Paradise Resort, Malukela & Plantation Islands Fiji - Nov. 9, 2013

SATURDAY-NOVEMBER 9, 2013

BOTTOM LINE:

PJ’s Sailing excursion to Reef/Plantation Island

BACK STORY:

We were picked up promptly in the morning and taken to the dock at Denarau for a reef snorkeling trip.  Ironically the taxi cab driver was the owner of the tour transport company. On the drive he shared “his” story of being the son of a wealthy Hindu businessman in Fiji.  A divorce took place between his parents do to infidelity.  His mother was Christian.  His father gave him the choice of wealth and a stake in his business or to go with his Mother.  He told his Dad that he preferred his mother’s values and had witnessed that wealth brought her no happiness.  His father disowned him.  Penniless he got investors to help him begin a transport business, which would compete with his father.  Through his hard work, it has become the largest transport business in Fiji.

He told us that he had just gifted his Pastor with a trip to the Holy Lands two weeks earlier.  Upon further questioning, it became clear that he attended the church that we would be visiting on Sunday and the Pastor that he gifted was the one that we would be having lunch with!

The concrete sail boat!

The crew

All that said, we took off for a 1 ½ hour sail under cloudy skies, which was a blessing to be protected from another day in the sun.  The trip was on one of two concrete sailboats in the world. Islands dotted the horizon in every visible direction.  Our destination was to go out to the reef for a couple of hours of snorkeling.  Clarity was excellent. Although there was a variety of brightly colored tropical fish of all sizes, we were increasingly concerned at the poor condition of the coral beds…bleaching, human harvesting and weather related damages. We were told that the crown-of-thorns starfish was killing much of the coral by eating it.  Some Fijians hunt for the starfish and put them into designated submerged cages filled with Triton cone shells, which destroy them.

Beach at Paradise Resort

Bruce and I agreed that most of the dive/snorkel spots that we have visited are ALL in this poor condition.  Belize, Mexico, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Florida all appears the same.  The clearest and most beautifully preserved has been Grand Cayman, which we visited some 10 years ago. We are looking forward to seeing what the Great Barrier Reef looks like off the east coast of Australia. 

We all need to be respectful of our natural surroundings, sustaining them for generations to come!  Luckily Fiji is working to replant and it was encouraging to see some beautiful new varieties and colors of coral growing. 

Fiji is going into it’s rainy season.  On our sail back to dock we were pelted with liquid sunshine.  It was actually refreshing!

Heading into rain storm

 

Evenings at the resort are typically about getting a drink, grabbing some dinner, cleaning up and watching any scheduled entertainment.  Last night was traditional Fire Island dancing.

Fire Dance at Club Fiji Resort