A Down Under Ending - The Final Blog

Flying back to the US, I finally have a little time to finish the Epilogue for 2021, although, clearly, it is not going to be an epilogue.  Since we have said almost everything there is to say about our last year in our Farewell to India blog, the big finale has been our excursions in the Land Down Under and we are excited to tell you all about that!  It is a truly amazing country, and though we will only manage to scratch the surface, we will have seen a lot in a small swatch of time.  After our short tour up the dazzling coast of Queensland and festive time with friends down the coast during the holidays to Sydney, our pace now has reminded me of our travels in India, the subcontinent, in its intensity, while we worked out the details for the rest our travel plans and let the magic unfold. 

 

Having seen so much beauty on the eastern seaboard, each view more spectacular than the last, it was time to move into the interior.  David’s idea of traveling to Uluru, or Ayer’s Rock, at the quintessential heart of Australia, was the perfect place to visit.  Here we could get a glimpse of the desert-like bushland known as the Outback.  We were able to get a little closer to the Aboriginal Lands and Culture, and learn of the early Pioneers and Missionaries while piecing together some of the history of this immense territory.  Uluru is one of the most recognizable natural landmarks in Australia and is sacred to the Anangu people along with the surrounding areas of springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings for which they are caretakers.  It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park and there are many wonders to see.  But we didn’t stop there, five hours in a car brought us to Alice Springs, where the first thing we noticed was an enormous flat land full of parked commercial planes.  We were puzzled at first, but what a perfect place to ground unused fleets during a pandemic.  And that is exactly what is happening, the APAS storage center has been expanded for additional wide body aircraft in the dry climate which is an ideal place to ‘hot stack’ deployable planes.  Our next impression was that Alice Springs is a real life frontier town located thousands of miles from any major city or coast.  With somewhat limited amenities, it is a simple life, with many of its inhabitants tied to work in the local area but there is a tourism hospitality aspect too, which has been hard hit by Covid restrictions.  A few of the historical sites were closed for the holidays, but we managed to see many points of interest just driving about and found some good meals amongst the locals as well.  A local Art Gallery was kind to oblige me a private showing on a Sunday so that I could buy some quality aboriginal art from two artists in the region.  The pieces are beautiful and it was hard to choose but now we have wonderful souvenirs from this unique place.  

Next was a week in the Blue Mountains because everyone made this suggestion as an accessible place for us to visit in our limited time.  What we were not told was how breathtakingly beautiful the mountainous landscapes are!  The distant ridges as seen from so many lookout points are, indeed, blue in color from many angles.  The gorges are spectacular.  Deep and wide and laden with waterfalls.  It was rainy the week we were there which softened everything with misty air.  The walks in the rainforests were wet and fresh with herbal aromas and adorned by occasional colourful wildflowers.  The towns are full of hippies, (and I say this affectionately of these new generations of free living people), and some well equipped and serious mountain hikers.  Of course there is no shortage of plain ol’ tourists, like us, just browsing around the area drinking coffees and peeking in the many craft and antique shops.  Thank goodness we obtained some local knowledge for a trip to Mudgee, a town we had never heard of and couldn’t find on a map!  (Wrong spelling!) because that was one of the best days of all driving through the valleys of the hinterland and visiting a couple of wineries.  We don’t think any trip to Australia should exclude the views and experience of the Blue Mountains.

Adelaide as a destination on our itinerary drew some blank looks from our Australian friends until we explained why we wanted to go.  David brought the rich full bodied Australian Shiraz into my life early on with Mollydooker's Boxer and its been a favorite ever since.  We couldn't wait to go to the source and try the other wines from this vineyard that have not been available worldwide and explore the other wineries from this region.  We have been sampling the Shiraz since we arrived in Australia and have been spoiled for choice as there are so many good wines on the shelves here.  We are far from being experts but now consider ourselves knowledgeable and the education was a lot of fun!   Driving through the undulating wine regions of Barossa and McLaren Vale was memorable for its sheer beauty and the associated towns were delightful.  Of course we couldn't visit every winery so we chose as much variety as possible and interspersed our tasting with activities in Adelaide.  We found plenty to keep us busy with the Central Market, Museums and Art Gallery.  It was a wonderful trip of lasting memories which we will put to good use buying wine in the future.

