Fiji's First Luxury Game

She'll operate from the new Yanuca hotel

Fishing Craft Launched

Fiji’s first luxury game fishing

raft, Fleet Lady was launched

i March by an 89-year-old

cotswoman who flew 12,000

files from Devon to Suva to per son the ceremony.

CHE woman is Mrs. Janie Scott Dutfieid, whose son, Mr. Harry hitfield, is chairman of Marlin In estments Ltd., owners of the Fleet ady.

She sat between two high Fijian tiiefs and quaffed a bowl of yaqona kava) during the Fijian ceremonial -hich preceded the launching cere tony.

Then she threw the contents of a moa (bowl) of yaqona over the ows of the new vessel and watched er slide gracefully into the water.

Marlin Investments Ltd. is a new ampany formed by Mr. Dutfieid for le purpose of operating game-fishing lunches on Fiji’s “Coral Coast”

PIM, Mar., p. 36).

The Fleet Lady, a 44-footer, em odies the latest and best equipment vailable. When ready for operation, re will have cost in the vicinity of F 30,000.

She was built from the initial de gn of Mr. Colin White, and has een completed at Millers Boatyard, uva.

Yanuca base

It is planned to operate the Fleet ady and a second launch Susan Jane r from the luxury hotel now being uilt at Yanuca Island, near Sigatoka. o complete the fleet, Marlin Invest lents will also have a number of mabouts, ski craft, and glass-bottom oats.

The Fleet Lady will have as its tipper Mr. Mike Connell, a seasoned nglish boat captain and general lanager of the company. All types f game fish are to be caught within few miles of the fleet’s base.

In January, when Mr. Dutfieid ied his hand from the Susan Jane, umerous walu, saqa, bonita, ono nd other table fish were landed.

The largest was a 161 lb yellow fin ma. There was also a 118 lb sail sh.

Seven black marlin were hooked,

Seated between Ratu George Cakobau, paramount chief of Fiji (left) and Ratu Edward Cakabou, Member for Commerce and Tourism (right), Mrs. Janie Dutfield (top picture) accepts a bowl of "yaqona" during the Fijian ceremonies which preceded the launching of the big game fishing launch "Fleet Lady". Below, the "Fleet Lady" in the water after launching. Forty-four feet overall, with a beam of 13 ft 8 in., she is powered by twin Cummins diesels, and is equipped with the latest aids in navigation and handling. She is the first launch of her type in the world to be fitted with Decca/ Simrad Basdic, which, apart from sounding and fish-finding, can locate reefs ahead of the vessel. The equipment can be trained through 360 degrees.— Photos: Rob Wright.

it none was landed. One of the arlin, estimated at 350 lb, was lost iring the gaffing process. The rgest one that got away was esti ated to be in excess of 600 lb.

Since then, however, Mr. Dutfield, 10 has been elected first president the new Game Fish Club of Fiji, is had some better luck.

He was on his way to a meeting the club in Suva in March when caught a 220 lb black marlin from r. Graham Wallace’s launch reniwai. The marlin took a locally ade lure trolled at knots at a ot almost opposite Nau Passage.

New hotel named

The new hotel from which the hing boats will operate is due to en for business on September 1. will be called “The Fijian”, and 11 have 101 double rooms, plus /en large suites.

Accommodation charges per day 11 be: £7 to £8 for double occu ncy and £5 to £6 for single occu ncy, with the lower rates prevailing most cases. Charges for suites will from £lO to £l2.

The dining room and/or outdoor tio next to it will be open for meals >m 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

There will be an a la carte menu, is breakfast, luncheon and dinner de d’hote.

A light breakfast consisting of fruit ce, fruit, toast or roll and a /erage will cost about 6/- or 7/-. 11 breakfast will range from 10/- 12/-.

Luncheon sandwiches and salads 11 range from 8/- to 12/-.

There will be a luncheon buffet eral times a week, costing 15/- to /6. \ table d’hote dinner, with soup, ad, main course, dessert and /erage (with the choice of the main jrse determining the price of the mer) will range from £1 to 25/-.

A small snack bar underneath the ling patio, and near the beach and imming pool, will be open initially m about 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If rranted, these hours will be ex ided.

Jasino? No dice!

HE Suva City Council has rejected the idea of a State lottery in i or the opening of a gambling ino to attract tourists. The council s among many organisations asked the Government recently for views the proposal.

"The Fijian", the new hotel at Yanuca Island, near Sigatoka, off the main Fiji island of Viti Levu, is set amid tall palm trees on a narrow tongue of land at the extreme point of the island.

The partially-finished accommo dation block is seen in the top picture. The centre picture shows the fishing launch "Susan Jane II" anchored off the island; and, at right, is the high-roofed dining room, built to resemble

a typical Fijian "bure".

Photos: Rob Wright.