Fiji Trip - Day 6: Denarau Island

Fire is the symbol of life in Fiji. As evening falls, the warrior runs around the hotel lighting the torches (pictured above).

At dinner we are entertained by some traditional Island dancers who perform dances from the Cook Island, Easter Island and the Fiji Islands.

"Fire dancing comes from the island of Samoa" The head dancer said.

Twirling fire sticks.

There was an awkward moment when they asked for volunteers. These poor people volunteered (pictured below).

They were subjected to increasingly more embarrassing dances - the lesson is never volunteer for anything.

During the day we just relaxed at the resort. Louise went to the day spa in the afternoon, but it was a fairly quiet day in paradise.

Fiji Trip - Day 5: The road to Suva

8.00 am; I’m waiting in foyer of the Raddisson Hotel waiting for Avis to drop car off – the driver must be on 'Fiji time'. Only five minutes later a young Fijian lady arrives, apologizes for the delay, and says she has driven from Nadi Airport. We fill out the paperwork at the Sheraton, and I pick Louise up from the front of the Radisson. Then we’re passing the main entrance, ‘Check Point Charlie’, over the bridge, and we’ve left Denarau Island. Five minutes later we are in Nadi, a dusty town full of Indian shops. Soon we’re over the lazy Nadi River, past a Hindu Temple on the left, and we’re heading through sugar cane covered hills, and dusty hamlets.

About an hour later we arrive at Sigatoka and are crossing the bridge on the broad Sigatoka River. Past here green jungle covered mountains come close to the coast, and we pass through many Fijian Villages. A Fijian village consists of single storey dwellings, either made out of concrete blocks or wood, covered with corrugated tin roofs strung out along the road. There is the standard mangy looking dog, sometimes a knaggy looking horse, and always bored looking people waiting on the side of the road, but they always stare inside the car perhaps to see if it is anybody they know, and might pick them up.

We come to a roundabout and take a turn to the right and end up at a sea side town called Sunset Point, or is sunset strip, but in any case it has an okay beach. Louise strolls over to take some photographs (pictured below).


When Louise returns she strikes up a conversation with a young white boy leading a mangy dog followed by a Fijian lady. He says he is seven years old, and his dog, “Magic” is also seven years old. The Fijian lady is his nanny, and his parents run the dive shop. He is off from school today because he is sick he says. Louise says he is a very luck boy living by the beach in Fiji. The Fijian lady gives us directions back to the Queens Highway.

We are surprised to see more white faces, and it must be a town where all the expatriates live, probably connected with the tourism industry on the Coral Coast of Fiji like this young boys parents. Then we’re back on the main road. It is fairly slow going as we have to slow for the numerous villages, the odd runaway cow, dog, truck, or horse that wanders across the road. My foot comes off the accelerator even more when I see the local police with a commodore stopped ahead, and handing what appears to be ticket through the window. His partner is hiding behind a telephone pole with a radar gun aimed at people coming down a steep hill. We pass through a village that claims to the boyhood home of Lote Tuquiri (pictured below).

Suva is built on a fine harbour surrounded by wet green hills. Cargo ships lay at anchor, and there are stacks of shipping containers on the wharves. It is the first time we have seen buildings over four stories high. We inch our way through the traffic to the Holiday Inn opposite on the harbor, which I’ve heard is the place to stay. We’re not staying but I’m hoping my car will be safe in their car park, and they will have a decent lunch. The guests at the buffet appear to be mostly Australian business men, not tourists – I wouldn’t imagine many tourists would come to Suva, most would barely leave their resort. At the next table they were discussing a deal with a local Indian businessman. The Australian was complaining about the difficulties of doing business in Fiji, and how they are not helping themselves. The Indian sat silently: I’m sure he knows only too well about the difficulties of doing business in Fiji. I’m sure it must be frustrating to do business here. The Fijians are friendly, you couldn’t meet a friendlier people, but we take it for granted in Australia that people we doing business with will be on time, not on “Fiji time” or actually show up, or do what you have asked them to do.

After lunch we went for a walk to the city, but as soon as we had left a Fijian man slid up to us, and claimed to have served us at lunch, and was on the way home, but would show us to where the bargains were. Sure, he probably just waits off the Holiday Inn, to pick off the tourists to earn a ‘fee’ at the shops. I was warned on Trip Advisor to expect this in Suva. Another man came up, who actually worked at the Radisson, and shooed him away. Then Louise started to feel a little uncomfortable as she was getting stared at all the time. So, we were sort of glad to get back in the car to drive back to the resort.

