Our Final Days in Fiji!
June 23, 2024
A final farewell to Fiji A
As we began our surfing section, there was an excitement that surrounded our group. Waking up on our first day, we were treated with a boat excursion where we snorkeled and then enjoyed the morning on an island beach paradise! While snorkeling, Bishop, Ford, Jack, and Austin explored the vast reefs underneath the turquoise blue water. When we arrived to the island, the girls quickly set up their towels, applied more sunscreen, and queued up some songs as they basked in the sun. Mercer, Preston, Lucy Belle, and Birdie all were on a mission to find the most beautiful shells, and boy did they! They found shells in every size, color, style, pattern, and more! Mercer even talked of making some shells into earrings. On the island, we also enjoyed a barbecue lunch full of chicken, fruit, salad, and they even had grilled squid! After letting our stomachs settle and enjoying the beach a little while longer, we hopped back on the boat and headed back to our hotel to rest before our first surf lesson. On the shore, our guide, Bruce, showed us the ropes of surfing and had us practice our “pop ups” before we headed out to the waves. All of us were excited to see Bishop and Ford’s surfing skills, and we all learned a lot from them. We had so much fun catching waves and watching the sun set of Viti Levu as our first day of surfing concluded. To end off a great night, we all enjoyed wonderful milkshakes. While most everyone opted in for chocolate, Parker decided to take the different route and was the only person to order vanilla. We drank our milkshakes, recounted the great day we had, and ended the night with a thoughtful Moonup.
The next day, we woke up to some clouds in the sky, but that did not stop us from being excited about our morning fishing trip. We battled swells and the wind, but Birdie and Preston kept the group morale up with the songs they played on the speaker. Austin even caught a fish! The whole boat was so excited and cheered him on as he reeled the blue fin all the way into the boat. Back at the hotel, the kitchen even cooked it up for us to try and everyone agreed it was delicious. That afternoon we ventured out for another day of surfing. Jack showed incredible persistence and ended up catching his first wave ever! We were so excited for him and he left proud of himself. We again ended the night with a great dinner and a thoughtful Moonup led by our LODs, Parker and Charlotte Grey.
For our final full day, we awoke early and made it for sunrise. As we hit the water, people started catching waves left and right! Many party waves were caught, and you could hear the cheers from miles away. We were having so much fun, and Lawton was one of the last people out there enjoying the surf and the sun. We spent the afternoon hanging out and getting our things together for our journey back to Nadi. Harry decided to be adventurous at dinner and be the only person who opted in for the curry buffet! He said it was delicious. After dinner, we sat down and enjoyed our final Moonup together. Here, we sat and smiled, laughed, and cried as we remembered funny memories and recounted our trip. It was the perfect end to our last night together.
On our last day in Fiji, we made the trek back to Nadi and enjoyed our final banquet. Here, we shared memories of the trip and enjoyed one last meal together. After finalizing our packing, we sadly made our way to the airport where we had a tearful goodbye. These past two weeks have been nothing short of amazing with this group, and Charlie and I will miss them dearly. They are incredible people who we are certain will do amazing things.
One final Vinaka vakalevu,
Lucy + Charlie
Bula again from beautiful Fiji!
June 19, 2024
We are finishing this section of our trip with full hearts and new bonds of friendship that were created during our stay in local Fijian villages. Our first day started off with our guides, Una, Sime, and Zach, taking us to Rugby Town for lunch. Everyone agreed it was one of the best meals we have had yet. We were able to shop around town for a little bit, and Austin bought some Fijian rugby jerseys and even got one signed by a professional player! We then continued our journey to our home for the next few days, and Charlotte Grey said “Bula” to every person she saw. There were many smiles and laughs as we trekked up to the village. Once we arrived, we immediately sat for a kava ceremony while wearing our traditional sulus, and the Chief of the village welcomed us. We then played with the children of the village and prepared for dinner. We enjoyed a traditional Fijian meal, and the group raved about it all night.
Happy Father’s Day! Today we woke up with a treat: cake for breakfast! We then went around, and everyone shared their favorite thing about their dad. After that, we were fortunate enough to sit in a church service that was all in Fijian and then shook hands with the whole congregation afterward. We hiked back to our campsite for an awesome lunch, napped, and went down to play by the river. Lawton quickly made friends with three girls from the village, and they were inseparable. We played tournaments of beach volleyball where Mercer shined for team Australia. After spending our afternoon by the water, we enjoyed a dinner that was cooked over fire and covered by taro leaves! It was delicious! Harry and Mercer, our LODs, led a thoughtful Moonup, and the group went to bed tired from a long, happy day.