After a couple of months traveling on land again, reflecting on how we got here by sailboat seems like a dream.  One long, vivid, fantastical dream of daring adventures and great exploration, contrasting cultures and unlimited horizons all culminating in the exploding, crackling and whistling fireworks display we saw in Sydney for NYE and everyone is cheering and the credits roll and then we wake up in the here and now.  At least that is how I felt watching that night thinking that everything was forever changed and we would never be able to go back to our sailing lifestyle.  Looking back, it was a big chunk of time, three whole years of our lives sailing in two of the biggest oceans and at least three major seas, visiting three continents and 25 vastly different countries and endless remote islands.  Even though David and I have a particular set of skills that made it achievable and seemingly effortless, what it really required was determination.  I have always said that about my travels and with David as a partner we have been very determined to see places we have always dreamt to explore in ways we’ve never imagined.  We will miss the constant challenge our sailing life and the summon of the sea, the demanding passages, the endless starry skyscape and of course, our incredible sailing machine.  When we see billowing white sails out to sea these days we feel a real pang of longing and more than a tiny bit of envy.  But india won’t miss us.  In fact, last time we saw her, she didn’t look anything like ‘our’ india.  Karen and Peter have changed her appearance to suit their approach to ownership appropriate to their dreams.  She has been reinvented, like the rockstar she is, for her exciting new Australian Adventure.

As for us, we are starting to make plans for our life in the UK and can actually make real time plans with the family now.  We are so excited and we think they are looking forward to seeing us around permanently too.  But then our lovely daughter, Louise, has gently reminded us that the last time we told her we were moving to London, we promptly bought a catamaran and sailed halfway across the world!

That is exactly what we did and it was amazing in every way.

Farewell To India

David and I have sold the boat.  

Many of you might be wondering why, after all the love and attention we have bestowed upon our india and after all the wonderful adventures we have enjoyed these last few years, we have decided to let her go.  And the simple answer is that it was time.  The perfect time, in fact, where the perfect opportunity arose rather serendipitously at the perfect moment.  It involved a lot of moving parts and a considerable amount of patience and cooperative effort from all involved parties to make it happen but in the end it has been a very elegant, although bittersweet transition.  

Most of you will remember that at the end of the year 2018, when David and I had plans to move to London we surprised everyone with an unexpected announcement that we were buying a sailboat to cruise the South Pacific for a couple of years and by January 10th 2019, we were proud boat owners.  A lot has happened since then to change our plans and everyone else’s for that matter, which no one could have foreseen.  First of which, in our lives anyway, we started out with only one grandchild when we left Florida for our great adventure and now we have three!  The two youngest are well over two years old now and we don’t want to miss spending any more years with them.  It might have made a difference if we had all been able to travel to see each other as originally planned, but that was not possible in our Covid reality.  

Covid has put a strain on, well, everything.  It has certainly changed the way that cruising sailboats are able to navigate the globe.  We were lucky enough to get out of Panama and get in to French Polynesia and extend our stay there when the pandemic first broke out in 2020.  Then we were fortunate to have an option for cyclone season in Hawaii followed by a haven in Fiji the next year.  But for us sailors, the distances we now need to travel are much greater than anticipated and the paperwork and medical tests required for entry into foreign countries are far more complicated, time consuming and expensive than ever before.  Sadly, for most of us, we are missing out on some of the places we came all this way to see in the process and making passages of thousands of miles to our cruising grounds, not hundreds, as it once was.  And that is only if we are permitted entry into the destination countries whose rules are constantly changing.  But we are good natured travelers and are grateful to be out here doing what we can without complaining too much.  We know how fortunate we are, but again, our current Covid reality has become somewhat onerous.

Some of the places we have spent our time have been extremely remote.  Fiji certainly is and was still in partial lockdown when I discovered a health issue that needed attention.  After about two months of monitoring the situation, I was finally diagnosed and able to mange my health with medication.  I don’t want anyone to worry about me.  I am fine.  But sometimes things happen forcing one to recognize that maybe this is a sign that a change of lifestyle is in order.  David and I don’t consider ourselves old just yet but we are not getting any younger, as they say, and it is not as easy to live this particular lifestyle under normal conditions let alone….in our current Covid reality.

