The Ringgold Islands were a big disappointment: rolly anchorages, overfished empty reefs and the unfriendliest locals we’ve met so far in Fiji. .. Then we stopped for a few days at the private island Matangi (good hiking and snorkeling and wonderfully friendly folks–thanks a lot for all the hospitality!) and now we’re in Taveuni.
The third-largest island of Fiji gets lots of rainfall, so it wasn’t ideal for sugar-cane plantations and luckily escaped deforestation. It’s called the garden island and it’s beautiful indeed.
We got lucky with the weather: in trade wind conditions it would be impossible to anchor on the east coast, but thanks to a prolongued phase of northwesterly winds we have the chance to hang out here in the pretty bay of Vurevure: the Bouma national park covers 80 percent of Taveuni and there are many hiking trails into the beautiful forest that lead to stunning waterfalls! Yesterday we did trail up to the three waterfalls of Bouma (32,- FJD per person) which is popular with tourists, but also with locals–in the morning we had the deep pond at the highest of the three falls all to ourselves, by the time we walked back the park had started filling up with families who had come for a picnic–a great way to celebrate the end of the old year and the beginning of the new one!
