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Fiji’s Nadi Airport Needs Some Attention

IT is time that the managers of the big Trans-Pacific air-lines joined with the Government of Fiji in a strong and urgent protest to the New Zealand Government against the miserable facili ties provided for airways travellers at Nadi, the international airport on the north-west coast of Viti Levu.

In the days of rehabilitation following Word War 11, and while it was officially agreed that Fiji’s international airport would be built at Suva Point, everyone concerned accepted with tolerance the limited amenities provided by the collec tion of temporary hutments alongside the Nadi strip. The big mess-room, built more or less of native materials, provided meals and drinks: while bunks and shower baths, almost totally lacking in comfort, catered in the surrounding hutments for the needs of overnight travellers. This arangement is dignified bv the name of “Hotel Mocambo.”

This international airport is the re sponsibility of New Zealand; and, since it was decided to abandon Suva Point, and put the airport permanently at Nadi.

New Zealand seems to have done its best to ignore and forget Nadi.

The “Mocambo Hotel” is drab and un painted; the hutments are just hutments, barely furnished; there is a total absence of anything calculated to make trans pacific travellers happy to be in Fiji, and eager to return. The bar, which now is about as inspiring in appearance as that of a small country pub, should be a pleasant place, dispensing a wide variety of cool refreshments. Actually, its wares are limited, and it frequently is closed

just when it is urgently wanted by hot and weary travellers, The place should be brightened un The abundant fruits and° lowers of ‘ the S°e Un a tr c y SX' « artifacts, calculated to stir up tourist interest. The Fiji Tourist Board wisely maintains an officer at the airport—but both he and the airport manager are handicapped to a degree by the indiffer ence and ignorance of the New Zealand authorities There is a B° od hotel at Nadi township, a few miles away; but it usually is filled wit h the flight personnel of the airlines, and unavailable to 'plane passengers. The latter dumned down in thp middip nf a hareplahTthe httle to™ ofTautoka Is over 15 miles away—and confined to the “Mocambo Hotel,” naturally get a poor impression of Fiji, The Fiii Government eno-er for tnnrkt

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Tourist Card could the money ifc spends if it gave more attention to Nadi and the stream of over seas people passing through there and it surely should join with other Fiji interests in trying to persuade the NZ Government to either improve the air port’s amenities, or hand over the task to interests with a better understanding of what is needed. A combination represent ing the interests of Fiji, New Zealand Civil Aviation, and the airline operators would be the ideal authority to handle the problem.