Bula

The Fiji trip was almost perfect - my only gripe was it was just too short.

We stayed at G's (and N's) in Sydney before setting off early to fly out, the trip took only 4 hours there - 4 1/2 back. The portable DVD was riveting as Toy story 2 and Mermaidia were played to a captive audience both ways. The kids traveled well, fell asleep just as we landed in Nadi.

We got a couple of lays (shell necklaces that is) and then a bus took us (about 20mins) to a boat which took us to the Sonaisali Resort (2 mins). The landscape was quite flat, lots of sugar cane plantations with old cars and shanty type houses.

The Resort Bure's were beautiful, I was thinking as we walked past them that these must be the expensive rooms which we didn't book, but too my delight we were placed in the one closest to the pool and restaurant. The island was quite long and thin and you could see from one side to the other, this meant that the Bure's were quite spread out.

We spent most of our time at the beach (which was black sand and quite metallic - on one of Jonte's toys the sand worked like those iron shavings on magnets you had at school), a little time at the pool - it was colder than the ocean, spectacular and yes a swim up pool bar.

J3 spent most of her days in the kids club which she loved, they made boats and windmills out of coconuts, found hermit crabs, made sandcastles, played mini Olympic games and best of all got to eat chips and drink pink spiders. J4 got to spend quality time with his parents. The kids were a big hit with the Fijians, they seemed to think they were quite cute.

We also went to the Mountain of the Sleeping Giant Orchid Gardens, had a Jungle Cruise and went to Nadi for a shopping jaunt. We didn't do the island hopping or scuba diving which we may have if the kids were older. There were plenty of free activities and we made most of the sea kayaks, windsurfers and pedal boats. J1 got to play golf and I had a massage by the strongest woman on earth. On our way home we stayed with D and S in Sydney - we bored them endless with Fiji stories but I did promise to give them a recipe for Kokoda.

Kokoda - Coconut Ceviche

400g fresh tuna, 1/2 cup lime or lemon juice - cut tuna into thin strips, mix through lime or lemon and leave for 1-4 hours in fridge.

Combine 1/4 cup fresh coconut cream (grate white part of a freshly opened coconut, add 1/2 cup water, squeeze, remove coconut and strain out coconut cream), 1/4 red onion, handful chopped coriander, tomatoes chopped, spring onion sliced, chilli, salt and pepper. You can add whatever you like - capsicum, spinach leaves etc.

Drain tuna and toss through coconut mixture. Serve at once.