atahualpa domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home3/aboarddi/public_html/blog/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114Weekend has been too good to have time to blog. But here are the pics for now.
]]>Weekend has been too good to have time to blog. But here are the pics for now.
]]>A Night From Hell
We join Paul & Maureen sending our hopes up into the Pacific for a safe arrival for Peter.
]]>We join Paul & Maureen sending our hopes up into the Pacific for a safe arrival for Peter.
]]>In the afternoon I dropped off three of our dive tanks for fills and to have one inspected. They will be ready for collection next Monday before we depart the following morning. I also fixed a light in the guest cabin as the switch had frozen.
In the evening we took Peter from Troutbridge out for a curry downtown at one of the nicer restaurants to make a change from the local cheap but nice cafes he’s been frequenting.
What’s been interesting is we’re starting to bump into 2011 puddle jumpers who are now beginning to arrive in Fiji. These are the advance end of the pack heading for Australia. We feel like old campaigners meeting up with them and sharing experiences.
We have another trip planned into town today. This one is more personal: clothes, souvenirs and gifts. I find this the hardest but hopefully we’ll get through the ordeal.
]]>I next headed off to the Budget Car Rental place. On the way I spotted Peter from Troutbridge sitting in a cafe. Things are gradually turning around for him and he’s surprisingly upbeat about his misfortune arriving in Fiji. The really good news is that his children’s story book has been accepted for publication which should bring him some income to help him get back up onto his feet.
The car hire company didn’t have a lot of options. The best vehicle for our needs had been verbally booked. They have a 50/50 success rate with verbal bookings and they’ll know whether or not it is actually taken this afternoon.
Most of the morning had gone by the time I returned to the boat. I managed to upload the photos from Gau (active blog readers will need to go back a few entries to see them). We decided to get in our MacDonalds fix for the season so we walked back into town, casing out the remaining supermarkets that we’d failed to reconnoiter the prior day. I was disappointed they had no quarterpounders but two double cheeseburgers and fries went down very well as did Helen’s Big Mac.
Helen had selected the New World supermarket to visit so that we did pickup up our first round of provisions which we boxed and put into a taxi to return to the yacht club. At the club, before returning to the dinghy I asked about a berth for the weekend. It turns out they can shuffle some boats around and make us a space. I also talked to the fuel dock attendant to have the dock cleared of small boats so we could turn up in an hour.
After getting our provisions back to the boat we brought the boat into the fuel dock, spun it around and reversed in. All fueled up we headed back out to the anchorage where I changed the generator oil before quaffing a couple of well earned beers.
We met up with the Jaranas for our evening meal which we ate, quite deliciously, at a local cheapo Chinese cafe, the same one I bumped into Peter earlier in the morning.
]]>We’re actually anchored off the Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort which looks pretty cool but out of our price bracket. It makes a very nice back drop to our location.
Once we’d settled in we went snorkeling nearby. It was not spectacular but it was great to get wet again. The last time we were in the sea was way back in Kelefesia last October. The water was warm and there was coral and fish to see but it was a little murky. After our swim we took the kayak out together for the first time and paddled around the edge of the resort. The exercise was good and we can see ourselves doing this more often.
After that it was a matter of just relaxing the afternoon and evening away. We had pretty decent weather through the afternoon even though it looked like the heavens were pouring on Savusavu just a short distance away. Helen cooked up a great curry which we were going to eat outside except the rain finally caught us so we sat inside. We also took in a movie.
We’ve decided to hang around here one more day. We do have internet which is good some of the time. Mainly we just want time to really decompress after our passage and the business of Savusavu. Tomorrow morning we’ll leave at dawn for Fawn Harbour aiming to arrive early afternoon when the light is good for our passage through the reef.
Speaking of passages through reefs we heard some terrible new from our friend Peter on Troutbridge. He ran up onto a reef while entering Suva. Best to read his blog for the detail. Boating dreams sometimes come to a rapid and shocking end/hiatus and we feel for Peter. He came up through the same mess of sea and weather as we did. However, Dignity is a solid boat and carries us safely through such extremes even if not comfortably when the going is rough.
]]>The goodbyes went to Imagine, Passages and Boree who were among a number of boats who made the decision to head north yesterday. When I’d looked at my sources of weather information all I [...]]]>
The goodbyes went to Imagine, Passages and Boree who were among a number of boats who made the decision to head north yesterday. When I’d looked at my sources of weather information all I saw was two days of motoring followed by winds on the nose. The problem is there is more than one source for the weather and certainly more than one brain looking and interpreting them. We all have different needs, boats and preferences and all this adds up to a decision to stay or go. A bit of the radio chatter as the boats left made it sound like they were riding off into a rough ride. I hope, for their sake, they’re not. But sooner or later we all go.
Paul made his planned return to Auckland. We walked with him to the bus stop and waited with him. Once he’d left we wandered around the hilltop roads and made our way down to the coast path that connects Pahia to Opua. We soon ran into David and Marian from Kilkea and stopped to chat with them. Sooner after that we ran into the Blue Penguins who we’d recently said our final, final last goodbyes to as they were headed to New Caledonia. They were going our way so we walked with them back to Opua. Ben, like me, is fascinated with the whole mentality of the departure decision and wants to write something up on it.
In the evening we had David and Katie from Troutbridge, Kay and Fergus from Paleides (another recent last, final, never again farewell) and Mike and Ann from Callisto over for curry and a few drops of wine. It ended up being a late one for all and, as ever, a good time was had by all. And guess what the recurring theme was last night.
The weather.
So what’s it looking like for us now.
The Thursday/Friday opportunity still stands and is now favouring a Thursday afternoon departure. There’s a trough/front coming over and we simply take off right behind it where we can expect northwesterlies or even westerly winds for a few days. I’ve morbidly played around with a possible departure tomorrow (Tuesday) riding the northeasterlies up to the north of New Zealand and then sail the following northerlies eastward. We’d then have to take the coming front out at sea. I would probably lose favours with the Admiral if I chose that path.
Fiji-itus should be a recognized disease. Sooner or later the prospect of another day in Opua basin crushes the spirit and the pull of the islands overcomes every other need of mind and body. I suspect we saw an outbreak yesterday. But I can feel it in my fingers (they’re cold). I may be going down with it too.
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