Fiji for a tenner? Don’t mind if I do! The Bite-Back at Cancer Winners report back.

It is rare that an opportunity to visit Fiji arises, and it was not really at the forefront of my and my wife's minds as our main vacation for 2013. However, we had attended the Bite-Back at Cancer Ball late in 2012 and our raffle ticket was part of the entrance fee. When the draw was made, we were quite stunned to find out that my wife's ticket was the winner!

Tourism Fiji and Dive Worldwide were wonderful in their organisation of the trip, accommodating the dates we were able to make and creating what looked to be an exciting schedule for a two week trip to the islands. I say islands as I was certainly not aware that Fiji is not one island, but 330 of them, ranging in size and population. We were going to get a sampling of a few of them to get a flavour of Fiji! From a travel perspective, if you go past Fiji from the UK, you are actually coming home again as it is exactly the other side of the world! The 0 degree meridian as we all know is in Greenwich, London; the 180 degree meridian is in Fiji!

This means there are a number of different ways to get there, going either east or west. We opted for the option to travel with British Airways to Hong Kong and then Fiji Airways to Nadi, the main international airport in Fiji.
So, the day came for our adventure to begin, having managed to 'offload' the kids to very generous grandparents!

We arrived at Nadi Airport, Fiji pretty shattered with our bodies not really knowing what time of day it was. The craving of beer and coffee at eight in the morning is not a normal one! We were greeted by Tourism Fiji with traditional pottery leis and transferred to the nearby Tanoa Hotel to recover. The staff were friendly (as all Fijians seem to be) and we plonked ourselves by the pool for the morning. A little later, we were back at the airport for our domestic flight to Taveuni. Beware of what you travel with as, since our bags were not checked straight through from the international flight, our allowance was dropped from 23kg to 15kg! With four domestic flights, we resigned ourselves to the extra spend ahead. Having brought our own dive gear we were not going to leave it in an airport locker! There was no 'fighting' about this allowance though, and everything was dealt with amicably.

Landing in Taveuni, we were transferred to the Garden Island Resort with a couple of Aussie businessmen here to sell plastic thatching to the resort trade. Coals to Newcastle or a stroke of genius - the jury's still out on that one! Garden Island Resort is the closest resort to the world famous Rainbow Reef and has long been a Mecca for divers. Recently refurbished, the rooms are well appointed and comfortable with plenty of space, air-conditioning and a TV! The decor is not traditional Fijian, but don't let this put you off as the staff deliver a wonderful friendly service getting to know you by your first name within five minutes! The afternoon was free to relax and enjoy the company of the other hotel guests - mainly an eclectic group from Arizona and the two Aussies previously mentioned.

Vonu beer was my tipple of choice as they claim to give proceeds to save the turtles. Drink beer while saving the planet - very rewarding indeed!

The following morning we headed to the dive school. After some initial confusion it was confirmed that we were booked to dive and we boarded one of the boats with some Arizonians. When we got to the dive site, Pio (or Paulo as he will forever be known) told us to sit tight while the others entered the water. He had decided that he wanted us to see the Great White Wall and was going to guide us there privately. There was a pretty strong current entering the water and getting down the first 5m was a bit of a struggle, but we managed not to miss the 'landing strip' Paulo had spoken to us about in the briefing.

Thank goodness for that as well as it turned out to be an amazing ‘swim through’ from about 12m to 23m! Exiting this we were greeted by a wall of beautiful soft coral teeming with life. We had heard about the amazing visibility of the water and beauty of Rainbow Reef, and we were not disappointed! As we drifted on the current, it was apparent how the dive site got its name as there was a wall of white soft coral! With the sun beaming through the water, it was just spectacular! Another swim through (up this time) took us to a platform of brightly covered coral with myriads of fish of all colours and descriptions. As we were bimbling around enjoying the scenery a white tipped reef shark cruised by to say hello! The icing on the cake and dive one completed.

Rarely, if ever, will you find a more idyllic spot for a surface interval as we were treated to by the dive operation. Simply called 'the island' it epitomises tropical beauty. Some of us chatted, some snorkelled and some sunbathed the hour or so away while one of our boats headed back to the resort to fill some tanks. We were not sure why this happened as there were plenty of full cylinders on both boats, but no-one was complaining!

