Fiji

Photos copyrighted 2002 by Don Chesnut, unless otherwise indicated

Nadi, Fiji

Day One

Nausori Highland Trek, Rosie's Tours

This trek began as a van ride on a gravel road up the mountian near Nadi. The hike was almost all downhill from trail head down to the village where the van picked us up again. The hike was a very easy stroll and suitable for most people including children used to walking. We had three stops along the way which were largely unnecessary and probably meant to burn up time. We spent a long time in the village. I was surprised to see such a variety of food prepared for us. I tried everything. The food and kava made me sleepy, so I took a short nap after lunch. Eventually, the van took us down a gravel road back to the coast and our hotels.

• view of mountain near the top of the trek trail
• view across the valley
• view back toward the coast and the road which brought us to the trail head
• pinnacle in foreground, mountain in background
• overlook and steep slopes near top of trail
• small group on trek near pinnacle
• another view of pinnacle, looking toward coast
• another view toward coast, a little lower on the trail
• grasslands, the only climb on the trek and it was short
• view of pine plantation, Pinus radiata or Monterey Pine
• view of mountain from lower elevation; don't know the vegetation
• village at bottom of trek,.Village women had prepared a wide variety of food for us. We had the kava ceremony in one of the huts and then ate. I fell asleep in the hut while others walked around the village. I walked around a bit after awhile.
• some of the kids in the village, one with Down's
• grass-thatched house with matting sides
• another village view
• yet another view

Mocambo Hotel

• flowered arbors
• Bird-of-Paradise flower
• another paradise flower
• bird, charcoal and white with rose-colored patch, don't know the species
• another view of same bird

Day Two

Seaspray Cruise, Rosie's Tours

• Island-bound ferry ride
  1. view of sailboats from ferry as we pulled out from the dock
  2. channel through mangrove tidal flats, viewed from ferry. Avicennia is the only type of mangrove to live here, I believe.
  3. view of the highlands as we leave the coast
  4. huts on tiny island
  5. dock at Mana Island, end of this leg of ferry trip
• Seaspray cruise

  Although sails were hoisted and trimmed for looks, we were under diesel power all the way. Otherwise, the crew would be too busy to entertain us.

  1. onboard the Seaspray, looking aft from helm, Mana Island in the background
  2. looking aft from the foremast
  3. looking forward
  4. Monuriki (aka Modriki) Island, right center, where the movie Castaway was filmed
  5. Yanuya Island, where we stopped for a kava ceremony and souvenier buying. All potable water is from rain catchment or brought in by boat.
  6. village on Yanuya
  7. beach scene, Yanuya
  8. same beach
  9. another view, same beach
  10. the double-masted Seaspray, sails stowed for rest of trip
  11. Monuriki (aka Modriki) Island, Castaway movie site
  12. Monuriki (aka Modriki) Island, where we anchored. I was the only one to don snorkel gear and leave the boat to snorkel the patch reefs between anchorage and shore. Others went ashore by boat.
  13. a variety of coral including what looks like Millipora
  14. variety of non-reef-forming corals and black and white fish
  15. sea fans and black stemless crinoids
  16. coral heads and black stemless crinoids
  17. black and gold stemless crinoid
  18. two types of stemless crinoids, small black crinoid and larger black-and-gold crinoid
  19. two small islands attached to Monuriki
• Return ferry ride, approaching the dock, sunset

Day Three

Garden of the Sleeping Giant, Viseisei Village & Vuda Lookout Tour, Rosie's Tour. This was a half-day van tour.

• sugar-cane train loading up
• sugar-cane train passing
• Garden of the Sleeping Giant

  This garden was established by the famous American actor, Raymond Burr. He was perhaps most famous for the television series, Perry Mason.

  1. red-stemmed palm and banana plant
  2. variety of palms
  3. more palms
  4. lily pond and hill side
  5. lily pond
  6. under-canopy vegetation
  7. buttress-rooted tree
  8. arbor walk
• Viseisei Village, near Nadi
  1. houses along the village
  2. children near souvenier tables
  3. nice house
  4. grave of the last president of Fiji
  5. chief's houses
  6. Methodist Church near center of village. Most villages have churches.
  7. chief's main house
  8. children near main entrance to village
• Vuda Lookout, near Nadi
  1. view 1
  2. view 2
  3. view 3
  4. view 4

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