HARMONICA IN FIJI. 18 58S 178 16E

The sun set over the sea leaving a pink glow entering one door, and the full moon was rising through the trees behind the other door of the bure (village hut) in which we sat. Large moths were busy collecting nectar from the blossom outside the front door. Inside, there was nothing to see except silhouettes: The village chief, who's floor we were sitting on; The smiling village elder opposite; Epi who was introducing us, and who had earlier welcomed us into his house for Sunday lunch; Epi's son who was passing the coconut bowls of kava; and the silent man who was mixing and serving the kava. The Fijian village ritual of sevu-sevu was complete. Our bundle of yangona roots had been accepted with much incantation in Fijian. We had been accepted and welcomed into the village of Daku. We had relaxed and asked a few questions of what we might do in the village, where was good walking, whether we might take photos etc., and where we might buy supplies. Unfortunately, it was time for us to leave this delightful peace, straighten up our crossed legs, stand up from the pandanus mats and walk back to our dinghy on the beach. Daku is not in any of our cruising guides. We had just crossed the Koro Sea diagonally from the Northern Lau in the NE of Fiji to Kadavu in the south. Two nights out is not a long passage, but enough that we were tired and needed a long night's sleep.

We had arrived in Fiji in early June and told immigration that we expected to be in the country for about 2 months. Two months passed and this was our first excursion out of the North East corner of the small country. We entered at Savu-Savu on suggestions from other cruisers, and were glad to have done so. We have not seen & still have little desire to sail to the capital city of Suva. Savu-Savu is a one street market town that has a pleasant mix of west and south. The market is where the busses stop, and is largely stocked by men & women bringing produce from nearby Fijian villages. There is also a plethora of shops, often run by Indo-Fijians, and each sells everything, but it's not obvious which brand of everything is their main line! The sleepy Planter's Club still portrays the colonial image of sugar cane farmers and Somerset Maugham, who used to live here. In the last few years Savu-Savu has sprouted real estate offices; plans for condominiums and a marina with a boat yard; and has acquired customs & immigration clearance offices, but will this all happen??

While in Savu Savu we met, by chance, Katie Clarke and her fiancee, Skez, both working as dive master/social coordinators on a 3 masted schooner for tourists. Katie is the daughter of Mike Clarke from whom we bought Harmonica in Victoria, BC, in 1998. What a surprise for Katie to look out and see us at anchor! They spent time aboard helping Dave familiarize himself with the dive gear he had bought in New Zealand. They flew back to Victoria for their wedding in August.

Dolly, at The Copra Shed marina, arranged an invitation for us to visit the Coconut plantation at Nabavatu in the Northern Lau islands. Lau is almost half way from the main island of Vitu Levu back to Tonga, but there is no port of entry there. In fact there is over 100 miles of working east to windward from Fiji's nearest entry port.

We sailed via Kioa, where people from Tuvalu were resettled in 1947 after their island was becoming too low in the sea, and inhospitalble. Then to Rabi where the inhabitants of Banaba (Ocean Island) were resettled after WW2 since phosphate mining (guano to us) had denuded their island. Kioa & Rabi are lovely places with distinct cultures. The people of Rabi produced a book of short biographies to mark 60 years after their move, and one page was written by Banea, a fisherman who lived in a bure behind a picture-perfect beach. His entire home was smaller than most western living rooms and made of unfinished wood, coconut leaves, and a roof of corrugated steel. He kept a permanent open-house and we spent a lot of time with him. Dave went fishing with him several times with snorkel gear and spears. Banea had a problem with his legs, but could swim like a fish and said he used to swim hours out to the reef and back for fish. However, he accepts a ride in the outboard dinghy now!

Then overnight to Lau. Lau has about 57 islands scattered over 400 km from north to South. Cruising boats require an invitation from a resident in order to visit since it was decided that the Lau culture is sufficiently distinct to be worth preserving (presumably protecting it from influences like ours). We traveled, however, to the set of six islands within the one reef about 20 miles across called "The Exploring Islands" on British charts. The main island of Vanua Bulavu is about 10 miles long and 0.5 to 2 miles across. Lau is one of the poorest parts of Fiji, as well as being isolated. The soils we saw are a red clay sitting on top of eroded limestone, and it does not produce the limitless gardens that we have seen elsewhere. Interestingly, the Lau Group has provided about half Fiji's leaders since independence including the recently deposed PM. Many people we met had very few personal possessions, and welcomed any gifts. They would present us with ample amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables. The children were delighted to be given balloons and candy. We left behind clothes, fish hooks, an LED flash-light and even two old pairs of sandals. We shall treasure our memories of help, camaraderie, and smiles.

Nabavatu Bay is on the N side of Vanua Bulavu, sheltered by limestone cliffs which are covered with dense trees. Tony Philip and his partner Greg bought the plantation about 1980. Tony also owns the Copra Shed Marina in Savusavu, and the Vuda Point Marina near Nadi & Lautoka. Unfortunately, we never met him, but he sounds to be well liked and a dynamic organizer. He is currently preparing a catamaran for a round the world solo sail. His estate is reached by climbing a series of 279 wooden steps from the copra jetty at the head of Nabavatu Bay. Tony's house peaks through the tropical bush, perched on the cliff top overlooking the bay. Below it is a "Royal Yacht Squadron" graced by 2 mooring balls, an empty club house, cold shower, dock, 6 laser dinghies, a hobie cat, and the club's flag pole, all sleepily hiding in the bush. Two other cruising boats greeted us on arrival. After they left we were alone in the bay.

