MARCH 15. 1959 AT 8:20 A.M. NADI TIME WE CROSSED THE THE I.D.L. "WE WILL FLY FROM SUNDAY INTO THE MORNING OF MONDAY, MAR. 16 # LOSING 1 DAY THEREBY" CAPT. E.W.DITTON E.T.A. NADI 10:55 A.M. LOCAL TIME. ON SCHEDULE: DEP. 12:15 2000 MI. TO SYDNEY. SULTRY AND OVERCAST. LIGHT SHOWERS, FRUIT & SANDWICH BAR AT THE HOTEL MOCAMBO - A RATHER DI- LAPIDATED LITTLE HOTEL AT THIS CROSSROADS AIRPORT. PLANES LEAVE HERE FOR NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA & NEW CALEDONIA. ONE OF OUR PASSENGERS TOLD ME ABOUT A RATHER NICE BUNGALOW COLONY 2 MILES OUT OF NOUMEA - AMSE-VATA - RESTAURANT NEARBY. THEY ARE NOW PUTTING DOWN A 10,500 FOOT RUNWAY FOR JETS AT NADI (PRONOUNCED NANDI), VOLCANIC HILLS WITH TYPICALLY SHARP ERO- SION PATTERNS BACKDROP THE AIRPORT. VERY LITTLE TIMBER LEFT. SUGAR CANE IS AN IMPORTANT INDUSTRY HERE. WE SAW AT LEAST 2 SUGAR FREIGHTERS ON OUR APPROACH TO THE BIG ISLAND OF VITI LEVU. MY LAST VISIT TO FIJI WAS IN 1948 WHEN OUR FREIGHTER LAID OVER AT SUVA FOR A FEW HOURS (135 MILES AWAY TO THE SOUTH EAST). NADI IS A CHANGE-OVER STOP FOR QANTAS CREW. FIJI IS A BRITISH CROWN COLONY - A PROBLEM COLONY. THE INDIANS ARE BREEDING LIKE RABBITS AND HAVE TAKEN OVER THE BUSINESS OF THE ISLANDS. NATIVE FIJIAN'S ARE EASY GOING AND JUST CAN'T COMPETE WITH THE "JEWS OF THE PACIFIC". TOOK 1 PICTURE OF REEF AS WE MADE ALTITUDE OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY. HEAD WINDS ON RUN TO SYDNEY - WILL BE AT LEAST TWO HOURS LATE. I HOPE ALLEN KEAST DOESN'T WAIT FOR US. A BROLLING CLEAR BLUE SKY DAY NOW THAT WE HAVE LEFT FIJI BEHIND. LITTLE PUFFY BITS OF CUMULUS ALL OVER THE MAP. A FEW BIG CUMULUS HEADS SCATTERED ON THE HORIZON. THIS IS THE KIND OF DAY THAT YOU GET FOR DAYS ON END WHEN CROSSING THE SOUTH PACIFIC BY SHIP. IT IS NOW THE END OF SUMMER & THE SUN WILL BE ON THE EQUATOR IN A FEW DAYS. WE ARE AT 10,000 FT. AND THE AIR IS SMOOTH,