A trip to The Maldives in 2011 opened my eyes to the glorious delights of tropical islands. But is a two-leg, ten hour trip deep into the Indian Ocean necessary, compared to something closer to home?
A phone call announcing a win for a trip to Fiji offers the chance to do the Pacific "compare and contrast" with just a five hour direct flight . Let's see if we can sing the praises of a Viti Levu resort...


Friday, June 13, 2014

It seems a variation on my favourite farming themed 25wol has trumped again...

“Why is Fiji your ideal holiday destination?
Shearing, lambing, bushfires, feeding.
Ploughing, landcare, fencing and seeding.
Farming’s relentless… Exhaustion’s conceded.
Luxury all round in Fiji with NO SHEEP is what’s needed!!”

Phonecalls asking for me by my full name are invariably telemarketers, insurance companies or competition promoters.

And not often the last one.

But the last one is always welcome. So when Sheridan rings to tell me my entry has beaten over 12,000 others to win an all-inclusive seven day stay at a 5-star Fijian resort, she receives a raptuous reception!

My travelling mate exudes the same enthusiasm, and no wonder! Look what we're in for ...

a. Round trip economy class Fiji Airways airfares for two (2) adults from Australia to Fiji including all airline taxes
b. Seven nights accommodation for two in a Vunikau Suite with plunge pool at the Nanuku Resort & Spa located in Pacific Harbour
c. Breakfast, lunch and dinner served daily at the Club House in the Kanavata Restaurant
d. Return private car transfers from Nadi or Suva airports
e. Butler service
f. Villa golf buggy ... purely for transport, we imagine, since there's no golf course involved.
g. Wi-fi throughout the resort
h. Use of non-motorised water sports
i. Daily drinks and canapés with the general manager

And so, with no hesitation about the superstitious date, we board FJ930 late on a Friday night for a short overnight hop to Nadi.

Sunscreen: check. Camera: check. Grass skirt?...


Saturday, June 14, 2014


A five hour flight 'overnight' is not really an overnight flight in the sense of a chance to sleep while flying . Not when there is supper, overhead movies twinkling, passengers coughing, toddlers squealing and lights on for descent at around 3am body-time!

So l don't roll off the plane too refreshed, but soon relish the warm Fijian air on the breezeway to the terminal. Our driver greets us with the first of MANY "Bula!" welcomes and has us on the road to Nanuku - a two hour drive to the southern end of the main island.

Emma and l take turns at snoozing as we pass through sugar cane fields and tropical jungle, all punctuated by simple housing, roadside stalls, glimpes of the water with waves breaking on an outer reef and people waiting for buses or lifts. Seems this is an early-to-bed, early-to-rise place...

We stop for a quick drink and bite at a large tourist/souvenir shop in Sigatoka and are taken with the handicrafts. Large ceremonial masks, intricately carved kava bowls and brightly dyed fabrics . It might have to be a stop on the way back next week.

"Bula vinaka!"

A thumping sound emanates from the top of the drive. Not builders as was my first thought, but Fijian men complete with grass skirts, ceremonial drum, timber staffs and conch shell blowing. The traditional Fijian welcome... for every car that arrives. We are escorted up the path by horn!

The complex at Nanuku Resort
http://www.nanukufiji.com
is built surrounding a central breezeway of massive poles, soaring ceilings and Fijian detailing. Pictures to follow. There is a bar/dining/seating area overlooking the infinity pool, ocean and a large island beyond. And everywhere, staff. With infectious smiles, laughs and calls of "Bula!" And a breakfast waiting for us.

And there's a villa 'mama', Ama, waiting at our room.

Except it's not quite a room.

It's quite possible Prince William may have had Nanuku on his short list for honeymoon destinations . Or a rock star and his possé holiday here. Vitu 7 is a 'Vanikau Suite', but hardly a bedroom with a separate lounge area. It is a two bedroom, three bathroom, granite kitchen, lounge, media room, private pool and spa plus expansive gardens-type HOUSE!

With me upstairs and Emma in a freestanding room beside the pool, we need walkie-talkies and resort to Skype on one occasion!

So with grey skies and ongoing drizzle, we spend the day napping, eating, napping and eating before turning in in our luxurious abode.

Tomorrow, we WILL get up early...


Sunday, June 15, 2014

The rain wakes me overnight, drumming on the tin roof that lies under the traditional thatch. It is a while before l nod off again, so with no alarm set it is not surprising that l wake some time after 10am! So much for breakfast ...

Except there is no designated breakfast hour.

I find Emma at a poolside table having just ordered her fish with lime dish, following the fresh juice and pastries. She, at least, has been for a 3-4km jog along the beach and tried the gymnasium already.

