FIJI

So here we were - in Fiji - what now? How to get "legal?"

Walking through an airport when you arrive in a new country is easy - most of the time.

Unless, you are my good friend Sam, who, after a 7 hour transatlantic Virgin upper class bar experience, could not stop laughing when she was in the customs queue (she has a loud laugh) when she realised she had put her boots on the wrong feet. She was wondering why walking was proving to be difficult.  🤣

On a boat, when we enter a new country, its always a bit of a kerfuffle and it usually takes a few days to meet all the customs, immigration and health security requirements to become fully "legal" 

It can be quite difficult to navigate - sometimes with each different department being in very separate locations of the new city.

In Curacao, (Dutch Antilles) before we were even legally stamped into the country, we had walked around 50km to find the various offices to check ourselves in.

On that occasion, and on the day we were eventually legal in the country, we heard the announcement that all the bars had been closed (for Covid)  so obviously, we left pretty quickly.

Sometimes getting out of the country is equally time consuming and tricky. Oh well, the price you pay for travel! 

Fiji was relatively straightforward and luckily the very lovely Dolly from Copra Shed marina sorted it all out for us.

Thankyou Dolly ❤️

We motored up the river and hooked onto a mooring buoy in the river of Savu Savu, put our yellow quarantine flag up (which means "I am not yet checked in") and waited. 

Like most of us, I have been through airport customs a million times - and its a bit like when you suddenly see the Feds on the street. I always feel a little bit guilty - and quite often will go bright red if they so much as look at me. 

Well its a bit like that when you have officials coming on the boat. There is always the risk they can turn your boat upside down, looking for drugs, guns, dogs, certain foods, and, bizzarely, any unpopped popcorn....(Imagine) 

So yes, they can make a lot of mess and I have heard stories where this has happened - there could potentially be sniffer dogs, gloves could be involved. Very nerve wracking. 

So with pretty much no sleep and all this nervous energy, while waiting for the first official to arrive, I cleaned the boat from top to bottom - it was brilliant!!! Nauplios has actually never been so clean. 

The Health official (with a hat, white shirt, epaulettes etc ) boarded first. 

Her particular interest was ... infestation - yes! Are you bringing bugs into Fiji that they dont want? 

One of her first questions was "how do you manage infestation?" 

Crawford got a bit excited and started telling her about a cockroach infestation we had had 5 years earlier (Obviously all gone now!)

I tried to kick him under the cockpit table without her noticing and just talked over him with my carefully prepared answer

"we vacuum pack all our bla bla, we keep a really close eye on flour, bla bla... etc etc"

My husband can talk fairly quickly (Its the Scottish Geordie ) and is well known sometimes for being hard to understand. Luckily  - she either didnt hear him or she didnt understand. 

She took my answer and noted a few points on her pad. Still nervous we greeted the next boat full of officials...

Three guys and two girls from customs, immigration and biosecurity - some uniform, but mostly jeans, hawaiian shirts, big smiles and BULA's (Fiji for hello) 

They were relaxed and friendly - really efficient - got the job done, and then were much more interested in our fishing gear than the actual job of getting us checked in.

Yay! We passed - as they all left we breathed a sigh of relief - what to do now, other than check out Savu Savu and hunt out the local brew....

We fell in love with Fiji, its beautiful people, amazing beaches, fanatical rugby culture, stunning underwater life, Fiji time (a localism which consists of basically just "chillin") fantastic food -  and ended up staying not just for the month, but for over a year.... 

Fiji is made up of around 300 islands, there are two main islands - Viti Levu, the southern island which is where the international airport is, and the capital city Suva. The northern island Vanua Levu, which is much quieter and less developed.

Savu Savu is a small town in the Northern island of Vanua Levu -we ended up getting to know this little place well. 

As we sailed in from the West, this was the first port of entry available to us. We chose to check in here because we had been told about a nice Marina (Thank you Beleza for doing all that research:)

And Nawi island did not disappoint - Thankyou Nawi island for being the most amazing marina we have ever been in! 

A few photos of Nawi.... 

Cyclone season 

Cyclone season in Fiji starts from around November and lasts until April.

In October/November, there started a huge exodus of boats heading to the safe latitudes - New Zealand, South of Bundaberg in Australia or North to Indonesia.

It's not only the weather that dictates where yachts spend their time, but insurance companies who will or won't insure you depending on the safety of your location.

For sailors in the pacific, every conversation begins and ends with "Where are you going for cyclone season?"

And as Fiji was busy emptying out, in October/November, we were busy loving it - and busy not feeling ready to leave....

Luckily,  Nawi Island Marina, where we had safely "parked up" for our trip back to the UK, was in the process of being certified as a category 5 (the worst) cyclone safe marina - the first of its kind, apparently, between Hawaii and New Zealand. What luck! 

The geographical position of Nawi Island itself -in a river basin and surrounded by hills -  creates a natural shelter. Add to this the heavily constructed pontoons and wide high piles, the Marina offers excellent storm protection.

It was, however, untested, but we stayed, and kept our fingers crossed.

In November we started to hear rumours of some big wind brewing in the Pacific - immediately, all talk was of the cyclone and its projected path. 

We were in the marina at the time, which had been fairly empty with only a handful of yachts around, but as the days progressed and the likelihood increased of the big wind hitting Fiji, we started to see cruising yachts arriving from the outer islands. 

