Viani Bay, on the southeast end of the island of Vanua Levu, is a great anchorage spot due to its proximity to Rainbow Reef, one of the best reefs in the world for seeing soft corals. There isn't any village with a chief here, just a smattering of small houses, family compounds. It's easy to find great dive photos of the reef, but I thought I'd post other images of Fiji, ones that you might only capture from a sailboat.
A flower from the vutu tree floated past me as I was kayaking to shore. It was easy for me to remember vutu because it rhymes with tutu. Floating, fragrant ballerinas.
Little wild goats on Matagi Island. It would be acceptable, even appreciated, if you catch them and eat them! Catching a photo image is enough for me.
A cone shell on the beach. Live cone shells in the water can kill you with a paralyzing needle sting from the narrow tip.
A young mangrove tree at the edge of reef in Viani Bay. You can see a modest native house on the other side of the bay.
Most likely, this is a vacation house owned by a foreigner.
Rainbow Reef extends for miles. We are traveling in a 38 foot catamaran with shallow draft and a brave captain. The water depth goes from 50 meters to boat smashing rocks just below the surface in an instant. You get some hint from the change in water color, but navigating with Google Earth works even better.
A sketch of the tree before I knew it's Fijian name.