Category Archives: Current Events

Leave a reply

Our Fijian team won the gold medal in the new Olympic sport of rugby sevens in Rio de Janeiro.

14066470_10154526337098678_3092062599821772587_o

Fiji’s rugby Sevens team was the pre-Olympic favorite. The team had won the last two world rugby sevens competitions.

We finished ahead of larger countries like South Africa, Australia ,Argentina & Britian.

The game was played at 10 a.m. Friday and in Fiji most businesses closed to allow their employees to watch the match.

The national rugby stadium in Suva was filled with 15,000 people who watched the match on a large screen.

When the final second ticked off the clock in the 43-7 victory over Great Britain, people went crazy and danced in the street of Nadi, Suva, Sigatoka in fact just about everywhere in Fiji.

RIO4

“I was just thankful to the lord for blessing us and giving us an opportunity to win in a mega-sport arena like the Olympics,” Captain Courageous Kolinisau told a press conference that began with the sound of applause. “I never dreamed of being an Olympian, let alone being a medalist, let alone being a gold medalist. The whole world were amazed at the absolute respect that the players showed Princess Anne while accepting, from her, their coveted Gold Medals.  Each player in turn knelt on both knees, accepted their medal and then clapped with cup hands in a traditional Fijian thanksgiving ritual.

Watch the scene on You Tube    `

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6GvvJFNhgE

 

Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama announced a public holiday for August 22. That is when the team will return from Rio.

THE victory celebration for Fiji’s historic gold medal win in the Olympic Games in Rio will be held at the ANZ Stadium in Suva on  Monday  22nd after a march through the Capital City with the Fiji 7s team.

The march route will be through the city from the Flea Market to the ANZ Stadium via Thurston St, McGregor Rd, Bau St, and on to Laucala Bay Rd to the stadium.

“Monday is a special holiday that has been set aside for the celebration of the Olympic gold victory that no other Pacific country has ever had. Celebrations will be held at the ANZ Stadium,”  Economy Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said.

The team will be accorded a traditional welcoming ceremony by the Vanua Rara o Nakelo and will be garlanded by the Ballantine Memorial School 7s team that won the girls 7s title last weekend. “His Excellency the President will hand over  the incentive that the Fiji Government had announced, with respect of the winners of a gold medal. The $30,000 each will be given to 17 people including the 13 players and four in management”

“Members of the public, supporters and families are invited to wait at Prince Charles Park in Nadi for the Team Fiji Welcome Ceremony at 2.30pm,” AFL spokesperson Christopher Chand said.

“The gates at Prince Charles Park will open from 10am on Sunday in preparation for the Team Ceremony.”  Let us celebrate the win.

RIO5

 

2016 Vodafone Sigatoka Coral Coast Carnival

Leave a reply

A week long carnival started on 28th of May

Nine beauties will be vying for the 2016 Vodafone Coral Coast Carnival crown in Sigatoka that opens this Saturday.

The winner will earn a ticket to represent the township at the 2nd Telecom Miss Fiji Pageant scheduled for later this year.

Sigatoka Town Council CEO Tulsi Ram said this year’s carnival, which was revived last year after a six-year lapse, provided an opportunity for members of the community to help one another and those affected during Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston.

“We did not want to set a target this year,” he said.

“We just wanted people to realise that we have a charity trust as well and we are raising money for TC Winston victims and also to raise some funds for the general upkeep of the council facilities in town.”

Apart from raising funds, people from all walks o life gathered in Sigatoka  for the Vodafone Coral Coast Carnival queens talent night, iTaukei night, Youth night and Bollywood night. A wide variety of food dishes to choose from different food stalls. Rides such as Sizzlers and Ferries Wheels were in full operation through the night. The fun filled carnival ends tonight after the crowning of Miss Coral Coast 2016.

 

Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park

Leave a reply

A visit to the Sigatoka Sand Dunes is one of the many things to do when you are in Sigatoka, Coral Coast.

It is located at the mouth of the Sigatoka River on the island of Viti Levu in Fiji. They are located approximately 3km west of the town of Sigatoka.

They are the product of erosion in the coastal hinterland and coastal dune forming processes. The extensive dube system covers an area of 650 hectares and comprises a series of parabolic sand dunes at various ages and activities.

The dunes range from around 20-60m tall. The dunes have been forming over millions of years and archaeligical excavations here have uncovered pottery more than 2600 years old, as well as one of the largest burial sites in the pacific.

The Park is open daily from 8:00am to 5:00pm. Its Visitor Information Centre is manned by local rangers, who provide an informative introduction to the Park’s status and how to traverse its walking tracks.

Visitors can take the 1 hour walk or the 2 hour walk to explore this unique ecosystem or seek a guided tour from the local rangers onsite.

