Beachcomber

YOUR ISLAND OFFICE AWAITS

Tired of working from home? Well, why not work from someone else’s, for example Nanuku Auberge Resort on Fiji’s Pacific Coast. Auberge Resorts Collection the company behind Nanuku is offering guests the opportunity to work from the resort with specially designed packages for those who can get away from it all but want to continue running their business remotely. Guests can simply pack their laptop and reinvigorate their approach to work; enjoying conference calls, online meetings and emails poolside – cocktails optional!

Logan Miller, general manager of Nanuku Auberge Resort says, “Remote with Auberge provides singles, couples and families with a fresh new way to work, learn and play, while they surrender to Fiji’s unique culture and tranquillity.”

 All guests booking a Remote with Auberge package can opt for an ‘in-villa office’ complete with monitor, wireless mouse, keyboard, whiteboard for creative thinking, charging station and access to 24-hour support for assistance with technology, printing, office supply needs and more.

For a little more freedom, a make-shift office can be arranged around guests’ private pools, or in Nanuku’s socially distanced Tabua or Meke rooms. All while soaking up breathtaking views of Beqa Lagoon. Nanuku’s dedicated Business Concierge would be on hand to assist with any business needs or requests.

Remote with Auberge is an extended-stay program available to guests staying seven nights or longer. The base package includes: concierge business services, daily á la carte breakfast at Kanavata Restaurant & Lounge, sunset canapés and endless non-alcoholic beverages and nibbles. Extensive á la carte menus are available for lunch and dinner.

While getting there for many might be difficult, for those who can make their way to Fiji, or are already there here are a few options for arrival:

 Access via sea:

• Fiji is open to ocean travellers via the Fiji Government ‘Blue Lanes’ initiative.

• Yachts and pleasure craft can arrive into Port Denarau Marina. After either 14 days of isolation at sea, or via quarantine in the Marina, access is granted.

Access via air:

• Nanuku has a private airstrip on their property. Private flights from any major city in Fiji can be arranged upon request.

• Planes can arrive from any airport within Fiji to Nanuku; the largest aircraft that can land at Nanuku’s aerodrome is a twin-otter plane.

• Helicopters can collect guests from Denarau and transfer directly to Nanuku.

• International private jets arrive via Nadi International Airport to clear customs, then can be transferred to Nanuku by road or air.

IN THE SWIM

Those Funky folks are at it again with more trunks for blokes to kickstart the summer beach season. The new collection from one of Australia’s favourite swimwear brands includes briefs, shorts, trunks, jammers along with towels, underwear goggles, backpacks, kickboards and caps all in their signature vibrantly coloured creative prints. Funky Trunks in-house designs are manufactured to an exceptional standard to deliver functional and comfortable styles. Check out the range for yourself here: www.funkytrunks.com

FASHION OVERWATER ON THE PACIFIC’S LONGEST RUNWAY

On 22nd August, 2020 Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay hosted a successful fashion event in collaboration with local fashion brand ZUBER, in support of Fijian tourism, fashion and art. The sold out function brought together 100 invited guests to witness an extraordinary event which transformed Momi Bay’s iconic overwater walkway into the Pacific’s longest fashion show runway. It measured 180 metres from the start of the pier to the very end which hovers over the middle of the lagoon. The show was led by Fiji’s well-established luxury brands ZUBER, Zilda Collection and Naina with live dance performances by Wehi Fiji taking place simultaneously while the models walked the runway. “It is our greatest pleasure to support Fijian art and the country’s most exclusive fashion designers … I’m proud of my team for their hard work in pulling this event together and we hope it becomes an annual event,” Silvano Dressino, general manager, Fiji Marriott Resort Bay said.

VANUATU NATURALS

 The Pacific Islands are home to some of the purest plant botanicals and oils, perfect ingredients in organic skincare. A new holistic beauty and skin care brand from Port Vila is Tehya Skye Vanuatu. Inspired by her yoga, wellness and beauty background and the natural resources of her home island, founder Chanelle Bjornum-Motuliki had been creating her own natural and healing skin care products for many years before starting the brand.

