An Awesome Eco-Experience

We’ve all heard about eco-tourism, eco-lodges, eco-experiences and so it goes on. The word “eco” seems to be the current buzzword in the tourism industry however promoting and marketing it is one thing – putting into practice is another.


My travels recently brought me to Kadavu where I experienced first-hand a true eco-experience in a true eco-resort. Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure there are many more in Fiji but not having “been everywhere man” I will relate to you this particular experience that left me feeling a whole lot better about humanity and the state of the planet in general.


My sojourn to Matava Resort in Kadavu started at Nausori Airport, about 30 minutes outside Suva. On arrival at the domestic counter at 9am for a scheduled 9.30am flight I identified myself and my destination and was immediately sequestered by a pleasant and helpful gentleman who insisted I was late and that the plane was leaving.


I countered stating that the plane was scheduled to depart at 9.30 and showed him my ticket. This he subsequently ignored so I admitted defeat (it’s too hot to argue) and boarded the plan bound for Kadavu with two other European passengers. They told me I was “very” late and showed me their tickets which stated departure time as 8.30am. The pilot then must have decided to take the mean average as we left at 9.00am. But nobody was worried as this is ‘Fiji Time’.
 

The rewards of practicing Eco-Tourism are obvious - a Ribbon Eel in pristine waters
 

A leisurely 10 minute flight over water that regularly changed from one shade of brilliant aqua to another dotted with small tropical islands brought us to Kadavu Airport at Vunisea. The airport workers appeared to have everything under control and things ran pretty close to clockwork.


On having to wait for a second flight from Nadi with other Matava guests I decided to “people watch”. I counted eight people altogether, nine counting myself and what was fascinating was that mobile phones were obviously the centre of entertainment with six out of the eight talking on them. Here in this lovely isolated island, mobile mania had obviously taken hold as it has everywhere else.


The terminal appeared to be the centre of comings and goings. Groups of people, consisting of teenagers, families, grandmothers, mothers with babies in tow, wandered in and out with flying obviously not on the agenda. It was a great social occasion.


After a while I could hear lots of yelling and screaming and on asking my designated driver what was going on he told me that a rugby 7’s match was being played on the grounds a few minutes away. This also turned out to be another great social event with every man and his dog and his boat attending.


Finally the Nadi flight came in and we set off with one visitor from Germany, who had just spent two days on a plane and another European couple who were business partners residing on Kadavu.


The boat ride was an interesting experience as Fijian boat drivers only have two speeds - ‘stop’ and ‘flat-out’. Images of glorious coastline flashed past us with our main concern being the survival of boxes of wine that was on board for the other passengers and Matava - one has to have one’s priorities right. On arrival at Matava the couple boarded their own boat to their residence just around the corner.


Matava is set just 50 metres from the ocean with glorious views of the neighboring small island. The resort is a stunning combination of timber and traditional materials. The open plan lounge, reading nook, bar and entertaining area (where kava sessions and sing-a-longs are regularly held) and the electronics area (where you can recharge camera and laptop batteries) looks out onto a timber terrace. Directly in front of the terrace is a wizened old tree that is unerringly similar to the trees in the magic forest from the movie ‘The Wizard of Oz’. The tree is the focal point of another timber terrace, the site of the original building.


The bures, some ocean side, some hillside and some perched on the top of a hill are thatched in the local Kadavu style and feature again timber decks with the higher bures offering spectacular panoramic views. But panoramic views come at a price. Be prepared to hike it a bit to your ‘home away from home’ as the hill is quite steep.
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 Now to the eco-part.

Matava is totally dedicated to conservation and the environment and is structured so that it has minimal effect on the environment and its resources. 

 

Conservation and the Environment

Matava Resort is a small and intimate getaway designed to blend in with its natural environment. Traditional thatched Fijian bures nestled on the edge of the rainforest look out over the Pacific Ocean and the Great Astrolabe barrier reef. It is the resort's policy to minimise impact on the environment and to promote and support ecologically sound conservation measures in the community.


Matava achieves this in a number of ways:

Solar Power - All lighting in the Oceanview accommodation and the main bure is solar powered. The resort office also derives all its power from solar energy. The resort does not operate any main generators, only a small emergency back-up generator for the office should the need arise.


