Bruce's visit to Fiji, in short

Being held captive and forced to write a blog about my adventures with Karen and Cheryl over Christmas and New Years in Fiji.

Three nights in Saweni Beach Apartments to get over major jet lag. Also to be our Christmas home (cottage with four bedrooms). A little site-seeing around Lautoka, Nadi and then on to Rakiraki on the north coast of Fiji, staying in a Tanoa Hotel. Here we were advised about a road trip hopefully along the ocean front. We bottomed out a few times (even when thinking light thoughts) and hit road construction. While the culvert was being installed we were entertained with coconuts, the construction guys chasing eels and local construction techniques.

Karen does this car have a turbo boost option?

Turned the car in and took the express bus to Suva. Karen and Cheryl were not impressed with George of the Jungle that was played on the bus, twice; G-Force was a hit later. Abandoned to guard the bags (don’t move), while Karen and Cheryl bought some fresh fruit and veg at the local market, which was just beside the bus terminal. We eventually made it to the Five Prince’s and a nice separate cabin. Three good nights with bats visible at night, actually kind of cool.

Sunset at 5 Prices in Suva

Next day the Museum and attempting to find a new place for the 3 nights after 5 Prince’s. As it turns out the last weekend before Xmas is a very busy time in Suva and many Fijians come to the capital to shop. Our next hotel turned out to be another Tanoa. Karen wanted to see the lights of Suva come on, from a roof-top bar, not a bad idea.  But the roof top bar turned out to be a dive, three people being arrested on the stairs up, not really a safe feeling. Saw the last Hobbit movie in 3D. Disappointed with Royal Suva Yacht Club, it was really a dive! We did a walking tour of Suva and walked around the Milo trail, which runs 4.5 kilometers along the waterfront of Suva. Near the end of the walk we stopped to have our picture taken with the ceremonial guard at the prime minister's house. Then we hopped on the bus back to our Christmas House on Saweni Bay.

The house was lovely, the staff had made flower arrangements and put Frangipani around so it both looked and smelled lovely. Bill and Natalia (Island Bound) cooked beef curry on our first night there. After Carla and Doug (Moondance) arrived we decorated! Our tree was a rake suitably decorated with lights and baubles. Cheryl had the Charlie Brown Ikea tree, Carla had Christmas gels, that stick to glass and the fridge and we had the snow globe cards from prior years, so the house was very festive. Cheryl’s tortiere was baked on a bbq Christmas Eve. The Grinch was performed by Cheryl, to a very appreciative and knowledgeable audience. Santa arrived! (believe it or not).


What a haul

The turkey was cooked on the barbeque, wrapped in foil containers. You see barbeque is really a grill in this country, so we had to improvise. The staff on site joined us for Xmas dinner, it was a lovely meal. The next day, in the afternoon Wiggle Butt (a dog) arrived with Colleen and Ian (Summer Spirit). That night Moondance cooked.  All in all it was a good time, too much excellent food and great company, who can ask for anything more!

A new car and off to Sigatoka and another chalet owned by the same company that owned the Christmas house (Fiji4Less). We were welcomed by a cow and calf. We are not kidding.  A Real  BBQ this time, a north American style barbeque. Next day it was the  Sigatoka Sand dune National Park it was an amazing place. The sand dunes are up to 60 meters high, go right to the water, kind of forlorn with driftwood sand and wind, and onto a mahogany forest, all in short 4 kilometer walk.

Sand dunes

The next day a good one way drive out and back along the Sigatoka River. Picked up a local and dropped him off in the next town. Some paved roads (in the towns) then back to gravel. We turned around just before the end (because the bus passed us twice). Another day we went to the Eco Park just down the road from the hotel (really well done). However Charlie (the parrot star of Swiss Family Robinson) didn’t say hello. Yet another day we toured a century old Hill fort of a Tongan chief, on the other side of the river from Sigatoka town: just shows how controlling the height is important in battle field scenarios.

Almost missed the next hotel because the name was different. Only Karen noticing the glass wedding chapel allowed us to find the place. Not what we were expecting and noisy at night, thankfully we stayed only two nights because Cheryl and Karen needed their rest. Drove to Pacific Harbour to see about the white water rafting trip (my Christmas present), okay to see about a dry (not) trip.


Bruce front left, Cheryl red shirt, Karen behind guy in blue shirt

 

 

One of the many waterfalls in the river

It was a spectacular trip but my thighs are still sore from the walk to the start of the rafting. On the advice of the rafting people we moved on from Coral Cove to the hotel, The Lagoon Resort, where they filmed Anaconda 2. It saved us from having to get up at 4 a.m.!!! It was a great trip, the gorge was narrow at the start, and there was barely room for the rafts. Waterfalls everywhere, beautiful site after beautiful site. A great day! On our way back to Nadi we went to the Wainadoi spice gardens. We had an amazing tour, first time we had seen vanilla growing.

We spent the last three nights at Tanoa International in Nadi a really nice hotel. We went to Port Denarau, to the rum tasting and to have dinner with Moondance, so they could say good bye to Bruce. Dinner at Vuda so Summer Spirit could say good bye to Bruce, not to mention having the salt and pepper calamari and Tomahawk steak again! The girls will be leaving on Friday morning for Vanuatu by plane for a week and I will wait in the lobby (rather than the airport) until my shuttle to take me to the airport to fly home to Canada.

I need to point out that while there are weather reports in the papers they do not give temperatures!!!

Best Wishes to all for 2015!!