9:40 the Bensteads arrived with much cussing and swearing at taxi drivers. The coach is readied and leaves fashionably late with all hands on board cussing and swearing at the Bensteads. The trip to the airport was as uneventful as it was short the route via Canterbury saved tolls but doubled on diesel, although it did give Mary time to lock in some side bets along the way.
The group check-in went like clockwork thanks to some pulled strings and pulled backs how much luggage can a fifteen year old need for 13 days in Fiji !!!
By 11:00 we were all through and into Duty Free. The Leckies, arguing about the relative merits of Kiwi wine, were disappointed to find out that they can only take in 6 bottles each.
Nick is buying chockies only honestly. The blue and gold snake eventually slithered onto the plane and after many rounds of musical chair took off. The selection of films was only surpassed by the selection of drinks.
Around 45 minutes out from Fiji, customs forms were handed out. Nice of them to print these up for us in Wakehurst colours. For the U15s this was worse than sitting School Certificate, with many answers were copied and replacement question sheets requested.
As we were about to land much to the surprise of everyone it was announced that Michael Gullick of Wakehurst Rugby Club had his birthday today. This came as a shock to Michael as well as it is in February.
Once customs was cleared we were in the departure lounge where beautiful Fijian women kicked and fought, like a surreal game of bullrush, to give some of the guys their first lay of the tour.
These were proudly worn around their necks as we made our way to the two luxury air-conditioned buses that sat cooling in carpark.
As we got near they pulled out leaving three mini buses and a caboose as the only remaining transport. Many phone calls, two more mini buses and a saloon car later all people, luggage and duty free was safely aboard so we left for the resort in convoy. Vinyl seats are really not the go in a cramped bus full of sweaty 15 year olds smouldering at a sultry 28oC. After fifteen minutes of waiting the min-bus at the back had to move as it was full of fumes from the bus in front. Most of the guys revived quickly after taking oxygen.
20:45 The wheels on the buses did eventually churn around and around, striking up a rhythm which is more than can be said for the singing. Come back Fiji Idol - all is forgiven. The players are stir crazy and fit to burst with excitement after being cooped up for so long another reason for buses with toilets.
Anyway, we see the sign - Coral Coast > Crows Nest Resort 5Km. Huge cheer goes up that would had deafened had the roar of the engine struggling up the hill not been so loud. Imagine our surprise when we crest the hill and are challenged to accept breath taking beauty. I am not talking about the driver's wife we stopped to pick up with her shopping but the bay below us. It took us a further fifteen minutes to get the front gates...
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.... and 1 min to cruise straight by. We also cruised straight by one of the mini-buses that had run out of diesel.
21: 50 The drivers we experienced, in what I am not sure, probably Xbox. I would have been more scared had I been able to see something ahead of us other than the rear of the mini-bus in front. Was one quote when did eventually arrive at Crows Nest. We dragged our luggage along suspended walk that were from an Indian Jones movie and got to our rooms. They were spacious and nicely turned out.
The restaurant resembled a wildlife program as the herd of hungry grazing animals descended upon the chips and burgers - leaving the landscape bare and barron of sustenance. Talking of bear and baron, some of the guys were at the bar sampling the local beer rather creatively called Fiji Bitter or FB for short watching the footie (Melbourne vs Sharks).
Eventually everyone was in bed and the earthquake alert was a lot of tired snoring players.