Pacific Island Living issue 15 by Pacific Island Living

Islandliving from the editor

AUTUMN 2016 | ISSUE 15

Island s Paradise

ext issue, we will be celebrating four years of Pacific Island Living. We started this magazine for Pacific people – to find, review and recommend things to see and do, and ultimately, buy. We are proudly an aspirational magazine, we want our readers to sit back and indulge just as much as we want to tell the world how great the Pacific really is. From Georgie Gordon’s health and beauty columns, to Carolyn Ernst’s gardening tips, we hope you agree Pacific Island Living has something for everyone. In four years our market has grown from Vanuatu and Nauru Airlines to cover most of the Pacific. We’re particularly proud of our market share in Fiji and the Solomon Islands as well as our distribution in Australia through Qantas Club lounges. As I write this column I’m in Fiji, having just flown in from Vanuatu. Next month it will be Nauru then the Sollies. Pacific Island Living truly is a Pacific magazine and we’re so pleased you have enjoyed it and helped its growth over the last four years. Please do keep in touch via our website, Facebook page, Instagram or Twitter. Happy reading. Tiffany Carroll

Melanesia

CRUISING ADVENTURE

Kosrae

TREASURE ISLAND

Fashion Flash IN THE SWIM

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Showtime

THE PACIFIC’S POMPEII

@PacIsLiving

Paciﬁc Pulse

NEWS+VIEWS RESORTS+REAL ESTATE

Copyright: All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. Articles express the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of Nauru Airlines, Tourism Fiji, Vanuatu Tourism Office or Pacific Island Living.

Plus

FOOD+HEALTH+MORE islandliving | 1 paciﬁc

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from the editor

Find us on Facebook

www.facebook.com/pacificislandliving, Twitter

@PacIsLiving

and Instagram at instagram.com/pacisliving or read this and all our magazines online at www.pacific-island-living. com Cover images - Fiji Island Living courtesy Adrenalin Fiji; Solomon Island Living, by David Kirkland; Nauru Airlines Cover courtesy Nautilus Resort, Kosrae; Vanuatu cover courtesy Pavol Stranák. Copyright: All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. Articles express the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of Nauru Airlines, Tourism Fiji, Vanuatu Tourism Office or Pacific Island Living.

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Pacific Island Living No 15 | Autumn 2016 EDITOR Tiffany Carroll Email: tcarroll@photogenicpr.com ART DIRECTOR Tanya Green FEATURES EDITOR Georgie Gordon FASHION + STYLE EDITOR Olivia Waugh FOOD EDITOR Christiana Kaluscha GARDENING EDITOR Carolyn Ernst CONTRIBUTORS Toby Preston, Craig Osment, Pat Ingram, Carolyn Ernst, Christiana Kaluscha, Gayle Stapleton, Rod Eime, Tiffany Carroll, Tourism Fiji, Vanuatu Tourism Office, Keri Algar, Deborah Dickson-Smith, Floyd Smith, Glenn A. BakerIan Lloyd Neubauer, Pavel Stranák, Tatyana Leonov, SIVB, Nautilus Resort FSM. EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Pat Ingram PUBLISHER: Craig Osment ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Rebecca Murphy: Advertising Director Fiji | Vanuatu | Nauru Telephone: (678) 778 0005 Email: sales@photogenicpr.com Honiara: Bronwyn Norris Telephone: (677) 7456066 Email: features@photogenicpr.com Pacific Island Living, is published quarterly by Photogenic Limited Fax (678) 23 402 | PO Box 322 Port Vila, Vanuatu Printed by APOL Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/pacificislandliving, Twitter

@PacIsLiving

and Instagram

at instagram.com/pacisliving

Or read this and all our magazines online at www.pacific-island-living.com. COPYRIGHT All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. Articles express the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of Nauru Airlines, Tourism Fiji or Pacific Island Living.

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ELEGANCE | QUALITY | STYLE

ARTISAN JEWELLERS SINCE 1981

Visit our Showroom and Sales Oﬃce at Nambatu Area. For personal shopping please call +678 776 8750. Email: sales@vanuatubijouterie.com Vanuatu Bijouterie - Fine Jewellery

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Check our feature on that most essential tropical accoutrement – the swimming pool. A musthave for every resort and ideally in your own backyard too. This one is to be found at Fiji’s InterContinental. See page 50

CONTENTS 016 2 n m u t u A

airline code-share agreements, Fiji’s clean and green campaign to eliminate plastic waste on the Coral Coast and a new look for Solbrew, one of the region’s favourite refreshments..

BEACHCOMBER This issue we feature a new range of island fashions, Vanuatu’s Kava culture, an amazing recycling initiative that turns plastic bottles into stylish clothing and the new club at Fiji’s Sofitel.

BOOK LOOK Georgie Gordon rounds up a selection of inspirational travel titles which take you from India to the Federated States of Micronesia via Britain, Rome and beyond.

PACIFIC PULSE Our roundup of Pacific happenings. This time the announcement of new

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FASHION FLASH Fashion editor Olivia Waugh gets in the swim with a selection of one-piece wonders and two-pieces that are twice as nice.

ART SMART – BAG BRAG For astute retailers shopping bags are mobile billboards, smart art and innovative design makes them effective advertisements for their wares. Consumer cachet and commercial reality collide in clever graphics.

STYLE+DÉCOR – TEXTURE + COLOUR Olivia Waugh takes a look at what feels good and looks even better from chairs to fridges, chess sets to candles.

NET ASSETS Our pick of the websites we love! This time we look at a selection of sites that feature advice on entertaining and party planning.

CRUISING – MELANESIAN ADVENTURE Expedition cruiser, Roderick Eime, recalls his voyage through some of the last uncharted waters between Honiara and Port Vila

ABODE – POOL CUES Toby Preston plunges into the world of pools and finds some spectacular examples of these symbols of sybaritic living and status in sunny climes. And a surprisingly long history dating back five millennia.

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SHOWTIME IN THE WILD PACIFIC Rabaul, known as the Pacific Pompeii is still home to a smouldering caldera which Glenn A Baker visits on his way further into the remote areas of Papua New Guinea.

BEAUTY – COCONUT OIL Georgie Gordon tells that coconut oil is the beauty equivalent of a superfood. It’s natural, inexpensive and has a multitude of benefits for your body – inside and out.

HEALTH – NORDIC NOURISHMENT Those radiantly blonde and healthy-looking Scandinavians have been harbouring a simple dietary secret for centuries. – eat more fish!

FOODIE FURLOUGH Our food editor, Christiana Kaluscha, usually does her own cooking but we thought it time to give her a break and the opportunity to table-test someone else’s Fijian gastronomic efforts.

PENTECOST – LEAP OF FAITH The famous land divers of Pentecost risk life and limb to ensure a healthy yam harvest.

CARIBBEAN COOL Island deprivation and respite from a freezing winter drove former Fijian girl Jemma Sadrugu off to the sunshine of the Dominican Republic.

NANUKA A luxury Fijian property where you can check in for a break or buy in forever.

TREASURE ISLAND Keri Algar finds a peaceful and serene island with a rich history, the Pacific’s equivalent to Venice, and spectacular scenery. And then washes up at Nautilus, another version of paradise.

GARDENS – ‘TIS THE SEASON Gardening editor, Carolyn Ernst, offers advice on the best ways to keep your garden hydrated.

ISLAND INTELLIGENCE Essential information from around the region.

THE PEOPLE BEHIND YOUR MAGAZINE The behind-the-scene scene, who makes your magazine every issue, contributors and staff details.

101 BUY IN – INVESTING IN PARADISE Gayle Stapleton passes on some post-Pam real estate tips. Top: The colours of the Caribbean, where former Fijian girl Jemma Sadrugu finds tropical relief from her temporary British digs. Middle: This time the colours of Melanesia which is a haven for ‘birders’ seeking out exotic avian adventure. Above: the smoking volcano of Rabaul in PNG.

106 TULAGI Fiona Marston stays, dives and plays in the former capital of the Solomons.

106 PAR AVION Bum trip tips. Toby Preston finds you can’t always get what you want when travelling.

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Find Us on Denarau Island. Book at your Resort / Hotel Tour Desk T: 675 1288 E: info@adrenalinfiji.com

www.adrenalinfiji.com

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Beachcomber Every issue we bring you the news, views, people, products and places from all around the Pacific.

RAW AND READY FOR ANYTHING, EVEN THE DOG Coconut oil first entered our lives by way of our kitchen, and soon another bottle had made its home in our bathrooms, now everywhere I look around the house there is a bottle of oil waiting for our next experiment, says Sharon Smith-Johns of Coconuts Fiji. Fiji Virgin Coconut Oil is traditionally handmade by women living in small islands, seaside villages and pristine rural areas in Fiji. Their oil is 100% raw, cold pressed, naturally organic and comes from wild harvest coconut trees. It is chosen for its purity, clarity, aroma and mild coconut taste. Coconuts Fiji products include a range for the body, hair and even pets. The lightweight oil is easily absorbed and does wonders for your hair and skin. Available throughout Fiji and online at coconutsfiji.com

ISLAND BY KATIE DWYER Former Vanuatu girl Katie Dwyer’s fabulous resort wear collection is now available in Fiji at Pineapple boutiques in Denarau. The collection includes casual day wear, pure silk readyto-wear evening dresses, smart cotton stripes and gorgeous sarongs. Showcasing her range at Fiji Fashion Week’s resort wear show at the Sofitel, Katie was delighted with the reception and expansion in to Fiji. Katie’s retail store, Island by Katie Dwyer is open at the Sheraton Resort on the Gold Coast, with her full range available online at islandprincess.cc Stay tuned for more retailers stocking this gorgeous range in Vanuatu too. WAITUI CLUB AT THE SOFITEL We’ve discovered the best place on Denarau to relax, away from the kids and hordes of tourists, yet still feel like you’re on holiday. The Waitui Club at the Sofitel Resort is an adults only private area of the resort which is open for Club members only however non-Club members can purchase a day pass. On arrival you’ll be greeted with a pool towel, cold Fijian water and complimentary canapes. Happy hour is the happiest of all – as the cocktails are included in the entry price. A swim up bar, plenty of lounges and sun decks, comfy couches and cool tunes make this the perfect place to unwind and enjoy sophisticated Fijian hospitality in the surrounds of the expansive luxurious beachside resort So ditch the kids, grab a book and enjoy a day at Waitui.

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Beachcomber And if you have anything that’s worth knowing about, get in touch and let us in on the secret. CARVING OUT A KAVA NICHE Vanuatu is renowned for the quality of its kava, which while an acquired taste, is in fact a recommended experience for visitors. An evening ‘shell’ of kava at a nakamal (kava bar) makes a great start to a night out and is a mellowing interlude. Port Vila’s kava experts are to be found at the Kava Emporium which is in the middle of town on the main street. Here you can get advice on their range of kava-based produce – powders from throughout the islands, including the famous coconut kava, the very strong Tanna kava along with Hariap instant kava powder which only takes 20 second’s of preparation. They also stock kava cordial for those that like to sweeten their tipple, kava chocolate, the perfect after dinner snack and kava candy Their latest product is kava honey which can either be eaten separately or used to make a delicious honey flavoured kava juice. The Kava Emporium team are happy to recommend the best kava bars in town (these include Blue Galaxy, Annie’s at Pango and the Maewo nakamal behind the hospital) and give advice on what quantities you can take home with you (if that’s Australia, then you can take two kilos of any type of kava) and James is there to advise on all the products and their origins which range from Tanna to Malekula to Epi and Pentecost. TKE is also proud of the fact that they promote Made in Vanuatu which means that 75 percent of their stock is made there including Tanna Farm peanuts, and local cosmetics from Volcanic Earth, The Summit and Pacific Passion. Kava drinking is catching on around the world – there are now more than 40 kava bars in the United States but the Noble kava found in the best bars in Vila has been drunk for hundreds of years in Vanuatu and is considered a very safe drop, but keep in mind it’s best not to drink alcohol prior to drinking kava.

PLASTIC FANTASTIC In a remarkable turnaround for that scourge of the oceans – discarded plastic bottles which form islands of junk across the Pacific, a collaboration between fashion innovators has come up with a stylish solution - turning 700,000 PET plastic bottles into bionic yarn and making clothes from it. Now entering their third season together, partners G-Star, Bionic Yarn and Parley for the Oceans have transformed more than two million single-use plastic containers recovered from ocean coastlines into denim jeans, jackets and ultra soft t-shirts and sweats (the one shown here features their octopus mascot design). The nautical inspiration continues throughout the collection which includes a men’s peacoat in new raw black denim and Breton stripe as well as distressed, patched and chalky painted jeans and shorts. The RAW for the Oceans range is available from www.g-star.com

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Cardo s STEAKHOUSE & COCKTAIL BAR Port Denarau, Fiji

Open for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner - Go where the locals go!

Port Denarau Marina Complex, FIJI Phone (+679) 675 0900 Web www.cardosfiji.com 10 | Islandliving paciďŹ c

Book look: WANDERLUST Georgie Gordon’s picks of the latest travel books, from Micronesia to Europe. A PERSONAL GUIDE TO INDIA AND BHUTAN by Christine Manfield Celebrated Australian chef Christine Manfield wrote this guide to make the reader ‘aware of India and awaken your desire to visit this incredible country, whilst fostering a respect for it’s traditions’. Having spent extensive time exploring the sub-continent over the last two decades Manfield recommends the best places to shop, stay and see, all of which she has personally visited. Each chapter covers a different region and is a must for those travellers looking to venture off the tourist track and find some truly special places to eat and experience. There’s also a valuable foreword where she offers sage advice on everything from tipping etiquette, to food safety and beggars.

DEEP SOUTH by Paul Theroux Paul Theroux spent fifty years crossing the globe, adventuring in the exotic, seeking the rich history and folklore of the far away, however this is his first book exploring part of America – the South. On road trips spanning four seasons, Theroux visits gun shows and small-town churches, labourers in Arkansas and parts of Mississippi where they still call the farm up the road ‘the plantation’. He talks to mayors and social workers, writers and reverends, the working poor and farming families. He transports the reader to this paradoxical place which is full of beautiful food and music but has some of the nations worst schools, housing and unemployment rates.

ROME: CENTURIES IN AN ITALIAN KITCHEN by Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi Take a gastronomic tour of the Italian capital, through recipes – both new and centuries old and the stunning photography that takes you from the Pantheon to the Renaissance palazzos, Baroque fountains and neighbourhood trattorias. The authors present their interpretations of classic dishes such as Katie’s spicy cheese and pepper pasta and collaborate with Rome’s top chefs to share modern dishes such as chilli gelato. Rome takes a fresh look at its cuisine and is such a visual pleasure you’ll be dreaming of your next trip to Italy or at the very least transporting yourself there with seasonal soups, simple and authentic pasta dishes and indulgent dolce.

THE ROAD TO LITTLE DRIBBLING: MORE NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND by Bill Bryson Bryson’s new travel book was published to coincide with the 20th anniversary of his modern classic Notes from a Small Island, also about England, which was voted the book that best represented Britain by a BBC poll. He admits that the reason for publishing his first travel book in 15 years was entirely a commercial one but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable for the reader. He sets off to do a similar route as he took two decades earlier, a little older and a little grumpier but equally as witty and entertaining in his rediscoveries, and on the way giving us an acute insight into the best and worst of Britain today.

