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Fiji with Captain Cook Cruises
Captain Cook Dateline Cruise in Fiji
by Roger Allnutt
There are only a handful of places where you can stand with one foot in one day and your other foot in the previous day. The 180 Meridian Dateline runs through the Fijian island of Taveuni near the village of Waiyevo and most of the passengers on board the Captain Cook Cruise ship MV Reef Escape took delight in being photographed at a point on the third largest Fijian island where this is ‘marked’.
The 8 day/7 night Captain Cook Cruises Dateline Cruise operates once a month from May through to November, usually departing on the first Tuesday of the month. For the other weeks of the month the ship cruises in the Yasawa Islands group.
The Dateline Cruises covers the north coast of the main island Viti Levu, spends a day at Levuka, the old capital of Fiji on the island of Ovalau, visits Savusavu on Vanua Levu and time at the third largest island of Taveuni. As well as town visits there are plenty of stops at small cays or island beaches for snorkelling and glass bottom boat tours and scuba diving is available for those passengers so inclined. Other activities include visits to small villages, and cooking classes.
The Reef Escape is a well designed small ship catering to a maximum of 116 passengers in accommodation ranging from staterooms to cabins with bunk beds. There were only 50 passengers on my cruise which meant plenty of space and lots of attention from the friendly and competent crew. Bula, the Fijian word for hello, is standard greeting but it is meant wholeheartedly.
Meals are served at one sitting and the passengers (mainly Australian but with a smattering of overseas guests from Germany and Sweden) moved around at meal times, so by the end of the cruise everyone was on first name terms and nice friendships developed.
Other facilities on board included a spacious lounge/bar, pool, sundeck, small library, laundry and gym and spa. The food was good and plentiful, especially the wonderful Fijian tropical fruit.
Departing from Port Denarau at Nadi the cruise covered about 380 nautical miles visiting historic towns and small islands and cays.
Levuka, the capital of Fiji until it was moved to Suva in 1877, is a real time warp. Located on the island of Ovalau off the east coast of the main island Viti Levu, in its heyday it was a riotous town that boasted 50 pubs for a population of around 3,500, its trade based on sandalwood, beche-de-mer, turtle shell and coconut oil and later a cotton and copra boom. Nowadays the town’s existence is based on the tuna processing factory established by Japanese interests in 1964 and since bought out by the Fijian government – the aroma from the factory permeates the town.
Many of the original buildings still exist and the town has been nominated for listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Royal Hotel is the oldest hotel in Fiji dating back nearly 150 years and still provides accommodation. Fine buildings include the Sacred Heart Church and Marist Convent School, the Ovalau Club (one of Fiji’s oldest social clubs), and the old Morris Hedstrom Store building now housing a small historical museum.
Children at the local St James Parish Primary School put on a display of singing and dancing for passengers and, using the very basic facilities available in their school, they charmed everyone with their huge smiles and skilful artistry.
By contrast, Savusavu, the second largest town on Fiji’s second island Vanua Levu appeared more modern and go ahead with a bustling marketplace and a number of quite modern supermarkets. In 2000 it became the centre for pearl farming in Fiji with the establishment of J. Hunter Pearls, including the rare and highly sought after ‘Fiji Gold’ pearl. Its sheltered harbour attracts yachts from all round the world. I noted one from Newport, Rhode Island.
Taveuni, Fiji’s third largest island is called the garden of Fiji due to its lush and verdant vegetation. The economy of the island, mainly farmers, is from taro and yaqona (from which the traditional drink kava is produced for use in many ceremonies). Naselesele is a pretty village and for the cruise passengers the villagers provided a demonstration of singing and dancing and the traditional lovo feast where meats and vegetables are cooked over hot stones in a pit. The greeting ceremony involved the drinking of copious quantities of kava, an acquired taste. Near to Naselesele are the Bouma waterfalls with cascades dropping over 20m to a beautiful refreshing pool perfect for swimming.
Fijians are extremely religious and Taveuni is the centre of the Roman Catholic Church in Fiji. Most passengers attended the Sunday service at the Holy Cross Parish church in Wairiki village. Conducted in both English and Fijian the parishioners sat cross legged on the floor. The singing was incredible with four-part harmony effortlessly echoing round the church. Fijians love to sing and, given their amazing voices, I am surprised none have become opera singers.
Other days of the cruise involved a number of stops at small islands, remote cays and sandy beaches to indulge in some snorkelling in the clear, warmish waters. The coral varied in ‘standard’ but in all cases there were many colourful tropical fish darting in and out of the coral.
For those with appropriate qualifications (PADI certificate) the ship offered expert diving under the care of two trained instructors. Some of the reefs off Taveuni are regarded as among the top ten dive sites in the world.
Most flights from overseas to the international airport at Nadi arrive late afternoon, too late to join up with the cruise embarkation at 1pm. There are a number of top hotels in and around Nadi especially at Denarau Island close to the marina at Port Denarau.
An excellent choice is the new Radisson Hotel, a lovely property set in landscaped grounds with comfortable, spacious rooms and suites. The accommodation blocks spread along both sides of the garden/pool area. There is a wide choice of restaurants and cafes and you can even dine in the evening at tables set inside one of the pools. Great for both couples and families.
(Roger Allnutt was a guest of Captain Cook Cruises and the Radisson Hotel.)
Photos courtesy Captain Cook Cruises
For more information on Captain Cook Cruises to Fiji check the website www.captaincook.com.au/fiji
Information on the Radisson is at www.radisson.com/fiji
There are regular flights to Nadi from Australia with Qantas and Pacific Blue.
Roger Allnutt is a freelance travel writer based in Canberra, Australia, and a long-time member of the Australian Society of Travel Writers. He travels widely around the world researching material for publication in newspapers and magazines in Australia, New Zealand, US, Singapore and other parts of the world.
Roger is happy to accept commissions and can provide material on many parts of the world. He can be reached at Roger.Allnutt@bigpond.com.
His other interests include food and wine, classical music and theatre and playing tennis.
