It was off to Newcastle this morning and we were greeted by the rain upon arrival. I shared the three-hour drive from Hull with Sabeto man and local champion coach Sivaniolo Varo.
Once we arrived in Newcastle, we took a tour of the city – crossing the 146-year-old Swing Bridge which connects Newcastle and Gateshead. From Swing Bridge, we headed past Guildhall, a building built in the 15th century that caught fire in 1639.
It was then rebuilt in 1655. We walked along Quayside as we saw the River Tyne which is used for water sports in the summer.
Overhead was the green Tyne Bridge.
We walked further past shops and the courthouse before reaching Gateshead Millennium Bridge. It was the world’s first tilting bridge. It spans the River Tyne to link the Newcastle and Gateshead quaysides and opened in 2001.
From there it was back to the hotel to settle in. We had a few visitors to the hotel including former Fiji Bati player Tabua Cakacaka. Cakacaka played for Fiji in the early 2000s and now lives in Newcastle.
Tomorrow (Friday UK time) the team will have its captain’s run at Kingston Park. That’s all from Newcastle as I sit in the hotel lobby overlooking River Tyne. Until next time, ni sa moce mada.
