Since returning to Denarau from Suva, much of our time has been spent readying Amandla for our passage to New Caledonia.
Our canvas designer Mohammed and the entire Marshall Sails team have done a marvelous job rebuilding protective cover for our cockpit (first the dodger and now the bimini). We are very pleased with the results.
The Captain has completed his lengthy list of boat maintenance and Amandla has been cleaned top to bottom, so basically, we are ready to go. Now we are just waiting for a weather window.
And while we’ve waited, I’ve enjoyed three special treats.
The first was meeting the very talented photographer blogger, Michelle Hill from City Streets and This Melbourne Life. I was delighted when circumstances kept us in Fiji longer than expected, resulting in an overlap with Michelle’s sailing trip here.
While we were never in the same anchorage, Michelle kindly took the Malolo Cat from Musket Cove to Denarau, and we spent the day together ‘taking’ Nadi. I’ve been admiring her work online since November of 2014, so it was wonderful to have an opportunity to meet her in person. She is awesome!
The second treat was an opportunity to take a day trip to our canvas designer Mohammed’s hometown, Sigatoka.
Sigatoka is a vibrant, colorful town with a diverse culture and bustling marketplace. It is also home to Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park, a natural wonder and important archaeological site.
For me, the Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park simply offered a quiet, beautiful place to spend sometime completely alone. I didn’t see another person there until I came to the conclusion of my walk. It was sublime.
The third treat was seeing my very first venomous sea snake. Lucky for me it was from the bow of our boat rather than head-on while snorkeling. Although minor in comparison to the first two treats, it was cool none the less.
Our weather window is fast approaching and we anticipate leaving Fiji by the end of the week. Once we leave the shores of Fiji, we will be off-grid for a week but will be sending periodic position updates via satellite phone along the way. You can follow our updates on Farkwar, Twitter or in the sidebar on my blog.
Checking This One Into Lucile de Godoy’s Welcoming Photo 101 Rehab – The Clinic For Passionate Photographers
Fair winds and safe passage, my friend. xx
Thank you Janice
Amazing photos, Lisa! I especially liked the “girl at market” one. The scene, the composition, the colors. And, the water in Fiji looks so nice and inviting. I’m glad you got to wrap up Fiji with some extra tasty treats! Have a safe and enjoyable trip to New Cal!!!
? You are wonderful to say so Liesbet! These last days in Fiji have been tremendous. Am really going to miss this place. Hope to see your St Petersburg blog post before we set sail. No pressure
Amazing place! Have fun!
Thank you Aletta! Am so looking forward to visiting New Caledonia. Have you been there?
Neither the snake nor the snake photo was minor in my book! That is a beautiful picture, and I have both admired it and shivered every time I scroll back to look at it again (which has been numerous times). I am captivated by the colors and composition and the very idea of meeting that snake in the water!
? Thank you. I think I might have swam quickly in the other direction if I saw that snake while snorkeling ….although I have been known to chase sharks to get a good shot (but only reef sharks, not Great Whites) Luckily the waters were cooperating that day. It has been raining here ever since I took that shot ?
Great blog post!
You are lovely to say. Thank you
Beautiful place! Love your shots, Lisa! Sailing safely.
Thank you for your kind words and well wishes Amy ?
I’m glad you got some unexpected adventures. The sand dunes are beautiful, but I could live my life happily without seeing a venomous snake in person! Wishing you smooth sailing on your new trip!
Thank you so much Michele. May your life be venomous snake-free ?.
Have a safe trip! Have you ever noticed that really poisonous snakes are very attractive. That is one attractive snake–and it can swim. Looking forward to your posts form NC.
? How about it! The more beautiful the more poisonous. Thank you for lovely the send off
Sounds like you had a lovely, and extended trip! You will surely miss Fiji, and how cool you got to spend time with a friend! Your pics are all so wonderful (as usual) but I am just in love with the shot of the sand dune leading out to the ocean! Bon voyage and fair winds
Once again your are too kind Terri. Thank you for your compliments and your tweet. I hope someday I get to blog about spending time with my friend Terri ?
PS. I like your new Gravitar
Wouldn’t that be cool? Thank you, I was just arrived in La Ventana, Baja, after being awake for 24 hours
24 hours! Sounds like a travel experience from hell. Glad you’ve arrived. And what a wonderful place to relieve yourself of all that stress!
Fantastic images and it looks like you had so much fun! Well spotted on the sea snake – I have seen them during diving and they can move very fast! You captured it very well
?You are lovely to say so Indah! Greatly appreciate your visit and your generous feedback.
These photographs are great. I look blogs that remind me there are places in the world other than my apartment, my train to work and my office.
I appreciate your ‘world’. For many years, my world was so limited to apartment/commute/office that when I first left to travel, my colleagues couldn’t believe I’d leave. They thought I’d locked myself in my apartment and created a blog with pictures from the Internet, and that I’d shortly be returning to the commute/office . Thank you so much for your visit and lovely compliment
You’re welcome. I had a look at your about page to check, but you appear in some of the photographs. I can now officially state to your ex-colleagues that you are really there in Paradise and not just typing away somewhere in some darkened bedroom.
