August/September - Makogai, Levuka, Gau

26^th of August to   7^th of September

Savusavu – Back at Savusavu to give the boat a big clean, get 8 loads of washing done (we hadn’t washed since New Zealand!!) and picking Bo and Tina up from the airport to join us for a couple of weeks on Havachat. 

After that, provisioning again, a few nice meals and then off we went on the 28^th to the little island of Makogai. Poor Tina didn’t feel the best on the way over… It was a bit rough.

So, Makogai… it is different from other Fijian islands. 

It is a government run island and has a Marine Conservation centre, run by the fisheries. There is a giant clam farming program happening. They used to breed turtles as well, but Cyclone Winston from 2016 destroyed everything on the island, which they are slowly building back up. So hopefully soon they are expecting to breed turtles again as well. The young clams get sent all throughout Fiji to build up the stock again, which had been decimated by people eating them all. They had really big ones in the water, which were over 100 years old. They only grow about 3 centimeters in a couple of years. The island was pretty much a construction site of new buildings and only the construction workers, the fisheries people and their children lived there. They even had a little school, which was very well equipped. But Makogai also has a very interesting past. Makogai used to have the first leprosy hospital in the pacific. From 1911 any person with leprosy from anywhere in the pacific was send to this island. And not just people from Fiji, also from Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu, anywhere in the pacific. 5000 people ended up living there. A very big community. A boarding school for the children, a cinema, churches, football field, a massive big graveyard with 1500 people in it. The boys there where happy to show us around and explain all to us. I must say, it was very creepy seeing all the old buildings or what was left of them and the forest had taken re-possession of most of it. Just imaging all these sick people living here until they died. So sad. A cure for leprosy was found in 1969 and everybody left the island.

The next day we explored the clams under water, snorkelling and in the afternoon Tin and I went for a 6.8km walk to the school of the island.

Next stop… Levuka on Ovalau island. Levuka is the old capital of Fiji and has quite a wild past back in the whaling times. Also a very different looking Fijian island, with all these old colonial buildings. In its wild days, Levuka had 52 hotels!! Now there is only the Royal Hotel left, the oldest pub in the pacific! Of course we had to have a drink there. And lunch in the oldest bank building. Very nice. With an easy walk around town all the historical sites can be visited easily. The old town has only a couple of draw backs… the smell of a tuna factory right on the wharf and the noise of the town’s generator which goes on 24/7 right in the centre of town! So needless to say, we only stayed for one night and rather made our way to a little island close by, Leleuvia Island Resort. Cute little eco resort and we lucked it as we got there on a Saturday and for dinner was a Lovo (all the food cooked in the ground)!! Yumm. So when we made our way over for dinner the television was on and Pete was so happy to be able to see the last Knights game for the season! So all around a nice night: Football, a few nice drinks, great dinner and we even had desert! And back home, Jack’s Soccer team won the grand Final! Go Seaham!

On our plan to visit next was the island Gau, south east from Levuka. When we got up in the morning the winds were not happy for us to go there and we almost didn’t go, as we had to motor there… We hate turning the engines on! But we were all so glad we made the effort. Gau is quite big (I think the fourth biggest Fijian island), with 15 little villages. No tourism, no resorts, actually we even were the only yacht here. So untouched. We anchored in a little bay in front of Somosomo village. Another gorgeous village with beautiful friendly people. As we arrived on a Sunday, and we could tell they had a busy day with lots of people leaving in the long boats, we did not think they wanted to do Sevusevu on that day, but we thought we should still go in and at least say hello. Which we did. And of course straight away some Kava drinking. The next day we did our Sevusevu and joined the village people for another Kava session (they were still going from the day before. As they had a busy day with hosting 5 villages for lunch after church, they decided they needed a rest day with drinking Kava again) and had a look around the village with Tom happily showing us around. Actually he said, he was glad to get away from the Kava, he had enough. He came with us after that on our boat and we all went out snorkelling together in the hope to find some Manta Rays. Gau is famous for Mantas… But I don’t know, I think the Mantas don’t want to see us. We try every year in Fiji and we never see them! The ladies said to us this morning, last week they were every day in the bay we are anchored!!! Typical!!! Today, Tuesday we went exploring into the hills behind the village and rested for the afternoon. It was time to say goodbye to the lovely people of Somosomo and Tom, our new friend, who came back onto the boat for a couple of beers.  Another wonderful experience with wonderful friendly people.  Fijians are just the friendliest and most welcoming people we have ever met. When they say, that after the Sevusevu you are part of the village, they mean it. They are not just words, they genuinely make you feel like being at home.

