We spent a week in Fiji this August. We stayed at Denauru Island Trendwest Resort just outside Nadi (pronounced NANDI). Public transport is a great experience and a cheap way to see the major islands. Market places are convieniently located next to the bus station at most towns. The children are happy and smiling. We took a boat trip out to a small group of these islands and I did a scuba dive on a wreck from South Sea Island. Not as exciting as it sounds however, the wreck has only been there 3 months as is as yet sparsely inhabited by only a handful of fish. But beggars cant be choosers; it looked as if I would miss out completely when it became apparent that numbskull had forgotten her dive certificate safely tucked away in a draw at home in Oz. But I smiled sweetly at the dive master and he let me take one of his trusted dive instructors out for a spin around the ocean bottom.

The next day we took a series of local busses out to a town on the North West Coast called Ba. Local busses are used widely by the inhabitants of Fiji. They come complete with stereo, which has only one volume setting; an eardrum busting gezillion decibels. There are no windows (my guess is they were all blown out the first time someone turned on the radio.), and suspension is an optional extra. The bus fare there was 50 cents dearer than the trip back. (Must be closer from the other direction).

We spent most evenings in deck chairs by the pool, sipping Baileys and watching the sun slip silently into the Pacific Ocean. Its a tough job, but someone has to do it. Please visit My website! http://www.susan.com.au Regards, Susan

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