I have said this before, and it still bears out to be true. The beauty of house sitting around the world is the exposure to day to day life and simply what it is like to “live” in an area. This is very true in our four months in Fiji. We have passed the initial “this is soooo cool” phase, as well as the unique local activity phase, i.e. diving with sharks. Now it is simply the joy of experiencing a different culture in a different environment.

Power Pole Carving
One of the very unique things we have seen here is the carvings. Fijians are known for their wood carvings. But the creativity of where they appear is amazing. This is a section of the power pole in the yard.
Dogs keeping an eye on the neighbours
Honestly, one of the things that does get a bit old is the dogs obsession with the cows and horses next door. We have identified the specific bark that goes with “I must show I’ve got an eye on these evil creatures”

The dogs we are watching are a joy to look after, and incredibly affectionate. It is also wonderful that they have such an appetite for fresh fruit.

Bat food
Because, so do the bats. If we are a day late picking a papaya off the trees it is very obvious. The bats are on the ripe fruit without fail.

One of the challenges I have set for myself is to record the incredible flowers and birds that surround us. I was doing very well posting my photos to instagram. That is until I left our iPhone in a taxi. Looks like we will be doing some shopping when we get to New Zealand in the New Year. Did you know that it is quite challenging to post to instagram without a phone. Suggestions?

Red-vented bulbul
One of the several birds that frequent our abode. These red-vented bulbuls are always within sight.
Elephant Ears
The taro plant, also called elephant ears are everywhere here. The leaf in this photo is well over a metre tall.

The other aspect of living in this unique location is being able to enjoy the incredible vista which we are presented with every single day. Even on the “dreary” days it is outstanding.

Sunset
We are so fortunate to be able to enjoy both the sunsets and sunrises. The clouds are the key.
Typical Daytime View
This is a fairly typical daytime view. It certainly lends itself to taking the time to stop and consider what you have in life.
Reflections
The last three scenic shots in this post were taken from the same location. The variety of sights the weather provides is very illuminating.
Frangipani
The number of frangipanis blooming around the property is awesome. The increase in rainfall allows for some fun photographing them. I would rather focus on that than the increase in mosquitoes from the rain.
Birds of Paradise
Love these Birds of Paradise. Constantly appearing around the yard.

How you choose to respond to your life is entirely up to you. For us, it involves embracing each little aspect of our days. Being able to keep an eye out for the perfect flower, or the light hitting the clouds just right. That, to me, is time very well spent.

Welcome to our travel blog. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to say, "I'm out of here?" Well we did, and in 2013 we made it a reality. We sold or gave away all of our possessions other than what fit in our luggage and we set off on an endless adventure. Part of our goal is to share our experiences with others and hopefully provide some information, motivation, or just a moments escape. The general idea was to look for a place that would be ideal to settle down in. However in the meantime it is about experiencing life in different countries amongst different cultures and learning how to understand and appreciate each other. A large part of our time is spent housesitting which provides an excellent opportunity to experience more of the "normal" neighbourhoods as opposed to the tourist locales. Though we make sure to enjoy those as well. So through plenty of photographs and a running commentary come and share with us our life on the road.

1 comment on “Fiji, Day to Day

  1. sheila mcguffog

    how beautiful and how wonderful to – see the world thru eyes like you two….. k’s mum

Leave a Reply

%d