Cruising the South Pacific!
The Pacific Dawn
The Pacific Dawn was home for the 12 nights of our cruise… We sailed from Hamilton Port in Brisbane and had 5 shore visits – Isle of Pines (New Caledonia), Suva and Port Denarau (Fiji), Port Vila and Pentecost Island (Vanuatu).
Isle of Pines (New Caledonia)
The Isle of Pines was just gorgeous… definitely my favourite spot of the whole cruise! Beautiful friendly people, lovely scenery, enticing beaches… just perfect.
Suva (Fiji)
Fiji’s capital, Suva, was a bit of a surprise. We had a very friendly welcome from the City’s Police Band, singing and dancing at the Port to welcome the ships arrival. We then walked through town for about an hour or two before taking a drive for some more sightseeing.
We had arranged for a three hour tour by mini-bus, however as it turned out, 7 of us ended up crammed in an old Toyota Crown!!! We travelled brielfly through town (very busy, dirty and industrial) and then asked to see a bit more of the ‘real Fiji’. Once outside the city, the countryside was beautiful, however the living standards were almost third world in many areas… Just outside the city there is a lot of agricultural land, with many people squatting in basic shacks. There were about 3 correctional centres that we passed and some development occuring in areas (often excavation equipment was bogged up to the axles and there was little evidence of safety or environmental standards in place)!
We experienced a little of Fiji’s 6 metres of annual rainfall whilst we were there, but otherwise the weather was great. We also had a run in with the local law officers when our taxi was pulled over about 50km outside of Suva on the edge of a little village… we thought the cop would be worried about the over-crowded car and lack of seat belts, but apparently there must have been some law about stopping on bridges (even if they are minor ones over nothing more than a creek)!!! The taxi driver was able to negotiate with the officer, claiming that he had “rolled across” and not come to a complete stop and was successful in reducing the fine from $200 to just $40 (don’t try that here folks – it’s not likely to be looked upon favourably)!!!
Katie (in the back of the Toyota Crown) holds her nose and says ‘sgustiiiinnnngggggg’ (disgusting!) as we drive past the stench of some of in the inundated farm lands
Chrissy safely back onboard the ship, enjoying a drink and watching the crazy bus terminal in the background (these bus drivers seriously do 80km/hr around the city streets with the music blaring)!
Port Denarau (Fiji)
Port Denarau was more like what we had expected to see in Fiji – much more commercialised and touristy. Once out of the main Port area though, there were street stalls selling produce like fresh fish and root vegetables. The countryside was amazingly beautiful and we drove to the “Gardens of the Sleeping Giant”, nestled in amongst rainforest on the side of a rugged mountain. There were lovely ponds, water lilies, orchids, heliconias, bromeliads and lots of other tropical plants. We had a nice walk around before returning back to the ship.
Garden of the Sleeping Giant (named for the shape of the mountain range that runs some 20+km and looks just like a “sleeping giant”!)
Laura proudly showing off her “Fiji money”
Sunrise ad sunset were some of my favourite times of the day on board the ship, particularly when it was a shore day and we were near land. Here’s a nice one from Fiji…
Port Vila (Vanuatu)
Vanuatu was also ruggedly beautiful… we were able to sail straight through the channel and into Port Vila, with its lovely beaches and rainforest veg…
We decided to do an organised tour in Vila, to the Ekasup Cultural Village. The tour is run by one of the local villages and was a great introduction to some of the customs of the local people. It turns out cannibalism was somewhat widespread in Vanuatu history, with the country’s population at one stage reaching 1 million people before starvation led to desperate measures… The population now stands at around 200,000 people!
Pentecost Island (Vanuatu)
We managed to see the local custom of land-diving whilst at Pentecost Island (where locals jump from an insanely high tower with nothing more than vines strapped to their ankles). Local legends have it, that a local woman once jumped from a tree to escape her abusive husband (but not before she had tied vines to her ankles – smart woman I guess). She survived, but the husband who jumped after her without the vines was not so lucky… and hence a new tradition was born. I watched two kids jump from about 10m up, but that was enough for me and I left before the men started jumping from the top (some 30+ metres I guess) – the jolt and ‘face plant’ at the end apparently leaves many shocked, sometimes paralysed and occasionally dead! Intriguing but it all a bit much for me to watch!!! Haven’t they learnt about the wonders of elastic bands and bungee cords yet!?!?!?!
Local kids perform a welcoming song and dance for us…
Laura met with some kids at the local school, whilst studying the ‘ten golden rules of tsunami’s” (get your valuables, move to higher ground, assist the young and the elderly etc…). The school library had only one small row of books, but a new school building was under development for the 150 student school… quite an eye opener for Laura I think. She has a new found perspective on just how comfortable our lives are now!!!
Fun on the Ship
The ship was great – heaps of activities for the kids (and the big kids too)! Lots of entertainment, Island Night, Pirate Night, Formal Nights, deck parties and lots of great food and drink!
The two angels… Katelyn and Laura doing some sisterly bonding
Katie has a go at “hula-hooping” on the Island Night…
Lunch time at the Palm Court restaurant – plus our own waiter for every meal!!! Didn’t cook, clean or lift a finger for 12 straight days – now that’s “Mummy’s Paradise”!!!
Katie sings “Baa Baa Black Sheep” in the kids talent show…
Our return trip into Brisbane
We had smooth sailing all theway home. Entered the mouth of the Brisbane River around dawn on the final day and sailed past the Shipwreck on Frazer Island…
We didn’t have any problems getting under the Gateway Bridge although it was a fairly close shave!!! Unlike the very trip after us of course, which suffered a power failure and nearly drifted into the bridge pylons I’ve heard!!!
Lots more stories to tell, but that better do it for now!!! Anyway, it was great fun and we’d do it again in a heart beat… But whilst we’re saving for our next big trip (the kids have voted for a snow holiday), I think we’ll be back to camping for the next few years!!! 
Cheers,
Jason, Chrissy, Laura and Katie
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