Two At Sea

August 3, 2013

We just came back to the boat after a wonderful dinner at the Paradise Resort.  See for yourselves…

Ah, the cruising life is so hard!  So many wonderful places – so much time.  Wait, I think I have that wrong?! -Rich

August 3, 2013

We went ashore early to enjoy another round of those delicious tropical drinks before dinner. We sat by the pool to enjoy them and watch the sunset while the tiki torches around the grounds were lit. It’s nights like this that make up for the less pleasant nights of this lifestyle (rolly anchorages, sudden squalls, pesky insects, annoying neighbors, etc.)

A beautiful table was laid out and lanterns were lit. We’d had some concern when we were told that all the guests eat together at one long table. We didn’t mind, but we worried about fitting in with the resort’s guests as we had no idea what they’d be like. Not everyone approves of the cruising lifestyle or appreciates the presence of yachties, who are sometimes a little scruffier than the average resort guest.

We needn’t have worried; these people were great! They were mostly couples who came from all over the world, but I think people who travel to a Taveuni, which is a little off the beaten path, have something in common: they are into the adventure of travel and experiencing a new place, as opposed to the sorts who just want to find the nearest casino, tan on the beach all day, dress to the nines for dinner, and ask things like, “where do you summer?” (This type of traveler can more likely be found at some of the high end resorts on the west side of Fiji). Taveuni is all about hiking, diving/snorkeling, rainforests, and waterfalls.

We enjoyed a four-course dinner of Fijian specialties (the theme for the night’s dinner), good wine, and some very nice dessert. Even more, we enjoyed meeting the people here, like going to really great dinner party! I don’t know if we got lucky, or if any given evening here might be like this.  (Click to enlarge and scroll through gallery below.)

Tonight as we were going to sleep, there were stars visible in every porthole. Outside we had several dugout canoes fishing, probably for squid, like sentries in the night. It was a fitting end to a beautiful evening. I have one more picture to add to this post:

Rum is a magic drink. Rum can get a NAUI instructor to wear (shudder) a PADI hat! How many rum drinks does that take? Many. But eventually it works, at least until the rum wears off. The donning of this hat delighted both me and the Padi instructor who wore it to dinner.

I hope Rich will be willing to post this picture. –Cyndi

August 3, 2013 after leaving Matei Point, Taveuni, Fiji

At last we have some OK internet so here’s an update on the whereabouts and the goings on of Legacy.  We spent the last three nights at a wonderful but strange anchorage at the northern tip of Taveuni Island.  The anchorage was strange in that it looked like we were anchored out in the middle of the ocean…

Wonderful in that it turned out that the anchorage was protected from the seas by a reef system just below the surface of the water, there was clear water with excellent snorkeling, wonderful food ashore (including pizza – more later), and an incredible waterfall hike (more soon).  This is what town looked like from the boat…

After a day of motoring, we’re now at the extreme southern end of the island, spending a night at a mooring off the aptly named Paradise Resort.  We’ve already been ashore for a couple of amazing cocktails and we’re heading in shortly for what we expect to be a world-class dinner (again, more soon).  -Rich

August 3, 2013

We woke early to another calm, still morning. By now, a few small squid had started hanging around our boat along with the spade fish. It’s amazing how fast we get attached to the critters that choose to hang out under our boat, and how sad we feel to leave them. But we had one more stop to make while the weather was good, then we’d head back to Savusavu before the trade winds picked up again.

Paradise Resort is on Taveuni Island, but at the west end about 20 miles away from Matei. It’s right on a rocky coastline and not a good anchorage, but they have a mooring for visiting yachts to use. You just need to call ahead and reserve it. There’s no charge, but it’s assumed you’ll come in for drinks or a meal. We chose to make a dinner reservation when we called to reserve the mooring.

The trip took about 4 hours, and we were very grateful for the arrival of mid-afternoon clouds which gave us some shade.

The sight of Paradise Resort as we arrived by water was impressive. It’s a tropical oasis atop a black volcanic rock wall shoreline, the kind of place you’d gawk at in a travel magazine. They’ve built a stone platform seating area right over the water, with stairs going up the wall. Another thatched-roof platform serves as a small boat landing area. The black rock walls are draped with green vines, and blue-green water laps at their base. Along the top are the thatched roofs of the bungalows amid a sea of palm trees. It’s all quite stunning.

We decided to head ashore for an umbrella drink and go use the pool as they’d welcomed us to do. We realized we should have brought our dinghy anchor to hold it off the rocks after we tied up to their dock, and would have to go back and get it if we wanted to use the pool. We decided to continue on and just get the drinks, which wouldn’t take very long.

“Wow!” was the first word that came to mind when we got to the top of the ramp. The grounds were beautiful under the swaying palm trees. On the cliff edge was an open-air dining area and a pool that looked out over the ocean. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. We headed up to the bar and ordered some tropical cocktails to celebrate our arrival, then headed outside to enjoy them. There are a lot of very nice places to stay in Fiji, but I can’t imagine any get much better than this.

Below, a gallery of our afternoon at the Paradise Resort. Yes, I put in more pictures of the drinks than anyone needs to see, but I wanted to put in the somewhat blurry photo with Rich drinking from the straw because of the smiling Fijian faces behind him. It kind of sums up the spirit of this resort, and the spirit of Fiji. –Cyndi

(You can click to enlarge and scroll through gallery above.)

July 31 – August 3, 2013

The hot, still, cloudless weather had an upside: it was great for stargazing at night when the moon wasn’t up. In Matei, we’d lay on our backs in the cockpit and look up into the night sky, the stars bright and clear because there was so little light from Taveuni Island. The Milky Way stretched across the starry sky, and it was easy to pick out the constellations Libra, Sagittarius, Virgo, and especially Scorpio, which dominates the night sky at this time of year. Of course there was the ever-present Southern Cross, which never sets.

We also had quite a shooting star display during our three nights here. Sometimes they streaked across the sky, and sometimes they just dropped straight down as if falling to Earth. The most impressive one had a long tail and seemed to shoot sparks (and no, we weren’t smoking anything funny).

By now, we’d decided that this is our favorite place in Fiji so far (not that we’d seen much at this point). Albert’s Cove was the most beautiful, and Viani was very special with its summer camp atmosphere and great diving. But this was our favorite. It’s not an all-weather anchorage, but when conditions are right, the clear blue water, the little islets, the abundance of sea life, and beautiful Taveuni island make it a paradise.

Below, a roundup gallery of Matei (click to enlarge and scroll). –Cyndi