June/July 2023 – Fiji.
Early in June the Watsons and us made our way to the Pittwater RSL for dinner and a show with a ten person group playing Motown music. I love the Motown sound of the seventies and went prepared with anti-inflammatories, to dance the night away. Clearly, our age group haven’t forgotten Motown, as the joint was packed to the rafters with the 60-80 demographic, dancing like they were in their twenties. An excellent time was had by all the silver tails.
Our bathroom renovations also started first week of June. Annie and I didn’t like walking straight into the laundry when entering the house and she felt we needed a second bathroom for visitors. I moved the washing machine and tumble dryer into the garage with the help of Bryce our plumber friend.
Two builders quoted on the plan we had drawn up for a second bathroom and we selected the builder who could start and finish the soonest – Three Crowns Construction started on the 1st June and finished exactly four weeks later. Lars, Adam, Daniel and their tiler, plumber and electricians co-ordinated well and did an excellent job. Annie and I did the painting of the ceilings and walls.
On the 21st June, one year after finishing radiation therapy, I went for a PET scan to find out if there were any defiant cancer cells still present in my body. It was a relief to be given the all clear and return a PSA blood test of 0.33 – celebrations were in order. I have to have a PSA blood test every 6 months.
In the meantime, we had a surprise one night visit from Michelle who was in Sydney for an UN conference. Neil and Judith, now living in Perth also paid us a surprise visit and due to too much wine and laughter, I cremated a chicken on the BBQ.
On the 6th July we flew to Nadi in Fiji, with a connecting flight to the capital Suva in the east, where Michelle lives and works for Unicef.
She had a busy programme laid on for us, with a tour of Suva and drinks with some colleagues at the Suva Bowling Club.
Due to Covid lockdowns, we missed making a landfall in Savusavu, Fiji at the end of 2021. So now, we took a ferry to Savusavu three days later, where we stayed at Ian and Jan’s Gingerbread cottage for four days.
On a previous visit to Fiji when I turned 60, we focussed on Nadi and the West coast visiting the island resorts in the area. The area we were now visiting is low key and less touristy, which was great, as we are not into large resorts.
A highlight of this visit, apart from the beautiful scenery and friendly locals, was a boat trip out to the offshore reefs, where we snorkelled over pristine coral reefs with colourful tropical fish, before we returned to Suva.
A low pressure weather system formed over Fiji after our return, resulting in rain and strong winds. This was disappointing as we had to cancel a trip out to the small Leleuvia Island, north-east of Suva – it however, allowed us more time exploring the markets and sights of Suva with Michelle.
On Sunday the 16th July we took an early flight to Nadi, followed by a flight to Kadavu Island to the South, to visit the Matava Eco Resort. This is really off the beaten track, ideal for a tech detox, as there is no internet or phone reception, roads or cars in this remote area. The Bures (bungalows) against a hill, overlook the Great Astrolabe Barrier Reef – one of the last remaining pristine coral barrier reefs on the planet.
Arriving at the short Kadavu airstrip, a waiting ute picked us up for a short ride to a small mangrove bay to wade out in knee deep water to a Fijian longboat. The usual 45 minute boat ride to the resort turned into a one hour wet and bone jarring trip, into the teeth of the wind to the resort. With low tide, we again had to wade ashore to arrive at the resort drenched.
The staff gave us a warm welcome with hot coffee and a warm lunch, before we tackled the stairs to our Bure for a solar powered hot shower and a Nana nap. The low pressure weather system over the island, resulted in very strong easterly winds during our stay, ruling out our planned snorkeling on the Astrolabe Reef.
Instead, we did some challenging walks into the mountains up to a 800 m altitude, with a guide clearing a path through the dense vegetation with his machete and us returning to the resort covered in mud. Our evenings were convivial dinners with a French family, visiting their son, also working in Suva.
After an emotional farewell and flower necklaces presented by the staff, our boat ride back to Matava was much easier, due to a light following wind. Note: evidently a flower worn above the left ear by Fijian ladies means “I’m cooking” (married), above the right ear, “I’m looking” (single).
We spend a night in Nadi before flying back to a very cold Sydney. Ironically, the warm Fijian weather we enjoyed (like summer in Sydney) was considered cold by the Fijians, as it was also their winter.
In the meantime, Karen & Evan who got married on the 1st April, got back from a belated two week honeymoon in Japan with a few days in South Korea, on the way back to Sydney.
After selling the two small 14″ folding bicycles we took around the world on Esprit, I ordered a full size 27 speed 26″ folding bike with a 36V Lithium iron battery for uphill assistance. We used these bikes to cycle through the Bordeaux region some years ago. Getting older but not stronger, this is probably a sensible choice. My first ride around the Narrabeen lakes was a breeze.
On the 30th July we took Esprit out to sea to look for whales on their annual migration to the North. We may have been a bit late in the season, as no whales showed up. Instead, we anchored off Maitland beach for lunch and then had a fast sail back to RMYC for dinner aboard with seven friends.
We are looking forward to spring and will report again on our activities down the track. Cheers for now, Annie & Dirk.