?Well if I was a talented enough ‘Photo Shopper’ I could have probably faked those too. One of my friends kids edited this picture so his face would appear on every body. I however am far from that talented in photo editing so I can guarantee that it is me appearing in those photos…so much better than hanging in a darkened bedroom!
That picture’s hilarious. It’s so well done too that — just as one of the other commenters mentioned — it takes a minute before your realize something odd is going on.
?
That snake is amazingly beautiful! It looks like a convict. Nature must have wanted to be sure it could be easily spotted… and thank goodness for that!
Indeed ?. He could be a great inspiration for a tiny but evil villain from a superhero comic
Who named the boat?
The Captain. His two loves are the sea and Africa.
Lisa, these are, once again, all just lovely shots. I truly like the first one on the boat. And the lady at the market. But that sea snake…whoa, there partner, that is just a vivid shot. I’ve seen sea snakes in the Indian Ocean, but I don’t think they were striped like that. I seem to remember sort of a yellowish color. But then, I was fairly high in a large boat, not a (ahem) sailing yacht.
You are very kind and ever whimsical Mr. Badfish ?. Was so excited to snap that snake…and really pleased that I didn’t have to look him directly in the eye to do so.
snakes are scary…best to keep your distance…the ones I saw were like really poisonous, was that one? He looks like he is.
They are deadly if they manage to bite you but their mouths are so small that it is difficult for them to do so. Still, don’t want to get close enough to one incase it gets lucky.
Yeah, I’ve heard about those lucky snakes. The deadliest are the luckiest…
Scary…I don’t want to even think about it.
Totally!
!!!
Lisa, I will start thank you for having shared your experiences and photos in Fiji and enriching my mind with so much beauty.
I’m sure that if I ever go there, I’ll remember every single image and elements of this culture and beautiful people.
Traveling virtually with you has been wonderful and I’m looking forward to joining your next adventure.
Safe travels, lots of fun, and my best wishes.
Hugs from Amsterdam.
Thank you Lucile for coming along for the ride and for offering us respite in The Clinic! We lift anchor today but I look forward to seeing more of your beautiful imagery in about a week when I have an internet connection again.
Those sand dunes are for me, Lisa, and I would be greedy and want them all to myself too. Have a safe trip!
Thank you Jo! Hope to have a Monday Walk to share from New Caledonia. If I can’t find one there, I will certainly find plenty when we get to Sydney in November. It will be nice to return to the big city for the cyclone season!
Great shot of the sea snake, Lisa!
? Thank you Kirsten! I was pretty happy with that one. Ahoy from New Caledonia
Aloha Lisa,
You are so generous to share all your comments and terriific photos! Your photos keep getting better and better and the colors are magnificent!!! Fiji has been quite a trip….in your blog, perhaps the most mellow and serene and beautiful….and now in my imagination. The photo of the captain is great great! He looks so happy, totally in his element. I am in Italy loving his country, the history and the people. I am in love with the friendly and communicative Italians. Took Fabio’s advise and now in Spoleto. Love it here!!! As well as Orvieto, Turino and every place I go. Headed back to NYC to visit Shell…Bob and Kalysa meet me there for a week. I love traveling….knowing you do too. Keep up the sharing and loving your life. You both are inspiration. Warmest alohas, Susi
Well how wonderful to arrive in New Caledonia and be treated to all this love from you Susi! Am so happy that you are saying ‘YES’ to your wandering spirit and seeing so much beauty. Hoping that your travels bring you to Australia while we are visiting there ?.
Some wonderful photos here, Lisa. That snake’s a beauty but in the snake world, beauty too often goes with the beast of poison. Your walk sounds like my favorite kind: no people and beauty all around.
Safe travels.
janet
Ahoy from New Caledonia Janet! We’ve just arrived. Thank you for your kind words. Looking forward to finding some more remoteness here after I enjoy a few days of city buzz in Noumea!
[…] at One Ocean at a Time said good bye to Fiji and headed to her new adventure, but she left us with blissful and candid […]
Excellent – wonderful captured photos, so fascinating…
Thank you Drake ?
You have such a wonderful gift of capturing the “essence” of the place with your pictures and words. I feel like you are friend taking me on my own personal tour I was having a blast until the poisonous snake swam by….YIKES! I’m glad you were in the boat too!
You are incredibly kind Kirsten! I hope that we meet in person someday and we can hang out together in person! That would be awesome.
That WOULD be awesome, Lisa. As June gets closer we can see if you will still be in port
We would have a blast
Beautiful pics as I am sure as your adventure there.
?Eva! Fiji was such a wonderful, magical place. I am very heartsick for it right now, but happy that I have a new adventure to look forward to in Australia.
Wow, that snake photo is so gorgeous – and also scary! I’d love to follow you but can’t find a follow button? Usually email sign-ups aren’t needed if both are on WP? Anyway, great blog here, I’m in awe!!! All the best, good sailing to you!
? Thank you for the kind words all around! I’m a self hosted site so it’s a bit more challenging to follow me. You can do so via the Reader if you use that. Hope to have you along for the ride!