Makogai (pronounced Makongai)
We sailed a fifty mile passage from Savusavu to Makogai with
20 to 25 knots of wind. Left early
around six a.m. and arrived about three in the afternoon. We caught a lovely Mahi Mahi that was nearly
as big as MaryLee!
From 1911 to 1969, Makogai was a leper colony staffed by
Catholic nuns. As you can see from the
pictures, many of the old buildings still stand. Over the years, about 4500 leper patients
were sheltered here, including many from various other Pacific Island
groups. Included in the pictures are the
remnants of the movie theater, hospital, prison and the burial grounds. After the closure in 1969, the island was off
limits as it was under quarantine for ten years.
Today, Makogai is owned by the Department of Agriculture,
which ran an experimental sheep farm where they cross-breeded sheep from
Britain and the Caribbean. As you might
have guessed, this wasn’t a very successful venture, so they gave up. Fortunately, the Department of Agriculture
put this island to better use and is now raising clams and turtles in order to
save these dying endangered species. So
far this program has been successful.
While walking around the island, we spotted the collared
lory - a chunky and extremely active little parrot; green, dark blue and
brilliant red.
Naigani (pronounced
Naingani)
We caught up with our Japanese cruiser friends Tsuneo and
Kazuko (S/Y Dolce) on Naigani. Naigani
is a lush tropical island near Makogai and Ovalau. It’s a very small island with pristine beaches
and the clearest water that we have seen in all of Fiji. We spent a lovely evening watching the nearby
villagers fish in kayaks other small boats.
Nanana and Nananu-I-Ra
Islands
We anchored off of Nanana and Nananu-I-Ra Islands. Tranquil Nananu-I-Ra Island, next to Nanana
Island, was originally owned by Procter & Gamble heiress Louise Harper of
Southern California who bought it for a mere US$200,000 in 1968. There’s now a few resorts nestled among these
islands with plenty of white sandy beaches and no roads.
On arrival to the anchorage, it was a bit hairy for Tsuneo
and Kazuko as their steering cable snapped just as they were anchoring. As they lost their steering, he had to
immediately drop his anchor. Fortunately
for Tsuneo, he had a spare cable and was able to make the repair the following
day.
That night after making the cable repair, we were treated to
a fantastic sashimi dinner by chef Tsuneo with the fresh Wahoo (Ono) and Mahi
Mahi that we had each caught along the way.
I think the pictures show what a fantastic meal that we shared with
Tsuneo and Kazuko!
Vatia Wharf
The next stop enroute from Nanana to Vuda Point Marina was
Vatia Wharf. We arrived late in the
afternoon at Vatia Wharf and left early the next morning. Not much to say about this anchorage other
than it was a nice sandy bottom with depths of about 20 to 30 feet – easy! That evening as we were sitting at anchor, we
watched many fires on the hillsides; we figured that the plantation owners were
burning the sugar cane fields.
Vuda Point Marina
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