Pacific Island Living Issue 28

Islandliving pacific

WINTER 2019 | ISSUE 28

d o o F + n o i h s Fa l a i c e Sp EAT I CRUISE I STAY AU$5 (incl. GST)

ISSN 2200-9566

9 772200 956005

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FIJI | VANUATU | SAMOA SOLOMON ISLANDS | MARSHALL ISLANDS PLUS PEOPLE | DECOR BEAUTY | HEALTH | GARDENS

PICTURE: Waitui Club, Sofitel Fiji by Damea Dorsey.

F R O M TH E E D ITOR

hen people think of holidays in the Paciifc, beaches, poolside cocktails and kids clubs probably come to mind.

What may surprise would-be travellers is the Pacific islands offer a melting pot of cuisines, from traditional Melanesian and Polynesian cooking to fine dining, Asian, and European restaurants.

Vanuatu is well known for the French influence in their restaurants and delicious bakeries, while Italian seems to be the main influence in Samoa, Chinese in Solomon Islands and Indian fusion in Fiji.

Top chefs call the Pacific home and all spruik the organic goodness of produce in the islands. In this issue of Pacific Island Living we speak to chefs from across the region and feature recipes from our favourite cook, Christiana Kaluscha in Port Vila.

We also have a great story by Tony and Elaine Wilson on Kiwi celebrity chef Robert Oliver’s Pacific Food Revolution

reality TV show and we try out a cooking school in Fiji.

Also in this issue are our other regular fashion, health and beauty features from across the region.

Speaking of the region, in April I attended the Walkley Foundation dinner with our editorial director Pat Ingram as sponsors of the Sean Dorney Fund for Pacific Journalism.

Sean is an icon of Pacific reporting within the Australian media, with a 40-year career as a journalist in Papua New Guinea and throughout the Pacific islands region. Sean is living with Motor Neurone Disease and this fund set up in his honour aims to encourage better reporting of the Pacific in Australia. We’re all about that!

To keep up to date with our reporting on the Pacific, go to our website at pacificislandliving.com Happy reading.

Tiffany Carroll

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Pacific Island Living No 28 | Winter 2019 Cover photo: West Indies Wear; Nauru cover: Beran Island Resort, Marshall Islands.

EDITOR Tiffany Carroll Email: tcarroll@photogenicpr.com ART DIRECTOR Nicole Brown SUB EDITOR Elaine Wilson FASHION + STYLE EDITOR Olivia Waugh FOOD EDITOR Christiana Kaluscha GARDENING EDITOR Carolyn Ernst CONTRIBUTORS Georgie Gordon, Toby Preston, Craig Osment, Pat Ingram, Rebecca Murphy, Carolyn Ernst, Christiana Kaluscha, Lauren Jagger, Fiona Harper, Craig Tansley, David Kirkland, Damea Dorsey, Tony Wilson, Elaine Wilson, Tess Newton-Cain, Tristan Barns, Jemma Senico, Jenny-Lee Scharnboeck.

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Pat Ingram PUBLISHER: Craig Osment ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Rebecca Murphy: Regional Manager Fiji | Nauru | Samoa | Vanuatu | NZ | Solomon Islands Telephone: (64) 21 951 342 or (64) 825 7340 Email: sales@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 www.pacificislandliving.com

at

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, Samoa Airways or Pacific Island Living.

Pacific Island Living is the official inflight magazine of Nauru Airlines and publisher of Samoa Airways’ inflight magazine Malaga.

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The pristine Pacific area is the perfect source of fresh organic produce.

Check out our roundup of culinary creatives from restaurants and resorts around the region. Starts page 48.

CONTENTSnter 2019 Wi 7

ASK THE EXPERTS Our newest addition to the editorial line up, Pacific Island Travel Representation’s Jemma and Jenny-Lee give us the lowdown on Pacific places from travel experts. This time it’s all about Tonga.

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BEACHCOMBER Fijian artist Rusiate Lali is back home and splashing colour on canvas in pursuit of climate sensitivity. Also hunks in trunks, a Vanuatu villa with a view and bags from rags.

PICTURE: Ryan Ward – Nico from Malolo Resort with a yellowfin tuna.

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NET ASSETS

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Fiji may not be the first country that comes to mind when thinking fashion, but it has had a thriving fashion industry for more than 50 years.

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BOOK LOOK

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FASHION FLASH

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DECOR Dress up your house as well as your wardrobe for the cooler weather. A selection of warming and playful household objects to scatter around this winter.

BEAUTY SPOT Supernatural Skin Care. Georgie Gordon shines a spotlight on four of nature’s gifts that work wonders on the skin and can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

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THE ISLAND GUIDE TO FITNESS The ultimate island style workout to try anywhere, any time, using only the resources of the islands.

Olivia Waugh comes up with some cool looks for cordinates which are perfect for cooler weather.

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ABODE – BAR-BADOS MAKEOVER Renowned interior designer Kit Kemp welcomed the invitation to transform a rather grey Barbados beach bar into something a little more beachy and inviting.

Compelling reads. Georgie Gordon delves into some satire, romance and deadly fixations from among the latest releases.

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STYLE STATEMENTS Meet Kim Van Loo from West Indies Wear who launched her range of distinctively tropical collections from the 34-foot boat she and her partner sailed across the Atlantic. By Fiona Harper.

Georgie Gordon’s website compilation covers a visually stunning travel site, an interior design online magazine and an irreverant but uplifting alternative news site.

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THE BOTTEGA FASHION FESTIVAL 2019

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HEALTHY LIVING The healing power of crystals. The sceptics may argue there is no scientific basis but Georgie Gordon tries a bit of crystal gazing.

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Above left: The quirky but tropical bar design by Kit Kemp. Page 30. Above right: The renowned Champagne Beach on Santo. Page 65.

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ART SMART – WIKI WONDERS Wikimedia Commons 13th Picture of the Year competition. Toby Preston makes a small personal selection.

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PACIFIC TO PLATE Our 12-page round up of restaurants and resorts that pride themselves on the creative use of our fabulous local produce to create some of the best cuisine on the planet. Plan your next visit now.

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PACIFIC FOOD REVOLUTION Reality television meets community health initiative. Think My Kitchen Rules without the vitriol and filled with Pacific heritage and humour. By Tony and Elaine Wilson.

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FIJI CRUISE HEAVEN

All aboard to visit parts of Fiji larger ships cannot reach and rarely visited by tourists to discover Fijian culture, deserted beaches and some of the most dramatic scenery in the South Pacific.

DESTINATION GUIDE Your portal to the Pacific. The Pacific is made up of some of the most spectacular islands in the world. We take a closer look at a regional selection.

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LET THE GAMES BEGIN Samoa is preparing to welcome competitors when it hosts the 16th Pacific Games in July this year.

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RESORT REPORT Beckoned back to Vomo. Tristan Barns finds Vomo’s

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delights are just as tantalisng now as they were ten years ago, in spite of having kids in tow.

100 CHRISTIANA COOKS – RIS DE VEAU Not something you’ll find on every menu but our food editor Christiana Kaluscha recommends that if you’ve never had them before that ‘you take the leap of faith.and give them a try’.

104 HONG KONG The Asian kaleidoscope of colour. It’s one of the most densely populated islands on the planet but that makes it one of the most vibrant. By Tiffany Carroll.

112 WOMEN OF THE PACIFIC These women are proud of who they are and where they come from and provide a shining example.

114 GLORIOUS GARDENS – GROW YOUR OWN Carolyn Ernst says grow your own. Whether you buy from a nursery or propagate from existing plants.

117 THE CROSSWORD While you’re relaxing, that’s no excuse for not keeping your neurons nubile and your brain busy.

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

128 PAR AVION – JUST CRUISIN’ Toby Preston finds himself all at sea and unexpectedly loving every minute of it.

F EE D BACK We’ love hearing from our readers! You can get in touch via our website www.pacificislandliving.com or follow us on social media - Instagram, Pintrest and Facebook - @pacisliving

Lydia’s Lobster Good evening to you Please pass on to whom it may concern my BIG THANK YOU for publishing my painting ‘Crustacean‘ in your summer magazine, issue 26.

A very well known Australian politician who has recently invested in my work came across the image while

en route and rang me straight away with delight in her voice in seeing the artist’s work in a magazine she adores to read, and I am delighted in your kindness for doing so.

Please know it is muchly appreciated ! Thankyou again!

Warmest regards Lydia Ciconte, Artist

‘Best issue to date’ Hi I thought you would like this feedback on your article (Tokoriki Island) in Pacific Island Living.

I first read it online and forwarded it to a friend in Toronto who is visiting me here in Port Vila in March.

Within 24 hours she had checked it out and had booked for 7 nights for husband and herself at the beginning of April!

Yesterday I picked up a copy at Chantilly’s (Vanuatu) and thought it was one of your best issues to date.

Kind regards Julia Colvin

‘More Tonga please’ I came across your magazine on one of my flights. My work colleague found it and thought I would love it as I am of Tongan decent. The mag was a good read it kept me awake throughout my 10+ hour back of the clock flight.

My ultimate dream is to travel around the Pacific Islands.

After reading Pacific Island Living I am more anxious to explore more of the Pacific.

The Solomon Islands and Vanuatu were stand outs. I wish you had more coverage of Tonga and I’d be happy to help ;-) Yours sincerely E Finau

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A S K T H E E X PE R TS THE KINGDOM OF TONGA Our instant guide to Pacific destinations brought to you by local experts, Jemma Senico and Jenny-Lee Scharnboeck.

Why Tonga? It’s authentic and has ‘real’ South Pacific experiences on offer.

Known as the ‘Friendly Islands’ there are 176 to explore.

Why is Tonga one of a kind? The only Kingdom in the South Pacific and the only Pacific nation to never lose indigenous governance or be colonised, Tonga’s uninterrupted authority over their own affairs has helped to preserve ancient Polynesian culture and has ensured that The Kingdom remains one of the world’s most authentic and unspoilt travel destinations. Tonga is made up of four main island groups: Tongatapu and Eua in the south, Ha’apai in the centre and the Vava’u group in the north.

Where to go for Tongan Culture? Vakaloa dinner and show.

Your perfect Tonga day tour? A photo outside the Royal Palace, trip to the Mapu’a Vaea blowholes, Ha’amonga ‘a Maui Trilithon, Anahulu cave and beach followed by a one of Holty’s Retreat’s awesome hamburgers.

Where to buy gifts for friends and family? Langafonua Gallery and Handicrafts Centre.

What is Tonga’s best kept secret? Swimming with whales.

Where can you get a good coffee? Coffee Post Café Nuku’alofa.

Where to get your sweet treats? Friends Café.

Where wouldn’t you mind being deserted? Definitely Ha’apai for an off the beaten track experience - 62 islands, a tropical paradise with deserted beaches, shallow lagoons, reefs and breaching whales.

Where to stay for remote luxury? Sandy Beach Resort, Foa Island Ha’apai.

Where to stay for romance? Fafa Island Resort.

Where to stay for families? Matafonua Lodge (Ha’apai) and Tanoa International Dateline Hotel (Tongatapu).

Where to stay for surf? Holty’s Hideaway Ha’atafu.

What $ do you need? The local currency is Pa’anga. Bring Australian or NZ dollars to exchange or use the local ATMs to withdraw local currency.

Getting there: Fiji Airways flies from Nadi with connections from Australia and NZ. Real Tonga offers domestic flights to Ha’apai, Vava’u and Eau (one of the world’s shortest commercial flights – 7 minutes!)

How to get around? Hire a car, book a day tour or when in Ha’apai, cycle.

What’s the weather like? Tonga enjoys a climate that is warm and pleasant all year round. Any time of the year is a perfect time to visit and enjoy this unique Pacific island Kingdom and all it has to offer. •

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B E A C H COMBE R Every issue we bring you the news, views, people, products and places from all around the Pacific. This time

THE RIGHT CLIMATE FOR ART Leading Fijian multi media artist Rusiate Lali (above) through his art, speaks to us about his passion on the issue of climate change, and how it is affecting his country. He is particularly passionate about sea creatures and any sentient animal that is suffering as a result of human activity that is affecting the planet’s oceans and landmasses. Rusiate is also a dedicated supporter of his fellow Fijians, using his own success as a means of helping others in the Melanesian community by inspiring young people to become independent financially.

Having spent 10 years working between Alice Springs in Australia and Fiji, he has now returned home and is working

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from a studio at Gallery Gondawana Fiji. Rusiate’s familial credentials are sound having come from a long line of artists – potters, carvers, tapa cloth and fibre artists. His maternal grandmother’s renowned work as a raku potter is celebrated on Fiji’s one dollar coin. His own work is often interwoven with ancestral stories of how his Lapita family arrived in Fiji many generations ago. In recent times he has branched out into the world of high end fashion, with experimental pieces adorning catwalk models in London 2016 fashion shows. Later that year his paintings were transformed into wearable art at the Alice Springs Spring/Summer Fashion show. For more of his work see: www.gallerygondwana.com.au/gallery-gondwana-fiji

we look at the vibrant works of a prominent Fijian artist, a plush rental villa and holiday sleep patterns.

A VANUATU VILLA WITH VIEWS Located in the aptly named Dream Cove, Villa 25 offers the ultimate setting for luxury villas in Vanuatu, surrounded by stunning views and a gorgeous beach Conveniently located 20 minutes from the airport and five minutes from town, the privacy, beachside location and understated luxury make Villa 25 the ideal place for a romantic escape, getaway or intimate wedding venue.

The property is set on its own private beach with three graciously appointed two-bedroom air conditioned villas designed to maximise both the privacy and the views, each fitted out and decorated to the highest standard.

Each villa includes a fully equipped kitchen and private covered patio with sun loungers and dining area. The cooking facilities in the villas give you the option to self cater and take advantage of the local produce – be it organic beef, fresh fish or seasonal tropical fruits from the market, and of course delicious imports like French cheeses. Or if preferred, Villa 25 can arrange to have a private chef prepare gourmet cuisine for you or organise catering to be prepared and delivered to your villa. A provisioning service is also available.

The poolside Lowana (gathering place) is just a few metres from the water’s edge overlooking a private sheltered beach.

The perfect setting in which to kayak, paddleboard or snorkel amongst the coral and tropical fish, directly in front of your accommodation.

The Lowana features a fully equipped kitchen and dining/

lounge area where you can come together with family and friends to share a meal or have a drink, and watch the spectacular sunsets over the water.

Villa 25’s staff will look after your every need and provide local knowledge on everything from supermarkets to scenic flights, organise yoga, massages and beauty treatments by the pool or in the privacy of your own villa.

If you are looking for a luxurious island holiday, Villa 25 is the perfect place to relax, unwind and feel the sand between your toes.

Visit www.villa25.vu for more info.

SLEEP SECRETS A global study commissioned by IHG Hotels & Resorts has revealed that a lack of sleep is a primary concern for travellers, with four in five stating they have trouble sleeping when travelling away from home.

The launch of the findings coincided with World Sleep Day (maybe that should be World Sleep Night though) an annual

day devoted to tackling important sleep issues. The findings from the survey revealed: • The business traveller loses around 58 minutes of sleep each night when staying away from home, averaging just 5 hours and 17 minutes of sleep • The biggest causes of a restless night’s sleep for those travelling are: • Different environment (44%) • Unfamiliar noises (35%) • Working late (35%) Brian McGuiness, IHG’s Senior Vice President of Global Guest Experience said: “With so many travellers experiencing sleep disruptions when they’re on the road, we want to do everything possible to make sure our guests at any one of our 14 IHG Hotels & Resorts brands, including Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and EVEN Hotels, have a restful sleep while staying with us. We’re excited to be the first hotel company to pilot technology that uses LED lighting (an innovative portable lighting solution that uses a LED task light designed to help regulate sleep when travelling) to improve guest sleep, and it’s just one of the many programs we’ve introduced over the years to improve guest experience, such as our Crowne Plaza Sleep Advantage programme, with premium bedding and aromatherapy kits and our Holiday Inn pillow menu.”

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B E A C H COMBE R Bag an eco-friendly travel companion or a swimsuit with attitude.

RAGS TO BAGS Much loved by travellers everywhere, iconic Australian bag brand Crumpler has released the perfect bag for the environmentally conscious among us – and we’ve all got to be that now, so get with the program!

These are bags that might help to reduce that continent-sized plug of plastic floating about in the northern Pacific as their new Conversion collection is made from seven metric tonnes of polyester scraps and off-cuts.

Among the sleek and functional designs, the collection includes backpacks, messenger bags, cross-body bags and accessories. A typical example is the Humanoid (above left) which is a clever, flexible and functional design which can be worn over either shoulder or as a cross-body bag, with four litres of weatherproof storage. www.crumpler.com/au AVIAN CONTRABAND LOOKING FUNKY OK we’ve all heard the unflattering jokes about budgie smugglers, but there are blokes out there who simply want to swim unencumbered by a lot swirling fabric sticking to their legs when attempting a tumble turn.

Fortunately Australia’s Funky Trunks shamelessly continues to produce stylish ranges of trunks in knockout colours and designs. Included among this year’s collection there is the Hail Caesar plain fronts, Check Republic and Panel Pop classics, Poison Pop and Tweety Tweet shorty shorts, priced from AU$54.95. The man seen below sporting the Olympic rings inked on his chest is Australian butterfly champ Jayden Hadler, one of several hunky funky trunk models lending a bit of macho cred to the traditional Aussie cossie. For the full range go to: www.funkytrunks.com

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Our tropical paradise

is waiting for you!

Experience barefoot relaxation at our beautiful 63 FarĂŠ (bungalow), child free resort.

Located on a private beachfront cove at Pango Peninsular in Port Vila, you will find welcoming smiles and your own space to unwind.

We are famous for our beachside dining and outstanding cuisine, come and join us.

Book today through your preferred wholesaler.

Phone 25844 | reservations@breakas.com | www.breakas.com

NET ASSETS:

The Web Guide

Georgie Gordon surfs the net and finds the ultimate guide to ... travel, wine and irreverent good news.

THE VOYAGEUR It’s not just a travel site, it’s The Voyageur’s fresh minimalist design that makes it so appealing and the beautiful visual accounts of all the places we’d rather be.

The site’s author is French photographer Pauline Chardin who makes it her business to unearth the best of places well-travelled as well as small corners of the globe that are just waiting to be discovered. If you have a trip planned be sure to check out The Voyageur’s itineraries and hotel recommendations. thevoyageur.net

NOT DRINKING POISON IN PARIS Worth a visit just for the name, this website about all things wine related is

by Aaron Ayscough, who also pens pieces for the likes of The New York Times. With a focus on organic, biodynamic and natural wines, Ayscough enlightens us on the unusual way natural wine is made in the Alsace region of France and where the best Rose comes from. There is also a map of the best places to visit should you happen to be visiting Paris. notdrinkingpoison.com

EST For those that love a bit of interior design porn it’s hard to go past online magazine Est. With a focus on unforgettable spaces and inspired design this stunning site explores homes around the globe with virtual ‘open home’ presentations. For those that actually are renovating or looking to create their dream home there is also a ‘get the look’ section and helpful product library on where to find everything from fixtures to flooring. estliving.com

THE DAILY MASH Reading the news can be overwhelming, so much bad news, so many things wrong with the world.

When you’re done despairing, UK news website The Daily Mash offers a lighter outlook. Catch up on lifestyle articles such as ’28-year old woman has hobbies that would make a suffragette vomit’ or sport articles including ‘Darts players tested to make sure they’re pissed’. And you can see what the stars hold with Psychic Bob’s Horoscopes. Some light relief in heavy times. thedailymash.co.uk

HINT OF VANILLA Some people like to meditate or colour in to promote mindfulness, others believe there is nothing better to put you in the now than the methodical process of baking. We’d have to agree with the latter and not only because you end up with cake at the end. Hint of Vanilla will push most bakers well out of their comfort zone but with delicious results. Case in point: the resplendent Rhubarb and Orange Cake complete with torched meringue and white chocolate curls. hintofvanillablog.com

HELLO GLOW Hello Glow is a beauty blog with a difference.

