Kava-2fts-Hornbags: Lets Bollock Around Fiji A While! (Pt1)

** Kava-2fts-Hornbags **
Lets Bollock Around Fiji A While!

G'day,
Or if we wish to all appear like a wanky tourists, then 'Bulla' be the word.
Lets dump the Aussie coverage for a while and head to a more pleasurable place, a location where life be far more civilized and enjoyable (unless you were part of a deposed former government) or someone trying to make a quid out of growing sugarcane.
Fiji, a small island nation some distance of our eastern coast has long been a destination for tourists into swimming, diving and just lazying around in general. I can say without hesitation that I have never met a nation of more friendly people.
The friendliness never ends, indeed for someone who has spent most of their life in this shallow and empty existence that we call a modern society, it can cause great suspicion. It often takes some to learn that people can actually be nice and not want something out of it (well except for that lovely Indian lady at Nadi who was offering a private tour of her house with bonus services).
Thankfully I drew on all my years experience of being a dribbly foamer and managed to hide the obvious excitement at being given such an offer, something that comes so easy to so many others, or so it would seem.
Sadly, being the dedicated railfan that I am, my main reason for heading to this country was rail based, along with more than a passing interest in the wealth of old Leyland buses that cover the island like old aged western men cover the newest employee of a Pattaya girliebar.
On the eve of another possible trip to Fiji, I thought we would take a wander back and check out some of what I saw back in 2007, while train hunting the main island with John Browning, Neville Condor and the world famous Colonel (very occasionally known as David Phillips).
I hope the delights shared in coming weeks will entice you to want to travel there yourself one day. The trains are very interesting, the buses equally so, and despite what the average dribbly will have you believe, the hornbags wont give you "Icky Girl Germs'.

Shunters in Fiji.
These 0-4L-0 units are widely utilized in the fields around Fiji for shunting purposes. Although single ended, thus requiring turning between uses, they are far more economical than diesel powered types, getting
an average of 1 kilometre to a handful of hay.

Lautoka #20 is seen heading south through the town of Korovuto with a rake of empties bound for locations around Sigatoka. While the distance itself is not huge, the condition of the system means a long journey lays
ahead with a good prospect of a few derailments.