Your Essential Guide to the Shores and Marinas of Fiji
By Captain Adrian Faulkner
“Take a look at this!” Jak was stabbing a headline in the Fiji Times: “YACHT CREW RESCUED”. A yacht had been wrecked on a reef near The Exploring Islands in the Lau Group. A ship had rescued five castaways and was returning to Suva with them. I thought of the horrors on that yacht. Quiet, gentle sailing. Starry night. CRASH! Violence, fear, screams, waves.
By Alison Newell, Pacific Centre for the Environment and Sustainable Development, USP
Oceania, 10 million people and 25,000 islands scattered across 3 million square miles of the Pacific, the world’s largest ocean, is arguably the region most dependent on sea transport in the world.
Hosted by the Musket Cove Yacht Club and Musket Cove Island Resort, the world famous Musket Cove Regatta runs from 11th to 16th of September this year and is a must for every yacht planning on cruising Fiji’s magnificent waters.More info here…
Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems or also known as drones are increasing in popularity around the world. Similarly, due to the increasing ease of access to this technology, Fiji has started seeing an increase in the number of drones for private use.
June 7, 2014, 1000 am. It’s the start of the ANZ Sailfiji ocean race from Auckland to Denarau, Fiji. We’re as ready as a boat and crew can be and the five of us on board, AP, Bex, Lefty, Seamus and AJ, are looking forward to racing out of a soggy NZ winter towards warmer climes. The fleet numbers 20 odd, which is the biggest for some time and augurs well for both this race and the future.
Fiji has a fantastic cruising climate. It is situated in a tropical trade wind belt providing fresh steady winds for easy passage making. More info here…
As you travel from region to region and country to country, it is important to keep an eye out for rogue animals hitching a ride on the hull, in cupboards or within food items. Over the centuries, Fiji has fallen foul to many an introduced outbreak. From Cholera, to warfare and more subtle threats which take time to reveal themselves. While we appreciate you may be keen to get ashore and start exploring, it is imperative that you wait onboard for Biosecurity officers to board and inspect your vessel for such unwelcome hitchhikers.More info here…
“A wonderful affair” – these were the words that Thomas Williams, the Methodist missionary at Lakeba, used to describe the catching of the balolo worm around Nadawa passage just off the chiefly village of Tubou, Lakeba on 19th November 1841.
Between the islands of Fiji, our ancestors would trade goods for which they were famed. The people of Tonga would also trade colourful feathers of the kula bird (Collared Lory – Phigys solitaries) masi (printed bark cloth) and weapons with the eastern Fiji islands. Eventually, European traders began to barter metal tools, tobacco, cloth, muskets and gunpowder for sandalwood, and sea cucumbers. Trading today is still popular and is something you might like to try instead of reverting to cash…More info here…
Many of the world’s finest luxury yachts and superyachts have been stationed in Fiji at some point. The owners have sometimes generously offered unchartered weeks for use as research platforms.More info here…