Day 177: Fiji – 02/07/10

I seem to spend hours on the blog all morning trying to catch up, going outside every now and then to check if I can see Maggie and Bob sky diving.  They told us they were intending to do it this morning and almost got me to join in.  When I realised though, that I would have to go up in the plane just with the instructor, ie no one I knew, I wasn’t so keen.  Mike wasn’t keen on me doing it either when he found out the price!

There’s lots of activity on the dock as people are preparing to leave for Vanuatu.  Brown Eyed Girl comes in and Voyageur and Wild Tigris both leave a day early.

  Photo:  A quick pose with Heidi before she leaves

Mike has lots of things to attend to, boat-wise this morning such as getting refills of fuel for the dinghy etc.  He finds an old wheelbarrow to transport them – I think he would try to keep the rusty old thing if I let him.  He likes the marine equivalent of Farmer Giles pushing it along!

Photo:  Mike with his new find

After lunch I feel a little unsettled about things, and decide to go for a walk along the beach by myself.  I wander along, quite content to be alone on this beautiful deserted part of the beach.

Photo:  Deserted beach at Musket Cove

As I get near to the bar, I spot a familiar face – Matt – so I plonk myself down next to him for a chatter.  One thing leads to another (in this case, one glass of wine leads to two) and before we know it nearly two hours have passed.  He is such lovely company.

Photo:  Matt and I at the Dick’s Place

John joins us for a drink then I decide that I should really go back to the boat and see how Mike is getting on, and take my leave.

Mike is nowhere to be found, but he has remembered to take out some fish for tonight’s barbecue.  I cook some red cabbage to go with it.  He eventually arrives back from doing the complex checking out business with customs.

In the early evening we join Jutta and Jochem’s rum punch party, one of the final get-togethers of the rally before we leave some of the boats behind tomorrow.  Jutta’s rum punch is lethal, and it’s not long before the poses turn a bit silly.  Bev (who’s an actress) tries to teach us how to throw a sexy, sultry look, but we only end up looking deranged, so we settle for looking happy instead.

Photos:  Rum punch party

Mike and I leave the party and join the crews of Noeluna and Dreamcatcher at the d-i-y barbecue section of the beach bar.  (Huge fires are set up every night by the resort staff and you just bring your own food.  The resort provide all the plates and cutlery and clear everything away after – brilliant idea.)  Maggie and Bob join us, thrilled with their sky diving adventure.  I wish I had done it when I see the video.  Olivier mans the barbecue and our fish is done to perfection.  It was the last of the mahi mahi that we caught some time ago.

Photos:  At the d-i-y barbecue

It’s sad to think that so many people are leaving.  You get used to every one being around and you make friends.  At least I know that we will probably see Marie-Anne and Matthieu again as we might fly over to Singapore to see them in September.