Jacana's yarns

Sailing west about from Melbourne, Australia.

26 October 2011 | Bundaberg, QLD
04 October 2011 | On passage to Bundaberg, Australia
01 October 2011 | On passage to Bundaberg, Australia
26 September 2011 | On passage to Bundaberg, Australia
20 September 2011 | Port Vila, Vanuatu
10 September 2011 | Port Vila, Vanuatu
09 September 2011 | Port Vila, Vanuatu
08 September 2011 | On Passage to Port Vila
05 September 2011 | On Passage to Port Vila
02 September 2011 | Fiji
01 September 2011 | Lautoka, Fiji
18 August 2011 | Suva, Fiji
02 August 2011 | Suva, Fiji
24 July 2011 | On Passage to Suva, Fiji
21 July 2011 | On Passage to Suva, Fiji
17 July 2011 | Neiafu, Tonga
28 June 2011 | On Passage to Tonga
27 June 2011 | On Passage to Tonga

Fiji - We dig a little deeper

18 August 2011 | Suva, Fiji
Yo and Dan Hellier
What a fine sentiment. A pity that it needs to be stated.




On the outskirts of Suva the humble homes of the poor squat in the mangrove flats, while immediately above the homes of the well to do are perched on the cliffs with views of Suva Bay.

The south coast
From Suva we hired a car for the day and toured the south coast.
People seem to struggle to make a living,


Corrugated iron sheeting is the building material of choice.



We visited the Kula Eco Park which works to save endangered endemic species.
The crested and banded iguanas are reared here. Both are threatened by the larger introduced foreign iguanas.

You scratch my back........



The Chinese ambassador has a swell life. This is his residence, which stands almost next door to the impressive embassy in beautiful Suva South.
China has been generous to Fiji monetarily. It recognizes the regime.
Chinese companies gain most of the major contracts awarded, eg in construction or infrastructure.
The skilled personnel tend to be Chinese, while cheap Fijian labour fills the unskilled roles.
There is some dissatisfaction about this among the people.
China is also supportive of Tonga. Tonga's debt to China is about 30% of Tonga's GDP.
It appears that China is shaping Fiji as its Pacific headquarters to grow trade and influence.

Info for Yachties

Our stainless steel fuel tank developed a leak. Needless to say, it was on a weld at the base of the tank in one of those hard to get to places.
Bruce Ho and his team came out in their work boat, removed the tank, pressure tested, rewelded and had it all back inside 5 hours, for under $100 Oz.
Bruces"s company, Coastal Source Engineering. has 8 people including mechanics, engineers and welders. It is a customer service driven organization.
We unreservedly recommend Bruce.
Mob: 9211 899
Email: engineering.coastalsource@gmail.com

Onboard internet was a delight. We purchase a digicell "flashstick" (there was a really good priced deal going at the time) with 1 gb of data. It was reliable and had a good speed. What a bonus to have onboard communication at our fingertips again.....internet and skype.


Birds Spotted in Fiji


the Fiji parrot finch
Kingfisher collared
honey eater orange breasted
Flycatcher vanikoro
Fiji parrot finch
Swallow pacific
Mynar jungle
Mynar Indian
Bulbul red vented
Swamp harrier
Polynesian triller
Heron pacific reef
Tern crested
Frigate bird
Egret great

This country is swamped with the introduced indian mynar - thousands and thousands of them.
These birds have also taken over parts of Samoa. They have proven to be such a pest there that professional shooters are eradicating them at the moment.


Comments
Vessel Name: Jacana Of Melbourne
Vessel Make/Model: Northshore 46
Hailing Port: Melbourne Australia
Crew: Dan & Yolanda Hellier
About: Departed Melbourne April 2003. We have now finished our circumnavigation. Thought we might cruise down the east coast of Oz for a while
Jacana Of Melbourne's Photos - Main
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