June 21 – July 6, 2013
One thing that becomes quickly apparent in Viani Bay is its lively summer camp atmosphere. That’s because of Jack, who lives onshore here in the bay. Jack’s a local Fijian who spent years working in the tourist trade in western Fiji, speaks English, and has his captain’s license. Now he works organizing outings and events for cruisers anchored in Viani Bay.
Generally the way it works is someone will volunteer their boat for a snorkeling excursion/dive trip or a day trip to the nearby island of Taveuni. Everyone piles onto the boat, and Jack, knowing his way through the reefs, takes the wheel and off they go.
For snorkeling and diving, Jack knows the locations of the underwater moorings and has permission to use them. For Taveuni, Jack organizes island tours and stays with the boat while everyone piles into a van for a trip to the waterfalls, markets, etc. If there are only a few people for the outing, Jack has his own small motorboat he can take. He also organizes lovos, Fijian feasts cooked in an underground oven. When we were there, pretty much everything cost $10 per person, earning Jack the nickname, “Ten Dollar Jack.”
The cruisers who were already settled in Viani Bay had formed a group and in the morning were often radioing back and forth about organizing the next outing. It was a little rude not to include the new people, and when they had moved on and our group became the mainstay, we always invited the new people in the bay.
Meanwhile, the friends we came in with were going diving with one of the dive shops operating out of Taveuni, the nearby island that has small resorts and inns. Taveuni is large and mountainous, but it has a small population and is more rustic and off-the-beaten-path than the mainstream tourist areas of west Fiji.
It’s a beautiful island, but the main reason people visit is for diving and snorkeling on the Rainbow Reef between Taveuni and Viani Bay on the island of Vanua Levu. These dive operations will come pick people up from their boats in Viani Bay for trips to the reef.
While everyone else was off on their outings, I was studying. I was finding out the accelerated scuba diving course carries a heavy workload! There’s a lot of reading to do, and so much to learn. For the next few days, when I wasn’t diving, I was studying. Sometimes the radio chatter and comings and goings of this social, festive place would drive me a little nuts–it’s not easy to focus on studying in a summer camp atmosphere.
Below, a gallery of more pictures of our spot in Viani Bay. Click to enlarge/scroll. –Cyndi
