Celebrating Fiji Day

October 10, 2012                


What does it mean; The Fijian people; Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama; Walk to Saweni; Kava Ceremony. 

What does it mean 

Fiji Day is a holiday to celebrate the country’s independence from Britain on October 10, 1970. Thirty eight years ago on that day the young Prince Charles shows up in his Rolls Royce and steps into the Royal box in Albert Park, Suva. Fijian chiefs and ‘warriors’ welcome him. He is offered the narcotic drink Kava—and yes he swallows it! Good on you Charlie. 

Tribal chiefs bestow on him gifts of slaughtered pigs, turtles wiggling their stubby legs for their life, and mounds of Fijian produce. An Indian woman in a beautiful sari places a garland around the Petite Prince’s neck. He looks weighed down by now, but still maintains his composure—fine featured, at ease in his tailored suit with hands behind his back, thick wavy hair with a side path--immaculate. 

He gives his speech in the Kings English. The chiefs respond in their beautiful language riddled with rolling Rs. The Union Jack flag is lowered. Charles reads a message from his Mum, the Queen. The clock strikes 10 AM and the young prince hands over the documents of independence to the new Fijian Prime Minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. 

The main vein of the prime minister’s speech is unity for all races as Fijians exert their identity under one flag. And in spite of differences (Fijians and Indo-Fijians) there will be harmony under the dome of the new Fiji. He reminds the people that ‘we are an amazing society, a marvelous country, a remarkable people.’ 

There is a Military flyover, a cannon salute, the crowd cheers, and the military band plays God Save the Queen. One more colony swivels down her Royal drain. 

The celebrations begin full on: indigenous Fijian tribal dancing; Indian women dancing; oriental aerobics display; warrior dances; parachutists; dragon dancing; and firework displays. 

In the next few days Petite Prince visits the old capital, Levuka, where he does some unveiling; goes on a fishing trip in Bau (not sure whether he takes his suit off); goes to Labasa to ‘drive’ a steam locomotive, cut cane (he’d be lucky if he hacked one stalk with his manicured hands without getting a blister), play a board game, watch more dances, and inspect troops with a slight air of disdain and boredom. The poor troops had shined up to the nines for the inspection. 

More days later Prince Charles visits Nadi for more hypnotizing trips to snooze land with tribal dances; Bau for more garlands; Lautoka where he rides in an open-backed Land-rover and presents a trophy after a rugby match. What a sport he is! 

He then hops in his Royal plane and flies off for tea and scones with Mum in London Town, to let her know Fiji and Britain will be friends forever. 

The Fijian people 

Native Fijians are the indigenous people, believed to have come from western Melanesia about 3,500 years ago. Exact origins though are unknown. They did move to the islands of Rotuma and mixed with Tongans and Samoans—admixtures of Polynesians. 

Some sources say original settlers are called ‘Lapita’ people named after their unique pottery found in the area in 800 BC. Others say they came from Egypt in 2,500 BC. And cannibals they were! Side orders of vegetables came later! 

The other major ethnic group is Indo-Fijians who the Brits kindly invited as laborers to work on the plantations. Many of these East Indian laborers stayed permanently and make up most of the other half of the population. 

The minorities include Caucasians, Chinese, and other Pacific Islanders. 

Estimated population is about 500,000. 

Josaia Vorege Bainimarama 


Prime Minister ‘Frank for short’ Bainimarama staged a coup in December 2006 that ousted Lasenia Qarase. 

In 2012 he saw to it that Qarase got sent to jail for corruption. Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, CF, MSD, OStJ, Fijian Navy, known commonly as Frank Bainimarama and sometimes by the chiefly title Ratu, was a Fijian naval officer and politician and is now self-proclaimed prime minister. 



Ousted Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase, was overtaken in a coup in 2006 by Bainimarama and sentenced to 1 year in prison August 3, 2012 for corruption. Supporters say this was politically motivated. 

Frank decided one day to stage a coup in 2006 and chuck Laisenia Qarase, the last democratically elected prime minister, out. He then went the second mile and Friday August 3, 2012 Qarase was sentenced to 1 year in prison on conviction of corruption charges, which his supporters say were politically motivated. 

Previous coups in Fiji were staged in 1986 and 2000. The Commonwealth Nations suspended them, but they were re-instated in 2001. 

