We left New Zealand in our snowboard gear and landed in Fiji in our bikinis! Vanessa and I had decided to stop over on our way to California and seriously that was the idea of the century!

My Billabong team manager Andrew had the same idea and was staying in Tavarua, and somehow we got lucky enough to be able to join him there for a few days. It was Paradise!! The island is so pretty, everyone is so nice and the surf was soo good!

We went straight to Cloudbreak (super sick lefthander) as we arrived, I was pretty scared as I’m not a master in terms of duck diving yet and the reef is pretty mean there. The first thing that happened was a pro surfer who had just smashed his head into the reef and had blood all over his face with a broken nose. no big deal, we all got back into the water after that. Andrew was killing it! I even got to catch a wave, wow! that one wave made my whole day, I was so stoked on it that I didn’t even try to catch another one!

Then the swell got way too big and I ended up in the water going like “how did I end up out here?” But that wave was so perfect, it was just magical for me to be sitting on my board looking at it… Well, in between the waves where I was paddling out for my life! The swell got even bigger the next day and as all the big guys all went to Cloudbreak I decided to go on that right on the other side of the island, and that was the session of my life! We were only 4 on it, and we all had a blast!

Then the wind picked up and luckily our new friend Tom took us fishing. We went out twice during the day… Fishing is super fun it’s pretty much hanging out in a boat and laughing. I like the concept! We caught some small fish and a shark!! Yeah no big deal, happens all the time!! What!?! A shark! We obviously released it (never eat what can eat you).

We also walked around the island, long boarded, stand up paddled, danced in the jacuzzi and on the swimming pool bar, played ping pong, pool and laughed 24/7. I’m in love with Tavarua and I can’t wait until I’ll be back there! You guys should definitely check this place out! It’s so good!!

Thousands of thanks to Tavarua Island for being such an amazing place in the world! Check out there website and book here: tavarua.com
Thanks to Thomas Servais for all the fun we had fishing and not fishing with him, check out his amazing photography on his website tomservais.com

Thanks to Vanessa for being such a fun travel mate and for all the photos vanessandrieux.com