September 17, 2015 at Nacula Island, Yasawas, Fiji
We found a free helicopter tour of Nacula Island. Only one catch: Legs instead of rotors!
(Click on picture for a larger version.)
Here are some of the pictures we took from our imaginary chopper. (Click to enlarge and scroll through the images.)
Plenty of rotor-wash as shown by this “Wind Sock.” (No. We didn’t do it. It was already there!)
In the anchorage, it was gusting to about 20 knots when we left. The wind on the ridge was blowing at least 40 knots. At times it would literally knock us off our feet and send us scurrying for balance on all fours.
What a great hike! It was a bit hard for me and it took three or four hours for the round trip, but it was well worth the effort. The lagoons and reefs visible from the summit are breathtaking. They’re as beautiful from our sneaker-clad helicopter as they are from our boat floating on the beautiful blue water.
Here’s an interactive Google map that shows the routes we took (as best as we can tell – the trail isn’t real obvious from the satellite view). The green line is the route we took from the Blue Lagoon Beach Resort to the first peak. The blue line, the optional trail to the highest peak, and the purple line is the gently sloping route back to the resort. Click on the markers to see what they are.
-Rich (with most of the pictures by Cyndi)
