After the wedding we decided that we would stay on in Fiji (additional warm days prior to the World Cup in NZ). We stayed at a small hotel near a diving centre. While enjoying a welcoming drink at the bar we heard what appeared to be a train approaching. It was a sugar train that ran through the middle of the resort and separated the units from the bar.
We had anticipated that the trains would run to some sort of schedule but we were forgetting Fiji time. During the week we saw an engine jump off the tracks and on a number of occasions derailed loaded wagons with sugar cane everywhere. Our idea of a timetable was a bit optimistic. As a result we had trains running through the resort at any time including the middle of the night which although quaint did detract from sleep.
The climate is great for plants and we visited the Sleeping Giants orchid garden. I had no idea of how many orchids there are. We wondered along a bank of them with large differences in size
and the variety of colours were hard to imagine.
Further back in the garden was a rain forest. The buttress roots on this tree were more of the hurdling than tripping over variety.
One of the reasons for moving to the Anchorage was the adjoining resort had a dive base. Their offshore location was Beachcombers island which was an hour boat ride. Unfortunately there were high winds and quite rough conditions which made going ashore on the island a hazardous affair – especially if you were staying on the island and had bags to off load. The entertainment factor for those onshore at the bar was however good value. I decided that the weather and unprotected dive sites did not warrant getting wet and feedback from some of the divers who did go suggested this was a good decision.
Back on the mainland we visited Nadi where there is a quite spectacular Hindu temple. As the guard insisted on us removing our shoes some 50 metres from the temple and the concrete was too hot to walk on for our more sensitive feet we opted for pictures from afar.
We also spent a day with a hire car and went round the island. Some spectacular views on the way and pretty challenging road works up in the mountains resulted in us arriving in Suva in time for a late lunch. The museum is in a large garden and houses a number of canoes. The Polynesians sailed all over the Pacific in these small vessels sometimes for months at a time navigating by the stars, wind, birds and sea conditions long before compasses, sextons and sea sickness tablets were available.
Armed with a suitable tan to upset New Zealanders we left for Auckland at the start of September.
We had anticipated that the trains would run to some sort of schedule but we were forgetting Fiji time. During the week we saw an engine jump off the tracks and on a number of occasions derailed loaded wagons with sugar cane everywhere. Our idea of a timetable was a bit optimistic. As a result we had trains running through the resort at any time including the middle of the night which although quaint did detract from sleep.
The climate is great for plants and we visited the Sleeping Giants orchid garden. I had no idea of how many orchids there are. We wondered along a bank of them with large differences in size
and the variety of colours were hard to imagine.
Further back in the garden was a rain forest. The buttress roots on this tree were more of the hurdling than tripping over variety.
One of the reasons for moving to the Anchorage was the adjoining resort had a dive base. Their offshore location was Beachcombers island which was an hour boat ride. Unfortunately there were high winds and quite rough conditions which made going ashore on the island a hazardous affair – especially if you were staying on the island and had bags to off load. The entertainment factor for those onshore at the bar was however good value. I decided that the weather and unprotected dive sites did not warrant getting wet and feedback from some of the divers who did go suggested this was a good decision.
Back on the mainland we visited Nadi where there is a quite spectacular Hindu temple. As the guard insisted on us removing our shoes some 50 metres from the temple and the concrete was too hot to walk on for our more sensitive feet we opted for pictures from afar.
We also spent a day with a hire car and went round the island. Some spectacular views on the way and pretty challenging road works up in the mountains resulted in us arriving in Suva in time for a late lunch. The museum is in a large garden and houses a number of canoes. The Polynesians sailed all over the Pacific in these small vessels sometimes for months at a time navigating by the stars, wind, birds and sea conditions long before compasses, sextons and sea sickness tablets were available.
Armed with a suitable tan to upset New Zealanders we left for Auckland at the start of September. 
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