Stephanie Gerber believes beauty starts on the inside and here she shares her tips for achieving health, wellness and great skin the natural way. There are plenty of delicious recipes, simple detox guides and even green cleaning tips, but her expertise lies in creating creams, tinctures and tonics the old fashioned way. Try creating your own cologne with dried petals and vodka or a healing eczema cream with beeswax and lavender oil. helloglow.co

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Fiji Hideaway Resort & Spa Vuda is now open - ideal for honeymooners, adults and wedding groups.

Fiji Hideaway Resort and Spa, Vuda is a boutique luxury resort with 27 suites an bures, located on picturesque Vuda Beach is now open for guests 16 years and above.

The resort offers personalized and friendly Fijian service that guests have been accustomed to the Coral Coast property with an added touch of class.

The resort is located halfway between the townships of Nadi and Lautoka.

It is only 20 minutes to the Nadi International Airport and minutes from the Vuda Point marina offering guests easy access to the island resorts, fishing, sailing and cruising.

BOOK L O O K

Compelling reads

Satire, romance and deadly fixations - Georgie Gordon reviews the latest releases.

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LOVING SYLVIE by Elizabeth Smither Elizabeth Smither’s laugh out loud funny novel cleverly weaves the stories of three generations of women: Sylvie, her mother Madeleine and grandmother Isobel. Shifting between points of view of each lovable character, the women’s stories are told through their love affairs, food, rivalries, marriages, pets and all the beautiful minutiae of everyday life. A beautifully observed book that explores the meaning of family and the strong bond of female relationships.

Published by Allen & Unwin.

HARK by Sam Lipsyte Hark is a sharp satire that follows Hank Morner, an unwitting guru whose technique of ‘mental archery’ resonates with a spiritually confused and culturally discordant America, propelling him to near-messiah status.

Hank’s practice of mindfulness, mythology, fake history, yoga and archery pokes fun at society’s recent obsession with ‘wellness’ and does so with hilarious results. This riotous read is a timely novel for the world’s current politically and environmentally precarious state. Published by Granta.

CITY OF GIRLS by Elizabeth Gilbert City of Girls is a captivating coming of age story from the author of the successful Eat Pray Love. Set in 1940, it follows nineteen-year-old Vivian Morris who is sent by her despairing parents to stay with her Aunt Peg in New York. Vivian is soon ensconced as a seamstress at her aunt’s charmingly disreputable revue theatre, turning out glamourous creations for the showgirls. However, she soon learns that amid the glitz there are lessons to be learned and mistakes to be made. Published by Bloomsbury.

NIGHT BY NIGHT by Jack Jordan Jack Jordan’s fast-paced thriller follows Rosie Shaw, a woman on the brink. Walking the streets late at night, plagued by insomnia, she collides with a man who takes off, leaving a journal at her feet. Catapulted into a dark world of fear and obsession, she begins to dedicate her sleepless nights to discovering what happened to the mysterious author, and why he’s convinced that someone is trying to kill him. An addictive tale of obsession that will keep you up well into the night.

Published by Corvus.

THE DOLL FACTORY

by Elizabeth Macneal In Elizabeth Macneal’s debut novel a chance encounter between Iris, an aspiring artist, and Silas, an art collector, leads to a dangerous obsession. In Victorian London, Iris models for Pre-Raphaelite artist Louis Frost on the proviso that he teaches her to paint. Her world is soon filled with art and love, however Silas has not forgotten her and his fixation threatens to turn deadly. The Doll Factory is at once an immersive period drama and a chilling thriller.

Published by Picador.

LITTLE STONES by Elizabeth Kuiper Set in Zimbabwe during the reign of Robert Mugabe, Elizabeth Kuiper’s debut novel follows Hannah, a young girl who, in a country of petrol queues and power cuts, is considered lucky.

She can afford to go to school, she lives in a big house with her mum and their African housekeeper, Gogo. She is healthy and her family is wealthy, and white. But there are some things money can’t buy and keeping you safe is one of them. Little Stones is not just a captivating portrait of a childhood but also of Zimbabwe’s political state.

Published by UQP.

THIS BUD’S FOR YOU.

ENJOY RESPONSIBLY

FA S H ION F LASH

Dragon Diffusion, Nantucket woven leather basket bag, $495 matchesfashion.com

Marbella house party, Slim Aarons print AU$25.97 www.etsy.com

CoolCWeather s e t a n i d oor Olivia Waugh rounds up this season’s best for our slightly cooler Pacific ‘winters’.

Camilla Friend in Flora halter neck swimsuit, $438 matchesfashion.co

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Inviting Sheen velvet pleated skirt in olive $67.50 aus.chicwish.com

Something Wild Espadrille Flat TORY BURCH @ Nordstrom $386.79 shop.nordstrom.com

Prices in AU$ unless otherwise specified.

Love Binetti, Simple Minds tie waist cotton dress, $683 matchesfashion.com

Animal print folded umbrella $25.95 zara.com Cover @ GOOP long sleeved hooded swimsuit, US$225 shop.goop.com

Topshop Ovoid shirt dress by Boutique, £89 topshop.com

Topshop Footbead sandals £42 topshop.com Embroidered Blouse, $39.99 2.hm.com

Gucci sparkling swimsuit with zebra print, $855farfetch.com

Denim culottes high waist, $29.99 2.hm.com

Topshop velvet bikini £30 topshop.com

Off white c/o Virgil Abloh zip-tie vinyl sandals, $240 modaoperandi.com

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Alexandra Miro Whitney belted one-piece swimsuit AU$ 369 mytheresa.com

Slim Aarons Family Snapper: Babe Paley and William Paley at their cottage in Round Hill 1959 Price Upon Request 1stdibs.com

Stella McCartney, ballet leopard print triangle bikini top $219 and bikini brief, $187 matchesfashion.com

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Rhode Resort Ella pleated cotton mini dress, $520 Moda Operandi modaoperandi.com

Burberry umbrella holsta, $740 farfetch.com

Prices in AU$ unless otherwise specified.

Cool CWeather s e t a n i d r oo

Moschino fold down umbrella, $113 farfetch.com

Snakeskin rain hat $9.95 zara.com

Solid and Striped. The Anne Marie one piece in Paradise Stripe $168.00 maisonmaillot.com

Kenzo K Jungle beach towel â‚Ź82.64 elitestores.com Wide Trousers with Belt $99 zara.com

Hooded rain poncho $12.99 2.hm.com

Jacquard-weave dress $19.99 2.hm.com

Haight Macella @ GOOP two tone bikini, US$200 shop.goop.com

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DE COR

Texture Play cool looks s y a d l o o c for

Fornasetti @ Farfetch, rectangular box $1,232 farfetch.com

By Olivia Waugh

H&M Casual Style Wild Wood (H&M HOME is available in selected regions.) hm.com/au/9708a-wild-wood

Qeeboo, Killer umbrella stand â‚Ź1.000 qeeboo.com

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Floor Pad, Amigos de Hoy, $219, clickonfurniture.com.au

Wire Plant Pot, designed by Norm Architects for Menu ÂŁ100, nest. co.uk

Prices in AU$ unless otherwise specified.

H&M wool throw US$79.99, 2.hm.com

Dedo lounge chair @ Curious Grace, designed by Salih Teskeredzic $3,504 curiousgrace.com.au

Round bamboo mirror $120, amara.com

Cire Trudon @ Foreward by Elyse Walker Cyrnos room spray, $267.27 fwrd.com

Arkitecture KVK3 cabinet, designed by Kari Virtanen for Nikari ÂŁ3,540, nest.co.uk

A by Amara Natural cowhide rug, $996, amara.com

Aerin, Shagreen chess set $4,622.12 harrods.com

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The Bottega Fijian Fashion Festival 2019 Sandhya Dusk Nand reports on Suva’s great fashion event where the designers showing are a mix of established stars, new kids on the block and emerging talent.

F

iji may not be the first country that comes to mind when thinking fashion but Fiji has had a thriving fashion industry for over 50 years, with iconic brands, designer boutiques, a Fashion Council, prestigious fashion events and internationally successful models.

The garment industry is also serious business in Fiji servicing globally renowned ‘high street’ names like Kookai

The fashion industry in Fiji has been going and growing for over 50 years with designers making everything from resort wear to ball gowns.

Australia and Gap plus exclusive Australian designers.

Suva is rightfully the economic core and the Pacific’s most sophisticated and stylish capital.

Fashion is a big part of Suva’s identity and the city revels in its style-hub cred, which is why it is the home of the Pacific’s most prestigious commercial fashion event.

The Bottega Fijian Fashion Festival (BFFF) is held in June, at the very glamorous and historic Grand Pacific Hotel. Now in its second year, the Festival is an initiative of the Fashion Council of Fiji, its primary aim is to connect Fijian designers directly to external markets and global trading platforms.

Last year’s show was a hit with industry personnel and consumers, and not just in Fiji. An independent, respected

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Australian magazine dedicated an entire issue to Fijian fashion, featuring a top Fijian model wearing Fijian designer garments on their cover, a first for everyone.

“The world is ready for a unique voice in the global fashion arena. We believe that Fiji, specifically Suva, is the fashion capital of the Pacific,” says Fashion Council of Fiji Chair and BFFF Trustee, Fuzz Ali. Ali also says, “We are lucky that because we are still in the development phases of our industry (in terms of guided structure and regulations), we can curate an industry that is above the norm, and possibly setting standards.”

One of the Festival’s core principles is diversity and inclusivity on the runway. It’s a standard that is only now being implemented on global runways and, even then, not fast enough for a world with a melanin majority.

The BFF runways feature all body types, ethnicities, gender expressions and identities and people with disabilities.

“The Festival is owned by the industry, it was created to address the needs of designers and creatives. The Council wants to react and respond to the changing needs of the fashion and associated creative industries so that the Festival’s aims remain relevant,” says Ali. The crème de la crème of Fiji fashion designers and brands all choose to launch their latest collections at BFFF and new designers are given the opportunity of a lifetime to showcase their talents to an audience of savvy, stylish consumers.

The designers showing are a mix of established stars, new kids on the block and emerging talent, with criteria labelled as ‘Legendary’; ‘Blooming’; ‘Budding’ and ‘Moana’ (Fijian designers based overseas) and because BFFF is not a season-specific fashion showcase, designers are free to express their design visions how they wish, from resort to winterwear (and yes, it does get cool in Fiji).

This year the shows are spread out over three days from Friday June 6th – Sunday June 9th, with group shows on opening night and individual designer shows spread throughout Saturday and Sunday. Although BFFF targets the global industry, it is a consumer driven event, choosing to include the consumer and making the consumer the actual raison d’etre of fashion.

As of writing, most shows are sold out. Suva loves its social scene and dresses UP and celebrates its fashion industry.

Hence why such a prestigious event is called a ‘festival’, rather than the more common moniker ‘week’.

The Bottega Fijian Fashion Festival is indeed a celebration of talent and multi-culturalism, a platform of inclusivity and an exclusive showcase of Urban Fiji.

Bottega Fijian Fashion Festival 2019 June 6 – 9 Grand Pacific Hotel www.fijianfashionfest.com •

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“Finding pure cotton clothing in those days was quite rare – everything was polyester and rayon. No-one was really doing a clothing line suited to the

StyleoStatements n the move Meet Kim Van Loo from West Indies Wear who launched her range of distinctively tropical collections from the 34-foot boat she and her partner sailed across the Atlantic. By Fiona Harper. “

W

e would sail from island to island and anchor off these amazing Caribbean resorts. I would iron the fashion samples with an old fashioned stove-top iron, get all dressed up and my husband would take me ashore with my sample bag. Once on the dock, I would slip on my glamorous sandals, brush my hair and visit resort boutique buyers,” explains designer Kim Van Loo on the early days after launching West Indies Wear.

“It was a great contrast between our simple boating life and the glamorous side of fashion,” she says.

Van Loo launched her first collection in 2006 from the 34-

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foot yacht the pair sailed across the Atlantic Ocean. They had met while both working at Billabong in South Africa at a time when she had almost reached burn-out through a career that had taken her from Australia to London, Egypt and South Africa. Both adventurous outdoors types, while camping one weekend they discovered a mutual interest in sailing and travelling and soon hatched a plan to buy a sailboat and sail to the Caribbean.

They saved hard, learnt to navigate, built up their experience and set sail two years later, arriving in Tobago and settling into a typical ‘boatie’ existence of surfing, snorkelling and fishing.

islands. I guess I sensed the gap in that market.”

“Sailing to the Caribbean took 48 days. When we finally made it, we were exhausted! We dropped anchor and hardly moved for ten months, living on fish and rice, spending only $100 a month,” recalls Van Loo. Jobs were scarce so, to earn a living, Van Loo made and sold beaded jewellery and imported basket-ware before eventually returning to her fashion roots, starting her own label and a new family along the way.

Van Loo’s interest in sailing to tropical islands was ignited in the late 1970s as a seven-year-old when her father took her to Fiji where they stayed onboard the yacht her aunty and uncle were cruising the South Pacific on. Fiji’s tourism was in its infancy and a young, fair-skinned Australian girl on Suva’s streets was a novelty. Van Loo was equally fascinated by exotic Fijians and the ever-smiling women with colourful flowers tucked behind their ears.

“The Fijian women were fascinated with me and would all crowd around me – I felt like a celebrity! I was intimidated by their big afro hairdos, but they had the biggest smiles I had ever seen,” says Van Loo. “One thing that sticks in my mind was the enormous hibiscus flowers. Coming from Wollongong (Australia), I had never seen anything so gorgeous. Someone gave me one at

the airport and I desperately wanted to take this flower home with me.”

That first Fijian holiday was the catalyst for future family sailing adventures, inspiring her father to buy a 21-foot trailer yacht upon returning home. Soon, the two sisters were plucked out of school as the family sailed the Queensland coast for months at a time.

“My parents towed the boat to Gladstone, and we spent idyllic months cruising through the Whitsunday Islands then to Cairns. Dad would hitchhike back to Gladstone, pick up the car and trailer, take the boat out of the water, drive back to Wollongong and we’d go back to school,” remembers Van Loo. “These memories are a strong part of who I am.”

Inspired by these family travels and their sometimesbohemian lifestyle, Van Loo had developed an interest in the arts and studied fashion design after leaving school. Selected as her college’s top student, she tasted national success as a 21-year-old when her graduation collection was chosen to represent her college at the 1992 Australian Fashion Industry Awards.

“I made a brightly coloured resort-wear collection which was ideal for the Queensland lifestyle. Funnily enough, it

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was not far from what I ended up designing all these years later,” she laughs.

With her first collection paraded on live television, a big deal for any designer, let alone one fresh out of college, Van Loo’s career was launched.

Honing her skills in Brisbane’s fashion industry, before long the big city lights of London lured the young designer and she landed a job grading clothing patterns. Tantalised by the exoticism of the Middle East, she moved to Alexandria to work for an Egyptian clothing manufacturer before settling in South Africa where she worked her way up to become Head Designer at Billabong.

Inspired by the laid back lifestyle of the Caribbean, in launching West Indies Wear, Van Loo had identified that cotton clothing, which is ideally suited to the tropics , was simply not available.

“Finding pure cotton clothing in those days was quite rare – everything was polyester and rayon. No-one was really doing a clothing line suited to the islands. I guess I sensed the gap in that market.”

Van Loo travelled to India to source pure cotton fabrics that have become the hallmark of her label, designing the first collection on an overnight train from Jaipur to New Delhi.

“I found the most amazing soft cottons, perfect for sarongs and tunics to wear in the Caribbean heat. I was so excited! By the time the train rolled into New Delhi I had drawn up all the sketches, selected colours, designed the prints, beads, trims, labels and hang tags,” says Van Loo. “In the early days of West Indies Wear I was working on instinct. A buyer had mentioned that anything aqua or turquoise sells, which became an early influence for the colours I used. Then I did palm tree and palm leaf designs, adding starfish and other beach themes later,” she says.

Soon she and her husband moved ashore to a St Maarten apartment as the business outgrew the yacht.

With West Indies Wear now a well-established brand in the USA, their family was also growing and the yacht was sold before they moved home to Australia.

In the wake of a successful launch of her 2019 collection, which features trademark starfish designs along with palm trees and marine motifs across beach coverups, sarongs, tunic-style tops and dresses, Van Loo is focused on growing her label in the Australia/Pacific region.

Having first set eyes upon exquisite West Indies Wear garments while sailing through the same Fijian islands that piqued Van Loo’s interest, I can’t wait to see what she comes up with for her next collection. One thing is certain: whatever she designs, it will be perfectly suited to tropical living.

More information: www.shopwestindieswear.com • “In the early days of West Indies Wear I was working on instinct. A buyer had mentioned that anything aqua or turquoise sells, which became an early influence for the colours I used.”

ABOD E

k c o h S l Shel

Bar-bados Makeover Renowned interior designer Kit Kemp welcomed the invitation to transform a rather grey Barbados beach bar into something a little more beachy and inviting. She decided it needed a ‘barefoot, seashell and beachcombing’ vibe. The result speaks for itself and says ‘beachy’ loud and clear.

Below: Highly detailed, witty and colourful, the bar features modern versions of sailors’ shellcraft valentines which hang above a

pebble-lined bar with woven-backed bar stools. Above: Some of the many shell encrusted frames commissioned for the project.

I

nterior designer Kit Kemp MBE has developed an international reputation for her acclaimed, unique hotel interiors. She is also an author, a successful textiles, fragrance and homewares designer and a champion of British art, craft and sculpture.

With her husband, Tim, she owns Firmdale, a group of luxury hotels in London and New York, including the Whitby Hotel which opened in New York in 2017. She has collaborated with Anthropologie, Wedgwood dinnerware, Chelsea Textiles, Christopher Farr and more to produce a range of products.

In her most recent book, Design Thread (published in Australia by Hardie Grant, RRP $60), she shares her inspiration behind the creative process and weaves a captivating narrative through an array of projects, from country houses to a city pied à terre to a Manhattan hotel to this Barbados beach bar.

She says of her work, "I'm always looking for pieces that tell a unique story – maybe of a person or a time in history, of a particular handcrafted technique, or even just something with a combination of colour or pattern, or a found object re-purposed in an unusual way, that takes you unawares. These are the 'design threads' I like to weave throughout all the interiors I design.”

Kit's projects are tailored and highly detailed but retain a feeling of calm which contributes to a sense of personalised space, with authentic and handcrafted items which capture the imagination and stand the test of time. Design Thread explains how she achieves her distinctive style.•

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In pursuit of her ‘let’s have a cocktail’ spirit, Kit decided on some major changes which included a higher ceiling and moving the entire building by 90 degrees so that it would face the sea, in order to give the bar a light and airy feel.

In seeking the barefoot, seashell and beachcombing vibe she decided on the sailors’ valentines (a sailor’s valentine is a form of shellcraft, a type of mostly antique souvenir, or sentimental gift made using large numbers of small seashells which were brought home after voyages for loved ones), basket lamps and sexy subdued lighting at night. The floor was made to look like driftwood and the bar was made of pebbles.

Right: The pitched roof is painted in ocean colours which resonate with the coralstone walls and mud bead stools.

Far Right: A vibrantly coloured Indian cabinet, lampshades made from rope and mirrors covered in shells make great impact in a bar by the sea.