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO PARADISE by Alex Sheshunoff In his mid twenties, Alex Sheshunoff had a successful internet start-up company, but he was burned out. So he bought a one-way ticket to the island of Yap, (FSM) in the Pacific, giving up everything he was supposed to want in search of all the things he thought he needed. This book is about his experience, part memoir and part guide to reconstructing your life. It is hilarious, mad and heartfelt and contains many entertaining anecdotes about encounters with locals and expats he encountered, befriended and offended and offers a personal insight into giving it all up and finding your place in the sun.

GIRLS WHO TRAVEL by Nicole Trilivas This witty, travel-inspired debut novel is about wanderlust and how far you have to travel to find yourself. Kika Shore has been miserable since she returned from her year long backpacking tour, living with her mum and working in a mind-numbing job, she jumps at the opportunity to be a nanny in London, especially as it may reacquaint her with the man she met on her trip. Things do not turn out as planned and Kika soon learns the most exciting adventures can happen when you stay in one place. A fun and light-hearted read.

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RESTAURANT BAR & SOCIAL CLUB

WHEN IN FIJI : COME WINE, DINE & PLAY Port Denarau Marina, Fiji • Web www.rhum-ba.com • Phone +679 770 7486

The Fiji Coffee Company | Lot 25, Wailada Estate +679 336 1171 | orders@lawhillfiji.com www.lawhillfiji.com

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Net assets: Entertaining Georgie Gordon finds party planning easier on the net. Here’s why. PINCH PARTIES Pinch Parties is actually an American site that delivers pre-styled parties to your door, however we like it for ‘pinching’ their ideas for fun dinner party ideas whether it be for a table of four or forty. Browse through their party themes from ‘Parisian’ to The Great Gatsby inspired ‘All That Glitters’ and click on them for a full inventory of everything you need to replicate the table setting for your guests. Also good for ideas for party favours and party stations, such as an oyster or dessert bar. For further inspiration click over to their blog for useful posts on arranging flowers and autumn cocktail recipes. pinchparties.com

DONNA HAY Donna Hay is fantastic at making recipes seem easy and that’s because they are, she takes the no-fuss approach to entertaining through her books and website and delivers recipes for simple crowd pleasing food with a focus on fresh seasonal produce. The ENTERTAINING section on her site offers delicious ideas from nibbles with drinks through to decadent desserts. Think asparagus with tarragon butter, followed by crispy pork belly with fennel salt and then vanilla panacotta with Campari jelly. She has good suggestions for entertaining large groups and great kid’s food too. donnahay.com.au

PINTEREST A party planner’s dream, Pinterest is a social network that allows users to visually share their interests by posting or ‘pinning’ images to a board. Say you are you planning your four-year-old’s Thomas the Tank Engine-themed birthday party, you would create a board with that title and pin photos of a cake from a website, a costume you had snapped a pic of another child’s party and so on, but the fun really starts when you search other people’s boards for inspiration and re-pin what you like to your board. A Pinterest search will also offer endless Thomas-themed suggestions. This site is especially useful for wedding planning. pinterest.com

ALL SEATED If you’ve got a big event coming up, such as a wedding, a charity event or work function, All Seated is perfect for taking the stress out of logistical tasks such as seating plans, guest lists and catering requirements. An online platform allows you create a floor plan for your venue to manage ever changing seating arrangements, your guest list can be uploaded directly from your social networks allowing you to update guests on the upcoming event and you can allow other hosts and contractors such as caterers access to streamline sharing information about the event. allseated.com

MARTHA STEWART Although a little twee and likely to make you fall in a heap with the effort of it all, no-one can accuse Martha Stewart of not being thorough when it comes to entertaining ideas. If you are looking to take Easter to the next level this year, from crepe paper carrots to bunny shaped folded napkins to an Easter egg wreath, Martha’s got you covered. Jokes aside if you do fancy a bit of DIY crafting this is where to go, as it is for beautiful table decorating ideas and foolproof menus from top chefs. Also, great for craft ideas to keep the kids busy in the school holidays. marthastewart.com

POSTABLE If you like the idea of sending invitations and thank you cards by actual physical mail, Postable allows you to create and send personalised letters to your guests wherever you may be in the world (provided there is a mail system). There are hundreds of beautifully designed cards to choose from for any occasion you can think of, or you can customise them yourself. Just upload your guest’s addresses and your message and let them do the rest of the work for you, including managing RSVP’s. postable.com

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art smart

Talking Shop g a r B g a B For astute retailers shopping bags are mobile billboards, smart art and innovative design makes them effective advertisements for their wares. Consumer cachet and commercial reality collide in clever graphics. Toby Preston is left holding the bag of tricks.

Above: That’s ‘real’ art, the Botticelli bag from the Florence Museum shop. Right above: Junk Funk Hound Dog, right: Clever stationery supplies bag. Opposite page: Top left; Missoni’s stylish take on their iconic design pattern, on paper this time; below, you get a free Hermes shopping bag with every Birken Handbag (right) which only costs up to $20,000; centre below, sand drawing on leather by Estelle Milfirer at Vanuatu Bijouterie Top right: Moo sneakers with laces in funny places; below another stationery tote.

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n the world of advertising, marketing and promotion it pays to be eye-catching and stylish and one of the better places to advertise your merchandise is right on the bag it comes in. Indeed I was struck recently when I read that a very sophisticated Sydney butchery’s paper shopping bags had become a status symbol around the eastern suburbs. This particular butcher, Victor Churchill, is in the up-market suburb of Woollahra and is more a ‘meat gallery’ than a butchery. The door handle is in the form of a string of brass sausages, the butchers work behind a glass wall on designer chopping blocks and the carnivorous offerings are very expensive. I think the Wagyu beef has been hand massaged by vestal virgins for several months and costs accordingly. But even so, for a butcher’s shopping bag to become a carrier bag with cachet

is surely a first. It should be said that the livery is beautifully designed and re-works the traditional butcher’s stripe in shades of brown and cream with restrained typography and heavy string handles so there is some rationale behind this item having intrinsic graphic credibility. So it’s hardly surprising that designer labels in the fashion trade pay serious attention to what their wares are carried out of the store in. Bags are symbolic of taste and preferences and a easy way to announce to your fellow consumers that you’ve got purchasing power and the money to indulge. The renowned orange, which is the corporate colour of handbag-maker-to-thegentry Hermes, is recognised the world over as the mark of an expensive purchase and when the bag inside the bag can cost as much as $20,000 then if the customer wants bragging rights as well as bagging rights, that’s to be expected. And if they recycle their paper bag with lesser goods inside, who cares? HANDLES WITH CARE Perhaps more interesting though are the myriad companies

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Above: Above: Book Book publishers publishers Thames Thames && Hudson Hudson celebrate celebrate 60 60 years years in in literary literary style. style. Below Below left: left: Take Take aa lead lead from from ‘man’s ‘man’s best best friend; friend; and and Andy Andy Warhol Warhol

Left: Door opener, car door for those who like to walk with elbow out the window. Above: Fiji’s Coral Coast has gone green with this enviro bag. Below: the big bag in the landscape for Versace /H&M promotion.

soups up the shopping scene with the Campbells Tomato Soup can bag.

that use wit and humour to promote their purchases. For example the Moo sneaker bag above that uses the shoe laces as handles, or the stationery company with a giant paperclip which doubles as a handle when carried, or the Turkish retailer YKM which won a design award for their bag which shows a man skipping with the rope doubling as a hand grip. When the giant Swedish fashion chain H&M teamed up with Italian design house Versace they installed giant sculptural Versace/H&M shopping bags at five locations around London to publicise the venture, pretty eyecatching stuff and a step up from expecting your customers to do the heavy lifting. So for something that was first introduced in the mid 19th century as a flimsy paper envelope it’s come a long way, with the first bag with handles being sold for five cents in 1912 so that customers could carry more goods.

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FREEHOLD OWNERSHIP AT FIJI’S MOST EXCLUSIVE BEACH On Fiji’s most desirable beach is a sanctuary for the discriminating few, and your opportunity to create a very private oceanfront residence enhanced by the services and amenities of Fiji’s preeminent luxury destination — Nanuku Auberge Resort. As a homeowner, you will enjoy full access to the resort and Auberge services in residence, as well as the opportunity to enhance your investment by entering your property into the resort’s rental program. Property management and a worldwide home exchange are also available through Auberge.

Please enquire about Real Estate Discovery Visit packages at preferred rates. Nanuku lies on three tranquil coves of Viti Levu's Coral Coast, placing you minutes from Pacific Harbour (known as "The Adventure Capital of Fiji"). 18 | Islandliving paciﬁc

Homesites from USD $399,000. Turnkey villas from USD $500,000. INTERNATIONAL: +679 345 2110 NEW ZEALAND: 0800 OWN FIJI AUSTRALIA: 1800 BUY FIJI UNITED STATES: 1-844-OWN-FIJI NANUKUFIJI.COM REALESTATE@NANUKUFIJI.COM islandliving | 19 paciямБc

Paciﬁc Pulse Pacific news and events. The Sollies brews up a new design and Fiji bags green cred. SOLBREW SHAPES UP Solomon Breweries Ltd have relaunched the country’s favourite and beloved SB Beer. The new design was unveiled at a VIP relaunch event, hosted in the brewery’s carpark which was transformed into a spectacular outdoor SB Beach Bar. The venue was lined with palms and bamboo, coconuts and sand, with guests entertained by a ukulele band, tamure dancers, a live band and dance troupe Genius Collision. Guests were also treated to an island feast and of course the newly rebranded SB. The new design features an iconic frigate bird, the nationally recognised symbol of the Solomon Islands, with hints of traditional carving and shell inlay. It also pays homage to the original can design by keeping the prominent yellow SB lettering inside the black circle, as well as an udpated gold base can colour. The frigate bird was seen as a fitting symbol for SB as the bird is universally recognised as a cheeky character, a bird of the sea, sometimes referred to as the pirate of the sky. The lovable, good natured, cheeky personality of the bird was thought to befit the personality of SB. “The re-brand of SB is really all about unearthing the real personality of the SB brand and connecting with its consumers,” marketing manager Fiona Marston said. At the launch, Solomon Breweries general manager Jan Arie Smit made a surprise announcement – the introduction of SB Bush Lime – a delicious fusion of SB and local bush lime juice, a first of its kind in Solomon Islands and a refreshing local take on the beer.

Consumers will find the beer is not too sweet and has a distinctly light and refreshing bush lime character. “SB is the favourite beer of Solomon Islands and beloved throughout the broader Pacific region and Solomon Breweries are excited to finally let this little gold can truly shine,” Ms. Marston said.

CORAL COAST GOES GREEN AND CLEAN If you’re staying in one of Fiji’s Coral Coast hotels, you may notice a cool enviro-bag in your room – an iniative of the local tourism association. ”Fundamentally we came up with a catchcry ‘No Plastic That’s Fantastic’, our goal was to teach all of the school children at all 168 schools in the province that they are better to use the eviron bag instead of using plastic bags when they go shopping,” said Peter Hopgood, general manager of the Outrigger Resort on Fiji’s Coral Coast. “We visited all of the schools and distributed over 20,000 shopping totes. We also ran poster competitions, cleanest school competition and cleanest village

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competitions,” Mr. Hopgood said. “We thought that if we were going to educate the schools then it was also important that we introduce the enviro friendly bags into the resort for use by our guests as well.”

So if you’re staying in the area, do support the cause and carry your enviro-bags for shopping and tours. A great initiative and handy takehome bag too.

YO U R F A M I LY P L AY G R O U N D A WA I T S Discover tropical garDens • splash away with climate controlleD lagoon swimming pools • inDulge with six unique Dining options • relax at harmony spa retreat • KiDs stay entertaineD with our KiDs club stay. play. relax. raDisson blu. it is you!

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raDisson blu resort Denarau islanD www.radissonblu.com/resort-fiji tel: (679) 675 6677 Fax: (679) 675 1117 reservations@radissonfiji.com www.facebook.com/radissonbluFijiresort

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Paciﬁc Pulse Three Pacific Airlines announce codeshare agreement as boost to reginal tourism. MELANESIAN BROTHERHOOD TO BOOST TOURISM Air Vanuatu, Air Niugini and Solomon Airlines announced a new codeshare agreement which will deliver more ticket sales to the airlines and visitors to Melanesia. Announcing the partnership, Air Vanautu chief executive officer Joseph Laloyer said the three carriers had been working towards a mutually beneficial codeshare agreement for sometime, finalising the partnership in Brisbane at the Airlines of the South Pacific Association (ASPA) meeting in December. “Working with our Melanesian neighbours creates an opportunity for understanding, partnership and development of all three carriers,” Mr. Laloyer said. “We have had a long term relationship with Solomon Airlines and have supported each other in times of need; we’re really looking forward to building the same relationship with the South Pacific’s biggest carrier, Air Niugini,” he said.

The new codeshare arrangement will see Air Niugini operate their Boeing 737-800 aircraft to and from Port Moresby to Port Vila via Honiara, with Air Vanuatu marketing the flights out of Port Vila. “Air Vanuatu has had difficult year and it is important we open new markets

Islandliving pacific

Celebrating five editons...

Vanuatu |Fiji |Solomon Islands |Nauru Airlines |Australia

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as Port Vila continues to recover from Cyclone Pam,” Mr. Laloyer said. “Tapping in to PNG’s FIFO market presents an opportunity for Vanuatu to attract a new kind of tourist and reach a wider market. With 2015 almost behind us, we’re looking to open new markets and start a fresh in 2016.”

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avid © David ©Kirkland DavidKirkland Kirkland © David Kirkland

Reef Island, Motalava Reef Island, Motalava Reef Island, Motalava

Simplicity and serenity Simplicity Simplicityand andserenity serenity Simplicity and serenity

vanuatu.travel vanuatu.travel vanuatu.travel #DiscoverVanuatu #DiscoverVanuatu #DiscoverVanuatu vanuatu.travel #DiscoverVanuatu

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Fiji Pendant Ceiling Light, £49.50 www.marksandspencer.com

Double hanging rattan chair, US$695 www.serenaandlily.com

Zebra Printed Leather Rug, $839 www.zarahome.com

Texture Vs Colourase Olivia Waugh’s unerring eye for both texture and colour makes choosing those objects of desire all the easier. This spread the textures ...

