Suva to Pacific Harbour and a reliable internet connection HURRAY!!!!

We have decided we are in need of a slight step up in accommodation and also a bit of down time for both the girls and the grown ups. We have stayed in some pretty basic and cheap places during our time in Fiji - not as basic as we had imagined and nothing completely awful. We had always said that along the way when we need to we would take a few days off the usual traveller haunts and spend time in slightly better surroundings. It is time this plan was put into action!

We still have 9 nights left and have decided to travel back along the King's Highway to the south of Viti Levu towards Nadi and the airport. We had planned to visit the Zip Fiji centre and also to try a spot of white water rafting along the way, but it is massively expensive and out of our price range. Instead we have opted for a step up in accommodation for 3 nights and the girls have chosen to go horse riding on Natadola Beach in a few days time. We spend the morning in Suva stocking up on basic shopping for eating in and replenishing supplies of insect repellent and "Stop Itch" and "Buddha Balm" passing through the busy municipal market and cant help marvelling at the beautiful flowers for sale here for pennies.

We find and board the bus to Pacific Harbour and the relative luxury of Club Oceanus. It costs about $30 FD more per night than we have been paying (about £10) but is definitely well worth it.

The bus driver drops us here, at what we now find is Pacific Harbour. This is more of a complex than a town, village or a resort. A sort of man made "holiday village" with tourist type souvenir shops and tourist prices in the bars, restaurants and cafes.There is an ATM, a laundry and a little supermarket with tourist prices to match and all set on a beautiful lily pond. However, first we have to find where we are staying - which turns out to be a good 10 minute walk further along the road. We are not amused and there is a stony silence as we march, fully laden with packs and bags of basic foodstuffs and bottles of water bought from Suva in case there was no store close by. We walk in the mid afternoon sunshine and are all relieved when we finally see the sign appear round the corner!

  We unpack a bit and in our now usual ritual do a bit of washing while the girls explore and jump in the pool!

In the afternoon we stroll up the road (this time slightly less weighed down!) and enjoy a stroll around Pacific Harbour - the water lillies are beautiful and the girls  tried to spot the fish swimming around in the pool.

The last day or so has been spent in these beautiful, calm surroundings and almost doesnt feel like Fiji at all. Nicole has spent time updating the blog and David has been researching Christchurch, NZ and beyond. Lots of the places we had earmarked have been damaged by the earthquake and so we have had to have a rethink as beds are now greatly reduced. We will only know the true situation when we land in a weeks time. The girls have played endlessly in the pool and have generally occupied themselves.

 

We have not eaten out at all as, although we have been eating with the locals and therefore very cheaply, we are trying to offset the extra cost of our room. We are also only to aware that we have the most expensive part of our trip coming up and all the travellers we have encountered along the way have warned us how pricey New Zealand and even more so Australia are.