Fulaga. Wow.

Returning from my quick trip home I flew back to Savusavu at 8.30AM Monday morning. After a quick re-provision we were underway by 12, looking to catch the favourable forecast weather window for the trip to Fulaga.

Sadly, after a good beginning, the forecast and the reality diverged. We spent a good slice of that night bashing into a decent southerly. After a few hours of purgatory, the wind angle improved slightly to provide a welcome relief. In the end, we made good time and Fulaga hove into view at about midday. 

As we approached the channel it was apparent that the charts were not very detailed and the channel was quite narrow. The entry required use of the Mk1 Eyeball; assisted by polaroids. Behind which were some very wide eyes; because Fulaga is quite something else. 

The instructions are to hug the rock to port and hook behind it on entry. The unusual beauty of the entry made it hard to concentrate on the passage instructions. 

Once we gained entry to the inner lagoon our eyes became wider still. The erosive effects of the small tidal range in the lagoon result in the most extraordinary rock formations. 

 

We found a spot to anchor and took a look around. 

The next day we went into the Village to do Sevusevu: the ritual offering of a gift by travellers, which then permits acceptance into the tribal family and permission to roam tribal lands and waters. An important milestone in Fiji. We wore our formal clothes, collared shirts, sulus (sarongs) and nothing on the head.

We met with the chief, offered our kava, which was accepted with ceremony and gravitas. We were duly assigned a host family, William, Sotiana, and their precocious nephews from Nadi, Chiku and Jared. Seru and the boys (everyone's related but we're not sure how) walked us around to the wood carvers.

Paul and I both purchased excellent and very reasonably priced pieces. An ornate kava bowl for Paul, and an exquisitely detailed wooden hook for me, to go on the empty main bulkhead in Evenstar. 

On Friday we returned for one of the matriarch's birthday celebrations. We sat with the men in the hall, drinking copious kava bowls. Paul passed around the baccy and I got up to sing a few songs; both were noted and well appreciated. 

We came back to the village on Sunday for Church and lunch with our host family. Being church' n' all  we were circumspect with the photographs, but Paul did sneak a couple of recordings of the singing. The Lau group enjoys some cultural links to Tonga, which includes singing in the Polotu style: up to 6 part harmonies, with some parts singing in a different timing, sort of like rounds.

 The children sang beautifully: 

But when the adults let loose with their Polotu harmonies it was pretty impressive...

That evening we set sail for Matuku: rumoured to have world class surf breaks, but so remote and inaccessible that no concrete information is available, even in this era of internet saturation.  

Which is just as one would want it, if you found yourself in the Lau, with favourable tradewinds blowing; assuming (of course) that you had the good sense to be in possession of both a well-found vessel, and a quiver of custom Dahlbergs.