We drive back through the little Fijian villages, and stop as the kids cross the road (pictured below). The parents are waiting on the far side to collect them, the sun is shining, everybody is smiling – they might not have much, but they are all seem very happy.

In Nadi it is peak hour. We go to the supermarket that is run, like most of the shops, by Indians. It is about $2 for a two litre bottle of coke compared to $4 at the supermarket on Denarau Island. We stopped at the petrol station and filled up the car. Petrol is over $2 a litre, so it cost $58 to go to Suva and back. I can see why everybody catches the bus (pictured below – note the natural air conditioning)

As darkness falls we crossing ‘Check Point Charlie” onto Denarau Island, and we think to a completely different world than the one across the bridge.

Fiji Trip - Day 4: Denarau Island

Yet, another day in Paradise. After our buffet breakfast we take up position by the Adult's Pool (pictured below). Psycho Granny, and Jade Goody are in the same spot, like they have not moved since we saw them yesterday – they must get up really early to put their towel down to claim their spot. Once there they don’t seem to move all day – they are there in the morning, and I see them again in the afternoon.

I guess we should show you around the hotel. Here is the waterfall outside the main foyer (pictured below).

Here are the friendly staff (pictured below)

This is the front of the hotel (pictured below).

This is the sea side (pictured below); the Sheraton Hotel runs up to the point you see in the distance. Denarau Island is like a square shape. Around that point, or the top of the square, there is the Westin, Sofitel, and Hilton Hotels, where the coast ends again at another point. Then there is an oval bite out of the square, which is Port Denarau. There are number of canals that run into the residential areas, and of course the main Marina where the shops and restuarants are. In the centre of the Island is the golf course. A snaking waterway divides Denarau Island from the mainland with the single bridge guarded by "Check Point Charlie" the only way in, or out.

In the afternoon we hired bikes from the Sheraton Hotel, and pedaled down to the main gates or 'Check Point Charlie’ as we call it, along the way we passed gated residential communities built on canals similar to the homes you see on the Gold Coast. Like the Gold Coast houses they often have boats moored outside. On the other side of the road is the championship golf course, and we saw one of the gates slide open to let one golfer in his golf cart drive across. It’s not a bad life – if you get sick of the boat, then you can head over for a round of golf, with that overwhelming sense of security of being on your own guarded private island. And with Sydney less than four hours away, the weather perfect all year round, then it would make an ideal holiday home for the well heeled.

In the evening we went back to the Sheraton Hotel for the buffett – when you’re on a good thing – stick to it.

There’s no lying around the pool all day for us. Tomorrow, we have rented a Toyota Corolla from Avis, to drive along the Queen’s Highway to the capital, Suva.

Suva is the largest city in the South Pacific outside of course Australia and New Zealand. It is also one of the busiest ports in the South Pacific.

I have arranged for the car to be brought around to the Radisson by 8am so we can get away for an early start, well early by our time. I have been told it is about a three hour drive, which should leave enough time to get to Suva and back by nightfall.

Fiji Trip - Day 3: Denarau Island

Fiji Bitter, you get it in a tropical 🏝️ paradise. Matter of fact I’ve got one now. When in Rome. 

Another day in paradise. We are into a routine now; breakfast buffet by the sea, and then we take up a position on the lounge beds around the Adult’s Pool. By the time we arrive most of the positions have been taken. There seems to be a pecking order around the pool. Louise has given some of the occupant’s nicknames. There’s the ‘Psycho Granny’, a leathery woman in her sixties who unfortunately wears a pink bikini Louise had a run in with her yesterday after she moved her towel, and took her spot. She glared at us today, and Louise said, “Game on mole” under her breath. There’s ‘Jade Goody’, her granddaughter, and overweight young woman also in a bikini who bears a remarkable resemblance to the late Jade Goody. I would swear the family would be from Fountain gate, but I’ve overheard them say they are from the Gold Coast.

