The State of the South Pacific

[Grinna 2]

I ran into some friends this morning who had only just cleared back into NZ after spending the season cruising the South Pacific (Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island). While it was only a brief chat, it was interesting to hear of some of their impressions and how they felt things had changed in the 6 years since they'd last been in the islands.

 

Briefly, they felt that while Fiji still had some corruption issues (new boats and motors bought for villages if they voted for the benefactor type stuff) that under Bainiarama things were probably much better than they had been for years. The villagers though were not motivated to help themselves and would sit under trees watching cruisers working on buildings rather than helping or learning.

 

Vanuatu's visa situation was crazy. A cruising visa cost about the same as for Fiji but only lasted 1 month and renewal had to be done in Port Vila. The Vanuatu people were expecting to be presented with stuff from cruisers (and this couple gave them heaps of stuff) but wanted cruisers to buy vegetables whereas in the past they had traded with locals and no money changed hands. There was an expectation that the cruisers were principally there to give them things and to be fleeced of their money. Petty thievery was common and on one occasion they were told to pay money to an individual who would prevent their dinghy from being slashed (protection racket). The impression is that people were after money for cellphones and other western nicknacks. This was a huge change to the situation 6 years ago.

 

While the villagers in Fiji and Vanuatu were relatively poor and weren't motivated to fix cyclone damage to their own houses and villages or tend to their gardens, they all had cellphones and were quite demanding when it came to getting cruisers to charge them. This friend is a builder and was getting frustrated because villagers would keep unplugging his power tools to plug multiboxes into his generator so they could charge their cellphones while they watched him work on repairing their houses.

 

Some of the aid projects that installed hydro generators and complex stuff was a waste of time because the locals either didn't know or weren't interested in maintaining things and running them properly and didn't have the skills or motivation to repair them when they inevitably failed. They just literally sat around waiting for a hand out from the government or for cruisers to turn up and fix things.

 

By far the most relaxed and easiest to deal with was the New Caledonians.

 

30 odd Taiwanese fishing boats were operating out of Port Vila and they also witnessed a fishing boat offloading tonnes and tonnes of frozen tuna at Lautoka in Fiji. They dragged lures around a large area of the South Pacific and never caught a fish. Very different to the situation 6 years previously. No fish to be caught around either Fiji or Vanuatu and very few around New Cal. The best fishing was just off northern NZ.

[Guest]

So sad

 

And I heard some stories about the red tape in Tonga being a headache as well.

[Kestrahl 6]

We were in Vanuatu for 6 weeks in the 2012 season.

 

Didn't have any locals wanting money for veges in favor of trading. Cell phones are common and we charged a few and a couple of portable dvd watchers. Didn't have any problem with crime and never locked the boat at night (as opposed to solomons and PNG). A lot of young Vanunatu locals work 6 month periods in Marlborough and Nelson with the Vineyards and Apples. Making NZ wages they come back very cashed up.

[Guest]

What are the Islanders going to do when the fish are depleted as in Canada?

[Jon 360]

Should I cancel my dreams ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From what I could see in French Poly, Tonga and Fiji this season it's mostly a glass half full kind of thing.

[Guest]

I think there is a disconnect between those who have been only recently and think "my, this is nice", and those who went long ago and have returned to think "it's gone downhill".

Still nice , but deteriorated and continuing to do so.

In 20 years the "newbies" will becomplaining that these places have been ruined.

 

 

P.S. - In many ways New Zealand wasa much nicer placer 25 years ago.

[Jon 360]

Exactly my point

And the sun always shone all summer when we were kids

[Steve Pope 243]

GO NOW, it will never be better!!!! Don't dream, do it!!!!!

[Island Time 1,246]

I agree Steve, GO NOW! You will never be "ready", it never makes financial sense, just go! The world is busier, more polluted, and more crowded than it ever has been. It can only deteriorate. If you are really going to do this, get on with it! For the other 90% who will only ever talk, they can stay home and moan!

[Jon 360]

Don't worry I'm doing it

I'm just thinking that 20+ years ago we didn't look at waste / pollution through our prosperous eyes like we do today

I know we have more plastic/packaging than in the past but we are also more aware of what we and others do with it.

We go to developing countries to get away from western life

But developing nations have the right to do just this if that's what they wish.

 

The tidiest and most proud village I had the honour of visiting this year was in the Marquases, it was also the furthest from the western world.

Makes you think really.