We flew to Nadi on Pacific Air, which is Fiji's national airline and is a bit of a joke. The plane was a poorly specified 747 with flickery screens to watch, dreadful food, the ice creams excepted, and uninterested staff.

We got a lovely view of the Coromandel as we took off then it was cloud all the way. At Nadi airport we were greeted by 3 people playing guitars and singing and were very quickly through seemingly lax customs and bio security checks.

We got in a very uncomfortable taxi for the short trip around the airport to Bamboo Backpackers on the sea front. We were greeted with smiles and jokes and were shown to our small double room which had been decorated with hibiscuses. We took a walk along the beach and had our second Pacific Ocean paddle. If you remember, our first was when staying at a campsite near Blenheim on NZ South Island; this time it was much warmer. We had a beer while sand flies gorged on our feet and then some food and played monopoly cards until bed time.

Our second day was very relaxed. After breakfast, where Anna tried and liked a banana for the first time in years, we returned to bed. We had a brief stroll along the beach before lunch after which we settled down in a hammock. After a while we decided to move so walked the other way on the beach and saw a sea plane being refuelled and take off.

Tea was a lovo. A traditional feast cooked on hot rocks underground. It was yummy. We had:

Taro root
Roasted chicken
Spinach like leaves cooked in coconut cream
Roast pumpkin
Cassava crisp
Kokoda (raw fish cooked in lime juice with coconut milk and onions - so delicious)

We played cards listening to the staff singing and strumming guitars before going to bed. Quite where the day had gone we didn't know but it had been very enjoyable to do so little after so many days on the go.