The estate is maintained by 3 or 4 families who live in bures in a fenced area under the coconut palms. Cattle, pigs, horses, and sheep roam outside the fence. The breeze wafts through the open trees. Extensive tracks lead around the plantation and these are all neatly cut and strimmed. There is a clean and well-kept feel in the middle of untouched bush despite red muddy soil that clings to your sandals. Having caught our breath after the steps, we were welcomed by Fane, the young plantation manager and her husband Lee on the porch of their bure. They showed us around, including the famous view from the top of the South Cliff over the Bay of Islands. Fane also came with us in Harmonica to Daliconi Village to introduce us there, so she and her 2 year old son spent Saturday on board as we motored round inside the reef to present our sevu-sevu at the village and pay our F$20 each to visit the south side of Vanua Bulavu.

During the next week, we explored by dinghy and foot, walked and swam. Fane and Lee cooked a lunch of fish and pork for us. Dave & the skippers of two other boats drank kava one evening with the men from around the estate. There were two portable generators, but no fuel to run them and when we brought fuel, neither one worked. It seems to be the standard request to ask a visiting yacht to fix the generator. It was therefore pitch dark once we left the shelter with the one hurricane lamp. We had more success later repairing a portable tape player: Having opened it, and sprayed WD40 and CRC contact cleaner in appropriate places, 7 cockroaches ran out and the tape started working! We made positive noises about solar panels & LED lights, but the estate workers will never be able to afford these and they will only come if they are given. Tony and Fane keep in touch by mobile phone, and another standard request for visiting yachts is to be asked to recharge the phone.

We walked to both shores from Nabavatu, and met two other families living off fish and copra sales. Dave took the dinghy out to the reef to go spear fishing with Lee and Sudari from the Plantation. Since Dave's spear was not working he snorkelled around and dived to look for lobster & clams. He offered to hold 2 fish that Sudari had speared, and swim them back to the dinghy, but lost his nerve when a shark came round the reef (the shark seemed to enjoy the 2 fish but left Dave alone). Fijians eat everything from the sea, and we ate well off the land & sea.

On the S side, the Bay of Islands is equally wonderful, but quite different. The Bay of Islands is the destination that many people sail to Lau to see. We never knew of more than 6 other cruising boats there at the same time, and most stayed longer than we did, getting to know each other well. There was plenty of opportunity to socialise or anchor completely on your own with nobody else around in a turquoise bay over sand bottom. Eroded limestone mushroom pillars coming out of the sea make picture-perfect anchorages and wonderful snorkelling. There are some caves too that you can swim into. However, this is not the place to go ashore as under cut razor-sharp rocks surround the shore line. You can move your boat each day to a new spot, or contemplate the same lovely view each day.

When we did our check in and presented our sevu-sevu at Daliconi, there was an enormous Belgium-flagged catamaran that was waiting for 10 of 20 guests to fly in by chartered plane. The village provided a lovo-cooked (underground oven) dinner and dance for them on the beach, then they sailed off after only one more day. An event that size was the talk of the island for a short time.

The village of Daliconi is a traditional Fijian village a few miles beyond the Bay of Islands. It has a chief, and elders, church & school. It has a small income from the cruising permits which it sells as well as the fruits of the sea and its gardens. A satellite dish in the middle of the grass provides four public telephones and there is mobile phone coverage too. We were taken to visit the primary school where we left pencils and note pads. All the children were neatly dressed in uniform and sang for us and answered our questions. Fijian teachers often seem to be from other parts of the country, but in this school 2 of the 3 were from local islands. They were warm and friendly and provided just the sort of atmosphere where you would want to leave young children. Sadly these teachers may now be on strike against the pay cut recently imposed by the interim government.

Daliconi Village is connected by dirt road to Loma-Loma which is the biggest village in the island group. In fact more than 100 years ago it was the main port of Fiji, though you would not recognize that now. We started the 10km walk one day, but were passed by trucks that gave us rides parts of the way. There are 2 shops and a post office there, but little selection, and the eggs which we bought were bad. We also sought out Moanna's guest house where Caroline gave us coffee and sandwiches and let us use her Internet connection.

Back on board we moved to anchor off the small island just east of The Bay of Islands where Jojo and his family live behind the beach. We loved their company, and are left with the memory of the smiling teenage son waving farewells from the front of his bure as we pulled up anchor & sailed off.

Well, after sailing south to Kadavu, we presented Sevusevu at 3 more villages and enjoyed some more wonderful hospitality. The Eastern end of Kadavu boasts the Astrolabe Reef which claims to be the third largest reef in the world. Divers love seeing the giant manta rays there. But the north coast is little traveled. There are no roads on most of the island, but we used to hear the children talking and singing on their 2 mile walk to school through the jungle - parents who drive children to school in cars can learn from this culture! However, there is one lovely resort which is owned by a German/Californian woman and operated by Fijian staff. The Papageno Resort www.papgenoecoresort.com has no roads for miles about it. It is beautifully kept, but never had more than 4 guest while we were there. The gardens rolled down to the beach. Bright Kadavu parrots flew through the trees above. We belatedly celebrated our 30th anniversary with a lunch there.

We left Kadavu to moor close to the Nadi Airport so that David could fly to England where his Mother was in hospital. After a 3 week visit, his Mother is smiling again in a new home, Jan has refinished the wood on Harmonica, and we are back together and after 3 days at sea, Vanuatu is in sight.

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Dave & Jan SV Harmonica