My husband Mike and I travelled there with Talia, her husband and my son to celebrate a significant birthday of mine. My desire was to return to the Children’s Home with my family and to one of my favourite places, Levuka, on the Island of Ovalau.
Sadly, there are still too many children in the Children’s Home. Some await placement and others are there temporarily until their families sorted some big issues.
Even though some were rhythmically rocking in their cots, the children appeared well looked after in spotlessly clean facilities. For Talia it was both reassuring and poignant, and also very special to show her husband where she spent the first chapter of her life. Her last visit as a teenager, had been hard for her with so many unanswered questions. She was trying to make sense of her place in the world. For my son it was a trip down memory lane to go back to the place where, as a nine-year-old, he met and held his little sister.
I do need to mention the scourge of methaphetamine in Fiji. This was headline news in the NZ media. It certainly came up especially in Suva, Fiji’s biggest town and the nation’s capital (population 100,127 in 2024). Taxi drivers warned us to be careful and to cross the road if there was a group of young men looking spaced out.
Apart from an edgy feeling around Suva market, it was no more apparent to us than in parts of NZ. However, taxi drivers told us of murders of their colleagues in recent months and each one we spoke to now refused to drive at night. They expressed dismay that the extensive coastlines of Fiji had been caught up in the drug trade. It was now clear that these coastlines were now serving as dropping off places between Mexico and the intended drug markets of New Zealand and Australia.
One driver reminded me that the average wage is only $4 an hour and that many people are tempted to make big money (by Fiji standards) from being caught up in this appalling trade. The tragic spinoff is the amount of local people and even school children addicted. Once addicted, these young people turn to crime to support their addiction.
This is all desperately sad for this gorgeous country and its beautiful people.
The rest of our stay continued to be wonderful. Our Airbnb accommodation was charming and the little town, Levuka soothed and embraced us with its beauty, charm and friendly locals. This is of course typical of Fiji itself and despite the challenges, Fiji is facing, it’s still paradise and tourism is thriving.
Our memories linger. “Moce and vinaka vaka-levu” beautiful Fiji. Until next time…
Liz and Mike Simma are well known locals in Whitianga.
