The Sigatoka Sand Dunes

It feels very surreal looking back on my past week at the Sigatoka Sand Dunes thinking about the fact that only two days ago I was trekking up and down sand dunes about three or four times a day! It was one of the busiest weeks of the year for the Sand Dunes- it was the last week of term during which the older years sat exams and the young years were taken on school excursions such as to the sand dunes. During our two and a half days Hannah and I were also to brainstorm some ideas for the new educational centre which was to be built at the dunes starting next year. We were able to visit a near- by marine park in order to get some inspiration for the set- up of the education centre and some ideas of fun games for early school- aged children.

Some quick information about the Sand Dunes- the sand dunes cover an area of 650 acres with 390 acres protected as Fiji’s first National Park since 1989. It is protected for the combination of geomorphological, ecological, cultural and aesthetical attributes it holds. Hannah and I learnt about the geomorphology and the history of the dunes on our first tour of the dunes early on Wednesday morning when we were showed around by one of the park rangers. We were also given an introduction to plant and animal life which I found fascinating as I have little knowledge or background in environmental studies. The Park rainforest is home to over 35 species of birds, 8 of which are endemic to Fiji.

With my love of history I found the archeological history of the sand dunes the most fascinating. On the second day at the dunes we went on the longer walk to the archeological sites where burial sites, pottery shards and other cultural materials have been found. These are believed to be of Lapita origin which is dated to approximately 2600 years ago. I am hoping to visit the Fiji Museum next week one afternoon after work as many of the unearthed artifacts from the sand dunes are on display at the Fiji Museum in Suva.

The beautiful Fijian environment is a key image used to draw tourism to Fiji. In the article “We are Fiji” Cattermole analyses the film footage of We are Fiji (watch it on youtube!) in which Fiji is promoted as a “pristine, pre- modern, unspoilt paradise.” (pg 100) There are in facts images of Fijian warriors dressed in traditional garb running through the Sigatoka sand dunes with carved wooden war clubs in the film club. This traditional and militaristic projection of Fiji creates a national identity which appears to prioritise the cultural and historical significance of environmental sites across Fiji. I believe it would be an interesting essay topic to compare this to the reality of the environmental protection scheme within Fiji as it appears that the direction of Fiji is increasingly focusing upon the economy with recent ventures into mining with Newcrest. It is interesting that alternative directions such as eco- tourism, which could be equally economically viable in the long- term, have not been fully explored.

I feel like I was provided with an invaluable insight into Fijian life and culture through meeting the staff of the Sigatoka Sand Dunes. It was interesting to juxtapose this against my experience so far of traditional Fijian culture. This was clear on the final night in Sigatoka when we went to a school carnival hosted to raise money for a school renovation. Children from about ten villages were sent to this school so each village had a food stall to contribute to the fundraising. Each village also entered a year seven girl into a beauty contest. The girls were dressed in beautiful traditional outfits- the diversity of the outfits provided a visual depiction of the range of backgrounds of each of the villages with some having clear Tongan influences, some were Polynesian and others were similar to the outfits in the photographs above from the ceremony on Monday. My camera unfortunately ran out of battery so I can’t share these outfits with you!

Following the beauty contest was a dance display which contrasted strongly to the traditional dances performed on Monday by the Conservatory of Music students. It was a mix of Polynesian dances, traditional Fijian dances and fire dancers. Often it was younger students who were learning so there was a lot of encouragement and involvement from the audience. Sweets and money were given to the dancers during their performance as a show of appreciation. Another difference was that rival villages mocked each others’ dances with the beauty contestants joining in and, for example, dressing the boys in a sulu to mock their dancing.

It was a beautiful, if tiring, three days at the Sigatoka Sand Dunes. It has given me a lot of insight into the difference between constructed idea of Fiji and the reality of Fijian life and culture. A fantastic start to working with the National Trust!