Farewell Canada Eh!, Bula Vinaka Fiji and a safe landing in Aotearoa!

Packed and ready to roll as the snow starts to fall in Toronto Dec 10 2010

As the snow started to fall on Friday Dec 10th, the large red shipping container, now stacked with our worldly goods was locked up ready for the long slow trip, via the port of Montreal then Antwerp, to Auckland, New Zealand.

Exhausted, from two weeks packing up ourselves, we did a final clean up of our empty apartment ready for its new inhabitant, tv host Ambrose Price of ‘the design adventures of Ambrose Price’.

Pip and I left our home of six adventurous years in North America quite easily in the end. The scent of a new adventure Downunder in our nostrils. Our last few days were spent with dear friend Roberto and his little dog Pearl sleeping on a blow up bed in his study. The last night in Canada we stayed at the airport Sheraton and simply walked across the hall to check in and out of the life we’d got quite used to. 

Picture perfect day to arrive at Bounty Island

We ended the day (albeit a rather long day that included a night over the Pacific and jumped the dateline missing out Wednesday altogether) on a tiny glass bottomed boat, gliding over bright coral and tropical reef fish towards Bounty Island, just 25 minutes via fast catamaran from Port Denarau, Fiji. 

Early morning dips, Bure 11 amidst island blooms, sunny brekkie.

 -14C and snowing one day, 30C clear pure sunshine the next. We had four days on Bounty, a tiny heart shaped tropical paradise billed as perfect getaway for the ‘alternative traveller’. Pretensions, preciousness and princesses need not disembark here. Bounty Island is the a place for dining on the sand in togs and sarong morning, noon and night, swaying gently in a hammock under the shade of a coconut palm, breathing flower scented air and chasing gorgeously coloured fish around magical branching coral reefs. Shabby chic without the chic, but totally charmed by the smiling comfort of the Fijian staff who quietly take care of all your needs.

Becoming well known for their cultural show, Lovo and Firewalking, Bounty’s Fijian staff move slowly (Island time) but are passionate about their place in the world. The Firewalkers prepare their fire of hot rocks and timber, the ceremony is overseen by an elder and follows a time honored tradition. Hot rocks are leveled and the fire spread out using long poles, then young walkers approach in an almost trance like state, toes curled upwards as they pad over the burning rocks. Showmanship to the fore as they stop for the crowd, pausing atop the rocks. A great swath of leaves and branches are tossed back on the fire after the ceremony is over.
After the show another group sang traditional Fijian songs like Isa lei, the men performing the war like club dance. 

Our very handsome guide Neve taught us about Fijian natural herbal remedies, the importance of preserving local turtle populations, the necessity for marine reserves, the need and support given to kids on outer islands for good education and scholarships to university by resorts like Bounty.

Noni berries steep in jars making a highly stinky juice used for general good health and tummy upsets.

Young, ever smiling, Matt (called me Mum because of my son Matt) was maitre d’ presiding over meal times in the open air dining room. Breakfasts were of island paw paw, pineapple and lady finger bananas, juice, coffee and toasted island sweet bread. Baked beans, scrambled eggs and porridge for those so inclined. Lunches included odd combos like spag bol with coleslaw one day, fried fish and coleslaw another. Best was the native Lovo, pork, chicken, fish and veggies cooked on hot rocks under the ground (same principle as our Maori Hangi or Umu (Polynesia) or Imu of the Hawaiian Lu'au), giving all a lovely smokey flavour. Two choices are offered for dinner each night and plated artistically. All are home cooked and tasty in the way of a good home kitchen rather than restaurant.

Plate of food cooked in underground pit. The Lovo pit being prepared.

Laid back Pete took us on a snorkeling safari in the long boat. Steering the outboard with one foot, Pete tied up to a buoy on a  reef behind Beachcomber Island. We spent an entrancing hour there floating between great towers of flowering corals, colours ranged from bright purples and soft mauve's to palest pinks, whites, sharp acid greens and soft yellows, ochres and blues. Little clouds of iridescent fish like Christmas decorations darting amongst the branches lighting up the reef. After-wards we stopped off on a sand bank for a swim. Just the two of us in the middle of the brilliant blue sea. Gorgeous.

At night the southern stars are so low down over the sea you do feel you could touch them. Sometimes we’d wake and go out onto the beach and watch the shooting stars and satellites strike across the heavens. The Southern cross just visible. Our little pitch roofed bure, twenty paces from the high tide line, with doors left wide open while we slept so we could catch the breezes and see the beach and sea the moment we woke was heaven after years of enclosed apartment living and air-conditioned summer days and nights.

Leaving Fiji is pretty hard really, it’s a place were anyone can find their comfort zone, ours was Bounty Island this time and we loved every moment of it.

Arriving home in Auckland the week of Christmas was pretty hectic. We started to feel our feet were on the ground when we picked  McGregor up from prison (Quarantine). To be honest he looked quite bemused to see us there and was more interested in rolling in the grass than re-bonding with his Ma and Pa! Don't blame him really. That huge flight and 35 nights in a pen will have to be atoned for.

Christmas Day was fun being amongst our extended families which had grown to be full of adult sized people in our six absent years. Turkey and all the trimmings were dished up across the land on a warm evening. At our house there were 17 dining at a long table outdoors on my parents deck this year.

Christmas decorations at beach house.

Boxing day saw us on the road in borrowed wheels, northbound to the Heads beach house.

Two weeks later, surrounded by Pips extended family in the north, we have now settled back into kiwi beach style, gathering our kai moana (seafood) each day, with long swims, tennis and walks to the store. Pip and Matt fish for snapper in the mornings, I’ve been gathering and smoking pipi’s (rather like clams) and shopping at local food stands for seasonal veggies.

Water sports, smoked pipi's, freshly caught snapper and the smoke box.

So life goes on in the South Pacific, summer temps range around 20C to 25C, nights are cooler and there is always a little breeze to keep things comfortable. With kayaks to paddle and a laser to sail, our trusty little runabout ‘Wee Woody’ on its mooring, fish hooks in the sea and verdant lush exotic greenery everywhere its not hard to understand why people come to New Zealand and never want to leave. (and I haven’t even mentioned the wine and coffee yet!)

Pips morning catch!

But I will at a later date but for now......OMG…we are sampling gorgeous fragrant pinot gris  (Whitehouse) and soft fruity Riesling's too die for along with chardonnays big, bold and buttery or grassy herbaceous sav’s from a plethora of boutique vineyards, most new to us. There is no need to drink wine from any other country in the world. Its all here at prices that make drinking good wines each day a pleasure. The latest trend in bubbles is a sparkling sav from Villa Maria or Shingle Peak!Very nice on a warm afternoon!

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