New Zealand and Australia were up in arms when the 2006 coup took place. What a thing to do. Not that hearsay shows down under Kiwi politician—Helen Clark—enjoyed special favor with near gratis luxurious holiday accommodation from said Qarase? Who’s to know. 

Prince Charles isn’t coming for garlands any more. But guess who is coming? William and Kate. And they will dress appropriately island style. How fresh. 

Most Fijians like Bainimarama. He has cut down on corruption, given free bus travel and lunches to students, improved remote roads, etc. etc. He’s also overeating and getting fat! And he has some more work to do! 

News headlines tonight say– 

1. Fiji is one of 5 countries UN labour agency identified where serious and urgent labour-right cases need attention. Worker rights violations represent most serious and urgent cases. The other countries mentioned were Argentina, Cambodia, Ethiopia, and Peru. They were “singled out by the Committee on Freedom of Association by the UN International Labour Organization after Committee members reviewed cases involving rights to organize, negotiate through collective bargaining and engage in social dialogue.” Hmmmmmm. Not good. 

2. Fiji gets a ‘yellow’ card on illegal fishing. The European Commission warns eight developing countries of sanctions if they do not do more to stop ‘criminal’ illegal fishing. Besides Fiji, other countries who were warned were: Belize, Cambodia, Guinea, Panama, Sri Lanka, Togo, and Vanuatu. 

Walk to Saweni 

I want to do something different to celebrate Fiji Day. Rather than experience a city scene of fast food stalls, BLARING music, and junk Chinese goods for sale, a walk to Saweni bay for the sake of exercise and relaxation sounds good. 

We leave at Noon. Not the smartest move, but the morning disappeared on us. The sun is at its zenith and hell hot. We cut through the First Landing Resort to the dusty, pot-holed road (Frank did not get to it yet) that leads a little inland from the sea to a dead end at the railway track. This track is for hauling sugar cane in what we as children used to call ‘coocoopans’ in South Africa. 

Clothes are sun drying on outside lines in home gardens. People are in a holiday mood and wave and call out Bula! as we walk by. The yards have patch-work vegetable gardens; mango, citrus, banana, papaya, breadfruit trees. Chickens and ducklings run free. An odd dog makes a cowardly move. A few goats are tethered and a winsome milk cow with long enough lead to find fresh greens to munch on and shade chews away as we pass by. 





Typical Vuda Point Fijian home alongside the dusty road, not far from the sea with washing to sun dry. The ‘holy cow’ has a long enough tether to find shade for munching on……. 

There is a small Harikrishna temple on the right: white with red dome. Tropical plants grace the garden. The epitome of simplicity: a mere gesture for worship. 

It is HOT. Now we merge onto the tracks and walk across a narrow bridge with an estuary that leads to a river. This provides an idyllic setting for families to nestle on the shore in the shade of a tree or slide into the water to cool down in. 


The estuary that runs from the sea under the railway bridge and forms a river upstream. Fijians swim and fish here and enjoy the tranquility of the shore. 

We meet up with such a family: a young mother and father with a bag of drinks and snacks, fishing poles, two children, and a dog. Bula!!!! Always they will greet you with Colgate smiles. They are off to spend their day on the shores of the estuary fishing and swimming. They said goodbye and run down the track with glee. Happy Fiji day!! 



Fijian family running down the railway line to the shore of the estuary to swim and fish on Fiji Day. 

Down the track two teenagers have found an empty ‘coocoopan’ to ride the rails. One pushes the other like crazy on the down slope and runs like the wind to catch up and jump on. Such fun simple fun. 



Teenagers ride the rail on an empty sugar ‘coocoopan’. They run push the other like crazy and run like the wind to jump on. 

We pass Fijians cutting cane and loading it onto a ‘coocoopan’. Such hard, hard work in the noonday sun. They take a break under the shade of a tree and drink water to cool their parched throats. 



Fijians cutting and loading cane under the noonday sun. Hard, hard work. 

I’m reeling from the heat and imagine leaping into Saweni bay for a swim. My daily mantra is to walk and swim. We find the dusty road turn off to the sea. A small Indian store is on the corner. On the right a happy group of Fijians sit on a mat in the field under some trees. It is not exactly looking like Paradise return. 