The storm was due to arrive in the middle of the night and on the day of the storm there was a frenzy of activity as boats were removing sails, removing any hardware on deck, lashing down anything that could potentially get blown away and cause damage. The storm now had a name - Cyclone Mal...

I obviously took it all very seriously and went to the hairdressers

(By the way, In case anyone is looking for a hairdresser in Savu Savu, I can recommend the lovely "Glam" salon above Surf and Turf restaurant on the High St) 

My hairdresser was really quite twitchy about the forecast and as I looked around the town, I realised many of the shops  were closed, the jetties were being removed, and the place was eerily quiet with a definite sense of foreboding. 

The Marina, despite being busy with yachts and cruisers securing their boats, was also fairly quiet - all of the staff had been sent home to prepare their houses, and even more disturbing - the bar was closed! 

We had secured our boat, and out of habit we found ourselves playing UNO in the unmanned bar with BYO beer.  The marina security staff were highly prominent during the evening. They came into the bar and introduced themselves, asked if everyone was ok and then they were busy putting in extra solar lighting, in case the power went down, doing regular boat checks, making sure all the lines were secure etc etc . They really were most excellent.

It got late - some rain and wind (not much) started, we went to bed, and in the morning it was all over!

Thankfully, the forecasted wind did not hit Savu Savu, but Nadi, on the South Island, had seen winds of up to 95mph overnight, causing flooding and severe damage to buildings, but fortunately no loss of life

FROM THE BOAT LOCKER ..... 

A lot has been going on while we have been in Fiji.

The Captain has been hugely busy doing upgrades, and is also a bit broke. 

Since being in Fiji, we have replaced 

1. The batteries -

We try/need to get as much natural energy on our boat as possible - sun in the form of solar panels, wind in the form of a wind generator (a small plastic windmill type of contraption that sits on top of the boat and if it's windy - it brings in lots of power) and water in the form of a towed generator. 

We also (obviously) use wind power in our sails, and (not so obviously) wind power to steer the boat in the form of a wind vane. 

Like all green energy, we are at the mercy of the weather, and on a dull day with no wind, we run out of power.

Many sailors before us, just managed with small power banks and Im sure it was fine - sometimes less is more - but we have a fridge, we have an autopilot (to use if the wind pilot is overpowered) we have navigation equipment, my husband has an electric toothbrush, and obviously I have to check Facebook at least 25 times a day. So we need the power. 

We had been hearing the term lithium ion batteries at sundown drinks for a good few years now, and since around 2010 sailing boats (like with electric cars etc) have been starting to use lithium power. 

Lithium is the very lightest metal with amazing storage capacity and a hugely improved ability to recharge- compared to the traditional lead/ acid batteries which have been in use for over 100 years.

Initially, Lithium batteries were ridiculously expensive, and worryingly, there were a few horror stories of overheating/ fires on board boats with lithium batteries. 

Hmmm, not the best plan -but fast forward a few years- things progress -  they sell a few, the price comes down. A few more yachties try them. People talk.... 

Next thing - we are getting lithium batteries.

Lithium are double the power, they are lighter and can charge up 10 x more quickly. They also last possibly twice as long - maybe up to 10 years. They are more expensive however ( well obviously ) Compared to a set of old style AGM batteries which might cost around £1k (for a boat our size) the lithium were £3k. We had them delivered from New Zealand straight to Grace at Nawi Island. Bingo. Easy. 

2. Water maker 

 Sned decided we needed a new water maker. The one we had, had transformed our lives at the time when we bought it in Gibraltar around 9 years ago. We went from having to go to fuel stations/ marinas, or anywhere we could go to pick up water to fill our tanks. 
Not only that but you are never sure of the quality of the water you are picking up and being an aluminium boat we do have to be careful with the water/aluminium chemical reactions which can potentially cause corrosion in the water tank, Corrosion is basically a hole in the boat - not the best look - as your boat sinks. 

Being able to make our own water - pull it up from the sea, put it through a pump, put it through a filter which you can then drink,  wash with it, wash up with it, cook with it, shower with it, wash bird shit off the deck with it - water water everywhere! It was great. 

At the time, the water maker we had on board, made 25 litres an hour of water - we use about 30 litres a day of water (thats being boat wife stingy) and our tanks will take around 500 litres. So to fill up the tanks we would sail off somewhere where we knew we had fairly clean water ( eg not an overcrowded anchorage or a marina) and have a weekend away making water. That sounds romantic eh - but in reality it was 48 hours with the petrol generator blaring away, off the back of the boat, to power the water maker. 
After a while, a few more sundowner drinks, more conversations with other cruisers who had bigger, more powerful water makers  - I heard we were changing our water maker. Progress. We now make 160l/hour. 
So now we put it on for a couple of hours every couple of weeks and fill our tanks - it's good! 

3. We bought some new solar panels to increase the bank of natural energy coming onto the boat - we got some in Tahiti (They were excellent) and then topped them up again in Savu Savu. 

4. To convert all this new power into usable energy we needed a new invertor - ..what the feck is an invertor?

Yes i know. Can you imagine my horror when I turn up to sundown drinks before the girls arrive and i have to listen to all this? .... Im only joking. (not) 

So actually the invertor converts the power coming onto the boat - solar power, power from the water, power from the wind generator - and all this is converted into power we can actually use. From direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC) Luckily my husband is interested in all of this. 