So there you have it in a nutshell but there also a few other reasons as in the original plan was an end goal of arriving to Australia after only a couple of years of cruising, and here we are, even though we had considered a circumnavigation at a point.  Also, it seems that I have lived a lifetime at sea and I really do long for a bit more luxury and convenience on land at this juncture in my life.  We both do.  David misses his guitars and 911 and I miss watching him play with the band.  We miss cooking in a well equipped kitchen and a hot bath, the convenience of Wifi, delivery services and….I think you get my drift.  And last but by no means least, we miss our friends and family and look forward to catching up with everyone soon!

What has really made this whole turn of events rather extraordinary is our buyers from Australia.  It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you Karen and Peter, who were in the market for a catamaran along the lines of the ones they chartered in the past couple of years together.  Karen grew up boating with her family, much like I did, and Peter has been fishing these waters for years.  We believe that once they found india, the search was over, just as it was for us.  She's almost perfect after all and what's more, never officially made it to the market!  It's an amusing story but as we were testing the market in Fiji, Karen snatched her up after a night of research on the models and the rest is history.  Of course she needed to be delivered and it so happened that we had an application pending for a Cyclone Exemption for the Port of Brisbane, which is just down the road from their residence on the Gold Coast.  We just needed completion and approval and a good weather window away from any impending storms and we could be on our way!  After two months of video chats, emails and phone calls and no small amount of paperwork where David sprinkled his executive magic on process after process involving everything from Customs/Immigration, Quarantine and Biosecurity, to Import and Sale, we were finally able to meet Karen and Peter in person.  We soon organized a trip down the coast together to help bring india to her new home at a swanky marina.  This gave us a couple of days to introduce and operate all the equipment onboard and impart as much wisdom as we could to the new owners.    

Knowing that David and I have never spent time in Australia, Karen and Peter have been amazing hosts beginning the very first day of our arrival by standing across the Brisbane River holding an Australian Flag to welcome us and get a first peak at their new catamaran!  They were extremely flexible and understanding of our needs and emotions as we quarantined and extracted our belongings from the boat while the legalities were finalized.  They have since been exceedingly gracious and have even provided us a bungalow and vehicle for our disposal while here.  More importantly their companionship has been comfortable and enjoyable while they, in turn, have passed on their local knowledge and suggestions for our tour of Queensland. I honestly don't know how this transition could have been any smoother.  Karen and Peter have been reading our blogs from the beginning, as well as some of their friends and family, so india (and we, by extension) already had an Australian fan base who were invested and a following before we arrived.  India will be loved and cherished by many here in Australia while she spends the next couple of years cruising up and down the magnificent coasts.  And who knows?  Maybe she will get back to Fiji and continue to playgrounds further afield in a new POST Covid reality.

I do not want to imply that ending our time with india is not a sad parting.  It is.  We are proud of her and the work we have done to upgrade her functionality and appearance.  We are happy she has a new home and will be cared for in great style.  But we will miss her and compose ourselves with the distraction of touring Australia and thinking of our future and not dwelling on the past.  We will miss all the thrill of sailing her in high winds and big seas, the exotic places she takes us in the cool clear waters of the tropics, and the many friends we've made because of her.  Fortunately, we have kept great records of the many incredible adventures in our blogs, posts, photos and memories which we can revisit anytime we feel the need for an escape.

Speaking of which, we will continue to post on the Cat india Facebook Page until we leave Australia as part of the journey and I will write an epilogue.  We knew that this adventure would come to an end some time......but not...just...yet.

Vinaka Vakalevu to Fiji - G'day to Australia!

After our last few weeks cruising and enjoying the western Yasawa and Manamuca island groups, Monday November 8th was the day we had identified as being the best departure date in the upcoming weather predictions.  No big storms, not great winds all the time, but at least nothing rough. At this time of year, after the start of the official cyclone season on November 1st, there is always some risk.  The risk is small right now, but grows towards the end of December when the first tropical storms and potential cyclones start to form. We had spent the last few days in Port Denarau marina taking care of last-minute preparations and making sure we had enough provisions for the trip.  For various reasons, not least of which are the strict biosecurity regulations, we didn’t want to arrive in Australia with any excess food or drink, so we had planned meals almost to the day to ensure we would arrive on a near-empty 'tank'.

