Plantation Island - Fiji
Plantation Island - Fiji
A kid friendly version of Paradise.
Captains Log Day 5 - 22/08/23 1:23 pm.
ML1215 Malolo Cat
They say that time flies after you have a child, the comparison often to me feels like a long haul international flight, yes you are moving forward, cruising at 900 km per hour, but it feels like a lifetime in a confined area and when you land it feels like bliss, often scattered with some nerves of arriving in a foreign land.
The above is also how The Captain and Admiral felt as they embarked on the flight to Fiji and like being on a flight, life had felt like an eternity since they last went on an adventure. The coincidental juxtaposition, boarding it felt like a flight landing, however the nerves felt far greater than the bliss.
The Captain accompanied by the Admiral and the slightly older Cadet Recruit, who was now 2 and a half years old boarded the 5 hour flight to Fiji. The flight over seems like a distant memory, but involved some napping, due to a strategically timed flight, some movies and finally landing in the foreign land. The flight time was timed perfectly, as when they landed restlessness levels were on the rise, rocketing towards very high levels.
Instantly they recall disembarking in Nadi and a wave of heat hitting them like a fijian rugby player tackling an opponent, they walked towards the immigration line exhausted and already feeling the effects of the heat paired with the agitated Cadet that had been cooped up in a small area for an extended period of time. Confronted with a long queue to the immigration they instantly noticed that there were other weary travellers with little offspring running around. After befriending some in the line, they were quick to realise the challenges they were facing were shared amongst others.
After a long wait to get out, they gathered their bags and were confronted with another roadblock, purchasing a SIM card. Tensions were reaching boiling point as they stood in line to purchase a SIM, Fiji time and the laid back attitude of the locals was instantly evident, a stark reminder that they were here to slow down and adapting to this world would be essential to the Captain, who in the past has not necessarily been known for his patience.
Finishing up getting a SIM card and cash they finally could set foot on the tropical soil only to be hit with another obstacle, the vessel that was to be there to pick them up was not present. Luckily there were other travelers in the same situation, unfortunately none with a Cadet aged child that had reached boiling point. This was their final trigger, they had to release the Kraken. Like a trapped wild hound, the Cadet was free, instantly running around, jumping and exerting his pent up energy.
Growing every more wild Cadet began to run around and pick up random objects from the floor and threaten to eat them. Fortunately at this point, the transportation finally arrived, the baptism of fire in regards to Fiji Time was over. The Captain and Admiral breathed a sigh of relief after being stuck at the airport for circa 2 hours it was time to move on and kickstart their Fijian adventure.
It was a short shuttle ride, with one other stop before they arrived at Tokatoka Resort Hotel, a place they would spend one night in Nadi before ferrying off to Plantation Island.
Post checking in to the hotel, they were ushered to the room by a friendly local who informed them that half of the hotel was occupied by the cast and crew of Love Island US. They had been filming for the last 4 months and would continue to stay there until the end of the year. Although the show was not being shot in the resort, the supporting crew members had chosen this as their hub, stationing the operations in the Tokatoka business centre.
Time had already gotten away from them; it was already approaching 10 pm local time, and they had to rush to get something to eat. The Captain and Admiral did a dump and dash and headed to the dining area, hoping they would still be able to get something to eat. They were fortunate the restaurant was open, however once again they encountered the long wait times, often at times noticing that the food was ready, with the waitresses just chilling by the bar counters. When the food did arrive, it was lacklustre and small, they had to order more food to fill their bellies, battling a Cadet that had decided to go on a hunger strike, refusing food and eating mere morsels. They felt cranky and exhausted as they headed back to the room to get some well deserved rest.
They managed to get into bed early only to wake up to a hysterical Cadet, he had woken up from what seemed a night terror or from exhaustion, yelling and screaming. The Admiral rushed and they tried to console him, in what seemed like an eternity, he finally calmed down and in that time they had given him panadol and contemplated calling in a house doctor as if something was wrong. They brought him to bed and he finally drifted off to sleep. The journey had started to take a toll.
