Fiji - welcome to paradise.

To escape the winter cold after hearing all about the heatwave back home we decided a wee trip to a tropical island was in order.

Graham and Diane had enthused us with their adventures in Fiji last winter, so we were keen to see it for ourselves.

We arrived in Nadi (pronounced Nandi!) and the airhostess said 'welcome to Paradise' as we touched down! We had decided not to hire a car but use buses and taxi's, so we waited in warmth and brilliant sunshine for the air conditioned bus for Suva the capital.

Unfortunately by the time we go to Suva it was raining and dark - a local 3rd world bus station in the dark and rain is a very confusing and noisy place! We also made a mistake with our first nights accommodation - not worthy of Lonely Planet - we shall write to them to let them know!

It got better after that!
We were sitting in the front and realised the bus driver was watching the film on a monitor as he drove - a bit disconcerting!

 At least the Sunbeam buses all have windows unlike local and school buses!

 This is a place not to stay in Suva!



This is the place to stay! The Grand Pacific - beautiful. We did manage a lovely coffee and breakfast there!

Suva is a big city and very like ones in Malaysia etc, we enjoyed eating in Hawker Centres and visited the main museum, where they have ocean going canoes and interestingly a section of the original rudder of the Bounty (as of Mutiny on the Bounty)

From Suva we got a taxi to Bau Landing where we were to get a boat to the island of Leleuvia off the east coast of the main island of Viti Levu. We were quite surprised when we go to the landing down a long dirt road to find there was nothing and nobody there! The taxi driver waitied with us until some other people arrived who were going to another island on a local boat. It was very 'Fiji Time' a small boat arrived with the school children from Bau island and some of their teachers heading home, so we had a chat to them.

Eventually a truck arrived with provisions for our island and then the boat arrived - as you can see it was overcast and very windy!

After a bouncy wet trip we arrived at the island. X marks the spot (too small for the map!)



A beautiful if windswept tiny coral island, which took all of 20 minutes to walk right round.

 At low tide it was fascinating walking out on the reef, where during the day we had been snorkelling amongst a rainbow of tropical fish, including comical clown fish, elegant angel fish and huge parrot and long thin fish (don't know their names!!)

The coral was superb too. The photo above is from the website as we didn't have an underwater camera unfortunately! See Graham and Diane's blog for some good photos of the same reef. G & D Blog. Thanks to you both for the recommendation to stay on this tiny island.

We did have some sunny weather but it remained windy for our 3 days in Leleuvia. Apart from extreme relaxation we did enjoy some local cuisine, including superb fish, cooked fern leaves, local ceviche and a Kava or two with the lovely staff.

 A new dorm for back packers was being built using pandanus leaves for the roof

The high point for both of us was the first dive we have done in 15 years - both of us were a bit nervous especially as the swell was very high. We both had a dive master with us and although the visibility was quite poor we did have the excitement of catching a large green turtle (about 20 years old). One of the dive masters wrote on a pad underwater to reassure us it was being caught for tagging not eating! It was very strong and put up quite a fight before it was put in the boat.

 Here you can just see him swimming away from Seru the dive master after being tagged.

A baby turtle had also been rescued and was being protected until it was large enough to release and have a good chance of surviving in the wild.

A beautiful restful island.



True Kiwi entertainment

June is the time for three iconic Kiwi events, the national Field Days, the NZ hosted FIFA U20's and Kiwi mating season (the birds of course!)

We started off our weekend with a Kiwi Night Walk in the Ohope Wildlife Sanctuary, led by two members of the local Whakatane Kiwi Trust. It was a very different experience being out in the bush at night, especially sitting with a group of 15 people in silence and darkness just listening to the night and watching the stars through the creaking Punga (fern) and Rimu trees.
Kiwi calls
We did (eventually!) hear 2 male Kiwi calling very loudly and very close to where we were. Kiwi are amazing birds where the egg the female carries is huge and looks about half her size - it can only fit because the two halves of the breastbone are not joined in the middle so the chest can expand to accommodate the egg!
Kiwi facts

We also saw some huge Wetas - cricket type beasties. We were lucky to see 2 of the 3 main types in NZ, Tree and Cave Wetas - the cave ones have smaller bodies but enormous long legs and can jump a very long way!
This one is a tree Weta with Malcolm's hand for size comparison!

The next day we popped over to Mystery Creek (near Hamilton - great name!) where the Annual National Farmers Gathering called the Field Days is held. Everyone who is anyone goes to Field Days - a truly national institution. It is actually a bit like our County Shows without the animals - just HUGE GYNORMOUS tractors (the one below costs the same as a small house!), happy farmers wearing Swandri and lots and lots of 'things' to make cows, sheep and farmers smile!

