Fiji Diary

Saturday 16th August

We have arrived in Fiji!

HAPPY 40th BIRTHDAY LIANE!!!

We left the campsite not too early and headed back to Auckland - handed the campervan back and went to the airport. The flight was on time but full and we were put in the child part of the plane which was nothing short of hell!! The two year old in the seat behind me had a severe case of the whinging fidgets and screamed continually and kicked the seat the whole time we landed. There were 4 families together in front of us each with 2 children between about 2 and 5 who seemed to be running a creche - get the picture, a nightmare!!!!

Anyway - we arrived all safe and well (after a bit of upset when Jack's didgereedoo was confiscated by customs at New Zealand for being a "blunt instrument" and not allowed on the plane!! (we could carry it all around Australia as they don't class it as a blunt instrument as it is an indiginous item - madness!) and our bags are still intact - or were!! On the minibus to our overnight hotel on mainland Fiji - the boot sprung open and two of our bags went flying off down the road - fortunatley not causing an accident or being run over but causing mayhem none the less!! They are still ok - but wont be going on any more adventures after this one!

The hotel in Nadi was very nice - we had a nice meal outside (over 31 degrees so a real change from the snow yesterday! ) and we had an early night as we have an early transfer to our island tomorrow!

Sunday 17th August

and here's where we relax and say goodbye for now........

We caught the 7.30am coach from the hotel to the port for our transfer to the island where we are staying. The transfer was 5 hours on a speed (but not that fast!) boat - and I was a bit concerned when all our bags were flung off into a small boat - as were we and then we had to walk through the sea for the final part - but all bags are still with us and intact! It was raining for part of the way on the boat (the Fijians are very grateful as they have had no rain for ages !) but it soon cleared up and the forecast is good! We have a nice beachfront Bure - we have hired 4 kayaks and been out this afternoon and we have full sets of snorkels and fins which have already been well used (we only got here at 1.30) so now we are planning on relaxing - so no more updates until possibly LA now - not sure if we will manage to sit still for a week (I know we won't actually!!) but it will be nice to relax and we have unpacked properly for the first time in weeks so it is all good! Mobile reception is only available if we climb the hill in the middle of the island so we are only contactable through the hotel - but I will make that climb very soon to wish Jane a Happy 40th too!!

Off for a cocktail now he boys are in bed.....happy holidays!!!!

Wednesday 20th August

ok so I lied....

ok - so I am back but only as we had to wait until today wen someone on the island knew how to connect me to wireless!! (only 12 rooms here so a small resort and they communicate by radio phone so wireless is amazing anyway!) still going good - far too busy having fun to type anymore - but will stick in a few pics while the emails download! (we do now have internet access until we leave!)

Friday 22nd August

HAPPY 40th BIRTHDAY JANE!!!!

Saturday 23rd August

We leave Fiji and head to Los Angeles

Well - we have been quiet for a while but have been having an amazing time in Fiji. We our good luck health wise did finally run out temporarily here when one by one we managed to catch a 24hr tummy bug. It struck the island down overnight (only 12 rooms on the island - Jack & Sam the only children) and it was going round other local islands too. Jack was hit worst and he had to take almost 1.5 days out in bed which was a shame - but at least here we had the time to relax and look after him and for him to get better without us being in a rush to get anywhere!! It was a real shame as the food on the island was amazing - top quality chef - and we tried lobster and crab and couldn't fault anything!

We didn't really do a great deal of relaxing - over the week we can't have spent more than 1.5-2 hours actually on the sun loungers as we were all still always on the go!! we were swimming and snorkelling and kayaking - there wasn't time to relax in the traditional sense - although just floating around in our kayaks or snorkelling was a change of pace from the last few weeks!!

Here are some kayaking pics....

We did try to kayak around the island - but noone had told us beforehand that it was only possible at high tide!! Our island was next to Turtle Island - which at low tide is joined by a sandbar. We reached this and decided in our infinite combined wisdom that we could drag them accross the sandbar to the other side of the island!! We sent Jack running ahead to see how far it was - he said about 100m so - no problem we thought!!! Anyway - about 800m later - when both boys ahd given up as they were tired so David and I were dragging 2 - in midday heat dodging crabs and starfish - we realised we were only about half way (really must have a word with Jack about estimating distance again!) and that the sea was much rougher on the other side of the island - so we turned around and dragged them back!! We were completely shattered - and still had to kayak back - hmmmmm - we can laugh now!!

The sunsets were amazing - here are some pics

Dillo had a great time - we had to restrict the beer after a while though and only allow coke .......

One day we took a trip out to the Sawa-i-Lau caves - about a 45 minute boat ride from the island - they are caves that were used n the film The Blue Lagoon (as was the island we were staying on) You climb up a set of (very rickety) steps to enter the first cav which is open topped - with very high sides and the water is 10-20m deep (as our undrwater camera died we have no pics although an Autralian couple we were with took lots and have promised to email some to us) but here is a pic of the cave

The next cave is only accesible by a very small entrance - that is about 2ft under water and about 2m long. The guide goes throgh first and shines a torch back and you just dive under and swim underwater for a short while to get to the next cave. I was a bit apprehensive as the second cave is pitch black and I wasnt sure about swimming underwater to get there. We had our snorkels and fins - and the boys were first through like a pair of little fish (Jack managed to dive right down and touch the bottom well over 10m!!) Then we swam through these dark caves to where it opened out and a shaft of daylight shonw through. We swam back thrugh the caves singing "row row the boat" very loudly (still not sure why - I think for the effect of us all doing the "scream" !! When we were back in the first cave the guide shimmied right up the wall (no idea how!) and started diving in from a ridiculous height!! Completely mad!!

The boat ride ack was interesting - around the islands it is very calm but out at sea it is pretty choppy! We were in a pretty small tin boat thingy - 10 of us and the guide - all crammed together and boncing around covered in spray (not a life jacket in sight!) when David starte dto get greener and greener - he was in the early stages of the tummy bug and the journey was just too much for him and he managed to revisit breakfast in rather spectacular style over the side of the boat! (thankfully he was at the side and I was in the middle!!) all good fun!!

Somre more underwater pics here (before the underwater camera just stopped working!) we spent many hours snorkelling and the camera faild just as we were taking a picture of a rather lovely seahorse! Anyway - here ae some we do have!

Anyway - not much else to eport for Fiji - it is a stunning location, lovely peeple and I think the pictures show that so here are some more....

Oh yes - remember the didgeridoo - (this is what Jack spent his birthday money from Su on!) David has been ringing Air Pacific from the hotel to try and teack it down and complain as it travelled all around Australia no question - but was removed in New Zealand. They finally agreed to forward it on to meet us in Los Angeles (it couldn't go to Nadi (Fiji) as there offices are shut at weekends when we fly out. We called for an update at the end of the week - o be told that it had left New Zealand - but- had never been received in Nadi for transfer onto LA - so now it appears to be lost... the saga of the didgeridoo continues............

Round the world home, Dillo home, eek home

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