Early morning, battered they arose, packing their bags and getting ready to travel once again. Recounting last night's escapades they walked to the breakfast areas. The adventure was not over as they had left one Bag behind before checking out. The Captain swooped in and collected the stroller and headed to the breakfast area, along the way starting friendly conversation with someone from the Love Island crew, who explained that under secrecy the work that was going on, without disclosing the show they were there to shoot. The Cadet’s hunger strike continued as did the lacklustre food, they ate what they could sharing their food with the millions of flies that surrounded them, frustrating the Cadet further and headed to reception to jump on the bus to take them to Denarau Marina.
The bus journey seemed to amuse the Cadet more than the journey had thus far, apart from the waterslide and the pool he gawked at earlier at the resort, which unfortunately they had no time to test out. They arrived at the marina and checked into the boat. There was time left before boarding began so the Admiral and Captain split up, the Captain headed to the bathroom, whilst the Admiral and Cadet headed to get a much needed Coffee. They later rendezvous with the Admiral who had a diabolical 4 shot iced long black in hand. After spending some time hanging around the marina observing other travellers, running around and watching other boats depart, it was finally time to board the ship destined to their island paradise Plantation Island.
The 1 hour boat journey was beautiful, observing the relatively untouched picturesque landscape was both relaxing and breathtaking. There is something about being surrounded by shades of blue calm waters that hypnotises the observers.
Arriving at the island was as magical as imagined, docking against a long launch ramp, they were greeted by locals singing and playing string instruments. The cadet was instantly amused, clapping along as they walked down the ramp to land. Presented with welcome drinks they sat and listened to the staff explain the resort rules and when they can check into the accommodation. Transported by a tractor, they ended up at the hotel reception and with a few hours to kill before check in they headed for the cafe for some food in the hopes that the hunger strike would end, the Admiral and Captain split up once again. The Admiral chose to feed the Cadet whilst the Captain headed off on a mini mission to book restaurants and other activities during their stay. He returned to a very upset Cadet and a deflated Admiral. The Cadet refused to eat, and the childrens meal provided was far too spicy for the Cadet. The hunger strike continued.
Patience started to run a bit thin as they finally went to the reception and requested if a room could be provided a little earlier. The Cadet needed some sleep and the crew needed to get some rest and cool down. The reception was kind and accommodating enough to oblige, escorting them through a giant complex to arrive at their poolside abode. The room was in the final stages of getting ready, with the staff completing the final Mop . They settled in putting the Cadet to sleep and rested for a few hours before waking up and getting ready to get into relaxation mode.
Gone are the Captain’s days of pub crawls, however this beckons the age of pool crawls, finally being able to shift gear, the Admiral, Captain and Cadet arose refreshed, finally feeling a sense of relief as they had settled into their new habitat, ready to embrace resort life. Changing into their swimmers they embarked on a pool crawl across the island resort.
After hitting 3 different pools, 2 waterslides, consuming several different cocktails (Yes, a Pina colada was involved too) they walked to see if they could hire bikes to ride around the resort. An idea the Admiral was against, however was persuaded due to the Cadet’s excitement. Unfortunately there were no bikes available for them. They headed back and retired to the room for a bit before walking to the beachside for a viewing of the beautiful sunset. It was stunning. Watching the sun’s descent over the horizon, standing on white sand and surrounded by shades of blue water was just phenomenal. A feeling the Captain will hold close in his heart when times are dark, a happy place for his mind to wander to when he needs it the most. A sense of calm before facing the challenges of life, and in particular Cadet’s feeding time.
The target dinner for the first night on the island was the Copra restaurant. A buffet restaurant that changes the menu on each night, changing cuisines. And the menu for the night couldn't be better - it was traditional Fijian cuisine. The Captain and Admiral loaded their plates with Lovo (traditional meat cooked underground) Kokoda (fijian raw fish dish in coconut cream) and various curries and items. Bringing it back to the table it was amazing to see the Cadet deciding to end his hunger strike and jumping into the food. Finally being presented with things he likes he was able to complete a whole plate of food. It felt like an enormous weight had been lifted off their shoulders, and the Cadet was no longer at riks of being malnourished. The crew continued onto the desserts section finishing off dinner on a high.
