[password]waiknot
[position]17 34.658S 178 40.091E

[status]
Now in Naigani Island, slowly making our way towards the western side of Fiji. Had a wonderful dive yesterday and Heather reeled in a 90cm Mahimahi today. More details in the blog.

[blog]
We went exploring Makogai Island yesterday. Quite an interesting place. From 1911 to 1969 there was a large leprosy hospital here. Over 4000 people were treated here over the years, with patients arriving from all over the South Pacific. The old hospital building is gone, but many of the outbuildings and ruins of old structures can be seen. Where the hospital used to be there is now a mariculture facility. Essentially they grow turtles and clams here until large enough to have a better survival rate and then release them into the sea. Clams are relocated to many of the other islands to help repopulate the clam numbers in Fiji. We saw a large trough of tiny wee clams being grown and another trough of young turtles, about 2 years old - they will be released when they are three. The guide who showed us around suggested we have a dive at Makodroga Island to see some large clams. The dive was fabulous! Many large clams, a friendly turtle that Karl stroked the side of and a very pretty ree
f. The coral and fish can only be described as a kaleidoscope of colours. We played with a pair of bright orange and white anemone fish for a while, they were ducking and diving around and kept coming out to look at us and then hiding again - but too curious to stay hidden! When we emerged from the water, Karl summed it up by saying "It doesn't get much better than that!" Later, while we were relaxing in the cockpit a turtle swam along the surface close to the boat, craning his head out and looking at us several times before diving down below again. So wonderful. Today we had a gentle sail over to Naigani Island. About half way we got a fish on the line. Karl got the sails in and Heather battled to reel it in for about 20 minutes as this fish kept peeling out more line everytime it got closer to the boat. It put up a huge fight and was tough to reel in, but eventually, with tired arms, Heather got it to the boat and Karl hooked it with the gaf hook. A 90cm Mahimahi landed. Phew! Fre
sh fish for dinner tonight and Heather has made Kokoda for tomorrow night. We are now relaxing in Sova Bay after a refreshing swim and snorkel around the reefs near the bay. This is a spectacular place. Deep green dense bush covering the steep sides of the island, which drop down to a low saddle of land. The head of the bay is in the saddle with a white sandy beach and swaying palm trees. Picture post-card paradise.

[diving]
position:17 26.014S 178 56.748E
title:Makodroga Rocks
A pile of black rocks jut out from the southern tip of Maodroga Island, adjacent to Makogai Island. Dive the western side of this reef. Large clams, turtles and a kaleidoscope of colours await you. A vast array of coral structures and thousands of brightly coloured reef fish. Note - the eastern side of these rocks is subject to strong currents but the western side is an easy dive.

[END]