After dropping Samantha at the airport in the morning we picked up Jenny and Cathie in the afternoon, and delivered them to the resort beside Vuda Pt marina where they would be staying for a couple of nights before joining us on the boat for a trip out to Musket Cove for a few nights. As seasoned cruisers, we of course immediately took advantage of the facilities including their hot showers!

It seemed like a very quick one week visit, but we managed quite a few activities as well as some quiet relaxing time. We started with a jet boat ride up the Sigatoka river, which included visiting a local village for a kava ceremony and lunch. For some reason the guide decided I was the oldest male in the group and would be our "chieftain" for the day, and return the welcome we received in the village. Despite being set up for tourists, it was well done with a nice feel to it. The guide was from the village and knew everyone and was very welcoming.

We also sailed out to Musket Cove for a couple of days, where we did a day trip out to Cloud 9 for pizzas and the view, which is spectacular. And of course some snorkelling as any trip to Fiji would not be complete without seeing under the water. All too soon it was time to sail back to Vuda Point and drop mum and Cathie off at the hotel beside the airport they were staying at for their last night before an early morning flight home.

We'd been watching the weather, and there was a narrow window for reasonable conditions for the trip to Tanna, Vanuatu, so we headed out the same morning they flew out. We did get a surprise sail by from Shine as we were heading out towards Mololo Pass, which was a very welcome chance to say hi and bye, as they were staying on in Fiji.