Musket Cove to Vanuatu
09 August 2009

We are currently 50 miles off Pentecost, one of the outer islands of Vanuatu. We left Musket Cove in Fiji on Thursday.
Musket Cove was one of our favourite spots last year. It is on the dry South Western side of Fiji. Musket Cove is the main resort area in the large open bay of the island of Manololo. Although the bay has a number of resorts, development has been sensitive and the bay is large is enough and beautiful enough to absorb it.
Musket Cove is in strong contrast with Denerau. In Denerau, the big hotels are enclosed in an enclave on the coast which could be any holiday destination in the world. To find Fiji you have to leave via the golf course and head for the busy town of Nadi, pronounced Nandi.
To get to Musket Cove you sail a short distance about twelve miles to the island of Manololo and pick your way carefully through the reefs to a large enclosed anchorage where we spent an enjoyable four days.. Many boats pick up moorings in the bay but if you proceed you come into a small idyllic marina which takes about 20 boats.
The island is within two outer reefs and the sea is therefore flat. The water is crystal clear and there are endless reefs within a short dingy ride of the marina. On one reef we saw the best range, size and sheer volume of brightly coloured fish so far. We met up with the rest of the rally here and there were various events on most days, including meals most evenings and lunch and various competitions on a sandbar off the resort. We watched with amusement the various Kiwis versus the rest of the world tug-of-war and drinking competitions while we lay in the clear shallow water, sipping a cold beer. The sandbar disappeared as the tide came in, so it was soon time to dingy back to the resort.
The marina is constructed along a small spit of land, so for a swim all you have to do is walk to the end of the spit and jump in to the deep water. If you prefer, you can go to the resort swimming pool and relax there with your lounger and drinks. As rally participants, we had full use of the resort facilities, including the infinity pool and spa. We treated ourselves to a full body massage and it was just as good as last year.
The marina bar is on the spit and has a large number of collective barbecue pits so most evenings are spent having a drink in the bar while barbecuing your own food, making for economic and enjoyable evenings.
The main part of the resort consists of tasteful bura style bungalows hidden in palm trees with a larger restaurant. In the hills above there are a number of attractively designed holiday homes, often with marina access.
As a result of the devaluation of the Fiji dollar our stay there was inexpensive and the weather was glorious.