We spent another couple of days on Yadua while we waited for some strong winds to pass. A smallish yacht called Windchase was caught out in the wind and tried unsuccessfully to get into our bay for some shelter - they didn't have enough engine power to combat the 40 + knot winds and had to heave to overnight - we didn't envy them.

We left the following day and sailed across to the main island of Viti Levu and after a rather scary reef passage, we anchored up in this beautiful large bay with a view of mountains in the background. This was the unspoilt and dry north coast of the island, where there was a scattering of beautiful holiday homes and a couple of small resorts. We had a beautiful sunset with no other yachts in sight except Harmonie.

The following day was Jackie's birthday, and it promised to be a beautiful day, with clear blue skies and a light breeze. We went ashore with Don and Anne and walked for an hour or so around the point of one of the islands forming the large bay - it was good to stretch the legs again. We checked up on the restaurants in the two little resorts there, and one could provide us with either beef hotpot or fish in coconut. It was a lovely spot, though, and we decided we would come ashore for a meal. We moved the boats round the corner closer to the restaurant and had a birthday sundowner on Harmonie.

The following morning we left the bay and motored along the shoreline, following the passage between the shore and the reefs - it was actually quite tiring just keeping the boat on course and following the waypoints, as well as looking out for the odd stray reef. It was a lovely motor though past unspoilt foothills with mountains in the background and in flat water as well! Unfortunately we lost the flat water when the wind changed just as we reached our planned anchorage, so had to keep going until we found some shelter. Anne made Jackie a second birthday meal, most enjoyable, and after a rather bumpy start to the evening, the wind dropped and we had a comfortable night.

We left early next morning to check in a Lautoka and do some much needed provisioning. We looked for the phone number of the very helpful taxi man who we met last year, but with no success. However, when we dingied in to the harbour, who should be there to meet us but the same taxi driver. What luck. He waited for us while we went through a lengthy and tedious check in (we are already checked into Fiji and have a cruising permit, this is just to check in to this part of Fiji) and then took us round town to accomplish our various shopping trips - clothes shop, market, pharmacy, supermarket and liquor store. By early afternoon we had finished everything and just had to load and unload the shopping off the dingy. We then headed out of the harbour and anchored in a pretty bay about half an hour away. This was where we had gone aground last year on an unmarked reef - we saw the reef this year and kept well out in the centre of the bay. It was then just a short sail next day to Denarau Marina where we would pick up our sail, refuel and carry out some boat servicing.