Tasmania Couple Hopes To Return
Tasmania, Australian couple Shane and Sue O’Boyle finally made it to Fiji after a three-year delay.
Like a lot of tourists around the world, their planned visit was put on hold because of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
They were among the 1147 passengers on board the P&O Australia Cruises Pacific Explorer cruise ship that arrived in Lautoka on August 15 from Auckland, New Zealand.
The Pacific Explorer is expected to arrive in Sydney, Australia on August 20 at 6 am.
Mr O’Boyle said the journey was a treat for the couple. They have two children and four grandchildren.
“This is our first cruise trip to Fiji.
Passengers of the Pacific Explorer visit the handicraft stalls at the Port of Lautoka on August 15,2022. Photos: Salote Qalubau
“So, it’s been a real treat for us, it’s just a pity we couldn’t spend the whole time up here but we go from here to Dravuni then we head back to Sydney so only a short stay here but this is lovely, it’s a great welcome,” he said.
“It’s just the two of us, a later in life experience, we booked this cruise three years ago just before COVID. We were supposed to go in April 2020, so it’s been a bit of a journey.”
The couple took advantage of the sunny Lautoka city and took a tour of the city’s market among other locations before their departure.
“In New Zealand, we just got off and walked around the town, they had no tours there so there wasn’t anything really we could do so this is a lot better for us, culturally it’s more of an experience,” he said.
“We want to come up here for a trip and stay up in this end of the world for four or five days. We’ve had the ship experience so maybe we’ll get to have the land experience.”
Feedback: salote.qalubau@fijisun.com.fj
