FIJI: CRUISING THE MAMANUCAS AND YASAWAS
(or… a vacation diary for my granddaughters)
 |
| Maddie and Zoe having the best of times |
Palmela Lodge – November 10, 2015
 |
| Musket Cove: going to the sandspit |
 |
| Dinner with 3 gorgeous teenager... a happy grandpa! |
 |
| At the dock, what did we find but a fish that had landed on our swim platrform! |
As soon as they set foot on board, the girls relaxed. It was their second trip with us and already they were old hands at setting up their bunks, navigating the galley, and tossing the lines… not without ogling the superb male specimen exercising their bulging muscles on the mega-yacht DRAGONFLY that dwarfing us at the dock. A hearty breakfast and by 10 AM we were underway—destination: Musket Cove
 |
| Maddie, eager to get the dink in the water |
1 - MALOLO Island
 |
| Breakfast, DOMINO style |
Denarau to Musket Cove, South Malolo route
Just 16 miles west of Port Denarau is Malolo Island, the main cruising hub for the Mamanucas and their many luxury resorts.
Malolo to Denarau, North Malolo route
 |
| Anything is fun1 |
Dubbed a “Disneyland for cruisers,” Musket Cove Resort and Marina beckoned the girls to play. Fun volleyball on the beach, kayaking, paddleboarding, pool, beach BBQ and bar, it was all open to us as soon as we joined the “Musket Cove Yacht Club” with a lifetime membership for a nominal fee.
 |
| Breakfast of champions.... ready to go surfing? |
But Maddie was in for some serious surfing. For a girl on the surfing team at Marina High School in Huntington Beach (AKA “Surf City”) it was a must to give CloudBreaka try. This legendary wave breaks outside the reef and we arranged for a local to pick her up. At 0530 she was having a nice breakfast, soon joined by her cheering section, and at 0600 the local long boat picked her up. We just stood on our aft platform, watching the boat’s phosphorescent wake disappear into the night. By 10 AM I was frantic: our girl wasn’t back, but the tour operator assured me they were probably having a good time. Indeed… it was almost noon when Maddie reappeared, beaming, telling us all about the “best barrel of her life.”
 |
| I wonder who is more nervous: Maddie, or me, watching her leave in the dark with a big Fijian guy! |
Off to the sandspit. The big attraction at Malolo is the sandspit, a tongue of white sand that uncovers at low tide. Since we were experiencing one of the lowest tides of the year, we had a blast, collecting sandollars, moon shells and taking a good look at several giant helmets that had strayed in the shallows. Looked but didn’t collect since Helmets are a protected specie. 
 |
| Hard to see? Octopus morphing |
Our next snorkeling spot was off the green mark on the reef. Maddie led us into a discovery swim: octopus, moray eel, sea cucumbers, parrotfish and fish of enough color to dazzle the most jaded snorkeler.
2 - CASTAWAY Island - 17*43.04S, 177*08.85E
 |
| Track and anchorages at Castaway: with good visibility, this track is safe. |
 |
| Looks familiar? |
Castaway Anchorages (daytime only) 17*43.542 S, 177*08.509E or 17*43.731S, 177*08.419E – Coral bottom, not good holding. Alternative anchorage in front of the Castaway Resort.
 |
| Liz & Jon on their honeymoon.... |
Although we didn’t stop at Castaway with the girls—the weather was too rough--we did make a stop a few months later with my niece Liz and her husband Jon. They were on their honeymoon, on a layover between Auckland and L.A. and stuck in their hotel at Vuda Point, with nothing to do. So we picked them up at Saweni Beach and whisked them away to Musket Cove, then to Castaway Island for a nice snorkel. What did Liz see, but 2 large wahoos resting at the bottom, taunting us! It would be days before we saw wahoo again.
3 - There are other cruising spots in the Mamanucas:
- Mana is a favorite among cruisers, although we didn't try it, eager to continue north, away from the tourist spots and luxury resorts.
- Honeymoon reef - a dinghy trip for the day
- Cloud 9 - A floating bar that serves--I'm told-- excellent pizza... not being bar flies, we skipped Cloud 9 and moved north.
 |
| What is sweeter than a grandaughter? |
Having the girls on board is pure joy, from breakfast to dinner time!
Off to the Yasawas...
Till then,
dominomarie