Vanuatu, the land and its people

Vanuatu judged the happiest place on the planet

2011-09-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

This tiny, carefree nation of 220,000 in the South Pacific was voted the happiest place on the planet in a global survey conducted by the New Economics Foundation and Friends of the Earth.

To identify the winner of the Happy Planet Index, researchers used three factors. Life expectancy, human well-being and the damage caused by a country’s environmental footprint.

This Melanesian nation of 83 islands and 120 different tribal languages easily qualifies for the top gong. Proud, colourful, cheerful and, above all, untouched by and indifferent to the troubles of the world around them, the ni-Vanuatu, as the islanders are known, enjoy a way of life that has barely changed for 4,000 years.

The British in their tropical white suits have come and gone, the French in their cravats have departed, and the Portuguese in their galleons have long since sailed away . . . they’ve all had a go at turning the islands into a far-flung colonial outpost, only to find that native culture is a powerful defence against Western influence.

To understand why Vanuatu as taken this number one spot, we should briefly look at the three factors on which it has been judged the happiest place in the world. First, life expectancy. Despite the islander’s poverty, many live to 90 and beyond.

On a village on the southern island of Tanna, where a remote tribe worship the Duke of Edinburgh as their god (that’s another story) and where many were in their 80s, put their long lives down to roast pork and yams.

Second, is the well-being. In Vanuatu this is a state of mind inspired by self-satisfaction, pride and a continuation of centuries-old cultures that have no room for one of the greatest ills of the Western world, greed.

Quite simply, no one bothers keeping up with the Joneses in Vanuatu. Uniquely, they just seem to accept that what you’ve got is what you’ve got, and that’s all there is to it. Finally, there’s no pollution to speak of. There’s very little vehicle traffic apart from the main street in the capital, Port Vila (which doesn’t even have a traffic light), and now they are thinking of using coconut oil as biofuel because there are a lot of coconuts in Vanuatu.

Timber companies don’t fell swathes of forest for profit, and there are no demands for enormous energy resources. Beyond Port Vila, villagers draw water from wells and bathe in rivers, where, at dusk and dawn, the air is filled with communal laughter.

Cheerfulness is in their genes. How could you fail to chuckle at the two cheerful descriptions, in pidgin, they use for a piano? The first is, one big fellow box, he has white and black teeth, you hit him, he sings out. The second, a box where white man fights black man, they hit each other in the face and the belly and he talks. Number one is an upright piano, number two a grand.

It was during World War II, when U.S. troops were stationed in the islands, writer James Michener sat on a beach, looking across at the island of Ambae, and used it as inspiration for Tales Of The South Pacific, which became the musical South Pacific.

How apposite that Michener should have penned the words: Happy talk . . . if you don’t have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true? Overwhelmed by the happiness and romance around him, Michener fell in love with the islands and their people just as so many Westerners have.

The men are strong, proud, sharp, quick to learn, and carry ancient wisdom that distances them from the West. You always feel they know something more about life than you. The women are kind, graceful and go about their daily chores, no matter how difficult, with a cheerfulness that puts to shame those of us who complain about nothing.

Vanuatu has remained untouched by the violence of the world and even by troubles in neighbouring island countries such as Bougainville, the Solomons and Timor.

They keep themselves to themselves, for who cares that a millionaire in London drives around in a Roller, or a French tycoon has a luxury yacht. If there’s a fish on the line a villager has cast out from his canoe, his day is fulfilled.

Why invest in Vanuatu?