One of the boat jobs I wanted to complete was a small stainless steel welding task on the port rear stanchion assembly, where a lifeline loop had corroded through.  I duly removed the stanchion and together with a hinge assembly that needed a repair, headed into Baobab Marine, the major marine engineering and repair facility in the marina. We had met and knew the owner, Chase, and he promised to have the work done in a jiffy.  That was on a Thursday afternoon, and on Friday morning when I went ashore to pick up some artisan sourdough bread we had ordered, I heard the shocking news that a massive fire overnight had destroyed the Baobab warehouse.  The warehouse where just the previous afternoon I had dropped off our parts.  Oh no!…the prospect of having to source or rebuild those parts at short notice was going to be scary.  It took a couple of days before anyone could enter the remains of the warehouse, as the cause of the fire had to be determined, but eventually after a brief search our stainless steel parts were located, apparently none the worse for the experience despite the fire having virtually melted everything else inside. Chase even had the parts repaired as originally requested and polished like new in one of his other workshops. Phew, close call! 

The last tasks to complete before slipping the lines were to fill both diesel tanks and extra diesel jerry cans and the water tanks.  With some calm weather forecast for the journey we wanted to make sure we had enough fuel for potential extended motoring, and with full tanks that would give us a range of at least 1000 nautical miles, plenty for most eventualities, and with full water tanks we could last the entire trip with maybe a water-making session at sea once or twice to top up.

Here are the day to day diary entries from the passage:

Day 0 to Brisbane

Mon Nov 08 2021

Cat india has left the building at 10:30am. Beautiful day with blue skies and great winds for sailing out of Fiji waters. Looks like a calm passage ahead. I’ll report again this time tomorrow.

Day 1 done

Tue Nov 09 2021

Day 1 is behind us and 171 nm completed. It’s always good to have that first 24 hours on a passage done - it takes a while to acclimatise and get into the mental state required for a long voyage. Sea legs, sleep disruption, boredom - it all comes into play. The wind has gradually died as we progressed, and this morning when I came up for my shift, we did a sail change - main and Genoa down, and screecher up. This gives us better progress in lighter winds and has a useful range of wind angles. Couple of light squalls about but generally a lovely day to be out on the ocean.

Day 2 is complete!

Wed Nov 10 2021

Day 2 done and another 170 nautical miles covered. Since this time yesterday we have been flying the screecher in beam winds of between 12 and 17 kts and making steady progress. So far an uneventful passage. On day 1 Dara made a delicious sautéed Mahi dish and last night we had chicken Fajitas. With plenty of time on our hands, we read, play games, doze and look forward to mealtimes which go a little way to breaking up the monotony. No fish caught yet, but we did catch a nice bluefin tuna in the Yasawas before we left, so my fishing itch has been at least a little scratched lately.

Day 3 in the bag

Thu Nov 11 2021

Day 3 saw the winds dropping a little so we made more sedate progress today, just 154 nm. As today continues we expect the winds to drop further to the point we will need to motor for a while. We have 700 litres of fuel on board, so we could motor all the way to Brisbane if we needed to, but what fun would that be?

The weather generally has been very nice with mostly sun and blue skies. The nighttimes are amazing with the usual cavalcade of southern stars and constellations. On our first night out we had an alert from my SkyGuide app and caught the International Space Station on a fly by in the night sky behind us. Spectacular as ever. Shooting stars are also regularly seen as we while away the night hours sky gazing.

Dinner last night was freshly made linguine with shrimp and home made pesto from beautiful basil we bought in Fiji.

Day 4 and slowing doooooown

Fri Nov 12 2021

Day 3 saw only 143 nautical miles covered, due to the expected but gradually dying winds. At 6am this morning we started an engine to motor sail for probably the next two days. The upside of this lull is that the ocean is flat, and the sky is cloudless, so we can do some housekeeping around the boat quite easily. We are just south of New Caledonia, a South Pacific island nation 700 nm off Australia’s east coast. In normal times a popular cruising ground, we’ll just have to wave as we pass by this time. Damn covid….

