Matuku was historically a trading post, which makes sense given its location in southwest Fiji. We’d sailed past it on our way from New Zealand, but couldn’t stop until we cleared immigration in the north. With its tall volcanic mountains, some call it the Bora Bora of Fiji. We call it another wonderful location to fix the boat…

The previous evening, we sighted another sailboat in the distance and learned that SV Anahata was also sailing to Matuku. When we arrived in the anchorage around the corner from the village, Avi and Lita from Anahata invited us to join them to present kava and do sevusevu. The headman greeted us and explained he was also the chief of a smaller village in the hills. As we walked through the village, he pointed out the secondary school which had just opened. He was proud to tell us that it was housed in the community hall that the Fiji’s government constructed when ten men, of which he was one, volunteered to serve in the army as part of the UN peacekeeping forces in the Middle East. The headman was delighted to learn that Avi and Lita were from Israel.

After sevusevu and being welcomed to the village, we asked the chief about the secondary school. He wants to educate the children in the village so that they have more of a connection to the community. As a former professional boxer, he also had a strong opinion that people should eat what they grew themselves and didn’t need a store where they could buy things that made them fat.

Similar to other areas, the island has implemented three no-take marine protection areas (MPAs)

The next morning, the headman and his family stopped by the boat with some fresh picked papaya, coconuts, and bananas. They were happy to receive a little bit of cash, sugar, and store-bought cookies to make them fat. 😆

Now for the ugly.. when we arrived in Matuku, we discovered that the engine exhaust hose had developed a hole, which was leaking water and exhaust into the bilge. A showstopper! Avi and Lita told us they were leaving that afternoon and would be happy to “buddy boat” with us in case something happened. We got to work on patching the rubber-duck sized hole, with the hours later solution of a metal buckle secured with metal fish line, a huge glob of two-part epoxy, and lots of duct tape. This slowed the leak to a slow drip, so we headed out with our buddies. The broken Genoa furler motor would have to wait, because we had a workaround of a tiny winch handle that does the job with a couple hundred rotations.

Nabouwalu

Ono Island is part of the Kadavu (pronounced Kan-da-voo) reef, and Nabouwalu is one of the island’s seven villages. Beautiful landscaping, manicured lawns, paved sidewalks, and running water indicate the wealth provided by the kava grown here. We were also able to buy eggplant, bok choy and papaya from their community garden. After sevusevu, we went for a walk towards the community garden and, as usual, ran into incredibly friendly people. Nabouwalu has no school, because the parents of school-aged children have moved to Suva.

We joined Avi & Lita for a ride to an oceanside cave and a snorkel near a rock surrounded by coral. Herman and Lita spotted the turtle!

The islanders observe the first week of the month with morning and evening religious services. They also abstain from kava and grog. We didn’t let that stop us, and enjoyed a couple evenings with Avi & Lita, plus Pierre & Marie from Viva. We will all cherish the memory of listening to Pierre play saxophone.

The west wind came in the next morning, which didn’t concern me too much as I rowed into village to get a little exercise and give Milena some rice. The incoming waves made for a challenging return to Tieton.

Naqara

The village of Naqara a the north end of Ono Island has a school with a dormitory. After presenting our gifts of kava and the sevusevu ceremony, we asked the chief about the dormitory. Village children begin school at age 5, then move to the dormitory when they’re 6. This allows the children to focus on their education and ensures that they’re on time for school and aren’t watching TV until all hours of the night, which I’m sure many stateside teachers would appreciate. Parents are assigned rotating days to feed, supervise and spend the night with the students.

The chief welcomed us to return to tour the school the next day after our morning dive. He asked us to complete our visit by 2 PM, because they were having a village meeting then. Leaders from the school, church, and village would talk about water, nutrition, the bay, etc.

The chief’s wife was stewing pandanus leaves over a wood fired stove, and a batch was drying in the sun. The dried leaves are used to weave their beautiful mats. She asked us to give her empty wine and liquor bottles, which she’d use for coconut oil that she sells or gives as gifts.

The next day, Lita and I returned to visit the school and donate books. As we walked into the school compound, we were welcomed with a “Bula!” from two preschoolers. The neat compound was framed by a cute fence made of plastic bottles painted blue and white, then strung together. The teacher, responsible for Kindergarten – Grade 2, gratefully received our books.

We returned to bid goodbye to the chief and his family. I told him that we were surprised people weren’t already gathering, because it was close to 2 PM. He called the headman over, and said something to him in Fijian. As we headed back to the boat, we passed the headman who was calling the villagers using a conch shell.

The Reef

Calm weather and smooth seas beckoned us to spend the last night anchored near the northeast reef of Kadavu. At high tide, the reef is entirely submerged and only a few rocks are visible at low tide. We snorkeled through the reef’s valleys alternating from the top to the edge of the reef. It was amazing to snorkel with the reef a meter below, then swim over a hole that disappears into the abyss. Although we didn’t see the ten manta rays, whale family with baby, or sharks that friends in Kadavu saw while we were there, we’re still amazed at this incredible reef and plan to return.

What’s Next

We have reservations at Vuda Marina, where we’ll spend some more quality time working on Tieton. We’ll sail through the full-moon night to arrive mid-afternoon.