Both walks provide visitors an opportunity to experience firsthand the key attributes that make the Sigatoka Sand Dunes, a well known national heritage. We recommend the 2 hr walk for a full on ‘Dunal experience’.

Two popular Park activities include a visit to the old archaeological sites to see ancient lapita artifacts and bird watching in the Park’s pockets of Native Dry Forests.

The Park also runs a Going Native program which sees visitors helping local rangers and local community volunteers replant native trees.

The Park is a popular destination for many international student groups wanting to experience Fijian culture, history and wilderness.

Specially designed programs are available for visitors wanting to make their visit to the Park more experiential and memorable. For details on the Park’s special programs, please contact the Park.

 

Breeding Program at Kula Eco Park

Leave a reply

Kula Eco Park is the ecological preserve in Fiji. Here is some information on breeding programs at Kula Eco Park.  The Monuriki Crested Iguana is one of the near endangered iguanas in Fiji. Kula Eco Park has made an initiative to capture and breed the few iguanas left on the island of Monuriki. The breeding project started in 2009 and to date they have successfully bred many iguanas in their incubation centre.

In year 2010, there were 18 enclosure quarantined breeding facility designed and built at the park for incubation and breeding related activities.

Twenty Crested Iguanas from Monuriki Island were captured by staff of the NTF and the Monuriki landowners, and were delivered to Kula Eco Park in 2009 – 2010.

Currently they hold 19 wild-caught adult Crested Iguanas from Monuriki Island and 32 healthy captive bred off-spring PLUS an additional 18 eggs in incubation from the 2014 season.

It is difficult to distinguish juvenile males from females until they reach maturity. At maturity males develop the first signs of femoral pores on their hind legs. These large pores secrete a waxy substance that is used to mark a male iguana’s territory, and is thought to aid in communication between individual iguanas. The 32 iguana bred to date have been released to their natural environment at Monuriki on May 24th 2015. It is a great achievement for Kula Eco Park.

The Captive breeding and head start program is being carried out with utmost care to reduce the possibility of inbreeding. All iguana, wild caught and captive bred, are micro-chipped for ease of identification during captive breeding. These micro-chips will also prove invaluable during release and post release monitoring.

So next time you plan a trip to Fiji, do not miss coming to Coral Coast and to visit the Kula Eco Park for a firsthand experience of Fiji’s wildlife and the breeding programs.

 

Ranger for the day at Kula Eco Park

Leave a reply

Visiting the Coral Coast with kids and looking for something which is exciting, fun and educational for your kids to do? Here is a new fun activity designed to surely thrill the kids. Let the kids be the Park Ranger for the day at the Kula Eco Park!

The kids will be fitted with their very own Kula Park Ranger uniform shirt that they get to take home with them. They’ll also get involved with hands-on in the Diet Center, where they’ll make special food for their soft coral & tropical fish display, prepare diets for the Kula Collared Lories (and get to hand-feed them).  They will also help the staff give health checks to some of Fiji’s rarest iguana and then go on to hand-feed any babies they have (It could be lambs, baby goats (kids) or even a flock of Peacock or Quail chicks). It is a fun filled day of experiences the kids can only get behind the scenes as a Kula Eco Park Ranger. And they will get to leave their mark in Fiji by planting a fruit tree that’s an attractive diet for the many wild coloured Fruit Doves that visit the park.

 

All Ranger activities are supervised by the senior staff members at all times. Lunch & Drinks are provided (you will need to advise any special diet needs or allergies in advance). Transport to the park and back to your resort is also provided, and the Rangers get to take home their Park Ranger uniform shirt plus lots of pictures of their experience.

Bookings can be made at the Tour desk of the resort you are staying at and it will cost F$120 (approx AU$70).  The child should be 7 years to 12 years old to participate.

Click on the link below to check out the park’s latest video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPZr8WfYG1o#action=share

Fiji Coral Coast Sevens

Leave a reply

Sigatoka, the town situated in the Coral Coast is known as the rugby town of Fiji. You will find all the passion for rugby sevens here. Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka has been the stage for the last few years for Coral Coast Sevens.  It is held in November every year and this year it was from 14th to 16th of November. The major sponsor for this tournament is Bayleys Real Estate and it is a mixture of pride and excitement to see so many great teams competing for the “Champions of the Champions” title. When it comes to the great sevens players the names first thought of usually include Waisale Serevi, Eric Rush, David Campese, Jonah Lomu and Ben Gollings.

                The Bayleys Coral Coast Sevens tournament has grown dramatically from the first even in 2010, not just in the number of teams competing in both the men’s and women’s competitions, but in the international standing it has earned.  We were thrilled to have Jonah Lomu, as our ambassador last year and the great man became the latest rugby sevens superstar to receive a commemorative plaque on Sigatoka Rugby Town’s Walk of Fame.

