Sorry for the delay in writing. It looks like I haven't been to Fiji at all but I had no chance to use the internet whilst I was there. I had a lovely time in Fiji. The day after I last wrote I started a 5 day package of the islands. I set sail on 'Pylorous Jack', making my way to 'Manta Ray Island' in the Yasowas. On board were 3 crew members; Captain Tui, Lukey and resident Chef Eva. There were only 13 of us on the boat (10 tourists): Purse and Jack (mother and daughter from Brisbane), Justine from Preston, Nick and newlyweds Kathryn and Marco from Melbourne and Holga and Phillip and Dominic from Germany. We spent all day at sea, sailing past the beautiful islands of the Mamanucas. We arrived at Manta Ray Island late in the afternoon and swam off the boat to the island. The water was so warm that after the sun had set behind the hills of the ilsand it was warmer in the water! Jack produced a bright blue starfish from the sea floor and tried to get me to hold it. I managed to touch it with one finger and then felt a little sceptical about being in the sea, especially when I realised there were many sea cucumbers on the floor - I'm scared of anything without legs! I did manage a little look under water with Jack's snorkel and the second I put my head under the water a ray glided right past me! I had no idea of the extent of the sealife swimming around me - it was incredible, if a little unnerving! Once out of the water we all headed to a single wooden bar on the hill. We had a cocktail and watched the sun set before returning to the boat for Eva's delicious dinner. Later, I t ook a blanket and fell asleep on deck under the stars. It was wonderful, until a shower woke me up and forced me to retreat inside! On day 2 we headed to an untouched island with a tiny viallage of locasl. They treated us to a 'cava' drinking ceremony - Cava being a drink with the same qualities as Absynth only it looks and tastes lilke muddy water. The villagers were dressed in a traditional costume and they sang and danced for us. I was overwhelmed by their beautiful voices and songs. The women then spread out shell jewellery and bits and bobs they'd made for us to browse and we then went on a '10 minute walk' to a viewpoint with Lukey. The 10 minute walk turned into a mountain hike in searing heat and flipflops! The view, however, was utterly worth it. I stood there in a bikini, muddy feet and legs and a towel over my head, taking in the sun glistening over the water, the rugged green hills around me and the dotted islands on the horizon, one of them being the island used fo the Tom Hanks film 'Castaway'. Magical. And then the decent in bare feet because I kept sliding out of my wet, muddy flipflops. What a state I must have looked! Many of the group stayed on the island that night but I preferred the boat. Most of the group found it difficult to sleep on the rocking boat but me, Justine and Holga found it lovely and relaxing, like being rocked to sleep. On day 3 we left the boat for 2 nights on Robinson Crusoe island. As we arrived on the boat we had a welcome group stood on the beach, playing guitars and singing to us. What a fantastic welcome! However, I felt a little uneasy when I was shown the dorm room, which looked more like a prisoner of war camp - bunk beds lined in rows in a dark, stuffy barn - and then uneasiness turned to utter despair when I realised the shower facilities consisted of buckets with shower heads attached! We were allowed one bucket of water a day - I need a good 30 minutes of water continuously running on me! I did manage to upgrade to a slightly more respectable dorm of single beds but was still contemplating leaving he island the next day for a lavish hotel room in Nadi. Abuse the credit card a little for a power shower and air conditioned room with a laundry service to sort out my damp, dirty clothes. The clothes had actually been cleaned on the last island but to my dismay they were cleaned in a waterfall! No Fairy non-biological to be seen! I had to dry them by hanging them all over the rigging of the boat - I'm sure Captain Tui was delighted to have bras and pants flapping around him as he stood at the helm! Anyway, I persevered with that evening and watched a very impressive show by the Fijian staff, including sword and fire dancing. Our group from the boat stuck together and drank and chatted away until the power of the island was cut at midnight, when we gathered around a fire on the beach to sing songs. I soon forgot about the prospect of a shower using a bucket and a bed in a sauna with the help of alcohol-filled slush puppies! The next day I decided I could handle one more night there but booked an airconditioned room for the Friday night at Nadi Bay. So yesterday I waved goodbye to the friends I made after exchanging addresses. They were all so lovely and I was so lucky to have met them: Purse, the wonderful mother figure - kind, caring and utterly loveable. Jack, the outgoing 'girly tomboy' if there is such a thing - Impressive drinking abiliites and a lover of the colour pink! Nick, a thorough gentleman and fountain of knowledge on everything, without a hint of arrogance; Justine, a delightful little sprite with a beautiful laugh; Phillip and Dominic, quiet yet cheerful body beautifuls; Holga, happy-go-lucky soul with 'the travelling bug' and Kathryn and Marco, sun worshiping newly-weds. A lovely crowd. So, after a few stolen hours in a lovely air-conditioned room and an uneventful couple of flights, I have arrived in Christchurch. My cousin Richard was there to pick me up and I felt a sudden rush of emotion when I saw him because he looks so much like my brother Graham. He has his eyes exactly. The sky was blue and i was lovely and warm with a cooler breeze, just like a perfect Cornish summer day. Much better. My Uncle and Aunt are in their holiday home in Picton so I'll be making my way up to them with my cousin Jenni. As far as I know we'll be leaving tomorrow evening and spending a week sight-seeing so I'm really excited! Jen's at work at the moment but we're off to an engagement party followed by a birthday party later so I'm going to have to swallow a few cups of coffee in a bit - I've been up since 2am! Will try and work out my photos in a bit and hopefully get them downloaded on the site. Write when you can guys and I'll keep you updated whenever I can. Much love xxxx