Well, we sailed from Suwarrow island at noon Sunday 14th July into a fresh easterly wind that carried us quickly away and towards the west. Our destination was uncertain and totally weather dependant as we were expecting another strong burst of easterly trade winds from an approaching high pressure system that would squeeze the winds for us again. These highs keep on barreling through at this time of year and you can be assured of some good sailing conditions at least every week. We were headed for any of the following : Samoa, Fiji or even Tonga

It took 3 days for the wind to strengthen to 35 knots gusting 45-50 so we decided to alter course slightly to the WSW and head for SavuSavu on Vanua Levu which is the second largest island in Fiji and we pounded our way there falling off some rather large waves along the way and splitting the water tank in the process. The seas were very steep and we continually adjusted speed and heading until at 2000 on Monday 22nd July we crossed back into the Eastern hemisphere 2 years since we had left it in the Atlantic ocean. Gill and Keely jumped from one hemisphere to the next and also from one day to tomorrow and we delivered a pirate map into the deep blue within an ex bottle of Chilean Merlot.

As our approach to Vanua Levu neared we began our entry to the Koro Sea via Nanuka Passage and encountered strong SSW winds on the nose and an adverse current. Good for the soul as we tacked back and forth and finally completed the last 120nm in 22 hours of hard sailing to pick up a mooring at the Copra Shed Marina in SavuSavu, an official entry port into Fiji and the big smoke of Vanua Levu.

This is a great little spot with exceptionally friendly people. We were visitied in turn by Health officials for practique, Customs and Immigration and finally the Biosecurity department visited to check on Tizer the HoP. Our lovely little feline then decided to bite to quarantine man on the ankles after he told us once again that we were not allowed to land the cat and requested a $1500 bond for our little bundle of South African fat and fur. The bite went down like a pork chop in a synagogue and I feel we are on the Biosecurity hit list during our stay here. Tizer the HoP will leave us in Nadi when he flies out to Sydney to enter the Quarantine station and begin his 30 day period of isolation to ensure he is not a feline terrorist carrying untold diseases and to help us deplete our meagre funds as he is wined and dined in his temporary quarters in Sydney.

There is not that much to do in SavuSavu but we met some great Kiwis that had known Chaotic Harmony and Gavin and Catherine and family a few years back. It appears that Fiji is the new cruising ground for the New Zealander fleet and the NZ flag is flying on most of the fleet there. We did some minor provisioning, bought some kava root for the Sevu Sevu ceremonies that we may attend and Jo and Keely had haircuts from a rather intereting hairdresser. He was a he that was a she that had to be called a he. Ian finally got a crew cut of his last remaining hairs to keep cool. There was a festival on and Keely had her first very fast and lengthy Ferris wheel ride with Jo and Gill.

There is really no need to keep cool as it is winter and for the first time since Africa the temp has dropped below 20 causing Jo to bring out the doonas and winter woolies. Hopefully it will warm up soon. After a week at Savusavu we headed off for the mammoth motor sail to Nameena Island which is a marine park about 20nm to the SSW in an absolute calm. As luck would have it we saw our first coral trout for ages but were unable to fish or spear in this pristine park. With the next high approaching with strong southerlies and an unprotected anchorage we left for Suva and a 23 hour motor to finally arrive at the Royal Suva Yacht Club anchorage. Suva Harbour is a working harbour and quite smelly and noisy and water that looks a bit like the Yarra River. But it has a Maccas and on Sunday morning the kids had a maccas breakfast then we headed into the Chinese restaurant next door and had a great Yum Cha. Our first for a few years and it was excedllent to get some good Chinese food back into the system.

We will spend a few days here while I service the engines, buy some more diesel fuel and get everyone some new clothes. Perhaps we will even do some sightseeing and get the cats papers organised which is turning into a bureacratic nightmare.

Have fun.