Oh my god we’re all feeling slightly weak this morning and although I didn’t drink too much, clearing up all the bottles from outside our room makes me feel a bit fragile. We all make breakfast apart from Maisie who scrapes her bum off the sheets at about 9.45 and has to make do with a bit of toast. Warrick and Amy left at 8am this morning, on their way back to Perth (The dark side as they called it) we really enjoyed them being here they were very young and mad and we had a great time.

Happily the Americans are going out for the day, island hopping, on a catamaran and it means the resort will be completely peaceful and half empty. Maisie new Fijian friend Gigi has also left today and it seems so quiet around the pool.

We laze about all day and meet at the bar for cocktails around 7pm. The entertainment fellas have arranged a “cross dressers” evening for the American’s and although we didn’t join in its highly amusing watching them prancing around in their thongs (Guys) we agreed that some of them conform perfectly to a stereotypical image of young American people- really loud, argumentative and a few are so rude and demanding. On the other hand they are full of enthusiasm for games, really competitive and fun to be around. They’re leaving on Thursday and although we will be pleased to be able to bag a sunbed and at least 5 minutes on the internet I will miss their rowdiness.

1030 Off to bed now- feeling tired and ready for sleep.

Joe takes Ali’s guitar off to the mainland today and we decide to keep our fingers crossed that it returns repaired. If not we are kind of expecting that anyway so won’t be too disappointed. We feed the fish in the morning off the end of the pier and I lie for ages looking into their big fishy faces. The circle of life- we feed the fish our left over food, they get fat and end up on our plates and so it goes on.

After a quiet day by the pool the American girls come back and we decide its time to move to the beach. There is a bit of “them and us” situation developing now and although its very good natured they are so loud and over excitable that their screaming and running around is enough to have us all heading for a bit of peace. We find it perfectly, Warrick and Amy supply a bottle of Jim Beam and we sit with our fellow “Malolo Sliders Society” members(Us, Mairi and Kevin, Caroline and Lydiane and Warrick and Amy) on the beach watching the sunset and drinking whisky and cokes.

After a quick shower we meet at the 360 bar up on the hill, the students are eating up here tonight and then have a Pirates Night organised. Ali and Maisie join in enthusiastically and have dinner before all piling down to our room with a load of beers, a few bottles of wines and a few cocktails. We have a lovely evening, everyone gets quite pissed, Malley joins us later with his guitar looking frazzled after a day entertaining the Americans and we don’t get to bed until after 2am. We end the evening sat on the beach looking at the stars and promising we will try and come back to Fiji one day.

Simon and Ali got up early today to take part in a two hour hike to the highest point on the island. Patrina the American student co coordinator leads the walk and by all accounts they have a good time. When they get back around 10am I’m surprised to see they are completely knackered and filthy dirty, apparently the hike was fairly hard going and poor Ali suffered badly with his hay fever.

Maisie and I have had some breakfast and feeling guilty for my complete lack of exercise I decide to have a try in the gym. The gym area is on the beach and consists of a couple of bikes, a cross trainer and a rowing machine. Keeping in mind that I don’t want to exert myself particularly and do anything too strenuous I opt for half an hour on the exercise bike and leave it at that.

I ask at reception if it’s ok to start moving our stuff to our new home “Bure 6″ and when I’m given the ok get moving, Maisie and Mairi help me and it takes us about 20 minutes. It’s well worth it though. The new place is so so cool, with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms it’s massive and has lots of natural light. It’s also in a beautiful location, again right on the beachfront but with a long veranda out the front and a big patch of grass with coconut palms and a couple of hammocks.

I spend the afternoon lying on the grass outside our bure, it’s very peaceful and we love it here. When we talk to Mairi and Kevin later they tell us that the price for a one bed roomed beachfront bure was 450 Fijian dollars a night in 2005. The coup has definitely been a positive for us as we wouldn’t have been able to afford to come here .The normal rate for this place would be 690 dollars a night. (Without food) As we are getting it for the same rate as the other place – 50 Fijian Dollars each and all our food, we’re very pleased and well satisfied.

In the afternoon Caroline and Douglas an Aussie fella take the Hobi Cat out for a couple of hours and take Ali with them. He comes back having had a great time and plays volleyball on the beach with Simon and the fellas before collapsing in an exhausted heap.

