Fiji's heart of gold

By TOM COCKREM

I arrived in Suva at 9pm, with no ID, drenched to the bone, and with only $5. I had come on the back of a truck. And it rained. Then the discovery: I had left all my documents and money back at the hotel in Sigatoka.

But this was Fiji, no need to despair. The truck driver whisked me into the office of a personal friend - the chief inspector of police. This man, cheerful and reassuring, overlooked my wretched, muddied state and arranged not only my accommodation, but also for my documents to be sent down by police courier overnight. He then drove me to the guest house and stood as my personal guarantor.

This was my welcome to Suva, one I am unlikely to forget.

After checking in, I strolled back to the centre. The streets snaked their way through leafy garden suburbs - towering palms and giant shrubs with shiny dripping leaves. It was a far cry from the island's drier, dusty north, and the hard-baked town of Nadi near the international airport. No, this was much more like the Fiji I had hoped to discover on my travels: moist, tropical and lush. Strange that I should find it in the capital.

The city centre, too, had treats in store. The streets were quiet, almost deserted in the rain; but the town's aged buildings seemed to glow. There were big, broad colonnades and generous verandahs, all immaculately painted in creams and neutral tones. I later learned their names: the old Garrick building in the heart of town; and in Victoria Parade the Fintel Telecommunications Building and the old Town Hall.

That night I walked into a nightclub, the Golden Dragon. So this was where the people had all gone. The night was alive indoors. Befriending generous locals, my $5 went a long way that night.

I already liked Suva, and especially the people. It was clear that they took great pride in their city and in its past. And for good reason.

Made capital of Fiji under British colonial rule in 1882, Suva rapidly became the Pacific's biggest town, its main port and most vital link with the outside world. It remains that way today.

As well as being the region's economic hub, Suva is also its melting pot. It is here that people from Pacific Island nations such as Tonga, Samoa and Tuvalu come to work and live. And so do people from Fiji's most far-flung outer islands. Most are Melanesian in origin, but there are Polynesians, too. They gravitate to the capital from exotic sounding places such as Rotuma, Moala and Lau.

The perfect place to lose yourself among these island folk is at the Suva Municipal Market. Saturday is best. It is then that bus-loads of villagers stream in from places including the Rewa River Delta and the Sawani Highlands to set up shop.

The place explodes into a sea of colourful sulus (sarongs), saris and bula shirts. It's the kind of scene Harry Belafonte would be moved to sing about. All the tropical goodies you'd expect to find are there: mangos, pawpaws, pineapples, bananas, all freshly plucked from fertile village plots.

The vegetables are the root variety mainly. Some like dalo (Fijian taro) stand elegantly tall, while others such as yam are formidably earthy, like the ever friendly village ladies who sell them.

Here too, tucked away in little nooks, groups of Fijian men indulge in their favourite pastime - sharing a bowl of kava. It is locally known as grog. Accept a cup when offered. It will bring a tingle to your lips and mellow out your senses - just the thing for a day in the Suva market.

Downtown Suva is roughly divided into two sections. To the north, Renwick and Thomson Sts wind their way up a steepish hill to the once ritzy but now pretty shabby suburb of Toorak, passing through the city's major shopping precinct. The shops are mostly Indian-run, selling gold jewellery, electronic goods, saris and such.

Commanding the top of Renwick St is the Kings Hotel, iconic among serious drinkers. This huge three-storey wooden structure manages to accommodate four bars, a couple of nightclubs and a bunch of Indian-run businesses along its second floor gallery.

In Pratt St, which runs off Renwick at its lower end, stands the magnificent Roman Catholic Cathedral. It's a soaring sandstone structure that accommodates a hall beneath the church upstairs. I happened to pass by on Sunday afternoon, to find the big porches spilling over with primly dressed parishioners, and the fabulous choir in full harmonic voice. Those thick stone walls must wish they did have ears.

The other part of the city - the more salubrious one - straddles Victoria Parade. The street emerges from the bustling city centre and runs south straight out of town. Near its end stands what was once Suva's pride and joy: the Grand Pacific Hotel. At times rather flatteringly compared to Raffles in Singapore, the GPH represented the British raj, Pacific Island style. The hotel has been closed and left languishing for more than 10 years. Happily, plans are afoot to bring it back to life, in what guise it remains to be seen.

Across the road is Albert Park. This is where Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith made an emergency landing on the last leg of his landmark flight from England to Australia. The park these days is the scene of those thumpingly competitive rugby games for which the Fijians are internationally renowned.

In Suva you are constantly reminded of the past. My favourite spot for breakfast was the Old Mill Cottage. It's a rare relic of Suva's long defunct sugar mill. It has an airy wooden verandah where you are bound to strike up conversations with regulars to the place. I got to know the reggae boys who play at a local nightclub.

"Coming to Trapps tonight? The band's on. I've got some spare tickets if you want one. See you there."

"Great!"

And that's the way it is in Suva. The people want to know you and include you in their lives. The Fijian way, after all, is the way of the village. There is a strong sense of community here, and everyone has a part to play. That includes the visitor. This is the strongest feeling you get in Suva. It's a city, true, but a Pacific Island city, and no one gets left out.

Fiji

GETTING THERE

Air Fiji has daily flights from Nadi to Suva. You can also go by local bus, taxi or shared taxi. Flight Centre is offering five nights at the Tanoa Plaza Suva including return airfares on Air Pacific ex Auckland from $1229 a person share twin, plus airport taxes and levies.

WHAT TO TAKE

Repellent, sun-hat, sun-block, light cottons, umbrella.

WHEN TO GO

It's best to avoid the rainy season from December through March.