Between mouthfuls, we chat to David the activities guide, and sort out an excursion or two. We learn much about Fiji and it's culture from him.

Karen, the general manager stops for a chat too, and reveals that Jacques Reymond is in residence this week to finesse the catering. Tough gig. For him and us!

Our breakfast on Fijian time winds up around 1pm! The next hour - until lunch! - is for reading on the day beds.

It is still mostly overcast and windy, but the rain has stopped. We grab the chance to explore the rock pools on the exposed reef beyond the beach. I channel my inner David Attenborough and spot a spotted sea snake/eel thrashing in one pool, possibly aiming to chase the smaller fish onto the dry sand edges. The circle of life...

We take up the offer of free foot massages after such HECTIC wandering and do a little more resting before drinks at cocktail hour. A lime, mint, sugar cane and hibiscus syrup 'mojito' for Emma and plantain chips with spicy dip . A handful of guests join us round the bar... one from Hampton, here to teach the staff the finer details of coffee making, the general manager and her daughter currently studying at RMIT and two guys from North Carolina who now live here full time as property developers for the residential villas available for sale.

More fresh fish and beef for dinner accompanied by more beautiful Fijian singing. This idleness has to end.

Tomorrow...


Monday, June 16, 2014

I am happy to beat my alarm and wake just after 8am. The sky is blue, the sun is shining and the breeze is gentle. The morning is bike riding for Emma and reading for me.

And eating, of course. Just to fill in time before lunch...

And with lunch comes a 15 knot wind - enough to kill any ideas of snorkelling at low tide this afternoon. So we engage in a bit of basket-weaving with the activities staff, along with much banter . The staff here are certainly relaxed, friendly and all know our names. Rather than name tags, they wear their names in beaded necklaces which is very handy and a unique touch.

And then a bit more reading, rock pool combing and snoozing.
Just to fill in time before dinner...

We arrive early enough to enjoy drinks at the bar (and a cocktail making lesson) before the lali drums signal the nightly torch-lighting ceremony. With just the two of us in attendance, Emma finds herself balancing across the pool on a warrior-propelled bamboo raft while I have endless photo opportunities!

Another delightful dinner, superlative service, some researching for tomorrow's exploration of Suva. The staff seem perplexed that we're happy to catch the local bus into town.

But then again, one did come to close my upstairs window thinking I'd forgotten and another wondered why we were walking rather than driving a golf buggy from the clubhouse to our villa two doors down...


Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Still intrigued by our determination to catch the public bus into Suva, Seru walks with us to the road to flag one down. Buses are a mix of 12-seater minibuses and conventional ones and all run on Fiji time ... timetable open to negotiation!

We score a minibus, decked out inside with plastic and upholstery fabric throughout... dashboard and ceiling included. It is full of locals heading to work and most of them are not petite. Personal space is decidedly cosy!

The bus flies along at what seems like an alarming rate, overtaking bigger vehicles with infectious Fijian music on the radio. It sounds like a curious blend of Polynesian and reggae.

The Suva bus station is opposite the flea market with the Handicraft centre nearby and the food markets a little further along.
It's a leisurely amble through tight arcades of stalls selling fabrics, clothes, pandanus garlands, woven baskets, traditional wooden souvenirs and mats. Many have sewing machines with mainly Indian ladies taking alterations or making clothes to request.

The food market has an assortment of familiar and strange produce . It is ruled by the 'barrow boys' who wheel their wheelbarrows up and down the aisles delivering goods and clearing rubbish. Some are using them for resting or sleeping in but a photo isn't achievable at the time.

A little closer to the cruise terminal, two more handicraft centres vie for our business. There is a cruise ship due in in two days with 2000-3000 passengers spilling off for 8 hours of sightseeing and shopping. No wonder then that the stall holders are masters at selling and that competition is fierce.

The prices vary according to a customer's nationality it seems. One stall tells me one item bears 'the Japanese price' at FJD$285. For me, not 265 or 200, but FJD$50! (And I don't doubt I'm still being hoodwinked on price, authenticity or both!) If l pay in a mix of local and Australian currency, a second item is similarly discounted and a third is free...
Suva sits on a harbour and has an orderly if not grubby feeling about it, not unlike the side alleys of Singapore's Little India . The main thoroughfare has many commercial buildings up to 8-10 storeys high. Quite a few are in the Art Deco style. At the far end is the Grand Pacific Hotel where the Queen stayed in colonial days. We wander in for a peek and a coffee.