Time for the second dive and off to Jack's Place - another drift on the Rainbow Reef. This time we were all split into two groups to even out the numbers (but still only six divers per group), we were briefed and in we went. These guys are keen to get under quick as the currents are strong at the surface, so make sure your 'tubes' are clear in plenty of time! Down we went to a spectacular wall of colour and coral - mainly hard coral on this dive as opposed to soft on the previous one. One of the highlights of this dive was another white tipped reef shark. This was a great example to dispel the myths around these wonderful creatures. Rather than swimming menacingly around us, this shark was trying to take a nap! Many have said that a shark must keep swimming in order to live but this was certainly not the case here. Indeed, as we approached, he just swam a few yards and settled back down on the sandy bottom. We repeated this a couple more times with the same reaction from the shark. As we drifted on I looked back and there he was still snoozing on the sea bed. Man eaters of the ocean - I think not! Our safety stop was on a plateau of coral that seemed to be a nursery for all kinds of fish amid stunning coral - straight out of a National Geographic video. As the reef slipped away, we stayed at the recommended 5m and just before we surfaced we were treated to the sight of a black and white banded sea snake cruising through the coral. What an amazing dive!

Back at the resort, the dive school staff took care of all our kit with smiles on their faces, chatting away to themselves and us. They told us to come back later to collect the kit once it had dried out - great service and time for another well earned Vona Beer - oh those lucky turtles! That afternoon we decided to visit the meridian 180 degree line that cuts through Taveuni. We were given directions from the hotel and other guests telling us to be careful not to miss it. Strange we thought for such a landmark! However, we were right to listen as the meridian is up a lane, across a rugby pitch and next to a church made of corrugated iron! The ‘plaque’ itself is pretty cool and immediately sparks confusing debate as to what day/time it is when one steps from one side to the other!

The evening was spent watching the sunset and the resident bats fly around one of the hotel’s trees, followed by dinner and more social activities. A local Fijian band played all kinds of songs from around the world, but all in Fijian style!

We transferred back to the airport the following morning after breakfast and many farewells for the flight back to Nadi, safe in the knowledge we had had 18 hours since diving - just! Flying over the islands gives a very different perspective from being on the ground as you see the amazing colours of the water and just how uninhabited the islands are.

On landing we were guided to the terminal by the Air Pacific staff - the reason I mention this mundane fact is they have the coolest uniforms ever - their pink flowered bula shirts with their logo embroidered front and back in gold make the Stade Francais rugby shirts look positively plain by comparison...I want one! Time for our road trip from Nadi to Suva courtesy of Pacific Destinationz with a few stops on the way. Our schedule consisted of lunch at Yatule Resort, the market at Sigatoka, an Eco Park and viewing a few other resorts on the way to Suva. 

Our driver and guide, Soni, who makes Jona Lomu look like a schoolboy, loaded our bags into the back of one of Pacific Destinationz' big 4x4's and off we went. Conversation was easy with Soni - it turns out he used to work in government but after three coups, he figured that was enough and he turned his talents to the tourist industry. We lucked out there as his knowledge of Fiji history and culture was immense!

We stopped for lunch at the beautiful Yatule Resort, after a drive through the Intercontinental Resort next door. Both resorts are on a crescent shaped bay of white sand and turquoise water. We felt like royalty as we were greeted with enthusiastic 'bulas' (“hellos”), guided through reception and onto the beach where our private table was set in the shade of two overlapping trees. It was a wonderful sight, but proved more challenging than it first appeared as there was quite a wind and the tablecloth was not secured! One handed eating was needed but the food did not disappoint. All in all, a fantastic experience enhanced by the friendly, if slightly nervous, member of staff who had been allocated to look after us.

On to the market at Sigatoka. You will never have seen fruit and veg so neatly laid out in their 'bundles' for sale. Everyone was chatty and friendly, wanting to know where we were from and what we were doing - no high pressure sales tactics here...or did that have something to do with Soni's presence? An interesting little stop off. A sign stating 'Our market, our image' may say more about how the Fijians want to be seen in this totally non smoking indoor and outdoor market. Then it was on to the Eco Park via a quick look at a Vijay Singh designed golf course. Impressive, but with the wind the way it was, not a course for me!

Now I know there are many debates about keeping animals in captivity for whatever reasons, but I don't feel this is a forum for that debate, so I'll stick to the park itself.