Below: The beach bar at dusk. Above left: Creatively arranged multiple shells form part of a mirror frame. Below right: Basket weave pendant

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lights are hung low to counter strong tropical breezes. Below far right: Another shell-encrusted frame on a rectangular mirror.

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a warM fijian welcome

beFore you Arrive

We are delighted to invite you to experience a taste of the Fijian high life when you book a business class seat with Fiji Airways. From premium check-in and complimentary access to our available business lounges before you board to an array of warm, friendly cabin crew who will make you feel right at home. Step on-board Fiji Airways and begin your trip with a selection of Fiji inspired cocktails, enjoy your personal entertainment system or browse through Fiji Time, our award winning in-flight magazine. Indulge in our menu choice of South Pacific inspired cuisine and spoil yourself with our beverage selection of fine wine. Fiji Airways route network spans across 23 destinations in 13 countries providing unequalled access to Fiji from the Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and beyond.Fiji Airways is affiliated to Qantas (QF), Alaska Airlines (AS) and American Airlines (AA) frequent flyer and mileage awards partner programs and members flying with Fiji Airways can earn points or miles, plus status credits on Qantas or Alaskan Airlines programs.

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NUKU’ALOFA AUCKLAND WELLINGTON

B E AU TY S POT

Super-natural e r a C n i Sk

We shine a spotlight on four of nature’s gifts that work wonders on the skin and can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

By Georgie Gordon.

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The Fijian Orchid

Most of us know the orchid for its exotic beauty and delicate scent, however, the flower – particularly extracts from the black and white orchid – has reparative and protective properties too. Although the orchid has been used in skincare in Asia

for centuries, it is only recently that the moisturising and antiageing properties have been harnessed by big beauty brands as a key skincare ingredient. There’s an active component derived from the orchid that reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and one that also helps the skin retain moisture. Not only that, the orchid contains a unique pigment that has antioxidising and anti-inflammatory properties that are four times higher than that of vitamin C. In Fiji the orchid is a symbol of beauty, refinement and love. Skin care brand Naturally Fiji has two ranges, Royal Orchid and Wild Orchid, both inspired by the magnificent Orchid Garden set under The Sleeping Giant in Nadi.

Product pick: Naturally Fiji’s Royal Orchid Body Lotion not only contains orchid extract to hydrate and rejuvenate the skin, it also has coconut, dilo and noni oils, honey and lavender. This luxurious body lotion is intensely moisturising without being greasy. It leaves the skin smooth, soft and beautifully scented. naturallyfiji.com

New Zealand Deer Milk

PICTURE: 123RF

Milk has long been considered beneficial in beauty rituals.

Cleopatra took regular baths (in the milk of 700 donkeys, no less) to preserve the vitality of her skin, and since then milk has been utilised in beauty products for its soothing and gentle exfoliating (from the lactic acid) properties. Goat’s milk, for example, is used in skincare products for people with sensitive skin. Recently it was discovered, purely by accident, that deer milk possesses an unparalleled level of skin enhancing essential nutrients, far surpassing those of any other animal sourced milk. New skin care brand Kotia is harnessing the unique characteristics of this milk, which is sourced from pastures around New Zealand’s Queenstown, and combines the natural antioxidants, nutrients and anti-inflammatory agents with scientifically proven actives for effective skin care products that are the first of their kind globally.

Product pick: Kotia’s Exfoliating Cleansing Milk. This effective cleanser not only soothes and nourishes skin while removing impurities, it also acts as a gentle and natural exfoliator and leaves a natural barrier to prevent moisture loss. The skin is left feeling clean but not dry with a brighter, smoother complexion. kotia.com.au

Australian Pink Clay

There are a huge amount of clay masks available. Known for absorbing excess moisture, they are a great natural option for treating oily skin. However, pink clay, native to Australia, has been proven to be far more beneficial than all other clays.

Ideal for sensitive skin, it is not only gentle, it also has deeply restorative properties. And unlike other clay masks pink clay does not remove the skin’s natural oils, instead it provides a boost of natural minerals including silica that replenish and nourish the skin. Pink clay also has natural purifying qualities for cleansing and a natural exfoliating action that leaves skin smooth and soft.

Product pick: Sand and Sky’s Pore Refining Mask. Made from organic, uniquely Australian ingredients and botanicals including liquorice and old man weed, this pore refining mask is different in that it contains 50 per cent clay, unlike most others that are around 10-15 per cent. As well as nourishing the skin, this mask draws out toxins and pollutants leaving skin feeling fresh and clean. sandandsky.com

Vanuatu Tamanu Oil

Tamanu Oil has been used by Ni-Vanuatu to treat common skin ailments for hundreds of years; in fact so useful is the oil for fighting skin infections it is also known as ‘the nurse of the South Pacific’. Derived from the green nuts of the Tamanu tree (part of the Mangosteen family), the oil is an excellent topical treatment for inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema, acne and sunburn. The oil’s natural anti-bacterial properties also make it a useful ointment for keeping wounds and burns from becoming infected. Not only that, it works wonders on dry skin and when applied often, may reduce the appearance of stretch marks.

Product pick: Nabakura’s Tamanu Oil is derived from Tamanu trees growing on Vanuatu’s coast and it is believed that the trees that grow in this sandy, salty soil produce the most concentrated oil. This oil is 100 per cent organic with no additives and is some of the highest quality Tamanu Oil you can buy. puretamanu.com •

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FITNE SS

The Island Guide To Fitness Lifelong fitness fanatic Lauren Jagger brings you the ultimate island style workout to try anywhere, any time, using only the resources of the islands...

Stay motivated and keep your workouts fun and engaging. Who wants to be stuck inside working out when nature offers us

I

f your goal is to become more active and get moving but the cost of gym memberships and weekly classes is holding you back then it’s time to get creative. Get fit just by using your own body weight and by mixing up your training routines, which in time can build a stronger and healthier you. We often have big plans for our fitness regimes in the first quarter of the year but as the months go by they become even more unrealistic and then a distant memory. In order to stop this from happening we have to keep ourselves motivated and keep our workouts fun and engaging. Who wants to be stuck inside working out when nature offers us everything we need and more.

To get you started here is our Bulalicious* Island Go-To Workout that you can do anywhere, anytime with no excuses.

Remember, the more you enjoy doing your workouts and the

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less they feel like a chore the longer you are going to commit to them.

Palm Tree Shuttle Runs – find two palm trees and run between the two 20 times touching the ground at the tree base as you approach and pushing off your back leg as you sprint to the next palm tree. (Legs) Coconut Bicep Curls – Take a fresh coconut in each hand (still full of juice) elbows into your waist and alternate bringing the coconut up to your shoulder then down by your side 20 times – keep the rest of your body in line and no rocking.

(Arms-Biceps) Sand Plank Jacks – Place your forearms in the sand, head in line, feet pushing back in a plank position and jump

as the tide goes out, power jump forward on to two bent legs, then as the tide comes back in perform small jumps backwards in a low sumo squat position and repeat again once the ocean goes back out. Use your arms to propel you forward, keep your knees bent as you squat backwards – 20 times. (Glutes) Palm Tree Press Ups – Find your nearest palm tree, one with a slight bend where it’s been chasing the sunlight.

Prepare for a normal press up, except this time your feet are in the sand and you are on an angle with arms shoulder width apart and lower down on to the tree and slowly back up –15 times (Chest/Pectorals) Ocean To Land Plank Rotations – In a plank position, forearms down, ensure you are parallel to the ocean. Slowly rotate to the sea and raise your right arm only and replace back to centre, keep still as your body weight is supported by just your left arm, then repeat to the other side facing the land and raise your left arm to the sky and bring it back down. Each time engage your core while still controlling your breathing and enjoy the beautiful views as you go through the movements (20 times). The key here is not to rush and to control each movement (Obliques – muscles at the sides of your six pack) Sand Mountain Climbers – Hands in the sand shoulderwidth apart in a full extension, legs back and body weight pushed into heels. Begin to alternate bringing each knee into your chest and placing it back to its starting position. Drive your knees up to your chest as if climbing a mountain. The sand will add extra resistance so the key is to keep pushing, and bring your knees in quick enough not to weigh you down deeper into the sand. (Deltoids – top of the arms and shoulder)

everything we need and more.

your feet out and in without moving the rest of your body. Be sure to hold your core tight and not let you body rotate – 20 times (Abdominals/Core) Driftwood Dead Lifts – Most oceans in the Pacific have brought in driftwood or timber from upstream. Find one piece that isn’t too heavy nor too light and one that you can hold at either end without stretching too much. Bend over at a 90-degree angle, legs slightly bent and not locked. Bring the driftwood up to your chest and lower back down, elbows pointing upwards, engaging your core, with back straight.

(Hamstrings – top muscles at the back of the legs) Tide Chasing Power Jumps – Place your feet shoulder width apart, arms down by your side, facing the ocean and

Palm Tree Power Jumps – Stand next to a palm tree with your feet shoulder width apart, squat down and power through your legs jumping upright using your arm to touch the side of the palm tree. Each time try and beat your last reach on the palm tree. (Quadriceps – big muscles at top/front of legs) Coconut Calf Raises – Stand with feet shoulder-width apart with a fresh coconut held straight out in front of you.

Slowly move your body weight forward onto the front of your toes without tipping over to the sides and keeping your body upright, core engaged and arms still out in front holding the coconut – 30 times (Gastrocnemius/Calf Muscles) Repeat the whole workout twice every other day and we can guarantee it will get your heart beating and add some creativity to your workouts.

You will soon feel happier about working out and positive that you don’t need lots of money, just a little creativity. *Bulalicious Activewear (pictured) is available via their online website www.bulalicious.com (FREE shipping worldwide)•

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H E A LTH Y LIV ING

The healing power of P

eople have been attracted to crystals and gemstones for spiritual enlightenment and healing rituals for thousands of years. Sceptics will argue there is no scientific evidence to prove the healing benefits of crystals, however those with a more mystical perspective swear by them and their ancient healing powers. Here we break down seven significant crystals, their properties and how best to use them.

Love and Relationships

Rose Quartz This soft, beautifully pink-hued stone has a gentle energy that brings inner healing and peace. It can be used to promote healthy relationships, attract new love, deal with grief and restore trust. The positive energy of the stone also helps with emotional balance and stress relief.

Sleep with a small piece of stone under your pillow or create a spray by placing the quartz in filtered water from dawn to dusk, then add a few drops of jojoba oil and rose oil and spritz as needed.

Opal Opals are a symbol of great luck. In the middle ages the stone was believed to carry the virtues of all the gemstones. Opals have a light energy that is said to enhance commitment and loyalty in relationships.

Wearing an opal as jewellery is said to bring happiness, selfconfidence and attract good luck to the wearer. Keeping an opal in the bedroom can enhance passion and spontaneity.

Amethyst One of the most attractive and popular crystals, amethyst has powerful healing and cleansing properties. The stone’s high vibrations help with intuition and self-awareness but mostly it is used to relieve anxiety and depression.

Use amethyst when meditating to calm the mind and promote spiritual awareness; or make a healing tonic to help with anxiousness.

Aquamarine This smooth blue-green stone is said to harness the soothing spirit of the ocean. Aquamarine’s gentle calming energy is ideal for discarding negative emotions and attracting inner

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Success

Citrine Citrine, a type of quartz that ranges from a light honey colour to a vibrant yellow, is known for its bright, warm energy, and is said to attract happiness, creativity and prosperity. This stone clears away bad vibes to make way for positive energy and can also assist with self-confidence and self-worth, especially

PICTURE: Himalayan Quartzw

Serenity

strength and confidence. It is also a good ally against stress and anxiety. In Ancient Rome the stone was a symbol of everlasting youth and to this day is believed to carry antiageing qualities.

Keep aquamarine in the bedroom to help create a calming space or place a small aquamarine stone under your pillow to stave off insomnia.

crystals

The sceptics may argue there is no scientific basis for believing crystals have any healing benefits, while the mystics swear by them.

Georgie Gordon tries a bit of crystal gazing.

Energy

For those that need a little motivation or a vitality boost, clear quartz has the most powerful energy of all the crystals and gemstones. Made up of translucent crystal clusters, this pretty stone has been regarded as a great source of power for centuries. The clear quartz is considered a ‘master healer’ due to its strong positive vibrations.

Keep clear quartz in the home to amplify positive energy and emit healing vibrations. It is also a good crystal to assist in manifesting intentions.

Meditating with crystals

Not only are a crystal’s virtues amplified and more easily accessed during meditation, but having a physical item to hold or focus on, such as a crystal, can help in keeping the mind still. Here’s an easy step-by-step guide on how to meditate with crystals:

when it comes to relationships.

Keep citrine on your desk to promote productivity, or place on a pile of new currency to invite prosperity. Much more rewarding than an ordinary paperweight.

Malachite This stunning intense green stone is believed to be a powerful protector against negative energy. Ancient Egyptians used malachite as far back as 3000BC and in the Middle Ages it was used as a talisman to protect against evil. Now the stone is used to guard against environmental radiation and to attract abundance in all areas of life.

Use malachite in the workplace to guard against electromagnetic pollution and promote clear thinking and creativity.

1. First you must reflect on what your intention is and choose your crystal accordingly.

2. Find a comfortable, quiet space with all electronics off, or even better, in another room.

3. Hold the crystal gently in your hands and visualise your intentions.

4. Close your eyes, focus on your breathing and consciously relax any parts of the body that are feeling tense.

5. Visualise a flow between yourself and the power of the crystal, focus on your intention and feel the cycle of energy between your body, mind and the crystal.

6. When you have finished the mediation, slowly bring movement back to your fingers and toes and, finally, open your eyes.

How to clean crystals

• Bury them in the earth for a week; returning them to the ground cleanses them and allows them to recharge from the earth’s vibrations.

• Rinse them in salt water. The salt will purify and absorb negative energy.

• Recharge the crystals. Leave the crystals out for at least 24 hours before the full moon and 24 hours after.

• Finally, purify the crystals by burning sage and running the stone through the smoke. •

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A R T S MAR T

s c i p s ’ e l The peop

Wiki Wonders

Last year Wikimedia Commons celebrated the thirteenth anniversary of their Picture of the Year competition. This extraordinary website, which is part of the larger Wiki family, posted hundreds of entries in a variety of categories and invited Wikimedia users to vote for their favourite.

Toby Preston makes a small personal selection.

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Opposite page: Among the many categories was one reserved for arthropods. Here were a selection of butterflies and other insects but this bee shot stood out for its amazing detail and composition.

Supplied by USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab from Beltsville, Maryland, USA. Top: Satdeep Gill’s wonderfully earthy-toned photograph of a villager from Akbarpur Afghana, Punjab, India.

From the people and human activities category.

Left: From the mammals section, a lonely Red Head Manech sheep from the Ascain, Basque Country, France, by Basotxerri.

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T

he final 963 featured pictures in the competition were culled from a larger selection of more than 11,000 which in turn are just a fraction of the entire repository of 52 million images. That's some collection and the good news is that these are available free for public use. The simple guidelines state: “Wikimedia Commons has 52,199,766 freely licensed and public domain educational images, audio and video available to everyone, in their own language. Wikimedia Commons acts as the central media archive for the various Wikimedia projects including Wikipedia; it contains content

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from both organisations and individuals and is created and maintained by volunteers.

“Wikimedia is a global movement whose mission is to bring free educational content to the world. Wikimedia strives to bring about a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge.”

A noble aim and a wonderful gallery of images to scan at leisure or, if you’d like to see selected images on a regular basis, you can download a ‘gadget’ so that a Gallery Slideshow can be set up in your computer preferences. •

Top row left to right: Spectacular sports pic – women’s pole vaulter Preiner Katrin shot at the 2018 Leichtathletik Gala Linz by Isiwal; Weathered and worn – a leather jacket made by renowned specialist Swedish firm Jofama AB in Malung, photographed in Lysekil, Sweden by W. Carter; A Tuareg tribesman at the Festival au Desert near Timbuktu, Mali 2012 by Viennese photographer Alfred Weidinger. Bottom row left to right: Orange on the new black – two fuyu persimmon fruits (Diospyros kaki) by Frank Schulenburg; Evolution of a tornado – This image is created from eight images shot in sequence as a tornado formed north of Minneola, Kansas on May 24, 2016. This prolific supercell went on to produce at least 12 tornadoes and at times had two and even three tornadoes on the ground at once. By Jason Weingart; The head of a Striated Heron photographed by Gerifalte Del Sabana.

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PA C I F I C PR ODU CE

Pacific to Plate Whether sourced straight from the Pacific or from a local paddock, the region is renowned for fresh local produce, mostly organically grown and pesticide-free. So it’s no wonder that chefs are attracted to our resorts and restaurants – not only do they get to enjoy a tropical lifestyle, they have access to some of the best raw ingredients on the planet. Here we look at a South Pacific selection and menu choices, from tuna to steak tartare.

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HYPER-LOCAL SEAFOOD Property name: Malolo Island Resort Where: Malolo Island, Mamanucas, Fiji Chef name: Ryan Ward Chef’s produce philosophy: Ryan says, “We now have a very strong focus on using hyper-local seafood, as this is something that I have always been passionate about. We source all of our crayfish from our local fishermen who dive for lobsters, caba caba (slipper lobster) and coral crabs in the Mamanucas and bring them straight to us (no middle man). All of our reef fish (ie: snapper, coral trout, emperor) also comes from local fisherman.

This ensures that the profits go straight back to the locals and that we get the freshest seafood.”

Ryan often speaks to the fisherman about sustainability and encourages them to consider future generations when they are fishing. For example, he won’t accept lobsters that come with eggs or fish that are undersized in an effort to discourage the fisherman from taking everything they see. “We also make sure that we do not accept fish that are in breeding season and encourage all of our staff to do the same in their own homes.”

PICTURES: Left, Ryan Ward and right, Six Senses

A TREAT FOR THE SENSES Property name: Six Senses Where: Malolo Island, Mamanucas, Fiji Chef name: Ihaka Peri Chef biographies and food philosophy: A New Zealand native, Ihaka spent his school holidays jumping from waterfalls in the Northland region at Ngapuhi. He worked at a number of fine dining establishments, before finding his feet in the resort industry and then began his journey with Six Senses in 2016.

Ihaka has developed restaurants, concepts and menus that ignite taste buds and create not just meals, but memories. In Ihaka’s experience as a chef, he quickly came to realize that he is forever a student of his passion and shares this philosophy with his team, forever encouraging them to express themselves in the kitchen. He believes “eating and vacations go hand in hand, and now guests can enjoy both without derailing their health goals thanks to fresh whole food that is nutritious and delicious.”

Ihaka is assisted by executive sous chefs Pranil Prasad and Filimoni Drau. Pranil brings his expertise from the small town of

Ryan is also working on dishes that showcase Fijian produce and interpreting these ingredients in a modern way. Traditionally, Fijian cuisine is very heavy, so he is focusing on teaching the chefs to use modern techniques, particularly in desserts to reduce the use of refined sugar.

A dish he is working on takes inspiration from a traditional cassava cake which is normally very dense. Instead, he has created a cassava crumpet using cassava flour, which is light and fluffy but still nods to a traditional Fijian dish. This is served with a local mango sorbet, roasted coconut ice cream and a honey macaron. Another favourite dish is banana, honey, coffee and chocolate which is made of 100 per cent Fijian ingredients.

Where do you source your produce from? Our own produce gardens, the local waters and shortly, honey from our own beehives.

Go-to dish: banana, honey, coffee and chocolate Opposite page: Malolo’s chef Timoci Rakanace with a local catch of urau (painted cray). Above left: Banana, chocolate, honey, coffee made from 100 per cent Fijian ingredients. Above right: Ryan Ward, at home on Malolo.

