Fitheach Ban Topsail Schooner

[Richard Quartermaine]

Even in Paradise Yvonne had to wash the dog. There is the sugar cane getting watered at the same time. That place would have been half a mile from the Lautoka mill.
I'm of to bed. G'night, Richard

Behind the Ears0006.jpg

[Tony Geeves]

Richard, wasn't there a narrow guage railway running around the island, something to do with the suger mill? I have vague memories of lying on top of one of the train cars full of sugar cane, and ending up in the middle of nowhere. We used to have Fijians on board for the trip round to Lautoka from Suva, and we used to get tucked into the kava with them, to me it tasted like mud and not very stimulating. In Suva I think it was the Golden Dragon we all frequented. Your posts I always look foreward to. Regards Tony.

[Richard Quartermaine]

Tony, the narrow gauge railways were confined to the dryer cane growing areas and fingered out from the CSR sugar mills. These mills are situated in Lautoka, Ba and Raki Raki on Viti Levu and at La(m)basa on the largest Vanua Levu. The eastern (trade winds) side of the main islands were tropical wet zones whereas the western sides were comparatively dry as you would have noticed going around from Suva in the east.

Kava is an acquired taste and it has a slightly numbing effect in the mouth. It must have some anti bacterial qualities as well considering the number around a tanoa with one bilo between everyone!!!

Ah yes, The Golden Dragon on Vito(n)go Parade in Suva with the footprints painted on the entrance and up the concrete stairs. Just down the road from me here in Katoomba is John Wilson who had a band on the tourist ships some years ago and had an arrangement with Kenny of the Golden Dragon to play there on his visits.

How did you get back to the jetty after your train journey??

Here is the main highway from Suva to Lautoka via Si(n)gatoka.

Regards, Richard

[David Skeoch]

Gaelic Name: Fitheach Ban
English translation: White Raven
Screen Name: Seaspray
Film/TV Series: The Adventures of the Sea Spray
Principal Actor: Walter Brown
Photo taken somewhere in Fiji, perhaps the island of Qalito

[Richard Quartermaine]

David, my sister and brother-in-law owned and with their two sons operated South Sea Island Cruises in which the "Seaspray" was the original vessel that serviced "Castaway" in the Mamanuca group off the West Coast of Viti Levu. They sold her and the other ten craft they acquired in the company many years ago.
Very, very sadly, in the last vicious hurricane; was it last year, Fitheach Ban was wrecked. We all had wonderful times together and trips to Dick Smith's "Castaway" Resort was a great place to relax.
Richard