RATU CHRISTIAN DOVI TAVUTAVUVANUA

TO: OUR CHIEF GUEST, RICHARD EVANSON
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

I hope you will agree with me that there is indeed a wind of change sweeping across Nalova Bay today. Time has gone through a full circle and we are at Nalova Bay again for the development of tourism in this part of the Yasawa Group.

In the early fifties, Mr. Trevor Withers discovered the beauty of this bay and made it a port of call for his tourist ship the 'Turaga Levu'. He was instrumental in setting up the Blue Lagoon Cruises, a name that was coined with reference to this bay and this area.

It was on this beach, ladies and gentlemen, that we had the first shell market for this group of islands. I can still remember vividly now the sailboat from Matacawalevu, the women of Nacula, Malakati, Naisisili and Navotua congregating here to sell whatever seashells and handicrafts they had, for a few pennies and shillings.

I remember too the days when I was part of our Nacula District School entertainment team. We used to come to this beach every Saturday and entertain tourists from the two Blue Lagoon cruise ships - Romanda and Sayandra. At the time we were raising funds for our new school building, which is now probably the oldest building in the same school!

I remember myself at the age of eleven, for we started the entertainment. It was my duty to stand in front of our tourist audience and deliver the welcoming speech in English, just as I am doing now almost three decades later, in a different dimension and metamorphosis of tourism.

It was from this very bay that tourism expanded to the rest of the Tikina, and the blessings from that are obvious to you today.

Today, the 8th of September in the year 2000, on the dawn of the new millennium, Nalova is again filled with tourists. However, it is different from those early days. Today, we are here to witness the official opening of Oarsman's Bay Lodge.

I have been given the most pleasant task today of welcoming you all. Mu sa cola vina, ni sa bula vinaka, namaste. Welcome to Oarsman's Bay Lodge.

Unlike the days of cruising ships staying at Nalova, this facility will be permanent. Guests now get to actually enjoy Nalova Bay for longer than one or two hours, as those early visitors did.

This is a momentous occasion for us. We are very proud because today marks a new chapter, a new beginning and a new journey for us in the Mataqali Natia, and for my brother Ratu Epeli, the Tui Drola.

I mentioned that we are proud. Yes indeed we are. We see ourselves as again the torchbearers for development in this part of the Yasawas. By that I mean the realization of a dream, and the cooperation of our partners in the challenges we faced in making this project work.

Oarsman's Bay would not exist if it wasn't for the support and kindness of our chief guest, Richard Evanson. After being approached by my brother about his vision of setting up a tourist accommodation facility, Richard Evanson welcomed the idea and willingly assisted in the establishment of this lodge.

The assistance he rendered, both in financial expertise and construction skills, will never be able to be fully repaid by our Mataqali. It will go down in history as an injection of lifeblood into our future, and we will make sure this fact is never forgotten by our descendents.

To you Mr. Evanson, thank you for your vision, thank you for the assistance and most importantly thank you for the faith that you have in my brother Ratu Epeli. Thank you also for the support you have shown to us as members of his Mataqali Natia, particularly at a time of political and economic uncertainty that prevails in our country.

Both you and Ratu Epeli had a vision and nothing was going to stop that vision from materialising. We look forward to the future for continued friendship and partnership. We anticipate good times ahead, but we acknowledge that those times will bring with them hard work, dedication, sacrifice and the need for good management.

To the rest of the villages in this Tikina, I urge you to please take a cue from our example. We have opened a window of opportunity for all and we are certain that Mr. Evanson, in accordance with his vision for the Tikina, will extend his helping hand to assist you also in your business endeavours.

I am reminded of the words of the English philosopher John Donne who said, "no man is an island".

Mataqali Natia acknowledges that we are all part of the Vanua. We welcome other initiatives from you to realise your own dreams. We wouldn't want to be seen as standing in isolation when it comes to development in this region. We are part of you and we cannot be isolated.

To all of you who are here, please just take a look at this beach. The sand sparkles, the water is crystal clear. I can assure you that the sunset will be beautiful, and the sunset brings with it the promise of a new day.

We acknowledge our Lord God Almighty for such a beautiful land and we pray to him to pour down his blessing on this Lodge and to all of us here.

With those few words Mr. Evanson, our distinguished guests, I welcome you all.

Ratu Christian Dovi Tavutavuvanua