Cheeseboard Black Marble Mango Wood, $69.95 www.wheelandbarrow.com.au

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Decorative Birdhouse, $69.95 www.zarahome.com

All prices Australian dollars unless otherwise stated.

e t e r u t x Te

Marble Clock, $99.95 www.countryroad.com.au

Gold Cutlery 5-Pc. Place Setting, $49 www.westelm.com.au Lanvin Wooden chess set, $435 www.net-a-porter.com

Wood Textured Wallpaper 10 Metre Roll, £15 www.marksandspencer.com

Linen napkin, $7.95 www.hm.com

Leather Strap Shelf, 2 Sizes, $84.95–$129.82 residentgp.com.au

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Normann Copenhagen Watch Me Blue Wall Clock, ÂŁ35 www.trouva.com

Spliced love rug, $155 basilbangs.com Momo Bath Towel, $34.95 www.countryroad.com.au

FAB28 Smeg multicolor fridge yellow/multicolour/lacquered /right hinged door, $2,004.79 www.ambientedirect.com

Texture Vs Coloursh Colour ru

... and this spread the colours

Colour Patch Throw, $395 www.castleandthings.com.au

Jonathan Adler Yellow Okura Planter, $895 www.jonathanadler.com

Blue Jellyfish Paperweight, $69.95 www.zarahome.com

Jacquard-weave cushion cover, $14.95 www.hm.com

Bamboo Cutting Board Avalon, $39.95 www.domayneonline.com.au

Fred & Friends Squid Salad Servers, US$15 www.karmakiss.net

Byredo Burning Rose scented candle, 240g, $89 www.net-a-porter.com

Hammock – Striped, $19 www.kmart.com.au

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Offering a stunning range of Vanuatu stamps and first day covers for collectors or as souvenirs available for purchase online

Featuring beautiful photographs and illustrations of Vanuatu

At Hideaway Island Resort’s marine sanctuary you will find the world’s first underwater post office. You can post Underwater Post postcards to family and friends as a unique souvenir of your Vanuatu holiday! 32 | Islandliving paciﬁc

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Freedom Moontide – 129.99 Twist suit, $ e.com id nt o www.mo

In The Swim

u o y e c e i p e n o e t th u o h t i w can’t do As it’s always swimming weather in our part of the world, Olivia Waugh checks out the Autumn offerings.

Piha High Neck Cut Out suit, $69.99 www.pihaswimwear.com Country Road Scarf Print one-piece, $129 www.countryroad.com.au

Moeva Bridget swimsuit In Black, £295 www.notjustalabel.com 36 | Islandliving paciﬁc

Zimmermann Hyper Mesh, $330 www.zimmermannwear.com

Twist Strap swimsuit, £34 www.topshop.com/”

La Perla Tulle mesh detail swimsuit, $447 www.farfetch.com

River Island exclusive red stripe strappy back swimsuit, $56 au.riverisland.com

All prices Australian dollars unless otherwise stated.

Adriana Degreas Surf Club printed swimsuit, $380 www.net-a-porter.com

Athenais blue geometric one-iece CALIPIGE, $201 carnetdemode.com

Duskii Saint Tropez panelled neoprene swimsuit, $352 www.net-a-porter.com Heidi Klein Halterneck swimsuit, $365 www.mytheresa.com

Oye Swimwear Elsa in black swimsuit, £249.00 www.trouva.com

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Chine Moontide – $89.99 Twist halter, e.com id nt www.moo

In The Swim

s ’ t a h t i A bikien as nice twic

Neon Tide Luxe Basix halter set, $79.99 www.neontide.com

Roxy Polynesia high, $69.99 and Polynesia Mix top, $45.99 www.roxyaustralia.com.au

Brigitte animal print bandeau bikini set, $236.59 www.farfetch.Com 38 | Islandliving paciﬁc

Zimmermann Printed bandeau bikini, $324 www.net-a-porter.com

Palm Swimwear Obi top, $105 and bottom, $90 www.palmswimwear.com

H&M Bikini top, $19.95 and bottoms, $14.95 www.hm.com

River Island khaki eyelet bustier bikini top , $40 and eyelet high waisted bikini bottoms, $32 riverisland.com

Bras N Things Colour Strapping balconette push up yellow swim set, $79.99 brasnthings.com

All prices Australian dollars unless otherwise stated.

Moontide Cybertron bustier, $114.99 and gathered side pant, $64.99 www.moontide.com

Gold accessorised lavender bikini â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Verina Moeva London, $284 carnetdemode.com

Zimmerman Lotte strapped bikini, $260 www.zimmermannwear.com

MARYSIA SWIM Antibes scallop-edge bandeau bikini top, $209 and pant, $209 www.matchesfashion.com

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Memorable Magical Moments

On the picturesque shores of Mele Bay, Island Magic Resort offers fantastic four-star value for fully self-contained bungalows set within lushly landscaped grounds with direct access to the sea, inground pool and on-site restaurant. Perfect for couples or families. Contact Gerry or Jan Smelik T: +678 29 015 M: +678 774 6386 E: info@islandmagicresort.com W: www.islandmagicresort.com

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SARANGKITA Sarangkita is sophisticated simplicity at its elegant best. A private beach front villa with luxuriant gardens and intimate boutique accommodation for adults-only. The ulimate private tropical beachside holiday and a culinary delight. Whitesands, Efaté, Vanuatu. T: +678 26 108 M: +678 775 1793 E: info@sarangkita.com W: www.sarangkita.com

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24 Years Experience In The Vanuatu Real Estate Market islandliving | 43 paciﬁc

PICTURES: Roderick Eime

Island Escape

Zodiacs explore deep into mangrove forests on the island of Vanikoro in search of endemic birds and animals.

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Cruising

Adventures in Melanesia

Expedition cruiser, Roderick Eime, recalls his voyage through some of the last uncharted waters between Honiara and Port Vila

ver since the first Europeans set eyes on the islands of Melanesia, they have never ceased to draw explorers, adventurers and now travellers to their tropical delights. The Spanish navigator, Álvaro de Mendaña y Neira, is widely credited as the first European to contact the Solomon Islanders. In fact it was he who named the islands Islas Salomón in 1568, in an attempt to talk up the prospects of gold in these new lands. Meanwhile, his homesick deputy, Pedro de Ortega Valencia, named the island of Guadalcanal after his hometown in Andalusia. The Spanish also named San Cristobal and Santa Ana, but local names are now also used just as frequently. It was in early 1789 when two ships of French explorers and scientists, La Boussole and L’Astrolabe, led by the

progressive Jean François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse foundered on Vanikoro in the far eastern region of the Solomons. No survivors were ever found. In the mid-19th Century, the British arrived via missionaries and settled for good while in 1908, the swashbuckling author and journalist, Jack London, made landfall at Guadalcanal and spent several weeks there waiting for parts to repair his yacht, Snark. Now 21st Century adventurers are taking the place of the explorers of the early modern era and most of these can be found aboard the growing fleet of expedition ships searching out new and exciting destinations throughout the world. Of course, South Pacific cruising in places like Fiji has been on the menu for decades, resuming in serious fashion in the post-war years thanks to mail contracts served by

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the likes of P&O with their liners Himalaya and Orcades. The demand from tourists quickly saw these sailings evolve from mail and freight to pure pleasure cruises to the point we find ourselves today. But it’s these new adventure ships that are reawakening the islands of Melanesia to the new wave of environmentally conscious, nature-loving travellers who are revelling in the raw experiences delivered by such nations as PNG, the Solomons and Vanuatu. I’ve just returned from yet another cruise throughout the region where I had the chance to explore many new islands missed on previous voyages. This time I travelled with NZ-based Heritage Expeditions, one of the world’s small ship cruise operators best known for naturalist trips as far afield as the Russian Far East and the depths of East Antarctica, where I travelled with them in the 2010/11 season.

For the birds

Their ship, the 72m Spirit of Enderby, is a former Soviet oceanographic research vessel (some like to imagine a ‘spy’ ship) carrying just 50 passengers. Perfect for creeping into narrow passages and delivering passengers ashore at tiny islands where little or no infrastructure exists. The beauty of such encounters is that this type of travel permits visits to

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remote communities otherwise isolated and excluded from regular tourism, giving them the motivation to preserve traditional culture and traditions craved by these newly awakened visitors. Heritage Expeditions, as a point of difference, dedicate much of their time to ‘birders’ and are one of the very few such cruise operators with this specialisation. Every morning, often before dawn, our contingent of devoted twitchers would head off into the jungle, binoculars at the ready, in search of the sought after endemic species like flycatchers, honeyeaters and parrots. The rest of us could ‘sleep in’ and go ashore after a hearty breakfast. Our expedition leader and co-owner of the family company is Aaron Russ, a chap whose youthful disposition belies his many years of experience leading groups in the world’s remote territories, particularly the polar regions. His father, Rodney, first secured the little Russian-flagged ship for expedition cruises more than 20 years ago. “Heritage Expeditions has been operating ship-based birding trips through the Melanesian islands for 10 years now,” says Aaron. “ We have had great success and brought more than 500 international birders through the islands in this time.” But birding is only one feather in the Heritage cap, if you’ll excuse the obvious pun. After our departure from Honiara until our arrival in Port Vila 12 days later, we’d visited numerous

PICTURES: Roderick Eime + Heritage Expeditions

Above: Above: Bamboo Bamboo flflutes utes and and flflip ip flflop op percussion percussion recital recital on on tiny tiny Utuha Utuha Island, Island, Solomons. Solomons. Above Above centre: centre: Young Young Ni-Vanuatu Ni-Vanuatu family family at at Magical Magical Water Water

Below left: Woman wears large Tevau (red feather money) headdress, Temotu Province, Solomon Islands; Below: the 72m Spirit of Enderby, is a former Soviet oceanographic research vessel carrying just 50 passengers. Bottom: Boys and their rudimentary boards.

Music and Cultural Experience on Santo. Above right: Man adorned with ceremonial mother-of-pearl nose piercing, Temotu Province, Solomon Islands.

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Above: Men of Fanla Village on Ambrym rest after performing the sacred Rom or ‘Masked’ dance, Vanuatu.

communities (and uninhabited islands) where many of the younger inhabitants, I’m certain, had never seen Europeans before. Upon our arrival at each location, we were fêted and celebrated like royalty which, by the way, they are not totally unfamiliar with, as both Queen Elizabeth and Prince William have visited in the past. The Queen, coincidently, also arrived by small ship when the Royal Yacht Britannia made her only call to the Solomon Islands at Makira (San Cristobal) Island in 1974. It’s hard to recall every highlight along the way, but the many traditional dances and ceremonies performed for our benefit have created lasting memories. In particular the colourful celebration of red feather money on Nendö Island and the mystical rom dances on Vanuatu’s seldom-visited volcanic island of Ambrym come quickly to mind.

Board meeting

The Solomon Islands are gaining a reputation among the world’s more intrepid surfers, with many of these celebrated breaks occurring off far flung beaches at the very limit of the transport network, sometimes beyond. On the same island visited by HRH, are the villages of Tora and Namamrau at Star Harbour. Some years ago, a band of visiting Aussie surfers introduced the local lads to the thrill of wave riding. Now, after

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considerable trial and error with design and construction, the young beach bums fashion rudimentary boards from sago palm wood and plunge fearlessly into the surf on these ‘jungle planks’. As travellers become increasingly worldly and sophisticated in their tastes for new adventures and destinations, Melanesia presents some of the most enriching opportunities for those cruise companies wishing to create truly exceptional itineraries for their passengers. Just like the explorers of bygone times, these largely unspoiled islands deliver an equivalent experience, except modern adventurers can safely count on returning home to enthral family and friends with their discoveries.

act File F Getting there

For further information and bookings on all available itineraries in Melanesia, please consult expedition cruise specialists, Wild Earth Travel at www.wildearth-travel.com The writer travelled as a guest of Heritage Expeditions with assistance from Solomon Airlines, Air Vanuatu, the Vanuatu Tourist Office and the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau.

CMY

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abode

POOLngCUES a Splash Maki

Toby Preston plunges into the world of pools and finds some spectacular examples of these symbols of sybaritic living and status in sunny climes. And a surprisingly long history dating back five millennia.

Below Below left: left: This This pool pool in in Oia Oia on on Santorini, Santorini, Greece Greece enjoys enjoys fabulous fabulous views views over over the the Caldera, Caldera, as as the the Greeks Greeks have have been been building building pools pools for for more more than than

y parents had a pool in their garden and I concluded early on that, like boats, they were probably a good thing if someone else maintained them. That is, I loved the indulgence of being able to swim whenever the urge took me but never particularly wanted to clean the skimmer box or reduce the depth after every storm or vacuum fallen leaves from the bottom before they stained the tiles. Or to be constantly checking little bits of litmus paper to ensure that I wasn’t about to get poisoned by any number of nasty little microbes that breed in unattended puddles of water, not to mention the cost and maintenance of a the pump and the chemicals. Now, in spite of having a house that sits within 25 metres of a beach with a tidal reef pool in the Pacific, I have succumbed to the temptations of an in-ground pool of my own – and haven’t regretted it for a moment. Indeed it is the centre of our life in the tropics and a ready-made playground for all visiting kids, even those who are old enough to be parents. It seems that while pools have become a must-have addition to modern houses that their history dates from the third millennium BC when the first recorded pool was constructed in what is now Pakistan. The ‘Great Bath’ (12m x 7m), at a site now known as Mohenjo-Daro, was constructed of brick and lined with a tar-based sealant and was probably used for special religious functions where water was used to purify and renew the well being of bathers. Not so surprising is that the next batch of pool builders were the ancient Greeks and Romans who started installing pools in the 6th to 8th centuries BC for reasons similar to our own contemporary ones – that is for socialising and for the aesthetic

enhancement of their real estate. Remarkably, in the 1st century BC Gaius Maecenas built the first heated pool in Rome. It wasn’t until the mid 19th century that pools really took off in the unlikely (given its climate) location of Britain. By 1837 London boasted six indoor swimming pools with diving boards and the oldest surviving swimming club is in Maidstone, Kent having been in existence since 1844.

The world’s biggest

The first pool to go to sea on a boat was installed on the ocean liner Adriatic in 1907, the country with the most pools per capita is New Zealand and the world’s largest pool, completed in 2006, is at the private resort of San Alfonso del Mar in Algarrobo, Chile and measures an astonishing 1013m long, across an area of eight hectares, or 20 acres and contains 250 million litres of seawater which is pumped from the Pacific Ocean a few metres away. And it fronts a beach! This is the pool that proves my original point about them – best if someone else is looking after the maintenance, this mini ocean is rumoured to have cost somewhere between US$1.5 – and US$2 billion and costs $4 million per year to maintain. Meanwhile throughout the period post WWII when pools became status symbols, particularly in the USA, there are now spectacular examples to be found worldwide (often in hotels where the cost is amortised by the proportionate room rates)and among them are some extraordinary feats of engineering featuring versions that are cantilevered over rice paddies, cliffs and oceans with seamless infinity pools apparently connecting to distant watery horizons among the most beautiful. Time for a swim!

2,000 years, they seem to have perfected the art. Below: Villa Paradiso Perduto, Los Cabos, Mexico, rent it for US$4,800 per night.

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“Now, in spite of having a house that sits within 25 metres of a beach with a tidal reef pool in the Pacific, I have succumbed to the temptations of an in-ground pool of my own.”

Above left: The InterContinental Fiji Club pool overlooking Natadola Bay. Above: One of Bali’s most beautiful ‘suites’ of pools at the

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AmanKila resort, Manggis, Bali, the trick here is to align yourself in any of the infinity pools and imagine you’re actually in the Lombok Strait below.

