Rainbow's End Twilight rides...

Things have been so busy with school starting again after ANZAC (Australia New Zealand Army Corp - an alliance) day that I haven't had a chance to blog about some of the neat things that have been happening around about with my family.

Last week, I shouted out my two youngest's to visit Rainbow's End for their Twilight rides. It's a local pleasure park with extreme rides and rides for children as well. It was a neat experience and one that I'd recommend but not for the faint hearted if you're wanting to go on the thrill seeker rides.

The twilight rides started at 4.30pm and finished at 8.30pm but the doors opened at 4pm so that everyone could get ready for surging into the park and choosing which line to wait in for their favourite rides.

I enjoyed the rides that I chose such as the Log fume (floating in a log), the bumper boats (but not the smell of petrol), the Dodgems, the Stratofear (not the extreme setting), the Goldrush ride, the Fear fall (takes you up high on and then drops you down fast!) and just generally having a good time with my youngin's.

I let them go on all the extreme rides such as the Corkscrew Roller coaster, the Invader, the Stratofear (on the extreme setting that takes one right up until your sitting upside down on the ride, the Power Surge that also has you hanging upside down.

Afterwards, we went to the local Denny's family Restaurant and had dinner with dessert. It was good to relax after an adrenalin filled evening with a well deserved meal after the rush about in trying to get to all the rides before it closed down...

Last week of Easter holidays before school starts again...

 For the last week of our school holidays, I took my youngest with a couple of her cousins i.e. one from Samoa and another originally from Brisbane to view the above movie at the last session. It was interesting to see their reactions to the movie and even moreso for me as I was so tired from a busy day that I saw the beginning and then woke up at the end and missed a lot of the movie.

I wish I could say more about what I thought about the movie but as I didn't get to see it in it's entireity, it wouldn't be a complete review so will leave it to say that the beginning and the ending of the movie was quite interesting to watch :)

It was also quite an interesting group of actors with both English and American actors which made for an interesting interaction. Also the special effects were quite interesting too but I'll leave that for you to watch and consider...

Red, White and Brass (Movie - Tongan)...

 

Back from Samoa and have just finished watching the movie "Red, White and Brass" with my youngest and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. The movie is based on a true story about a Wellington Tongan church community wanting to watch the 2011 Rugby World cup match between Tonga and France.

One of the congregation (the minister's son) decide to start a Tongan brass band as a way of getting the team members and church community to watch the game live. It takes some effort but after some major hurdles to climb they do overcome it. You'll have to watch the rest of it to find out how.

There were many things to enjoy about the movie. Easily the funny jokes and banter between cousins and Tongan youth. The different representations of Tongan people, the Tongan minister's wife, the discussion about one Tongan who can't speak the language or dress at the beginning of the movie but by the end it's a different story.

I think it's really important to get behind movies such as this with an indigenous narrative set in a contemporary context whereby indigenous values are discussed and depicted in such a way that it's real and authentic. Moreso than the Disney version of different cultures.

I'd highly recommend this feel good movie for families and especially for young Pasifika and non-Pasifika people to watch. It showcases what communities can fulfil together when given a goal or a task to accomplish and like the movie says, there's no 'i' in band :)...

Returned to Paradise, Lefaga, Samoa...

A big FAAFETAI TELE to my Aunt at 'Return to Paradise Resort & Spa' for a complementary overnight stay with dinner and breakfast for my small family group.

I would highly recommend this resort as one of the only large resorts that Samoan owned but also the genuine hospitality, conservation consciousness, foods and entertainment that only an authentic resort, such as this, can offer to weary overseas tourists and locals who have experienced inauthentic places who don't take that extra care for the environment and especially their local staff.

It was a real blessing as my own family own a 'time-share' with Wyndham South Pacific (resorts company) and we've travelled all over NZ, Australia and Fiji and had holidays at various resorts that have been memory making for our family but quite different it what it offers to customers.

This, however, would be the very first time that I've stayed at a resort in Samoa (not counting the overnight B&B - bed and breakfast places). As we've always stayed in villages and with family. Now that we have our own house, it's been neat to have a place to call home and rest weary feet after a long day's journey or years.

I've been so busy meeting family, visiting schools and donating books etc. that I haven't had the time to blog and take time out. I count it a blessing that now COVID restrictions have been lessened and we are now able to travel overseas to visit relatives and loved ones.

I do, however, miss my late father as he passed away during the COVID-19 restrictions in 2021 and would have loved to have travelled back to Samoa one last time but alas, it was not to be but we have a memorial stone here at our home to mark the incredible journey of a man who was blessed by God to fulfill so much in his lifetime.

I'm still slowly working on his memoirs, or rather my memories of him. This time in Samoa, I've enjoyed the shorter stay with so much to do and also thankful for the memories from the past and the joy of today as well as looking with intent for what Samoa holds for future generations...