5. Last, but not least - at the time, my favourite purchase of the year - we bought a mobile airconditioning unit. Fiji was hot, sticky and wet over the hot/wet season (surprisingly) and it was damp in the marina, so this little baby took the edge off. 

One unintended side effect, however, of having air conditioning, was that we sealed ourselves away - AC ( air conditioning - not alternating current this time) on, boat sealed off so the hot air couldnt get in, and the cool air couldnt escape - I noticed we were becoming hermits. Not only was it like an obstacle course to get out of the boat (it was so tightly sealed)  but when we did manage to escape, we were so unaccustomed to the heat, it was actually quite uncomfortable, so, consequently, we avoided leaving the boat.

We didnt really notice this until we were back at anchor, where we couldnt use the AC (not enough power) and normal life resumed - eg sitting outside/ getting on and off the boat/ seeing other people for example! 

So, in summary, having an air conditioning unit is nice, but retrospectively, I dont think, for us, its really a good idea. It also takes up soooo much room. We are getting rid of it anyway, if anyone wants it let me know....

FROM THE GALLEY

So, essentially, throughout Polynesia (Central and South Pacific - eg Hawaii, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands)  and Melanesia (To the Northwest of the Pacific - Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu) a lot of the food is very similar.

The staple diet being fresh fish - cooked in lemon/lime juice/or fresh coconut milk. 

The potatoes aren't so abundant, but the root vegetable, or the "carb"  instead, is Yam, or Cassava - boiled, roasted, or made into delicious chips! 

So cut the Cassava (its strong and husky, you need a big strong knife) cut into chunks or chips, par boil, then shallow fry or bake in the oven. It can be a bit more dry than potatoes so you need some garlic dip (crushed garlic in mayo, or mango chutney to dip it in) 

The Fijian equivalent of a weekend bbq with a few beers would be a few bowls of Kava and a LOVO.... 

This is where meat, fish and vegetables are wrapped in banana leaves and cooked/roasted for a long time in a pit underground. Delicious! 

Then its Kava time....

I cant believe I got to nearly 60, and have never heard about Kava! 

This is such a big thing here, and throughout the South Pacific.

When we first arrived in Fiji, the very lovely Grace from Nawi Island Marina told Crawford it was free Cava night at the marina - he came rushing back to the boat to tell me - we were obviously very excited - thinking Cava, not Kava - an easy mistake to make for us South Pacific newbies.

Kava is drank pretty much throughout the whole of the South Pacific. It has been used for centuries in cultural/social ceremonies, but also at the end of the day, the villagers may gather around the Kava bowl, tell stories, relax and bond. 

The Kava root is grown abundantly and can be bought freely in the markets throughout Fiji. It is ground down into a powder, mixed with water, then strained through a cloth sock type thing. The drink is served from a huge big bowl called a Tanoa and there are certain rituals which should be followed. 

The ceremony will begin with a prayer or a small speech, then the kava is served in half a coconut cup as a drink. When you are offered the drink, as a mark of respect, you will clap three times (with an open handed clap) then say the word Mada - which means please. 

You can have a half moon (half a cup) or a full moon (obviously a full cup - not recommended in my advice!) 

The idea is to neck it back, like a shot. I'm not a fan - its not nice - but then, the first time I had a pint of lager, i dont think i enjoyed that - so maybe its an acquired taste. 

After necking the Kava, you should hand the cup back and say "Vinaka" which means thankyou.

It really is a wonderful ceremony and one which all visitors to Fiji or any of the Pacific islands should get involved in if possible.Did anyone spot Snoop Dog in my kava photos? 😎

 Kava is thought to  promote relaxation and calm without impairing mental clarity. The Fiji rugby team bring Kava with them on tour and have a kava bowl meeting after each game.

I  do hope the image of the wonderful Fiji rugby team gathered on someone's bedroom floor around a Kava bowl in the Holiday Inn in Staines, or somewhere, doesn't ruin the romantic vision i have created?

SEVU SEVU 

I Know -  its confusing - Savu Savu, Sevu Sevu, Suva - hmm, all these words do just roll off my tongue now, but it took some time, and poor young Lorrainers booked a flight to Suva instead of Savu Savu - really an easy mistake to make! 

Whenever we take our boat to a new island or village, there is an unwritten rule/tradition/expectation that we walk ashore (Ideally on the day you arrive) meet the chief of the village and present him with a gift - usually Kava root - as a gesture of respect. 

A traditional Fijian ceremony will follow, in that the chief will invite you into his hut, say a prayer, or some words, then accept the Kava.

There may then be further ceremony with the gathering around the bowl and sharing of the Kava. The idea of this very ancient tradition is to foster a sense of community and connection. 

So when we are in Savu Savu, it wasnt unusual, as part of the ritual of a cruising boat leaving for the islands - eg stocking up on beer, milk, meat, fuel, gas, water etc - to see cruisers coming back from the market with a bag full of Kava roots.

Its funny how things quickly become normal. 

This was us, with our Kava root, on our way to do Sevu Sevu at the village of Dalconi in the Northern Lau group. 