The staff are knowledgable and friendly and genuinely interested in the welfare and long term survival of the animals in their care. As we were allowed, under close supervision, to handle various iguanas and snakes, we were told about the breeding and re-introduction programs that are in place. There is also a sponsorship program for local children that introduces them to and teaches them about the wonders of nature and how to sustain the environment. Whether you agree or disagree with these kinds of operation, if they are going to exist, this is how you would want to see them operated.

Continuing the journey to Suva, conversation flowed easily with Soni - topics ranging from rugby to cannabalism, land ownership to the introduction of Indian workers and how the two cultures have integrated or not and how local chiefs distribute wealth amongst the people in their area. Soni is an ex-rugby player who now has a golf handicap of 8!
Every village in Fiji has a rugby pitch and on the drive this was certainly evidenced. We asked Soni to stop for a moment to take a photo of some training going on at a random pitch and it turned out his cousin was training there! This led to discussions around how families in Fiji migrate through marriage - it seems they have big families!

We arrived at our next destination late that afternoon, the Novotel in Suva. Those of you who have stayed at a Novotel know that they are good, functions hotels but perhaps a bit bland. Well, not this one! The reception/bar area has been well thought through taking advantage of the hotel’s location right on the water's edge. We had a quick bite to eat and headed to the Suva yacht club for a beer with one of the Aussie businessmen from earlier. However, like a true Aussie, knowing it was his round, he never showed up!

Soni picked us up the following morning to transfer us to Suva airport where we checked in, duly paid our excess baggage fees and boarded the short flight to Kadavu (pronounced Kandavu). The scenery flying between the islands again was spectacular. The landing was not. Apparently the runway is in just such a place that catches and funnels the wind between two hills, making it an interesting place to put a plane onto the ground! Richard, one of the owners of Matava Eco Resort, was on the same flight and he introduced himself to us on disembarking. Not hard to figure out who the Matava guests were as there were five people on the flight, two of whom were locals. Process of elimination?

The transfer to Matava was via boat and took around an hour. Another great way to see Fiji is by sea and the waters and beaches are beautiful and unspoiled. Low tide meant negotiating round shallow areas of the reef but Kelly, the boat captain, had obviously done this before.

Now, arriving at Matava is an interesting experience! The boat moored up and a smaller skiff came out to meet us. However, it was low tide so the skiff could not take us to land but instead to a 'path' through the sea grass which we waded through to get to the beach. We watched as the staff lugged our awkward 'city' suitcases, feeling rather guilty. As we got to land, we were greeted by several female staff warmly and guided to a cup of tea and coffee. Richard had mentioned that the real person in charge was Maggie and 'she' swept into the room in all her camp glory to greet us! Fiji does seem to lend itself to these 'ladyboys' to use the Thai term with flowers in their hair, bright bula shirts and sarongs.  Maggie is definitely in charge at Matava!

Note: We did not particularly like the term ‘ladyboy’ for these Fijians and certainly intend no offence, but we struggled to find the appropriate term, should one exist. We consulted the Fijian High Commission on our return and received the following reply:

Quote:

It is a sensitive issue in Fiji. Only recently has it been legal to be gay for example.

There are various slangs/terms, some derogatory, for that. That is uncommon and unfamiliar in Fiji, unlike in Samoa, where the boy is brought up as a girl in a family. In my own opinion, it is not customary and is not entertained and may be just due to ignorance rather than anything else. But here we go:

Slang [informal]- Qauri (Qs are pronounced as “ng”
Formal – Vakasalewalewa [i.e meaning viavia yalewa]
End Quote:

We had been using the Lonely Planet guide book for information on Fiji and although Matava is remote, it stated that WiFi was available. Apparently, it had been taken out by a cyclone a while back and they are still waiting on engineers to fix it. Be prepared to 'go dark' then if Matava is your destination of choice. You can get a signal by wading out into the sea at low tide or by visiting 'Vodafone Rock', standing on one leg with your right arm holding your phone to your left ear! You get the picture. There is still a satellite phone available for emergencies.

The resort itself has ten or so bures (chalet-style rooms). The guidebooks are accurate when they say they are roomy with great views and comfortable beds. We were given a briefing from Maggie on how things work at Matava and then passed to the dive school, 'Mad Fish', for their briefing. As a dive school owner, this impressed me. It is rare that you get an overview of dive operations and how things are going to work until the first day’s diving, so to do this on arrival allowed any questions or dive preferences or potential issues to be raised without the pressure of other divers around you. Thorough, professional and customer focused.