Above top: A beach on the doorstep but the pool is a plus. Above: The world’s largest pool at San Alfonso del Mar in Chile. Below from far left: Dine right in the pool at One&Only in Mauritius; plenty of room at the Warwick Le Lagon, Vanuatu; the infinity pool at Breaka’s Resort, Port Vila; beach house with the lot

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Showtime

In The Wild Pacific Rabaul, known as the Pacific Pompeii is still home to a smouldering caldera which Glenn A Baker visits on his way further into the remote areas of Papua New Guinea called the Wild Pacific.

he python, all three or more metres of it, was in decidedly better shape when appearing as the special guest at the rarely performed Bainings Firedance in the Kainagunan village on the night of my arrival in East New Britain province, than it would be when I came upon it the following day. But it was again drawing a crowd – at the annual Rabaul Mask Festival at Kokopo Showgrounds. The Bainings people, slightly surreal masked mountain folk who dance not so much around as in a fire, kicking embers with bare feet as they re-enact being driven deep into the forest by Tolais warriors from elsewhere on the lengthy New Britain island in the Bismark Sea on the far side of Papua New Guinea, brought the snake on as part of their trance dance, its farewell performance before, as the word sweeping around that bush gathering had it, it would be roasted and eaten. That was indeed its fate, on the penultimate day of the four day festival – a smaller version of the more famous highland

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Mt Hagen and Goroka Shows, where extraordinarily festooned tribes from all over the anthropologically astonishing nation come to compare and compete. It is said that a half of all the languages spoken on the planet are spoken in PNG where, until not that long ago, there were residents of one valley quite unaware of residents of a relatively nearby valley. ‘A Thousand Different Cultures’ proclaims the tourism literature and it’s no idle boast.

Is that a python in the pot?

Wedged somewhere in between promenades and performances by the Devil Dance of the Tambarins, the Kusare warriors, local lads doing the Pera Pera dance with the Virgin Mary on their heads, the ever-popular (and widely travelled) Mud Men from Goroka, the Togaro/Ralubang birds and the Sulka grass creatures was the coming forth, with great ancient ceremony from an earth oven, of our friend the python.

PICTURES: Richard Kotch

island adventure

“No matter where you go in Rabaul or modern Kokopo, the still-smoking volcano draws all eyes – it is your inescapable line-of-sight. Some ask to be seated on the side of the Air Nuigini craft that affords the best view of it on the way to the island of New Ireland.”

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Above: Above: Straight Straight from from the the earth earth oven oven to to you you –– cooked cooked python. python. Opposite Opposite page: page: the the faces faces of of the the Wild Wild Pacifi Pacific, c, from from market market vendors vendors to to children, children, to to

Torn into small pieces by eager hands, as a chant rose, it was passed out for consumption by the crushing crowd. It tasted, of course, like chicken. The next day the showground, with goalposts returned to each end, played host to another primitive ritual – a bone crunching match of the national sport of Rugby League, with expatriate Aussies issuing forth with guttural roars more harrowing than anything heard at the festival. But then there’s been a few of those in this part of the world. Although your bags are tagged to Rabaul and you fly into an airport called just that, it’s a half hour drive to what the world long knew as that town; to what might now be termed a Pacific Pompeii. One still morning in September 1994 three volcanos loudly erupted within about an hour and, with accompanying lightning strikes, took five lives and destroyed most everything standing. Today you go to clamber across the grey, post-apocalyptic caldera up to the rim of the Turvurvur

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volcano, past hissing, boiling, sulphurous pits and the ashencrusted remnants of a once bustling town (which has come partly back to life, with markets, motels and a well-worn tourist path along the World War II supply and defence routes).

Tourism is thriving

No matter where you go in Rabaul or modern Kokopo, the stillsmoking volcano draws all eyes – it is your inescapable lineof-sight. Some ask to be seated on the side of the Air Nuigini craft that affords the best view of it on the way to the island of New Ireland, further into the extremities of this Melanesian realm, of what some refer to as the Wild Pacific. Kavieng, the capital and entry point of the island, draws much of its notoriety from having been a principal theatre of war as the Japanese swept through the Pacific. As 1942 began it suffered aerial bombardment and the tales of subsequent massacre and destruction make for grim reading.

the ever-popular (and widely travelled) Mud Men from Goroka. ‘A Thousand Different Cultures’ proclaims the tourism literature.

paciﬁc

Above: A hornbill called Harry who settled on the windowsill at the Nusa Island Retreat bungalow.

Seventy years on it is the pivot of a thriving tourism industry. Visitors, mostly from Australia, come to dive on the wrecks, go trekking and partake of surfing that is spoken about in tones of hushed awe by those who wander the big blue marble seeking out the better breaks. Even the snorkelling, off conceptually perfect coral islands that seem to have been borrowed from lush film panoramas or chocolate box lids, is almost Maldivian in quality, with teeming marine life and untrammelled surrounds.

Harry the hornbill

Frenchmen who once wanted to slip away from a world encroaching on them joined the Foreign Legion. Australians go to Darwin or secrete themselves somewhere around here; infectiously languid in their view of life. They operate slicing catamarans, like the Adventures in Paradise Surf/Yacht Charters, or run outpost island lodges like the Nusa Island Retreat, from where guests go surfing, fishing, kayaking, diving, wandering, soccer jousting with local kids or just poking about the place. With reasonable rates, fresh seafood, an abundance of

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good humour, and hornbills (inevitably dubbed Harry) settling on the windowsill of your elevated beach bungalows for some lopsided, casually curious examination of one’s entry into their exalted realm, you become swiftly convinced that this was the place you once read about in a novel that conjured up an escape that seemed the stuff of fiction. Not so, apparently.

Getting there

Being a Pacific neighbour getting to anywhere in New Guinea is pretty straightforward with Air Nuigini flights to Port Moresby from Nadi, Port Vila, Honiara, Auckland, Cairns, Brisbane and Sydney. Because of the country’s mountainous terrain and lack of roads, the most efficient means of getting around is by air which is why you’ll find an airport in almost every town. From Port Moresby there are daily connecting flights to Rabaul/Kokopo on New Britain and onwards to New Ireland. Useful Websites: see Air Niugini schedules and prices at: www.airniugini.com.pg For tourism information and advice on accommodation and things to do, go to the official PNG tourism site at: www.papuanewguinea.travel

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Beauty Spot

Coconut Oil s k c a H eauty B

TEETH WHITENER Oil pulling is an ancient Ayervedic dental technique that involves swishing a tablespoon of melted coconut oil around your mouth for 20 minutes on an empty stomach, this draws out toxins in your body that improves your oral (and overall) health. If you’re not thrilled about setting aside 20 minutes of your day for this, consider a homemade whitening toothpaste. It’s as simple as 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder with 1/8 teaspoon of coconut oil, applied to your toothbrush, brush your teeth as normal and then leave on for five minutes before brushing off with normal toothpaste. Despite the alarming colour of your teeth during the process a week of this is very effective for achieving pearly whites and has the added benefit of not eroding your teeth or ingesting peroxide as chemical whitening products will. EXFOLIATION Many exfoliators strip and dry out your skin, using coconut oil as a base means you are getting the moisturising benefit as well it acting as a conduit for a natural scrub. Ground coffee and brown sugar are both fantastic exfoliators when mixed with coconut oil but why not stick with the program and use desiccated coconut, your skin will be left free of dead skin, smooth, and smelling divine. HAIR CONDITIONER No added extras required here, coconut oil alone makes for an excellent conditioning hair masque. It’s small molecular structure means it can penetrate the hair shaft to moisturise and protect against environmental damage and it also rebalances hair proteins, leaving it as silky smooth as any over-the-counter product. The longer you leave it in the better so overnight ideally, otherwise for an hour or so before you shampoo will still have you seeing results. If you have dry frizzy hair, a tiny amount rubbed through before styling will tame your mane. It also makes for a great anti dandruff (and other scalp problems) treatment, just massage into your scalp thoroughly and leave for an hour – longer if you can – before shampooing well.

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Coconut oil is the beauty equivalent of a superfood. It’s natural, inexpensive and has a multitude of benefits for your body inside and out. With it’s anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and deep moisturising properties you’ll be surprised at what this pleasant smelling oil can do to benefit your beauty routine. By Georgie Gordon privides the tips.

CUTICLE CREAM Coconut oil contains a type of fatty acid that is easily and efficiently absorbed to transport nutrients to cells. This makes it an exceptional moisturiser for any notoriously dry areas of skin such as elbows and knees and is fantastic for softening cuticles, strengthening nails and preventing painful hangnails. MAKE-UP REMOVER Surprisingly coconut oil will dissolve even the stubbornest water-proof mascara, rub it on your face and carefully around your eye area with your fingertips in its solid form, then wet a facecloth with warm water, wring it out and hold over your face for a minute until the cloth cools, repeat this a couple of times, the final time gently rub the oil off and you are make-up free, with the added benefit of having given yourself a mini facial by steaming open your pores for a thorough cleanse. NB. If your skin is very dry and not prone to break-outs this is the perfect time to apply a small amount of oil as a moisturiser. However, it can leave your skin a little greasy so it best applied as a night cream. AFTER SUN BALM Coconut oil’s high in antioxidants making it a good anti-ageing remedy, as the medium chain triglycerides preventing free radical damage. Apply with your sunscreen to avoid sun damage and again after sun exposure mixed with a generous amount of aloe vera gel. It will not only soothe and moisturise the skin but help prevent sun spots. DEODORANT The oil’s anti-bacterial properties make it a great deodorant and a much safer one than aerosol antiperspirants containing cancer causing aluminium’s. Take three tablespoons of coconut oil with the same amount of baking soda and two tablespoons of shea butter, you can also add essential oils such as lavender if you wish. Heat the oils in a double boiler until just melted and then add the baking soda once off the heat. Pour into a mason jar and cool, then store in the fridge. Just rub a small amount under arms as you would a standard deodorant. HAND CREAM A little more of a commitment here time-wise, but completely worth it as this home-made hand cream acts as a deep moisturising agent with anti-ageing properties. In a double boiler melt ten tablespoons of coconut oil with three tablespoons of cold pressed almond oil and four tablespoons of grated beeswax. Remove from the heat and add five drops of essential oil (try lemon or lavender). Pour into an airtight jar and store in a cool place. This can also be used as lip balm and for cracked dry heels. There are many good coconut oils on the market. Ideally look for organic and cold-pressed, our pick is The Coconut Company’s Fiji Virgin Coconut Oil. Stockists coconutsfiji.com

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healthy living

Nordic an Those radiantly blonde and healthy-looking Scandinavians have been harbouring a dietary secret for centuries. Now science has unravelled the health-promoting benefits of the Nordic form of nourishment, and the answer seems to be – eat more fish! Georgie Gordon reveals the easy way to adapt your diet for an improvement in cholesterol levels and a reduction in blood pressure utilising these age-old eating tricks.

candinavia is famous for IKEA, great crime fiction and producing good looking blonde people but recently there’s something else the world has been paying attention to, their diet. The Nordic Diet isn’t new (certainly not for the Scandinavians) but the fact it is still gaining traction in a world where every few months a new ‘revolutionary’ diet comes along is testament to its success. Mainly because it’s getting results. Put simply the Nordic Diet is based on the traditional eating habits of the people of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Denmark which includes lots of oily fish, vegetables and berries. A diet based on the eating habits of one of the coldest parts of the world may seem an unlikely proposition for those of us living in the warmer climates of the southern hemisphere but this food philosophy can be followed in any part of the world and there are some good reasons to give it consideration including weight loss and improving overall health. There are a few scientific studies to back it up too. The Journal of Internal Medicine published a study where a group of researchers including scientists from Sweden’s Lund University followed 166 people that were at risk of heart disease and diabetes for over a month while eating a traditional Nordic diet and found that their cholesterol levels significantly improved over the period. Another study at the University of Copenhagen tested the diet on 147 obese men and women over 26 weeks and saw them lose an average of 4.7 kilograms, as well as significant reductions in blood pressure.

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nd Nourishing It's easy to see why a diet based on eating fresh (organic where possible) produce, with an emphasis on vegetables and fish, cooking from scratch and avoiding processed food, would be good for you. It’s a relatively easy diet to follow also, no rules of when and how you should eat the recommended foods, just simple guidelines as follows: Eat a lot of: Fruit, including lots of berries; vegetables – mainly potatoes, cabbage and root vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish – at least three times a week; low fat dairy, herbs, spices and canola (rapeseed) oil Eat little of: Red meat, poultry, free-range eggs, cheese and yoghurt Don’t eat: Refined sugar, processed meat, food additives The Nordic Diet has a lot in common with the Mediterranean Diet, which similarly advocates lots of fresh fish and vegetables and no or very little ‘modern’ processed foods, critics argue any diet that promotes healthy eating such as this is likely to have you lose weight and see improvements in metabolic health therefore lowering the risk of chronic disease, which is reason in itself to consider this way of eating. Whether you stick to it rigorously or use it is a template for a healthier regime, combined with regular exercise you are sure to see positive results. It’s a simple as swapping meat or chicken for fish a few nights, choosing wholemeal or rye over white flour breads and snacking on fresh fruit and vegetables rather than manufactured processed snacks and biscuits. Avoid

any added sugar or sweetened products including drinks and snacks, satisfy your sweet tooth with fruit and snack on nuts and berries instead. The addition of herbs and spices adds interest to food and there are endless meal options without having to feel that you are denying yourself anything. This recipe is a good example of how you can adapt The Nordic Diet to your tastes and produce available to you.

Yam Dhal Ingredients

• 3 medium sized yams, chopped into 2cm cubes • 3 carrots, sliced • 1 cup red lentils • 1 tablespoon canola oil • 1 large onion, diced • 1 3cm piece ginger, grated • 3 cloves garlic, minced • 1 teaspoon cumin • 1 teaspoon curry powder • ¼ teaspoon turmeric • ½ teaspoon ground coriander • 1 teaspoon salt • 6 cups water • ½ teaspoon salt • Handful of spinach, chopped • Juice of a lime • Fresh coriander

Method

Fry the onion in a large heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat until translucent, add garlic and spices and stir for another two minutes. Add the yams, carrots and lentils and stir for 30 seconds before adding water and salt. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer partially covered stirring occasionally for about 40 minutes or until the most of the water has evaporated (add more water during this time if the stew becomes too thick). Once the lentils have broken down and the vegetables are tender, add the spinach and cook until it wilts. Turn off the heat, add the lime juice and season to taste. Serve with steamed or pan fried fish fillets and plenty of chopped coriander.

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Christiana Eats

Fiji

A Foodie Furlough Our food editor, Christiana Kaluscha, usually does her own cooking but we thought it time to give her a break and the opportunity to table-test someone else’s gastronomic efforts. She found perfection and paradise in the Mamanuca islands in Fiji.

Welcome bubbles

A lovely welcome message and a bottle of Veuve Cliquot Champagne await us in our bure, our home for the next six days. After a quick freshen up, we are looking forward to our first lunch at the Fijiana restaurant. The pavillion has stunning

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views from all areas and an al fresco dining terrace, a relaxed Fijian atmosphere, yet a stylish dining experience. Executive chef Shane Watson presents a fusion of Fijian, international and Asian flavours creatively put together with a mouth-watering presentation from the daily-changing menu. A focus is set on organic local product, fresh seafood and tropical fruit. He sources fresh herbs and vegetable from the on-site garden, which is well looked after by him and the Likuliku team.