Around the resort the accent you hear most from the other guests is New Zealand. The lady next to us today said, “The pool’s a wee bit cold” – I last heard that “wee” word early in the year on a Christchurch trip, when it was bloody freezing - it must be like hell on earth now, so you can’t blame them for all migrating to Fiji for the winter. You don’t hear any American accents though, the countries reportedly all broke. The economy was deteriorating last year when we were there, so they are not travelling to Fiji anymore, which might explain our every second night free deal at the Radisson. Oh well, one person’s loss is another person’s gain. But perhaps I speak prematurely for Australia is not out of the woods yet in regards to the economy, I notice the banks are holding onto their cash, maybe they know something we don’t.

After an hour or so we head back to our hotel room. Louise will have an afternoon siesta, or in other words fall asleep on the lounge watching television. Lunch is some Vegemite rolls. Vegemite reminds us of home.

Fiji has some food in the shops that we havn't seen for twenty years. Remember UFO's (pictured below)

Then we stroll over to the Sheraton Hotel next door to book a table for one of their restaurants appropriately called “Feast”. We are of course hedging our bets by selecting a buffet restaurant; we are gambling that some of the dishes on display must be edible.

Sure we could lounge like lizards by the pool, and try to do nothing all day, and just relax. But no, we’re from Sydney, it’s just not in our culture. We have to do be doing something, preparing a ‘to do list’, seeing something, doing something, all the time. So, we spot the Avis desk, and see the chance for escape from our gilded cage. Our plan on Thursday is to drive along the coast to the capital, Suva.

Pumped up, we decide to walk to Port Denarau. We are not exactly sure where to go, but we head off in the direction that the “Bula Bus” went. Along the way we calculated that we have said 'Bula' 4,321 times by now. We see a lady licking a New Zealand ice cream, so we knew we must be getting close. At Port Denaru we bought a loaf of bread from the bakery for seventy cents, about forty cents Australian, we are quite pleased with our bargain, and walk back to our hotel.

In the late afternoon we, like most of the resort, enjoy a drink, and watch the spectacular Pacific sunset. Here's me enjoying the local brew, 'Fiji Bitter', a bargain at $2.80.

We hear shouts of “Bula” and know the fire lighting warrior is coming. The shouts progressively get louder.

“BULA” He shouts as he lights the torches outside our apartment.

Dinner at the "Feast" buffet restaurant at the Sheraton turned out to be a literal feast; seafood, lamb cutlets, pizza, freshly barbequed lamb cutlets, beef stroganoff, and a decent dessert selection. One of the advantages of staying on Denarau Island is having all the different hotel's restaurants to choose from - I've read nightmare reviews about being stuck on one of the outlying islands and having to dine everynight at the same poor restaurant.

We enjoy an evening stroll along the torch lit beach to The Westin Hotel, where we stopped to listen to a sensational singer with a warm velvetry voice. We had a drink and let the music wash over us.

Tonight we’ve had breakfast at the Radisson, dinner at the Sheraton, and after dinner drinks at The Westin, so there's plenty to do on Denarau Island.

Fiji Trip - Day two: Denarau Island

We awoke to one of those beautiful days that the South Pacific is justifiably famous; from our balcony, to the left, we could see the sea (pictured below)

Straight ahead we looked out over the gardens to the adult pool (pictured below)

Breakfast was a buffet by the sea.

After breakfast we strolled along the beach with the vague intention of making it to Port Denarau.

Instead we made it to the Hilton, where we paid the $5 to catch the Bula Bus to Port Denaru (pictured below).

Yees Express Supermarket at Port Denarau must be the most expensive supermarket in the world, where a 220gm jar of Vegemite sells for $8.99.

A 1 litre bottle of Jack Daniels fine Tennessee Whiskey was selling for $161 Fijian compared to the price of $50 at the duty free shop at the airport. Trip Advisor reviews had warned of the exorbitant prices for alcohol at the hotels, and advised purchasing all the alcohol for your trip from the duty free shops at the airport. I must confess I took their advice and happened to purchase a one litre bottle of Jack Daniels from the airport, that’s why I know it was $50, but only because that was the only size bottle they had – honestly it was.

At sunset there is a special event at the Raddisson Hotel. A Fijian warrior carrying a flaming torch, wearing a grass skirt, and followed by little kids dressed in grass skirts, like the Pied Piper, runs around the resort shadowed by his little cohort lighting all the bamboo torches throughout the resort.