We have dinner, a BBQ and then it’s the Hermit Crab Race again. When the winning crab No. 11 representing Wales is called with Ali as the owner we’re a little confused as we didn’t enter but it turns out that Malley has bought Ali a crab and entered it for him. Ali wins 19 dollars and is thrilled and touched by Malley’s kind gesture. We all sit having a few drinks and head off to bed around 11pm.

The decision about Ali’s guitar has been made and Joe has offered us a free nights accommodation and food, a bottle of wine, the guitar is going to the mainland on Monday for repair which they will pay for and Ali is going to have some wake boarding lessons with Malley. We’re happy with this and think its fair compensation and as much as we can reasonably expect.

I expected it to be really quiet here this morning but there are lots of people around. At lunchtime a group of around 50 American students arrive. We knew they were coming so although it does turn this peaceful place into more of a party island we don’t mind. We sit talking to a couple of French girls, Caroline and Lydiane, they are at the end of their RTW trip and spent 7 months in Australia working and touring around. As they didn’t go to the East Coast its interesting listening to them chatting about the places they visited including Ayers Rock (Uluru).

In the afternoon Caroline takes Ali out in a kayak for some snorkelling just off the reef. Maisie plays in the pool with Appi and I lie frazzling in the sun. Simon has been playing volleyball and table tennis with the boys who work here but I haven’t so far been able to persuade my legs to do anything so energetic. I have got so brown since we’ve been here and I think it because it isn’t any hotter than around 30 it’s easy to lie there all day reading and listening to my MP3.

By 4pm my tooth is really hurting again. I have been managing the pain ok with 2 paracetamol in the morning and a couple of beers each evening but today it’s so painful and makes me feel miserable. I go and have a shower and as soon as it reaches a decent time- 5.30 head for the bar. Paul makes me a Malolo Slide (The best cocktail I have ever had and everyone here loves them) by 7.30 the pain is forgotten and we have a lovely evening with the other people staying here. A good mix, a drunken Aussie couple Warrick and Amy, Mairi and Kevin, Caroline and Lydiane, an American couple called Terence and Sarah, an English girl Michelle and us. Everyone has a lot to drink and I call home and chat to mum for half an hour in between.

At 9pm it’s the Kava Drinking Ceremony. It’s famous in Fiji and we have heard loads about it, the Kava roots are ground up and mixed with water to make what looks like muddy water which you then drink. It has a mildly narcotic effect and once Malley and Sunny have got all the American students sat on the floor I go over to have a look at what the Kava Ceremony entails. Apparently you should clap your hands once, say bula, drink a coconut shell worth and then clap 3 times. Well it tastes fairly non descript and only has the effect of making my tongue feel slightly anaesthetised. I’m surprised when Maisie says she want to have some but not surprised when Ali gulps his down. I tell Malley that Ali isn’t to have too much but despite this hear later he had 4 cups. I guess he’ll sleep well tonight.

The first thing to do after breakfast is go and have a chat with Joe the resort manager about Ali’s guitar. Simon is worried as we don’t want to get Malley into any trouble and he makes it clear to Joe that we aren’t blaming Malley for what was definitely an accident. He says he wants to have a talk with Malley and we leave it that they will perhaps send it to the mainland and try and get it repaired. Everything here works on “Fiji time” and Simon is going to speak with him again tomorrow and try and sort something out.

We spend the day lazing by the pool and watching various people arriving. We thought it would be very quiet here today as lots of couples have left but a big group of Japanese people arrive and it’s soon fairly lively. Carol, Shane, Conor, Megan and Niamh pack up all their gear and we help them carry their stuff to the pier. At 4pm its time for them to go and we stand by the boat saying goodbye. We’ve had a lovely time with them and will miss them loads. We promise to go and see them in Portsmouth before Christmas once we get home.

Once they’ve left we have our showers and meet Merry and Kevin for a drink before dinner. It’s very quiet without the McCabes and we eat quietly with the kids. The Japanese group soon liven things up though and we sit laughing so much at them dancing around whilst Ali, Malley and Ziggy play the guitars. Very funny and exactly what we need to brighten us up after the upset of last night. I talk to one of the Japanese ladies about Japan and she tells me we should definitely visit there as it’s so beautiful.