                This year we had England’s best ever sevens rugby player Ben Gollings as both the tournament ambassador and to unveil his own plaque in Sigatoka. Ben was also a guest player in Waisale Serevi’s  (one of Fiji’s all time best players) team last year.

There were 24 men’s and 12 women’s teams competing against the best of our local Fijian teams. It was a great day to watch three days of the best rugby sevens you will see anywhere at Fiji’s premier sevens tournament and have loads of fun. “There was certainly a sense of anticipation as these 32 teams, up from 24 last year, really wanted to win their way through to the ‘champion of champions’ at the Bayleys Fiji Coral Coast Sevens, which offered a $30,000 first prize.”

Our rainy season brought two wildly contrasting weather cycles to contend with. Day one was bright, hot and steamy but overnight a tropical thunderstorm and rain for most of day two turned the playing surface into a quagmire. Despite this the action was frenetic.  Sports and particularly rugby sevens, is a great catalyst for the bringing together of families and uniting the country. We had loads of fun and also looking forward to next year’s Coral Coast Sevens

               

Hibiscus Festival

Leave a reply

Mother of all festivals

The Hibiscus Festival is held in Suva – our capital city, every year in August.  This year it is from 17th to 24th August. The Hibiscus Festival, which is the largest festival staged in the country, is also a melting pot of social interaction for people from all walks of life. The 2013 Hibiscus theme is: “Pacific Wellness – Treasure Life, Choose Health”

Thousands flocked to the Hibiscus Festival that opened on Saturday and continues this week which is now the premier festival in Fiji and the Pacific region and features Pacific arts and craft, traditional and contemporary dances, sports and many fun and exciting activities.

2013 Vodafone Fiji Hibiscus Festival Queen contestants

Every year, one of the main attractions of the “Mother of all Festivals” is the Contestants that vie for the prestigious title of Miss Vodafone Fiji Hibiscus. Beautiful queens from all around the country are vying for the highly coveted Miss Hibiscus title.

Contestants above performing on stage

The Hibiscus Event Group (Inc.) through the Hibiscus Festival has assisted many charities, children’s homes , homeless children and adults, large families in need, senior citizens homes and blood drive amongst others. Since 2006, they have distributed over $1 million to needy groups and organisations, all over Fiji.

The festival spirit in the city draws a lot of people from all parts of Fiji and even from the region and beyond.  A lot of people plan holidays to visit Suva during this one week carnival.

 

 

Bula Festival 2013

Leave a reply

Bula Festival is held in Nadi in the month of July every year. The 2013 theme of Bula Festival is “Festival of Unity”. It is a weeklong festival with lots of things to see and do. Food stalls, baby shows, games and fun rides and private judging of contestants are some of the highlights of Bula Festival.

During this unique and exciting Fiji event, you will be able to enjoy all the merriment of the locals, watch the parades, and even see Miss Bula crowned. Along with all the Fiji events planned for the festival, the locals come out in style dressed in cultural attire dancing and singing for this festive time.

Bula Festival is something I look forward to every year. It is fun to be a part of such a big event.

 The annual Bula Festival started in 1960 by a number of Nadi business entrepreneurs, became known as the Nadi Bula Festival Association, when other members of the Nadi community joined with their business colleagues to ensure a perpetual annual Bula Festival in Nadi.

Money generated from the annual festival has been going to charitable oganisations like helping the poor in Nadi and medical evacuation, assisting flood victims.

Over the years the festival had been sponsored by various sponsors until 12 years ago when Vodafone became the major sponsor for the Vodafone Bula Festival. This year they intend to assist 27 high school students and 26 primary school children that still need assistance after the January and April floods this year with their school needs such as fees, books, uniforms etc.

 

Ratu Rakavi Carnival 2013

Leave a reply

Ratu Rakavi 2013 is a weeklong event being jointly organized by Nadroga Rugby Union and The Poverty Eradication Unit under the Prime Minister’s Office, the Provincial Development & National Disaster Management Office- Nadroga/Navosa and other Government Ministries.  Having registered as an affiliated to Fiji Rugby Union in the 1960s, Nadroga Rugby Union has a come a long way in producing good players for the provincial team and for Fiji Rugby.

Ratu Rakavi is a part of Nadroga Rugby Union’s objectives to promote all sports through rugby and create development projects to address welfare of the former, the current, and the upcoming sports people of the Nadroga/Navosa province. This event starts on the today and ends on the 22nd of June at Lawaqa Park, Sigatoka. Activities include Cultural Performances, Live Musical Concert, Sports Tournaments like Netball, Volleyball, Rugby 10s, Rugby 15s and Western Rally Parade. There will also be Food Stalls, Sigatoka on Sale, Government Roadshow-Information Stalls, Activity Stalls and much more.  It is expected to draw over 5,000 to 6,000 plus visitors throughout the week on a daily basis. It is fun to watch rugby especially when the Nadroga players are on the ground…