2 weeks in Fiji

I'll be in Fiji from May 14th to 26th, and being completely new to the South Pacific, was hoping for some feedback on my proposed itinerary and had a few questions.

Day 1: Arrive @ 3:00pm. Stay in Nadi.
Day 2: Take Yasawa Flyer (7-day Bula pass) to Wayalailai Resort.
Day 3: Wayalailai Resort.
Day 4: Manta Ray Island Resort (via Flyer)
Day 5, 6, 7: Blue Lagoon Resort (via Flyer)
Day 8, 9: Octopus Island Resort (via Flyer)
Day 10: Take Octopus' water taxi back to Vuda Marina. Rent car through Avis for 3 days (F$200ish, will look for somebody to join me and split costs).
Day 11 -12: Drive wherever a 2WD can go - Suva, the dunes, the highlands, etc.
Day 13: Drive back to Nadi by noon for flight back to Sydney.

About me: I'm 22, into outdoorsy stuff (hiking, kayaking, snorkeling, etc) and nature photography, and I like to constantly be on the move. Not too interested in the cultural stuff, tours, excessive chilling out, or partying while there. Want to keep the budget to a minimum, but after Australia, everything in Fiji seems cheap, so I'm not too concerned there.

1. Based on that, does my itinerary seem reasonable? Anything I should reconsider?

2. Should I reserve dorm beds at any of those resorts, or just do it on the Flyer so that I'm not stuck to a schedule?

3. Also, is there a good spot in Nadi anybody can recommend to buy cheap/decent snorkel gear (mask & fins)? Would it be better to buy it now in Australia? I'll be visiting other islands (probably Samoa & American Samoa) and SE Asia in August, so it seems more economical to buy than rent.

Appreciate any feedback.

in Nadi on first night stay at Smugglers Cove...you can catch a free shuttle bus from the airport to Smugglers. They have dorm style accomodation.

http://www.smugglersbeachfiji.com/fastpage/fpengine.php/home_page.htm/1

be good to meet other travellers who have been in Fiji for a while and they will able to pass on info about where to go and what to do

definately buy your own snorkeling gear in Australia and take it with you.

If you leave booking (particularly Octopus & Blue Lagoon as they are very popular) until you get on the Flyer, you may find they have no availability for the nights you want. I'd recommend you contact them beforehand & book ahead (through their websites).

Altogether too much running around.

You could try Sharmas car rental which I found on the net, they seem competitive. Will be doing a similar trip end of June so would be interested to hear an evaluation of Manta Ray.

Sharma's is notorious for ripoffs.

Have you actually used Sharmas? I have - 4 times - no problems ever.

Sharmas was more expensive (even though they don't specify which currency they're using on their website, it was more expensive regardless), plus I've heard more bad than good about them.

I've reserved everything in that above itinerary, except the Flyer Bula Pass since it's cheaper to buy it in Fiji, so we shall see how it goes and whether it's too much running around or not.

Got back yesterday, and Fiji was awesome. Super friendly, reasonably priced (especially compared to Australia), and easy to get around.

Bluewater Lodge in Nadi was really great - very friendly, quiet, good food, and cheap. Lots of people I talked to complained about the dorm at Smugglers Cove. I also stayed in Aquarius (Bluewater was full), and it also was good.

The Yasawas were more interesting and picturesque than the mainland. All of the resorts were unique and good in their own ways, but Blue Lagoon was easily my favourite.

Wayalailai - Pretty basic and there was a sewer backup beside my dorm so it stunk, but overall it was a good introduction to the islands. The beach and onsite snorkeling isn't good. Weather sucked, but there was great scenery/hiking, and it felt like you were staying in the village. It's good value overall.

Manta Ray - Good food, decent facilities, good snorkeling (saw an octopus), and some very nice secluded beaches on the opposite side of the island. I was surprised by the party atmosphere and the lack of variety in the guests (95% backpackers...). It was popular, so reservations would be a good idea.

Blue Lagoon - Best food, small and a good variety of guests, everything's brand-new, the owners are great people, and there are lots of good activities to take. The cave trip, the bakery trip (more for the hike back than the bakery itself), and the sand bar were all interesting. Hiking to the summit provided awesome views. The beach was the best I encountered, and the snorkeling right off the beach is very good (saw lionfish, a stingray). The only slight cons are that the construction is still ongoing and there weren't enough beach chairs for everybody.

Octopus - Good food (definitely not the same quality as Blue Lagoon despite the same price), nice beach with good snorkeling. After Blue Lagoon, it failed to impress me, since it's so much bigger/less personal, facilities are older, activities are a little more expensive and less varied. The only thing where Octopus easily outshined all the others was with its breakfast buffet. It would have been better to go to Octopus before Blue Lagoon.

Back on the mainland, renting a car didn't happen because I lost my license at a bar, so instead I took a bus to the Beachouse on the Coral Coast. It was very quiet, had nothing but Brits who were somewhat cliquey, and really left me feeling bored due to a lack of activities (there's only so much reading I can do...), especially since the weather wasn't too pleasant. The facilities were excellent, and internet painfully slow. The food was ok by Fijian standards, but pretty bland and unexciting. It was a lackluster finish to an otherwise great trip, and renting a car or just staying in the Yasawas would've been better.

Very kind of you to report back-Thanks Very Much!