Continuing our adventure in Fiji, we woke up early to more cake for breakfast, and then hit the river to kayak to our next village. Mercer and Jack proved unstoppable on the water and led the group the whole day. At lunch, we helped net fish for our meal, and then they cooked the fish over a fire, and we ate it right on the banks of the river. Harry, Ford, Parker, and Charlie all ate an eyeball; the rest of the group were amazed by their courage. We continued on down the river, and then ended up at our home for the night. We were greeted with smiles and hugs from many of the village children and immediately played a large game of soccer. Birdie proved unstoppable on the field! We enjoyed attending another kava ceremony where the Chief graciously opened his village to us. We returned to where we were staying, enjoyed yet another dinner, and called it a night after another eventful day.
The next morning, we woke up, said goodbye to the village, and headed down the river for our second day of kayaking. The sun sat high, and the group was excited to get some nice tans. Once we finished for the day, we went and saw Fiji’s largest cave! Everyone in the group thought it was so cool, and our guide Una told us the interesting history of it. We had a delicious lunch prepared by our guides, and then rode back to our hostel where Lucy Belle, Preston, and Birdie led the girls in singing to keep the group entertained.
We woke up with high spirits for our white-water rafting day! A bus drove us to the Navua River where we split up into three boats. We battled some rapids, and during the calm water, we had boat battles where Parker and Harry took the lead for their boats. Bishop showed tremendous leadership, setting the paddling tone for his raft. We settled on the banks of the river for a delicious lunch of sandwiches and fresh fruit and then continued on down the river. Once finished and on the way back, we recounted our funniest moments and laughed and sang as the drivers blared music. It has been yet another amazing section of our trip, and we can’t wait to end it on a high note with surfing!
Below we have attached some words of appreciation from your kids to you! They’re the best!
Vinaka vakalevu,
Lucy + Charlie
Austin – Thank you mom and dad for sending me on this trip, I’ve had so much fun and I am so glad I had the opportunity to go! I can’t wait to tell you all about it!
Birdie – Hey mom and dad, thank y’all so much for sending me on this trip. I have experienced such cool things and met some amazing people! Love y’all and see y’all soon!
Lawton – Hey mom and dad, thank y’all so much for sending me on this trip! I have had such a great time and learned so many things. Love y’all, miss y’all, see you soon!
Jack – Dear mom and dad, thank y’all so much for sending me on this trip, I am having a great time!
Parker – Hey mom and dad, thanks for sending me on this trip I’m having a great time. Love y’all, see you soon!
Preston – Hey mom and dad! I’m having so much fun on this trip and meeting such great friends and seeing so many cool things. I’m so thankful I could go on this trip, love y’all!
Lucy Belle – Hey mom and dad! Thank you so much for sending me on this trip, I’m so grateful. I have made so many good friends and seen so many cool things. I love and miss you so much, see you in a few days!
Harry – Hey mom and dad, thank you so much for this opportunity. I am so glad I did it and I’ll see you soon!
Ford – Thank you mom and dad for sending me on the trip, I can’t wait to tell you about the fun I’ve had!
Bishop – Hey mom and dad, thank you so much for sending me on this trip! I’ve really enjoyed it, can’t wait to see you!
Charlotte Grey – Hey y’all! I’m beyond grateful to be on this trip. Thank you so much for sending me! I have met my best friends and had so many great experiences. Can’t wait to tell you all about it!
Mercer – Hey mom and dad! Love you lots and many thanks for giving me this opportunity to go on this amazing trip. I can’t wait to tell you all the things we did when I get home!
Bula from Fiji!
June 14, 2024
Our adventure started immediately in the LA airport where the group began to get to know each other and bonds began to form. Once we had our early landing in Fiji, the group did not stop to rest and enjoyed a boat day where we snorkeled, tanned, laughed, and got to know each other better while being surrounded by the most beautiful water. Austin impressed the whole group with his free diving ability; he went over twenty feet! Everyone also enjoyed loads of fresh fruit and we are convinced Parker set a world record for most pieces of watermelon eaten. While this was happening, Preston and Lucy spent a bonus day in LA where they explored Manhattan Beach, enjoyed some ice cream, and rested up to join the rest of the bunch in Fiji.
The next morning the group rose early to begin their adventure to our scuba section. Preston joined everyone for breakfast and the whole crew was so excited to get to know her; our family was now complete! After our bus ride around the island we finally made it to our home for the next couple of days. The girls wasted no time and quickly set up their enos to make an eno village! The boys quickly followed their lead. After hanging out and relaxing, we were all excited when an impromptu volleyball game occurred. Bishop wowed the group his amazing volleyball skills, and when the ball rolled towards the river, Mercer heroically jumped in the mud without hesitation to save it. We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out preparing for our first day of scuba diving!
Today marked our first day learning how to scuba! The groups were split into two, with group one being Charlotte Grey, Lawton, Mercer, Ford, Harry, Jack, and Charlie. They practiced their skills in the pool with their pro diving guide, Api! Group two contained Birdie, Lucy Belle, Bishop, Parker, Austin, Preston, and Lucy. They went and enjoyed a beach morning playing hacky sack, frisbee, building sandcastles, and enjoying the beautiful blue water. At lunch, the groups rejoined and enjoyed a meal together. After allowing their lunches to settle, group two began learning how to dive and group one started enjoying all the beach has to offer. Ford and Harry spent their time at the beach building one of the largest holes we have ever seen, it was very impressive. We sat down for a wonderful pizza dinner and ended the night with Moonup and much anticipation for our first open water dive.
