An open punt that carried Prince Charles was lost temporarily in a maze of reefs in a fast-falling tide in Bau waters about 7 o’clock at night on October 12, 1970.
It was at that time the Prince was scheduled to arrive at Government House in Suva.
The Prince, who was in Fiji for the Independence Day celebrations, was on his way to Bau Landing to return to Suva after watching a fish drive on Toberua Reef.
The Fiji Times published an article on the fish drive and what the Prince had encountered during his trip.
According to the article, the royal punt and two other escort craft had to stop. Guided by lights from homes on the island of Bau, they travelled back into deep water and continued safely for the landing.
The Prince, wearing a light blue T-shirt, shorts and a jungle-type cloth hat, became soaked when the punt was buffeted by rough seas, the article described.
That did not worry him and he refused to be taken back to shore when officials told him about 5.30pm it was time to go.
He sat in the bow of the punt which was manned by Fijians dressed in ceremonial costume.
When the craft filled with water, he used a small enamel basin to bail.
An official aboard one of the escort launches shouted to an official in a second vessel that it was time to go.
The Prince cupped his mouth with one hand and shouted back “Go to hell!”
Later, he shook a fist at a photographer and a television cameraman recording his movements on film from a launch.
Despite blustery weather, about 50 traditional fishermen of the Vunivalu of Bau from Kaba went out in 14 punts to take part in the drive.
The men had not speared many fish up to the time the royal party arrived on the Ra Marama from Leleuvia Island where they had disembarked from the HMS Charybdis after the trip to Levuka.
The drive continued unsuccessfully until the Prince left the area about 6pm, running well behind schedule.
The fishermen told this newspaper rough seas made it hard for them to see any fish.
More than 30 overseas and Fiji journalists, photographers and television cameramen were stranded on board the Marine Department ship Rogovoka off Toberua Island that night.
Prince Charles’ delay on the reef prevented the Rogovoka from sailing to shallow waters because darkness had begun to fall.
The press party was to have come ashore at Bau Landing where a bus was waiting to bring them to Suva.
The newsmen were expected to be landed at high water early on October 13.
They were unable to cover the fish drive because punts scheduled to take them to the reef did not arrive because of rough seas.
This newspaper reported the party had travelled to Levuka on the Royal Australian Navy frigate, Swan, to cover Prince Charles’ visit.
Ex-servicemen lined Levuka Wharf for the arrival of the Prince.
Dressed in white and wearing their service medals, they stood to attention as he was driven past.
The Prince went through Beach St, the town’s main street to Vagadaci to see the area known as Raratabu.
His great-grandfather, the late King George V, as a boy of 15, played cricket there during a visit to Levuka in 1881.
Prince Charles met the town’s Public Works Department supervisor, George Thomas and prominent Levuka businessman, Reginald Patterson during his visit.
Mr Thomas’ father, the late Mr Charles Wimbledon Thomas, played in the 1881 match.
Afterwards, Fijian people named the area Raratabu, meaning sacred ground. Raratabu is now the site of government quarters but the Prince was shown where the cricket pitch was located.
Accompanied by the Commissioner Eastern, George Mataika, he visited one of the government homes.
Later, he drove to the sports ground, Nasau Park, where he met the chairman of the Levuka Township Board, Mr E. Ashley and Mrs Ashley, members of the board and their wives and other leading citizens.
Accompanied by Levuka Public School principal, W. E Donnelly, the Prince inspected groups of schoolchildren making handicrafts, plaiting coconut leaf baskets and cutting copra.
The article reported he spent about half an hour talking to teachers and children on parade at the park.
In a brief but touching ceremony, Prince Charles unveiled a plaque commemorating Fiji’s independence.
The plaque is on a stone near the cession stone which marked the spot at Nasova where the Deed of Cession was signed in October, 1874.
Escorted by Fijian men carrying war clubs, Prince Charles went to Mr Mataika’s
home, after inspecting a parade of ex-servicemen.
He watched a lively club dance performed by men of Moturiki, similar to one
performed for his greatgrandfather.
Later, he lunched at Nasova before returning to HMS Charybdis for his trip to the
fish drive.
