Nukutatava

from Peceli
Yesterday I took some of the children down to Nukutatava beach for a swim and a picnic and a good time was had by all. This is the place where my family lived in the 70s when the boys were very young. We had three bures near the sea then, constant running water, and it was a delightful place with many coconut trees near the shore. Erosion has since taken away some of the beach. Today I visited Paul Jaduram in Labasa and we both went to Nukutatava. Our neighbours have vacated their property - the Christian Fellowship Training Centre - because they wanted to relocate to a site nearer to the larger population such as Suva.

Nukutatava Bible school closes

from w
I'd been told about the move to Suva for the Christian youth training centre at Nukutatava then I saw a reference to it in one of the Fiji papers. Students winding up for the year. Suva is more accessible in many ways, though to have a Christian youth education centre in Macuata was an excellent idea. They had turned grassland into a park and built rows of fine bungalows and developed the place very well. Now I wonder how the land will be used by a new owner!

Last time for Labasa
writer : SHRATIKA NAIDU
12/5/2011

Graduates of the Labasa World Harvest Institute (WHI) bade their final farewells to each other during their graduation on Saturday. Many shed tears of joy after completing a year of study while some had to let go of the place they called home. The institute which was established in the 2001 to provide biblical education to students all over the world will be closed from next year. A total of 70 students enrolled in three different courses were awarded with certificates.

The first year students were awarded with certificate of discipleship, the second year students were awarded with leadership and the third year students were awarded certificate in church planning.

Christian Mission Fellowship international president Reverend Suliasi Kurulo, who was the chief guest at the graduation, said he felt inner peace seeing students graduating. He said after the completion of three years course, students qualified to become missionaries, Bible college teachers, pastors and in other related Christian professions.

Now students would have to move to Suva and get enrolled at the main centre because the institute in Labasa would be closed.

“The reason we are closing down and bringing students to the main centre is to make bible study courses available for everyone,” Reverend Kurulo said. “The change of venue would also help students get access to modern technology such as computers and library to do research, prepare assignment and listen to international speakers.”

The spring in the rock at Nukutatava

from w
The first time I saw the water flowing gently from a cleft in the rock and filling a natural basin under a tree, there were marigolds and a coconut placed there by some people who regarded the place as blessed. Nukutatava is a beach west of Labasa. Yes, it is a special gift of fresh water only about four metres from the edge of the sea. A couple of days ago I found a large acrylic painting I had made of this place - (four feet by three feet) so took a photo of it to re-design in several ways. The spring is still there and once upon a time we piped that water up to tanks. That time we lived in three freshly built bamboo bures. Unfortunately the beach isn't so pretty as those days and a fire about three months ago destroyed the house there. Much of the sand has been taken away in trucks and the men reprimanded and told not to take any more. But it will take time for the beach to recover.

Weather tower in Babasiga land

from w
The small piece of land at Vatudamu in the area of Nukutatava is cleared ready to built the new weather tower. A member of our family took this photo about three weeks ago. It's good to know that they are going to fix the road because at present it is very hard on vehicles though people have used feeder roads in this area for over forty years. Vinaka. The location is in the midst of sugarcane farms and the area closer to the road is generally known as Vatuadova. The land is typical babasiga land, low hills, not many trees, often dry, but it can be productive also. I presume the following information from Fiji Sun is mainly a handout from the government.

New weather radar ready by October
5/29/2010
Government intends to complete the construction of the new radar station at Vatudamu hill in Labasa before the next cyclone season, Ministry for Works, Transport and Public Utilities spokeswoman Sainiana Waqainabete says. Ms Waqainabete said the weather system project was significant because it would help in early detection of tropical cyclones affecting Fiji.

Minister for Works, Transport and Public Utilities Colonel Timoci Natuva was in Labasa to see progress of the project. The radar project is expected to be completed by October. The new DWSR-8500S worth $2.5 million will be installed in the district of Wailevu, outside Labasa town.

Ms Waqainabete said the construction of the radar station was intended to improve the standard of the Fiji Meteorological Services and Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre in Nadi. “The construction for the new radar station is expected to complete before the new cyclone season starts in October this year. “The aim of this construction is to bring into place a system that is able to detect and monitor severe weather especially tropical cyclones threatening Fiji from the north,” Ms Waqainabete said. She said the Northern community was fortunate to have the new radar station because it would ensure the community was well informed of weather situations.

Infrastructural construction of the station will cost Government a little over $1 million with the establishment of the road access to the site closing in at $30,000. Ms Waqainabete said a special building with amenities would be constructed at an estimated cost of about $70,000. She said with the assistance of the Fiji Water Authority a borehole would be installed at the site to supply water to the station.

Nukutatava

from w
I also found two photos going back many years to when we lived in three bures beside Nukutatava Beach. One is of a painting I did at the time of the natural spring a few feet from the beach - I have no idea where the painting is now. The other photo is of two of our boys playing on a boat built by a relative from Mali Island. We lived there - at Nukutatava and Vatuadova in the early 1970s. An idyllic life beside the sea - mostly!

One day two strangers arrived there and were measuring up, so I asked them what they were doing. 'Oh, we are going to put in a tramline for sugarcane.' What? No way. Peceli and I went to the Mill Manager's office and truly, without consultation, they had planned to make a railway line right in front of our bures near the shoreline. We objected strongly. They said they would give us $3000 and we could also move our houses up the hillside. No! We won and they made another plan far away from the sea.

Nukutatava near Labasa

from w
Once upon a time, we lived in these bures beside the sea. No bars on windows those days.

Pure spring water at Nukutatava

from w
Going through various transformations is a natural spring a few feet away from the beach at Nukutatava. From a cliff face clean spring water drips down into a cavity in the rocks. At one time some Indian neighbours used to pray there and leave marigold leaves. When we lived there this was our source of clean water and we put in pipes and a tank, taps, showers and flush toilets. Alas, they have gone with hurricanes and time. But the spring is still there and the family has made a shower and they wash clothes there as well.