Wednesday, 6am, and off we sail towards Vuda Point. Poor Tina is sick with gastro, including a fever… Poor lady

Fulaga – Sunday 12th to Tuesday 21st of August

The pass into Fulaga is very skinny with coral heads all over the place. So I had to be on watch to look out for reefs. But of course we made it safely (well, I mean with such a great first mate!) and found a lovely calm anchoring.  

The landscape here is very similar to Vanua Balavu, with little limestone islands growing out of the water looking like ships with a head of hair. It is amazing to see trees and Palms growing out of this limestone rock without having any earth. And everywhere where you look are gorgeous white sandy palm fringed beaches.  Taking it easy in the morning, with a yummy lunch of Kokonda, we decided to go and have a look at the village. 

We took our Kava for sevusevu, but we already thought, it’s Sunday, probably not happening today. Well, where do I start? These are the most welcoming people you have seen! As we arrived, a church service was on and we were straight away invited in to take part and met quite a few lovely people, like Bill, who introduced us to Sena and Simon, our host family straight away. Every yachty gets assigned to a host family, who will look after you for the time spending on the island and village. So, so nice. The next morning we went back for sevusevu with two other yachts, Mark from Wavelength from the US, with Teri from Mexico on board and Rob and Barbara on Zoonie from the UK. After the ceremony we went back to Sena and Simon’s house and had a chat with them before Bill showed us around in the village. 

Bill and Pete

The wood carvers, amazing work, we bought three 

No running water, no power (just a bit of solar), this is the wash station

The list of Priests from the village. Religion here is Methodist, with four church services on Sunday

Finding the wasabi plant (or raddish), it is so yumm, I felt like a cow that couldn't stop grazing

When we came back, Sena had prepared Tea and pancakes for us! They are so nice! Rob and Barbara joined us for some nice morning tea. 

Lovely Sena

And of course some Kava...

Late that day, we went for a snorkel along the pass. Really fun. You go with the incoming tide and just pull the dinghy behind while you snorkel. It was like a ride, the current took us soooo fast. Lots of lovely coral and fish.

Tuesday we had planned just to go quickly into the village and buy some of their beautiful wooden bowls and then go snorkelling again, but the day turned out so different… We did not have our radio turned on, so we missed that it was Barbara’s birthday! And it was party time! After buying our bowls, we first went for a great explore. (Pete stayed back with the village men, who were playing drafts and drinking kava, as his knee was giving him a bit of trouble on the day.)

 But us other five went with Bill and Tui on an explore, up to a lookout. First stop: A cave with human skulls and bones. Creepy… 

The boys reckon they were probably from warriors who had attacked the village and had been killed and eaten! Yeah! That was the live in the Pacific… Glad these times are over! 

With Teri, Mark, Barbara and Rob at the lookout

Next a lovely outlook and then I was brave and we went up this steep rockwall to get to the peak. Just trying to find little footholes (and mind you I was wearing Birkenstock thongs…) and roots to hold on to. And I am so bad anyway with heights. But it was worth it. The view was magnificent!!!

Bill and Tui

This is the peak we went up to!

And then dreading the climb back down. But the boys were really helpful, put your food here next and so on. I was just a bit worried too, that I was going to lose my sarong, as I am not the best at tying them around me and poor Bill would have had my underpants right in his face. But all went good, we made it fully dressed, safely and unhurt back down the mountain and back in the village. I had a big drink of Kava, which I think I really deserved!!! After that was party time. Barbara and Rob’s host had put on a party lunch for her birthday!! So cool. 

Now this is the next step from having environmentally friendly straws! These ones are from the paw paw plant. Best idea. And I love the coconuts. They seem to be a bottomless pit, there is so much water in it.

