Family and fish in Fiji

We've spent the past week in Fiji, at a resort on the Coral Coast. My sister is celebrating a milestone birthday this month and kindly invited Andrew and me to join her family here!

While it's not the usual type of establishment we'd stay at (we're not exactly party animals), it's been lovely to catch up with my sister, brother-in-law and two teenage nieces. Plus some extra extended family members and friends.

The other highlight of the trip has been the snorkelling. Oh. My. Goodness. Multiple times per day, we've been able to walk out of our bure (cottage), straight into the Pacific Ocean, and swim a short distance to meet all manner of fabulous fish. I'm very grateful to my friend Rachel for lending me her snorkel and mask. They've had a lot of outings.

Being nerds, we've also taken advantage of some of the activities, educational and otherwise, offered by the resort. A guided walk around the tropical gardens, a trek up a nearby mountain, an information session on coconuts and a curry cooking class.

I won't waffle on, but here are some pics from the trip ...

View of the Coral Coast from the top of the

(smallish) mountain we climbed

Most days I queued up to order a personalised omelette

for breakfast. With plenty of chilli! I watched the

routine and am determined to recreate them at home

Caramel mousse ...

We were delighted to have an outdoor shower at our

bure. We were also delighted we weren't

showering at the time a tree blew into it!

Fijian feast: snapper, root vegetables,

spinach and a coconut gravy

Curry cooking class ;-)

It was our first trip to Fiji (though we've been other places in the Pacific: New Caledonia and Vanuatu and, of course, New Zealand) and I confess we didn't soak up the local culture as vigorously as we usually would. The week has been all about family and relaxation. And fish. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to plunge into the ocean for one last fish-ogling session before the shuttle bus takes us to the airport!