That evening, the staff organised a Fiji-themed evening including the traditional preparation of kava (not the Spanish sparkling stuff). Kava is prepared from a root, has no alcoholic properties but there is certainly something in there that Fijians get 'drunk' on! It was an evening shared by staff and guests alike as one big family!

We managed to get five dives in in our short stay at Matava. We were diving mainly with a newly qualified couple from Colorado so the first couple of dives were fairly gentle inside the main reef. We all surfaced together even though the dives were pretty short but this made sense as the divemasters did not know our skills (and did not assume) and we did not know the sites and currents. By the third dive however, everyone was more comfortable and we were allowed to continue our dives after the other couple had surfaced. The divemaster sensibly completed the safety stop with the couple, saw them onto the boat and then rejoined us for the remainder of the dive.

The diving off Kadavu is stunning although maybe not quite as beautiful as the soft corals of Taveuni. Having said that, we barely scratched the surface of the vast reef.

Personally, there was one dive site I wanted to get to - Manta Reef! They say in the books that these these magnificent creatures are sighted on around 80% of the dives there, but that's the books right? I had never seen a manta ray and given the opportunity was there, I was obviously keen! (In fact, on every dive at Matava to that point when the divemaster asked what we wanted to see! I yelled 'mantas!' It became a standing joke!)
That morning I yelled 'mantas!' and the DM said 'Ok!' and to all of our excitement we set off for the 40 minute boat trip to Manta Reef. As we were setting off, Maggie was on the satellite phone organising something or other, so we called out 'are you ordering pizza?' Or something to that effect - Maggie shot us a glance! Once we arrived at the dive site we were briefed and in we went!

As we descended, the visibility was good but not perfect, so when the DM pointed I shrugged my shoulders saying “what are you pointing at”? He pointed again and as we got closer the shape started to take form. It looked like a space ship from Close Encounters hovering just above the coral but as it came into focus I realised that it was more special than that - here was a huge manta, just holding station above the coral being cleaned by a variety of wrasse! Objective achieved on the descent!

We had been briefed that the top of the coral was for the mantas so we should observe from the side in order not to disturb them. Cleaning done (or maybe peeved by our arrival) the manta slowly moved off across the top of the coral like a plane taxiing down the runway. The slow, powerful movement of its wings were relaxed yet purposeful. We followed until it disappeared into the blue - amazing!

We followed the reef, counting our blessings before another flew past us totally relaxed in our presence - or totally oblivious, but I doubt that.

A couple of turtles, often the highlight of a dive, caught our attention briefly - one on the sea bed and the other up in mid water - until another manta sailed past. Our DM indicated we should hang around a portion of the reef while he took our American buddies up for their safety stop. He indicated he would rejoin us. We finned around the reef admiring the coral and fish but then we spotted two more mantas coming from the opposite direction to previously. Also, they were not on the top of the reef, but coming directly towards us in the trench. One veered off but the other kept coming and as it approached, the magic happened. With an effortless flick of its wings it went into a barrel roll showing its underbelly first and continuing to complete a full 360! As it finished its somersault, it passed no more than six feet from me. I eased in behind it and was rewarded with another flip right in front of my nose! Breathtaking! Magical! The manta continued its flight with no more acrobatics, joined its companion and headed off into the blue.

We hung around a while longer looking at each other, eyes wide with the joy of what we had witnessed. As we headed away from the reef to complete our safety stop, our DM rejoined us and up we went.
A truly amazing dive - one that I imagine will be with us forever.

As conditions were fairly choppy, our second dive of the day was on a different site. We saw beautiful coral, fish and a shark or two, pretty boring actually 😉 Oh, and there were dolphins during the surface interval! Speaking of which, did I mention that we got really close to a humpbacked whale on the previous day's return from diving? She had been hanging around just off the resort's beach.

On returning to the resort, you guessed it - homemade pizza for lunch! That afternoon, my wife decided (yes, you read that correctly) that we were going to visit the local village and waterfall, and no, we did not want a guide. The tide was out so we walked through the wet sand following the coastline and the provided map. A local child in wellie boots (much more appropriate footwear) followed us a safe distance behind.