Not only do the women have to dress modestly (long skirt, cover shoulders etc) the men have to wear either a traditional Fiji skirt (a sulu)  or a sarong. Sned refused to wear my sarong and opted for the more masculine look of the rolled up skanky old towel. Luckily Chris pulled up the standards with an actual proper Sulu! 

As well as covering up, you also have to remove sunglasses, hats and take any rucksacks off your back - all to do with respect and tradition. I was nervous! 

Food in Fiji has been an interesting, enjoyable and hugely varied experience - not at all what i was expecting though...

The variety of food here could not make sense, however, without a short history lesson.... 

Fiji day is on the 10th October, and it was on that day in 1874 that, after, apparently, a period of instability on the islands, that the Fijian chiefs, ceded Fiji to Britain, seeking protection and assistance in managing their affairs.

(This is all from Wikipedia, so massive apologies Fiji if any of this is wrong)

It was on that same day nearly 100 years later (10th October 1970) that Fiji gained independence from Britain

During the colonial administration, the sugarcane industry was developed which became a huge economic driver for Fiji.

Extra manpower was needed to operate the plantations and so between 1879 and 1916, the British government recruited a large number of people from India. 

The story goes that Indians signed contracts to work on the sugar plantations for five years, with the promise of return passage or land grants on completion of the five years.

This all sounds good, but apparently, the journey to Fiji was arduous, and on arrival, the Indians were faced with extremely harsh working conditions, low wages, and poor living conditions. There are many stories of exploitation by plantation managers, including sexual and physical abuse with no protection or justice for the victims. 

Some of the promises for land or a return passage to India were not withheld, leaving the employees with limited options and resources - leading to debt, dependency and an inability to improve their circumstances.

This indenture system, ended in around 1920, and many Indians either chose, or had no choice but to stay in Fiji. They have formed a vibrant and influential community with the descendants of the labourers playing a crucial role in Fiji's multicultural society. 

From the Fijian perspective, as the Indian community grew and began to establish itself in Fiji, contributing to the economy and cultural landscape. 

Over the years there have been coups between the Indo- Fijian community and the Indigenous Fijians - reflecting the underlying ethnic tensions and struggles - particularly regarding land ownership and political representation. 

However, big efforts have been made between the two groups to promote reconciliation and build an inclusive society in Fiji.  

From an outsiders perspective, Fijians, and Indo- Fijians appear to co-exist in harmony blending their rich traditions into a vibrant community

What this means for us - in terms of food, is that basically there is Fijian food - traditional Pacific food - fish, meat, cassava, Taro leaves, vegetables, tropical fruits in abundance, then there is also Indian food!

A huge array of spices- curries, roti's, dahl, etc etc -  available in all the shops and there are some fantastic Indian restaurants. 

My best ever curry was in Nadi - Swagat Restaurant, Queens Rd, Nadi, Fiji. I had the Tawa lamb - so much tender lamb in an unbelievably tasty punjabi style curry sauce. If you go through Nadi, then this is the place for a curry!  

TIKI TOUR 

One of our good friends, who famously goes by the name of Ding (surname Wilding.. 🤣) and is very funny -  offered to show us  some of the snorkel/dive sites and islands around the Eastern side of Fiji.Apparently in this part of the world this is known as a TIKI tour - Thank you Ding for the tour! We loves you xxx ❤️

Taveuni 

This beautiful island to the Eastern edge of Fiji = Definitely worth a visit! Specially if you like diving/snorkelling

Paradise resort, on the Southern tip of Taveuni, is a great favourite amongst cruising boats on Fiji, and they made us very welcome allowing us to tie onto one of their mooring buoys.

This resort is unbelievable with amazing snorkelling both at the hotel and dive/snorkel trips daily to the White wall, Cabbage Patch, Rainbow Reef etc... 

It is obviously expected that you use the bar/restaurant while you are at the resort, but this is very easy to do with a fantastic menu, Fiji night is so much fun, and the staff are absolutely fantastic.  Thankyou Paradise! 

In other news, on Taveuni, there is lots to see and do  -  for cruisers, do not miss the butchers  -out of Paradise resort, turn right, walk for 10 minutes - you will see the free range cows hanging about in the fields and the butchers shop is one of the few shops on the main street.

Fresh Taveuni beef every Monday and its delicious! 

This was a little video Ding's friend Sue made while we were at Paradise - Thanks Sue, for the footage - it looks so gorgeous. Us bunch of rowdy, boozy, grimy cruisers, mingling with the honeymooners at this beautiful place.

Young Les celebrated his birthday as you will see  -  It might not be clear from the video, but the birthday meal was a surprise - Poor Les, expecting a night with his gorgeous girl and we are all sitting there grinning!

Happy Birthday Les and thankyou Lisa for a fantastic night. I think Paradise did him proud!  If anyone has a birthday to celebrate,I would suggest come to Paradise! 

Or just come anyway, its so beautiful!

www.paradiseinfiji.com      (I'm not on commission) 

Other stuff to do on Taveuni - if you have got a bad back, i might not recommend this - but the two hour bus trip into town was fun. Its very beautiful, and I do love catching a local bus, but the roads are really quite rough - its a bone shaker! 

