Tribewanted: Vorovoro

My family have been on the island for over 2 weeks now and it is hard to remember what life back home is like. As soon as I started watching the Paradise or Bust series on television at the beginning of 2008 I knew I had to come to Vorovoro. I wasn’t sure if it would be a good idea taking my sons to the island but I am so glad I did. My sons are aged 7 and 12 and they had no idea what to expect when we set off for the holiday but they, like everybody else, felt at home as soon as they set foot on the island. We were greeted with hugs and kisses and have been looked after like we are part of the family.

There is so much to do on the island. The children wake up at around 6.30am and feed the chickens and the pigs. Then they have a bath in the sea, a sea which is lovely and warm and so clear that you can still see your feet clearly even in 5 feet of water, not to mention seeing the starfish and fish that we share our baths with – how cool is that? After the morning bath the bell rings for breakfast. We are fed so well – we have 5 meals a day and all we have to do is eat it and clean our own dishes, although you can help to cook as well if you want to. Va and Francis and the other kitchen ladies take turns on a weekly basis to make sure we are all fed and I have to take my hat off to them as they work so hard and the food is absolutely delicious and it is great knowing that the food is so fresh – some of the food we eat comes from the island like the pawpaw, from which they make the most delicious jam and curry from. We are hoping to get some of the recipes on the website soon so keep your eyes peeled!.

There is plenty to do here, if you choose to, but there is no pressure. We have helped out clearing the site for the new showers, raking leaves, painting Api’s (the boat captain) house, building bamboo walls, painting bins in Labasa with the local school children and collecting shells in preparation for the mosaic for the new showers. It is not all work, work, work though. The children have learned to snorkel and my eldest saw reef sharks and other amazing sea creatures and coral when he went on a boat trip. We have all completed the Four Peaks Challenge as well – see my Record Breaking Four Peaks blog! There is a football pitch and a volleyball court on the island which we have all enjoyed during our stay, although it is probably best not to swing on the goal posts, Ben Keene! We have also had lots of fun learning to make necklaces and rings from coconuts. If you don’t fancy working too hard the hammocks are the perfect way to relax, especially in the evening around the camp fire.

We also have regular language lessons and also lessons to learn the meke which is a traditional Fijian dance – this amuses the Fijian people when we perform it in front of them, which we have done on a few occasions. It has been fun, but also important, to learn the meke as it has shown that we are embracing the Fijian culture and in some cases reintroducing the meke to the younger Fijians who might not have experienced it. We are getting quite a reputation for our meke performances now and have been invited to a local competition in Labasa. We have also learned some Fijian songs from Save, he is an absolute legend and a born teacher. Save has even taught my son to play the tune on the guitar for one of the songs and we hope to perform this to family and friends when we return home.

We have been honoured, during our 3 week stay here, to have been invited to Mali District School to meet the children, to a Fijian wedding, to a Passing Out Parade for the Cadets at the local secondary school on the mainland and a Fijian Birthday party. These visits together with the time spent with our Fijian family on Vorovoro has made this holiday the best ever and my sons have both said to me that they want to come back and would both like to return when they are grown with their own children so that they can let their children experience what they have.

All I can say if you are thinking of bringing your family is to book the flights and your time NOW! It is an experience every family should enjoy – living and working together with no pressure and no stress – just surrounded by love and the sound of the laughter of the Fijians! But be aware, once you arrive on the island you will definitely want to extend!