We round the night off playing a game of guess the capital city by listening to the national anthems with two French girls and a drunken Australian couple and Simon wins us a cocktail voucher. Maisie is completely exhausted and I take her off to bed. Guess the Malolo Slide will have to wait until tomorrow.

Today started really well, we had our breakfast and after an hour or so sat chatting by the pool joined one of the entertainment fella’s Malley for an aqua aerobics session in the pool. The 4 guys here Malley, Ziggy, Sunny and Mel have been working really hard to make sure everyone has a good holiday and the 5 kids adore them. After a fairly placid kind of workout involving a bit of stretching and running around the pool we have a game of water polo.

Not a good idea for me as it turns out when I get elbowed hard in the mouth and end up with a split lip ouch! Still it recovers with a bit of ice application and Carol and I have a lovely afternoon sat watching the kids all playing around the pool. They have been joined by Appi one of the children who lives here and the gang of six seem to be having loads of fun. Simon and Shane take the sea kayaks across to the nearby Plantation Island telling us they’re off to check the talent out across the way.

We all meet for dinner in the bar early and have a few cocktails. The Malolo Slide is the scrummiest thing and Carol and I share that and a Fruit Daquari. We order dinner and are sat chatting with Merry and Kevin the lovely Irish couple that have been here a few days longer than us when we suddenly hear a huge bang. It turns out that Malley one of the entertainment guys has dropped Alister’s guitar and we’re completely distraught to see the head has almost completely broken off. Oh my god what a complete nightmare.

We now face a sticky situation, it was a complete accident and we don’t blame Malley at all. On the other hand it will cost us around 500 pounds to replace it. We talk it over with Shane and Carol and in the end ask Malley to talk to Joe the resort manager tomorrow and we’ll see what we can sort out. When we check our insurance policy we realise we will probably only be able to claim around 100 quid for it. What a bummer, Ali’s gutted, Malley looks distraught and its upset us all. I feel bad as Shane, Carol and the kids are leaving tomorrow and we wanted to make their last night special but it has cast a shadow over the evening for us.

11pm-off to bed now feeling tired and sad.

When we made our way to breakfast this morning we were so pleased to see pancakes and maple syrup on offer-Yum! We settle by the pool and sit watching the kids all playing around. Maisie, Conor and Megan have a largish collection of Hermit Crabs and seem to be spending a lot of time lavishing attention on them. It’s good to see them splashing around in the pool and Maisie practises her front crawl.

Ali and Simon take the sea kayaks out into the bay and do a bit of snorkelling. I wondered whether they would be disappointed having dived at The Great Barrier Reef but they said it was good and they saw loads of different types of fish and some coral. The weather today is a bit overcast but still really hot and it makes us laugh to see the staff wrapped up in their warm clothes, It very humid also and I seem to have caught the sun a lot when I strip off for a shower later on in the afternoon

Early in the afternoon Shane, Carol and their kids go off to the village for a couple of hours and Maisie and I lie together chatting away, it’s very peaceful and we have a lovely restful afternoon.

We meet in the bar and have a few drinks before dinner and then watch Ali and the guys playing their guitars for about an hour. There is a big group of American students here who have been working as volunteers. Not bad, they have been doing some conservation work in New Zealand (2 weeks) then an outward bound bit in Australia and then an optional week in Fiji. (All accredited towards their course- what a great degree that is!) Anyway they love Ali’s guitar playing and he has a dedicated bunch of groupies there.

Around 9.30 the show starts- this is a mixture of singing, dancing and comedy and we have a great time. The 4 entertainment fellas work really hard to ensure everyone enjoys themselves and the night ends with a bonfire on the beach. As we head off to bed I look back and see wild flames being blown across the beach and up the palm trees!

We were all awake fairly early this morning, my broken tooth is aching a lot and the pain only seems to be controlled with at least 3 Fiji Golds (Beer) 2 paracetamol and 2 Ibuprofen a day. Good diet eh?!

Ali has been up since about 4.30 and by 8am we’re all ready for breakfast, there is more choice today and I have some fruit and cereal whilst Simon wolfs down a pile of bacon etc!

