Vuda Point

Vuda Point Marina

Our passage across Bligh Water (named after Captain Bligh of mutiny fame) was an easy passage despite its reputation as a squash zone for strong south easterly trade winds which are funneled between the two major Fiji islands. The seas were no more than 2.5 m and the wind only 15 to 20 knots. At one stage I thought we were really whizzing along but then we noticed that the log had changed from knots to kilometers so we weren’t breaking any records after all!

We weaved through the reef passages religiously following the given waypoints with no problems. We stopped in two places on route to Vuda Marina, Nananui- Ra and Vatia Wharf. Both were picturesque and safe anchorages but it was obvious that the climate was much drier here on Viti Levu, gone were the lush rain forests with the hanging vegetation and large trees. Here the landscape was dominated by soaring limestone mountains thrown up to precipitous heights during past volcanic times. The cliff faces over a thousand meters above the flat coastal plains below. It made for a very dramatic back drop to the turquoise waters of the inner reef passages.

Vuda Point marina is an unusual experience especially if like us you enter it at low tide! We began to realize that the information on the chart plotter was very inadequate. Despite being in operation for longer than 15 years the marina only shows an inland lake with no access across the coastal fringing reef. At low tide you face a narrow access passage hacked through the fringing reef to a circular marina housing over 100 yachts! When we crossed we had exposed reef on either side! Not for the faint hearted! All was well and with the help of friendly staff we tied up to the wall and left for a sundowner at the yacht club bar situated above the entrance and its accompanying reefs!

The marina is rated cyclone proof and many yachts cruising the Pacific wait out the summer here many in prepared cyclone holes. These are exactly this with the hull buried in a hole and wedged in with old car tires.