Dravuni Island, Fiji, is a tiny dot of an island belonging to the Kadavu Group. Less than 1 square mile, it has a small village with white sands, tall palms, and azure waters. There are no vehicles or roads as we know them on this island. But there is a long stretch of beach where the guests can sunbathe and snorkel, although we have not seen a lot of tropical fish there. You can do some hiking, visit with the friendly locals, or simply relax within steps of the tender pier.
The weather looked promising but the wind was acting up, leaving us to wonder if tendering might be problematic. That was the case last year when we visited this island. The swells were too great for safe tendering and the port had to be cancelled. Guess it was a "go" today, because tender-ticketed folks were summoned down to deck one around 8:15am. They were calling two groups at a time. This was still in effect at 10:30am when we went off of the ship. We are not sure how the walker/wheelchair guests would get down the outside stairs to the waiting boat. The wind was blowing hard as well, although the swells were moderate. The ride took 15 minutes or so.
At first glance, we noticed that there were many more buildings in the way of housing since the last time we were here in 2019. Souvenir floral shirts and sarongs blew sideways on the numerous clothes lines strung between the palm trees. Sure gave a lot of color to the scenery. Several make-shift tented massage tables lined the beachfront. Shoulder and neck massages were $10 while a full body massage was $20. Hair-braiding was $20, but no one offered to do mine since it was already braided. Many of the local ladies had tables set with various island jewelry made with seashells and carved wood.
Passing the primary school house, we saw a lot of little kids running amuck, obviously out of school. We did notice a few donation boxes here and there such as for school supplies. Then we wondered why the donations that were meant for Fanning Island could not have been brought here? Although this village is far smaller than Fanning, the needs must be the same.
We continued going right from the tender pier and found we were on our way towards the tallest peak there. We remember passing by the pens where they confine their pigs when they have company. Today there were at least seven adult hogs and three cute little babies. These little pigs did not wander far from the mother, who was caged. It seemed that every hut had chickens. Someone had put down an opened coconut and a hen chicken was drinking the juice and eating the coconut meat. They are smart little birds.
Following the path, we began the climb through the thick foliage and trees. This is where it began to get steep in parts. Only one of us went forward, while the other waited on a bluff where there was a cool breeze. Looking down the side of the ridge, we noticed there was a planting area in the gully with bananas, coconuts, and possibly other crops. Access to this side of the island is not easy, so the other pathway went to the top of the peak. The locals have cut away the slippery pathway and created steps to use. Many people who knew their abilities did not have a problem with the vigorous hike, but others did. It's not so bad going up, but going down can be hard on the knees and ankles. And the worst time to find out is when you are halfway down. Best to be cautious we always say.
Back down to the beach area, we walked around the houses, which were basically empty. Most all of the adults were selling something on the beachfront. We had been told there was no snorkel gear to rent, but we did find a few vendors along the way with tons of them. Judging by the number of cruise ship guests we saw in and around the water today, there will be a lot that will be sunburnt. The temperature was a cool 77 degrees with a nice breeze blowing. That can be deceiving and painful, so we did not plan on a day in the sand and water. The sandy beaches looked good, but there was a lot of coral and volcanic rocks in the water. Without aqua shoes, it might have been dangerous.
Making our way to the opposite end of the island, we saw the new and the old cemetery. Their tradition is to have a picnic on the gravesite. The family will leave a blanket or beach towel to spread out on the concrete, and have a meal there. The plates and silverware are left there for the next time. Then the path continued to a very small but empty beach. It was much cooler and obviously turbulent here. These islands can hide an undertow, so swimming here may be dangerous.
We headed back to the tender pier and got on the boat in minutes. All aboard was 4:30pm, but we were ready to leave by 1:30pm. We had taken a bottle of water, but by now, we needed a lot more than that. Back by 2:30pm, we ordered a room service lunch. Guess what? Everything came as ordered. We had Cobb salads (entrée-size) and a shared club sandwich. Sitting on the veranda reading actually got cool enough to need a sweatshirt. There was a coolness in the breeze. At least we did not have any rain today, which was perfect.
There was no good sunset tonight, but there sure was a nice dinner in the Pinnacle Grill. We think most of the guests had an exhausting day, because the restaurant was half full. The sun, hiking, and swimming had done their job. Anyway, we had our usual wedge salads with delectable bacon. Mains were medium-cooked lamb chops with nothing else on the plate. No bean smear or whatever they call it. We teased manager Anton that we like our lamb chops "naked". He liked that. We added the sides of fries and mushrooms to the plate, and now the dish was full. We pondered over what we might have for dessert but got side-lined with a conversation with Anton. Feeling the best idea was to pass on dessert, we ordered nothing.
Tomorrow's port will be Lautoka on the other large island of Fiji. It will be another day for a nice walk.
Bill & Mary Ann
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Report #50 Wednesday October 25,2023 Dravuni Island, Fiji At Anchor 8am-5pm Cloudy With Lots Of Sun 78 Degrees Sea State Choppy With Strong Wind ---Casual Dress
