Hey
Am going to Fiji for a couple of weeks in June, I have confirmed flights landing in nadi, and was wondering who has been to Nananu-i-Ra Island?
Google has produced good results and I reckon it looks like a great spot, but want to know from REAL kitesurfers...
Cheers in advance
Jules

hi
fiji was lovely
we stayed on the same island ... southeast of the island has nice clean air but very difficult to launch with tides/trees and coral... northwest of the island was more sandy/little coral but very gusty

everything there happens slowly... and can sometimes get frustrating but thats just the way it is over there... so when it comes to relying on boats to take you to better kiting locations then you could find yourself waiting all day or them not coming at all...
there is NOTHING on the island so take whatever treats/drinks you can otherwise travelling to and from the mainland becomes expensive and takes the entire day

it also depends what sort of budget you are on... we stayed at the backpackers for 5 days and it sucked a little... but then we went and stayed at a 5 star resort and payed for boat trips back and forth and could go at times we wanted

right at the end of our trip we found out that there were far more better places to kite from in fiji... i cant remember them now though as it was a few years ago... if you arent commited to staying on that island then id keep looking around

if i come across those other places i will put them up on here

we are cruising the whitsundays in 2 weeks... whats it like there atm?

cheers for the ideas, will continue looking for more kiters paradise islands. Re weather, cant comment on the whitsundays, as am 1500km south, but the wind on the sunshine coast has done a dissappearing act... maybe today it might reach an almighty 12knots...

sounds like so much fun.

paul

quote:

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Originally posted by Warren Francis

PM me if you would like to speak to REAL kiters who have kited here...

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True. People posting on seabreeze aren't REAL kitesurfers and all the persons who replied to the topic have never been to Fiji and have no idea what they're talking about....
Jules, do a search on the forums under Fiji, I remember once some local kitesurfers there replying to a topic, may be it would help you to get in touch with them. I can't remember which topic it was, but they were very friendly and looking forward meeting fellow kiters so it might be worth the search. They would know better than anyone and could give you some tips.
The trade winds in Fiji are great at this time of the year. I've kited on nananu-i-ra and down the coral coast. I have a personal crush on natadola beach (so beautiful!) but the south coast does have coral EVERYWHERE so you better bring some booties along (with some emergency kit for your board, just in case! (mine still remembers its last trip over!)).
If you surf too, Sigatoka area has some beautiful waves (you better know what you're doing though, reef breaks only) and I would HIGHLY recommend you to stay at the Gecko there. Cheap, clean accomodation, held by Fijians and a gem of a ladie called 'Miss D'. The food is wicked, the staff lovely, 'D' will help you organising transportation to Natadola beach or anywhere you want (she knows all the kiting spot around cause she went along on my site searches!), it's a wicked place to kick back...
Hope this helps and enjoy Fiji!
Em

Originally posted by sargio

Hi Julzt, here is a cut a paste from my post on 20/1/2007 - Ive been there , kited there and want to go back - enough said...

Rick

What are the costs?Checked the site ,couldn't find prices
Thanks

]

Hi Mr Float, contact Warren Francis - he has posted a reply in this thread - you can email him through that link.

Rick.

I have just returned from nananu-i, and have a very good idea that anything good written about safari lodge, ellington wharf, and the trade winds is bollocks and his staff spend their time writing on these forums big upping the place as a kite/windsurf destination.
Its a beutiful island the fijians are lovely the indians are too, but they dont run the place.
the coral is amazing but lethal for kites and feet etc. kiteing there is not for beginners, no instructers, intermediates or advanced need boat support, its expensive! and the food is rubbish,
i was warned but thought how bad can it be.........worse!
what do you call a man with 10 rabbits up his bum....
didnt want to get involved but thought people should know, cant say anything about other spots in fiji as warren destroyed all hopes and ambitions for kiteing in fiji and i ejected. unless you have oodles of money and dont care about your equip. been dragged over coral and in out of old dis-repaired wooden boats with engines from the flinstones and a case of miximitosis dont go there to kite/windsurf

Hello Everyone

Enough of the abuse on MY POST!!

I have just returned from a 16 day visit to Nananu-i-ra and I'll spill the beans and give you the truth from my eyes..

well the season is in full swing and the trade winds should be blowing... Hmm well that was the first problem, the wind stats for the island are incorrect and misleading. The wind was inconsistant, gusty, holey, and not constant. (for the 16 days I was there in the middle of the season).

The kite beach on the island is non existant at mid-high tide, leaving only room for mistakes such as kites landing in trees.. luckily no rips or tears in the kite. (RRD kites must be made from the right stuff!!!!) And at mid-low tide the water level is far too low over the coral to kitesurf over - 25 holes in a new kite.... :-(

The other kite spot is a short boat trip away - or should i say a costly boat trip away. Rescue boat needed at ALL times. The conditions here are not much better. The term swings and roundabouts comes to mind. There is more beach, but still not possible to go at high tide. The wind is really gusty as it funnels inbetween the main land and the island. The water is anything but flat - looks flat when no wind but the wind brings out some mega chop (worse that st kilder chop though if you need a bench mark)

So the accomodation - i stayed in a very pleasant cottage and it had everything you needed and was pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the locals (Bethams). Nananu-i-ra is a lovely island to stay on for beach going, snorkelling, diving, sunbathing and other lethargic activities. But not worth really visiting for kitesurfing or windsurfing as there are far better places near by.

I am not going to discuss the infamous safari lodge, but will confirm that it is unfortunately true that a person is being employed to reply to internet forum posts to 'big-up' the island. not their full time job, but one aspect. Seabreeze have been contacted about this as they hold a database that shows all the I.P addresses of users. It is up to them to research the matter in hand.

I have learnt a lesson - dont believe everything you read and always try to read in between the lines. The internet is a great tool for all of us globe trotting watersport hounds and the forums certainly have their use for discussions as hundreds of people can offer their advice easily. But the internet as we all knows hides many scams, frauldulent transactions and an infinate number of people oppinions.

My humble oppinion in the future would be to contact kiteboarder, kitesurf, and kiteworld as they hold information of hundreds of kite spots ridden and tested by a variety of riders. With the availability of flights and transport there are not many places that the magazines havent visited. If only I had contacted Kiteboarder magazine before I went......

Non-the-less - a very enjoyable holiday of snorkelling and making new friends, even if my ears are turning into gills..

I am in oahu, hawaii now. Kiting at kailua bay and along the north shore. If anyone wants any info please feel free to PM me.

Best of luck fellow kiters and internet geeks!