Beachcomber Island
Trip Start
Sep 25, 2008
1
27
47
Trip End
Feb 05, 2009
Where I stayed
Beachcomber Island, Mamanuca Islands, Fiji
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Problem solved, we were up early on the morning of 1st November and dumped our main rucksacks in the hotel storage before boarding a coach for Port Denarau with just the essentials for a night away. After exchanging vouchers for tickets at the busy port (the newest development we'd seen in Fiji and fairly incongruous as a result), we boarded a fast catermeran for the 30 minute journey out to Beachcomber Island.
Unfortunately the weather for our trip was the worst we'd experienced so far in Fiji. Although this was by no means disastrous (wind and drizzle), it was a shame not to be able to step onto the golden snady beach in sunshine and to be able to swim in the sea.
From the main boat, we were taxied ashore by a smaller, glass-bottomed boat from the island resort and got our first glimpse of the coral reefs through the glass, despite the choppy seas. Once ashore, we dumped our bags in our dorm (80 odd beds!) and made our way to the restaurant area by the beach.
All meals on the island were free buffets and generally centered around fish, curry and fruit. After a while then, we ate an excellent lunch and, during a break in the drizzle, took a wlak around the island's beach - a lap which lasted all of ten minutes!
With the wind too strong to lie on the beach or swim, we spent the afternoon upstairs in the bar reading, ate dinner, then treated ourselves to some rare drinks and a bottle of wine. The resort has a reputation as a bit of a party island but, despite turning in well before many others (late for us - about 12!), we managed a decent night's sleep in the massive dorm.
The next morning was much more promising weather-wise despite an early morning downpour while we were still in bed. By ten, it was warm and still enough to lie on the beach and, by twelve, we were cooking in the sun once again.
The sea around this island was perfectly clear and beautiful to swim in and so we passed the morning swimming and sunbathing. After lunch though, we borrowed snorkelling gear and boarded the glass-bottomed boat again for a trip out to the reef.
We stopped first to feed a shoal of blue fish, then jumped in and attempted to teach ourselves how to snorkel. After a few trial runs and a lot of swallowed sea-water, we had the hang of it roughly and could enjoy the amazing corals and colourful fish which (to my surprise) were actually just as bright and impressive as the ones you see in pet shops and on the TV. The effect of the water was to magnify everything which meant that the fish felt almost close enough to touch. However, my own overriding feeling was of having stepped (or rather swum) into a Bond film and I almost expected to see someone shoot past behind a yellow mini-sub with a harpoon gun in hand!
Once the boat had dropped us back ashore, we tried out the snorkelling gear in the shallows and were surprised to find almost as many fish there (albeit not as colourful), which you'd never have noticed without the equipment. By five though, it was unfortunately time to leave and so we eventually reboarded the boat; seen off by a haggle of staff singing a farewell song. It was sad to be going now that the weather was fit to let us enjoy the place properly, but we consoled ourselves with the promise of New Zealand in two days time.
Our final day in Fiji was another pool day and gave us a chance to pack, wash boots (to avoid the New Zealand bio-security police) and - thanks to someone teaching us how to cheat and get internet for free - catch up on things online. Our only experience of note was having to listen to a weird/mad American man of about 40 trying to sing along to what seemed to be a very high-pitched vocalist which he was listening to with eyes closed and headphones on by the pool - much to everyone else's amusement!
