Dateline Tavarua

By Bob Holbrook

January 21 -- If you are a surfer you have heard of Tavarua. It is the "holy grail" of perfect waves. It is a tiny island located in the Mamanuca group in the nation of Fiji. Located across the International Date Line, south of the equator and about 5,500 miles from Santa Monica. Believe or not, I am on my way to Tavarua!

Tavarua is about the size of the Samohi campus. You can walk around the island in 15 minutes. There is no dock so visitors wade ashore with their luggage! The perfect waves are up to 20 feet and break on the outer barrier reefs. Tavarua is surrounded by a lagoon.

Those of you who know me, suspect that I am not a surfer. I am my daughter's date to her friend Tracy's wedding. Tracy was my daughter's classmate at Samohi. Tracy's fiancée was the general manager of the tiny Tavarua Resort and they met in Fiji. So the wedding party is taking the resort over for the week and sharing Tavarua with the Fijians that reside on the island.

I am a "catch and release" guy.

I decided to go the island when I learned that big game fishing is included at no charge and sea kayaks are available to explore Tavarua's lagoon. The fishing is tuna, wahoo, mahi mahi and sailfish and sometimes blue marlin up to 600 lbs. I am a "catch and release" guy on the large fish, but will bring a tuna, wahoo, or mahi mahi back to the restaurant for supper!

I have learned that it is expected that my daughter Cindy and I bring a gift to the head of the village on Tavarua. It is traditional to bring a gift of yaqona, the root of the pepper plant Piper Methysticum. A drink called Kava is made from the root. So we will politely ask to visit the village and present our gift of yaqona.

We have learned that bathing suits are ok at the beach and in the resort, but women must cover their shoulders and knees and the traditional wraparound sula is proper attire for men and women. No shoes allowed in village houses and to wear a hat or touch someone's head is an insult!

The plan for today is to head for LAX and fly Air New Zealand to the airport at Nadi, on the island of Viti Levu. We are due to arrive at 4:30 a.m. Nadi time after an 11 hour plane ride. We will "crash" at a hotel until morning, do a little shopping for sulas and yaqona root and organize a boat to take us to Tavarua. You can check out the island at www.tavarua.com (great pictures)