Vunisea, Kadavu, and a welcome with a Fulaga connection

Though the weather certainly wasn't great, we left Ono on Sunday to sail to the west side of Kadavu. As we approached the pass through the reef, the rain was teeming down so we relied on detailed Google Earth images and a set of waypoints given to us by Navara to weave our way safely into the anchorage.

There may be trouble ahead.....

Thankfully the cloud lifted the following morning and the sun broke through for the first time in about ten days! Sadly the rain returned today but it was a lovely respite from the drizzle.

The anchorage at low tide

The reefs, all but invisible the day before, appear at low tide

Vunisea is the administrative centre of Kadavu island and the settlement is a 'Government station' rather than a chiefly village so we weren't required to present a sevusevu. Walking around the place it's clear that it is well-organised and has seen some investment; there's an airstrip, a few small stores, a secondary school, a police station and a post office.

The school 

More of the school buildings

We knew that Bis, one of the men we got to know well in Fulaga over the past two years, has family here and that they run one of the shops. We walked into the fist shop we came to and asked tentatively if they knew him and were immediately welcomed by his sister Tia and husband Api. Tia took us straight along to another shop, run by her sisters Li (Lice) and Mirry and father Tau where we were given drinks and biscuits and welcomed like long-lost friends. We were invited to supper the following  evening which then turned into them bringing a huge feast to eat aboard Maunie. Wow, lovely food and great company!

Tau, Maggie, Mirry and Li

A very substantial and delicious feast

 While we were together Tau phoned Bis in Fulaga (one of the two satellite phone stations is right outside his house there) and the phone was passed around so we could all chat to him.

The family hadn't seen Bis and his wife Joanna for about two years so we were able to print some photo of them from our time in Fulaga. It was a great evening and all too short so we'll catch up with the family again over the next day or two. We aren't getting too excited but it looks as though this nearly-stationary weather front might actually move away on Thursday and give us some sunshine again!