We’d had a great few days in Viani Bay enjoying the diving on Rainbow Reef, but then the wind picked up from the south, making the anchorage rolly and uncomfortable. Time to move our home somewhere quieter. We were keen to catch up with our friends from Bruce’s SSI days, Nigel and Carol Douglas, who own and run Sau Bay Fiji Retreat, and as luck would have it they were just around the corner, in Nasau Bay. Continue reading “Slice of Heaven – Sau Bay Fiji Retreat”
No, Christmas hasn’t come early to Fiji. It’s the White Wall, the most famous dive site on Rainbow Reef. When the current’s running, the soft white corals open and it looks for all the world like a ski slope or the largest christmas tree you’ve ever seen. It’s a sheer wall on the outside of the reef, dropping down into the abyss. We got to 33 metres and that was far enough for us! Continue reading “Wonderwall – Rainbow Reef, Fiji”
Moving east or south-east in Fiji is tricky because those south-east trades blow constantly at this time of year. So when we saw a wind shift to the north-east we thought we’d better take it, despite the fact that it came with a trough bringing rain and crappy weather. (Still better than motoring, according to the skipper). For once I wasn’t arguing – Savusavu is a nice place to hang out but it’s easy to get lulled into a kind of ‘cruisers comfortably numb’ state. I get itchy foot syndrome quicker than Bruce so I was more than happy to up sticks this time. And there was the small matter of a birthday dinner to look forward to! Continue reading “Run To Paradise – Taveuni Island, Fiji”
“Buulaa!” is the first word we heard here, a happy Fijian “hello” that just about everyone greets you with. It started with the customs, immigration, health and biosecurity officials who boarded the boat to clear us in, and what a pleasant experience it was. Right then and there we knew we’d like it here. Continue reading “Bula! – Savusavu, Fiji”
They say timing is everything, and this time we just couldn’t get it right. The strong winds that we’d had for the last three days suddenly stopped when we were 35nm away from Minerva Reef. On went the motor and we looked forward to an easy entrance into the reef later in the day. But Huey, the wind god, had other ideas. Continue reading “Bad Timing – Passage from Opua to Fiji, Pt 2”
Being in a small boat in the middle of the ocean can be a stark reminder of who’s the boss out here. And it’s definitely Mother Nature, no question of that. Sailors do their best to prepare themselves and their boats, and make sure of having a good handle on the weather forecasts, but at the end of the day it’s Mother Nature who calls the shots and all we can do is respond as best we can. Continue reading “Who’s The Boss? – Passage from NZ to Fiji”