Day 5, slooooowing down…

Sat Nov 13 2021

Day 5 produced a miserable 128 nautical miles. Yesterday morning the wind died so we put one engine on and motored for a few hours, then some wind returned, but only 10-12 kts so we sailed, but not at a breakneck speed. This kept up overnight but this morning at 9:30, the wind really died and the engine went on again. It’s a beautiful sunny day with flat seas so we will do some admin and little jobs around the boat. On this passage the starboard engine developed a starter gremlin which meant it took a few tries to start the engine. I am 95% sure of the cause and will fix that today. And then complete some more of the endless forms needed for entry into Australia…

We expect to motor until probably Monday morning, and it looks likely now that we are closer that we will arrive at the clearing marina in Brisbane on Friday morning.

Day 6, glassy ocean

Sun Nov 14 2021

Day 6 is done and delivered 132 nm for the cause. As expected we motor sailed virtually all day and through the night. The ocean, however, was mesmerising in this calm. A glassy surface stretching as far as the eye can see through 360 degrees. As india surged forward through the water it was as if we were skating over ice, smooth and quiet.

It enabled us to do some work around the boat. Many small jobs were done, as on a boat the list is never ending, as one item is ticked off the top, another joins the list at the bottom. Remember I said I was 95% sure I knew the cause of the stb engine starting issue? Well I was 95% wrong, but happily so as the culprit turned out to be a loose connection behind the starter switch, and easily fixed. Over halfway there now, and after a couple more calm days we expect a brisk arrival in Brisbane, probably on Friday, with 20 kt winds.

Day 7 and out of the doldrums

Mon Nov 15 2021

Day 7 was another day in the doldrums, motor sailing at a leisurely pace and covering only 140 nm.

Towards the end of the afternoon the low pressure trough we had been reading about for quite a few days, which by now was a shadow of its former self, passed with barely a whisper. Back to motor sailing again, until early this morning when the wind finally kicked in and we are sailing again!

It looks fairly certain we will arrive in Brisbane on Friday 19th November. An earlier arrival might have been possible but there are some timing nuances with the tides at the marina that we need to watch carefully, so we’ll shoot for the 10:15am high tide.

Day 8 - over and out

Tue Nov 16 2021

Day 8 is now done, with another 150 nautical miles under the belt. After motor sailing (motoring whilst getting some assistance from sails in a light wind) for almost two days, we picked up winds early in the morning and sailed for almost 24 hours, until the winds died - once again. The sea state, because of the mostly light winds, has been quite calm with only some long period big rolling swells to deal with. All together a very pleasant passage so far. We did catch a huge wahoo yesterday as I find it difficult to sail without having a rod or two out trolling a large lure. Since we will be boarded by bio security in just a few days and have to dispose of any meats and dairy left on the boat, it made no sense to kill the fish, so it was catch and release, just for the fun of the fight.

Day 9 - we are getting close

Wed Nov 17 2021

Day 9 and another 150 nm. We had a chance to speed up, hoping for some spicier weather, in order to make the mouth of Moreton Bay in time to catch the low tide at the marina on Thursday. My calculations said we could do it if we put on the racing stripes, full sails and both engines. But, what fun would that be? We’re not in a hurry to go into quarantine and there’s no urgency so let’s just enjoy the last two days of our passage at a relaxed pace without pushing ourselves or the boat. We’ll sail to the wind that is available, enjoy the beautiful weather and the open ocean and revel in the privilege of being able to live this lifestyle.

Day 10 our last day at sea

Thu Nov 18 2021

After a relatively placid passage so far, day 10 saw the winds finally kick in. Before morning was over we had 20kts from the SE, as predicted, but the sea state was horrible - huge 3m swells from the SW tossing us around like the toy we are on this huge ocean. Gusts up to 28kts meant that we were flying along at speeds up to 10kts or more. Having taken the decision to slow a little for a Friday arrival at the marina, this was paradoxically bad news. Under normal circumstances we would have enjoyed the speed and sensation of being alive, but somehow we had to slow this thing down. Did I tell you there are no brakes on a sailboat?

Coupled with this, during the night, about 50 nm offshore, we were about to cross the major north- south shipping lane of the east coast. Quick sail changes and direction changes as Dara skilfully dodged eight huge cargo vessels playing real life Frogger, as I slept below. AIS and radar are invaluable in these situations as you line yourself up for a collision-free lane crossing. This morning finds us with a handkerchief of a Genoa and no main as we let the following seas push us towards the coast at only 4 kts - the speed we need to maintain to arrive at the Moreton bay channel at the right moment for the last 40nm stretch through the bay and river to the marina for high tide tomorrow.

