I guess we permanently switch to English because most native English speaking people’s German isn’t that good, while on the other hand everyone we know from Austria or other places is able to read English. What a pity, I prefer writing in German.

After a month has passed we finally put the Fiji holiday pictures online. It would not have happened if Martina hadn’t found the energy to do it. (hurray Martina)

Martina and I went to Fiji on the 2nd of November to meet our Austrian friends Claudia, Daniel, Lisa and Peter (in alphabetical order).

Our plane left at 7 in the morning and after a quick stop in Brisbane we arrived around noon in Nadi which is pronounced “Nandi” which makes no sense at all. We spent an afternoon and morning in the Aquarius which was quite nice. Before we flew from Nadi to Matei on the Taveuni island we were welcomed by Daniel on the Nadi airport after getting out of the taxi. We did not expect to see them before getting to our final destination in Fiji and were very happy to meet him and Claudia there. They tried to catch the same plane as us. But the machine was full since it was only a small twin propeller plane that seated a big Fijian man, a very petite Fijian young woman, our ~40kg of luggage and us. When we arrived in Matei we waited a bit (15-20 minutes) for our arranged pick-up at the airport lounge and then waited with our driver for another 30-45 in a resort near the airport for Claudia and Daniel. Our flight was quite bumpy at some stage. But their flight was very bumpy the whole time and they arrived in a lot of rain. The rain came and went and after another 30 minutes of car driving we had the pleasure of waiting in a small boat in the rain until the mistress of the resort showed up with some groceries and saying: “sorry”. I helped putting the groceries on the boat and after a 10-15 minutes boat ride that coast 25 AUD per person we finally arrived in the Dolphin Bay resort. Since the rain dissolved the cardboard boxes holding the wine bottles I helped carrying the wine off the boat and unto the shore with two bottles in each hand when the mistress of the resort came running after me and saying that that was a nice trick as if I had tried to take the bottles away. My first impression of her did not improve when later that evening we were able to experience how she interrogated one of the employees of the whereabouts of some lanterns. She repeatedly asked him again and again where they are and he said again and again that he did not know. It did not feel like a paradise resort at all. (This was followed by a couple of other niceties. And her behaviour was consistent to the last day.)

The next day was very relaxed and we did a shore dive with our dry-suits. (Everyone thinks you are crazy wearing a dry-suit in 27°C warm water. But we do not like being cold and we never were. Not even a bit. And if you wear no undergarments getting in and out of the dry-suit is so much nicer than a long wet-suit.) The following day Lisa and Peter arrived and we were complete. The next 5 days were great. We liked our time under and above the water. Since there were also three young (female) Austrians at the resort, Austrians had the absolute majority. The three ~19 year old girls gave all three of us guys (Peter, Daniel and me) their attention at one point or other to the amusement of the girls (Lisa, Claudia and Martina).

We only did two dives per day which is 11 dives in 6 days compared to 11 days in 2,75 days in Cairns which is far more relaxed. I could have had more as well, but Martina was not easily convinced to do more. We saw the white and purple wall which is a must. But they were far less interesting for us (we are outspoken anti-drift divers) than the cabbage patch with great cabbage corals or Mike’s Corner. I/we just love floating around at the same spot for a long time and enjoying the view. Since we are beginner divers and especially with the dry-suits, we still have less than perfect buoyancy control. The last two days we used short leg wet suits and it was colder even with our shark skin on and less fun to get in and out as well but still easier to dive. Btw. all underwater pictures are taken with our new underwater camera.

We liked the resort per se and we liked Roland who operates the diving part of the resort (and probably lots of technical details of the resort). We also liked the people employed there and we liked the food and thought the service was a bit too subservient like trying to be a luxury resort. We did not like the pricing for the stay and paying about 110 AUD per night for two people staying in a tent with simple breaky, nice lunch, small afternoon titbits and a good dinner, as well as drinks paid separately and the 35 per person for the transfer (one way) which was mostly for employees and groceries was a bit odd. The place is simple and I like simple. But I also like simple prices. All three pairs of Austrians paid different amounts.

But in the end this was not the trip we took because we wanted to have a good value vacation in a researched location, but because we wanted to meet Lisa and Peter and Claudia and Daniel. And it was well worth it.

I was in tears when we finally departed the island with the others leaving the same day in the afternoon.

Martina and I both hope to be able to go diving with those Austrians again and again but it seems that we will have a hard time to organize a time were everyone is able to join.