As they walked back to the room, there was a band playing local music, and the Cadet felt inclined to join in. going up to the stage to show his musical talents. Dancing along to the music he finally felt like he had life, happiness seeped out of him, the energy coursing through his veins. The Cadet was back and being serenaded by a group of locals.
They had been advised that following dinner was a local fire dance ceremony that would commence in about an hour. They got ready and headed back to the main area, saying hello to a few frogs on the way. They returned to the main area where the children of the resort were performing the dances they had learnt at the kids club earlier.
The Cadet was still full of energy, relieving himself from the clutches of the Admiral he ran towards the stage and joined the other children, completely unsynchronised he began to dance to his own rhythm. With the confidence of Tony Robbins on stage he bust a move alongside kids much older then him. This continued albeit on the side as polynesian dancers came onto the stage. Mimicking their moves on the sidelines the cadet danced with all his heart. What was in sync at the time however was the Admiral eyes focused directly at the abs of the local dancers, with a jaw that almost touched the floor (maybe some drool present) they watched on as the dancers entertained the audience.
The last activity of their first night in paradise was the fire dancing. After the native performances in the main area, the crowd was escorted outside onto the beach. Here the dancer emerged with fire torches, commencing to provide a visual feast of fire, dance and invigorating sound. Sparks flying in the minds and hearts of the squadron, they finally retreated back to the rooms, strolling back, contemplating their adventures tomorrow and saying goodnight to the frogs. Day 1 on the island, complete.
Day 2 started with a quick breakfast of coffee and muffins since the Captain was too cheap to pay the $40 per head for the buffet breakfast, luckily this time around there were no midnight meltdowns by the Cadet and they all had a much needed sound sleep.
After a quick stop to check if there are any bikes available (unfortunately none still) they headed straight to the beach. It was stunning. The sun was shining. The sand was white and soft, the water clear, that you could see the fishes swimming up to the shore. It looked and felt like one of the most pristine beaches that the captain had ever seen. Without wasting any time, he jumped in the water and prompted the Cadet to come in and join him. The Cadet refused. It seems like the sand had distressed him. All of a sudden he was not a fan of the beach, which was very unusual for the lad. With some convincing the Captain got him onto a kayak which he seemed mildly amused with, however upon coming back to the shore he began once again to be distraught. To alleviate his mood the Captain went over and hired a water bike, the Captain and Admiral commandeered the oversized vessel across the ocean. This seemed to get a few smiles from the Cadet and a lot of sweat from the pilots as they peddled profusely to keep the object moving in the water. 15 minutes of peddling took everything out of the Captain and Admiral, they docked and decided to return the water bike and jump on a shared Kayak with the Cadet. This seemed to displease the Cadet. There was a tantrum and sobbing on the boat, something the Captain never thought he would witness unfolding in the middle of the ocean. To try and lift the spirits and calm the hysterical Cadet down, they rowed the Kayak to the inflatables in the sea. Here in an effort to amuse the Cadet the Admiral put her body on the line and risked her life to get on to the extremely difficult floating object, flailing and often falling into the ocean. Witnessing the debacle that was ensuing the Cadets' tears increased, in volume and intensity, as he likely feared for his beloved Admiral’s life during her antics. (something that the Captain did not think possible) After many failed attempts to demonstrate ways to have fun, the Admiral boarded The giant floating inflatable park, only to be faced with the challenge of jumping off. The Captain on the other hand was trying to manage a Cadet as he wriggled and cried continuously. The Admiral was able to make a risky but brave dive into the water and swim back to the Kayak. They returned to the shore with a manic Cadet, whilst other holiday makers were amused by the distraught cadet in the midst of the picture perfect surroundings.