And so we arrived at the mouth of the channel at Moreton bay around midnight and spent the next 45 miles and ten hours carefully navigating the busy shipping lanes in and out of Brisbane.  We passed and dodged numerous cargo ships, one of which was a Panamax monster more than 1000 feet long, and several more not much smaller together with dredgers, tugs and all manner of vessels.  As the sleepy sun peeked up just after 4am, we were at last treated to a close up view of Australia as we glided towards the mouth of the Brisbane river.  In constant contact by radio with the Vessel Traffic services, we had to hold position just before the mouth of the river as the busy early morning movements of commercial traffic caused a log jam in the relatively narrow river entrance.  After we were allowed to proceed it was another six miles down the broad river to the Rivergate Marina.  We had timed our arrival for exactly high tide, as we had previous reports that at any time other than slack high or low tide, the current flowing in the river made for some exciting docking, which is something we didn’t need after a 10 day passage.  As we approached the Marina, the tide still appeared to be flowing in a little, but we went ahead and Dara manoeuvred India safely into our berth without drama.

In these crazy Covid times, the protocol for arrival by boat is this - greeted by the Australian Border Force and Biosecurity for checking of documents and approvals, shut the boat down, and jump in a taxi to our quarantine hotel escorted by the police, all within an hour.  Of course we anticipated this, and had our bags packed in readiness and the boat had been 90% prepared for her two week unattended marina vacation, so we complied without delay.  Our taxi driver was an Indian immigrant, and as we had done many times in Fiji, we had pleasure in explaining to him our love of India (the country) and the naming of India (our boat).  He was fascinated and we exchanged a few words of Hindi we had picked up in India.  After a short ride downtown, we arrived at our prison for the next 14 days, the Rydges Fortitude Valley hotel, to discover we had arrived just after a bus load of incoming tourists, or returning Queenslanders - I’m not sure which.  In either case, our police escort were on the ball and negotiated for us to jump in line ahead of the many people disembarking the bus.  It was also in their interests as they had to stay with us right up to the moment we closed our hotel room door and I’m sure they had more exciting things to do.  

Next blog - what we got up to in Quarantine!!

Prep for departure means checking the mast

And the roof....

As we say goodbye to Fiji, our final look back..

We love sunsets in the middle of the ocean

Wing on wing - wind directly behind us and flying two foresails together

Another stunning sunset

First sight of another ship, the busy east coast shipping lanes.

Fiji - Part II. Vanuabalavu, Viti Levu, Yasawas and Mamanucas

The small Pacific Nation of Fiji is not so small when you consider that its islands are scattered over 1,000,000 square miles surrounding the Koro Sea.  Some of the most remote villages are on the Islands of the Southern Lau Group which is as close to Tonga as it is to the capital of Fiji, and we were hoping to be able to make the easterly passage against the trades to get there with an opportune break in the weather.  On our return to SavuSavu, David made quick work of installing our new anchor windlass bearings, which helped, but did not fix, our problems there, and we topped up on provisions and were soon on our way again.  We made a rest stop in Qamea, east of Taveuni and spent a wonderful afternoon with the Mitchells, a welcoming local family in Namata Bay, before heading out into open ocean.  It was robust and squally weather on the day we chose to make the passage to Vanua Balavu but the winds were from a favorable direction and who knew when we would get another chance?  We were only about 10 NM miles from the Island of Qamea when we crossed paths with a pod of Pilot Whales marking an auspicious beginning to our adventure.  Our route zigzagged through a maze of expansive coral reefs and jagged outcrops of land, spits of deserted sandy islets and impressive volcanic islands with villages coming in and out of focus in the foggy misty haze.  It was as fascinating as it was exciting and good sailing most of the way.  By late afternoon we reached the subtly marked Nggilanngila Passage revealing an entrance into the vast lagoon.  Initially we headed to the northern anchorages which are hidden in deep ravines but changed our minds and opted for the more protected waters in the Bay of Islands.  It is one of the most breathtaking locations we have seen on our Pacific Journey, a place of extreme beauty both above and below the waterline.

