It has been over a month since our last blog post. This reflects in part that work has been proceeding more slowly because the doors and windows will not be delivered until the second week in May — later than we had hoped. Although the rough wiring, plumbing, mechanical and related things can be done without the walls and doors, there is not that much of this work. So these things have been proceeding slowly. A bigger issue, however, is that we have been traveling and just busy. So this will the the first of several posts in which we try to catch up.
Just after the last blog, we left Australia where we had a great visit with Taylor and Matt. Nina and I both needed a rest and recovery period, so we really did not try to do much other than see them. They both seem happy, settled, and productive. The picture below shows them on the balcony of their 6th floor condo with its great views of the Varsity Lakes region where they live.
On the way back home from Australia, we stopped off in Fiji, where we spent 3 days on the island of Kuata in the Yasawa island group that is 2+ hours by ferry northwest of Nadi, where the international airport is on the main island of Fiji.
The only thing on Kuata is the Barefoot Kuata resort. As its name implies, the resort is not a grand affair; in Figure 2 below it hard to make out the structures that make it up that hug the right half of the beach. But the lush island, which is otherwise uninhabited, is quite hikable — one afternoon we went up to the high part of the island, just to the right of the double rocky outcropping on the left side of the picture — and surrounded by exquisitely clear, turquoise waters and coral reefs.
Barefoot Kuata can house 70-80 guests. Most of the staff come from villages on a large island back behind the vantage point of Figure 2. Most of the accommodations are dormitory style but there are also 8 bures — in Fijian
a wood-and-straw hut — although these were permanent tents, under straw roofs, just off the beach. Each contained a king-sized bed (Figure 3) and had an attached private bathroom (Figures 4 and 5).
It was initially a little disconcerting that we were by far the oldest guests. However, we found it relatively easy to engage these 20-30 year olds — mostly Australian and European — in conversations at meals.
We enjoyed snorkeling on the coral reefs. Kuata is also one of two places in the world where you can, using scuba gear, be present for the feeding of sharks so, of course, we tried that also. It was fascinating having these 8-10 foot bull sharks swimming up to within four or five feet of us.
So, this is the end of installment 1. The next installment will include some details about the house.