“Bula!!! Happy Fiji Day!! Please come and have some kasava with us.” Always they want to share the little they have. We graciously declined and head for the bay. All I can think of is water and not sitting in a field eating boiled kasava. 



“Bula!!! Happy Fiji Day!! Please come and have some kasava with us,” They call out. Always they share what little they have. 

At last Saweni bay appears. Hmmmmm. Not exactly Shangri la or crystal water with reefs and tropical fish. Fijians nestled in every possible beach nook and cranny with Tupperware rice and fish and chicken and orange pop and coke and kasava and huge smiles. It seems they can sit ANYWHERE and be comfortable. One with the earth. 

I’m thinking deckchairs and an umbrella drink. Just kidding. Think it is time to go back to our Shangri la deck at the point by the Sunset bar. 



Fijians enjoying the shores of Saweni bay.

We make the U-turn up the dusty road, past the Happy Fiji Day celebrants in the field and to the Indian Store. Got to buy a cold drink. The Indian tried to sell Russ a drink with gin in it. Sure time to make a toast in the heat of the day. Not. We want water! Fiji WATER! 

In a room adjacent to the store is dark, with a cement floor, void of furnishings. A Fijian mother and child lay asleep on a mat on the hard, cool floor. On the store veranda a small group of Fijians shoot pool balls across an old tattered snooker table. I want to discreetly snap a shot. But the players leap into a natural pose for me with accelerated animation: such truly amiable people. 



The snooker players leap into a natural pose for me with accelerated animation. I take this shot. Such truly amiable people. 

I guzzle the water as if I’ve reached a desert oasis. My face is tomatoe red. I put my beach parea around my head come muslim tropical style. And walk at a brisk pace. I have to to make it back without keeling over. 

We take a short cut to the beach and I reach my nirvana Big Tree off First Landing. I sit down virtualy hallucinating. Red face pulsating. Eyeballs stinging with sunscreen meltdown. All the water is gone. 

Back at our Shangri la aparment I take a cold shower, drink more water with ice and fresh lime, and lay down on the bed with the white cotton spread and turn the fan on to number three! For me, now, it is Happy Fiji Day. 

Kava ceremony 

The afternoon sun cuts an arc through the admixture of blue-gray skies, making its way toward the horizon. The ubiquitous sea breeze touches my face. Frangipani flowers fall sporadically to a flower ground carpet. 

All the service ladies are out of uniform and in their own tropical dresses. They sit on a mat on the lawn with flowers in their hair like a Gauguin painting. A light rain begins to fall. 

There is movement toward the Boat Shed restaurant verandah. Mats are put down. A circle of mixed cultures sit in a semi-circle: Fijian service people (table waiters, cleaning ladies, bar managers, security guards, yacht maintenance workers—all fresh and dressed in their best colourful attire) sit in a cluster at the head, Adam the new young Marina CEO, yachts people—mostly gray-haired and retired-- from Spain, Canada, USA, New Zealand, Australia, England (dressed in their fresh frumpy attire). 

The Kava ceremony begins: the mixing in the huge bowl, the clapping, the serving, the clapping again. 


Mixing and serving Kava on the Boat Shed restaurant verandah, Vuda Point, on Fiji
The Yachts people are somewhat stiff with low spirit. One of the Fijian’s ask if playing a guitar and singing would be OK. There is a murmur and some nods stamping approval. The music begins and the Fijians start singing, and smiling wide and laughing and clapping. 

The Kava keeps being mixed and served and the Yachts people crack smiles and mellow out. The Fijians ask them to dance. Women the men or women the women. A full-bodied lady keeps asking the young Spanish yachtsman to dance, time after time. They complement each other in yellow attire. The dance style is ‘put your arm around each other’s waist and step side-by-side in time with the music’. 

The Spanish sailor eyes Ana, the young pretty Sunset Bar waitress, and he breaks the side-by-side dance protocol and turns her to face him and dances on in a gentlemanly way with her giggling. 

Happy Fiji Day! 

Fijians truly are remarkable people in an amazing society and marvelous country. They strive hard to get ahead and are proud of their country.







My Fijian friends at top left to right: Elenoa, Miliani. 2nd rowJerry. 3rd rowTaka in center clapping. Fijians playing guitar and singing. Dancing side-by-side. The Spanish sailor breaks dance protocol and turns Ana towards him and dances on in a gentlemanly way with her giggling.