Fiji adventures

19 Feb 2014

Members of the Donvale Hill Probus Club started their Fiji trip with a flight delay of 12 hours but they finally arrived at their destination in Fiji – a very attractive resort – where they were greeted by a very nice Asian buffet, before retiring to bed exhausted.

Next day, the group awoke to a sunny day with many birds singing and a lovely buffet breakfast. They then boarded a bus to the Port where they had a tea break and a browse around the shops before boarding a cruise ship to set sail for the Yasawa Islands with its crystal clear blue lagoons.

All quickly learnt their first Fijian word - ‘bula’ - which covers all greetings, please, thank you and any applicable occasion that anyone cared to use it.

A highlight of the evening was the Captain’s Welcome Dinner after which the Captain and crew entertained all with Fijian songs.

The group met the villagers of Navotina, a traditional Fijian village, where they were welcomed ashore for the time-honoured Kava ceremony. Later, after making sure no one was wearing shoes or a hat, the group was able to look around the village’s church and the school opposite the church. On approaching the school all could hear about 40 children singing. The group climbed up the piled-up brick steps and went inside to discover only 12 pupils! One very determined pupil was a little three-year-old girl who is allowed to attend school because she insisted on turning up each day.

The children sang us some nursery rhymes, including actions, and then sang the British, NZ and Australian National Anthems – a nice touch which all appreciated.

Many gifts for the children and then the group moved next door where they were entertained by the hearty singing and dancing of the adults. They had everyone up dancing with them. The finale was everyone joining in a conga line with a very energetic villager heading it. 

Back on board for lunch followed by an afternoon visit to Sawa-I- Lau Cave which had a natural pool in which you could swim. 

Reboarding the ship, all were entertained by the crew with a variety of stringed instruments and voices.

After wondering why the ship had stopped upon waking up and looking out of our window there was a desert island which looked like it was straight out of a Hollywood movie. It had the most beautiful blue/green water, golden sands and waving palms. We wouldn’t have been surprised to see Elvis sauntering through the trees singing ‘Blue Hawaii’.

After breakfast, the group was transported on a motor-boat to the island and spent the day lazing around in the heat, but not everyone was as lazy as us as there were plenty of activities organised for those who wanted to partake – bushwalking, snorkelling, swimming, strolling along the beach, and many photo opportunities!

A traditional island feast or Magiti was prepared for our evening meal in an oven called a lovo, followed by an after dinner beach party under the tropical stars.

The next day, an adventurous bus trip on unmade roads so narrow there was just enough room for one vehicle to pass jostled all out of day dreaming so that no one missed the magnificent views of meandering hills and fast flowing streams.

The group went to Momi Guns, the site of Fiji’s first line of defence in World War II, albeit equipped with guns from the Boer War.  After that we travelled further around the coast to Kula Eco Park, an excellent sanctuary and nature walk.

It was a great trip made more enjoyable by the friendly cheerful people we travelled with and topped off by the unending patience of our tour organiser, Ken.