone airs out all their bedding by laying it on the grass and the women were washing in small basins. No one has power so everything is manual labour but everyone still smiles. We were hungry so we stopped in one of the villages and bought a bunch of bananas for F$1.00. Everyone sells their produce everywhere. We traveled about 60 kilometers on dirt roads through the most amazing country side I have ever seen.
We arrived in Suva at about 1.00 pm and it was scary. I think it was busier than Sydney at peak hour, but funny enough this traffic still flows smoothly. We managed to get a unit right in the middle of the city and it has air conditioning, Suva is extremely humid. By that time we were starving, and found a respectable Japanese restaurant in the city. ‘Daikoku’, here we come. The food was great! When we came out it was so humid you could hardly breathe because it had rained. When we came back to the unit it smelt like someone had cooked a yummy curry in the kitchen but I think the air conditioning must suck in the air from the surrounding units. The smell was so strong it almost made your eyes water, but I guess that is better than constant musty, mouldy smell.
25th October
We were packed up and ready to go at 9.00am and found the best place for coffee. It is called ‘The Republic of Cappuccino’. They make the best iced coffee and hot coffee on the whole Island – heaven! After the coffee we went to explore the streets, people still take you into their shops and are pushy but you slowly get used to it. We went to the Suva markets. What a fascinating place! All the different types of veggies and fruit, so cheap. We bought half a pineapple and ate that as we were walking around, it is so much sweeter than at home.
Upstairs, they were selling kava in every form-powder, liquid and roots and we still haven’t had any yet. It is quite expensive. After more walking we went back to The Republic of Cappuccino for lunch in the cool. They make a mean veggie wrap.
After lunch we found the Suva fire Station. It was bigger than I thought, and Phil went inside to talk to the guys. Then it was time to move on. We drove through the dairy cattle land and home of the Rewa Dairy where most of the UHT milk for the country comes from. Fresh milk is rare as it wouldn’t keep for very long. We drove to Navua which is where all of the Island river trips start from. So we booked a trip for the next day.
The next town was Pacific Harbour where the accommodation was. We found a fantastic place called the Pacific Safari Club. It looked expensive but it wasn’t. It is right on the bank of Quaraniqio River which runs into Pacific Harbour. After a swim in the small but great pool, we went to the small grocery shop and ordered lamb curry with rice. It was surprisingly good, bones and all.
26th October
We woke up to find the “wet” had started. It was pouring and a bit disappointing because we were about to travel up stream for 5 hours in the rain. I was worried about the cameras. We took Dwain and Jessica, 2 Americans in the room next to us up to Navua as they were going on the trip as well. As we arrived at the starting point of our river journey, the rain had stopped and the sun came out. The motorized canoes were very efficient and moved quite fast. The day we booked happened to be the same day as a huge school group from Melbourne - about 50 people or so came too. We traveled with 5 canoes. The first stop was and authentic village- which is now used for the cultural display of the trip and the villagers dress up and put on a great show for us. We also had lunch cooked for us in an underground Lovo and the food was excellent. William was a descendant from this village and explained all the rituals and methods they used to use and still do today. They then did a dance and showed their homemade goods for sale. We bought a beautiful Tapa Cloth.
It was time to move upstream in the canoes to the waterfalls. Unfortunately because it had been raining hard the water which is normally clear in the river had turned milky brown, and was flowing quite fast. The canoe operator was quite skillful and maneuvered the canoe through the small rapids very well. There were several waterfalls along the way and we went to the last one. There was a small one first where we had to swim through with the help of the guides and ropes.
The Fijian guide boys were so quick and nimble, they move like mountain goats and it seems they can walk on water too. They jump off the highest ledges and dive into the rock pools underneath. The second waterfall was much bigger and half the people stayed behind because it was too hard to climb to the second one. The water was flowing very fast and the sheer power and wind that the water generated was amazing. Unfortunately to get back to the first water fall, we had to jump off a fairly high ledge because there was no other way. It was quite scary and we all got a nose full of water. I can’t believe how many of the school girls jumped but when you don’t have a choice it is amazing what you can do. Unfortunately we couldn’t take the camera to the second stage because it wasn’t waterproof. Then it was time to go back downstream again which was done part of the way on a bamboo raft. The whole trip was awesome. We drove back to Pacific Harbour and had a shower and went out for curry.
27th October
We woke up reasonably early and said good-bye to Tony the owner of the Safari Club Hotel. He was a clever, well informed white Kenyan with an extremely witty sarcastic sense of humor and he made us laugh. We went to the Pacific Harbour Cultural Centre which was well set up but a little too theatrical.
We did however have a very nice cup of coffee. Next it was time to move on to the coral coast. We wanted to have a last look at the Outrigger and have a beer in the cheap little place next door. So we went there for lunch and tried to find accommodation. Tabakula Beach resort won. It is a backpacker resort which looks a bit ordinary on the outside but is quite nice on the inside. As the whole day absolutely poured with rain we didn’t get to swim anymore so we went driving instead around Sigatoka and the Salad Bowl Valley north of Sigatoka.
28th October
Time to go home, hope there is a plane strike!! We woke up early again to grey skies which make it a little easier to leave this beautiful country, but we are going to miss the warmth. It took about an hour to drive to Nadi. As we drove along the roads and look at the low grade housing, it is no longer a shock to us and it is amazing how quick you can view something through different eyes. We pass all the large tourist buses heading towards the resorts and wonder a little enviously, how many people are about to start their holidays. We dropped the rental car off at the airport all covered with mud (just like at home) but the rental guy didn’t say anything.
We now have about 3 hours to wait before the flight so it is time to sit and relax.
Farewell beautiful Fiji!