 Tractor pulling was a very serious business and the competition was fierce!

 Happy cow- with automatic milking on demand!

 Even the police cars were dressed for the part!

 Lots of tasty things to try as well, including a very passable whisky!

Then back again to Hamilton on Sunday to watch the one of the semi-finals of the FIFA U20's world cup. We watched the up and coming new stars of Brazil and Portugal. Luckily the awful FIFA scandal has not spoilt this competition here in NZ.  It was an even match which went to penalties, with Brazil winning - they went on to win the U20 World cup. Portugal played well but their goal kicking was woeful!

Lake Waikaremoana - an NZ Great Walk.

What a way to celebrate the Queens Birthday!
Well we have done our first multi day trek, carrying all our food, cooking stuff,  sleeping bags etc. We didn't have to take the tent as we stayed in DOC huts for the first time - another new experience!!

greatwalks -lake waikaremoana

The walk is situated south and east of us and took about 4 hours through the largest Wilderness area in the North Island called Te Uruwera, to reach the place where we caught the water taxi. The drive is down State Highway 38 from Rotorua, 90km of which is dirt road!

We managed to get to the jetty by 11am although the road was often white with frost and had various wandering horses and pigs to watch out for along the way! Quite chilly!

 

Here we are pointing at where we started and ended our walk (we did about 1/2!) . We only stayed 2 nights as we weren't quite sure how it would go and if we had brought the right stuff etc. The DOC huts were fully booked both nights we were there and we met some lovely people - although there was a slight issue of snorers!! The first Hut was near the shore and a big party of Hunters and Fishermen were staying, and had brought masses of stuff by boat!, they had Tilly lamps, big cookers and lots of alcohol (judging by the empty bottles!), so we had good light the first night in the communal sitting room, the second night there was only candle light and head torches - all very peaceful & everyone seems to go to bed with the light and get up when it gets light in the morning.

Above is the First Hut. Firewood and a big wood burning stove is provided in all the huts, as are plastic covered mattresses - lined up on wooden platforms, long drop loos, running water (which needs boiled for 3 minutes). So all very rustic! The following photos are the second Hut, but very similar style and capacity.

We were on the bottom level! 

We did the last two huts on the walk which goes up over the ridge, so after the first night we went up from the lake shore to the Panakere Hut on the top of the ridge - it only took about 3.5 hours so we arrived at lunch time - the views were superb. Although there was still a sprinkling of snow at the top!

We walked through several 'layers' of native bush with a sort of cloud forest at the top with lots of moss and lichen covering the trees.

 

Shona's main reason for going was to see the Korokoro falls, as she has bought and framed a photograph of these falls.

 

They look pretty spectacular - as was the noise!.

 



The walk down the next day was again quite short but very beautiful and we were very lucky to have spectacular weather the whole trip - the rain started on the drive home!! Can you see the rainbow over the ridge we were on?

Can't wait to do our next Great Walk - hopefully with Rhian and Callum!

Tauranga events

Tauranga is a great place for events, sport and theatre. In the last few weeks we have thoroughly enjoyed an eclectic mix of cinema, sport and shows.

After watching the superb RSC productions of Loves Labours Lost and Loves Labours Won at the local arthouse cinema, we also experienced the ALL ACTION Mad Max ( we went to see the Namibian scenery!).

As well as the usual Thursday Yoga and Monday Body Balance classes, Malcolm has started his Winter Sailing season, including a win last Sunday - congratulations to Candida and her hardy crew.

Shona played her first game of golf in years - she was pretty dreadful, but with a sense of humour there is a hope she will get better!! Although her putting was pretty good!
The beautiful low golden autumnal light made the leaves on the trees glow crimson and orange at the Okorire Springs 9 hole course. We played in pairs and despite Malcolm's good shots we lost pretty convincingly to friends Steve and Jen. Such good fun though we will play again.
Okoroire Springs

At the local Baycourt Theatre we have also recently enjoyed (shona with earplugs!!) the Pink Floydd Experience, a superb Balinese Mask play called Kiss the Fish and Shona enjoyed a recycled and upcycled fashion show.

And last but not least we had a fun Tuesday evening at a local Quizz night at the Rain Bar with a Prendos team - we were in second place for a very short time but in the end came 6th out of 14 - so not bad for a first time!

So Tauranga is a friendly and fun place!