Hello hope your all ok? And are still awake from reading yesterdays essay he he! Well after the Feejee experience we decided it was time to see the islands so we had heard everyone talking about Bula passes, so we got one too. it was like a unlimeted 7 day pass for a sea cat called the yasawa flyer, and we also bought a 5 night accomadation pass. So we returned to smugglers cove on thursday night and booked the pass to start on the sunday morning. So aftrer all day friday there and been kept awake both night by the noise from the bar and other guests we changed the pass dates and got the bus 7am to the marina. We got picked up in this really flash bus then arrived at the docks which was nothing like we expected, it was brand new shops and a Hard Rock Cafe think this part had acctually seen some progress! So we checked in on the boat and off we went! Dont think we picked the best morning to travel or the best seats as within ten minute of getting out to sea the boat was rocking about all over the place and me and Anna where getting drenched as waves bounced over the sides, but it was that hot we couldn't stop laughing!! Neither could the others who where sat further in to the boat in the dry bit! So we decided as there was no particular way of doing the trip to travel to the furthest ones then work our way back to Nadi.

The first group of islands we went to where five hours away so off we sailed, every time we went past a set of islands we would be met by a little boat which people would be jumping accross into to transfer to the islands. So we arrived at the first resort Coral View and our little transfer boat was waitng out at sea for us, so it came along side and we made the jump accross! Once we got accross to the island which there was a little group of bulidings and a load of people waiting to greet us we then realised this was the resort, dont think it was quite what we were expecting!! The restraunt come bar come reception was made of bits of wood and tin sheets, ive seen better built cow sheds!! then lunch was served well this soon made an entry into the discusting list!! once we got that out of the way i spent the afternoon snorkling and Anna spent the afternoon playing cards with Natalie.Suprisingly the little hut which was our room for the night was really nice as huts go!! Were even thinking of building one in my field when we return!! So tea and breakfast both made there own entries to the list and it was time to get the transfer back to the big boat once aboard we tried to book another resort but this was full so we got put into The Bay of Plenty resort.

After coral view we didint think things could get much worse but as we sailed into the bay it looked like they where about too!! So off we got walked accross into another shack and then taken to our rooms which suprisingly again was really nice! We went back down to the reception and the guide asked us what we wanted to do, there where five of us an old couple Dave and Marg and Mr Bean who we had found out at sea somewhere on the way down!! So we all deciede we wanted to go swimming, so off we went out to a sand bank he knew where we swam and snorkled for the afternoon, even the Fijian guides 5 year old daughter had picked up on Mr Beans much to our amusement!! We went back to the shack where they made us coffee and bread and jam which was really good, and so was the evening meal! So once more it was off to bed in our little hut so we just got to sleep and i felt something walk accross me, this time it wasn't Anna messing about and we spent the next two hours sat on the bunk bed next to our bed hiding from what ever it was, bearing in mind that the power had gone off at nine because they where low on diesel!! So this was the highlight of the breakfast table, which again was really good! Then the guide took us on a little tour of their village and school which was far better than the Feejee experiance trip made us a really good dinner, even anna like the food here!! then it was time again to get the little boat back to the big one!!

Once on the big boat again it was time to decide where to stop again, this time we chose the 'Coconut Bay' resort to stop at, so yet again the little boat picked us up and off we went, it was bit worrying that there was only us two on the boat and it was a right wreck,surely it couldn't get worse! how wrong we were! at reception the woman ran us through the introduction to Coconut bay dont think she could have done it any quicker and with any less eye contact, it wasnt looking good! so they took us to the room took the padlock off the door for us and let us in, yet again it was another one i think the chickens had fled from! There was no inside lock on the door but just a bent over nail that you turned to hold the door shut, great!! Even my dads collection of sheds at home, you can lock the door! So we thought we would get a shower, there was a shower somewhere in the darkness at the back of the room, but one fairly big problem, no water!!! So we thought we would get a drink we walked up to the bar informed them that was there was no water, then asked for a drink, they told us that the bar was shut and if we needed a drink to walk to the next resort about quater of a mile up the beach so off we went i was chunttering like mad by now!! So we spent the afternoon next door which was lovely, i was trying to figure out how i could scam some free food up there but to little avail! So off we went back down to get shower before tea, guess what still no water so i ran out the room grabbed the nearest person and told him we still had no water, anyway finally some action two of them spent the next hour messing around trying to get it working, then finally they did, then coming round to be thanked i think, that kind of fell on deaf ears ha ha! So at last we could get a shower, with luke warm, brown salt water brill really 5 star here!! Then it was tea time well this was already an entry on the list before we got to the restraunt part, and we where right its was hot dog sausages in gravy with rice, but the hot dog sausage round here i think are exactly what they say on the tin, or they certainly seemed that way! So while i'm tryin to force abit of Fido and rice down i could tell Anna was having none off it! I have now studied Anna's eating habits in great depth and can now tell the responce by the angle of the fork rather than what she says!! It was horizontal and upside down this was not a good sign!! So off we went up to the next resort and topped up our tea with coconut cookies, this is one of the two emergency foods we have found on the islands the other is salt an vinegar crisps, both were now begining to see alot of action!! So we spent the rest of the evening up there and met up with Dave and Marg who we had good laugh with about it all and called it a night, yet again i spent another night sleeping with one eye open! Didnt quite trust that 4 inch safety nail! So breakfast again was delightful white pineapple and some burnt pancakes sound!! We went back to the room and suprise, suprise there was no water again!! We dont think we knew weather to laugh or cry at this point! we spent the morning reading and lazing about then it was dinner time this was yet another cordon blur meal of what was like super noodles and corned beef, one fork full and i was nearly sick, Anna's fork never even left the table!! That was it then get us off this island, problem was though i was ready to go into the office all guns blazing in my usual tactfull way but they were our only way back to the big boat!! So we sat it out and finally it was time to go!!