As we approached the village, more children started to appear and we soon had a bit of a throng with us, all chattering away. There are rules when going to a local village, no sunglasses or hats and women must cover shoulders and wear a sarong. The children guided us through the village and we were greeted with lots of 'bulas' from all sides. The kids clambered over the rocks to the waterfall like they were born to it, which of course they were. For us, it was more challenging and treacherous - a fall here could be quite serious, and what then? The waterfall was pretty as waterfalls go and we took in the scenery for a few minutes. One of the children started diving in the water showing off - we were suitably impressed! Strangely though, no one started asking for money as can happen in these situations, but we weren't complaining!

As we headed back out of the village, we were taken to a house by the children and invited in by one of the elders. He asked us to sign the visitors’ book which we did and we were then on our way back to the resort with lots of 'moce' (pronounced “mothe” and meaning goodbye). During our visit, the tide had decided to come in so our return route was less obvious but we managed it by wading and cutting behind some mangroves. I might recommend a guide should you decide to visit this village!

On our return to Matava we were also asked to sign a 'village book'. It turns out that, to avoid tourists being hassled and feeling uncomfortable, a system has been worked out. Every visitor to the village/waterfall has $10 Fijian added to their bill at the resort. The two books keep account and is settled at have end of each month- clever!

Another great evening with the group and staff of Matava that evening and I passed some time with them later once everyone else had retired - they had kava and I had wine and, again, I truly felt part of the family.
Leaving the following morning was difficult. We had arrived with all our technology and, when we found out that most would not work, we were initially in a bit of a panic. Three nights later, we didn't care that we had not had access to email or phones - we had survived and had loved it which was quite a revelation!

As the boat pulled away to transfer us back to the airport the last thing we saw was Maggie waving to us in her/his inimitable flamboyant way! The journey back to Nadi was as beautiful as the way to Kadavu, both by sea and air! Once we arrived at Nadi we were greeted by Pacific Destinationz staff and then transferred to Pacific Harbour and Uprising Beach Resort by the same route as we had taken to Suva the other day.

It was now Saturday and we asked to listen to some of the regional rugby semi-finals on the radio on our journey to the delight of the driver whose entire family was at the game and whose brother was playing for one of the provinces. We were not scheduled to dive with Beqa (pronounced “Benga”) Adventure Divers until the Monday, but we thought we would pop in before we got to Uprising to see if we could sneak in a couple of extra dives in on the Sunday. With this arranged, we pulled up at Uprising Beach Resort and headed to reception.

Uprising is different from Matava, with accommodation ranging from dormitory to garden and beach front bures to luxurious villas. We had been allocated a beach-front bure - lucky us! The bure was spacious with both beds, sofas and comfy chairs. Tea and coffee facilities were included and there were multiple sockets to plug in our once again important gadgets. WiFi was also available for purchase. The bure also had an outside (but enclosed) loo and a separate outside shower which was landscaped, walled and open to the sky. All in all, very comfortable accommodation and a beautiful view of the palm trees and beach!

We settled in and headed for the bar - the inevitable Vonu for me! We were informed that it was happy hour from 4-6pm - time to make the most of it!

The bar is large and spacious with a big screen TV that was showing the end of the rugby. Open plan off the bar area there are pool and table tennis tables and a couple of dining areas where breakfast, lunch and dinner are served. In front of the bar/restaurant area towards the beach are gardens with a gazebo day bar and a beach volleyball court. On either flank are the water sports centre and the pool. The staff again, were very friendly as appears to be the norm throughout Fiji.

The beach is pure white sand and the sea turquoise. The location is quite idyllic.

As the accommodation suggests, the clientele is a mixture of backpackers, couples and families from all over the world. A fair few have come purely to do the famous shark dive with Beqa Divers and then move on, while others are there to chill for a week or so. We were there for 4 nights. Uprising is famous for rugby - it sponsors many teams and tournaments. It's own sevens team participates in tournaments worldwide and boasts supplying the Fiji national team with a couple of players. The staff uniforms are rugby shirts to reflect this. I am told one is in the post to me! We'll see!

The following morning we were picked up at 7.30am and transferred the short distance to Beqa Divers. We checked in and our gear was taken from us to be stowed on the boat. This is a big dive operation and there was less of the intimate and personal feel like Matava, but one gets the impression of an efficient and well run operation. This was one of the two days of the week that Beqa do not do their shark dive. We asked where we would be going and were informed that the boat captain would decide depending on currents and conditions, but it would be coral or wreck. Fair enough.

