It has been great rejoining the rally again and we are really enjoying the company and fun once again. We felt the love and concern all had for Rose as we arrived in Savusavu with all waiting on the dock to assist and with hugs all around. Everyone has shown genuine concern and happiness that we are back with the group and that all has worked out well for us. Yet another reason why cruising in company is such a great idea. With the broken windlass, the watermaker issues and Rose’s surgery, I think we have had our fair share of dramas for this trip and we are hoping for smooth sailing for the rest of our time away.
We have had a lovely time in Savusavu, which is one of the larger towns on the island of Vanua Levu (the second largest island in Fiji). The Copra Shed marina was a great meeting place for a drink or two and Savusavu had some really cheap eats and a chance to stock up on the provisions. We collected the bulk of the girls schoolwork (I think the girls were secretly hoping it would get lost on the way!!),and with one more parcel to come along with some parts for our watermaker which Windflower will collect for us. I stocked up on grog (kava for our offering to the villages) and some dvd’s of the Big Bang Theory for watching on passages.
While in Savusavu we had some fun with the local Yacht club. The ‘Youth Sailing’ at the Savusavu Yacht Club challenged the cruisers to a Laser match race on the harbor. This was a fundraiser for Youth Sailing and the yacht club and lots of fun. As a group we took a bus to the other side of the island to the town of Lambasa (Little India!) for some shopping and exploring the markets. Lambasa is a big sugar cane growing area and the market had lots of spun sugar candy for sale (this appealed to my sweet tooth!) We also had a delicious lunch at a local resort before returning to Savusavu.
We took a short trip out to take a look at the 5star Cousteau’s resort and do a little snorkeling with the crew on Katriana, and visited the tiny Nawi Island to check out the new marina development for the super yachts. A cruise ship came into town while we were in Savusavu and while generally everything thing closes on a Sunday for church, all of the locals had market stalls set up to make the most of some additional revenue coming in to the town. There would have been at least 2000 people being ferried back and forth from the little jetty where we were parked at the marina.
After a little under a week, and over a month of marinas and harbors we headed off for the sandy beaches and islands of Fiji. With the sun shining across the Koro Sea, our first stop was the island of Makongai. Makongai was a lepa colony back in the 60’s but is now a government marine reserve and a great place to snorkel. We were welcomed into the village in the traditional fashion with a sevusevu (kava ceremony) and a performace given by the local school children for us. Rose was a hit with her little bottles of bubbles, and Grace & Olivia had fun playing soccer with the older children. We finished the day with a bonfire and sundowners on the beach to watch the sun set.
Next stop was on to Viti Levu (the largest sland in Fiji) where we headed to Nananu I Ra, aand anchoring by the Volivoli beach resort (yay, finally a beach!). We have been blessed with sunshine and the wind from behind for these past two passages which makes for a very comfortable sail. The kids enjoyed swimming in the resorts pool (well Grace and Olivia did – Rose is still healing so is wading up to her knees for a little longer!) We took a taxi into the town of Rakiraki for a trip to the Market and a stock up on fresh fruit and veggies.
We are now heading towards the Yasawa and Mamanuca islands on the north eastern side of Viti Levu. This side of Fiji is traditionally much sunnier and drier that the west coast and so far it has not disappointed. We are off to soak up the winter sunshine for our remaining 3 ½ weeks in Fiji.