In a final attempt to calm the Cadet down, they built a sand castle (or as the Cadet calls them Sand Parcel) with the Captain gathering shells and the Admiral and Cadet building a structural base. This finally seemed to work and as if the last 40 minutes did not happen they had a smiling and joyful Cadet. All rejoiced.
After the beach Adventures they had decided to grab some lunch hoping that it would lift the spirits of the Cadet after his beach adventure, unfortunately he once again refused to eat despite the variety of different foods at the cafe. They were realising that he was hitting a wall, so they scurried back to the abode to give him his much needed Nap.
Whilst the Cadet and Admiral rested the Captain went on a mission to explore the resort further. He somehow found his way to the edge of the resort where there was an airstrip. He signed himself out and ventured across the airstrip to visit the adjacent resort, Musket Cove. Here the Captain explored the resort, finding a mini supermarket where they could do their shopping he bought some carrots and apples and returned to the room. The Admiral and Cadet were still fast asleep so he did The Logical thing, grabbed his Kindle and ordered a cocktail to sit by the pool. The peace was blissful. Knowing he had limited time to enjoy it he read of the adventurer Percy Fawcett and his adventures in the Amazon searching for the lost city of Z, comparing the challenges to his own.
It was not long after the Cadet and Admiral woke up that the hired nanny arrived. Illy was a young local, who worked as a chef on the island, he did not have any children and had volunteered to help look after the Cadet while the Captain and Admiral dined at the Island’s fine dining restaurant. After spending some time with him the hesitant Cadet started to become friends with this new stranger in his life. They walked around trying to familiarise him further with Illy, playing stick games and adding flowers to his hair, walking to find out if any bikes were available (once again they were not), they finally decided to head to the kids club where he was going to have dinner. Hoping that it would be a drama free dinner it turned out to be quite the opposite. Once again a very reluctant Cadet decided not to eat and trying to lure him with screen time did not work and only managed to receive death stairs from other parents. With yet another failed dinner, the Captain wondered if his exploration idol Percy Fawcett faced similar challenges with amazonian tribes. Illy took the Cadet to the playcentre and the Captain went over to the restaurant to see if they could accelerate their booking, but they refused. FInally they got seated, with the Cadet still busy with Illy at the play centre they knew their time was short before the Cadet realised the rest of the crew had deserted him. Despite ordering quickly and the food coming relatively fast (at least for Fijian time standards) Illy returned to them in between courses, the plan to occupy the Cadet had failed. They dismissed Illy and thanked him for his efforts to tame the beast and the Admiral quickly ate the Salmon that was cooking on a hot volcanic plate. In that time the Captain entertained the maniac that had made his return. As soon as the Admiral’s meal was complete she scurried off taking the Cadet back to the room, leaving the Captain to be serenaded as he ate his half roast chicken peacefully. Strolling back to the Room waving hello to fellow frogs, the Captain finished Day 2.
The day started off well, with a quick visit to the cafe for some coffee and muffin, which on the day the Cadet decided he did not want to eat , they made their daily pilgrimage to the bike shop to find that today the bikes were available! They loaded themselves onto the bikes with the Cadet behind the Captain and started to ride to the previously discovered Musket Cove. A stunning yet much quieter property they visited the supermarket and loaded the cadet up with snacks, which he seemed to appreciate, lifting his mood, they were able to walk around and explore the property, even jumping in the pool for a quick swim.
They then left Musket cove, and headed back to the resort to explore the final pool, the best one in the Captain's eyes, the pool on the beach. A beautiful pool Located on the beach with crystal clear water that resembled an infinity pool it was picturesque like it was printed on a postcard and just the perfect temperature for a swim. Here they swam and played before heading back to the beach hoping for a better outcome than the day before.
It was off to a good start, the Cadet instantly looking for shells and more open to going into the water, however after about 10 minutes a loud announcement was made that the beach is closed due to low tide. When the Captain approached the staff to find out what was going on andthey explained that the low tide means that there are stingrays up close to shore and if you go into the water you could step on them, leading them to sting you. The previous week a patron had been stung, it is extremely painful and leads to many sleepless nights. Amazed at his story and slightly afraid, the Captain swooped up the Cadet and said “Nope” as he walked to the closest cafe for lunch.
