The Western Pacific - Pacific Crossing Notes: A Sailor's Guide to the Coconut Milk Run - page 366

Which Way Around?
Fiji is comprised of two large islands, Viti Levu (“Big Fiji”) and Vanua Levu (“Big Is-
land”). The best cruising is to be found among the smaller, off-lying islands. Once you've
explored the east side of Fiji, you'll have to decide how to reach the west side. Will you
sail over the top of Viti Levu or around the bottom? Going over the north allows for day
hopping, but given the extensive reef system there, it's more of a connect-the-dots GPS ex-
ercise than kick-back-and-relax sailing. We found the reef reasonably well marked and
Curly's way points absolutely spot on.
Sailors who head west along the south coast of Viti Levu usually do so in a couple of
overnights, starting with one to Kadavu (see Under the Bottom: Kadavu and the South
Coast below). Both the north and south coasts of Viti Levu are more of places to transit
than to linger in; you'll find yourself drawn ahead to the more appealing cruising grounds
on Fiji's west coast.
Fiji straddles the International Date Line, although the entire country shares one time zone
and date. It's great fun to watch logbook entries jump from longitude east to west and back
again, sometimes several times a day. Either way, it's a long, long way from Greenwich,
England.