Happy, happy anniversary

TWENTY-fIVE years after it opened with four Fijian-style bures on Qalito Island in Fiji’s Mamanucas, Castaway Island Resort is one of the better established and better-known of the South Pacific’s offshore holiday venues. The resort, on 174 acres about 20 kilometres from Fiji’s main island of Viti Levu, has 66 bures , two bars, two dining areas, a freshwater swimming pool, an all weather floodlit tennis court and a menu and wine list envied by competi tors.

It opened for business on July 6, 1966, with the original owner Dick Smith and four staff members.

Smith, long considered one of the founders of Fiji’s successful tourism industry, now operates Musket Cove Resort on Malololailai Island, just across the bay from Castaway. After several years cruising Fiji waters in a converted World War two Fairmile, Smith was encouraged to develop a resort by the owners of Fiji’s only other resort at the time, Paradise Point at Korolevu. Sadly, Paradise Point has been closed for several years.

Castaway thrived however and con tinues to do so.

Of the original staff three remain on

the island. Lavinia, 75 years ago a shy village girl from Rakiraki, is better known as Mamma, Castaway’s matri arch. In 1966 she was housemaid, waitress, guest relations officer and nurse. Akuila, Mamma’s companion for 25 years, was a carpenter and painter. Abdul Ahad was also a carpenter. Another carpenter and builder, Peter Wong, left the island after 20 years and today operates a food business in Fiji.

In 1967 Dick Smith hired a secre tary, Carol Hawkins, who eventually took over food and beverage responsi bilities and then became resort man ager. Not long after she became Mrs Smith and the two have a daughter, Josie. To mark Castway’s 25th anni versary, the current resort manage ment team, Tracy and Rob Walker, and resort staff, presented the Smiths with a silver tabiia, cast by a Fijian silversmith. The tabua, (whale’s tooth) is one of the most sacred of gifts in Fijian tradition and is only awarded as a mark of deep respect.

This was presented at a special birthday party on the island, attended by 180 guests and at least 100 staff members on July 6. □

Castaways’ first team: Mamma, Dick Smith, Vorovoro, Tracy, Ahad