Resistence is pointless

Lunches start off with an iced cooler of different fruits & herbs, such as iced pear and bush lemon, coconut and pineapple or orange and mint cooler, followed by a light appetizer. Some of my favourites are the seared mahi-mahi, spiced lime and coriander and the chicken confit and cucumber sandwich with pistachio crumble. There are three different choices for the main course at lunch, from light to more substantial. I enjoyed the chargrilled, seared yellow fin tuna served with a Lolo curry, kumala, lime and coriander and the grilled tiger prawns, local octopus with green papaya, chilli, mint, basil and sawtooth coriander while my husband Toga treated himself to a char grilled New York strip steak served with parmesan polenta, lemon and oregano salmoriglio. Everything was grilled to perfection, well spiced and simply delicious. Chef Shane’s desserts creations were to die for and it took a lot of will power not to overindulge. Likuliku offers a lot of sporting activities, which are essential for us to work off all the delicious food. The activities bure serves as the island’s adventure hub and offers fishing, paddle boarding, kayaking, windsurfing, water skis, sailing

PICTURES: Christiana Kaluscha and Craig Osment

arm trade winds are blowing and splashes of salt water are kissing my face. We are sitting on the top deck of the South Sea Cruises catamaran on our way to Malolo Island in the Mamanuca archipelago in Fiji. The trip takes about two hours, stopping at several islands in the archipelago, loading and unloading passengers, until we arrive at our final destination Likuliku, situated on the island’s secluded side, in ‘the bay where the wind goes to sleep’. Guitar music and friendly staff break into song as we disembark, welcoming us to Likuliku Lagoon Resort. We are greeted with a very warm ‘Bula’ by the charming resort manager Tulia and welcomed with a refreshing cocktail. What an amazing and beautiful place! Our luggage has been unloaded and we are accompanied to our deluxe beachfront bure. Style and sustainability go hand in hand in the design of the bures, from the natural fibres and woods to the special attention to detail. The secluded plunge pool adds an extra dimension of indulgence. From the first moment we feel enchanted by the beauty of this island refuge with unparalleled levels of luxury and privacy. Every aspect of Likuliku conspires to create peace, privacy and romance. No expense has been spared at this exclusive tropical hideaway set amid coconut plantations, beside a beautiful beach and atop the overlooking fertile coral reefs, brimming with tropical fish.

Above: The beachside pool; below: pre-cocktails fire lighting; and the view from Fijiana; bottom: bure pool and chef Shane Watson.

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Above Above left: left: Sunset Sunset beyond beyond the the overwater overwater bures; bures; Above Above right: right: There There are are aa huge huge variety variety of of aquatic aquatic activities activities but but ifif you’d you’d prefer prefer somthing somthing

catamarans, diving and snorkelling tours with destinations changing on a daily basis. For those less enthusiastic about aquatic activities,there are guided medicine walks through the island gardens and walking tracks up to Jonas lookout. If this is all too much exercise, you can pamper yourself with a visit to Tatadra Spa, the ‘House of Dreams’ offering a diverse range of relaxing and soothing massages and treatments using sensational products. At sunset, we are invited for cocktails to Masima Island. Burning torches alongside the dock present the place in a romantic light. Gathering on cushioned cane chairs under the stars next to the fire pit, Tulia entertains us with lively tales. Guests all hail from a melting pot of nationalities, Europe, South America, the US, Japan and Australia.

Dinner is served

Then it is time for our highly anticipated dinner at Fijiana Restaurant. An amuse bouche of tempura oyster mushroom with wasabi mayonnaise and ginger salad sets our tastebuds in action.

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The choice between tuna tartare, Parma ham, almond, roasted pepper and Tabasco, mocha spinach risotto with goats curd, almond, porcini crumble and white cut chicken, cucumber, sesame and crisp chicken skin makes it hard to choose. Having enjoyed the entrée, we excitedly move on to mains. Again – the choice isn’t easy. I decide on the grilled Wagyu flank, smoked bone marrow and island greens, which is as delicious as the crisp pork belly with tatsoi leaf, snake beans, red curry and pineapple, my husband’s choice. Sense prevailing, I leave room for Chef Shane’s dessert creations. The roasted hazelnut cheesecake with grapefruit and mint melts in my mouth and the cardamom crème brulee with bitter chocolate, pistachio and strawberry is equally delicious. There is always a choice of cheese for those without a sweet tooth, such as jindi blue or triple crème Brie to finish off the gourmet dinner. The wine list offers an extensive choice of carefully chosen international varities to please all palates, some at premium prices.

more sedentary and relaxing go to the spa. Above right: Shane’s desserts are irresistable; below: The hand picked mud crab omelette.

Cast away with Tom

The next morning, a 7am departure for island hopping in a speedboat brings us to Monuriki, the island where Tom Hanks languished for years in the film ‘Castaway’. ‘Help me’ is still spelled out in coconut husks on the beach. The snorkelling is excellent with abundant fish life and best of all – there is nobody but us! Back to the resort our stomachs are rumbling and we are ready to indulge in the sumptuous Likuliku breakfast, initially we are presented with a lush tropical continental buffet composed of fresh fruit juices, tropical fruits, cereals, organic yoghurts, fresh baked bread and pastries complimented by a selection of house made preserves and local honey, followed by a cooked à la carte menu. Again the choice is overwhelming, hand picked mud crab omelette with chilli and papaya relish, poppy seed bagel with smoked salmon, goat cheese mousse and avocado, cassava hash browns, poached prawns with sauce hollandaise, twice cooked gruyere baked soufflé

with sautéed mushrooms, chilli and crisp pancetta, eggs benedict, buttermilk pancakes with Fijian vanilla and apple compote with mascarpone or free range eggs cooked to your liking. After testing and tasting most of it, the winner for me was the hand picked mud crab omelette, what a way to start the day! Time ebbs away with the rhythm of the ocean tides and we don’t want to, but have to leave this ‘heaven on earth’. Compliments to the chef and his team who prepared some of the best food with fresh locally sourced products in such a creative way and with a fine balance of different textures and crunch. Likuliku’s fare is exceptional and a feast for the taste buds … only made more exquisite by the location. ‘Vinaka vaka levu’ (a big thank you) to the friendly, warm and talented Likuliku team who made our stay a wonderful experience. We will be back for more! For details about bookings, activities, holiday rates and packages, and transport see: www.likulikulagoon.com

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Island Escape

: h t i a F f o Leap

Land Diving On Pentecost E

very year in May and June, the island of Pentecost hosts one of the most spectacular and death-defying cultural ceremonies ever conceived. Known as the Nagol, it sees men climb flimsy 100-foot wooden towers and dive headfirst into empty space, with nothing to break their fall but vines tied their ankles. “The first time you do it you feel a bit nervous. But after two or three times, it becomes normal like rugby or boxing or any sport,” says 44-year-old diver Fidael Beaf. The precursor to the worldwide phenomenon of bungee jumping, land diving is rooted in a legend of a dysfunctional marriage. Every day the couple would come to blows, and when the woman could take no more she fled into the jungle. But her husband gave chase and ran her up a tree. As he climbed up after her, the woman tied a vine around her ankle, jumped from the top and landed safely. Her husband followed suit but without the aid of the vine he died on impact with the ground. Inspired by the woman’s act of defiance, the women of Pentecost began land diving for fun. But according to legend, the men didn’t like seeing the women re-enact the defiance, so they made the sport men-only. Over time land diving from trees was transferred to purpose-built towers and transformed into a ritual rife with religious symbolism, with the success of the allimportant yam harvest attributed to the courage of the previous year’s land divers. The Nagol is now also a tourist attraction featured in the bestselling adventure travel guide 100 Things to Do Before You Die.

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My journey to Pentecost begins on a stifling hot Saturday morning as I board an Air Vanuatu flight in the capital Port Vila. Passengers on the journey are rewarded with epic views of Benbow and Murim, active volcanoes on the island of Ambrym. An hour later, the pilot touches down at Lonorore, a small runway squeezed between the jungle-clad mountains and volcanic beaches of Pentecost’s west coast. Lonorore is more of a concrete bunker than an airport with a muddy dirt road running out of it and into the jungle. On alighting I learn ours is the first of five planes taxiing in tourists today and that it’ll be two hours until the others land and the festivities begin. I also learn a maximum of 50 tourists are allowed to attend the weekly ceremony to prevent overcommercialisation, and that a portion of every ticket sale helps pay for children’s school fees and church programs. Ironically, European missionaries banned land diving on Pentecost in the early 20th century. But the priests never reached the rugged southeast corner of the island, where the ritual was passed on to successive generations. After the last plane touches down, we’re shepherded to a clearing in the jungle where the impressive proto-industrial Tower of Babel known as a Nagol Adi stands upon a treeless slope. Held together by vines without a single nail or screw, this outwardly phallic shrine can take 30 men up to a month to build. At its centre is a lopped tree surrounded by a crisscross of pole scaffolding tied together and anchored into the earth with vines. Protruding from its face are a dozen diving boards or planks.

PICTURES: Ian Lloyd Neubauer and Floyd Smith.

The famous land divers of Pentecost risk life and limb to ensure a healthy yam harvest but as Ian Lloyd Neubauer finds the activity is steeped in mystery and legend which started as a women-only pastime.

Despite its primitive appearance, the Nagol is a tinderbox of intelligent design. Young boys watch and learn and wait their turn.

The lowest of these planks are for boys who start diving from the remarkable age of five. The highest is reserved for the most accomplished, with a successful jump (read: the diver isn’t crippled or killed) delivering wads of social capital. Despite its primitive appearance, the Nagol Adi is a tinderbox of intelligent design. The diving boards are designed to snap and hinge downward to absorb much of the divers’ G-force. The wood is freshly cut to ensure strength. The vines are carefully measured and matched to the each diver’s weight and height. And diving is only permitted in the two months following the wet season to ensure the vines contain the water that lends them elasticity and strength. Adherence to religious customs is also considered essential to a diver’s safety. While the tower is being constructed, divers live together in men’s huts and abstain from all contact with the opposite sex to clarify the mind. As belief in sorcery is widespread in Vanuatu, divers are also prohibited from contracting witch doctors to concoct love potions during this period. On a few occasions when the rules have been bent, it has cost lives. When Queen Elizabeth II visited Pentecost in February of 1974 and an out-of-season land diving ceremony was held in her honour, the vines snapped and a diver died. In 2008, Vanuatu cameraman Hardy Ligo died when a tower that had not been properly constructed around a tree collapsed under his weight. The moment the Nagol begins, it becomes apparent why people come from all corners of the world to see it. On a terrace cut into the hill behind the tower, a troupe of around 100 men and boys wearing only penis sheaths begin chanting in Sa,

the lingua franca of Southern Pentecost. Without warning they break into a dance, stomping their feet intently into the ground as a troupe of women in grass skirts emerge from the trees, adding their voices and vibrations to the melee. One of the dancing men emerges from the group, scampers up the tower and finds his way to the lowest diving board. Minutes pass as assistants tie the frayed ends of two vines around the volunteer’s ankles, all the while the chanting and dancing become louder and faster. Once the vines are secured, the diver spreads his arms wide and executes a series of pantomimes while calling out for the emotional support of the dancers. When their coos, yelps and whistles reach fever pitch, the diver crosses his arms against his chest and makes an incredible leap of faith, trying to put as much distance between himself and the sharp edges of the tower. When the vines go taut, the plank gives as per its design and the sound of breaking wood cracks through the clearing. But instead of dangling in the air like a bungee jumper, the diver actually skims his chest against the ground, which has been heavily tilled to absorb impact. Assistants rush in, pull the diver to his feet and confirm he’s all right while the crowd roars with approval. All 12 land divers emerge unscathed on this day, but concussions, ruptured spleens and broken vertebrae are par for the course for the land divers in Pentecost. But incredibly 33-year-old diver Michael Olul says “Bungee is not so brave, You can’t have an accident doing bungee.”

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The stunningly tropical Punta Cana beach on Hispaniola which the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti.

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long distance love affair

Caribbean Cool c i l b u p e R Dominican The

Island deprivation and respite from a freezing winter drove Fijian girl Jemma Sadrugu from her temporary British digs off to the sunshine of the Dominican Republic where she discovered the vibrant local culture, a cocktail with clout and ... cigars.

fter the longest, coldest winter I’ve ever experienced I longed for an escape away from the reality of my new life in London. My search for sunshine and sea breeze somewhere, anywhere above 15°C led me to the Caribbean. Topping the Beach Fix category in Conde Nast’s ‘What’s Hot for 2015’ list, the Dominican Republic is on a quick rise to super stardom offering something for everyone with its unpretentious beauty, versatile holiday styles and luxurious yet affordable accommodation options. While it’s not considered as a typical holiday destination nearly as often as its more famous cousins the Bahamas, Jamaica and the

Cayman Islands, the D.R. has experienced a major boost in tourism over the last five years thanks to their government’s ongoing investment in infrastructure and myriad international hotel brands snapping up previously unused prime real estate. Hundreds of sprawling beachfront resorts have popped up along the northern coastline of the country between Puerto Plata and Punta Cana, all so huge and buzzing with activity they can pass as their own self-sufficient communities with little need to step very far away. Nonetheless, there are plenty of ways to experience the true Dominican culture and way of life by simply taking a stroll along the waters edge.

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Talk to the people

Below: Beachfront shopping can be pretty basic but always colourful.

The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, taking up two thirds of the second largest island in the Caribbean. Originally inhabited by the Taino people (stemming from the Arawak, the indigenous people of South America) the D.R. has had quite a tumultuous past surviving Spanish, French and Haitian rule before gaining independence in the late 1800s. With the primal instincts of Haiti, the cool of Jamaica, Cuban sex appeal, European suave and their own distinct, intense latino-ness – the local people today are a unique and exciting blend of their history. Similar to the South Pacific, the island people here are always exuberantly welcoming, friendly and inquisitive, just as eager to learn about you as they are to share their way of life and perception of the world. Say ‘Hola ‘, and take a minute (or ten) to get to know the local people you encounter.

No matter which resort takes your fancy, you can generally rely on the guarantee that you’ll have direct beachfront access. What they say is true – the sand is a velvety powder white and the water an impossible candy blue that stretches as far and as deep as you can see. So different to the gentle lull of the South Pacific, the north eastern coast of the island catches a constant strong sea-breeze meaning the scorching hot days are kept relatively cool.

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PICTURE: Jemma Sadrugu

Swim in the ocean

Below: Parque Colón Santo Domingo Columbus Square.

Try a cigar

No matter if you are inclined to smoking – or not, the Dominican blend is not to be sniffed at. Exercise caution if buying them on the beach, these are often a little too literally home-made and may not necessarily contain tobacco. If you take any day tour during your stay, such as snorkelling, mud buggys or an excursion to Saona Island, you will most likely detour to a cocoa or coffee plantation along the way. Here you will get a chance to try before you buy, with sellers enthusiastically insisting you try a chocolate cigar before haggling yourself a good deal for the rest of the box.

