Any way so where was I... that's right! So summer is the time of the beautiful blue clear days, and the monsoon rain, but also of course its "cyclone season". This year the mangoes (yum yum!) came early- in local folklore that means there will be cyclones; and also the sea water was very warm very early after a relatively warm winter- that also is a sure fire way to brew cyclones.
School wound up for the year with the school concert (1 pic for the moment!), shared lunches, final assemblies and reports while all the while we knew Cyclone Daman was approaching.
We had just finished school infact and were still in town when Daman approached Fiji and headed straight for us. As we went to bed it was a category two and heading straight for the Mamanuca's. but when we woke in the morning it was bigger, yes, but it had turned a sharp right and was now heading straight for Labasa. We checked the satellite maps every few hours and the storm shutters went up out at the resort.
Miraculously it then kept turning and looped around almost completely missing Fiji, and thankfully not seriously injuring anyone on the one small island it did hit. In the Fiji Times one article did attribute the changing of the cyclones path to the power of prayer! The kids and I had been stuck in town when FiMSA stopped all the boats running (thanks for the hospitality Dot and Brian!) so we were pleased to be home even though home looked odd, the storm shutters up, the outdoor furniture packed away, just some pegs strewn around (ah well that's normal)...
(the second photo is the restaurant with the storm shutters up)
Thankfully (eh Mum!) we know the buildings have not only survived a few cyclones in the last 30 years, but also have recently been checked and passed with new engineers certificates... More fine weather and normal rain and then last week hullo Funa. This really didn't come anywhere near us but windy!! phew!! There's only a few days the boats can't run and that was two of them. The beaches have all changed, and the trees are dropping leaves from the 48 hrs of salt spray they took. Again we were all stuck in town this time, even the island's boat captains that had to borrow money to get home for the night! Anyway despite having no luggage we went to the Anchorage Resort and ended up having a nice night sitting having drinks out on the deck on the edge of the calm bay, in the distinctive yellow storm light... followed by a nice night in town staying at the Mercure Nadi. An enforced day off for mBosso....
So our pontoons have gone, one of our boats broke its mooring and ran away (but it got as far as Sonaisali before being sent back!) but we're back again to our clear calm blue days. Summer eh!!! I'll leave you with this pano which has no artistic merit what so ever. Its Treasure's beach (well one side- it is an island after all) on xmas day. and to quote Sarah "Meg, get a fish eye. shssss!!!" and "I'm glad you didn't include a picture of your hairy legs. ewwww.."
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