This time to their surprise the Cadet smashed his nuggets and chips. He was in better spirits and was happily eating much to the surprise of the Captain and Admiral. Post lunch with the beach closed they decided to ride back to the room for a much needed nap
Once again as the admiral and Cadet had a nap, the Captain who was now armed with a bike and decided to ride to the other side of the resort to explore. On the other side pf the island, the Captain discovered the adults only Lomani Resort and despite the sign saying no bikes the Captain rode around but was disappointed to find the pools were not accessible. An unfruitful outing, he headed back to read more of his idol's adventures by the pool. Sipping on new and different cocktails, he relaxed and enjoyed the peace
After the Cadet and Admiral, awoke from their slumber, they jumped on their bikes and headed to view the sunset point, located high up on the tallest mountain called Lomani point. They rode as far as they could and then the rest was to be a slight hike up. Stowing the bicycles away they held onto the Cadet as they climbed the steep incline up the mountain to the tallest point. It was exhausting but definitely worth it. From the top of the mountain. They could see the views of the island and the surrounding stunning scenery. Here they spent a good one hour, admiring the beauty walking around and playing with sticks. It was probably the most beautiful and visually aesthetic view that the Captain had ever seen. He was taken aback as he cast his sight to the horizon as the sun set. Continuing to fool around, they meet other travellers that have travelled the world to be at the spot at the same time as them. A very serendipitous moment for The Captain and Admiral, and they believe it was the same for the Cadet who enjoyed his new found sticks. With the final rays of sunlight remaining, they climbed down, jumped on their bikes and headed to the pier for a final view of that majestic and stunning sunset.
Dinner that night was going to be at Copra, the buffet place and it was curry night, and like the last time at the restaurant it was a massive success, the Cadet eating almost everything. Joining the dancing and festivities post dinner, it seemed like his favourite pastime. They finished up and headed back to the room to complete packing their bags, as the next day they had to check out of their island paradise that had housed them for the last few days.
Bags packed, they wheeled them out of the room and rode to return the bikes, sadly returning the vessels that had given them so much good times in the last 24 hours.
While the Admiral was away, the captain snuck into the buffet area and took some toast for the cadet. He walked in confidently even though he had not paid for anything and then upon the admiral's return he instructed her to also go in and grab some food. Unfortunately she got caught by the chef who asked her the room number. The Admiral tried to weasel her way out of this situation but in the end reluctantly muttered her room number. The chef looked for the number in the book and for some miraculous reason said she was welcome to enjoy the breakfast buffet! Sending news to the rest of the crew, they wasted no time and loaded up their plates as they packed up the breakfast area, knowing confidently that they had not paid for it. It was a small win on the last day at the resort.
After scoffing down some free food, the crew headed to the beach for one last time before the ferry was to arrive. Here they found a man who was building fish houses that would later be joined with coral and dropped into the ocean. He had made thousands so far and dropped them into the ocean to preserve the coral and the wildlife. Alongside another small human, the Cadet joined in and assisted in building the fish houses, he ended up spilling some red coral paint and putting cement in the wrong areas. Despite the look of embarrassed parents the whole exercise was wholesome and fun
The time had come to say goodbye to this island paradise, as a final act they said goodbye to the beach, giving it one last look, headed to reception and paid the bill, strolling with a sense of sadness to the dock where the ship was to pick them up. Here they sat amongst other travellers waiting for the ferry to arrive. It finally arrived with newcomers disembarking, eyes filled with adventure and excitement, just as theirs had been only a few days ago. Once they had all disembarked, those returning home started boarding, this time to sad farewell music played by the locals, triggering deep emotions and an onset of nostalgia as they walked up the ramp onto the vessel. Ready to be transported away watching the island disappear as they set sail back to mainland.