Ba on the mainland of Fiji, where he grew up on his family farm.

The local Indian Fijian first joined forces with Ihaka Peri back in 2012. Filimoni brings history and culture to the kitchens at Six Below: Chef Ihaka Peri has been with Six Senses since 2016.

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Senses Fiji. Born and bred on Malolo Island in Solevu village, Drau is from the Vunavika clan which is one of the three main clans in the Mamanuca archipelago.

Where do you source your produce from? The local waters, the resort garden and Fiji ‘mainland’ while the eggs come from the onsite ‘Cluckingham Palace’.

Go-to dish on menu: Local crab omelette and kokoda – a Fijian ceviche created from raw fish (mahi mahi), coconut cream, chilli and limes.

Above: Crab Miti with chargrilled dalo. Right: Pranil Prasad. Below: Caramelised coconut pannacotta.

Property name: Eden Where: Suva, Fiji Proprietor: Sangeeta Maharaj Eden, owned and operated by the formidable Sangeeta Maharaj, is in a class of its own. Sangeeta is a Suva institution, her staff the best-trained hospitality staff in the capital and the food … simply superb, every time.

Sangeeta is somewhat of a perfectionist; if it is not super fresh and not the best, it doesn’t make it on to a plate. Her menu seems to be about 85 pages long but in truth, you don’t really need to read it. Just tell the staff what you like and don’t like and something amazing will be served.

Sangeeta visits the Suva markets early to get the freshest catch, most aromatic spices and crunchy vegetables to ensure her restaurant guests enjoy a fabulous meal. A walk through the Suva markets with Sangeeta is a true Fijian experience – her favourite farmers all greet her with huge smiles and save their best catch for her.

If you do read Eden’s extensive menu you’ll find most dishes have Pacific or Indian influences, Thai curries to New Zealand lamb, Vanuatu beef to Fijian lobster. The seafood is the best available in Fiji and Sangeeta’s curry pastes are all homemade.

Food philosophy: “I try to grow as much of my own herbs as possible and I’m forever going to cooking schools in other countries to see what else I can bring home to Eden,” she says.

Eden is located near the American embassy, on the corner of Bureta and Maharaj Streets. Bookings are required for most nights due to its popularity.

Be free at Malolo!

Malolo Island Resort is about a bure near the beach, surrounded by the world’s friendliest people with a living and authentic culture. Perfect for families and couples alike, you can fill your day with a myriad of activities or simply unwind and do nothing at all.

Year round choose from F$200 resort credits, Kids Eat FREE with 5 night stays, or between November and March, stay 5 nights and receive 1 extra night FREE! Malolo. This is the way the world should be.

T +679 672 0978 | malolores1@ahuraresorts.com www.maloloisland.com

AHU2481/VT–HPH

PICTURES: Damea Dorsey

A SUVA SENSATION

250

For reservations and information visit www.maloloisland.com *Conditions apply.

Approx rates only – check daily FOREX rates.

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FIVE STAR LUXURY Property name: Tokoriki Island Resort Where: Tokoriki Island, Fiji Chef name: Ashim Singh Chef biography and food philosophy: Ashim has been travelling extensively throughout Asia, the Pacific, Europe and New Zealand for over twenty years; food is his life. When we spoke recently Ashim was away in India sourcing ideas, recipes and mostly inspiration. Chef Ashim lives, breathes and displays food, he has butcher’s knives tattooed on his forearms, and a diagram of beef cuts on his back …. that says it all really.

The universe works in mysterious ways - Ashim landed back at Tokoriki Island Resort after having left in 1997 to travel the world and 21 years later he has returned with a wealth of experience, passion and a desire to keep Tokoriki Island Resort at head of the table.

Recently the resort earned 5 star status, along with being voted the #1 Top Hotel in Fiji by TripAdvisor travellers for the 5th consecutive year.

Where do you source your local produce from: “All local produce is sourced from farms on the mainland, I’m incorporating more and more into the menu. We have so much on offer here in Fiji, it’s plentiful and it’s what I grew up with, I love the flavours and so do our guests.”

He has also introduced cooking on an open wood fire, inspired by watching his mother and grandmother which offers

AUTHENTIC HOME COOKING Property name: Flavours of Fiji Where: Fiji, Denarau Cooking schools are popping up all over the world, offering visitors to foreign countries the opportunity to not only sample local food, but learn how to cook it at home.

Flavours of Fiji in Denarau has several options at their cooking school, from guided market walks and cooking classes to hens’

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Chef, Ashim Singh says “All local produce is sourced from villages that surround us, on an almost daily basis”.

guests an opportunity to experience authentic island style cooking.

Go-to dish: “We are constantly changing and evolving here at Tokoriki Island Resort, I love the variety and I love having the freedom to be as creative as I want; this is important to both myself, the owners and the guests. The Vietnamese degustation which is available on request is something quite spectacular.”

days, corporate team building days and private lessons.

Food markets are free to the public of course, but having a guide from Flavours of Fiji is such a great experience. Learning how and what grows where and what it is used for is quite an education.

In Fiji many local herbs and flowers, trees and plants are not only used for cookery but also for their medicinal benefits.

Visitors can enjoy a fun and informative guided morning tour of the local Nadi Markets.

Fresh fruits and vegetables, hand-picked local greens and herbs, fragrant spices, unearthed root crops and an array of assorted seasonal harvests, this authentic local experience is one not to be missed. It’s colourful and exciting, and local vendors are happy to chat, have their photo taken and explain what they use their products for.

After the market tour, an authentic local island cooking class is offered back at Flavours of Fiji’s commercial kitchen on Denarau Island. The classes are not run by chefs, rather by local cooks who are up every day at 4am preparing food for their families before teaching visitors the tricks of the home trade.

Creating eight delicious island favourites, the cooks share their traditional techniques, helpful hints and entertaining stories.

The menu boasts both Fijian and Indo-Fijian flavours, taking you on a journey of Fiji’s rich cultural history. The Island Cooking Classes include a food culture presentation, cooking lesson, lunch, refreshments and take-home recipes.

A DENARAU INSTITUTION

Cardo is also farming his own pigs on a property about 20 minutes from Nadi. It’s clearly his happy place, this long term publican looks just as at home there as he does holding court with his loyal regualars.

Cardo’s steak is not the only dish customers love; his chicken and mango salad is light and fresh, his seafood platters are particularly popular and his fresh juices and Acai bowls ensure a good start to the morning.

If you’re staying at a nearby resort make sure you pencil in a meal at Cardo’s. The prices are affordable, the service friendly and welcoming and the food is the best at the marina.

PICTURES: Damea Dorsey

Property name: Cardo’s Where: Fiji, Port Denarau Marina Chefs: Pita and Filimoni Food philosophy: Another Fijian institution is Cardo’s at Port Denarau Marina. A great team of staff is lead in the kitchen by Fijian chefs Pita and Filimoni but the eponymous owner is the man who ensures the best steak in Fiji is served. To be honest, Cardo imports a lot of his beef cuts from New Zealand but is also farming his own herd, hoping to one day serve Fijian beef that is as good in quality as the imported stuff.

AHU2132 -IT

Fiji’s first and only authentic over-water bures.

Luxury. A special place in a magical location for adults only. Proudly Fijian owned and traditionally designed amidst a pristine and protected natural environment, surrounded by azure ocean.

For reservations and information visit www.likulikulagoon.com or Telephone +(679) 672 0978 Email: likulikures1@ahuraresorts.com

Stay 7 nights and receive free helicopter, seaplane or private speedboat transfers*.

Or between November and March, stay 5 nights and receive a sixth night FREE. From AUD $620pp* per night including all meals.

Conditions apply. Approx rates only – check daily FOREX rates.

*

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POOLSIDE CASUAL TO FINE DINING Property name: Taumeasina Island Resort Where: Apia, Samoa Executive Chef: Sham Chopra (pictured second from left) Chef biography and food philosophy: Taumeasina’s executive chef Sham Chopra has adapted and created new recipes using local ingredients employing traditional Samoan methods, attention to detail and culinary creativity.

“Since arriving in Samoa my priority has been to work with our fabulous local chefs to combine our skills to create an exciting menu using the best local, fresh and organic produce available.

“We are lucky to have a good source of quality fresh seafood here in Samoa, including masi masi, yellowfin tuna, lobster, crabs and seagrapes. We source these from local fishermen regularly,” he says.

Sham’s menu includes Ahi Poke, Pork Palusami Pie and Taro Nachos, to name a few of the locally inspired dishes. He uses coconut and coriander and fresh tropical fruits such as breadfruit, guava and passionfruit in many of his dishes as well as local spinach, yam, pumpkin and bok choy. All are plentiful in Samoa.

Sham worked at the famed Airways Hotel in Port Moresby and before that various five star hotels in Austalia, Bahrain and India. He is now settled in Samoa and enjoying his cooking.

Taumeasina has several dining choices, from casual poolside lunches and snacks to fine dining and regular themed buffet nights.

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GARDEN-FRESH PRODUCE Property name: Return To Paradise Where: Apia, Samoa Executive Chef: Kitiona Foe Chef’s Food philosophy: Samoan born Chef Kiti has been back in his country of birth for three years, after spending most of his training in Australia and New Zealand. He says ‘it’s good to be home’. Kitiona’s love of his home country and all it provides him is plain to see; his menu at Return to Paradise Resort is full of traditional Samoan dishes but also notes of western cuisine. Staying true to his culture and tradition, Chef Kiti has created dishes close to his heart. He wants guests to know the true beauty of Samoan food, how seafood is plentiful and such a huge part of daily life, how having a garden is an essential part of being able to serve consistently fresh food and how all of these things come together make for a standout restaurant just like his is at Paradise Kitchen.

Where do you source your local produce from: “I have my own garden here at the resort, it was important for me to have the tools I need readily available”.

In the islands, because all produce is true to its season with not a lot of hydroponics being grown, Kitiona needed to think outside the box. Importing fresh produce is expensive and also can be difficult to maintain quality; the answer for Chef Kiti was creating his own garden to provide the restaurant with quality options. He also purchases from the surrounding villages, saying “it’s important to give back to those that support us”.

Not a lot of the produce is bought from the main market in Apia, the surrounding villages know what he needs and have also adapted to how and what they grow for the resort.

Go-to dish: “Seafood Platter without a doubt; I love the variations of flavours, the different types of seafood and whether it’s raw or cooked, I know it’s from right out the front of the resort.”

Samoa is famed for having the best seafood in the Pacific, so traditional dishes on the menu such as Oka are always a standout at any restaurant you dine at in Samoa.

Consistently rated one of the best restaurants in the Consistently Consistently rated rated one one of of the the best best restaurants restaurants in in the the South Pacific and a “must do” when visiting Vanuatu.

South Pacific and a “must do” when visiting Vanuatu.

South Pacific and a “must do” when visiting Vanuatu.

Reservations | Phone 27279 | Email tr@tamanuonthebeach.com Reservations | Phone 27279 | Email tr@tamanuonthebeach.com Reservations | Phone 27279 | Email tr@tamanuonthebeach.com

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BEACHFRONT DINING DESTINATION Property name: Tamanu On The Beach Resort and Spa Where: Whitesands, Efate, Vanuatu Food philosophy: Did someone say long lunch? For fresh local produce and a seasonal blackboard menu, take the 20-minute drive from Port Vila to Tamanu on the Beach for an exceptional lunch or dinner. With a 20+ years reputation for delivering some of the finest cuisine in the South Pacific, Tamanu is located on its own white sand beach lined with palm trees and a sweeping view of the ocean.

While the resort has been recently expanded and refurbished

to the highest standards, the restaurant welcomes visitors and is a long-time favourite with locals who famously congregate here for Sunday lunches by the beach. It’s here that you will find the best that Vanuatu has to offer – fresh-caught seafood, Vanuatu’s famous organic beef and lip-smacking pitchers of ice-cold fruity cocktails.

The chef offers a mouthwatering Mediterranean-inspired menu using only the best organically produced local produce and many items grown in Tamanu’s very own gardens. We recommend you pencil in the whole afternoon for this one because you won’t want to miss out on anything on the menu!

“Sinfully Good Food”

P: 338 6246 | Facebook: edenfiji E: eden@connect.com.fj www@edenfiji.com.fj Cnr Bureta & Maharaj St, Tamavua, Suva

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Left: Spaghetti Scoblio, laden with fresh seafood speaking with an Italian accent. Above: Carpaccio di Manzo.

MEDITERRANEAN FUSION Property name: Breakas Beach Resort Where: Port Vila, Vanuatu Chef name: Paolo Zanella Chef biography and food philosophy: Italian chef Paolo Zanella joined the team at Breakas Resort in Vanuatu as their executive chef in late 2018. He had enormous shoes to fill, with the retirement of renowned chef Mario Alfieri after many years in the kitchen at Port Vila’s only adults-only beach resort.

Paolo arrived in Vanuatu from Dubai and brought with him a sophisticated menu and cutting edge style.

Paolo was 13 years old when he started cooking with his parents who owned their own restaurant. He studied at Caterina De Medici in Desenzano Del Garda. His experience is in Italian, Mediterranean and fusion cookery.

“When I arrived in Vanuatu I started staff training to get a high standard of hygiene and quality. After careful research

on local products, the Coconut Crab (when in season) is the most interesting to me and it goes with the local flavours and the fusion cuisine. Most of the products used in the Breakas Restaurant menu are fresh, organic and local.”

Go-to dish: “Based on my experience and creativity I developed the new menu. The clientele is attracted by all the new dishes but the best seller is my Open Lobster Raviolo.”

The vibe: Breakas offers beachside dining for romantic evenings and warm nights, open air breakfast, lunch and dinner on the patio or in their poolside restaurant or casual dining and snacks in the bar.

A weekly Melanesian night with custom dancers and traditional kai kai (food in Bislama) is one of the island’s most popular nights for visitors. Sunday chill out sessions with a local DJ are also very popular.

The resort restaurant is open to the public (guests over 15 only).

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SEAFOOD FRESH FROM THE FRONT Property name: Whitegrass Ocean Resort and Spa Where: Tanna Island, Vanuatu Why Tanna?: Tanna island in Vanuatu is about as far off the beaten track as you can imagine. Much of the island has no power, no running water, unsealed roads and few services.

It is, however, Vanuatu’s most popular outer island and with good reason – the authenticity of island life here is unmatched.

The local people live simply and welcome visitors. There’s the world’s most accessible active volcano on the island and some of the most spectacular beaches in the South Pacific.

So one would be forgiven for thinking fine sophisticated dining would be an impossibility here. Well, it’s not.

Whitegrass Ocean Resort, located close to the airport on Tanna, offers stylish, comfortable acommodation (yes with power, water, cooling and all the mod cons you would expect at a three-four star hotel) but it also offers a fantastic dining experience.

Produce philosphy: The island of Tanna may be small, but it’s full of adventure, passion and a true belief in the simplicity of life being at the core of tradition and values. This flows through to the newly renovated Whitegrass Resort. The restaurant’s philosophy is to source exclusively organic vegetables, fruit and nuts from the local markets and growers, all of which are grown pesticide-free in the rich, fertile volcanic soil that makes up this spectacular island. It boasts a richness in taste and flavour that is truly rare to come across.

SEASONAL SELECTION Property name: Eratap Beach Resort Where: Port Vila, Vanuatu Chef name: Scott Lawther Scott Lawther (below right), the new Head Chef at Vanuatu’s famed Eratap Resort, has brought with him a wealth of experience gained from around the globe and also has a teaching background, which is ideal for the resort, ensuring his knowledge is passed through. Scott’s main focus has been on clean fresh food; having access to some of the Pacific’s best local and organic ingredients has made this dream match of teacher and chef an unstoppable combination.

What is your produce philosophy? “My primary aim is to use fresh locally produced products as much as possible. This means not all ingredients will be available year round so we have created our menus to be flexible. Of course some things

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Always fresh! The crayfish is caught out the front of the resort.

Where do you source your local produce from? The restaurant sources seafood direct from the ocean out front, including painted crayfish, crabs, squid, tuna, wahoo, poulet, mahi mahi and parrot fish. Famed Vanuatu beef and locally farmed prawns from Port Vila are flown in fresh to ensure consistency, quality and taste are at the forefront.

The chefs: Whitegrass’s chefs are local Ni-Vanuatu people, with a passion for food and a vast knowledge of their own local produce. They are experts at knowing how to cook with it and be versatile when it comes to what’s available from season to season.

Go-to dish: A favourite for locals and tourists is the smoked pork belly with kumala mash, Asian greens and mushrooms. have to be imported as they are not available in Vanuatu. This we do to ensure the standard of each dish is maintained.”

Where do you source it from? “We shop daily at the main local market for fruit and vegies and herbs. We purchase line caught fish from local fishermen and game fishing boats.

We buy fresh lobster from local fishermen or have it flown in from outer islands within Vanuatu. We buy the majority of our chicken from local trusted suppliers and beef direct from the abattoir. Other goods are purchased through local wholesalers.

Achieving consistent supply of everything on a daily basis is extremely challenging and requires adaptability and creativity to maintain the extensive menus we offer.”

Go-to dish: “Our seafood platters are a big hit, as is our baked poulet fish wrapped in banana leaves in our special coconut sauce. Other popular dishes include poke bowl, fish curry, daily special salad and vanilla panna cotta.”

F OOD

Above: TV hosts of the Pacific Island Food Revolution, Dr Jone Hawea (Fiji), Fololeni Curr (Tonga), Robert Oliver, Pita Taufatofua

The Pacific Island Food Revolution

Reality television meets community health initiative. Think My Kitchen Rules Rules without the vitriol and filled with Pacific heritage and humour. By Elaine and Tony Wilson.

P

eople of the Pacific need to get ready to dramatically change their eating habits because the food revolution is coming soon to a screen near them.

The region’s first genuine reality TV show will not only entertain you but it packs an ultra-serious three course punch that will not only change many lives for the better but will even save some as well.

Intrigued?

Well this worthy series, which is the brainchild of NZ celebrity chef Robert Oliver, is a cross between the highly successful reality shows My Kitchen Rules (MKR) and Masterchef – wrapped up in a smorgasbord of Pacific tastes.

He said the overriding concept of the show goes back to his first cookbook which was released in 2014.

“I really looked hard at what local cuisine meant in the Pacific, what it consisted of and how it was more than just sitting down and eating, but was a part of the lives of the Pacific islanders,” he said.

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“Along the way I saw how bad non-communicable diseases (NCDs) had become throughout the Pacific, and in particular diabetes which is a real scourge of the region, and I thought we could do something about it.

“I was not a big fan of reality TV until I was a judge on MKR and then I realised just how potent it is.

“So the Pacific Island Food Revolution is aimed at being a real movement, a social movement using the power of reality TV, radio and social media to change people’s eating behaviour.

“The Revolution will activate local cuisine knowledge and turn a mirror on the Pacific itself that reveals that eating fresh, local, indigenous foods is the answer to good health.’’

Mr Oliver said the show covers four countries – Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu and Samoa – in 12 one-hour episodes.

“The reality TV program is like My Kitchen Rules but kinder and filled with Pacific heritage and humour,” he said.

“The challenges in the TV competition will look to provide

(UNICEF), Dora Rossi (Samoa), Voutausi Mackenzie-Reur (Vanuatu). Above Right: Robert Oliver with HRH Princess Pilolevu Tuita.

solutions that people have identified as barriers to healthy eating such as convenience, taste and affordability.

“People can become Food Warriors on social media or at www.pacificislandfoodrevolution.com. There they can share their journeys and download toolkits, lesson plans for teachers and Pacific classrooms.’’

