&^$#@+#*&%@$!!!!!!!!!

Guess what!  My bl**dy camera (the replacement one I got just over a year ago) DIED!!!!!  Ask me if I’m more than just a little annoyed!!!!!!  I babysat the damned thing, made sure it never was out of its case for more than necessary and this is how it repays me.  Why can’t they build something that lasts?  Oh, I can answer that one myself:  they’re all made in China, considered disposable and are programmed to keel over just after the warranty period is over!!  I’M NOT HAPPY!!!!!

OK, enough of the muttering and complaining.  We have moved down in a southerly direction through a few reefs and islands since leaving Savusavu and had some wonderful sailing.  The first stop was southwest to the tiny island in Namena Barrier Reef, a marine reserve.  The snorkelling there was outstanding.  We saw lots of huge groupers and magnificent healthy corals.  Paul’s spear gun trigger finger was itching terribly but as it was a reserve he had to control it. 

Next we had a perfect beam reach sail down to Makogai Island that is also a reserve.  Makogai is a former leper colony that was home to more than 5000 lepers until 1969 when it eventually closed down.  Now there are only 6 families living amongst the ruins of the colony, all of whom are working on a wonderful project.  

The old cinema

When touched, it  zaps shut

An open giant  clam

When we went ashore, the chief took us around this fisheries project where they are growing giant clams to replenish and re-establish these species in the reefs around Fiji. It was such a pleasure to hear of something being put back into the sea instead of forever being taken out.  They were all very excited that day as the huge clam they’d brought ashore had spawned so they were busy doing whatever it is they do to make sure that the eggs are fertilised. 

The village kiddies with the clam troughs behind

There were troughs aplenty filled with tiny developing clams of varying sizes and outside the village, we dived in their protected area where there were dozens of these huge chaps.  I’d never seen such enormous ones other than in photos before this.  

Apparently there are quite a few different species but, apart from the colouring, I wouldn’t have a clue what the differences are.

In the evening the following day, we went ashore again to do sevusevu with the chief and join in their kava drinking ceremony.  It’s a great way to meet the villagers and a great atmosphere but still, you can keep the kava – not my cup of tea.

After a couple of days, we pulled up anchor to sail down to Levuka on the island of Ovalau.  The wind had picked up and wasn’t in the direction predicted so we were unable to lay the entrance to Levuka.  Instead, we headed towards a pass on the northwest side then motored clockwise inside the reef to get to the anchorage. Choosing the alternative route gave us a nice fast sail but it was somewhat bouncy when we eventually dropped the hook outside the village church.

One of the reasons we pushed ahead to get to Ovalau was in the hopes of finding somewhere to watch the Rugby World Cup final on Sunday.  We sailed down with another boat, Cariad, who have relations on the island and when we arrived, they invited all of us to watch the game over at their house which is great.  Unfortunately, this means that we'll have to move over to the other side of the island where they live for just a day and then return here on Monday to check in with the authorities.  If its possible, perhaps it would make more sense to take a bus back over to check in as we believe it's a much nicer spot on the other side.

PHOTO GALLERY:

This batfish followed Paul all the while he was scraping the hull

Giant  clams at  the dock

With the Chief sporting his Springbok rugby jersey