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latest picture: March 4, 2009

• click a picture to see details

01  On January 9, 2009, we board Air

Pacific in Port Vila (Vanuatu) and land

in stormy weather in Nadi (Fiji) on the

West Coast of the island of Viti Levu

 02  On our approach to Nadi, we get a

first impression of the floods that began

to devastate the Western part of Fiji.

Memories come back from our visit to

Georgetown in Guyana four years ago

03  The bridge over the Nadi River,

which connects the airport with Nadi

town, has been heavily damaged by

the floods and is impassable for cars

04  Nadi Town shows a picture of

devastation. Most of the shops lost

all their goods. The center has

become uninhabitable

05  It is better to be on the safe

side: This youngster on a pickup

has cautiously  put on

his life west already

06  Tourists "flee" from the outer islands of

the Yasawa and Mamanuca groups and

flood the emergency landing place at the

Newtown Beach near Nadi Airport

07  Nostalgic colonial buildings grace

Fiji's capital Suva around every

corner. Here at Renwick Road

08  Souvenir stalls line the bank

of Nubukalou Creek that flows

through the center of Suva

09  The setting sun is coloring the

skies behind the immaculate white

Masjid Noor Mosque at Bau Street

10   The customs officer in his traditional Sulu

– the skirt worn to below the knees – gives a

glimpse at our LandCruiser – and that was it!

11   A smart guard is keeping

watch in front of the entrance

of the President's House

12  A road sign in front of the

impressive Government House

welcomes us to the City of Suva

13  Crabs bound together and

still alive are sold in abundance

on Suva's fish market

14   In the scorching heat, a place

to rest under a shady tree during

shopping in Suva is very welcome

15  Suva's covered central market

is run by both, women and men.

The prices are marked and are fix

16  Motorboats are mooring at

the market bridge. In the hills in the

back new rain clouds are forming –

it is rainy season in Fiji

17   Dave Aidney, Executive Manager

of the Shipping Agent Williams &

Gosling Ltd. in Suva,  made the

impossible possible. It is his credit

that our LandCruiser made it into Fiji

18  A picture with Ian McLean,

Chief Executive Officer of Toyota

Asco Motors in Suva, ends

our appearance in their show room

in the presence of the press

19   Suva's flower market in its exotic

beauty is especially eye-

catching on a Saturday

20  The hairstyle of this

woman of Melanesian

descent is typical for Fiji

21  Students in their immaculately

white "Sulu" – the traditional men's

skirt – are leaving Marist Brothers

High School in Flagstaff near Suva

22  The Colo-i-Suva Forest Park

with its many small waterfalls and

natural basins is a refreshing place

to be in the tropical heat

23  The stem of this leafless

red Beehive Ginger tropical

flower is sprouting

directly from the soil

24  Polynesian sculptures

grace the garden of the

Raintree Lodge, 6 miles

North of Suva

25  The bright pink of this corrugated

iron dwelling contrasts beautifully

with the lush green surrounding

26  The Namosi Highlands

North of Suva attract us

with its untamed nature

27  Fishing boats moored at the

harbor entry in Lami, East of Suva

28  A peaceful fishing village at the

Coral Coast in the South sandwiched

between a lush green hill and the blue sea

 29  Each inch of land is privately owned

in Fiji. Nevertheless, we find a relaxed spot

at the Coral Coast for our lunch break

30  Palm trees are swaying gently

at the luxury beach resort

"Fiji Palms" at the Coral Coast

31  We enjoy a day at the sandy beach

of the quiet Valase Beach Resort in

Tagaqa on the Coral Coast,

15 miles East of Sigatoka

 32  Valase Beach Resort in Tagaqa:

A swimming pool overlooking the sea

and surrounded by a flower garden

– what more do we want?

33  The stormy skies at sunset

look ghastly – it’s rainy season in Fiji

34  Tropical Vegetation, off shore

islands and a blue sea are our constant

companions along the Coral Coast.

In the background Beqa Island

 35  The Sri Siva Subramaniya

Swami Temple in Nadi is the most

beautiful Indian temple in Fiji

36  At the touristy Nadi Bay Beach,

called also New Town, we enjoy at the

Smugglers Cove Hotel another sun set

37  

 38  

39  

The nice and traditional Fijian “Bure” with woven walls and thatched roofs is disappearing

more and more and replaced unfortunately by corrugated iron dwellings

40  From their school verandah,

children watch a contest

on the playing field

 41  A remainder of the recent

floods in the Western part of Fiji

is the broken bridge in Sigatoka

which was carried away

42  We are driving on the North Coast

through rural areas with cows, pigs

and goats roaming around freely. In the

backdrop the Nakauvadra Range

43  Beautiful trees with huge canopies

grace every now and then the countryside

 44  The Southwest scenery is dominated by

grassland, palm groves, forests and hills

45  A walking stick of a remarkable

size stands motionless on fallen leaves

46  In the drier North sugar cane

fields dominate the landscape

 47  A lovely Indian temple on

the North Coast, half hidden

by the greenery

48  Rural church at the Korovou

village turn off near Tavua

towards the mountains

49  View of the Navatu Rock, 6 miles

West of Rakiraki in the North, where

it’s said that once there was a fortified

village on the top of the rock

 50  Navolau – a peaceful village

at the Northeastern tip

51  A church between sugar cane

and the sea in the North, glowing

wonderfully in the warm evening light;

about 4 miles East of Rakiraki

52  Udre Udre’s tomb at Rakiraki

in the North: Here rests the most

insatiable cannibal of all times. It is

said that he consumed 872

of his victims of war

53  Simple rafts of bamboo

poles are still used as a mean

of transport on rivers

54  On our camping spot at

the Ellington Wharf in the far

Northeast we are blessed

with a beautiful sunset

55  The Northeast Coast at the Viti

Levu Bay presents us a beautiful scenery

when we turn off towards the mountains,

to Nausori and back to Suva

 56  At our picnic in the East of Suva

we enjoy watching this water bird

looking for food in the shallow water

57  Indo-Fijian are enjoying Sunday

at the beach East of Suva. The women

wear their traditional sari and plunge

into the water in their full outfit

 

Continuations:

• Pictures from the second part of our Fiji trip: Island of Vanua Levu
• Pictures from the third part of our Fiji trip: Island of Taveuni

 

Articles in newspapers about us in Fiji:

Article: "Hell or floodwaters, the journey shall go on", Daily Newspaper "Fiji Times" - January 22, 2009

Article: "Around the world in 25 years", Daily Newspaper "Fiji Sun" - January 24, 2009

Announcement: "World Record Travellers at Suva Apartments", "Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee" - 2/6/2009