14th February
AT SEA
The word that instantly springs to mind about yesterday in Fiji is PARADISE!
After docking at 8am we met up for our tour and only had to walk over the dock to board our sailing ship. It’s was beautiful, with dark mahogany wood and full sails. The crew welcomed us on board and was with us for the rest of the day. We sailed away under a crystal clear blue sky and a very hot sun with some of the crew singing and playing the guitar. Our island we were heading to, called Tivula Island, was just 30 minutes away and on the way we passed a couple of other small, perfect tropical islands, and even the one Tom Hanks filmed Castaway on.
There was a jetty where we docked and it literally took your breathe away. I was in heaven!!!! Just walking along the Getty you could see all kinds of fish through the crystal clear water.
We found a thatched chicky hut to sit under with a couple of chairs, a wooden sun lounger with a comfy cushion on and a large bean bag just feet away from the sea. The first thing I did was snorkel. I went to the end of the jetty with the other confident snorkelers ( they also done a group for beginners too) and I was instantly in an aquarium!!!! Fish of all shapes, sizes and colours greeted me and I just can’t tell you how clear ( and warm) the water was. As Phil isn’t so confident with snorkelling he went in off the beach and still saw loads. My most amazing part was when I was greeted by three sharks swimming round me!!! Fortunately I had seen these sharks before in the Maldives and knew I wasn’t about to get eaten and never be seen again as they were black tip reef sharks. They are born on the reef and stay there until they grow to about 5 feet in length and are mature enough to go out into the ocean. They then come back to breed their own. Even so, coming so close to a shark still sends chills down your spine and I could hear the “Jaws” music !!!!!!!
The island had a beach going right round which you could walk in about 15 minutes. The sand was white and soft with coral washed up, plenty of trees and beautiful flowers. Before lunch we explored and swam just taking in the beauty.
Lunch was a tropical barbecue with fresh fish, chicken and salads and all drinks were included from wine, beers and soft drinks all day. There were canoes and paddle boards for our use and a dive hut. Hammocks were strung between the palm trees where I laid on one and made myself take in the fact I was actually in Fiji in the South Pacific! Every way you looked took your breath away as it was a picture perfect place.
All too soon it was time to leave and we sailed back with the staff offering us tea, coffee and cake or biscuits both on the way out and on the return. After having drunk my coffee I had to use the loo on the ship. Well, what an experience that was!!! First of all you had to negotiate the steep ladder steps below... backwards! Without hitting your head on the way down. Then the toilet compartment was so small you had to fold yourself in half to close the door tucking your feet sideways under the loo. Actually getting your shorts and knickers down was a contortionists nightmare and when actually peeing, your head is between your knees wedged against the door, your elbows are out touching the walls to steady yourself and you’re staring at the underneath of the toilet pan !!!! Then comes the athletic part of trying to retrieve your knickers and shorts which were now on your feet, to pull them up. By this time you’re sweating like a Sumo wrestler and thinking it would have been easier to just go over the side!!!

Our day in paradise was amazing. It’s certainly a day I will never forget and appreciate how lucky I am. When we arrived back at the ship there were a couple of stalls set up on the quay side selling a few things but we didn’t have time to go into town. Set sail at 5.30pm and the sunset was glorious so a perfect end to a perfect day.
Then the Captain made an announcement.......the damn cyclone is threatening us again and now even has a name! Cyclone Oma is bearing down on its way to our next stop of Vanuatu so therefore we have got to divert again and go straight on to the port after Vanuatu which is New Caledonia. We will however be arriving there earlier so will be staying over night and P&O have arranged to get us another port stop in Australia to make up for it. The port is Newcastle and is just above Sydney where we will dock the day after. I’m totally confused on where I am on what day so will just go with the flow as you can’t do a thing about the weather. It’s quite remarkable that we’ve been sitting out today in beautiful weather and calm seas when just over the horizon there’s a cyclone !

Today is Valentines Day so after sitting out on deck all day with frequent dips in the pool to cool down ( very hot and humid) all the evenings entertainment was centred around love and romance.
Also found out today that our Round The World dinner and dance will be held in Hong Kong this year in the Grand Ballroom at the Langham Hotel.