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2023
05
Feb
Suva is an ideal stop-over to stock up on provisioning with cheap supermarkets and market as well as well-stocked hard-ware stores and posh supermarkets with a wide array of goodies. We stayed there two weeks, renewed our visa and did way too much shopping.
(24 photos)
2023
04
Feb
As we’re staying a longer time in Fiji than most yachties, we have to renew our visa. First we got 4 months (clearance fees are about 160 USD), then we applied for an extension, which costs about 40 USD (per person), but is only valid for 2 months. After those initial months we had the choice of either getting another extension (more pricey, 290 USD per person) or clear out of Fiji, sail up to Wallis and Futuna and return to start a new clearance and visa cycle.
We were really tempted to sail, see Futuna and save some money, but it’s the middle of the cyclone season and we are just having a rather active weather phase, so in the end we decided to go for the 6 month’s extension.
Reading cruiser’s reports we were worried that it would be complicated to do the application, but it’s very straightforward. You go to https://www.immigration.gov.fj/ and fill in the online form.
For the first 2 month extension we had to do the “visitor’s permit extension” which requires
- an informal letter requesting the visa
- the filled in form
- custom’s and immigration clearance
- itaukei cruising permit
- passport copy
All went well with the upload, but the next step is to do an online payment–credit card doesn’t work, it has to be a bank transfer… Doing the transfer from a European account would mean higher fees than the actual transfer sum and we couldn’t simply go to a bank to do the transfer for us, as there are no banks in Vanua Balavu (from where we tried to do the application). In the end a helpful local did the transfer for us. All done, it took a few weeks until we got the confirmation of payment, then nothing happened over the Christmas holidays and our visa were long expired, when we phoned to inquire about the status. “All done, you’ve been approved” was the friendly answer–they had just forgotten to write an email.
The 6 month extension is called “Residence permit for yachtees” (yes, with two ees) and requires uploading the same documents as the other one. We were quite surprised when the online form demanded a medical report and a police report as well and would not let us send the form off without uploading those. I called the immigration office in Suva: “Yes, there’s a mistake in the form. Simply upload a blank pdf instead” — problem solved the Fijian way. This time we were in Suva, so we simply went to a local bank with cash in hand and did the transfer from there. All done, no big deal and we’re legal until past the end of the cyclone season again 
2023
01
Feb
It’s breadfruit season around the Pacific and we love it! When used green breadfruit tastes a bit like potato and can be used in potato dishes, but it has a creamier texture and a nutty flavour. We steam it first (takes only about 20 min), then make breadfruit fritters, tortilla espanola, salad, curries, stews etc.
Yesterday I mashed freshly steamed breadfruit and mixed it with eggs, to get a smooth dough for breadfruit gnocchi–I fried them, but boiled they would work as well. We had them with an Italian-style eggplant/tomato sauce and fresh basil from the boat garden
2023
01
Feb
Who needs pass markers, when there’s wrecks to mark the pass? Once inside, the harbour is well protected, but not exactly pretty–and rather shallow around the yacht club… It’s a convenient place to park the boat while provisioning in Suva though!
2023
29
Jan
After a week in bustling Suva we headed out for an anchorage just round the corner, out on the reef in clear water, to get away from it all and relax a bit. Or so we thought. We only had two tasks on the to-do list: changing the gear oil on the outboard and sewing a new hatch cover to replace a torn one.
But then the fridge suddenly acted strangely–orange alert!! Fortunately it turned out to be only a cable issue, but that still meant half a day of pulling cables through the bilge–tons of fun in steaming 33°C. Today we tackled the outboard issue (after putting up a shade over the aft deck) and of course things turned more complicated than expected and we ended up working from early morning until 3 in the afternoon in the sizzling sun while apocalyptic clouds were building up over the shore. We finished just in time before the downpour!
The hatch cover has to wait for another day…
2023
22
Jan
We love exploring, but sometimes it’s good to just settle down in a comfy place and go into work-mode. We were in Vanua Balavu for three weeks and fell into our usual work routine–easy without distractions as there are no other cruisers here and the next village is miles away. Christian was working on an experimental set-up to make the Pitufino work with the old Seatalk system, so he was blocking the whole salon table with his electronics board, lots of boxes with tiny parts, a soldering station and a magnifying glass (that looks a bit like Pixar’s animated lamp “luxo jr.”), so I alternated between the sofa and the aft cabin with my laptop while writing articles and new chapters for the sequel of “Sailing Towards the Horizon”.
Today we have set out again to sail to Suva for some shopping and to renew our visa!
2023
22
Jan
We couldn’t believe our ears when we heard barking ashore. Not a sound like a little yuppy dog would make, but a huge specimen, like a Saint Bernard dog… The next village is miles away, the islands are nearly impossible to climb with their overhanging shores and horribly spiky – had some lunatic abandoned his dog here? Then we heard more barking from the neighbouring island and yet another one?!
Glad that we didn’t have to venture out on a mission to save a dog, we opened our wikipedia and soon found an extremely unlikely source of the strange sound: a pigeon!
“The barking imperial pigeon (Ducula latrans), also known as Peale’s imperial pigeon, is a species of bird in the pigeon family Columbidae. It is endemic to Fiji, where it occurs on most of the medium and large islands. Its natural habitats are mature tropical moist lowland forests and tropical moist montane forest.”
