Cruising along....
Well, we are back in Savusavu after a week on the Tuitai, a live aboard that sails along the north-east off Fiji. They had asked us to write a report on the crew and the vessel as mysteryguests. So all we had to do was keep our eyes open and enjoy the trip. And enjoyable it was. We left on mondaymorning. The crew and the service on the boat was awesome, very friendly and helpfull. The rest off the guest were very nice, a very mixed group and a good laugh and even some dutchies so I could talk in my own language again. Every morning we woke up with a different view, at night they sailed to all the different little islands. Woke up one morning with a whale right next to the boat...awesome.We have been fairly active...., they had mountainbikes so we could bike up the hill to the waterfalls where we went for a well-deserved swim, been kayaking, swimming, snorkelling, and diving of course. The diving was awesome, a wall dive with loads of sharks around us....great. They also showed us the real Fiji by taking us to little villages where you would normally never come as a tourist, a great experience. Here we have been dancing and drinking kava (the local ceremonial drink made out of the root of the yagona tree, a bit bitter but you don't taste that after two bowls). The trip was great and almost like a holiday and because we had to write a report we got the whole trip for free...yehaa!!!!!!!!!So, when we got back last saturday we wrote the report and we went back to stay with Rob's family. We have been chilling out after our hard work from last week...hahah, and have been making plans. We found out that it is harder than we thought to find a paying job here so we applied for a working visa for NZ for me. That got approved so we will probably move to NZ the next week orso...will keep u updated. At the moment we are just chilling out with friends and family, enjoying the Fijian hospitality and food. Must tell u about the food, I have been eating the most amazing things, the curry's here are awesome, they make a really nice palusami (tarotleaves with coconutmilk), the fish is all fresh, then chillies are very , very hot and the weirdest thing I had was a worm, a seaworm (balolo) that only comes up only once a year and is actually really nice. So life is great here, except Rob was complaining this morning when I made him go to the dentist. That is probably the same in every country, not very nice and painful.Gotta go now, love u all very much and miss you. Will try to put some pictures on next time but that will depend on facilities. Love Judith and Rob
Back in the Land of Telecommunication
Well it's been a long time I know but we are finally back in telecom range. We disappeared to Taveuni in northern Fiji to a little place called Dolphin Bay Divers Retreat. The place is isolated and only has electric power for about 5 hours a day. Sometimes the mobile phones work there and sometimes they don't. Anyway Judith and I headed over and stayed with Roland and Viola, the owners, for about 5 weeks. The diving there is awesome to say the least. We dived some of the most beautiful Coral Gardens I have ever seen. I taught some classes and certified a few new bubbleheads. Judith spent a lot of time looking good on the beach getting a tan. We met some interesting people during our stay including in no particular order, Rich and Karen who plied us with beer and rum on the last night there to get us totally ratfaced that I almost ended up falling through the wall of the tent, our home. Lesley the Padi CD who apparently didn't like Judith asking her during a dive to show how much air she had left (for our non-diving readers please ask a diver as to why that would be frowned upon). Annette and Steve the honeymoon couple and Annette was my first Open Water student who was good enough to pay her new husbands stubbie fines and who saw her first shark on the last dive of her course. Sandro the mad and insane German Italian Chef who likes working close to the staff in the kitchen.Leon and Dione, another couple of Dutchies, who tried to teach me some really good Dutch words that can be used in stressful situations and also showed me that coral is more than the pretty stuff you find near wrecks. Wolfgang and Nadine, both non-medical doctors, who added life to the evenings after dinner with Nadine showing her expertise at stealing the last piece of dessert from Wolfgangs plate while he gazed romantically at the stars. Kit the doctor who has been working around the world in underprivileged areas bringing rudimentary medical aid. Suzanne another Dutchie who can now suck clean the heads of prawns which will go down well with her company in Brussells. Rob and Ilene added colour and intrigue to the evenings with Noni Juice. Rob and Meg who took us out in their wonderful yacht, Ex-2-sea, and gave us a relaxed day on the waves.........and the list goes on....if I have missed anyone and there will be a few I am sorry....just leave a comment and I will update the next entry...So anyway....as I was saying, we have been having fun and enjoying ourselves when on my birthday, which I like to celebrate very quietly, I found out that my good lady had told everyone about it and there was to be a cake etc...she had actually forgotten my birthday on the day, Judith woke up and I expected to hear her say "Happy birthday lief" (lief = dear) but not a word, just a smile and then "Off to work". I worked my butt off that day and it wasn't until after morning smoko that Viola asked Judith what she had got me as a present that Judith remembered my birthday.....Hmmmm...So our time in Dolphin Bay was well spent just a little isolated at times. Judith and I learnt a lot from everyone that either worked there or visited. But paradise has to end sometime so we headed back to Savusavu and some of my family. We sailed back with Rich and Kaz on the Suilven, a ferry that transports cars, cargo, chickens etc around the islands, all of us were rather hungover and all we did for the trip was play "Shithead" a popular english backpackers cardgame.Having to look for a job and try and earn some money I rang a company that my Auntie Carrie said may be looking for a skipper. The company runs a liveaboard dive boat that travels all over Fiji. Instead of a job they asked if Judith and I would like a free trip. Yep fell into a bucket of poo and up I come gold plated....again. So on monday we are being picked up at 0930 and spending a week diving all over Fiji on a luxury yacht. Will let you know how we did on the trip and update the blog. Judith's turn to write next time....she is looking at me angrily...love it when she gets all twitchy...so to the 2 mum's and the dad of ours we say goodbye for about 2 weeks...love you all and to the rest of the recipients of our blogg our thoughts are with you all....I can hear a Fiji Bitter calling....gotta go....Rob and Judith