Chef Oliver said 24 talented but untrained cooks, working in pairs, from Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu and Samoa, will compete in the TV competition, which he hosts.

“The show will see the cooks embrace their Pacific food heritage and use local produce to create traditional or new flavoured dishes, while competing to win,” he said.

“For example in one of the shows from Vanuatu, we used mamas from the famous fruit and veggie market to set what the cooks had to prepare.’’

Two Tongans, Fololeni Curr, and UNICEF Pacific Ambassador Pita Taufatofua, will be Robert’s co-hosts for some episodes of the show, along with Dr Jone Hawea from Fiji, Dora Rossi from Samoa, and Voutausi Mackenzie-Reur from Vanuatu.

Two winners will be taken from each episode through to the finals in Fiji.

“The entire show will be broadcast in Australia, New Zealand and throughout the Pacific for free,’’ he said.

He said it is funded jointly by the Australian and New Zealand Governments, with the pilot program costing AU$7 million.

It was filmed last year and Robert said they are already working on a second series.

Vanuatu’s two episodes in the new series were filmed at Breakas Resort near Port Vila with Voutausi as co-host.

“She is really remarkable – she delivered such knowledge and is really dynamic on screen,” said Robert.

“She is going to be a superstar, she is so authoritative,’’ he said.

Voutausi Mackenzie-Reur is the perfect co-host for the Revolution in Vanuatu because, through her own food company, Lapita Foods, she has been preaching the same message for many years.

“It was a lot of fun for me to do the show, but it also has an important message to sell,” she said.

“We need to reactivate the younger generation so they learn the right types of food that they should be preparing and eating.

“We want them talking to their grandparents and that generation about how they use local products to create a balanced diet that is healthy but good to eat.”

Voutausi said it is important the contestants on the show are not professional chefs, but home cooks.

“It showed what could be done with the right ingredients and some knowledge.

“I really believe that a show like this can change the lives of whole communities for the better.”

She said she was going to be a part of the second series and hoped the show would run for at least three or four series.

“It is lots of fun to be involved, you learn about your own food styles and it has a really important message.” •

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A L L ABOAR D

f o s t h g i Seven N

Fiji Cruise Heaven Visit parts of Fiji larger ships cannot reach and rarely visited by tourists to discover Fijian culture, deserted beaches and some of the most dramatic

M

ore and more people are choosing cruising for a holiday - in fact more than six percent of Australians choose a cruise for their annual leave. The adage ‘unpack once and wake up in a different location each day’ has definite appeal.

But rather than take a large ship with literally thousands of other passengers queuing for the buffet, we think smaller ships are the way to go - and the best we’ve found is a Captain Cook Cruises seven-night Fiji cruise.

The 130-passenger, fully accommodated MV Reef Endeavour cruise ship will take you to places larger cruise ships have no chance of seeing.

Seven-night cruises include the Yasawa and Mamanuca Islands cruise, the 4 Cultures Discovery Cruise and the Colonial Fiji Discovery Cruise.

The Yasawa and Mamanuca islands cruise (which can be combined as a seven night voyage or sailed separately) visits Tivua Island, Monu Island, Naviti Island, Brother Island, Drawaqa, Sacred Island and Mononki – the island where Tom Hanks’ movie Castaway was filmed – for snorkelling, diving, paddle boarding, escorted glass bottom boating and kayak tours.

Explore limestone caves at Sawa-l-Lau and visit the islands of Yasawa and Waya for a guided walk through the villages and local schools.

Hike to the top of the mountains for amazing views at Mt. Tamasua on Yasawa and at Monu experience a special village

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choral service. At the Fijian village of Gunu, be part of a traditional Fijian feast, lovo and cultural performance, Meke.

The 4 Cultures Discovery Cruise is the first ever Fiji cruise to circumnavigate Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second largest island, to discover four distinctive Fijian cultures, Ellice Islanders (Polynesians), Banabans (Micronesia), Fijian and Indian.

Be taken on a cultural journey through an amazing show of song and dance by the Polynesians (Ellice Islanders) of Kioa Island and discover the home and history of the Banabans people on Rabi Island.

Spend the morning at Labasa Town, home to a vast number of Fijian Indians. Visit a Hindu snake temple and see the growing rock, before shopping along the main street and at the produce market. Then be entertained by a Bollywood style dance troupe.

On the seven night Colonial Fiji Discovery Cruise visit the world heritage listed Levuka on the island of Ovalau, featuring 19th Century colonial architecture and waterfront promenades from times of colonial rule.

At Makogai Island experience a traditional Fijian ceremony and a walking tour of Makogai leper colony and nursery, home to giant clams and turtles.

Visit Bouma Waterfall National Park. View or hike its series of natural waterfalls and swim in the Tavoro Waterfall Lagoon.

Join the special choral church service at Wairiki before the ultimate experience – standing on the famous 180th meridian, the

arbitrary dateline between today and tomorrow on Taveuni Island.

All cruises include daily guided snorkelling and escorted glass bottom boating tours. The ship is equipped with a hydraulic platform ensuring boarding and disembarking the glass bottom boating is easy.

Divers can experience the underwater world with scuba diving operated by Viti Water Sports, a PADI 5-Star Dive Centre.

Enjoy alfresco lunches, casual barbecues and table d’hote dinners, all prepared fresh aboard, with specially designed menus using fresh local ingredients.

A complimentary Kids Club is also available for children 5-9 years.

Early Booking Saver fares for all seven-night cruises in a porthole cabin start from FJ$4456.00 per person, twin share.

Fares include shipboard accommodation, all meals, guided village, school and island tours, snorkelling and glass bottom boat excursions, daily island stopovers and water activities, hikes and kayak safaris, on board entertainment, kids club (5-9yrs), onboard Wi-Fi, 24-hour self-service tea and coffee bar, post cruise transfers to Nadi and Denarau hotels and Nadi airport and use of the ship’s facilities including a swimming pool, spas, mini gym, sun deck, cocktail bar and library.

For further information and bookings visit: www.captaincookcruisesfiji.com • scenery in the South Pacific.

Fiji’s highest rated luxury resort.

Tokoriki Island Resort is Fiji’s most awarded adults-only boutique island resort and the perfect destination for your next tropical escape. Enjoy our beautiful food, luxury spa, amazing diving & absolute beachfront accommodation.

Visit tokoriki.com or call +679 672 5927

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Blue Caves, Tanna Island Blue Caves, Tanna Island

Your Vanuatu Bucket List for 2019

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COME DANCE TO A DIFFERENT BEAT

Your Vanuatu Bucket List for 2019

A timeless Archipelago, the Ni-Vanuatu people have remained deeply attached to their culture.

With 83 Islands the rhythm of centuries-old rites, and celebrations the ancient culture is still very much alive.

COME DANCE AinDIFFERENT BEAT Ni-Vanuatu have TO lived these islands for centuries more thanthe 110Ni-Vanuatu distinctly different A timelessand Archipelago, people cultures have and languagesdeeply still thrive here. A to visit to Vanuatu remained attached their culture. will immerse you in custom and culture fromofthe moment you arrive.

With 83 Islands the rhythm centuries-old rites, and celebrations the ancient culture is still very much alive.

Ni-Vanuatu have lived in these islands for LEARNING LET than GO 110 distinctly different cultures and centuries andTO more languages still thrive A visit to Vanuatu will immerse you Pentecost Island has here. become famous throughout the world in custom and culture from the moment you arrive. for the land diving ritual (Nagol or N’gol) which occurs every Saturday between April and June. The ritual sees local men and boys as young as seven jump from a 20 -30-metre high LEARNING TO LET manmade tower withGO only a vine attached to their legs. The jump is a celebration of the yam harvest.

Pentecost Island has become famous throughout the world for the land diving ritual (Nagol or N’gol) which occurs every Saturday between April and June. The ritual sees local men and boys as young as seven jump from a 20 -30-metre high manmade towerCRUISE with only a vine attached to LEVEL their legs. The PREFER YOUR SHIPS BELOW SEA jump is a celebration of the yam harvest.

For those who are keen wreck dive the SS President Coolidge.

Once a luxury liner, converted to a troop carrier for the war effort by the Americans Forces sank when it hit two of their own mines on the 26th of October 1942. At the time of the PREFER CRUISE SHIPS SEA LEVEL drama, itYOUR was carrying 5000 menBELOW on board.

This massive 200 meter long vessel at between 20President and 70 meters’ For those who are now keenrests wreck dive the SS Coolidge. depth.a luxury liner, converted to a troop carrier for the war Once effort by the Americans Forces sank when it hit two of their own mines on the 26th of October 1942. At the time of the drama, it was carrying 5000 men on board. This massive 200 WATCH THE WORLD’S MOST SPECTACULAR meter long vessel now rests at between 20 and 70 FIREWORKS meters’ depth.

Mount Yasur, Tanna Islands most famous attraction is

regarded as the world’s most accessible active volcano. Drive across black sand dunes, creating a stark moonscape. Visitors can climb up to the crater rim, where they are treated to a WATCH THEfireworks WORLD’S MOST SPECTACULAR FIREWORKS magnificient display.

While standing on the edge of the crater.

Mount Yasur, Tanna Islands most famous attraction is regarded as the world’s most accessible active volcano. Drive across black sand dunes, creating a stark moonscape. Visitors can climb up to the crater rim, where they are treated to a www.vanuatu.travel | #DiscoverVanuatu

D E S T IN ATION G UIDE

Your

Portal to the Pacific From the Marshalls to the Mamanucas, to Santo sunsets, all the stuff you need to know across the region.

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D E ST INAT IO N VAN UAT U

Bali Hai a i p o t u l a c i rop

at

I

t’s a heck of a drive to the Pacific’s best beach. There are more cows than people on the way in – though there’s not a single tourist in sight. I take a turn off the main road on to an old sandy track that winds its way to the beach, and stay in second gear.

I find a seat with my feet in the sand inside an old hut, called the Port Olry Harbour Beach Restaurant, and order coconut crab with garlic and curry sauce and a Tusker beer. This is just up the road from the renowned Champagne Beach on Espiritu Santo and, round here, fame doesn’t mean crowds. In fact, only two other tourists turn up to swim all afternoon.

Santo still feels like a secret, even though it’s barely an hour’s flight north of Port Vila. It was a former war base for over 100,000 Allied soldiers during World War II, but it’s impossible to imagine this sleepy island, with its pitted dirt roads and empty white beaches, was once a thriving metropolis. JFK

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came through these parts and writer James Michener based his book Tales Of The South Pacific (which later become the musical South Pacific) on his time here during WWII. Bali Hai, his fantasy tropical utopia depicted in the book, is said to be the island of Ambae … visible from Santo on a clear day (or so they say; people also claim it’s Bora Bora).

The main town of Luganville is still much as it always was.

There’s not much here but a café or two, to buy a drink you’ll have to find a western hotel, and there’s not too many here.

But therein lies Santo’s secret, it’s a tropical paradise, but one minus the cabana chairs, the fruity cocktails and the hordes Some of Vanuatu’s best beaches are on the island of Espiritu Santo (above Port Olry). The Beachfront Resort (opposite page) is a great base for exploring.

PICTURES: Vanuatu Tourism Office.

Craig Tansley discovers Espiritu Santo is almost as untouched as the day it was first discovered…

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D E ST INAT IO N VAN UAT U of tourists you’ll find in most other tropical hot-spots. Here you can find perfection in the most remarkable of places – a blue swimming hole beside a dirt road, a five-star retreat beside an ancient village and some of the most pristine off-shore islands in the entire Pacific.

Opting to shrink my world even more, I set course for a tiny island resort off Santo. I find a calm, clear sea; even from the arrival jetty colourful fish dart through the water amongst bright coral heads. I learn the basics of scuba diving in a swimming pool, then take to the tropical waters for my first dive, finding more fish here than even the outer Great Barrier Reef. After kayaking round the island, that evening I relax with a dinner of sashimi and locally caught lobster. The beach moves here as you walk – crabs, some the size of your feet, just add to the wildness of this destination.

A day trip to Malo River on nearby Malo Island takes me further into the wilds. Following a guide on a kayak up a deserted river – where he has to hack at branches with a machete just to struggle through – we find the Blue Pool, a massive swimming hole so clear I doubt it’s ever seen Santo is renowned for a number of things, namely, the SS President Coolidge shipwreck and its stunning ‘Blue Holes’.

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D E ST INAT IO N VAN UAT U

a pollutant. Tiny birds dive bomb us; at first I figure they’re protective, then I realise they’re simply inquisitive, so few humans actually ever venture here. We spend the rest of the day snorkelling with turtles and eating local fish on a barbecue.

But you’ll find these sorts of swimming holes all over Santo.

The island has a high volcanic mountain range; when it rains the water from the mountains flows underground into limestone streams that run between limestone caves. When filtered by limestone the water becomes as pure as freshwater can get, creating a luminous blue. You can paddle to the holes on kayaks rented from nearby resorts or book a tour with Wrecks to Rainforest in town. Because of their isolation, when you arrive and pay the token entrance fee (about AU$5) to local families, you’ll have one of nature’s least documented natural wonders almost always entirely to yourselves.

Santo still feels entirely wild. While Port Vila (on Efaté) has all the modern amenities of a western city – arriving in Santo an hour later I feel like I’m travelling back to another century. At its airport, Pekoa, locals sleep through the worst of the midday heat under coconut trees outside.

There is a level of sophistication about the place too, if you’ve come looking for that. There are five-star retreats set deep in the wilderness – even private island resorts and truly world-class diving (the Pacific’s best wreck dive, SS Coolidge, sits just offshore - dive with Coral Quays Resort) and a good offering of restaurants to satisfy most types of traveller – The Beachfront has great pizzas and attracts a good local crowd for sunset drinks. But to me coming to Santo is about escaping all that, and escaping everything altogether … at least for a little while. •

1

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D E ST INAT IO N SO L O M O N I S L A NDS

Ropiko Resort r i a f f a y l i m al fa a re

Tony and Elaine Wilson have literally gone off the beaten track in the Solomon Islands to seek out small Solomon Islander owned – or at least part owned – resorts that offer a true insight into the life of these Melanesian people.

W

hen we landed on the beach at Ropiko Resort, there were several generations of the Piko family nearby to greet us.

Three little girls were frolicking in the crystal clear water and

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one of them excitedly ran out of the shallows to give us a beautiful, spotted cowrie shell she had just found.

It typified this resort deep into the Solomons’ myriad of islands as it really was a family affair. And they are the

PICTURES: Elio Stamm, Tiffany Carroll and Elaine Wilson

Ropiko sits on Gatokae Island, the gateway to the world famous Marovo Lagoon, which is the world’s largest island enclosed lagoon,

protected by a double barrier reef system. Novelist James Michener once described Morovo as the eighth wonder of the world.

friendliest people you could imagine.

The setting for Ropiko is right on the beach and as you walk through to your accommodation, you find yourself in a beautiful garden, festooned with orchids, that has been carefully cultivated over several years.

There is even a Japanese World War ll fighter plane (type unknown) at its last resting place in the back of the garden after it crashed in 1944 – the island was just bush at the time, but it’s a stark reminder that war was really a serious affair in the Solomons and it makes a striking ‘garden feature’ surrounded by lush ferns and colourful tropical flowers.

Ropiko was originally set up by the Piko family in 1994 as Ropiko Eco Lodge, then it was upgraded in 2000.

It sits on Gatokae Island, the gateway to the world famous Marovo Lagoon, which is the world’s largest island enclosed lagoon, protected by a double barrier reef system. Novelist James Michener once described Morovo as the eighth wonder of the world.

It contains hundreds of beautiful, small and mostly untouched islands, the majority of which are covered by coconut palms and rainforest and surrounded by coral.

You come here to dive, snorkel, see the underwater volcano, visit laid-back villages, picnic on deserted islands, take a lagoon tour, meet master carvers, kayak across the lagoon or take a walk through the rainforest or up amazing summits.

Ropiko’s accommodation is set right on the ocean’s doorstep, all rooms are well appointed, with private amenities, fans and new beds late in 2018, making for a perfect night’s sleep.

Manager Ron Piko explained that it has one dormitory, three family huts which are a rarity in resorts and five huts for couples. Each unit is named after a local fish or bird, with a carved and painted nameplate in local language and English to greet guests.

Meals are taken in the dining hall, which has a soaring thatched roof and beautifully carved posts and lintels depicting sea creatures and local custom stories or legends.

Using home grown organic vegetables, fruits and fresh fish, one of the true delights at Ropiko was the food.

The chefs, Jenevah (Ron’s sister) and another relative, Cherol, prepared wonderful, wholesome and substantial

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D E ST INAT IO N SO L O M O N I S L A NDS

Boating is the main form of transport in Solomon Islands. Do rememer to pack sunscreen, a towel and hat for your journey.

dishes, cooked in local styles but with a western flavour. All accommodation prices include breakfast, lunch and dinner.

One memorable meal was trevally caught that morning by Ron and it just melted in the mouth.

Ron explained that environmental sustainability and community support are at the core of their business.

“We take pride in doing everything we can to support local ecosystems and give back to the villages surrounding the resort while allowing them to preserve local cultures,” he said.

Marovo Lagoon and the surrounding area are renowned for their diving spots.

Not only is there an abundance of fish, coral and marine life but also many WWII wrecks to explore, including four intact boats in Welkom Harbour. All the necessary diving equipment can be hired from local dive operators.

Just out from the resort, the reef at Mbulo Island is full of marine life; huge coral, schools of fish and even the occasional turtle. You can walk to other spots in the lagoon for more spectacular scenery.

Ropiko has a private sandy beach that is safe and exactly what’s needed to cool off. If you’re after something different take a short stroll to where an underwater river enters the sea

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and it is much colder.

Boating, canoeing and spear fishing are available and local guides can show you all the good spots and provide basic gear.

You can walk or take a boat to Kavolafota village to experience the traditional village life – find out about the local fruit, vegetables and medicines, learn to weave and grate coconut, even feed the friendly eels living in the local river.

For something more unusual, take a 30-minute stroll to a nearby cave system and see the many types of bats and shrimps that live there.

And to experience something completely different, you can take a two hour boat ride out to Kavachi underwater volcano and see it explode out of the water. It is quite weird and a little scary but something you’ll probably never do again anywhere.

Or you can just lie in the shade and relax and do absolutely nothing at all.

To visit Ropiko is to find another time and place and there are so few untouched places to compare it to in the Pacific.

Worth noting is that all 4000 islanders on Gatokae are Seventh Day Adventists, so there is no alcohol sold at Ropiko, but guests are welcome to bring their own alcohol supplies. •

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D E ST INAT IO N SO L O M O N I S L A NDS

Cruising o g a l e p i h c r a d e t n a h c en

The I

n the pre-dawn darkness luminescent plankton hovers in a silken sea, twinkling as bright as a starry sky. A lone reef shark glides silently beyond the dive platform, its white tipped dorsal fin piercing the surface like a knife. Our stern mooring line hangs limply from a gnarly mangrove tree. As the sky lightens in the east forest shadows retreat, revealing dense jungle clinging to a vertical cliff. The silence is broken by birdsong.

We begin our first round of sun salutations on the sky deck, breathing pure forest-filtered air into our lungs as yoga instructor Katie Thomson guides us through our daily yoga class.

“Focus your attention on this beautiful view, take a deep breath and hold,” she instructs. A sense of serenity washes over us as we absorb the silence, the peace, the absolute tranquillity of the crescent-shaped cove we’ve awoken to.

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The previous day a pod of dolphins had escorted us into this anchorage at Mane Bay, in the Russell Islands Group north of Honiara.