The kids from the end of the island, where Paradise is, take that bus every day to school, then get on it again at 5pm when it leaves. Thats a long day for those children. When we got on the bus to come home, it was packed - but people started budging up in their seats for us, and kids were standing up, allowing us to sit down - so nice!

A few little photos from the Taveuni trip into town .... 

There is a great walk up into the woods to a waterfall and a natural waterslide.

The local kids come hurtling down it at circa 90mph.  Bit too scary for me - I had visions of fractured femurs, etc etc, and I didnt fancy surgery on Taveuni. 

There was no stopping Les, though, who, after celebrating his 21st the night before,  was down that slide like a slippery snake!

Vianni bay 

This is another fantastic anchorage and the place to go if you like diving/snorkelling 

Thankyou Marina and Jonny from the Dive Academy Fiji - incredibly welcoming to cruisers giving discount on dives/snorkels and food/drinks in the resort. 

www.diveacademyfiji.com

If you need to top up your diving skills, do a refresher, or just go for a snorkel on the Rainbow Reef, this is the place to go.

There is also a lovely little "happy hour" every evening from 5pm on the grass near the beach and Marina can organise Lovo's or pot luck suppers ashore. 

Mango season 

It was mango season with a huge outpouring of mangoes and papayas on all the trees lining the shore. Many of the mangoes are collected and taken to the local market to sell, but there really are too many to eat.

We took a load of flour and pasta/rice etc ashore for some of the local families (they are a long way from the shops) and were rewarded with the biggest bucket of mangoes and papayas you have ever seen

So mango chutney was made - basically, mango and sugar - in a jar. Whats not to like. 

I witnessed the funniest use of a mango here and thinking about it now still makes me chuckle.... I cannot help but tell.....

From our short time here, we noticed the huge amount of respect Fiji kids, seemingly quite willingly, have, for adults and the importance that is placed on education.

It is common to see kids looking immaculate as they, not only arrive but when they leave school, and even surly teenagers will make time to greet you with a "good morning" or "Bula" on the street.

Unfortunately this is in stark contrast to my recent experience outside a South London School when I was home - where I witnessed kids lighting up as they left the school gates, getting their vapes out, shouting, swearing at each other, filming on their phones, fighting, and barging people (me) out of the way without a word. Such a shame. 

Back to Vianni Bay, and the schoolkids were all on their Christmas holiday - which is a bit like our long summer holiday. 

 I saw a little group of kids hiding behind a tree near to the shore on Vianni bay. We said hello and they politely but quietly said "Good morning" ( They looked a bit sheepish) 

The next thing, I saw a local guy, just going about his business, walking up the beach, probably going home for his lunch. The kids spotted him, suddenly became very quiet, and one of them lobbed a huge slice of juicy wet mango peel hitting him squarely on the back of his neck. Perfect shot!! 

The kids were by then, half way up the beach, running away, screeching and laughing (as were we - it was very funny) but he didnt catch them. We later found out he was the uncle of one of the kids, and this is a well known sport in mango season! 

It is mango season again in Fiji, and I am looking to perfect my shot, I wonder if the Sned would mind a mango lobbed at the back of his neck?

There is amazing snorkelling all over the Pacific, but Vianni bay  was really the best experience - there is an area called the Cabbage Patch where the coral looks identical to cabbages above ground. I love the way, with snorkelling, when you first arrive at a spot, and look, you dont really see much, then as the seconds go by, you start spotting all the camouflaged fish and it becomes like swimming in an aquarium. 

Thankyou Marina and Jonny - we love Viani bay - we will be back! 

I went off snorkelling one day on my own and realised I was scared, so my lovely husband came to rescue me....

Thankyou Sue for all the video footage...

This story, has gained huge interest with many students ( In particular, students in New Zealand where many Banaban/Rabi descendants settled) choosing to write about it for their PhD dissertations and degree projects. 

This intriguing YouTube film provides a captivating look at the island and tells its story effectively

Well done Great Bloody Britain, done it again. I think we will go home now....

Travelling the world as a British person, can be profoundly humbling and often comes with a heavy heart. 

Visiting Rabi Island, reflecting on its history, and meeting residents who had their heritage and identity taken from them leaves me with a sense of emptiness

Rabi island - another absolute belter of a story in the history of imperialism - a small island with a huge history 

The Banabans brought their culture, traditions, and ways of life to Rabi Island. They built homes, schools, and continued their community traditions.

Today Rabi Island is a unique place where the Banaban people live - celebrating their heritage and maintaining their cultural identity while being part of Fiji.

After a few days snorkelling, walking on the beaches, and hanging about at the top of the island, we sailed down to Katherines bay, which is in the South. 

We went ashore and met some locals, i took the obvious things with me - chewy bacca, kava and some pens/colouring books for any kids we might bump into 

We met a couple of fisherman as we docked our dinghy, they were - as ever, most welcoming, as is everyone in the South Pacific. 

They told us the village was quiet today - they looked a bit worse for wear, I have to say - they told us they had just had their three day celebrations and i think everyone was either hungover, or suffering from ill effects of too much Kava....

Makongai

Next history tour - Makongai - a small Fijian island located between the two main islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu

It is recognized not only for its stunning natural beauty and rich biodiversity, but also for its historical significance as a leprosy treatment center, making it a place of cultural interest.

