Subject/ Area: Fiji Islands
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Port DenarauThis may be the new “in” spot for yachts, depending on what happens with future developments. Right now it is the area with the greatest concentration of “Chic” Hotels (Sheraton, Sofitel), golf courses, and time-share type villas. The marina is also the “Gateway to the Yasawas and Mamanucas, as the majority of charter cruise boats and shuttles depart from here. You can anchor behind the protection of the breakwaters or dock. Port Denarau is out on a point, about 5 km from the main highway, 7km from Nadi, and about 20km from the airport. Public bus service is intermittent, but mini-vans frequently transport workers ($0.50 to the main rd), or there are taxis ($10), and hotel shuttles ($5) to Nadi. One of the biggest cruise operators is Captain Cook’s Cruises, which offers every kind of formula, from luxury cruises to the Yasawas, 2-3 day sail cruises, day-long picnic and sailing, to the 2-4 hr cocktail and dinner cruise. For fun, and nostalgia, we went on a dinner cruise. (We used to run them in the Caymans). It was quite well done, the delicious, Amero/Euro cuisine, 3-course dinner was served formally in a dining salon as a Fijian group sang. After dinner, there was a presentation of Fijian traditional costumes, a refreshingly different change from the classic making-the-tourists-try-to-do-local-dancing. Actually, that was done earlier in the evening! Nadi Airport/Newton BayThis is the nearest anchorage to the airport. Convenient if you are dropping off, or picking up people, this is not an area to leave the boat long-term. It is an open roadstead, but fine in easterlies. As you enter the wide bay, head for the tall white tower with the round, bulbous top. We anchored in <20ft of water quite a ways offshore between the Turtle Airways floatplane pier, and the Backpacker’s Resort with the small boats, and a charter cat moored in front. Taxi fare is about $12 F. It is not close to the main road, so catching a bus is quite difficult. Lautoka: Check-in at Cruise Ship/Container Ship wharf, offices are on the Quay. Put out a stern anchor if you put the dink at the stairs near the Blue Lagoon Cruises berths (a friend almost had his crushed under the pier by the rising tide.) Trash bins are across the roadway from the steps, and the gate is guarded at all times. $0.45 bus ride, $3 taxi, or 15 min walk to town. The Fruit and Veggie Market has good choice and the best prices of all others visited in Fiji. Go to the back corner, or outside vendors on Fri-Sat for best deals. $1F/hr (!!) internet in the Village 4 Cinema building. Newly opened, clean and quiet. We hope that it survives and thrives. Every major chain of Supermarket has at least TWO stores in town. For refrigeration and electrical repair, we went to Kumar Electrical, on Namoli Ave further than the market; the personnel was nice and did their best. Cyclone season has it’s advantages, as the notorious black smoke-belching sugar mill is CLOSED until JUNE. Bekana Island: Just in front of Lautoka, Bekana’s 6-7 yacht moorings are a reasonable dinghy ride away in relatively mild conditions, if you have an RIB and 10-15HP motor. It was much more pleasant here with a view of the resort and beach, than near the noise and traffic of the port area. Pick a mooring, then go in to ask, as they do not monitor VHF. Andrew, Fijian Chinese, born and raised in this area, has become a successful entrepreneur in Auz, and a few years ago, bought the mismanaged resort, which employs many of his childhood friends and buddies. He visits the island about once a month from Sydney and he welcomed us as warmly as any native Fijian, singing with his staff and sharing a bowl of kava. Sala, the full-time manager, was graciously warm and welcomed us to use the mooring, and come for the Friday Lovo/Meke (underground oven/Fijian dance) night, with the regular staff members providing the entertainment. While in the upper price range, the dining here is higher quality in terms of ambiance, attentive service, and presentation of gourmet cuisine when dining ala carte, and a beautiful buffet on Lovo night. Watson is a Fijian version of the proper “butler” with his grave and serious attention to the guests, making sure you are greeted by name each time he sees you. His side-kicks on the activities staff contrast well with their open “Bula”-ness, and when they all get together to sing, Watson is right in there offering Kava, and making you part of the family. Voli Voli Point /Nananu-I-Ra Island The route to Voli Voli is well marked, and