[password] NZL9424A27
[position] 17.26S 178.57E
[status] We arrived in Savusavu on Wednesday last week to pick up Kristy and Stefan on Friday. On our way from Bavartu Harbour we went via Qamea Island. To get onto this island we had to enter through a reef system which took us straight towards a 7 star resort on the private island of Laucala. This resort is for the rich and famous at a nightly price tag of between $US8,000 and $US42,000. As we came out of the reef we were meet by a Fijian gentleman in a long boat, who told us ever so politely that we were not welcome to anchor off the resort, not that we were planning on it anyway, but the guests should know they are well protected from the normal people!!! The village we anchored out from looked very modern, but according to Fijian culture, we took our bag of Kava into the village to do the tradional Sevusevu. We were meet by a security officer that told us the village was really the village of the 7 star resort staff. Oh well we tried.
We left from here and headed to Somosomo, on the island Taveuni. This was a nice well kept village with a supermarket as well as separate produce market. Very nice.
From there we did a full day sail to Savusavu. Glen caught a Mahimahi bull fish on our way, which measured about 1.5metres long. Good eating fish.
Along with 6 other ladies of other boats we meet a Fijian Indian lady called Mala, who took us shopping for fresh produce and chicken then gave us a curry cooking lesson aboard Malakite. It was a fun way to spend a few hours. It was also a good way of learning about how to cook using different veges and fruit from what we have at home.
Kristy and Stefan were delayed leaving Auckland which meant they missed there connector flight to Savusavu. They finally arrived on Saturday at 5.30 after more delays. We spent Sunday looking around Savusavu with them and left the Savusavu harbour on Monday. We spent the night off the resort of Jean-Michel Cousteau. Yesterday we sailed really hard to the island of Makogai. We are planning on staying here for a couple of days then making our way back to Savusavu to pick up Luke and Anton who arrive on Friday. Glen and Kristy are really keen to find some good dive spots sometime soon. The weather has not been too favourable for us to get anywhere for them to dive, but it could be better for the end of the week. Fiji is so much more windy than Tonga, and dive anchorages are all pretty exposed and take a while to get too. Will keep you posted.
We are all good on board and enjoying having Kristy and Stefan with us. [END]