Being medical, I obviously love a bit of disease history and progression, but being weird, I did become a little bit morbidly interested (read obsessed) about the history of this island, which led me down a hugely engrossing rabbit hole of stories and historical accounts of not only Makongai, but many other leprosy treatment centres throughout the world. 

Makongai leprosy hospital was opened in 1911, by the British Colonial Government of Fiji and some Catholic Nuns - The Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary - in response to the need for a dedicated facility to treat and isolate individuals affected by leprosy.

At the time, the disease was hugely stigmatized and feared. 
From 1911, until around 1969, when a cure was discovered for leprosy, around 4500 patients landed on the island and made this their home. 

Prior to the arrival of the Leprosy hospital, the island had been inhabited by Fijians and there are accounts of disgruntled, displaced locals, uprooted from their village to make way for the lepers - more for another day of reading...

The Leprosy patients were not just Fijians, but were shipped in from islands throughout the Pacific - including New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Gilbert Islands, Solomon Islands etc

Reading the personal stories of people who lived on these islands and their struggles, resilence, and ability to overcome adversity - to me, has been really quite compelling.

Patients - people who had been outcast from society, dragged from their families and made to live away from others on the so called "leper colonies" - most of them who never saw their families again. 

With the passage of time, the island became a self sustaining community with its own infrastructure which included a hospital, an administrative centre, a church, living quarters, schools, a jail (for men who defected into the womens camp! Must read more about that!) a cinema, a photographic room etc etc. 

Patients were responsible for their own self sufficiency which included fishing, farming, grazing cattle, making crafts etc. 

The Superior Nun, Mother Marie Agnes allegedly ran the facility with "an iron fist" along with one Doctor and a team of missionaries who provided medical/Nursing care. The colony  played a significant role in the development of treatments and understanding of the disease, marking important milestones in medical history.

Being able to visit the physical remnants of a leprosy colony, evoked a sense of the past, was hauntingly beautiful and served a tangible link to the lives once lived there - sparking my morbid curiosity.

Leprosy  is a chronic infectious disease, which, we now know, is not highly contagious, and generally, will require prolonged close contact with the respiratory droplets (any coughing/sneezing/breathing over....) of an untreated affected person to contract the disease.

It is rarely seen in the UK - I have never seen it and I worked in Aldershot where you will see all sorts of weird stuff.

The first signs of leprosy could be identified by red skin patches and nodules which may feel numb due to the underlying nerve damage. (Don't start feeling any lumps and bumps on your skin like I did  - if there is even the smallest chance you have been subjected to the bacteria, most people ( 95% ) are immune to it ) 

It can take seven years from contracting the disease to seeing the first signs. If left untreated, the disease will progress and ravage through the nervous system, causing blindness, limb deformity and eventually, many years after the first infection - death, due to paralysis of nerves supplying the lungs, the kidneys and other internal organs.

Sister Maria Filomena contracted leprosy during her time on Makongai, but continued to work for a further 30 years caring for other patients before she died. Her grave and the graves of around 1250 patients are still on the island. 

There was no effective treatment until the 1950's - mostly people were isolated from society and so called "treatments" consisted of blood letting, herbal remedies, spiritual and religious interventions. 

The bacteria causing leprosy - aka Mycobacterium leprae was identified in 1870 by the Norweigan scientist Dr Hansen. Unfortunately, a further 70+ years went by until a cure was discovered. 

Imagine finding that bacteria as your life's work but being unable to do anything about it.

The treatment came in the form of an antibiotic called Dapsone - in the 1940's - this made a good start in treating and controlling the disease, but, unfortunately, before long, resistance to the drug arose and treatments were still not reliable. 

Since the 1980's -multidrug therapy - a bit like we use now with HIV treatment,  was introduced - this involves rotating different antibiotics  - dapsone, rifampicin, and clofazimine - to treat the bacteria and reduce the risk of the bacteria becoming too clever to become resistant (For now) 🤞

 With the introduction of effective antibiotics the Makongai patients were starting to be transferred to a new hospital in Suva (the main city of Fiji on the mainland) and the hospital in Makongai was eventually closed in 1969.

 Contracting leprosy was referred to as "death before death." This was due to the first death of  social exclusion and isolation experienced by those who had the disease, followed by the actual death.

Interestingly, one article I read described suicide as the main cause of death among people with leprosy. What a shame eh! 

On further reading, it would seem that for many, the isolation of Makogai was, actually, an enabling experience where leprosy was normal, there was no social stigma, people were allowed to be self sufficient, build a community and live a fairly normal life.

Even though a cure was available, social stigma and fear of leprosy continued to exist outside the safety of the island, and probably still does, I would imagine. 

Some remnants of the colony, such as the hospital ruins and cemetery, can still be seen, as per my photos

There is a small community of families living on the village of Dalice which is the site of the old leper colony. 

We went ashore on a Sunday and a group of kids came running down to the beach to greet us. They were so polite and showed us all around the village, pointing out all the relevant landmarks. 

The closure and abandonment of the leper colony saw Makogai Island slowly resettled and in 1987 a quarantine facility was established by Fijian fishery to reintroduce endangered species - this was later developed into a full scale aquaculture research and production facility - taking on the challenge of conservation and restoration of the giant clam and the hawkesbill turtles - both previously seen as a delicacy and overharvested as a result. 

