Update 16 -- Lautoka, Fiji!

Hello from Lautoka, Fiji!

We had a week of fantastic surf along the SW edge of Fiji with the parents, Tim and Ann. The swell comes barreling out of the Tasman Sea, between NZ and Australia, and slams directly into the outer reefs that guard the southern edge of the Bligh Water. The swell refracts into and around the passes in these reefs, which creates all sorts of interesting effects, the primary one being nearly perfect waves. There are only two small islands out along this reef. Tavarua, the most famous, is about the size of a city block. Namotu, which has the better anchorage, is only slightly bigger than a basketball court (we hear it was much larger until plowed by a hurricane in the 70's which eroded nearly the whole island and stripped it of vegetation).

We lucked into quite a bit of swell last week, surfing Cloudbreak as it built. Cloudbreak is on an outer reef a few miles from land and is a very exposed wave--best when the wind is light. It's accessible only by boat, and we were able to anchor Orca in the channel for a front-row view. The bored Fijian panga drivers, waiting for their tourists to finish surfing, loved to come aboard for a cup of coffee and shoot the breeze. At the peak of the swell, a front rolled through creating stormy conditions that were a little too exciting for the outer reef, but perfect for Restaurants, which is one of the gems of the South Pacific. A few feet overhead, the wave breaks as fast as it is possible to go on a surfboard and peels perfectly into two feet of water over sharp reef.

Every night, we would go ashore for a fantastic meal on the resort, to chat at the bar, and occasionally sing bad karaoke. We met some some great people who we hope to see again in Australia and NZ. The kava ceremony was a highlight—at least for Tim. He was really looking forward to the narcotic effects of the pounded root. Unfortunately, after calling for 6 additional rounds of kava after the ceremony had concluded, the only effect he reported was a numb tongue and lack of sleep due to numerous bathroom trips. According to Eli, one of the friendly Fijians on the island, its not uncommon to drink 30 rounds of kava in a single night before feeling any effect. Eli was a real character; as a long time employee of the surf resort, his clothes were a conglomeration of gifts and forgotten items picked up from resort guests. He could usually be found finessing his big surf panga right into the Cloudbreak lineup, wearing a pair of girl's designer sunglasses, while fondling the outboard motor handle protruding proactively from between his legs. In the water, despite weighing in at a solid 260 lbs and riding a tiny 6'0 second hand surfboard, he would power into double-overhead Cloudbreak on sheer muscle alone.

The swell has now gone flat and there a moderate-strength high pressure system moving off the east coast of Australia. In a few days time, if things continue to develop favorably, we will try to catch the top and backside of this high and ride it down to NZ. We are now in Lautoka, standing by for a weather report and customs clearance to make the jump. Its been a while since we've been out of the tropics, so we're digging out the warm clothes and checking hatches, rigging, and other gear. The passage to and from NZ has a reputation for being quite rough, but with a little luck on the weather we can hope for landfall 10-20 days after leaving Fiji.

Thanks!

Kara & John