2023
17
Jan
The strange landscape here in Qilqila on Vanua Balavu is a result of the volcanos here on the Pacific rim: former reefs and coralheads were raised by tectonic activity and are now forming sheer cliffs and a maze of tiny islands. Why the cliffs aren’t all the same height (like on other raised atolls) seems mysterious–maybe there were different tectonic events over time… The spiky coral structures are overgrown by an incredibly hardy vegetation–some trees cling to the bare, vertical rock! Over the centuries the waves have gnawed on the rocks and eroded them to a point where the shores have impressive overhangs, giving the “mushroom islands” their typical shape. In the meantime new coral has grown below, so now we see coral skeletons above and pretty reefs below the surface.
2023
14
Jan
Fiji's third biggest island features rainforest and lots of waterfalls. The main sight ashore for nature lovers is the Bouma national, which is located on the east side of the island and therefore impossible to reach by boat in tradewind conditions. We got lucky and enjoyed a full week exploring this rugged shore-line in NW wind!
(29 photos)
2023
13
Jan
The Madden-Julian Oscillation is a weather phenomenon that travels eastwards around the globe near the equator and recurs every 30 to 60 days. It brings enhanced weather activity with clouds, rainfall, winds and an increased risk of cyclones. At the moment we are experiencing an active MJO here in the South Pacific. Cyclone Hale has affected Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand and the grib files show two lows coming close to Fiji in the next few days, before the MJO travels on.
We are staying close to our “cyclone hole” here in Vanua Balavu in Qilaqila (Bay of Islands). We’ve already taken Pitufa for a trial run into the little, enclosed “hole” with a very narrow, tricky entrance. If a cyclone comes precariously close we’ll anchor her in the middle and bring out a spider-web of shore lines. Let’s hope the weather will stay calm! So far we’ve had a gorgeous summer here…
2023
10
Jan
The first times we visited Vanua Balavu’s Qilaqila Bay (Bay of Islands), we thought it was really pretty above water (mushroom islands) as well as below water (healthy reefs). Now we are back and after the slightly disappointing experiences with overfished reefs and rolly anchorages further north we REALLY appreciate the protected bay with and its biodiversity. Finally we are well rested again and can hang out with a large variety of big, relaxed fishy friends! Additionally we have internet on the boat, small shops in the main village and some locally grown veg and fruit
The calm anchorage was also a bonus when we had to change the brushes of the watermaker today. Working in the confined space of the bilge and fiddling with tiny parts is tricky enough without Pitufa pitching and rolling…
2023
06
Jan
Tour operators take tourists to the waterfalls in Bouma and Lavena, but sailing down the southeastern coast of Taveuni we discovered that about a dozen more gush down from the mountains. Some we could see up the slope partly hidden in the forest, others gush from cliffs right down to the shore!
2023
01
Jan
The best anchorage on the eastern side of Taveuni is certainly Vurevure Bay. It would be no good in winds from the E or SE, but now in NW conditions it’s calm and additionally we are protected from the southerly swell that is usually running and the chop that gets bent around the island. Dinghy landing is possible at the creek at the end of the bay even at low tide (even though it involves some dragging over sand banks then, no prob at high water) and the pretty village of Vurevure lies just behind the beach (even though it’s hidden by trees).
We were out of kava, so we went to the village and apologised that we’d first have to get some in town–only to be told that they grow it here and we could very conveniently buy it for a good price (part of our bundle remained of course with the chief as our present 
We didn’t get an official host family like in the Lau group, but Kali, the headman has become our host anyway, we got fruit and veg and were invited for a delicious fruit cake and got some delicacies prepared in the lovo (thanks!). Sana, the chief’s son, is eager to bring some tourists to the village and would love to organise tours and other activities here (lunch, cake, fruit, etc.). Everybody visits the waterfalls in Lavena and Bouma, but today Sana took us to a little gem just an hour’s walk behind the village: the Savu-ra fall tumbles down just as prettily as its more famous colleagues and the pond is easier to access, colder and clearer than the one at Bouma! Call Sana +679 2551331 (vodafone and whatsapp) for details!
2022
31
Dec
The Ringgold Islands were a big disappointment: rolly anchorages, overfished empty reefs and the unfriendliest locals we’ve met so far in Fiji. .. Then we stopped for a few days at the private island Matangi (good hiking and snorkeling and wonderfully friendly folks–thanks a lot for all the hospitality!) and now we’re in Taveuni.
The third-largest island of Fiji gets lots of rainfall, so it wasn’t ideal for sugar-cane plantations and luckily escaped deforestation. It’s called the garden island and it’s beautiful indeed.
We got lucky with the weather: in trade wind conditions it would be impossible to anchor on the east coast, but thanks to a prolongued phase of northwesterly winds we have the chance to hang out here in the pretty bay of Vurevure: the Bouma national park covers 80 percent of Taveuni and there are many hiking trails into the beautiful forest that lead to stunning waterfalls! Yesterday we did trail up to the three waterfalls of Bouma (32,- FJD per person) which is popular with tourists, but also with locals–in the morning we had the deep pond at the highest of the three falls all to ourselves, by the time we walked back the park had started filling up with families who had come for a picnic–a great way to celebrate the end of the old year and the beginning of the new one!
2022
30
Dec
We wish you all a wonderful year 2023 with lots of health, fun, energy and adventures–and of course fair winds and following seas! Keep sailing and paddling along with us on our blog