Sip a mamajuana

I was introduced to this delectable treat by a market seller walking the beachfront at sunset with a couple of bottles of this local gold. It’s a pretty lethal concoction of dark rum, red wine and honey that has been left in a bottle to soak

Above left and right: Hundreds of sprawling beachfront resorts have popped up along the northern coastline of the country between Puerto Plata and Punta Cana, all so huge and buzzing with activity they can pass as their own self-sufficient communities with little need to step very far away. But the beachfront holds other, simpler delights too.

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Above left: Try a cigar, the D.R. is famous for its hand-made tobacco products. Above: No smoking while kite-surfing please.

with various local herbs and tree bark. I know what you’re thinking! But the end result is a very sweet liqueur that is similar in taste to port wine, with a spicy hit. The herbs used vary widely, though the most commonly known and used are cinnamon, basil, star anis, chamomile, cloves, coconut palm root and China root. The best thing about this traditional Dominican drink is that once you’ve finished the bottle at home, all you need to do is top it up with some rum and red wine, let it sit for a couple of days and voila – you’re ready to go again. Yes that’s right, it’s refillable, reusable and never-ending!

Eat local

While the all-inclusive food and drink packages widely on offer are perfect for families, groups and anyone who finds getting off the beaten track a little too exhausting, the more intrepid traveller may be itching to get off the premises by about the second day of your holiday. Among the seemingly endless beachfront resorts, every hundred metres or so you will find a gap filled in with a couple of beach shacks selling local food and unreal mojitos. You can’t go wrong with seafood here. A lot of these shacks have been done up quite nicely with a trendy cafe and dining culture emerging as well as spots that turn into beach bars by late afternoon.

Shop shorefront

Now if you are into shopping with a difference, you cannot get any closer to beachfront boutique than shopping with your feet in the ocean! These shops stay open rain, hail or shine, low tide or high tide! They generally stock your typical souvenirs but with a colourful Caribbean flavour – think brightly coloured pareos, hundreds of rum varieties and cigars in fruity flavours.•

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Fact File

History:

The island nation of the Dominican Republic sits within the West Indies, south east of Cuba and shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. In 1795 it was known as the Spanish Colony of Santo Domingo was later ceded to France and subsequently invaded by Haiti (twice) before American intervention then independence.

Getting there: The simplest way to the D.R. from the Pacific is probably to connect through Sydney (or possibly from Hawaii via New York). All flights from this region mean stopovers in the United States so whether its Qantas, United, American, Delta or Hawaiian you’ll need to connect through Los Angeles, New York, or Dallas, which means a long flight.

Flying Direct to Nauru Nauru Airlines provides return services from Brisbane to Nauru, Tarawa and Majuro and between Nauru and Nadi and Tarawa and Majuro.

Now ďŹ&#x201A;ying to FSM ports of Chuuk, Kosrae and Pohnpei

Federal States of Micronesia

CONTACT NUMBERS Maju Majuro

Our Call Centres are available during normal business hours, Monday to Friday to take your bookings or answer your travel questions.

NAURU - Nauru Airlines within Nauru phone: 5577000 FIJI - One World Flight Centre within Fiji - SUVA phone: 331 5311 - NADI phone: 670 8156 AUSTRALIA - Nauru Airlines within Australia phone: 1300 369 044 International Callers phone: +61 7 3229 6455 www.nauruairlines.com.au

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the Bay ASIAN & WESTERN FUSION

A range of delicious food, including pizzas.

Fresh coffee daily!

THE BAY RESTAURANT MAIN ISLAND RING ROAD, ANIBARE, NAURU PH: (+674) 557 1111

Capelle & Partner Supermarket Supermarket and and Hardware Hardware Nauru’s One-Stop-Shop

Capelle & Partner | Pacific & Occidental Ewa Beach, Nauru Ph: +674 557 1000 | +674 557 1001 | Mob: +674 557 1020

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The fishing trip of a lifetime! Ph: (+674) 557 1001

equatorialgamefishingcharters

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EQUATORIAL LOGISTICS Local agent for Matson

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OD-N AIWO HOTEL & CASINO Situated in the midst of town, just near the Civic Centre in Nauru, Od-n Aiwo Hotel & Casino is a family owned and operated hotel. Rates are available for both long or short term stays. Self contained suites, double and single rooms available. Our bar and casino are open daily and we have an ATM on the premises.

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resorts we love

Nanuku Fiji e r u t n e v d A , e r u t l u ,C

Luxury

et along three serene, dreamlike coves of Fiji’s Coral Coast, Nanuku is home to Fiji’s #1 resort on TripAdvisor (Nanuku Auberge Resort) and likewise the island country’s premiere oceanfront residential address (Nanuku Ocean Estates). Come for the holiday of a lifetime ... or own it forever.

Fiji’s Adventure Capital

Set on the south coast of Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu, Nanuku is less than five minutes from Pacific Harbour, where adventure seekers find some of the world’s best snorkeling, scuba, and surfing — along with waterfall

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Fiji’s number one resort, for a night or a lifetime...

hikes, rainforest ziplines, shark dives and deep water fishing. You can sail, kayak, or paddleboard over waters so clear you can see through to the ocean floor. Nanuku’s location is also convenient to Fiji’s capital, Suva, if you crave some urban adventure. Getting to Nanuku is easy. Flights are available to Nanuku’s private airstrip from Suva or Nadi International Airport – or take the Queen’s Highway from either.

The Resort

World-class and Fijian inspired, Nanuku Auberge Resort is the top-rated hotel in Fiji, offering an authentic, all-inclusive, all-pool-villa, luxury boutique island experience on Viti Levu.

It is a sanctuary for relaxation and discovery set on one of the island’s best beaches. The resort offers 18 Fijian-style suites and villa accommodations, all on the ocean, with relaxed contemporary and Fijian décor, featuring expansive decks and private plunge pools. Nanuku’s clubhouse is the social hub for owners and resort guests. It boasts picture-perfect views across the infinity pool to Beqa Island and is where a warrior torch lighting ritual at sunset signals the end to each glorious day. The food is absolutely top notch. A three-course menu (at every meal) showcases the best local Fiji produce

specially prepared under the guidance of Michelin-starred chef Jacques Reymond. Services at Nanuku are graciously delivered by Auberge Resorts, among the world’s most respected operators of luxury boutique resorts. Auberge caters to guests and owners attuned to extraordinary levels of design, amenities, service, and cuisine. You are pampered in every possible way: from housekeepers to nannies to “buddies” at your beck and call to guide and accompany you on any and all adventures.

The Residences If Nanuku Fiji’s resort sounds appealing for a getaway,

imagine owning a home here. One cove down from the resort, homesites and turnkey villas at Nanuku Ocean Estates are now available for purchase. As Fiji continues to burnish its reputation as one of the South Pacific’s most attractive and ‘still natural’ destinations, the allure of an investment in true beachfront property is worth serious consideration. Most of Fiji is owned by the crown or tribes and can only be leased, only 9% of Fiji is freehold – where both the home and the land are privately owned forever – and a minute fraction of that is beachfront. Nanuku falls into this rare category. Plus its beach is so amazing the President of Fiji keeps a home here. Properties at Nanuku Ocean Estates offer

absolute beachfront or direct beach access. You can enlist your own architect and contractor to build, or select one of the exceptional villas designed by Grounds Kent Architects who also designed the resort’s villas and clubhouse. Winners of the Condé Nast Traveler award for Best Hotel in the World, Perth-based Grounds Kent combined 80 years of experience in crafting spectacular South Pacific residences for their vision at Nanuku. Homeowners can avail themselves of top-notch services and amenities provided by Auberge Resorts. Or indulge yourself with Auberge’s enticing international home exchange service. Enlist the resort for property management services or place your villa in the resort

rental program while you are away. Everything is taken care of for you. .

Discovery Visit

One of the best ways to experience what it would be like to have a home at Nanuku is via their real estate discovery package. Nanuku

offers a special rate on a 4-day/3-night all-inclusive stay at Nanuku Auberge Resort for those interested in touring and experiencing the property first-hand. For more information email RealEstate@NanukuFiji.com and visit nanukufiji.com to view plans, photos, and videos.

Sampling of Owner/ Guest Amenities • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Luxurious Spa/Wellness Centre Clubhouse with infinity pool, bar, dining, events Watersports including jet ski, snorkeling, SUP Outings to Nanuku’s secluded island Concierge services Housekeepers, butlers, and ‘Villa Buddies’ Pre-arrival shopping (e.g. groceries, party supplies, etc.) In-residence dining, including private chefs 24-hour gatehouse Child/teen programming Nannies and caretakers for all ages/special needs Transportation arrangements, airport pick-up and drop-off Private airstrip

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Outward Bound

Treasure Island s with

e d a p a c s e y d a l g n i p the slee

Keri Algar finds a peaceful and serene island with a rich history, the Pacific’s equivalent to Venice and spectacular scenery. A place where no happy hour is necessary.

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Temple of Doom or Treasure Island?

“Growing up on Kosrae has been a bit like living in an Indiana Jones movie,” says Scott as we trek downhill along an overgrown jungle pathway. Indeed, the almost-forgotten island has an appealing blend of picture-book beauty and story-telling history. Although it is known as the most tranquil island in the Federated States of Micronesia – a notion supported by its unofficial name, the Sleeping Lady – Kosrae (Ko-shry) has experienced momentous history. Some of its recent past includes the tunnels we have just traversed on Lelu (a tiny island connected by a causeway to Kosrae). Japanese soldiers excavated them during WWII. While no battles were fought on Kosrae, there are also raid shelters, trenches and foxholes to explore, made by the roughly 4,000 Japanese soldiers who were stationed here. Mount Oma is also riddled with a honeycomb of tunnels, far more extensive and complicated than what we’ve just walked through. Tracking back further in time to the 1870s are tales of Captain William Henry (Bully) Hayes: a US-born cutthroat, swindler, thief and womaniser, put simply, a South Seas pirate. Aboard his dubiously acquired brig, the Leonora, the notorious Bully arrived in Kosrae on a blackbirding mission – this is the capture of islanders by trickery to trade as indentured labour on plantations.

PICTURES: Keri Algar

e reach a fork in the tunnel. “One of these is a dead end. Wait here a sec and I’ll take a look.” Scott (my guide) takes the passageway to the right and vanishes with the only torchlight, leaving me in darkness. We’re in the belly of a mountainous Pacific island that no one seems to have heard of. “Um, how are you going to be?” I call out nervously. The shuffling of bare feet signals his return and the light reappears. “I didn’t see the end, but I have a feeling we go left.” This is a slightly narrower shaft that steers deeper into the island. If you’ve never walked through a mountain passageway, here’s a tip: minutes feel eternal. Bent over we slowly venture further until, eventually, I literally see the light at the end of the tunnel and breathe a sigh of relief. “Have you ever seen a land crab?” Scott enquires casually. Immediately I imagine a coconut crab, fierce-looking, with claws so powerful they can crack open a coconut. “A what? A coconut crab?” I splutter. Before I know it, a huge crab comes scuttling down from the entrance. “No, no, it’s a land crab! It’s different.” My guide is sounding a little amused. Different it may be, but its claws look the same, reaching up and open in defense as it scampers in fright away from Scott, directly toward me. The path is too narrow, there’s nowhere to go but back into the tunnel, so I hold onto the rocks and shimmy my feet up the sides as the crab hurries underneath. It’s a lucky escape. Fortunately, this is my idea of fun.

Above: The Sleeping Lady. The island takes its name from the shape of its mountain ridges when viewed from Lelu.

He was shipwrecked in March 1874 while moored in Lelu’s natural harbour. Exploiting his time on Kosrae as a copra trader, Bully established a reign of terror for seven months before fleeing arrest by an English captain who’d got wind of the situation. The story goes that, in his haste, Bully buried three treasure chests, totaling $1 million in gold coins. Years later he attempted a return to the Sleeping Lady, but experienced a fitting end at the hands of his ship’s cook, who reportedly chopped Bully up and fed him to the sharks. Booty or no booty, Bully did leave a more accessible treasure in the sunken Leonora, which today is a haven for marine life and scuba divers. Just when you thought Kosrae’s history couldn’t get any more intriguing, it does. We’re clambering through the 13th century ruins of an ancient city built from enormous basalt columns. The megalithic city of Lelu was constructed over coral reef that was filled to provide artificial islets for roads and buildings, separated by a complex canal system. It is the Pacific’s equivalent of Venice, and possibly on a par with the enigma of Machu Picchu. At its peak, Lelu may have had a population of 1,500 people and covered over 20 hectares. Today the ruins

are engulfed by forest; giant trees overshadow the once intimidating six-metre walls. “This is where we think people, probably chiefs, were buried, maybe burned,” says Scott, pointing to a pit, barely discernible through a tangle of ferns. “Some people believe their ashes were thrown into the blue holes.” The two natural blue holes in Lelu harbour are actually a hotspot for fish life. Perhaps the greatest wonder of Lelu, and its city sister Nan Madol on the island of Pohnpei, is that it would have required the cooperation – or enslavement – of the entire population to construct. In the Pacific, drenched daily with sun and rain, food and water is in abundance everywhere, so power does not tend to be centralised around resources. Instead, power systems are formed around familial respect: a hierarchical chiefdom would have coordinated the massive effort. Either that, or the basalt columns were transported by levitation (black magic) – a popular theory on both islands. Modern Lelu village is located right next to its ancient counterpart. So accessing the ruins is easy, if not incongruous: just park at the supermarket and beyond the shipping containers-cum-freezers you’ll spot the ruins – a good example of Kosrae’s quirkiness.

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“Like its namesake, Kosrae is peaceful, serene and slow. It has a population of around 8,000 and welcomes fewer than 1,000 tourists annually. A single seaside road travels three quarters of the way around the roughly circular island, which at its widest pushes 15km.”

Above: Yukelu Waterfall is a 10-minute walk from the roadside and permission to enter is required from the land owner

Island Of The Sleeping Lady Setting the stage for this charming history is a lush volcanic island fringed with white sandy beaches and coral reefs. The island takes its name from the shape of its mountain ridges when viewed from Lelu. In the northeast, the lady’s head and twin peaks are clearly defined, drawing down to her belly, where one can almost envisage her clasped hands. Like its namesake, Kosrae is peaceful, serene and slow. It has a population of around 8,000 and welcomes fewer than 1,000 tourists annually. A single seaside road travels three quarters of the way around the roughly circular island, which at its widest pushes 15km. The speed limit, which everyone drives under, is 40km per hour: it takes less than an hour to travel its entire distance. It’s almost happy hour at Nautilus Resort and who wouldn’t look forward to that after this adventure-filled day. But Scott has one more stop, Yukelu waterfall.

