Surf’s Up

Fiji was an outstanding time for our family in that we all had freedom to roam, relax and experience activities we certainly have never had access to on a daily basis. Seriously, every morning getting up an knowing that you can move from hammock, to snorkelling, to kayaking to stand up paddleboarding…it is not a bad life.

Again, Kelly and I enjoyed meeting other couples from the UK and from northern Queensland, Australia. We were joined by Kelly’s parents and niece for 6 days in Fiji and loved sharing the experience with them. During a second trip to Yanuca Island, Kelly demonstrated his fishing prowess by catching a Bluefin Trevally which we were excited to consume for supper. By the end of the meal, the name and size of the fish had increased tenfold and we now affectionately refer to it as the Great Flaming Bluefin Trevally.

As the tides changed, we had a number of mornings where it appeared as though the plug had been pulled on the resort side of the reef. At its lowest, only puddles existed where once you were unable to touch the ground standing up. Walking out to the reef while the water was approximately 30 cm deep was perfect for observing the fish and coral. Holly and Brenna (Kelly’s mom and niece), were the first to be surrounded by a school of baby Blacktip Reef sharks. Kelly, Anderson and I also had opportunity to be walking along only to see these incredible creatures speed by while feeding on the smaller fish. In speaking with the owner of The Beachouse, this hasn’t occurred for a number of years and we were pleased to have been able to witness them. No worries for our safety though – these sharks were not at all interested in us and as they were quite young, the largest was 2 feet in length. Unfortunately, no photos of these creatures – they were too fast!

One water sport we had not yet attempted was surfing and so it was that we determined all four of us would take lessons. We signed up with Ratu, the Fiji Surf Association instructor and out we went to the reef. I must admit that there was something about the idea of surfing that petrified me, but am pleased to share in my most surfer girl lingo possible that IT ROCKED DUDE! Anderson was the first to head out and get up on his board. The thrill of seeing our children take on a new skill and gain confidence was almost enough to satisfy Kelly and I. Notice the ‘almost.’ Much to our delight, all four of us were able to experience riding a wave. However, I will leave it to those of you who know us to guess who rode the MOST waves. Unfortunately, our camera battery died on this day and so we have no photos of the event (some things are more about the experience and less about the photo anyway). However, we ensured that just before we left Fiji, we grabbed one of the surf boards for a photo op.

Fiji was exactly what a tropical travel experience should be: new opportunities while surrounded by indescribable natural beauty. With so many more islands to explore, once again, we will be returning.

Fiji Time

Here we are – the place we’ve often dreamed of travelling to given indescribable water and island terrain. After leaving Brisbane on December 27th, we arrived in Nadi (pronounced Nandi) late afternoon. Yet again, we were struck by the different climate as we stepped off the plane and when entering the airport, were greeted by an enthusiastic “Bula” from a group of locals. “Bula” is the customary greeting in Fiji meaning “health” and no matter who or where you are, this greeting is bestowed upon you with a smile.

We quickly found a bus to take us on the 2 hour bus ride to The Beachouse near Koralevu located on what’s known as the coral coast. The bus ride was an eyeopener for the boys as they observed the villages we drove through made up of small houses usually out of tin and in some cases woven bamboo walls. We saw countless games of impromptu rugby and volleyball along the way and may have taken a few breaths as our bus careened around the mountainous roads.

The Beachouse is an intriguing ‘backpackers resort’ and certainly offers budget accommodation given the cost of most other places in Fiji. We learned quickly about ‘Fiji Time’ as a guide for the Jungle Trek which was slated to leave at 10:00 am, informed us they were leaving and when we checked the time, it was 1:00 pm. Given the beautiful views, lovely outdoor spaces, and warmer than your bathwater ocean, this is not a trial – it only a leads to a few moments of uncertainty for those of us accustomed to being at a place at a set time.

View from The Beachouse beach

This is our first time staying at resort style accommodation without our own kitchen and it certainly is an adjustment. However, we have thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many people from different places as well as being able to allow the boys more independence in determining where they want to be during the day with everything available to them. Aside from wading into the water and snorkelling, kayaking, or stand up paddle boarding, the boys have greatly enjoyed meeting new friends from Australia and have played countless games of Home Free and Hide and Seek.

A highlight of any country is meeting the local people and we were blessed during our Jungle Trek with our guide, Jiuta, who shared first and foremost his faith, his pride in both his village and country, history of the area, knowledge of innumerable plant and tree varieties in the jungle, and finally our destination, beautiful crystal clear waterfalls cascading into a most picturesque pool. Jiuta also arranged for us to enjoy a lovely eggplant curry prepared by his niece. Providing lunch to those Jiuta guides through the jungle is their sole form of income and it was an eyeopener to see their simple existence in a shelter with woven bamboo walls and an outdoor tap for water from the nearby stream. At one point on our return trip from the waterfalls, Jiuta disappeared into the trees and later emerged with a fresh pineapple he had just picked to accompany our lunch. It was a privilege to see what daily life is like in another part of the world.

The trek to and from wasn’t without its interesting points given the heavy rain that had fallen a few days prior and our shoes may now be a bit of a different colour; but it certainly was an experience we all enjoyed. Perhaps though, given the number of slips, trips and falls in the mud, the boys memory of a few points may differ from that of their parents.

As we were here for New Year’s as well (our first in a different country), we were curious how it would play out. It’s safe to say that following our late evening supper, Kelly and I judged that our family would have an early night as per usual, and were asleep by 11:00 pm. New Year’s Eve has never been a huge point of celebration in our families – we usually enjoy boardgames and if we’re lucky, we might make it to midnight. Nonetheless, we were most excited to get up on New Year’s Day with the prospect of our trip to Yanuca Island, a 45 minute boat ride from The Beachouse.

After marvelling at the many flying fish on the trip to the island, we were greeted by a most amazing and tropical view: white sandy beaches replete with washed up coral and shells, along with gorgeous palm and flame trees. We all moved immediately into the water for 5 hours of snorkelling fun. Kenny, a local Fijian, took it upon himself to teach the boys how to fish with their hands – the shrieks of “I almost caught one!” filled the air, and there’s no doubt that the boys will have stories of the fish that got away.

Catching fish!

Kenny and the boys

These fish were NOT caught by the boys

To be able to step off of the beach and into sparkling turquoise waters was beautiful in and of itself. Snorkelling amongst the many small coral reefs and being able to spot a poisonous stonefish, a large eel, countless rainbow and parrot fish, along with many varieties I cannot name was outstanding! All of us have sore necks this morning and may have found some spots where we missed applying sunscreen!

Although Fiji is supposed to get more rain during this time of year, the weather has been perfect though without air-conditioning, it is more than a little warm at night! We are in this area until the January 12th and are anticipating the arrival of Kelly’s parents and niece, whereupon, more field trips will no doubt begin. Exactly when, who knows…we are after all, on Fiji time.