2011-08-24T02:35:00.000-07:00

Encompassing over 80 islands Vanuatu is situated close to both Australia and New Zealand. Anyone who has travelled to Vanuatu will admit that it would be hard to find a more beautiful place. It is truly a touch of paradise, with stunning tropical rainforests, jungle waterfalls, hot springs, incredible coral reefs and crystal clear waters teeming with exotic marine life.
The pace of life is not raced or hurried and the warmth and friendliness of the ni- Vanuatu constantly help to lift the spirits.
The country boasts an advantageous tax regime which is enhanced by several unique features when compared to other finance centers:
There is no income tax in Vanuatu, no withholding tax, no capital gains tax, no death duties and no exchange controls. Money is easily transferred in all major currencies. Vanuatu financial centre has been in operation for almost 40 years, much longer than many of its competitors. Its infrastructure of lawyers, accountants, trust companies and banks is well established and this enables it to offer investors a reliable and high quality service “on the spot”. The country has a unique multi-cultural environment. This is inherited from Condominium times before its independence in 1980 when it was governed both by the French and the British. There are three official languages, English, French and Bislama.
There is no doubt that Vanuatu has a number of potential advantages as an investment location. The democratically elected government is strongly committed to the promotion of new investment and will assist significant investment or investments in new industrial or agricultural pursuits as far as possible.
The government is particularly interested in encouraging investment in tourism, agriculture, fishing, forestry and timber products. However, there are restrictions to ensure that natural resources are not over-exploited. The thrust of government thinking is to encourage labour intensive industries, using local products that will lead to import substitution.
Tourism is one of the major growth industries of Vanuatu. The country is now well established as an attractive tourist destination and significant potential exists for rapid growth. Vanuatu is well placed in the South Pacific region as a holiday destination for tourists looking for a more relaxed but comfortable holiday environment. The Pacific region in particular is attracting an increasing share of the world’s expanding tourist market. Significant funds have been committed and the promotion and development of tourism continues to be actively encouraged.
Increased flights by airline companies and the recent introduction of flights from Virgin Pacific Blue and Air New Zealand have created a demand that is testing both the capacity of existing hotels and the current infrastructure of the industry. The country really needs investment not just in upgrading existing hotels but also in new hotels and its tourism infrastructure.
Manufactured goods exported from Vanuatu generally enjoy concessions from the Vanuatu Government. On another, equally pleasant note, the various accountants and lawyers in this tax environment can usually find ways and means of cutting down on the taxes you may have to pay overseas (that is if, for some reason that escapes us, you still wish to live in a country burdened by tax). You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

The Origin of Bungee Jumping

2011-08-22T07:14:00.000-07:00

Enthusiasts say there's nothing like the feeling of plummeting headfirst to the earth, only to be snapped back up at the last second by an elastic cord. But on a small island in the South Pacific, a group of men take part in a ritual that makes the bungee jump look like a leisurely walk in the park.

Jumper in mid flight

These men, who live on Pentecost Island in

Vanuatu, climb a rickety 98-foot-tall

(30-meter) tower, tie vines to their ankles

and dive to the ground, falling at speeds

around 45 mph (72 kph). When a dive goes

correctly, the person gets close enough

to touch his shoulders or his head to the

earth. Unlike bungee cords, the vines

aren't elastic, and the jumpers won't

bounce back up. A miscalculation in vine

length and a diver may smash into the ground

headfirst, resulting in serious injury or death.

Vines that are too dry or weak may snap.

There are no nets, no helmets and no safety

equipment of any kind. The ritual is called

land diving, or naghol

An adventurer named A.J. Hackett witnessed the naghol ritual on Pentecost Island and brought the idea back to his home country of New Zealand. He perfected his first bungee cord around 1986 and performed a famous (and illegal) jump from the Eiffel Tower in 1987.The publicity from this jump brought bungee jumping into the mainstream.

While bungee jumpers have been bunging from bridges all over the globe, land diving in Vanuatu has remained relatively unchanged. The men of Pentacost Island haven't infused their vines with elastic or started wearing helmets. They build the same simple towers they've been building for as long as anyone can remember. And, people can and do die during naghol.

The only real difference these days is that the ritual now attracts crowds of tourists. Queen Elizabeth of Britain visited Vanuatu in 1974 and was a witness when a diver's vine snapped and he plummeted to his death Because of the dangers of land diving, the elders of Pentecost Island refuse to let foreigners participate.

So why do the men of Pentecost Island do this? According to tradition, the naghol ceremony is a ritual to ensure a bountiful yam harvest. Divers literally bless the soil with their shoulders gently, they hope. Today, though, naghol is also a way for young men to step into manhood. Some land divers even admit that they only dive for the excitement or simply to impress a particular girl.

Vanuatu organic beef stars in national NZ cooking contest

2011-08-22T05:23:00.000-07:00

In 2006, Vanuatu was voted the happiest place on earth according to the Global Happy Planet index. That’s possibly one reason why Vanuatu organic beef by all accounts is very good. Vanuatu organic beef was the star of the show at the Island Influences, Culinary Fare cooking competition held at the ASB Showgrounds yesterday with the winner being announced tonight. The Island Influences category of the Culinary Fare is organised by the Pacific Islands Trade & Investment Commission NZ to promote Pacific Island ingredients to New Zealand chefs as part of the annual Hospitality Show. This year’s ingredients featured Vanuatu organic beef and nangai nuts, cassava and kava. Guest judge representing the Vanuatu Chefs Association (VCA) Mark Seagar commented prior to last night’s contest that Vanuatu organic beef was in high demand with much of the beef presold to markets such as PNG, Solomon Islands and Kiribati. Despite New Zealand having an advantage in beef production, promoting Vanuatu organic beef in New Zealand was hardly bringing coals to Newcastle. There’s a niche market for organic beef from Vanuatu said Seagar. The animals are allowed to roam, feeding off grass and producing quality beef with good marbling throughout the meat.