reefs are as indicated relative to each other on CM93, though maybe off from actual position. There are places to anchor to break up the trip. On the northern-most point of Viti Levu, and a day-sail from Yadua Island, this area makes a nice stop over. One big caveat: the entrance to the Nananu Passage is NOT accurately placed on the CM93 electronic charts, and there are NO permanent channel markers as indicated! On approach from the north, we saw only a giant orange buoy; could not see the reef because of clouds and high tide. Only at the last minute did we see that the GPS put us about 100 m too far to the EAST and we had to do a an abrupt 90 degree turn to strb to avoid the reef and pass WEST of the orange buoy, which marks the east side of the pass. WHEW! Be aware for the rest of the trip in. Safest is to arrive at low tide when all the dangers are exposed. Described, in the Guides, the area has really developed since then. The dive center that used to be on Nananu-I-Ra, has now opened it’s own resort/dive center on Voli Voli Point, which is actually on the island of Viti Levu. Owned by Australians, Steve and Gail, and managed by their son, Steve and his wife, the resort is planning to put in moorings for yachts (??) on the west side of the point with the hopes of attracting cruisers here for diving and a friendly ambiance for knocking back a beer, having a reasonably priced meal or snack, and spinning tales, as well as offering internet and other services of interest to cruisers. Already, the large, open-air, thatch-covered, bar/restaurant/socializing area serves an honest, nutritious, pleasing dinner. Value without the “chi-chi”. And not only ice cream, but sundaes, as well! The Walu was fresh, cooked just right, and the fries (chips) won the heart of the Belgian Capt.! Having opening the original dive center in the Nananu-I-Ra area, “Ra Divers”, Steve and his dive crew, who have worked with him from the beginning, know intimately the best diving in the area, and when to go where for greatest safety and enjoyment. Their 2 dive boats are comfortable and set up well. We dived 2 very colorful sites on some of the Bommies, northwest of Voli Voli, offering a lot of changing scenery and far and near attractions: swim-thrus and look-thrus lined with soft corals and gorgonians, narrow canyons, schooling snappers and jacks, nudibranchs and close-up goodies, and we were fortunate to glimpse a bronze whaler shark, a new one for our list. Better value and better diving than the Mamanucas and Yasawas.
The big attraction here is THE CAVE. Controlled by the village, by a locked gate, this unique geological feature can be visited M-Sat. From the anchorage, you can see the gate and stairway, dinghy there and a local will probably be there to greet you and take $5 entrance fee from each of you. Take snorkel gear and an underwater light to get your money’s worth. It really is an impressive natural cave. Shear walls 30m high form a cylinder of light beaming in from the opening at the top, reflecting images of the gray-green walls on the surface of the 5-6m deep, clear, pool. On the side opposite the stairs, a shallow breath-hold dive of about 10 seconds will take you into the “black” chamber. You are in total darkness with the ceiling of the cave far above and resonating sound of the water lapping. With a light, you can explore quite an extensive chamber and see light coming in from other “windows” in the rock. If you are a good breath holder, at the end of the cave, is another underwater tunnel that requires about 20-30 seconds to swim with fins. Just about the time you have passed the point of no return, you see a sharp turn to your left and further, a bubble of air. As you burst into this, you’ll find yourself in another large chamber visited by very few people, because at the end, in the open air are the most delicate, white crystallized stalactites hanging from the walls totally intact! Nanuya Lailai Island: Consult Guides for the approach. There are red and green markers that appear to be “red-right-returning “ with the anchorage as the return point. In other words, whatever direction you come in from, the markers will be the opposite to go out (green on the rt.). We anchored in 50ft. Not much room for more than 4-5 yachts, as South side is reserved for Lagoon Cruises. Nanuya Island Resort dive center: This center services about 5 resorts in the immediate area. They have 2 large, stable rigid-bottom inflatable dive boats, nicely set up for ease of the divers. They offer 1-tank dives, morn. and aftn. $95/ dive. At one of the reefs on the east