Returning to the bus station, we find peak hour in full swing with buses of all sizes and colours moving through. School children are heading home around 4.30pm and our bus is almost full with them. With no iPods or phones to retreat into, they are a chatty lot. This bus is not an express, so we get a one hour trip as it stops on request, sometimes only 50m apart!

It's a flying trip in to get changed before dinner. We have a 7.00pm invitation to the General Manager's table, and Jacques and Cathy Reymond are joining us. What to wear?!

We are assistant guinea pigs for three new menu items tonight, as Jacques trials more local produce - crabs from a local farm, soursop for sorbet . He has taught the staff how to prepare pork belly correctly today and the crackling is perfect! There is apparently much to be sorted out with the logistics of supply, working in a kitchen the size of a bathroom, refining presentation and achieving consistency across dishes with all staff.

The conversation is lively... Karen is an excellent hostess with many stories to relate about her 20 years in hospitality, much of it in Fiji. The night winds up around 10pm. We will need another day of luxurious not-much tomorrow to recover from such a BUSY day today!


Wednesday, June 18, 2014

The days just keep getting better here. This morning is wind-free and warm with a glassy sea and pool. Emma has already been out for a paddle board when we meet for breakfast with serenading. Of course...

David is making palm leaf hats for us and Seru confirms our snorkelling date. Josh scales a coconut tree to demonstrate his prowess at gathering coconuts for arriving guests and Sefa kits us out in flippers, masks and snorkels .

The tide is high and we are able to walk out on the beach before hitting the reef at waist deep. The water is initially cool - but not for long.

We spend the next hour following Sefa along the reef's edge, around the point, onto the next beach and then return.


There is a myriad of small fish, averaging ~5cm long and the occasional 10-15cm parrot fish in the deeper crevices. The water is a little cloudy with the sand having been whipped up by the last couple of days of wind, but visibility is more than adequate.

The big blue starfish have emerged from their low-tide holes to spread open underwater. The coral is mostly browns but is punctuated by large pink or cream ones or a ruffled green and white variety. Every now an again, l spot a patch of vivid royal purple. With white spots on it's tips, it is easily the most beautiful coral we see and certainly better than what l remember of The Maldive's range . The fish are not as big, numerous or unafraid and turtles are absent, so Fiji is behind there! Today at least...

We clamber out of the water to be met by David with fresh coconuts for us both - the attention to personal service has been exemplary - and lay back by the pool to enjoy the drink before lunch.

A lazy afternoon is followed by the pulling up of our usual seats at the bar where Nathan swiftly delivers our favourite drinks. An invitation to join the management and sales staff for dinner maybe signals that we are part of the family now - we do already know each other after five days here and the low occupancy rate this week lends itself to congregating.

There is a small sales team of young guys, from mostly the southern states of the US. They are here for at least a year to sell land at an associated residential estate a little further down the road and maybe housing packages beyond that . There are beachfront blocks of about half an acre each in a gated development that will retail for around US$600,000.

Cathy Reymond also joins as the resident wine and food critic. She has been working to build the cellar and chase suppliers. Jacques is in the kitchen tonight, trialling more new recipes. They have discovered my preference for non-seafood dishes and are mortified to have not known! I have been happy with the alternatives offered every night but tonight there is a soup of local rourou - a spinach-like vegetable - included for me!

Jacques joins us after dessert and a fascinating discussion ensues about the logistics of food and wine supply here. Red wine, for instance, has to be kept in a chiller - not at room temperature - and nothing older than 2011. Temperature fluctuation is too problematic. Seafood and vegetables are not a problem, but every other variety of protein is causing a big headache. Jacques is unhappy with tonight's New Zealand beef but the chocolate chilli/mousse/sorbet dessert pleases him as both presentable, repeatable and suitable for various medical dietary requirements.

The Americans uncover that we are here as competition winners and are enthralled, having never heard of 25 words-or-less competitions, so l am rigorously grilled about my secrets. The senior sales guy is, on the other hand, thrilled to hear that l beat 12,000 people in a week, knowing that exposure for the brand has been good over the four weeks the competition ran in The Australian . Their aim is to market to New Zealand, Australia and China at this stage.

We offer to help in return for repeat trips...


Thursday, June 19, 2014

From the range of paid activities on offer, we have allowed ourselves one excursion and one spa treatment.

Today is 'Food Safari' day!

But in Nanuku style, this is not outsourced to a third party. Seru has booked a taxi and personally escorts us, at an hour to suit us some time after breakfast. Fiji time!

We drive to Navua and learn about the long boats bringing people down from the hills with produce. We stroll through the food market and the main street. We head out to the crab farm where 11 large ponds hold 6000-7000 mudcrabs each. Seru buys one which is tied securely, wrapped and packed in a shoebox for him. That will be Emma's dinner.