We got on the boat, Predator, and checked our kit which had been set up for us. Turning on the air we both noticed we had just under 190 bar in our cylinders. A bit different to the generous 220 we got at Matava.
Beqa Adventure Divers are located on an inland waterway on a golf and country club, so as the boat headed towards open water we got great views of some stunning residential homes!
As we approached open water, one of our divemasters briefed us to not to move about the boat and to enjoy the 10 minute ride to the dive site.
25 minutes later we arrived at the site! Our DM informed us that the site would start with a Japanese trade ship wreck in around 25m of water and then we would ascend slowly around some coral heads called the Seven Sisters. Maximum dive time was to be 60 minutes. Given there were around 12 of us on the boat, I was slightly surprised that buddy pairings were not mentioned at all. At least we had an informal roll call when we got on the boat.

We descended to the wreck which emerged from the blue. As we finned slowly round a lion fish was pointed out - indigenous here and not a pest as they are in the Caribbean. The coral growths on the wreck rounded the natural lines of the ship and were populated by plenty of marine life. This was not, however, a wreck for penetration, so, after a lazy tour around the outside and top of the boat we moved back towards the coral heads. We ascended slowly, investigating the coral. The colours and variety of coral and fish matched much that we had seen on previous dives. This kind of diving is abundant throughout the Fijian islands and it is easy to become a bit blasé about the quality of the dive sites here.

The group surfaced at different times and the surface interval started when the last divers got on board. Tea and water was served, but due to the surge, the white sandy beach remained tantalisingly in the distance.
We moved the short distance to the second site and were given a briefing. This dive was going to be a drift dive from one coral outcrop to others, locally named the Three Mad Nuns! Our kit had been transferred to new cylinders, still less than 190 bar, but for a dive with a max depth of 15m, not a major concern. Another beautiful dive with stunning coral and marine life, during which a white tipped reef shark came in for a nosey as we drifted around the coral. Some large fans had grown on these outcrops, surprising given the potential surges.

As we reached the last outcrop, our DM indicated for us to continue our dive there. He then finned off into the blue. We continued to examine the coral and fish as we gradually circled the coral head, ascending slowly with each circuit. Our safety stop was on the top of this outcrop with the sunlight dancing on the mixture of soft and hard corals. At the start of the dive, I had noticed a spare cylinder and regs slung over the side of the boat on a rope. I jokingly asked our DM whether he had been 'decoing' when he had finned off during the dive. Yes was the answer - these boys are obviously worked hard!

Back to the dive centre and our kit was all taken care of for us. We disembarked and we grabbed a lift with some divers from Luxembourg back to Uprising where we spent the rest of the afternoon. The weather wasn't great so after a late lunch we settled onto the deck of our bure, cleared some emails and read. It was nice not to be running around for a change and the environment at Uprising was extremely relaxing.

Dinner was just as chilled - you must try the local delicacy of mud crab, but prepare to get messy! The evening was spent chatting in the bar - mainly about rugby!
The following morning we were again collected and transferred to the dive centre. Today, we were to be doing the 'world famous' shark dive. This involves feeding bull sharks.
As with the Eco Park, there is much debate about the practice of shark feeding - especially for the benefit of tourists - but it is not my place to enter into this discussion. Our trusty guide book, the Lonely Planet describes this dive better than I can, so here's what they say:

Quote:
Shark Feeding:
A few kilometres off the Viti Levu coast near Pacific Harbour lies Shark Reef. In other parts of the world, shark feeding usually involves grey reef sharks and, if you're lucky, lemon sharks and nurse sharks. Here, up to eight different types of shark turn up: tawny nurse sharks, white-tip, black-tip and grey reef sharks, sickle fin lemon sharks, silver tips, massive bull sharks (except from October to January, when they leave the spot to mate) and even the heavyweight of them all - tiger sharks!
During the dives, divers form a line behind a purpose-built small coral wall. The feeder dips into a huge bin and pulls out hunks of dead fish. For several minutes at a time it may be hard to work out what is happening in the swirl of tails and fins as one shark after another materialises, ripping and tearing the bait. It's definitely (in)tense, but there's no frenzy to speak of. The sharks approach in surprisingly orderly fashion, even the ponderous-looking bull sharks. If the arena suddenly clears, a 4m tiger shark is about to appear.
While it's certainly thrilling, this is more a show than a dive, and fish feeding is a controversial subject. On the one hand, these artificial encounters undeniably disrupt natural behaviour patterns: sharks grow dependent on 'free lunches' and may unlearn vital survival skills. On the other hand, some experts think that these shows have educational virtue, raising awareness among divers and helping sharks gain some much-needed positive press. We'll let you decide.
(Extract from Lonely Planet, Fiji, 9th edition, published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd September 2012)
End Quote:

