Along with Zatara, a handful of other yachts sailed out of Opua that same day as there was a good
weather window. Unfortunate that the crew of SV Zatara have been the butt of so many insults on this forum. Weren’t the other skippers just as stupid and arrogant?
The Fiji Govt had provided the guidelines that indicated they were ready for cruisers arriving from NZ. Certainly positive/optimistic people were reading it that way. So Zatara and a few other boats embarked. A day or two after the small fleet departed NZ (June 30/July 1), Fiji made it very clear that they weren’t yet ready and asked yacht owners to wait.
The little fleet that left had jumped the gun, and didn’t have approval. In effect they’d left knowing that too. I guess that they hoped by the time they arrive in Fiji it wouldn’t matter. Well they’ll all arrive this coming Tuesday/Wednesday and we’ll see what Fiji’s reaction is.
This past week Fiji has confirmed the border open for cruisers from
New Zealand and clarified the entry process and requirements (using one of the approved agents). But also that each boat must seek and be approved before leaving NZ.
There was no change to the original requirements that a negative Covid test within 48 hours of departure is required, nor that Fiji require sea time of 14 days, anything under will require a stay in an isolation
hotel at the cruiser’s cost on arrival. So the little fleet all expected they could spend time at Minerva to pad out their sea time to the required 14 days. The trip between NZ and Fiji is usually less than 14 days, especially for Cats with following winds.
A little ‘fact’ that seems to have been ignored throughout this thread is that Minerva is a disputed territory, with both Fiji and Tonga asserting
ownership. Fiji does not recognize any claim by Tonga.
A stop at Minerva is a very common way point for those making either of the passages between Tonga or Fiji and
New Zealand. I doubt few cruisers stopping have ever give a moment's thought to the reef’s sovereignty. And it’s often a highlight of the trip. No one lives there, and it’s almost all under
water at high tide. And permission to stop has never been required by Tonga or Fiji.
Zatara was always heading for Fiji, but at the same time, it’s understandable that the Tongan Govt became nervous. The
skipper of Zatara had made some pretty wild statements in their last Youtube post before departure. As an aside through I would add do people really believe everything they see and hear on TV?
I’d also add that none of the tiny island nations have the
medical staff, resources nor facilities to deal with a serious
health contagion, be it Covid or something else. All are very poor and decidedly Third World. And this is something cruisers contemplating the trip to Fiji this season need to bear in mind. There is no easy exit back to NZ. There are no flights; Nadi International
Airport is closed. You get sick, break a leg or step on a Stone
fish and the only option is
medical treatment in Fiji.
And I have to comment on this ill thought out post pertaining to tethering and PFDs
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fore and Aft
... I think every parent decides what's best and then excepts the risks...
|
Actually the parents don’t take the risk, the
kids, in their innocence do. And so I certainly wouldn’t be taking any of my
children to Fiji under these circumstances.
An earlier poster alluded to diseases brought in by the early discoverers and colonisers. You don’t have to look back further than last year when a measles outbreak occurred in
Samoa. The science suggested a passenger arriving from
Auckland in August 2019 had the disease. And a few months later the results were devastating: 83 deaths (including 70 under the age of four). And over 5,700 confirmed cases out of a total population of just 201,000 people. For more info
click here.