There was only one sailboat at anchor when we arrived, a sloop owned by a New Zealand couple we had met at Paradise.  That was all about to change the next morning as a cavalcade of fresh sailboats appeared.  The onslaught descending on our quiet anchorage is not usually a happy vision for us, but in this case, it was a great group of cruiser friends we have known since French Polynesia.  It was an exquisite place to spend time together and enjoy this natural playground of the gods.   The coral reefs were abundant with kaleidoscopic life and seemingly untouched by man, ranking Fiji’s incomparable pristine environment as some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world for all of us.  And we had it all to ourselves for that amazing week.  In addition to snorkeling, there were caves to explore, paddle boarding, and sunset cocktails to enjoy in delightful company.  It was a magnificent sojourn so complete and indelible that when the winds never favored a trek further southeast to the remote islands of Vulaga and Ogea, we hardly felt cheated.  When the others moved on, David and I remained a few more glorious days in solitude to soak up the magic of this phenomenal garden.  The Bay of Islands with its statuesque rock guardians and lapping waters has been an absolute highlight for us as we knew it would be. 

 

We reluctantly (and manually) hoisted anchor and set off for our last visit to Paradise, the one in Taveuni, to say farewell to Alan and Terry and their wonderful staff before making a final stop in SavuSavu to pick up the rest of what we needed to complete the Windlass Repair for our anchoring system, a brand new gearbox that had been on order from Australia.  The time had come to move west, and the plans we had been brewing were starting to boil.  We had been paying close attention to the state of the Covid Pandemic on the biggest island of Viti Levu and the capital city of Suva.  The Fijian Ministry kept its population and visitors abreast of the Vaccination Efforts which was not insignificant considering the remote populations here.  The goals of gradually reopening the Western Islands and cities that had been in lockdown to local travel and eventual tourism was starting to attain the required numbers to reap rewards and by September 9th, the nation had reached 96.9% of its target population with a first dose of vaccine and 56.2% on its second dose, making its success rate one of the highest in the world.  This meant that soon travel would be much easier in the Western Division which is exactly where we needed and wanted to go.   As Fiji is in the Southern Cyclone Zone, its season was about to begin November 1st.  For all the cruising yachts with intentions to stay here, Viti Levu has the best options for a safe haven and it is best to stay within a prudent distance of one’s reserved plan during this time.  We had submitted the paperwork for a Cyclone Exemption for Australia soon after we arrived because it can take months for approval and we wanted to have that option.  We were also on the lists for Cyclone Safe Havens locally, because we wanted that option covered as well.  Fortunately, there are many islands to see in Western Fiji and the north coast of Viti Levu is a beautiful sail through the reefs and lagoons with numerous anchorages along the way.  So there was still plenty of scenic cruising grounds ahead of us while we looked at the options as they unfolded.  

We broke up the long passage around the extensive southern reefs of Vanua Levu with a stop at the island of Makogai which has a nice anchorage with a Giant Clam Farm.  That would be a farm of giant clams for those who are wondering, but we didn’t have the light or the time to see it.  We were hoping to stop at Ovalau, an island east of Viti Levu which was its original capital and has recently become a World Heritage Site.  It is reported to have an historic Wild West type of vibe to it with original store fronts and town center which has remained unchanged since the frontier days.  Sadly, when we checked with our agent, it was still in lockdown and we could only anchor in the bay.  We decided to move on and had a long sail ahead of us so we used our contingency plan and anchored in Nananu-i-Ra just in time for a spectacular sunset.  This is an area of obvious affluence and impressive coastal homes, most of which were boarded up as the playgrounds here have been closed for a while.   Next we rounded the northern coast for an all day sail through the reefs and banks. It was well marked with stunning topography all around. We finally anchored outside the Chanel to the Port of Denarau and were back in civilization once again. 

Sunset at Nanunu--Ra

Sunset over Malolo Lailai from Denarau

We had an idea of Port Denarau from some YouTube Vlogs we follow and somewhat knew what to expect.  It is a modern marina facility for both private yachts and commercial tourists vessels from flashy day trippers to inter island ferries and small cruise ships.  The marina itself is fully equipped with every amenity the cruising mind can imagine and a very competent staff.  Nearby is a shopping complex with an assortment of restaurants and bars and beyond all this is a manicured combination of private homes, golf courses and five star resorts.  It is all very impressive and during our many visits this last month, we have watched the progression of tiered openings leading up to a grand re-opening in December when the first international tourists are expected to arrive.   As we are in the Fiji Blue Lane for Covid Protocols I mentioned in the last blog, we were able to stay at the marina by late September and as long as our forays beyond the Port Complex were accompanied by the Navy, would not be required to quarantine.  All that has changed now, and there are more and more locals visiting the restaurants near the port and embarking on boat excursions before the tourist arrive.  We are all still wearing masks, and proof of vaccines are required at the restaurants for indoor dining, and we are all still using the Tracking Apps.  No one is complaining, we are all very happy to comply and keep each other safe, and it is working.  