Based on the reputation of this dive centre and this dive in particular, I was expecting at least some built in education on the benefits and research of conducting this dive, but none was forthcoming. The dive was briefed as any other. We would start at 30m for the first feed which would be for around 17 minutes, then ascend to 15m for a second feed and finally to 4m for a third feed, this one being predominately reef sharks.

30m seemed quite deep to me considering we again had a fill of less than 190 bar, but more so that there were plenty of students with less than 20 dives on the dive and even some open water divers who had qualified the previous day! These participants had been allocated a DM to look after them but this seemed slightly inadequate given the nature of the dive. Having said that, it should be noted that this particular dive has been conducted for over 15 years with an excellent safety record.

We dropped down to the first feeding station and were instructed to kneel behind a wall of coral with the reef behind us (hence the compulsory long suit and gloves). As we got into position, the bulls were milling around, but completely uninterested in us - a bit of a relief to be fair! As the feeding started, it was an absolute thrill to see these creatures close up - these were big, fully grown bull sharks, up to 4m in length. There was no feeding frenzy and, in fact, the sharks were almost timid at times in taking the tuna heads from the feeder. The rest were swimming around in the blue and above our heads.

Lots of tank banging indicated it was time to ascend to the second feed. We had been told not to hang around for last minute pictures and everyone complied with this directive, clambering up the coral wall to the next station. I heard several computer beeps as some of the 20 odd of us set off ascent alarms! Settling into position at the next station the feeding process was repeated and here there were even more sharks around.

More tank banging and we ascended to the top of the reef at around 4m for the third feed. A rope had been installed for us to grip onto as there was quite a surge at this depth. The colours here were stunning and there were plenty of white and black tipped reef sharks milling around for a free feed together with the various hangers on. However, at this stage, my thoughts were more for the less glamorous dwellers of the coral reef whose homes we were slamming against with each surge of the sea. There may be debate about the feeding practice, but surely there must be a way to conduct these dives without destroying the coral we were gripping on to and clambering over?

We were probably alone with these thoughts as after we boarded the boat, as the excitement of the other divers was palpable and everyone was chattering about the magnificence of the sharks and the dive itself!

The second dive was to be on the same reef, but a different feeding station. This would be one long feed at 15m for around 37 minutes followed by a free ascent and safety stop in the blue or holding a line. On this dive, we were briefed there was a possibility of a tiger shark showing up. If so, all plans would change and we should stay put until told to ascend! To a degree it is an interesting experience giant striding into what you know are shark infested waters and if these dives do anything, they are educating 20+ people five days a week that sharks are not to be feared but admired and respected.

Down we went for our second dive and this time we were told to lie down behind a low coral wall, again with the reef at our rear. Paving slabs had been laid to indicate where we should position ourselves.
If it were possible, this dive was even busier than the first with bull sharks milling around wherever you looked. There was a large potato cod hugging the reef for scraps and one of my lasting memories is when it ventured out for a scrap of tuna and found itself right in front of a bull shark's nose. You could almost see it looking back in panic as it 'waddled' away from the shark and back to the safety of the reef's wall!

Our dive done, we ascended through open water to our safety stop. Looking down, I could still see a few of the bulls swimming around, but no interest was shown in us.

Back at the dive centre we met two of the owners, Mike who looks after research and Andrew who looks after operations. Mike directed us to the website to find out more about the research, but indicated strongly that the evidence points away from feeding affecting the natural behaviour of these sharks. Again, not a debate for me.

We bought the obligatory t-shirts and were shuttled back to Uprising. That afternoon, the Uprising U19s were training for an upcoming tournament so we popped along to get some tips. It was great to see staff members from the Operations Director to the gardener joined together on equal terms through rugby. Uprising (like Fiji as a whole) really does live and breathe the sport!

