Fulaga on the Flip Side

Fulaga, Lau Group, Fiji

By: Kerry

When we needed a change of pace from the village (or they needed a change from us!), we moved over to the Sandspit anchorage on the far side of the lagoon, hanging off an untouched, golden beach, or sheltered amongst dozens of rocky mushroom islands.

The Fulaga lagoon is six miles wide, dotted with scores of little islands, ranging from the size of a house to the size of a kennel. Scrambling up to a high point, the view looks like dozens of green buttons strewn across a peacock blue coat, with beaches providing gold braid as added decoration.

Sel Citron hiding in the anchorage, as usual

Looking towards the Sandspit

Up close, the islands are black friable rock, too sharp to walk on, their bases eroded so severely that, at low tide, they look as though they are about to topple off their pedestals. Some have, and lie tilted on their side on the shore.

Many are bare rock – too brittle for anything to get a grip – others support a few tenacious pandanus or figs, or the endemic Fan palm Pritchardia thurstonii, that grows wild nowhere else.

Graham and Di

Paddling a kayak among them, their shapes morph surprisingly: look at one profile and the islet looks massive, but from another side it looks frail and ready to fall. Their unpredictability makes them fascinating.

Unfortunately, it’s an El Nino year and our time in Fulaga has been dominated by days on end of 20 knot–plus winds and squally weather: some of the coldest and windiest in years.

But we had two remarkable days: perfectly still, glorious sunshine, beautiful light and spectacular clouds. Of course, I took a bazillion photos – they probably all look the same, but I like ‘em.