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It’s a short 10-minute walk from the roadside. Land owner permission is required, and even so, watch for dogs. “Cheok” means ‘go away’ in local language and is particularly handy, as are a couple of small rocks to throw, just in case. The cascade itself is tall and narrow and I look forward to washing the sweat off my face, but before I get a chance Scott asks if I like climbing trees. “Sure,” I reply, slightly puzzled and counting back in my head. “Like 20 years ago.” The island boy is not deterred. “Great! There’s a good climbing tree just over there and we can swim in a pool up the top.” He’s off, his agile body scaling the sturdy roots of some sort of tall mangrove-like tree. I’m not so inclined, nor capable, so he scampers down and takes me to a rocky wall. We pull ourselves up with the help of two thick ropes. At the top, like Scott promised, is a pool perfect for bathing. We take an invigorating dip under the dappled shade. In Kosrae, who needs happy hour when every moment is so delightful?

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CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS & BUSINESS ADVISERS

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An Independent Correspondent Member Of

26/06/15 15:39

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Island Adventure

Nautilus But Nice e a r s o K f o rit The spi

Keri Algar washes up in paradise and comes away well fed and rejuvenated.

Nautilus is picture-perfect with its own organic garden. And the diving is spectacular and almost exclusively private.

y hosts, Doug and Sally, say they built Nautilus with a vision for guests to go out and play and have fun all day, then to come back and be cool and relaxed by the pool. I believe it is a mission accomplished. Framed with the pristine Pacific on one side and jungleclad slopes on the other, Nautilus is a picture-perfect hotel on Kosrae (Kosh-rye) Island in the Federated States of Micronesia. It caters to whatever is packed in the suitcase – holiday reading, dive gear or hiking boots. The resort itself is immaculate. Its 16 rooms are well lit, large, comfortable and clean. The restaurant has its own organic garden and partners with other local producers and fishermen. Most of its electricity is generated by a new solar system, keeping Nautilus in line with trending eco resorts worldwide. There is also full access to WiFi and cable TV, not that I managed to squeeze in time to enjoy the facilities. A fully equipped dive centre and speed boat takes divers anywhere around the tiny island, depending on weather and wave conditions. Salik – Divemaster extraordinaire – fills me in on his favourite dive site, Hiroshi Point. “With a strong current we see so many black tip reef sharks, big ones too!” After 20 years in operation, Nautilus welcomes many repeat divers, though it is never crowded. Usually, as in my case, guests are the only ones here to enjoy their dives in private at their own pace. Back on land, Nautilus is a skip and a hop across the road

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from Blue Hole snorkeling. If the tides permit, take a kayak or standup paddleboard from the resort’s ‘back yard’ and cruise through mangrove canals. Doug and Sally’s son, Scott, can also take you stand up paddleboarding south of the island through verdant wetland forests (look out for huge monitor lizards!). In fact, with the friendly and adventurous spirit one could expect of an ‘island boy’, Scott is happy to take you anywhere, anytime. To venture a little further, local guides can be arranged – the myths and legends they tell of the ‘sleeping lady’ island are a treat. Take an outrigger canoe tour through the Utwe mangroves, or walk through Lelu’s mysterious ruins, explore the bird cave and take a dip under a refreshing waterfall – all these sights are within minutes of the resort. Nautilus also offers a unique opportunity to get to know local Kosraeans. The ‘morning coffee club’ hangs out every day for a chinwag, and on Sundays after church the restaurant fills with families enjoying lunch. Kosraeans may be shy at first, but once approached with a smile they are extremely friendly. My stay at Nautilus was action packed. But at the same time there is a sense of gentleness and ease in every day. I’ve managed to tick a lot of boxes and still come away stressfree and rejuvenated. As for Doug and Sally’s vision, a look at their visitor’s book – dated from 1995! – is testament to their success.

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gardening

‘Tiswatthe Season y r d e h t n i g n eri Gardening editor Carolyn Ernst says that it’s not how much rainfall you get in the wet season that matters, it’s how you water in the dry that keeps your garden thriving.

isk and resilience are words on the tip of everyone’s tongue, although both of them are not new words and neither are most of their solutions. Cyclones and droughts are nothing new, it is the frequency and intensity that is changing. Traditionally our forefathers or the forefathers of our indigenous populations had coping mechanisms that helped them to recognise the coming of these events and helped them prepare and survive these natural phenomena. Many of these traditions have been lost and so has our ability to cope and survive in these difficult times. Rediscovering and learning from these traditional practises is in many cases the way forward. This is the same with our gardens, the natural landscape has developed over the years and plants have evolved to cope with their natural habitat. This is not to say, that native gardens are best but it is to say that one needs to look for plants from a similar habitat to find the best plants for our environment. Also in our small Pacific Islands one needs to look very closely at your own particular climate. There are huge variations within very short distances, especially with our rain shadow areas, which could mean that your rainfall might be half that of someone only 10km away. The difference in the amount of rain you get during the rainy season is not really the issue, but it is the difference in the rainfall and the frequency

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of it during the dry season that really affects our gardens and what will thrive in them. Also do not forget the huge difference in our soil types, from the sandy coastal soil to the deep rich loams and clays of the inland. Plants have naturally developed some of their own coping mechanisms. Heliconias and bananas’ leaves have developed so that they can cope with our high winds. You will note that the veins on the leaves run perpendicular from the main stem. This means that the leaves can shred and yet the leaves will continue to function, providing food to the plant. Also some of the gingers and calatheas have rhizomes that means when it gets too dry, they will die down but as soon as the conditions improve the plant will regrow and flourish in the wet. I can absolutely recommend bottle palms for a windy location, I have several in the garden and I can tell you that after a category 5 cyclone you had to look really hard at them, to see any damage at all. They actually looked out of place, untouched in a sea of destruction. When making decisions on plant choices try and look at the bigger picture. It is easy to fall in love with bougainvilleas and succulents at the present time as it has been dry for so long (here in Vanuatu five months, some places much longer) but remember next year might be a wet year and the succulents will develop mould and die and the bougainvilleas

PICTURES: Carolyn Ernst

Bottle Bottle Palms Palms are are great great in in windy windy locations, locations, these these ones ones (over (over page) page) survived survived category category fifive ve Cyclone Cyclone Pam Pam in in Vanuatu Vanuatu last last year. year.

Mulch is also important, particularly in the dry season as is layered gardens (above).

will grow lush green foliage and not flower at all. This long term information can be hard for people new to an area, but again if you are looking around, also try talking to the gardeners in the area, most places will have some sort of garden group or gardening personalities that are more than willing to help you with some of your issues and assist you with your choices. I cannot mention it often enough – by looking around the local vegetation and local gardens you will not only see what is doing well and is suited to your location but also you will be able to find out what you like or don’t like as well as what is not suited and is not doing so well. Now I know sometimes we enjoy a challenge, we want to grow something different, something someone says that you can’t grow. There is nothing wrong with this, but I would suggest to you that you keep these plants close, they are the ones least likely to cope and these are the ones that need the extra attention and care. Having them near, somewhere that you walk past often, allows you to more easily monitor them and give them the extra attention they need. However be prepared that your experiment may not work and you may need to make tough decisions and the day might come when you are just not prepared to put in the extra effort required and really, are the results worth the effort it takes? Also there is always something new and interesting to be found and few

of us are blessed with enough space to grow everything we want or need to. The choice of plants that we grow is one way to make our gardens more resilient and there are also our garden practises that work as well. Today, water is one of the major issues our garden communities are facing. Especially where there are serious water shortages, we need to make the most of what we have. The use of grey water is becoming more common and a very sensible way of better using our limited resources. There is a range of systems available, from some very cheap options, all the way to expensive fully automated household systems. Do some research and you will find a system that suits you and your budget, also research the issues with using untreated grey water. There are some soap powders that are better than others and you may need to change brands if you want to use your grey water untreated. My sister has a very simple solution, the used laundry water feeds into a large garbage trolley at the back door, from here a cheap sump pump, pumps the water onto her lawn and flower beds. This is something almost anyone can do and make with very little effort and expense. We also need to look at how you deliver your water, overhead watering is wasteful and in many places expensive. Have a good look at some of the new irrigation systems that

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Bougainvillaea love the dry but other plants do well from two to three deep waterings a week during the dry season.

allow the water to be delivered directly to the soil or in some cases below the soil directly to the roots, there are some great tapes and weeping hoses available now. How we water is very important; two to three deep waterings per week are way better and use less water than daily sprinkles. Deep watering is also better for the plants and helps them cope better during dry weather. The light sprinkles cause the plants root systems to come to the surface where the soil dries out, so they require daily watering. Deep watering allows the soil to be moistened to a greater depth and therefore does not dry out as quickly and also the plants roots to grow deep searching for this deep moisture. When planting try to plant plants with similar water requirements in the same area, this way you will only have to water some of the areas and not the full garden and only give water to the plants that really need it. Mulch is also beneficial, we should all know about the benefits of mulch and the multiple choices available. Again do your research and make sure you find the system that suits you. Do not forget the cut and drop system whereby the waste from the garden, dropped leaves and prunings are put back on the garden and returned to the soil. You will be amazed at how quickly the makeup of the soil and the plants ability to

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cope during dry times is changed. Inter cropping, integrated systems or tiered planting are other ways of helping your garden become more resilient. These systems all function slightly differently and have multiple other names but simply mean; the growing of multiple species together. You can also add companion planting here as there are also the benefits of growing certain plants with specific other ones with associated benefits to both. My friend, Cornelia, uses one of these systems in her commercial garden and after cyclone Pam was harvesting lettuces within weeks as the young plants were sheltered between rows of gingers. The gingers were a mess but the young lettuces were protected and reached market at a time where they were greatly appreciated and fetched a premium price. Inter cropping also brings benefits against diseases and pests as well as creating small micro climates and shelters tender plants from the harsh sun. Healthy plants are resilient; they can cope with the weather as well as insects and disease. Being a successful gardener is all about helping your plants cope and your garden become more resilient. Do this well and you will be rewarded, whether it be flowers, fruit or vegetables, they will all be bigger and better the healthier your garden is.

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Paciﬁc Traveller

Need-to-Know FAQs about the practicalities of Pacific travel, from getting around to getting the language.

Cook Islands

Population: 11,500 Country code: +682 Capital: Avarua Official languages: English, Maori Currencies: New Zealand dollar, Cook Islands dollar Cook Island Time Zone (UTC-10:00) Basic Language • Hello – Kia Orana • Goodbye – Aere ra • Thank you – Meitaki • Yes – Ae • No – Kare Business hours The usual business week is 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday, and most shops also open on Saturday morning until noon. Small local grocery stores keep longer hours, often from around 6am or 7am until around 8pm or 9pm Nearly everything is closed on Sunday – bars close at midnight on Saturday and even Air Rarotonga doesn’t fly. The only exceptions are the small local grocery stores, some of which open for a couple of hours on Sunday morning and again in the evening. Opening hours in the Cook Islands are notoriously variable. Transportation Take a Bongo Bus – fun, safe and reliable or hire a scooter. Rental cars available too.

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Fiji

Capital: Suva Country code: +679 Currency: Fijian dollar Population: 874,742 (2012) Fiji Time Zone (UTC+12:00) Basic Language • Welcome/Hello – Bula • How are you? Vacava tiko? • What’s your name? – O cei na yacamu(ni)? • How much is this? – E vica na kena i-sau? • Thank you – Vinaka, Vinaka vaka levu • Do you speak English?– O(ni) vosa vakavalagi? Transportation Getting around Fiji is easy and cheap. There’s a good network of buses, carriers (trucks) and ferries for travel within Fiji’s main islands, and taxis are common. Hiring a car is a good way to explore the two largest islands – which contain 90% of Fiji’s roads – or charter a boat, or small plane to get between islands. Fiji is well-served by two domestic airlines which operate between many of the islands, although services are less regular to the outer islands. Yachting and cruising are also great ways to explore the country. Business Hours Post offices and most shops and cafés open between 8am and 9am and close at around 5pm weekdays, or

1pm on Saturday. Banks are open 9am to 4pm on weekdays, though some close at 3pm on Friday. A few Internet cafés and shops are open for limited hours on Sunday but the general rule is to assume everything will be closed. Government offices are open from 8am to 4.30pm Monday to Thursday, and 8am to 4pm Friday. Many places in Fiji close for lunch from 1pm to 2pm

Samoa

Capital: Apia Currency: Tala (WST) Population: 178,631 Language: Samoan (Polynesian), English Time Zone: UTC +13 (DST +14) Basic Language • Hello – Malo • How are you? – ‘O a mai ‘oe? • Fine, thank you – Manuia, fa’afetai. • Please – Fa’amolemole. • Thank you – Fa’afetai • Yes – ‘Ioe • No – Leai. • Goodbye –Tofa soifua. Business hours Banks are usually open from 9am to 3pm Monday to Friday. Shops usually operate from 8am to 4.30pm on weekdays and from 8am to

noon on Saturday, though kiosks and convenience stores keep longer hours. Government offices open from 8am to 4.30pm. On Sunday, almost everything is closed, although ripples of activity appear in the evening. Markets normally get under way by about 6am; the Maketi Fou in Apia is active more or less 24 hours a day. Transportation To drive in Samoa, visitors need to validate their foreign driver’s license at the Land Transport Authority in Vaitele near the Samoa Breweries/ Vailima factory. Cost for validation is ST$12, and some rental car companies will also assist in getting your license endorsed. On September 7, 2009, Samoa switched from driving on the right hand side of the road, to the left. Most vehicles are left hand drive, and drivers should be cautious if you are not familiar with driving on the left side of the road. Taxis are abundant and not metered so it’s good to have an idea of what the journey will cost and you agree on a price with the driver before setting off. Trips from Faleolo International Airport to Apia cost around SAT$60.

Another fun way to explore the islands is to take a local bus. If the bus is full when you board locals will sit on another person’s lap. There are no bus stops around the islands, so just wave down a bus if you want to get on, and when you want to get off simply pull the cord to ring the buzzer.

PICTURE: Craig Osment – Likuliku Resort, Fiji

Solomon Islands

Capital: Honiara Country code: +677 Population: 549,598 (2012) Currency: Solomon Islands dollar Official language: English Language Solomon Islands Time Zone (UTC+11:00) Basic Language • Good morning – mone/moning • Hello – Halo • Goodbye – Baebae • See you again – lukim yu moa • Thank you – Tagio tumas • Do you speak English – yu save tok englis • My name is – nem blong mi hem • I do not understand – mi no save/mi no undastadem Business Hours Banking hours in Honiara are from 8.30am to 3pm Monday to Friday (ANZ and Westpac open at 9am). Government offices open

from 8am to noon and 1pm to 4pm Monday to Friday. Private businesses close half an hour later and operate on Saturday until midday. Most shops in town open from 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday and until noon on Saturday – some open longer, including on Sunday. Transportation Not all taxis are metered, so agree on a price at the start of your journey. Solomon Airlines offer flights to the outer islands.