The next morning, we were treated to a trip to Suva, Fiji's capital city, arranged. Our driver was Indo-Fijian and so it was interesting hearing his perspective of how all Fijians were one and there was no real separation between the different cultures. 'They'd still be eating people and drinking Kava if we hadn't come along' he quipped. We got a quick orientation around the city before we were dropped off at the craft market. As with most of these markets, the products are pretty much replicated from stall to stall - from wood crafted masks and turtles to kava bowls and cannibal utensils! From the market, we wandered around the city centre, full of department and single stores, buying various rugby, bula and t-shirts for friends and family before we met our driver and headed back to Uprising for our last night there.

That evening we met Alfie, the General Manager, who reinforced what we had already learned about Uprising. Everyone there is on the same page with regards to the resort and this was refreshing to see!
Bags packed and stowed at reception, we checked out the following morning and were loaded onto a bus for a 'long boat ride and authentic village tour'. We were the last people to be collected for the tour and the only non-Australians! For the first time during the trip we felt like real tourists as the chant of 'Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!' went up from our guide. 'Ashes!' I coughed back, given the fact my son had texted me that morning the fact that we had won (not just retained) the little urn! We stopped briefly for orange juice and pancakes and collected 'Abby' (yes, you've guessed it) who would lead the trip up the river to the village.

Life jackets on, we clambered into long boats for the trip up river to the village. These boats move remarkably quickly across the water and it was nice to see the landscape from the river rather than from land. The ride was about 30 minutes up the winding river and local knowledge was in evidence as our 'drivers' had to pick their way through shallow waters and rapids on the journey.

We were met at the village by Mary, one of the residents and briefed by her and Abby on the now familiar village protocols - no sunglasses worn on head, no hats,  shoulders covered and sarongs for women - and the fact that men do everything first! In order for this to work, a 'chief' had to be nominated and an Aussie called Luke was given the job (phew!). Following our new chief, who was following a 'warrior' dressed in a grass skirt over his rugby shorts, the group trudged towards the village and we were greeted with various 'bulas' as we entered the village. We were guided through the corrugated iron houses on short stilts (in case of flooding) to the equivalent of the town hall.

There were a few of the village women sitting around the wall of the hall with various craft wares spread out in front of them and a group of men of various ages against another wall. This group proved to be our 'serenaders'. We were directed to sit, men at the front with the chief in the centre and women behind. We were then treated to the bula song to welcome us to the village followed by the kava ceremony conducted by three (slightly nervous looking) young men also dressed in their skirts and rugby shorts. The chief was served first followed by the rest of us.

The rest of our time in the village consisted of various 'activities' including a visit to the school, explanation of the main crops, lunch, dancing (!) and an explanation of village life from Mary. At least Mary did say that their second greatest source of income after farming was tourism (us). This, I must say, made me feel that the visit was not exploitative. Leaving the village, we re-boarded the long boats and were transported to a stunning waterfall via a bamboo raft ride. The water was cool and refreshing and we all went in for a swim - including Abby!

Back in the long boats, we took a short ride to rejoin our original bus for the journey back to 'civilisation'. We stopped again for lemon tea and Fijian donuts (delicious) and discovered that our pit stops had been at the house of the tour company's director - nice touch! The bus was also our transfer back to Nadi for an overnight near the airport before our departure back to the UK. Everyone on the bus was being shuttled back to their hotels along the route. We stopped briefly at Uprising to collect our bags and off we went. We were the last drop off at the Novotel at Nadi Airport where we checked in and had a delicious dinner before retiring for the night.

An early start saw Pacific Destinationz collect us for the five minute drive back to the airport for our long journey home.

Fiji is an amazing place and we feel truly privileged to have visited the islands. A complex culture, friendly and warm people and a passion for rugby. The scenery is spectacular and the diving unparalleled anywhere we have been. We are well aware that we have only scratched the surface of what Fiji has to offer - after all it is made up of 330 islands - and we hope we get the opportunity to visit again!

Thanks to Tourism Fiji, Dive Worldwide and Bite-Back at Cancer for sending us on this incredible journey and also to all the destinations and dive schools we encountered along the way in Fiji for your superb hospitality, wonderful generosity and warm smiles.

Kinaka wakalevu and moce!

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