Of Islands

He Has Plans

For Fiji's Bay

From Matt Wilson, in Suva Suva architect Colin Philp ;azed in the direction of a iream, across the limpid blue waters of the Bay of Islands.

Vithout taking his eyes from the tretch of water which is the entre of his dream, he said: You know, with the big need

or development in Fiji, surely

•rganisations that have proved

heir ability to do a good job

hould be given every possible

ncouragement by government

eads of departments.”

The “good job” Mr. Philp referred • was his company’s first project, the rade Winds Hotel at the Bay of lands, where our conversation took ace.

This beautiful bay could become le of Fiji’s leading tourist resorts— the green light is given by the overnment to a plan Mr. Philp has sen pushing for about two years, it he can’t get a decision.

“Procrastinations and delays should >t be countenanced and red tape ould be shortened so that people ncerned in schemes are not dis uraged from continuing,” he says.

But Mr, Philp refuses to be dis uraged. He believes the scheme )uld be a winner that would not ily benefit his company, the Bay Islands Hotel Company Ltd., but >uld also play a part in boosting ji’s developing econom>.

Reclamation

The plan involves the reclama n of a sizeable piece of the bay lich is exposed at low tide. This >uld then be converted into a irist complex with a hotel, water >ntage which would be used as marina, a shopping centre and ter facilities.

The Trade Winds Hotel—widely iled as a magnificent piece of irist plant—is the first step towards /eloping the Bay of Islands. But is only a first step—and the tential for further development, as '• Philp sees it, is tremendous. The :a is owned by the Government

and the company has applied for a Crown lease.

“A scheme like this could have a big impact,” Mr. Philp says. “One of the greatest needs in Fiji is to provide more jobs. I would think at least 300 people would be em ployed here if the scheme came to pass. There would also be jobs on the construction work.”

Money no problem

Then, of course, there would be the golden harvest to be reaped locally from the tourists who would flock to the area. With the present accommodation at the Trade Winds, plus further hotel development on the reclamation, the area could house a total tourist population in the region of 400.

The financial side of the scheme does not worry Mr. Philp. I under stand he would have no problem in raising the money.

The present Trade Winds venture has cost about £250,000 but the new project is much bigger and would call for more finance.

Mr. Philp says the Bay of Islands Hotel Company would not forget the needs of local people, if the scheme were given the go-ahead. It plans to set aside an area for a community centre, with provisions for a nursery, clinic and meeting hall.

The tourist industry here is grow ing at a startling rate and the gov

ernment realises what an important role it can play in economic develop ment.

A scheme such as Mr. Philp envisages for the Bay of Islands would be an impressive step forward for the industry. So why the delay?

Fiji has been bedevilled by bureaucratic bumbledom in the past.

If this is another instance, then those in government in a position to do something about it, should do it.

FIJI Visitors Bureau will open its second overseas office in Sep tember. It will be at Auckland, New Zealand.

The bureau opened an office in Sydney in June last year. It is headed by Mr. Russ Gribble.

Long range plans to open a Fiji Visitors Bureau office on the US West Coast, probably in San Francisco, are not likely to eventuate before 1970. The bureau’s budget, which will be about £F 104,000 for this year, is not sufficient at present to pay for an office in the US.

With a grant of £F86,000 from the Fiji Government, about £F5,700 from Fiji commercial interests and the rest of the budget from other sources, the bureau hopes to expand pro motion of Fiji in Australia and New Zealand during 1968.

A final count of visitors to Fiji during 1967 staying one night or more has revealed that 56,021 people visited Fiji—a 26 per cent, increase on 1966’s figures.

However, in 1966 Fiji recorded the smallest percentage increase in visitors in four years (11 per cent.)

Sampling the delights of the new Trade winds Hotel in Suva's Bay of Islands are, left, Kathleen Shorter, and Beverley Mad sen, both of Suva.

Photo: Nitin.

because of the Qantas air strike and stringent New Zealand currency re strictions.

The 1967 figures showed a 49 per cent, increase in Fiji visitors from Australia. This was also the first year Australian visitors have ex ceeded New Zealand visitors.

Besides its New Zealand office, the bureau has several projects in hand for this year.

They include the commissioning of a 30-minute colour film of Fiji for world-wide distribution; Fiji window displays in Sydney, Mel bourne and Adelaide; a 10-page travel supplement on Fiji in the Sydney Morning Herald on March 4; continued educational tours of Fiji for Australian travel agents; 10 one minute television “fillers” for Channel 9, Sydney; and a colour brochure telling New Zealanders how to “see Fiji” on SNZI4 a day.

USING Noumea as its departure point, UTA French Airlines will start its first direct air services from the South Pacific to the Far Easl —at a twice-weekly frequency—frorr April 1.

The services are subject to govern ment approval.

UTA DCS jets will leave Noumes at 2.45 p.m. on Mondays, by-pas: Australia, and land at Singapore a 8.20 p.m. After Singapore, the jet; will call at Kuala Lumpur, Colombo Athens and Paris.

On Thursdays, a jet will leav( Noumea at 8.20 a.m., arrive a Djakarta at 12.40 p.m. and Singapon at 3.35 p.m. Then calls will be mad< at Saigon, Colombo, Phnom Penh Athens and Paris, A UTA service from Singapon will operate to Noumea once a week arriving at Noumea at 11.05 a.m Mondays.

A weekly service from Djakarti to Noumea will include a call a Darwin, and arrive at Noumea a 9.05 a.m. Thursdays.

ANEW Tahiti hotel, the Roy a Papeete, opened at the beginnin of February.

The hotel has 35 air-conditione< rooms, each with a private bath am telephone, an American-style coffe shop, a restaurant, night club, am swimming pool.

The hotel is centrally located ii Papeete with easy access to shop ping, travel agencies, and airlin offices. The managing owner is Mi Robert Wong.

Tariffs range from $l6 single am $lB double to $22 and $25 a da; respectively.