Tonga

Capital: Nuku’alofa Currency: pa’anga (TOP) Population: 106,137 (July 2002 est.) Language: Tongan, English Time Zone: UTC +13 Basic language • Hello – Malo a lelei • Do you speak English – ‘Oku ke lava ‘o lea fakapalangi? • I don’t understand –‘Oku ‘ikai ke mahino kiate au • How much is it? – ‘Oku fiha • Please – Faka molemole • Thank you (very much) – Malo (‘aupiti) Business Hours Tonga’s businesses operate Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 4.30pm, on Saturday from 8.30am to 12noon. It is important to note that all businesses are

closed on Sundays, this includes most cafés and bars. Food is available in hotels and resorts. Transportation Most of the Island groups are serviced by inter island ferries, most of which depart from Queen Salote Wharf in Nuku’alofa. Water Taxis offer one way or round trip transfers between islands on fast, reliable and comfortable speed boats. Road taxis are unmetered and often unmarked but identified by the letter T at the beginning of the number plate. An acceptable fare from the International Airport to downtown Nuku’alofa would be $30 and short trips around the capital $5-$6.

Vanuatu

Capital: Port Vila Currency: Vatu, although AUD accepted in main towns Official languages: English, French and Bislama Population: 220,000 Time zone: GMT/UMT plus 11 hours. Basic Language • How much is that? – Hamas long hem? • I don’t know. – Mi no save • This is broken – Samting ia hemi bugarup or Samting ia i brok • How are you? – Olsem

wanem • Thank you –Tankyu • Thank you very much – Tankyu tumas • My name is… – Nem blong mi • What time does the plane land? – Wanem taem plen ia lan? • Food/eat – Kai Kai Business Hours Offices and shops usually open from 7.30 -11.30am and 1.30 - 5.00pm Monday to Friday. Many shops open on Saturday morning. Siesta (lunchtime) is 11.30am - 1.30pm when many businesses and shops close. Restaurants, cafés, supermarkets, banks and the Port Vila market remain open. Vanuatu Post has locations throughout the country, some shared with the National Bank of Vanuatu. The Port Vila Post Office is open Monday to Friday 7.30am - 5.00pm and Saturday 7.30am - 11.30am Transportation Driving in Vanuatu is on the right hand side of the road. Apart from taxis buses are a great way to get around town. Any minibus with a red B on the number plate will take you on its route in central Port Vila for VT150 and trips further afield start at VT200. Air Vanuatu flies to the outer islands of Vanuatu.•

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Nauru Airlines is the national carrier of the Republic of Nauru, operating passenger and freight services to and from the Central Pacific. Nauru Airlines provides return services from Brisbane to Nauru, Tarawa and Majuro and between Nauru and Nadi and Tarawa and Majuro.

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Buy-in

Post Cyclone Pam y t i n u t r o p p o

e t a t s e l a re

Financial adviser Gayle Stapleton says 12-months on from Cyclone Pam Vanuatu has recovered and opportunities for investment are plentiful.

The mood The general mood across the business community is active and upbeat. The building sector is particularly busy with the rebuild program which means improved in-country spending. The message from the community is ‘let’s get on with it’. In addition to the ‘will do’ attitude, confidence is being positively impacted by both the flow of specialist development aid post cyclone and the re-commencement of several large infrastructure projects i.e. the ports, road upgrade and maintenance and the schools rebuilding program. Vanuatu is open for business, tourists are back, the smaller boutique resorts are taking the opportunity to shine whilst the larger resorts are undergoing extensive rebuilding programs.

The opportunity There is always a silver lining following a disaster and I can see sound opportunities for real estate investors with a longer term hold horizon. In Vanuatu, there is a shortage of medium to high quality rental accommodation for longer term tenancies. It is possible to purchase residential property for less than $200,000 which managed well, will provide you with a net return of seven percent per annum. When I reflect on the position in Australia and the difficulties first home buyers are experiencing trying to enter the real

estate market, the option of a Pacific destination as your entry into property, should be part of your potential shopping list.

And for the adventurous The idyllic paradise is open to many risks and a large number of these are beyond your control for example – natural disasters, government changes, regulatory changes, currency movements, exchange control. Due to these uncontrollable risks, it is important the return you make on your investment is sound and this is after allowing for your salary. Ask yourself, what return would I require for an investment in Australia or NZ and then for the Pacific, increase this by 50 percent. For example if in Australia you would accept 15 percent return, in the Pacific, work your numbers on 22.5 percent return, I recommend borrowings of no more than 60 percent of purchase price. In the Pacific, what can go wrong, does go wrong so, planning is key.

Messages for you In the words of a mentor of mine, expand in the difficult times and consolidate in the good times. Include Vanuatu on your real estate research list, take a longer term view (minimum 5 years) and take advice from professionals.

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The People: Behind Your Magazine Behind the scenes, or should that be the scenery, since we’re in the Pacific, we’re making your mag. TIFFANY CARROLL | Editor Tiffany began her career in journalism at GTV 9 in Melbourne before switching to print media with Rural Press newspapers in NSW. She joined the private office of the Premier of Victoria as Press Secretary in the second term of the Kennett Government. Since moving to Vanuatu, Tiffany has written for many clients and has been editing Air Vanuatu’s inflight magazine Island Spirit for seven years. TANYA GREEN | Art Director Tanya has a degree in Graphic Design with experience working in both Australia and overseas, in roles ranging from Commercial Producer for TV, to Designer, Art Director and also owning her own magazine. She now spends time with her two small children and freelancing for clients across the country ... and the Pacific too now.

CAROLYN ERNST | Gardening Editor Carolyn Ernst is a passionate gardener and farmer. Originally from New Zealand, Carolyn has called the Pacific home for well over 25 years. She is a married mother of four children and two grandchildren and operates Eden on the River - an outdoor adventure and garden experience in Port Vila. GAYLE STAPLETON | Finance Writer After numerous chief executive roles with ANZ Bank within Australia and the South Pacific, Gayle established Stapleton Pacific. She works with investors, business owners, expatriates and foreign non-residents to assist them build property investment and wealth portfolios via intelligent, personalised and well-structured lending.

GEORGIE GORDON | Features Editor Georgie’s university studies in communications, journalism and publishing were followed by a successful career in advertising. Georgie now spends much of her time writing about the things she has a passion for, design, food, travel, books, health and beauty. She now resides part time in the region allowing her to pursue her enthusiasm for promoting the pleasures of the Pacific.

PAT INGRAM | Editorial Director Pat Ingram has a long and passionate association with magazines. She edited Australian Cosmopolitan and Harper’s Bazaar before her 10-year stint as Publishing Director for ACP Magazines’ 16 women’s titles including Woman’s Day and The Australian Women’s Weekly. She currently works as a publishing consultant and editorial director for Fairfax Media. She is a resident of Vanuatu and dreams of spending most of the year here.

CHRISTIANA KALUSCHA | Food Editor Christiana studied languages and economics at Cologne University before taking up the life of a sea gypsy sailing the Mediterranean from Spain to Turkey and onwards around the world. Fluent in several languages plus the language of food. Christiana now runs the exclusive boutique B+B, Sarangkita, on the beachfront outside of Port Vila from where she also conducts cooking tours and classes as the creator of Vanuatu Food Safari.

CRAIG OSMENT | Publisher Craig has over thirty years’ experience as an independent publisher of consumer magazines, books and trade titles. Originally a graphic designer, he was art director of Australian Cosmopolitan, The Bulletin and POL magazines. Now a Vanuatu resident he is also the publisher of Island Spirit the Air Vanuatu in-flight magazine.

OLIVIA WAUGH | Fashion + Style Editor Olivia Waugh is a highly regarded fashion stylist with a career in both retail and editorial. She has been Fashion Editor for the top-selling Australian weekly Woman’s Day and Fashion Director of the glossy monthly SHOP TIL YOU DROP. She is currently freelancing for a variety of Australia’s top magazines and manufacturers and island-hopping

REBECCA MURPHY | Advertising Director Rebecca is another exile from New Zealand but has spent the past 17 years travelling extensively through Europe and the Pacific so thoroughly acclimatised to our region. She lived in PNG before coming to Vanuatu and is a media junkie having worked in print and radio for ten years. She loves anything to do with fashion, style and travel and claims to be an ‘all round exceptional person’ and we have to agree.

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Solomon Islands

Raiders of,Tulagi play e v i d , y a t S

Fiona Marston says a breath of fresh air has been blown in to the former Solomon’s capital of Tulagi thanks to the refurbished Raiders Hotel & Dive.

ight in the heart of the former capital of Solomon Islands, Tulagi, is a relatively unknown gem of a weekend getaway – Radiers Hotel & Dive. Tulagi in Central Province is only an hour and a half by boat from Honiara and is a must for a weekend getaway or even longer. The hotel has in the past year been taken over by new management, a kiwi couple who have spent much of the past decade living and working in the Solomons, and when the opportunity arose for them to stay on and run their own business, the temptation was too great. Bob and Yvie Norton have completely turned around the hotel and refurbished all eight rooms, with a total of 14 beds, comprising three ensuite and five standard rooms, all featuring ensemble beds, soft linens and air conditioning. A choice of fresh breakfasts are made daily to your liking, and quite often freshly caught kingfish will feature on the lunch or dinner menu – most often caught that day by Bob himself. Complimentary tea and coffee is available all day, as are icy cold bottles of locally brewed SolBrew Lager and a selection of wines and other beverages. Tulagi offers plenty of activities, but is also perfect for relaxing and doing nothing at all. The large airy and shaded verandah has hammocks and seats overlooking a small coral garden right in front of the inn. Children are entertained snorkelling out the front and play on the small white sandy beach next to the verandah. The inn also has a kayak and a stand up paddle board for those looking for a little adventure. Bob is a keen scuba diver and will happily take guests on personalised guided diving tours of the local coral walls, submerged WWII wrecks or the famous twin tunnels of Central

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Province. The hotel features a small dive shop where you can hire diving equipment and tanks can be refilled. A walk around the island is well worth the effort. Heading left from the hotel you walk through the small township, past the shipyard and through the famous ‘Tulagi Pass’, a road carved through a mountain by prisoners during the days of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate Government in the 1920s. You also experience the Tulagi Central Market and view the typical life of islanders. Do not be surprised to have a band of gorgeous children following you on your walk and wanting to say hello. Should you wish to experience life in a typical village, Bob and Evie will happily arrange to take you to a nearby village by hotel boat, where they have an arrangement to provide the village with some financial assistance in return for guests being welcomed for a day trip. Upon arrival, the local villagers will eagerly scale a nearby coconut palm to husk fresh drinking coconuts, while the happy carefree pikininis gather around to watch and giggle at the visitors. The waters in front of the village offer some of the most spectacular snorkelling opportunities and the locals will even give you a quick lesson in paddling a local dugout canoe. At the end of the day, after a freshly cooked dinner and cold beer, you can wash the day away, climb into the most comfortable of beds and drift off to sleep in the luxury of cool air conditioning, ready and fresh to wake up the next day and do it all over again. To book your next stay at Raiders Hotel & Dive Tulagi, please call (677) 32 070 or mobile (677) 749 4185 or email raidershotel@solomon.com.sb for more information, visit www. radiershotel.com

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Par Avion

Bum Trip Tips T

Toby Preston consults TripAdvisor and comes up with some surprisingly confusing results.

here are people who should never be issued with a passport, among them some Americans (as it is only around 20% of them have one anyway in spite of claiming to know how to run the entire universe) – this is so that other travellers can remain relatively safe from the opinions of some of the bozos who venture outside their immediate environs.* It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that TripAdvisor is an American site claiming to be the leading experts on all things travel related, almost oxymoronic insofar as they never appear to know what or where it is you’re actually looking for. This is a conclusion that’s just been confirmed after spending a few hours researching comments on leading hotels I’ve actually stayed in over time. I decided to amuse myself by just looking at the comments in the ‘terrible’ category as I’d stumbled across an old item about idiotic complaints from tourists and I thought I’d take a look at what the less-than-gruntled contributors to TripAdvisor had to say about places that didn’t meet their expectations while meeting mine. First up I came to the conclusion that TripAdvisor has become as intrusive as Facebook and spookily familiar with far too much stuff about me based on no more than an email address, for example, one of those perpetually irritating dropdown boxes informed me that ’28 of your friends are using TripAdvisor’. How do they know who my friends are? The only way to stop them is to unsubscribe at which time you get a plaintive response to wish you ‘Bon Voyage’ and a simpering remark about how sorry they are to see you go. If they want you stay then cease and desist with the bloody questions and unsolicited offers. But back to the original prompt for the research; a while back Thomas Cook published some of the more amusing complaints they’d received from travellers, these included: • “It took us nine hours to fly home from Jamaica to England. It took the Americans only three hours to get home. This seems unfair.” (one of the few times Americans got a better deal) • “There were too many Spanish people there. The receptionist spoke Spanish, the food was Spanish. No one told us that there would be so many foreigners.” (these are obviously people who believe that when in Spain the brain fails mainly from the plane) • “No one told us there would be fish in the water. The children were scared.” (and, that was just in the bathtub) • “They should not allow topless sunbathing on the beach. It was very distracting for my husband who just wanted to relax.” (a nice stay in a monastery would fix that) • “I was bitten by a mosquito. The brochure did not mention mosquitoes.” (the brochures usually overstate the amenities!)

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• “I compared the size of our one-bedroom suite to our friends’ three-bedroom and ours was significantly smaller.” (directly proportional to size of their brains) • “We had to line up outside to catch the boat and there was no air-conditioning.” (ah! the great outdoors) • “We went on holiday to Spain and had a problem with the taxi drivers as they were all Spanish.” (one of the few places in the world where the taxi drivers are still indigenous) • “On my holiday to Goa in India, I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don’t like spicy food.” (probably thought they were going to Indiana) So with people like that abroad, you’d hardly be surprised at some of the complaints you encounter on TripAdvisor. Americans seem to be perpetually surprised that hotels in Europe are OLD. None of the furniture is good enough, some of it’s scratched (that’s trouble with antiques), the rooms are small, the bathroom plumbing was installed by the Romans when they last invaded, things are often damp and mildewed, and rooms smelt as if someone had died in them (in this case the concierge offered to call a doctor). But some are just plain loony. The woman who while staying in the Excelsior on Rome’s Via Veneto who complained that there was nothing to see within a 10-15-minute walk – the Spanish Steps are only ten minute’s away and the Borghese Gardens about a three-minute walk. Then the man who had stayed at the same hotel 20 times and said “I’m actually here now in room #235 and wish I wasn’t. How much more clear can I be?” Obviously a slow learner. Then there are all the conflicting reports (all in the ‘terrible’ section) – the beds are too soft, the beds are too hard, the service is appalling, the service is superb, the breakfast egg station is terrible, the breakfast egg station is wonderful. The other notable thing seems to be the number of members of ‘platinum’ hotel reward programs who are never going back to their favourite chain hotel, these people have the greatest sense of entitlement and complain about not being given a complimentary upgrade when they ask. But I suspect that like the woman in India they just have ended up in a completely different country because of TripAdvisor’s ‘intuitive’ search engine, your preferred destination can be out by thousands of kilometres. For example, type in Westin Excelsior Rome and the dropdown box suggests: The Entrance NSW, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada and a couple of places in Missouri and Minnesota. Likewise search Hotel Crillon, Paris and they suggest Walt Disney World, Florida and Disneyland, Paris plus six properties in the Caribbean. No wonder people are disappointed.* And Australians – ed.

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