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Ed Said -  Appreciating ‘Fiji time’

 

dadWe arrived at Fiji just over a fortnight ago along with nine other family members comprising six adults and four young people in the 9-15 age range. Time had passed and though I had tripped up and down the country several times, this was my first trip to Fiji and my first out of the country for almost a decade.

The air temperature was a comfortable 28C on arrival but the initial rush of warmth from the surrounding tarmac and roadway must have been close to the forties and resembled a sauna to a bunch of Kiwi’s coming from a near-winter clime. We had over three hours to wait until our water transport arrived for the hour-long trip to the island resort and were ushered to an hotel to relax until sailing time. We made good use of the bar and swimming pool without question or hassle although we were not guests there.

When confirming our itinerary and times we were quickly told the only time that mattered was ‘Fiji time,’ and Fiji time it proved to be. This was not to say that very little got done, in fact the opposite was the case. Whatever needed to be done or whatever anyone’s need, all was attended to without fuss, in good time and always with a cheery ‘Bula’ or ‘vinaka.’  Our accommodation on Plantation Island was clean and comfortable and serviced daily. While snacks and pizza was available, breakfast and dinner were buffet with an a la carte restaurant handy for those happy to pay up to $72 Fiji about ($60 NZ) for an Angus steak. You don’t stay at a resort intending to save money. 

Despite kayaking, cycling or playing tennis, the propensity was to flounder in the warm water for a while then either lay on the deck chairs provided or retreat to the bar. Generally the opportunity to put on several kilo’s in a week was accepted without question. 

The island itself consists of three resorts. On one end is Lomani, noticeably quite posh and for adults only and owned by an Australian family who also own the adjoining Plantation Island Resort which caters for families, with swimming pools, playgrounds, volleyball and tennis courts, and a host of kids activities daily plus child-minders on tap if adults wanted time out to dine at Lomani. 

At the other end of the island was Musket Cove, also a step up from Plantation with young adults, few kids and party boats, parasailing and surfing trips. This was owned by another Australian family who had moved there in the 70s. In the hills above the beach are some magnificent multi-million dollar mansions owned by business people from all over the world including Sir Own Glenn. 

It takes less than an hour to walk from one end of the island to the other and apart from the occasional small plane taking skydivers to the blue yonder we saw only one small Daihatsu truck on the island. There was a noticable lack of traffic and noise with electric golf carts being the staff mode of transport. Staff live on the island during their shifts which might be something like 12 days on and six days off. Their pay seems minimal but they get free accommodation and food while on shift. One thing quite noticeable was that the Fijians are great at smiling gleaming smiles, lit up by a gold front tooth in almost every case. I wonder if this is part of their pay?

There is no frantic scrubbing down of swimming pool surrounds, water blasting, sweeping of this and that or anyone telling you ‘no, you can’t go there’. Maintenance is done but at a more sedate pace. Likewise the preparation of meals for hundreds. Nothing was too much trouble. 

Our send-off to the strains of ‘Isa Lei’ the Fijian farewell song was very much an invitataion to go back again. They are a people who love people and provide an ideal environment for turning off the cellphone and listening, instead, to the breeze in the coconut palms.
But that was then and this is now.

Rob 

 
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