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I've been west as far as /Warren Farm and Hanwell, south through the Croydon ghetto and up through the unknown wilds north of Harlesden Clock tower. All by bicycle,of course, but I have never ever been to me or did I just watch it all on tv?
[Post edited 7 Nov 2019 13:49]
'I'm 18 with a bullet.Got my finger on the trigger,I'm gonna pull it.."
Love,Peace and Fook Chelski!
More like 20StoneOfHoop now.
Let's face it I'm not getting any thinner.
Pass the cake and pies please.
My family lived in Fiji in the 30s, so I went in 95. I stayed in Nandi where they used to live but Suva is the capital. Take a boat trip out of Nandi to the islands, they are literally like the bounty advert. Try the local tripple called Kava it tastes like dish water but numbs you’re face. Beautiful islands with lots of British tradition and cheap, lots of Indians on the island so cheap curries.
I lived in the Pacific from 1982 - 1985 and stayed in both Fiji and Vanuatu several times ...guess my experience is perhaps a bit too old now to pass on anything useful though.
Fiji airport is at Nadi (pronounce Nandi) but capital Suva is a short flight/ long drive away. Lots of interest in Vanuatu especially if you can visit the islands other than Efate ...marine life, wild horses, volcanos and possibly land divers (origin of bungee jumpers).
I went to Fiji about 18 years ago, for three weeks. It was probably about 15 days too long, there’s not much to do and it rains a lot. When I say a lot, I think they measure the annual rainfall in metres. During one spell of constant rain over a three day period I reached a level of boredom I didn’t know existed.
Spent an interesting month in Fiji in 1993 - it was nothing like I expected, less of a tropical paradise and more of a working and living type of place in Nadi and around the main island.
Off the beaten track Beachcomber Island was incredible back then (short ferry ride from Nadi) but it was so long ago it might well be a load of skyscrapers now.
One thing that I remember is that the local population was half native Fijians (your expected massive South Sea rugby types) and half Indian immigrants who had all got shipped over in the past as semi-slaves and there was a fair hit of tension between the two halves.
Tried cava loads of times but it did f all for me and tasted like soapy water.
Spent two weeks there in Fiji 2003 when doing my travelling. Get off the main Island pretty quick and do some Island hopping. I found the Indians were best to do business with in hooking you up with an Island pass.
Don't get suckered into being invited into a shop by some over friendly locals offering you a free drink of Kava over a ceremony, they'll try and force you to buy some crap the Indians will sell you for a fraction of the price. Say "Bula" a lot.
Fiji Bitter was quite a good beer. If you are offered a whole coconut drink when arriving on an Island resort, drink it quick before the ants find it and don't leave it next to your bed.
Nadi is a dump, get off the plane and out of there. I enjoyed Suva a lot in the single backpacking days, some decent bars and clubs etc and friendly local women! No beach though and it rains a lot there.
Coral coast is nice and not too far from the airport, not much to do outside the resorts but that might be ideal for a 3 day stay. Denarau near Nadi has several of the big hotel chains all clustered together, but no beach as far as I am aware so it will be the resort pools. I think some resorts there share facilities so you can use the pools etc of two or three if booked into one of these.
As for Vanuatu I spent several weeks there backpacking and got to the remotest islands by hitching lifts on cargo boats and getting very, very sea sick indeed. A 3 day stay won't get you much beyond Port Vila though and the attractions near there. The Kava in Vanuatu is quite a bit stronger than what you get in Fiji. Still a fair few Kava bars in Port Vila I think.
As others have said, Suva and Nadi aren't much although I bought a telephoto camera lens at a very good price all those years ago. One wonderful memory I have of Fiji though was me (and Mrs Hants) spending a magical evening at a community village, of which our host from the Native Lands trust Board was the leader. Pork slow cooked in traditional oven in the ground wrapped in banana leaves, accompanied by Kava (remember to give two claps after each turn with the bowl) then listening to their choir singinging the most beautiful rendition of Isa Lei.
My friend designed the golf course on Efate, Vanuatu.
I think it was a former Prime Minister of Fiji who boasted that he had Scottish blood in him as his ancestors had once eaten a Scottish Missionary.
Came home from the last test tour of NZ via 9 days in Fiji and 5 weeks in Central America. Just hired a car and drove around Viti Levu for most of it. All very pleasant but nothing spectacular. Went out to some of the islands on a day trip. now they were really nice. Accordingly, get yourself out to the islands for a few days if you can.
See you at the First Test at Mount Manganui Test in less than 2 weeks' time
Came home from the last test tour of NZ via 9 days in Fiji and 5 weeks in Central America. Just hired a car and drove around Viti Levu for most of it. All very pleasant but nothing spectacular. Went out to some of the islands on a day trip. now they were really nice. Accordingly, get yourself out to the islands for a few days if you can.
See you at the First Test at Mount Manganui Test in less than 2 weeks' time
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