That was confirmed by one contestant from the army who said that the beef was so soft it was a little hard to work with - after being used to much tougher cuts of beef. With dishes such as pave of beef fillet on coconut spinach, nangai nut and taro, with sautéed paua, pikopiko, horopito oil and vanilla jus, the contestants appeared happy with their inspiration.

Mr Seagar who is an advocate of Pacific produce said the Island Influences competition was a great way to promote local Pacific island produce to New Zealand. “I believe it is imperative that we must promote and use more of the local ingredients of all South Pacific Islands not only in their countries but throughout the whole of the South Pacific” said Seagar. Mr Seagar is a Culinary Arts Instructor for the Austalian Pacific Technical College (APTC) who has been tutoring in Vanuatu for the past two years.

Mr Seagar is an experienced judge having been involved in judging various public and private sector culinary competitions. The 10 competitors in the Island Influences competition came from a variety of backgrounds including hotels, cookery institutes and this year, five NZ Army chefs met the challenge to produce sizzling main courses featuring the Pacific products.

What to do In Efate Island

2011-08-21T04:16:00.000-07:00

Vanuatu is an island archipelago consisting of approximately 82 relatively small, geologically newer islands of volcanic origin (65 of them inhabited), with about 800 miles (1,300 km) north to south distance between the outermost islands. The island archipelago is located some 1,750 kilometers (1,090 mi) east of northern Australia, 500 kilometers (310 mi) northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands. With reference to its location it has a sub tropical climate with warm to hot weather all year around.

Mele cascades-Hiking towards the main waterfall

This warm to hot climate all year around, adding in the white sandy beaches and crystal clear blue tropical water makes it an ideal vacation destination for tourists. The 82 islands each have unique untouched resources waiting to be discovered. This article gives brief information on a number of tourist hot spots inside the island of Efate.

Eton-Crystal Clear blue

The island of Efate which holds the capital, Port Vila has a variety of attraction to offer. The Mele cascade which is 15 minutes from Port Vila has refreshing plunge pools and a feel for a jungle walk without needing fitness. Eton Beach to the east of Efate is a cool, clear freshwater stream that meanders slowly in to warm salt water. It's a nice, sandy beach with a grassy area above, toilets, a sheltered hut, a couple of nice snorkeling spots and a breakwater for surf fishing. Vanuatu Ecotours provide a kayak safari up the Rentapao River or a bushwalk to Lololima Cascades (private waterfall and swimming hole) with excellent team of guides. Coongoola Cruise is a lovely day on an a classic sailing ketch from Havannah Harbour to crystal clear waters, fine white coral sand beaches, reef snorkeling, a turtle sanctuary with a beach barbecue, morning and afternoon tea and perhaps a few dolphins off the bow. Tour Ekasup Village to experience a traditional ni-Vanuatu village life. On Friday nights they have a Melanesian Feast in the village. Two big attractions that visitors to Vanuatu will always remember of this adventurous archipelago are its scuba diving and game fishing.

Scuba diving in Vanuatu is usually excellent, in the dive sites themselves, accessibility, water temperature and visibility. There are a number of professional dive operators – Tranquility, Nautilus and resident operators on Hideaway Island. There are reef and wreck dives for the novice and experienced divers as well as caves and swim-throughs. Vanuatu is, of course, home to one of the world’s most sought after dives, The President Coolidge. The 'Coolidge' is off the island of Espiritu Santo and, as it is recommended only for the experienced divers who have several days to explore and then wait a day before flying out (due to potential decompression sickness at altitude). There are many dive sites within half an hour of Port Vila. Dive costs vary depending on whether you have your own gear and how many dives you take - but as a guide… around VT6000 (AUD$80) for an introductory dive and VT4000 (AUD$55) for certified divers hiring all gear. Night dives have a VT1000 surcharge. If you plan a lot of dives, dive into a plan of buying 10 dives for around AUD$35 a dive.

Vanuatu offers some of the best fishing in the South Pacific. Sports and game anglers pull in marlin, Wahoo, Dorado, yellow fin tuna, swordfish and a host of other fighting fish. While Port Vila harbour and Erakor Lagoon are pretty much fished out and you’d have to be lucky to hook a good fish (it does happen though!), the offshore reefs and ocean offer one of the best blue water and coral fishing playgrounds in the world.

After a hard day outdoors a perfect day must end with a good meal to sum up the adventures. Dining is very much a part of the Vanuatu experience. With most resorts so close to Port Vila it would be a shame not to venture outside your resort. Sure, the resorts have good restaurants but there's so much excellent cuisine nearby. If you want to sample a Melanesian feast, most resorts have them (Iririki, Le Lagon, Erakor) or you can book a tour to a traditional village (Ekasup on Friday nights). There are more than 30 restaurants that tourist can get in contact with, with the help of their hotel reservation desk that are few minutes’ walk or by taxi/bus.