Mary made Barbara a birhtday necklace

Great, yummy food and lots of it. We had of course also birthday cake and some dancing and then of course we had to start again with some more Kava. 

So out of a little walk turned out to be a fantastic and fun day, which we finished with some cocktails on Havachat with Barabara and Rob.

Wednesday was a rest day. Lots of baking and cooking for the next few days, lots of things happening in the village. Thursday is Bring and Buy day, to fund-riser for the school. And Friday is picnic day at the beach with all the yachties and the people from the village. But Pete still had an exciting little outing on Wednesday, he had convinced Alfred, the village crab expert, to go mud crab hunting with him. So Alfred had lunch with us on the boat and then the two of them were off mud crab hunting. 

Alfred and Pete playing a game of connect four...

...and a came of checkers  before lunch.

A little red and blue crab

There you go, they are back. And of course one poor mud crab had to give his life, So sad. But Pete is so happy. And Alfred came back onto our boat and it was so interesting to have a conversation with him over a few beers.

Well, tomorrow and Friday will be big days with the give and buy and the picnic. We will have to bring lots of the villagers around to the beach on our boat. See how that will go…. More later….

Bring and Buy was fun, I made a banana cake (you never have a shortage of these in this part of the world and they are delicious, but sometimes you can’t eat them fast enough so they have to be used in baking) and a bread.

Picnic day was just the best! Four or five boats (including Havachat) waited in the morning to pick the villagers up to ferry them to the picnic beach. We ended up with the lot of people, it was great! 

Off we went, making our way slowly and carefully through the coral heads, so not to hit them. At the beach,we were busy making table tops and plates out of palm leaves. It is amazing! These people need nothing, the whole set up was done there and then without creating any rubbish! And it was really cool to learn how it is done. 

Bill, my teacher

Barbara and Tui

Well done, Pete!

 

Teri

 Lunch is being set up. Everybody brought a dish, so we had a feast. Yummy, yummy!

Table construction

I think this is the most people we ever had in our dinghy - 12!

On the way back, when we were anchored up again, we got rid of the kids and then the adults had fun!! We had so much fun! Barbara and Rob came over as well, the music got turned up, we danced and laughed a lot. They are just such beautiful people in this village, so much fun to be around with. And they enjoy their time with the yachties as much as we enjoy our time with them.

Saturday we went back to the anchorage at the beach were the picnic was and spend the day with  Barbara and Rob and Mark and Teri  going on a long snorkelling trip, then a very yummy soup made by Teri, which we had on their boat, and then we ended the night on our boat with just a little bit too much partying…

Teri and Pete making custard

So Sunday was a write- off, being hangover and reading all day. But we had that much action, it was really nice doing nothing for a day.

With Monday our second last day arrived at this beautiful island, where our host family had organised a good-bye party for us. We would have liked our host family to come on our boat for dinner, but Simon has a bad leg and couldn’t walk all the way from the village. So instead, we made food (I made a roast pork with baked potatoes and pumpkin) and they made also lots of great dishes. The biggest smile Pete had, when he saw, that they went the night before to catch a coconut crab for us to eat! 

Sena's kitchen

Coconut crab - and then I ran out of room on my phone to take any more photos...

Besides all this fantastic food we had of course lots and lots of Kava as well. And Simon’s sister made us some placemats and serviette rings as a good bye present. They are just the nicest and most welcoming people!! We were soooo sad when we had to say goodbye… 

Tuesday morning we snorkelled again the pass (we did it Monday morning with Teri and Mark), this time with Barbara and Rob. The reef there is so healthy looking with an enormous amount of coral in different shape, colour and type. As Barbara said, it is not just a coral garden, it is a coral forest!  

The pictures just don't really do it justice!

Havachat

And the reef looks so healthy, with the healthy looking coral and lots of reef fish. We also saw some White tipped reef sharks, some big groupers and big turtles.

And after lunch it was finally goodbye! Sail back to Savusavu to pick up Bo and Tina there, to spend a couple of weeks with us on the boat. The sail back to Savusavu was calm and uneventful.