The passing cyclone left us with NW winds for the last few days, but today the wind swapped to the S and got light. We waited half a day for the seas to calm down, asked some local friends to help preparing Pitufa (dinghy up, poles out) and then headed out towards Suva. Birgit’s wedged in on the sofa and I’m single-handing an unfortunately rather… Continue reading »
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2023
15
Feb
2023
14
Feb
Survived!
Two days ago we nearly drowned. Our friend Maikeli (from the island of Matuku) did not make it. He was buried yesterday. We are sad, shocked and in pain. We did not go on a risky adventure, he just wanted us to take some underwater pictures of a reef pass put them in a report to the government about the installation of no-fishing Tabu zone… Continue reading »
2023
11
Feb
Recipes: Kefir
It’s simply great to have a milk-Kefir culture on the boat. Those little cauliflower-shaped buggers turn milk over night into something very similar to yogurt–no special temperature required, no special procedure. I just throw a bunch of them into a jar with (stirred-up powder) milk, the creamier the thicker the resulting yogurt. About 12 hours later the yogurt is forming, but still a bit liquid… Continue reading »
2023
08
Feb
Shopping frenzy
Shopping for basic things is really cheap in Suva, so we stocked up for the next few months, but then we got carried away with all the special, imported goodies at the posh supermarkets… With some searching there’s everything available here, even gluten-free products and smelly cheese Of course we also stocked up on boat repair/maintenance parts and then we did a last round buying… Continue reading »
2023
05
Feb
2023
04
Feb
Visa in Fiji
As we’re staying a longer time in Fiji than most yachties, we have to renew our visa. First we got 4 months (clearance fees are about 160 USD), then we applied for an extension, which costs about 40 USD (per person), but is only valid for 2 months. After those initial months we had the choice of either getting another extension (more pricey, 290 USD… Continue reading »
2023
01
Feb
Breadfruit season
It’s breadfruit season around the Pacific and we love it! When used green breadfruit tastes a bit like potato and can be used in potato dishes, but it has a creamier texture and a nutty flavour. We steam it first (takes only about 20 min), then make breadfruit fritters, tortilla espanola, salad, curries, stews etc. Yesterday I mashed freshly steamed breadfruit and mixed it with… Continue reading »
2023
01
Feb
Suva harbour
Who needs pass markers, when there’s wrecks to mark the pass? Once inside, the harbour is well protected, but not exactly pretty–and rather shallow around the yacht club… It’s a convenient place to park the boat while provisioning in Suva though!
2023
29
Jan
Project weekend
After a week in bustling Suva we headed out for an anchorage just round the corner, out on the reef in clear water, to get away from it all and relax a bit. Or so we thought. We only had two tasks on the to-do list: changing the gear oil on the outboard and sewing a new hatch cover to replace a torn one. But… Continue reading »
2023
22
Jan
Work routine
We love exploring, but sometimes it’s good to just settle down in a comfy place and go into work-mode. We were in Vanua Balavu for three weeks and fell into our usual work routine–easy without distractions as there are no other cruisers here and the next village is miles away. Christian was working on an experimental set-up to make the Pitufino work with the old… Continue reading »
2023
22
Jan
Barking?
We couldn’t believe our ears when we heard barking ashore. Not a sound like a little yuppy dog would make, but a huge specimen, like a Saint Bernard dog… The next village is miles away, the islands are nearly impossible to climb with their overhanging shores and horribly spiky – had some lunatic abandoned his dog here? Then we heard more barking from the neighbouring… Continue reading »
2023
17
Jan
Coral above and below the water
The strange landscape here in Qilqila on Vanua Balavu is a result of the volcanos here on the Pacific rim: former reefs and coralheads were raised by tectonic activity and are now forming sheer cliffs and a maze of tiny islands. Why the cliffs aren’t all the same height (like on other raised atolls) seems mysterious–maybe there were different tectonic events over time… The spiky… Continue reading »
2023
14
Jan
2023
13
Jan
MJO
The Madden-Julian Oscillation is a weather phenomenon that travels eastwards around the globe near the equator and recurs every 30 to 60 days. It brings enhanced weather activity with clouds, rainfall, winds and an increased risk of cyclones. At the moment we are experiencing an active MJO here in the South Pacific. Cyclone Hale has affected Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand and the grib… Continue reading »
2023
10
Jan
Back in Vanua Balavu and happy!
The first times we visited Vanua Balavu’s Qilaqila Bay (Bay of Islands), we thought it was really pretty above water (mushroom islands) as well as below water (healthy reefs). Now we are back and after the slightly disappointing experiences with overfished reefs and rolly anchorages further north we REALLY appreciate the protected bay with and its biodiversity. Finally we are well rested again and can… Continue reading »