Nadi Horrors

Well-known Airman Jack Turner Sent to Fiji to Deal With The Situation

rE head of the New Zealand Air Cor poration, Sir Leonard Isitt., who visited Nadi airfield, in north-west ern Fiji, at the end of February, has lost little time in taking steps necessary to provide trans-Pacific air travellers with better accommodation.

Trans-Pacific air travellers cannot go to Nausori airfield because, among other things there is not sufficient accommoda tion for them in the overcrowded hotels in Suva (12 miles away from Nausori).

Consequently, accommodation has to be provided at Nadi —and at Nadi there are only the huts, built by the Americans of native materials for the base they est ablished there during the Pacific War.

Trans-Pacific travellers have been tell ing pathetic stories of the discomforts endured at Nadi; and the New Zealand Air Force (which for some reason that is not very clear, has been made respon sible for the conduct of the airfield) has been asked to make conditions more tol erable.

Early in April, Mr. Jack Turner, an air man well known in New Zealand and in New Guinea, arrived in Fiji, from New Zealand to become a sort of general man ager of the Nadi establishment. He has been given wide authority by Sir Leonard Isitt to provide a satisfactory establish ment at Nadi, and there now is a reason able expectation that conditions will be quickly improved.

Mr. Turner was a well-known pilot with Guinea Airways Ltd., in New Guinea'from 1933 to 1937; then he went to New Zea land. During the war he joined the New Zealand Air Force and attained the rank of Wing Commander. He was sent from New Zealand to Fiji, where he was given important duties, and he had a large share in the organisation of the RNZAF base in the New Hebrides. His record, of course, led to his selection for the Nadi post—which is no sinecure.

Mr. Turner probably will establish Nadi as the regular Fiji overseas airport be fore the interminable committees and their interminable arguments arrive at any decision in relation to Nausori.

Nadi airport is on the barren north west coast of Viti Levu. It is an excel lent airfield, but is surrounded by bare, uninhabited grasslands—the nearest place containing amenities is the hot, dusty, uninteresting little town of Lautoka, 15 miles away.

Nausori is on the green, pleasant delta of the Rewa River, 12 miles from Suva.

This is the “wet” side of Viti Levu.

The road to Suva is through pleasant country, where there is a large Fijian and Indian population. Suva is an attractive little city, well worth a visit. Overseas travellers should visit Suva —and not leave the Colony under the impressian that, having seen colourless Nadi, they have seen Fiji.

A committee of experts was due to arrive in Fiji at the end of February, and was to make a final decision, as between Nadi and Nausori. They came, they ex amined the two airfields, they argued and explained—but they departed early in March without making any decision.

This makes Mr. Turner’s task even more difficult. He does not know whether the permanent airport is to be Nadi or Nausori. Therefore, how can he plan even a modest building programme?

The versatile Mr. Clive Brewster, whose whirlwind marriage to Mrs. Eve Walker, created great interest in Fiji last year has taken on a new job. He is working with the Central Office of Information in the United Kingdom and in this cap acity has recently completed a series of lectures in provincial centres in England.

He has also introduced speakers in the “Calling the Islands” programme, a regu lar BBC feature. Mr. Brewster is a dir ector of W. R. Carpenter & Co. (Fiji) Ltd., and served in World War II with the rank of Wing-Commander. Mrs.

Brewster was a public relations officer of the British Overseas Airways Corpora tion at the time of her marriage. The couple flew to England last August and presumably settled semi-permanently there.

Miss W. Delugar, who in 1935 was a senior sister on the staff of the Colonial War Memorial Hospital, Suva, Fiji, has recently been appointed Matron-in-chief of the Auckland Hospital Board’s institu tions.