More resorts that were a week ago in the path of Cyclone Winston in Fiji's Yasawa and Mamanuca islands are ready to welcome visitors again, backpackers have swapped the beach for the villages where they are helping with the clean up and cruise and resort connection vessels are helping distribute much needed supplies.
“The massive team effort of everyone lending a hand means that more than half of the 30-plus resorts we package will be welcoming visitors in the coming days,” says Peter Duncan CEO of Awesome Adventures Fiji, South Seas Cruises and Blue Lagoon Cruises, which operate in these picturesque islands off the Fiji coastline to the north-west of Nadi.
“Everyone intending to travel with us can be confident that they will be accommodated and go home having had an awe-inspiring time – an experience they will be talking about for years to come."
He said, as could be seen in the regular operational updates available via the companies' websites, there was now a clear picture of which properties and day trip/overnight anchorage locations were in a position to welcome guests.
Mr Duncan said the Blue Lagoon Cruises' ship Fiji Princess, the South Seas Cruises' resort connection vessels and Awesome Adventure Fiji's Yasawa Flyer were delivering basic supplies to villages in the Mamanucas and Yasawas as part of current schedules.
“Our passengers are saying they are pleased to be a part of what is happening and that they are humbled to see how the relief – basic stuff like rice, flour, tinned fish and tarpaulins – is so appreciated by these villagers that have lost just about everything, and didn't have that much to begin with. Building materials and tools are next - and we're calling out to trades people like builders, plumbers and electricians to volunteer to help.”
