november/december 2016cruisingworld.com63FABULOUS FIJIlawless days of the early 19th century. The town still
looks much as it did back then, with many historic
structures having been preserved or restored.Havingthoroughly enjoyed our brief
stay on Ovalau, we sailed back out into the Koro
Sea, still undecided about our next port of call.
Under spinnaker and main, we headed south along
the coast in light winds that gradually increased
and shifted more to the east. Turning to the west,
we decided to stop in at the port of Suva, Fiji’s main
port and largest city.
With an election only a few
days away, we’d been warned
by several longtime cruisers
that we should stay away from
bustling Suva until things
settled down. Fiji gained
independence from Britain in
1970, but since 1987, the duly
elected governments have
been overthrown by coups
four times. The most recent of
these occurred in 2006. We’d
been told that random violence
directed toward foreigners
might result if people weren’t
happy with the election results.
Choosing a good place
to anchor in the somewhat
crowded commercial harbor
took a little searching, but
ultimately we found a nice
spot in 20 feet of water, an easy
dinghy ride away from the Royal
Suva Yacht Club. Once ashore,
we learned that for a nominal
fee, we could become temporary
members of the club and use
the facilities, which included
a restaurant, bar and nearby
showers. The club’s location,
on the main road to downtown,
also made it easy to catch a bus
or taxi into the central part of the city.
Suva is a crucial center of commerce for the
entire southwest Pacific. Hundreds of commercial
ships from all over the world converge on the port
each year. We found the city to have an unhurried
but decidedly cosmopolitan feel. Interesting shops
and restaurants abound, and we were able to find
computer repairs, marine supplies and a great
open-air market, where fresh fruit and vegetables
could be purchased at what seemed to us to be
incredibly low prices. Gayle was often able to fill two
large grocery bags in the market for about $20 in
Fijian currency, or $10 USD.
After a few days in the big city, we sailed
southwest to a nearby mountainous island called
Beqa. The isle is the top of an eroded but rugged
and somewhat precipitous volcanic crater with one
side blown out, so a yacht can sail well up inside
into perfectly sheltered waters. Entering through
a barrier reef, we skirted along the eastern coast
and then set a course to enter the breathtakinglybeautiful, steeply wooded channel leading into
the depths of the harbor. About a mile in, we
found a spot in 40 feet of water and dropped the
hook, surrounded by the stark, natural beauty of a
quintessential South Seas paradise.
There was a small village ashore near the mouth of
the bay; after ofering our bundle of yagona, we were
warmly greeted by the chief and his wife, who were
also hosting one of Fiji’s more popular singing groups.
We were invited into the chief ’s house, where a large,
intricately carved bowl of kava was brought out, and
we spent the next several hours getting to know our
hosts, laughing and dancing.
Following several days
exploring beautiful Beqa, we
returned to Viti Levu and
sought out an anchorage called
the Bay of Islands, which is
located between several small
isles directly across from
Suva’s large harbor. The well-
protected anchorage featured
free moorings, but we chose to
drop the hook in the firm mud
bottom. We left the boat there
for a few days while we rented a
car and explored ashore. As we
drove along the eastern flank,
we marveled at the broad, slow-
moving rivers and brand-new
highway that traversed valleys
and wound over rolling hills.
We eventually made our way
around the somewhat desolate
north shore to the sheltered
west coast.
During this time the national
elections took place, and yet,
everywhere we went, we were
greeted with smiles and waves
and never felt even remotely
threatened. In fact, the one thing
we’ll always remember Fiji for is
its friendly people. Everywhere
we went, we were greeted with
“Bula!” — which basically means “hello, friend,” “wel-
come” and “good day” all at the same time. If you are
being greeted really efusively, you might hear “bula-
bula” or even “bulabulabula.”
For Sarah and Adrian, time was running short,
so of they went to the airport and a flight home.
Gayle and I continued west, gunkholing the reef
anchorages along Viti Levu’s south coast before
spending almost a month in the western islands,
beachcombing, snorkeling and hiking. Our two
months in Fiji had gone by all too quickly, and it
is with wistful thoughts that we remember our
wonderful adventures in such a friendly, unique and
beautiful place in our small world.Following his cruise to Fiji, Todd Du hauled Small
World II there and eventually sold it to a Canadian
cruiser. Ater returning to the British Virgin Islands, he
resumed his career as a yacht broker, and has purchased an
Amel Super Maramu, aboard which he and his fiancée,
Gayle Suhich, are looking forward to new adventures.Catch of the
day: A local boy
on a remote isle
carries home
the reef shark
he’s just landed
for dinner.
The fishing in
Fiji is quite
remarkable.TOR JOHNSON