Next stop is Seru's home village for a lesson in prawn catching with his cousin. She is in the creek, knee-deep, fishing spindly-clawed prawns out from under rocks. They look like yabbies with anorexic main nippers. Emma tackles the task with a homemade net and soon another catch is bundled for her lunch.

Meanwhile, irresistably gorgeous children have gathered around . We follow them back to their house with Seru and get a chance to peek inside a typical Fijian village home... a rudimentary corrugated iron three room dwelling with a wood-fired, open stone chimney fireplace for a kitchen and an outside bathroom.

All the while, we are filled in with details of village life, tribal customs and family arrangements. It is easily the most interesting part of the excursion.

Back at Nanuku, a team of four of the activities guys build a fire on the edge of the lawn and pack Emma's prawns into a bamboo cane. With coconut milk, onion, salt and pepper added, it is sealed with rolled banana leaves and left to steam over the coals for about fifteen minutes. The smoke may or may not have please the guests, but when the first bamboo is split open, staff seem to materialise from nowhere, drawn by the smell of freshly cooked prawns!

Such a STRENUOUS morning requires an afternoon rest before launching into dinner, again with the sales team who have been hiking to a nearby waterfall. We see their videos of jumping into deep ponds, they ogle at Emma's mud crab.

One recommends snorkelling on the outer reef. "Just get two of the guys to kayak you out tomorrow! Only about 1km!"

Really? Is there nothing they won't personally do here to please?

We suspect not ...


Friday, June 20, 2014

I tossed for quite a while last night. The lure of premium snorkelling is great but the thought of kayaking at least 1km through open sea to an outer reef is unnerving. Surely the kayak would sink with my weight in it as well as a burly Fijian guide's. Let's remember they are all built like rugby champions. In fact, one is a former strength conditioning coach with the national team and another the country's existing judo champion.

Maybe sailing the hobby-cat would be better. Something more substantial to cling to. Maybe even lash out on the little tinnie and motor out.

All fears are answered when we wake to an overcast morning with choppy seas and a high tide.

And so it's another leisurely breakfast before Emma elects to learn some Fijian songs from the morning's musical trio and l go gathering shells to learn beadmaking.

And then it's lunchtime...

Today, we are booked in for aromatherapy massages in the afternoon, something l haven't done since Spain. The hour passes way too quickly and is followed by a complimentary shampoo and blow dry. Perfect for looking spiffy for the weekly kava ceremony!

An explanation of the ceremony is preceded by a Fijian spear dance . Then we are seated - gentlemen in the front - and watch in silence while the dried and powdered root is mixed with water from a bamboo pole and squeezed through cloth then wads of dried hibiscus leaf.

The resultant mix looks like dam water.

Four staff partake in order of seniority (a couple are of 'chiefly' blood) then 'Mr. Ken' - the only male guest and seated as our 'chief' tonight is offered the next bowl. The ladies are then allowed their turn. One downs it as if in a beer sculling competition to loud cheers from the men. Others pass but Emma partakes. And apparently it tastes like dam water... With a mild warming sensation in the throat.

It has a marked effect on tonight's singing though! Staff who have been on since the morning shift are still here, all sitting cross-legged and singing in glorious harmonies.

It all makes our last dinner super-special .

And because it's a slow photo day, there are a few foodie shots today too...


Saturday, June 21, 2014

June 21... The winter solstice. Shortest and maybe coldest day of the year yet in Melbourne. Only 24° in Fiji with overcast skies and choppy waters.

Departure day.
All-round sad day.

Various staff stop for a personal goodbye as they see us, even the resident sales crew from the nearby residential development. Emma grabs a quick last kayak before we are lunching with Karen, her daughter, a school-friend and the friend's mum, Aunty May... another one of those delightful Fijian ladies you just want to grab and cuddle!

And by the end of lunch, we do!

But the end of lunch also brings the farewell song, sung beautifully by all available staff . Some of us tear up. It is the epitome of all this place has been, means and delivers.

Two hours back to Nadi, two hours in the airport and five and a half flight back to Melbourne.

And so the results of the compare and contrast?

Airlines: Fiji Air - basic. Singapore Airlines - unmatched... not that either resort was responsible!
Accommodation: Nanuku by a mile.
Meals: Nanuku by an arms length.
Activities: Nanuku, mainly due to the abundant, delightful staff and their flexibility.
Snorkelling: Maldives - many more fish.
Weather: Maldives - but I'm prepared to admit that no resort can actually manage that!
Staff: Nanuku - outstandingly so.

It's the Pacific alternative for me next time!...