Farewell to Fiji

22 September 2015

We had been in Fiji for 3 months, and it was time to get moving once again!  But before we left Blue Lagoon, up in the Yasawa’s,  Mary and Chris took a  2 hour walk over the Nanunya Island to Lo’s Tea House, for tea and chocolate cake! Steve and I elected to do a bit of boat work, and wait for the girls at the resort’s pub, at Happy Hour!

Overlooking the anchorage en route to Lo's Teahouse

Rod wants one of these......and he'll give Mary the free bracelet!!

A very enterprising local farmer peddling his fruit and veg to appreciative cruisers.

We had a last “Lovo and Meke” evening together, (earth oven feast, and traditional dance) for the Saturday night. It was more expensive, ($100 per head, +/- R600 each), but the food, dancing, and general  ambience, were much better than the one at Coral View, and a whole lot of fun! All the performers are local villagers, and resort staff, with $20 of each fee going to the villagers.

Chris and Rod in the mood!

Mary's favourite!

 As Mary and I needed to say cheers to Jaqui and Walter (JeanMarie) in Mololo Lai Lai, we set off back down the Yasawa’s, stopping  for a night each at Naviti, and Waya south, before spending a couple of days at the beautiful, uninhabited island anchorage, Navadra, in the Mamanucas. We shared the anchorage with the superyacht, “Encore”, and enjoyed some good coral snorkeling and sunsets!

Our leg back to Mololo Lai Lai the following day was disrupted by an unscheduled southerly blast, that made conditions horrible….. so we turned tail, and headed back to the more protected Waya South anchorage for the night. No sooner had we anchored, than conditions returned to normal, and we had yet another lovely evening and sunset!

It was a good call, and our trip the next day, in flat calm conditions, allowed us to pick an interesting route through the other Mamanuca islands, past Mana, and back to Mololo, via the northern entrance.

We then spent a couple of days there, filling up with diesel, doing the washing, enjoying the Dollar bar, before enjoying a good fast sail back to  the calm and “free”, Saweni Bay!

Waiting for the bus

Sugar cane train

Early morning reflections in Saweni

ANOTHER sunset

 “Scott Free”, had meanwhile returned from Blue Lagoon, and stopped  at Draquawa island to swim with the Manta rays. From there they went to Denarau, to do there refueling, as the Musket Cove regatta was in full swing. They then joined us in Saweni, with the intention of clearing out together, before heading for Vanuatu .

Once again, the weather went pearshaped, so we had to wait for the next window.  We decided to head back to Denarau. 

With Steve and Chris enjoying drinks at the Denarau Rhum Ba

Nadi Market

Early morning rugby.....England vs Fiji

We had not been there before and we would then be able to watch the England vs Fiji RWC opening match, which England managed to win quite well, …….. unlike the Bafanaboks vs Japan, whose efforts , with the added, and increasingly vocal support of our ANC rulers, are becoming more and more like Bafana Bafana in terms of results!  Lets hope they can get back to playing rugby!

 From Denarau, it was back to Lautoka, to clear out. We anchored off the wharf around 8.00am, and it took a ridiculous 3 ½ hours for the single incredibly slow, but  v e  r  y   polite official, to stamp and staple our pre filled documents, thereafter informing us that we were not only free to go…….. but must go now, and not stop at any islands on the way!

That time wasting scuppered our plans to anchor off the Navula passage ,in Momi Bay, ready for an early morning exit through the pass, so we anchored again at Denarau, just before dark, only managing to clear the passage around 14.00hr the next day.

Hell…..don’t we just love inefficient bureaucrats!