Tidying Loose Ends

Well, as expected my 3 ½  months has flown by!

The majority of the last few weeks has been spent talking to remaining tour operators and finalising risk management plans.

We did manage to fit in a trip to SW Bay to attend an opening of the Mahun bungalow, inspect progress of several others under development and to attend a meeting of the local tourism association.

Brilliant fine and calm weather made for a pleasant 2 ½ hour boat trip either way, although it did make us work hard to ensure us 'white men' were not sizzled by the relentlless sun. (there was also one other down side with a certain gastro bug severly knocking around two of my VSA colleagues!)

 While subsistance living is prevalent in Malampa province, my experience has been a strong and consistant desire by the Nivanuatu people to develop their economy and tourism opportunities  (without losing control to overseas interests). School  fees, improvements to housing, water supplies, clothing etc. all cost money so any increase in income as result of tourism development would inevitably flow through to help with these things.

As per their reputation, ‘Man blong Vanuatu’ are friendly, welcoming and grateful to the foreign Government, NGO and volunteer support they receive. There are many challenges here and improvements to core infrastructure and services are occurring slowly, but people here are used to getting by with very little.

A predominantly strong christian faith drives an emphasis on family, community and being grateful for what they have - with a correspondingly lower emphasis or need for work and material possessions. 

Jane and Izzy arrive today for a week's R&R then heading home via Brisbane and Jem, Josh and Maddies....