Entrance to Port Denarau

Stock Photo of Denarau

   

Dining at an Indian Restaurant with Nicci and Haig

Spending time exploring the Yasawa Islands and the Mamanucas from our base in Denarau has been no hardship at all.  We initially did a weekend trip to Muscat Cove, popular with kite surfers and a windy but protected anchorage behind the reefs.  Yachties have their own beach bar at the resort marina and the cafe was open with delicious coffee and the egg and bacon sandwiches David favors.  Soon afterwards we took two trips through the Yasawa Chain visiting and revisiting our favorite spots and adding new ones to the list.  It was easy enough to get back to Denarau when we needed to top up on provisions and conduct any business which made using weather windows to our advantage less of an effort.  We usually started in Waya, and have stayed in most of the anchorages there and we loved the quaint Kuata Island nearby.  Some friendly villagers came out to meet us one day and gave us permission to go ashore to pick paw paws!  Another favorite was Drawaqa near Naviti Island.  That is the place to snorkel and sometimes a Manta or two can be seen in the pass.   We have seen more new (to us) fish here than anywhere else and that is already quite a statement!  We loved it every visit and met up with our cruiser friends again on the second and third round!  The Blue Lagoon is a great midway point and the first time we were there we met up with Jonathan from the Sea Mercy Organization which was initially set up to help those affected by Cyclone Yasa who are still suffering.  Johnathan helped us with donations to villagers we were not able to contribute in the Lau Group.  He gave us some valuable insight into the customs and mindset of village life and we were glad to have help to do it efficiently and correctly.  On the last trip, we made it all the way north to Yasawa Island and the sailing was excellent both ways!  Our mission was to visit the caves at Sawa-i- Lau and it was so worth the effort and another highlight for us.  Saving the Mamanucas for last, we spent a nourishing few days of rest at Mana (sometimes called Mama) Island.  We could paddle to the reef with our snorkel gear directly from the boat.  Nearby was Monuriki and Monu Islands where we took that fantastic drone footage and stopped at the sand spit for lunch and a swim.  

Sundowners with Jenevora and Janaki

David is happy!  Graham and Fergus? Meh.

Looking southwards from Naviti to Waya

Towards the end of our excursions in the Mamanucas, the Cyclone Exemptions for Australia had been approved.  Although we are sad to leave Fiji and sadly realizing that our time in this incredible country is coming to a close, this option is the best solution for us as we never wanted to put our boat in the path of a cyclone and have always steered her to safer waters as a rule.  We will also be completing the Pacific Journey we vowed to make back in January 2019.  The passage is roughly 1500 NM and will take about ten days, a moderate trip for us veterans now on S/V india.  We will moor our boat at the Rivergate Marina in Brisbane where she will be cared for when we are whisked away to quarantine for 14 days in a hotel.   It will be a fairly stark and eye opening arrival to a mainland in Covid times, something we have avoided during our escape far away in the Pacific for almost two years!  We will have plenty of time to reflect on all of that and make plans for our immediate and near term future then.  So as we wrap up our preparations for departure and say farewell to friends, we will keep you posted as to our progress across the seas.  David will do a daily log on the Iridium Go and provide the tracking information to you shortly.  In the meantime, we want to thank the Nation of Fiji and its inhabitants for all it has done for the yachting community by giving us a safe haven and a stunning environment to explore during these dire pandemic times and shining a warm and welcoming light on this friendly and fascinating country.  As one of the most amazing places we have ever visited, we highly recommend Fiji for anyone who loves the water.  The snorkeling and diving is unbelievable, beautiful beaches and scenic hikes are abundant, this place has everything, but most impressive is the culture and diversity that sets Fiji apart, it is unlike any other place in the world.