Whats New

A family affair Words: Ariela Zibiah Photos: Lisa Kingsberry As an indigenous woman who has clocked considerable hours diving in some of the most breathtaking locations around Fiji, the emotions I felt while being kitted up and taken out to a slice of the magnificent Vatu-i-Ra passage by a local, family-owned and run dive operator […]

This year’s World Music Day celebrations in Fiji makes a grand return with a fantastic all-Fijian lineup. The event first began in France in 1982, and is now celebrated annually in over 100 countries including Fiji.  It gathers professional and amateur musicians, from mixed musical universes, languages and communities, to share their passion for music […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti What happens when a worthy charity, healthy competition, dress-ups, creativity, and a nostalgic childhood memory of simple ‘bara’ races meet? You are met with uncontained excitement from adults who want to give their all for a cause close to their hearts. ‘The Amazing Wheelbarrow Race’–- an event aimed at raising funds to […]

“Eating healthy can be a challenge these days because of readily available fast foods and processed products, available in shops and stores”, says Courtney Underwood-Dass.  “Whether it be going down to the market or growing things in your own backyard, I hope that our book teaches kids that eating healthy can be fun and worth […]

The Fiji Museum reopens By Samantha Magick For more than two years, the Fiji Museum’s doors were closed to the public. Now, with the opening of its flagship exhibition, Voyages: Stories of an Ocean People, we can see what the team has been busy working on. It’s a place transformed. “The necessity to change the […]

By Alipate Pareti Watching the Fijian Drua at home is a powerful experience, and Drua Coach Mick Byrne has said: “We have the best rugby fans in the world here in Fiji.” There is possibly no greater fan than Frederrick Raiwalui, the ground announcer for all the Fijian Drua home games. “I love this game. […]

“If you can’t do great things, do small things in a great way” is one of the things Gyan Singh has learnt after almost 30 years in retail. Singh is a Sales Executive Officer with Jack’s of Fiji in Nadi.  The most fulfilling part of his job, he says, is meeting people from various continents […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti When you have lived in Viti Levu your entire life, it’s easy to think that all travel in the islands is the same: short and easy. In Vanua Levu, it is a totally different story. Vanua Levu locals are prepared to travel for hours from Macuata to Labasa, and because transportation like […]

By Rowena Singh Hanging up his stethoscope and embracing music has transformed Suva doctor, Rayneil Singh into an award-winning performer. When the FIPRA (Fiji Performing Rights Association) awards were held for the first time in a couple of years (due to Covid) in October, his name rang out six times. Dr Singh, aka Ra V, […]

By Kite Pareti The devastation Covid-19 wrought on Fiji’s tourism industry brought out the best in many of Fiji’s tourism workers and operators. For Marriott Fiji’s Cluster Director of Human Resources, Farrah Shazleen and her team, it was a chance to lead a number of people-centred initiatives for Marriott staff and the community at large. […]

By Shazia Usman Picture this – two girls around 10 years old. Wearing two-sizes-too large psychedelic-coloured shorts their mums bought for them at some sale, catching the Number 21/22 bus on a bright Saturday morning in Samabula, Suva, Fiji. Their destination? The Suva City Library, of course.  They were great friends, these two, but stronger […]

A day at Malamala Island By Ben Wheeler “Welcome to Paradise!” our sunny Fijian guide beams through the speaker system as our catamaran arrives at the picture perfect Malamala Island Resort. It’s a bold claim, but then Fiji has a habit of living up to this regularly-served slice of marketing jargon, astounding visitors with its […]

By Kite Pareti The Navua-Deuba/Pacific Harbour area is an hour’s drive from Suva and Sigatoka. It has a thriving community of nearly 20,000 residents and is home to veteran soccer legend Patrick Wise and rugby star Waisea Nayacalevu.  It is a place of pilgrimage for many local families and friends looking for a welcoming beachside […]

By Alipate Pareti Despite the gloomy, cold, wet and rainy day, the Fijian Drua fans still turned up in numbers to support their team in the HFC Bank stadium in Suva. This was the last home game of the season, and a lot was riding on the result as the Drua had to beat the […]

The iconic Grand Pacific Hotel (GPH) this week hosted media sessions, designer workshops, and other exciting activities in celebration of Fiji Fashion Week. Discussions were centered around the life of a fashion designer, fashion photography, fashion sustainability and the future of fashion. They were presented by fashion experts such as Daniel Avakian, Nicholas Huxely, and […]

By Kite Pareti The use of renewables in Fiji has eased the load for Atunaisa Cawaki. The 69-year-old was a underground cable jointer for the-then Fiji Electricity Authority (now Energy Fiji Limited) between the 1970s and the 2000s. From Pacific Harbour to Labasa, Cawaki and a group of apprentices he supervised laid some of the […]

Fijian rugby legends this week will host rugby activities in several schools and villages across Fiji.  Former Wallabies Lote Tuqiri and Radike Samoa have joined Queensland Reds’ Joana Rabaka and Issac Henry in visiting particular schools that are being reconstructed in the north following the damages left by Tropical Cyclones Yasa and Ana. The team yesterday […]

By Alipate Pareti Paula Tuanoka, 62, travelled all the way from Dogotuki, Vanua Levu in the village of Vitina just to witness the Super Rugby spectacles of the Fijian Drua last Saturday. “This is the first time for me to come and watch the game live here at the grounds.” “I left Labasa on Friday […]

Words: Samantha Magick Photo: Zoomfiji It was not my most dignified moment. Instead of ‘leaning in’, I leaned back, and quickly found myself waist deep in the rapids of the Navua river. Fortunately, nothing was hurt except my pride. And our guide was very quick to haul me back into our raft, pulling me up […]

Local filmmakers finally getting screentime By Ben Wheeler “Every culture has the right and responsibility to present its own culture to its own people,” writes New Zealand filmmaker Barry Barclay.  “That responsibility is so fundamental it cannot be left in the hands of outsiders, nor usurped by them.” These words seem more relevant in Fiji […]

By Kite Pareti What are some of the lessons we can learn from the late Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna’s legacy? Fijian political sociologist and Vice-Chancellor Pacific at the University of Canterbury, Prof. Steven Ratuva reflected on the former statesman’s character and contributions at a well-attended seminar held at the University of the South Pacific in […]

By Kite Pareti “Fiji is what it is today because of the contributions of Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna,” says Mere Delai, Assistant Head-Teacher of Marist Brothers’ Primary School. Delai who today took 60 of her students to see the Ratu Sukuna display at the Fiji Museum, says many children in Fiji have never heard of […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti Tuna, a vital “blue food,” could be the answer to the Pacific’s growing challenge of food security. In an effort to highlight the significance of tuna as a source of protein in Pacific diets, the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and the Pacific Community (SPC) have organised the “Tuna Bites“ campaign, […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti Yesterday marked a special day for the descendants of the Girmityas in Fiji as they commemorated not only the shared pain of their history, but also the deep friendship that they share with indigenous Fijians. In a moving traditional ceremony in Naivilaca village in Noco, Rewa, home of the people who rescued […]