side, Bonsai reef, we dived on the reef drop-off, max 20meters, and saw typical marine life for this area. Not many soft corals or gorgonians, but the hard corals were healthy and colorful in the first 14m. This time of year, the waters are warm, but vis is lower due to plankton blooms. This was a good site for less experienced divers or divers new to tropical waters. Nanuya Balavu: We took the free mooring from the Manta Ray Island Resort, located in a pass between this island and Drawaqa. Between Drawaqa and Naviti, is another pass that at certain times, hosts manta rays which cruise back and forth in the currents feeding. Unfortunately, they hadn’t been seen for a while when we were there end of March. Went for a reef dive with the center there on the patch reef on the west side. This reef had some nice swim-thrus and narrow canyons, some gorgonians, and some nice soft corals, as well as healthy hard corals. The richest color and life, like many sites in Fiji, are 15m or less, most vibrant right on the top of the drop-off. This was a relaxing drift dive. They accommodated us four 20 yr Instructor veterans, by letting us have free reign while the dive guide showed us the best attractions. Another guide took the less experienced. We appreciated this. Waya Island: The southern-most major island of the group, Waya’s silhouette made me think of “The Hobbit” and the evil land of Mordor. The peaks look like horns of the devil! We anchored in calm conditions in the north bay, Nalauwaki, in front of the village in about 14m (45ft) of water. The dark areas on the bottom turned out to be sea grass patches over sand, rather than hard corals. Our bugle anchor bit in well. The northern swells did not bother Sloepmouche. After sevusevu with the chief, we visited the “waterfall”. On the eastern-most corner of the beach, you can take your dinghy at mid-tide or better right up to where the river drains into the bay. Scramble up the river about 100yds and you’ll come upon a small fall with small pool. This used to be the water catchment area described in the guide, but the dam is now broken, and they have a new cistern in another area, so you can stand under the falls and sit in the pool anytime. We took a well-beaten path over the ridge to the Octopus Resort. Formerly a Backpackers Resort, it has been nicely upgraded with bungalows, a cool, shady pool terrace, and bar and restaurant of 3 Star quality. This is a bonus for those paying for the dorm accommodation, as they get the “ambiance” and meal packages of a higher quality resort. There is a PADI dive center on site. We moved the boat around and anchored off the resort in ~30ft over sand and weed. Polly & Ross, the Scottish manager couple, make cruisers feel very welcome! We’re speaking about genuine pleasure to have you visiting, not the false smile that often only see $ signs in your eyes! We enjoyed several quality meals, relaxing in the pool after a guided walk across the island (you go by boat and hike back), did some scuba and enjoyed the meke on Friday night. If the wind turns more SW or W, it’s only 2 miles to go anchor back in the North bay. Nice to be in a resort where everyone is having a great time! Don’t miss this stop in the Yasawas! MamanucasGeneral Info: According to the Guides and other local sailors, there are only 2 good areas to anchor in the Mamanucas, unless the weather is exceptionally calm, as in the cyclone season. As popular and talked-about as the Mamanucas (and the Yasawas) are, it is surprising how little detail there is on the electronic charts. These were never well charted by any surveyors from whom all the official international charts are drawn, such as British Admiralty, therefore, there was little info when charts were amassed to create the electronic charts. Fortunately, the cruising guides have chartlets and good info to get you to the 2 anchorages. There are also at least sticks marking most major hazards, and good markers into these 2 places. Fiji Hydrographic Unit has some good charts of the area, published by the Fiji Govt. Mana Island: Air strip, various boat services to Viti Levu, narrow pass with 90 degree turn and some tidal current, but well-marked, and easy to see in good light. Good-sized lagoon with good holding and protection from waves, some swell at high tide. Description of the pass in Calder’s guide. Mana Island Resort: Upgraded to a 4 Star resort, it’s an older, but renovated, resort located North of the pier. If yacht people register at Reception and dine in one of the two restaurants, they are welcome to use the resort facilities, which include 