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.