Fiji - March 2005
When we decided to visit New Zealand we realised that it was just as cheap/expensive to buy a round-the-world airline ticket as flying out and back along the same route so we decided to return to the UK across the Pacific. That always needs a stopover somewhere halfway across and as I had already been to Hawaii this made Fiji the logical choice for a 3 night stopover to assist our bodies with jetlag. I had met quite a few Fijians during my first visit to the Pacific and liked their attitude to life. The nation had become somewhat politically unstable in recent years with coups and was suspended from both the Pacific Islands Forum and Commonwealth for a period due to a lack of democratic elections. When we were there they still had a number of problems and in particular a very high unemployment rate which in turn had lead to an increased crime rate. For this reason we were (sadly) advised not to leave the hotel complex much to our disappointment. However within our restricted range on Denaru island there were three good restaurants plus numerous bars and coffee shops and a free shuttle bus (aka the "Bula Bus" - see one in my pictures) which transported you around between them all. Also two superb beaches with sailing boats available.
The whole country of Fiji comprises an archipelago of more than 300 islands but only just over 100 are actually inhabited. The vast majority of the population (87%) lives on the two main islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu and the capital, Suva, is located on the south east of Viti Levu but the international airport is near Nadi on the north west corner of the island and this is where the main hotels and holiday resorts are also located. Apart from the indigenous Fijian population there are also a significant number of people of Indian origin derived from the British colonial days when they were brought into Fiji to work in the sugar cane fields. Many remained and settled on the islands so that apart from Christianity there is also a significant number of Hindu worshippers - about 30% of the population. The country has been independent since late 1970 and a republic was eventually established in 1987. Fiji now has one of the most developed economies in the Pacific thanks to an abundance of forest, mineral, and fish resources, with sugar and tourism also being major contributors to the nation`s economy. Natural resources include timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil, and hydropower.
Fiji has a significant number of soft coral reefs, and scuba diving is a popular tourist activity. The whole zone was very green and lush and we enjoyed spotting lizards, gekkos, tree frogs , bird life and other beasties as my photos illustrate. Being historically from the British Empire the Fijians play Rugby Union to a very high standard and are always involved in major international tournaments. Inevitably tourists are rationed by distance so topping their visitor`s list is Australia and New Zealand with the USA and now the newcomer - China making a significant contribution. Followed by the UK, Canada and South Korea. Local buses, taxis and roll-on-roll-off feriies between the various islands provide the main transport means around the nation. Our experience when leaving was quite interesting. The international airport was in the middle of a refurbishment which meant that instead of the normal departure lounges there was a cramped, roastingly hot smelly, sweaty temporary `box` lacking airconditioning and with a single toilet to service 300 departing passengers! When the flight was called we strode forward only to be told that Business Class passengers were boarding first. So we showed the jobsworth our tickets and left the embarassed oik to deal with the sweating horde.
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