Some of the old steel structures (including beds/wheelchairs etc) from the hospital were used in building the aquaculture project which aims to protect and restore  marine biodiversity. 

Giant Clams are vital to the coral reefs and reef life by providing a number of functions 

 -  provide calcium carbonate - this helps to build and maintain the network of the coral reef

- supports different types of algae which both feed the clams,and in turn, the algae supports the productivity of the reef.

- Provides habitat and shelter for many different marine organisms - including fish, invertebrates and other small creatures

- Nutrient cycling - the filtering of water for plankton and other small particles, giant clams help to maintain the water quality - essential for the health of coral reefs. 

Essentially, the clam and the turtles are farmed in a controlled environment on the island, before being released back into the wild. This increases the surrounding population in turn supporting ecological balance and local biodiversity. 

The farm serves as a centre for research and education and helps local communities learn about sustainable marine practices.

We had visitors! Yay! These two balls of absolute scrumptiousness came to see us on Taveuni 

After 36 hours of travelling and Fiji airways losing poor Rosie's bag in Los Angeles, they arrive in one of these planes.

Designed to test out the toughest of incontinence pads

So, they arrive on a glorious day and we are at Paradise resort on Taveuni, its all very exciting 

March/April isnt the best time to visit Fiji, but Charlie and Rosie are governed by school hoiidays so we had what we had. 

And what we had, on the morning after they arrived was 36' of humid humid heat and absolute torrential rain.... 

Hmm, lets hope it settles soon - two days later, it hadn't settled, we were all getting hot,sticky, wet, and I really dont think they had slept for two nights in their hot sticky cupboard (aka our spare cabin) 

It wasnt quite the experience. We checked the weather forecast- they were only due to be with us for another week, and it looked like full on rain every single day. 

Taveuni is the green island, for a reason - a bit like the lake district - when it rains - it rains.

What to do? 

We checked the weather on the other side of Fiji and it was glorious - so we made a snap decision to leggit over to that side of the island. I was flying back to the UK anyway after they had left and needed to be at Nadi, they were also heading back to Nadi so we just decided to go a bit sooner than planned, leaving the poor Skipper all on his own at Paradise resort in the rain. ☺️

He was ok - he had big plans to sail down to Denerau to lift out and paint his bottom (not his botttom -Nauplios's bottom)  so he was a bit preoccupied with that. 

So Nadi - hmmm!

Well the weather was good, its got a good airport, a gorgeous curry house, but other than that, I'm not rushing back. We rented a lovely spacious apartment on a place called Fantasy island and chilled out - did a few trips, had some nice food, did some cooking, did some swimming in the pool, and basically chilled. They took me on a trip to a gorgeous island called malomalo, for a 100% chill out day and lots of cocktails - I love being out with Rosie who said something very sensible like " I think we should try every cocktail on the menu" 

The kayak round the island (three of us on a two man kayak) was easy after that.... 

Rugby Rugby Rugby 

Charlie and Rosie had "watch some rugby" on their to-do list while they were in Fiji. 

I had also been desparate to see some rugby so this was good news for me. 

Fiji is rugby central, and Fiji is everyone's second favourite team ( I read that in an amazing book by Ben Ryan - the guy who coached Fiji when they won the rugby sevens at the Brazil Olympics in 2016 ) 

The book isn't  just about rugby, but a general insight into the absolute loveliness and magic of Fiji. I recommend it - even if you are not a rugby fan. 
( ps - not on commission) 

So back to rugby - it wasnt rugby season and we were struggling to find a match, but we did eventually and started getting excited.

Doing anything, getting anywhere, finding any information out in Fiji, for some reason is tricky. I dont know why, it just is. 
Getting to this rugby match was an adventure, however - first of all we found ourselves at the wrong stadium - as the taxi pulled up and we were the only ones there ( 15 minutes before the alleged match) we had a sneaking suspicion something was wrong! 
As luck would have it our taxi driver had the intel and took us up the road to Lautoka - the next town up from Nadi, on the West coast where the match actually was... 
When we got to the stadium, we were amazed when the guy in the ticket booth told us it was free entry. 
We fought our way through the crowds into the packed stadium and in true Fiji style, people were  shouting "BULA" budging up, making room for us all to sit down. 
I think we got the last seats in the house - the place was packed, it was noisy and the atmosphere was electric with expectant families, kids, babies etc ... 

We were all getting excited until Charlie said - "errrr, where are the rugby posts?" 

Oh dear! I asked the guy sitting next to me if this was the Lautoka rugby match - he looked at me and laughed. No, it wasn't a rugby match, it was the inter schools athletic championships. 
Bugger! So out we traipsed - fighting against the crowd in the opposite direction- not embarrassed at all. 
The actual rugby, which we did eventually find, just before the half time whistle, was in a field around the corner. I think it was a Vets match - Lautoka vs BA (not british airways darling, a town in Viti Levu)  and it was a great experience!

The crowd ( including all the women) were super loud and enthusiastic - shouting at the top of their voices in Fijian at the players. It was great! We loved it....