This morning’s tranquillity is a substantial contrast to the previous when the bay was a convulsing knot of cross-cultural humanity. Then, the water was churning as 20 or more dugout canoes, Solomon Islanders’ ubiquitous form of transport, hung off our stern, the kids clambering on board or swinging off the mooring line. Hand-carved from a single tree trunk, some of these canoes were captained by blond, tousle-haired youngsters barely old enough to dress themselves yet capably propelling a canoe. Others were piled high with produce: pineapples, papaya, bananas and coconuts, tomatoes, leafy greens and sweet potatoes. Brisk negotiations ensued between farmers and crew as Chef Charles adapted his menu to suit available produce. But for the kids who turned

PICTURES: Fiona Harper and SIDE.

For the past six mornings we’ve awoken to one extraordinary location after another, beginning each day with a gentle yoga session

Tourism is a burgeoning industry in the Solomon’s with the seven-night Solomon Islands Discovery Cruise through the Florida and Russel Islands offering an extraordinary introduction to the country’s cultural and scenic treasures. By Fiona Harper.

before the day’s more exuberant activities begin.

up in droves, the main action was in the water, creating their own laughter-rich soundtrack which echoed around the bay.

Six or more youngsters piled upon inflatable SUP boards.

Others were towed behind the ship’s tenders on an inflatable tube. Adding to the cacophony of activity, guests water-skied or wake-boarded, dived off the top deck, snorkelled the shoreline, paddled dugout canoes with the locals or simply floated in the sea amongst the good-natured chaos. It was exhausting, but in the way of those rare tropical holidays that leave you equally spent, yet exhilarated; inspired and enchanted.

For the past six mornings we’ve awoken to one extraordinary location after another, beginning each day with a gentle yoga session before the day’s more exuberant activities begin. Snorkelling and scuba diving, water skiing and tubing, skurfing and surfing, SUP boarding and swimming, village

walks and cultural performances fill much of the daylight hours.

In quieter moments we relax in hammocks with a book, chat with fellow guests and laugh with crew members who have noticeably gained in confidence as they get to know our dozen guests on-board.

And we eat. We eat well. One day it’s a beach BBQ on a tiny slip of an island. Another it’s sundowners and snacks against a scarlet sunset viewed from the Sky Deck, the precursor to dinner. Each night we fall into a satisfied slumber, our skin tingling with the kiss of tropical sunshine.

We explore villages on Karomulun and Marulaon Islands and are privileged to witness Marulaon Villagers’ inaugural public dance performance as they open their arms to visitors for the first time. Ever-inventive, musicians fashion instruments from bamboo into pan pipes. Plastic pipes cut to different lengths are struck with rubber thongs to create foot-tapping rhythms.

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D E ST INAT IO N SO L O M O N I S L A NDS A plastic drum and improvised didgeridoo provide bass notes.

It is grass roots culture at its most entertaining as villagers watch from the shadows, erupting into belly-bursting laughter as our group is invited up to dance. Our group of eleven passengers have travelled from as far afield as Mauritius, New Zealand and Australia to join MV Taka to cruise through one of the world’s last remaining wildernesses.

Tourism is a burgeoning industry in the Solomons, with the seven-night Solomon Islands Discovery Cruise through the Florida and Russel Islands offering an extraordinary introduction to the country’s cultural and scenic treasures.

With almost 1,000 islands, only 147 of which are inhabited, travelling by small expedition-style ship seems so logical it’s surprising that it’s taken until now for intimate cruising to be offered. Previously flying between islands was the only real option with Solomon Airlines flying to Honiara from Brisbane and Port Vila with domestic connections to around 20 regional airstrips.

The archipelago has always been popular with divers attracted by gin-clear water and a plethora of WWII wrecks that, after 70-odd years, have become popular habitats for marine creatures. Snorkellers too are spoilt, with hard and soft corals along with an abundance of fish life. Little-known treasures like Leru Cut are equally spectacular for both snorkellers and divers. Here a vertical-sided cavern plummets to a depth of 12m and is lit by shards of light piercing through aquamarine water. Ancient and timeless, it feels like something from the lost world. But there is much more to the Solomons than dive sites and the MV Taka is your ticket to cultural and geographical treasures found nowhere else.

At Roderick Bay, the 87m-long ship World Discoverer’s cruising days ended abruptly after striking a reef. The wreck now lies in shallow water on her starboard side 20m from

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D E ST INAT IO N SO L O M O N I S L A NDS the beach. The ship’s former white-painted topsides sprout trees poking through portholes. Ceramic tiles cling stubbornly to swimming pool walls pitched at an alarming angle. Village children launch themselves from a flying fox and rope swings, creating their own maritime adventure playground.

For Belinda Bootha, who fell in love with the country during her first visit in 2013, the Solomon Islands are simply magical, promising enchanting possibilities seen nowhere else. A successful business dynamo focused on sustainable tourism, she is passionate about empowering locals and developing their skills by creating employment opportunities.

Having developed tourism operations in South Africa and the Caribbean prior to landing in the Solomon’s Bootha understands the extraordinary attractions the Solomon Islands offer to travellers looking for authentic, raw experiences that are managed sustainably for the long term.

“The Solomon Islands are one of the world’s last wild frontiers. We need to protect it,” she says. Bootha’s blue sky vision is to see the country’s first qualified female maritime captain. She’s also keen to assist villagers to create cultural tourism opportunities.

Multi-skilled twenty-something Cruise Director Chevone Whittaker, who has qualifications as a Chef, Human Resources Manager and Dive Instructor, says the best part of her job is

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D E ST INAT IO N SO L O M O N I S L A NDS the people she works with along with passengers who come aboard. The Solomon Islander crew take great pleasure in sharing the adventure with guests, even composing their own farewell song which brings much laughter and happy tears when sung on the last evening.

“I enjoy the environment of being on a small vessel, meeting different types of people from many countries. But also working with this amazing Solomon Islander crew and seeing how they react with each other and international guests is what I enjoy most,” she explains.

Whittaker says that the Discovery Cruise has some flexibility to accommodate passenger interests within reason, whether they be cultural, photographic, surfing, diving or snorkelling oriented. If there was demand, yoga classes could be expanded to twice daily or incorporate yoga under the stars.

It’s all about understanding and anticipating guest needs.

“The great thing about the Discovery Cruise is that we can adjust the schedule and the type of activities we do,” she says, her face lighting up as she describes the thrill of taking four absolute beginners through an introductory scuba course.

A seasoned surfer from New Zealand on his first visit to the Solomons declares the surf break near Marovagi to be one of the best he’s encountered anywhere in the world. It’s a big call.

Right on cue, while steaming between islands, when the dorsal fin of a pilot whale breaks the surface Captain Jackson brings MV Taka to a stand-still so we can watch the giant mammal cruise unhindered through the pass.

The hour we spend watching the whale and the sense of wonderment over the entire vessel as we gather on the bow is just one of many highlights of a week bursting with them. My advice? Cruise the Solomon Islands now before the word gets out about this little-known paradise. • MORE INFORMATION Solomon Islands Discovery Cruise: sidcruises.com.au Solomon Islands Tourism: visitsolomons.com.sb

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D E ST INAT IO N SAMO A

Let The Games Begin t n e v e g bi Samoa’s

There will be 27 different sports played at 19 different venues, both indoor and outdoor, around Apia and Savai’i. Owners and venue operators across the country have worked tirelessly to prepare the venues.

C

ontinuing one of the great sporting traditions of the Pacific region, Samoa will welcome competitors from 24 different countries when it hosts the 16th Pacific Games in July this year. This will be a wonderful opportunity for the people of Samoa to observe and celebrate the achievements of the men and women from across the Pacific Islands who have the confidence and dedication to represent their country in this exciting event. Samoans are passionate about sport and are sure to be a welcoming and enthusiastic audience.

Organised in less than two years, the event has come together because of the generosity of a number of sponsors who are invested in the future success of Samoa. Due to the generous support of the main sponsor, Digicel, the gold sponsor, Samoa Shipping, and the silver sponsors, Samoa Stationery and Books, Fexco, Apia Insurance and the Samoa Port Authority, this is sure to be an impressive event.

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Apia Park Stadium will host the entertainment for the opening ceremony on July 7 which is being organised by the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture. Dozens of local school students will be performing for international guests; a wonderful opportunity for them to demonstrate their exceptional talents.

The closing ceremony at Apia Park Stadium on July 20 will also give participants and spectators an opportunity to see the finest performances of Samoan school students.

Over all, 24 teams will be coming from all over the Pacific to compete this year. Expect to see competitors from Australia, the Cook Islands, Micronesia, Fiji, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Northern Mariana Island, Norfolk Island, Palau, PNG, Samoa, American Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and the territory of Wallis and Futuna.

There will be 27 different sports played at 19 different

venues, both indoor and outdoor, around Apia and Savai’i.

Owners and venue operators across the country have worked tirelessly to prepare the sporting venues for the Games.

Apia Park will host rugby and athletics; tennis competitions will be at the Apia Park Tennis Courts. Volleyball will be on the Apia Waterfront and at the National University of Samoa.

Swimming races will be held mainly at the Faleata Aquatic Complex. Outside on the Faleata Sports Complex Ovals is where cricket, football, touch rugby, archery and lawn bowls will be played.

Inside the complex, the gym will host judo, taekwondo, squash, table tennis, powerlifting, weightlifting, basketball, badminton and netball games. Sogi Recreational Park is the location for the triathlon.

The Fagali’i Royal Samoa Golf course will host the golf competition, and at the Mulifanua Sheraton Beach Resort there will be more swimming competitions, sailing and Va’a (sea vessels/rowing). The shooting competition will be at the Tafaigata Shooting Range at the Faleata Sports Complex.

For boxing, spectators will need to get over to Savai’i to see the fights at Don Bosco College.

This is the third time the Pacific Games have been held in Samoa and this time the Games Office is working with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) to ensure that the Games are as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible. Green and reusable products will be provided for use as alternatives to single use plastics. Portable water stations will also be set up at venues so that people can fill their drink bottles rather than having to buy water in bottles and there will be reusable bottles and cups available.

Competitors in the 2019 XVI Pacific Games have been training extensively in the lead up to this event. Their sporting prowess and determined spirits will be celebrated by all of the countries in the region. The organising committee promises that there will be drama, excitement, entertainment and joy when the XVI Pacific Games commence in July.

Tickets will be available on the website: www.samoa2019.ws. • Competitors in the 2019 XVI Pacific Games have been training extensively in the lead up to this event.

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D E ST INAT IO N SAMO A

Talofa Samoa Samoa has an abundance of pristine beaches, lush gardens, majestic mountains, blowholes and stunning seascapes.

L

ocated in the heart of the South Pacific, Samoa has long been regarded as the birthplace of Polynesia, with a culture as alive today as it was 3,000 years ago.

At the heart of this culture lies respect and hospitality, and the Samoan people cannot wait to demonstrate this the Samoan Way. Witness the creative expression of this tradition and join in the celebrations at a fiafia night, where delicious Samoan food, surf and turf style, is served and the culture is celebrated through traditional song, dance and storytelling as distinct and unique as the culture itself.

You can even take home a memento from the local markets, with handicrafts, fashion, jewellery and handmade artifacts made in Samoa.

Known by many as Mother Nature’s Playground, Samoa has an abundance of pristine beaches, lush gardens, majestic

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mountains, powerful blowholes and stunning seascapes, all in place waiting to be explored and enjoyed and offering a plethora of activities catering for all types of travellers.

But in order to truly appreciate the beauty of Samoa, you must tap in to the Samoan Way of living – to slow down and to faifai lemu, which literally means ‘take it easy’.

Relaxation has been turned into an art form and travellers who visit Samoa soon rediscover the pleasure of simply watching the world go by.

Only then can we really appreciate the beauty of nature, the importance of family and why the Fa’a Samoa culture exists to protect these.

If you’re up for a family adventure, a couple’s escape, a spiritual or cultural experience or just a piece of paradise to get away from the hustle and bustle of life, beautiful Samoa awaits.!•

D E ST INAT IO N P O HNP E I

Surf’s Up Any waves breaking in Pohnpei are over shallow reefs, so not only can you get perfect surf, they’re also powerful. Because of this power, it means surfers from all over the world chase the thrill of surfing in Pohnpei. By Georgina Auton.

“For most waves, it’s just a handful of guys and ladies in the water,” Allois says, adding that surfers like Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning and

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A

Stephanie Gilmore have all surfed Pohnpei.

s you fly into Pohnpei (in the Federated States of Micronesia), you’re greeted by lush tropical rainforests stretched over mountains, and coral reefs speckled around coastlines which fade from bright white sand through to a million shades of blue.

If you look beyond the stunning scenery, you’ll find a niche surfing spot known to those willing to go a little off the beaten track.

Allois Malfitani from Pohnpei Surf and Dive Club has lived in many beautiful destinations across the world, but Pohnpei captured his heart.

“The reason we first landed in Pohnpei was for the surf, and after coming for one month a year for four years on vacation, we finally decided to settle down and start a surf camp,” Allois said.

That was fifteen years ago, and he says the waves are still amazing and uncrowded to this day.

“The number of surfers is usually small unless a big and amazing swell is forecast,” he said.

And if a big swell is forecast – then look out! Palikir Pass, affectionately known to those who surf it as P-Pass, is the most surfed wave in the region. It can be surfed at any tide, but the pros hold out to surf on some of the more massive swells and often wait until the very last minute to jump on flights.

“Any waves breaking in Pohnpei are over shallow reefs, so not only can you get perfect surf, but it’s also powerful.”

Because of this power, it means surfers from all over the

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world chase the thrill of surfing in Pohnpei. While the surf season in Pohnpei often runs from September to March (or sometimes even April), December to February are the busiest months.

But the key question on every keen surfer’s mind – are the waves busy?

Allois says no, and that’s the beauty of Pohnpei. You’re not going to face forty other people competing for the same waves, and part of that is due to the fact it’s not the place to learn to surf.

“For most waves, it’s just a handful of guys and ladies in the water,” Allois says, adding that surfers like Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning and Stephanie Gilmore have all surfed Pohnpei.

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“Intermediate surfers can have a great time when the waves are up to six-foot faces, but once it gets bigger the game changes a bit.”

While Allois spends almost as much time on or in the water as he does out of it, he has this to say about the rest of Pohnpei – “You have to understand this: On these 130 square miles of mountains and waterfalls, plus 80 square miles of lagoon and barrier reefs, there are so many pristine places to explore that I would have a hard time getting to see them all.

“What brought me to Pohnpei was a kind of ‘follow your dreams thing’, literally and to this day, I don’t take a single day living here for granted.”•

PICTURES: Allois Malfitani

If a big swell is forecast – then look out! Palikir Pass, affectionately known to those who surf it as P-Pass.

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R E S OR T R E POR T

o t k c a b d e Beckon

Vomo

Tristan Barns finds Vomo’s delights are just as tantalisng now as they were ten years ago, in spite of having kids in tow.

Tropical bliss is lazing on beaches, snorkelling on sparkling reefs and watching the sun set from the Rocks Bar. Baby butlers become

I

t’s funny how life changes your perspective. Things that were a priority a decade ago are today’s afterthoughts.

Same with holidays. A dream vacation for a 20-something couple isn’t possible with toddlers in tow, is it? Relaxation and romance is a distant holiday memory, sacrificed on the altar of early dinners and high chair battles... isn’t it. Or is it?

We first came to Vomo about 10 years ago as a young(ish) couple. We were taken by the beauty, tranquility and luxury of the island, which is part of the Mamanuca group, a short boat, helicopter or seaplane ride from Nadi airport.

We lazed on beaches, snorkelled on sparkling reefs straight out from our bure, indulged in massages, dined on exquisite food, watched the sun blaze into night from the Rocks Bar... it was romantic tropical bliss.

If you’d asked us then if we’d be back 10 years later with kids we would’ve laughed you off the island.

And yet Vomo is one of those very rare places which beckons you back, whatever your priorities might be.

We answered the siren song, but we came with our 8-month-old daughter; we didn’t quite know what to expect

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but we had a wonderfully relaxing and memorable break. So much so that, fast forward another year and we are back with our nearly 2-year-old. We are joined by several other families with pre-school children, but also by honeymooners, babymooners, retirees, larger families with teenage kids, holidaying siblings and roaming internationalists. This is an island which effortlessly accommodates everyone.

Set in a secluded bay nestled against a high hill, Vomo is one of Fiji’s most exclusive and luxurious island getaways. It is a tropical paradise ringed by white sandy beaches surrounded by colourful reefs and abundant sea life. The resort has grown over the years, but has maintained its unique, friendly, relaxed yet luxurious vibe.

It takes a couple of days to ease back into island time. Your mission is complete when you’ve forgotten what day of the week it is, and you don’t care. It will happen. The Vomo team will help you find the pace. Service is always attentive, friendly and anticipatory, but it’s also relaxed. The staff want you to ease off the throttle and escape the frenetic pace of everyday life. Who needs a watch? You’ll know when you’re hungry and

part of the family at Vomo.

the food will be there. Time is tracked by the sun in the sky, not by the demanding hands of a clock. Steps slow down, gazes linger, focus softens and the mind relaxes.

That’s not to say this island is rustic. The pace might be relaxed but the standard is high.

Executive chef Michael Fosbender hits the right note with light cuisine with a clear South Pacific origin but with broader Pacific and Asian touches. Michael has spent the best part of a decade on islands in the South Pacific and this experience is reflected in the way his menu encompasses the balmy tropical days on Vomo, aided by the unmistakable Cambodian and Laotian influence of Chef de Cuisine Thushan Iranga.

Sparkling flavours and clever textural touches combine with the freshest local produce and the best the Pacific Rim has to offer. Dining is largely à la carte, with a few low-key themed nights thrown in if you wish to join in. But dining here is very much as you wish. Want three courses of gourmet food and excellent wines? No problem. Dine on the adjacent island of Vomo Lailai? Of course, your boat awaits. Or just chill with the same delicious food delivered to your villa? Yep that’s fine too.

Vinaka.

While everything on Vomo is a matter of choice, make sure you join in for Fiji Night. It is a genuine welcome to the culture, traditions and history of the Vomo family. And there is kava if you dare!

Kids are not just welcome here, they’re welcomed with open arms. Literally. Many of the staff remember our daughter from our previous visit and greet her with a heartfelt hug. We also meet her ‘baby butler’ for the week, Lani, at Vomo’s exceptional kids club, which boasts an array of toys, playgrounds and activities which puts most kindergartens to shame. Older kids also have a daily smorgasbord of activities ranging from fish feeding to kite making to Fijian drumming lessons. Kids are as well fed as the adults here too. Do yourself a favour and order the cheesy pasta from the kids’ menu. Trust me.

But enough about the kids. They’re well and truly looked after here. What about the parents? Glad you asked. For the adults there’s plenty to do or there’s nothing to do. It’s your choice. You don’t feel like you have to do anything, but you can do pretty much anything. And if you choose to do nothing you don’t feel like you’re missing out. No FOMO at Vomo.

There are daily activities if you wish to partake – some for the active (yoga on the yoga deck which faces the ocean, training sessions in the well equipped gym) some for the adventurous (diving, snorkelling, sailing), and a seriously good day spa for just blissing out.

And for the really relaxed, there are hammocks shaded by coconut palms and fanned by gentle sea breezes, with icy drinks always on hand – hydration is important.

Accommodation is luxe but relaxed, spanning hillside villas, beachfront bures and stand-alone havens, through to the three bedroom ‘Residence’. All are private and comfortable, with secluded indoor and outdoor areas for relaxation. Beachfront rooms are a short stroll to a hammock or a beach chair.