We caught the Bula Bus to Port Denarau for dinner at one of the outdoor restaurants by the marina. Now, I must warn you that I’ve read many bad reviews about Fijian food, and I had it confirmed for sure tonight. “The worst food I’ve ever had in my life” Louise said. I have to agree- you don't go to Fiji for the food. However the weather is perfect, the temperature is just right at 29 degrees, and the people are friendly. I find myself slowing down, slowing right down to "Fiji time" - the best time.

Fiji Trip - Day One:Denarau Island

I always love going to Sydney airport, any airport really; they are an exciting point of transition – I like the idea that you can get on a plane and at the end of the flight be anywhere in the world. Airports are a means of escape from the reality of the humdrum of your normal life, and for us a means to escape winter in Sydney to the warmth of a tropical Pacific island – Fiji.

An airport has its own unique atmosphere; anxious people rushing for planes, stressed out people waiting for flights, mothers battling restless kids, people asleep at the departure lounges, people walking with those yellow duty free bags with that contented smile of having scored a bargain, the well groomed hostesses, the pilots in their smart uniforms, and the dodgy looking security guards, who you think in the back of your mind, are the ones who really need to be searched. Then there are the constant messages over the PA system. The final boarding calls, “Paging George Burns to Gate 24”, and, “the final call for Air Mexicana to Los Angeles”, which gives one a quiet satisfaction that you are not on “Air Mexicana”. Then there is the spectacle of the jumbos lined up at the departure gates, taking off, or landing. I marvel at the people taking photographs of the planes, like who cares - just look at this idiot posing in front of an Air Pacific Jumbo (pictured below)


“Bula, vinaka”, the smiling Fijian hostess said as we handed over our boarding pass, which I know means hello, and thank you, in Fijian – I had a quick language lesson from a Fijian work colleague.

At 210pm, Air Pacific Flight FJ 910 is on its way to Fiji. Fiji is made up of 322 Islands, but only 106 are inhabited. Vitu Levu is the main island where most of the people live. The capital Suva is on the eastern side of the capital. We are headed for the international airport on the western side at Nadi, where we were greeted by the blast of warm tropical air as soon as we stepped off the plane.

Stepping into a dilapidated yellow taxi that we noticed had no meter, we off into the dark night through the ram shackled town of Nadi. Then we were bouncing along the potholed roads through the countryside. Every now and then dark figures walking along the side of the road would loom into view. Twenty minutes later we were pulling up to a bridge where on the far side was what looked like a border control check point complete with a boom gate – a tropical Checkpoint Charlie.

“Security guards for the island” The taxi driver said. The van ahead was being thoroughly searched by large men with hard faces that subsequently burst in simultaneous smiles as soon as they saw we were tourists. "Bula" they all chimed together. They will certainly keep the riff raff out I thought. And they need to because on Denarau Island there some of the best resorts in Fiji, like the Westin, the Sheraton, and of course the Radisson where we were now arriving.

Then it was time for some more “bula”, and more “bula”, all said with a big friendly Fijian smile. Levi, our porter would not be out of place packing down in a scrum for the All Blacks, but then again all the male staff looked like they played rugby, after all the brochure said that Rugby is the national sport of Fiji. Levi explained all the hotel room's features; two large flat screen televisions, king size bed, huge bathroom with a deep bath, dining table, lounge, kitchen, balcony with ocean views.

Then he explained how many pools there were, "a family pool, a kids pool, an adults pool, and a teenagers pool". A bus, called you guessed it, a "Bula Bus", arrives every twenty five minutes to take you to Port Denarau where boats take you out to the outlying islands. "Twenty five minutes Fijian time - so add ten to fifteen minutes on top of that" he added with a smile.


When Levi was showing us around the bathroom he suddenly realised he was standing in a huge pool of water. Above him water was dripping from the ceiling. He didn't seem the least bit worried, "Don't worry we'll get this fixed", and then continued on with his tour without missing a beat. A short time later the maintenance man arrived, and whilst inspecting the ceiling, was suddenly drenched with a huge volume of water.

We went for a walk, and by the time we returned it was all cleaned up. Our room service took and an hour and a half, but you can't get worried about that, after all, you are "on Fiji time'.

Whilst we were about to go to sleep to the crashing of the waves against the shore, and the trickle of water from one of the waterfall from the nearby pools, Louise said "Hey, my colds completely gone now" She has had a continuous cold for two weeks.

Fiji is magic.