Solar Hot Water - All new-build accommodation is supplied with hot water derived from solar energy. As each of the older style bures are replaced with a newbuild Oceanview bure, a solar hot water system is installed and the entire resort should be running on solar heated hot water by the end of this year.


Organic Farm – To minimise the need to import vegetables with associated transportation carbon emissions, a large organic garden is maintained in the resort grounds. In addition, the resort supplied local village farmers with seeds and then purchases the fruit and vegetables from them. Many fruit trees such as banana and papaya are scattered throughout the grounds.


Waste Management - All rubbish is sorted. Food waste is fed to local pigs. Waste is composted as much as possible for the organic farm. Plastic and glass bottles ere recycled, as are aluminium cans. Batteries and empty aerosol cans are impossible to dispose of and the resort requests that guests take these with them to their home country where suitable methods of disposal are available.


Land Management – Large areas of land around the resort are uncultivated to encourage the growth of native wild flowers and ferns. Part of the resort foreshore is naturally a mangrove shoreline which has been left untouched. Mangroves prevent erosion and provide sanctuary to juvenile fish. No insecticides or herbicides are used on the property. Any plants found around the resort are native to Kadavu or already found on the island. No foreign plant species are brought in to the island.


Buildings - All resort building structures are built using locally grown pine or hardwoods planted for that purpose. They are then finished using traditional methods of thatching and palm weaving. No local wild hardwood trees are used for lumber. All grey water is piped out to rubble drains for flowers and plants. Bures are designed and orientated to benefit from shade and sea breezes for cooling.


Staffing - All resort staff are from local villages. The resort's annual expenditure is directed, wherever possible, to the local community. Some specialised equipment is imported from the mainland if it is not manufactured on the island or in Fiji but if local products can be obtained priority is given to those.


Water - The primary reason for the location of Matava Resort is the abundance of natural spring water. During the drought of 2003, it was one of only two locations on the South of Kadavu island that still had a water supply. The water is naturally filtered through the limestone and is of excellent quality. Nevertheless, rainwater is still collected at certain locations and used to supply the organic garden and supplement the supply to some of the Oceanview bures.


Marine Reserves - Working in conjunction with the neighboring village of Kadavu Koro, a marine reserve from the boundary of the Matava foreshore extending out to encompass the opposite Waya Island has been established. This area is protected from any sort of fishing, shell collecting and reef walking. Assistance has also been given to the village of Nacomoto to establish a marine reserve in their waters and a contribution is made after each dive there. This clearly benefits all parties. The diving is superb, the village gets income and the fish have a sanctuary to breed. Matava also dives in the Naiqoro Passage marine reserve with further contributions made to support this initiative. Guests are asked to make a small voluntary contribution to these marine reserves when they check-out. This money is used to support and to promote marine conservation measures taken by the local villages.


Education - Each bure contains an information pack which includes advice on how guests can avoid damaging coral and marine life. The main bure has an extensive reference and information folder on coral reefs and their associated marine life. Matava Resort is supporting the efforts of local community school Governors to have the Fiji National Curriculum include a class on marine and terrestrial conservation and sustainable resource management. The new class began trialing in all Kadavu Island schools in early January 2008. If it is deemed successful through 2009, it will roll out over the whole country and become part of the National Curriculum


Diving – Matava has a 'look but don't touch' diving and snorkeling policy. Diving guests seen to be damaging marine life through uncontrolled buoyancy or willful neglect will not be allowed to continue diving. Guests touching live coral or marine life will be asked to refrain from doing so.


Gamefishing - The resort has a Tag & Release policy on all billfish other than an obvious World or Fiji National Record. All fish not destined for the dinner plate are released. Matava Resort is a member of the International Game Fishing Association (IGFA) and the game boat's skipper is a member and supporter of The Billfish Foundation.


Matava's Responsible Tourism Code of Conduct - Matava's dedication to Responsible Tourism is the driving force behind their Environmental Policy. Far from being an abstract ideal for us, Responsible Tourism shapes all their major decisions – from the concept that 'Small Groups Leave Fewer Footprints' to the choice of contractors and suppliers. A fabulous concept and fabulous experience.

 

 
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