Bula!!

It's 30 degrees in Fiji - welcome to the Pacific! 

After calling to check my flight details at Air Pacific's office in Auckland and casually mentioning that I was in the media industry, I was upgraded to business class and am also enjoying the business lounges in New Zealand and Fiji. Although I'm making the most of this (of course!!), I do think it's quite sad that in general, so many problems go unfixed until somebody says they're from the media and then organisations pipe up and don't want to make themselves look bad through subsequent possibility of negative publicity. I've seen it happen a few times in my short stint so far as a reporter.

Anyway, speaking of business, tomorrow things are really going to get exciting. Everything I've been planning for the last few months should come together when I arrive, hot and lacking sleep, at 6.30am to the largest coral atoll in the world. Wahoo, finally!!!

Tomorrow I'll hopefully have pictures of this largely unknown paradise and will no doubt fill you in on the boat, the crew and all that jazz.


For now though, I'd like to draw your attention to the links on the right hand side of the page. While I've been doing my trip research, trawling the net, these are some the organisations and websites that have stood out. All have a pacific or environmental focus in some way, but I guess what's cool is that I don't think they force their views down your throat - they are more just interesting insights and valid observations.

Also, big ups to Sustainable Coastlines - Pangaea Exploration's New Zealand partner organisation - who just won an award at the Ministry for the Environment's Green Ribbon awards evening. The guys from SC work really hard to let Kiwi's know the importance (and fun of) cleaning up our beaches.

In a later post I will piece together an interview I had with Camden Howitt, one of the key Sustainable Coastline members, who went on the second leg of the Pacific survey trip around Rarotonga.

Bula for now!