Ingredients include rich virgin coconut, tamanu and nangai oils blended with essential oils for their healing properties and ability to raise your vibrational energy. The range currently includes body, face and lip scrubs as well as facial oils like Isis – a blend of tamanu oil to nourish skin on a cellular level and lavender and rose geranium essential oils to promote clarity and radiance. All products are handmade and packaged with mantras and tips to activate your senses during use. Tehya Skye Vanuatu products are available for purchase from ‘Ile de Coco’ boutique in Port Vila. Follow on Facebook or Instagram: @tehyaskyevanuatu

LAVA IS HOT

 There is a new kid on the block in downtown Apia, and it’s the funky new boutique Lava Hotel. The four-star property opened in March 2020 and is located on Main Beach Road, next to the Tanoa Tusitala hotel. It boasts 52 rooms, conference and events facilities, a pool, gym, bar and restaurant. Owned by Digicel Samoa, the hotel was designed to appeal to millennial leisure and business travellers with its contemporary features. The guest rooms are tucked inside the heart of the hotel, accessed via a courtyard so that when guests emerge from their room, they feel a part of the hotel’s buzzing ecosystem. The bar and restaurant, 1905 Eatery, opens out onto the expansive pool terrace and is already proving a fantastic addition to Apia’s nightlife.

www.lavahotel.ws/ | @lavahotelsamoa

TAKEOVER OPPORTUNITY

The quintessential resort takeover has become the latest resort trend, and Yasawa Island Resort & Spa, Fiji is bringing new meaning to the term ‘Buy Out’ by offering an exclusive retreat in a tropical paradise.

As if the sheer beauty were not enough to entice international travellers, add to the mix a choice of 11 white sandy beaches, five-star dining, world-class diving , Fijian culture, myriad water sports, and a visit to the world-famous Blue Lagoon caves, the location for the movie Blue Lagoon starring Brook Shields, and an unsurpassed vacation is ‘exclusively yours’.

The resort, located on a 7,000-acre island with a handful of Fijian villagers as your neighbours and only 30 minutes by private air transfer from Nadi International Airport, is now offering an exclusive stay: the ultimate ‘Isolate in Paradise Buyout’ for one to 38 guests.

Whether celebrating a milestone birthday, special anniversary or seeking to recharge and relax with family and friends, look no further than the idyllic Yasawa Island Resort & Spa, Fiji, an unsurpassed sanctuary for sun and fun. The price tag for paradise is set at approximately US$14,000 per night with a minimum three-night stay. Rates are exclusive of international and domestic airfare to the island/return, and Fiji Government tax. The complete buyout is valid for travel through to March 31, 2022.

Tucked away in the lush Yasawa group of islands off the coast of main Island of Viti Levu, this secluded haven boasts 18 authentically thatched luxury bungalows hidden among luscious tropical foliage and only steps from a pristine stretch of silky beachfront. Located on one of the most remote and unspoiled islands in Fiji, it is a tropical oasis that attracts couples, singles, families and groups from around the world.

For more information, visit: https://yasawa.com/islandbuyout/ and see our story this issue starting on page 44.

A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK

Always good to see the South Pacific artisans making good in the larger world, and that’s what South Pacific Cacao has done by setting up shop in Sydney’s Haberfield. The enterprise is a partnership between Brian Atkin, who owns Makira Gold in Solomon Islands and chocolate specialist Jessica Pedemeont. Makira Gold, a prize-winning producer, buys solar-dried cocoa beans from three Solomons cocoa farmers from Makira.

 Jessica also owns Chocolate Artisan, which has been a leading artisan brand for over 10 years and produces a selection of specialist chocolate products. Buy in-store or online at: southpacificcacao.com