Back on the big boat we had a feast of pringles, ice cream, sandwiches anything that we could find 4 hours without food is enough for me never mind 24!! But where to go now we seemed to be on a streak of bad luck which was now becoming quite funny to us and the rest of the boat although nobody dare tell us where they were stopping funnily enough! So off we trotted to the travel desk to book our room for the night where i told the lady who had done our bookings for the week not to put us in another ' s**t hole' they she asked if we had not liked coconut bay, think my face answered that one for her! So anyway she booked us in to a resort called Kuata on another Island an hour south, we didnt hold out much hope!

We arrived on the Island of Kuata to be greeted by the locals and to be fair things almost seemed to be picking up, they put us two in there newest hut which was nice with electric, a fan and even running water!! So we went in the sea, watched the sunset then went for shower and we all met for a Kava ceromany at 6.30, now to be fair i was getting the taste for this muddy tasting drink but i dont think Annas taste buds have quite got to that stage yet! So this all done with it was tea time a Fijian buffet , oh no i had been dreading this all afternoon dont think i could survive without food any longer, but as we queued up we could see this wasn't to be the case there was lamb, chicken, rice, bread, salad, allsorts its was brilliant untill we got to our table there were no knifes and forks, oh no its was Fijian tradtion to eat with your fingers, either that or the washing up man was on Fiji time! Anyway i was that hungry i didn't really care and found it quite easy using one hand as the fork and the other as a shovel and in no time had cleared two plate fulls!! Then came the evening entertainments music and the locals dancing and also dancing with fire, this was all very good,but what really did it for me where the hi-tech disco lights a little man running round the room with a red torch brilliant!!! So it was bed time again and soon time for breakfast this was good and so was dinner so we decided to stop another night and spent the next day just generally chilling out by and in the sea! The evening tea was good and soon it was back round to bed time,as we got in to bed we put the fan on and i pulled accross the mozzy net but unfortunately this then had a rather noisy disagreement with the fan and the next morning when Anna went to pull the net aside it fell down on to the bed much to our amusement and now also the buck was passed and i could now blame her for wrecking the room as now i had only took the paint of the fan blades!! So shortly after another good dinner we joined the big boat and decided to end the Island hopping on a high and headed back to the mainland, once ashore a large old leyland bus with roll up canvass windows took us back to Nomads Skylodge where we have spent the last few days until we fly back to NZ on tuesday morning. To be fair i think we have timed everything about right as for the last couple of days there has been some really good tropical storms, thunder and lightening and rain that is way heavier than anything even seen at home!! Yesterday (Saturday) we went for another trip into Nadi, now were bit more streetwise! But this time on the local bus! Walked round the shops and the market and i found a model tractor so that one is winging its way back to Cawthorne!! Did a bit of haggling on the market and got 3 pineapples for $2 shame two of them were rotten kind of took the edge of the deal ,then we got the bus back up. So now were just pottering around for next couple of days really, doing washing, sorting our neglected blog out and getting ready for NZ. So all in all after three weeks here we have really enjoyed it, the foods crap, we have got bitten to death and sunburnt something cronic for me anyway, but we've seen a whole different way of life and had a good laugh along the way, but i dont quite think were ready for full time Fiji time and i dont think we could have had half the laughs without the frenchman Mark "Mr Bean"!! Hope your all well really like all the messages and we'll see you in New Zealand!!! Tom & Anna