Fiji Gold

Arriving in Suva, Fiji after another 3 day / 430nm passage from Tonga, we were greeted with the muck and mire of an industrialised, commercial harbour for the first time in a long time. Rusted out Tuna boats and shipping containers were the new coconut tree and golden beaches, however after a fair bit of time leading a rather nomadic existence we were excited to hit the city lights for a few cold drinks and some hot curry.

Squarky had been with us for over 200nm, he even had the nerve to watch us clean his shit off the boat!

 I went home to Brisbane for a week to visit family the day after we got to Suva and rejoined the boat in Musket Cove on Malolo Lailai Island just off the Fiji’s west coast. We made sure we arrived in time for the 28^th Annual Musket Cove Regatta, a fun cruisers-based race week with over 80 boats entered hosted by the island’s resort. The week long regatta included 3-races, and were really just an excuse to get the sailors away from the bar.

Tolly

Calling tactics for the Pirate Race

 Each race had a theme, the first one was the Pirate Treasure Hunt, which involved everyone dressing up as pirates and a few thousand water bombs, the finish of this race was Beachcomber Island Resort where the pirate party continued for the rest of the afternoon.

Jas

Sara and Jas

Le Mistral Race Team, Chris, Sara, Jas, Tolly, Andy, Caitlin and Me (Hannah took the photo unfortunately!)

 The second race of the regatta was a simple race around a sandbank after which another party took place on the sandbank. This time the party kicked on with some tug ‘o’ war and of course beer drinking competitions, the day concluding when the tide finally came in to remove any evidence of the shenanigans that had transpired.

Haven't seen Andy this excited... ever.

What turned out to be the most competitive event during the regatta was the Port Opua Hobie Cat Challenge. With over 40 boats entered for the one on one match race style competition, Andy and I entered quietly confident of our chances after seeing the form of some of the other entrants. Racing the resort owned Hobies was a challenge, with many of them full of water or with bits that just don’t work, and the race organizer stating that there are no rules, many races soon became an on-water version of a Destruction Derby. With races  held in the afternoon and starting and finishing at the beach bar, the drinks were once again plentiful as the competitors talked tactics between their races over the obligatory rum or gin. Unfortunately we got knocked out in the semi final, however we still claimed the real victory after knocking Tolly and Chris in a fiery and reckless quarter final!

No love lost between the Le Mistral team, us on the left getting the better of Chris and Tolly 

Between races

M Party dress ups - Mary Poppins, Michael Hutchence, Miss Musket and the Mechanic

The final race of the regatta was the round the island race, also known as the only serious race of the regatta (which meant only a “few” beers before the start and during the race, as opposed to the “many” beers that were had for the other races). Cowabunga had teamed up with Chris and Sara from Tulu to crew for Jaz and Tolly from Le Mistral for the three races and the team was looking forward to the “serious” race. Unfortunately there was a bit of a bingle between Le Mistral and another boat on the downwind leg, a broken steering cable forced the other boat to crash into us and do some serious damage, no one was hurt luckily, but it was definitely a sour way to end such a fun week.

Game faces 1

Game Faces 2

Once the regatta finished, most boats moved on, however with Bucko’s parents coming over to stay at the resort for the week, we stayed on making the most of the facilities and enjoying some much needed R’n’R after the mayhem of the previous week. Andy and I had a few surfs out at Cloudbreak, taking the little tender out for the 12nm round trip to the break, getting there just as the motor died on us, after some bush mechanics, she was soon fine to get back to the island, just not before a fun but crowded surf.

The Sandbank also came into its own as another epic set up for kitesurfing, and plenty of fun afternoon sessions at the bank were had over the week.

Kim showing us how its done.

Link up with Andy

Not the best for a non-waterproof DSLR

We took some time out from the resort life to head over to Cloud 9 one day, this floating pontoon restaurant on the inside edge of Fiji's Barrier Reef is one of the nicer restaurant settings I have seen.

Once Bucko’s parents left, we also packed up and departed Malolo Lailai, in convoy with Zissou and Sea Wolf. First stop of the tour was the island that featured in the Tom Hanks movie Cast Away. This anchorage became one of our favourites of the trip so far with plenty of snorkeling, spearing, kayaking and coconut trees to be had; It’s no wonder old Hanksy survived so long there! Setting up another campfire on the HELP ME beach featured in the movie on the first afternoon there, we all mentioned how it had been so long since we had seen the movie. Someone mentioned how it would be good to watch it whilst still here so plans we made for the following night to have a special screening of Cast Away.

Kim Hanks

The following afternoon we set up yet another fire, stocked up on coconuts for the coconut rums as Sea Wolf set up their movie projector on the beach. We Have all seen a movie that is set in some city they have been to before and excitedly saying “I’ve been there”, but to actually sit on the beach of Cast Away and watch Tom sitting on the beach in rags at the very spot we are sitting in watching him was quite a surreal and definitely memorable way to see it!

Andy Hanks

Cowabunga Hanks

 After leaving Cast Away, we spent the next week making our way further north through rest of the Mamanuca Islands and into the Yasawa Island Group. Finding many more empty islands and even a new surf spot that would only break once or twice a year!

Running low on provisions, we finally made it back to Denarau Harbour to spend a few days getting more food before heading off to Vanuatu. Hannah left the boat here to go home to New Zealand, and I made another trip home for a few days for my grandfathers funeral. Hannah had done just over 2200nm with us from Tahiti, which was a good enough excuse to go out for one final night in Da Crubs.

Bucko misses Hannah, but not so much her pouring skills as is evident in this photo.

I met our new crew, Josh at Brisbane Airport on our way back to Fiji a few days later. We only stayed for two more days before we said goodbye to Fiji, our next stop being the island of Tanna in Vanuatu, 480nm away.  Overall our 5 weeks in Fiji was a thoroughly enjoyable time with perfect weather, but we were looking forward to the new adventures awaiting us in Vanuatu.

Tuna Boat

Morning of our departure to Vanuatu.