Snorkelling in the Limestone Caves

Of course we didn't JUST lie in a hammock sipping cocktails, we did also partake in the odd activity or two, such as snorkeling, see kayaking, climbing mountains etc. Below you can see a pic taken inside a truly spectacular limestone cave which the locals say "you haven't experienced the real Fiji until you have visited these caves..." The water inside the caves was over 10metres deep and just around the corner from where this photo was taken you could access another part of the caves by swimming underwater for a few seconds and then come up for breath the other side, to what i was 'expecting' to be the same as where i had just left but oh no, they forgot to mention it was pitch black the other side...!!! (classic Fiji style) So you wouldn't be surprised to hear that there were a few girls having panic attacks the other side. I think i was just gripping too hard on to the edge of the cave (and the person next to me, who i couldn't actually see!) to have the energy to panic. After the initial shock it was pretty amazing, and like nothing I've ever experienced before.... (surprise surprise!)

Back on the road again...!!!

With my Working Visa for Oz expiring at the end of July '08, meant that my time was up for living and working in the wonderful country of Australia and it was time for me to hit the road again - back to 'life as a backpacker'! This trip was to begin with (at least!), my Irish friend (Fi) who i met on my second day as a Child Protection Social Worker, and after a few glasses of wine on the Friday night after we met, found we were in exactly the same boats and both looking for a place to live so why not look together... then hey-presto we've been glued together ever since, how we haven't killed eachother i will never know....! Hee hee!

So, first stop - the beautiful Islands of Fiji. Of course there was not a chance of us getting out to visit all 300 of them, but we were certainly going to have a good stab at it! We started off on the West side, visiting 6 members of the Yasawa Group, then back down to the Mamanuca bundle which included a trip over to the Island where 'Castaway' with Tom Hanks was filmed.

Talk about the perfect way to unwind... and there was me thinking i'm not sure i'll be able to spend a month in Fiji - lying on blissful white sand beaches and swimming in crystal clear waters... but hey i soon adapted to this 'difficult' lifestyle without a hitch! :)