Day two of scuba diving and this time our groups were able to put the skills they learned in the pool to test in the ocean. Charlotte Grey and Lucy Belle conquered their fears and did amazing, acing their skills! Between dives, the students enjoyed some delicious coconut cookies while raving about all of the marine life they saw, including colorful coral, fascinating fish, and Preston even saw a sea turtle! It was an amazing first day in the ocean, and the group is even more excited to see what is to come.
On day three of our scuba diving adventure, the groups finished all of their necessary skills and are now open water certified! We couldn’t be more proud of them and their perseverance and willingness to go outside of their comfort zones. Birdie created the coolest hand signal to communicate with the group underwater that signaled laughing! Needless to say, that was used a lot with the many giggles and smiles that arose underwater. Charlie kept going behind people and scaring them, and Lucy saw a shark! Tomorrow is our last day of our scuba section, and it is said to be the best day yet according to the dive guides. The group showed their excitement during Moonup, and Jack provided the group with more intellectual, thought provoking answers that continues to enlighten our group. We have loved seeing all of the students personalities shine through over the course of our trip so far!
Today was our final day of scuba with an early wake up call, but that did not stop the students from being over the moon for our dive. We headed out for our soft coral dive, and the anticipation started to rise when our boat stopped moving, we looked down, and saw over a dozen sharks! As the group descended, the guides led us to a coral shelf that overlooked what they call “the arena”. Here, we saw so many different kinds of sharks swim around, and everyone agreed it was one of the coolest things they have ever done. We debriefed everything that we saw and enjoyed more coconut cookies before descending again. Austin has been spending his scuba section obtaining his advanced certification. Him and Charlie went off with a guide to explore a shipwreck which they raved about to the group. Austin said it was the coolest dive he has ever done! To celebrate finishing our scuba certification, LODs Lawton and Ford set up a surprise ice cream sundae bar! We laughed, ate, and enjoyed recounting our time spent on our scuba section. To top off the day, the group enjoyed a sunset volleyball game before dinner! This has been the best start to our trip, and we cannot wait to see what the rest of our time has in store for Fiji A!
We wanted to give our kiddos the ability to say hey, so here is some shout outs from us to y’all!
Vinaka vakalevu,
Lucy + Charlie
Austin – Hey mom, dad, and Hunter I miss you guys, but I’m sorry to admit I’m permanently moving to Fiji. This place is amazing I’ve never seen anywhere like this, and I’ve made so many great friends, I just got my advanced and dove with sharks, best diving I’ve ever done.
Birdie – Hey y’all! I love and miss y’all so much! I am having an amazing time and I can’t wait to tell you all about it when I get home! Also tell Annie I said hey
Lawton – Hey mom, dad, and Rand! I’m having a great time scuba diving and I can’t wait to tell you about it when I get home. Love and miss you lots!
Jack – Dear mom and dad having a great time, love yall lots.
Parker – Dear mom and dad love yall! Having lots of fun thank you for getting me here see you soon
Preston – Hey mom and dad! I’ve had so much fun on the past dives, the shark one was the coolest. I can’t wait to tell you all about it, love and miss you all!
Lucy Belle – Hey fam I’m alive lol! Be proud, I did every dive including the shark dive. I love everyone in my group and I am having so much fun with my new friends. I love and miss you so much I can’t wait to see you!
Harry – Hi mom, dad, Etta, and Wes! I’m having a great time – the sharks are cool. Can’t wait to see you guys!
Ford – Dear mom and dad and the siblings, I am having a great time. Love you guys and can’t wait to tell you about the trip. The sharks are so cool.
Bishop -Hi mom dad Caroline and Clarke, I am having a great time. I can’t wait to see you!
Charlotte Grey – Hey mom and el jefe! I’m having SO much fun and tell Annabel that she is going to have the best time on her trip. I can’t wait to show you all of the photos I’ve taken! Tell Waldo I say hi and I can’t wait to see everybody!
Mercer – Hey guys! Love and miss you lots, I can’t wait to show you the incredible photos and tell you all about the pineapples I’ve been eating! Can’t wait to see you!
Safe Arrival at LAX and departing for Fiji!!
June 8, 2024
Hello Fiji Families!
We heard from our leaders last night that the group arrived safely at LAX and is currently in the air on the way to Fiji! One student, Preston Linville, had some flight issues so Lucy will be staying back with her and flying out tonight. We are so excited for everyone to be together soon, and can’t wait to hear all about their exciting adventures over the next couple of weeks!
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next two weeks! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
