Page 31 - Fiji Traveller Issue 2

By Ben Wheeler There is increasing focus on the ecological maintenance of the
island these days, Marian explains.
“Welcome to Paradise!” our sunny Fijian guide beams through “But if you want to know more about that, you should speak to
the speaker system as our catamaran arrives at the picture Tima. And ask about the turtle that visited us!”
perfect Malamala Island Resort. My attention is piqued, but after all this excitement, so is my
It’s a bold claim, but then Fiji has a habit of living up to this appetite. We bid sota tale to Marian and make our way to the
regularly-served slice of marketing jargon, astounding visitors restaurant and bar area from which waiters have been delivering
with its luscious flora and fauna, and with land and seascapes impressively large trays of food with skill and poise since we
that connect people and place in a way that is hard to match arrived.
elsewhere. The food is delicious, as we expected, and we wash it down
In a world slowly finding its feet after years of being locked with lashings of ginger beer and fresh coconut juice.
down, and coming to terms with shifting climate narratives, I will After working our way through a cross section of the menu, I
find myself pleasingly surprised by how all of this will eventually am able to catch up with Tima, who walks me around the island
feed into my enjoyment of this idyllic day trip. and tells me how she came to work there.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s rewind… She inherited her love of the ocean from her father, who would
Our first sighting of the Malamala Island Resort is everything take the family to Treasure Island and Bounty Island when he
we’d been promised – a small atoll largely surrounded by golden wasn’t working in Suva.
sands, covered in beautiful palm trees, with a long wooden jetty, “There’s something about the sea. It just makes me happy,”
outstretched like an arm that greets and draws us safely to our she says with a huge smile. “Underwater is a whole different
destination. world. I’m lucky and blessed to be here and have the freedom
We are divided between those who upgraded to the deluxe from my boss to explore and research as much as I work.”
beachside cabanas or poolside beds, and those of us here Tima gained her bachelor’s degree in marine science at
to simply find a sun lounger and parasol, and enjoy a slowly the University of the South Pacific, and soon after netted a
unwinding day of island-based bliss. job at Malamala. Here, her passion and knowledge are being
My partner and I decide to organise ourselves around a channelled into projects like coral restoration – fixing broken
schedule. This is not, I should mention, the structure of the day shards in the shallow waters surrounding the island to ropes
I see unfolding around me as most people have come to relax suspended between underwater tables – and cultivating
and drink beer and cocktails. Next time, I promise myself, when awareness amongst staff and guests about how to avoid future
I’m off the clock! damage.
The first thing we do is get into the beautiful crystal-clear water On land, she tells me about the amazing device the resort’s
with some snorkelling gear. As someone who is still a little green engineering team are working on – a machine that will grind
around the gills with these kinds of activities, I am constantly in bottles back into the beach.
awe of the sights below the surface. “Crack a beer open, then turn it into sand,” she says excitedly.
In no time at all we have seen fish of all shapes, sizes and I have to ask about the turtle. Tima’s face lights up.
colours. We glimpse an assortment of triggerfish, moving solo, It seems that on Christmas Day a large hawksbill turtle visited
and in schools, with teams of smaller fish often trailing the larger the island, and it soon became clear that she was looking for a
ones that can rummage in the seabed with more success, place to bury her eggs. Afterwards, when she tried to return to
dislodging nourishment for all. Malamala, I will learn later, is the water over some exposed rocks, potentially injuring herself,
something of a haven for marine life, with fishing and motor four staff members lifted her gently over the terrain and lowered
sports both banned in the surrounding waters, allowing for a her safely into the water.
wonderful diversity that includes spadefish, damsel fish, and The site is now cordoned off and closely monitored, and
clown fish amongst others. Tima and the crew will do everything they can to ensure those
Soon after we leave the water, the resort manager Marian hatchlings make it to the water after their incubation period.
comes to greet us and offers some great insights into the recent It’s a story that warms my heart more than the sand on my
history of the resort. feet.
“Since being closed during Covid,” she tells us, “the island Before we know it, and too soon, it is time to leave. But we are
has been able to breathe!” sure to return.
She inhales deeply, drawing her hands into her chest, and Malamala Island resort is, like so many parts of Fiji, more
then exhales throwing them out in a demonstrative manner. It complex than the stereotypes we visitors imagine. Here, the
is clear she feels a personal connection to this particular piece kind of paradise that we are constantly told is being lost is in fact
of vanua. slowly, incrementally being regained.
“It’s like it needed the break. It was in many ways a good And even if you come to relax in the infinity pool and drink
thing, and we can see now that more trees and plants have beer, you will soon be contributing to that process.
grown in this time.”

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