Having a great time in Fiji...

Bula Vinaka! Yesterday had a great day celebrating my birthday with family in Denarau Island and Nadi, Fiji. It all started with a blueberry pancake breakfast made by my daughter and sister then we went to watch the movie "Moana" which was such a neat surprise for me as hadn't been aware of the opening until we arrived. Followed by a lunch and a sunny swim in the warm hotel pool. We then went into town for a nice dinner and finished the day with another late night swim. (The above video is of us going to town.)

My family have really loved this time out and it's been so good to be able to relax and rejuvenate. Another neat event was being able to view the "sleeping giant" mountain range when we first arrived into Fiji as we made our way to our Hotel. Sadly not much is known about the story behind the "sleeping giant" as most tourists know it by the Sleeping giant gardens, mud pool and walk. I allude to this story when I wrote the picture book "The footprint of Moso" (2016) in making a connection between the two stories of giants from Samoa and Fiji.

Fiji will always have a special place in my heart as I remember my first visit to Fiji was in the 1970s when my parents took our family to Samoa for the first time and due to some plane difficulties we spent the night in a hotel in Fiji and I remember being so surprised at seeing frogs jumping around as we walked to our hotel room.

I then didn't visit again until the 1995 when I went for a holiday with my brother and sister. Then again in 2000, when my aunt arranged for me to go to Fiji to confirm the wedding venue and plans which we enjoyed in 2001. My family then didn't return until in 2011 for our 10th wedding and again we are here celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary. A real blessing to have had this connection over the years.

However, for the Fiji islands cyclones have had some of the most devastating effects on the people over these years and was told by a staff member earlier this year they experienced one of the most severe cyclones in memory.

I've also been aware of the military coups that Fijians and Fijian Indians experienced over the years which has had many Fijian Indians migrating to NZ and has seen a rise in certain Auckland communities i.e. Otahuhu, Papatoetoe and Mt Roskill with a high proportion of Fijian Indians, most notably in school ethnic populations.

So this has been a time for me to reflect and consider where we've come from and all the things that I need to complete before the end of the year with Christmas just around the corner...


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