Savu Savu, Vanua Levu and back to Viti Levu - September/October 2017

We decided to sail to the smaller of the main islands, Vanua Levu, to the town of Savu Savu.  Our friends from SV Terrapin were there.  The plan was to sail there with SV Cape D, and Cape D would leave their boat there for Cyclone season.  We would then sail back to Viti Levu with SV Terrapin and catch up with friends again at Musket Cove.

Noah turned 11 while we were in Fiji.  

He had a huge birthday brownie!  Happy birthday, Noah!

Cape D sailing to Lautoka before sailing around the northern part of Vanua Levu.

Map of most of the Fiji Islands.  We sailed from Lautoka on 

Viti Levu to Savusavu in Vanua Levu to meet with SV Terrapin.

Enough anchored on the other side of Lautoka at a resort on Bekana Island

Eating pizza at the resort on Bekana

Fireworks for Fiji Day

Cape D anchored close to Rakiraki / Nanuya-i-Ra on the northern side of Viti Levu

On the way to Savusavu we caught a barracuda

Ick, threw it back in.

Savusavu

Meeting up with SV Terrapin after 1 1/2 years!  

So good to see Jessica and Emma again.  

Our boys, plus Julian from Cape D and Jessica and Emma

 have all grown quite a bit since we saw them last.

Of course, what would cruising be like with electronics and Roblox

Science day - boiling eggs in the hot spring right in the middle of town

Everyone getting a science lesson from Geoff

Emma placing her egg in the hot spring

watching them boil

Yadua Island - on the way back to the main island we anchored out in Yadua Island.

Remora / sucker fish - swimming next to the boat

the kids fed them pancakes

Yadua anchorage

Back in Lautoka at Bekana Resort

The kids rowing themselves back to the boat because they were bored of the adults

Musket Cove - back to Musket Cove and met up with more kid boats.

Kids from SV Pickles, Terrapin, and Pesto

Celebrating Eleanor's birthday from SV Del Viento

 Donald Trump and a tourist hanging out in Musket Cove

Phil and Aimee from SV Terrapin on Halloween

Kids bike riding around Malolo Lailai

Peek-a-boo turtle head

Cloud 9 - floating barge off Musket Cove area.  

Watching for the Green Flash

Celebrating our last days in Fiji

Goodbye beautiful Fiji.  On our way back to New Zealand for Cyclone season

Next up:  New Zealand

The Yasawa Island Group - Naviti Island - Manta Ray bay, The Blue Lagoon, and Yasawa i-Lau, Waya  - August / September 2017

We decided the make our way further north as to see the rest of the Yasawa's.  After seeing these places, you can understand why it's such an amazing vacation destination.  Fiji knows how to make it easy to get to all of these islands.  You can fly, helicopter, sail, or ferry boat to all of these amazing destinations.  There are many islands with resorts, but many that have villages that welcome visitors to their villages.  It's a nice combination of rural and luxury at the same time.

                          

We sailed from Musket Cove to Naviti Island with our friends from SV Pesto, where between a channel are suppose to be huge manta rays that come to feed.  This place is aptly named Manta Ray Bay.  We stayed for a few days and did some snorkeling and swimming, but did not see any rays.  It's always hit or miss.  I guess this time it was a miss.

Noah "surfing" in Manta Ray bay

Horatio surfing

Plane ready to take off with cruise ship in the bay.

Tavewa Islands / Nacula Island - The Blue Lagoon (yes, where the movie was filmed)
We sailed further north to anchor at the famous Blue Lagoon area.  It really is an amazing place and so peaceful. 

View from hike to the other side of the anchorage

boat anchored in the bay

Destination - Lo's Tea House for donuts!

Kids with Lo from her Tea house

Great little hike to Lo's with SV Pesto, SV Cape D, and SV Miss Goodnight

Ice Cream back at Nanuya Boat Club

Local farmers delivering groceries to your boat!  What service!

We moved onward to Sawa-i-Lau.  It is located in the southern end of the main Yasawa Island, which is one of the furthest northern islands of the whole Yasawa Island Group.

Coming into the bay of Sawa-i-Lau

SV Pesto motoring in the bay looking to anchor

Again, wishing for a better quality camera because the 

photo does not do the colors and ruggedness justice.

The formation of the rocks due to weather and 

erosion have transformed it into a great place to snorkel 

Lots of coral underneath to snorkel

There are the famous caves to visit on this island, but they were charging $50 Fijian dollars per person ($25 USD), but we figured we could skip it so we decided to snorkel instead.

Entrance to the caves.  The women sell their handicrafts

Like this Spider shell, which is turned into this beautiful necklace

Village chief with some oars that Geoff gave him.  

Horatio and Paulo enjoying the exchange

Village chief cutting up some coconuts.  

He opened a few so we could have some coconut water!

Yasawa-i-Rara - Yasawa-i-Rara and Bukama villages

Anchorage at Yasawa-i-Rara - this place had incredibly 

crystal blue waters with a sparkling white sand beach

Local fisherman with their morning catch

Enormous parrot fish and grouper

Crayfish and crab - delicious!

Bukama village vs. Yasawa-i-Rara village rugby match

The two villages women playing Netball

Local Bukama boys

Bukama Village school playground and rugby field

Cape D anchored in Yasawa-i-Rara cove

Making our way back south to Waya Island, Octopus Resort - Meke and Lovo (Dancing and traditional Fijian food)

Up next:  Back to the main island of Viti Levu, with our friends from Cape D, before we made our way to the smaller of the two main islands, Vanua Levu to the town of Savu Savu to meet our friends SV Terrapin.  We had not seen them for over a year and a half.