Rugby culture in Fiji is deeply ingrained in the nations identity - not just as the most popular sport ( particularly rugby sevens) but celebrated as a way of life 

The typical dress is either a bright Hawaiian style shirt or alternatively a rugby shirt - the men, the old men, the young women, the old women, the kids - basically rugby shirts galore - everyone wears them. 
While we didn't get to see the top teams play, we saw the Fijians enjoying rugby wherever we went - there is rugby everywhere- on the beach with a coconut, on makeshift fields, workers on their lunch break in the middle of Suva park, in all the small villages. 
One day we went out walking on the beach outside Savu Savu, and met a couple of local kids who we were talking to. 
it is customary to take a small gift to a village when you go - eg Kava root, tobacco, books/ pencils for the kids etc. 

On that day I had nothing with me but asked these two delightful boys what I could bring them back from England ( we were just about to go back) I was expecting them to say some sweets/chocolate/ whatever- so imagine my surprise when one of them said "rugby boots would be nice" 

I hope this doesn't come across as kids 'begging' - that is not the way things are here, in fact it's quite the opposite, tipping is considered disrespectful and neither the kids nor the villagers ever ask for anything. 

We did manage to get some boots when we were back in the UK - my good friend Sarah Parker, ex England player donated her trusty boots, Kate Downes gave me some money to put towards some boots, Nicole Samuel donated all her grown out of (but still in excellent condition) boots, we bought some boots, and London Irish rugby team gave me a new ball. Thanks all of you - they were, I am certain, hugely appreciated! 
When we went back to the village to find the rugby mad kids, we met a few more ... 

We met Sonny who was just taking his kids to rugby - he later told me the kids were taking it in turns to wear the boots during a game of rugby that day.
So sweet! 

I have Sonny's details if anyone wants to donate - it would be a great cause ... 

People 

Fiji is pretty much half way round the world for us - Greenwich or London is based at 0' longitude and we are currently at around 180' 

Taveuni Island is located just west of the international date line - this is an imaginary line running at roughly 180' longitude and it is here where the calendar date changes by one day. So from West to East, subtract a day, and from East to West, add a day.

This is one of the few places in the world where two different calendar dates co-exist within a small geographical area.

Hmm confusing eh! Imagine living there - when you leave your house to go to school, cross the line, and its tomorrow - then, when you come home, its yesterday.

In reality for the locals,  they just use Fiji time generally , but adapt their instruments etc to allow for the time differences.

We noticed nothing different but unfortunately all of our instruments did not like it one bit!
In precisely the place where you need good reliable navigation ( reefs/ bommies/ lots of shallows) the equipment just decides not to work. 
So please don't look at our tracks in and around Taveuni - lots of random acts of movement trying to navigate by sight .... 

Seems strange to think that we've had Nauplios for 10 years - and we've been pretty much outside the UK for 9 years now. 

In that time, we have met so many amazing people - cruisers are pretty amazing I think - who else would leave a comfortable bed, a full size oven and fridge, a secure job, a nice car etc etc - to live a life where all your belongings are in a floating caravan, on the sea which moves all the time, and gets thrown around frequently? Your life is pretty much dictated by the wind and instead of listening to the news every morning when you wake up, you check the weather. 

The cruising community, in the big picture, is really quite small. Whenever you go into a new country/anchorage/marina, there is a chance you will know at least one of the boats and we are frequently bumping into people from old. 

We met up with the lovely Alex and Carla from Ari B in Fiji -  We had known them way back from our sailing club in Southampton. They made the leap before us, and we had been inspired by them to have the confidence to leave. Thankyou Ari B❤️

We hadn't managed to spend much time with them in Southampton but I think we made up for it in Fiji - hiking up and down the hills of Savu Savu, supporting the wonderful Plantars club (a fantastic bar/restaurant in Savu Savu) being treated to some of Carla's amazing cookin' and basically having a great laugh. Unfortunately I dont have many photos of our times together. I get the feeling they may be in the Pacific for a few more years yet so maybe we will see them on the next "go round...." 

We quite literally bumped into Ian and Laura (S/V RaLa) on the dock at Nawi Island Marina in August this year - they had sailed up from New Zealand and were exploring Fiji. We first met this intrepid couple in a seedy Irish bar in Cape Verde on the ARC + Raleigh in 2019 (Gran Canaria to St Lucia via Cape Verde) Ian showed his true talent of backward stage diving a bit later on in the party of our friendship! 🤣

Hopefully we will spend time with them next year on the Sail 2 Indonesia Rally. 

We spent loads of time with Michelle and Chris on Beleza, who we had initially met in La Paz, Mexico. They are the proud owners of this absolute beast - and I still want one!

A shared love of beer and fun with these two! The nightclub - Rebels in Savu Savu was an experience (never) to be forgotten!
Thankyou Michelle and Chris for showing us the best bits of the Northern Lau group, for my best meal in Fiji - the most gorgeous fillet steak and for all the other nice fun things we did! What a laff! Hopefully see you in Aus?? 

We also made some lovely new friends, Claire and Gary, Ding, Lisa and Les, Dale and Katrina, Graham and Simone, Chip and Kristina, Joan and Graham and many many more.... 

So much fun was had and hopefully we will see you all again in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, or who knows where.... The Cruising community is small..... Stay in touch y'all.....

Thankyou Fiji - you have been absolutely awesome! We would love to return one day - as Ding says - "its the best cruising ground in the world" 

SOTA TALE ❤️❤️❤️