We had a pretty good time on the Tui Tai, even though it rained more this week than it has all year (and the weeks afterward).
But we still got in some good diving out on Rainbow Reef and Budd Reef.
Our Album of the Diving
In the middle of the week, we spent nearly one whole day hanging out in the cabin reading and sharing travel stories, because the weather was too severe to go out in small boats. We had a really nice group of people who managed to find humor in our terrible weather, and the resulting poor conditions on the Tui Tai.
My favorite fellow passenger was Allyson, who's theme song was "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!" Always accompanied with a big smile. But everyone tried to stay upbeat--there were no whiners, thank God.
Allyson's "upper deck" ($$) cabin floor sloshed with all the rain seeping under the nice big sliding glass doors. But she and her husband, Steve, who had just spent 6 months camping in Australia, just told wry Brit jokes and kept smiling.
We spent one afternoon kayaking in the rain.
We managed to hike to two Taveuni waterfalls, and stand on both sides of the International Dateline.
We hiked up here and then slid down the "sluice" on our butts. Then we went and stood on the Dateline.
We did make it out to Budd Reef, where we had visited in Soggy Paws in July. We had snorkeled then, but had not gotten a chance to dive. We did 3 dives at Budd Reef--it was really nice having dive guides and a dive tender.
The non-divers did a snorkel and then a hike up to the crater.
On our last day, Dave arranged for a tour of the Engine Room.
The morning we left, the whole crew assembled in the lounge to sing us the "Farewell Song".
Love the beautiful pictures - amazing!
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