and then

after a few days in Suva it was time to head to Leleuvia for our R&R.  i had no intention of going to Fiji to do any work on our huudaverti label - Fiji Fashion Week 2013 is still a while away yet, so it was all about a holiday.  But as usually happens best laid plans come unstuck and the bulk of my break was about labels, websites, fabrics, production, etc, etc, So to escape to a tropical island was a dream come true, even in the rain that accompanied us on our trip.

  

look at our beautiful mum who at 74 is spending her day's drafting and cutting patterns for us and advising on sample making.  she is out of control and a constant reminder that there is no need to slow down. 

 

eventually the sun came out and we swam, kayaked, lazed around, paddle boarded, walked around the island and generally had a good time, and then ......

we discovered a snorkelling spot about 10 metres off the island in a channel which in low tide becomes a perfect spot for to view the undersea world.  Alas in high tide, it became a life threatening place where dave was in a lot of trouble.  oblivious to me of course.

Rule 1 when snorkelling- sometimes it's good to go in a group
Rule 2 have clear instructions on what to do in the case of emergency
Rule 3 don't go back to get your snorkel
Rule 4 have clear instructions on what to do in the case of emergency

So Dave heads out to snorkel and we were all to follow along.  My flippers were giving me grief, so it took ages to get them on.  In the meantime, the resort had said we could take the boat to honeymoon island to check it out. so the change of plans meant that dave had to come back to join us.  So I wander off to the end of the island to signal to him that he has to come back - he looks like he's having a super time, diving under the water and then waving his hands above his head to acknowledge me, or so i thought, so i keep signalling for him to come back and he keeps waving his hands above his head. Why isn't he coming back i am thinking, mustn't want to come with us.  after all i pointed at the boat about 5 times. what to do, we will go and collect him on the way to the island.  lucky we did, cause when we got to him he was not a happy man.  he was in great trouble in a strong current that was so strong it had ripped the snorkel from his mask as he tried to keep his footing on a coral bed.

Clearly he was mad and i couldn't understand why, after all in all my beach dealings in Australia, you put your hand up when in trouble - well he didn't have his hand up, so he wasn't in trouble.  On confirmation with the resort, apparently, the international code for "i'm in trouble help, help, help" is to wave your hands frantically above your head.  who'd have thought.

with that event over, it was time for low tide snorkel the following day.  what' could possibly go wrong.  tides good, current's good and along comes Dave to find his long lost snorkel. This is where Rule 3 - don't go back to get your snorkel should have come into play.  He knew where it was and he was going to get it. and he did, along with a coral cut that now two weeks later has gone from this

 to this - talk about grossssssss and i can tell you now that 2 weeks later it ain't looking any better.

anyway there's more tales to our adventures at Leleuvia, but i shall save the for next time.