In the beginning there was Nananu-ira
September 5th, 2006
Fiji time: 16th August 2006 – 22nd August 2006
We arrived at Nadi International Airport in the early hours of Wednesday, 16th August. We had been advised by friends who have travelled to Fiji before that there was not much to see and do in Nadi, so we had made oursleves a booking at Nananu-ira island for the following evening, based on a recomendation from an English couple we had travelled with in New Zealand.
We tried our best to get some kip in the arrivals lounge to avoid shelling out for a hotel for the few hours that were left until the buses started running. This was easier said than done however, as Nadi airport arrivals consisted of only a couple of sofas, and several million resort ‘touts’ (who bizzarely all seemed as camp as Julian Clary) prepared to shake you from your sleep to try to convince you to change your booking for their employer’s resort!
After struggling through for a few hours, we made our way outside to the main road and waited for the local bus that would start us on our way to Nananu. We resisted the temptation to book an airport pick up, and took the local bus to save some cash, we are proper travellers now!
The local bus actually turned into 3 local buses by the time we had made all our connections, although we did get to see some of the mainland (Vitu Levu) countryside during our journey, which consists mainly of sugar cain plantations. The population in Fiji is split approx 50:50 indigineous Fijians : Indians, who were brought in by the British to work the sugar plantations.
After a couple of hours, and several suicidal overtaking manovers we arrived at Ellington Wharf, from where we were to pick up our boat transfer out to the Island. As we sat waiting for our boat (things over here operate on ‘Fiji time’, which basically means everthing is either not early enough, or too late!), the wind started to pick up, and the heavens opened, not the Fiji weather you see on the postcards!
Our boat trip out to the island lasted about 30 mins, long enough to get absolutely soaked, but more importantly long enough to meet Laurie and Suzie from Scotland, who were to become good friends during our time on Nananu. The pants weather lasted for the rest of the day, so on our arrival, we took refuge in the beach front bar, where we were forced to stay for the rest of the day!
The next morning, the rain had stopped, but unfortunately the wind continued to blast in from out in the ocean. We were begining to feel a little aggrieved, this was winter after all, but apparantly this is the best time of year to visit Fiji, as the temperatures are hot, but bearable, but it is supposed to be the dry season!
Thankfully, by the third day, the weather had settled down into the consistent, still, 30+ degrees we have enjoyed ever since. This allowed us to explore the island. We found our postcard style beach, about 1 mile of white sand that looked out to the ocean, which best of all was never occupied by more than half a dozen people.
During our first trip out snorkelling, we came across a black and white striped ‘geordie’ water snake, which one of the dive instructors later told us was extremely venimous, but fortunately didn’t posses a big enough jaw to bite a human, unless it got you on the ear! Typical of Newcastle, possess plenty of venom, but no real means of delivering it, therefore rendering it no threat at all.
We spent 5 days in total on Nananu-ira, which was a beautiful island, and once the weather settled down a great start to our time in Fiji. The ‘lodge’ where we stayed was about the cheapest backpacker place in Fiji, and the accomodation wasn’t the best (poor Laurie and Suzie had a mouse in their room which did it’s best to eat all their Australian souvenirs), so by the time we were set to leave, we thought we would push our budget a little further in our remaining 2 weeks in order to get the most out of our Fiji experience.
In order to work out exactly where we were going to do this, we returned to Nadi, and found a decent hotel, in which we spent two nights working out where exactly we wanted to go. That’s the only problem with Fiji, with over 300 islands in total, you really are spoiled for choice!
Tags: Fiji
Chris and Charl
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