Our next week was spent in the role of tour guides, showing Martin’s nephew, Simon, the sights and sounds of Fiji. In such a short time, we could only scratch the surface of a country with more than 300 islands, however the Yasawa Islands in Western Fiji seemed like a good place to start.
After a night in Naisoso Marina, we set off bright and early for the passage to the Yasawa Islands. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and the wind blew a steady Force 4 (11-16 knots). Escapade sailed beautifully and the 25nm journey took us 8 hours. A great introduction to life on board.
The anchorage on the first night was at Drawaqa Island and Manta Ray Pass. we had a quiet evening on board with a BBQ and a beer while watching the sunset. All things considered, it was not a bad start to the week.
The next day, we headed off in the dinghy to the pass in an attempt to find a manta ray. It turned out to be a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. Undaunted, we had a couple of drift snorkels, seeing plenty of coral, a few reef fish, but no mantas. Just as we had decided to head back to Escapade, one of the resort boats called us over. They had spotted a ray which was swimming through the pass. Simon had a hard swim to keep pace with it, but managed to see it. Manta ray – tick.
That afternoon we upped anchor and headed north. It was just a few hours sail to Nanuya Lailai; a small island just north of the location for the 1980 film The Blue Lagoon. The whole area was stunning – picture postcard Fiji with blue waters and rugged islands.
We stayed at Nanuya Lailai for two nights and had action packed days with more snorkelling, a spot of diving and a walk over to Lo’s Tea House for freshly cooked doughnuts.
The evening was spent ashore eating with one of the island families who had prepared a traditional meal of lovo cooked fish. The family explained that the lovo is an underground oven. In this case, it was a pit in the ground covered with hot coals and banana leaves. The fish was served with vegetables grown in the family´s garden and washed down with a cup of kava!
Setting off after a leisurely breakfast, we retraced our steps back to the south. A lunch stop at Narara Island gave us time for a quick dive on the Glory wreck. The Glory is a 43m Chinese long line fishing boat. When it reached the end of its career in 2016, it was due to be broken up for scrap. Instead, it was scuttled to create a dive site for the area. It is still a new wreck, so there is not much growth or fish, but it was cool for Simon’s first wreck.
Ready for a change of pace, we headed for Octopus Resort on Waya Island. The cruiser friendly resort was a beautiful setting for evening cocktails and fancy food next to the beach.
Before leaving the bay, we signed up for a guided hike up one of the island’s highest peaks. It turned out to be walk of many contrasts. We wandered through shady woodland, sauntered along a sandy beach and scramble up a steep rock face. It took us several hours to reach the top, but the end result was definitely worth it. The sheer rock face dropped down to the beach far below and the views across to the neighbouring islands were stunning.
In complete contrast with Octopus Resort, our next anchorage was just off the tiny village of Nabora on Wayasewa Island. Heading ashore, we were greeted on the beach by the chief and he escorted to his home to carry out sevu sevu. We presented him with our gift of kava and he welcomed us into the family of the village. He then asked one of the village children to show us around. Our guide was so proud to be able to share his village with us.
We had specifically come to Nabora on a recommendation from another ARC boat who had had a delicious meal here. The cook, Lavinia, is one of the younger women in the village who is earning money for her family by preparing meals for visiting sailors. The fish had been speared by her husband early that morning and was cooked on an open fire. This was then served with fruit and vegetables picked from the surrounding trees. Everything was eaten with fingers, sitting on the floor. It was an unforgettable experience and highly recommended.
A surprising extra while at Wayasewa was a dive amongst the most spectacular plate coral we had ever seen. Huge walls of pristine corals surrounded us, providing homes for shoals of tiny iridescent fish. What a find.
Unfortunately, the week was over quickly and we headed back to Port Denerau on the main island of Viti Levu. Here we saw the other side of Fiji – a marina full of super yachts, a luxury resort with hotels and apartments, a large golf course, a shopping outlet selling expensive souvenirs and plenty of places offering world wide cuisine.
Simon’s last night was a visit to one of these for a lobster and sea food dinner with a couple of glasses of wine! Cheers.
Brilliant adventure. A lovely read x
Love reading about your adventures 😃
Thanks! Shame that you are not here to enjoy them with us!
Yeah, but love reading your posts, and hopefully we see you next year 👍😃
Hi,
Great to hear from you. Hope you and the family are well. How is the retirement plan coming along? As you can see, I would thoroughly recommend it. X
You visited parts of Fiji that most tourists never get to see!
One of the joys of having a boat!
Your descriptions of your travels, together with your excellent photographs make us feel as we were there with you.
Keep up the good work and we’ll be with you all the way.
Bon voyage.
Thank you!
Pleased that you continue to enjoy sharing our adventures. More to come.
Soo lovely to read your news, been thinking about you a lot lately as we travel round Australia which of course included sailing round the whitsunday islands which made me think of you both on your travels. Soo glad it’s all working out for you, keep the updates coming and our best to you both xx
Hi,
So great to hear from you. Hope you and the family are all well.
I saw on Facebook that you had been visiting family in Australia but hadn’t realised that you were travelling as well. We have been on the East Coast since Sept and spent a few weeks in the Whitsundays in October. When were you there?
Are you still over here?
Hi, we’ve just left Whitsunday Islands just in time to avoid Cyclone Jasper, we have just arrived in Sydney and are here for a week before heading to Melbourn then Perth to spend Christmas and new year with the family. My son is also flying out to join us for Christmas too x
Wow, what an adventure! So glad that you are avoiding cyclone Jasper! We are about 150nm north of Sydney heading to Pittwater tonight. Will be in Sydney by about 15th, so will just miss you! James is coming out to see us so we will stay in the area for Christmas and New Year.
Have a great time
Xx