2 beautiful fresh water pools, 3 bars, and several beaches. They operate on a Tab only system, people set up an account with them so that all purchases can be paid at the end. There are nightly live entertainment and theme nights with show. They have a Kid’s Club, and Kid meals. Water sports activities and PADI Dive center are on the premises. We really enjoyed dinner on the large outdoor terrace on Mongolian Buffet night, where you pick the ingredients, which are then stir-fried to order right before your eyes. We had a lovely chat with Ravesi, who graciously gave us information about the resort and what they offer to yachts. Ratu Kine Resort: On the budget end of the scale, is this Backpackers, one of 4 other backpacker formulas on the island, all of which are found on the South side of the pier. The draw for yachties here is the cheap beer ($5 F for a liter) and the free dance shows. We had the dinner that the guests receive in the meal package; a Fijian home-cooked meal of fish, local spinach and cassava fries, and then attended the Polynesian Dance show, which we dance-show-enthusiasts found to be surprisingly good for such a facility. Many of the entertainment staff is of Polynesian heritage from Samoa and Rotuma. Patrick’s skills at fire dancing were as good as the Samoans we saw, and all members were energetic, well rehearsed, and smiling. Joji (JJ) the MC, told us that there is also a Fijian Lovo night, and an Island Dance Show on other nights. For the moment, these nights are M, W, and F. Dive Connections: This satellite dive center, located on the Ratu Kine premises, offers 1-tank dive for F$90, (average price in Mamanucas and Yasawas, but higher than Kadavu or Viani Bay). At the time we dived, the center had just moved into a new “shack”, which may have explained the technical difficulties that delayed the departure for the dive by 2 hrs. We dove “Supermarket” which dive centers here and at Musket Cove rave about, as the premier dive site. Perhaps this is a seasonal or tidal sensitive sensation, because we, and other instructor friends who dived a week earlier, found it to be a “right place at the right time” site. Its greatness is related to shark and fish action not the color and life on the reef. To be fair, we did see a number of sharks, and if the visibility had been good, some great action with 2 gray sharks, herding and stalking a large school of shimmering silver bait fish. We did not dive other Mamanuca sites, but friends preferred “Pinnacles” and “Wilkes Passage.” The dive staff was friendly and loves the diving here. Winter season is colder, but has better viz. Musket Cove: (Malolo Lai Lai Island): So much has been written and said about this traditionally yacht-friendly resort, that we will only mention recent changes. Musket Cove’s founder, Dick Smith loves yachts and yacht’s people, and established the famous Musket Cove Yacht Club with it’s $1 membership for Captains of foreign vessels, cheap drinks Bar, and BBQ pits for yachties to get together and spin yarns. Meanwhile, Musket Cove Resort has turned into an up-market, 4 Star Resort. There’s good news and bad news. Good news is that there are plans to develop a full service yard on the island, with the hope to provide first-world class workmanship. Bad news is that, due to circumstances beyond the control of Musket Cove, one of Fiji’s most famous yachting events, the Musket Cove to Port Villa, Vanuatu Race will no longer be held. Instead, they will continue to have a week of Regattas and fun activities for yachts, which can then get acquainted and travel together to Vanuatu, without any official organization. It is unclear whether or not Musket Cove will still arrange for officials to be available for exceptional official clearing-out from Musket Cove. Rumor has it that, as Dick Smith gradually retires, those inheriting the helm may not continue his advocacy for yachts. For the moment, members of the Yacht Club still have full use of the resort facilities, and a generous discount on the Malolo Cat ferry service to the Big Island. We spent a full year in Fiji and we are glad we did! It gave us the time to explore many areas in depth! For us, the fun or cruising is the time spent ashore visiting, sharing local life and doing all kinds of activities! So much time is devoted to the boat that you need to allow plenty of time in each area. Several of our friends regretted going to NZ for cyclone season … we were glad we stayed in the tropical islands! Got to enjoy uncrowded cruising, mild winds, and warm water! April 05-Jan 06 Luc & Jackie on s/v Sloepmouche |