And here’s the thing – just as Vomo has adapted to the needs of family vacations, it’s also now responding to the requirements of families as they grow, and to parents who want to sleep in or get some ‘us time’ by providing additional ‘adults only’ spaces like the newly opened pool and beach club area at the Rocks Bar. This brilliant concept boasts a generously sized infinity edge pool with inbuilt seating and poolside daybeds – all prime locations for viewing the blazing Pacific sunsets over the water, framed by Vomo Lailai. Additional beachfront accommodation is also under construction nearby, including a huge five bedroom villa.

Vomo continues to grow and adapt but the most special part of this place is its heart, and how welcome and special it makes you feel. Our daughter mentions to a staff member that she’s about to turn two. Unbeknown to us, the team organises a birthday party for her, complete with a cake and a choir to sing happy birthday. A very special memory for us all.

The same choir sings us a heartfelt farewell song as we leave paradise to return to reality.

Vinaka Vomo, you were amazing. •

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D E ST INAT IO N K IRIBAT I

From the air, Kiribati is simply stunning.

On the ground, friendly people, a strong culture and pristine water await you.

T

he island nation of Kiribati comprises 33 atolls and straddles the equator, stretching 3235 kilometres across the Pacific Ocean. With traditions and culture thriving and visitors regarded as a curiosity, it is the Pacific of yesteryear.

South Tarawa is the urban hub of the nation with a large concentration of the population crammed into rows of houses squeezed together.

Land is scarce here, the lagoon suffering under the weight of people, but this is where government and commercial activity is focused, where the hustle and bustle of Kiribati prevails.

Venture away from south Tarawa and you escape this commotion, finding the unspoilt tranquillity of north Tarawa. To visit only south Tarawa is to miss the gentler side of Kiribati, the Kiribati where time flows with the moon and tides.

Located on Abatao in north Tarawa, our family homestay accommodation is delightful. The road halts abruptly at a passageway between the ocean and lagoon. A prompting whistle and a motorised canoe emerges from across the water to ferry us to the other side.

During the new moon, the crossing is magical as phosphorescence lights a trail behind us, swirling around our feet in the water; a step in the wet sand stirs a shower of phosphorescent dust.

Our guesthouse looks over the lagoon. A raised floor, roof of pandanus leaves and a mattress. Woven palm shutters keep out the rain, the lagoon breeze provides natural air conditioning! Home for a while. Privacy is pretty much nonexistent but it all adds to the Kiribati charm.

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It is quite normal to wake up, see several pairs of eyes staring back from beyond our feet, hear a shy ‘Mauri’ and then children running away giggling! The bathroom is shared and the toilet has built-in entertainment as hermit crabs scurry around our feet.

Meals are local food: pancakes made with ‘toddy’ served with coconut syrup, fish, rice, breadfruit, pandanus and coconut. Sunset over the lagoon is spectacular, with a ball of fire resting on the horizon, the sky blazing with shades of orange, red, pink, purple.

Serenity – apart from the lapping of the water on the lagoon edge and the distant crashing of waves on the ocean side. A receding evening tide brings fishermen into the lagoon, wading the shallows with a lamp, trailing a fishing net between them or slowly drifting in a canoe to catch the next meal. In the dark of the night, tiny lights shine out in the middle of the lagoon.

Beyond the homestay, the village and North Tarawa stretch out. Traditional houses cluster together, a school, a church and a small shop, little else.

Children line the street as we pass, quietly whispering or boldly shouting ‘I-Matang’ (foreigner) before running away.

Others crowd round in friendly curiosity, following until we reach the edge of the village or they lose interest.

Beyond the village houses are sparsely spread along the track. I-Kiribati sit talking or carrying out daily chores; men climb trees for toddy (coconut sap); women sit weaving mats; children play, patiently practising skills passed down to them.

There is no need here for TV or fancy toys – the children seem content with what their imagination and natural environment provide. Calm and tranquillity reign. •

Beran Island Resort

Our custom-built, luxury hideaway on the exclusive Beran Island offers unparalleled access to surf, dive sites, fishing, and more. Thousands of miles from the nearest land mass, Beran Island Resort is fully equipped with a private chef, upscale accommodations, a shared lounge room to review awesome footage from the day on the water, and all the watersports equipment you could want, including jet skis. Easy access to the best breaks means you can spend less time on the boat and more time in the water, then retire to the island for a freshly cooked meal and great conversation with the crew and fellow guests - who will soon feel like old friends.

Photos from our 2018/2019 Kiteboarding Retreat with Reo Stevens, Keahi Di Aboitiz and Moona Whyte. Inquire now for 2020 Kiteboarding Retreat Dates and Availability or Private Island Rental - www.BeranIsland.com

The

S

urfers will travel anywhere on the promise of great waves and good times and, whilst Beran Island is a bit of a journey, there’s a reason some of the world’s elite surfing fraternity ensure they hit this place up – unbelievable water and waves, a stunning private 45-acre island, five star service and no more than 16 guests at a time, it’s every surfer’s dream location.

But it’s not just surfers that are looking for the perfect location – kite surfers too are starting to uncover the secrets at Beran Island.

“Beran Island in the Marshall Islands is truly a bucket list destination; it just hasn’t made it on anyone’s bucket list yet!

My best comparison is visiting Tavarua/Cloudbreak 25-30 years ago, but instead of instead of sleeping in beach bures, you are sleeping in a villa. And because of its remoteness you won’t have to share (the surf) with anyone outside of the resort,” said renowned kite surfing coach Reo Stevens.

The trade winds blow between 15 and 25 knots consistently from November to July/August. Wind at the breaks is side offshore and perfect for sailing or kiting on the waves. Long, perfect righthand point waves, with no one around! The Marshalls have been featured recently on some cutting edge windsurfing videos.

Reo Stevens has been offering kiting trips, and will be

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offering more trips in the 2019/20 season. His expertise and guidance will allow you to improve your kiting, surfing and overall knowledge of the sport and of the ocean.

Getting to Beran from Australia, you travel on Nauru Airlines ex Brisbane to Majuro. From there, a quick domestic flight to Woje airport and you’re in another world. The runway is straight off the reef, with a little more grass than coral, but it’s all part of the adventure – you can’t expect to get to a place like this without a bit of rough and ready.

Often before you before check-in, even before you lay eyes on the resort, you will be on a boat heading for what promises to be some truly magnificent surf. Beran Island Resort has hosted big name surfers and celebrities but it too has a laid back feel to it; it does feel exclusive however, not many people around ensures you can design the perfect break away on this secluded paradise.

The island offers several charter boats, which take guests out fishing, diving or surfing. A floating hotel of sorts, you can surf all day without needing to go back on shore, with lunch and snacks catered for.

A week at Beran feels like a month and it would be difficult for anyone to leave, this is a surf and dive haven for anyone wanting to switch off and ride endless waves with no one around. •

PICTURE: 123RF

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C H R I S T IAN A COOK S

RIS (DE VEAU ) s d a e r b t Swee H

ave you ever tried sweetbreads (ris de veau)?

First let’s get this fact out of the way: sweetbreads are not sweet breads! Sweetbreads are considered offal and they are the thymus gland which consists of two parts, the throat sweetbread and the heart sweetbread. They are only found in young animals. As the animal ages, the thymus gland atrophies, which explains why sweetbreads are in short supply. veal heart sweetbreads are bigger and more compact.

Sweetbread is an old term from the sixteenth century, but the origin of the name is unclear. ‘Sweet’ is perhaps used since the thymus is sweet and rich-tasting, as opposed to savoury-tasting muscle flesh. ‘Bread’ may come from brede, the old English for ‘flesh’ or ‘meat’.

The easiest sweetbreads to find are from veal, ris de veau; or lamb, ris d’agneau, although beef and pork sweetbreads are also available.

Their texture is extremely smooth, tender and moist, and the flavour is quite mild and creamy. The outside crisps up easily, and they play nicely with both rich and more acidic sauces.

They are highly appreciated in French cuisine.

Preparation of Sweetbreads Soaking is the first step in the preparation of sweetbreads, to

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remove some of the impurities. You can soak them in just cold salted water, but I prefer to use milk or buttermilk.

After the soaking, blanch them in boiling vegetable stock or water and then shock them in ice water to firm up the flesh. This makes it easier to remove any remaining tough membranes on the outside. Once blanched, classic technique calls for them to be chilled and pressed. Place them on a plate or pie form, cover with a tea towel, place another plate on top and add a weight to lightly press the sweetbread and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

Finally, sweetbreads can be grilled, braised, or breaded and seared or fried. To counteract the richness of the meat, I like to serve the sweetbreads with an acidic sauce like lemon and capers. The French like to serve them with chanterelle mushrooms or morels and pureed potatoes, which is very luscious.

Although the preparation of sweetbreads involves many steps they are not a quick meal; if you enjoy cooking, they’re a fun project to enjoy with a nice glass of crisp white wine.

If you’ve never had sweetbreads before, take a leap of faith and give them a try.

PICTURES: Christiana Kaluscha.

Not something you’ll find on every menu but our food editor Christiana Kaluscha recommends that if you’ve never had them before, ‘you take the leap of faith and give them a try’.

Sweetbreads pan seared Serves 2 - 3 INGREDIENTS • 1 tsp salt • 1 tsp vinegar • 1⁄2 cup shallots (chopped) • 1 tbsp fresh Italian parsley (finely chopped) • 1⁄4 cup flour • 2 tsp garlic powder • 2 tbsp butter • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil • Fresh lime or lemon wedges

METHOD • Prepare the sweetbreads as explained in preparation section above.

• Slice each sweetbread in half crosswise.

• Mix the flour and garlic powder together and dredge the sweetbreads in the flour mixture.

• Heat butter and oil in a skillet until very hot.

• Place the sweetbreads and shallots into the hot skillet and once you place them in, DO NOT move them around.

• When they are a light golden colour on the bottom side (about 3 to 5 minutes), with tongs, carefully turn them over to sear the other side until that side also becomes a light golden colour.

• Remove the sweetbreads and plate them as you desire.

Garnish them with the Italian parsley leaves and serve with lemon wedges as a wonderful appetizer.

Lamb Sweetbreads with brown butter and capers INGREDIENTS • 225g lambs’ sweetbreads, blanched, weighted and peeled (see preparation) • seasoned flour, for dusting • olive oil, for frying • 100g unsalted butter • 4 tbsp capers, in vinegar, drained • squeeze lemon juice • 3 tbsp chopped parsley To serve • tender stem broccoli, cooked • anchovy fillets • garlic • olive oil

METHOD • Lightly dust the sweetbreads with seasoned flour.

• Heat a frying pan and add enough oil to just cover the bottom of the pan. Add the sweetbreads and fry undisturbed until golden and crusty underneath. Turn and repeat with the other side.

• Add the butter to the pan and cook until dark and nutty, flipping the sweetbreads in it. Add the capers, lemon juice, parsley and a pinch of salt.

• Serve with tender stem broccoli dressed with anchovies, garlic and olive oil.

Ris de veau à la crème et aux morilles Serves: 4 (Sweetbreads with cream and morel mushrooms) INGREDIENTS • 1 large shallot, finely chopped • 1 tbsp plain flour • 100ml creme fraiche • 100ml port wine • 400g fresh morel mushrooms (if not available use champignons) • 800g veal sweetbreads, washed and peeled (see preparation) • 2 knobs butter, divided • Baby rocket to garnish

METHOD • Dredge sweetbreads with flour.

• Heat 1/2 the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the sweetbreads and cook for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

• Meanwhile, heat the remaining butter in another frying pan.

Sauté the shallots for 5 minutes or until soft.

• Deglaze the pan with port. Add mushrooms and creme fraiche. Mix well.

• Serve the sweetbreads with mashed potato and garnish with baby rocket leaves.

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Above: Sweetbreads with cream and morel mushrooms (left) and vol au vents with sweetbreads and veal kidney.

Vol au vent de ris de veau et rognons de veau serves 6 (Vol au vents with sweetbreads and veal kidney) This dish with the mysterious name is a real delight that one does not find very often on the menu in restaurants. It dates back to the 19th century and was invented by the eccentric French Chef Antonin Carene. In those days it was a favourite dish served with different savoury and sweet fillings. All the more reason to learn how to prepare them, because vol au vents are always a real success with your guests when they appear on the table. Here is one of my favourite fillings: INGREDIENTS • 400g sweetbreads • 1 veal kidney previously defatted • 8 vol au vents (puff pastry) shells, good quality store bought • 80g butter • 200 ml cream • ½ tbsp olive oil • 1 tbsp dry white wine • fine sea salt • 2 tsp parsley, finely chopped • freshly ground pepper

METHOD • Prepare the sweetbread as previously explained in preparation section above.

• Cut it into small dice.

• Remove white parts from the kidney and cut into slices 2 cm thick and halve them.

• In a frying pan, froth 70g butter, add the diced sweetbreads and fry on medium heat for 10 minutes on each side.

• During cooking add salt and pepper and baste with the frothy butter. Remove the dice and keep warm.

• In the same pan, add ½ tsp of oil and the remaining butter and sear the kidney 3 minutes over high heat, seasoning with salt and pepper, remove the kidney pieces and drain them on kitchen paper.

• Remove the cooking fat and put the sauté pan back on the heat.

• Pour in the white wine, the cream and cook for 10 minutes, stirring, and add the sweetbreads and kidney.

• Add salt and pepper to taste.

• Preheat the oven at 150 C and warm the empty the vol au vent shells for 5 minutes. Fill the vol au vents with the sweetbreads, kidneys and sauce, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

Note: If you’d like to make your own vol au vents shells, please look up the recipe on YouTube at the ‘French Cooking Academy’. It is very well explained, not difficult and fun to make! You just need some time.

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LO N G D I S TANCE LOV E AF FAIR

The bustling Victoria Harbour is renowned for being the gateway between East and West. Sitting at the mouth of the Pearl River, Asia’s

HongleidKong r u o l o c f o oscope

Asian ka

It’s one of the most densely populated islands on the planet but that makes it one of the most vibrant, colourful, kaleidoscopic, esoteric and exciting places too. Tiffany Carroll fell in love with everything from the buildings to the food, the public transport to the designer baubles and the bars, bags, shoes, the neon glitter and ... well, the total immersion experience.

T

he first time I flew in to Hong Kong I thought it was the middle of the day. We’d checked in to our hotel off Nathan Road in Kowloon and went for a walk. The city was alive with men and women in suits rushing to trains, hawkers flogging everything from watches to Armani – ‘made to order in two days from a reputable shop just around the corner’ – it was a kaleidoscope of colour.

It was exciting, it was alive and I was in love.

You couldn’t see the sky from the lights of Nathan Road, the tall buildings all trying to outdo each other with flashing billboards and people, people everywhere. I’d never seen so many.

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And then I looked at my watch. It was 11.30 on a Tuesday night. What on earth were all these people doing at this hour and why did it feel like lunchtime?

Hong Kong was the place your parents went to in the eighties for a week of shopping, maybe a visit to Happy Valley or a trip over to Macau to try their luck in Asia’s answer to Victoria Harbour is one of the world’s most famous waterways with the ever-changing skyline often rebuilt on reclaimed land.

Hong Kong’s total landmass is only 1,054 square kilometres spread over many islands and part of the Chinese mainland which supports a population in excess of 7 million. Right: The name says it all, that’s one large floating restaurant.

PICTURES: Hong Kong Tourism

world city and financial hub is on Hong Kong island, just one of the 200 that make up this Special Administrative Region of China.

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If Paris is the city of light this is the city of ultra bright neon, all day every day, and then some more when the fireworks are ignited.

Las Vegas. Later, as the Aussie dollar dropped, it became a stopover on the way to Europe for many Australians.

Today Hong Kong is going through somewhat of an identity crisis. Kowloon is still very much a Mecca for tourists and bargain hunters from all over the world, but Hong Kong island, back under Chinese rule since 1997, almost defiantly seems determined to stay as Little Britain.

Hong Kong is officially Hong Kong SAR – Special Administrative Region. It encompasses Hong Kong island and the Kowloon Peninsula – and p-l-e-a-s-e, don’t confuse the two.

Hong Kong island is home to the finance district, the best shopping centres and cool streets for eating and drinking such as SoHo and Lan Kwai Fong. It’s also where most of Kong Kong’s expatriates live. Kowloon (referred to as the dark side by many snobby islanders) is where most visitors stay, eat, drink, shop and play.

I said goodbye to Kowloon the moment I stepped aboard the Star Ferry to Hong Kong island and never really went back. 10 trips later and I am very much an island girl, only ever crossing to the ‘dark side’ to visit the best jeweler in Hong Kong, Rebacca Shop at the Ocean Centre.

It’s not that I don’t like Kowloon, it’s a great eye-opener for a first time visitor to Asia and it does have fantastic shopping, but with it comes loads of tourists and those peddling hawkers. And frankly, what need do any of us that call the

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Pacific home have for a three-piece ‘genuine’ Armani suit?

No, it’s definitely the island for me and here’s why, district by district.

Central

Blind fold someone and drop them at the merger of Queens Road and Des Voeux in Central and they may well think they are in Manhattan. It’s all happening here, with stockbrokers rushing through traffic, dog walkers with 10 miniature poodles or whippets on gold leads and the smell of terrific food, stale beer and cigarette smoke.

IFC (International Finance Centre) is a great place to start your shopping experience on the island. Department store Lane Crawford makes David Jones look positively primitive.

All the designer stores are here along with a terrific gourmet supermarket (with gourmet prices) and a selection of cafés to have High Tea. It’s all high heels and lipsticks at IFC, you wouldn’t be caught in comfy jeans and runners at this place and, if you were, don’t expect to be served by the snooty sales staff.

Just back from Central Station (which at last count had 11 exits leading to 11 different shopping areas of Central) you’ll find Shanghai Tang on Duddell Street (www.shanghaitang. com). This gorgeous shop makes Asian fashion cool. With exquisite silks and suits, homeware and gifts, don’t forget

go wrong. Mella, Bisous and Beirut are favourites for peoplewatching and sampling the extensive cocktail menus. In SoHo, no one’s drinking beer – it’s all about Chocolate Martinis and Fig Manhattans. Dress up and stay out late.

The Escalator Districts

Above: The shopping’s not bad either!

your credit card when you wander in here. Beautiful bags and shoes, baby clothes, linen, wool coats and room scents. It’s chic and uber-stylish and you’re bound to find a better (and more welcome) souvenir here than anywhere else in Hong Kong.

Around the corner from Shanghai Tang in Wellington Street you’ll find Milan Station (www.milanstation.net). Now this place is a must-visit for those who love designer bags but not their designer price tags. All bags here are genuine – either second hand (in as-new condition) or unsold from previous seasons.

Chanel, Gucci, Fendi, Prada, Louis Vuitton, they’re all here and waiting for a discerning shopper.

LKF (Lan Kwai Fong) & SoHo Cocktail bars, wine bars, underground bars, pubs and clubs.

Yep, LKF is the district to head to for a night out on the island.

The younger expats tend to congregate here in their genuine Armani suits after a long day moving money around the world.

You’ll find plenty of Poms, Aussies and South Africans drinking at Woolloomooloo (not the Sydney suburb, but steakhouse opposite the LKF Hotel) or meet the Swiss expat contingent at Feather Boa in SoHo. All the bars seem to have cool names and matching interiors. They’re dark, discreet and oh-so-sophisticated.

Head along Staunton Street or LKF itself and you really can’t

If there’s a downside to Hong Kong it’s got to be the traffic.

Narrow streets, millions of people and taxis and something unique for an Asian city – no bikes or scooters. Hong Kong island is the Naples of Asia – crazy drivers and road signs that appear to be there for the sole purpose of displaying the latest nightclub opening hours.

So in an effort to curb the traffic, the longest covered escalator in the world was opened in 1993. The escalator (which is not continuous, but linked by covered walk ways and overpasses) links Central to the Midlevels residential district.

