From Palmlea

from w
Read this piece on Fijiguide this morning with some updates on plans to improve transport and infrastructure in the Labasa region. Sounds very good.
News from Labasa way
Posted by Robert F. Kay on December 11, 2011 at 2:00pm

Fijiguide.com members Joe and Julie Smelser, owners of Palmlea Farms Lodge & Bures (located 18 minutes from Labasa Airport on the northern coast of Vanua Levu) were kind enough to give me a pre New Year's report which I will pass on.

The news should be of interest to anyone traveling to the Labasa area or thinking of visiting Palmlea, a working farm and eco tourism resort that has recently received international attention.

Here are their updates:

Blighwater Shipping's “MV Westerland” ferry has been running successfully from Lautoka to Malau/Labasa since last 3.5 months.

A big new commercial wharf will soon be built 4.5 kms west of Palmlea. It will be an International port for bigger ships shipping bauxite to China and Russia. Part of the complex will be a new ferry landing, with customs/immigration.

A new paved road passing 1 kms from Palmlea now connects the main highway to the new wharf.

Palmlea will be on the grid--it will soon have electric service …
Labasa airport will be extended the 440 metres with night landing lights to accommodate early evening night flights.

Air Pacific, which owns Pacific Sun reports they is ordering 2 x ATR 74 passenger aircraft to service Nadi, Suva and Labasa.

Joe reports there may be an opportunity to one Int’l flight a week with a
737 longhaul commercial jet straight into Labasa.

For anyone coming up Labasa way, they will note new and remodeled buildings in mainstreet Labasa, plus a new Jack’s Handicrafts store.

The Bank of the South Pacific (PNG) bank will be be coming into Vanua Levu to service the local population.

Last but not least, Palmlea Lodge & Villas was featured on CNN.com in late September, we along with 4 other International properties. By comparison, Palmlea was a real bargain. The story is here.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/09/21/rustic.retreats/index.html?hpt...