We spend the day quietly by the pool. Carol and I have a lot in common and chatter away like old friends. Shane and Simon decide to take one of the Hobi Cat’s out for a couple of hours sailing and we watch them trying to catch the wind making their way back and forward across the bay. When they come back one of the guys Mel asks them if they will answer a few questions about the resort which of course they’re glad to do. It was all a big scam! and took them a few minutes to realise when they came back that Ziggy had actually been under the table all the time merrily painting their toenails pink!

We have dinner together and a few beers. It’s really great here as there are only around 30 guests we are getting to know everyone and there is a very happy and friendly atmosphere. We have been thinking about taking a trip to see one of the local villages but need a few more days rest before we attempt anything as energetic as walking to the end of the pier and into the boat.

We didn’t wake up until 9.30 today and almost missed breakfast. Still after wolfing down a few slices of toast we’re ready for the main aim of the day which is to do as least as possible.

Another family arrived yesterday afternoon, after us and we sit chatting to them by the pool. Shane is a Navy doctor and his wife Carol was an ITU nurse until she had their 3 children, Connor, Megan and Neve. They tell us they have been living in New Zealand for a year before returning to Portsmouth and that they lived in Plymouth fairly recently where Shane worked at Derriford. We have a lovely day with them and despite the age difference- their children are younger than Ali and Maisie they all get on well.

We spend the afternoon lying on the beach, chatting about raising children and frying in the sun before showering and getting ready for dinner. We have a choice of meals, I choose fish and when it arrives I’m surprised how good it is, we have definitely chosen a real winner with this place.

The slight downside is the return of mosquitoes and sandflies, we’re all bitten all over despite using loads of repellent, coils and knockdown spray and in the end I go to bed fairly early feeling a bit frazzled and thankfully avoiding the balloon dance competition arranged by Sonny and Ziggy!

We had to set our alarm as we are being collected by the taxi at 9am. We have our breakfast and load up our gear which has increased dramatically with the addition of 6 days worth of snacks and drinks and a few beers. The journey to the pier takes about 15 minutes and gives us an opportunity to have a bit of a look around. It’s very beautiful with loads of tropical coconut palms and colourful flowers everywhere. The women we pass wear bright floral dresses in reds and yellows and flowers behind their ears!

We get some money from the ATM (No ATM on the island) and wait for the ferry to arrive. At 1030 we board a catamaran for the 50 minute trip to Mololo Island. We stop once and then a second time at Musket Cove where everyone else apart from us is staying. We’re met by Stanley in a longtail and pile all our gear in before setting off. When we arrive at Walu Beach Resort I’m surprised and thrilled to find it’s absolutely stunning here. How fantastic! With a gorgeous long white sandy beach and about 20 beachfront “bures”, we couldn’t have wished for a better place.

As we pull up we are serenaded by 2 guitarists, a traditional “bula” welcoming song. So cool, we’re given welcome drinks and shown to our bure. Its great accommodation, right on the beach with 2 bedrooms, a lounge area and a thatched roof, its very cute and we feel really lucky to be here. Without a doubt this is one of Simon’s best finds. For 200 Fijian dollars a day we are getting 3 meals and accommodation. We worked out that this is costing around 15 pounds each. An absolute bargain for 6 days in a place which really is nothing short of paradise.

We spend the afternoon lying on the beach and baking in the warm sun; I try the hammocks and nearly fall out. There is only one other guest lying anywhere near us and other than that its almost completely deserted – complete heaven!! We sit watching the lovely sunset together, it’s very romantic and have a few beers. We make our way back up to the reception/restaurant area for dinner and pile our plates high with the BBQ and salad on offer. We have bananas rolled in coconut for pudding – the kids loved it. We sit listening to the guitarists playing and talk to a lovely couple from Ireland. They have been visiting their daughter who is half way through her RTW trip and we have a good chat.

At 9pm the fella announce it is time for the International Hermit Crab race and having picked a crab each for a dollar( I chose No 4 – called Mitsubishi and representing Japan) we all crowd round the crab racing area. To my delight he wins and I get back 18 dollars for my crabby investment! Hurray!

We head off o bed around 1030 and go out like lights. We have had a fantastic day today and I’m completely looking forward to a lie in and then doing nothing all day tomorrow.