It operates one way only - downwards in the mornings so the locals can get to work, upwards from mid-morning to late at night so they can get home.

It’s about a 30-minute walk/ride from top to bottom, but you can and should spend a full day exploring the areas it passes.

You can start the escalator journey at Queens Road or at IFC, stopping along the way at Stanley Street with its hawker stalls and teahouses, Graham Street and the Hong Kong Market area, Hollywood Road and its art and antique shops, Staunton Street and its SoHo bars and restaurants and finally up to Conduit Street and the Mid-Levels residential area.

And the rest

Causeway Bay – home to Times Square shopping centre, the SOGO shopping centre and the Happy Valley Race Course.

Wan Chai – Bars and nightclubs – this place opens late, closes … um, never.

Sheung Wan – Home to the little known and less crowded Western Market. Great for picking up genuine designer fabrics direct from the factories in China. A must visit for any seamstress.

Aberdeen – Head here to board a floating restaurant or take a harbour tour.

Stanley – Home to the famous and crowded Stanley Market.

It’s Kowloon on the island and if you’re not looking for average clothes, fake shoes and handbags, I’d probably skip it. The pub across the road however has water views and good food.

Hong Kong is easy to get to and easy to get around.

Grab an Octopus Card on arrival at HKG airport and travel by train – everywhere. Three days in Hong Kong would be more than enough for your wallet and senses, but a week is recommended to ensure you come home full, hung-over and broke – but in the latest designer clothes and matching shoes and handbag.• Fiji Airways flies direct from Nadi to Hong Kong, with connections from all other Pacific ports. www.fijiairways.com www.discoverhongknong.com

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BIG FEAT Former pro-basketballer wows Vanuatu school kids

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ormer NBA and NBL basketball player Andre Moore recently enjoyed some time in Port Vila visiting various schools to present his “Big Feat” program. Andre delivered a very powerful presentation to hundreds of school children on the importance of eating well, exercise and a good education.

It was also a rare opportunity for the students to play some basketball with an international player and learn about his time playing in the professional leagues.

Port Vila International School, Lycée Français Le Clézio, Lycée Montmartre, Central School and Lycée Louis Antoine de Bougainville enthusiastically welcomed Andre and listened to him talk of his difficult childhood growing up in Chicago, the lessons his mother taught him on how his sporting abilities should not come at the expense of his education, and dealing with the negative influences that young people face from such things as drugs and peer pressure.

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Andre’s visit was arranged after staff from AJC Vanuatu met him at a conference in Brisbane last September and convinced him his story would be an inspiration to the young people of Vanuatu. Following that initial meeting, AJC and Andre worked hard to make the visit a reality, and the feedback from the school children and teachers fortunate enough to hear him speak was overwhelmingly positive. It is hoped Andre can visit Vanuatu again at a later date to visit some more schools and communities. The visit was made possible with the support of AJC, Titan FX, Pacific Private Bank, Ramada Port Vila and Air Vanuatu with the assistance of the Vanuatu Basketball Federation (VBF). •

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PA C I FIC PE OPLE

Women of Achie Tess Newton Cain chronicles the extraordinary achievements of a cross section of women in the South Pacific. These are women who are proud of who they are and where they come from.

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society or the private sector.

The meeting of the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum in 2020 (to be held in Vanuatu) will be the last under Dame Meg’s leadership of the Secretariat. She will leave behind an organisation that has changed significantly whilst she has been at the helm.

Samoa Parliamentarian Samoa is often touted as being among the most politically stable countries in our region. And at the heart of that stability is Afiaga Fiame Naomi Mata’afa who has been a member of the Samoan Parliament since 1985. She is a member of the Human Rights Protection Party, which has been a dominating force in Samoan politics since the early 1980s.

PICTURES: QRL, Radio NZ, Atong Atem, Vanuatu Independeent

T

ake a look around our region and you will find some amazing women doing some awesome things. We are often reminded that here in the Pacific, women are hugely under-represented when it comes to being in national parliaments. And there is no doubt there is much to be done on that score. But that is not to say women are not taking part in public life, in their countries, in the region, and on the global stage.

Marshall Islands President From the tiny Republic of Marshall Islands comes President Hilda Heine. She is the female first elected leader of a Pacific island country and has led its population of just over 53,000 since January 2016.

She was the first Marshallese person to be awarded a doctorate degree and was an educator before entering politics. Before becoming president of her country, she had served as Minister of Education.

Despite its diminutive size, Marshall Islands has projected a large presence on the global stage when it comes to climate change negotiations and President Heine is very much the face of this work. Last year she chaired the first ever virtual summit of the Climate Vulnerable Forum which saw more than 40 world leaders come together online to call for greater ambition in cutting carbon emissions across the world.

Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Dame Meg Taylor is Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. She is a lawyer, having studied at Melbourne University and Harvard. Dame Meg is a former Papua New Guinean diplomat and also served as a VicePresident with the World Bank group in Washington. She also serves as the Oceans Commissioner.

Dame Meg has steered the Secretariat through a period of challenge and change. During her tenure as SG the Pacific Islands Forum has reclaimed its position as the peak political decision-making body in our region. It has increased its membership, with the admission of New Caledonia and French Polynesia in 2016. And she has worked to make the Forum Secretariat more accessible and inclusive, fostering greater connection with non-state actors, whether in civil

vement

Top row L to R: President Hilda Heine; Dame Meg Taylor; Amelia Kuk; Lisa Hilli. Bottom row, L to R: Afiaga Fiame Naomi Mata’afa; Friana Kwevira; Seini F. Taumopeau

Fiame comes from a family steeped in Samoan politics.

Her father was the first prime minister of Samoa and her maternal grandfather was one of the framers of the Samoan constitution. Her mother was also an MP and when she retired from politics, Fiame contested her seat and won.

Fiame has held numerous ministerial posts during her political career and is currently the Minister for Natural Resources and the Environment. In 2016 she became the first woman to be appointed deputy prime minister in her country.

Internationally, she has represented Samoa and the Pacific islands region on the board of UNESCO and the Board of Governors of the Commonwealth of Learning.

And there are many more women making their mark in other areas of life. Their endeavours and exploits take them across the world making them ambassadors for their countries and our region in many different fields.

Sporting Success From Vanuatu comes Friana Kwevira who won her country’s first ever Commonwealth Games medal in the F46 javelin throwing. She is now looking forward to competing in the para-Olympics in Tokyo in 2020. Amelia Kuk represented the PNG Orchids in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup and now plays for the Brisbane Broncos, putting her at the forefront of a sport that is developing fast in Australia.

Lisa Hilli is a Tolai woman (PNG) and a contemporary artist now living in Melbourne. Her practice has seen her exhibit in some of Australia’s leading galleries including the Melbourne Museum and the Institute of Modern Art in Brisbane. Seini F. Taumopeau is a Tongan-Australian creative arts professional who describes herself as an orator and songwoman. She has recently completed a stint with the ABC as the presenter of Pacific Mornings.

These women are proud of who they are and where they come from. As they move through the world, take on new challenges, and achieve great things they provide shining examples of what our region has to offer. •

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G L O R I OU S GAR DE N S

n o i t a g propa

Growing Your Own Carolyn Ernst says grow your own. Whether you buy from a nursery or propagate from existing plants in your own garden, graft, plant seeds, or use cuttings, there are many ways to add to your garden.

T

he easiest way to get a new plant is to go to a nursery and buy one. There are many reasons why this is sometimes not possible, or maybe you just don’t want to do it the easy way. Some heritage plants can be difficult to acquire as can some of the plants that prefer our hotter, wetter regions. Many plants sold in the larger commercial nurseries are mass produced in large propagation facilities in cooler areas and are not always suited to our warmer tropical regions.

There are also budgets to consider and sometimes we just can’t afford the plant we want NOW. Then of course there is the personal satisfaction of doing it yourself. Also, no matter how cheap a single plant may be, if you are planning to mass plant a new project area and you need 50 of one plant, then the cost can add up, no matter how cheap.

Most plants can be propagated one way or another, some very easily, while others can be difficult and require sophisticated heating and misting systems. Perhaps the easiest plants to propagate are bulbs - these are very easy to lift, divide and replant. Some bulbs clump up more quickly than others and the only thing you need to watch is to make sure you get some roots with each bulb and don’t try to be too greedy and leave the little ones to grow a bit more before you repeat the process. This process is similar for the rhizome families, such as iris and other similar plants. The plant can be divided, making sure each section has some roots, and then either planted directly into the garden or into pots or planter bags.

When doing a lot of propagation, whatever method you use, it is often easier to use planter bags or pots and create

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a small nursery, where it is easy to give these new plants the love and attention they need to give them a good start to life. A small shade house is ideal; this can be as simple as a small lean-to off the side of your house or a commercial store bought model. A simple design that is easy for even the most amateur builder is using galvanized star pickets and poly pipe for the structure. The star pickets define the shape and fix it to the ground and then the poly pipe is fitted over the picket and arched up and over and attached to the picket on the other side, so producing a tunnel. Wire is then attached to the frame that will support your cover and hold the shape in place. You can then attach shade cloth or, if you want to protect your new plants from excess rain, then you can use special UV protected plastic. If you use plastic then you need to consider the airflow or you will have issues with moulds and other diseases that like a humid hot atmosphere. More comprehensive plans can be found on the internet.

Seeds are another great way to propagate plants. You can either collect your own or purchase them from your local store or from one of the many online stores. The range is endless.

If ordering from other countries or even other states, you need to check out the biosecurity regulations and what you are allowed to import. Remember, these laws are put in place to protect your environment and your local Industries so do make sure you follow them. If the seed is for plants that are not common in your area, please make sure they are suited to your climatic conditions. As much as I love lavender and can still sometimes be tempted to buy a packet, the truth is this Mediterranean climate-loving plant just hates our tropical humidity.

“Just remember that some plants take a very long time to grow and mature, this especially applies to fruit trees.�

Some seeds are very easy to germinate while others require very specific treatment, all the information you require is available on the web and most sites selling seeds will have detailed instructions for how to germinate their seeds. I find that it pays to check several sites, as there can sometimes be conflicting ideas on the best method to use, but the more you read the better informed you will be. Also check germination times as some seeds will take many months to germinate, so you do not want to throw out seeds that may still be good.

Just remember that some plants take a very long time to grow and mature, and this especially applies to fruit trees.

Some can take over seven years to fruit from seed. Most of the fruit trees that are commercially available in nurseries are grafted; this means the fruiting part has been attached to a different root stock. This is often done to protect the plants

from specific root diseases and shorten the time to fruiting and the grafted material is an exact genetic match to the parent plant. The only thing you need to watch is that the root stock does not send up shoots; this will affect the vigour of the graft and, left unchecked, the root stock will eventually take over. If you see this happen just snip off the offending shoot.

When purchasing fruit trees make sure you do your research to find the varieties that best suit your climate and soil. There is now a huge range and some great suppliers.

Some of the more exotic fruit trees can be hard to find but you will find that your persistence in finding them is worth it when you taste your first crop.

Cuttings are probably the next most popular method of propagation, after seeds. Most shrubs can be successfully grown from a cutting. Some are very easy and it is just a

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Above left: Fruit trees growing from seed. Right: Perhaps the easiest plants to propagate are bulbs, they are easy to lift, divide and replant.

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in your own garden or I find then great way to give someone a special gift for that special occasion: this could be a fruit tree for their garden or a special plant for their home. There are now many people propagating plants to earn a little bit of pocket money and selling them in the local markets or craft days. If you do not have the time or inclination to propagate your own, then this is a great way to buy the plants you want.

There is a new trend and this is growing plants in water this limits their growth and for those of us now living in tiny or small homes it is a way to still have your plants around you without taking up too much space. There are many plants that can be grown this way including the large philodendron family. This method can also be used to start plants growing before you transplant them out into a soil medium. Children enjoy this process and like to watch the plants growing and it is easy for them to have their own plant to look after and so introduce them to the love of growing at an early stage. Everybody will remember the old method of suspending an avocado seed over water and watching it grow.

Once more everyone make sure you enjoy life and take time to smell the roses, happy gardening! • Gardening editor Carolyn Ernst owns and operates Eden on the River, an open-garden, petting zoo, cafe, mini zipline, waterfall adventure park just outside Port Vila in Vanuatu. It is a must-visit whilst in Vanuatu for a great day out.

PICTURES: Carolyn Ernst

matter of sticking them in the ground and they will grow. Some are trickier and there are various methods to improve your success rate. I find the best success normally comes from using wood that is not too old but is not new growth. Make sure there is a growing node at the bottom of your cutting and another at the top. All new growth will come from these nodes and if there are lengths of stem either below or above these nodes, then this will start to rot before the cutting has a chance to start rooting and this then spreads to the rest of your cutting and so your cutting will fail to grow.

I use normal soil for my cuttings but some like to use a sand mix; this stops waterlogging but you will have to be more vigilant to prevent drying out. I have found for some plants the success varies depending on the season or if the plant is flowering or not.

The final way to propagate is through grafting (already mentioned briefly) and marcotting. While grafting is attaching one plant to the root stock of another, (they are normally related) marcotting is convincing a part of a mature plant to produce roots which can then be detached from the parent plant and replanted. A portion of the bark is removed and then surrounded in a medium like sphagnum moss, moistened and then wrapped in a moisture proof fabric and left to allow the plant to produce roots. Again the marcott is an exact genetic replica of the parent.

There are hours of pleasure and self-satisfaction to be gained from propagating your own plants. These can be used

Crossword Puzzling questions to while away your holiday. Solution on page 126 ACROSS 1 Greatly surprised (7) 5 Tropical fruit (6) 9 Perfect (5) 11 Reword (8) 13 Poached (6) 14 Flower necklace (3) 15 Cease operating (5) 16 Large body of water (5) 17 Cavort (6) 18 Lava producer (7) 20 Unnamed ones (4) 22 Places to sleep (6) 23 Slightly wet (5) 25 Aussie grill (6) 26 Music group (4) 28 White wine (7) 31 Channel changer (6) 33 Century plant (5) 35 Embed (5) 37 Edible tuber (3) 38 Summertime wear (6) 39 Source of copra (8) 40 Rugged (5) 41 Pleasant smells (6) 42 Retail stores (7) DOWN 1 Take-off point (7) 2 iPhone maker (5) 3 Fine-woolled sheep (6) 4 The D in CD (4) 5 Travel document (8) 6 Modify (5) 7 Region of Tonga, Samoa, etc. (9) 8 Champions (7)

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Trained coffee maker (7) Started (5) Women’s clothes (7) Informal meal (5) Make-up of a book, newspaper, etc. (6)

32 Crown for a princess (5) 34 Delight (5) 36 Fluctuate (2-2)

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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. Later she joined the private office of the Premier of Victoria as Press Secretary in the second term of the Kennett Government. She has been editing Air Vanuatu’s inflight magazine Island Spirit for nine years as well as Pacific Island Living and The Essential Vanuatu.

NICOLE BROWN | Art Director Nicole has worked as a senior designer in many areas of publishing prior to becoming immersed in island life on both Pacific Island Living, Malaga and Island Spirit. Nic’s a graduate in graphic design with an advanced diploma to her name as well as a string of consumer magazine design credits.

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.

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.

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 as well as island-hopping.

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.

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 there.

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 and The Essential Vanuatu.

REBECCA MURPHY | Advertising Director Rebecca is another former exile from New Zealand who spent 17 years travelling extensively through Europe and the Pacific so is thoroughly acclimatised to our region. She lived in PNG, Vanuatu and Fiji before returning home to NZ 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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PAR AV ION

Just Cruisin’ Toby Preston finds himself all at sea and unexpectedly loving every minute of it.

All aboard for cultural immersion and culinary diversion.

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’ve never thought of myself as a particularly cruisy sort of person, neither temperamentally (too impatient) nor nautically, in the sense that I’d want to board a large ship, take up residence in a small windowless room and share my holidays with five thousand strangers.

I was wrong. I’m still impatient but I have now been aboard a selection of ‘small’ cruise ships and I am an evangelising convert. I love shipboard life – the pace, the constant change of place and as the perfect base for jumping ashore and sampling any number of ports that may never have been on your travel itinerary but end up on the proverbial bucket list for future exploration.

I have a much travelled friend who, as a professional writer specialising in cruising, warns that the most overused cliché in relation to this activity is – ‘you only unpack once’! But it’s a cliché because it’s true and it is a bonus, particularly in my case because I have a long-standing aversion to attendance at too many transport hubs – I hate the time it takes to get through airports and the hassle of railway stations in foreign countries where train destinations and the number of carriages that ultimately arrive at them are often a complete mystery, I don’t like multiple hotels and overnight stays where you’ve only just found your clean underwear at the bottom of the suitcase and you have to repack for the early departure and another day behind the wheel getting to the next European village before dark.

A bucket of Alaskan king crab?

Cruising eliminates all that irritating stuff that is central to getting to multiple destinations (renting an apartment for a week or two is another alternative). You simply, well, unpack once and then sit back and enjoy watching the world go by from your ‘stateroom’s’ veranda. Then when you’re sick of that wander off to any number of the onboard dining options. You can eat BBQ by the pool, a bucket-load of Alaskan king crab buffetstyle, caviar outdoors on the deck, indoors fine dining in intimate splendour or at a more casual mid-level restaurant. Or you can nibble snacks and enjoy a cocktail at one of the bars or maybe take afternoon tea with a little live music from a string quartet as accompaniment. Or take in an after dinner cabaret or a musical if that’s more your tempo.

Then, why not try the spa or the spa pool on the rear deck, or the gym or a sauna, maybe a facial, a manicure, a new coif or a tooth whitening treatment?

There’s all that activity to enjoy without even contemplating

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going down the gangway. And surprisingly there are passengers who simply don’t bother when docked in any number of tantalisingly gorgeous ports.

These are the cruise tragics who often just rebook for back to back trips so have no need to disembark for yet another shore visit to Venice or Kotor or Helsinki – saw all that last month!

Indeed there are some that simply treat ships as waterborne retirement homes, and in some cases the economics look pretty convincing.

I recall reading while in London about someone who had done the numbers and concluded that a cruise was cheaper than renting an apartment in that city with all the on-costs that entailed. When she took into account the per night room rate on a cruise plus complimentary food from a selection of restaurants, alcohol, daily cleaning, free wifi, swimming pool, gym and spa access and a constantly changing prime waterfront view, the boat came up trumps.

Something transformational The attractions of cruising aren’t simply down to my having changed my mind about this as a holiday choice. The cruise industry has changed dramatically in response to a huge spike in demand from a variety of demographics. Whereas once it might have been seen to be the sole domain of retirees and football teams bonding over a boatload of beer, it is now a favourite of millennials and multigenerational families, travellers seeking out adventure, ‘voluntourism’, ‘transformational experiences’, health and wellness trips with custom fitness programs and onboard stress management courses among other speciality offerings.

This year, globally, nearly 30 million people will be at sea or on a river in the company of a few dozen to several thousand fellow travellers. With nearly one thousand ports to choose from worldwide – from Bora Bora to Belgrade, Asia to Alaska, Antarctica to Alotau, the Mamanucas to the Med – there’s a cruise for every interest and every budget. And every budget is ultimately a contributor to local GDP; as an industry with a total economic impact of $126 billion and 1 million jobs there’s plenty to go around. Between now and 2025 there will be a minimum 50 new ocean-going vessels representing 220,000 berths ‘touching water’ for the first time.

So, depending on your particular nautical needs, whether a sky diving simulator or a civilised cultural tour of European capital, there’s an Instagram-worthy destination for everyone – even me.

Très bon voyage!•

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